Rise of the Fallen (22 page)

Eliazar looked at Tamaral with a slight sneer on his face. “As you wish, my lord.”

Eliazar and Tamaral left just as Commander Kelandar arrived.

“What has happened?” he asked, watching the two exit the room.

“I’m afraid it has worked too well,” Validus replied. “Eber wants her with him at the feast tonight.”

Kelandar raised a brow. “The threat to her will be great, but at least our focus won’t be divided.”

At sundown, the gong for the feast sounded and the hall filled with men and angels. Servants scurried to finish their final preparations for the hall and tables. Nimrod’s entourage included both men of war and men of administration. Eber and thirty of his ranking men entered the hall and conversed with the court of Nimrod while they waited for the king and his two wives to enter.

While Eber was making social conversation with two of Nimrod’s district leaders, he noticed that one of the men was looking past Eber and gesturing to his associate. Eber turned to see Eliazar escorting Tamaral his direction. She came to him, and Validus watched Eber stumble in his heart, for she was as beautiful as the Princess of Shinar. Persimus and Ral were with her.

“My lord, the maiden you requested,” Eliazar said.

Validus watched Eber fall a little further as the poised Tamaral, though distinctly missing the finer manners of a lady of the court, approached in her usual confidence. The elegant dress and adorned hair softened and magnified the beauty of the maiden, and Eber was once more struggling with words.

“You look … lovely,” Eber said.

Tamaral bowed her head and smiled nervously. “I feel rather silly and not quite myself, my lord.”

Eber gave her a wry smile. “Well, perhaps I’ll escape the sharp edges of your tongue then … at least for a while.”

She smirked, but it did nothing to detract from her disarming charm.

“It seems as though your ploy has worked,” Persimus said as the three angels watched Eber become taken with Tamaral. Kelandar joined them just in time to hear the comment.

“I don’t think this kind of human love can be manipulated,” Kelandar said. “It has the power to strengthen or weaken a man. We shall see which will happen tonight.”

The hall was arranged such that Nimrod’s people would sit on the northern half with tables facing Eber and his people to the south. The angels and the Fallen naturally aligned with their human counterparts. Validus did not see Niturni, for which he was grateful, but the feeling was short lived.

Moments later the hall was called to order as Nimrod and his wives entered. Kushad and Niturni were with them. A fiery glare flashed between Niturni and Validus from across the large hall.

Validus turned to Persimus. “That is not our friend, Persimus. He will pierce you through as quickly as Apollyon would himself.”

Persimus frowned. “I know.”

Nimrod and his wives were seated at the head table, opposite Eber, Eliazar, Tamaral, and his other men. Validus stayed close to Tamaral, ever watchful of the Fallen. Protecting her was his exclusive duty now. Her presence here was both necessary and worrisome.

The feast progressed with conversation about lands, livestock, crops, and availability of resources. Eventually, Nimrod turned the conversation to his city and to his tower.

“With our combined resources, this tower will unite humanity in a way
the world has never seen. It will stand as a beacon of light for all to see. No matter how far we travel, this will be the symbol of our common purpose as a great people.”

“And what is this common purpose, Nimrod? What is it besides a tower of brick and mortar that unites us?” Eber asked.

Nimrod eyed Eber. “Surely, cousin, you can see that we are the masters of this world, and as masters, there is nothing that can stop us. Join me and we shall reign as kings in the earth!”

Eber leaned back, apparently preparing a careful reply. He glanced toward Tamaral as she picked up a chalice of wine and offered it to him. She said nothing and made no gesture except to offer a smile with the wine. Eber took the wine and looked back at Nimrod.

“And what of God, Nimrod? What do you say of Him?”

“What of God?” Nimrod’s eyes narrowed. “I have chosen to dispense with the burdens of service to a deity that is not real. I am free of the folly of a god, as you should be too.”

“Free?” Eber asked.

“Yes, free!”

