I opened the door after putting on new clothes that Nikita had provided me with and went down the stairs in search of her. I didn't have to look long; she was waiting at the bottom of the steps with a hand outstretched. There was a softness about her that made her come off as mother-like and I cherished it. As I walked shakily down the stairs, getting used to the way my body was supposed to work, I took her hand and she helped me down. She put her other hand over mine and looked at me. "I know you have questions, darling. I will answer them over a cup of coffee," she said with a small smile before leading me into another room that smelled sweetly of fruits and something else. I sat down at the table and watched her as she busied herself with pouring contents into a cup and bringing one over to me. "You may not like it, it's strong but it tastes good to some," she noted. "If you don't like it, I will make you some tea." With a quick glance at her, I picked up the cup and put it to my lips, tipping it until the liquid burned them, making me slam down the cup and touch my lips. I heard her chuckle, her hand covering her mouth. "I forgot to mention that it's hot. Maybe you should wait until it cools," she instructed smiling. My eyes fell to the cup. The steam rolled out of the top and into the air. I didn't wait for it to cool before asking the question I've been dying to ask. "What am I?" I asked curiously. "It’s obvious that I am not like others outside, but I am like you."
"My dear Uriel, we are not like Man. However, even we are different."
"How?"
"You see, you are what is left of an elder race of humans; the homo sapien alpha. They flourished on Pangea, known to you and the other Elders as Th'hal Vetar, the sacred land. Unlike the humans now, who possess the ability to use twelve percent of their brains, you and the others use ninety percent. That is what explains your ability to learn the new language, English, so easily even after waking up just five hours ago."
"Hours?"
"The humans tell the time of a day, year, month, everything by minutes and hours. And to them, time is precious as well as short. Humans are more advanced than we first thought when He created them. At times, they prove stronger, especially when it's to fight for survival."
Sighing, I picked up the cup once more, putting my lips to it until I tasted the bittersweet liquid that cleared out my throat with its warmth. Some of my questions were answered, but as Nikita spoke, more came to the surface. Humans intrigued me, and I wanted to see them in the glory she had spoken about. After moments of silence, I asked the question that nagged at me. If the creatures I was surrounded by are humans, what does that make me? What does that make Nikita? My eyes found hers and in them, I discovered a place filled with light; no shadows plagued this place, only warmth and serenity.
"What am I? You speak of me as if I’m different than Man and though I appear as one, I am not. I am not even just one of the elder race of humans either, am I?" I asked hesitantly, unsure of whether or not I wanted to hear the answer. Her shoulders straightened, preparing to give me the truth. Finally.
"When you were just a child, you were kidnapped from your home and the Elders did the unthinkable, created a group of human angels. Our Father was not pleased; in fact, He was rather enraged, and He wiped them out. Before He set fire upon Th'hal Vetar, He came to you with a deal; you were to serve Him as a divine being, and He would spare you. You, along with the others, agreed and He warned you of what was to come, telling you to create safe houses deep beneath the surface until you were woken by Him to serve."
"A divine being? There are others?"
"Technically, you are considered an angel. In fact, He thought highly of all of you and deemed you Archangels; the highest order of us all. There are seven in total with you being the youngest. All of you have unexplainable power that He gifted you once the deal was set. You are human, yet you are angelic. Angels aren't meant to feel or even act freely, but you are."
"You said 'us all.' Does that mean you are an angel?"
"Yes, I'm considered a transition angel; a guide specifically for you."
"If there are others, where are they?"
Nikita hesitated, I felt her heart speed up as if she were about to lie. Then, she looked straight at me. "I don't know where the others are. In time, they will come; you hold a special bond with each other that is unbreakable. When you come across another, you will know," she said flatly. "Until that time, you must learn the ways of Man in this time."
"Time? When is this?"
"January twelfth, two thousand twelve."
"And how do I learn the ways of Man?”
"It's time you attend high school, Uriel. There, you will learn all you need to know."
I wasn't quite sure what high school was, but Nikita made it seem important to my growing, to my understanding of the world I had woken to. My mission so far was to learn about Man, how to act, talk, walk, and blend with them. It was something I seemed to fail horribly at. This opportunity was the beginning of a story, a new chapter that I will actually remember... a chance at a life I didn't get to have when I was torn from my childhood.
Chapter Three
Human life consisted of no time; even though time was limitless, people rushed to get through their lives, to attend work or get an education. Everything seemed so strict and complicated when it never had to be. All I knew was that they wasted their time by going to this place called school; they could easily learn about the world through their own lives by exploring and experimenting, and yet they seemed afraid to face the world by themselves. Fear. The word seemed familiar and yet I could not put it to anything I've felt before, but I knew that is what the humans held inside them. It was just another waste of time. Fear held you back from achieving your greatest state, so why did they let it hold them back and control the lives they should be living themselves?
