Chapter Ten
Winged Savagery
It wasn’t a large army, but then it didn’t have to be. All those able to fight stood gathered before me on the savanna as I sat astride of Feveren.
I road forward along the ranks and called out, “Whoever doesn’t want to participate in the fight to come fall out of line and leave now.”
With furtive glances cast about upwards of a hundred people fled from the ranks of the army.
“Good, I appreciate your honesty, but know this, you are no longer welcome here. If you won’t fight for your freedom then you have no part in being here to enjoy the peace set upon this land to enjoy. I give you two days to be gone from this land along with your families, after that I give charge over you to be enforced to the death by the creatures of the forest.”
Utterly crestfallen, faces now steeped with both the embarrassment and hard reality that came with their act of cowardice those who had fallen out of the ranks quickly hurried off still eager to save their lives that they had sacrificed a good home for along with their honor.
“The rest of this army moves out now. In two days’ time I expect us to reach the outskirts of the forest to the East. The trees are doing their best to open up a road for us, but the way will still be full of obstacles and I expect you to handle those obstacles well when encountered and befit yourselves as the men and women of courage that I know you all to be. Now I am not a commander of harshness over you that is devoid of knowing how afraid so many of you are as to what you perceive the outcome of any engagement with the superior numbers and in some cases superior training and abilities that our enemies possess. No one is telling you that it’s wrong to be afraid. The reality, though, is for us who believe in Eloah and refuse to serve any other, there is simply nowhere else for us to run to. This is it. This is our last stand. If it was up to me I would wait for the enemy to reach us here and fight on friendly ground with the benefit of a forest of allies around us to give us aid, but thankfully I’m a servant of the Most High and I don’t have to rely on what I think would be best, because as a human I’m prone to mistakes and errors just like all of you are. You all accept my leadership here not because I have demanded it of you, but rather because the Creator has placed me in a position of watchful headship over you and His Fire Spirit has gone out ahead of any action of mine and verified it within your spirits and so you listen to me and have faithfully all gathered here at my request. I appreciate your loyalty to the Fire Spirit’s urging, more than you know, and even as you see the Creator’s Spirit at work in me and respect my leadership over you because of it then also respect that I have been told to do by Him just as I am commanding now. Our Elohim is a jealous God. He does not want a people who praise Him only with their mouths, but in order to please Him He requires an aspect of faith from each of us. This is what we all have to do now. We have to take faith in that our Creator has a plan. He has always known that this day was coming and if we stand united in the faith of His deliverance of us and do as He asks of us then I tell you that there is nothing that will be held back from us! Our Elohim desires, no, is worthy of, a people willing to do all that is asked of them. I have been asked to lead you and I have answered that call and with the Fire Spirit’s enabling I will lead you well, but each of you needs to look within and seek the Creator’s enabling fire for yourselves! My absolute belief in Eloah is not enough for all of you. I am but one man on a journey to please my Creator and so should you be as what higher calling in life could any of us have other than to follow the bidding of the One who made you and made it so that you could taste the choice of true freedom. In the tyranny that is marching against us now there is no freedom and yet we live daily with the freedom to choose as each one wills to and I now plead with you for the benefit of your immortal souls to take up all your doubts, fears, and anxieties and cast them at the feet of the Savior Yeshua and leave them there, even as you put on the full armor of Eloah and take up the shield of faith that through belief in Yeshua has been authored in us, even as we by choice wield the sword of the Spirit of Elohim which are the very Words of Eloah, Himself. We cannot fail in any battle we face if such is our dedication of purpose. Though we all die and the last spark of freedom among mankind be lost, we have not failed! We can never fail if our hope is in Elohim for if we gain Him over all this world has to offer we have received the better prize whether in death or in life for this present time we live in is but a vapor of temporary moments. Important moments though, that have the potential to affect all of eternity. Now is such a moment! I ask this day that you take faith in the Most High Elohim who made you and march forward into the blessed destiny reserved for those who put their faith in the Ancient of Days!”
