The Lion of God - Abigail - Final
“I am sending an angel ahead of you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”
Ariel knew the route. His great wings spread wide, reflecting the final rays of the sinking sun as he flew ahead. It was familiar ground. He had traveled it many times.
Ariels eyes searched along the way. Looking for anything out of place.
He was vigilant. His motto was “Always prepared.”
Traffic was heavy through the city. It was the evening rush hour and people were making their way home. Bumper to bumper traffic moving at 60 mph. There was a light rain making the roads wet. A little more treacherous to navigate.
All of a sudden Ariel felt a chill. Then the hair on the back of his neck stiffened. He took a high position along the route but for now remained hidden. He had learned over the years that caution and stealth was always to his advantage.
Then he heard the hissing. It sounded partly like the whirl of a rattlesnake’s tail singing out a warning. That sound mixed with the laughing of a hyena.
He caught glimpses of movement. Shadows, hiding, slipping along the back alleyways. He caught the smell of sulfur.
Then he heard a voice. The squawking sound of a familiar ancient foe.
It was Asmodeus. Once, in the beginning, a close friend. In the time before. Before the Great War. Now Ariel’s nemesis.
Asmodeus was a warrior. A chief leader in the Fallen Watch. He almost always traveled with his little band of Liars.
Ariel heard that familiar singsong taunting and chiding of Asmodeus.
“Ariel …….. where are you? Come on Ariel let’s play. We want to have some more fun with your little bitch whore.”
The accompanying band of Liars giggled and hissed uncontrollably at Asmodeus’s vile comment.
They were like wolves. Alone all cowards. In a pack they could be dangerous.
“We are going to show your little bitch a good time today, Ariel. I hope she doesn’t get hurt.”
Ariel slowly made his way higher to a building opposing Asmodeus’s position at an intersection along the way. His heart quickened. He had been in this predicament many times.
His memory began flashing scenes of previous encounters. All the attacks. The biting, the beatings, the poisonous fiery arrows.
But this time things were different.
Ariel mind flashed to the great throne room. He remembered HIS words
“In your weakness, I am made strong.”
Again a flash, Jesus placing the breastplate of Samson on him.
A flash, Ariel remembering Samson standing between two great pillars.
Watching, as Samson prayed this prayer.
“Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
A flash, Ariel saw Jesus placing the sword of Samson in his hand.
A Flash, HIS words, “Vengeance is mine”.
Ariel saw Abigail approaching the intersection and knew it was now or never.
He quickly moved high above the intersection, taking a defensive position, then suddenly exposing himself to the band of Liars and Asmodeus.
“Well,… I didn’t think you had it in you”, Asmodeus taunted with a smirk. “Not after that last beating“.
Asmodeus had hardly got the words out to his mouth when suddenly he saw it.
His eyes widened as the ever present smirk drained from his face.
In the same instant, Ariel drew his sword, the sword of Samson, and held it in his right hand, high above his head.
Asmodeus paused for a split second taking in what he saw, then he let out a blood curling scream. “NOOOOOOOOooooooo”.
Then a stammer that revealed his surprise and trepidation. Who……. How……. That sword!!! His shield!!! How did you….?
Then Asmodeus shouted indignantly, full of rage, “HOW DID YOU GET THAT SWORD?”
For the first time in ages, Asmodeus was caught off guard. The fallen watchers were cowards. All of them, including Asmodeus. They always blamed someone else. They always took the easy way out. But that didn’t mean Asmodeus was just going to leave without a fight.
So Asmodeus did what any a coward would do, what was easy. He stood back and ordered others to fight the battle.
“Attack him”, Asmodeous ordered. “Make him hurt”.
The band of Liars suddenly rushed toward Ariel. Howling like banshees. Hissing and screaming. Asmodeus watched the band of Liars rush toward Ariel like they had done for 10000 years. Only this time there was no resolve. No commitment.
This time all the howling and hissing was mostly for show. Bows were drawn. Poisonous arrows were flung but from a distance. All easily deflected by Ariel’s sword.
