The Azra-El Series Ch. 11

"What about white-hot flames? Shows a burning passion and goes well with your name," Aahna immediately proffered, her eyes focusing on his hair.

"umm. Wouldn't that be too common? I'd like something unique," he answered musingly, trying to think of cool designs from earth. None of the ones that popped into his head seemed apropos among the angels.

"Nothing's wrong with common. It's more relatable. We -"

"What about a glowing righteous fury riding a Pegasus," Rachel interjected.

"Sounds cool but I am not much of a Pegasi person. What about me riding a Quetzal, surrounded by bright orange fire?"

"The quetzal might send the wrong message," Aahna contemplated.

"What if it has fluorescent blue feathers and wings? Kinda like an angel Pegasus?" Blaze responded with Sky in his mind.

"Oh. That might work. A promise to bring the Quetzals to our side! It carries hope in the form of the quetzal and power in the form of our Big Bro," Aahna snapped her fingers. Rachel nodded sagely from the other side.

"Well, it all sounds very good, but I don't think we will be able to tell what sort of an impression it will give until it is drawn," Blaze said after a moment.

"Oh, Bi can draw. She is pretty good"

"Oh?" "Really," Blaze and Rachel responded in surprise.

"Oi, Bi! Come over for a bit. Bring your colors," Aahna shouted at her friend, who was currently chatting with Kida.

Soon they had a couple of sketches of an angel flying a pale blue Quetzal and surrounded by an orange sphere of raging fire. They didn't finalize on anything, but it was a good start and a lot of fun for the angels.

Blaze saw Priscilla when he went to meet with Siofra at tea that evening. Her head and jaw were wrapped in bandages and she seemed to be sipping on something through a straw.

Feeling the guilt return, he immediately walked up to her, making her entourage tense up at his approach.

"I apologize for hurting you so badly. I let my emotions get the better of me. I should've pulled my punch," Blaze proclaimed sincerely, with a slight bow.

Priscilla was taken aback for a moment, but she soon grit her teeth, making her jaw crack.

"I also wanted you to pass a message to the Malakim," he continued. He had intended to drop the letter off at the Malakim society of Tir, but seeing Priscilla made him change his mind. Giving it to her would display his willingness for reconciliation.

"I do not plan on joining any society until I graduate. I made a promise to my mother. I've written a personal letter to the cardinal, explaining it. I hope you can make sure it will reach her," he finished, leaving no room for denial. The girl couldn't really ditch the letter and risk the ire of the cardinal.

Priscilla exhaled deeply through her nose. "This is not over," she threatened through her teeth.

"It is, as far as I am concerned. I have nothing against you and you are free to pick a fight against me anytime. But, if you dare to go for my friends in retaliation, I promise you won't like it," he said unequivocally, and without giving her a chance to respond, he went back to Siofra.

**

Blaze once again brought over Siofra to his dorm that evening. Their combat teacher Yulia was still going through with the other students, so the class had become a routine of boring exercises for the two of them.

"Do we have someone good with their hands? I need a couple of makeshift Pegasi figures. One made of crunchy edible food like carrots, one of softer food, and one made from wood. The wood one should be able to burn," he called out from his central spot in the living room.

"I could try..." Kida stepped up when no one else volunteered. "I used to make wooden toys for fun. The other ones shouldn't be difficult as long as you don't need them to look perfect"

Kida was a short girl with long and sleek black hair. She had a small slim face with a high bridged nose and sparkling brown eyes. Though she was a quiet girl like Bi, she wasn't as reserved and stepped up whenever she thought she was needed.

"Awesome. Can we make them now? I will help you in any way I can," Blaze asked her, hurriedly.

"I guess ..." Kida replied unsurely, glancing at where she had been sitting.

"I will help you finish your homework after you're done," Blaze offered noticing her glance at the pile of books and parchment at her seat.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Let's go get some materials," he said, leading her towards the kitchen. "Will be back in a bit, Siof!" he called out to Siofra, but she was too immersed in a conversation with Aahna and Bi to pay him much attention. Rachel was doing her homework, not far from them but apart.

"umm. Why do you need these figurines?" Kida asked him shyly as they sifted through the kitchen's supply of vegetables. Blaze convinced the cook that he needed them for an assignment and technically it was one.

