Unholy Empire: Chronicles of the Host, Vol 2: Chronicles of the Host, Book 2 (13 page)

“Father, I think we’re nearly finished,” Japheth said. “At least we’re almost out of room for any more food.”

Shem came running out of the entry, knocking a portion of the straw off Ham’s shoulder.

“Hey! Careful there,” yelled Ham, as he saw a portion of straw scatter at his feet. Shem ignored his brother and headed right to Noah, who stood at the end of the gangplank watching the animals pass by.

“Are the animals settling in?” Noah asked.

“Yes, Father,” said Shem, “for now.” He glanced nervously at a passing pair of brown bears, coached by the unseen guides who were shuttling them up the wooden walkway.

Noah smiled. He knew that Shem’s fear of some of the animals was exaggerated. That was why he had put him in charge of caring for the larger ones, especially the cats. Noah placed his hand on Shem’s shoulder.

“You have nothing to worry about,” he said. “These animals will not harm us. They are special to the Lord. Look at them coming in…as far as you can see they come. And all on their own instinct!”

“Instinct, he says,” remarked Darus, an angel who was at that moment wrestling a large boar up the path. The other angels laughed.

“They are under the Lord’s care and complete control,” Noah said. “Here now! This way, you old sow,” he said, gently tugging on the great boar and pulling her back on the mark. Darus looked at Noah and said, “Thank you, sir.”

“He can’t hear you,” said Archias, as he and Serus, having deposited their beast, moved out of the ark.

“Never hurts,” said Darus, a little ruffled.

As he said these words a great noise came from somewhere down the path. Dust was being kicked up and the sound of branches crashing and trees being snapped could be heard, along with the sound of a trumpeting elephant gone mad.

“Japheth! Ham!” Noah screamed. “This way!”

Shem and Noah hurriedly made their way past the other animals toward the source of the disturbance. A mother elephant charged uncontrollably this way and that, scattering the animals into the bush.

“Again!” came the voice of Berenius, who, with the help of 20 or so devils, was tormenting the beast, causing it to react violently.

“Steer her to the village,” he ordered. “The townspeople have had enough of Noah and his bloody animals!”

The devils were buzzing around the confused and angry animal like bees, swarming her ears and mind, and causing her to charge at anything and everything that moved. Suddenly the beast turned, crashed through some blackberry bushes, and charged toward the village.

“Stop that animal!” came the order from Michael, who had arrived on the scene with several others. Serus and Archias crashed into a group of devils riding the animal, scattering them. Michael drew his sword and swooped in, aided by other angels who were now showing up in strength.

The sight of Michael caused some of the devils to relent and shriek, disappearing into the woods. Berenius held tight, ordering his charges to continue the fight. Michael swung his sword at Berenius, narrowly missing the angel, who then gripped the elephant’s mind in a tormenting lock that caused her to rear up madly.

Michael took another swing at Berenius, this time hitting him squarely on the shoulder. Berenius yelped and loosened his hold on the animal, looking about for any assistance that might be forthcoming. By the time Michael raised his sword for another blow, Berenius saw that he was being enveloped by heavenly angels and gave it up, cursing as he released the animal. He vanished into the air with what was left of his party.

Michael moved to the elephant and began speaking to her calmly and soothingly, finally causing her to stand motionless and dumb. Villagers came running out to meet the beast with clubs, spears, and torches. Kerz saw Noah arriving on the scene and pointed to him.

“There he is!” he said. “This man will destroy us all. The boat is one thing. But bringing dangerous animals near our homes is too much!”

The hostile crowd agreed, directing angry affirmations and oaths against Noah and his family. Noah’s two angels, ever at his side, stayed near him as he walked to the elephant and began to pat her huge leg.

“There, there, old girl,” he said, giving the beast a piece of cane to eat. “You see? She is alright. Just a little nervous.”

“Hold her steady, “said Michael, as several angels ministered a calm over the animal, speaking softly and gently into her mind.

“What do you expect?” said Kerz. “Herding these animals into that stinking boat of yours—we will have no more of it!”

“Your gods are wicked,” said Cyron, the local shaman. “You worship devil gods who have enchanted these animals. You are collecting them to use against us one day!” He threw some white powder into the air in an attempt to ward off the evil that Noah had brought into the village. “The ark must be destroyed!”

“No, hear me,” said Noah, raising his hands. “Hear me, for this will be the last time I speak to you.”

Noah motioned to his sons to help him climb onto the back of the elephant, who only a moment before had been charging wildly.

“You see? She is calm. At peace. Cyron, I serve no devil god. I serve the living God. You think that by sorcery I have brought these animals here to the ark? I don’t pretend to understand any of this. I can only tell you that if you do not repent from your wickedness, you will all die.”

The crowd murmured restlessly, their anger building.

“You threaten us?” asked Kerz, waving his weapon in the air.

“No,” said Noah. “I invite you and as many as will accompany us. The Lord Most High is gracious. Anyone who will come with us and serve Him will be spared!”

The crowd burst out in laughter, jeering Noah. Shem was becoming angry and began looking for a weapon just in case.

“Just where are you going in that floating zoo?” asked Kerz. “The nearest river is miles from here, old man. You are in the hills, not on the sea. And you bring your shame to us all. All the villages around us are aware of your nonsense, and we are paying for it. The ark must be destroyed if you ever want to have fellowship with us again!”

The crowd again burst out in raucous agreement.

