The Ascent of the Angelic Ch. 06

Rhys found himself in another home, staring out of a large window down at the streets. It was hard to believe that they were down there mere hours ago. Everything was so incredibly small. The weather had calmed somewhat, though Rhys didn't want to leave. Exhaustion weighed on his mind and he certainly wasn't going to go back and be reminded of what had occurred out in the halls. Mehira sat on a nearby bed. In-between prayer she would pick at the exposed plating. Rhys managed to keep his curiosity on a leash and avoided staring into the wound.

The man tried to imagine what the city might look like with all the people walking around. It was almost dizzying how many people could fit down there. Vehicles moving about. Drowning noise buzzing over everything. And this small home embedded in a tall, tall tower. There would be people going about, enjoying their lives. Only a mere hundred years ago or so but it felt quite a lot longer. Edwin wasn't that old, Rhys said to himself with a smile. He turned his attention down the rows of buildings. It also felt like they were a hundred miles away from home as well. Not a soul to be found here at all. They could've been on an entirely different planet for all he knew.

Having seen enough of this new and old world, Rhys moved over to Mehira's side and sat down.

"I know I keep asking, but are you certain you're alright?" Rhys asked.

Mehira prodded at the plate a bit more. "I am fine. Although..."

"Although?"

"Although there was a strike at my fiber. In that moment there was a sense of unending dread. Death is not a factor for my being. An eternal, unbreakable soul guides my every move. Yet I was scared to cease being here physically." She crossed her arms, folding one over the wound. "I do not know why."

"Well... What would happen if you did?" Rhys didn't actually want to know, but if going through the technicalities eased her in any way, he wanted to talk about it.

"I suppose we are guided back to whence we came. Straight to the heavens. Which would be returning home. I had spoken to a small few who have done the very same. Shed their form through combat."

"Then you don't want to leave?"

Mehira looked to the window and nodded. "Perhaps I have much more I want to participate in on the Earth. Perhaps I fear the failure of death at the hand of the sinned." She shrugged.

"I'm not sure what there is to do here that you don't have up above."

"Protect. There is the joy of saving the chosen creature," she said, a smile in her voice.

"I think you've done enough saving for many lifetimes," Rhys said, smiling back.

"There is a particular joy to be had by saving your form."

"And likewise, I think there's joy to be had in being saved by you, but I'm sure any other man would say that."

Mehira uncrossed her arms, placing her hands on the bed. "Man and not woman? Person, even?"

"I don't think many women would be able to appreciate your beauty." He set his hand down close to hers. His other hand rubbed at his neck. "Even if it is a shell of a shell, as you might say."

"Thank you," she said.

There was a long silence. Rhys briefly wondered if he said the wrong thing.

"I believe that in some manner," Mehira said, "I do not want to leave you specifically." Her cool fingers slid over to his, intertwining them.

Rhys' heart began to flutter as he felt her touch grace him.

"I feel much in the same way," Rhys replied. Such a lame, stiff way to put it. Rhys' heart hammered all the same just from saying it. There was the added weight of the woman in question being an emissary from the heavens, but she was still very much a woman.

"Humans treat us with such awe and fear. I am grateful you have indulged in all our simple conversations, even going so far as to tread into deathly grounds alongside me." Her hand crept forward more, grasping at his palm. "I know you make much talk about the futility of life as it is now, however I peered into the fear you held. With all that you still kept by my side. Thank you."

"Thank you for being here, Mehira. It's selfish of me, but I wish-- pray that you could stay here." The center being as empty as it was, was a sign of things coming to change. "Not that I wish for the sinned to be here, of course."

"Of course." She looked down before looking back to Rhys. "I would not want to stretch across the years to wait for you above. Somehow I feel as though speaking with you in this manner is a sin to be denied." Mehira inched closer. "And I also feel as though it isn't."

"It couldn't be, right?" Rhys wanted to hold her now. That simple instinct in his mind to embrace the thing he admired. The thing he loved. What an odd duck you are, he chided himself. You refuse the company of a human woman for the angelic. Was the standard not good enough? You had to seek out the impossible to satiate your desires? Or maybe you're such a strange fellow that you could only interact with what could only be called human on the most fringe of terms? Rhys looked to her head again, where her eyes would sit. No, she was as regular a person as any other, only that she was burdened with the challenge of serving them.

