Return of the Angels
They sat at a table, their shopping beneath their seats. Celine's mind wasn't with them, it had wandered elsewhere. Whilst the three talked together, she was insistent on keeping herself alert to any threatening dangers. Of course there was none that was piecing itself together before her, but she knew never to let down her guard, not even to create bonds. That was the purpose of this little event today with the girls. Looking back at them, Celine wondered why they hadn't even given up on her because of her negativity on creating a bond that would just leave pain between them. She knew what was coming in the future, so why couldn't they see that she didn't want to create something that would bring pain if something happened to her?
"Girls, I need some air," she stated as she stood up from the seat.
They dismissed her with nods of understanding and she moved away, leaving her shopping with them. She heard the organoids move and she shook her head at them, all but Mai of course. Shadow, Terror and Taki stayed whilst Mai walked off by her friend's side through the city. Her hair blew away from her face because of the wind and so her eyes of worry were easily revealed to see. She didn't care. Let everyone know that something was bothering her, at least maybe that way they would stay away. At least she hoped.
Celine, Mai growled out.
"It's nothing Mai," she failed to reassure her organoid.
She walked down a dark street, passing by people with little care on her expression if she had bumped into them. Mai walked in her shadow, on the defensive. Celine's hands were dug deep into her jacket pockets, trying to escape the cold of the night that had slipped through. She had put her golden blonde hair inside of her woolly hat; her golden blonde fringe nearly had grown to cover half her eyes. Her side bangs slipped passed her shoulders and to her breast line where the material of her jacket had followed their shape.
She stopped walking and turned around to discover that Mai had slipped away without her noticing. She knew she didn't have to worry, Mai did this occasionally and she always found her way back to her side. But that didn't stop the worry paining her heart. She followed the path she had originally been walking, just trying to clear her head and heart. She bumped violently into somebody, muttered an apology loud enough to hear and she carried on. Her arm was grabbed and she was pulled into an alleyway away from the sights of people.
"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you Celine," the male voice said at her thrashing.
She calmed as soon as she noticed that there was no danger in his voice, or that he had not made a move to do anything indecent.
"We have your organoid, we won't hurt her if you don't do anything stupid." It was not a threat to keep her obedience although at the same time it was.
"Who are you?"
"That can come later, Celine, we don't have time to be making ourselves familiar with each other."
"Fine, what do you want?"
"Just some answers and for you to listen carefully to me," he replied.
She noticed how deep his voice was, a luring kind of sound that hinted at something warm about him. He had said we, but he was the only one to be making any sound. The others must be waiting in the shadows, to see if she was going to attack this guy. Her black vision cleared as he stepped back. He wore a black cloak around him, hiding him. She looked up to where the hood scooped his face into the shadows. She could only see piercing dark blue eyes looking down at her in a way that begged to be recognized. She didn't know this guy and something made her want to know.
"I'm listening…" she didn't feel that reluctance like she did with other people. She felt like complying with his every command, listening to everything he said to her.
"A guy named Zariel told you that you were the last," she nodded, "he's right, you know. You are the last Seraph."
She swallowed, feeling the heavy lump in her throat. "The others were killed, weren't they?"
"Yes…" he said reluctantly. "How much do you know about yourself?"
"I was given my past about my home planet and what rank of angel I was; I was given my real name and that's about it."
"Have you gained your wings yet?"
"No…"
"Abilities, are you trying to learn them?"
"Yes…"
"And?" she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Not going so good, I'm losing concentration too quickly."
"Your heart is burdened; you need to allow others to carry some of it for you."
"If you're saying create some bonds…"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Humans are too weak to be able to carry the burden I carry," she argued.
"I never said it had to be humans. What about Herald? Isn't he your guardian?" she looked at him with wide eyes. "Who do you think assigned him to protect and guide you?"
"Certainly not you," he shook his head in disagreement.
"Actually I did assign him the work to protect you."
"Who are you?"
"I already told you there is no time to get familiar with each other."
"Give me back my organoid, I'm leaving."
"Celine, listen to me."
"What could be so important for you to have to talk to me?"
"Would it be better if I told you who I am so you can trust me?"
