The Rebellion of The Angels, page 9
—...although the possibilities are remote... —Youth completed then, before Experience´s confusion, who stopped looking ahead and paid attention to her friend.
—I do not understand... —Experience said.
—I say that before giving me your sermons about our mission and priorities, you should listen to me... “And if Eyes of Heaven is there, although the possibilities are remote”… It was the phrase that you did not let me complete, because you are always so worried about treating me as your daughter —Youth said, who continued walking leaving Experience and Rahab behind.
Experience was open-mouthed, surprised by the reaction of Youth, and then thought out loud as if talking to Rahab:
—But that does not stop her from ordering her priorities... —And she continued walking with Rahab several meters behind Youth, although she was worried because her soul friend was angry with her, even knowing that her explanation had been necessary.
—¡I never thought that I would be involved in a war and even less that I would be one of the targets with my father, who I hope to see again soon! —Rahab said, separating Experience from her thoughts for a moment, who was still concentrated on the reproach that Youth made, of whom she tried to make a better and correct being, respectful, as she told her the night before at the hostelry, when she kissed her goodnight like a mother to her daughter.
—Destiny is not always how you want it to be. Rarely it matches with what you want and I do not think there is a way to change it, although it is possible that if you have conviction, you will achieve your goals through humility, effort, and dedication, for example. In that case, we could say that you did not change your destiny but that you reached it.
—You mean that destiny is not changed, that it is already written and is reached or not according to your own merits...
—God will also compensate your effort if you have prayed well, and he will give you the last push to reach your goal. And always remember, Rahab... —Experience said, when she stopped walking and took the girl by her shoulders—. ...that no matter how difficult the situation in which you are may be, that no matter how much you think you are about to fall into the darkest and deepest of the abysses... of the darkness... always, but always, light will arise...
Rahab listened carefully to Experience´s words and she continued walking several meters behind Youth, who walked where the meadow was decreasing and beyond, the steppe and its scarce vegetation grew, since only the thorny plants abounded.
They walked for a few more hours in absolute silence. Youth continued to lead the group several meters away from her companions. She seemed thoughtful, hurt and regretful for having answering back to someone she loved so much, to her friend Experience, but arrogant perhaps, she did not try to apologise even recognizing her mistake, and this contradiction and confusion of feelings made her green eyes became cloudy, up to the point of shedding tears for what happened.
On the other hand, Experience was lost in the undulating path. She also seemed to think about her friend Youth, as if wondering if she should be less protective of her. But she was sure of something; Experience would not allow anything to happen to Youth, even if she had to give her life for hers.
The night reached them at the foot of a community of young mountains, those they must have left behind, as Booz told them, to reach the piers where they could spend the night, describing it as a safe place. The sky was cloudy and in the absence of stars, only several flocks of birds seemed to compete to reach a possible refuge offered by the mountains somewhere in its lush territory.
No less worried about the storm that was coming according to the dark grey of the sky, Youth waited for her friends while Experience indicated:
—We must find a refuge in the mountains —At a time when some lightning flashes transformed the dull night into a clear grey day.
The small group left the road and with effort, due to the fatigue felt not only in the legs but throughout the entire body after so many miles travelled that day; they began a short climb up the mountain. A few meters farther they were surprised by an unnoticed cliff that invited them to spend the night. It was not very spacious but it promised them safety and that was reason enough to spend a few hours there, without hesitation.
—¡I think we will be safe here! —Experience exclaimed, before the insecure look of Youth who was lost in the way travelled, and Rahab´s face that expressed nothing but concern and fear: moods that disappeared when the first strong drops of a sudden drizzle touched the young girl´s hair roots.
—It is true that we are a few meters up, but fortunately this refuge is not seen from the road. In addition, we will only stay here a couple of hours to rest our bodies —Experience explained with effort, since the wild wind muted her warm voice.
—Why do you think the angels cried so much?— Rahab asked innocently, and in a very metaphorical way, interpreting the drizzle as angelic tears, without imagining that she was being accompanied by two of the many angels at that time. Those creatures with which every man and woman dreamt about, imagining that one day the dream will come true. Those creatures that appeared when a beautiful woman knocks on the door of a man´s heart.
Youth smiled timidly and Experience answered with seriousness, showing some wisdom in her words:
—Maybe they cry because of the dangers that are coming or because they feel powerless because they cannot see their creative father, God, happy. Because he will only be happy when the Earth is safe, when man has peace both inside and outside, and fundamentally, when men accept each other and live together as brothers... Now it would be better to rest, tomorrow we will have a long day…
—If God wants... —Rahab added smiling. The words of Experience had entered Rahab´s mind and her mood was different, much more animated but she wanted to sleep a little.
