Uriel and Luciel glanced at each other. These two were master strategists and they realized what Michael had just accomplished. By getting both of them to stay their campaign in front of everyone, Michael had demonstrated that he was better at leadership than both of them were. There was no going around that. The only thing they had to do was not to validate this stance by acting rash or immature in front of the rest of their brothers and sisters. As such, Uriel and Luciel smiled and gladly accepted Michael’s offer for an organized campaign.
“Thank you, sisters,” Michael said. “And please, could one of you do us the honor of going first?”
Michael knew Luciel would jump at the opportunity. She was as charismatic, wise and zealous as she was beautiful. Luciel knew Michael had set himself to be the last to run his campaign because he wanted to hear what she and Uriel had to say first; another advantage for him. Luciel cursed silently. She may not be the last to run her campaign, but she was certainly not going to be the first. She would have Uriel go first and then try to make Uriel look bad and hope Michael does not come up with something that topped hers. However, she was a thought too slow and forgot that Uriel was also a master strategist. Uriel smiled and jumped at the opportunity.
“After you, Luciel,” Uriel said and gestured for Luciel to proceed.
Luciel was furious that she had been cornered by these two but was adept at concealing her sentiments.
“Thank you, kindly, Michael and Uriel,” Luciel replied and stepped forward.
Luciel did give a superb campaign speech that earned her a deafening round of applause. Michael and Uriel joined in the applause for show. Luciel waved and expressed her thanks as she retreated to the rear and gestured for Uriel to proceed. She felt confident that there was no way either Uriel or Michael could do better. She smiled with satisfaction as Uriel stepped forward.
“Thank you kindly, Luciel,” Uriel said and bowed slightly towards Luciel.
Luciel politely returned her bow. You sleazy, winged buffoon! Luciel thought.
“My brothers and sisters,” Uriel said. “Forgive my harshness but I believe in the face of the undeniable, resistance is futile. We all know we don’t stand a chance against our first-born sibling, Michael. He has already shown us the kind of leader he is and the kind of leader he will be. If we insist on seeing the game to completion, then so be it. But we know who will win. Join me, brothers and sisters, in rallying behind our eldest sibling, Michael. Thank you.”
Uriel returned to her original spot as a more deafening round of applause erupted. Team ELOHIM was pleasantly shocked, and Luciel could not contain her scowl after she had just been hoisted by her own petard. Michael kept his calm despite the elation he felt as he walked forward. Uriel kept pumping the crowd and the crowd cheered even louder. Michael waved at Uriel and Uriel blew him a kiss. Luciel’s growl was drowned out in the cheering.
“Thank you for your endorsement, Uriel,” Michael said. “My dear brothers and sisters, thank you all as well. It appears as if we have just two camps, so I’ll make this quick. No need for a speech. Those who are with Luciel, please float to the right and those who are with me, please float to the left. If it’s alright with you, Obok,” Michael said as he turned his attention towards Obok, “I’d also like to call for a reset of the game to include everyone already marked out.”
“Let it be so, Michael,” Obok agreed.
Luciel was furious beyond words. The game was pointless. Regardless of the outcome, Michael had already sealed his position as leader. It was evident in the eyes of her brethren and their makers. They regarded Michael with respect and admiration. Her last strategy remaining was to sow a seed of doubt in the minds of everyone. She had to win the game. And then, the unexpected happened.
Every angel floated to the left. Michael smiled and turned to face Uriel and Luciel. Uriel raised her hands in the air in surrender and started floating to the left. But when she was close to Michael, she suddenly turned around as she summoned her marker and lashed at his neck. Michael grinned and Luciel’s eyes bulged in shock. Gasps erupted from everywhere, Team ELOHIM included. Uriel’s move was unexpected and very wise on her part. She knew she stood no chance against Michael in a fair fight and resorted to trickery. She hoped his guard would be down, providing her with the opportunity to eliminate him.
