4

I searched for my first clues in the ruins of the Garden itself. Not long before the Cherubim had slain the dragons, the humans had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge and been expelled from Eden. Cherubim had been assigned to protect the Tree of Life. Perhaps Lucifer and those that supported him had attempted to attain true immortality, for the Garden lay in ruins.

I greeted the two Cherub who watched over the Garden. At first they appeared as serpents. Then, as I approached, they took on a similar appearance as myself. They greeted me in their own way, which was something like a cold gaze, a stare that looked deep into my soul, examining me for weaknesses. I flinched and one smiled at the other.

“This is the dragon-hunter,” he said to his companion, “come to kill the one we could not.” They laughed and I could feel the burning message inside me again.Find the dragon. And suddenly they stopped laughing and looked at me quite seriously. Perhaps they did not have the multitude of eyes like the Seraphim but they could perceive things that could not be seen. Maybe they could hear the voice inside me. “So how can we help you?”

“I think I should begin where you killed them,” I answered. “Where is the Valley of the Dragons?”

They seemed to examine me quietly for an eternity. Their eyes probed mine so intensely that it felt like forever to wait. Finally, the other who had been silent raised his hand and pointed towards the east.

“Thank you,” I said, and flew away.

In the distance behind me I could hear him mutter, “but all you will find there is bones and ash.”

And he was right. The valley was dry, brown and gray, without even a spot of green. The whole area was littered with bones in such a way that it seemed they were the only living things that came from the ground. The bodies had obviously been left unburied and the wind and sand had already eaten away the flesh. Soon there would not even be bones remaining of those once-great creatures.

I landed in the center of the valley and walked around aimlessly, examining every detail. I must have done this for hours, for soon the sun began to sink in the sky and the bones seemed to glow red and orange with the dusk. My mind was growing tired and it seemed the bones themselves murmured to me, crying out for relief.

The voice inside me again spoke.Destroy the dragon. The bones became silent and I fell to the ground, near to sleep but afraid to dream. My body rested but my mind could not. When the sun rose again, I pushed my body forward. In the distance I could see the Caves and I suddenly realized why the dragons had chosen this valley to make their home.

Three Caves had been created, each with a source of supernatural water. The Fountain of Youth, which can counter the effects of aging, was created within the Cave of Restoration. The Well of Souls, a visible source of the Lifestream could be found within the Cave of Secrets. The Stream of Consciousness, a repository of thought, flows within The Cave of Memories.

The Caves were supposed to be hidden from the creatures of the world. But from where I stood, I could see that each Cave was about the same distance from the other two and the valley was located between them. This obvious geographical layout showed that the dragons had some knowledge of them. The betrayal of the fallen angel had obviously gone further than disobedience. Perhaps this knowledge was the true reason for his and the dragons’ punishments. I made a note in mind to report this theory to the Seraphim. No, they likely knew already. How could they not? They, too, had stood where I now stood, and must have seen what I now saw.

But the Caves were off-limits to all ranks of Heaven, and assumed to be unknown to the inhabitants of Earth. So, it seemed highly unlikely that the Cherubim had already searched there. My orders were direct from the Thrones, so I assumed that I had special dispensation to search forbidden areas. I wondered which should I search first.

I picked up a bone, marking an ‘X’ on one end with a stone, and tossed it into the air. It landed softly, pointing at one of the Caves. I would begin there and search the others in turn. The Cave of Memories seemed as good of a beginning as any other.