exterior . As he looked across the cavernous interior and to the ceiling far above, Enoch thought that he might be able to fit the entire Shayeth village into the first level. Fires burned in small bowls carved into the walls, casting a flickering yellow light throughout. As he followed, he watched Ananel’s shadow slide across the stone and land on numerous surfaces and details graven into the rock.
At the center of the room , a wedge-shaped wall rose from the floor to the ceiling. Ananel circled it and Enoch hung back, afraid of what he might see. To his astonishment, the floor on the other side seemed to rise in a series of platforms that extended toward a triangular-shaped doorway in the ceiling. Just as confusion began to set in, Ananel stepped onto the first platform.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. Then he turned and began to climb the stairs.
Enoch couldn’t help but be afraid. He’d never seen anything like it in all his years.
Holy One, go before me as I tread upon the path of the unknown!
Ananel disappeared through the doorway at the top .
Enoch took a deep breath, then climbed quickly to catch up. At the top of the stairs, he could see that the doorway was actually a tunnel twice his own height, which cut through the ceiling of the first level, and in turn, became the floor of the second chamber. Sound moved differently through this level as the ceiling was nowhere to be found. It might as well have been open to the sky above. This chamber was more brightly lit than the previous one, and slightly smaller. The walls and floor were constructed of a stone that Enoch had never seen. They were almost transparent, like water, but with veins of different colors running throughout. All of this, Enoch noticed in an instant. For an instant was all the time he had before a deafening noise attacked him from behind , shattering the silence and bringing an end to all thought.
“ VAD A R A UTTRYKK AV DETTA VALDSHU ?”
Enoch grabbed his ears and fell to the stone stairs . Already, his head was pounding in the aftermath of the noise . But t hrough his tightly held grip, the muffled sound of Ananel’s voice could still be heard.
“The outrage is that your supposedly careful plans have failed.”
Enoch uncovered his ears carefully and looked up to Ananel who had reached the top of the stairs and was facing the other direction .
“ Hv orfor gera du tala i a tunga av a Shayetham ?” the voice replied, quieter this time.
Enoch instantly recognized the name of his tribe.
Ananel looked down to him . “Get up and turn around.”
Enoch turned his head as he slowly rose to his feet and climbed the last few steps . At the far end of the chamber, the floor was elevated by a nother flight of s teps. At the top, a massive figure sat upon a throne carved from stone darker than the night sky . Its surface was covered in facets, each reflecting the fire light so that it gleamed with a dark radiance. The angel who sat upon the throne looked similar to the guards, but larger, with skin that held a reddish hue beneath its earthen tone. His black hair fell almost to his shoulders. His eyes burned with the color of the embers from a fire. And like the guards, he wore nothing except a loincloth of pure white, smoother tha n any cloth ing Enoch had ever seen.
As if the sight of this angel weren’t intimidating enough, he was flanked by four others.
Standing before the left side of the throne were two winged angels who appeared similar in height to Ananel. Each had two massive wings sprouting from his upper back, and two smaller wings below that. The one whose skin was darkest had sleek, black feathers and piercing , red eyes. The other had a mottled brown appearance, with softer looking feathers.
Seated on the steps to the right side of the throne, were two wingless angels of brown and gray tones. Their elongated facial features reminded Enoch of Ananel’s animal
At the center of the room , a wedge-shaped wall rose from the floor to the ceiling. Ananel circled it and Enoch hung back, afraid of what he might see. To his astonishment, the floor on the other side seemed to rise in a series of platforms that extended toward a triangular-shaped doorway in the ceiling. Just as confusion began to set in, Ananel stepped onto the first platform.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. Then he turned and began to climb the stairs.
Enoch couldn’t help but be afraid. He’d never seen anything like it in all his years.
Holy One, go before me as I tread upon the path of the unknown!
Ananel disappeared through the doorway at the top .
Enoch took a deep breath, then climbed quickly to catch up. At the top of the stairs, he could see that the doorway was actually a tunnel twice his own height, which cut through the ceiling of the first level, and in turn, became the floor of the second chamber. Sound moved differently through this level as the ceiling was nowhere to be found. It might as well have been open to the sky above. This chamber was more brightly lit than the previous one, and slightly smaller. The walls and floor were constructed of a stone that Enoch had never seen. They were almost transparent, like water, but with veins of different colors running throughout. All of this, Enoch noticed in an instant. For an instant was all the time he had before a deafening noise attacked him from behind , shattering the silence and bringing an end to all thought.
“ VAD A R A UTTRYKK AV DETTA VALDSHU ?”
Enoch grabbed his ears and fell to the stone stairs . Already, his head was pounding in the aftermath of the noise . But t hrough his tightly held grip, the muffled sound of Ananel’s voice could still be heard.
“The outrage is that your supposedly careful plans have failed.”
Enoch uncovered his ears carefully and looked up to Ananel who had reached the top of the stairs and was facing the other direction .
“ Hv orfor gera du tala i a tunga av a Shayetham ?” the voice replied, quieter this time.
Enoch instantly recognized the name of his tribe.
Ananel looked down to him . “Get up and turn around.”
Enoch turned his head as he slowly rose to his feet and climbed the last few steps . At the far end of the chamber, the floor was elevated by a nother flight of s teps. At the top, a massive figure sat upon a throne carved from stone darker than the night sky . Its surface was covered in facets, each reflecting the fire light so that it gleamed with a dark radiance. The angel who sat upon the throne looked similar to the guards, but larger, with skin that held a reddish hue beneath its earthen tone. His black hair fell almost to his shoulders. His eyes burned with the color of the embers from a fire. And like the guards, he wore nothing except a loincloth of pure white, smoother tha n any cloth ing Enoch had ever seen.
As if the sight of this angel weren’t intimidating enough, he was flanked by four others.
Standing before the left side of the throne were two winged angels who appeared similar in height to Ananel. Each had two massive wings sprouting from his upper back, and two smaller wings below that. The one whose skin was darkest had sleek, black feathers and piercing , red eyes. The other had a mottled brown appearance, with softer looking feathers.
Seated on the steps to the right side of the throne, were two wingless angels of brown and gray tones. Their elongated facial features reminded Enoch of Ananel’s animal
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