Cautiously, Rhys leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder. At first he was stiff, but quickly relaxed against her once she made no protest. That certainly had to be a sin, right?

Rhys pursed his lips, then asked, "If you do not make love, do you still feel it between one another?"

"Some may crave the romantic closeness. We do not practice it. That is what the chosen souls, the humans, are blessed with the right to partake and indulge." She squeezed his hand. "It would be a sin to experience the jealousy that it brings, yet it would also be a sin to say I do not experience it. I envy the mortal plane. To experience all its challenges and rewards."

"I must seem awfully rude now, denying a gift like that."

"Recall when you said ignorance is bliss? I believe that collides with our situation. The grass is always greener, is it not?"

"True, true."

It was hard to think that someone straight from the paradise promised to all pious people would want to linger on this Earth. Then again, if life were not beautiful, people would not be complaining about the shortness of life. There would be no fear of death. There would be no regrets. He had to appreciate the small slice of his soul's existence before it was snuffed out. Besides, who would be so lucky as to have the company of such an extraordinary being?

Mehira stretched out her wounded arm and with a flex, the armor fell from it. The thing clattered to the floor. "Before you speak, yes, I am fine," she said with a giggle.

Rhys hardly heard her words, being far too focused on her skin. It was like a finely crafted marble, smooth and reflective. Rather than the bright white he expected, she was a dark black.

"The bare wind is a greater relaxation than I had figured." Her body had a similar squish to regular skin. Rhys also noticed the lack of any garment on her arm. Was she entirely nude under there as well? "You must find this form odd. A golem among the living."

He reached out and gently took her bare hand, causing her to freeze up. While Rhys expected her to be cold, her hand was intensely warm. Soft as well.

"You feel as alive as anyone else," Rhys said.

While she was mostly smooth, he could feel the little marks that made up her polished form. The notes of grey almost mimicked the celestial heavens as they streaked across the black of her skin. As Rhys explored her arm, she tentatively did the same, running her fingers across his bare skin. The gesture was no more than any touch, but it bore the taboo of a bare angel's skin. Her hand was much larger than his, allowing her to soak up more of his form. It took little time for him to break into goosebumps at her gentle grace.

The touch, a mere sampling of the divine was enough to make Rhys crave more. His free hand edged onto her lap. Of course, armor was no substitute for the touch of bare skin, yet he would take any closeness he could afford. Their focus would dance to and fro from their eyes to their arms. How desperately now he wanted to be graced with Mehira's visage. Curiosity burned up inside him, alongside the human desire to put a face to the refined voice and kind soul. That really didn't matter though, did it? All Rhys needed to know was that she was indeed a kind soul.

As quickly as their trade of bodies came, it left, and the pair pulled apart. Embarrassment stoked in Rhys' mind and he carefully pulled away. Mehira gave a small nod, glancing away. She picked up her discarded portion of armor, replacing it on her body. Just like that, it was all over. Much like his life, Rhys had to enjoy the brevity of the moment. He had already begun memorizing what little was shown to him. It dawned on him that she bore no wounds. None that he could notice, anyways. Heavenly armor was far more resilient than he had expected.

The pair focused back out at the window. "Thank you for the exchange," Mehira said, suddenly.

Rhys couldn't work up much of a response other than a nod. That taboo lingered in the back of his mind, making him wonder what the ramifications of such a touch could be. The angel showed no remorse nor had strained tone, but he couldn't help feeling as though he had broken some unspoken rule. If so, let the heavens open up and strike him down on the spot. Rhys did indeed watch the clouds part to reveal the sun, just that no smiting bolt came. Mehira probably had some sort of internal reaction to sin regardless that would certainly go off if he made such an error.

"Your body has trudged through plenty. Take this moment to rest," Mehira said, patting the bed.

"I feel as though I should help keep watch at least."

"Then you may do so at a supine angle." She patted again.

"I suppose that's fair." He quietly apologized to whoever previously owned the bed and lay down. Rhys quickly realized this wasn't a thing made of cotton or spring, rather some strange foam he had never experienced. He looked up at Mehira, who had turned to look down at him. The thoughts in his head still ran around and around imagining her. "If I do fall asleep, I ask that you don't complain about my snoring."

