The Friendly Beasts
My new Christmas tradition continues! Just like last year, I have written a Christmas-themed short story, loosely inspired by a Christmas song. I hope you enjoy it this Christmas Day.
The Friendly Beasts
Immar the lamb, the littlest of the flock, craned his neck to see the commotion in the sky.
The blazing lights mesmerized Immar. He stood entranced as the stars seemed to dance.
No, not the stars, he realized.
It seemed as though a hole were cut in the sky, and a humanoid being of thick muscle and shiny skin sheathed a sword and smiled.
“Greetings!” he called with a voice of melodic timbre, and resonant harmony rang from all the beings behind him, his one word filling the hills in a sea of sound.
Immar looked to the shepherds, but those brave men who he’d learned to love and trust, cried out, shaking, all color drained from their faces.
The being in the sky sang once more.
“Be not afraid—look! I proclaim good news of great joy for all people: Today in the city of David a Savior is born for you—the Messiah, your Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby swaddled and lying in a manger.”
He removed the sword and cut the hole in the sky bigger, and suddenly hundreds upon hundred of beings like him were visible, and they joined in a single harmonic chorus:
“From heaven’s highest heights,
a glory song descending downward,
down to the ones YahWeh loves,
Peace we sing,
Peace to all
Eternally!”
The singing grew louder, the light shined brighter. Brighter, brighter, brighter, and then it faded, and all the beings with it, the hole in the sky no more.
Many of the sheep around Immar had fallen over in fright, but he dug his hooves in and looked to his shepherds for guidance.
Immar’s favorite shepherd known as Tawa spoke to the other: “Those messengers were surely from God! We must go. Messiah is waiting.”
The other shepherd nodded agreement, but his body still shook with fear. He said, “W-w-wha-what about the sheep? Can we leave them and expect them to be safe?”
“These sheep serve Messiah, my friend. Their sacrifice at the temple points to Him. He is the lamb of God, and I will not rest until I behold Him.”
The other nodded again, but he still stood frozen.
Tawa spoke once more. “Let’s leave now. See? Many of the lambs are on their side and they will have to wait for our return regardless. Think not of the wild beasts that might wish them harm. I think if I were a wild animal, that choir from above would convince me to stay in hiding. Even if all the lambs die, this will be worth it. Come!”
They started jogging towards the edge of the pasture in what Immar assumed to be the direction of Bethlehem.
Immar called, “Wait! Wait for me!” He started to run after them.
They didn’t stop, and Immar knew they must’ve heard only baaing, but he called for them anyways.
“Wait for me, Tawa. I want to see the lamb too.”
He didn’t quite understand the significance of this child, but as a temple lamb, Immar knew deep down, somehow, someway, that his fate was tied to this child’s.
Beyond the pasture’s edge, the terrain grew bumpier, and soon the path climbed a hill. At first, Immar was only fifteen meters behind them, but as he tired, the shepherds crested the hill without him and disappeared from sight.
Though he slowed, Immar didn’t dare stop. His breaths heaving, he finally reached the top of the hill, but looking in all directions, he could not see the shepherds. He looked to the ground and saw some depressions in the grass.
Feet have trodden here!
He followed the footprints downhill, but the hill grew steeper, and Immar ran faster and faster until his legs flew from under him, and he started to roll.
He bounced down the hill, his wool protecting him from injury. Towards the bottom of the hill, the terrain began to even out, and Immar slid to a stop, miraculously on his feet.
That was a close one, he thought.
He looked around every which way, his heart still racing. He could see no footprints, no sign of his trusted shepherds. His determination weakened as panic began seeping in.
Where did they go? Which way? Which way? No, no, I can’t be lost. Not so soon!
Immar baaed again, and started to cry.
Though he couldn’t see himself, he knew his wool must look disgusting now. He counted himself fortunate that he hadn’t injured himself in his foolish pursuit. He let the tears flow and he groaned.
I’m so foolish. Why did I leave the pasture? I know this baby is important, I can feel it, but now what? What’s a temple lamb supposed to do in the wild? If I get any defect, I’ll never fulfill my purpose, and what then?
A high voice from above stopped Immar’s cries. “Don’t cry, little lamb.”
Immar looked around and saw nobody.
The voice spoke from behind him now. “I’m over here, now!” It giggled.
