In the fortress of Zion, from one of its many windows, the archangel Michael watched his army, which
defended the tower like wasps a nest. Hundreds of millions of celestials guarded the bastion, waiting
the onslaught of the new rebels, thus distinguished from the old revolutionaries who accompanied
Lucifer in his fall. The angelic soldiers were everywhere, not only lined up on the ground, but also
human troops, but also through the skies, flying, gliding and surrounding the bastion with their streamers
red. There were so many defenders that their patrols formed a lively wall, obstructing the
view of enemies.
From the balcony, Miguel gazed at the Styx beyond the mountains. He removed his helmet with its pointed jaw,
leaving visible a punished face, pierced by scars. Those stigmata, engraved on the face and on the
body, were the marks of the Primeval Battles, a fantastic campaign, fought even before the dawn
of the world.
Few celestials know the accounts of the Primeval Battles, and only the archangels remember their
true annals. Archangels, as everyone knows, are prior to the light, but angels were created
then, on the second day, together with the dawn of the universe. So that the cosmic glow would have
At first, Yahweh had to overcome a retinue of very powerful entities, the so-called gods of the
darkness, figures as strong and ancient as him, who dominated the dark side of space. These gods
have nothing to do with pagan gods or ethereal entities, deified by the worship of the faithful in
their human temples. The dark gods, led by the sinister Tehom, were fierce enemies of the
well, and so Yahweh had to subjugate them to his will and imprison them in some parallel dimension,
and only then create the universe. Just as Tehom had his retinue of lesser entities, Yahweh
It had the five archangels, among which Michael was the most valuable. The archangels battled
side of the Most High by the annihilation of these terrible ancestral forces, and, when evil was defeated,
God found himself unique and full in the endless void. With this, he obtained the necessary peace to begin his
work.
It is only by understanding the Primeval Battles that one understands the majesty of the archangels and their superiority
in relation to all other celestials.
From inside the fortress, the Black Angel, Miguel's right-hand man, advanced to the balcony and waited for the
boss's attention. His face was hidden by his helmet and feathers as dark as the deep night.
- Then? — Miguel allowed, in his shiny plate armor.
"The Renegade Angel has escaped into the desert," he announced,
— Damnation! — exploded the monarch. He took a deep breath, pressed his fingers against the handle of the Flame of
Death, his mystical sword, and recovered soon after, suppressing his wrath. — We can't
allow the outcast to reach the portal Liquidate him, no matter the effort! If Ablon and Gabriel
find, rebel troops will be much more confident.
—And what do you suggest? Should I annihilate the damn thing myself?
Miguel paused, reflective. This was not in his plans. But why did that outcast never die?
It was unbelievable how he resisted the purge, the persecutions and the prison in hell.
— We shouldn't take any more risks. Summon Euzin and his Formidable Legion. Cast all the angels
possible in the hunt for the renegade.
The Black Angel moved his neck, unhappy with the tactic adopted. He had a muscular build and,
although he seemed stronger than his supreme leader, he was far short of the immensity of the archangels.
— That won't help. It would be preferable if we let him come and prepare an ambush for him.
him here, in the Fortress of Sion. It seems obvious to me that, once in the ethereal, the failed general will run here,
to try to rescue the Enchantress of En-Dor.
Miguel didn't take his focus off Styx for even a moment.
— It's not a bad plan, but the danger of carrying it out is enormous. If we lose the woman, everything will be
finished," he explained, barking an order. — Do as I say! Send Euzin and his cherubim to
Haled and triple the number of angels on the top floor, where the necromancer is imprisoned. If Ablon comes
If we look for it in the tower, let's make him enter another way. Our soldiers will form a
living vault, blocking the view of the courtyard.
The lieutenant said nothing and left, dissatisfied with the tyrant's decision. I already had the chance to
confronted Ablon, at the time of Ishtar's murder, and knew his potential. But
Even though he didn't agree with his prince's vision, he would carry out the command. I would send a squad to
combat and, if the First General survived, then he would put into practice his idea of luring him to the Tower
of the Thousand Windows and from there to Mount Megiddo.
Megiddo, the Mountain at the End of the World, is the biblical landmark for the planet's prophesied extinction
as the site of the final clash between the forces of good and evil.
Star Training
Throughout the night, Ablon and Aziel traveled with their bodies in the wind, accommodated in the seat of the jeep.
They crossed the Negev to the head of the Gulf of Acaba, near Eilat, and from there finally entered the
Egypt. There, the road continued going down, but changed numbers, being marked on the maps as
Highway 66. As day dawned, they turned inland to face tougher routes and take
a winding path through the mountains of Sinai, where the fabric was fragile as in the dawn of this
world.
In the desert, even in the shadow of the mountains, the heat increased, and Ablon took off the coat he was wearing.
warmed up at night. While driving the car, Aziel checked the route, analyzing the routes on the map.
— We are very close to the Monastery of Saint Catherine, at the foot of Mount Sinai — he warned, while
the general took one of the fork paths that would take them to the monastery. — Now that we've arrived
Here, I perfectly recognize Gabriel's indications. Further north is the mountain of Horeb, and in
its top the cave with the portal to the ethereal.
They continued heading along a smaller road, full of holes in the asphalt, and continued there for another half hour.
hour, under the punishment of the sun. At a certain point, they turned right and entered a world
exotic, with stunning beauty and macabre surprises.
Before them rose a colossal mountain range of red granite, with a wide valley cutting its way through.
belly. In the middle stood the monastery, a gigantic complex of chapels, basilicas and towers, surrounded by
by high stone walls, which, however, looked like a toy building, a smaller piece
before the immensity of the mountains.
The membrane, in that isolated corner, almost did not exist, which made the site a natural sanctuary,
preserved and maintained since the creation of the planet.
Suddenly, Ablon stopped the vehicle and smelled an adverse odor in the air.
- What it was? — asked Aziel, in the silence of the desolate vastness.