"Do not worry. I find your nighttime vocalizing to be a cute factor."

"And how would you know?"

Mehira lagged on her answer then said, "Angels know more than you may perceive." She nodded.

Something told Rhys that wasn't exactly right. He wasn't going to argue in any case. Certainly no arguments as the bed gripped him, pulling his eyelids closed. For just the briefest moment, Rhys thought he saw a spark flicker in Mehira's helmet. Trick of the eye, perhaps.

"Good night," she said.

_

Rhys awoke slowly, finding it hard to even move. He was well rested and far too relaxed. His groggy mind managed to cobble enough thoughts to want one of these beds back home before snapping to realization. Right, center. A spark of fear woke him up, allowing him to sit upright. Mehira was nearby and had been staring out into the city, which was now bathed in a blue. He must've been out for quite some time. Damn the seductive beds of this den of sin.

"Sleep well?" Mehira asked. She moved over to his side and helped him sit upright.

"As odd as it may seem, probably the best sleep I've had in a long time." He patted the mattress. "I almost wish I could bring it back with me."

"Let us leave this tomb undisturbed. Sleep aside."

"Of course, but I will miss it."

Mehira helped him again, up and out of bed. As she did, Rhys looked to her arm, noticing the bent plate had been put back in its place. One less thing to worry about.

"I don't suppose you've found the reason for being here?" he asked.

"I'm afraid no such thing has been revealed to me."

As much as Rhys wanted Mehira to succeed, he was beginning to feel a shot of happiness every time this trip was prolonged. The weight of being the first human to live through a trip through the center was an impressive sensation. Of course, by Mehira's side. Though at the same time he was a dead weight that only slowed her. She may have found enjoyment in protecting humans, certainly. What happens when those humans get in her way? Rhys resolved to do something in return. Anything.

Rhys and Mehira walked back out into the empty halls. The demon was gone, whether by Mehira's hand or not, Rhys wasn't sure. She certainly paid that fact no mind, so it must not have been of any consequence. The lack of a blood trail gave him some comfort that it likely didn't pick itself up and hobble away. His eyes were then drawn to its previous abode before it slipped out of sight. Door closed. That was for the best.

"I assume your feelings on the sensation of flight have been unmoved?" Mehira asked as they stepped into the stairwell. The endless grey steps stretched downward.

"I suppose one more time wouldn't hurt," Rhys replied.

The angel nodded and carefully scooped him up. The descent was far more comforting, like a feather gently falling to the ground. Solid floor was still the preferable option. Rhys gave the ground a tap and glanced back at the strip club entrance, then snapped to another door before receiving any stern words. Mehira opened up the other door, out into the open world.

"Fresh air is always a blessing," the angel said. She stepped outside, with Rhys close behind. The rain was replaced by a gentle breeze. It had a hollow ring as it flew past the empty monoliths in the center. For a moment it almost felt as though the center itself was alive yet again, singing in awakening. Without a people to sing to, it was somewhat sad. "What direction do you suppose the heavens urge us to follow?"

"I figure you would know such a thing best." Entirely assumption on his part. Rhys always figured the protectors must have some direct connection to heaven itself. Though if that were true she wouldn't need to be confronted by Prosa like that. The man briefly wondered where that hulk of an angel was and what he was doing. Nothing particularly cheerful, he imagined.

"Were that so easy. As if riddles and scattered words were not enough, the heavens have appointed messengers."

"So you have to wait on someone else, essentially."

"Wait and decipher. The mystery of the Lord has ingrained itself deeply even in the most basic of goings-on." She touched a finger to her chin. "Those were harsh words to be buried."

Rhys chuckled. "I certainly won't tell a soul." Despite the last gasps of this world, it appeared bureaucracy was alive and well in the holy realm. "How about we go down..." Rhys looked at the options on display. Large roads with scattered metal containers made up the majority of the space. As he scanned the roads, a dab of green caught his eye. There in the far, far distance was something that looked like a forest, or perhaps just a nice slice of land that appeared to have some life on it. "How about that over there?"