Unfortunately for Uriel, she had grossly underestimated Michael’s reflexes. Michael had noticed her shoulders tense up and her jaws clench right before she summoned the marker. He rolled away from her attack just in time. Uriel cursed aloud, realizing that she had lost her only opportunity to eliminate her toughest opponent. Now, she was going to have not one, but two, problems to deal with; Luciel and Michael; and she was right. Luciel saw her opening, summoned a marker and attacked. Instead of going for Michael, however, she went for Uriel. Uriel was the weaker opponent and the weaker opponent had made her look stupid in front of everyone. Uriel, therefore, had to pay.
Michael watched from his crouching position as Luciel went for Uriel’s neck. Uriel ducked and rolled away from her. She needed some space to regain herself and focus on a new opponent. The tension between both women was intense. It came from something that transcended the mere thrill of the game. It was real and charged with emotion catalyzed by something or many things that Michael would have to try to understand later. But for now, he would observe the two of them. Whoever was left standing would have to face him. Suddenly, Uriel and Luciel dismissed their markers. That was when Michael realized the game was about to turn into a brawl and that meant no more rules.
Uriel threw a right haymaker at Luciel’s face followed by a left hook into Luciel’s lower rib. Luciel inclined her torso to the right to absorb Uriel’s punch as she shielded her face with her left arm from Uriel’s haymaker. Luciel quickly followed her defensive move with a right hook into Uriel’s lower ribs. Both ladies reeled forward as pain erupted from their lower ribs, but they immediately resumed fighting. Luciel threw a left roundhouse at Uriel’s temple, but Uriel ducked and swept Luciel’s right leg off the ground with her right leg. Luciel crashed into the ground. Uriel then immediately pounced on Luciel.
She unleashed three rapid punches into Luciel’s face. At the fourth punch, Luciel brought up her left arm and redirected Uriel’s punch away from her face. She then rode the momentum of Uriel’s redirected punch and straddled Uriel. Luciel delivered two successive punches into Uriel’s face. Uriel caught Luciel’s third punch with her right hand and twisted sharply to the right. Luciel screamed as pain flared from her left wrist. Uriel thrust her hips upwards and drove her right knee into Luciel’s lower back. Luciel was catapulted away from Uriel. Luciel immediately rolled over and turned around to face Uriel. Her sadistic look met Uriel’s as golden light washed over their bodies and healed the two angels.
Uriel zipped towards Luciel, dedicating all her strength into a spear attack. But instead of ramming into Luciel, Uriel zipped through empty space as Luciel sidestepped out of Uriel’s line of zip, sank her weight and coiled her hip. When Uriel was at the perfect spot, Luciel uncoiled her hips and unleashed a brutal knee into Uriel’s ribs, perpendicularly changing the direction of Uriel’s zip. Several bones were broken, and Uriel let out an ear-splitting scream. Angel light washed over Uriel and healed her shattered body. Luciel charged at Uriel. The angels went crazy with excitement and cheered at the angels clawing and beating the angelic crap out of each other. But Michael had had enough of this insanity.
Michael zipped towards Uriel and Luciel and marked their necks, thinking it would stop the fighting. He was wrong. So, Michael placed himself between the two angels and punched their throats. The move stunned the two angels long enough for Michael to drive stomp kicks into Uriel’s left calf and Luciel’s right calf. The two angels were forced to a knee. Michael grabbed them by their necks and forced them to lie face down on the ground. Luciel and Uriel tried to free themselves from Michael’s grip without success.
“Enough now, you two!” Michael commanded.
“Now, you two will either behave yourselves, or I will make you!” Michael ordered in a stern tone they had never heard before.
There was something in his tone of voice that instilled awe and obedience. Luciel and Uriel immediately ceased fighting against his grip. Michael then let go of their necks. When they stood up, they could barely look at him in the eye because they were very embarrassed at their behavior.
“What is wrong with you two?!” Michael scolded. “You turn a simple game into a brawl? And for what?”
“She threw the first punch!” Luciel accused Uriel.
