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5A

Even as the southern kingdom of Judah was being laid waste by the king of Babylon, the brother of the high priest in Jerusalem, a man named Lael, led a remnant of twenty-four Jews to the land of Haaretz in Kemen, where they were given possession of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tablet it contained by the decree of God Most High.

But Elyon and Chemah coveted the Tablet, as it was made by the hands of Bat-El himself and could survive being cast into the fires of a sun. Therefore a party of wayfarers sent by Chemah had tried to lull the Remnant by regaling them with tale before their leader, Marsayas, suddenly smote Lael with a cruel blade bearing four edges. What followed was a general melee.

Lael's wife Sariah restrained Marsayas' arm to prevent him from striking her husband with a second blow but she was unaware Lael was already bleeding out. The six Brown Beards who had traveled with him quickly jumped out of striking range of Abner, Asa, Josiah and Tobiah. But the Judahite woman named Serach and the Benjaminite woman named Sela restrained two of the fleeing Brown Beards by embracing their calves. As they were dragged, four other len were free to burst through an open hole in the ring of womenfolk seated around the campfire.

At the death cry of Lael the men who had been watching the animals on the rim of the camp immediately took the bows they carried on their backs and fitted arrows to them. They fired at Marsayas and two of the newcomers, shooting over the heads of the women hindering them. Still, four of Marsayas" company were free to make for their real target and rushed toward the Ark of the Covenant to seize it.

Lael's sons Rosh, Jemuel, and Elam had not been lulled to sleep by Marsayas" tale and had already drawn the swords dangling from their waists. But a fold-door appeared with Lord Belphegor himself standing within, ready to take possession of the Tablet of the Abrahamic Covenant the instant one of the attackers were able to seize it.

Three separate sword duels commenced, and they were far more fierce than any of the len had foreseen. This left a fourth lan free to draw near to the Ark and seize it, but Bat-El entered the fray. When the angel touched the relic he immediately stiffened and fell dead.

Belphegor shifted his gaze to the tussle with blades and watched the humans vanquish their taller opponents one after the other. He was reminded of the tenacity of their forefather Jacob.