— I smell death — replied the renegade, taking the Holy Avenger in his hands.
The Monastery of Saint Catherine, set like a jewel in the middle of the Sinai peninsula, is one of the
first monasteries in the world, founded in 527 by Emperor Justinian. Since then, it has become
a remote outpost of Byzantine Orthodoxy, and continues to this day to receive thousands of pilgrims
per year, curious to know the place where Moses would have received God's commandments. In your
buildings, monks and scholars work to conserve the place and study hundreds of manuscripts
sacred, kept in its precious collections, comparable only to the Vatican Library.
Surrounded by imposing walls, the monastery later received the name of Saint Catherine, for her
body was found there, in century IX, by Greek priests.
Some parts of the complex are original, but others were destroyed by an earthquake in the Middle Ages.
Average, and redone later. The access gate is small, and almost hidden through the gardens and
orchards that precede the walls, where the monastic cemetery is also located. Inside the citadel there are
many buildings famous for their history and beauty. The central basilica dates back to the time of construction and counts
with three side naves in typical Byzantine style. A carved wooden door leads to the collection of
icons, the only examples of Roman oriental paintings that survived the iconoclastic period,
when thousands of images were broken. There is also the Burning Bush Chapel, the library, a
inn, the bell tower — with nine bells, donated in 1871 by the then Tsar Alexander II of Russia
— and the sacred Well of Moses, the monastery's main source of water, which marks the point where the prophet
would have found his future wife. There is also a mosque next to the deposit's manor, built
by the Bedouins who worked there in the 12th century.
Ablon parked the jeep exactly one hundred meters from the garden and two hundred meters from the gate cut into the
wall. He left the car with his sword in his hand and looked seriously at the complex.
— The monks are dead. Their bodies are piled up in the central basilica. Two of them were
stripped in the library.
— How do you know? — asked Aziel. — We barely see the basilica hidden beyond the walls...
— I can smell the dead bodies. If they want to lead us into a trap, they have just had their
plan frustrated.
And, in fact, this was the intention of his enemies.
The car's headlight, which the renegade had turned on at night and forgotten to turn off at dawn, began to light up.
fails, and the vehicle's electrical system has shut down.
— This is the trap you were waiting for, Aziel — said the general.
— No, general, no trap — replied the ishim, blessing his leader's superhuman perception.
rebel. — At least we know where the attack is coming from.
Understanding that their planning had failed, the attackers aborted the ambush and decided to launch themselves.
in open conflict. In the squares of the monastery, protected by the stone walls, then materialized
two hundred cherubim. Rarely do angels form winged avatars or carry with them
weapons through the fabric, because the essence expenditure is enormous. But, in that sanctified corner, the
membrane was thin, which allowed a legion to emerge from the spiritual world.
Once at Haled, the reckless squadron took flight and climbed the walls. Your angelic soldiers there
They stood still, like vultures in the sun, squatting on the walkway, on top of the buildings and on the roofs of the
towers. They dressed like the biblical angels, so often described in the scriptures, with golden plates
lining the frame and shiny bracers attached to the hilt. The white wings, when
open, they inspired respect, even more so if combined with the wielding of sabers — mystical scourges
of unparalleled value.
At the top of the bell tower the leader landed: Euzin. He carried the heavy Steel Bolt on his waist, a
sword famous for being the terror of ethereal entities. Staring at him with eagle eyes, Ablon noticed
that part of her head was marked by a serious burn, a recent damage, not yet
entirely healed. Upon catching its characteristic odor, the general remembered the brains
scattered across the floor of his apartment in Rio de Janeiro.
—Ablon! — shouted Euzin, and his voice echoed across the valley. —Do you remember me?
The First General smiled and replied disdainfully:
— How could I forget him, especially after knowing that he was a victim of the magic projectiles of the
En-Dor Enchantress.
Euzin's expression thickened into a mask of hatred. Such news, made clear, dishonored him
deeply.
— We are here to defend the portal! Surrender now, or you will taste the wrath of the Formidable Legion. This
It's just a small squad. Others are coming, and you will not stand against our swords.
Euzin had once been recognized as a war hero, and in fact he was a good fighter. But the prestige
affected his reason. Insecure, he feared losing his glory. He was always wanting to demonstrate strength and show off.
before the archangels.
— Well, tell your prince — replied the renegade — that I don't deal with criminals! Let him come
Even confront me, if you have the courage to do so.
The wings of the cherubim fluttered — the soldiers wanted to fight. In the hands of Ablon, the Avenger
it glowed, as if it had a mind of its own and cried out for blood.
— Well, outcast, so you still resist? All their companions are dead, and the rebels are
weak. I will shatter your pride and end your hope of winning this war.
— Threats! And everything they know how to do. Balberith also threatened me and is now dead. If you think that
can defeat me, so bring your Steel Bolt to the duel, and we'll see if she's a match for the Avenger
Sacred
Tired of his opponent's petulance, Euzin ordered:
— Catch him and bring me his head!
Static, the wicked commander watched his warriors take off on the hunt. I would let many
they would die, and when the Renegade Angel could no longer fight, he would step forward and cut off their neck.
Like hungry hawks, the angels flew closer, and Ablon stepped forward, ready to strike.
face them, but he felt Aziel squeeze his arm.
— Not yet, general — he said and, without further explanation, the renegade understood his intention. Realized,
by sight and smell, the ishim had his left fist closed, suppressing the release of a
colossal power.
The attackers did not notice the supreme concentration of that little celestial, who hid behind the
muscular warrior angel. At first, they didn't even think about attacking him, letting someone
winged man of inferior build knocked him down later. What could an ishim do to a cherub? You
Cherubim were warriors, soldiers, instruments of slaughter. No caste could compare to yours
skill in battle.
When the squadron reached the hundred meters and moved away from the gardens, a divine force paralyzed the squadron.
desert. Suddenly, in the sky, a frightening column of fire was formed, a pillar of flames, which
It descended to the ground like thunder, imitating the brightness and heat of the sun. In an instant pass,
between the two angels and the legion a monstrous wall of flames was formed, the width of which touched the
mountains whose height reached the sky.
