by A. Catherine
“Lucifer’s not an idiot. He may be cunning, but you really think he’d be so irresponsible as to do something that would immediately put suspicion on him?” Azrael argued.
Michael only met her gaze, leveling it with conviction. “I wouldn’t put anything past him at this point. We’d be fools to immediately acquit him for being the obvious suspect.”
Azrael snorted, dull amusement written on her face. “Already itching for another duel with him, brother?”
Michael arched an eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”
“I’m afraid the desideratum for violence wasn’t inherited by all of us,” she joked.
Though Michael maintained his calm, a slight pulse of frustration flickered in his eyes—echoed by the tension in his shoulders.
“Why don’t we just talk to him?” Chamuel added, his first contribution to the conversation.
He had since sat on a bench on the side. The most docile of the archangels, peaceful and compassionate.
Chamuel clarified, “Father could summon him, include him in our discussion.”
“I intend to meet with him individually following this meeting. He hasn’t atoned enough to be allowed back in this realm just yet,” the almighty confirmed. “Be that as it may, I don’t believe this is his doing, nor his Heir’s.”
“Would you like me to join you when you meet with him?” Michael offered.
A knowing smile ghosted onto the almighty’s lips. “I don’t need protection, and he cannot manipulate me. But I appreciate your offer, Michael.”
God took a moment to look at all his children. The most powerful beings aside from himself that still remained in this universe.
“Back to the matter at hand. All we know is that a Guardian is dead. We need to find out how, who killed him and whatever else is needed to correct the Balance. Most of you have realms to watch over, inform your angels to keep an eye out for anything strange. But we must continue on as normal.” He made eye contact with Gabriel. “Would you go find out who the Guardian is for me? We’ll wait here until you return,” he instructed.
Gabriel nodded, extending his wings and without another pause took to the skies.
“If it was a Guardian, that leaves their humans unguarded. Does the Guardian Master have a contingency plan to fill that missing hole? I know Guardians are stretched thin as it is,” Raphael asked.
He was the most intelligent of the archangels. Always thinking five steps ahead, preparing for any setbacks or alternative measures.
“All the angels are stretched thin,” Chamuel argued quietly.
Indeed. With the mortal population increasing at an alarming rate, the angelic forces were taking on more than they could bear. Guardians and Reapers made up the majority of the divisions, but even so they took on more than one mortal at a time.
New angels came in slowly, and required training before entering the workforce. There were thinned areas in every division as they sought to catch up.
When the almighty created this incarnation of humans, he gave them the ability to procreate easily, and their lifespans were meant to balance the populations out.
But with modern technology and better health practices, as well as a disregard for resource management, they’d grown beyond capacity.
“If they need additional forces, I can spare a few Cherubims,” Chamuel offered.
He was always the most willing to help, even if losing a few of his own angels would greatly hinder his own division. He wouldn’t voice those hindrances, instead he would actively work in the field alongside his angels.
Every division was struggling to keep up with the mortals—and with the growing demonic presence on earth.
God shook his head. “No. I think they’ll manage, though when it comes to the humans left unguarded, we don’t know the exact nature of what killed their Guardian. We may need one of you to guard them until it’s sorted out.”
He was doubtful that it had anything to do with the humans themselves, but better to be on the safe side.
Michael immediately took a step forward. “I can do it.”
“Your willingness is admirable, Michael. But maybe it’d be best if Gabriel takes this one,” Azrael replied.
Uriel narrowed her eyes. “This is a big deal, maybe Michael is the best choice. He is the strongest among us.”
“Second strongest,” Azrael muttered.
“Second to Lucifer,” Uriel countered, her voice edging on a snarl. “—and if he is at fault, it would only be fitting for Michael to be the defense, given their history.”
“Guardian angels are Gabriel’s division. Besides, Gabriel has exceeded all expectations of his abilities,” Jophiel defended.
Gabriel was the youngest, and therefore should’ve had the least amount of power. But he trained hard, and his power grew enough to match Raphael on the power scale.
“Guardians may be his charge, but maintaining the Balance across all the worlds is mine. I could handle this—” Michael said.
“All of us have that charge, Michael. Yours only specifies to go beyond this planet.” Raphael cut him off. “I agree with Azrael. Gabriel should serve as the mortals’ temporary Guardian and look into this. And if it gets to be too big for him to handle, then you may be prompted to step in.”
Michael conceded to listen to Raphael. Azrael and Raphael weren’t very different, both logical and calculating. But Michael notoriously listened to Raphael’s opinion more willingly than his other sisters.
Perhaps it had to do with Azrael’s own unique position and power. Or perhaps it was simply a closer sibling rivalry. Either way, Azrael never let it bother her.
