Blood & Carrots - Silverpaw Ep. 16

"Stronger, but smarter too. We've got to out-think this, Gloria, we can't just brute force our way out of this. Even with all three of the archangels there, she only seemed slightly hesitant. I don't think you or I could gain power enough to stand before that within a few centuries, let alone a few months."

She frowned and I saw her stance relax slightly, the blue coming back into her eyes. "We must do something though, otherwise not only us, but everyone else too. Church, mundane, demons, angels, and even your kind."

I shuddered at the thought and clicked my tongue, "Well apparently not me, she seems keen on paying me back for a while, but I get what you're saying, sister." Gloria gave me a deep frown and I shook my head before waving it off. "I'm going to go speak to the magi circle in a few days, perhaps they can give us something to go on."

"I would also like to attend your visit. I've met with Kazemde many times in the past, I'm sure they will not be opposed." The angel folded her arms and gave me a curious look before tilting her head. "Also, I will be meeting with the celestial court tomorrow with Alice. You should come with us."

"Why me? I'm no diplomat between our people, and after how they looked upon you the other day, I'm shocked they've got the time of day for you. Wouldn't they sooner put you to the sword than speak to you?" My ears lifted at the concept, they certainly didn't seem interested in speaking things out with the fallen angel of the past that I had to deal with.

"You stood by my side, you know all too well the power she brought and my meeting is on that very matter. Also, I will be reassured to have you and Alice by my side together." The retriever gave me a sad smile at my other question as she continued, "My circumstances are unique, though I'm sure it will be difficult to see me," Gloria sighed the words as she clasped the small rosary at her neck.

"That's no way to treat family, even if you don't agree with-"

"No, it is literal," She interrupted me with a matter of fact tone in her voice. "Staring upon one that has fallen from grace is physically and mentally painful for our kind, even more so those of such standings as the bishops and archangels."

"Gods... the eldritch powers really know how to torment, don't they?" I growled the words, shaking my head as I moved and put a hand to her arm, gripping it gently. "Hey, for what it's worth, I think your wings look better now, makes you look... elegant, you know?"

Gloria gave me a bright grin, her blue eyes looking misty as she put a hand to mine and I could feel the gentle circulation of our energies mingle. "Thank you... Alice said the same, as did Alex. Even fallen, I am truly blessed to have you all in my life."

I stared into her eyes for several moments, our hands joined together and before long, I felt the slight pull of energy, the same kind I would feel when touching Alice. We both seemed to realize what was happening and pulled from one another, her cheeks dark, my jaws clenched. "S-Sorry, Gloria."

"No, I believe it was I that instigated it, you truly have haunting eyes, my sister." The other dog huffed the words and I saw her compose herself, clasping the rosary once again. "Sarnai... we do not have the luxury of time, but if we all make it out of this, I would very much like to sit down and speak of these feelings. Sit down to speak of them with you, Alex, and Katrina."

"Katrina as well?" I clenched my hand a few times, shaking the tingling energy aside before sliding it back to my hip. "Why her specifically? Do you also have some sort of feelings for her?"

Gloria smiled and put both hands to her chest, clasping them as if she were ready to pray. "Katrina has saved my life many times and I think of her as a best friend. She is lovely and the hunger in me has thought of her many times, but no. I mean to say... if she were willing but-"

She growled and pushed a palm to her face, her cheeks darker now as she shook her head to compose herself. "No. I mean to say, I know Katrina and Alex have long-buried feelings. I also know I am the barrier in their pursuit of those."

"Gloria, you have a right to feel how you feel." I frowned as I spoke to her gently.

The retriever gave me a smile and shook her head before continuing, "I do, and I'm thankful for their consideration, but these recent events." She sighed and shook her head once more. "I thought we would die, Sarnai..."

"Y-Yeah... when I told you to get away and heal him, I pretty much thought that was it. I didn't expect to walk away from it." I gave her a grim nod.

"Then to almost lose Alex... He is dutiful and loyal, but I restrain him all the same with my love when I know he loves her as well." She met my eyes and huffed out, "And to what end? I also feel attraction towards Katrina and to you, my sister. Even for beings such as us, is life not too short to partake and enjoy the love of those around you fully?"

