The Battle

The Battle A Novel by Rick Stockwell

What would you do, if you knew for certain, that Satan was planning to murder your entire family?

Convinced Jackson Trotman's family is the key to the church's rapture, Satan orders his underlings to kill them all. An epic battle ensues in the heavenly realms between the ancient forces of good and evil to protect Jackson's loved ones and accomplish God's will for all humanity. If they fail, his sister-in-law, Monica Baker, will become the queen of a demonic lord, then spend the rest of eternity in the lake of fire.

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Chapter 1: Critical Mission

SATAN SAT ATOP a throne with six opaque marble steps leading up to it and a blood-red carpet runner stretching up the middle. Massive red marble-covered colonnades ran along the sides of the dark cavernous chamber, leading to a throne area at the rear illuminated by perhaps forty burning torches. His throne was covered with ivory, overlaid with fine gold, and its backrest was rounded at the top. Seated golden lion statues resided beside each armrest, and identical statues sat on the outer edges of each of the six steps.

Agliarept and Satan’s other senior commanders were milling around before his throne.

“Silence!”

The hundreds of side conversations immediately stopped. No one dared invoke the wrath of their master.

“I’ve brought you here today for a vital purpose. As you know, our comrade Ra was recently imprisoned in hell per order of the Nazarene. What you may not know is that before his incarceration, he was engaged in battle with a mortal in our realm. Such a battle has never occurred before. Ra grabbed hold of the mortal’s leg as he was fleeing and was pulled into a new time-travel device. Then, our enemy, Mekoddishkem, subdued him. There must be something special about this man, and I demand to know what it is. He may be the key to unlocking the ancient prophecy of our doom. I’ve learned the man’s name is Jackson Trotman. I had him killed yesterday. He is now with the Nazarene.

“It may be that the Nazarene had a crucial purpose for this Jackson Trotman. But since he’s dead, it means I’ve thwarted his purpose for now. But if his descendants become followers of the Nazarene, I fear the worst may happen—the resurrection of the enemy army. You all know the ancient prophecy—if we don’t stop the people of God, we’ll be thrown into the lake of fire and remain there, suffering in agony, for all eternity. This is my world, and I will crush anyone who tries to take it from me. I will not allow these pitiful mortal weaklings to usurp my rightful place on the throne. We must move quickly and kill every one of Jackson’s descendants immediately. Agliarept!”

The demon Lord Agliarept fell before Satan’s throne, trembling. “Yes, master.”

“I am placing you in charge of this mission.”

“Yes, master. I will not fail you.”

“Very well, I will hold you to your promise. You may go.”

Agliarept turned to the rest of the assembly. “I will severely punish anyone who does not carry out my orders to the letter.” Agliarept turned back around and faced Satan with a smile.

Satan smiled back. “Oh, and what punishment do you have in mind for anyone who does not follow your orders to the letter?”

“They will be hung on a meat hook from the ceiling in my chamber.”

“Hmm.” Satan paused, then shouted, “I’ll show you what severe punishment is!” Satan reached over and touched the head of the lion on his right and then the head of the lion on his left, and they came to life. The other commanders backed away from Agliarept. Satan pointed at Agliarept. The lions leapt off the throne and mauled him. He screamed in agony as the jaw of one of the lions latched onto his right thigh and ripped a clump of flesh from it, while the other lion ripped his left arm right out of its socket.

“Enough,” said Satan.

The lions returned to their assigned posts beside Satan’s throne and turned back into solid gold.

Agliarept lay in a heap on the floor, groaning from his wounds.

Satan took the scepter from his lap and slammed its base against the stone surface supporting his throne. Then, he pointed to Agliarept. “This is what will happen to any of you who fail to carry out this urgent mission. I will hold you personally responsible, not your lieutenants. You must not fail me! Do you understand?”

The crowd of commanders responded in unison. “Yes, master.”

After they had left, Satan stepped down from his throne and stood above Agliarept, who was still moaning on the floor beneath him. “Have you learned your lesson?”

Agliarept scowled. “I have, master.”

“We shall see.” Satan reached down and touched Agliarept, and his servant’s body returned to its original form.

Agliarept exhaled.

Satan sneered menacingly. “I will do far worse to you if you fail me.” “Yes, master.”