Descending

by Sophia Florenza

  "One of the first societies I brought temperance to was Egypt. I brought them laws and writing, and in the process, I accidentally became a deity to them. The Egyptians couldn't pronounce my name 'Raphael,' so I was named 'Ra' instead."

  Without thinking, I blurt out, "You are the progenitor of Ra the Sun God?" I must have surprised Raph with my amateur knowledge of Ancient Egyptian mythology because his jaw slightly drops.

  Raph quickly recovers from his surprise and continues with his story. "The Creator was pissed. I was supposed to show humans' temperance and let them discover rules and laws by themselves. I was also supposed to guide their faith towards believing in the Creator." Raph pauses, and a look of dismay appears on his face.

  "I guess you can say the power of being worshipped as a god filled my head. I forgot my mission and started to rule Egypt like a tyrant. You can say I was the first pharaoh of Egypt. And with the power came the excess. More power, more land, more wealth. I wanted it all! But the humans got tired of my tyranny, and with the help of Lucifer, I was cast out of Egypt," Raph sighs.

  "Where did you go?" I ask.

  "Greece," Raph replies. "By the time I was kicked out of Egypt, I wandered all over Africa, making my way to Babylon. There were a lot of small societies that I observed but all the same. Nothing different from the Egyptian culture I was forced to leave. That is until I heard about a newly created society in the Mediterranean. Curious about this new culture, I decided to visit and see what made these humans unique." A small grin of nostalgia appears on Raph's lips.

  "When I got to Greece, I heard about a new discovery called wine." Uh oh. I think I know where this is going! Raph keeps speaking, interrupting my reverie, "Seeing how the making and selling of wine was a lucrative business, I wanted to learn the process of fermenting grapes. It didn't take me long to master the process. I built my own vineyard with the best grapes and made my own wine that was vastly superior to any wine made by a human."

  Interrupting his story, I ask, "Raph, what did you call your wine?"

  "I called it Bacchanal," was Raph's response. I hate being right.

  "Raph, did you call yourself Dionysus and became the Greek god of wine and revelry?" I inquire.

  "How do you know that?" he asks me in surprise.

  "My society teaches Greek mythology in school," I explain.

  "Then you are aware of the infamous Bacchanalia parties that followed me everywhere I went when I sold my wine?" Raph asks me.

  "Yes, I am aware that the overindulgence of the wine was causing orgies. And in some mythological stories, fatalities," I respond.

  "With the excesses of drinking, sex, and murder I was spreading, I became the gluttonous wolf you saw me. Lucifer tracked me down and captured me, making me guard the gate to the Third Circle of Hell." Wow!

  Looking down at me still, I had the feeling he told me the story to see if I would flee from him. He doesn't know how stubborn I am. Yet. "Raph, your story doesn't frighten me because I haven't told you my reason for being here," looking away from him.

  Without giving him a chance to speak, I rush on. "I'm here to save and collect you and your Archangel brethren plus Virgil. You all are the winnings from a bet between Lucifer and The Creator. Also, having sex with me will make you one of my mates and will help me reach my full power." I quickly finish my small speech, not wanting to see the reaction on Raph's face.

  Raph firmly grasps my chin, forcing my head up and kisses me ardently. Pulling away from me, he smiles, "I already knew all that, and it doesn't bother me," he says reassuringly. But then his expression gets serious. "Tomorrow, you start training with everyone. I need you to become an expert in my affinity element before going to the Third Circle," Raph firmly states.

  "What is your element?" I ask, curiosity filling me up.

  "Water," Raph says. Cool!

  "One more question. What is the Third Circle?" my voice not hiding my excitement to learn a new element.

  "Greed."

  Chapter Five: A Homage to the Rocky Montage

  Raph and I got dressed and started walking down the vast shiny red marble corridors. I let him lead us back to the room; all four of us are staying in until we can open the door to the Third Circle.

  Our journey back was companionable, with small talk here and there. I got to quiz Raph about the ancient civilizations he helped create. I also wanted to clear up some of the ongoing debates about the building of the Great Pyramids at Giza.

