Lore of the Angels Ch. 13

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" her voice was gentle even as she asked the question. They both knew that she already knew the answers but was voicing it out for formality sake.

"To engage you in mutual cooperation."

Her lips did not move but her smile caused creases at the corners of her eyes. "You have five minutes, Cyrus."

"I do not know how to handle the Earth Angel uprisings. Yes, I admit it. I do not have enough Valkyrie troops to maintain a sense of order especially on this large a scale. I will join this war effort if you would lend me a helping hand."

"What can you do Cyrus? You wouldn't have turned down Zilarrezko's request otherwise."

The insult in her soft spoken words didn't go unnoticed but Cyrus decided to swallow his pride. His territory was at stake.

Holding out his hand, he focused as much energy as he could to the centre of his palm, allowing the power to accumulate and spin into a burning ball. It spun faster and faster gaining more mass and heat before it slowed down to rotate in mid air like a mini-sun held in the Fire Cardinal's hand –a perpetual flame that could be harnessed repeatedly.

With his other hand, he reached for hers; spreading his fingers apart until they were palm to palm. Then he turned hers to face upwards before bringing the revolving mass of fire into her control.

"For you."

The Light Cardinal was clearly flattered at the gift; her white lashes fluttering before she looked up. "It's... magnificent Cyrus. Calida's Fire."

"Yes, and I know you can manipulate it as well." Noor didn't look too surprised at this revelation. "You were the one who taught her how to harness both Light and Fire."

"Can you?"

Cyrus knew he shouldn't tell the Light Archangel the truth but he did. "No, I have not Seen."

Noor gave him a small smile as she flicked her wrist to shroud Calida's Fire under Illusion. Cyrus was always the quiet one but she understood his fears as much as she comprehended her own. The only thing the young Fire Archangel didn't know was that Gaia had returned. Noor had felt the change a few hours ago –an unbalance in the equilibrium –and she knew. And now there was another –a strong yet tentative shift in the power symmetry. Noor was still trying to figure it out when she caught sight of her neon green Ordinal descending to the Skybridge.

"Midori..." The name was a bare whisper for she had read the worry etched on the Light Angel's face and knew they were under attack. "Get Ehren."

Turning to Cyrus, her brows knitted. The Fire Archangel had sensed the bombing too for his body was angled towards the south where no doubt, Yuki's arsenal was attacking at full force.

"I'll help," he said without any prompt, releasing his wings from the tight lock on his back to begin his ascent. He was already in mid-air by the time Noor fully stretched her wings. Just before leaping off the Skybridge, she felt the warm assurance of Ehren's voice in her mind.

The airforce wing is sending reinforcements.

Noor knew that the sudden change in Yuki's attack meant that she wasn't planning on heading to North America anymore. The war was going to be fought here –in the blistering heat of the African continent.

Yuki shouldn't have been so stupid.

***

"Get up." There was no ounce of gentleness in the crisp command. Gaia's wings were outstretched to its full magnificence; her crescent shaped irises boring down on Aria as if to dare the new Angel to defy her.

But Aria's wings were like two stone sculptures dragging her down, making it hard for her to do anything more than lift her head up to look at the Earth Archangel. She was expecting anger but Gaia's face was set in a grim expression that was a cross between impatience and triumph.

"I said get up."

Clenching her teeth, Aria forced her defeat out, "I can't, damn it!"

"Get up!" This time, Gaia stamped a foot on the ground; the vibrations causing Aria's body to jerk right up. It was almost as if the soil beneath her was trying to support her, being the crutches to help her stand and find her balance.

Even as her body was starting to adjust to its new weight, Aria's senses were still sharp enough to sense Gaia coming straight at her with every intention of maiming. But there was no challenging the speed or skill of a Cardinal who has lived for centuries as a wingless immortal.

At the next blink, Aria found herself flipped on her back; the soft soil supporting her were now hardened bricks clamping her wrist and ankles, leaving her immobile. For a moment, Aria was certain that Gaia had allowed her to be an Angel simply to kill her –but for what? There was nothing to be gained from her death.

"Oh, I could kill you if I wanted to," said Gaia nonchalantly; giving a dramatic pause, as though contemplating the thought. Then with a shrug, she traced a warm finger along Aria's jaw, watching intently as fear began to creep into the Water Angel's eyes. With a smile of satisfaction, she cupped Aria's chin roughly with one hand while the other cradled her head, bringing their foreheads to touch each others'.

There was no time to make sense of Gaia's actions for the only thing Aria could think of at that precise moment was the intense explosion inside her head; the heat of the contact searing her mind, like a lethal drug injected into her system.

She wanted to scream, to open her eyes and run but there was no escape –not this time.

Smoke. She could smell the thick clouds of burning ashes, feel the fire licking up the side of her arms and there were screams. Voices begging, shouting, demanding, pleading –the cacophony simply too much for her mind to process but then...

Her arms moved –swung a sword to be precise. The blade of the metal effortlessly cutting through the cloud of smoke, clearing her path and her vision... to a monstrosity that couldn't possibly be happening right that moment.

