Battle Before Time by Jim Denney

Author:Jim Denney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc.
Published: 2010-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

8

THE CAVES OF MARS

The bubble descended through layers of acid-yellow fumes and churning black clouds.

Like a soap bubble touching the ground, the spirit-bubble vanished upon contact with the soil of Mars. Gavriyel, the four young humans from Earth, and the battered old Volkswagen stood upon the ruined surface of the fourth planet from the sun. All around them, golden balls of light drifted downward, touched the ground, and were transformed into glowing spirit-beings like Gavriyel.

Under smoke-blackened skies, the Martian landscape was twilight-dark. What light there was came from Gavriyel and the other Emissaries.

“The air smells nasty!” Toby complained.

“Like smoke and sulfur,” Allie said.

Max took a tentative breath, then he grimaced. “It’s breathable—but just barely.” He checked his pocket and made sure his inhaler was ready—just in case.

They stood on the cracked, broken ground of a deep valley, surrounded by mountains. In some places, fires still burned. In others, curls of black smoke rose from the ground and ascended to the sky. A heavy smog overshadowed the jagged mountains that ringed the valley in steep ranks of cliff and crag.

Max noticed that when he walked, his footsteps crunched in the charred soil. Tufts of gray stubble covered much of the ground. That stubble—all that remained of the grass that had once covered the planet—turned to a powdery ash when trampled. The scorched planet seemed safe to walk on, even though the four young humans could feel heat radiating from the ground through the soles of their shoes.

A golden sphere sailed down from the sky and landed in front of Gavriyel. It touched the ground with a sparkling shimmer. In the next instant, there stood an Emissary unlike all the others who were gathered in the blackened valley. He was taller than the rest, and the golden light that poured from his face shone with a stormy intensity.

There was something strange and stern about this tall Emissary. Whereas Gavriyel seemed gentle and comforting, this newly arrived Emissary seemed fierce and forbidding. He had the look of a warrior about him. The four kids could not help feeling afraid in his presence.

The stern Emissary spoke. “Do not be afraid,” he said. “I am Mikael, captain of the Legions of the Most High.”

“These are the humans from out of time,” Gavriyel said. “They are called Max, Allie, Grady, and Toby.”

“Well,” Mikael said. He sounded surprised—and faintly amused. “So these are humans. Hardly what I expected.”

“That appears to be Elyon’s intention,” Gavriyel said. “If humans are not what we expect, they will not be what the Enemy expects, either.”

“True,” Mikael said. “The Eternal Plan is full of surprises.”

Gavriyel turned to the four time travelers. “Well, my young friends, the time has come. Mikael shall introduce you to the Enemy.”

“Come,” Mikael said, pointing down the valley slope to a place of deep ravines and shadows. The way was dark and scary.

“Where are we going?” Max asked.

“To the cave of the Enemy,” the Emissary captain replied.

Allie trembled. Max and Grady exchanged worried glances. No one moved.

“I’m not going,” Toby said, scowling defiantly at Mikael.

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