The Story of Helel (Chapters 1&2)

1. A MEADOW OF WILLOWS

There was nothing, and then there was everything. An intelligent being, born not as an infant nor as one wise with age, opened his eyes for the first time. His senses tingled with curiosity as the world introduced itself. The new sounds graced him in passing. The sensations were glorious; a rush, if you will.

The sun’s rays stretched over the scene, the wind yawned at its awakening. Willow trees dominated the grounds, and a lake shone bluer than the dome above. The grass beneath his feet bent as though it were bowing to royalty.

Good morning, My child. A voice of pure and fearsome power filled his mind.

Immediately, the freshly bloomed man fell to his knee, his head befallen. “This servant is humbled by Thy presence, my Lord, the One who is Unparalleled.” Despite having been birthed by nothing but words only a few seconds before, he was knowledgeable to who was speaking. The Creator of all things, his master.

You are aware of the importance in your position. Execute it well, child.

“This servant swears to Thee, he will do his duties with all due diligence to glorify Thee.”

Good. Your name, as rightfully bestowed, is Helel. The shining one.

“This servant thanks Thee with his whole being.”

The overwhelming presence departed, leaving the newly-named one trembling like a newborn fawn. It was from fear of His omnipotence and also from the excitement of conversing with the most Holy One.

Helel stood, studying the green panorama. The sun was rising to the eastern side of the bairn planet. Not long ago, this world was spoken into existence, left with Man to dominate it. But lately, those men have been getting out of hand by blatantly disobeying the Father’s commands. “It isn’t that difficult, honestly.” He frowned with disapproval. Why would one sacrifice eternity for a fleeting moment’s impulse?

He was a curious individual. This world was now his oyster, and he wanted to understand it thoroughly. Why would Man commit such atrocities? What pushed them to such an extent? He wanted to know.

“My brother.” A welcoming voice crept up from behind.

Helel spun and smiled, “Vlam.” He wasn’t told of his name, he just instinctively knew. It was as though all information on this man he’s only met for the first time was perfectly organized within his mind. They embraced each other; this was his fellow warrior, another Guardian of the Elements.

Vlam's eyes radiated the warmth of a flame; his dark skin melted in the sunlight. His figure was strong, and his powers pulsed through his veins. Helel was of taller and thinner stature, as could be derived from his positioning above Vlam's eye-level.

“Vlam, Helel.” A fair-headed woman who walked with prestige greeted them, appearing from behind a willow tree.

“Genesis, how fare thee?” He asked.

“Well, and my fellows?”

“Splendidly.” He bowed his head.

The three of them clasped hands and waited. They were not the only Guardians gracing the earth. A sunray bent away from its determined path; from it emerged the next. Valgus, a man with chocolate hair and honey eyes, smiled and joined the chain. Before them, the lake fell away from Neró as he surfaced, beaming as he met eyes with his companions. Skuggi stepped out of a willow tree’s reaching shadow, and joined them along with the Water Guardian. Then finally, Angelique descended from the heavens, completing the circle.

The assemblage was complete. The seven Guardians of the Elements were united for the first time in history. The presence of raw power within that circle was overwhelming. To think that the Life-Giver had bestowed such marvelous abilities upon them boggled his mind. "I'm glad to have everyone here," Helel trembled with excitement. He couldn't contain his smile.

“I am as well, my dear friend. We have an important task ahead of us. Though, the influence and prestige of the Shepherd will not change whether we succeed or fail, as He is Eternity, we mustn't disappoint.” Genesis uttered, her countenance as graceful as an angel.

“Yes,” the rest rang out in unison. From this day on, they were to rely on each other and work together for a better future. Despite the solemnity of the meadow of willows they stood in, the world was raging with the seedlings of evil. Helel, Guardian of Space, was to act as a medium for those seeds, and eliminate them before they take root.

“Let us depart, for Evil is near. Now we must meet before the opportunity to vanquish is lost.” Neró broke the circle to gesture towards the opposite way of the rising sun.

“Yes, we shall.” Genesis followed.

The Guardians journeyed west, leaving the meadow of willows behind. Helel’s senses vibrated as he reached out to feel his domain. Everything was available to his eyes, it was intriguing. Of course, his jurisdiction wasn’t much compared to the Father, but it was still a vast amount. Perhaps, one day, it will be more. He strongly believed that if he proved his indispensable worth, then the Provider will bestow even greater powers upon him.

The extensive land proved nearly impossible to travel over on foot. It was simpler to journey using the elements. Helel zipped through his realm of Space. The sensation was energizing. He was still in the world, but wasn't. The surroundings looked the same, but he didn't exist within them.