"Then 'that over there' shall be our target." The casual clashed so harshly with her wording. She began walking forward.

"Hearing you say that is oddly amusing," Rhys replied as he walked alongside her.

"You enjoy how I pluck your words so easily and graciously?"

"Something like that. The protectors have a very colorful way of speaking."

"Our base tongue from above is somewhat of a rainbow in comparison to the words of the Earth."

"I can only imagine then how dull we seem talking like this."

"Simplicity may lead to clarity. Consider the riddles of above and the weaved meaning within every syllable." She shook her head. "It tires my very core to parse a conversation with the higher echelons of the heavenly abode. I find it fortunate that the cherubim have sealed their lips."

"I would certainly be interested in hearing what they have to say. Answering directly to God can't be an easy task." Or slaughtering the sins of the Earth with absurd speed. "They probably get lonely as well."

"Perhaps they find us funny creatures, prancing about to amuse their hearts when they are weary."

"Just like us humans with the rest of the protectors."

Mehira laughed. "In some way that speaks true."

While souls were no laughing matter, humans in the long run were probably a very fantastical play for the heavens to enjoy. Even now, Rhys figured, they managed to march on through hell on Earth. That might have been why Mehira chose to indulge him, wanting to see how he reacted and spoke about all sorts of things. Like a book on the road, but it talked back. His thoughts returned to that little house in the sky and their grace of hands. Perhaps it could be more. Rhys was no equal by any measure, but they both had souls, right? In some way that made them compatible too, if the holy light would allow it.

The traveling couple moved on. The trees in the distance were like beacons, drawing Rhys ever closer to them.

"I have scarcely seen you so motivated to move, protected," Mehira said as they walked. "Greenery uplifts your soul?"

"I suppose I'm merely looking for something familiar," Rhys replied. "The village is hardly so constricting."

"Indeed. Despite its lesser construction, your home is far less a cage."

"Not to say I don't like the trip." Aside from being threatened by the mumbling dead. "Just that I feel as though the buildings might fall down on me."

"Your fears are unfounded. Trust the solid metal of the past." She held up a hand, presenting the solid monolith they walked past. "The sinned have not made these titans crumble."

"I guess they've stayed up this long." Still, looking up made him just the slightest bit dizzy. Would be nice to be reminded there was some life in this bleak place.

"And indeed, if the very sky were to fall, I would be along to swipe you from death's clutches." Mehira seemed quite proud of that statement. Just after she said that, she pulled him closely to her side. Rhys enjoyed the moment, but was quite baffled at the sudden outburst.

"Something wrong, Mehira?" he asked, face half-buried against an armored hide.

Mehira was silent for a while, staring at the ground firmly. "I had felt it in my fiber. The very earth itself shifted." Rhys felt the urge to clamber onto her in response, but kept his cool. "Keep on your guard."

They walked for a while more. Nothing had stirred. Not even the slightest bit of rumbling. "I suppose I was crude in my judgment. My apologies, Rhys," Mehira said.

"No need to apologize. I'm sure you felt something." Though that something worried him.

"The angelic is scarcely so incorrect."

"It's not like you're perfect beings. You have flaws, same as we." He pointed to himself. Him most of all, especially out of his little village. "I can't expect you to be perfect all the time." In fact, he didn't want her to. The little falterings made him enjoy her presence all the more. It brought the angelic to his level.

"Perhaps not. Yet, I feel the urge to do so." She put a hand to her chest. "Embarrassment swells within me. I would say it is though as I should impress."

"I should be impressing you." For many reasons. Some not so reasonable. "After all, I am the chosen protected. Relax-- Well, not relax, but you do know what I mean."

Mehira chuckled. "I understand the sentiment that echoes through your words. Indulge in the commonality of our souls."

"Exactly. We are both alike in that, and in many other ways."

"Rhys. I have a question for you. Do not feel compelled to answer."

Rhys immediately focused on her. "Of course I will answer."

Mehira slowed in her walk. "This may be a sinful thought, to elevate myself in such a manner." She cleared her throat. "Not that I wish to be, as I know I could not."

"Mehira, you are with a friend. There is no need to skirt around the question."

"Do you believe I could assimilate as a human?"