Chapter 3

The Room of the Throne.

The vivid colors of the throne room and the One who sits on the throne is blinding. Lucifer covers his eyes as everyone much when glory is being strongly display. There’s jasper and carnelian adoring the room with characteristics and color similar to a diamond or crystal. The jasper stone here is clear as crystal and has the gleam of a diamond. The carnelian is a fiery red stone. Around the throne is a rainbow that has the shine or glimmer of deep green, that like an emerald and many other vibrant colors

Not only is the rainbow around the throne, but there are 24 thrones positioned around the Throne. Seated on those 24 thrones are 24 elders who are clothed in white garments and have gold crowns on their heads. There’s another group of spiritual beings, like angels, and saints. The 24 thrones seem to form part of the heavenly council. One can’t help but look around the throne room of God and be in awe of the activity and splendor.

From the Throne come flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. The throne and the One who sits on the throne is always very active. The Lord is not asleep on the throne. There’s something going on. Are they preparing for the outpouring of God’s wrath on a world appointed for judgment? The lightnings, rumblings, and peals of thunder represent judgment as God sends forth His judgments from his throne. Lucifer has seen this enough times to know that’s what this meant. He see the seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. The seven spirits of God are a symbol of the Holy Spirit. "Yep, some world, universe or realm has been singled out for judgment." He thinks as he looked on.

He inched closer to his position before the Throne where there’s a sea of glass, like crystal, but it’s pure gold not glass. Again, the splendor, beauty, and majesty of the throne room of God never cease to amaze him. Not only is he amazed but the 24 elders around the throne, but the four living creatures who sits around the throne are amazed as well. The four living creatures are amazing with a face of a lion, ox, human, and eagle. Further, the four living creatures have six wings and are full of eyes all around and within. These are amazing spiritual beings that are difficult to visualize and grasp had not he seen them his entire existence.

It never cease to amazed him how the fact that the images of the fire and rainbow doesn’t reflects on the sea of glass which is actually pure translucent gold.

Lucifer looked to his right when he heard the multitudes of clinking, the heavy steps warriors of metal and armor. It was the Archangel Michael and his generals. He was a little surprised to see Azazael among them so soon. Perhaps Albritiel was right. Azazael is perhaps being shown excessive favors. To become a general so soon is unheard of.

Carrying his gold and silver, helmet accented with a flaring  wine red plumed he designed himself. Azazael stood with it under his arm as he stared straight ahead with his eyes closed awaiting for the light of Glory to abate so he could open them. It was foolhardy to stare at Father in this state. His shield for this battle bored the Emblem of God. He watched as the older soldiers left the court and rose into the cloudless sky as the light from the Throne became bearable. When his turn came to rise and follow he did but he felt pity for the world about to be brought before judgment. It always meant throes of weeping and gnashing of the teeth. It was a sorrowful sight to watch but it was something must be done or how else the children would learn that sin doesn’t pay.

Azazael always tried to make his mind blank when doing his job. Sometime that was impossible. With each failure it was always in the back of his mind would he be next? Would Azazealand be the next gorgeous kingdom to fall from grace? He and Paranorma wasn’t perfect but who was?

A rip in of radiant light broke through the cauldron-black sky leaving a bright scar in their trail. This was one of the few world given a dark time.Their time was devised into day and night. The sons of light, the secret army of heaven soon was visible to the inhabitants. They were caught off guard but being celestial beings they quickly materialized their own wargears and met them in the sky while the residents below ran or flew for shelter as the fracture of light from their sun was blacken out their pagan-sky a burst of lodestar-bright light from Michael’s glory illuminated the benighted ground below.

The residents of the condemned world was far outnumbered but that didn’t thaw their will to fight. The heavenly army was mangling their warriors and gashing their compact ranks under a glory lit sky. Having never seen those made of flesh and blood turned Azazael’s stomach when he saw balefire-red substance called blood spurt from their gaping wounds as men wailed and screamed. The crying of the women and children broke his heart. How can this be just? He wondered. As they were clobbering and clubbing against their shield wall, sending them plummeting to their bejeweled ground below. The amount of red substance the seasoned warriors called “blood” was astonishing to him. He had fought many times for pleasure and had never seen blood for none of his opponents bled. Nor had he ever seen anyone die. At least, not these people were dying. He saw the souls leaving the bodies. The souls looked liked him. The calamity sound of swords clashing, and the roar of fire and swishing of axe falling filled his ears. He clenched his jaw to rid himself of this awful sound.