Immar spun, looking every which way, until he saw a dove flying just overhead. It landed on a bush.
Immar said, “Were you talking to me? Doves can speak?”
“Same way a lamb can, though most don’t understand its words. I know you, Immar, though you don’t know me. Call me Ruach—now we’ve met!”
The wool on his skin stood up. “What do you mean you know me? How did you know my name?”
“You will never be sacrificed in the temple, but I can tell you now that your purpose is even greater. You are YahWeh’s lamb, a forerunner of the little baby the celestial messengers just announced from the sky.”
“You know of the baby? I’m drawn to Him. I wanted to follow Tawa all the way, but now I’m lost.”
“What you’re about to find is even greater, little lamb. As a Covenant Forerunner, you have an ancient duty to prepare the way for the Messiah. He may have just been born, but there are many seeking to snuff His life out. I’ve been charged to commission you—You must protect the Child at all costs.”
“What do you mean? Is the Messiah-Child in danger? What am I supposed to do to help? I am but a fragile lamb.”
“YahWeh picks His servants wisely. He uses the lowly to shine His greatest glory. Now, we must hurry and meet up with the other beasts. The peril approaches.”
Immar was about to ask about this so-called peril, but the dove flew, and Immar gave chase.
“Wait for me!” he cried. “I’m coming. Please don’t lose me!”
“You were never lost, Immar, and you never will be,” Ruach called from the sky. He faced the lamb as he flapped his wings, hovering in Immar’s line of sight. “Just follow, fear not, and harbor faith. Just enough faith for the next step, and you’ll be fine.”
The dove flew ahead at a slow enough pace for Immar to trot along the uneven terrain. Immar was thankful that the starlight was bright today, as the cosmos gifted the ground with a sort of perpetual twilight, nearly as bright as the moment before the sun’s dawning.
They continued forward in silence, and Immar’s confidence began to swell. I don’t know where this dove came from, but he knew my name. There’s a plan in all of this, a destiny for me. I can feel it. I’m coming Tawa!
In the distance ahead, a form appeared on a hill’s crest. The thing got closer and closer as Immar never lost speed, and soon he realized the thing was a donkey. And the donkey’s path lead right to Immar.
When she was finally close enough to meet Immar and Ruach, the donkey paused, heeing and hawing, trying to catch its breath.
Immar thought to walk past the beast without acknowledging his presence, knowing he needed to get to wherever Ruach was leading so he can somehow help the child with this mysterious peril.
The donkey looked at Ruach, who landed on the ground in front of Immar, and the said, “Ruach! I’m glad I found you. Is this the lamb?”
“Yes, Aradia, this is the one. He is called Immar. Immar, meet Aradia. You must ride on Aradia’s back if we are to get to the child in time.
Aradia nodded. “Yes, little Immar. Climb on my back. We must get to Messiah before it’s too late.”
Immar shook his head. “I’m only a lamb. I can’t climb anything. I’ll try to keep up, but considering how lost I got chasing after Tawa, I’m afraid I’ll only slow you down.”
Ruach said, “No, don’t speak that way. This is your destiny. I told you not to fear. There’s a small hill over here with a sharp edge. Aradia will stand at the bottom; Immar, you must walk off the edge onto Aradia’s back.”
“I don’t think I can do it.”
“Aradia is a good donkey. She will keep you steady. But we must hurry.”
After a little more debate and several moments’ hesitation, Aradia ran with Immar on her back, and Ruach still flew ahead, directing their path.
After several minutes of silence, Immar, holding tightly to the donkey, said, “Ruach never told me what the peril is. Do you know what’s endangering the Messiah-Baby?”
Suddenly, Aradia slowed, hooves clopping to a stop. “It’s right in front of us!”
Ruach dove to the ground just under a swipe of orange light. A line from the light hung in the sky, and another quick swipe—from a hand of some kind? Or a paw?—cut a line perpendicular to the other, and out of the sky’s hole leapt a beast, and the monster landed only about forty paces ahead.
It was a gaunt, pale lion with a glowing mouth.
Ruach swerved and landed on Immar’s wool. He whispered in Immar’s ear, “The Fire Lion roams around, seeking whom he may devour. With his violence, he breeds chaos and seeks to dismember everything the Messiah-Child represents. If possible, he will rip apart the child Himself.”
Fire Lion roared, and tendrils of red and blue flame shot from his face.
