The Azra-El Series Ch. 15

"However, we relinquish this claim to Blaze Er Lokra. The valor she has displayed thus far has convinced us that she is the right candidate to become the first Quetzal rider amongst us," she said looking straight at the cardinal of the Malakim.

The cardinal wore a simple white cassock and cape that somehow contrasted with her beautiful angular features and the malicious glint in her deep set, piercing blue eyes.

"Now, now, Sturm," she said with a ridiculing smile. "We all know that the first angelic quetzal is not meant to be used in battle. The claim of your society is moot. No angel in their right minds will take the bird onto the battlesky. What use is valor for its rider?" she lilted cheerily, before turning to Blaze. "Sky! It's a wonderful name, Ms. Lokra. If anything, you will retain the honor of naming the first angelic quetzal."

"I shall retain a lot more, cardinal. Sky is mine," Blaze glared at her, resisting the urge to slap her and wipe the smile off her face.

The smile on the cardinal's face turned dangerous. Hidden in the light dip of the corners of her red lips was a promise for retribution.

But before things could escalate, princess Ying Yue started to speak. "As a sovereign member of the Heavenly Union, the Xian have no claim over the quetzal. Thus, I am here to moderate this meeting, along with the representative of the Seraphim. I sincerely hope that we can leave here tonight with a decision that leaves us all of us satisfied," she said, turning to the angel on her left.

The angel representing the Seraphim towered over the other angels and had great weaving locks of auburn hair spread over her wide shoulders. She didn't have the air of deceit Blaze felt from Amanah, but there was something stiff about her. "I am Vega Scotia of the Seraphim. We have chosen to play the role of a moderator in this meeting. As a judge, we forego our claim of the quetzal," she proclaimed.

Ying Yue dipped her head politely toward Vega in acknowledgement. "Blaze, I understand your enthusiasm, but you must know the stakes surrounding the ownership of Sky," she said before turning to the Cardinal. "Cardinal, what are the Malakim's opinions on this issue? I presume you represent both the Malakim and the Holy Caledonian empire?" she asked.

"Our proposal is simple," the cardinal began. "We want the Quetzal. Nikolett Lovag shall be its rider. She is far more suited to be a Quetzal knight than either Elyssa Marigold or Ms. Lokra. The Holy Caledonian Empire and the Malakim also have better resources to train the pair and raise a new generation of angelic quetzals.

"Now, we understand Ms. Lokra is attached to the bird. Thusly, we offer her domicile in the empire along with her family, and a special admission for Ms. Lokra to the Pontifical Academy of Quinas. We will also provide a relevant monetary compensation for being the one to find the quetzal."

"Essentially, you want to get your grubby little hands on both the quetzal and the Fury," General Sturm scoffed.

"We only want what's best for the Heavenly Union. I suppose it is hard for someone like you to understand that."

"Let's not mix up what's best for the Malakim and what's best for the Union."

"Angels, let's try to be civil during the proceedings. Please present your arguments without personal attacks," Princess Ying Yue interjected.

General Sturm harrumphed and glared at the cardinal, making Blaze become an instant fan of hers. It seemed like there was some history between the two.

"Cardinal Tudor," Fiora spoke for the first time during the meeting. "What resources can the Caledonian Empire provide for a single quetzal that Aranya can't? Moreover, unless you have a demon working for you, I doubt your trainers know anything more about training a quetzal than our Claudis here."

"You mean this cripple?" Cardinal Tudor said waving a hand at Claudis, who flinched at the word. "I mean no offense," she added.

"She lost her wings while fighting a real quetzal. Can your trainers even claim to have been near one?" General Sturm growled at the cardinal.

"Not to mention that within a span of a few days, she was able to make the quetzal act tame around her," Fiora added.

"I am sorry, but the quetzal seems quite tame by itself," Cardinal Tudor countered. "I also don't see how being defeated by a quetzal makes you better. Your judgement is clouded by emotion," she continued coldly.

Blaze wished he could set the bird on the cardinal. He dearly wanted to see her pretty blonde hair and the persona of perfection get all disheveled while flailing around to fend off an angry Sky.

"I agree," Ying Yue spoke out before a war of words could break out. "But I do not think the Malakim have access to better trainers either. Training a quetzal is new territory for all of us. Min Tudor, can you tell me why you think the Caledonian Empire can provide better resources? Aranya isn't that poor."

