Judgment game of lords b.., p.16
Judgment (Game of Lords Book 3), page 16
She exclaimed, “Gabriel? What are you doing here?”
“I came to see how you’re doing. Are you healed up yet?”
“Oh, Gabriel,” she replied, in a tone filled with pain and hope at the same time, “I’m getting close.”
“Good, because I need your help.”
“Really, for what?”
“For helping Adam and Eve.”
“You’ve been helping them?”
“Yes, I’ve filled in a few times. Watching two kids is a nightmare!”
Sadie laughed. “Tell me about it. Welcome to my world, boss.”
“Your world. Yes! That has a nice ring to it. When can you start?”
Sadie looked out the window, smiling. “I would love to see them again. I can start tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m actually excited, though I’m sure it will fade once they start running in opposite directions. Have we kept the guard duty up?”
“Yes, I’ve kept everything going. I’ve also kept the guard at the Garden of Eden in step.”
“No word on Legion?”
“No, I am afraid he is out there somewhere, plotting his next move.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Luminé stood in front of his Archangels with the map of the Heavens hanging on the wall. On it, the southernmost 6th and 7th Heavenly Realms were circled. “It is imperative that we secure the entire perimeter of both Realms by nightfall. It is also imperative that all the Angels be captured and either incapacitated through wounds or be put into Dark Cages. To that end, we will spend the rest of the week constructing upwards of 100,000 cages, which we will bring with us. When we attack, we will drop them on the coast. As we capture prisoners, we will begin filling the cages.”
He paused. “Any questions so far?”
No one said a word.
“Antonio, you will form the spearhead that will attack the 6th Heavenly Realm. Rana is the Archangel defending it, and I do not suspect you will have trouble. Yuki, you will lead the spearhead that will accompany me to the 7th Heavenly Realm.”
Antonio stepped forward. “What do you think the Heavens will do, Great Luminé?”
“They will divide their forces and attack either the same day, but more than likely the following day. At that point, we will have evened the odds. Heaven will be down to 340,000 Angels, and once they divide that in half, there will be approximately 170,000 attacking 120,000 of us at each Realm. I can deal with those odds, especially since we will be in a defensive posture.”
Antonio nodded and stepped back. Despite his knowledge of the truth of Luminé’s deception, he was itching to prove himself against Heaven’s armies.
Luminé looked at each of them, assessing them, wondering if they could do what would be needed. These were not Heaven’s Archangels, they were not the cream of the crop, but they would have to do. He trusted the plan would overcome any shortcomings in their abilities. “Are there any questions?” he asked.
Yuki raised her hand. “What is our goal, Luminé?”
“To capture the 6th and 7th Heavenly Realms!” he snapped.
“But what will we do with it? Will they simply give it to us?”
Luminé knew he had to be careful here because it fit his plan, but ultimately, there was no plan to keep it. “We need the land, Yuki. We will negotiate to keep it.”
“With what leverage?”
“Enough!” Luminé said. “I know the Lords better than anyone here. I will have the leverage I need, provided we secure the perimeters of both Realms before nightfall. Is that clear?”
Everyone nodded, except Oxana. She was busy in thought. She knew Luminé had just dodged something, but what? What was he up to? Then it hit her. This, all this, was so he had bargaining power. He was going to give it all back, so he could return to her, to Splendora.
Luminé continued, “In the morning, at dawn, we will gather at the west end of Luminare on the beach. We will fly low out to sea, then attack from the west, where they will not expect us.”
Luminé dismissed them all, then went to his room and closed the door to write his letter. It would let Splendora know not only to stand down but to understand what his plan was.
My dear Splendora,
My love for you compels me to do what I must do. The humiliation I felt in front of the Archangels and the Lords was too much to bear. I know now that they could not agree to allow me back because they saw me as weak. I am not weak. I am strong, and those who follow me are strong. I am leading them into a show of strength that will convince everyone. I also have something very special, the Golden Sword of the Prophecy. Once I have demonstrated our formidability as an army of Angels, I will go again to the Lords and agree to lay down my sword forever. I will also offer them the Sword of the Prophecy, and they will take me back.
I promise you, Oxana will be no longer with me. I will love only you, and for all time we will be together as the greatest Archangels in the Heavens.
With all my heart, I pledge this.
Luminé.
He took the original letter, rolled it up, and tied a ribbon around it. He wanted her to receive it after the battle started, not before, so she had no pressure to report anything. He would send it early in the morning, prior to assembling on the shore.
Oxana jerked open the door. “Luminé, I need to… ” She stopped, noticing he was concealing something.
“What is it?” he asked.
“It’s the Golden Sword. I do not think you should bring it with you tomorrow.”
“Why not?”
Oxana knew she had to be convincing, but she did not believe Legion entirely. Still, Legion was right about one thing: The sword would not help them in this battle.
“Because it is too dangerous. What if it falls into the wrong hands? You will lose your leverage, leverage we may need later should things go the wrong way.”
Luminé scoffed. “Things are not going to go the wrong way, Oxana. Have you not seen our plan?”