Wings; angel wings were scattered carelessly all around her even as Aria took in the cries of women, men and children. Some mourned over the loss of their loved ones, some over the loss of their immortality but no one, not a single soul was laughing.

Something moved to her right. Aria didn't know why but she felt herself smiling; her mind overwhelmed with the pleasure of knowing that whoever tailing her would be dead in a second...

And yes. Oh, the sound of his last breath, that moment when skin and bones crash musically to the ground; the warmth of blood spreading against the reddish soil and the tang of iron so fresh in the air.

Aria reveled in it. The beauty of death.

But surely not! To find pleasure in the ending of another life? No, this wasn't like her!

Aria forced herself to close her eyes, trying to shake herself up from this bizarre dream-like state. She was sure this wasn't real yet everything she had sensed, had felt were too concrete to simply be a figment of her imagination... or is it?

Taking in a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, aware that the temperature around her had cooled significantly. The air no longer tinged with blood-soaked soil or burning flesh but something fragrant... and familiar.

Something that reminded her of home.

"Come on, stop wasting time! I know you're just faking it!" This was followed by a feminine laughter. Opening her eyes slowly, Aria came face to face with the most exquisite Metal Angel she had ever seen. It wasn't so much the gold-glazed feathers that cued Aria but the way the Angel simply radiated with a warmth glow, as though gold dust was swept along every inch of her exposed flesh. Blonde strands framed her face but Aria was sure the tips were dipped in gold as well for it glittered in the sunshine.

But it was all a façade. Something in her mind warned her that this Metal Angel was about to land a deathly blow, despite her unthreatening posture. She wasn't even holding her sword properly but allowed it to rest lazily on the ground as though it was much too heavy for her petite body.

It was then that Aria sensed her body reacting instinctively; two broadswords forming a cross directly above her head, blocking the Metal Angel's single downward thrust. From the corner of her eyes, Aria saw the glittering of metal spokes exactly where she had been lying down a second ago.

This wasn't just any normal battle. Death doesn't seem to be a concern for her opponent.

From that moment on, Aria allowed the hum in her body to dictate her movements –survival the only thing on her mind. With the agile grace of a seasoned warrior, Aria's attacks were no longer conscious movements but a practiced performance; a second nature to her. Except that they weren't hers.

Neither were these green-tipped wings keeping her balanced, nor the ability to shake the ground effortlessly. The realization caused Aria to pause momentarily; relaxing the pressure of her sword against the Metal Angel's neck.

"This isn't me," she whispered, forcing herself to step back, to shake herself out of this semi-dream state. It had to be unreal. It had to be. She didn't know why it took her so long to realize who she was battling with, seeing how that very same Angel had indirectly restored her wings.

"No, those are my memories." That voice –

Aria tried to say something but all of a sudden she felt choked; her throat clamping itself shut and cutting off her air supply. Aria felt herself clawing desperately at the invisible hands around her neck but the pressure only seemed to increase.

She must not die! Not after everything that she had gone through. If she could survive Iluna's cage of Darkness, she could survive this one test. And she didn't need to hear it to know that the Earth Archangel wanted to test her limits and see how far she could go.

But Aria wasn't in the mood for games. Knowing that struggling would only make Gaia push her further, she forced herself to keep absolutely still; perking her senses to be so in tune with her body that she could sense every feathered tip, every last nerve ending. It was like her mind went diving within itself, behaving like an antibody hunting down an antigen.

"Don't fight me Aria. It's for your own good." Gaia's words were the exact catalyst fueling her determination. The Water Angel thought of nothing but flushing the intruder out of her system; her whole being consumed with a need like rushing rapids to cleanse herself right that instance.

Her efforts weren't in vain this time.

From deep within the ground gushed out water, like geysers shooting upwards and then raining down on both the angels in what seemed like an endless downpour. There was nothing more invigorating to Aria than that moment when the water slapped her senses to sharp knife points; the violent whirlpools in her eyes reflecting an unleashing of her latent powers.

If Gaia was impressed, she made no show of it. Her face remained stoic, arms crossed tight over her chest. Her wings however were no longer fanned out in a show of aggressive dominance but locked tight behind her in a acceptance that she was in the presence of an equal.

"What did you do to me Gaia?" demanded Aria. She was no long stumbling clumsily or under any hallucinations this time for she stood straight; her back arched and carrying her wings proudly.

Gaia's response was to raise her right hand lightly, making sure that Aria watched how she manipulated a clump of soil next to her to shape itself into a hardened rock. Then she raised her gaze and settled it on the Water Angel.

"Move it."

The command caused Aria to step back in confusion. Surely Gaia was aware that she was an Angel of the Water element. Were her wings not evidence enough?

"Move it, Aria."

"You know I cannot do this! Why are you doing this to me?" Aria gritted her teeth in anger even as she directed her attention to the ball of rock to her left. There was no way in hell that she could move something that had no traces of water in it. It wasn't even mud or clay...