Within moments, Gabriel’s winged form lowered back into the courtyard. Once his feet touched down, he receded his wings.
“The Guardian’s name was Mason. He was young, had only been a Guardian for just over two hundred years,” he explained. He looked around to his siblings. “What did I miss?” he asked.
God moved towards Azrael, who now leaned against an archway. “Would you go check the Gates and see if his soul makes its way there?” he asked.
She blinked in surprise. “Would it? He was immortal—if anything his soul should’ve returned to you.”
“I haven’t felt anything yet, but it can’t hurt to check,” God said. “I’ll come visit after I meet with Lucifer.”
Azrael nodded, and then she began walking out. “I’ll disperse the crowd on my way out.” she shot a pointed glance at Michael, to recognize his earlier suggestion. And then she was gone.
Chamuel stood from his bench. “Back to work then, I suppose. Lots to do. It was good to see you all.” This time Chamuel chose to winnow rather than walk out. A shimmering cocoon of vibrant amaranth light followed in his wake.
God nodded to the others. “Report back with anything out of the ordinary.”
That was all the dismissal they needed. Zadkiel, Jophiel and Uriel disappeared in their own signature columns of light. Raphael and Michael remained.
“What would you like my Scribes to write on this event?” Raphael asked God.
“Only what we currently know, I suppose. I will try to relay any vital information I receive as it comes to me,” the almighty replied.
Raphael nodded, extended his wings, and took to the sky without another word.
Drawing the almighty’s attention, Michael said, “I suppose I’ll just go check on the other worlds?”
Michael held his expression to be stoic and indifferent, but God could see the frustration underneath.
More, he wanted to do more.
God nodded. “I’ll call when I have need of you.”
Michael’s wings beat only once, and he shot into the air like a missile. Gabriel watched him go, waiting for his instructions. All of the archangels, save for Lucifer, were fiercely loyal and reliable, but were sometimes…more like often, competitive.
Gabriel was young and had missed a lot of the most influential parts of their immortal history, but he had earned his place amongst
them.
The almighty at last turned towards Gabriel, who remained collected, despite his worries having lost one of his angels so suddenly.
"Gabriel, I need you to be the humans’ Guardian for a little while. Check on them. See if anything is amiss," the almighty instructed.
Gabriel knew a little about Mason’s charge, most of the Guardian’s human assignments were already venturing out of Mason’s assigned stage of life, so they might be better off receiving their new Guardians immediately.
But there was one human who wasn’t yet ready for that transition.
Gabriel nodded. "Alright."
"I’ll speak with Lucifer and figure out where to go from there. But this is your assignment, find out what you can, and I’ll see about giving you help."
"What should I be looking for?" he asked as the almighty began to turn away.
“Anything, everything. Start with the mortal’s subconsciousness, I assume you’ve been practicing your dream-walking?”
Gabriel nodded. “I’ll take care of it.” he looked back to the now empty skies where Michael ascended. “Would I be right in guessing that the reason Michael left in a huff was because he wanted the honor of this task?” he asked.
The almighty grinned. “Your older brother tends to forget that he isn’t the only champion of heaven.”
“I’m grateful you’re giving me the opportunity.”
“Some of your siblings, Azrael, Raphael and Jophiel vouched for you, it’s them you should offer your gratitude. You have yet to experience the chaos and challenges that this world can spur, my son. Having lived through so much peace, this might be your chance to gain some respect from Michael and the others.”
God clamped a strong hand on his shoulder.
“Safe flying.”
God didn’t wait for a response before he left the courtyard, returning to the manor beyond.
As for Gabriel, he chose to walk out through the other exit. Some of the gathered angels remained but in smaller quantities, most of them had dispersed back to their divisions. Gabriel greeted a few on his way out to the edge of heaven, the drop off point into the mortal realm.
Gabriel took one deep breath and then let his body free fall towards the Earth below. Wind whistling past his ears, his wings out but tucked in tight to achieve maximum speed.
He felt the veil between realms push against him, felt the hidden wards built more to keep unwanted beings out of the Heavenly realm than in. Leaving was much easier.
An orb of golden light wrapped around him for only a moment, the power slicing through the veil into the next realm, leaving behind the soft warmth that never ended in heaven. He was falling through the icy thin air of the atmosphere.
Below him, surface grew closer and closer, the cities, plant life and ground, growing more detailed.
Before impact, Gabriel extended his wings, and just an inch from the ground he came to a stop.
He was hovering above a desert. He shifted into the Ethereal realm, a direct parallel veil from the mortal realm to conceal his presence from any mortals. It was in this realm that if he wanted to move from one place to another faster than he could fly, he could winnow.