—God will want, Rahab, God will always want... —Youth said, full of happiness. The words of her friend, Experience, had also reached her heart, although even so, Youth continued with her position of being offended by the reprimand that her friend gave her. Although what she was doing was pretending to be angry, so that she would not be the one to apologise first, waiting for Experience talk with her first, and then yes, settle their differences.
Youth inspected the small cliff whose floor was wet soil, and throwing a kind of blanket, she put her belongings to one side. She lay down trying to be in the middle of their companions to, at some point, begin a conversation with Experience, who was the last one to lie down on one end with no intentions of talking, and on the contrary, she was cautious on the road at the foot of the mountains and which took them there, since it was possible that the demon enemies appeared...although to calm their nerves down, the guardian angels remained transparent indicating only the presence of natural humans.
Concerned about the attitude that her friend showed when she did not speak to her, and although apparently she would not do it either, Youth tried to approach Experience through actions, and for that reason she took another blanket from her rucksack, with which she not only covered herself but also covered Rahab, and turning around, she tried to offer part of it to Experience so that she would also cover up; but she seemed to be already asleep, so Youth did nothing but silently covered her and then she closed her eyes trying to sleep for a while.
Meanwhile, under a cold and gloomy night, the two young angels with the skin of a woman and the young human slept in that refuge in the mountain, several miles away from the South—Southeast of that mountainous region... A large group of demons in their state of men went through that entire village where Booz left Experience, Youth and Rahab, so that the small group would continue on foot. That group of demons moved like hounds behind their prey, sneaking around, even bursting in the privacy of people, after entering their houses as if they were their own, under the incessant rain that also manifested there, and regardless of whether they were beaten by the owners of that houses, because in the best of cases the demons would take slight reprisals against the inhabitants of the houses, although it could also happen that they would kill people.
In turn, in the camp the demons had inside the forest that adjoined the Ghost Port, located in the northern continent, where the wizard Suleiman was kidnapped, although his condition was quite privileged by the power of clairvoyance that cards gave to him, both he and the six demon leaders, followers of Satan, among whom were three of female sex; Rage, Envy and Revenge, and three of male sex; Hate, Pain and Suffering. They had dinner inside that horrific tent located in the centre of the camp.
They did it in a lively way, with the relief of knowing that outside that tent, there were many troops made up of demon soldiers, who protected the entire camp. Although, since his kidnapping status and for fear of his future, the wizard Suleiman, from time to time, watched the burning mirror, where the sinister figure of Satan appeared as if by magic, and precisely that was what happened minutes later, after his messenger demon appeared first, among the flames of the fountain in front of the mirror. He heard an energetic blazing fire that cut off his breath and appetite, and the six demon leaders automatically rose to their feet...
—Sir... —Revenge said, who then reported: —. We have not found the girl and those who accompany her yet, but I believe that soon they will fall into our troops´ clutches, which cross the West of the continent.
—Do not believe, Revenge. Just find her. Send reinforcements and warn the troops that cross the centre of the continent to go West. We must concentrate all our strength on catching that young woman and destroy those who accompany her. What is more, Rage, you must make the group of reinforcements and go for the girl —Rage affirmed the message of her master and Envy said:
—I could do it, Lord... —But Satan ignored her, and Revenge assured:
—Okay Lord, we will achieve everything you ordered —Then she talked to one of her fellow leaders—. Hate, tell the troop that crosses the centre of the continent what our master ordered —and Hate called his tiny messenger demon so that it, travelling underground as if it was a mole, would warn the troop that was crossing the central region, to move towards West in search of Rahab, and of the still anonymous for the demons, Experience and Youth, while with the same reason, Rage left the tent to prepare a group of reinforcements as Satan ordered and also went after the young Rahab.
On the other hand, in that wooded region where the abandoned castle was located in which Experience and Youth found Rahab pursued by demons, an important group of horsemen rode the darkness of the forest interrupting its sleep. They were all dressed in the same way: dark green trousers and jackets that allowed them to camouflage in the middle of the vegetation, especially considering that they also wore brown coats that became familiar with the colour of the trunks of the trees.
Those horsemen were hurrying through the woods. Under the light of the full moon they looked like leaves that crawled along the ground, pushed by a slight north wind. They soon arrived at the surroundings of the castle as if they already knew it... In addition to the entrance door destroyed by the demons, from their horses they saw the broken windows of the side towers, discovered by the natural light of the night.
Three of the hooded horsemen went down their horses and they walked towards the destroyed entrance door stealthy. Who appeared to be the leader drew his sword; his two companions, on the other hand, followed him closely with their bows and arrows in attack position.
Without even thinking about it, the three of them entered the castle, while the rest waited outside as if keeping guard.
