6

As I flew towards the Cave of Memories, I wondered what I would do if and when I did find the surviving dragon. I knew nothing about it, except that it looked something like a giant lizard with wings. As I landed at the Cave, and immediately saw a dragon for the first time, I realized my expectations had been mistaken. The resemblance of the dragon to a lizard was a lot like comparing a human to a monkey. The shape was similar but there was something in her eyes that shocked my spirit.

I was armed with a fiery sword like that of the Cherubim. Mine was custom-made for my mission, with a shorter blade to match my height. But I did not reach for it immediately. The dragon’s eyes were too shocking, too beautiful. Suddenly the Voice echoed within me.Destroy the dragon. But even yet, I could not gather the strength to strike. The dragon, as startled as I was, also made no move.

It seemed like an eternity that we stood there, our eyes locked together.Destroy the dragon. The voice inside my head crescendoed louder and louder.Destroy the dragon. Finally I could not resist. I reached for my sword as the dragon turned it’s body at me sidelong. Its tail struck me so hard I was knocked backwards. But even as I fell, I unsheathed my sword and struck. The sound of the sword striking sounded something like thunder and I knew it had only touched stone as the tail hit me again. I was flung backward, this time out of the Cave and towards the rocks below.

As I fell towards the ground, I saw the red shape of the dragon against the blue backdrop of the sky, fading into the distance. My head struck stone and it felt like my consciousness had exploded.

When I awoke again it was night. Daybreak would come soon. A full day had almost passed and my quest had come full-circle. I had failed in my mission. I expected the voice inside to speak and tell me once again to find and destroy the dragon, but it was silent.

I flew to Heaven with a heavy and fearful heart to make my report. Again I was guided by a Cherub before the Host of Heaven. Again the Throne’s voice penetrated my being.Find the dragon. Destroy the dragon. My recommendation that a Cherub finish this task was ignored. Later, as I rested under the stars, the voice seemed to fade. I felt myself thinking that I was ill-suited to my mission. If I was destined to fail, then why was I chosen? And why continue to persuade me to continue something that seemed impossible? Why was it so important that I fail my task?

I tried to find my friend, Michael. I needed some guidance. Unfortunately, he had little advice to offer except that I should tune my thoughts to the voice and follow my orders to the best of my ability. “If you think you do not have the strength, it is because you do not trust yourself,” he said.

He was right, as always. But I felt that he misunderstood the situation. It was true that I did not believe in myself. I did not doubt my abilities. But I was beginning to doubt something that I was unwilling to comprehend.

I told him about the location of the Valley of the Dragons, how the triangular pattern of the Caves seemed to center on it. He seemed more concerned when I mentioned I had gone up to the Cave of Memories. “Please tell me you did not go inside,” he said.

I realized then that I had not gone inside but had merely stood at the threshold. I told him exactly that. He then exhorted me to go onward and finish my task.

“But,” I said, “if the dragons were killed because they knew about the Caves—”

“Then they received their just reward,” he said as he left me and returned to his work.

But that wasn’t what I was going to say. If the dragons were killed because they knew about the Caves, then perhaps Lucifer was cast out of Heaven for the same reason. If he was not punished because he would not bow down to the humans, then perhaps the humans were not created superior after all.

And if the humans are not superior among creation, which creature is?

Perhaps the dragons were not killed because of their knowledge of the Caves but for another reason.

I had been charged with a task and I knew then I must use my privilege to go to an even more forbidden place. I could think of only one angel who could answer my questions, the one who was once called Samael. And with that resolve, I flew towards Hades.