“Hold on. What are you talking about?”
“A seraph has spoken to me twice now. The first time she warned me that many would turn from God and to trust my heart. It turns out she was right. The second time was earlier today, and she told me to remember what is written on my armor. It says “Glorious Soldier,” so I must defeat Lucifer in battle to save half of the angels, including Arrayah.”
“Your armor also says Nuntias Dei. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Gabriel.”
“How many messages have you ever seen me deliver? I am a soldier, Michael.”
“Lucifer is the highest of the cherubim. I don’t think picking a fight with him may be the best option right now. Just be patient.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You have said yourself that I would be responsible for saving over half the angels of Heaven. How else could I do it if not with fighting?”
“It is not for you to decide. God will let you know what to do when the time comes.” He clapped Gabriel on the back. “Either way, I will be there with you.”
Gabriel peeled the pristine orange and let the rind fall to the ground at Michael’s feet. “Well, I didn’t listen the first time to the seraph, and that was the wrong choice. I won’t make the same mistake twice. I am going to confront Lucifer and bring Arrayah back. I know where he holds his secret meetings. I could use your help to keep others from getting involved, but either way, I am going, so don’t try to stop me.”
Michael studied Gabriel for a moment and then picked up the rind from the ground. He placed it in his tunic pocket. “I didn’t get my sword out for nothing.”
Gabriel broke into a smile. “Let’s go.” He sprinted out to the street, and Michael followed without hesitation.
Gabriel ran down the golden streets toward his home, passing the seven archangels’ houses. Each one represented the personality of its inhabitant. Azazel’s was overreaching, with lavish fixtures, fountains, statues, and columns. Uriel’s was conservative in size and ideas but made of the finer things. Raphael’s was very cozy and welcoming, surrounded with many flowering plants and trees and a garden often visited by animals. Azrael’s property was paved and void of life, not so much as a blade of grass; the house was very tall and made of solid grey stone. Saraquel’s home was a mix of styles drawing from each of the other six archangels’ homes. After passing all of them, he came to his own house. It was a bit messy, and the yard was cluttered with books, writing quills, archery targets, and, of course, fruit peels. A pool of semi-clean water sat in the front yard, and the house itself was made of wood and brick.
He stormed in and came out shortly after gripping a weapon similar to Michael’s, only a little thicker at the base. It wasn’t clean and polished like Michael’s sword. In fact, it had a little mud on the blade, but it was elegant nonetheless.
“I can see you still take care of your sword.” Michael grinned.
“Not everyone is as particular as you. I think my sword prefers to be a little dirty. It shows that it is seasoned and not sitting around doing nothing, like yours.”
Michael chuckled. “I attend the games every year just like you. Lead the way, Glorious Soldier.”
“Yes, but it’s what you do in between the games that keeps you sharp. That is why I am victorious.”
“Ah, yes, and humble too,” replied Michael. He followed Gabriel to the city’s gate on the south end, and as they walked out, Gabriel jumped up with outstretched wings and soared off toward the Field of Tranquility. As they zoomed over the luscious field, the swaying wheat was overcome with blue light.
Michael caught up to Gabriel. “How many followers has Lucifer accumulated?”
“Too many to count now.”
“That many?”
“Yes, but I just want you to keep the others from getting involved. This is between Lucifer and me. I will deal with him myself.”
“I will do all I can,” Michael said. “You better know what you are doing.”
Gabriel kept his face blank even though he felt sharp tension all over his body. He was more than nervous. This might be the most disastrous course of action he could take. He was going to confront the highest of the cherubim, the most powerful angel in all of Heaven.
They flew for several minutes before Gabriel finally answered. “I don’t.”
Some of Lucifer’s most intrigued followers had started to become inseparable from him. After each meeting, a group of angels would probe him for hours with questions and dispense general flattery, but there was one angel who was particularly of interest. He was the archangel Azrael. Most of the angels who flattered him wanted to work their way up Lucifer’s ranks but not him.