Eber looked once more to Tamaral. There was a quiet, confident strength in her gaze. He lifted his hand to her. She hesitantly put her hand in his.

“This young maiden is a commoner from your very own city, trapped in poverty and service to your rule. Who will free her from the god you have become to her and to all of the people of Shinar?” Eber asked.

Nimrod glowered at Eber. He rose up and set his hands on the table before him. Eber set the chalice down and rose up to face Nimrod, now unafraid.

The hall fell to silence, guards fingered their swords, and the servants scattered to the walls and hallways, all but Tamaral, who stood silently and confidently beside Eber. Validus could see the blue flame of Ruach Elohim begin to dance about her head and shoulders. The flame licked out at Eber, and his face became firm with confidence.

It was Eber who spoke first. “Let it be known to you and to all who serve you, Nimrod, that I, Eber, son of Salah, will not help you build this tower, for I serve the God of Noah, the God who blesses the righteous and brings judgment to the wicked.”

Hatred and rage spewed from Nimrod’s eyes. Fury boiled up in his soul
until he could not contain it. He yelled as he drew his sword. “How dare you offend me in my city … in my own house!”

Every armed man in the hall, both of Nimrod and of Eber, drew his sword in anticipation of the battle to come. Simultaneously so did every demon and every angel. The battle would be fought in both realms, and unfortunately Eber’s men were seriously outnumbered, as were the angels.

Kelandar turned to Validus, Persimus, and Ral. “These two must survive at all cost,” he ordered, pointing to Eber and Tamaral.

Each of them knew what that meant. No matter how wrong the battle might go, there would be no retreat, even unto dissolution.

Eber was the last to draw his sword, and as he did, he looked resolutely at Nimrod. “This place is a place of blasphemy, and you will be judged for your rebellion against God. Though I and my servants die today, God is my witness in our stand against you and your rebellion.”

Nimrod yelled and came at Eber. It was the spark that initiated the battle within the walls of Nimrod’s hall, both of men and of angels.

Eber pushed Tamaral back and away from the flashing blades of Nimrod and his men. Clashing steel reverberated off the marble walls and columns of the great hall. Though outnumbered two to one, both Eber’s men and the angel warriors fought valiantly.

At one point six of the Fallen pressed in hard on Validus and his men in their protection of Eber and Tamaral. Validus drew his short sword and mimicked a battle move he had witnessed Danick use countless times in his pre-Deluge battles. He feigned an off-balance stance to the left, appearing to be vulnerable. When one of the Fallen thrust, he quickly sidestepped right and forward, thrusting his short sword through the demon’s chest, followed quickly by a wide cut to the Fallen next to him.

Niturni came at Validus, but Kelandar engaged him first. Chaos reigned as the battle raged on. It wasn’t long before men and angels began to falter. Eber kept an ever-watchful eye on Tamaral, as did Validus.

“We must make a way to the exit doors before all is lost,” Validus yelled to the other warriors, but each time they tried to advance, the Fallen doubled their efforts to close off their approach. Kushad called for more reinforcements to block any avenue of escape.

When all seemed lost, at their moment of collapse, one hundred messenger
angels descended through the ceiling of the great hall, hovering and waiting. In the midst of them was Gabriel, eyes burning like fire as he gazed down on the desperate battle of his fellow angels.

Kushad screamed curses toward Gabriel and his century of angels. “This is treachery! You cannot interfere or you will be dissolved. This is our city! Our land! Be gone from here!”

“Behold the judgment of God!” Gabriel’s countenance grew fierce as he swept down toward Kushad like a rush of lightning, his brilliant sword drawn back to strike. Kushad retreated behind a large marbled column, cowering in fear.

At the last moment, Gabriel diverted toward the unsuspecting King of Babel, Nimrod. His sword sliced through the man’s neck as he gave orders to his officers.

“Send my soldiers to kill all of Eber’s people!” Nimrod yelled, but his people heard
“Insanlari öldürmek için benim asker göndermek!”