The fright caused by the apparition was such that, astonished, the celestials were unable to stop.
Together, they rushed through the wall of fire.
Terrible screams of pain resounded from every corner of the valley, rose to the heavens and shook the crust.
of the earth when the battalion entered the heat of the deadly flames.
Equally impressed, Ablon saw the winged creatures cross the flaming pillar and emerge on the other side.
with their skin burned and their armor darkened by the murderous glare. The mystical weapons, so rigid and
strong, they bent into brittle rods, weak as coal.
This is the true power of the fire ishins, when used at maximum power.
— Go, Ablon — said Aziel. —My flames will not hurt you.
And, convinced of his friend's word, the Renegade Angel crossed the incandescent column and emerged from the fire
like a nightmare in the eyes of Euzin, who, in trepidation, observed the spectacular action of his enemies.
The First General ran like a hurricane through the gardens, jumped over the walls and from there jumped to the
steeple, blade raised. Shocked, Miguel's fearful lackey only had time to raise his
Guard and defend the Holy Avenger's powerful strike. When the two weapons finally clashed,
a flash lit up and shone with a thousand sparks.
The blow was so strong that Euzin couldn't sustain his momentum. Clumsily, he fell from the tower's pinnacle,
and would have collapsed against the ground if at the last moment he had not managed to minimize the impact
with a flap of wings. Upon him, fast and insatiable, the general struck without stopping, even during the
minimum seconds of falling, and he didn't give his opponent rest.
Without apparent difficulty, Ablon attacked once, twice, three times, and in the fourth round the metal finally hit.
the opponent's shoulder, opening a deep cut above the arm. Bewildered, Euzin no longer had
chance, and the renegade prepared the final attack, but the assault was parried by another celestial, and suddenly
the general found himself surrounded by more angels, who protected their boss. Euzin was not completely ignorant and
he had reserved a group of at least a hundred individuals to protect him inside the citadel.
Attacked from all sides, the renegade fought against eight, ten, twelve cherubs who dived
together. He dodged, blocked, ripped the air, and with each counterattack he took down at least four
at once. But there were many of them, and for every one that fell, two replaced him. Then Ablon saw himself
trapped against the wall and thought how he would escape from there. The monastery was compact, full of buildings and
alleys, and did not have a wide road or large spaces for combat.
With a perfect maneuver, he attacked two celestials, dividing their bodies like a knife through butter. Opened
a passage between them and took off, circling around the walls. Its celerity, combined
to angelic powers, allowed him to run with his feet on the wall, transforming the walls into a
death path. The enemies that stood in their way were shot down by the dozens, annihilated before they could
could put down their swords.
When there were only a few left, the gang retreated, but the renegade wouldn't let them escape.
— He's very fast — shouted one, who was supposedly the battle captain. — Disband! Let's go
get away from here!
Upon hearing the order to evade, Euzin, who had returned to the bell tower, shouted from the top of the tower:
— Don't go back! Keep fighting, you useless people! Reinforcement is already on the way," he encouraged, with a
river of blood running down his shoulder.
But not even the clamor was able to stop the escape. The cherubim, heedless of their leader's order,
They flew away, climbing the heights, where the renegade, without wings, could not reach them.
Victorious, Ablon stepped onto the firm floor of the monastery and stood alone in a central square. From there,
he saw the cruel commander, who remained static at the top of the building.
Stunned by the look, Euzin swallowed hard, trembled and almost ran away, but a predicted phenomenon made him do so.
stay for a new round.
The Renegade Angel then felt the expansion of the tissue, which announced the materialization of a
new squad. Immediately, upon seeing the swarm of angels forming in the astral, ready to cross the
membrane, Ablon worried about Aziel. Even endowed with admirable powers, the ishim would not resist
to another robbery. The rise of the column of fire had left him devastated, because these demonstrations of
power were too tiring. Furthermore, he had already used essence to dispel and recompose his avatar,
as he walked away from gunfire last night. Therefore, instead of confronting Euzin, the general
He preferred to return to the valley, where he could fight more freely, and still defend his friend.
He skillfully scaled the walls, jumped into the garden and returned to the place where he had parked the war jeep.
Aziel was happy to see him whole and healthy.
— What do we do now? — asked the ishim. — Did we run away?
— Not yet — replied the warrior, contemplating the numerous legion that materialized in the skies.
Euzin took off like a rocket to meet the arriving reinforcements. More than five hundred celestials,
armed and dressed for combat, they took shape, copying their astral bodies on earth.
— We're going to be slaughtered! — Aziel protested, upon seeing the squadron flying over the valley. Unite in
A cohesive group, the soldiers drew a V formation, imitating an arrowhead. - We have
We have to reach the trail that will take us to the cave. If we run, we can still reach the pass before
let them catch us," he suggested, pointing to the fissure in the rock, which went up, narrow, and reached the top of the
monte Horeb.
—That's exactly what they want: to trap us in the mountains — explained the Renegade Angel,
expert in angelic tactics. —Before we move forward, we have to de-escalate. If we don't have
space to act, they will attack only from the front, and the strength of the assault will be multiplied a thousand times. This is the
objective of positioning themselves as an arrowhead.
Upon hearing the explanation, the ishim accepted the command, understanding the enemy's stratagem. While the
Aziel's hands burst into flames, Ablon raised his sword, and the two waited with their backs together.
Meanwhile, in the sky, the confused commander Euzin saw his strategy being shaken. I would never expect that
two angels, however powerful they were, remained there, in the center of the valley, to face half
thousands of fighters. He imagined they would run and get into the rocky gorge, where they could be
quickly annihilated.
