Author's Notes
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Chapter 36 - Postlude
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Chapter 36
I've always thought the worst things Birch and the other paladins before him endured in Hell weren't the tortures of their bodies, but those of their minds and spirits. Pain is one thing, but soul-crushing despair is something else entirely and can have much more significant, long-lasting impacts. Also, the former can be readily healed (to some degree) by most paladins - not so much with the latter. Note then the timing of Satan's visit - He approached Birch mere days after this lowest point in his captivity. That's hardly a coincidence on Satan's part.
"...he loved her, he just was not necessarily in love with her." Depending on what day you asked me, as a young man, I either thought this was an apt way of describing things, or else the biggest pile of semantic tripe used as an avoidance measure. I've heard this distinction made many, many times over the years (almost always among young women I knew), so it seemed like a good fit for his thought process here.
I'm not sure at what point I decided Selti had the remnants of Abdiel's āyus as a part of him, but it turned out to be necessary. The issue of life on the immortal planes has already been addressed, or rather the complete absence of life and even the inability of life on the mortal plane to be born under the world's current circumstances, so Selti being born in Hell (a fixed necessity from Book1) became something of a problem. More on him in the next chapter, though.
Ithuriel and Zephon are a pair of angels named in Paradise Lost, and Boel is the keeper of the "Four Keys of the Earth" in various religious sources. There's such a treasure trove of angels and demons out in our world's history, it's fun to dig through and find little gems like these who can be dropped in like cameo spots.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
It was fortuitous that I had Michael and Birch start to build a rapport here, because I have some things in mind for them in future books. I didn't even have to come back and "fix" it.
"...he loved her, he just was not necessarily in love with her." Depending on what day you asked me, as a young man, I either thought this was an apt way of describing things, or else the biggest pile of semantic tripe used as an avoidance measure. I've heard this distinction made many, many times over the years (almost always among young women I knew), so it seemed like a good fit for his thought process here.
I'm not sure at what point I decided Selti had the remnants of Abdiel's āyus as a part of him, but it turned out to be necessary. The issue of life on the immortal planes has already been addressed, or rather the complete absence of life and even the inability of life on the mortal plane to be born under the world's current circumstances, so Selti being born in Hell (a fixed necessity from Book1) became something of a problem. More on him in the next chapter, though.
Ithuriel and Zephon are a pair of angels named in Paradise Lost, and Boel is the keeper of the "Four Keys of the Earth" in various religious sources. There's such a treasure trove of angels and demons out in our world's history, it's fun to dig through and find little gems like these who can be dropped in like cameo spots.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
It was fortuitous that I had Michael and Birch start to build a rapport here, because I have some things in mind for them in future books. I didn't even have to come back and "fix" it.
Chapter 37
I hope nothing said about Selti's origins and the background of dakkans (etc) feels like a convenient excuse or brush-over. I spent a lot of time working through as many of the implications of what is said here as I could think of, and they influenced a lot of things that have already happened and even more that have yet to come in future books. I would have willingly sacrificed Selti's exceptional shapeshifting abilities and the presence of Abdiel if I felt it didn't make sense in the grand scheme of things, but it fit in nicely with the origins I had in mind for dakkans, and I think it all works together quite neatly. Lots of little pieces ended up working together in ways I hadn't originally considered, and they reinforced other ideas and brought a tangled and disjointed web into a solid pattern.
I swear I'm not proselytizing or trying to convince you of anything when I talk about prayer and faith and belief in these books, these just seem like things a group of holy warriors and those in-training would naturally talk about. It became a way to explore certain ideas about the angels, and Mikal is the focal point of that development at the moment. I try to present a couple versions of certain ideas, and the perspectives the characters are giving should feel fitting and particular to that person, rather than part of some grander message on my part.
I originally started the scene with Mikal right after Brad and Anolla saved his life, and the description of Iblis's fate was relayed after the fact like a summary. It never really sat right with me, and fortunately I had the clarity of thought to ask "Why the hell am I not writing this scene as it happens?" That saved this entire section, thankfully, and even brought Hariel into being. There are precious few female characters in these books compared to the males, so having a badass female angel was a nice addition, and I think I'll keep her around in future books.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No real spoilers here, except what you've probably already guessed - that Satan is the one who translocated Iblis to safety. He is collecting leaders for the next phase of the grand scheme, as well as revealing Himself to those chosen few. Still no active presence in the present tense of the story, since that would violate the rules I set.
