Rise of the Fallen (20 page)

Kelandar eyed Validus. “How so?”

“Her home is one street off the main western entrance. If we could divert Eber and his people, I believe we can arrange a meeting. It’s a long shot, but perhaps he would give her consideration.”

Kelandar looked at Eber, then back to Validus. “It’s worth a try.” He turned to one of his captains just behind him. “Make it happen, Captain Yasrah.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Validus said. He was about to make his way back to Persimus, Ral, and Tamaral when Captain Yasrah spoke.

“Yes sir, but you’d better take a look up ahead first.”

Validus stopped and followed the captain’s gaze. Immediately he felt his heart begin to race. Thousands of Fallen stood with swords drawn just a few hundred yards ahead.

Every sword in Kelandar’s command was immediately drawn, and the company halted. Validus swallowed hard.

“Shall I signal the rest of the legion, sir?” Captain Yasrah asked.

Kelandar squinted, trying to see past Eber’s entourage as they ignorantly pressed on into the black mass of demon warriors ahead.

Validus fingered his sword with nervous anticipation.

“No.” Kelandar set his sword back into his scabbard. “You, I, and Validus
here will go to meet them.” He pointed to a small contingent of Fallen who had advanced halfway between the two forces.

Validus stood dumbfounded. He had never heard of nor witnessed a meeting between commanders of the Fallen and Elohim’s angels before. What could there be to discuss other than words of contempt on how to send each other to dissolution?

“Come,” Kelandar commanded and strode out toward the waiting Fallen.

They passed Eber and his people and came to a stop twenty feet from the commander of the Fallen’s forces. There was a long moment of silence.

The leader was as fierce looking as any demon Validus had ever seen. Long white hair, pale skin, and black pupil-less eyes caused Validus to avoid his stare. Validus vaguely recognized one of the demons, and it was possible that he had seen the other two before the fall as well, but centuries of evil had conformed their countenance into such a visage of darkness that he could only guess at who they once were.

“I am Kushad, Prince of Shinar. Why are you here?”

Kelandar remained motionless, taking longer than was respectful to reply. “We travel with the man Eber, one of Elohim’s,” he finally said.

“This city is mine, and should you enter, we will destroy every last one of you,” Kushad said.

Kelandar moved forward until he was less than two feet from Kushad, his eyes burning with anger. Kushad’s demons recoiled, gripping their swords but not yet drawing them from their scabbards.

Validus and Captain Yasrah stepped forward, remaining a couple of feet behind their commander.

“Enter we will, and when we do, I will personally see to your dissolution!”

Kushad growled.

Just then another demon broke from the legion behind them and came to stand beside his commander. Although his visage too had contorted into the face of evil, Validus had no trouble identifying him. Niturni whispered into his commander’s ear, and the commander snarled back, revealing sharpened white teeth. Then Niturni’s blackened eyes glared at Validus.

Eber and his people began to pass by.

Kushad looked at the man and spit. “One of Elohim’s?” he sneered. “We
shall see about that! I will turn his heart to Apollyon and destroy his puny band by the end of this day. Through Nimrod I own all who enter here.”

Kushad smiled and Validus was disgusted.

Commander Kelandar didn’t flinch. “If you are so sure, then let Nimrod have his way with him. Let this battle remain between men. We will escort him and his people through this city and not raise our swords against you … and you will not raise your swords against us.”

Kushad contorted his face as he considered Kelandar’s proposal.

“Are you afraid that your influence over Nimrod and all his might is no match for one man from the plains of Shinar?” Kelandar huffed.

Kushad looked over Kelandar’s shoulder to his waiting men. “You will be allowed one century of warriors … no more.”

Kelandar shook his head. “Eber travels with over one hundred men and servants. I will bring two centuries into the city.”

Kushad frowned, then nodded. Both parties cautiously backed away, and then Kelandar, Validus, and Yasrah turned back to their men.

“That was too easy,” Yasrah said.

“Do you trust him?” Validus asked.

Kelandar laughed. “Of course not. We’re walking into a trap, gentlemen, but there’s too much at stake to let Eber enter the city unprotected. Captain, send a hundred warriors back to the legion and tell the men to be ready at all times. I will not lose a single warrior to inattention.”

