Plaster and ice crashed to the hardwood floor of Hog Heaven, as the temperature of the room returned to normal. Sheets of water ran down the walls, creating a small river to run through the room, down the steps, and into the parking lot.
"That was the demon of Witchcraft, Nidal." Daga said as he sheathed his golden sword," Why is a demon of that magnitude in the Order's domain?"
"Stop calling me Nidal, Daga, you're starting to sound like my momma." Wimpy spoke as he ran his hand through his hair while feeling defeated as he estimated the damage to his bar, "How am I going to come back from this?"
"You can do all things through…" Daga stopped short.
"Don't you quote scripture to me," Wimpy turned and pointed a finger at the ten-foot angel, "I know the word and It can help me right now." He began to sort through the broken chairs and tables," Can your scriptures help me keep my bar open, or pay my bills?"
"Nidal, why are you so negative? How can you be in the Order or Elijah and not rely on the scriptures?"
"I ask myself that question every day, yet God still wakes me up in the morning and my battle-axe can still kill demons."
John watched both Wimpy and Daga exchange words like an old married couple as he threw back shots of Jack Daniels.
"My name is Daga, and I am the warrior angel sent to protect you."
John jumped as the massive angel startled him. He turned slowly and looked into Daga's flame colored eyes and was instantly captivated by the calming sincerity that inundated John's reason. None of this made sense, how did he just fight a demon with this angel? How did Wimpy talk to his axe? How did Kaleb's dagger glow when demons were around? John noticed that there was a thin scar that ran down the length of Daga's face. His blond hair covered most of the scar as it stuck to his face because of the blood and ichor, creating a tangled mess.
"How can I help you, Daga?" John asked with as much confidence as his voice would allow.
Compassion filled Daga's flame filled orbs," No, John, you have misjudged my being here." His massive hand pointed toward Wimpy and the devastation of the battle," I am here to serve those of the Order of Elijah, this has been my mission for over five thousand years."
"I'm not a part of the order, am I?" John asked, unsure.
Wimpy began to shake his head as he shrugged his shoulders before he answered," Don't look at me, John!" and began to throw the broken chairs and tables out of the open door.
"Of course, you are a part of the Order." Daga sat next to John, taking up two bar stools as he sat," Kaleb gave you his dagger, you met Elijah, and you were teleported to this area just at the right moment to help Nidal kill a demon."
"I didn't need his help!" Wimpy yelled angrily," Stop calling me Nidal, Daga, I'm warning you."
"Besides, if you weren't a part of the order I wouldn't be here right now. The Father would have sent you a lower-level angel with a ministering Cherubim."
"There is more than one type of angel?" John asked, confused. He thought about Gabby and all of the knowledge that she had, wishing she were here right now. How did she learn about angels and demons anyways?
"Didn't Kaleb or Livianna teach you anything?" Wimpy asked frustrated," You're supposed to be the hand of God and you don't know anything about spiritual warfare, I think there has been a mistake." the big man stormed out of the bar and onto the front porch," I think you're a fraud!"
"What the hell is Wimpy talking about? What is this hand of God nonsense?" John asked even more confused and frustrated than before," I was just supposed to go on one single mission, get a six-figure payout and then retire with my family. Instead, my team is dead, my wife and child probably think I am dead, I have been attacked by more than one demon, and I never got paid. How is this fair to me, how is any of this part of a bigger plan, it doesn't make sense to me? What if I don't want the title of Hand of God, do I get a say in any of this?"
"Sit down and stop feeling sorry for yourself." Daga slid John a bottle of aftershock and said," Have a drink, it will take the edge off."
"Aren't you a Christian, Daga?" John asked as he took the bottle hesitantly," I thought you were supposed to set a good example.
"Again, you misjudged me. No, I am not a Christian, I am a warring angel that serves in the Lord's army." Daga poured a shot of the blue liquid and threw it back," Even Jesus had a drink from time to time."
John was stuck, unable to speak. He just watched an angel throw back a shot. Nothing he had ever learned in Sunday school made sense, nothing about anything made sense, anymore. It was as if his entire core belief system was being re-written by creatures he didn't used to believe existed and a band of demon killing bad asses who happened to be hundreds of years old. He wished he would have just stayed home and listened to his daughter, maybe she could still fix all of this. John grabbed the large bottle and began to Chugg, forgetting about the shot glass. He took a deep breath and then wiped his mouth before asking," So, what is the hand of God? And how can it help me?"
"Pay attention, John. Here is your history lesson, okay?"
John shook his head, yes, capping the bottle and then slid it down the bar toward where Amanda slept, under the bar," Teach me, master grasshopper." John closed his hands together and then bowed toward Daga, smiling.
"The title, 'Hand of God' is just a name that mankind has used to identify the individuals that were used in a mighty way by supernatural means. For example, after the fall of man, God used multiple men to save his people."
"You're talking about Noah, Moses, David, and Abraham, right?"
"You do know your history, a little bit. Yes, God used the patriarchs of old to save mankind, or at least those who would listen. God used Noah and the ark to save the pure of heart and the animals; he used Abraham to create a chosen people; God used Joseph to save the same people over and over again; God used a man that couldn't speak to deliver a message to the pharaoh, saving over five million people from slavery and death in a foreign land. God used multiple men, warriors, shepherds, farmers, carpenters, and the least of these to save his people. These people were given the title of God's hand, or the hand of God because everything was done supernaturally." Daga looked at John who listened intently. Daga noticed something blocking John's full potential, it was in his eyes," I fought side by side with many of these men against the ranks of the fallen. Every single patriarch and matriarch listed within the histories was or still is a part of the order."