But he didn’t want to winnow now. No, now he wanted to fly, still faster than most modes of travel, but slow enough to give him a view. So, with a twist of his feathers, his vector changed from vertical to horizontal, moving like a bullet toward a town still asleep as the first rays of dawn began to break over the eastern horizon.
THREE
Lucifer
LUCIFER WAS WAITING on top of the Golden Gate bridge for the almighty to arrive.
Since he was not allowed in Heaven, and God wasn't a welcome visitor in Hell, they would meet on Earth.
Lucifer was sporting his signature dark suit. It was rare of him to visit earth these days. Hell tended to be a chaotic place and required a considerable amount of his time and attention. Keeping all the hellborn in check was a full-time job. His most trusted first-and-second generation demons handled the soul-snatching on the surface.
A lot had changed since his uprising. Long before that he had been the almighty’s right-hand when keeping the Balance and righting the wrongs of previous creations. But Lucifer had always been free spirited.
Rebellious in nature, he always longed for more agency, for his own domain.
He had a proclivity for cruelty and the immoral. Taking more after his mother than his father, he supposed.
His fall may have been brought about as a result of his selfish intentions, but not one part of him regretted it.
Even as he continued to cooperate with heaven, his realm of sin and fire served as the counterbalance to the righteousness of heaven, and therefore he remained a working participant in the engine of the universe.
The most powerful archangel turned devil. A welcome title for the king of the underworld.
As Lucifer sneered down at the mortals buzzing through their mundane day-to-day lives below, he felt the familiar aura unique only to the almighty himself arrive behind him.
"Let me guess, my dear brother Michael has placed me firmly at the top of his suspect list?” Lucifer stated.
He glanced over his shoulder, God had dressed in a tan trench coat, a navy suit visible underneath.
The almighty placed his hands in his pockets, peering down at the mortal world as well.
“Can you blame him? You were always at each other’s throats, even before The Fall. He is arguably, your archnemesis, yes?” he quipped.
“He should find other hobbies.” Lucifer turned fully to his father. “I know I certainly have found more meaningful distractions from our endless quarrelling.”
A long history between them, but Lucifer could no longer find a scrap of devotion left inside himself. Satan had long abandoned emotions such as admiration and reverence, only callousness and rancor remained.
God leveled an equally assessing gaze upon his eldest. “You’ll be pleased to hear that most of us consider this act to be beneath you.”
Lucifer smirked at that. “It was a bit too obvious for my tastes.”
“And none of your rogues…?” God asked. Lucifer chuckled.
“No. They’re cowards, not nearly capable enough for this. What of your gilded workforce?”
God adjusted his cuffs. "I'm afraid they are just as much in the dark as the rest of us," God responded.
Lucifer’s smugness grew. "Not quite as much, my friend," he teased.
God viewed the lights below, letting out a sigh. “Then we have a real mystery on our hands. And something out there is tipping the Balance, it must be restored.”
“If you ask me, I think it’s a nice change of pace.”
The almighty frowned. “This isn’t some minor human dispute. An immortal was murdered. The effect it had on the Balance was exponentially larger than anything the humans could do. And even that pales in comparison to the threat of what could still happen. Something out there was able to pull this off—without our knowledge. No immortal, angelic or demonic is safe. So I condemn your humor in this situation.”
Lucifer scoffed, “Still sounds amusing to me, but thank you for reminding me how boring heaven is, nothing but the status quo. I’m missing my Inferno already. So, what do you want to do about this, oh almighty one?” he mocked.
God threw a wary, accusatory glance his way. "Are you behind this, Lucifer?"
Lucifer placed a hand over his heart dramatically. “Oh daddy-dearest, you have no faith in me.”
“Not too long ago you used the kernel of the cosmos you inherited to bring your Heir into being. His talents are considerably intense. Convince me that you haven’t unleashed him upon our universe.” his voice was firm.
Lucifer fought the urge to sneer at him, instead he enacted his serpentine arrogant smile.
“Believe me, if I had unleashed Kaleus on this universe, it wouldn’t result in a singular immortal death. It would be nuclear,” Lucifer emphasized.
Keeping his straight f
ace, he continued, "No matter how much I’d enjoy wiping out your precious garrison of angels, like you—I have a higher obligation to keep the Balance. I've spent a great deal of time building my realm into my pride and joy, getting it organized. I would not jeopardize that for one stupid Guardian angel," he explained.
The almighty stopped short. “I never said it was a Guardian…”
Lucifer didn’t fluster from the accusation, instead he crossed his arms and smiled confidently.