Azrael often isolated himself. From what Lucifer gathered, he enjoyed seclusion; they had this in common. He was opposed to all authority and ordered law, even more so than Lucifer. Azrael did not like to be told what to do. He was an easy convert, but Lucifer had bigger plans for this angel. Lucifer had discovered the antivirtue wrath, a source of great power, and this angel was full of it. He could feel it welling inside Azrael every time he was near. Azrael was unhappy with his duties as a leader of the lowest class of angels, but more importantly, he strongly resented another archangel, Raphael, for reasons Lucifer had not fully discovered yet.
Azrael rarely sought out company, but after his latest speech, Lucifer noticed him lurking close by. It was as if Azrael had been following him for a long time, but Lucifer just picked up on it. The last time they had spoken, Azrael called many angels fake and pompous but reserved special venom for Raphael, who was apparently the epitome of everything Azrael shunned. He was social, friendly to everyone regardless of rank, and popular among the lower class for it. Azrael believed he saw through Raphael’s mask. He felt Raphael was not honest about who he was deep down, so not only did he not respect him, he also couldn’t stand him. Lucifer understood this but felt there was more to Azrael’s hatred. He saw two antivirtues were strong in this angel: envy and wrath. A useful combination.
Lucifer walked over to him. He had been waiting to use an angel for a specific mission. He had thought Saraquel would have to do, but now he realized that Azrael was perfect for it. “It’s Azrael, isn’t it?”
The awkward archangel in a dark cloak was hunched over. His face was hidden in shadow. “Yes. Your words were divine today, great Lucifer.” The high, unpleasant pitch of his voice grated on the ears, but it was fitting of this abberrant angel who always seemed to hide. The biggest puzzle for Lucifer was the fact he couldn’t feel Azrael’s life force at all. Ever since he had chosen to leave God, he had become keenly aware of the source of life in those around him. Every angel had one, though none as strong as Thyaterra, yet this angel had none. At least, Lucifer couldn’t feel it. Odd. This angel could have been following him for days and Lucifer would have never known of his presence.
“Tell me the desires of your heart, Azrael.”
Azrael’s body contorted each time before he spoke, and it was never the same movement. “I want to see God’s Heaven destroyed. There is nothing for me there.”
“Why do you feel there is nothing for you?”
“It disgusts me. They pretend that everything is perfect. They hide behind glossy eyes of bliss and smile to each other like they are as perfect as God. They all wear masks, but I know their true desires. They think they are better than their leaders and peers. Angels only care for themselves when it comes down to it. They will take everything they can.”
“Who are ‘they’?”
Azrael slouched over and let slip a quick smirk he couldn’t hide. Lucifer smiled encouragingly. Azrael stood up tall, and Lucifer noticed the Latin word messor engraved in his armor as his dark cloak pulled open at his chest. “The archangels, Lucifer!”
Lucifer’s smile grew twice as large. “Your class of angels is proving to be quite interesting for only seven of you.”
“I know what you are capable of. I have shadowed you for a long time. I know what you have done to animals when you are alo
ne with them. I too have taken life on Terra.”
Lucifer felt a spark of rage, but he subdued it as best he could. There was no life force coming from Azrael. He needed to find out more about why. “Come with me.”
Surprisingly the archangel didn’t hesitate. Lucifer jumped fifty feet in the air and spread his wings, soaring straight for Heaven. Azrael tailed him all the way to the canyon near the Hanging Gardens on the inner island of Heaven. They landed and walked through a passage that led to the underground caverns of the Great Mountain. The smell of fresh flowers covered the area like a fog; the ground here was carpeted with them. Lucifer despised the smell. He glanced back at Azrael, who puckered his nose at the floral odor as well. Who was this angel?
“The stench is becoming stronger up here,” Azrael said. “I prefer the grittiness of Terra.”
“Things are about to get exciting in Heaven. Are you excited?”