  "Raph, how were the Pyramids at Giza built? There are a lot of debates about the building process in today's society. Some ideas are practical, like ramps were built to raise the heavy stones to the top. Other ideas are conspiracy theories like people from other planets built them. How were the Pyramids made?" My voice is full of excitement because I am actually talking to someone present during the construction of the Great Pyramids. Who would not

  take advantage of this situation?

  "People from other planets?" Raph says incredulously.

  Shrugging my shoulders, "Not one of my ideas," I tell him.

  "Humans overthink things too much," he mutters. You're telling me!

  Raph turns his head sharply at me. Oh no! He's starting to have a telepathic connection with me. Raph tries to hide his grin but fails miserably.

  "The Egyptians used huge wooden cranes to lift and place the stones," Raph explains. "The Egyptians were great river navigators and would voyage close to the coastlines in the Mediterranean. They would venture up the entrances of the great rivers in the lands on the opposite side of the Mediterranean. The Egyptians discovered coniferous trees in the snowy regions and learned how to treat the trees after they were cut down properly. They saw that the hardened wood was solid and superior to the indigenous trees found in the Egyptian region. The Egyptians constructed massive cranes out of this wood, and that's how the Great Pyramids were constructed." Raph finishes.

  "What happened to the wood?" I ask and keep bombarding Raph with questions. "Because archaeologists have yet to find any remains of the vast cranes needed to build the Pyramids, and something should have been preserved because Egypt is a dry region, right?"

  Raph shakes his head in amusement at my aggressive line of questioning. "Like I said, too much overthinking," Raph states emphatically.

  "The royal navy used that wood to make the ships that can sail further from the coastlines. Decreasing the time it took to trade with other cultures and increasing the distance the Egyptians could sail. Reed boats were only used on the Nile River." Raph's explanation too pure and perfect for any Egyptologist with a Ph.D. accept.

  "Raph, why did you hunt G?" blindsiding him with my question. I like keeping my guys on their toes!

  Raph stops dead in his tracks. If he were human, he would probably have tripped and fallen on his face. Slowly turning to me, looking me straight in the eye, his face is serious.

  "I am the Archangel of Temperance, and I also outrank all the Archangels present on this Circle," his voice now full of command. "In a way, G fell victim to gluttony by feeding his wrath when you died. When he became Wrath in form, I felt it was my sacred duty to imprison him. We don't die unless…," Raph's voice trailing off.

  "Unless what?" I ask.

  "It's not important," Raph's tone indicating that the subject is closed. "We are almost impossible to kill. Like you. And that's all you need to know," he finishes. Okay.

  The rest of the walk was in silence.

  When we reach the door to the shared room, I hear the loud barking of FMC. "Someone shut that mutt up!" I hear a voice yell on the other side of the door.

  "You try shutting her up! She only listens to Sera!" I hear Virgil yell back.

  "She had to make friends with a fucking Hellhound!" Definitely Red yelling.

  "Yup! That's our girl!" yells Virgil. Ha! Now they have two bitches to deal with!

  Looking up at Raph, my eyes are tearing up with mirth because of the chaos caused by FMC. I see that Raph is also trying to hold in his laught
er. Twisting the door handle, I push the door open and walkthrough. And get knocked down by FMC's joyful welcome of my return.

  FMC starts licking me with all three of her tongues. And when I say licking me, I mean my whole body since her tongues are as long as my five foot four frame. Definitely, need a long shower! But I need to make good on my promise to FMC.

  Pushing her snouts away from me, I am finally able to stand up. "Good girl," I tell FMC. "You ready for your scratching?" I ask, talking to her like she's my baby.

  FMC's excitement is apparent when she starts leaping and bounding all over the place, jumping over the living room couches in one leap like it; they were nothing. When she calms down, FMC finds a big area to lay down and rolls over to expose her belly. All I could do is chuckle.

