Shifting Terrors

[Jareena Faye]

COLIN AP WARREN

 

Despite the sword wound that had somehow penetrated my breastplate, I found great strength in my stride. A part of my mind still dwelt on the fact that I was going to die, but for now I had the assurance that the enemy would be defeated first.

 

I was not alone as I strode through the thrashed stone halls. Anaya and the others slowly began to follow me. I smiled when young Grison skipped up to run beside me, smiling peacefully. It was strange, but I sensed an awesome power in his innocence. That power seemed to be swelling in others, as well--- and in me, I realized. It was not coming from us. It was coming to us, and filling us with a strange joy even as we stepped over shattered weapons and fallen fighters. Some one began a hymn. Voices joined in, though hardly anyone knew all the words. Deserters joined us, and we became a throng, a mightier army than before, marching. A small syrakk saw us, and shifted into a beetle before skittering away.

 

Then we all stopped. For something blocked our path.

 

It was terrifying. An embodiment of evil... a demon if I ever saw one. For only a brief moment, my mind travelled to a stained-glass window I had seen many times before, of Christ's temptation by Satan. That depiction now seemed a mockery, making light of the power that could so easily destroy us now. My knees wanted to buckle, as if the weakest part of me knew it must kneel to survive. Strangely enough, Grison's hand grasping mine was what kept me upright.

 

"I am Elinthar," the great prince boomed. We had barely noticed the syrakk gathered behind him, his majesty was so seductively fearful. "You traitors. Your race has always belonged to my prince, and your province has always belonged to me. Did you think I would let you live if you betrayed me for a different master?"

 

I knew he would not have let us live, anyway. But my mouth was too dry to speak.

 

"There is only one master," a small voice said clearly. My eyes travelled to Grison, standing more bravely than I. "All authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to Him. He is Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!"

 

Elinthar raised his voice into a terrible, animal-like roar. It did not drown out Grison's words, however, or the mention of his enemy's Name. But where had little Grison heard that verse, those phrases? Even as Elinthar screamed and ordered the boy not to speak that Name again and to in fact be silent forever, I felt people kneeling behind me, and found myself compelled to kneel also. Not for Elinthar, but for true prayer. We were all using the Name, and it angered the dark angel, who raised his sword as if to strike.

 

Grison was raising his own sword. "You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so God ordained you. You were on His holy mount, you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created 'til wickedness was found in you."

 

"I said to be silent!" Elinthar shrieked, but little voices somehow rose above his. A little girl spoke next.

 

"Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So God drove you in disgrace from his mount. He expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty..."

 

"You corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor!"

 

"The Almighty threw you to the earth. He made a spectacle of you before kings!"

 

We were all taking up swords, swords we could not see.

 

"By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. God made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and He reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching."

 

"All the nations who knew you are appalled at you!" I shouted, as if Some One had decided it was my turn to weild His sword. "You have come to a horrible end, and will be no more!"

 

"We bind you, Satan," little Grison said with authority.

 

Elinthar laughed softly, but though there was no sign of fraud, we knew he was greatly enraged and disturbed.

 

"We cast you out!"

 

"You will not cast me out!" Elinthar bellowed. "You are mine! I will sift you like wheat. I will torture you for the sins you cannot deny committing. Do not rejoice that you have power over me!"

 

"Nay!" Grison almost laughed. "We rejoice that our names are written in Heaven! You have no more authority over us, for we have been bought back by the blood of Heaven. In the name of Jesus Christ, leave and do not return!"

 

"No!" Elinthar screamed. But though we were afraid--- at least, I was ---we did not back off, or cease praying, or cease spouting Scripture I was sure I had forgotten, and some of the new followers had probably never even heard before. Yet we were saying it, with calmness and authority.

 

"Jesus replied, 'I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and overcome the power of the enemy!' "

 

"There is no authority except that which God has established!"

 

"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!"

 

"Leave this place, Satan!" Grison commanded.

 

The dark angel shuddered and screamed, whether in rage or pain I know not. We all closed our eyes as a mighty wind began to stir in the hallway. We felt as if something immense was fleeing from all corners of the hold. My heart pounded so hard that it must have ground up everything else inside me. It was as if the entire place was being swept clean by a giant broom.

 

The wind ceased. We looked up. The chill of evil's presence had left us. Anaya rushed forward and clung to Grison, and I could only blink for a moment and wonder if she had really feared for him.

 

Stick-like legs scraped on stone, and antennae waved. We knights stood and drew our earthly swords, realizing that the syrakk were still facing us in the hallway. Still... they were not half so fearful now. They were just large bugs, with nothing inside. Almost smiling, I rushed to meet them. So did the other men.