Muno pondered on all Maji had said; so his arrival on Earth, was no surprise to the leadership of the Offspring resistance to the "Fallen"... It was long revealed before he arrived.
'How could mortals know this much about the missing Cherub?' He wondered. 'How could they know this much about the heavenly Host and the Beguiler's intentions?' He heaved a sigh of resignation.
Was he to pursue the marital union of Dike and Tomori? After all, he had no strategy to defeat the Beguiler and his "Fallen".
But he came to Earth spoiling for a fight, to prove his fealty and strength to the CREATOR in the battle foretold.
'What if there was no battle?' Muno mused; if he could foster a happy marital union between Tomori and Dike, there would be no battle.
Would the CREATOR find him worthy without having fought and destroyed the Beguiler on the Mount of the Fallen?
Should there be no battle, how long would he have to stay on Earth to watch over the infant Cherub Haggai, till he attained maturity?
Hiding in sewers to protect an infant; he was no babysitter; he came to make war, albeit with limited resources.
Perhaps, he would have to precipitate a war with the Beguiler, but then he was fated to fail in such a venture, as revealed by the Prophecy, and he would twice have failed the CREATOR.
'But I could remake my destiny...' Muno muttered as he slumped into a chair in the empty conference room. His mind was a maze of confused thoughts.
'I thought I'd find you here.' Dike excitedly said. 'Why so sad?' Dike quizzed.
'Why so happy?' Muno quipped.
'Well, I just survived another near-death encounter with my evil Offspring relatives... That's cause for happiness. I know they pose no threat to you, but what's to lose with another moment of peace...' Dike expressly stated.
'I came to make war, Dike. I did not travel thousands of years into the future, to hide in sewers and watch you copulate. Then babysit you and your baby for how long?' Muno went off the rail.
He was frustrated by the CREATOR's apparent lack of faith in him. Perhaps, he was such a mighty disappointment to the CREATOR.
He needed some air...
He walked angrily through the tunnels and approached the sentry at one of the exits.
'Let me out. I need some air.' Muno growled like a wounded dog. The sentry quickly stepped aside.
Once on the surface, Muno realized the sewer exit was underneath what looked like a museum; a place of history; this was a common sight in Heaven.
He emerged in a giant hall with sacred relics. He knew because he was familiar with the items on display.
'These mortals must enjoy credible correspondence with the Scribe of Heaven.' Muno muttered under his breath.
Contained in the hall were sculpted dummies of notable Watcher Angels, acclaimed for their bravery in the Battle of the Mighty at Heaven's Citadel.
The Arch Angels who commanded the War Host of Heaven; the Ark of Recompense; the Destiny Glass; even the CREATOR's Throne Room: Featuring the missing Cherub Haggai, ministering with his claret-coloured Harp, were all represented in this mysterious hall.
Muno explored further and discovered a sculpted dummy of himself, standing triumphant after a battle.
'How on Earth did they know he had blades protruding from his arms before he arrived the Earth?' He wondered.
'Is there a spy in Heaven?' He rhetorically asked as he perused the fine detail given to the CREATOR's dummy shield and sword, bearing his sacred names and titles.
Muno was astounded. Little wonder his Offspring hosts, knew so much about him. Further down the hall, huge paintings of the story of creation draped the walls. The heavenly feasts and seasons were depicted with accurate pictorial illustrations.
'This is not the work of a man... This definitely is the work of Thorax, the Scribe of Heaven.' Muno exclaimed loudly.
Thorax, the Scribe of Heaven, was never seen, only heard. Muno couldn't tell if he had a physical form, only the CREATOR would know that.
Thorax was the librarian, curator, historian and keeper of Heaven's secrets. He had the answer to every question in the heavenlies-the CREATOR granted him that privilege.
Muno only had one occasion to visit his expansive chamber, which doubled as Heaven's library. It wasn't a memorable experience...
Muno went to Thorax, the invisible Scribe of Heaven, to inquire about the Cherubs of the CREATOR.
In heavenly lore, four Cherubs ministered to the CREATOR day and night. However, it appeared the Cherubs were hidden in plain sight, except for Haggai, who until his mysterious disappearance, was known to Muno as the Cherub of the Firmament.
Muno had grown tired of querying supposed scholars of Heaven, who had hoped he had the answer to the question he was asking: Considering that he served within the precincts of the Throne Room.
He was hugely acclaimed as a favourite of the CREATOR, so, in an attempt to save himself the torture of further scrutiny, he opted to visit the Scribe of Heaven.
The conversation went thus, 'Greetings, benevolent Scribe. May I have a moment of your time sir?' Muno asked.