"To answer that we need to look at the larger picture," replied the cardinal. "The angels are in desperate need of a Quetzal corps. The Caledonian Empire is better suited for such an endeavor."

"Unless you have the means to speed up the procreation rate of quetzals, that idea is at least a lifetime away, Min Tudor. I am sure that all of us here are aware that the bird is nothing but a symbol of hope in the short term," Ying Yue said, catching everyone's gaze.

The cardinal did not look happy, but remained quiet and waited for the princess of Xian to continue. "That brings us to the most important question. Who is the best candidate to become Sky's rider? Ms. Nikolett is definitely a very talented young knight, but if Sky is never going to be sent into the battle, why do we care about who can be the best knight?

"Someone who is both an exemplar of virtue and also possesses great individual strength maybe more appropriate. Ms. Blaze seems to fit both categories, and the bird is attached to her. I don't see any reason to split them," Ying Yue finished.

Her words took Blaze by surprise. He had not imagined her to take his side. Maybe I had the wrong impression of her.

"I disagree, princess," Amanah stated flatly. "The bird is young, and her bond can be replaced. I believe Nikolett fits your categories better than young Blaze."

"Pah!" Lynn puffed out. "Blaze is a Righteous Fury, and I believe she has more potential than your little horse rider. And if you are looking at current strength, Elyssa is stronger," General Lynn jeered at the cardinal.

"I've personally never seen the importance of a Righteous Fury," the cardinal said, shaking her head and her long blonde hair flowed along. "Even a misguided angel can display it under the right conditions. It is no proof of an angel's virtue. Nikolett is the most virtuous angel I have met in my life, and no one who has met her can disagree.

"Little Blaze has courage, but she is impulsive, as witnessed at the Regnbage festival and her hastiness to announce the quetzal to the world. Moreover, she has yet to prove her strength. Defeating a single Houri is not a feat worthy of the future Quetzal rider."

"Everyone here must have heard about Nikolett's victory over the Seraphim's chosen," Vega of the Seraphim began. "But most of you are not aware that the Prima Justiciar had witnessed the duel and spoken with the young Malakim. The Prima has asked me to attest for Nikolett's strength and virtuosity," she said grandly.

Blaze finally lost his patience. He finally had enough of being treated as nonexistent and the angels treating Sky as an object to be exchanged. "I am sure no Malakim is neither stronger nor more virtuous than I," he declared fiercely. The conversation thus far indicated that Nikolett was not much older than him and he was itching to give the Malakim a proper thrashing.

"So, why don't you prove that in the coming under-sixty tournament? Defeat Nikolett and the Malakim will never again lay a claim on the quetzal. If you lose, you will no longer have anything to do with the bird," Amanah said, baring her teeth in a predatory smile.

"Cardinal! Blaze is only twenty! It is not an even fight by any standard," Fiora shouted in dismay. One look at her face convinced Blaze that he had been impulsive.

"They are both under sixty," Amanah said dryly.

"Ms. Blaze certainly needs to prove her strength..." Ying Yue droned contemplatively.

"But pitting her against someone almost thrice her age, and equally talented is not fair by any means! Winning against Nikolett is equivalent to winning the USMAT," Fiora protested. USMAT was the abbreviation coined for the Under Sixty Martial Arts Tournament.

"That is a valid point..." said Ying Yue.

"Then let's see if Ms. Lokra can place in the top three in the USMAT. I don't believe that is asking for much, considering we cannot delay this matter until Ms. Lokra is old enough for a fair match," Amanah said.

"I think that is acceptable. Elyssa Marigold and Nikolett have defeated angels who are much older than them. Ms. Blaze must show that she is a step above to let us take a risk on her. Let's put it to vote. Headmistress Fiora can have two votes to represent Aranya and the Ophanim. Those in favor of the cardinal's idea, please raise their hands," Vega declared.

Five hands went up against Blaze's favor. As moderators, Ying Yue and Vega did not participate, but it didn't matter. Even if they voted, he was sure the Seraphim would vote against him. He could only look around for someone to call out on the farce, but even Sturm seemed to have given up.