"Depends on who you are," she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"I'm given many names, but I am Azrael, the angel of death, but you…can call me father."
XxX
She walked away, she had to. That man had just said he was her father. Well he didn't say he was her father he just told her to call it him. But it still means the same thing doesn't it? That he's her father? Her mind span with so many questions to the point she was unable to identify one from another. But what could it all mean? Azrael, the angel of death, is her father. What the hell does that make her? And why is she a Seraph and not a reaper like her father? Is her father even a reaper? Well many people call the angel of death the Grim Reaper, so he has to be him, right?
"Celine, wait…"
She sped up, her hands dug deep in her pockets, her head down, only watching the feet of people to navigate through them. She heard his quick footwork manoeuvring around the people to get to her. Soon she felt a shadow fall across her back and panic filled her body. She stopped and turned only to have her vision blurry as she was encased in really strong arms and moved. She found her back pressed against the wall, the front body of her cloaked saviour blocking her path to see who had attacked her.
"Stay here," she heard her saviour say. She looked up to see Azrael's deep blue eyes staring at her, almost as if he was checking to see if she was injured. He pushed away from her and he ran towards a black being that was pulling its extended claws out from the ground. He brought out a simple sword, without a guard, from his sleeve and stroked the blade in an arch through the air. The thing, she discovered to be a demon, was sliced in half and he towered above the body until it disappeared.
Mai's thundering heavy metal feet came and soon she saw her golden metallic body heading straight for her. When she reached her side, her nose had instantly bent down, accessing any damage. The only way to reassure the organoid she was fine was by stroking her snout, smiling gentling and speaking in a hushed voice saying she was fine. She felt Azrael's evaluating gaze upon them and she looked up to lock eyes with him. He flipped his sword around his hand, the tip bent towards the opening of the sleeve and she watched as it disappeared as he pushed it up his sleeve. Magic she had gathered, but she could now feel the presence of others in the shadows.
"I'm not here alone, Celine, there are others."
"More like you?" she said with narrowed eyes.
"No, more like you. They just aren't Seraphim."
"What about them in the shadows? Your protectors?"
"They're fallen, Celine, and yes they are under my rule."
"I don't trust fallen or you."
"Because I'm the 'Grim Reaper' as the humans put it? Or is it because I'm the angel of death?" he didn't appear to be finding this amusing at all.
"The fallen and the angel of death are evil, that's why I don't trust them or you."
"I am not evil, but I'm not good either. The fallen obey me and if they don't I exterminate them myself. Therefore they're not good or evil."
"It's not known for fallen to obey the angel of death."
"They don't usually," he said with a big grin underneath the hood. "But I forced them to work for me, it's so they don't make the mistake of attacking or targeting you. If they did, then I'd step in and kill them mercilessly."
"Why are you here?"
"Aren't you happy to see your father?"
There he said it!
"No, now why are you here?"
"To help in the battle and the restoration of the angels…"
"You're the angel of death, not life, so why are you helping?"
"Because I offered…" he growled.
"Why?" she pushed.
"Because I don't want to lose my daughter!" he nearly snapped.
Her fists clenched by her sides and her eyes narrowed at him again. "I don't need you; I've never needed you since you abandoned me here!"
"I'd rather abandon you then let you die. I still kept track of where you were on this retched planet. I knew where you were all along, but at least you weren't lost to me forever."
"Why didn't you come to get me after the loss of the angel's world?"
"The demons would have found and killed you.'
"You're stronger than they are."
"Just accept the fact that you're alive and not dead!"
"Just stay away from me," she said glaring at him. "I'm not your daughter, never was, so get that through your head. Let's go Mai."
She walked away from him and refused to look back at him even if he was calling her name. She retraced her steps and walked all the way back to her friends. They were still sitting in the same spot; they waved when they saw her and only Storm was able to see the difference in her eyes and through her fake smile when she sat down to join them. Terror, Shadow and Taki were able to tell that something had happened on her little walk for air. Celine tried to join in with their jokes, laughed when they did, but Azrael and Herald were right. She did need bonds and she didn't care if it were humans that she created them with.