Devoid of a better alternative, the arrogant celestial shouted:
— Prepare the star assault! Concentrate all your blows on the renegade, from four sides and
The star attack consisted of a fivefold clash. From above, five columns of cherubs
they dived. When they reached the ground, four of them skimmed and threw themselves against the ground.
opponent on four sides. The fifth column came straight, falling on the enemy's head,
preventing him from jumping into the sky.
Understanding the change in plans, Ablon said:
— Stay away, Aziel.
— Are you going to be alone in the star's core?
— I don't know if I'll be fast enough to hit them, but I can block the blows. With each attack
frustrated, they will be stunned and thrown to the side, and then maybe you can set them on fire with
their flames are divine.
Without a break for discussion, the Sacred Flame accepted the idea and retreated close to the hill, looking for
refuge at the foot of the mountain. Above, Euzin shouted:
— By the archangel Michael, let's kill these damn rebels!
And the soldiers responded with a single exalted roar:
— By the archangel Michael!
They came whirling down, their swords sharp, to pierce the renegade like projectiles from a weapon.
fire. Determined to kill the general at any cost, the commander didn't bother to get it right.
Aziel.
When the well-lined multitude of angels from heaven crashed into the target in the center of the star,
a myriad of sparks ascended from the heart of the battle. With truly admirable speed and skill
for the greatest celestials, the Renegade Angel defended each attack and counterattacked for the five
corners, shattering the metal of the armor and the flesh of the avatars. Aziel's eyes were unable
to follow the lightness of the maneuvers, and from that distant niche the Sacred Flame could only distinguish the
multiple sparks from the clashing steel. In a few seconds, a pile of water accumulated at the general's feet.
mountain of mutilated, broken bodies, covered in blood and torn feathers.
The star formation had failed, but the legion was not defeated. At least half of it
was still intact, and Euzin once again changed strategy.
— Surround us in a vault! — he burst out, shaking with hatred. — And bring the ishim into the
circle.
Surrounding in a vault meant normally surrounding the enemy, imprisoning him inside a wheel of
soldiers, but also positioning fighters over his head, closing a living vault.
Probably, the commander's objective was to create an oppressive environment, giving a false sense of
that the enemy was completely subdued.
The star fell apart, and the angels spiraled to the ground, ready to surround the rebels. At the base
From the mountain, a very dexterous cherub grabbed Aziel by the arms, took flight and dropped him next to the
renegade.
The two celestials found themselves together, in the middle of a suffocating circle of winged warriors, who
they pointed terrible blades.
A line opened up between the fighters, and from it emerged the petulant Euzin, critically wounded in the
shoulder, but still pretentious and bold. Ablon took a breath and waited, because now Aziel was in the
line of confrontation.
— You can't beat us all, renegade — said the enemy, unfurling his wings like wings do.
birds to impress their prey. — I received permission to deploy as many soldiers as I wanted. More
cherubs will arrive, and you will be tortured — and wielded his Steel Bolt. — In honor of your past
heroic, I offer you a dignified death. Drop the sword and kneel. I promise you won't even feel the thread
metal splitting his forehead.
Ablon looked around and realized that he was absolutely surrounded. Aziel touched his arm,
urging him not to surrender.
— There is no way out — reinforced the unpleasant Euzin, seeing the shadow of doubt on the angel's face.
warrior. — If you are captured, our seraphim will extract precious information from your mind. What
What I am proposing to you is a glorious and painless execution, which will restore to you the renown of ancient times.
The Renegade Angel let down his guard, thoughtfully, and took off his coat, stained with blood. He looked at the
hands, looked at the hilt of the sword and faced Aziel, who had helped him so much on that tortuous journey.
He exchanged one last look of thanks with his friend and then threw the Holy Avenger to the ground.
- No! — Aziel whispered. Euzin's face drew a malicious smile. Always, since the days of
Castle of Light, Euzin had longed to defeat the First General, but had never had the ability to call him
to the duel. Now, one way or another, he would fulfill his vital demand and thereby establish himself as
Miguel's great officer.
The Renegade Angel knelt before Euzin. An abysmal stillness filled the landscape.
Crouching down, Ablon closed his eyes in meditation, and the commander raised his sword, which would now come down to
tear open the skull of the irreducible rebel.
But the moment the blade came down, Ablon's energized fist rose to meet the
thread of the Steel Bolt. And so incredible was the power of the Wrath of God that a thunder shook the desert,
breaking the mystical weapon in two. As if that weren't enough, the punch continued its path, hitting
Euzin's face was full, and he was thrown beyond the ranks.
No one — not Aziel, not the angels in heaven, not the celestials on earth — could move before the
spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. What the spectators didn't know was that, for thousands of years, the
renegade had fought alone on earth, without a sword. Under these conditions, it will develop to the maximum
the ability to fight unarmed and had honed the Wrath of God to the highest degree. In fight, his hands were
as lethal as sharp metal.
In a smart move, Aziel acted, striking the unsuspecting soldiers in the rear with a
burst of fire. In a concerted attitude, Ablon jumped forward, striking the wings with kicks and
punches.
Even though they were numerous and armed, the group's soldiers succumbed to the chaos. Some celestials
They retreated, frightened, and others attacked, angry, without any discipline or martial planning.
Experienced and quick, the First General dodged the attackers' sabers and responded with blows.
that put them in a knockout. On certain occasions he would dodge, and on others he would block the swords with his hand.
hardness of the hands. After many assaults, Ablon shouted to Aziel, who was taking cover in the middle of a
circle of fire:
—Now, Aziel! Make way! — he ordered, and the ishim burned the air with a torrent of lava,
freeing up space for evasion. —Let's go to the trail, while the legion is dismayed — he warned,
recovering the Holy Avenger from the ground.
They both ran across the valley and ran like never before to a fissure at the foot of the mountain, which led up
on a narrow trail to the top of the hill. Before entering the path, Aziel looked back and saw
hundreds of dead angels, stretched out on the earth.
The climb, strenuous and slow for ordinary people, did not fatigue the heroes, who climbed it with desire and
super-human ardor.