"How can that be?" John asked quizzically," Abraham and Moses were here before Elijah, so how can they be a part of Elijah's order?"
"It's simple, really. The order belongs to God, yet the orders themselves are named after the person that was first called to lead it. Currently, Wimpy, Livianna, Kaleb, You, and Elijah are all a part of this order. Once Baal and the total threat of what this demon-god stands for are destroyed then the order of Elijah will no longer be needed and then will cease to exist. Orders are created for specific purposes and threats, so if the prophecy is correct, you will be the next leader of the next order, making the Order of John for the next threat or purpose. It could be as simple as telling a single person about Jesus, or it could be as tough as destroying a demon-god with a dagger. Either Way, it is all about God and not the actual order."
"So, the Order of John can't start until Baal and his followers have been destroyed, right."
"I suggest you just focus on one day at a time and let God be God, He is in the details."
"Here you guys go with this fucking Yoda shit! Can't I get a straight yes, or no?"
Amanda peaked over the bar's counter and held her head as she said," Stop yelling, why are you guys always yelling? I'm trying to sleep."
"I think this will be a big fire, bring the marshmallows so we can roast them." Wimpy said as he walked through the door with a reddened face and singed hair," we can make some lemonade out of all these lemons."
John turned and looked at Amanda." Welcome back to the land of the living!"
"Stop yelling," Amanda squinted as she looked toward both John and Wimpy," What happened to the demon and the swirling portal?"
John looked around and noticed that Daga had vanished and that Wimpy was just shaking his head and staring at Amanda, laughing
"What's so funny, Wimpy?" Amanda questioned as she looked for something to drink and only found shattered glass and empty bottles," What happened to the bar and the beer?"
"Woman, you are the greatest ever." Wimpy said as he walked close to where Amanda stood," We need to get this place cleaned up, so I can get someone to come fix everything again." Wimpy turned toward John and asked," Do you know how to flip burgers?"
"Yeah, I guess. Why?"
"I have to go open the smoke house in the morning and you can join me, could use the help."
"I need to figure out how to stop the room from spinning before I do anything." Amanda put her hands on the bar and closed her eyes briefly," I need a shot or a beer."
"That won't help, here, drink this." John pulled the soda gun and poured some ginger ale into a glass," drink this and then go eat something."
She waved John off as she slowly sipped the cool soda and walked carefully toward the kitchen," Anybody want something to eat while I'm back here?"
"Yes, My love!" Wimpy motioned for John to order something as well," I will have a roast beef on wick, thank you."
"I'll take one of your famous Rubens, if you don't mind. Thanks."
"So, John, how did you get Kaleb's dagger?" Wimpy asked as he sat down, resting his tired feet on a chair.
John followed suit and sat down, facing Wimpy," I was in the desert on a mission. We were told it would be a quick snatch and grab and that we would be back in no time at all. The first red flag was the pay out, six figures. Anyways, my entire team gets killed by these demons and then we find a woman bleeding and meet a man that can shoot blue fire out of his hands. He asks me to bring both the dagger and Livianna to Harvest Hills, this all happened while Kaleb was fighting a demon. He made me leave him behind and take Livi with me. The next thing I know is the entire room collapses and we are both stuck with half a canteen of water and a very long walk to the LZ. Somewhere along the way, through the desert heat, Livianna begins to fade and eventually turns into ash, crumbling in my hands. I pass out and wake up in a cave with a man that knows my name, knows I have the dagger, and then tells me that Livianna and Kaleb are still alive and that he is Elijah. The next thing I know, I end up here, three thousand miles from the mission, my money, and Livianna.
"How do I know that you didn't kill Kaleb and Livianna for the dagger?"
"Fuck you, wimpy!" John stood and stormed toward the kitchen," I only killed my enemies, they were trying to help me."
"I had to ask, Daga." Wimpy said as he rested both of his feet on the floor.
"How did you know I was here?"
"You have to use a portal to come and go, I know the signs and sounds. I don't think John knew you were standing here though. What do you think?"
"The fact that they were attacked on such an important mission tells me that something went wrong. I will go investigate the area and see if I can't identify these demons that John spoke about. Mahas will be in charge, if you need anything let him know." A popping sound erupted as Daga stepped through a wall and back into the spiritual realm.
Amanda stepped through the swinging door, holding two plates as she neared Wimpy," John told me how to get rid of the headache, it was simple. I was dehydrated and needed something to eat. All these years of just drinking more are over." she said as she sat on Wimpy's lap while putting both of the plates on the table in front of them.
Wimpy wrapped his massive arms around Amanda's body and began to rock gently. The night had brought to them more than they had expected, which almost cost them more than they all wanted to pay. He looked down at the woman who had captured his heart and exhaled deeply, knowing that the Order was a dangerous profession for Loe. Wimpy's eyes became heavy as both him and Amanda fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.
A soft breeze slowly danced into the bar's dining room area and materialized into a magnificent angel. She glided effortlessly through the building and found the Hand of God sleeping on a milk crate with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. She wrapped herself around him, creating an invisible blanket of both heat and protection, John shifted and fell into a deeper sleep, dreaming of his wife and child.
Outside in the coolness of the night, yellow eyes peered past the burning embers of the once bonfire toward the bar's entrance but refused to move.
Mahas the Great stood on top of Hog Heaven with his massive flaming double sided haw hammer and shield, watching the four corners of the area. His mighty voice booming a warning into the darkness," I dare you, demon, I dare you."