I showed her a gentle smile and then grinned before I spoke out playfully, "I dunno, Gloria... That could just be the fallen angel in you saying that." I wagged a finger as I tried to keep my tone playful to show I wasn't serious. "Plus, banging a succubus for a decade, it was bound to wear off on you eventually."

She giggled earnestly which sent a shiver down my spine to hear, it was such an innocent and pure sound to my ears. "Ah, perhaps I am my sister. Alas, it seems I'm too far gone though, for now that my resolve has been shaken, I crave it." The words came out in a playfully dramatic tone.

Her blue eyes shifted to mine as her voice took on a more pointed tone, "I crave to live and enjoy my life with him. I wish to explore things with Katrina, and I wish to do the same with you."

I'm sure she could hear the gulp in my throat as I stared upon her. The hunger in me was clawing at my walls not unlike how I wanted to claw those jeans off her hips, strip her bare and taste the honey of an angel right here in the middle of the foyer. The look in her eyes made me feel she wanted to do the same and before I knew it, we had thrown our arms around one another.

I moved my mouth to hers, not even hesitating to push my tongue to her own when she offered. Her hands moved right to my chest, squeezing my breasts curiously as I groaned against her lips, my own brushing against her chest, feeling the smaller but firm roundness of her own.

"So different than Alice's..." She huffed the words in a broken kiss, rubbing and kneading them through the t-shirt I had slipped on. I wagged my tail and moved to her throat, kissing at it before I dragged my tongue up it, feeling the violent thrum of her heartbeat in the pulse there.

The angel whimpered and tilted her head, baring her throat for me. I snarled and thrust my hand into her golden hair, gripping it tightly as I moved in, pushing my sharp teeth to her flesh. Every fiber of my being wanted to plunge them in to drink of her, taste the divine blood of the one that stood by me at the brink, taste her and please her body until she was a panting mess.

A snarl erupted from my throat as I shook the urges off and reigned myself in. I gently pulled from her grasp and pushed a palm to my face, trying to focus my thoughts. "Gloria... We should talk to Alex and Katrina first, much as I hate to not drag you to the floor right here."

She shuddered and put a hand to her chest, panting as she tried to compose herself. "You are correct, I am sorry if I come off as a tease or temptation to you."

"No, you're fine sister. We will pursue this one way or another, I just do not wish to hurt either of our partners in the process." I shivered and met her eyes, giving her a resolved nod. "I'll go with you tomorrow, if nothing else I can use it as an excuse to visit my mother."

We both stood there staring upon one another, each feeling the other's intense urge to continue where we had left off, but eventually, her blue eyes darted away as she gave a resolute nod. "Thank you, Sarnai. When you stood by my side, when you-"

"Hey... that's what family is for, Gloria, right? We stand together and we die together." I growled the words and shored up my confidence as I thrust my thumb into my own chest. "I'm Sarnai Blackpaw and no one messes with my family, especially the hot little angel and cute werewolf."

She giggled at my display and my grin faded to a gentle smile as I watched her, seeing her relaxed again. My hands moved to take her own and we stood there for a long moment before I moved in and brushed my lips to her own in a quick peck of a kiss. "We'll figure this out, sister. One way or another, we'll get through this as a family."

I had never been to the celestial realm in person, it was shocking to see the whole citadel bathed in light, even more so that the parasol Alice sported, seemed to shield us from it. When Toroah summoned us, I asked the angel for my own, he said he would see what he could do, but Alice smugly intertwined her arm with mine, pulling close to me, and used the excuse to walk arm in arm with me through the angel's city.

Gloria refused to come with us through the city, saying she would wait in Toroah's home until the other angels were ready to meet with us. I found it odd a fallen angel would be more troublesome to see for the populace than a few vampires, but if what she said was true, it could be she was doing it to spare her fellow celestials the pain of looking upon her visage.

"It's pretty bizarre to walk around and see things alight in the sun like this, even if it is artificial," I casually spoke out to Alice while she clutched my arm, my own shoulder sporting the parasol, given our height difference.

"I've seen the citadel many times in this past decade, love. I've even met a few casual celestials I chat with and know by name from my time walking the streets here. All the same, it's nice to see the world out of the darkness or glow of street lamps. I only regret the parasol doesn't protect us from natural sunlight." She pushed closer as she walked with me, her small tail flicking happily. It was obvious the rabbit was trying to show me off, I could see her doing something similar with Lorelai had she been here.

