Rise of the Fallen Read Online Free PDF

them.
    “Rise up, my brothers. Rise up and prepare yourself—war has come to heaven!”
    Michael had not fallen, and he looked as mighty as Lucifer ever had. In his hand was something Validus had never seen before, yet he knew its name. Sword.
    Michael lifted his gaze from the trio to the gathering thousands in the Court of Presentation. He flew high enough for all to see.
    “Elohim is on the throne, and His judgment against Lucifer is sure.” He pointed his sword at the darkened figure in the distance. “No longer will wecall him Lucifer. His name is Apollyon, for he has become a destroyer of all that is good, a leader of the Fallen.”
    It was a day of great sorrow and a day of infamy. It was the day sin was born, heaven wept, and a third of the servants of Elohim turned to darkness.
    It was also the day that turned the friend of Validus into an enemy.

4
 
REASSIGNED
    Present Day
    Validus, Am, and Brit entered the outskirts of Colorado Springs a few minutes later. Inside Living Waters Fellowship Church, Validus turned to his warriors.
    “Well done,” he said, then nodded to dismiss them.
    When he entered the large conference room near the sanctuary, Hulan was waiting for him.
    “Commander, we’ve just received new orders from headquarters.” Hulan handed the rolled parchment to his superior.
    Validus broke the seal and quickly read the orders. Confusion swept across his mind as he ran a hand through his jet-black hair. He read the orders once more and then struggled to hide his surprise and frustration from his executive officer.
    “When did these orders come in?”
    “Just a few minutes ago. I sent a dispatch to you immediately,” Hulan replied.
    Validus thought for a moment. “Report to Malak in sector six. Tell him I’ve gone to see Brandt at World Headquarters. He’s in charge until I return.”
    Hulan stared at his commander in silence.
    “Move it, Hulan! I need to leave immediately, and I want Malak on board.”
    “Yes sir!” Hulan snapped about and promptly exited the room.
    Validus stared after him, but he was not thinking of Hulan anymore. He was forming tactful words of protest to speak to General Brandt. He needed to make the trip quickly because there was too much happening in the easternsector to be gone for more than an hour or two. New York City was a constant battle zone, but recent attacks on certain churches and church leaders there told Validus that the Enemy was planning something big, and probably soon.
    Validus waited for Hulan to finish his task, but with each passing moment he felt the frustration mounting. Surely these orders must be a mistake … but Brandt didn’t make mistakes, at least not any that Validus could remember.
    He rose up from his desk. It had been a long time since he had morphed his wings. In battle it was foolish, but it was necessary to get to World Headquarters. He concentrated and felt the push against his back. Two ivory-colored wings grew upward and outward until they stretched to fill the room.
    He faced east and accelerated through the walls and corridors of the church, hardly feeling the resistance of the brick and mortar as he passed through them. Outside, he launched himself upward, and his wings stroked the air in powerful bursts. He arced north around Bemus’s stronghold in upper New York and then exploded to full speed, skimming the edges of the cityscape until he was well over the Atlantic. He adjusted his course to a line that would bring him just south of Glasgow, Scotland, and in just a few minutes he was approaching the coastline of the United Kingdom.
    He slowed his approach as he neared the city, watching for any activity that might indicate he should take a different approach than usual. He landed just shy of Kempsthorn Road and demorphed his wings into his back. As he approached the abandoned Crookston Castle, two guards saluted and halted him.
    “I’m here to see General Brandt,” Validus told them.
    “He’s in the war room,”