Nikita escorted me into the building she called high school. She pushed me along with such swiftness; I had no time to take everything in. The halls were crowded with young humans still at their prime and full of so much potential. I was stopped as Nikita shook hands with an older woman, who smiled warmly but I could tell she was annoyed. She hated working with kids and yet she chose to come here every day. My attention was drawn to a rowdy bunch of humans who were raising their voices while two male voices stood out over the rest. I was drawn immediately, the pounding in my chest increasing as the energy shifted, threatening. Easing my way through the crowd and into its center, I noticed two large males facing each other, their faces splotched with red as anger radiated from their bodies. Acting upon instinct, as one of the men swung his arm out, I stepped in the middle, his fist colliding with the palm of my hand.
It happened so quickly; the shouts of encouragement died to silence, and all I could see was the man's red face deepen with anger. He spat something in my face, but his words were muffled; I was too focused on his movements, his anticipations to notice that he had just insulted me. His free arm swung up to connect to my face, but I was already ducking and grabbing it, hitting its weak point until it fell limply at his side. "Violence is not the answer to solve your problems," I said calmly, extending my energy out to the two men who now watched with widened eyes, calming them until their faces relaxed and I was sure none would strike out when I left. As I turned, something in the air changed; something familiar found its way into the crowd and I stopped, turning my head in all directions to find the source, but I was forced from concentration as Nikita dragged me into a room, muttering to herself.
The woman she had been speaking with stood behind a desk and watched me as I entered the room. She wore a tight smile on her face. It made me feel as if I did something wrong. "That was mighty bold of you, Uriel, though I am impressed. Without violence, you stopped a fight. That is very hard to do with testosterone-driven boys," she said with the hint of playfulness laced in her voice.
I lowered my eyes and smiled. "I'd rather not deal with violence and keep peace in any way I can, miss," I replied.
"Now, now, you can call me Principal Meyers. Your guardian, Nikita, has given me
all the documents we need for you to attend. However, we need you to take a placement test so we can place you in the appropriate classes. Are you ready to take them?"
"Tests? About what?"
"Oh, you know, the normal subjects; Math, English, History, Science. The basics."
"But I know none of that.”
There was a silent exchange between Principal Meyers and Nikita, and I couldn't see what was happening, but before I could get us in trouble, I accepted to take the tests and to do my best however I could. With a quick nod, Principal Meyers took out booklets and handed them to me, motioning me to sit down and begin. "The test will be an hour long. I will give you quiet time and will come back when the hour is up, alright?" she asked me on her way out. She didn't give me a chance to reply before shutting the door behind her after Nikita left.
My heart raced when I opened the booklet and scanned the pages. None of this made any sense to me. I automatically put the pencil to paper and jotted down equations as if I saw them before. With one section done, I moved to the next with ease; English. Words filled the pages with a story until it came to its close, and I was asked questions about what I had just read. The humans seemed to conclude their knowledge with things they read and certain things they were taught, but knowledge shouldn't be based on scores you receive. Even then, I took the hour I had and finished, unsure of whether or not the grades will be good. The answers came from somewhere deep inside, a mysterious place I could not gain access to.
I found the hour gone and passed when they came back in and the principal looked through the booklet, reading answers from another piece of paper. Her hands shook as she continued grading until she looked up with concerned eyes. "All of the answers in Science, Math and English are correct, but what gets me is the fact that the History section wasn't even completed in the slightest. Can you tell me why, Uriel?" she asked me. I answered truthfully, not wanting to lie to someone who was just trying to help me flourish. "I know none of the answers, Principal Meyers. I do not know the history of this world," I said quietly. Nikita stirred beside me, clearly nervous.
"Very well, then. We will place you in Honors English, Math and Science, but I will also place you in the regular History class. How does that sound?"
"Okay."
A loud ringing vibrated the air, causing me to jump, my heart racing. Principal Meyers chuckled and held out a hand toward the door, guiding Nikita and I back into the hall. We watched as silent and empty halls filled with hundreds of people almost instantly. It seemed that in this place called high school, you were to follow a pattern and the ringing was the guide that showed you the way to the next part of the pattern. I watched them in a sort of trance until I was ripped from it by Principal Meyers' voice. "I don't want to push you because you have just gotten here, so if you don't want to start today, that is perfectly fine," she said looking down at me with sparkling eyes.
Turning back to the mass of people that seemed to have lost its numbers, I nodded. "I would like to start now, but where do I go?" I asked looking around curiously.
"I will bring you to the class that starts at this time. Looks like English with Mr. Henderson. Nikita, you can come if you'd like.”
