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What does it mean to be angelic?
That was a genuine question I had, all until it came crashing down mere seconds ago. The act of reincarnation was weird, in that, I never really thought it would happen, nor did I expect to be put into a dying body, who was incapable of any movement whatsoever due to being confined to a stretcher.
We were in the middle of some kind of war against bat-like creatures of the night, raining down a flurry of elements upon my comrades, who seemed helpless to defend themselves. A tragedy even I couldn't rectify due to my current state, then again, what more could a mere two-winged angel, such as I, do in a situation such as this? Blow at them from afar?
Thankfully, I didn't have to wait much longer, as from the heavens peered the visage of our savior, a man whose body radiated an extreme amount of light, to the point where, even angels considered him blinding. He was the closest to perfect as anyone could get, rivalled only by the fallen Hellel for the second spot right behind Father Almighty.
At the sight of him, those few who could stand bowed their heads deeply out of sheer respect and reverence for not only his combat prowess, but also his authority as one of the four great archangels, set to lead our race on the field towards victory under His guidance.
Truly, what a marvelous day to be alive again. To not only have a second chance at life in a fantasy world, but to also stand witness to this magnificent view, golden armor and all. A part of me practically felt giddy, ready to charge into battle if it meant seeing more of him. But, sadly, the greater majority, squashed such ideas before they could sprout. My current state didn't help either.
Right on cue, several of Lord Raphael's healers arrived at the scene to help and escort those too injured back to home base. Being granted a large amount of spare time along the trip back, I began to contemplate some things. For instance…
Why did this body's face look so alien, yet familiar?
Then another question took my mind completely in my bed-bound state. What does it mean to be perfect? Angels, by nature, were created to be perfect from birth. And yet, some eventually fell to sin, with varying inconsistencies from one circumstance to another.
All of this to say that it didn't fit my narrative of "perfect".
The entire ride back, my face was scrunched up, like I just ate the most sour fruit of all, entertaining these thoughts even as one of the healers nursed me back to health, telling me to rest after the fact in the crowded "hospital room".
But I just couldn't.
Slowly, my mind pieced itself back together, and the scattered memories of both my past life and the life of the previous host segregated themselves, letting me scrutinize them in greater detail compared to my aimless pondering just hours ago.
To put it simply, I reincarnated as a two-winged angel, the lowest of the low in the hierarchy. The reason as to why I was caught up in the attack was due in part to my job as a guardian angel, sent to watch over a human boy from the day of his birth. Unfortunately, he passed away in the chaos, leaving me "free" to do whatever I wanted… What is there left to do?
War was ongoing just outside of this realm, and partaking in leisurely activities has the possibility of attributing itself to sloth, leaving me with very few options for future prospects. Fighting would have me endangering myself, and dying as a nameless background character in a much grander story is, frankly, absurd as someone who didn't stick out much in my last existence.
Perhaps I could indulge myself in the study of philosophy? It did stand as the groundwork for science if I recall. Oh, I can picture it now, standing above a stage whilst discussing the nature of my kind. There was only one thing stopping me though, something I already brought up in thought a bit ago.
Everyone around me was too beautiful as if their bodies were sculpted from a solid block of marble at the hands of a master craftsman, whose skill was second to none. My still human rationale couldn't get behind it at all. It's like using glasses for the first time, only now they were dirty and there was nothing you could do about the smudging. Everything was still the same, except you were the only one who found something wrong.
.
Whatever, I just hope it isn't as bad as I play it off to be. It probably just needs some getting used to… yeah.
Still, there wasn't much to do here. A tad earlier, the people helping me said I needed a night's rest to recover my strength, but I couldn't. This was a whole new world, and I couldn't just sleep after entering it. My excitement was only truly piqued when a second wind's worth of energy rushed into my system with great force, pushing me off the bed and onto the soft cloud-like floor.
I had to find a way to relieve it, or else things could potentially go very badly. People have fallen for less, subsequently, the chances for my wings to turn charcoal-black as well was rising by the second. An outlet for these desires, to release them in a quick burst without invoking the sin of lust.
That's it! I could fly through the sky, like a bird breaking free of its cage, joyously escaping the shackles that held it in place. Relying on the instincts and muscle memory instilled in this body, I slowly flapped my wings, picking up the pace when the movement felt less and less foreign. Until-
*Prrrfff*
An extra hard flap sent me into the air. Drawing further on the sensation, I soared higher than I ever thought humanly possible. Well, until I realized what was around me. Traffic as far as the eye could see, going on for miles upon miles, and I just so happen to crash into the middle of it. Thankfully, no one seemed to be hurt from my reckless behavior, honestly, they looked more annoyed that I disrupted their routine than actually causing damage.
But then a heavily robed dark-tinted man showed up, and an unsettling fear enraptured me in a tight grasp, as if something sinister approached from behind like a predator catching its prey.
"Ma- ma- ma- Lord Mastema!" I stuttered, prostrating myself on the spot. "I'm sorry to have caused this disturbance, it won't happen again."
A peal of deep-sounding laughter rumbled out in response. It felt soothing in an odd sense of irony, giving me the image of a father who caught his child in the middle of a petty act. "Worry not, for my intentions before you today are but the purposeful actions orchestrated by our Father. Don't apologize to me, this action of mine was out of selfish interests and not His, but do apologize to each of the individuals here, for they have much important business in helping the war efforts."
His voice flowed as though it were water in a stream, melodic and serene, charisma dripping with every word spoken.
The way speech was interpreted by the supernatural of this world was weird. Supposedly, we all spoke in the primordial tongue, the forgotten language of Babel. It was unconventional to say the least, hearing everyone around you speak in a sing-song tone.
Swiftly moving to the side with a gust of wind, I finally let the person behind me through, bowing deeply as they passed me while Mastema hovered behind me, nodding at my actions.
Eventually, he told me it was enough, citing that I've been at it for the past hour or so, and, advising me to follow him into his personal chambers where he'd like to have "a talk".
Honestly, I was a bit unnerved by the guy, to the point of being visibly shaken when near him. But, a gut feeling told me disobeying his orders would have me ending my run far sooner than anticipated. At that point, I felt trapped. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Heart pumping in my ears with each flap, cheeks burning up, and arms trembling.
How did a demon steal an angel's skin without God realizing it?
[A/N: Anyways, if you find anything wrong about the fic, please do say it in detail, I'd always like to learn more in areas I need to improve in.
Also, join discord server. I have one.: discord . gg / eTb2kPab4z
I also hav tr eon at pa t re / balls1124 I'm not telling you to join it, but it would be nice.
With that being said, have a nice day.]