I swear I'm not proselytizing or trying to convince you of anything when I talk about prayer and faith and belief in these books, these just seem like things a group of holy warriors and those in-training would naturally talk about. It became a way to explore certain ideas about the angels, and Mikal is the focal point of that development at the moment. I try to present a couple versions of certain ideas, and the perspectives the characters are giving should feel fitting and particular to that person, rather than part of some grander message on my part.
I originally started the scene with Mikal right after Brad and Anolla saved his life, and the description of Iblis's fate was relayed after the fact like a summary. It never really sat right with me, and fortunately I had the clarity of thought to ask "Why the hell am I not writing this scene as it happens?" That saved this entire section, thankfully, and even brought Hariel into being. There are precious few female characters in these books compared to the males, so having a badass female angel was a nice addition, and I think I'll keep her around in future books.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No real spoilers here, except what you've probably already guessed - that Satan is the one who translocated Iblis to safety. He is collecting leaders for the next phase of the grand scheme, as well as revealing Himself to those chosen few. Still no active presence in the present tense of the story, since that would violate the rules I set.
Chapter 38
The conclusion of the scene atop the tower in Medina is where Mikal's continued interest in prayer has been going. I've mentioned some of it before so I won't beat it to death, I just found the question of angelic prayer interesting, and what their understanding of the idea would be. As far as I can tell, in our world religions, angels do not pray, for just the reasons said here - they are in the presence of God, and so don't need to. But in Lokka, God has removed Himself from active participation and presence in the world, so entities who had once walked in divine presence were ultimately left in the same boat as the mortals without the tools to feel a connection. When angels heal, the mechanics are different than mortals, so even in that case, they're really not praying to God. Mikal is the first angel since Gabriel to actually pray to God.
My version of Tartarus is a twist on the description provided in Virgil's Aeneid (Book VI). He describes it a triple-walled with a tall iron turret and surrounded by columns of adamant/adamantine. Classical Tartarus is where the wicked are punished (among its more famous inhabitants were boulder-rolling Sisyphus and the ever-tormented Tantalus, as well as Cronus the titan and the monster Typhon), so instead it became solely a place of torment, and therefore the location of Birch's tortures and those of his brethren.
I've been waiting to get to Dis since I first read Paradise Lost in college (the first of three times for three separate classes - ah, the life of an English major). It took a while to get here and we won't be here long, but still, totally worth it to me just to have the satisfaction of finally including it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Dis will make appearances in future books, I'm sure. As the only city in Hell, it will almost certainly be the setting for some of the action that will take place. The demon lords and princes who did not take part in this story are still very much at large, as are Molekh and Daella.
My version of Tartarus is a twist on the description provided in Virgil's Aeneid (Book VI). He describes it a triple-walled with a tall iron turret and surrounded by columns of adamant/adamantine. Classical Tartarus is where the wicked are punished (among its more famous inhabitants were boulder-rolling Sisyphus and the ever-tormented Tantalus, as well as Cronus the titan and the monster Typhon), so instead it became solely a place of torment, and therefore the location of Birch's tortures and those of his brethren.
I've been waiting to get to Dis since I first read Paradise Lost in college (the first of three times for three separate classes - ah, the life of an English major). It took a while to get here and we won't be here long, but still, totally worth it to me just to have the satisfaction of finally including it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Dis will make appearances in future books, I'm sure. As the only city in Hell, it will almost certainly be the setting for some of the action that will take place. The demon lords and princes who did not take part in this story are still very much at large, as are Molekh and Daella.
Chapter 39
The flight from Dis, down into Abaddon, and into the demon king's palace was all scripted to Lunatic Calm's Leave You Far Behind. It's not my normal style of music, but I got it from The Matrix soundtrack and something about the song stuck. I think what clinched it was the bit where Birch leaps from Selti's runner form and lands on dakkan-back - purely inspired by hearing the music (and a pretty bad-ass move, I think).
