Rise of the Fallen (41 page)

Matheus turned to look at Validus. “The orphanages are full, and there are others who need more help than me.” Matheus sat up and crossed his legs. He draped the blanket across his shoulders. “Besides, I have brothers here who need my help.”

Validus marveled at the heart of the boy.

Matheus looked up, and Validus followed his gaze through a wide split in the tin roof above them. The sky began to sparkle with stars.

“Have you ever thought about heaven, Diego?” Matheus asked.

“Yes,” Validus replied. “Have you?”

He could see Matheus smile. “All the time.”

A glimmer of hope surfaced in Validus’s heart. Could it be … even in this darkened, poverty-stricken slum?

“What do you think about?” Validus couldn’t resist asking, even though since the declaration of Gabriel of the coming Messiah two thousand years ago, angels had not been permitted to proclaim the truth of Ben Elohim to man. God had given the mission of evangelism exclusively to humans.

Matheus turned his gaze back to Validus. “I think about what a wonderful place it is and how excited I am to live there … again.”

Goose bumps raised on every square inch of Validus. He sat up to see Matheus more clearly, covering himself with his blanket. He wondered if Matheus had swallowed some mystic reincarnation lie of Apollyon.

“Again?”

“Sure. To walk the gardens.” Matheus smiled. “Guardians translate well, but warriors don’t. You must be a warrior.”

Validus hesitated. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Matheus. Are you feeling okay?”

“Why are you here?” the boy asked.

Validus still wasn’t sure what to think. Was this a trick? Perhaps a possessed boy trying to discover his identity? Even if Matheus was telling the truth, what if there were Fallen nearby listening to them? There was too much at risk. There was only one safe play to make.

Validus moved to get up and leave, but Matheus grabbed him with the strength of a man. Validus tensed for a fight.

“I’m here because José is a boy who can make a difference in this land. His heart is good, and Ruach Elohim is drawing him. My mission is to protect him until he is won.”

Validus relaxed, and Matheus let go of his arm. The Fallen could fake many things, but they couldn’t fake passion for Elohim. Yet there was still the risk of Fallen listening.

“I’m here to find answers,” Validus said.

Matheus looked at him and squinted. “From a demon-possessed man?”

Validus realized just how absurd that sounded, especially coming from the voice of young boy.

“This one is … unusual. He knows things no one else does,” Validus said, still trying to convince himself about Matheus and trying to be careful should any Fallen be nearby.

“Barob,” Matheus whispered. “All this time, and I had no idea it was Barob.”

Clearly the boy was not human. Matheus crawled to the cardboard door and looked out, then returned.

“There are no Fallen nearby,” he said.

Validus’s suspicions peaked once more. “You can’t know that.”

The boy leaned close to Validus. “I’ve learned to temporarily translate my eyes. Trust me, there’s no one here but us.”

Validus didn’t even know what to do with that. Was it even possible? In six thousand years he had never heard of such a thing. He couldn’t take it anymore. He might as well lay out his whole hand.

“Who are you? What’s your real name?”

The boy broke from his contemplation about Barob.

“My name is Persimus.”

38
 

Present Day

Validus froze. Could it really be, or was this still some demonic trick of the Fallen? Much hung on the truth or deception of the next few words.

“Who was your closest friend?” Validus asked.

The boy looked skyward again. “A warrior of great courage who has given his all for the cause of the King.”

Validus waited. Only Persimus would know of Cadriel.

“His name is Validus,” came the soft reply of the boy.

Validus’s eyes filled. He had not expected that.

“Persimus … it is I, Validus.”

Persimus’s eyes grew wide. “Validus?”

The mighty warriors of Elohim, wrapped in the flesh of two young boys, stared at each other. Validus nodded and offered a hand. Persimus smiled as wide as his tan face could handle. He grabbed Validus’s hand and pulled him in to hug him. Validus was humbled by Persimus’s response.