The army before me that did not find it strength in numbers that it could field, but rather in the Spirit of the Creator they possessed within them practically growled back at me with impatience to already be gone, “Yes, Sir!!!”
Just like that they were on the move and I could ask for no better group of warriors. As one they began to sing as the fear within their hearts of certain death was replaced instead with fire from on high.
My heart rose with exaltation at hearing so many openly praising Eloah in both song and action. My attention was drawn from the quick marching force of about 5000 souls to Rafargan who had sauntered up before Feveren and now sat respectfully waiting for me to notice him.
Gazing into the eyes of a friend I said, “You’re in charge in my absence Rafargan. See as you are able that no harm comes to the children or elderly.”
He nodded solemnly. I knew more than anything that he wished to accompany me, but my orders had been clear, only the eagles and other birds of prey from the northern mountains were to be of aid to us in the fight to come.
Slowly Rafargan spoke, “I await your return with eagerness my liege. Truly, if there was ever a son of man born to rule in justice and peaceableness of faith over my Creator’s handiwork it is you. With you goes all the heartfelt wishes of your friends and indeed the forest itself to the successful accomplishment of all that Eloah has decreed must happen. To this end may Elohim Most High smite all your enemies before you, Tarik.”
I nodded emotionally and eased Feveren away after the army that had disappeared into the forest. Though they had disappeared from sight they could still be heard.
I’d heard no better sound in life up till now save for the voice of Eloah, Himself, of which I would never forget and that was a constant aid to take faith in as the divine injunction of the plans given to me for us to face the enemy beyond the shelter of the forest that had become home to us all laid heavily upon me.
Riding up to the rear of the column I was joined by Jafina riding upon Soranya. She wore a smile on her face and as we rode I asked curiously as she continued to stare at me, “What?”
“Nothing my Liege.”
“Don’t lie. What is it?”
“I was just thinking to myself what a wonderful father you’re going to make one day.” She rode ahead then with a broad smile and blinking in the wake of that statement I idled behind.
Feveren made an odd choked sounding noise and I realized that he was laughing at me. I blushed slightly as the imagery of what having children meant must happen first and with a draw to his voice Feveren commented, “Though it is usual for the act of procreation to be sought out by the stallion, as it may be, I have known the odd filly here and there to select her own mate with neither a bye, nor leave, to anyone. I have found that to be a good thing in the past, as I appreciate the fine mind evidenced in such a one as that as a sure sign that her offspring will be of a sturdy build and fit for the tests of life. You would do well to be her mate, Master.”
Gazing at Feveren irritably I said, “Perhaps we could talk about this some other time.”
“I rather fancy the here and now. I can tell that you have little going for you in terms of experience when it comes to females. Granted though she not be of my kind, I see much that is similar within the makeup of the mind and emotion that rules the female in general. If ever you should require from my far more vast array of experience to glean some insight in regards to all that is female, you have but to ask.”
“Big of you Feveren, but tell me all this interest in securing me a mate couldn’t have something to do with Soranya could it? She has adopted Jafina as her master and should I be with Jafina well then that would put Soranya and you in rather close proximity for years to come now wouldn’t it. She is a fine looking filly to be sure.”
Feveren chuckled good-naturedly and huffed, “I have been found out it would seem. Still my offer remains open.”
“Thank you Feveren, but I really can’t think of that kind of a future right now. Not with all of what lies ahead of us to be accomplished.”
Feveren idly commented, “Sometimes pondering on such things is exactly what one needs when in the midst of a great turmoil. A way of seeing something positive in the future in a moment that only seems bleak in the here and now.”
Wryly, I acknowledged that he had a good point. We took off with greater speed and before long we were caught up with the column and Jafina riding upon Soranya lay just ahead of us.
Feveren spoke, “She is quite beautiful isn’t she.
Nodding my head I said, “Yes.”
Blinking my eyes I took my gaze from off how well Jafina’s bottom filled a saddle to glance at Feveren. With a chuckle I said, “I don’t think we’re talking about the same female.”
