[A/N: Before we start, I would just like to say I'm taking a break for a bit. I've begun to notice that my vocabulary has… let's just say shrank, yeah. So, to fix this, I'm going to be reading, a lot, way too much in fact. That's all.]
(?)
"My lord," I began, looking up to face him from the floor. "I know it isn't in my position to question your authority…"
"Brother, there is no need to worry when your reasoning is perfectly sound."
"Right. It's just… Why would I be sent on a team focusing on subterfuge instead of the frontlines? My skill set would have more use there, and we could say thousands of more lives."
"Well, your foresight could be used to scout around enemy routes, allowing for riskier paths to be tread. You would become a vital asset in their success." He explained.
"But my lightning would give my team's position in a heartbeat. Are you really sure this is the best path to go through?" Pleading with him, the look in his eyes didn't change, but the wings on his back protruded outwards, all thirty-six of them.
"I see your point… However, this was not a message that came out of my mouth. For it was Father who tasked me to send this order to you. If another word comes out, it might be seen as an act of insubordination. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but there is very little I can do to change what has already been set in stone. Please, do as you are told and prepare for your departure in two days' time. You'll be sent alongside a newly ranked archangel, so I beg you to be patient with your less experienced comrades."
Utterly stunned. Flabbergasted, even. Words tried and failed to form in my mouth as Metatron walked away without a second thought. This… was troubling to say the least. Letting a sigh escape my lips, images of what was to come filled my head, giving cause for rifts in my ability to form.
Fate itself had changed drastically. For better or for worse, only God will know.
Sarthorael
I failed.
Or, perhaps that's just how I saw it.
The armor was still forged, its cerulean and silver hues shining in the reflection of artificial light, bathing me in its glory. But, I felt like I didn't deserve it, as though something was missing in the greater puzzle. Emotions struck me one after another, a deep-seated rumination clouding my mind to other thoughts.
Even after we left Dumah's domain and I returned to my quarters, a part of me still felt weird about the armor. Staring at its corner of the room from my bed, I contemplated the words he spoke of during our time in my dreams.
"I want you to look deep within yourself. To search for your 'true' dream."
What did he mean by that?
Hours of pondering later, and I still haven't found a single clue, only leaving me mentally drained and thoroughly annoyed. Closing my tired eyes for but a moment, I opened them to find someone had entered my room.
What?
"Let me repeat. Archangel, Sarthorael, designated number: A356811. Please enter the main guild hall and report to your team." The man reiterated once more, his voice on the verge of shouting.
"Need I re-"
I cut him off, getting up from my bed and picking up my armor. "Alright, alright. There's no need for that anymore. Now, where was I supposed to go?"
"The main hall." He looked as though he was about to burst. If this were a comedy, then his head would be leaking out steam from his ears. "Simply state yourself to the receptionist and ask for your squad's number. They should be able to direct you to your next location."
Thanking the guide, I flew off, retracing my steps and finding myself back in the lobby area. Ah~, I want to go to sleep~. Firstly though, how did he get inside of my room? I think that should be of more concern than catching Z's at the moment. Mainly because of the potential wrong doings that could be had if it fell into the wrong hands.
A thought for another day however. Seeing as this would be my first day "on the job".
Veering my vision left and right, I filed into line, patiently waiting for my turn. Thankfully, it didn't take as long as last time. There were fewer people present on this occasion, perhaps missions were not assigned all around the same time? I mean, it did make sense. There won't always be a task to accomplish after all.
When it finally came to my turn, I directly quoted what the man had said to me. In response, they directed me towards another sector of the building, a place deeper than what I thought possible due to the amount of space needed for it to exist not being there when I saw it from a top-down view.
Instead of doing the smart thing and questioning why that was, I continued on walking, entering a spacious room barren of anything save for a row of four couches facing a table, populated by six people, all of whom were conversing with one another.
Approaching the group, a presence suddenly made itself known behind me. It felt powerful, close in strength to Mastema, but not surpassing him. Turning around in shock and surprise, both expressions quickly faded into disbelief as I observed his appearance.
He was loosely clothed, wearing only a robe which tightly clung to his figure. On his neck was a black and white polka dot scarf which ran up until his chest. The attire was unique to say the least.
His attention did not bother to acknowledge me, instead, he continued forward, glancing at the chairs for a moment before shaking his head, choosing to stand by the side like a statue.
Peculiar. Interesting indeed. Analyzing the strength of those in attendance, my curiosity burned even brighter when the highest rank was that of Power. This strange man had to be the leader of my new group, but judging from his actions, that was proving to be an unlikely scenario.
Moving along, I sat opposite to everyone else. They didn't seem to be too bothered by my actions, more so intrigued. It didn't disturb them in the slightest when all I did for the next hour and a half was listen in on their conversation, hearing their plights but not participating.