They progressed along the path, and near the end the gorge opened up.
Ahead, they saw the cave.
This is how the unjust die
The mountain of Horeb, one of the extreme points of Egypt, is south of Mount Sinai, and perhaps that is why the
two peaks have been related in legends as the same place, and taken as one by
Hebrew scholars. The terrain in this part of the desert is arid, stony and irregular, with incredible
granite hills, thus completing a long mountain range of red rock, whose highest peak
Elevated is Mount Katharina, 2,637 meters high.
At approximately noon, Ablon and Aziel left the path, as the path opened into
an extensive plateau, from where the entrance to a small cave, a cave
common and unattractive.
The passage leading to the cave was low and dark. But, before they crossed the threshold, Ablon
He heard regular beats of wings in the wind and immediately looked back. The insistent descended from the sky
Euzin, injured in the shoulder and face. He was holding some kind of saber, probably taken from a soldier.
fallen.
The commander landed on the plateau, but Ablon no longer had time to confront him. Lost minutes
precious battles against the Formidable Legion and now needed to run and reach the ethereal plane before
for the Battle of Armage-don to begin.
— Hey there, fugitive! — called the unwanted enemy. — Don't think you'll escape me so
easily. We haven't yet come to a proper confrontation.
— I have no more time to waste with you, Euzin. Accept your half-defeat and congratulate yourself on
not be among the mountain of dead.
— Once, outlawed, you were the greatest of all generals — he admitted. — I always wanted to overcome him, but
I never had the chance. And then, when I planned to challenge you, you and your brotherhood were expelled
from the sky. But I always knew that the day would come when we would see each other again and I would fulfill my
mission. Now, this day has arrived! — he exclaimed, in epic eloquence. — It was with that in mind that I went up and
I became a general. This is the time to fight to the death, while the world ends.
— Your attitude doesn't surprise me at all, Euzin. Everyone who says they hate me has the same
hypocritical impulsiveness. Many of you insulted me, but why didn't you come to me?
trail when I was alone on earth? Instead, try to surprise me in an ambush,
escorted by a legion of hundreds of angels.
In a curious response, the wicked Euzin relaxed his defense and immersed himself in deep thought. Managed the
head, reflective, and looked at the ground. In the end, he recognized, he was just a failed hero, frustrated by
never having recovered the glory of ancient battles.
— Your greatest enemy is not me, Euzin — concluded the general. — Your greatest enemy is fear.
Defenseless against the truth that was gnawing at his spirit, Euzin finally decided that, in the face of the drama,
I would rather die. He saw himself as the great officer of paradise, the strong, the first! Now it was kill or
to die. With an angry shout, he rushed into combat, and the renegade analyzed the impasse. What would you do?
I couldn't waste even a minute, but I also couldn't ignore the challenge.
— Enter the cave, general — Aziel suggested. —He is a strong opponent, and it will take time for you to
bring him down. Gabriel and the rebels await him. This time, I will be Buzin's opponent.
Ablon felt a sensitive tightness in his chest, the same one he had felt when he separated from Sieme. Aziel was a
influential, wise and powerful ishim, but much of his energy had been consumed in battle
camp and in last night's confrontation. On the other hand, Euzin, although not the best, was a
excellent combatant, and the cherubim are masters of hand-to-hand action. The Renegade Angel concluded,
desolate, that it would be difficult for the Sacred Flame to dominate the duel.
— Hurry — Aziel reinforced, with flames dancing on his arms. — Many depend on you.
The two celestials had been friends for centuries, and the general was reluctant to leave him. But as a fighter
accustomed to war, he was subject to this kind of thing. Sometimes he found himself too impassive in
matters of the heart, but it could not be otherwise. He was a predator, accustomed to killing, and also
a soldier. By creation, he was an agent of death.
But then, before he entered the limpet, he heard the sharp sound of an arrow on a straight trajectory. One
golden arrow tore through the air like a divine spit and pierced Euzin's breastplate, piercing
the chest. Paralyzed, the vile commander hissed an insult and then fell forever, collapsing.
on the red stones of Mount Horeb.
At the threshold of the cave, the celestials saw, with relief, the author of the shot, who so fortunately
put an end to the impasse. A winged archer, with a serious face and great beauty, stared at the celestials. He carried a
golden bow and carried a quiver of mystical arrows in the space between his wings. The long hair
brown ones fell loosely to the hips and shone in the reflection of the chainmail. That was Varna,
Gabriel's lieutenant and supreme leader of the archer regiment.
— General, the Master of Fire awaits you — summoned the angel woman, always austere.
Relieved, Aziel allowed himself a smile, while Ablon collected the Holy Avenger. Remembered
very good from Varna and her cold look. I was happy to have her as an ally.
Guided by Varna, the Renegade Angel and the Holy Flame walked into the cave. THE
ishim still found a moment to look, in the last second, at Euzin's body prostrate on the
rocks.
— All he wanted was to confront the First General. And he didn't even do that. Euzin failed in his
vital demand.
Ablon faced the fallen avatar and replied, without much whining:
— This is how the unjust die.
The cave expanded into a common gallery, not very large, with a rocky hall that ended
in a passage on the side behind the entrance. It was hot and dark, and Ablon was dazzled to see that,
On its walls, ancient, worldly inscriptions were still marked, engraved by the prophets of
truck
Varna crossed the threshold, and the two angels followed his steps. For the first time in centuries, since
his purge from heaven, the First General felt himself breaking through the membrane and understood that that
threshold was the famous portal, through which the Master of Fire had spoken to Moses.
Soon, two old enemies, Ablon and Gabriel, would meet again.
And the fate of the world would depend on it.
"We will fight until the last soldier"
A mystical emanation of indescribable power appeared ahead, in the center of the cave that widened
with the end of the passage. On the other side, through the portal, the cave expanded into a large hall
natural, so dark that its blackest niches escaped the general's keen perception. One point
of light, to the north, indicated the exit. The three angels were no longer at Haled. They had just joined
in the ethereal, the deepest spiritual layer beyond the tissue.