  As I am walking over to FMC, I am observing G, Virgil, and Red's reaction to my Hellhounds' antics. They were not as amused as I am. Definitely cat lovers. And I let my stare linger on Red longer. "I'm sorry, Red, but I had to go stop Raph and save G," I explain.

  "We'll talk later," is the reply. Inward eye roll. Archangels!

  Reaching my hands out to FMC, I start rubbing her belly. It takes me a long time to complete the belly rub, getting her to kick her hind legs because she was enjoying the massage in certain spots. When that was done, it was time to scratch her ears. What feels like an hour of scratching, my arms are tired, and FMC was content with her reward for being a loyal dog.

  Heading towards my bedroom door, I see the Archangels have gone to their rooms except for Virgil. I look at Virgil and give him a knowing smile. "You coming?" I ask.

  "With you or in you?" he mentions, giving me a lascivious grin and a wink.

  Always ready to flirt, I reply, "Both."

  I'm not going to bore you the details of our night, but let's just say that it was fucking awesome! Wink, wink! I am sore when I am woken up by persistent tapping on the closed bedroom door. No need to guess who is tapping.

  I think on clothes and smile brightly at all three Archangels standing at the threshold when I open the door. Virgil is still sleeping in the bed because I wore his ass out last night.

  "Ready to train?" Raph asks me.

  "Let's do it!" I answer brightly. My over-enthusiasm is attempting to hide my exhaustion. However, the Archangels are not fooled for one bit.

  "Is Virgil coming?" G teases.

  "No, I think I fully drained him," I tease back.

  "I heard that!" Virgil yells from behind me, coming from the direction of the bed. All three Archangels are laughing loudly.

  I grab and sling Cal onto my back and step out into the living room, closing the door behind me. FMC is curled in a corner, napping. Lucky bitch!

  Both Raph and Red and chuckle underneath their breaths. My bond with G is still broken and cannot even receive impressions of my thoughts. I need to rectify that ASAP!

  We all walk to the door of the training room. Opening the door, I discover that the place was changed into a beautiful beach with pink sand and gorgeous turquoise water. The water is actually ebbing and flowing like a real ocean. I hear the sounds of tiny waves crashing onto the beach sand.

  "What's the training plan for today?" I ask the guys. Since Raph has made it perfectly clear that he is senior in the Archangel rank to the Red and G, he's the one who tells me my training schedule.

  "You will first start with swimming to the end of the shoreline," Raph pointing towards the direction he wants me to go. "Next, you will run back here in the sand. You will take a long rest. After your rest, you will train with each of us." Raph pauses in his speech. "Virgil should be rejuvenated by then to keep training you in his specialty," I hear snickers from the two other Archangels. Boys.

  "Lastly, I will start training you in the water element. You will carry your sword with you at all times. Any questions? Begin." Raph commands, not giving me a chance to ask how long the shoreline is because I can't see the end in the distant horizon. Shit!

  Thinking on my swimming gear plus my iPod with Cal strapped still strapped onto my back, I head towards the ocean. Trudging into the sea, the water feels refreshing, not too cold. I keep walking until the water level is up to my waist, and I then I wade out a little further. I let my feet sink down so I can push off from the sandy bottom, and I start swimming.

  I set a nice leisurely pace, discovering that swimming parallel to the shoreline is much harder than it looks. I'm fighting the currents that try to pull me out to sea plus the dangerous riptides that will also drag me off course if I'm not paying attention.

  What feels like hours I finally reach the end of the shoreline. I float back to shore until I am forced to use my legs to walk out of the water. My legs feel like Jell-O!

  I conjure up a water bottle and think myself dry and into a running outfit plus sunglasses and my iPod. I take a few swigs from the water bottle to stay hydrated and stretch my arms and legs to keep my muscles nice and loose.

  Facing the opposite direction from which I just have swum, I start a slow jog. Setting a nice relaxed pace because I've never run in deep sand before in running sneakers. I stay near the water's edge because the sand is wet and compact, but it is still extremely trying to run on the sandy terrain.