“It’s a lie! She was the first to dismiss her marker!” Uriel argued.
“And my questions were rhetorical,” Michael said firmly.
Uriel and Luciel immediately fell silent.
“I never want to see this again!” Michael continued, wagging a finger at both women. “We’re a family and I can’t have you two-” he then addressed rest of his brethren “-or anyone else acting like this. Is that understood?”
There was a chorus of confirmation.
“Good,” Michael said. “Now you two clasp forearms.”
Luciel and Uriel hesitated for a moment, before Luciel extended her arm. Uriel took it, and after they clasped forearms, they hugged each other. There was cheering and a round of applause.
“I’m sorry, sister,” Luciel apologized. “I reacted poorly and took things too personally. It was just a game.”
“The fault is mine, sister,” Uriel apologized in return
But before she could say anything else, Luciel summoned a marker. Uriel laughed and shook her head in amusement.
“You don’t even realize we’ve been marked already,” Uriel said.
Luciel swiped at her neck with her right hand. When she saw the red stain on her fingers, she started laughing. Uriel joined her in her laughter, and the rest of the angels began chanting Michael’s name repeatedly.
“Looks like we have a leader,” Lunok said to Obok.
“Looks like they like him too,” Obok replied almost sarcastically.
“We will have to keep an eye on those two though,” Lunok added, pointing at Michael and Luciel. “We are still unsure how they will react once polarization begins. For now, everything seems normal.”
“For now, Lunok,” Obok said as he rose from his seat. “For now.”
Uriel was in her domain, sprawled on the floor and staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment of silence until there was a very gentle knock on the door.
“May I come in, please?” Michael asked.
“If you have a gift for me, Michael,” Uriel joked.
“If you don’t let me in, how would you know if I brought you something or not?” Michael played along.
“Alright,” Uriel replied with exaggerated exasperation. “You may come in.”
Michael opened the door slowly and walked into Uriel’s domain. He let his eyes rake over her nude form sprawled on the floor as if he was seeing her like that for the very first time, which was not the case. Every time felt different and new to him. Michael smiled and walked towards her.
“That was a genius move you pulled out there,” Michael said.
He sat next to Uriel. She half-opened her eyes and turned to face him. She mustered a bored look on her face before speaking.
“And here I was, thinking you brought a gift for me,” Uriel replied.
Uriel closed her eyes again. She could feel Michael’s smile and knew he had dismissed his garments from his body. Her form tingled with excitement as he made his way on top of her. Oh, the feel of his skin against hers! The dominance of his personality as his left leg slid between her thighs and parted her legs was addictive. Uriel’s body went limp as she yearned for more. A moan formed in her throat in anticipation of what was to come very shortly.
She felt his right leg settle next to his left, as well as his hardness against her lower lips. Her spine curve inward ever so slightly as if it had a mind of its own. Uriel’s reactions were borne more out of the physical connection she had with Michael than with the emotional; more out of lust than love. Her lips parted and her body vibrated with the expectation of… magic.
Uriel’s legs spread apart even wider on their own volition, granting him better access. She savored the feeling of his mounting desires as he readied himself to accept the access she had given him. His lips were on her tummy and Uriel’s toes curled as Michael kissed the space in between her breasts while his hands slid over each breast. Uriel wanted to say something when Michael kissed each nipple but her words were lost in her mounting pleasure. Her body shuddered as Michael pressed his lips against the nape of her neck. The moan in her throat was about to explode out of her mouth. Uriel’s body arch even more as she sensed his body poised for an onslaught.
“I thought you had a gi-”
Uriel gasped and moaned aloud before she could finish her sentence, as she felt him invade her tight, glowing inner sanctum.
CHAPTER NINE
TAINTED TRUTHS
“MAY I COME in, please?” Emok asked from outside Luciel’s domain.
Luciel sat up on her bed and assumed a relaxed composure, though she was still brooding from what happened earlier during the game.
