"There were Nephilim in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown..." - Genesis 6:4
The children...
This was one of my more interesting stories because it allowed me to explore characters and locations outside the usual scenery (that is, the Northwest Safe Haven) while still incorporating themes and plots from the original story. Here we saw the Malakhites' secrets revealed, their connection to Cameron uncovered, and the beginnings of Zuriel's experiment, which led directly to the events of the Holy War.
Dealing with the Abrigo Seguro was awesome, since I haven't gotten to take the story to any other Safe Havens due to the main plotline taking place in the Northwest haven (besides "Prodigal", which was set in Xishuangbanna). It definitely had a different feel from the OG, which was also awesome. New Chief Peacekeepers, new scenery... and yet there was still more of the same: those ever-present outsider threats, the Breaking of the Pacts, and darkness bubbling just beneath the surface of a beautiful, magical city.
Part 2 will tie the past to the present and bring the Malakhites' tale to its epic climax, while also meshing with the main story of "P O W E R". Get ready; it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Next up: "P O W E R : R E U N I O N"! (Coming 2/19/22)
(Quick disclaimer: I came up with the "META Corporation" BEFORE Zuckerberg announced Meta Platforms. There is no connection between Zuriel's META and Zuckerberg's Meta, despite the fact that they share four letters in their names, have the same company names, and are both massive multibillion-dollar corporations...
...huh. I guess that's what they call "life imitating art".)
("M A L A K H I T E S : F A L L E N" was written from September 4, 2021 to September 19, 2021.)
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For those who missed all the Easter Eggs and hidden references, here's a list:
CHAPTER I: The Spinnerelli Brothers, d. 1947 by drug overdose. Sister: Molly, Father: Henry.
CHAPTER II: Zuriel jumps out of a helicopter without a parachute à la Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
CHAPTER II: Cecelia's hunter-turned-friend is a jaguar; Cameron's closest companion is a cheetah.
CHAPTER III: Cecelia and Zuriel observe Abrigo Seguro from an upraised location, mirroring Cameron's observation of Safe Haven after her arrival in the original "ZooPhobia".
CHAPTER III: Ramiro's explanation of Abrigo Segurois the same as Salvia's explanation of Safe Haven, with minor differences.
CHAPTER IV: Hadalirealizes something is wrong withZuriel, much like Zechariah realized something was wrong when Cameron arrived in Safe Haven.
CHAPTER IV: Ramiro has a large painted globe made of clay in his mansion. The Protector of Abrigo Seguro is Gal'iyn, the Golem. The Z.P.A. staff had a hand-crafted urn filled with ashes. The Protector of Safe Haven is Safiya el Nar, the Phoenix.
CHAPTER IV: Aramana runs the Distrito Selvagem (Savage District) and watches over the more primitive members of Abrigo Seguro's society, making her the equivalent of Safe Haven's Carrie.
CHAPTER IV: Zuriel and Ariel use the Saved's creed: "Such is the will of the Lord / So shall it be." Ariel introduced this creed to the Malakhites after meeting Adina in the years between Chapters I and II.
CHAPTER IV: Guardian's appearance in Ramiro's office mirrors his appearances in "Target" and "Peacekeepers".
CHAPTER V: Ceceliarevealing her experience in semba is a reference to Junirevealing his proficiency in balletin Spy Kids 2.
CHAPTER VI: Zuriel says "Safe Haven is not and will never be" Cameron's home. We all know how that turned out...
CHAPTER VI: Cecelia tells Hadali she needs him to be a cheetah. This one was probably obvious.
CHAPTER VI: Zuriel kills Ramiro by shoving his hand right through his stomach and out his back—the same way Superman kills Joker in DC's Injustice.
CHAPTER VI: The chief of the god-hunters is Art—a.k.a. Artemis, Greekgoddess of the hunt. The reason for her animalistic madness will be revealed in the future story "P O W E R : P A N T H E O N".
CHAPTER VI: The god-hunters' weapons glow whitelike the masks, hands, and feet of the Celestials and Celestions.
CHAPTER VI: Zuriel kills Hadali in classic Scar v. Mufasa fashion.
Epilogue I: The Fallen of the Seven Heads are all fallen angels from Judaic mythology.
Epilogue II: Chief Peacekeeper Ramiro reveals that his actions led to the Breaking of the Pacts, mirroring Chief Peacekeeper Zechariah's mistakes that led to the same event in his own haven.
How many did you catch while you were reading? Let me know in the comments below!
