RAGE OF ANGELS – EXCERPT # THREE

Coby decides to tell his second in command and her husband the reason for the journey…..
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Brasker’s second in command stepped into the office. “We’re nearing Quad Three, Captain.”
“Good. Sit down, Lee.” Coby poured a rich coffee brew for the two of them and leaned back. “What do you make of the reports we’ve gotten so far?”
Staff Sergeant Lee, short for Leola Crain, took one of the other chairs. “Well, Pegasus doesn’t seem to have taken anything from the systems it’s visiting. I’m not sure why we’re after her.” Lee took a sip of her coffee.“Are you, Sir?”

“Not yet. What got Star Fleet’s attention were the people backing her and the guy who’s piloting the ship. I worked with Kiota Chang on a ship that came close to these systems. He was kicked out of his command for a violent turn his nature took. He got worse as time passed and finally became really unstable.” Coby was busy putting two and two together, but he didn’t want to rush to judgment here. He leaned toward the slight, impeccably dressed woman in front of him. He had come to appreciate Lee’s insights and expertise and they had become friends. Her husband, Mac, also worked on this detail as navigator and the three often took meals together. Part of his appreciation of the couple was their deep faith. It was a rarity in this legalistic and secular era.
“Who is the backer?” Lee could see Coby was working on something in his head while talking to her.
“The Mega Corporation guy, Conor Bond.”
“Whoa, that’s serious money.”“And never given lightly. He’s got to expect a good return on his investment.”
Suddenly, there were three figures in the office. Coby sat up so suddenly his coffee spilled. “Angari! What are you doing here?”
Lee was also taken back. There, standing in their midst was a creature the like of which she had never seen. Tousled gold curls topped a figure straight out of a medieval tapestry, complete with green tights, a silvery, iridescent tunic and some kind of moccasins. But even that was overshadowed by a set of wings surely as long as the figure was tall. And it was tall – at least seven feet if an inch.
“You can see him, Lee?”
“Of course! What is he?”
“I am an Alari, Miss.”
Brasker was surprised at the slight note of pride in Angari’s voice.

Excerpt from Rocks & Gold THREE

Angari has carried Zach to the edge of the Barrier Wood where eagles have been seen, spying on the fallowfolk and hunting small game. They spend the night a short distance away…

Zach woke just before daylight. Angari handed him another loaf of waybread and a flask of water. The Alari’s thoughts came to him, “We found a clump of bushes in which you can hide while we capture the eagles. You will be far enough from the Wood to watch, but under cover so as not be seen. Be sure to keep your sunglasses in your pocket. The light is dim here in any case so you shouldn’t need them.”

Angari was right. By sun up Zach was safely hidden in the bushes a short distance from the Wood. The day was as bright as a day on earth, but not so bright as to hurt his eyes as it usually was in Windfallow. He saw Angari and the other Alari position themselves above the Wood waiting for an eagle. They did not have long to wait. A single huge bird appeared in the sky just to their west. It soared over the meadow beyond and Zach knew it was hunting small game.

He watched as Angari flew toward it, remembering that Alari were invisible to creatures of earth. But suddenly the eagle, which had been flying at some height above, stooped and dived directly at Angari. The move was so unexpected Angari had no time to dodge the plummeting eagle. The blow knocked Angari from the sky and he fell heavily to the ground a few yards from where Zach was hiding.

Zach started to run to him but the Alari’s thoughts came in loud and clear. “Stay there! I am not hurt, just winded. There’s something wrong. That eagle saw me! How can that be?” Zach could sense his mind working. “Wait. They must be controlled by demons.”

Movement above him suddenly caught Zach’s attention. Dozens of eagles were swirling above the Barrier Wood. The other Alari had dropped to the cover of the trees, and their thoughts were flying back and forth to Angari even as the Alari feigned death. He heard Angari’s call for more assistance and a swarm of tiny Alari settled on the bushes around Zach.