“How long have you been here?” Validus asked.

“Over a year now,” Persimus replied.

Validus became angry. Was this what Brandt had in store for his closest friend of six millennia?

“How can you … This is outrageous. I will talk with Brandt immediately! No warrior should be required to stay translated that long and endure the dangers and hardships of such a duty!”

“It’s okay, Validus. I volunteered for this assignment. I want to be here.”

Validus was stunned. “Why?”

Persimus smiled. “Because I’m good at it. It took me thousands of years to
figure it out, but I do this well, and these boys need me. I’ve helped many young boys and girls in the past six decades in ways that warriors and guardians can’t.” Joy was evident in his tone. “It’s hard, but it is so rewarding to see a life changed that might have been cast aside, often right under the noses of the Fallen.”

“It’s dangerous, Persimus. You have no backup … no one watching out for you.”

“And what you are doing isn’t dangerous? These boys have no one watching out for them either … or at least they didn’t. Besides, I’ve learned a few tricks that no one else knows.”

Validus looked at the brave and compassionate angel he called friend and smiled. He shook his head. “You are the bravest warrior I know, Persimus, and I’m proud to be your friend!”

Persimus hugged Validus again. “It’s good to see you, Validus. I’ve missed you.”

“This seems too much of a coincidence,” Validus said.

“Perhaps for us, but not for Elohim.” Persimus’s countenance turned serious. “What are you doing messing with Barob? That’s not just dangerous; that’s plain foolish.”

Validus hesitated. “You’d better scan again. If they figure out I’m here, the gates of hell will be unleashed.”

Persimus made another scan, this time taking a few minutes to be sure the entire area was clear. When he returned, Validus told him all that had happened.

By morning they had a plan.

The next morning, José, Paulo, and Luiz met Validus and Persimus at the shack. José offered the end of a loaf of bread. Validus was amazed at how hungry he was, and though the bread looked old and stale, it was tempting to down the morsels to stop the howling in his stomach.

“That’s your breakfast, isn’t it, José?” Persimus asked.

“It’s okay. I’ll get to eat later. Here,” he said, shoving the bread into Validus’s hand. “Eat.”

Validus took the bread and tore it into three pieces, offering one each to
Persimus and José. José gave a sheepish smile, then took the bread and devoured it.

The boys made their way back to the street where Miguel lived. By now it was midmorning, and the favela was bustling with activity. Validus appeared to be trying to gather the courage to enter the shack.

José put a hand on Validus’s shoulder. “I’ll go in with you if you want me to.”

Validus glanced at Persimus. “No, I want to show him I’m not afraid. He won’t hurt me once he knows I’m family.”

José nodded. “We’ll be out here if you need us.”

The other three boys all nodded, Paulo and Luiz gathering courage from José.

Validus retraced his steps to the shack of Barob and leaned cautiously inside. In the chair sat the room’s lone occupant. The lampshade cast a shadow across the face of the man so that Validus couldn’t see him clearly.

“What do you want?” The voice was raspy and deep.

“I am looking for Miguel,” Validus said.

“Come closer, boy, so I can see you better,” the voice called from the shadow.

Validus slowly stepped toward him. The place reeked of both evil and feces.

The man leaned forward out of the shadows, glaring at Validus with hollow eyes. “I’m sure you are.” He smiled, revealing yellow teeth through a vile smile. “I told them you would come.”

“I don’t understand … Who would come?” Validus asked innocently as he studied the man’s dark eyes. They were eyes not his own. It had to be Tinsalik Barob.

The man’s eyes grew fierce. “Don’t play games with me!” He snapped out his arm and grabbed Validus by the throat.

Validus pulled at the hand with his boy fingers, but it was locked around his neck in a steel grip. Translation was his only option.

“Go ahead, translate,” Barob said with a distant stare behind Validus. They are waiting to cut you down in a moment. Do it!” He began to laugh. “Yes, you angels are so stupid. Over and over I trick you and kill you, and you keep coming back. What fools God has made!”

