Chapter 1
Shurod and the Angelic Bloodline
Chapter 1
As Dan Clifton lay in his bed sleeping soundly, his chest rose and fell with each breath. The sound of a box fan next to his bed and the air blowing across his face caused him to drift into what is known as the “Twilight Zone.” That sleep where you’re not fully awake but not fully asleep. His eyes began moving back and forth beneath his eyelids very rapidly, and his breathing pattern quickened. His heart rate climbed, and sweat started to bead on his forehead. Dan was starting the beginning of a long nightmare or the start of an awfully bad day.
Suddenly he heard a noise outside. Bang! Thump! It startled him, and he quickly became aware of his surroundings, snapped back into reality, and immediately sat up in his bed. The adrenaline rush he experienced at that moment could only be described as being terrified. His next thought was, “What the…?” He looked over at the digital clock beside his bed; it displayed 2:32 a.m. A few seconds later, he threw the bedspread off, swung his legs over to the side of the bed and slipped his feet into his house shoes. He was still not fully awake when he placed his face in his hands and slid his hands through his brown, bed-head hair, scratching his scalp. As he lifted his head, he noticed the streetlight shining through the window from across the room. His eyes squinted as he tried to focus on a silhouette of something big crouched on the top of a telephone pole. He stood up and walked toward the window. The closer he got to the window, the more curious he became. Dan thought to himself, “What is that?” He pulled the curtains back further for a better look at the massive silhouette, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Whatever it is, it’s not human,” he thought to himself. He closed the curtains and walked to the front door, stubbing his toe on the couch. He unlocked the door, and the sound of the deadbolt made a very loud clunk. He turned the doorknob and opened the door.
The creature, which he was looking at, was breathing heavily, with its head panning the sky as if it were looking for something very intently. He could see its bird-like feet clenched firmly to the top of the pole and very muscular legs with veins bulging out in every direction. As Dan walked out into the summer night, he could see that it looked like smoke was coming out of its mouth and nostrils with each breath that the creature took. Dan made his way halfway down the sidewalk in front of his house when the creature stopped his frantic searching of the night sky. It froze with its head up, and Dan could see its powerful neck. Slowly the beast bowed his head and looked toward him. The streetlight illuminated the creature’s face. When Dan made eye contact with it, his heart skipped a beat, and he was terrified. The eyes of this creature were a dull yellow and outlined in red. It was the most frightening and hideous sight that he had ever seen. Dan began to step backward slowly, inching to the front door, fearing for his life. The creature stood up and stretched out his neck, and opened his wings. Its wingspan was around twenty feet, and it let out a blood-curdling scream.
Dan stopped in his tracks and was terrified to the point of being petrified. His back started to pulse with pain. The creature leaped off its perch and flapped its wings, and soared swiftly in Dan’s direction. The creature arched its back, and its ten-foot tail whipped around wildly. He crouched into an attack position with his sharp talons in front of his body and yelled, “I am Nostros, and you are my enemy!” Dan raised his arms in an attempt to block the impact of the creature. As Nostros was about to extinguish Dan’s life, a blinding white-bluish light darted in front of him from his left side. Nostros looked to his right side, and his fury turned into fear. Both Dan and Nostros heard a loud “NOOO!” and just for a split second, Dan saw what looked like an arm, shrouded with golden armor and a clenched fist, thrust into the side of Nostros. Nostros flew off to Dan’s right, and was sent crashing through a tree, then slammed into a moving van parked across the street. The force and speed at which the golden arm flew in front of Dan knocked him back to the ground. A few seconds later, Dan, still on his back, looked in the direction of the moving van and could see Nostros slowly getting up. He turned his head to see where the bright light was coming from, and to his amazement, he saw what looked like an angel hovering above him, staring in the direction of his foe. This angel was around seven- feet tall and wearing golden armor covered by a white robe. His hair was long and mostly white, with a blonde, braided stripe falling over his forehead. He had a square jaw, very large and strong-looking hands, and a double-edged sword with no sheath secured to a crimson-colored belt with a golden clasp wrapped around his waist.