The celestials turned to the focus of the vibration, the same supreme energy that dominated the entire gallery.
Sitting, a figure of impenetrable tranquility meditated, and in his chest resided the core of his strength.
He was dressed in full armor, shiny gold, and carried a sheathed sword in his lap.
The closed eyes were the image of perfect harmony, bringing together the full and the empty, the law and the chaos,
light and eternal darkness. The Renegade Angel recognized the austerity of that magnificent countenance and
soon identified its essence.
There, just a touch away, rested what was once one of his most famous
Opponents: Gabriel, the Master of Fire. He would have changed his nature and gone from a cold killer to a faithful
defender of human causes? What had stimulated such a sudden transformation? The birth of the Child
Sagrada had in fact enlightened him, or the archangel, like Lucifer, used the ideal of freedom to incite
a selfish rebellion?
A mute noise in space, which echoed and shook the spirit, imitated the explosion of a thousand volcanoes
— Gabriel opened his eyes. Suddenly, the universe seemed to have become smaller, such was the presence and
the wisdom of that giant and the majesty he conveyed.
Varna raised his hand in a wave. She and Aziel left the cave.
— Sieme didn't return — the Fire Master noted. — There is an imbalance in the fluency of the cosmos.
— Sieme is dead — Ablon announced. — He decided to stay in Jerusalem and defend his cause.
— And the same cause that unites us, general, that completes and strengthens us — he took advantage, seeing the
lightning of the ages. — Now a cycle is complete. I meet you again, before the end and
on the eve of the twilight of time.
— The twilight of times... — reflected the cherub, remembering Korrigan's words. — That was the
Why did you spare me? Had I anticipated my return to the legions I would later train?
The Messenger uncrossed his legs and got up from the ground. His beautiful armor was an incredible relic, and
also his weapon, the dangerous Scourge of Fire.
—Throughout history, I predicted many things — he explained. — I am the Angel of Revelation and I gained from my
Father the gift of vision. At first, I thought my omniscience was on par with God, but freedom
The will of men surprised me and deceived my instincts. One day, stuck in the depression of
infinite, I realized my mistake. No one, not even the Most High, can predict the future. Everything that
What we glimpse are paths, open trajectories. It is up to each one, man or angel, god or demon,
choose your destiny — he spoke like the greatest sage on earth. — For my part, I have always kept the
hope and worshiped his return. Certainty does not exist, nor does perfect truth. But we always have to
faith, which makes us trust in the impossible. And the impossible often becomes concrete.
Absorbed by the impressive prayer, Ablon really wanted to believe in the archangel, but the feeling was still strong.
resentment. If Gabriel wanted to have him with him so much, why hadn't he accepted him before? Millennia
Before the two had dueled, and during the confrontation the Fire Master had said nothing about his army or
about your pure intention. He had preferred, instead, to keep it secret, to expel him from Jerusalem and to remove him from the
direction of your mission.
—And why didn't you join me in your legions when you saw me in the Holy City? How unique
Survivor of the Conjuration, I represent the renegades. Why didn't you allow me to join your troops?
is it stated that its purpose is to honor the ideals of the brotherhood?
The Messenger smiled and looked at him like a child. On very rare occasions he smiled, because the
Emotions, good or bad, shake the harmony of the world. There is no good without evil, love without hate or joy
without sadness.
— Since the day he was purged, I saw the desire pulsing in his heart. Your ultimate mission and
his greatest desire is to despoil the archangel Michael. But the Prince of Angels was never defeated, nor
by the dark gods who dwelt in the shadow of space. No angel is able to bring him down, maybe
Even I couldn't beat him. The one who faced me on the hill was not the Ablon of today. It was a
skillful, brave and fair general, but incapable of defeating an archangel. Now listen to me, heavenly. Only the
greatest of the winged will defeat the tyrant. His past failures turned him into the stuff of legends. Your
Battles with me and the Morning Star gave him the cunning to overthrow the monarch. If I had
accepted in the past, its strength would be wasted. And then it would be nothing more than a discarded icon,
demystified and inert.
— Inert?
— Because of his curse, he could not return to paradise and lead the civil war. The gates of heaven were given to him
closed, and no portal would take him to the abode of God. He would assume the post of commander in exile,
visited by angels, and therefore much more susceptible to being found by their hunters. As such,
he could be found, pursued and killed. But instead, what happened? He remained renegade,
excluded, walking through the darkness of the planet. He fought against the best and developed a
unique, almost secret technique. And now it comes to me at an opportune time, when the squadrons
waiting for the biggest of undertakings.
— The Battle of Armageddon.
— Our strength is three times smaller than that of the enemy. Our soldiers are right-handed, but the simple
dexterity is not enough to win this war.
— And what else do they need, if they already have the courage?
The Fire Master walked around the cave. He stroked the hilt of his sword, with the blade hidden by a
gold sheath.
— Their courage converts into you, as the last of the renegades. Brotherhood is an idea, an
concept, a symbol, and you bear the mark of these heroes, the lost bravery of a remote era.
Ablon stuck the Holy Avenger in the ground and sat on a rock.
— I can almost read your thoughts — continued the Angel of Revelation. — Deep down, he still hates the
archangels, all of them, and I understand their anger. He suffered greatly from Miguel's perversity and from the
Lucifer's cynicism. And what motivates them? Jealousy, lust, anger and greed. These were not the reasons that
they incited me to revolt.
— The Savior! — exclaimed the renegade. —Miguel was determined to kill the Sacred Child, and
you did not approve of the murder. But why, Gabriel? After all the blood he spilled, after
of so many massacres that he promoted. How could a mortal boy convert him to the ideal of justice?
The archangel walked to a dark corner and looked away from the point of light, but Ablon noticed
your sadness. He finally understood that some perpetual pain was hurting him, a scar that would not close.
Never.