"I try not to dwell on what is lost. Even as a mundane I felt the world was much more beautiful by moonlight." I gave a nod while clutching the parasol, my hand resting on her hip to pull her closer.

"That's such a 'you' thing to say, love." She giggled the response then we both gave a slight jump as Toroah simply appeared from a small gate a few yards from us.

"Are you ladies ready to go?" The platinum-haired rabbit smiled upon the two of us, his eyes looking pleased to see me with Alice arm and arm together.

"A little warning would have been nice, you almost made me draw a lance of hellfire into your chest!" I snarled the words and Alice giggled at me.

"Don't listen to her fussing, my sweet angel, she's just trying to act toooough." Alice cooed the words, bumping me with her hip as she pulled me along.

Toroah gave me a grin and shook his head, "I'll try to appear further back next time, Sarnai. My apologies."

I growled once more, shaking my head. "You two are too chipper given what we've got going on."

Alice dug her heels in and halted my movement, making me stop as she looked up at me with a glare in her eyes. "Sarnai."

"What?" I huffed at her, my brow furrowing at her glare.

"If we all die, so be it. I won't spend my last days dooming and glooming, I'll spend them smiling in the company of my loved ones. Maybe it's because I was only recently a mortal, but isn't it better to live to the fullest?"

I frowned, thinking of Gloria's words yesterday, then for some reason thought of my mother, thought of all the nights I wished I could have seen her alive and well, instead of a drained lifeless husk in my dreams. My teeth clenched and I pulled from her gaze, setting my feet in motion and pulling her along as she stumbled to follow. "Perhaps so..."

We pushed past the gate and arrived in a small room, unassuming chairs and a table were set out before us. Ichiro, Samantha, and my mother were already there, but Gloria wasn't to be seen.

"Sarnai... why are you here?" Samantha grumbled the words, her eyes narrowing.

"Why to see your shining face, cow." I showed her my teeth in a challenging grin. "You know you love me and can't live without me."

Alice giggled at my retort and my mother rolled her eyes. Samanth scoffed but said nothing as Ichiro cleared his throat to speak, "Ladies, please. Let us remain civil, the time for old grudges has long passed, has it not?"

"Has it?" I asked pointedly, putting my hands on my hips. "Had Gloria not been there, would the three of you have come?"

"A powerful goddess of nature was threatening to tear the whole world apart, we showed up to prevent that. You and Gloria being there was just all the more motivation. Also, the High Bishop was already en route without our consent, we chose to follow for her sake as well," Ichiro grumbled the words in a matter of fact tone as I looked upon my mother.

"Is she truly a goddess?" Alice frowned as she tilted her head.

"Might as well be. I question if the three of us could have even taken her there and then. I think being injured was the only reason she chose to back down," Samantha grumbled out as she gave me a somewhat respectful look at the mention of Triallia's injury.

"Lady Alice, what is the nature of your visit? You know we never will turn down a meeting with you, but-"

"I'm just the middle-man this time. It's Gloria that wishes to speak with you." She interrupted Ichiro as she spoke with conviction in her voice.

"Y-You wish us to meet with the fallen angel?" Samantha stammered the words, then glared upon the other rabbit in the room. "Toroah! You take too many liberties with your communion with them, this was not something to keep from us!"

"It will be fine, Samantha. Gloria is a unique case and is still one of our own, is she not?" Ichiro tilted his head as he looked toward the bovine woman next to him.

"Direct that question to the Gods and Seraph, not me," Samantha hissed out the words and gave Toroah another glare.

Toroah said nothing and simply opened another gate. Gloria stepping forth with a hard neutral look on her face as the archangels as well as my mother winced upon her arrival. Even Toroah looked a little pained as he moved to take a seat.

Ichiro clenched his teeth before his aged eyes settled upon Gloria, even I could tell it was a struggle to maintain his gaze, as if someone were laying a hot iron rod upon his back. "Fallen angel Gloria, you have the council's attention, what did you wish to speak of?"

The retriever took a long moment to meet each and every one of their eyes before she spoke out pointedly, "I am here to petition the council for ascension."