Almost by heart, the three quickly went across the castle until they reached the kitchen, they found nothing relevant at the beginning. However, the apparently leader approached the table that had crumbs of cookies and took the paper left by Rahab, reading: “This bird, hurried by the “man” goes to the West, in the company of two friends who are looking for a place we do not know. We will meet where we do not know what is there...”
After reading that anonymous note, the leader took his hood off. He had long hair and clear eyes. Without hesitation he showed the paper to his companions who quickly discovered their faces too; because the duo that accompanied him at that time was actually made up of women... They were Temperance and Offer, and that man was Eyes of Heaven, and they, as well as those who waited outside, were all the beings that once in their state of angels, God sent after the steps of the neutral angels who stole the Grail, and who in turn were pursued by those who took Satan´s side in that celestial dispute. That is, the same large group which God forbade to leave the firmament, because if they did it without his consent, they would become what they were now: humans and not angels as in the past. Therefore, that group could never return to the Heavenly country, at least until the day of their deaths, in which according to how they prayed on Earth, their souls would rise to the Heavens, or descend to the Underworld...
—It is a kind of riddle! —Temperance said.
—¡Someone is in trouble! —Offer assured.
—We will go to the West as the anonymous person says —Eyes of Heaven said, when suddenly one of the kitchen doors opened abruptly...
—You will not go anywhere —A natural—looking man, who was firmly holding a long, flexible bow and arrow, and he was accompanied by two others, threatened... They were three of Abed's friends, Rahab's father, who separated from their companions shortly after the demons kidnapped Abed, with the mission of returning to the castle to look for Rahab, who was supposed to be accompanied by other friends of their father, but those had been eliminated by the demons shortly before Experience and Youth found Rahab.
Offer raised her guard with her bow, but she already had another man pointing at her with the same weapon. Then it was Eyes of Heaven who intervened, making a signal to her friend so that she would lower her weapon.
—We have been chasing large groups of strange men who tried to find that famous treasure for many years. According to the legend, it was taken to the free lands of the South by another important group of striking creatures commanded by a woman. Since then, any strange clue like this anonymous... —Eyes of Heaven gave the paper to whoever threatened him—. ...riddle, it is of great importance to us. Someone that maybe you know is in trouble, and we intend to go after his steps to help, and maybe we will even find who we are looking for and the way to reach the free lands of the South.
—I think we are looking for the same as you. A group of mysterious men took our friend. Eight men went after him and we came back here for his daughter, who was accompanied by other men who also belonged to our group. Obviously the young Rahab, that is the name of the daughter of our kidnapped friend Abed, escaped, but the most striking thing, according to this anonymous, is that she did it in the company of two women. There were no women in our group...” —One of Abed's friends explained.
—Why did they kidnap your friend? —Eyes of Heaven asked.
—I will tell you if you first tell me why you have so much interest in reaching the free lands of the South, do you intend to take over that famous treasure? —Abed's friend asked.
—We want to eliminate those strange subjects and safeguard that treasure, or it will be the end of everyone on Earth —Eyes of Heaven answered.
—Explain yourself…
—If the enemy found the treasure, the days of men will be numbered. If we talk about the same people, they are not normal men like us ... they are demons led by Satan —The trio of men wrinkled their faces without understanding—. I know that for you it is strange to understand, but we know practically all the legend, and believe me that every second that passes the enemy multiplies its powers. We have come down from the North alerting several kingdoms. We do not know where the demons are hidden, but surely they must be hundreds and hundreds by these hours — Eyes of Heaven explained—. Only if the kingdoms are united we can defeat them. But first we must get that treasure back. Now tell me, why did they kidnap your friend?
—Because he and his daughter are the only two people who know with certainty the portal that leads to the only two roads that lead to the free lands of the South —The group of Eyes of Heaven was lost in a single glance that conveyed concern.
—Then things have become complicated in a remarkable way —Eyes of Heaven realized—. What road did you take to get here? —He asked later.
—There is one that begins near the South of the castle —Abed's friend answered.
—Then we will take that road and go West in search of the girl. Temperance, warn the others —Eyes of Heaven said, referring to the rest of the group that waited outside the castle next to the main entrance—. Join us, we have the same aim —He continued, while his interlocutor nodded and his two friends accepted, not very convinced, slowly lowering their weapons.
Minutes later, they were all in the surroundings of the castle, and galloping fast, they began to move through the forest under the light of the moon and towards the West.
The early morning was slowly growing old, and in the rocky area located in the western region of the southern continent, Experience, Youth and Rahab continued sleeping, as prisoners of the heavy rain that did not stop, and that seduced them to continue resting during the morning; although that rough weather could be the intellectual author of an imminent kidnapping and why not, a massacre, since from that hidden place among the mountains, it was possible to see, at the distance, a large column formed by demons moving downhill trying to leave behind the continuous hills, showing that they knew about the close presence of the small group of young people thanks to their developed sense of smell.