The other Guardians traveled within their own elements; Genesis through the heart of the earth, Neró had evaporated into a cloud and was being whisked along by Angelique, who soared through the air as though she were a freed bird. Valgus was using the light paths as his means of transportation, and Skuggi used whatever shadows he could find while Vlam rocketed himself using his fire as a propeller.

The nearly barren land they were traveling over soon turned into hills of rolling trees; soon after, the ground soared upwards, reaching heights above the clouds. Helel moved his body to the mountain’s summit, opening the door back into Physicality. Angelique and Neró were already halfway through building a snowman. They spun in surprise as he appeared out of nowhere.

"I didn't even sense you!" Angelique gasped with awe.

Helel chuckled, "It's just how my powers work."

"How?"

"Well. . . I stop existing," he shrugged. It wasn't much to be starstruck of. His powers were but a drop in the ocean when compared to the Complete One.

Helel heard Valgus before he saw him, "Interesting." The Light Guardian unzipped the sunbeam and stepped down into the snow.

"Hurry up and build the snowman, there are few shadows up here and I don't want to climb." Skuggi pleaded from within the shadow channels.

"We're working on it." Neró said, placing the second compact ball of snow atop the first with vigor.

"I'm making the head." Angelique announced, pushing around a pathetic sphere in the packed snow.

"Can't you two make snow?" Genesis' head sprouted from the ground like a daisy. The rest of her body was ejected from the earth; she brushed loose dirt from her sleeves.

"Yes, but this is more fun." Angelique stated.

Genesis shrugged. A pillar of earth rose from below their feet, providing a shadow large enough for Skuggi to escape out of. "Thank you, Genesis." He sighed, staring with contempt at the two lolly-gagging Guardians, playing in the snow like children.

From here, they were supposed to find the Walkway of Ether, as was ingrained in their mission. Their entire path was laid before them; all they had to do in order to succeed was follow it accordingly. After crossing the Walkway, they would come across the first civilization, entirely comprised of sinners who worship pagan gods. They were to show no mercy to those who were lost to Evil. It was a tough stone to swallow, as Helel was also created with the reluctance to take a life, but he would do as instructed. This command was essential for the future of the world. It would be a deciding factor in whether the peoples of the time ahead would live in bliss or gore.

It wasn't unheard of for a tribe of pagans to tempt those who followed the Creator’s Book of Law into partaking in their own rites and rituals. Those temptations have unapologetically doomed the lives of countless, both in the mortal world and in Eternity. Why? He couldn't help but wonder. It was such that he couldn't comprehend. His foot turned and the rest of his body followed. Out over the world his eyes gazed, appreciating all that was built off of nothing more than a word from his Lord. Why abandon their principle to follow that which does not reign that of Creation? Why toss away your inheritance within the heavenly realm to spend a life of meanderless meaning and an eternity of suffering and regret? Helel truly couldn't fathom it.

The Walkway of Ether was a long and narrow bridge stretching between two mountain cliffs, thousands of feet in the air. Helel wasn't affected by the vertigo he received when staring down at the foggy crevice, but Genesis wobbled like a duck with a lame leg. She gripped both ropes on their either side, her face almost as green as her emerald eyes.

"Gen, keep that up and you'll turn into a plant," Neró joked.

"At least plants have compassion." She spat back, hissing at the giggling Guardian.

Angelique took to the air and waited for Genesis, promising that if anything were to happen, she would catch her.

"Thank you, Angelique, for understanding my torment, unlike someone."

Neró pressed his lips together, but they curled up into a smile, making his mouth look like the grin they had traced onto the snowman before. Helel was amused by the interaction; he shook his head, smiling to himself.

Similar exchanges occurred during the long haul over the sturdy bridge. How Man had crafted such a durable and stable path over the air eluded him. Helel might be powerful, but he couldn't use his Space to implement such brilliancy. Man truly is made in the image of the Almighty. He realized. The Guardians were built in the form of man and woman, but they were not as such. Their powers and minds were of a different kind.

"I think I see the end," Valgus squinted.

Genesis released a long, drawn-out sigh of release, "Thank the Lord."

"Thank Him indeed. My feet are killing me." Neró groaned.

"I'll go and scout." Angelique offered, allowing the strong winds to lift her away. Further up ahead, she drifted to the ground.

"I'm going to join her." Helel announced, opening a gap in Space and stepping through. In his domain, anything was possible. He could jump from one end of the bridge to the other if he so pleased. The only crutch was that upon staying too long within his Space, the way to leave slowly left his memory reserves. If he remained in the other realm for too long, he would never be able to leave. ‘Tis the reprimander of power.

Once he was next to Angelique, the door to the Physical Realm opened. The Air Guardian didn't seem shocked in the least when Helel appeared out of thin air. "That power of yours has really desensitized me to random things popping out of nowhere," said Angelique, poking at a mountain berry bush. "I think we can eat these."