“No, decidedly not.” Feveren commented in a low tone.
I patted his neck and together we rode past the objects of both of our affections and gained ground till we were at the head of the column. The future did seem brighter with the hope of something fine occurring should the battle be won.
*******
Two Days Later
We had pressed through the forest at a high rate of speed even as the forest had done its best to open up a way before us. It was early morning of the third day when we reached the Eastern area of flat lands that lay beyond Angarta.
It was with an odd reluctance that I left the forest I had once feared behind me. To me there was little left to fear in the forest and what was of concern was manageable.
Stepping out on foot I looked back and caught sight of Feveren’s glossy blackness set against the greenery of the forest edge. I lifted a hand and he tossed his head.
It had been hard for him to stay behind, but he feared the Creator as did I and my directions had been specific. We were permitted no allies save for the eagles of which I had seen nothing of.
Over half of the army I could have fielded was being left behind me in the forest and yet instead of questioning it I accepted the fact that Eloah apparently intended to do more with less. Looking forward once more I whispered out as the column moved past, “Thy will be done Father.”
“So it shall be.” Came a whisper on a sudden breeze that warmed my heart.
The breeze brought something else though along with it, the sound of drums. Looking ahead I saw on a rise of the rolling terrain a group of riders skylined against the horizon who appeared to be talking in an excited fashion among themselves.
They disappeared from view. Time passed and we moved steadily farther out into the grassed hills beyond the forest.
Abruptly, then in the distance the sound of drums picked up to a fever pitch. The word was out and soon there would be battle.
The sky was behaving strangely overhead. On the one end it featured a bright cloudless blue going on that radiated out from Angarta and then to the other horizon we marched toward showed the evidence of a storm fast approaching. Was it a storm of nature or something else though?
There was an electric feel in the air and not moving a step farther I made the signal to stop. An uneasy silence settled upon the column as the drum sounds grew closer, but more threatening still where the storm clouds invading into the blue of our sky.
There just wasn’t something right about these clouds. Every part of my being vibrated with an intensity at something going on unseen in front of my eyes.
My group of seven had come to stand behind me and they, like me, watched in silence as the invading storm front came ever closer as even the front lines of the enemy army became visible in the distance. Closing my eyes I stretched out a hand towards the troubled sky before us and prayed, “My Eloah, I ask that You would reveal what is hidden from our eyes. I ask in Yeshua’s Name, by which I have authority, to command over all the powers of darkness.”
Those behind me echoed in likewise fashion and as one we saw transformation take place overhead and with a general outcry of alarm the army at my back cried out as the foul and despicable imagery of incarnate demonic entities ran back and forth overhead in what looked like chariots wreathed in black fire. Darted arrows of the spirit seemingly apart from the physicalness of our perceived existence were raining down on us from above, they plunged unerringly right into those within the ranks who seemed to be afflicted the most by doubt as to why we had come here to engage in war this day.
I turned and saw consternation upon even the faces of the seven who had followed me from the beginning. Jafina’s worried gaze found mine and she flinched as something within my gaze was in sharp reproof of the doubt I saw within her.
She seemed to sense my displeasure and I saw her start to dig down for reserve to cover up her momentary lack of faith, but I lifted a hand to silence anything she or any of the others who also now appeared to be ashamed were about to say. They knew above all others how little there was to fear and yet the sight of the demon host in high places, had for a moment, overwhelmed them as truly it would have for me too, but I had seen something greater, and now the greatness of Elohim lay all about me as a security that I did not question even in the midst of all hell raining down upon us.
Softly I spoke to Jafina as the Fire Spirit gave me leave to do, “Do not be afraid for what you see cannot stand in the face of Eloah’s Will. Jafina, you are a warrior of great standing, but in one thing you are lacking. That said it is the Glory of Eloah to use those like me and you who are not perfect, but willing to choose to believe in Eloah and thus through them accomplish great and mighty things far beyond our own abilities.”