He also noted these people’s eyes was leaking a clear fluid but in the midst of the whirlwind of disorder and violence, the barbarous blurring of colors and vicious motion of the battle did allow him a chance to examine the substance. He was hoping the deafening, pounded in the ears, drumming to a ferocious beat inside the helmet would soon drown out their crying. He knew he had to turn off his emotions. After doing so the sound was barely enough to obscure the cries of men, the screams of injured beasts, and the thunder of steel striking steel. Pain from a dozen wounds barely registered in his psyche; it was being drowned out by the heightened sense of deaden his conscious. Who was he to question the Will of Heaven. The acidic smell of pervasive fear rose to his nostrils. But he ignore it was as they went throughout the realm to issue judgment.

Now on the ground with his regiment a man with his face twisted in pure rage ran out the flaming opalescent palace cussing and cursing all of them, being nearest, the man engaged him in battle. With shields covering their left sides and swords drawn, both men circled then began to swing and battle at each other. Azazael lifted his shield and caught a blow, but then turned at lighting speed and pounded into his unknown brother’s shield with his own sword. Azazael pounded his shield again and again, knocking him to the ground. The clashing of metals shook the valley as he took one cold look into his unafraid, unknown brother’s eyes and took his head with a clean swipe of the blade. He didn’t know this man but he respected him for not begging for his life against the inevitable.

When the battle was over blood ran like a river throughout the realm. The entire realm was scarlet, Michael torched the realm when every living soul had been escorted to Heaven.

He had been on judgments before but never one quite like this one. The bleeding greatly emphasize the pain and suffering which was something he had not known never existed. His uniform was soaked from head to toe with blood and other matters he couldn’t identify. One such as this one he hopes never to encounter again. The consuming fire devouring the realms evaporate the bloody matters leaving his uniform as clean and crisp as it was when he flew out of heaven. But it did nothing to erase the memory of the people pleading for their lives. This was a different type of immortals. He had heard of such but never seen them.

Upon returning to the heavens he was instructed to go drink from the waters that flowed from the Throne. Seeing that his heart was troubled Michael approached him after drinking his fill saying. “Azazael, I do not like judgments any more than you but they knew the consequences for continuing on the path they chose to follow. They had been warned many times to change their ways but instead they became worse not better.”

This wasn’t making sense to Azazael’s mind, nor his sense of judgment. “Did we have to kill the children too? What had they done deserving of such a harsh punishment?”

Michael sighed heavily, “Azazael, the innocents had been taken away seconds before we arrived as they always are. You know that. Those were not children. They’ve been existence longer than you. They were fully aware of this would someday happen. Just make sure I never have to visit you with such pleasantries.”

He knew that was a warning of his iniquities; he wasn’t surprised that Michael knew of them. After witnessing what he just saw and participated in he vowed he had to do better. Give up his concubines and lovers; treat his created subjects milder, be faithful again to Paranorma. He had become too lax and comfortable. He knew Michael was inviting him to check his guilt, leave his defenses at the door, and allow himself to consider that we can all make choices to both be free so that my openness would set my wife, my queen free. I was the cause of her seeking outside companionship.

When he arrived home the carving and cleaving of the battle was still fresh on his mind. His daughter Azazaelana greeted him just as he appeared in the hallway leading to his chamber. She was his oldest daughter and secretly his favorite child. She had his versicolored hair but her mother’s iridescence skin. He kissed her on the cheek and asked where’s her mother. He can always tell when one of the children was lying. None was very good at it.

“Sorry, but I haven’t seen mother in a long spell.” She lied with lips so much like his own.