“I am,” replied Azrael. “Where are you leading me?”
They entered the cavern tunnels, and the flowers gave way to cool stone. The temperature dropped as they headed farther in. “I want to show you something. You mentioned you have taken life on Terra. Tell me about this.”
“I tracked animals, mostly small ones. I broke their bones until they no longer breathed.”
“Why did you do that?”
“I saw you do it. I want to be able to do it to an angel.”
“Let me guess. Raphael?”
The bitterness in his eyes was confirmation enough. Lucifer walked deeper into the Great Mountain. “What makes you think it is possible? Have you tried this in Heaven?”
“I don’t know if it is, but I have been unable to catch an animal in Heaven to attempt it. They run from me like they know what I am going to do.”
“They are God’s creatures. Maybe they do know.” Lucifer led Azrael to a corner of a large cave where the body of a lion lay lifeless. Azrael approached it as Lucifer continued. “I, however, have been successful in Heaven. I believe the same principle can be applied to taking the life of angels.”
Azrael’s eyes lit up the dark cavern. Lucifer saw without a doubt that there was a flicker of remorse for the cat, but Azrael quickly buried the emotion with a cold stare. “Did you know that Raphael has led some angels into hiding? He asked me if I wanted to join them. If I find him, you can try it on him. What do you think? He represents everything that is wrong with Heaven!”
“You are special, Azrael. There is a unique aura around you that I can feel. I am assigning this task to you. I want you to be the second to take life in Heaven.”
“Why me?”
“I have to be honest with you. I didn’t take kindly to the fact that you followed me, but now you know more than any other angel about life and destruction. I could easily take life from you now, but I fear you have barely a soul to take. There is no life force around you as with other angels, and this intrigues me greatly.”
“I am sorry for following you. I just had to see who you were behind the mask. I wanted to see what you did when no one was looking. I was fascinated.”
“Do you think everyone has a mask?”
“Yes. How many roles do we play throughout the day? You play a leader to the angels, you play a friend to your class, and you play a subordinate to God, just to name a few. I only wear one mask now, a mask of sanity in a corrupt universe.”
“Are you ready to take life?”
“If it is Raphael’s.”
“You must separate the life force from Raphael if you are to destroy him. Do you know where that is?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“It is at the base of the wings of every angel. You must sever them from above. Do you not feel drawn to the necks of angels?”
“I have no feeling left at all. I am numb.”
Azrael and Lucifer walked deeper into the caverns, and their voices echoed off of the walls. The smell was much better here, and Lucifer took a deep breath of the thin air. Azrael was in pain like Lucifer. He could smell this too, like the fear in his animal prey. None of their previous pain mattered anymore—the task at hand was much bigger than their personal vendettas.
Lucifer stared off into the distance at the light glowing at the entrance to the cave and realized how far they had come. Then he focused back on the cloaked archangel’s hunched form. The angel’s awkwardness came from the writhing pain he had held in for so long and in such isolation. The torment oozed from his body like an infected wound that had never healed. How many years ago had Raphael wronged him? Whatever had happened, Lucifer was the key to unlatching his shackles. Azrael’s agony was a precious gift. He would use the archangel to ignite his war. He would use him to unmask his secret without bearing the consequences himself.
“We will steal a piece of God’s Heaven. With one blow from your scythe, you will have your life back from Raphael. Are you ready to take back what he has stolen from you?”
“More than you will ever know.”
Michael and Gabriel shot down the Marble Falls and split the water below with a loud splash. They plummeted through the deep body of water. When they burst out on the other side into the cosmos, Michael halted in mid-air, hovering like they did when they were young.
“This is where my dream took place, Gabriel! I had no idea how vast it was.”
“It was here? This is where Lucifer has been coming.”
“The angels looked like fireballs shooting through the atmosphere. I can still hear their screams as they transform into something unholy. I can still smell the burning wings.”
“You’re scaring me, Michael.”