As I spoke I saw confidence reenter into her eyes as faith remembered shined out with a determination that accepted the reproof of the Fire Spirit and was willing to try again as a loyal daughter of the Most High. I had never loved her more than I did in this moment.
Wiping at the tears on her face as she regained her composure she straightened and spoke in a husky tone that said she was ready to try to the accomplishment of anything, “What are your orders, Sir?”
Nodding in acceptance of her leap back into faith I said, “This army cannot march forward any farther without faith so it shall not move at all. Instead I give over command of the army to you and I ask that as much as it is able for you and the others to do that you stand right here and not be moved. Truly, this is a battle that must be won in the spirit before ever it is won in the flesh.”
Jafina’s eyes widened with alarm as fresh tears threatened and softly she begged in question, “Where are you going?”
“Wherever the Fire Spirit leads me. Take command of the army now and serve your Creator well!”
Pulling in a measure of reserve that looked like it wrenched her soul apart to do so, she saluted and said, “Yes Sir!” And turning she cried out to the army to form a circle formation.
At the questioning looks of my other six friends who showed the same alarm as Jafina had that I soon wouldn’t be here I said with authority, “Serve her now in my absence! Go!!!”
“Yes Sir!” They all quickly assented and left to do what they could to mobilize an army stiffened in fear by the awfulness of all that lay around and above us.
I stared upward at the host of darkness that danced overhead of us within the storm cloud masses, even as darts of dark spiritual sorcery and spiritual enmity continued to rain down upon the army shakily reforming around me in outward facing circle formation with me at the center. Wrath steadily bubbled out of me until it became a flood from my soul as the jabbering squeals of darkness overhead registered and the sounds of an engulfing army on the move over a thousand times our number swept around us like an encircling ring of hell.
I took my gaze off of the tumult above us that showered down darts of despair and fear in ever-growing numbers to behold the hosts of all the armies of darkness that the enemy could muster that now encircled about us upon this shadow cast grassland of eternal consequences. Giants that stood forty feet at the shoulder roared out with the magnitude of a hundred bulls enraged to the fullest even as the air was filled with the howls of the wolfmen and every other twisted creature of darkness that had been artificially honed off of the original goodness of creation even as the ranks of the enemy were filled out by the many thousands by the ordinary humans who had accepted darkness’s reign and had invited it within their souls to their eternal demise and destruction for the satisfaction promised to them in the day of this momentary existence.
Still, worse than all that I saw of the enemy was the utter looks of despair upon the gathered ranks of my army that had followed me here to this moment of faith tested to the extreme. Truly, as I now gazed upon them I saw that they were all sheep set for the slaughter.
I wanted to yell at them to somehow make them remember the faith that they had set out upon this quest with that no army under heaven could have vanquished, but the Spirit of the Most High bid me to silence. I closed my eyes and in silence I realized that I too had my own moment of doubt as why else would I be threatened by the knowledge that I seemingly was alone in believing that victory was possible.
Did I need an army to believe in the destiny of faith that I had outlined in order to be victorious or was victory to be found in that I believed that victory had been promised this day by Eloah, Himself? I knew the answer and excepting it I was immediately set free from the cloying anxieties and spirit of fear that had come to press in all about me.
Softly then I felt the fire of the Most High’s Spirit breathe forth, “Lead them. Show them. Fight for them. Intercede for them. Show My power to them. Indeed, breathe out My fire upon them.”
“As you enable me so I will do Eloah!” I said in acceptance of my orders.
I opened my eyes and turning about I called out in a voice that carried about the gathered ranks, despite the clamoring din of the host encroaching upon us from all corners, “This day my friends your faith will be perfected! Kneel all of you!”
