Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Matius looks in amazement at his new surroundings, of heaven. Where they stand right now is a small garden with the same stone tablet on earth. “Please if you follow me”, Lemionas asks walking up some steps. Matius follows suit, looking back at the garden and the many marble statues clean cut.  “Judging by your face this must be your first visit of heaven”, Lemionas concludes smiling to himself. “Yer”, Matius replies, “I’ve heard stories about this place, but never imagined it this beautiful. Down the alley he sees stores with people busy in their business. Some young angels play on the walkway quickly calming themselves seeing Matius, some of the stall owners become silent watching Matius intently. One of the angels walks into Matius’s shoulder roughly, angered Matius watches as the robed angel disappears from his view. “Just what was his problem?”, Matius questions noticing the other angels giving his cold expressions. “They are not used to outsiders being here”, Lemionas replies, “especially someone from hell such as yourself. Just follow me and don’t do anything stupid”.
  Matius gives a nod of understanding following closely behind; angels glaring at Matius as they pass. Matius sheepishly looks back at the angels still watching him. “If I’m an outsider here, then why have you brought me here?”, Matius asks in annoyance, passing several marble pillars. “I need your presence, in the council hall”, Lemionas explains, “I need to show them that you’re a changed man. Hopefully then will the council to bring aid to earth”. They continue walking passing more angels, passing an angel robed holding several scrolls in struggle. “When will we be meeting the council?”, Matius asks. “We will be having a meeting with the council tomorrow. Until then we’ll be staying in my village for the night”.

Back on hell Dervish is sitting on the throne casually waiting in patience, drumming his fingers against the arm rest. His rest is disturbed as the double doors are opened, a soldier in army uniform walks inside. Dervish raises himself, looking down at thesoldiers. “Have you informed our men like I asked?” Dervish utters. “no Sire, I don’t understand why we are sending forces to earth, It doesn’t make sense”, the soldier questions. “Are you questioning me?!”, Dervish demands raising himself from the throne. “No…Sire I’m just expressing my concerns about your plan”, the soldier quickly replies, “Why earth, why not heaven?”. Dervish lifts himself out of the throne, turning to face the window. “I’m sending forces to earth because I want Matius to pay. Pay for what he’s done!” The soldier stands in disbelief looking towards Dervish. “So this is all for just revenge?”, the soldier questions noting Dervish’s silence. “I knew it! You’re so obsessed in getting Matius you’re forgetting the dangers of going to earth! I’m not sending people on a revenge mission”. Dervish turns his head coldly towards the soldier, “You will do as I command…I’m RULER!”. The soldier fearful starts to back away, “No I’m not sending soldiers to earth!”.
   In anger Dervish quickly unsheathes his sword the sword running right through the soldier. The soldier in horror looks down at his chest seeing the blade as it starts to blacken his body. Before the soldier can speak, Dervish removes the sword as the soldier falls to the ground already blackening. “Why…why are you doing this…”, the soldier utters in protest looking at Dervish in despair. Dervish watches as the soldier’s body blacken, falling apart into nothing more than a pile of ash. “Because my will won’t be denied by the likes of you”, looking down at the soldiers remains. Suddenly the pile of ash starts moving rising into the air, circling around Dervish. Dervish feels a strange sensation as the ash merges with his own body, giving him Goosebumps. Suddenly Dervish drops to the floor noticing his hand becomes ash like, blackening the throne room floor. “What the hell’s happening to me…”, he utters.

Back on heaven Matius and Lemionas walk through a new part of heaven, walking past a graveyard with many gravestones. Taking note of this Matius turns to Lemionas confused.  “I heard that heaven had a civil war if I’m right?”, Matius questions remembering his history lessons. “Yes”, Lemionas replies, “how did you know? about the civil war here?”. “I leant it during my time in the academy”, Matius replies, “but I don’t know all the details”. Lemionas smiles to himself walking through a bridge, water falling to their right from a waterfall. “As you are probably aware, there was three Greater Angels, Ramirez, Olaris, and Garibel. These three bought about the birth of our civilisation and the many angels that were born. In their time however there was also war, with Hell your birthplace. Heaven and Hell would fight over what you know as the wildlands, all for the sake of having land. Many times however angels would fall under Hell’s strength. The Greater Angels watched day after day, bodies of their dead would return to heaven. Hell was just far too strong”.
   “So what happened?”, Matius questions as they stop on the bridge, looking at the view of the village the sun shinning brightly. Lemionas raises his head as he readies himself, “Realising heaven needed to change, Garibel one of the Greater Angels came up with a solution. For them to match Hell’s strength they themselves had to discard their angelic purity and gain the power that was bestowed on hell's chosen. With the body of a dead demon, Gabriel using his power merged his own body with the body of a dead demon bringing about the start of the Archangels. His new name would be known as... ‘Gabriel the Greater Archangel’”. When Gabriel reborn returned to his Greater Angel brethren they were horrified, at this new abomination of heaven. Gabriel was cast out of heaven, impure by hell’s touch. Angered Gabriel sought to bring others to his cause, deeming heaven weak and naive of greater power. Other angels soon heard about Gabriel, the angel who possessed the power of hell's army. Soon Gabriel’s legion of followers grew, until one day they confronted their brothers of heaven. Angered by the rejection of heaven, Gabriel and his Archangels began the civil war which engulfed all of heaven”.