  I listen to my iPod, keeping what I consider a good pace, ignoring the burning sensations in my leg muscles. I run mile after mile, and it must have been at least a whole hour of running until I could see figures in the distance. I start picking up the pace, wanting this run to end so I can get a break.

  My longer strides eat up a lot of ground, the figures turning into four distinct male characters. My guys are watching me run towards them. Reaching Raph, I stop and double over, breathing hard and trying to catch my breath.

  "That was pathetic," he tells me. I roll my eyes to the ground, still trying to slow my heart rate. "Go eat and rest now," Raph commands.

  I straighten my body, put my arms over my head to help me catch my breath, and saunter towards the gym door.

  I was able to get a few hours rest, eating food while soaking in the jacuzzi tub. For the rest of the time, I'm lying on a large comfortable bed and watching the television I thought up.

  I'm lying comfortably in a plush white bathrobe on the bed, with my bedroom door open. I see Raph's shadow before his respectful knock on the door frame. "Ready for round two?" he asks me. No!

  ""Yes!" I answer too excitedly. Looking at Raph's face, I know he heard the contradictory reply in my head. I get up off the bed, and I think on workout clothes for the elemental training I would be performing. My body is still incredibly sore from this morning's vigorous workout. Ocean swimming and running on a sandy beach is no joke!

  Following Raph, I try to walk sprightly out of the bedroom door. I grab and sling Cal back onto me, striding purposefully across the living room towards the gym. Raph opens and walks through the gym door, revealing the same exotic scenery from earlier.

  A beautiful tropical beach and a bright blue ocean lit brilliantly by a constant, nonexistent sun. There is also the added perk of four handsome guys standing on the beach. I'm such a lucky girl!

  Three of the four guys have either felt or heard my thought because they are grinning at me. Poor G looks lost, and I see the darkness of doubt creeping over his energy signature. Lucifer is not taking him away from me again!

  Walking straight up to Raph, I tell him, "I need to work on my hand to hand and sword sparring desperately. May I train with both Red and G to help me remember some moves that I may have forgotten?"

  Raph is no fool, but he knows that I need to reforge the bond with G and strengthen my bond with Red. Red is still angry at me for letting Virgil zap him unconscious. Raph nods his head in understanding.

  "Virgil," he calls. "We need to discuss some matters privately."

  Virgil gives me a wink and a 'Have fun, baby!' shout in my head and follow Raph out the door, closing it.

  Turning back to the two remaining Archangels, I unsheathe Cal, placing my body in a defensive stance. "I wan
t to see if I can defend myself against two opponents at the same time," I inform G and Red.

  Both G and Red look at each other and grin. Reaching behind their backs, they pull out their weapons. G always carries a large ebony black broadsword. Red pulls out a short sword forged in red metal. The sword reminds me of a Gladius that a Roman foot soldier was always equipped with. Simple yet deadly.

  Both men unfurl their magnificent wings. G's wings are black, and Red's are red. They both slip into the stream and are on the attack.

  I quickly let out my wings, noting that it is getting easier to unfurl them, and I slip into the stream. Using the energy to shoot myself into the air, I fly away from the attacking men. Below I observe that Red tried to flank me while G was going to strike me directly.

  I land directly behind G while I am still in the stream. Both men are shocked by my maneuver, but they don't hesitate to turn around. And both perform a frontal assault.

  I let instinct take over, anticipating each one of Red's and G's attacks. It felt like a coordinated ballet of survival over death. We keep up this dance for a long while until my energy feels dangerously low.

  Red senses my fatigue and halts his attack. Following his commander, G stops his attack on me also. When all three of us slip out of the stream, we are thoroughly drenched in sweat and breathing hard. I draw my wings back into me, fully drained of energy.

  Looking at the open ocean, I unstrap Cal from my body and think myself naked. I stride into the water, my skin getting goosebumps from the initial shock of coldness. I turn my body back to Red and G, letting them see me fully naked, then raise my eyebrows in question. "You both coming in to cool off?" I huskily ask them. I quickly turn and run a little further in so I can dive underneath the refreshing water.