“Yes sir,” Yasrah snapped, then glanced at his commander. “Eber is no match for Nimrod, sir.”

Kelandar didn’t reply. He looked less confident now than when he was facing the Fallen. He turned to Validus. “How strong is the girl?”

The image of Tamaral voicing her protest against Nimrod in the courtyard filled his mind. She had the fire of Elohim in her eyes.

“Ruach Elohim is with her,” Validus said.

Kelandar nodded. “Make it happen.”

Once the Fallen dispersed from the city’s entrance, Validus returned to Persimus and Ral.

“You look like you’ve seen a droxan,” Persimus said, searching Validus’s eyes.

“Perhaps one in the making. We’re set. The timing is going to be critical.”

“And what is it exactly that we are trying to do here?” Persimus asked.

Validus looked toward Tamaral’s home. “Arrange a meeting.”

By the time Kelandar’s men were finished orchestrating a route diversion into the city, the main thoroughfare looked almost comical with spilled cargo, broken carts, and lame horses everywhere.

As Eber and his men diverted one street over to continue their journey into the city court, people gathered along the street to see the parade of horses and supply carts. Two hundred angel warriors accompanied them with swords drawn. The absence of the Fallen was strange but a relief. Validus wondered if Niturni was nearby, waiting to finish what he had attempted a week ago regardless of the agreement between Kelandar and Kushad.

Tamaral and her younger siblings lined the street to see the mighty men and their horses pass by. Three of the children still had guardians. Validus coordinated with the one name Bradel, guardian of the youngest boy.

As Eber approached the place where Tamaral and her siblings stood, she caught his eye and his gaze lingered, briefly soaking up the beauty of the maiden.

Validus nodded to the guardian, and a moment later the child bolted from Tamaral’s reach. He raced into the street just in front of Eber’s horse. Tamaral screamed, but the boy ignored her. The guardian shielded the child while simultaneously flashing his sword across the eyes of the steed. The animal whinnied and reared in protest. The action threw Eber from its back, and he hit the ground with a forceful thump. Tamaral ran and scooped up the child in her arms.

The commotion set the men about Eber into action. Swords were drawn, men dismounted, and people began yelling. Validus went to Eber and touched his hip with his sword to set it out of joint. When Eber tried to rise up, he gasped in pain.

Tamaral shooed the children back to their home, putting the next oldest in charge, then went to Eber. “I’m so sorry, my lord. I don’t know why—”

“Back away, woman,” the man kneeling next to Eber shouted.

Eber lay on the ground wincing in pain.

“How can I help?” Tamaral asked.

“You can keep your children away from here!” the man shouted.

Eber tried to move his leg, and Validus touched his hip to put the joint back in place. The pain was evident, but so was the relief that followed.

Tamaral ran and fetched a ladle of water. She brought it to Eber.

“I said keep away!”

“It’s all right, Eliazar; she’s just trying to help,” Eber said. He slowly sat up, testing the joint.

Tamaral knelt down and gave him the ladle.

“Thank you,” Eber said with a forced smile. He sipped the water, nodded his approval, then finished its contents. “Is your child all right?” he asked. His eyes seemed to linger on her beauty once again.

“My little brother is fine, at least until I reckon with him.” She glowered toward her home. In spite of the brief sour look, Validus noticed that her words pleased Eber. “I’m so sorry, my lord. I don’t know what came over him. He’s never done such a thing before.”

Eber brought his good leg up but kept the other straight. He motioned for Eliazar to help him stand. When he struggled, Tamaral reached for his other arm, and he allowed her to help. Once he was standing, he carefully tested the leg. When his full weight was placed on it, he nearly collapsed again. Eliazar and Tamaral held onto him.

“I think I need to sit for a minute,” Eber said with a grimace.

“I’ll fetch a stool,” Tamaral said and returned to her home.

When Tamaral returned, she carried a clean cloth as well. With help, Eber sat down on the stool and massaged his hip.

“I noticed that your arm is bleeding. May I clean it for you?” Tamaral asked.

Eber turned his arm and saw blood oozing from a wound near the elbow. “Very well. Eliazar, put some order to that mess, will you?” He motioned to the men in commotion near the front of his entourage.

Tamaral knelt next to Eber and set to cleaning the wound. Validus noticed that Eber watched her face as she worked.