“Luminé, don’t let overconfidence blind you. You do not need the sword in this battle. Even your plans say as much.”
“I have considered that, Oxana.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Why haven’t you told me where it is?”
“Because I don’t want you to be burdened by the knowledge of it.”
“But what if something happens to you. Don’t you think I should know?”
He sighed. “Not now, Oxana.”
“How do you know someone has not already found it?”
A shudder of fear ran through him as his eyes tried to dart toward the Throne Room, but he stopped. “It is safe, Oxana.”
She stormed out and went to her room.
~ ~ ~ ~
Later that night Oxana lay awake in bed, listening. She knew Luminé would go to see the sword, so she waited. She heard him leave his room and listened until he went out the door, then jumped out of bed and crept down the hall to the door, watching as he crossed the courtyard to the Throne Room. As soon as he entered she went out and circled around to the back of the Throne Room and flew up to the windows along the back wall. She could see his shadow moving across the floor. He reached his throne and looked back at the door, then moved his throne aside. He rolled up the carpet and opened a door in the floor. So, that is where you have it.
She watched as his shadow lifted the darkened sword. He thrust it around in the air and then sat down, thinking. Finally, he placed it back, closed the door, rolled back the carpet, and put his throne back in its place. Oxana raced back into their living quarters and into her room, feigning sleep as Luminé quietly crept back into his room. She had one more thing to do before tomorrow.
~ ~ ~ ~
Adon paddled in the darkness through the open sea toward the eastern edge of the Southern Realm. He would enter on the shores near the mountains and stick to the forests to remain unseen. He needed to find out what was going on. It was slow rowing in the choppy sea, and he could have just flown, but he felt he would be less likely to be spotted by Luminé’s lookouts, who were watching for Angels who would be flying. He stopped for a few moments, taking a sip from his canteen, wiping the sweat from his brow. Gauging by the moon, he had another two hours to go, which would put him there just before daylight.
~ ~ ~ ~
Legion closed his eyes in the darkness of his cave, letting his mind wander over the mass of sleeping Angels in the thousands of huts below. He felt the confusion they felt and knew the day would bring even more. Then he zeroed his thoughts on Oxana. Why hadn’t he been able to connect with her? Had she failed in her mission? He needed the sword. He would go himself in the morning to make sure Luminé did not have it. Then he would find it himself if needed.
~ ~ ~ ~
On the morning of the attack, Luminé woke up feeling angry. Was he doing the right thing? Would Splendora understand? Would the Lords understand, bargain, and let him back. He reached into his desk and took out the letter he’d written to Splendora, signaled for a messenger bird and tied the message to its claws, and sent it out into the early dawn sky, knowing it would be another two hours before she received it. Then he closed his eyes, imagining the victory they would achieve today. He put on his Archangel uniform and went outside to take a walk down to the sea to gather his final thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~
The Angel Sansa knocked on Oxana’s bedroom window. Oxana looked out, then waved her to the back door. Luminé was already down by the beach. She had told him she would be along shortly. Oxana came out, and Sansa handed her the message.
“Did you read it?” Oxana asked.
“No, I did not.”
“Good. Go and get ready with the others.”
Oxana unfurled the message. It was the letter Luminé had written to Splendora. Her eyes quickly scanned down the letter, then stopped.
Once I have demonstrated our formidability as an army of Angels, I will go again to the Lords and agree to lay down my sword forever. I will also offer them the Sword of the Prophecy, and they will take me back.
I promise you, Oxana will be no longer with me. I will love only you, and for all time we will be together as the greatest Archangels in the Heavens.
With all my heart, I pledge this.
Luminé
She fell back against the wall, catching herself, saying aloud, “Oxana will no longer… be with me.”
She realized his entire plan and all his actions. Yes, he wanted to win, but not for her, not for them, but for himself. She turned, gained her composure, determined to confront him, and went inside. Then she stopped. There was only one way to stop this love affair once and for all. She headed for the Throne Room.
~ ~ ~ ~
Adon reached the shore and pulled his canoe up onto the rocky shore. He dragged it into the woods, then put on his tunic and a belt to make himself look like one of the Angels. He headed through the woods along the shoreline toward the center of Luminare. It would take him a few hours. As he walked, he thought of the ancient portal the Lords had placed in each of the Realms. There was no use for them anymore, nor had there ever been, yet somehow they had included them in the design. He did not know why it had come to mind, but he made a note that if his journey went well, he would try to go to it and inspect it.
~ ~ ~ ~
Legion’s mind felt a jolt, and he saw a trap door open. The Golden Sword was there, shining brightly, but where? He concentrated, and the floor of Luminé’s Throne Room came into view. Oxana was looking inside, then the door closed. “Ahhh, she has indeed found it.”
War
The armies of the Archangels of Luminare gathered on the western shores in silence. Each Angel held their sword in hand. Each was dressed in their uniform, each wearing a black bandana tied around their heads to help them distinguish each other from Heaven’s Angels. The pomp and fanfare of the last time they were assembled in formation on a beach was when they had left the Heavens. Now, anger replaced joy as the dominant emotion. All were resolved to right this wrong, to win their freedom to move about as they pleased.