You may have noticed that Birch is able to use some of his powers without showing any outward sign of his demonic āyus while Danner generally seems more limited in what he can do without first asolving his wings. This is largely due to their experience (belief still plays a part here, as it does with other philosophical and theological areas in Lokka), since prior to this just about everything Birch ever experienced was actually Kaelus acting from within him, and Kaelus needed no external manifestations for most things. So to Birch, this is how it works and he's never experienced anything differently. Danner could do more without his wings if he had the presence of mind to experiment and push the boundaries of what he "knows". I'm sure he'll do more of that in the future, but not now, obviously.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The Dividha tactic of "Satan's Gambit" (as explained earlier) is of deliberately losing in order to reap some greater reward, presumably after tricking your opponent into betting heavily in favor of losing himself because he thinks you're wholly invested in winning. If you think about the first section of this chapter in those terms, Satan is deliberately shedding power cards in order to weaken his hand to ensure a loss. If the infernal army reached Medina at full strength, they would have overrun the city in a matter of days and the outcome would have been universally disastrous.
You may have noticed that Birch is able to use some of his powers without showing any outward sign of his demonic āyus while Danner generally seems more limited in what he can do without first asolving his wings. This is largely due to their experience (belief still plays a part here, as it does with other philosophical and theological areas in Lokka), since prior to this just about everything Birch ever experienced was actually Kaelus acting from within him, and Kaelus needed no external manifestations for most things. So to Birch, this is how it works and he's never experienced anything differently. Danner could do more without his wings if he had the presence of mind to experiment and push the boundaries of what he "knows". I'm sure he'll do more of that in the future, but not now, obviously.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The Dividha tactic of "Satan's Gambit" (as explained earlier) is of deliberately losing in order to reap some greater reward, presumably after tricking your opponent into betting heavily in favor of losing himself because he thinks you're wholly invested in winning. If you think about the first section of this chapter in those terms, Satan is deliberately shedding power cards in order to weaken his hand to ensure a loss. If the infernal army reached Medina at full strength, they would have overrun the city in a matter of days and the outcome would have been universally disastrous.
Chapter 40
In the Book of Enoch (non-canonical), Johnalyn is the most beautiful of angels to not betray God (Lucifer was the most beautiful of all, by all reports). I had a hard time tracking down an appropriate source for her character, but this one fit perfectly for what I had in mind for her.
Poor Uriel - this is twice now he's had a demon lord/prince at the instant of death, only to have him snatched away. Maybe next time. I have to say, I chuckle a little every time I read about Molekh's act of "uncharacteristic mercy".
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Johnalyn will be a key figure in future books, and her future is closely tied to the future of Heaven itself.
It's worth pointing out, in case you didn't notice right away, that Trames knows the war will be over "tomorrow" and they'll be able to go home. As always, he seems to have just a bit of foreknowledge about what's going on, but will never say anything to anybody about it beyond his seemingly cryptic insanity.
Poor Uriel - this is twice now he's had a demon lord/prince at the instant of death, only to have him snatched away. Maybe next time. I have to say, I chuckle a little every time I read about Molekh's act of "uncharacteristic mercy".
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Johnalyn will be a key figure in future books, and her future is closely tied to the future of Heaven itself.
It's worth pointing out, in case you didn't notice right away, that Trames knows the war will be over "tomorrow" and they'll be able to go home. As always, he seems to have just a bit of foreknowledge about what's going on, but will never say anything to anybody about it beyond his seemingly cryptic insanity.
Chapter 41
Marc's idle musings touch on some of the philosophy of Lokka regarding the departed, some of which has already been addressed earlier. The dead were supposed to go rejoin the Absolute, but were sidetracked into the immortal realms by their belief in a morally determined afterlife. When they're killed again, their souls automatically go rejoin the Absolute, no ifs, ands, buts, or second-chances.
"Improvise, adapt, and overcome." My old high school JROTC instructor was an Army major, but he was also a "former" Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine), and this is one of the many lessons he instilled in us from day 1. It's one of those concepts ubiquitous in the Corps that creates a culture that produces bad-asses.
I have to admit, I love Siran's entrance. It's just so.... him. When this scene plays out in a movie in my head, I can't help but laugh when Siran shows up. Malith is finally standing firm in his own beliefs, even if he doesn't fully understand their implications or his role in things, but I'm not at all sorry it was cut short so abruptly. Malith isn't ready to hear what Birch is trying to tell him anyway, so why waste your time?