Validus fought for air. He would not last much longer. He fought the urge to translate, for he knew there were swords and death waiting for him if he did.

“Leave him alone!” José screamed from the doorway.

Validus could just see his four friends in the doorway with rocks and sticks, ready to save him.

Barob turned to look at the brave boys. “Leave!” he snarled in the voice of a demon.

“Go find help,” José ordered.

“You know more people. You go, and I’ll stay with Diego,” Persimus said. “Hurry!”

Barob growled and rose up out of the chair, lifting Validus by his neck. As soon as the other three boys disappeared, Persimus attacked at the same time that Validus wrapped his arm around Barob’s arm, using his shoulder to break the grip on his neck. Persimus drove a shoulder into Barob’s side. As Barob’s grip loosened, Validus knuckle punched his throat.

Barob recoiled and struck back. He grabbed Persimus around the waist and threw him up against the wall. For a boy his size, the impact would have knocked him out or even killed him, but Persimus was ready. Though they were limited by the physiques of boys, they had four thousand years of warrior experience on which to rely. Persimus spun midair and was able to get an arm and a leg into position to cushion the impact. He fell to the ground and was back up a second later.

Validus attempted to drive an elbow punch into Barob’s abdomen, but the demon caught it and used Validus’s arm to sling him to the other wall. The impact hurt, but he too was able to calculate and absorb the shock with minimal damage to his body.

The strange duel between demon-possessed man and angel-empowered boys continued on. The advantage for Barob was his immunity to much of the pain and also the power-endowed body of the man he possessed. Before long all three combatants were bruised and bleeding.

Barob came for Persimus.

“Stop!” Validus shouted. “We don’t want to hurt you.”

“But I want to hurt you!” Barob snarled in a guttural voice.

“The Fallen are coming, Barob,” Validus said.

Barob turned and glared at Validus with blood-red eyes.

“Don’t you think I know that?” he said between gravelly breaths. “Apollyon is coming for me, and it’s because of you, angel,” he screamed, pointing his crooked finger at Validus. “I have nothing left with which to barter for my life. I am just a threat now, and he’s coming to eliminate me … to destroy me.”

Validus held up his hands. “He’s coming to destroy us both.”

Validus knew he couldn’t appeal to Barob’s conscience. He had none, for it had been seared by the hot iron of evil for over six thousand years. There was only one argument to appeal to a demon who was twice fallen.

“Take one last action of independence—defy him. You owe him nothing! If he is coming to destroy you, why honor him by your silence? Tell me what you know to spite him.”

Barob’s face twisted in a contortion of hate, spite, and rage, then vengeful delight. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and tilted his head as if he could hear his dark master coming. He glared at Validus, and for one brief moment, his countenance filled with fear and desperation as the man’s soul fought to gain control.

“They’re coming!” the man cried out, his eyes darting from side to side.

“Shut up!” Barob screamed as he subdued the man and his stark fear.

Validus looked at Persimus and nodded. Persimus left to keep the other boys from returning.

“Yes … to spite Apollyon one last time.” The corners of Barob’s mouth turned upward as he subconsciously scratched a wound on his arm until it bled. “Apollyon sent three of his warriors to Zion to the Hall of Ages to discover the trigger point of the End of Days so he could change it.”

“Impossible,” Validus interjected. “They would have been dissolved before—”

Barob roared his disgust. “Quiet, angel! Your ignorance offends me. Quiet, or I will tell you nothing!”

Validus glared at Barob, still and quiet, but waiting. He would decide later how much of Barob’s words were fabricated.

“Two of the warriors entered the city through the crystal waters beneath the wall.”

Validus knew he was lying now. Demons did not survive long-term exposure to water, especially immersion. Validus had seen it. The pain was worse
than the Curing, and the end of it was always a slow, painful dissolution to the Abyss.