Book VI: The Illuminati
Chapter 4: Raphael – The Healer of God
Meanwhile, during the time I was busy dealing with Michael the Mighty, and then later being accosted by Lucifer and Lilith, it seems another event occurred that also slipped by without me knowing it at the time.
Kane and his clans were still forging ahead on their journey to The Promised Land when an evil accosted them that could have (should have) spelled their doom. Here’s what happened…
The man with the Mark of Immortality had by this time led his people into the far northeastern corner of the landmass that today you call ‘Russia’. Luckily for his people and their caravan of animals, the harsh winter was still months away. Yet the journey was still perilous – for they’d been journeying for weeks through a dense, shadowy forest and only the vast numbers of their clan helped to protect them against the wide variety of predators that lurked among the trees. Yet survive and thrive they’d done and therefore spirits were high among the clans as they moved closer to a land bridge that my Baal had instructed Kane was the gateway to their eventual new home on the continent of Terrverde.
Little did they know that evil was searching for them – and had finally found them.
As you can imagine, Lucifer was still seething over Gabriel’s interference with his demon Malakar. How Lucifer knew about Kane’s journey I had yet to discover, but for whatever reason the Dark Prince was determined to thwart Kane’s progress. Thus it was that he sent his demon Asmodeus to finish the job.
Now Asmodeus was one the tortured stellarones who’d I’d turned into a baal and gifted to Lucifer on the day I’d given my master the name Baal-Zebub. I never expected much from Asmodeus, but apparently he found his calling down in Illusia and that destiny involved him learning how to command the venomous creatures of Illusia. I guess Lucifer figured that skill would help Asmodeus cause problems for Kane’s people -and in fact it almost did.
One night, after Kane and his people had made camp in the forest, during the second watch of the night, when most of the clan was asleep, an eerie silence was broken only by the whispers of the grass moving. For although the people didn’t know it, the ground began to writhe with a sinister movement and from the shadows emerged countless asps, their venomous fangs glistening in the moonlight. And Asmodeus, hidden within the darkness, directed his serpentine minions with a malevolent grin.
Screams from around the camp broke the quiet of the night as countless snakes found a victim. Panic quickly ensued as Kane’s people woke to this unexpected nightmare. In fact, Kane himself was bitten – the venom quickly spreading through his veins and even though he was protected by the curse of immorality, the venom from the demon’s vipers inflicted the marked man with a pain so intense he surely thought he was dying.
Despite the best efforts of the clan, many were bitten before the they managed to fend off the snakes using makeshift torches from the campfires that protected them from the cold, but now, thankfully, provided the weapons they needed to drive the snakes away.
And yet, their trials were far from over – for many had been bitted and were now suffering. Asmodeus rejoiced at the sight and his serpentine eyes gleamed as his elongated, sinewy body wrapped around the upper portion of a tree – giving him a commanding view of the damage he’d orchestrated. Covered in scales that shimmered with a dark, iridescent sheen, his presence exuded a toxic miasma and made the air around him thick as if with venomous intent.
Although he hadn’t used them on this night, his fangs dripped with a venom so potent that a single bite could bring excruciating death, and he looked forward to finishing Kane off with them shortly.
“There is time yet,” the demon slithered, still whiling away his time by using a claw to make tally marks on the tree he was hiding in to mark the moans of his snakes victims – people who were in agony from the asps’ poison coursing through their bodies.
As the night grew darker, the moans of the injured and dying grew louder. By now, Kane himself was pale and barely conscious, as his people fought to keep the venom at bay. As the venom coursed through his veins, Kane felt an agony unlike any he had ever experienced for the poison seemed to attack the very essence of his being. His vision blurred, and darkness crept into the edges of his consciousness. His sons Drok and Derk knew the their father’s fate was sealed – death was fast approaching. As the news of their leader’s demise spread their the camp, despair loomed, threatening to extinguish their hope. For the question on everyone’s mind, what they feared the most was Who will lead us when the snakes return?
Asmodeous could hear their panic and he was all too happy to lead Kane’s people – to lead them to their deaths! The demon began to slither down the tree, with murder on his mind.
Yet then it was that a radiant light pierced the darkness and out of that light the archangel Raphael appeared!
One of the four Illuminated Ones, Raphael’s presence overwhelmed Asmodeous’ desire, keeping the demon at bay. With angelic wings that were vast and shimmering, Raphael semed to envelop the entire camp in a protective embrace as he declared, “Fear not, for I am Raphael, The Guide of the Lost and the Healer of All.
Moving through the camp, Raphael’s touch instantly healed the venomous wounds of the dying. His presence brought a sense of calm and strength to Kane’s people, driving away the fears that Asmodeus had caused. Yet by the time he reached Kane, the old man’s sons feared it was too late for their father to be saved, for so far close to death did Kane appear. Yet Raphael paid the wailing of the mourners no mind and instead placed his hands on Kane’s wounds – instantly the venom dissipated and Kane revitalized – looking as if the cares of years had been shaved away from his brow.
Yet Lucifer’s demon was not about to give up so easy. For when Raphael appeared to have finished his work, Asmodeus emerged from the shadows with a hissing laugh, “You think you can save them, healer? Don’t you realize these people are mine – whether I choose to kill them tonight or a future one, you can’t protect them forever!”
“If you are so certain of victory,” The angel scoffed, “why not take care of me first?”
The demon’s red eyes glowed brighter, and coiling himself to strike, he opened his mouth to reveal his dripping fangs as he slithered, “Ssssurely.”
Asmodeous struck in a flash, yet Raphael merely raised a hand – a radiant light burst forth, enveloping the demon and forcing him to the ground. Raphael then stepped on Asmodeus’ neck and proclaimed, “By the power of A’H, I banish you, demon. Your evil shall not prevail against these people – now or ever.
With a final, anguished scream, Asmodeus was cast back into the darkness – all the way to Illusia [where it’s certain Lucifer was NOT happy to see him].
The camp, now bathed in Raphael’s soothing light, began to recover by the time morning broke. Then it was that the archangel spoke to Kane, “Your journey is far from over, Kane – the forces of darkness will not easily relent. But know this: you are not alone.”
“Did Baal send you?” Kane’s son Drok asked, grateful for the divine intervention.
“Baal?” Raphael laughed.
“Our god.” Kane’s other son Derk explained. “Surely our lord commanded you to save us.”
Rather than answer, Raphael joked, “What was the last thing that demon said?”
“Sssurely.” Kane averred.
“Perhaps that is our answer.” The angel smiled before his presence dissipated – leaving Kane and his people in awe – and eager to forge ahead with the next stage of their journey.
The Apocrypha of Azazel 