Angari mindspoke again, “I must lie here while we talk so the eagle will believe he has killed me. Listen closely. These birds are either demons themselves or they are controlled by them. We cannot hope to win this battle in our own strength. You who are hiding in the Wood size down and join those in the bushes around Zach.”

There were immediately dozens more Alari in the bushes. Angari’s thoughts came again. “Now, all of you take a position where you can touch Zach and each other. We must pray for the Maker’s strength to fight this enemy. When that has been done, rise just to the underside of the top branches of the Wood. Now, let’s pray.”

Alari arranged themselves in small circles on Zach’s head, shoulders, knees—anywhere there was room—and now the prayers streamed to Heaven. Zach was aware of the power of the prayers the Alari raised and added his own, marveling again that the mighty Maker was his own God.

Though the Alari did not change size, they began to glow with the brilliance Zach had seen only when the Great Bells rang in unison. It was as though tiny fires were burning all over Zach. He closed his eyes to shield them from the brilliance and though he did not see the Alari dim down and rise to the treetops, he felt their absence and opened his eyes.

All he could see was Angari lying in the meadow. The other Alari had completely disappeared. He strained to see them in the trees, but they were too small and too well hidden to detect.

Then, Zach saw Angari stand and launch himself back into the sky. The eagle had been watching and immediately flew to close with the Alari, screaming defiance. Now Angari let his true nature be seen. Glistening wings and shining white garments equaled the sun in brilliance. The trees themselves exploded in fire as the other Windfallow angels rose to meet the challenge. Zach hurriedly put on his amber glasses, praying as he had never prayed before.

The eagles that had been circling above faltered before the onslaught of light. Then, as though goaded by some inner command, they attacked the Alari. They tried to gang up on individuals, but each angel attached himself to one bird and evened out the fight. Zach could not understand why the Alari did not overpower the eagles. The birds were slashing at the faces and arms of their opponents and were growing in size and power. Zach could stand it no longer. He jumped from the bushes and cried aloud. “Help us, God! We need all your strength!”

And for the second time in his life, Zach saw the archangels standing at the four compass points. They stood many times higher than the tallest tree and their wings spread so far they almost touched the one standing on either corner. A great shout arose from the archangels and Zach saw the eagles collapse like pinpricked balloons. A small black cloud rose from the wood and was snuffed out by the breath of the four great angels. At that moment the four disappeared. Only the Alari remained and each held the limp body of an eagle.

 

The Windfallow angels no longer blazed with light and now they winked out of Windfallow.

 

EXCEPRT FROM OF ROCKS & GOLD – ONE

The second book of the Windfallow Chronicles begins with Zach spending the evening with his friends.  This scene opens as he returns to his room…

The glow was forgotten as he stepped into his room to find Angari sitting on his bed. “Angari! How did you get here?” Zach stood in the doorway staring at the full-size Alari sitting on his bed.

“We discovered I was the only one who could come and go freely from our world to yours, Zach. We’ve been trying for years to get it right, but this is the only thing that worked.”

“Years? You were just here a couple of weeks ago. What’s with the years?”

“You’ve forgotten that time flows at a different pace in Windfallow. It has been almost twenty years since you were there.”

Zach dropped into the chair by his desk and stared at Angari. “You’re invisible to everyone but me, aren’t you?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Well, you’re not exactly dressed for earth, you know.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Angari looked down at his tights and tunic. His wings were folded along his side and legs and his bright yellow hair was a tousled mass of curls. “Guess it’s just as well they can’t see me, huh?”

“Yeah. Why don’t you look older, Angari? If it’s been twenty years.” Zach suddenly sat up straight. “What about Stilts? He was old when I was there. Is he still alive?”

“Not with us, Zach. He has been taken to the Eternal Plane. I think you will see him when you reach that place.”

“You mean Heaven?”