“What is your name?” Eber asked.

“Tamaral. And you are Eber of eastern Mesopotamia.” Tamaral’s tone became serious.

“You know of me?”

“I know of all who come to help King Nimrod build his tower.” Terse words and motions less gentle than a moment ago caused Eber to hesitate. Validus couldn’t help but admire the fire in the heart of the girl.

“And you disapprove?” Eber prodded.

Tamaral stopped and looked straight into his eyes. Eber seemed mesmerized. “I disapprove of all who help him build that tower. It is in defiance of God. Nimrod speaks blasphemy, and the people are afraid to stand up to him.” She searched Eber’s face, hopeful, but his expressionless stare discouraged her. She cast her gaze back down to her labor.

“But what should you care about my approval or disapproval? I am but a poor maiden trapped in the city of a tyrant.” She finished cleaning the wound and wrapped a cloth about his arm. “That should do,” she said and looked back up at Eber. He sat silent, staring at her. After a long moment, Tamaral lowered her head. “I’m sorry if I have offended you, my lord. It’s your misfortune to have been welcomed to Babel at my hand.”

“Are you able to ride, my lord?” Eliazar asked as he approached. “The men are anxious to be on our way if you’re ready.”

Eber rose up from the stool and tested his leg once more, then nodded to Eliazar. He turned away from Tamaral without saying a word and walked back to his horse, where one of his men held the reins. He glanced back at Tamaral, and Validus thought he looked more annoyed and frustrated than taken with her. With eyes downcast, Tamaral recovered the stool and made her way back to the entrance of her home.

Eber made a brief exchange with one of his men and then enlisted help from him and Eliazar to mount his horse. Eber motioned for his men to follow, and they proceeded onward into the court of Babel, but Eber’s man lingered behind.

He went to Tamaral and offered a silver coin. “Lord Eber wants to compensate you for your trouble.”

Tamaral shook her head. “I can’t take compensation for the labor of fixing that which I caused.”

“As you wish,” the man said and turned away.

Validus couldn’t deny that he was disappointed. He wasn’t sure what impact, if any, Tamaral had had on Eber. He also wondered if the Fallen had yet concluded that Tamaral was a focal point for some of the warriors. The incident with Eber may have shown their hand, but the risk was something they would have to take if Validus was going to get her out of the city.

“Doesn’t look like much came out of that,” Ral said.

“Perhaps not.” Validus watched Eber’s caravan disappear around the next street corner. He looked at his two friends. “You two stay with Tamaral. I’m going to see if Commander Kelandar needs us to prepare for anything.”

When Validus rejoined Kelandar, the commander was tasked with setting up strategic defenses inside a city full of Fallen.

“That encounter with the maiden may have done some good,” Kelandar told Validus. “It appears to me that Ruach Elohim is working on his spirit. Stay with him until I get back. I’m going to investigate Nimrod for myself and see what we can learn to use against him.”

Eber’s people spent the greater portion of the day trading and selling their wares with the merchants of Babel, but Eber retreated to the opulent quarters that Nimrod had prepared for him. Validus followed him there and watched as he paced from one end of the room to the other.

After some time, his man Eliazar arrived, and Kelandar was with him. “What’s wrong, my lord? You haven’t spoken since we arrived in the city.”

Eber stopped and stared at Eliazar. “She’s distressed me.”

Eliazar wrinkled his brow. “Who, my lord?”

“The maiden. The maiden in the street.”

Eliazar scowled. “She’s of no concern. She’s just a commoner who doesn’t know how to hold her tongue. Come, let’s enjoy the city before you feast with Nimrod.”

Eber shook his head and waved him off, then resumed pacing. “She’s more than that, and she’s afflicted me with her words. I can’t get her voice out of my head.” He stopped pacing again and looked at Eliazar. “Tell me, what ought I to do with Nimrod? Do I accept his offer and become part of his coalition to build the Tower so that our trade will prosper, or do I reject it and try to honor God and perhaps die in the process?”

Eliazar walked to Eber. “It is just a building, my lord, and you have thousands
counting on your provision in these challenging days. I’m sure that you will do what is best for your family and all who serve you.”

Eber smiled. “You are as loyal a first man as I have seen, Eliazar, but you tell me what I want to hear. She’s told me what I need to hear.”