'Have you come seeking knowledge of the Cherubs who minister day and night to the CREATOR? Strange that you would come to me, seeing that you are one of the four ministering Cherubs. Are you here to test my fidelity on behalf of the CREATOR?' Thorax, the invisible Scribe of Heaven, spoke with divine calm.
Muno replied, 'I would know if I was a Cherub great Scribe... I would stand before the Throne day and night worshipping, not wandering around the kingdom seeking...'
Thorax thundered, 'Begone, Tempter! Go make a mockery of someone else!'
Muno left Thorax's chamber, more confused than he ever was. He ended his Cherub curiosity that day.
Suddenly, the giant doors of the hall opened and the curator of the museum ushered in a group of starry-eyed teens.
'Wow! Look at that shiny one... He looks so real.'
Muno froze, he wondered for how long he could hold his breath and keep his eyes from blinking. Soon the excited teens gathered around him and began poking him with curious fingers.
'Curator sir, what manner of art is this?' It is neither wax nor clay... Goodness me, this was so nicely done. Can we take pictures, sir?' A flurry of questions was aimed at the curator by a chubby teenage girl.
'No, pictures are not allowed in this sacred room. Holy relics and important illustrations of heavenly events should always be treated with reverence. The CREATOR demands this of us all.' The curator replied. He didn't seem surprised by Muno's mysterious appearance in his museum.
'These blades are real, they are razor-sharp... Curator, did the sculpture just blink?' The chubby leader of the group was at it again.
Muno couldn't keep up the appearance any longer... He blinked some more and stifled a smile.
Screams of fright filled the hall, as the scared teens made for the exit in a mad rush, despite the protestation of the curator, who hurriedly passed instructions to his assistant; stood at the entrance of the hall. The doors of the hall were unceremoniously shut shortly after. Muno froze stiff again.
'Watcher Muno, what do you think you are doing?' The curator took off his suit and evaporated into thin air. Only his voice could be heard now.
'Do you want to ruin this establishment I have painstakingly built to inspire worship of the CREATOR, in a world devoid of regard for divine magnificence and awe? This museum should inspire worship not fear!' His angry voice echoed across the hall.
Muno could not believe his eyes; Thorax, the Scribe of Heaven operated an outpost on Earth.
'Tho--Thorax is that you?' Muno asked circumspectly.
'Of course, it's me, Tempter. What are you doing in my chamber?' Thorax asked.
Muno paced around the hall and remarked, 'You shouldn't be asking the questions around here. Last time I checked, your chamber was somewhere in the heavenly city of Dorrance, many light years from here, and if my memory serves me right, you practically threw me out of your chamber or whatever it is you call it.
'That said, are you a double-agent? An Earthian spy on one hand and Heaven's Scribe on the other. As far as I am concerned, you have sold us out, with this much on display in your giant spy room; I wonder if there are any divine secrets left.'
Thorax humorously replied, 'Preposterous I'd say. Coming from a fugitive of Heaven, I'd say you are the craziest angel I ever met... Oh! Did I say, angel? I meant the dumbest Cherub I have had the privilege of serving with.
So you know, the Earth and Heaven are the CREATOR's creation and fall under his dominion, hence, there's no such thing as a spy of Earth.'
Befuddled by Thorax's reference to him as a Cherub, Muno thundered... 'Your desperation to drag me into your treasonous conspiracy, is quite obvious.
'You probably were behind the abduction of Cherub Haggai, because it is apparent to all, that one, high up in the echelons of power in Heaven, colluded with the Beguiler regarding that unfortunate incident.
'Perhaps, you know a lot more about the failure of my platoon on the Mount of the Fallen. Perhaps, my failure and exile were predetermined by you, to isolate the CREATOR and leave him vulnerable, before you execute your master's wish!
'I swear on what's left of my honour, you shall not leave this building alive; if I have to raze this building and all within to the ground, to get to you... Then so be it!!'
Muno began to glow menacingly; his bluish glow illuminated the entire hall. Sparks of electricity emitted from his body at a dangerous and intense frequency and his blades glistered murderously. Blue flames proceeded from his eyes.
'Save your strength for the Beguiler's army', Thorax gutsily said. 'While you attempt to browbeat, the "Fallen" march on Basra, Iraq, to recover the Shikrit: The Horn of Summons, contained in the Ark of Recompense you abandoned in the aftermath of your failure on that ill-fated day.' Thorax had Muno's attention...
'As penance for their nonfeasance, Darius, Hophenea, Errott, Tuzman and Chang, valiant Watcher Angels of your ill-fated platoon; returned to the Himalayas and heroically fought the "Fallen", to reclaim the Ark and its powerful content.
'They have since kept it safe from human and supernatural forces, until a badly tortured seer, an "Offspring of the Fallen", revealed their location to the "Fallen" who march on Basra, to put your men to the sword, while you play around in a museum.' Thorax concluded sarcastically.