Luminé and Oxana flew in front of everyone and paused.
Luminé turned to face them. “Today, we reassert our dominion in the Heavens. We must win by nightfall. Is everyone ready?”
With one accord, a loud shout was heard. Luminé turned to face the sky in the west, waiting for first light. As soon as the sun crested the horizon he raised his sword, held it aloft for a split second, then dropped it, signaling for all to advance. At once, 235,665 Angels took off in two columns, with swords drawn and black bandanas covering their heads. Thousands of them carried Dark Cages for the prisoners they would take, and they sped out at full speed into the early-morning sky, with Antonio and Yuki each at the head of one column. Their goal was simple: complete victory at each Realm by nightfall.
~ ~ ~ ~
Adon heard a loud noise, as from a crowd, then nothing. He continued walking and found a good number of huts and fires, all smoldering. It was strange no one was up yet. He stayed in the woods and kept going. The woods were bright and airy, and the sun was peering through, golden slices illuminating the forest floor. Here in the woods it looked just like the Heavens, but out on the road the atmosphere felt different, empty, with no sense of hope. Adon knew what it was. It was the influence of Legion on them all.
After another mile or so of passing many huts, all empty, he decided to take a closer look. He walked out of the woods into a clearing of huts and quietly walked up, peering inside. They were all empty. Further up the road at the next clearing of huts another fire smoldered. He stayed on the road and walked up, ready to dash back into the woods if needed. Where is everyone?
He kept going, moving faster down the road, increasingly confident that for some reason he was alone. Finally, he reached the Headquarters, where he peered through the front gates. A few horses were tethered at the side of the Headquarters. Adon carefully approached and went inside. All was empty. He went around to the back and stopped.
He saw no one, but then he heard the cries. He looked up and noticed the Dark Cages hanging, over fifty of them. From inside he heard anguished cries, and knew why. He had created the Angels, and he knew full well what darkness and isolation would do to them. Angels were designed to live in the light and to fly freely through the clouds. To be confined in darkness was a sentence of the cruelest proportions. Adon flew up into the air and used his dagger to open each cage.
One by one, exhausted, thin, and frightened Angels fell out and onto the ground, writhing in pain, trembling, trying desperately to catch their breath, all relieved to be free, finally.
Adon knelt next to one and asked, “Who did this to you?”
“Luminé,” came the reply.
Adon shook his head, angry at hearing Luminé would do such a thing to one of Heaven’s Angels. He had vouched for Luminé since the beginning, but had not guessed he could inflict such cruelty. He wondered if he would again.
He ran to a nearby hut and got some water, giving it to the Angel.
“Who are you?” asked the Angel.
Adon smiled. “Just someone who cares.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Legion watched Luminé and his Angels leave from the woods on the shore. All was working according to his plan. He needed Luminé’s followers, but he also needed to get rid of Luminé. What was about to happen now would surely end Luminé’s reign as their leader. They would, of course, lose the war and be sent back here, Luminé with them. Luminé would be thrust into a Dark Cage for the rest of eternity, and Oxana would…. he paused. He was not sure about Oxana, and he would decide about her later. She had the allegiance of many. Would it survive the coming battle? Something about her intrigued him as well as enthralled him. Perhaps because she was the first Angel he had been with intimately.
For now, though, they had gone, and Luminé did not have the Golden Sword with him. Legion laughed and turned, walking down the hillside to the road leading to the headquarters.
~ ~ ~ ~
Adon went inside Luminé’s Throne Room and looked around, amazed at how feeble Luminé’s efforts to create his own kingdom had been. He felt sad, sad that he had not stopped Luminé from leaving. Calla was right, he knew this now. The misery brought to all because Legion had been set free, perhaps too soon, was a terrible blow to the Lords’ plan for everyone to have happiness.
He left the Throne Room and went over to the headquarters, looking around with some disappointment at how tarnished things felt outside of the Heavens. Finally, he went into the living quarters, stopping a little way into the entryway, shaking his head. “Luminé, Luminé, why did you give up Heaven for this? Why?” Before the words reached his own ears, Adon felt the answer. It was his fault. All of it was his fault.
~ ~ ~ ~
Legion walked into the empty courtyard of the headquarters, imagining all of it under his command. He would begin by building a worthy palace. He would enslave hundreds of the Angels to serve his every need, night and day, including the most beautiful females.
He went straight to the Throne Room, ready to claim his prize. but when he entered he saw the door at the other side was open. He walked across, looked out, and saw the Angels lying on the ground next to the opened cages. Who let them out?
He wheeled around and hastily walked to Luminé’s throne, where in his vision he had seen Oxana opening the trap door, looking at it. He moved the throne aside, moved aside the carpet, and pried open the floorboard, revealing the trap door. His eyes lit with anticipation. He opened it, but his eyes widened in horror. The sword was gone. In its place was a small golden dagger.