I already had the beginnings of the idea for the statues in Mephistopheles's throne room in place before I saw The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury and saw the living statues there. I'm sure something from that movie influenced this scene and altered it somehow, but for the most part, the original idea survived intact, I think.
The Throne of God sat atop seven steps for the tradition of the "Seven Heavens"; similarly, Mephistopheles's throne is atop nine for the nine levels of Hell in Dante's Inferno.
A lot goes into the confrontation between Birch and Mephistopheles, from the encounter in the Hall of the Throne in Medina to the ongoing thoughts of how Birch perceives the "demonic essence within him". Even going back to the first explanations of shaishisii, and before that to the memories he has of the Voice and the psychological programming instilled in him by Satan.
"He ceased trying to narrow and focus his mind and instead acknowledged..." This harkens back to something that occurred to me when I had nothing better to think about one night in college, which was basically that the more you try to define and understand God, by identifying Him and finding ways to relate to Him, the less you're identifying with God and the more you're identifying with your own private version of Him. (Or maybe it was just identifying with yourself - I think I was a little fuzzy on that part.) Now that I think about it, maybe that's the original source of the whole "made in His image" conceit, which I of course exploit and reverse in this series with respect to the angels taking mortal form. One of the underlying traits of the Absolute in this series is that it's completely unknowable in truth, and the more you try to define and understand it, the farther you are from truly understanding the Absolute.
"...while the Absolute idly mused on the meaning of morality." Considered like this, the whole of existence is quite literally a thought experiment of the Absolute on the meaning and nature of morality. When you're truly infinite and beyond time, a few billion years (give or take) really isn't much time to give over to idle speculation.
"...less than the Absolute but infinitely greater than anything that would follow." This goes back to an idea I first saw in Gnosticism where lesser beings emanated from greater ones. The Absolute itself came from Gnosticism, where it's also known as the Monad, or the One (among other names). I went with this route and naming convention partly to completely remove the anthropomorphizing that accompanies the word "God". The term "absolute" isn't even a noun, it's a concept - it's abstract; immaterial.
As with Maya and Trames, Mephistopheles is relying on manifestations of his āyus to combat Birch, which are ineffective on two levels. First, any attempts to affect Birch mentally are now useless, and that's been a prime weapon for Mephistopheles for millions of years. Second, because of Birch's will and knowledge, his āyus is strong enough to rebuff any physical manifestation Mephistopheles might throw at him. Had the demon king thrown a real, metal sword at Birch, or even a rock, things might have been different.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Malith's moment of awakening here will be carried forward. His mirroring of Birch is far from over.
I don't know yet who else was trapped in the throne room - I might find out the names of a couple during the next trilogy. I'm sure at least one of them survived the destruction of the palace.
Note that Daella calls Danner a nephilim. That's a made-up word by Samyaza, so there's no reason Daella should know that word, unless she had some involvement in or knowledge of Samyaza's experiments in Lokka. This will be explored in-depth in future books.
"Improvise, adapt, and overcome." My old high school JROTC instructor was an Army major, but he was also a "former" Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine), and this is one of the many lessons he instilled in us from day 1. It's one of those concepts ubiquitous in the Corps that creates a culture that produces bad-asses.
I have to admit, I love Siran's entrance. It's just so.... him. When this scene plays out in a movie in my head, I can't help but laugh when Siran shows up. Malith is finally standing firm in his own beliefs, even if he doesn't fully understand their implications or his role in things, but I'm not at all sorry it was cut short so abruptly. Malith isn't ready to hear what Birch is trying to tell him anyway, so why waste your time?
I already had the beginnings of the idea for the statues in Mephistopheles's throne room in place before I saw The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury and saw the living statues there. I'm sure something from that movie influenced this scene and altered it somehow, but for the most part, the original idea survived intact, I think.
The Throne of God sat atop seven steps for the tradition of the "Seven Heavens"; similarly, Mephistopheles's throne is atop nine for the nine levels of Hell in Dante's Inferno.
A lot goes into the confrontation between Birch and Mephistopheles, from the encounter in the Hall of the Throne in Medina to the ongoing thoughts of how Birch perceives the "demonic essence within him". Even going back to the first explanations of shaishisii, and before that to the memories he has of the Voice and the psychological programming instilled in him by Satan.