“Yes, I think that’s what you call it. We’ve been studying the Holy Bible you gave to Stilts.” Tears filled Angari’s eyes. “I am the only Alari who has been allowed to read it and only a few of the elders. We are afraid the fallowfolk and the Alari as well would be terribly wounded even to read what your earth has done to the Maker’s Son.”

The tears fell down his cheeks. “How could you do that to Him?” Angari’s wings unfolded and he began to change into the incredible creature Zach had seen before. Then, his wings relaxed and he was plain old Angari again. “Forgive me, Zach, I know it was not you who did it.”

“But I’m just as capable of it, Angari,” Zach said sadly. “That’s the main difference between our world and yours.” He was silent for a moment, then asked, “Can you tell my why you’ve come back?”

“Yes. We need your help again, Zach. The mindless and their leader have been making raids into Windfallow. We have managed to keep the Bells hidden, but they are taking rocks and gold. They’ve even killed a man and his wife. We need you there to help us, my friend.”

“But you just said no one could travel between our worlds but you. How do I get there? And how do the mindless get through?”

“The mindless come as they did before through the aid of the evil one of this world. Because of that we have worked out a plan we think will work. If the mindless can travel back and forth, there’s reason to hope it will work for you as well. Here’s what you must do.” He drew a map from his pocket and spread it on the bed. “This is the Barrier Wood. Do you remember where you entered it before?”

“Sure, it’s only been a couple of weeks. Is that where I go in?”

“We think so. You must wear the clothes we gave you to keep so that when you appear there you will not look out of place. We will meet again at the same spot I left you. But you will not be able to see us. You must stand very still and wait for us to bring you to the other side. Do you understand?”

EXCERPTS FROM THE GREAT BELL 2

In this scene Zachary has come back to Earth with his three companions, one of whom is an Alari, the Windfallow name for angel. Angari is his name and his invisible to the Thomas’s. They have asked for help from the Thomas family, Angari is mentioned and Zach is at a loss for words to explain him…

 

The Great Bell 2

“Let me try,” the old man said. “You see, in our world the angels are visible. Here, they aren’t. It must have something to do with your world being wounded. In any case, Angari would be known here as an angel. In our land they are called Alari because of their wings.”

“He has wings?” Sarah Thomas looked with awe at the spot Zach had

indicated. “He’s an angel? Did you say they are here as well? All the time only we can’t see them?”

“That’s right, Ma’am,” Sparrow spoke up. “Angari, do you think you could let the Thomases see you just this once?”

There was a long silence and then Angari changed before Zach’s eyes.

He began to glow; his garments became bright white and his skin golden bronze. Zach heard a gasp from his parents as Angari came into full view. Even Stilts and Sparrow stepped back a pace.

“Why don’t you look like that in Windfallow?” whispered Stilts, for once subdued.

“Because you couldn’t endure the sight of so many of us in this form.” Angari spread his glistening wings. “Can you imagine what it would be like to order us around if we looked like this?”

“Order you around?” Sparrow grew pale. “We do, don’t we? And we never think a thing of it. Why do you let us?”

“Because we’re your servants. That’s part of our service to the Maker, to give glory to Him and to serve His people. Our service gives Him glory.”

John and Sarah Thomas had been taking in the conversation between the glorious being that had just appeared and the men from Windfallow. John Thomas spoke, “Are you saying that these angels serve the people of Windfallow?”

Stilts answered, his eyes never leaving Angari’s. “Yes sir, but I have

never seen one who looked like this. Angari, will you forgive all my foolish

words?”

 

Angari folded his wings. “Ah, my friends, please forget this form and go back to treating me the way you always have. We are created beings just like yourselves and we serve the Maker in our own way.” He looked at John and Sarah and Zach. “You see me as I really am, but there are other angels in this room who serve you. They are present all over Earth and there will be a day when they will rise to meet the Maker as He comes to you and you will see how many thousands have been among you. Now, can you find places for the heroes to sleep for a few hours? Then, we must head for Oklahoma.”