"I guess that decides the result of this meeting. Let's take a break, and we can come back to discuss other issues, including where the quetzal shall be housed until the tournament. Ms. Blaze, you're free to go back to your classes," Ying Yue sighed, getting up. The rest of the angels followed suit.

Blaze walked out in a daze to find Elyssa and Alice anxiously waiting in the hallway.

"Is this bad, headmistress?" he asked Fiora, as they gathered out of earshot of other angels. Sky lay silent in his arms.

"If luck is on your side and you don't meet Nikolett before the final, you have a good chance," Fiora replied grimly.

"Wait, Blaze has to fight Nikolett to keep Sky?" Elyssa exclaimed, guessing the result of the meeting.

"Not exactly, but I am sure the Malakim will try their best to make sure it happens," Lynn replied.

"Is she really that strong?" Blaze wondered out loud.

"Yes. Though she has never fought against Elyssa, it is assumed that she is only a little weaker than her. The only reason she won't be competing against Elyssa in the main tournament is because she is under sixty and the Malakim want to use her against you," Fiora explained.

Blaze immediately understood the severity of the situation. He was nowhere close to being as strong as Elyssa. "I messed up, didn't I?" he said, looking away from the angels.

"Yes. You were once again hasty with your words and actions," Fiora told him bluntly. "But, don't give yourself all the credit. The result of the meeting seems to have been decided even before any of us stepped into that room. Your words only sped up the process. I am just surprised that the Malakim were able to obtain the support of the Seraphim. I wonder what they received in return."

"Don't overly fault yourself, young Blaze," Lynn told him with a pat on his shoulder. Though the general wasn't the tallest of angels, Blaze felt diminutive beside her stature. "In the least, your little advertisement in the paper made the delegates allow you a winning chance. From what I've heard about you, I am confident that you will pull through," she said in encouragement.

They spoke for a little while before Blaze handed Sky to Claudis and headed back to his class.

oOo

Through the rest of his classes that day, Blaze simmered in the anger at being manipulated by the cardinal, and the betrayal he felt over his opinion of the angels. He had been wiser when he first arrived on Azra-El, but the kindness he had experienced from Jie Er and most of the angels he had met had blinded him. The powerful are greedy and unscrupulous in any society.

So, when Alice came and informed him about the decision regarding Sky's stay at Tir, just as he headed to his combat training class, he blew a fuse. She told him that the delegates had decided that Sky could stay at Tir until the tournament, but his interaction with the quetzal was to be slowly limited, owing to the scenario that they may ultimately be separated.

Blaze waited until Alice was out of sight, and without saying another word to Siofra, standing beside him, he manifested his wings and flew towards Class 4A's training grounds.

The class had yet to begin, but he found his target speaking merrily with her minions. Her carefree attitude angered him even more. The image of her hurling a spear at Sky also helped in stoking his rage.

He landed in front of her, with a heavy thud; his wings iridescent under the hardening from energy manipulation. He was brimming with riled up energy.

"You!" he said pointing a finger at the surprised former Houri. "I challenge you to one on one combat!" he declared loudly and for everyone to hear.

"Ms. Blaze!" he heard a voice cry. A native Aranyan teacher with dark hair and tan skin rushed towards him. "I understand you must be angry, but this is not appropriate. Please go back to your class. If you wish to challenge Priscilla, you must submit a request and give her a few days to prepare," she told him angrily.

He didn't pay her any attention and simply glared at Priscilla.

"I accept," Priscilla spoke expressionlessly.

"Priscilla. This is not-"

"It's alright Min Achila. I've always wondered if I would've lost that match if I had been prepared. I am prepared now. A couple of days won't make any difference. Allow me to show the Righteous Fury her true place," she said sullenly, before manifesting her brilliant white wings and shooting off towards the nearby arena.

Blaze took off after her with half a smile on his face. Deep down, he understood the misguided anger in his actions, but he was too mad to care.

"I shall stop the match and suspend either one of you if you go too far!" Achila shouted towards them.

The two angels didn't bother to acknowledge her as they faced one another in the air. Priscilla slowly pulled out her golden shield and short sword.

"Are you going to use that stupid bat again?" she asked him seriously. Her face contained none of the contempt she had shown him during their first match. Only resolve.

Blaze pondered for a moment, before pulling out his glaive. He was still better with his viridian bat, but the glaive was a more suitable weapon for a knight. He wanted to prove that he could be as good a knight as anyone.