Nikita seemed interested for only a split second until her thoughts closed up on me. She stared at me and smiled. "I will just see myself out. Uriel, please stay out of trouble, and I will come pick you up at this spot until we find a better place for it," she said putting a hand on my shoulder. Together, Principal Meyers and I watched her walk through the doors before she motioned me to follow. We walked in silence towards the classroom I would be assigned to, and I focused on the energy radiating from it. It was the same familiar energy I had sensed after I had stopped the boys from fighting and it drew me towards it. The principal stopped at the door, and my hands shook from anticipation. I would finally see who was radiating the energy that felt familiar, yet foreign, a confusing feeling that frustrated me. Turning the knob, she opened it, interrupting the class with a short cough. "Oh, Mrs. Meyers! Come in," a man said from inside. Principal Meyers went in and turned to me, motioning for me to come in, and with my head down, I followed. Once in the room, it was like the air I breathed was that energy and my head twisted around, trying to find the source, only to see a group of unfamiliar faces. The principal turned to the class who stared at her with serious eyes. "Everyone, this is Uriel. She is our new student and a freshman. I expect everyone to be mature and make her feel welcome," she said with a clear hint of threat in her voice.
The man I assumed to be Mr. Henderson came over and shook my hand with a smile before handing me a large book. He seemed overly excited about my arrival, or maybe it was the lesson he was teaching. Without another word, the principal left me to stand there in the front of the classroom, holding the book to my chest. "You may sit in any open chair if you'd like, Uriel," Mr. Henderson said with a nod. Looking around, I noticed a few empty seats and had a hard time choosing.
A boy in the class laughed and slapped his hand on the empty desk next to him. "Come sit by me, sweetheart. I'll show you the good stuff," he said, making the other boys howl with laughter. Shrinking into myself, I did just that and walked over to the desk, placing my book on its hard surface. I was glad when the laughter stopped and Mr. Henderson went on about the lesson my presence interrupted. Even with a positive reaction to my existence here in the school from the principal and this teacher, I felt slightly unwelcome by everyone else. Without warning, the familiar energy reached out to me, and I grabbed a hold of it with my own, the only thing that made me feel safe to be around as the boy I sat next to stared at me with weird eyes. I was unfocused through the whole lesson and once the ringing vibrated the space around me, I hightailed out of there.
I didn't know where my next class was; I just wanted to get away from the uncomfortable stares I was getting from the boy who I sat next to. My feet pushed me through the mass of people, my energy still clinging to the familiarity of another until I reached two large doors and pushed through, suddenly aware of being followed. Stepping into the secluded area of stairs, I turned around, nearly bumping into a tall figure. "Oh my, I'm so sorry," I said pushing the hair away from my face so I could look at this person clearly. When our eyes connected, the familiar energy burst around me and I let go. My eyes stared at his face and swirling blue eyes until they traveled to his chest where something seemed to pulse from under his shirt. Curious, I put my hand to where the pulsing came from and the energy came again at me in full force and he grabbed my wrist. "It isn't polite to touch a random stranger," he said before guiding me behind the stairs. Dazed, my hands touched the scar on my chest. He pulled up his shirt and I stared, my eyes growing wide as his chest held a scar of its own. Unable to hold back, I touched his scar and traced the outline that was much like mine. "You are like me," I said without question.
"Yes. I am like you, Uriel."
"How do you know my name?”
"I was just in the same class as you. Everyone in that class knows you now."
Taking my hand from his chest, I lifted my eyes back to his face and noticed how his black hair had fallen over his eyes. He tugged down his shirt as the doors opened, and he pressed a finger to my lips. Blinking repeatedly, I was about to shove him away until he pushed me up against the wall and moved his body in front of mine facing the other way. "Oh my," a girl's voice said, spotting the boy. "I suggest you two leave," he said and before I could see who he was talking to, the voice was gone, leaving the sound of footsteps going up the stairs. "Who are you?" I asked. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."
"My name is Jophiel. Like you said, I am like you. You know... an archangel. Seeing as how you can't read the sigils, you about just woke up, didn't you?"
"Erm, yes. How long have you been... awake?"
It seemed strange to be asking such a question to someone who was just like me, but simultaneously, it seemed natural. He was about to answer when another ringing made him jump. "I've been awake for abo
ut a year now. Everyone is different, but I don't know where the others are," he said flatly, looking behind him. "Look, school hasn't finished yet. I'll show you to your last class. I don't know why you decided to come two periods before school ended, though. What's your next class?" I handed him the schedule that I kept in my pocket. "History? Okay, follow me," he said. I followed him up the stairs as he talked about random things I didn't know. When we finally reached the classroom, he turned to me. "I'm going to guess and say you have no idea about human history of this time," he stated.
Uriel (The Hallowed Chronicles Book 1) Page 2