His officers stood dumbfounded, gawking at their king. Nimrod’s face grew red with rage, and he yelled again. Every ear in the hall heard his command this time, but none understood him. The fighting ebbed.

Gabriel gave the signal to his waiting messengers, and like a wave crashing down on the shore, the messengers flew swiftly, touching the throats of every person in the hall—all but Eber and his people. Validus hesitated, as he too wondered at the mission of Gabriel and his angels.

“My king, we don’t understand you,” one of Nimrod’s men called back in a different tongue.

Nimrod cursed and came to the man. He grabbed him about the shoulders and shook him. But then he heard the other officers, each one trying to talk to another and failing.

Confusion quickly turned to chaos, and the swords in the soldiers’ hands began to droop. The entire hall filled with the shouts of hundreds of different languages.

As soon as Gabriel and his angels had finished confusing the tongues of the people in the hall, they exited and flew through the streets of Babel, giving the people hundreds of different languages so that they too could not understand one another.

The clashing of swords dwindled away until there was nothing but the
voices of a hundred languages all trying to express themselves. The confusion so discombobulated the forces of Nimrod that the fight to destroy Eber and his men was nearly forgotten.

“What’s happening, Eber?” Eliazar called out.

Eber shook his head, almost afraid to speak. His remaining twenty-two men slowly gathered around him. Eber called for Tamaral and the other servants to join them.

She reached for his hand. “It is the hand of God, my lord.”

Eber looked down at Tamaral, his eyes filled with amazement. “Quickly … to the doors! And do not cease in your prayers to our Deliverer!”

With swords at the ready, Eber and his men made their way to the doors of Nimrod’s great hall. Nimrod’s guards had no fight left in them. They began to flee, searching for someone they could understand.

For Validus and Elohim’s angel warriors, the lapse in fighting was temporary. Once Kushad realized what had happened, he became mad with rage.

“Kill them! Kill them all!”

Niturni was the first to resume the attack. Validus was ready, and words of power and strength landed gently on his ears as Eber began to pray out loud.

“Great are You, oh God. Mighty are Your works among men. Let the beauty of Your glory be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us, for we shall trust in You!”

Tamaral joined her prayers to his, and soon all of Eber’s people were praying and praising God as they moved toward the doors of Nimrod’s hall.

Just as Kushad and Niturni rallied the rest of the Fallen to attack, the power of Ruach Elohim shot down from heaven on Eber and his people and filled the place with His glory. The demons screamed and retreated.

Kelandar, Validus, and the rest of the angel forces escorted Eber and his people from the hall and into the city. Outside, the mayhem was even worse. People were running everywhere as panic ensued.

“Gather the rest of our people. We leave immediately!” Eber commanded Eliazar. He looked down at Tamaral, whose eyes were filled with both wonder and fear. She clung to his arm. “Come with me and join yourself to my people,” he said to her.

“My family, my lord,” Tamaral pleaded.

Eber grabbed Eliazar’s arm.

Eliazar looked at Tamaral with compassion in his eyes. “I will personally see to it, my lord.”

Kushad and his forces seemed to rally, but Guilden and the rest of Kelandar’s legion were already moving. Their assault from two different directions added more confusion to the battle, and the Prince of Shinar screamed his defiance and curses toward heaven.

The battle raged on until Eber and his people finally left the city. The legions of Guilden and Kelandar disengaged to provide cover for the retreating caravan.

By nightfall, the Battle of Babel was over. It was a day of division and of unification. A day in which Eber’s faith in God became resolute because of the heart of one young maiden.

Two months after Eber defied Nimrod and escaped with his people back to their home, he took Tamaral to be his wife.
When their first child was born, they named him Peleg, for in those days was the earth divided
. The people of the Shinar Valley spread across the face of the earth, leaving Nimrod’s great city and tower of defiance unfinished and desolate.

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