The angel stared intensely in the direction of the wounded adversary as if he were waiting for an attack. He raised his arm, pointed his index finger at Dan, and then crooked it toward himself, signaling Dan to come closer. In an instant, Dan was on his feet, but not by his own strength. It was a supernatural experience that he had never felt before. Dan stood there, with his mind racing and confused, not knowing what to expect next. Finally, he cleared his throat, and with a waver in his voice, he mustered up the courage to ask, “Who are you? What are you doing here? What was that thing?”
The angel replied, still looking at his foe across the road and with a deep voice of authority said, “I am a guardian of life.”
Dan asked, “Umm, like a guardian angel?”
The angel confirmed, “Yes! We have been called that over the centuries. My name is Sephri, and I was sent here to watch over you. That thing is one of the most powerful generals in the army of darkness.”
“Why is he trying to kill me?”
“When the moment is right, you will know the answer to your question.”
“What does that mean?”
Sephri raised one eyebrow and said, “That’s what it means. The question is, who are you?”
Dan replied in a sarcastic tone, “I am Dan Clifton from Red Oak, Texas. I am 38 years old, and I lead a boring life with no meaning or direction. I don’t believe in God, but now I’m rethinking my position, in light of this conversation with you. I have no idea who I am or what purpose I have in this life. I’m just an average two-hundred-pound Caucasian dude wandering aimlessly through life until I die.” Sephri listened carefully as he rubbed his chin with the back of his hand, waiting for Dan to quit rambling on and on. Finally, Sephri extended his hand toward Dan and said, “Shush.” The sound of talons clicking on the pavement made Sephri clinch both of his fists, ready to do battle against the forces of evil.
He saw a small dark figure peeking out from a bush from across the street, and Sephri let out a small sigh. He knew exactly what it was, a Jarick. A Jarick was an observer of evil covert operations. The Jaricks were tiny messenger demons that reported back to their wicked chain of command on any progress made during a top-secret mission. The Jarick opened his mouth and hissed at Sephri, and disappeared into the shadows.
Nostros finally gathered enough strength to get up on his bird-like feet. He looked at Sephri and shook his fist as he screamed out in a defiant voice, “It’s not over angel!” Then, he jumped into the air, flapped his wings, and held his side in pain as he flew into the cover of night.
Sephri scowled as he watched the demon fly away, then looked back at Dan and said, “You really have no idea who you are, do you?”
Dan said, “Yeah I just told you.”
Sephri explained, “You are what we in the heavens call a Shurod.”
Dan looked at Sephri with a perplexed expression on his face. “A what?” Sephri said again, “Shurod.”
“What in the world is that?”
“The Shurod is a mortal man chosen by our Father in heaven to be the …” Just then, the loud sound of an alarm clock began to buzz, and Dan woke up.
Dan opened his eyes and glanced around the room, not moving a muscle in his body. He took a deep breath and sat up in his bed. He mumbled to himself, “Wow what a dream.” He made his way to the bathroom, grabbed his toothbrush, and started to brush his teeth, still thinking about how realistic the dream was. He walked to his closet, grabbed some clothes, and laid them on the bed.
He walked into the kitchen, where the smell of coffee was lingering in the air. He grabbed a cup and began to pour himself a freshly brewed cup of java. By this time, he had already given up the notion that what happened to him last night was a very vivid dream but was instead, a real experience. As he raised the cup to his mouth, he heard the sound of a city work truck backing up: beep beep beep. He did not think too much about it and went back to his room and got dressed for work. He snatched up his car keys and walked toward the door, and heard the familiar clunking sound of the deadbolt as he turned the lock. For just a moment, the dream flashed across his mind. He shook off the memory, took hold of the doorknob, pushed the door open and walked outside. As he was locking the door, he heard a voice from behind him, “Hey buddy, do you know what happened here last night?” When he turned around, he was astonished at what he was seeing. Three city workers dressed in bright orange vests were picking up tree limbs scattered around the street.
The city worker asked, “Did you call this in?”
Dan stuttered to find the words to say. “Umm no.”