“Of course, Emok,” she replied. “The door is open.”
The door opened. and Emok poked his head through the crack.
“Is everything alright?” Emok asked.
“No, Emok! Everything is not alright,” Luciel replied honestly and flapped her wings twice. “At least, not with me,” she added.
“That’s a good start,” Emok said and walked into Luciel’s domain. “It is wise of you to be honest about your feelings.”
He sat next to her on the bed, took her right hand in his and squeezed it gently.
“Talk to me, my child,” Emok added. “Do not hold anything back.”
Emok’s tone of voice was comforting and encouraging. It melted any traces of reservation she may have had initially. She realized how grateful she was for Emok being there to talk to her. Something about Emok struck a chord with her. It was a chord beyond maker and creature. It was more of a connection that she could not describe or explain yet.
“I’m having trouble reconciling my desire to be better than Michael is and my desire to be with him,” Luciel said. “I want to be the leader of our brethren, but I’m unable to get past Michael. He’s too good, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, he is the best of us right now. Also, I’m so in love with him. I fear my love for him is my greatest weakness and that it may be holding me back.”
Emok nodded as Luciel spoke. He knew already what was troubling her, but he preferred to let her believe she was enlightening him. ‘Being there for her’ was a cover for the real reason behind his visit.
“So, if I understand correctly,” Emok said. “You want to be the supreme leader of the Realm of Celestia, and you fear that your love for Michael may be getting in the way of your ambition. Correct?”
Emok noticed how Luciel’s aura grew brighter at the mention of ‘supreme leader’. Words, psyche, seed-sowing… How easy it was to influence creatures of lower realms.
“That is correct, Emok!” Luciel affirmed.
“Okay, but before you go worrying about your feelings for Michael getting in the way of your ambitions, or not, do you know if Michael shares the same feelings for you?” Emok asked.
It was a simple, logical question, but even before Luciel replied, he already knew the answer, based on Luciel’s reaction.
“I…” Luciel stammered. “I don’t know.”
“So, you haven’t even told him how you feel about him?” Emok asked.
Luciel shook her head and bowed her head in embarrassment.
“Oh, my sweet child,” Emok said. “Come!”
He reached across and cradled Luciel’s head on his chest like a loving father would a child. Luciel buried her face in his chest, feeling more embarrassed now than before.
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“No need to feel embarrassed, dear child. Alright?” Emok comforted her.
Luciel neither replied nor moved. Emok kissed the crown of her head.
“Why not just go to his domain and tell him how you feel?” Emok added. “Will you do that?”
Luciel was still silent and unmoving.
“Luciel?” Emok prompted.
“What if he rejects my love for him?” Luciel asked barely above a whisper.
“What if he does?” Emok asked rhetorically. “That is the worse that could happen, is it not? Regardless of his response, you will know once and for all how he feels about you and you can put that distraction, that concern about the unknown, behind you and focus on what you really want.”
Emok could feel the shift within Luciel as his words wormed their way in her psyche. He peeled Luciel’s head away from his chest, held her by the shoulders and stared lovingly at her. Luciel could not bring herself to meet his stare.
“My child, look at me,” Emok encouraged her.
Luciel slowly, but shyly, met his gaze.
“Will you go and tell Michael how you feel?” he asked with a smile.
“I will, Emok,” Luciel replied, barely above a whisper.
“Good,” Emok said with enthusiasm and let go of Luciel’s shoulders. “Now tell me what makes you think you can’t be better than Michael is.”
It was time to change the subject to something less embarrassing to one that was, in his opinion, more important. These sentiments the creatures from lower realms displayed were too petty for him to entertain much longer.
“I never said I couldn’t be better than Michael is,” Luciel rebutted.
She squared her shoulders and sat up straight.
“He’s the best right now, but I can be better!”
Emok nodded slowly. He knew what she had without her saying it.
“I see the fire in your eyes,” Emok said flatly. “Tell me, my child, how do you plan on getting better?” he asked.
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