A Song of Remembrance (part 3 of 3)
The dazzling being stood beside the General, who was still upon his
knees, and lifted a silver shield to block an incoming barrage of
arrows; the projectiles bouncing harmlessly off his shield. The fiery
tips went out the moment they came in contact with the silver plating
of the being’s armor. Each fell to the ground with barely a sizzle.
Then another being appeared, and another, until the field was flooded
with an army of divine beings. Some wore robes, some shone so bright
they appeared as little more than orbs of light. Some flew about,
darting around faster than my eyes could track them. Others strode
forward to engage the enemy.
The bovine creature roared in fury, in dismay. The shadowy creatures
on the field with him screeched and squealed, mixtures of hatred,
terror, and anguish in their noises.
All the while, the humans seemed oblivious. They continued the fight,
confused as the front lines began to press forward once more. The
divine beings made ground and they had relief from the fiery barrage
of arrows. The tides had turned and they fought with all they had, not
wanting to give up ground they had not won alone.
The divine being who had appeared beside the General looked down with
a nod before charging forward, sword drawn.
The General rose to his feet, eyes… watching the being as it strode
into the fray.
He saw it?
It was as if his eyes had been opened, but only to that one divine
being, he didn’t notice any of the others. Hand tightly gripping his
sword, he let out a battle cry, charging toward conflict after the
divine being with renewed vigor, tear-streaks still apparent on his
face.
The battle raged for over an hour; the divine beings fighting back for
the ground the shadowy wisps had won. But many times the battle would
stall, and I wondered how many lives would be lost as the humans
continued to holler, and scream, and thrust swords into each other.
Then the divine being, who had appeared beside the General, lifted his
eyes toward a fellow being decked in white robes, perfectly-crafted
bow in hand and a quiver of never-ending golden arrows upon his back.
The glowing archer nodded and notched an arrow, lifting it with a
steady hand.
The battle seemed to pause a moment, and my eyes narrowed in on that
arrow. I knew that one projectile heralded a pivotal moment for the
battle, and time seemed to freeze as it soared across the field.
The bovine creature noticed it, too, but too late. He roared and
stumbled backward a mere moment before the arrow met its mark. It
lodged firmly in the middle of the eye, piercing all the way through,
halfway up the shaft of the arrow. The creature howled with a stagger,
reaching up to break the arrow in half. He dropped the feathered end
as if it had stung him, baying in pain.
The shadowy forces surrounding him became frantic and began to fall
back. They took residence in the trees on the fringes of the
battlefield.
The commanding divine being lifted his shield in front of him, and
hollered in a voice that carried like a trumpet, “Creatures and beings
of darkness! You have no purchase here! You have no power! LEAVE!
NOW!”
There was wailing and shrieking as they fled and dissipated, fleeing
from the fury of the divine being.
The enemy army soon realized the tides had shifted and followed suit,
heading into the forest to run with what little forces they had left.
Then the divine beings began to leave as well, slowly, with melodies
fading on the air.
I lifted my voice, fragile as it may be, toward the heavens. I trilled
out a song across that blood-soaked battlefield of sorrow and decay.
The soldiers’ cries of victory turned to wails as they picked across
the carnage. The wreckage they had left behind.
I watched with a broken heart as my song continued.
The bright being that had commanded the troops stood in the middle of
the field, long after his fellows had departed. After some time, his
eyes found me as I sung my melody of mourning.
So much death. So much pain.
I warbled out a remembrance, in the voice the Creator had given me.
And I wondered how many lives could have been saved if only the
General had stopped before the battle had begun. And knelt upon his
knees. And cried out to his Maker.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
(Ephesians 6:12, KJV)
~ G. G. Marshall
Read the beginning!
Part 1: A Song of Remembrance (1)
Part 2: A Song of Remembrance (2)
Want to know more about the creature that inspired this story? Balor Profile
The next creature profile will be on the Phoenix
(available 5/16/24):