Immediately he heard the sound of muffled voices coming from across the street; he snapped his head and looked across the street to see his new neighbors scratching their heads, trying to figure out what happened to the moving van during the night. His emotions took over, and his eyes opened very wide as he stood there motionless and in disbelief. His throat felt as if he had been eating sand for breakfast. Trying to swallow the lump in his throat, he managed to walk to his car, got in and headed for work.
Dan was the manager of one of the largest chains of heavy metal record stores in the world. When he got to work, the sound of heavy metal rock music was playing in the background. Jamie, who was one of his employees, noticed that he was acting strangely. She said, “Good morning Dan, are you okay?”
Jamie was a young 21-year-old girl, who dressed in gothic clothes, wore white makeup with jet black eyeliner, and had multiple piercings on her face. If you didn’t know it, you would think that she was possessed. She was a little strange, but she was dependable and a caring person.
Dan just waved at her, not speaking a word, and made his way to the back office to think about last night’s events. He sat down at his desk and fumbled through some order forms and management reports but could not focus on what he was doing. Suddenly he heard what he thought of as the Three Stooges knock on his door: do do do do do - do do. The sound caused him to jump, and his chair made a squeaking noise. He tried to gather his composure, and before he could say “Come in,” Jamie was already opening the door. She poked her head in and said, “Dan I need to reorder some CDs. the new group, Bloody Vengeance is selling like hotcakes”. Dan nodded his head in approval, and she closed the door.
Sephri was standing outside of the music store with his wings folded and his arms crossed in front of him. He watched the humans file in and out of the store. As they passed through his body like a ghost, he observed Dan working the front counter selling music CDs and talking to potential customers. Then, from above him, a familiar voice called, “Sephri!” He looked up and saw his old friend Goleg descending from the heavens. When his foot touched the ground, Goleg’s wings disappeared into his back. Goleg was a fellow angel who had helped Sephri battle demons on many occasions. Goleg was about four feet tall with a stocky build and short dark hair. He was an extremely decorated and seasoned warrior angel with many special abilities and strengths. He had a special angelic marking of loyalty and valor inside his left hand, which symbolized his ranking within God’s heavenly army. He was one of God’s first angels, and he assisted with casting the Bright and Morning Star (AKA Lucifer or Satan) out of heaven. He and Lucifer were great companions many ages ago and now immortal enemies forever due to Lucifer’s pride. He was one of four angelic generals and was responsible for the northern hemisphere of the earth. Nothing happened there without him knowing about it. Sephri looked surprised to see Goleg and asked, “What are you doing here?” Goleg replied, “I am here to observe and assist you in any way possible.” Sephri said, “This human - umm, Dan Clifton, is it? - must be more important than I thought if you are down here.” Goleg nodded. “Indeed, God has his hand upon him.”
Sephri had been watching over Dan so intensely that he forgot to salute Goleg when he first saw him. Quickly, Sephri snapped his wings straight back but folded to salute Goleg. Goleg grabbed his arm. “There is no need for that; we are brothers in arms.” Sephri bowed his head in respect. Sephri knew the reputation of Goleg and that he had been to the throne room of God at least a half dozen times, which was one of the highest honors an angel could achieve.
“Sephri! I hear you had a scuffle with Nostros last night.”
“Yes, I did; that was my first encounter with him. I have heard his name, but never had the displeasure of meeting him.”
“And you were not hurt at all?”
“No”
“Very impressive, he is one of the highest-ranking demon officers in Satan’s army.”
Sephri folded his arms, “I had the element of surprise.”
Goleg shook his head, “Very good, now what is the status of this human?”
The two angels were facing each other talking when they heard a thundering noise coming from inside the record store. Four demons blasted through the ceiling of the store; two of them were crawling on the walls snarling and making a high-pitched screeching noise, moving their heads from side to side. The other two were looking frantically for their victim. Both Sephri and Goleg turned at the same time and looked in the store. Goleg shouted, “Demon assassins!”