Aradia leapt to the side, and Immar tumbled into the brush. He was on his side now, stuck.
“Help, help, help!” Immar yelled.
The roar returned, even louder, reverberating through the countryside.
Then, heat. Though Immar couldn’t see it, a wave of fire singed his wool, the side facing the air.
The roar turned to a yelp, and the heat was gone. Immar could hear more commotion, but he baaed helplessly, wondering what was going on. Then, there was silence.
“Help, help!” he cried. Tears escaped his eyes. “Are any of you there?”
Immar closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting for the Fire Lion to finish him, to waste his already-purposeless life. No temple sacrifice, and no protecting the child. Is the Messiah-Child doomed?
Ruach and Aradia’s voices broke Immar’s thoughts.
“We’re here!”
Ruach added, “It’s okay, little lamb. We’re safe, for now.”
Immar opened his eyes as he felt Aradia’s head nudging his side.
Aradia pushed Immar upright and said, “I’m sorry about your wool. Much of it is burnt away. How is your skin? Are you hurt?”
Immar turned to face his new friends, happy to be standing again. “No, not really. Just confused. What was that lion? And where did it go? How are we still alive?”
Ruach said, “While you and Aradia fled the Fire Lion’s roar, I flew around the flames and stuck my claws into his eyes. Caught off-guard, the lion cut a gateway to the other world right as Aradia charged. Aradia threw him off balance and he fell through the gateway.”
Immar said, “Is he dead? Is the peril gone?”
“No, no, no, little one,” Aradia said. “We were lucky this time. You should’ve seen the look on his face as the gateway disappeared. The raw fury…I’m surprised he didn’t come back to fight. Ruach, you must’ve gotten his eyes good.”
“Indeed, but he won’t be blinded for long. We must hurry. He’s tracking the child in earnest, and I imagine he didn’t want to waste time prolonging his confrontation with us. He probably thinks he scared us off.”
Immar said, “But how did he escape? What are these ‘gateways’ as you call them? Is that what the messengers made when they announced the child to Tawa?”
Ruach said, “Yes, both the angelic messengers and the Fire Lion are from another world, similar to this one, but as almost a mirror at another level of reality. They are High Creatures; they can make holes and freely travel between these worlds.”
“If the lion finds the baby, he will jump again out of the other world, and he will attack,” added Aradia. “We must get back to the baby as soon as possible. We have little time. When I left the cave, he hadn’t been born yet, but the mother had entered labor.”
Immar said, “You were there? You’ve seen the mother?”
“Yes,” confirmed Aradia. “I actually carried the mother into Bethlehem. There were no rooms anywhere in town, so they settled in with the animals in a nearby stable, a cave cut into the hillside.”
Immar’s eyes widened. “So if the lion finds the baby, He will be doomed. What must we do?”
Ruach said, “Whether to stop the lion or to keep the child safely hidden, either way we need to get to Bethlehem now. And I know just the beast to help us. Come, let us get to the top of that hill.”
The trio climbed to the highest point in sight, and the dove Ruach sang a song to the wind.
“This is where we were heading before the lion came, little Immar. We are meeting an old friend of mine. A beast from the other world. And if I sing the song just right, I can make a hole to bring him here.”
Ruach continued singing, louder and louder, the melody growing in complexity, the music echoing off the hills. Suddenly, a split appeared in the clouds, and through the hole flew a camel.
It’s flying?…thought Immar.
The furry, brown camel had two large humps and no legs, but it also had wings with the largest wingspan Immar had ever beheld or imagined. The thickly feathered white wings created a new wind, and after circling around them a few laps, the camel landed in front of them.
A deep voice from the camel greeted them. “Ruach, my friend. I was starting to think your song would never come. Are you well? I saw Fire Lion when he crossed over, and I was barely able to hide from the lion when he returned.”
“Yes, we are well. Count us fortunate. Immar and Aradia, this is my friend Habub. He will take us the rest of the way.”
The trio climbed aboard Habub’s back, and the camel-like creature flapped his wings and flew directly to Bethlehem.
As the small village appeared overhead, Habub turned his head and said, “Aradia, where did you leave the mother and the Messiah-Child?”
“There, at the far edge of town. A stable cut into the hillside cave. You should be able to see it now.”
Habub slowly descended towards the stable.
