Gabriel was tired. Avoiding Michael's little search party was running him ragged. There was no way any of them could catch him, Father had made him the messenger because he was simply the fastest of all angels. But even the fastest angel had to have time to rest. Right now he was somewhere in Europe, somewhere cold. Gabriel chose to rest here because in the past he had always tended to gravitate to warm spots. Hopefully Michael had the Seraphs searching tropical paradises turning over every palm tree that they could find. He had just relaxed when he felt grace nearby but there was a different sense of urgency to this Grace. A caution that was missing in Michael's followers.

"I'm not going back. And I don't care if the Archangel's themselves are personally searching for me."

"Balthazar, you are supposed to be dead." Gabriel greeted the Seraph. "And yet here you stand quite alive." Gabriel chuckled as he saw the angel standing there his blade in his hand. "Oh put that away. I'm the last person who would force you to return to Heaven since I refuse to set foot there."

Balthazar looked at his older brother completely confused. "If you have not come to bring me back, what are you doing here?"

"Resting while I can. Michael has all of the host out looking for me." Gabriel said as he relaxed. "He's persistent. I'll give him that."

"You have left Heaven?" Balthazar said as he stowed his blade away. "Things must be worse than I imagined for you to leave." Balthazar lowered himself to sit facing the Archangel. "I take it they captured Lucifer?"

"Yes, and it was the last straw. I think Michael has lost himself." Gabriel answered. "But you left before the battle was over. Why?"

"Because I could see where everything is heading. The rift among the Archangels can only tear heaven apart." Balthazar said "And I was right. You tried to be impartial but you were always more understanding of Lucifer and his motives. Tell me that Lucifer did not figure into your decision to leave."

"Father gave Lucifer a chance for redemption, I will not return until that happens." Gabriel said. "And now I see Michael teetering on the brink of following the same path that both Lucifer and Kemuel took, the only difference is that Michael uses father's orders to justify what he does."

"If Michael loses it, that's pretty much the final nail in the coffin." Balthazar said. "Are you sure Michael isn't chasing you so hard on Father's orders?"

"Positive." Gabriel said. "I spoke to Father and he accepted my decision."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Balthazar asked.

"As far as everyone knows you died in the battle, just keep your head down." Gabriel said. "And I stay one step ahead of Michael until he gets tired of the chase. That's all we can do."

"Azazel." Lucifer looked out through the bars of his cage. "Why have you come here?"

"To bring you news Lucifer." The fallen said. "I can still hear the voices of our brother's and sisters. They spoke of your imprisonment so I set out to find you."

"And so you have." Lucifer said.

"There is more to tell you." Azazel continued. "Gabriel is missing, he fled Heaven immediately after your punishment. They say he even lost his temper and fought with Michael. Michael has all of heaven out looking for him with orders to drag him back by any means necessary."

"So Michael thinks to drag Gabriel back to heaven, why?" Lucifer asked.

"Your punishment has caused a stir among the Seraphs, many of them fear Michael. There is a rift in Heaven. Michael believes that having Gabriel at his side along with Raphael will quell the tension."

Lucifer thought about that for a moment, "Michael was always feared by them, but Gabriel always was loved by them he took the time to be among them. Michael should be thankful that Gabriel is not there for the younger ones to rally around. He would lose control of Heaven. Tell me do you know what Father thinks of this?"
"It is said that Gabriel gained his permission to leave." Azazel said.

"Yes, Father would see the danger of having Gabriel present now. Not that Gabriel would ever rebel against Father, but the Seraphs would make him their focus no matter how reluctant he was." Lucifer said. "Now tell me how does the Demon slut fare in following my orders?"

"Lilith is so loyal to you it is sickening. She has been busy." Azazel said. "She has created dozens more like her and sent them out. But she searches for a special soul.

She has been sending them here. She believes that we should be close to you, the face of Sheol is changing Brother. Those who were here before are tormented by Lilith's followers. Now she wants someone who understands torture in all it's forms. It has become her single focus."

"Good, she will build an army large enough to bring Michael down." Lucifer nodded. "Go on then, see if you can find out how to open this prison. If father has offered me a chance for redemption, he built this cage to one day be opened."

Gabriel let out a deep breath. That was a close call. Uriel had almost stumbled across him. The only reason he managed to avoid him was by hurriedly forming his vessel around his grace. Moving around in a vessel was slow and cumbersome, not like moving in his true form. But he was learning that it was easier to hide his presence while in his vessel.

"Tell me my celestial friend, what reason could you have for running from another of your kind?" Gabriel spun about to find another being sitting before a fire warming his hands and watching him with an amused smirk.

"Come sit and warm yourself, these temperatures can make a vessel uncomfortable." The Man said with a smile. "I am Thunderbird. I have been watching you. You evade the celestials again and again. A source of great amusement to me. You remind me of my kinsman Coyote."

The man took out a long pipe and used a twig from the fire to light it. Taking a good puff he smiled. "Please Gabriel sit. I may be of some help to you."

"How do you know my name?" Gabriel said feeling an itch in his palm as his Blade slid into his hand.

"Heaven has not exactly been discrete is searching for you. You run from them as the fox runs from the wolf. " Thunderbird said. "And your disagreements do not go unnoticed by those of us who were called here by man's need for understanding. And most assuredly not among my people who hold the Great Father and his creation in such high regard."

"What do you want?" Gabriel asked.

"Only to assist you my friend. You have been running for a long time and I believe that you would find hiding from them less tiring than running from them even the fox eventually tires." Thunderbird said. "Believe that my cousin could teach you to hide from them. And give you a purpose. All things in the Great Father's creation need a purpose. And since you are here you no longer fill the celestial purpose the Great Father created you for, you need a new purpose. Coyote can give you this new purpose."

"What do you expect in return?" Gabriel asked.

"Only that you make use of the things that Coyote will teach you." Thunderbird said. "He helps our people by seeing judgment meted out to those who are deserving. The innocent are spared and protected by him. Especially those without the power to protect themselves."

Thunderbird looked at the Archangel for a moment. "You no longer have a family. Those you called family hunt you relentlessly. Come with me and you will not only have a purpose, you will once again have a family. You will be kinsmen to all of the human's gods who walk the Earth. There are millions of us and we will embrace you as one of our own."

Gabriel thought about it. He was lonely the only 'family' he had now was Balthazar and the two rarely met knowing that to do so was to risk discovery. Gabriel stored his blade. "I'll go with you. It would be nice not to have to run all the time...and to have a family again."

Thunderbird smiled "Then take to wing and follow me my new brother."