Demon assassins were lizard-like demons whose job was to kill humans. They were the Navy Seals of the army of darkness. They were very deadly and effective killing units that travel in packs of four. Goleg yelled out, “Let’s go!” One of the demons jumped onto Dan and buried his head into his chest. Dan immediately began to have shortness of breath and placed both hands on his chest. Jamie saw Dan was having problems breathing and ran over to him and asked if he was okay. Sephri and Goleg sprang into action with lightning speed, and both lunged into the store, ready to fight. Goleg yelled at Sephri, “Get that one off of him, and I’ll take care of the other three!” As Sephri went to Dan’s rescue, he was blindsided by one of the demons and was thrown through the back wall and landed outside in the alley. The demon looked at him and gave a quick snort, and rushed back in to assist his fellow assassins. Goleg rushed in, and the two other demons attacked him with great fury, slicing and biting him. They managed to pin Goleg to the ground and continue their rampage upon him. Goleg shouted, “GET OFF!” When he said that, his wings shot out and separated the demons from each other, like Moses parting the Red Sea. They flew in opposite directions and were both badly wounded.
Goleg looked at Dan and saw that one demon was still attached to Dan’s chest. He flew over behind Dan and stuck his hand through Dan’s back and grabbed the demon by his scaly throat, pulled him through Dan’s back and asked, “Are you having fun?”
The demon’s eyes were filled with surprise and horror as Goleg drew his sword and thrust it through the demon’s head. The demon made a howling noise for a split second, then burst into ashes. The other three jumped onto Goleg’s back when they saw their fallen comrade and began to chew on his wings and slice into his angelic flesh. Goleg slapped one of the demons off, and it was knocked unconscious and laid there by a cd rack. Goleg reached back and grabbed both demons with one hand and threw them off. As they hurled through the air, he reached into a pouch on his belt that had diamond shards in it and threw the shards at the demons and yelled, “GO BACK TO HELL!” When the diamond shards struck the flesh of the two demon assassins, it cut them into many pieces, and they were gone. After the diamond shards passed through the demons, Goleg held out his hand, and they returned to his hand. He made a fist and then placed them back into his pouch. By this time, Sephri came back through the wall and yelled, “AYE!” but soon realized that Goleg had already taken care of business. Sephri asked, “Are you okay?” Goleg, only slightly out of breath, answered, “Yes.”
Sephri looked over at the demon that was knocked out and asked, “What do we do with this thing?” Goleg turned to Sephri, “We interrogate him and find out what he knows.” Just then, the demon came to and jumped up, bouncing around the room, looking for a quick exit, knowing that he was no match for the two heavenly hosts. Sephri, with his super-fast reflexes, pulled a sapphire dagger out and threw it at the demon. His weapon struck the back of its scaly neck, and instantly the demon was vanquished. Goleg looked at Sephri and shrugged his shoulders, smiled, and said, “Uh! Don’t worry about it, those demon assassins smell like Hell anyway.” They both cracked a smile.
Sephri looked at Goleg and noticed that he had two deep cuts on his back and wings. Sephri reached inside of his robe and pulled out a vial of liquid. Sephri poured some of the liquid onto the jagged bites and claw marks left on Goleg by the demons. The instant the water touched angelic flesh, you could see the wounds start to heal. Goleg looked at Sephri and said, “Ah! I love that water.” The water came from heaven out of the River of Life that flowed directly from the throne of God.
Meanwhile, Dan was sitting in a chair, finally catching his breath and wondering what just happened to him. Jamie picked up the phone to call 911, and Dan said, “It’s not necessary.” He knew that he had a history of asthma and assumed that he’d had a small asthma attack. He walked back to his office and picked up his inhaler and took a couple of puffs and began to relax.
Later that evening, Dan was closing the store. The night began to blanket the horizon, and the faint light from the stars was starting to peek through the clouds in the sky. Dan still felt as if something wasn’t right and that he was being watched. He decided that he needed to take a walk down the block and get some fresh air. He started walking and looked down the road and saw some debris blowing around in a circle like a small tornado. Dan looked toward the city park about a block and a half away and decided to venture over there and sit a spell. He sat down and looked toward the sky, then bowed his head. “God if you are up there somewhere, please tell me what is going on.” He took a couple of deep breaths and began to cry into his hands. He yelled out, “What’s wrong with me?” The faint sound of a skateboard rolling on the sidewalk got his attention. He looked up, and a young boy rolling by and gave him the peace sign.