"To tame a ratty Pegasus," he responded with a rascally smile.

"Huh?" Kida replied confounded. "How would toys help in taming a Pegasus?"

"I will let you know if it works," he obviated.

Kida nodded, feeling very uncertain about his expression.

They decided on a gourd for the veggie Pegasus and swiped some dough from the pantry on their way out. Kida procured a small ten-inch block of wood from her space ring to be used for the wooden Pegasus.

The duo went back to the living room and started working on the figurines.

Blaze worked on scraping the skin off the gourd as he observed Kida use her carving knife on the block. She first cut off two thin vertical slices from the sides, before she started the shaping process. Her fingers were quite dexterous as she scraped pieces with precision and ease.

Soon, the block of wood molded into the shape of a horse. The industrious girl shaped the vertical slices into wings and inserted them into the deep grooves she had etched on the horse's back. The wings fit in snugly, converting the horse into a majestic Pegasus.

Blaze admired her work and began to feel a little bad about the plans he had for the figurine.

"Does this look good enough?" she asked him, as she added some finishing touches. She even added a mane by shearing off wood and bending the fiber to look like hair.

"It looks perfect!" he beamed at her.

"Thanks. Can you go find me some soft tinder?" she asked absent mindedly as she took the gourd and started evaluating it.

Blaze nodded and hurried off to the nearby woods.

As he picked up soft and dry spruce needles for tinder, he had the bright idea of making a torch. The plan he had in mind could be more effective with it.

So, he extended his search for a sturdy branch, some kindling and a lot more tinder. The makeshift torch he planned on making was only for an added effect and it did not need to burn for more than a few minutes.

When he returned to the dorm, he found Kida working on the mound of dough. A pale-yellow Pegasus made of gourd was standing beside the cream colored wooden one. The speed at which she worked amazed him. He hadn't been gone for more than twenty minutes.

Kida eyed him doubtfully as he brought out the materials he had gathered, but chose not to question him. She continued molding the dough into a horse-like creature. The malleable material didn't have the same feel as the stiff but soft wood she was used to.

Meanwhile, Blaze borrowed Kida's knife and split the top of the branch into four. He shoved some kindling between them and added a pile of tinder in the remaining space. Procuring some thread from another student, he wrapped it around the splits of the branch to hold everything together.

"Tell me if whatever you plan on doing works. I may need it when I get my own Pegasus," Kida told him as he swung the torch around, testing its stability.

She worked on the dough for a little longer before she gave in to imperfection. It looked like a blob when compared to the other two, but its form was close enough to be considered a Pegasus.

She placed it next to the gourd figure and once again picked the wooden one. Taking a bunch of dried spruce needles, she knotted them into a stringy tail before inserting it in a hole she left in the wooden Pegasus's behind. She compared the figure with the dough and seemed a little unhappy about the latter.

"It's good enough, Kida. I was looking for something like that in the first place" Blaze reassured her.

He quickly put the figures in his space ring to take her mind off them. "Ready for homework?"

The sky was still dark when he sneakily jumped off his window and flew towards the stable. Being the only one in his dorm to be able to fly had its perks; no one kept an eye out for angels trying to escape through their windows at night. The rustle of his wings was loud, but he was off before anyone could even think of it as more than a dream.

He sneaked in through the open window of the stable and turned on the lamp lights that hung from the walls. The lamp lights were a type of sconce with a tiny energy stone embedded inside them. They lit up whenever someone flicked the switch at their base.

The Pegasi woke up at his presence but they considered him nothing more than an annoyance. Most gave him a disgruntled neigh before turning around in their stalls. A silly young angel would not keep them from their precious sleep.

Badava recognized him but reacted the same as the others. Her nonchalance irritated and made him even more resolute over what he was planning to do.

He prodded the Pegasus' rump with the butt of his torch until it finally turned towards him. She snapped her teeth in dissatisfaction and snorted at him, but Blaze paid little attention to her displeasure.

He put his stool a few feet away in front of her stall and placed the dough figurine on top. The Pegasus eyed him curiously as he brought out his flyball bat.

Swinging it around a few times, he silently pointed the bat at the Pegasus and traced it towards the figure. He repeated the motion a few times to get the message across before suddenly bashing his club on the figure.