Then it hit her. If she could not move the rock per se, then she would move the ground beneath the rock with as much effort as she could. Hadn't she drenched the earth with rain just seconds ago?

It felt so natural to her to seek the drops of sustenance beneath the sandy surface; drawing them out at will to do her bidding. She could feel the droplets pooling beneath the rock, sense its cold and hard surface as though she was touching it.

And still it wasn't enough to move it by even an inch.

"You're not doing it right Aria. Try again." With a swipe of her hand, Gaia caused the water to evaporate right in front of Aria, as though she had complete control over the element. The sight shocked the new Angel.

"How... how is that possible?"

"Try again."

Gnawing on her lips, Aria tried to control her temper. Gaia, by some unexplainable way, had taken away all the water that she had so painstakingly tried to collect under the rock. Now, the soil was dry and unmalleable. What was she to do?

Turning her head slowly, Aria tried not to look too defeated. "Please teach me how Gaia."

Drawing her brow to a knit, the Earth Archangel gave Aria a long, hard look before shaking her head angrily. "I did not just give you millennia worth of memories for you to be that stupid and lazy to cherish and look through them." She took a step forward, her hand holding a spoke fashioned from the soil.

Aria didn't have the time to give any reply for Gaia was already hurling one spoke after another in her direction; each one sharp and solid enough to pierce through her body. She had no idea how she could move that fast or that precise for it was like muscle memory of someone who has practiced evasive techniques for centuries.

The knowledge that Gaia had willingly shared her battle and life experiences with her caused a momentary panic to course through her body. To be bounded so intimately with another Angel like that... surely there'd be repercussions?

Whatever she wanted to think next was interrupted by an unexpected attack from below; a stalagmite aimed to severe her in half if she hadn't been fast and alert enough to escape.

"Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Oh, you wouldn't die so easy. Now move that rock or I swear I will break you so much that you'd take centuries to wake up."

It wasn't so much the fear for her life that made Aria lift her hand to do as she was told but the fear that her death would hurt her siblings... and Zilarrezko. They've all lost the people whom they love to this insane rivalry. Aria couldn't bear to add another name to their list of the dead.

So this time, she accepted the fact that whether or not she could actually move the rock, Aria had to try. Gaia might not be the best teacher in the world but she was probably the only one who could help her survive the battle with Archangel Yuki. She was her best bet.

Focusing solely on the rock, Aria blocked out everything around her until her mind placed the rock and herself within a vacuum; allowing her to scrutinize her subject from all angles.

Yet something gnawed inside her. Her instincts or perhaps it was Gaia's, she could never be sure now, warned her that isolation was not the key. She was highlighting their differences... making it seemed like they were two completely different parts of Nature.

What is a rock? It could be magma cooled over centuries or mineral ores or even hardened clay and mud. Rocks don't exist on their own, nor does the earth beneath her feet... They were all part of an ecosystem that needed each other; allowing one form to exist in the other.

Taking a grand view of the things around her, Aria could now hear the whistling of the wind in her ears, feel the particles of moisture in the air, sense the invisible process of evaporation drying up the very soil she was stepping on.

There was still water all around –infinite even, now that she could finally see –and they were spellbound to her. Aria smiled at the knowledge of how Gaia had seemingly made water disappear into thin air. The Earth Archangel had masterfully harnessed the heat energy baking the soil beneath their feet to accelerate evaporation. It wasn't that she had an extraordinary ability to manipulate Water or Fire; Gaia simply saw beyond the limits of her element.

And now, so could she.

This time, instead of collecting water droplets beneath the rock, Aria allowed the ground water to comb effortlessly through the soil beneath the rock, enabling the two elements to worth together to roll the rock forward.

A clap and then another. "Well done Water Cardinal. It seems you are ready."

Aria's defenses went up. Did she mean ready for more tests and practice?

"Don't need to look so suspicious Cardinal," said Gaia nonchalantly. "Fly east and you will find Zilarrezko's fleet en route to Africa."

Aria wanted to protest, to say that she hadn't even used her wings for flight. How would she even make it a few feet over the ocean?

Gaia must have noticed her worry for the Archangel came closer, cupping Aria's cheek gently. "You are who you are." Then she was gone.

Aria knew what awaited her. To her east was not just Zilarrezko's fleet to help her make the rest of the journey to Africa. To her east, was where she would have to face an Archangel much older and powerful than Gaia and hope to come out alive. She didn't need anyone to tell her, to know that her immortality had caused a shift in the power balance amongst the Snow-Water clan. She could feel the tremors in the air bringing news of Yuki's anger; her rage directed towards the innocents.

Taking a deep breath, Aria stretched her wings, readying herself for her virgin flight. If there had ever been an Angel so created, it would be she: immortality from the feather of a Metal Archangel, battle experience and muscle memory of an Earth Archangel and a pearl from a Dark Archangel toxic enough to take out any opponent. Fingering the blade of grass still lodged in the pleats of her dress, Aria knew she was finally ready.

***