specific missions, Validus got the sense that they preferred not to work with warriors. He felt it right now.
“What can you tell me about him? I need to know everything if I’m going to help you.”
Tren stared at Validus for a moment, then nodded. “Drew is a good kid but has faced some tough situations. His father died when he was twelve. It was a hard few years.” Tren looked away as if recalling details about that time. “His mother never remarried, but a man named Jake Blanchard, his father’s best friend from his time in the Army Rangers, became a key part of Drew’s life. That’s about when I was reassigned to a different charge.”
Tren stopped. Sorrow etched his brow, and Validus guessed it had something to do with his follow-on assignment.
“Tough one?”
Tren turned his back on Validus and gazed out the window again. In spite of a thousand harrowing battles he had experienced over the millennia, Validus knew that the job of a guardian was the most difficult mission of all angelorders, as they were called to defend the most innocent of humans—children. Bound by the Genesis and Noahidic Accords, they were limited by how much they could intercede on behalf of their charges. In many cases, because of the evil hearts of other humans around them, their missions were simply impossible. When a guardian was overrun by too many Fallen, oftentimes he fought a desperate, hopeless fight until he was dissolved to Mount Simcha. But that only left the child open to more attacks than before, so the best of the guardians fought the urge to sacrifice all so that they could fight for the child again another day. It was an anguishing duty, and each guardian lived for the day of blessing when his charge reached the age of reason and gave his or her heart to Yeshua. Unfortunately those missions were far less frequent than the converse.
In the challenge of their duty, their solace was in seeing the face of Elohim each morning at sunrise. Validus could tell when a guardian had returned from his time with Elohim, for his face shined as bright as the morning sun.
“He’s leaving,” Tren said.
Validus watched as Carter left the grocery store and made his way to his car. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but something about his gait made Validus wonder if something was amiss.
“My follow-on was cut short, and I spent two years in heaven waiting for my next assignment,” Tren continued. “During that time I served as a special assignment guardian, protecting adults when the prayers of the saints moved Elohim’s hand.”
They both watched as Carter drove out of the lot and onto the road that would take him home. The lead Fallen stepped through the glass wall of the grocery store and looked after the car. The other two materialized through the wall to stand beside him.
“That’s not good,” Tren said.
After a moment, the lead Fallen gave orders to the other two and they dispersed in separate directions, but none of them followed Carter.
“Well, looks like he hasn’t drawn their complete attention yet,” Validus said. “What kind of special assignments?”
Tren kept his eye on the leader of the Fallen as he departed. He crossed his arms. “One of my assignments was Drew Carter.”
“Who was praying for him? Who in his life is one of the saints?”
Tren shook his head. “I don’t know. Perhaps one of the other students.”
Validus pursed his lips. “What happened?”
“The prayer was so sudden that I barely made it in time. Drew had finished a football game and stepped out of the locker room and into a parking lot just as a drunk driver careened into him. I had just enough time to throw him into a corner of the building.” Tren shook his head again and huffed. “I thought I had lost him. I could only stay a few minutes, but it was good to see that he had grown into a decent young man. He has a good mother, and Blanchard had obviously been a positive force in his life.”
Both angels
“What can you tell me about him? I need to know everything if I’m going to help you.”
Tren stared at Validus for a moment, then nodded. “Drew is a good kid but has faced some tough situations. His father died when he was twelve. It was a hard few years.” Tren looked away as if recalling details about that time. “His mother never remarried, but a man named Jake Blanchard, his father’s best friend from his time in the Army Rangers, became a key part of Drew’s life. That’s about when I was reassigned to a different charge.”
Tren stopped. Sorrow etched his brow, and Validus guessed it had something to do with his follow-on assignment.
“Tough one?”
Tren turned his back on Validus and gazed out the window again. In spite of a thousand harrowing battles he had experienced over the millennia, Validus knew that the job of a guardian was the most difficult mission of all angelorders, as they were called to defend the most innocent of humans—children. Bound by the Genesis and Noahidic Accords, they were limited by how much they could intercede on behalf of their charges. In many cases, because of the evil hearts of other humans around them, their missions were simply impossible. When a guardian was overrun by too many Fallen, oftentimes he fought a desperate, hopeless fight until he was dissolved to Mount Simcha. But that only left the child open to more attacks than before, so the best of the guardians fought the urge to sacrifice all so that they could fight for the child again another day. It was an anguishing duty, and each guardian lived for the day of blessing when his charge reached the age of reason and gave his or her heart to Yeshua. Unfortunately those missions were far less frequent than the converse.
In the challenge of their duty, their solace was in seeing the face of Elohim each morning at sunrise. Validus could tell when a guardian had returned from his time with Elohim, for his face shined as bright as the morning sun.
“He’s leaving,” Tren said.
Validus watched as Carter left the grocery store and made his way to his car. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but something about his gait made Validus wonder if something was amiss.
“My follow-on was cut short, and I spent two years in heaven waiting for my next assignment,” Tren continued. “During that time I served as a special assignment guardian, protecting adults when the prayers of the saints moved Elohim’s hand.”
They both watched as Carter drove out of the lot and onto the road that would take him home. The lead Fallen stepped through the glass wall of the grocery store and looked after the car. The other two materialized through the wall to stand beside him.
“That’s not good,” Tren said.
After a moment, the lead Fallen gave orders to the other two and they dispersed in separate directions, but none of them followed Carter.
“Well, looks like he hasn’t drawn their complete attention yet,” Validus said. “What kind of special assignments?”
Tren kept his eye on the leader of the Fallen as he departed. He crossed his arms. “One of my assignments was Drew Carter.”
“Who was praying for him? Who in his life is one of the saints?”
Tren shook his head. “I don’t know. Perhaps one of the other students.”
Validus pursed his lips. “What happened?”
“The prayer was so sudden that I barely made it in time. Drew had finished a football game and stepped out of the locker room and into a parking lot just as a drunk driver careened into him. I had just enough time to throw him into a corner of the building.” Tren shook his head again and huffed. “I thought I had lost him. I could only stay a few minutes, but it was good to see that he had grown into a decent young man. He has a good mother, and Blanchard had obviously been a positive force in his life.”
Both angels
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