Crack. The dough which had hardened over the night crumbled into pieces.

The Pegasus stepped back in alarm over the sudden display of violence. The dimness of the light inside the stable made it even more scary for the flying horse.

Blaze gave the creature a few moments to register his actions before bringing out the gourd figure. He held it at arm's length and slowly walked over to the stall, letting the Pegasus take in the doll's features. The resemblance to a Pegasus was unmistakable even to its animal brain.

After letting the animal observe the figure for a bit, Blaze slowly brought it over to his mouth. He licked his lips before opening them wide and biting off the head in one quick snap of his teeth.

Badava reared her head in fear and stomped her feet as Blaze slowly and loudly munched on the piece of gourd and swallowed it in an exaggerated gulp. Though the raw gourd was bland and left a bad taste in his mouth, he finished off the entire figure, making sure that the Pegasus watched him viciously tear off its wings and limbs with his teeth.

"Mmm. Tasty!" he spoke out for the first time, rubbing his belly. The Pegasus was now all the way at the back of the stall. She didn't want to have anything to do with this evil angel.

Though the Pegasus' reaction caused doubts about his method to spring in his mind, he decided it was probably too late to back off. He grinned at the Pegasus and brought out his trump card.

He cleared out a small circle with his feet, pushing aside stray hay and grain; he didn't need to burn down the stable. Placing the wooden figure on the circle, he pulled out his torch and lit it using matches. Badava stomped and hustled on her feet, trying to get away somewhere or anywhere. Though she was smarter than most Earth animals, fire sprouted an instinctual fear in her animal brain.

Blaze slowly lowered his torch to the figurine.

By then, the Pegasus was quite aware of what the figures depicted. Unable to take her eyes off him, she watched as he took the torch to the tail and lit it. The tinder was immediately set ablaze.

As the tail burned, he set the torch against the figure and let it slowly catch on fire, the tinder helping in kindling it.

Staring into the fire he suddenly had an urge to cackle. He had been feeling like a voodoo shaman throughout the entire process and decided to embrace it.

"Burn Burn Burn," he cackled and broke out in to a shrill witch like laughter. A few of the other Pegasi had started paying attention to him at some point and they all neighed in fear, causing the entire stable to wake up. Badava was utterly frightened.

He slowly walked towards the stall and the Pegasus reared its feet in fear, trying to ward him off with her hooves. Blaze gave her an evil grin before turning back and picking up the torch.

The fire had spread over the entire figure and it began to burn with fury. He took the torch and walked back to the stall. The flickering light of the torch against his face enhanced his malevolent smile and made him even more terrifying.

Badava reared up again but he stood his ground and waited for her to calm down. The whole stable was awake with noise and Blaze could only hope that the nearest angel was too far away to hear the ruckus.

It took a while for the horse to settle down but settle down it did, as Blaze refused to go away. He pointed a finger at his torch and then at her. The Pegasus frantically shook her head, as if she was saying no. He would never actually hurt the Pegasus, but the poor animal could not know that.

Blaze set the torch aside, opened the stall door and stepped inside. It was the moment of reckoning. If he things didn't go well now, the Pegasus would never listen to him. A frightened animal was harder to control than a cranky one.

He carefully stepped towards her and she once again reared up her legs. Blaze stepped back and made a movement towards the torch. Badava immediately set her feet down and stood still.

"Good horsey!" he exclaimed, bringing out a carrot. He stretched his arm and brought the carrot to its mouth. The Pegasus did not make any movement and Blaze glared into its eyes. It gave in under the pressure and gingerly took the carrot with its teeth, making sure not to touch Blaze's fingers.

"Eat!" he commanded it hoarsely, making chewing motions with his mouth. He was teaching it discipline.

The Pegasus obeyed. It chewed the carrot and swallowed it without complaint.

"Good boy!" he praised her and pulled out a juicy apple. This time, he shortened the distance between them. The poor herbivore was too frightened to misbehave.

He placed a comforting hand on her cheek and gave her the apple. She ate it without as much as a snort or a twitch of a muscle.

Reward and punishment. Psychology works wonders.

"Good horsey horse," Blaze cooed as he rubbed the nervous Pegasus' cheek and mane.