Ariel went on the offensive. His wings spread wide. He darted up above the Liar’s then turned downward gaining momentum. Stooping like a peregrine falcon on a flock of ducks. Sitting ducks.
Ariel’s sword flashing back and forth as he flew. Cutting down the band of Liars’s like threshing stalks in a field of wheat.
The Liar’s scattered like rats. Shrieking from the pain from the wounds inflicted by Ariel’s sword. They quickly receded into the dark cracks and crevices from which they came.
Then he heard Asmodeus.
“Take THAT you Bastard!!!”, Asmodeus shouted.
Ariel turned just in time to see Asmodeus’ spear already in midair.
He turned and made a slicing movement with his sword. Hitting the spear just at it hit his left side.
Ariel groaned in pain. His shield absorbed most of the blow. It was an indirect hit but a hit none the less. He was pierced low on his left side.
Ariel felt the stinging of the poison from the spear. It felt like fire.
He righted himself and stood with his sword in his right hand at the ready. Ready to fight despite the pain. He had been hurt much worse than this over the years.
His eyes searched the sky. Searching for Asmodeus. Expecting an attack.
Instead he saw Asmodeus backing away. In retreat.
Coward. Asmodeus was a coward. Without his gang of Liar’s he was nothing more than a bully with no teeth.
Then he heard the chirping. Asmodeus, always talking trash.
“Until next time Ariel”.
“Don’t think this is over. Your God can’t save you. Even with THAT sword. He doesn’t care about you. He cares even less about your little bitch whore.
“This won’t be the last time Ariel, you can count on that.”
Then Amodeus fell back into retreat. In one final temper tantrum Asmodeus flung a bolt of lighting though the air. Ariel quickly flew to intercept it but in his weakened state he was late, only partially absorbing the blow.
The lightening bolt continued past, hitting a car that was approaching the intersection below.
The sky flashed white as Asmodeus laughed over his shoulder, “Take that, bitch.”
One second Abigal was driving home from work. Her thoughts scattered, one second on the events of her day, then the next minute her mind thinking ahead, to the uneasy undertone of what awaited her at home.
She felt alone. Powerless. Forgotten.
Truth be told she felt like yesterday’s trash. Something nobody wanted. Something to be thrown away.
The light was green so she drove ahead lost in her thoughts. Turning right at the intersection. Then suddenly she saw a bolt of lightening flash in front of her.
A flash of white light.
She heard the screech of tires. The sound of metal ripping thru metal. The shattering of glass.
Someone hit from behind. It happened in a flash.
During impact her head hit the steering wheel and she was momentarily knocked unconscious.
Blood poured into her eyes as she flickered in and out of consciousness
Images flickered past her. A white light. An angel. A sword. A voice saying “GO”.
Words … the whisper of an angel in her ear.
“You are highly favored”.
“The Lord is with you.”
Then she felt someone shake her,
“Miss … Miss ….. wake up…… Miss are you Ok? Miss wake up ….. Are You OK?”
It was a police man shaking her awake.
“Miss, You have been in a car wreck. You have a cut on your forehead but you are going to be OK. EMT’s are on the way. You’re fine ma’am.”
“Here, let me help you out of this car and get you out of this intersection.”
“Miss, you are Ok? Walk this way. Come sit here in my cruiser until the EMT’s get here. Hold this bandage on your forehead. You’re gonna be fine. It’s not that bad of a cut. Your ok. It’s bleeding a lot but a few stitches and you be fine.”
“You sure are blessed. That could have been a lot worse.“
The police officer said, “Miss, You must have a guardian angel looking out for you.”
“What your name ma’am?”.
“My name is Abigail.” She thought for a moment and then said,
“The Lord was with me”.
Ariel surveyed the horizon and put his sword back in his scabbard.
He recalled the words of Jesus. “IN YOUR WEAKNESS I AM MADE STRONG”
Epilogue