"Now that's a proper weapon for an angel. COME!" Priscilla said, rapping her sword against the shield.

Blaze rushed towards her and swung his glaive.

BANG, the weapon and shield reverberated against each other and the force of collision forced them apart.

Priscilla hovered in midair and smirked at Blaze. The previous time, the power of his charging attack had sent her hurtling towards the ground, but now she was prepared. She tried to sneer at him, but he came at her without a pause.

He thrust his spear towards her midriff - straight and strong, placing his entire weight and momentum into it.

Holding her shield firmly against the blow, Priscilla slightly tilted it down upon contact and used the force to gain elevation. She did not want to be grounded like the previous time. Angels were meant to fight in the air.

Blaze went after her, arcing his glaive up to cleave her in two – if his glaive wasn't blunted. Seemingly anticipating his move, Priscilla leaned back. The tip of the glaive swept across her body and between her breasts, missing her by a hair's breadth.

The class gasped, thinking that Blaze had cut her.

Before he could bring his glaive back down on her, she flapped her wings to halt and dove towards him, swinging her sword at his head.

CLANG, hardened feathers of Blaze's right wing crumpled against the sharpness of metal. Gravity and the force of the strike sent Blaze towards the ground.

He twisted around in midair and opened his wings to stop his fall. They strained against the wind to slow his descent and managed to steady him a few inches off the ground, picking up the dust in the arena.

Glancing up at Priscilla, Blaze found her coming down on him like an angel of judgement; her straight bronze hair rippling through the air. He landed on the ground and quickly switched his grip to hold the shaft between himself and the descending sword.

It struck with a crack as the glaive gave way under the heavy strike. Only a few strands of timber managed to hold on, giving him room to throw a spartan-like kick at Priscilla.

She weathered the vicious strike against her shield and landed a few feet away from him.

"I need a stronger weapon," he told her nonchalantly, twisting the wood in his hands and tearing it apart into two pieces. "This will do for now," he said, switching the blade of the glaive to his left, and the lower half of the shaft to his right. The wood couldn't face a sword, but it could still be used against the shield.

He flapped his wings and rose into the air, before coming to a stop at a height of about fifty feet. He beckoned her towards him, bring it on.

Priscilla didn't bother speaking and shot straight at him, holding her shield close to her chest and the sword over her head pointing towards him.

Robbed of his range advantage, anger filled his mind and all thoughts of caution and strategy fell away.

Priscilla was initially jubilant. The anger on his face was real and she knew it would make him weaker; also, his weapon was broken. Yet, after endless practice over the past few weeks, the air was now a comfortable place for Blaze.

The triumphant look on her face slowly dwindled with each strike he parried, deflecting them with the wooden stump or the sharp head of the glaive while twisting his body and wings to redirect the force. Heavy swings and collisions resounded through the arena. The wood in Blaze's right hand splintered against the metal, as they clashed time and time again.

Priscilla's technique matched against the fury of his blows and kicks. His hardened feathers weathered any sword strikes that went past his blade. There were no tricks or clever maneuvers; only instinct and viciousness behind his movements.

Students and two teachers watched in rapt attention as the two angels fought without stop – one fueled by rage and the other by pride.

The savagery of Blaze's strikes began to take their toll on Priscilla's arms. Her hands began to grow numb and her blows began to grow slower and weaker. However, Blaze's strikes remained as intense as they had been when they first began.

Priscilla's only consolation was the state of his wings. His feathers were twisted and crumpled from blocking her strikes and striking against her shield. If his wings were not made of energy, the whiteness in them would be marred by blood.

The piece of wood in Blaze's hand finally gave in against the force of his blow against her shield, disappearing into a shower of splinters. Yet as she gasped with exertion and blocked the strike, her shield arm was beaten to the side and away from her body.

She swung her sword at his head, but he intercepted it with the glaive. Their blades clashed loudly, and he closed in on her. Gripping her shoulder with his now free hand, he pulled her against his knee – jutting it into her gut.

Priscilla's body crumpled under the blow. Her wings gave in and she plummeted towards the ground, only managing to recover in the last moment. With a desperate beat of her wings, she landed heavily on her feet. Gritting her teeth, she snapped her head up to look at him with fierce determination.