Immar looked up just in time to see claws ripping a hole in the sky. “Look out!” he baaed.
Fire Lion jumped through the hole and landed on Habub’s neck. The lion set Habub’s wings ablaze, and as Immar, Aradia, and Ruach leapt to the ground, Immar could see Fire Lion sinking his teeth into Habub’s flesh.
Immar landed in a bush and was able to wiggle out onto the ground on his feet. The ground quaked under his feet, and Immar turned to see Habub’s unmoving body.
Immar tried keeping an even head as he trotted towards the stable. Don’t panic. Protect the Messiah-Child.
The stone door over the stable cave was pushed aside, and a man stepped out.
Ruach landed on Immar’s back, and Aradia, on the other side of Habub’s body, called, “It’s the baby’s father! Protect him!”
The man looked at Habub and Fire Lion, who stood on Habub’s carcass, and he fainted in the doorway.
Aradia charged the lion. “Hehawwwwww!”
Immar watched as he ran closer to the stable door. In a breath, Fire Lion bathed Aradia in flames.
In Immar’s ear, Ruach sharply said, “Don’t look, little one. Get into the stable. The Messiah-Child is the priority.”
As he got to the entrance, Immar could see the mother asleep on the ground inside. She lay by a manger, and other animals were scattered around, standing still and silent.
A weight left Immar’s shoulder, and Ruach’s voice said, “I’ll stand at the entrance. You guard the manger.”
Immar turned to the dove. “I can’t, Ruach. I’m a helpless lamb.”
“No, you are a Covenant Forerunner. This is your destiny. Fear not, little one.”
Ruach turned to the lion, who had stepped up to the entrance.
Immar ran over to the manger, but behind him, he heard the lion confront Ruach.
“Fly aside, dove. There is no peace here. You cannot stop me from what I must do.”
Immar turned again to watch. Ruach flew level with the lion’s head and said, “I’m not the Prince of Peace. The Messiah-Child is.”
The lion snarled, extended his claws, and batted Ruach away, the dove landing on the far side of the stable, unmoving.
Immar turned again to the manger and said, “I can’t do this. Please, forgive me. I’m a failure.”
For the first time, Immar peered in at the baby, seeing the beautiful, gentle, vulnerable human child for the first time.
Seeing the child swaddled in a manger reminded Immar of himself and the other lambs born after him. The newborn lambs swaddled by the shepherd, placed temporarily in the manger to the protect the future temple sacrifices from harm or blemish.
Ruach said I’d never be sacrificed at the temple. My destiny is bigger. I’m a Covenant Forerunner.
The baby seemed to smile at Immar.
The words of Ruach’s constant reminder kept swimming in his brain: Fear not, little one.
Immar turned to face the Fire Lion.
The lion growled and said, “I’ve given you long enough, lamb. It’s time for you to die. You, and the baby.”
“If you want to get to the baby, you’ll have to get me first.”
The lion blew fire at Immar, but as the flames approached, starlight shined through the stable’s window, and Immar’s wool began to buzz and glow.
The fire bent around Immar and the child, and all the flames poured out the window, burning nothing within the stable.
The lion squinted. “Impossible. Your wool was singed before. I saw it myself.” Fire Lion stepped even closer to Immar, and he roared more vigorously than before, with floods of flame cascading from his breath.
Still, the baby, the stable, and Immar were untouched.
The lion screamed in anger and bit Immar’s side, the lion’s face swallowed in the wool.
Immar stood confident, feeling the pain, but not moving or baaing.
The lion clenched his teeth harder, refusing to let go, but the lamb showed no sign of acknowledgement.
Then, the wool seemed to grow. Fluffier and fluffier, the pure white wool squeezed the lion’s head and neck, and within minutes, the lion fell over, dead.
And Immar fell over too, his smile never waning, even as his breath did.
~~~~~
Tawa the shepherd, after a long hike with his shepherd friend and the other shepherds they ran into on the way, finally found the Messiah-Child in the stable.
The parents were both joyful and confused. The father babbled about something that had made him faint, and Tawa didn’t understand until he approached the sleeping child’s manger, over which the mother stood.
He saw the baby and the mother, but on the floor beside the manger lay a dead lion and a dead lamb.
A lamb whom Tawa recognized. Tawa smiled.
“Little Immar was a sacrificial lamb after all.”