“Look out,” said Serus, to Michael, who also had seen Lucifer, Kara, and a company of their demons coming in. “This is their chance.”

“Well Lucifer, “said Michael. “Come for one last attempt?”

Lucifer landed near Kerz, ignoring the human who continued his carping at Noah. He walked among the mob toward Michael.

“No, archangel,” said Lucifer. “We shall not attempt anything. Of course whatever these wretched humans want to muster is entirely up to them.” He looked at Michael. “There might still be human blood on your hands before this is all over.”

“I won’t kill a human unless the Lord decrees it,” said Michael. “Even one of these,” he indicated the unruly mob. “But I am sworn to protect Noah and his family and no human
or
angel shall get through to them.”

Kara sneered. “Never fear, archangel. We came to see the result of Berenius’s plan to destroy the village. I see that he fell short.”

“I told him the plan was useless,” said Lucifer. “But he insisted on at least one more attempt. I never want to discourage an eager disciple. A pity really,” he added, envisioning the elephant dashing through the village, destroying and killing as it went and inflaming the people to complete violence against Noah and the ark. “And where is Berenius?”

“The next time you see Berenius, my mark will be upon him,” said Michael resolutely. “As it shall be on any angel who opposes the Lord’s will.”

“How dreadful that you are relegated to protecting these rebellious creatures,” said Kara, amused at the scene. “How like the very animals coming into the ark are these humans. Horrible vermin!” As he said this he kicked at a man standing near him who was holding some of Cyron’s emblems. Startled, the man winced in pain, gripping his gut and dropping the shaman’s gear. Cyron scolded him loudly.

“Get them onto the ark,” said Lucifer. “We are ready to continue this war on the other side of this.” He looked over the crowd. The men were still clamoring for Noah’s destruction. Women watched from a distance, carrying their babies. Children ran about carelessly. “I am ready to see these people destroyed if that is the will of the Lord. Every dead human is another failure of the Most High! What a bloody god you serve!”

“Wrong, Lucifer,” came Crispin’s voice. He landed near Michael, nodding at the archangel. “Every human death is the result of human carnage and sin introduced so capably by you in Eden. It is not the Lord’s fault but their own. Noah has told them the truth for one hundred years now. The choice, as always, is theirs.”

“And the choice, as always, will be the wrong one,” said Lucifer smugly. “It matters not to me how they choose. Death is death.”

“Then we shall see you again, after the present judgment comes,” said Michael, in a dismissing sort of voice.

“Of course, “said Lucifer. “And how prophetic, Michael. Judgment indeed is coming!”

He vanished in a violent, howling flurry that caused many of the villagers to scatter from the physical disturbance. The elephant, too, startled for a few seconds and then calmed down once more. Kara smirked at Michael and vanished with the others.

“What shall it be, Noah?” asked Kerz grimly. “Your family or the ark?”

Noah looked over the crowd for a few moments and then addressed them. “I go now. And I shall not see you again until perhaps one day when the Lord of Heaven and Earth judges all things.”

A young boy of about four came running up to Noah and playfully handed him a half-eaten piece of fruit. The boy’s mother hastily snatched the boy to keep him away from the “mad” Noah. The godly man wept as he saw the little boy being taken away with the other children of the village.

“Your blood be on your own heads! Your wives…your children…it is all on your own heads! The Lord have mercy on you all!” He tore at his clothes violently, ripping them midway down his body. The crowd watched curiously and was for the first time, quiet. There was not a sound in the village, except for some children splashing in a puddle nearby. Cyron looked around at the dumbfounded people, shrieked a curse against Noah, and rattled a talisman. He demanded that Noah leave and take whatever dark spirits accompanied him.

Noah sighed and turned away, motioning for his sons to leave with him. The villagers watched as Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth left for the last time, with the elephant lumbering behind, and did nothing to hinder their departure. Cyron continued his railing until Noah and his sons had disappeared down the pathway. Then the mob began breaking up.

Kerz remained where he stood, bitterly disappointed that Noah and his sons had come and gone without incident. His anger was so aroused that he picked up a stone and threw it at a dog strolling lazily nearby. The dog yelped and ran off. Kerz was so agitated that he almost growled under his breath.

Unseen by any of the others, one of Berenius’s angels appeared next to Kerz. The devil, who was a spirit of anger, massaged Kerz’s mind, speaking into it thoughts of destruction, of finishing this affair once and for all. Kerz looked at two or three rough-looking men in the crowd and motioned them over to him. The demon whispered the word “
tonight
,” into the heart of Kerz.

“Tonight,” Kerz repeated the word to the men, patting his axe and looking around carefully. One of the men, whose front tooth was broken, grinned and nodded. Several devils who began appearing around the men also grinned.

“That’s the last of them,” said Serus, as Archias managed a female ostrich up the ramp and into the now noisy and foul smelling ark. “And I for one am glad of it.”

“Tired of your duties there, Serus?”

Serus turned and saw Michael and Crispin standing on the first level of the ark high above him. He smiled and recovered himself. “Not at all,” he answered. “I simply look forward to my next assignment.”

“Well done, Serus,” said Crispin. “You are learning not only how to handle animals but the art of diplomacy as well.” Serus and Archias joined them on the deck.

The angels watched as Noah and his sons brought the remainder of the provisions aboard. Their wives were busy as well, preparing what might be their last meal before it all began. From time to time they looked up at their husbands but spoke very little. All felt like whatever was to happen was going to happen very soon.