“I’m sorry. I have a strange feeling about this.”
“You seem to be getting those in abundance lately,” Gabriel said.
“I know. They have also been right so far.”
Gabriel shrugged. “Can’t turn back now.”
He led Michael straight for Terra. Michael looked around at the many planets and stars around them, trying to take it all in. Gabriel was feeling quite anxious at the moment, so he didn’t really feel like commenting.
“Is this where Lucifer’s been having his rallies?” asked Michael as they neared Terra.
“Yes. He claims it for his own.”
“It’s not his to claim.”
“Well, he definitely controls it for the time being.”
“The time being will be short. He won’t control anything when this is all over.”
They entered the atmosphere, and Gabriel felt an urge to fly down and simply scoop Arrayah up and take her away. He knew he had to convince her to leave willingly, yet he was tempted to just take her. There was one large land mass on the planet, and they headed for the portion of its dry ground where Lucifer held his meetings.
The land was a beautiful mix of greens, whites, and browns, highlighted by the sky’s deep blue. As they neared the hill where Lucifer spoke, Gabriel noticed angels were scattered around. Gabriel and Michael searched the area, hovering in the air for quite some time. They could not find Lucifer, Arrayah, or even Saraquel anywhere.
“I can’t believe how many angels know about this,” said Michael. “What is this place?”
“This is where the angels of the rebellion come. Lucifer speaks to them and leads them from here. The numbers have grown rapidly since God left.”
“God isn’t gone.”
Finally Gabriel touched ground. Their search from the air was turning up nothing. He stopped a worker angel and asked him where to find Lucifer.
“The great seraph Abbeus will be able to tell you. I just saw him,” said the angel.
He pointed out a small group of angels surrounding a much taller seraph. Gabriel recognized him from the summit speech. He started walking in his direction with Michael by his side.
Gabriel nudged Michael and spoke under his breath. “I am about to speak with the first seraph who joined Lucifer’s army. He was with Lucifer addressing the crowd before. He gives me one of those strange feelings you’re a
lways talking about.”
As they neared, Gabriel noticed that the seraph did not have his eyes covered with his two middle wings. Michael seemed to notice as well and slowed down to cautious steps.
“How long has this angel been with Lucifer?” Michael asked.
“I am not sure.”
“Oh, it has been a long time, trust me. This seraph has none of God’s light anymore.”
They approached, and Gabriel lowered his head with a respectful bow. Abbeus flew in their direction, and a moment later his six fully extended wings brought a shadow upon them as he landed.
“Abbeus, I am Gabriel, and this is Michael.”
Michael followed Gabriel’s lead and bowed slightly before he looked the angel up and down.
“How may I help you?” The seraph declined to return the bow. He kept his chin up and posture straight, avoiding Michael’s eyes. He had an air of arrogance that Gabriel was immediately perturbed by.
“I would like to speak with Lucifer. Do you know where I can find him?” Gabriel asked.
Abbeus studied Michael and took his time to speak. There was a slight upturn to his nose as if he smelled something foul, and a half smile curled his lips before he faced Gabriel. “Yes. He was very disappointed to hear of your decision as was I. But I am sure Saraquel had something to do with it.”
“Saraquel needed to mind his own business,” Gabriel said.
“I heard there is some hostility between the two of you, but let me assure you that you will be well taken care of should you change your mind. I would suggest sooner rather than later.” His voice, as was common among the seraphim, was oh so enticing. “Saraquel is no problem. He has already forgotten about it.”
“I have never seen the face of a seraph before,” Michael interrupted. “It must be liberating to no longer bear the burden of God’s glory.”
Abbeus ignored him, but Gabriel knew that he heard every word.
“It must have been hard for you to fake your loyalty all of this time,” Michael continued. He was taking the focus away from Gabriel. Michael habitually took the pressure off Gabriel in uncomfortable situations, and although at times Gabriel resented it—as if he couldn’t handle himself—he didn’t mind this time at all.
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