The army practically fell to their faces in their haste to obey and I realized for the first time that I was engulfed in flames. Turning about I gestured to them all and sang out in a voice that caused cracks of light to stream through the dark swirling enemy laden clouds overhead, “Ancient of Days, we your servants are set before You this day, not only to do battle, but to win against our enemy. Not by might! Not by power, but by the Spirit of the living Elohim, do we overcome this day! Even so as You promised to deliver us when we call upon You through belief in the Name of Your Son Yeshua, I now claim Your peace that passes all understanding to be at home in our spirits! I claim strength for our hearts to achieve what You have purposed to occur! I claim victory over the enemy even as You have purposed this battle to occur so shall victory be found for all those who place their trust in You as we do right now in the name of Yeshua, the risen Savior, the King of Kings, and the Redeemer of us all!”
A silent hush filled moment as it seemed, passed by in the ranks of Angarta and then opening my eyes I roared out with, as an urge from within me bade me to, even as I knew that the host of my army was not yet convinced in faith that they could indeed overcome, “Where are my fire warriors?”
A deep voice from nearby spoke up even as the speaker and six other cloaked men rose up to their feet and threw back their hoods, “Right here my son!”
In amazement I beheld the scarred face of my father along with six other warriors of my people that had been among the greatest and now they were never more so than right now. Flames cascaded off their robes as each drew his sword as their faces reflected a complete lack of fear for anything on display around us.
I wanted to ask so many questions and more yet still just run into the arms of my father whom I had thought was dead, but now was not the time. Drawing my own flame kissed swords I said in the voice of a warrior even as I was the son of one, “To war!”
I turned and started walking as the men of my childhood followed along behind. My gaze was focused on the host above that had grown silent.
Jafina glanced from me to the sky overhead and asked, “How can you fight them? You’re but a man!”
I stopped and reaching out I laid my hand on her shoulder and said, “Only have faith and nothing shall be impossible for you Jafina. Hold the line. I will return. Hold!”
Jafina nodded and I let go of her shoulder and began to run. The army ranks before me started to pull back in fear of being scorched by the fire that lay upon me, but stopped as a staircase wreathed in flames burst forth into existence before me that led straight up into the heavens.
In jubilation of spirit I charged upward along with the old guard of elite warriors I had thought all long dead, but that somehow Elohim had preserved. Preserved for this day, this moment, when faith was being tested the most I had the privilege to be in the presence of men greater in deeds and in honor then I was.
Upwards we charged even as the staircase of fire dissipated behind us, but the imagery of eight warriors set ablaze, but not on fire, by the Spirit of the Most High completely galvanized the army standing below that gazed upon us in stupefied amazement as they witnessed that truly Eloah was in this moment supreme and that they were supposed to be here and engage in this battle of the spirit played out into the fleshly existences of mankind.
Overwhelmingly, pulsed in spirit by what she had just seen Jafina raced forward to cry out at the rank-and-file of the army, “Who among us can doubt now the supremacy of our Elohim! Men and women of the Most High, face the enemy!”
As she cried out the Fire Spirit’s presence broke out upon her as He had upon the figure of her beloved and as one the army given over to her command with a great shout turned and faced the enemy that was charging in on them from all corners. Shields were braced and spears lifted. An electrical ball of flaming energy encircled the pressed wall of shields and emboldened the hearts of those who held them only further.
Like a cascading wave of dark filth the front line of a host only measured by the hundreds of thousands smashed into the shield wall of the army of the last free land of Angarta. The braced feet of those manning the shields slid backward across the grass, but the wall did not fail.
Crying out with a great shout Jafina and her six generals cried out, “Hold, in the Name of Eloah!”
The in-pressing slide of feet stopped as each man and woman braced against the back of the soldier in front of them and then with a strength, only explained as supernatural, those holding the shields on the outward perimeter slammed them forward against the press of the enemy and the front line of assault was sent reeling backward onto the weapons of their fellow host members. With a cry of rage the forces beyond the shield wall surged back over the bodies of those crushed or knocked unconscious, but the shield wall was set and the protruding spears shot forth in blood spurting jabs as a host unified in faith, fought forth with a fervor unmatched by the emboldened horde of a foe surely too numerous to fail in winning such a lopsided battle.