"He ceased trying to narrow and focus his mind and instead acknowledged..." This harkens back to something that occurred to me when I had nothing better to think about one night in college, which was basically that the more you try to define and understand God, by identifying Him and finding ways to relate to Him, the less you're identifying with God and the more you're identifying with your own private version of Him. (Or maybe it was just identifying with yourself - I think I was a little fuzzy on that part.) Now that I think about it, maybe that's the original source of the whole "made in His image" conceit, which I of course exploit and reverse in this series with respect to the angels taking mortal form. One of the underlying traits of the Absolute in this series is that it's completely unknowable in truth, and the more you try to define and understand it, the farther you are from truly understanding the Absolute.
"...while the Absolute idly mused on the meaning of morality." Considered like this, the whole of existence is quite literally a thought experiment of the Absolute on the meaning and nature of morality. When you're truly infinite and beyond time, a few billion years (give or take) really isn't much time to give over to idle speculation.
"...less than the Absolute but infinitely greater than anything that would follow." This goes back to an idea I first saw in Gnosticism where lesser beings emanated from greater ones. The Absolute itself came from Gnosticism, where it's also known as the Monad, or the One (among other names). I went with this route and naming convention partly to completely remove the anthropomorphizing that accompanies the word "God". The term "absolute" isn't even a noun, it's a concept - it's abstract; immaterial.
As with Maya and Trames, Mephistopheles is relying on manifestations of his āyus to combat Birch, which are ineffective on two levels. First, any attempts to affect Birch mentally are now useless, and that's been a prime weapon for Mephistopheles for millions of years. Second, because of Birch's will and knowledge, his āyus is strong enough to rebuff any physical manifestation Mephistopheles might throw at him. Had the demon king thrown a real, metal sword at Birch, or even a rock, things might have been different.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Malith's moment of awakening here will be carried forward. His mirroring of Birch is far from over.
I don't know yet who else was trapped in the throne room - I might find out the names of a couple during the next trilogy. I'm sure at least one of them survived the destruction of the palace.
Note that Daella calls Danner a nephilim. That's a made-up word by Samyaza, so there's no reason Daella should know that word, unless she had some involvement in or knowledge of Samyaza's experiments in Lokka. This will be explored in-depth in future books.
Chapter 42
For the record, as far as I know, there's nothing powerful or special about the scarf Anolla tied around Flasch, no mystical protection it provided him, etc. He really did twist out of the way just enough that it cut through the metal of his armor and barely caught the scarf underneath. You can bet, though, that from now on, any time Flasch goes on some big mission, Anolla will be tying a scarf around him just in case.
The word "anathema" literally means "to lay a curse upon", specifically a formal curse by a religious ruling body as a form of excommunication. I'd say Maya is pretty firmly excommunicated here. And really, this is a much better "ultimate curse" than what they did to Imhotep in The Mummy. I mean, honestly, why would you curse a man by giving him near-omnipotence and forcing yourself and your descendants to watch over him in perpetuity?
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Starting with Molekh being drawn back to Hell, most of the rest of this book is a combination of setting things back to right and setting the stage for the next trilogy (often both in the same step). Having an army of demons in Lokka led by lords and princes is the first round of rewards reaped by Satan's Gambit. They will quite obviously be a central problem to be dealt with in the next trilogy.
Maya's presence in Hell is, of course, another primary goal of Satan's plans. As convoluted plots go, it ranks up there with the scheme of using the curse in the tv show Once Upon A Time (I'd just like to point out I came up with my horrendously convoluted plot waaaaay before they did).
The word "anathema" literally means "to lay a curse upon", specifically a formal curse by a religious ruling body as a form of excommunication. I'd say Maya is pretty firmly excommunicated here. And really, this is a much better "ultimate curse" than what they did to Imhotep in The Mummy. I mean, honestly, why would you curse a man by giving him near-omnipotence and forcing yourself and your descendants to watch over him in perpetuity?
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Starting with Molekh being drawn back to Hell, most of the rest of this book is a combination of setting things back to right and setting the stage for the next trilogy (often both in the same step). Having an army of demons in Lokka led by lords and princes is the first round of rewards reaped by Satan's Gambit. They will quite obviously be a central problem to be dealt with in the next trilogy.