— Why did you come to battle? — Gabriel challenged. — A week ago, I would repudiate any action of
campaign. He was determined to stay out of the theater of war until the Sorceress of En-Dor was kidnapped - the
The First General's expression hardened as he remembered his friend's suffering. — Your heart is
sincere, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the capture of the necromancer. In the depths of her spirit, it is for her
what a fight. It is his love that drives him to fight. At this point, we are both equal.
— I never thought I was tied to such a feeling.
— Equally surprised, I discovered that I was not immune to the heat of the matter. Miguel has always had an aversion to
deadly race, and, as a messenger, it was my job to carry out their macabre tasks at Haled. But, at the
forming an avatar, was subject to the attributes of the flesh.
— The passion. Was it also touched by her?
— Just like you, I once met a woman, an ordinary girl, human, simple and pure as
the dew drops. Until then, I thought I had seen everything and experienced the ecstasy that comes from
grandeur of the cosmos. I saw the creation of the universe, the beginning of light and the making of the world. I threw dust
stellar to the blackness of the abyss and witnessed the making of the fabric. Before the primeval glow, I fought against
the dark gods and defeated deities as ancient as my Shining Father. But, in your
human sincerity, the woman showed me the meaning of small things, which I didn't see there
from high in the sky. He put me in contact with the earth, took me to bathe in the river, showed me the pleasure
of lying under the stars and looking for the eve's birth in the east. In her simple perception, she
clarified the happiness of life.
Slowly digesting the long speech, the general was struck by an old memory. Remembered
of a phrase uttered by Gabriel, when they met on the Mount of Olives: "We are
resolving a family problem here."
— You conceived the Shining One! — revealed the cherub. — He is the true father of the Sacred Child.
— Imagine the distinction of this being — the archangel continued, and emotion consumed his aura. — Graced
with celestial pride and endowed with the will of men.
— I couldn't let Miguel kill him.
— Through the woman and the Child, I discovered love. I finally understood what my Father felt for me.
me, and all obscurity dissipated. It was this love that kept me away from evil and made me recognize the
humanity as a legacy of the Creator.
And then, sitting on the rock, the general found, in the euphoria of immemorial revelations, an authentic
meaning to all things. If the Savior was a legitimate heavenly descendant, the
scriptures, which illustrate his divine exploits. From his mother, he inherited the sweetness of his soul, humility and
kindness that did not demarcate borders.
But, despite all his smoothness, Ablon had still not surrendered to the Master of Fire's candor, and he had not
would deliver quickly.
—Doubt crowns your face—said Gabriel. — Confusion is natural. How could you credit me,
if I never gave you proof of my good will? I was never your friend. I never reached out to him
periods of crisis. I never received him in a pleasant hug. But among those waiting for him there are old people
partners, companions of the ages, who do not forget their energy. It is in them that you must trust, because the
friendship is the support of the world.
At this moment, a wonderful light broke through the pitch-black cave. It looked more like a fallen golden star
on the earth, and its glare was intense and delirious. An aura of sublime beauty surrounded him, like an explosion.
cosmic image of extraordinary brilliance. As he advanced, his features became apparent.
It was Nathanael, the Most Pure, who had been missing for millennia.
The angel with golden hair and bronze eyes brought hope with his everlasting shine. Nathanael was
an ofanim, a guardian angel, loyal and charitable, pleasant and beautiful, strong in spirit. It was also firm
character and determined in the defense of men. At the time of the flood, their precious efforts saved Noah
and helped in the preservation of the human species. Afterwards, the Most Pure One visited the renegade in the mountains
of China and summoned him to the protection of the Sacred Child. But since Ablon had lost his trail,
fainting in the Tin-Sen forest, the ofanim had disappeared.
— Peace, my beloved friend! — reassured the luminous celestial. — I beg your forgiveness for the disappointment
that I caused. I know I was cold and foolish, but my quest ended up becoming the ministry of
world.
Ablon still felt sad about his friend's abandonment; I had a hard time believing in betrayal or neglect, but the
prudence was his mark, and he was not content with begging. Could that be the real Nathanael?
emerging from blackness, or was it all just a ruse by the archangel to confuse his senses?
— And you, ofanim, who hides behind that shiny mask? — he asked, suspicious.
— I traveled halfway around the world to honor our agreement. I crossed deserts and seas, I conquered forests and rivers,
I walked across plains and climbed mountains. And where were you when I finally reached Judea?
The Most Pure One bowed his head, in sincere lament. In ages past, Nathanael had been a friend
loyal, as close to the First General as Orion, Aziel and Ishtar.
— I was right there, in the Holy City.
—And why didn't you come to me?
"I was still on a mission," he insisted. — For everything I had already done for the mortal race, I was appointed
by the Master of Fire to, from the astral, accompany each step of the Savior and safeguard his life. Before
When the Child was born, I flew to meet him in the east, to warn him. But, in the euphoria of having him with us, I went
foolish and reckless and did not consult the Messenger.
— And I — asked Gabriel, with his always melodic voice — didn't allow you to come to us,
for the same reasons we have now brought you here. Nathanael was reckless in looking for him without
warn me, but his intention was good. He certainly trusts you, but he took an emotional attitude,
typical of the ofanins. If you want to judge someone, judge me, general, because one day I expelled you from the Holy Land
and I cast him into earthly dangers.
The Renegade Angel looked at Gabriel with his unforgettable gray eyes, and there was no more anger in them,
pain or disgust. He knew his own limits and imperfections. Didn't really consider himself a hero
not an epic commander, much less a martyr.
— I shouldn't judge him — Ablon added. — Who am I to do that? I trusted the honesty of
Lucifer, and what did my trial result in? Afterwards, I preferred to fight with you instead of listening to you,
repudiating his good words. As celestials, we are not perfect. We are not gods and never will be.
Those who seek to surpass the Most High will fall, and so it will be with the archangel Michael. But I won't be the one
condemn him. As a fugitive, I was once on the brink of hatred. It was Shamira's love that preserved my
values. We both found someone who showed us the way, but what about him? What about Miguel?