Helel's stomach rumbled like a volcano threatening to erupt. The unfortunate thing of being in the Middle World was the desires and needs of the flesh. It would've been a much simpler journey had they no need to satiate their bodies. He groaned, craving some type of nourishment.

"Try this." Angelique tossed some berries into the air which floated neatly into his palms.

Helel tossed them into the back of his throat, swallowing them whole. The berries hit his stomach like rocks, leaving an uncomfortable feeling. "I don't think I did that right," he scrunched his nose.

"Try it again."

He took the second round of berries and placed them all on his tongue, then slowly began to chew. The tart flavor encompassed each of his taste buds, sending shivers up his spine. "I don't like them," he shuddered.

"Well, beggars can't be choosers." Angelique shrugged, eating some berries herself. "It seems safe enough, right?" She turned in all directions, scoping everything out.

"Yeah, I didn't see anything on my way over." Helel nodded. "I wonder why humans decided to settle down so high up. What was their thought process in doing so?"

"I'm not sure. There are many things that we haven't experienced, and therefore don't understand. Perhaps they wanted to stake out a place that offered advantageous territory in the off-chance that an attack were to occur, or maybe they just liked the breeze. We won't know unless they either tell us, or we are put in the same situation."

"I see. So, if we were put in the same situation as them, we would jump to do the same, is what you're saying?"

"Not at all. Our minds work differently, don't they? I'm sure the humans' minds are different as well. To think that they are anything less would be to discredit the Creator."

"It seems I misjudged you, Angelique. I had assumed that you were a carefree individual. You and Neró both."

"Yes, misjudged entirely," she chuckled. "We are all very nuanced, aren't we? Considering we were born recently, our depth of wisdom and knowledge surpasses our days. We have been imbued with the information necessary to carry out our mission. Even I, despite my demeanor, know when to take things seriously. Our moods differ from one moment to the next. Our needs do the same. We truly are complex."

"Complex indeed. . ."

"Heyyy!" Neró called, bouncing up and down while waving both arms. The other Guardians looked perturbed as their fellow shook the bridge with his excitement.

The village looked like a tree topper from far off, as it was built directly on the top of the mountain's snow-capped peak. The homes looked about ready to slide off the edge with the slightest gust of wind, but they remained sturdy despite their appearance. People could be seen trekking along ridges and hauling small wagons up the sides; further down, where less snow reached, there were irrigation systems and farms built into the mountain. Helel marveled at the instruments used to water the crops; pipes of reed were woven along the plant beds, directing water into the soil.

The residents wore thick pelts of various animals. Helel knew that it was a way to preserve warmth, though his own garments didn't provide such comfort in this region. His thin linen was graciously provided as he awoke, but it was only convenient in that specific territory, where the sun warmed even the ants' nest, deep underground. Here, it did absolutely nothing against the biting cold wind.

The only way they kept warm was by clustering against Vlam, who radiated a warmth akin to that of the sun. Angelique and Valgus were likewise unaffected by the cold, but the remaining four were turning blue. Vlam didn't show any mind to their clinging; in fact, he seemed to quite like it. Helel was personally unfond of being in such close vicinity with multiple people, but it was necessary for his survival.

"Should we go confront them?" Genesis' teeth chattered.

"We should just wipe them out." Helel sniffed, his nose running.

"Let's confront them first. If they reject the Word, then we can wipe them out." Skuggi suggested.

"Okay, but remember, one bad apple can ruin the entire basket. I'd be surprised if there are any apples left untouched." Helel pointed out. He was especially uncomfortable by an ominous feeling which hung over the village; one of unnatural nature.

"That may be so, but we don't want to be shedding any unnecessary blood." Vlam rumbled.

They approached the village but were met by a quartet of men before they could reach it.

"Halt," one commanded, speaking in a different tongue; however, the Guardians could understand him perfectly. "Why do you come?"

"We are here to inquire about where you place your faith. For whom do you live?" Valgus demanded.

"Leave. We will not reveal our practices to outsiders."

"Please, does anyone within your village follow the Sovereign?" Genesis pleaded, desperation in her voice.

"Any who followed the false god were sacrificed to Huitzilinti." Another answered.

The Guardians were horrified; this was beyond their inclinations. "How could you---," Neró started, but was stopped by Genesis, "Let's go."

They all turned and walked away. Vlam was no longer needed to keep warm, they were all fuming with rage's inner fire. Immediately, discussions about wiping that village off of the planet were in motion.

"Let's ask the Lord on how He wishes for them to go." Valgus suggested. They all agreed; if anyone knew how to punish such actions, it would be Him.