Arrows began raining in all around and like angry hornets they whizzed about Jafina and with a greater skill than she had ever before manifested, she picked the arrows on target out of the air with the blade of her sword all the while calling out commands to where the line needed strengthening the most. From her vantage point in the center she saw the newest threat to emerge in the form of great winged birds that were part bird and something else.
They came winging in from above only to dive down upon the circle of the army from within. Warriors were torn away from the ground and lifted aloft as the flying monsters beat the air with their wings intending on fleeing away only to drop those clutched in their talons down into the pressed masses of the enemy host where they would soon be hacked to pieces. It never happened.
Out of the north swept a shrieking cloud of avenging fury that dove downward from a great height at breakneck speed to crash, talons first, into the hybrid monsters about to release their captives to be devoured below. The monsters did release their captives, in their shock of being attacked from above, but as the warriors fell they were swept up by the eagles and other great birds that had come from the northern mountains.
The eagles with unmatched savagery tore into the unholy offspring of evil’s conception and the beasts fell heavily within the host of their own side crushing many in the process even as other heavily laden eagles fluttered down to land warriors back upon the ground at the center of the tight pressed jabbing wall of shields that claimed more and more of the enemy as they were pushed forward to be impaled upon the righteous driven fervor of an army that would not be overwhelmed.
The missiles from the host of demonic origin in the dark clouds of war overhead had long since ceased and in wonder Jafina looked upward as the battle raged all around her. The column of eagles spiraled around in a tight vortex above the army of Angarta even as a greater number of hawks and falcons more nimble in size, swerved and derved about in a dazzling display of aeronautical wonder as they seized ahold of inbound arrows that might’ve killed a warrior below. It didn’t stop there though. If they couldn’t catch the arrow then they outdistanced it at the last moment and dashed into place to take the killing stroke meant for a warrior upon themselves.
Overcome by the emotion of the sacrifice all around her, Jafina reached her hand up to the sky and prayed, “Oh my, Elohim help them! Help us to overcome before all are lost!”
The scenes of a vision caught her with a violence then that left her amazed. The imagery of children playing and laughing assailed her with such a moment of peace as to be the essence of comfort itself and with an in-pressed sob she smiled because the children she saw were all hers. A little boy ran up to her holding a bouquet of fresh picked flowers and smiling down at him she accepted them as she took in just how like his father he looked. With the peace of that realization firmly seized upon within her heart the vision faded and once more all around her was war and death brought on by it.
An arrow she hadn’t been looking for was snatched out of her face by a small falcon that seemed to grin at her as if everything going on was but a game. A game of war and as Jafina looked outward she saw that the enemy in impatience had given up on the slow approach to victory for they had unleashed the heavily armored battle giants and cave trolls that were numbered within the ranks of an unholy army fit only for the workings of hell.
Berserk with demonic rage, the giants and trolls trampled over their own contingent as they screamed absurdities in their mad dash across the battlefield to feast upon the flesh of righteous people. Jafina poised with confidence glanced to the other six of her brethren tasked with leadership only to see the look of despair they had as to how this new threat was to be dealt with.
Seemingly drawn magnetically they all glanced to her and Jafina smiled. With authority of spirit Jafina called out to a group of warriors held in reserve, “Shields up!” and abruptly started running right at them.
Somehow driven to do by a guiding force from within, the nearest to Jafina knelt to place his shield above his head facing skyward even as the next several warriors formed a line and replicated in stairstep formation with shields held aloft. Jafina leapt up onto the first shield and then the next as the warriors below braced hard in unity to the divine direction being given them to play their part in the greater scene about to unfold.
Jafina shrieked out a cry that seemed right to let loose with as her feet graced the last upturned shield and pushing off she leaped upward. Almost in echo to her own cry there was an answering shriek from the encircling tornado of feathers hovering above the Angarten host and an eagle of great size and majesty dived out of the spiraling maelstrom of talons that kept all the winged monsters of the enemy at bay.
Jafina somersaulted through the air and drove her feet upward towards the sky. With a shrieking cry of joyous savagery the king of the eagles latched about her ankles with his great talons in a secure but harmless grip of both of her legs.
J