If our hearts were not touched by tenderness, perhaps we would be like him, filled with anger and
insanity. That's why I don't blame him. However, there are things that need to be done. I don't have the
I have the right to judge him, but I have the legitimacy to challenge him. I'm a warrior. That's my nature.
—Then complete your mission, general — Gabriel urged, in a soft tone. — The Day of Adjustment has arrived
of Accounts.
And so, without anyone needing to guide him, the Renegade Angel headed towards the point of light, which indicated the
exit from the cave. The passage stretched into an opening, wedged near the summit of the hill.
Under the cliff stretched a vast plain, which dominated the entire desert. From there the general
glimpsed the rebel camp, dotted with white and black tents that occupied the vast expanse
from the terrace. Millions of celestials, equipped with swords, spears and bows, trained on the ground and
they exercised in the air, diving and charging, preying and dodging, practicing maneuvers for the
fight. Others flew on patrol, watching the plateau, while, in their tents, the commanders
they drew up plans and defined tactics. Ablon tasted the smell of metal again, the excitement of
fighters and the fervor that precedes the confrontation. In total, he counted just over ten thousand legions, each
with five thousand winged soldiers. They were so numerous that they filled heaven and earth and outnumbered
million any human army ever recorded in the course of history.
In the distance, some 350 kilometers to the north, the plain ended in a circle of mountains of
dark, which guarded in the center the sinister Fortress of Sion. The enemy tower loomed beyond the
mountain ranges, like a funeral spear stuck in the belly of the world.
Exalted with emotion, Ablon remembered the sunken city of Enoch and the prophetic vision of Hazai, the
captain of the renegades, who had made the metropolis his tomb. And so, visualizing the legions that
cut across the landscape, Ablon understood that, before the purge, he was exactly like those celestials,
full of hope, strength and will. By a stroke of chance, he had become a symbol, elevated to highness
by the hatred of the enemy himself. Now he could no longer retreat. The Prince of Angels had captured
Shamira, killed her best friends and killed entire cities, annihilating millions of innocent people.
For those people, the general would bring revenge, but he would seek justice for himself.
Standing on his left was the kind and luminescent Nathanael, who encouraged him to be kind, and, on his side,
On his right, the golden Master of Fire escorted him, invincible in his sacred armor.
— It took me more than two thousand years to organize and train this army —
whispered Gabriel, contemplating the scenery. — They are the bravest, and would only bow to the greatest of
commanders. Now these legions are yours. Lead them however you want. These angels were born from your
decency and by it they will follow him.
But Ablon knew he was not the only one to inspire those rebels. If he was there, safe and sound, with a sword
in hand, it was because he carried with him the trust of his old friends and the determination of the brotherhood.
— Rebels! — shouted the general, using a rock as a platform at the top of the hill. —Listen-
me now those who have bravery in their hearts and faithfulness in their spirit. Listen to me, those who are honorable and
wise men, and those who believe in the power of justice - and with that the wings, the whistles and even the breath fell silent.
of the wind. In the Fortress of Sion, the archangel Michael also heard the cry and, upset, ran to
balcony to listen to the show. — You are an army of good, and I am pleased to lead you in
final battle. Of those who are here, only those who do not fear death, the warriors, follow me.
the bold, the strong and the reckless. When the battle breaks out and all your companions have
fallen, the persistent, the courageous, the one who carries the most glorious cause will win. Let them accompany me
those who worship the Most High, those who respect the legality of his work and those who are against murder
of men. Tonight, we will fight to the last soldier!
So wonderful was the brief speech, added to the prodigious and emblematic presence, that at the end of the
prayer the combatants burst into cheers, and their cries shook deserts and mountains, shaking the
morale of the winged ones who defended Sion. In the enemy stronghold, the wicked trembled, frightened by the
frenzy of the army that would attack them at dusk.
Victory was in the hands of the rebels.
In the Tower of a Thousand Windows, surrounded by a crowd of soldiers, the Prince of Angels climbed the stairs,
frantic. With an aggressive thought, he threw open the metal sections of the double door and entered the room.
Hall of Portals, a circular room, bordered by two dozen sealed passages. There, the Black Angel
he had stopped, guarding the climb to the trapdoor, which led to the terrace of the Wheel of Time, where Shamira
she was imprisoned.
— The renegade is alive! — shouted the archangel, angrily. — It is absolutely not possible that
escaped from the Formidable Legion!
— I said it would be useless — replied the Dark-Winged Angel. — Euzin was incompetent, and for
We are lucky that it failed. This way you won't get us into another mess.
Miguel ripped the Flame of Death from its sheath, and the flaming sword heated the cold air. Although in
closed chamber, were at almost three thousand meters of altitude, where the winds are strong, and the climate,
ice cream.
— And the reinforcement on the terrace? — changed the subject.
— I ordered ten squads to create a living sphere around the courtyard at the tower's spire. If
Ablon comes to us, he will have to enter Sion by another route.
Then, still restless, the Prince of Angels took out the Book of Life, which he hid attached to his belt, under his
huge wings. He placed the relic on the pedestal in the center of the room and began to read in a low voice the latest
pages, impatient like a child looking for the end of a story. At a certain point, when
reached the desired verse, calmed down and regained his arrogant presence.
— Let's proceed with your plan. We have the bait and the trap. So let the damn thing come. I
I will even bury the ideal of brotherhood, while our army dethrones the rebels. And what will I do —
he decided, closing the tome with a violent slam. - This is what the Most High prescribed.
The Black Angel thickened his face, in the depths of his closed helmet. The helmet hid his
face, and not even the Celestial Monarch could penetrate it. It was the Angel of the Bottomless Abyss, the one who
opened all the doors. It was light and darkness. The beginning and the end.
—Night approaches. It is the last day of humans on earth. No mortal will ever see the light again
of the sun.