 “What happened to the Greater Angels?”, Matius questions as they leave the bridge walking into the village, “Do they still exist?” . “Perhaps…”, Lemionas replies unsurely, “after the civil war Olaris and Ramires both left heaven, putting their trust into the angelic council that they themselves created. As for Gabriel and his brethren? Well… Gabriel died at the hands of his two Greater Angel bothers not before inflicting mental scars on heaven, scars which still exist to this day. Some people believe that Gabriel’s legion lives on, though the heretic angels that both heaven and hell do encounter. They might not be tainted, but they hold Gabriel’s beliefs. As much as we have searched we have never found where Gabriel's legion came from, for all we know it could have disappeared from passing time".
   They continue walking passing through Lemiona’s village passing several young angels playing out in the waterfall pool. They all splash water at each other laughing to themselves. They suddenly stop seeing Matius, watching him in awe. Matius looks at them as they both continue walking through the village.  Lemionas suddenly raises his head up giving a smile, seeing some angels up ahead.

One of them turns around seeing Lemionas as all of them face him. “Hey Lemionas long time no see. How you been?”, one of them shouts as Lemionas and Matius approach. “Didn’t you know? I’ve been on earth under orders from the council”, Lemionas replies, “I was assigned a mission to watch my friend Matius here…” The angels look at Matius in surprise, a little intimidated. “ahhha so this is Matius… The one I’ve heard so much about?” the one replies approaching Matius. “It’s nice meeting you at last, Lemionas has told us a lot about you”. Matius shakes his hand looking at another angel. “How do you know Lemionas?”, Matius questions. “We have known Lemionas since we were kids, we lived in this village together” The other angel looks at Lermionas in confusion, “so why are you here now?”, he questions. “I have a meeting with the council with Matius tomorrow, hell will be launching an attack on earth”, Lemionas replies in a serious tone. “Really? Jesus! I knew Dervish was bad news, but to attack earth?”, one of the angels replies. “Good luck with the council”, another angel replies, “You’re going to need it”.
   Finished Lemionas waves goodbye to his friends and both continue walking through the village. “So where is your home then?”, Matius questions. “My home is just down the path, past the bridge up ahead”, Lemionas replies pointing up ahead. Matius looks in the direction seeing the bridge over the flowing river. They pass over the bridge making their down more steps passing more young angels playing in the street. Lemionas then stops walking approaching a house. “Here we go, this is my home”, Lemionas utters going to a white door engraved with angelic symbols. . Lemionas lowers his head, rummaging through his pockets. “Come on where are you”, he utters in frustration. Finally his hand finds the key lifting it out putting it into a keyhole. With his right hand he twists it unlocking the door. “Ahh here we go”, he announces pushing the door open steadily. “This is my home. This is where I live”.

Matius steps inside into a square large white room with marble everywhere. The roof itself is a huge mosaic made up of different tile pieces in hues of green and blue. On his left is the kitchen, fruit placed in the fruit bowl with a large fountain dripping water. On the right is a doorway leading to other rooms. Directly in front is a large window overseeing the view of heaven, the window sile decorated with many photos and ornaments. Curious Matius walks over to the window in awe. Outside he sees more villages up ahead, noticing several angels flying in the distance. The river that Lemionas and himself seems to pass through several villages before finally ending as a vast lake in the distance.
   “Care for a drink?”, Matius turns around seeing Lemionas by the fountain of water, turning towards Matius.. “No... no thanks I’m fine thank you”, Matius replies looking outside the window. Lemionas noticing Matius’s fascination outside, Lemionas leaves the fountain approaching him. “Fascinating isn’t it?”, Lemionas states looking outside the window. Matius gives a nod as Lemionas sits by him. “I never get tired of this view, ever since I was a child”, Lemionas adds, ”At night I would be with my family and we would watch the sunset as the sun”. Maius concerned looks to Lemionas, “what of your family now?..”. Lemionas closes his eyes looking out to the village. “May father used to serve with the council, and was considered an important member. The however council was attacked one day by heretic angel, several council members died including my father.  A for my mother well…she suffers from a rare illness so she’s been put under care”.

“You know Matius although it doesn’t seem it, we are perhaps more alike than you think. You hardly knew your father... I hardly knew mine”, looking at Matius.  Sighing at Matius’s ignorance Lemionas turns away. Matius looking at the photos notices a photo on the windowsill with several angels in the photo. Curious he picks it up looking at it. “Is this your family?”, Matius questions turning to Lemionas. He turns seeing it with a saddened expression, “Yes that’s my family”. Matius then notices a young man in the photo stood beside Lemionas. “Hey is that your brother?”, Matius questions pointing at the figure. Lemionas looks at the photo before turning away closing his eyes. “No…he’s not my brother, just someone I know”, Lemionas replies, “he…he used to live in the village before he disappeared”. “Disappeared?”, Matius questions curious. “Yes…but that’s for another time”., Lemionas replies silencing the conversation.
   Lemionas rises up from the sofa. “If you follow me Matius, I will show you where you will be sleeping”. Matius lifts himself up following Lemionas down the corridor, looking at the marble walls. “This is where you will be staying”, Lemionas announces showing Matius his room,  “I’m sorry if it’s not much, but It’s all I can do”. Matius looks at the room with a neatly laid bed. “Thank you”, Matius replies. Lemionas gives a smile, “Good night Matius, I will get you when he must make our way to the Council Hall”. Lemionas looks back at Matius before shutting the door. The door shut Matius look up through his bedroom window, looking at the sky wondering what tomorrow will bring.