Maya's presence in Hell is, of course, another primary goal of Satan's plans. As convoluted plots go, it ranks up there with the scheme of using the curse in the tv show Once Upon A Time (I'd just like to point out I came up with my horrendously convoluted plot waaaaay before they did).
Chapter 43
The return of Garet's body has echoes of the ending of David Eddings's The Sapphire Rose. I'm a little more emotionally invested in this story than I was that one, so I still get a little choked up every time I read this scene.
Birch was never going to separate himself from the Prism and live out his days peacefully with Moreen, for exactly the reasons he told Hoil during their drunken brawl in Book 2. He cannot just sit by when he has the ability to do something, and so long as God calls him to action, he will always answer. It was always going to take Moreen taking matters into her own hands and accompanying him.
"...the Barrier will be bound to the Prismatic Order itself." There's precedent for this idea already, with the cloaks that have to be placed on a new paladin's shoulders by a current paladin to continue the bond. From this point forward, that bond will include this new Covenant.
There have been a few hints along the way that Birch isn't his real name. I originally had this whole idea of men taking a "blade name" or something like that, but that fell by the wayside and Birch became his real name for a while. I resurrected the idea of Birch having an original name during one of the conversations with the Voice (where they discuss that very point), and the very end of the book felt like a good time to finally explain it all. For the record, I have nothing against the name Thomas.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
What am I going to spoil at this point? Really?
Birch was never going to separate himself from the Prism and live out his days peacefully with Moreen, for exactly the reasons he told Hoil during their drunken brawl in Book 2. He cannot just sit by when he has the ability to do something, and so long as God calls him to action, he will always answer. It was always going to take Moreen taking matters into her own hands and accompanying him.
"...the Barrier will be bound to the Prismatic Order itself." There's precedent for this idea already, with the cloaks that have to be placed on a new paladin's shoulders by a current paladin to continue the bond. From this point forward, that bond will include this new Covenant.
There have been a few hints along the way that Birch isn't his real name. I originally had this whole idea of men taking a "blade name" or something like that, but that fell by the wayside and Birch became his real name for a while. I resurrected the idea of Birch having an original name during one of the conversations with the Voice (where they discuss that very point), and the very end of the book felt like a good time to finally explain it all. For the record, I have nothing against the name Thomas.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
What am I going to spoil at this point? Really?
Postlude
The first section sets the stage for the next trilogy, and it's fairly obviously what one of the focal plotlines will be - dealing with an invading army of demons. You already know, too, that it doesn't go well, since it tells you up front the elven island is conquered, the island of the former dwarven capital is taken, and a good portion of the mainland as well. It will be a very different world in the next trilogy (and a much different world the trilogy after that, but let's not get too far ahead just yet).
Most of the second section was a late addition as I fleshed out Malith's prior interactions with the Voice. The full parallel structure between him and Birch wasn't part of my original drafts, though it was always lurking in the background, waiting for me to realize what was missing. I'm glad it took me as long as it did to work through these books, or Malith would have been a much less robust character and villain. You still only barely scratch the surface of who he is, but there are some added pieces to this book that were late additions to let you know HOW he got where he is now. Rest assured, he still has a part to play in the future of Lokka.
"How could He have allowed this to happen to me?" I think this thought is shared by many people of faith who find themselves on the wrong end of dire circumstances. As I understand it, this is one of those big questions with different answers that depend largely on your understanding of God. Odd, however, that few people seem to ask why God heaped good fortune on them, treating it like only their just due. Still, it seems an appropriate question for someone in Maya's state of mind.
There's a certain irony in Maya's "conversation" with Satan (really with her own senses). He calls himself the Voice, and she calls herself Metatron - aka, the Voice of God. Since she's holding both sides of the conversation, she is twice-over the Voice of her newfound God.
"Evil, be thou my good." One final homage to Paradise Lost before we close the trilogy. This is a quote from none other than Satan himself.
And with that, Danner is no longer the only angelic nephilim. There will be more.
Vander Wayland, Heavenly Historian. We end where we began. As I've noted previously, Vander's role was originally an unattached name, just a historian in Heaven recording the events of the war. As soon as I decided to make him a part of the story, I knew I needed him to die before the end so he could take up his role that he's had from the first page of the trilogy.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Things to look forward to in the next Trilogy - The Demonic Jihad:
The next generation of de'Valderat children will help shape the fate of Lokka as much as their parents ever have. As the foremost family of nephilim, they are the heralds of a new race that will slowly begin to make themselves known - and very few of whom will carry the name de'Valderat.