2. THE FIRST JUDGEMENT

After spending a full cycle of the sun in avid prayer, the Guardians gathered and compiled their solutions:

"I'll call a gale to blow their houses from the peak." Angelique said.

"I'll split the mountain into two," Genesis declared.

"The lava will come very much in handy, Genesis." Vlam grunted, intending to call upon it to burn all remains.

"I can solidify it with water, that nothing may ever be recovered." Neró added.

"I'll shine upon them, so that they may be known of what befell them." Valgus chewed his fingernail.

"I'll obscure their surroundings, so they may not see so much as their feet. Their escapes will be thwarted." Skuggi sighed.

"And I shall take my sickle and reap the Evil from their hearts to store within my Space, that it may never influence this world ever again." Helel said, unease gripping him. This will be their first conquest; the Lord's sorrow was transmitted upon the Guardians, but what they felt strongest was the Holy One's white-hot anger. The holiest of anger burned against these peoples. Their seeds of sin have too deeply taken root to be forgiven, and their hearts have been completely closed to the goodness of the Merciful One. A decision was made that they must exist no more, that their influence may not affect the remainder of His followers.

They strode over to the village, a mix of emotions whirling within. Anger, sorrow, pity, and so many more fueled them to use their God-given powers to smite the evil-doers. Small fires burned within the homes, the residents in unawares of their fates.

"Spare none." Neró concluded, a snarl in his voice.

It was a fearsome power, the anger of the Complete One. It burned so greatly that even Helel wished for nothing more than to erase the life of each individual living within this village of pagans. To be on the receiving end of such fury from an ever-patient Creator, he would never wish such a thing upon anyone.

Valgus spun and took to the sky, brighter than any star. His light shone upon the entire village. Startled residents poked their heads outside of their doors, some ran out and began to bow down to the Light Guardian, worshipping him as though he were one of their gods. Helel could see the discontent on Valgus' face, his mouth lifted into a growl.

Skuggi disappeared and his body encompassed even the mountain, leaving the village as a floating spectacle. Now, the people were growing increasingly skeptical. Some men were already adorned in tough leather gear, wielding axes and spears. They pointed them towards the new source of light, screaming profanities and threats.

A gale ripped the weapons from their hands, and the ground beneath trembled. Helel marched directly into the center of town and was attacked by an onslaught of arrows, spears, and axes being thrown. Nothing touched him; they all disappeared into a gap, leaving the realm entirely.

From what could be seen within the mayhem, a temple rested in the center of the village, with morgues filled of skeletons on either side. Villagers were congregating there, brandishing long skinning knives and yanking their young towards the sacrificial table. A grotesque, guttural rage churned within his stomach. They must exist no more.

Helel closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel rather than see. This was not a sight which he wanted branded into his memories. He already knew that the lives of these humans would not be on their hands, for the Reigning One had spoken to each of the Guardians. Destroy the dwellings, and I shall turn the sinners to dust.

Helel would have no hand in any destruction; he would only whisk away the evil souls before they could manifest elsewhere. Around him the wind grew, tugging at his hairs and threatening to rip his adornments away. He heard creaks and groans, and finally crashes as houses were torn from their foundations and thrown off the cliffside. The trembling ground deafened him as it split, sending statues of crumbling figures and their creations into a great chasm. He felt the heat of the hottest fire as lava was called from the very mantle of the earth, burning the very mountain itself. As Neró's tidal of water touched the molten rock, the steam singed Helel's hair and burned his skin to a tender red. Finally, it was his turn.

Helel stepped into his own realm and opened his eyes. Around him floated the blackened souls, darker than the void the world wandered in. The souls had been so tainted that there would be no way to return them to their former glory. No robes or wings would be granted to such specters.

He constructed a long and curved scythe from his thoughts, and dragged it through the hundreds of souls, collecting them one by one. He then threw these into a cage of his Father's holiness; it burned with bars of the purest light. The screeches of the souls split his mind, as though it were his sanity rather than the mountain that was broken in two.

Physicality called for him, and the door opened. He swiftly left the tormented spirits to their imprisonment, and returned to the world where his fellows existed. His breath was haggard, and his muscles sore. Never before had he felt this meek.

Genesis approached him just in time to lend her assistance. She was one of two Guardians still standing on their feet. Vlam was carrying Angelique in one of his arms, while supporting Skuggi with his other. This was their first taste of the power they each held.

"It is done." Valgus huffed, leaning his head on the boulder of hardened lava which he sat against.

Helel finally gathered the strength to lift his head and study the work they had done. No trace of the village was left; all buildings had been taken into oblivion, and the people who lived there were no more. The unnerving feeling he had initially received upon resting his eyes on the village which was now without existence had dissolved and existed not.

Read the rest of “The Story of Helel” at www.alannamcniel.com