He pushed passed his daughter and teleports to his wife chamber. He wasn’t surprised to find Zeus there. He knew this sort of thing was Zeus’ specialty. They appeared to having a cup of tea but he wondered what had they done before the cup of tea?

Both looked up in angry face at the same time. “How did thing go?” Zeus asked.

“As expected.”

“Sorry, but judgments are always messy business from what I’ve heard.”

“Yes, they are but what are you doing here? I do not record my wife giving another gala so soon.” Azazael asked suspiciously, looking from one to the other.

Paranorma seeing her husband’s anger she politely inform her guest that they should do this again at some other time.

“My pleasure,” Zeus politely and nobly nods toward Paranorma as he returned the delicate, fine cup to it decorated saucer. But rose and turned to Azazael, matching him in height and stature.

“I wasn’t aware of the need for a gala to enjoy a cup of tea.” Zeus said and disappeared.

Zeus steel gray eyes told him all he needed to know, that Paranorma was his next intended victim.

Azazael looks around the deep gold and lavender motiffed room after Zeus’s departure and decided now would be a good time to talk to her about not letting what happened to that world happen to them.

“As you know the king and queen’s actions are what determines if a world or realm is judged or not. I know it’s time we renewed our vows and commitment to each other and stick to them.” He said taking a seat next to her and tenderly rubbing her upper arm before hugging and embracing her so hard it was uncomfortable.

“Paranorma, you know I love you. I know you may not think so because of my constant absence. But I don’t want anything to happen to you and our family because of my actions. We’ve 65 millions Azazaeland years of generations scattered on the worlds and realms in Azazaeland dimensions. I want you to help me save all of them. I just watched a king broken and defeated; watch his offsprings being slayed and hauled off.”

Paranorma wonders why this one seemed to bother him? He had been on several expeditions before but this one truly bothered him. “Azazael, what about this one bothers you so much? You’ve been on many before. So what’s so special about this one.”

He paused a few minutes, “One thing---they had the fortitude to fight back. That was semi-new. Secondly, their bodies was unlike ours. Theirs was like something very primitive but yet beautiful. Their bones broke, their mangled bodies bled a red substance, their eyes cried clear tears and their bodies released a peculiar odor when frighten, a foul smelling water seep from their skin. I’ve never seen those things before and do not wish to see them again. Their emotions were real, so raw, so right up in my face. The king was a brave man. He took his beheading without a plea for his life. Something told me they were used to this thing called pain. What surprised me is that they were far older than us. I had no idea such a world existed. Only the eternal warriors seemed to know about them.”

She was seeing the soft side of him again, a side she hadn’t seen in many years. She took his hand and led him to the bed adjourning the room and pulled him down gently in her arm. “Darling, calm down, nothing is going to happen to the children and I. You know that. We’re nothing like those primitive people you saw. You also know Father’s Judgments are always just. They could’ve stop misbehaving when He told them to stop. It’s obvious they were very warlike people and loved to bleed their "blood." Who with any logic at all would attack the Army of Heaven? You surrender when you see Michael coming not charge him. But no one in our realm and dimension has ever suffered such a fate and never will.” She said raking her long slender fingers through his flowing mane.

“That’s where you are wrong my dear. There has been older worlds like ours judged. That’s what all the ones I’ve seen looked like. Like ours’. So if we don’t change that could be us.”

Paranorma didn’t want to discuss the dreadfulness of his job, those dire things had nothing to do with her. So why could she care about some ancient people she didn’t know? She wanted to talk about cheerful things. She changed the course of the conversation.

“Your brother Brustiel is getting married again. I think it’s about time. He has been single far too long. It must be difficult ruling a kingdom for so long with no mate. Hannael invited us to the wedding. You are right, it’s time we renewed our vows.” She said as she proceed to make love to him. They lived in different chambers; it was customary of kings and queens to live in different parts of the palace. He wanted them to break the custom and share the same rooms. But many felt a marriage can’t survive with the spouse always in your face. Their absence makes the heart grow finer. Aside from a menagerie of pets, he pretty much lived alone in his quarters of the palace and was often lonely eventhus millions of people and beings lived within the palace the size of a Milky Way planet.