Slowly but surely, the current generation of heroes will make way for their children to take on the role of fighting for God, Man, and Life. Some will pass, some will answer a further Call, and others will continue on, lending their strength and experience for some time to come.
The demons now on Lokka have been given a command by their God: rule. How they interpret that rule and come to grips with their role in the world will have a permanent impact in the makeup of the world.
A war will be fought for the hearts and souls of Lokkans of all races, pitting the strict, narrow path of God against the wide, appealing path of Satan. At the center of the war will be Lucius Cypher and the mysterious voice of influence known only as Ventuveris.
Malith will find his true faith and realize he has indeed been chosen for a grand part in the fate of Lokka.
Truths, backgrounds, and ultimate fates will be discovered for some of the abiding mysteries that carry over from The Barrier War.
Uriel tasks himself with crafting a true system of justice in Heaven, but his studies are interrupted by the unexpected presence of a demon in Heaven.
Backed by Satan's favor, Maya will make a place for herself in Hell, set in opposition to not only the demons who resist her presence, but also Birch and his companions. And in the deepest pits of Hell, an unexpected thing will be discovered: love.
Most of the second section was a late addition as I fleshed out Malith's prior interactions with the Voice. The full parallel structure between him and Birch wasn't part of my original drafts, though it was always lurking in the background, waiting for me to realize what was missing. I'm glad it took me as long as it did to work through these books, or Malith would have been a much less robust character and villain. You still only barely scratch the surface of who he is, but there are some added pieces to this book that were late additions to let you know HOW he got where he is now. Rest assured, he still has a part to play in the future of Lokka.
"How could He have allowed this to happen to me?" I think this thought is shared by many people of faith who find themselves on the wrong end of dire circumstances. As I understand it, this is one of those big questions with different answers that depend largely on your understanding of God. Odd, however, that few people seem to ask why God heaped good fortune on them, treating it like only their just due. Still, it seems an appropriate question for someone in Maya's state of mind.
There's a certain irony in Maya's "conversation" with Satan (really with her own senses). He calls himself the Voice, and she calls herself Metatron - aka, the Voice of God. Since she's holding both sides of the conversation, she is twice-over the Voice of her newfound God.
"Evil, be thou my good." One final homage to Paradise Lost before we close the trilogy. This is a quote from none other than Satan himself.
And with that, Danner is no longer the only angelic nephilim. There will be more.
Vander Wayland, Heavenly Historian. We end where we began. As I've noted previously, Vander's role was originally an unattached name, just a historian in Heaven recording the events of the war. As soon as I decided to make him a part of the story, I knew I needed him to die before the end so he could take up his role that he's had from the first page of the trilogy.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Things to look forward to in the next Trilogy - The Demonic Jihad:
The next generation of de'Valderat children will help shape the fate of Lokka as much as their parents ever have. As the foremost family of nephilim, they are the heralds of a new race that will slowly begin to make themselves known - and very few of whom will carry the name de'Valderat.
Slowly but surely, the current generation of heroes will make way for their children to take on the role of fighting for God, Man, and Life. Some will pass, some will answer a further Call, and others will continue on, lending their strength and experience for some time to come.
The demons now on Lokka have been given a command by their God: rule. How they interpret that rule and come to grips with their role in the world will have a permanent impact in the makeup of the world.
A war will be fought for the hearts and souls of Lokkans of all races, pitting the strict, narrow path of God against the wide, appealing path of Satan. At the center of the war will be Lucius Cypher and the mysterious voice of influence known only as Ventuveris.
Malith will find his true faith and realize he has indeed been chosen for a grand part in the fate of Lokka.
Truths, backgrounds, and ultimate fates will be discovered for some of the abiding mysteries that carry over from The Barrier War.
Uriel tasks himself with crafting a true system of justice in Heaven, but his studies are interrupted by the unexpected presence of a demon in Heaven.
Backed by Satan's favor, Maya will make a place for herself in Hell, set in opposition to not only the demons who resist her presence, but also Birch and his companions. And in the deepest pits of Hell, an unexpected thing will be discovered: love.
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Chapter 36 - Postlude
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