The Lair - round thirty-six - Archangels

Once upon a time there were seven brothers by the names of Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Ramiel and Saraqael. All were young men of great wisedom and strength, but all gifted with a unique power that must only be used in dire situations and for the good of humankind, as their Father taught them when they were all still little and their wings were not yet large enough to carry them.

They were often tested by their Father and all but Saraqael had already passed the test called 'Puberty'. Discipline, his older brother Michael had told him when the younger archangel approached him for brotherly advice. “You must focus on the task at hand. Watch over the humans, study them all and not simply the daughters.” He would never understand the mystique, the allurance of some of those daughters with their long wavy hair and bare feet running through thick, lush grass. Saraqael observed them as often as possible, as closely as possible permitted and one day even closer.

It was the day he met a daughter with hair as shiny and precious as the golden gates of Heaven, and eyes as bright as a cloudless sky. Luna was her name, he knew when their eyes first met, called after the moon and upon jumping down from the tree Saraqual had been hiding he noticed her skin to be as pale as the large orb in the midnight sky. Untarnished and seemingly untouched by the sun, the young girl had been visiting the same tree to read a book in its shade. He couldn't tell what subject it was on, didn't ask as she rose from the grass and pressed the cover to her chest. It dawned on him she was studying him, eyes slightly enlarged and unblinking as they skimmed over his scarcely dressed figure. His wings fluttered, were invisible to her human eyes, but felt her curious gaze nevertheless.

“You're not from around here,” the girl stated with a tilt of her head. Saraqael nodded.

“Are you a traveller?” Luna inquired next.

“I do travel, but wouldn't call myself as such. I'm more of an observer.” The Archangel responded after a bit of thought. A curious hum followed.

“What do you observe?”

“People.”

“What kind of people?”

“All people.”

“Why?”

Now it was Saraqael's turn to tilt his head. He had never questioned his Father's command and wishes, knew why he did had to be done, but understood explaining this to a human would not be taken well in Heaven.

“To learn from them,” the Archangel decided upon. The girl blinked and gave a lopsided smile.

“You speak as if you examine another species rather than your fellow man,” Luna said with a giggle at this odd conversation. “Have there been any remarkable things you've learned?”

Saraqael inhaled deeply at the sound of her amusement. His chest expanded, his wings rising higher at the joy that filled him from within.

“Remarkable? Why yes. Love, for example.”

Luna's cheeks turned a rosy red at the mention of something as intimate as love. Timid and uncertain of the course of this conversation, the girl took to twirling a golden lock of hair around her finger. “Yes, that is a remarkable thing indeed. Something I wish to experience as well, one day.” Her soft voice spoke of sincere longing and urged Saraqael to make her aquaintance with this emotion.

“I can show you for I have seen many men and women experience love. I have seen what happens beforehand, during and in the aftermath, how intense and gentle it can be all at once!” The Archangel spoke with arms spread towards the sky, eyes full of appreciation of this miraculous thing in a human's life.

This appreciation however was not mutal. Luna had been raised a proper young Christian girl and understood that by engaging this strange man, she had allowed him to lower her guard. Her mother had warned her for the dark desires carried by men. Overcome by fear, the girl shook her head and began taking careful steps backwards. The puzzlement on the Archangel's face didn't register in her spooked mind, eyes shifty in search of possible saviours should this man choose to take her by force.

“I promise you, I kid not!” Saraqael said in vain to convince her. His attempts were quickly stopped by the appearance of another man whose identity proofed of worth in the girl's eyes. She ran towards him, gripped his arm shortly and dashed through the grass field when was told to do so. Curiously, Saraqael remained where he stood, watching the man as he neared. His brows furrowed at a sudden realisation. “Michael!” The man before him changed into the form befitting his older brother. He had fooled Luna as much as Saraqael, much to the latter's annoyance.

“Did I not tell you to observe them all, and observe only?” Michael spoke as his wings grew from his back and stretched behind him. Both knew it was a motion to impress and intimidate, and both knew it would always do so.

“You did, but I see no harm-”

“I disagree, younger brother. Had I not interrupted and disguised myself as the daughter's father, you would have created a scandel, one a son of the Lord is not permitted to be involved with.”

“Father sent you?” Saraqael eyed the sky above them warily, but Michael shook his head.

“No, he is far too busy to keep track of your escapades. Which is why you have six older brothers. Ramiel was never this disobedient.”

“Ramiel has always been a goody-two-shoes.”

Michael's look of confusion told the younger Archangel he was unfamiliar with this expression.

Saraqael took to the rolling of his eyes, a non-verbal response he had learned from the humans he observed on a daily basis. This motion Michael did know all too well. He pointed upwards and sighed deeply.

“I see you've taken to the language of the humans well, congratulations. Let me teach you a phrasing parents often use on disobedient children: get your ass upstairs.”