Even the stoic saint bernard gave a shocked grunt at the words, his mouth hanging agape slightly as he stammered in response, "Y-You cannot be serious. You, one of the fallen, come to us in request to ascend back to your rank of knighthood?"

"Next you'll be saying you wish to be a Bishop," Samantha grumbled out in a dry tone of voice.

Gloria gave a nod at their words as she folded her arms, her black wings snapping out in a wide arching spread, making all of the angels present wince. "Of course I do not mean to Knight or Bishop."

"She means to petition to the ascension of the same levels as you. She wishes the world to once again have five archangels and she be one of them." Alice thrust her own hand out, her will washing out over the room not unlike how Lorelai's would do.

I was shocked by my rabbit's resolve and the power that came with her words, had I not known better I'd have sworn it was Lorelai that had done such a thing.

"T-Toroah! What is this madness?!" Samantha stood and slammed her hands to the table, glaring hard upon the rabbit.

"I was not aware of her request, only her desire to speak with us!" He returned the words, sounding on edge, all four of them looking surprisingly shaken by the request and the proceeding force of will from Alice.

"My pup... were you aware of this request?" Rachel called out gently towards me, the three archangels looking surprised she had spoken out of turn.

"I was not, Mother. I simply came here to support my family, though I can understand her motivations in the moment. With the coming threat, we need all the power that can be mustered." I met her golden eyes as I spoke, knowing she was reading my intentions.

Samantha sneered at me, "Your 'mother' died six centuries ago, Sarnai. Rachel is-"

"You disrespect my mother in my presence again, and I'll have your throat, cow!" I barked the words, my red flames bursting forth as I snarled upon her.

"I welcome the chance to put you in your place at long last!" Samantha called back in challenge, her warhammer materializing in her hand across her shoulder as I drew my saber.

"Enough, both of you!" Ichiro snarled out and slammed his own hand upon the table, a wave of force spreading through the room.

My tail furiously thrashed about until I felt Alice grip my arm gently. I scowled at the cow and sheathed my saber, giving her a glare as I thrust my flaming finger out towards her. "You and I will have words about this later, Samantha."

Gloria drew in a deep breath before folding her arms and speaking out to the room. "What I propose is the only way. You three alone are not up to the task, even five may not be enough, but it at least gives us a chance."

Toroah frowned as he put a hand to his chest. "Gloria, what you propose is madness, we can't simply-"

Alice sneered at Toroah as she cut him off, "Can you three stand before her? Will you be able to stop her as she ransacks the citadel? Oh, wait, she doesn't have to. She can tear apart the mundane world and all of you will just slowly wither away."

"This isn't... this is-" Ichiro pinched his fingers at the bridge of his nose, trying to obviously find the words. "We can't make this decision, it's up to the Seraph and I do not-"

"Then speak to the Seraph, let the hands of the gods decide if they will watch the world burn or not," I called out to Ichiro as my flames rolled off my hand pointed towards him, having never quelled my fires. "I and my family already plan to speak with the magi circle and enlist their aid, but if we don't all work together, how much hope can there be?"

Samantha grunted and rubbed her head, clenching one of her horns before she fixed Gloria with a hard look. "What makes you think you are qualified, Gloria?"

The retriever stepped forward and thrust her hand out, blue flames erupting along her fingertips, wisps of it drifting on her wings, tail, and ears. "I am the only one of our kind to bring the powers of a chimera with me. I now have the power of their elders coursing through my body. I can wield the divine flame as well as..." She looked over to me apologetically before the flames shifted to black. "Hellfire."

All of them looked shocked except for my mother who had put the pieces together long ago. I cleared my throat to gather their attention, shifting my own flames to now burst forth in a radiant white, similar to that of my husband's power. I watched them wince from the display as I shrugged. "Alice has intermingled and reinforced all of our powers, I'd dare say Gloria may already be on an equal footing to any of the three of you individually."

Ichiro looked between the three of us, then focused upon Alice squarely. "Lady Blackpaw... we've enjoyed this decade of peace with your kind, and that has won you at the minimum, our consideration in this matter."

Samantha winced as she spoke, "Ichiro... the Seraph-"

"Will do as the Seraph pleases, Samantha!" The aged dog growled the words, giving the cow a hard look. "I'll not sit idle to wait for the destruction of our flock and people."