After a minute, he took her reins and walked her out of the stall. He cleared out the mess he made as much as possible. There was some char left on the ground, which he tried to cover up with dirt. The Pegasus stood in obedience the whole time and Blaze finally felt comfortable enough to climb her without Claudis' presence.

Badava wasn't saddled but he jumped on her anyway. Real men didn't need saddles.

For the next half hour or so, Blaze walked, trotted and pranced the Pegasus around the stable. Riding an obedient horse was a walk in the park when compared to riding an irritable one.

By the time Claudis arrived, however, Blaze realized something very important. Real men did need saddles.

"Whoa!" Claudis yelped when she opened the stable doors and found Blaze grinning at her from the back of an uncharacteristically docile Badava. "Geez, Blaze. You scared me. What are you doing here so early? How did you even get in?"

"Through the window. Thought I'd try taming her before I left for home," he replied, pointing at his entry way.

"You tamed her?" she asked him in astonishment, finally noticing who the Pegasus was.

Seeing Claudis, gave the Pegasus some confidence and she started acting up a little. She shuffled her feet in contemplation of bucking off the offensive rider on her back.

"Yep" he replied, sitting back up with a confident smile.

The former pegasi knight initially stared at him in disbelief but her eyes suddenly narrowed. She briskly walked up to Badava and placed a palm against her cheek. The Pegasus trembled and gave her a miserable whinny.

"Get off," Claudis spoke in a hoarse whisper, startling the jubilant Blaze. His body stiffened. Uh oh

"Get off, NOW!" her voice gained intensity, making her anger evident.

Blaze scurried off the Pegasus, who immediately scampered away from him, trying to hide behind Claudis.

"WHAT did you do?" she glared at him.

"I..." he stuttered; "I scared her into obeying me," he managed to answer, beginning to realize that he had messed up.

Claudis' rage calmed a little as she saw his distressed face. She wordlessly led the Pegasus away to her stall, leaving Blaze to fester in his anxiety. She comforted the Pegasus while trying to calm her own anger.

When she returned a few minutes later, she found Blaze dolefully squirming on his feet. She had half expected to find him gone, but his presence and searching gaze eased her mind. It meant that she could still appeal to his better side.

She sighed. "I won't explain why your actions are morally wrong. If you can't figure it out yourself, then your righteous fury would've been meaningless. But I will ask you this, what do you think is the point of forming a bond with your Pegasus?" she said softly, not even bothering to ask what he had exactly done to the Pegasus.

The disappointment he heard in her voice only intensified the guilt he felt, and he failed to think of a proper answer.

She gave him a few moments before answering her own question, "If all you needed from a Pegasus was to obediently give you a ride, then scaring her into submission may work. Beating her into submission may work even better," she said, watching him cringe at the last sentence.

"However, a bond means and gives you much more. It's not just the joy of receiving a Pegasus' love and dedication. It's the connection you feel both while casually soaring in the sky or while charging into the midst of chaotic battlefield. A bonded Pegasus will never leave your side, sometimes even after your death.

"Tell me, why would an animal that is terrified of you stick around when it no longer feels that you're in control? It'll flee at the slightest indication of danger. I know that your goal of learning to ride a Pegasus is to achieve your dream of flying a Quetzal, but if all you crave for is the glory of riding the creature then I no longer want to teach you," she finished. Her voice didn't carry the usual sternness that she used while teaching.

"I am sorry!" he replied woefully. Her words hit him like a waterfall and he suddenly felt like he had betrayed her trust.

"You're no longer allowed to ride Badava or any other Pegasus, until I deem fit. If you still want to learn, you will first have to make Badava approach you on her own and without fear. Go back and consider your actions

The next morning brought with it a caravan of Pegasi carriages. The din of their approach woke Blaze and other students of dorm 1A who hadn't already risen that Loredas (Saturday) morning. When he peeked out his window, he saw rows of carriages whoosh past their dorm and land in the fields beyond the dorm's territory.

He had spent the previous night pondering over the incident with the Pegasus. When he carefully considered his actions, he realized how wrong they were, and it made him feel terrible. His new-found powers and the ability to display righteous fury had gotten to his head and put him in a high that made him think he was infallible. Though it was no excuse, it was the only thing he could tell himself to lessen the guilt. It also resurged his insecurities about not being an angel.