'But only I can sound the Shikrit; the Horn of Summons to the War Host of Heaven', Muno asserted.
'Yes, only you can, that's why ever since you made an appearance on the streets of Victoria Island, you were declared "WANTED" dead or alive; by the Beguiler.
'A huge manhunt for you and the boy, Dike, is underway; with the brutal tactics of the "Offsprings of the Fallen", your safe house will be discovered sooner than later.' Thorax impassively said.
'They needn't search further than Basra! Those brave and faithful Watchers need me...' Muno moved swiftly towards the doors.
'Wait! Not that way. You want this museum shut down? I thought you had questions for me? Upon your return from Basra, I'd tell you about the four Cherubs. The boy, Dike, needs you by his side, you are the closest thing to a friend and father he's ever known; stay alive.' Thorax counselled.
Muno impatiently asked, 'Is that all?'
'No, that isn't all, Cherub.' Thorax sedately said. 'Patience is a virtue dear friend. I don't often make an appearance in this hall, your troubled thoughts sent out summons I could not ignore.'
'You led me here?' Muno interjected.
'No. You led "you" here.' Thorax responded and continued... 'There are several Safe House 306 exits, big enough to accommodate your frame; you chose the one that led up here.
'Know this Muno, the Cherub Haggai must be set free! The "how" is the question. Should you choose the route of conception, through the marital union of Dike and Tomori...
'There are things you must know... The Cherub Haggai is a creature of music and happiness and so, the union of Tomori and Dike must be fostered in genuine love and happiness.
'In the absence of such felicity, the offspring of their consummation would be a monster, too hideous to contemplate.'
'Hmmm... So nothing is set in stone', Muno remarked.
'Nothing ever is', Thorax affirmed. 'However, should the Cherub Haggai be successfully birthed... You would need the Goliath Stone to accelerate his growth, unless you'd rather babysit the infant Cherub, to adulthood in an earthly sewer.' Thorax excitedly said.
'Where can I find the Goliath Stone?' Muno asked.
'In the lair of the Beguiler', Thorax grimly said.
'On the Mount of the Fallen?' Muno quizzed further.
'No, the Beguiler has a new home. Imprisoned by the CREATOR's Arch Angels, with unbreakable Tartan chains, which pinned him against a divinely sealed meteorite on the Mount of the Fallen... Breaking him free proved impossible for the "Fallen".
'So, to carry out the Beguiler's plan of proliferating his seed in a million abducted women unnoticed. A mountainous cave, situated in a war-ravaged region bordering Nigeria and Chad, on the fringes of the Lake Chad was occupied and dominated.
'With the combined strength of the "Fallen", the meteorite on which the Beguiler is chained was moved under the vast oceans; from the Mount of the Fallen in the Himalayas, to a bunker-like cave on the fringes of the Lake Chad.
'And from this bunker, the "Fallen" have inspired the locals to turn on themselves in an intractable and vicious cycle of armed conflict.
'Under this foil, mass trafficking of women from across the Earth, to the Lake Chad region between Nigeria and Chad, is ongoing unnoticed.
'The cries of the abducted have anguished the CREATOR greatly and he awaits your intervention. Rally what's left of your platoon, the innocent must be delivered; order must be restored to Earth.
'For this reason, you were granted a second chance... Fail, and the CREATOR would have no choice but to destroy the Earth and its inhabitants. His wings, the Cherub Haggai, shall be lost forever...'
Muno cut in, 'The only thing that appears set in stone, is war with the Beguiler and his "Fallen". There's no avoiding a violent confrontation.
'To hide in the sewers in the hope that someday Tomori and Dike, would find love and happiness enough to birth the Cherub Haggai, without discovery by the "Fallen"; is to dig up graves for millions of people.
'To babysit the infant Cherub for twenty or so years, hiding in sewers and caves; is as good as handing the dominion of the Earth to the Beguiler.
'I shall not allow the CREATOR endure such indignity, besides, his patience might wear thin and his wrath would consume the Earth. Thorax, my path is clear. I have made my choice... To Basra, I go!!'
Thorax smiled with pride, little wonder Muno had remained a favourite of the CREATOR, despite his failure at the Mount of the Fallen.
'Cherub!' Thorax called out to Muno.
'Please don't call me that, it's treasonous.' Muno replied.
'Soon all shall be revealed.' Thorax suspensefully said. 'You'd be needing your wings...'
A powerful gust of wind suddenly swirled around Muno and with it came a pair of expansive white wings. Muno couldn't be more delighted, he launched himself upwards, sideways and performed deft manoeuvres in the giant hall.
And in a swirling motion, done at dizzying speed, Muno morphed into a quasi-solid form and bolted through a tiny crevice, between the giant walls and the roof. He had attained his full celestial form.