Eventually, the door again opened, to reveal a heavily cloaking woman wearing an eye patch. "It's good to be back!" She proudly announced as everyone else stood at attention. "And to have two new recruits with us today. Father must really favor us to have such a luxury. Welcome aboard, my name is Leliel, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Loud and weirdly charismatic, unlike most of the angels that I've met, she was pretty much the antithesis of their usually soft-spoken nature. Which also meant she was of a higher order when compared to the others in the room, save for the one fellow.
She moved with an unexplainable grace despite her appearance, walking past us as each and every member greeted her with an immense amount of respect. Seems like my assumptions were correct, or partially so.
Taking a seat on the sole vacant couch, an audible sigh escaped her lips as she examined her surroundings with eagle-like eyes. "Now, why don't the newbies introduce themselves to us? Not that I didn't know who you were already, I'm sure even Yeshamiel has read your file, but I can't say the same for the rest."
Before I could open my mouth, the scarfed man beat me to it. "I am the Dominion known as Ramiel, Angel of True Visions. Please take care of me."
That makes more sense now that I think about it. But, with him done, it was now my turn, and all eyes were on me, with my new leader giving me an encouraging look. This armor didn't help it either help lessen my rising nervousness, as while everyone else either wore cloaks or bizarrely unreflective armor, mine was glistening thanks to the bright chandelier light from above.
Crap, might as well go through this now, or I might never forget about this horrid memory. "H-hello. My name is Sarthorael, a newly promoted archangel, I hope we can get along well in the coming days." I stuttered out, my heart ringing in my ears.
"Great!" Leliel congratulated followed by a chorus of claps. "Now that you are all done, let me give you a brief overview of what's going to happen at your stay here." Why is the room suddenly so tense? "First, our group specializes in stealth and reconnaissance, though we occasionally dabble in assassinations when the need arises. I know it may not be glamorous, nor will it give you as much recognition or glory as the frontlines. But, for what it's worth, I say it's more important than directly fighting since we weaken enemy lines and cut off communications, allowing a smoother victory in the battlefield."
Going along with the surprisingly wonderful explanation, I merely nodded my head to her words, trailing as she elaborated certain topics with such vivid detail, it was as though I were doing the actions myself.
"Our mission is to infiltrate a secret devil hideout. New intel states that human women have been kidnapped and forced to do heinous acts. So, rescuing them should also be a priority. Though, if they're too far gone, then it would be best to not prolong their suffering and allow them a semblance of mercy. Besides that, it's more of the usual, sabotaging supplies and collecting files, reports and what have you. Any questions?" Our vice-leader Yeshamiel read off a page, paraphrasing what was said.
"None? Fine, then. Head to the rendezvous point come nightfall and not a minute later. Until then, you have all the time to prepare, dismissed." With the meeting finished, several of my comrades practically jumped off their seats, leaving the room in a flash.
However, just as I was about to do the same, a voice from behind stopped me in my tracks. "Sarthorael, could you come over here for a second? I would like to speak to you about something." The one-eyed lady requested before getting up from her seat.
"Yes? Is it about my armor?" Inquiring that question, she simply nodded, eliminating most of the worry from my heart. "Then what is it that you suppose I should do to remove the shine?"
"Glad you asked." She chirped, taking me to the side. "There are many who can't wear garments over their armor because it limits their already hindered mobility, so a technique was developed to circumvent that issue."
With a flash of her hand, all the light reflecting from my piece of gear vanished. Subsequently, the armor also became darker, like there was a shadow being cast down upon it. Maybe I could…
"Light dispersion, the precursor to the somehow worse invisibility. A very useful skill out on the field, doubly so for us. It works by passing light through the front and exiting out the back, as though you weren't even there. There's also a simple reason as to why most don't abandon this in favor of cloaking yourself into the environment."
Demonstrating this, she shifted the particles on her hand, making it disappear. "The cost of upkeep is far too much for what it's worth. And those with acute sensory abilities can still find you, more so because you look like a beacon for them. On paper, the idea is excellent, in practice, it is littered with flaws. Moral of the story is: do not use it under any circumstance. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Good. Here, this is a scroll that contains the method on how to perform the spell. I expect you to learn it come time the mission starts."
"Wha-"
"Bye now~!" With those final words, she vanished like the wind, never to be seen again
Seriously, what was that? Not only do I have to get the technique to usable conditions, but I also have to find the meetup location… Father Almighty, please give me the strength to accomplish such a herculean task. For only death could possibly await me if I fail to do so.
[A/N 2: As you can see, my brain is barely functional. It's not a motivation thing, but purely a vocabulary thing. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Copy and paste thing below. Give me a solid day or two.
Anyways, if you find anything wrong in the fic, let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and what I could have done in place of what is present.
Also, join discord server. I have one.: discord . gg / eTb2kPab4z
I also have a pa- tr eon at pa- t reon / balls1124 I'm not telling you to join it, but it would be nice.
With that being said, have a wonderful day!]