The Azra-El Series Ch. 19

The Azra-El Series

The Heavenly Union

I would like to apologize for the long wait for this final. I hope it is worth the wait :). Also, I hope all of you are staying safe from the Hela Damned COVID-19. This is a little gift to all those stuck in their homes. May it help you not think about the things happening in the world, right now. Enjoy!

Editors: Chris "Magnum" Anow, "Ser" DrasticExplorer

Proofreader: PinkuLady- resident fruit and flavor expert.

Obligatory Warnings:

1. Check out the map of D'Warka in my artworks. It's not strictly necessary, but it is a neat map (I think, since I made it...).
2. I suggest that you guys play the remake of "Lose Yourself" by Robyn Adele Anderson, when the time is right :P.
3. 0% naked girls

   
   0% dirty language

   0% Sex

   30% Action

   20% Mystery

   20% Drama

   30% Story

   100% Awesome, no, 100% Reason to remember the name.

   Just kidding. The 0%s are a lie.

4. There are 3 sex scenes this chapter. The first and the second have been heavily influenced by DrasticExplorer. If you have no interest in the sex scenes, feel free to skip to the end of the scene once the scene truly begins, and read a few lines before the 'end of the scene' marker.
5. There is a quick recap for those who need it before the start of the chapter.

Special Thanks to all my readers: Ted Miller, Tom Ail, Pinku Lady, Awilix38, Michael Sanchez, Stuhero, Gregorious, Marcel Hearns, Fjiordor, Daniel, Mike Siegmund, BangDi, BramBora, David Valverde, Fips, Yamibomb, BLiz, Eliyahu Bogart, Max Lambon, RogueXVII, Matt Miller, Curtis, RandomTask, Tristan, Vibrant, Tllxman, Wootdiew00p, The Glimmering Warlock, Benno Lorenz, Michael Wall, John Weikel, Clay LaVal, Will Shaddox for supporting my work thus far.

Terminology

Angel: It's the generic word. Can indicate any sentient of the "'light"'.

Merangel: Mami Wata, Undine, and a variety of water nymphs.

Lore:

Seraphim and Justice: As justice is a necessity of all stable societies, the Seraphim are widely prevalent in all nations. However, the type of justice the Seraphim appear to support varies from each nation.

Angel Justice is derivative of philosophy and religion. However, there is no singular religious text that they base it on. It evolves with philosophy, but the philosophical zeitgeist is usually ahead of the norm.

Retributive Justice: All angel nations try to keep away from this form of justice. However, it doesn't prevent individuals from seeking out retribution.

Deterrence: Very popular in the Caledonian Empire, where it applies mostly to tainted angels.

Rehabilitation: How most crime is addressed.

Reparation: Most victims receive some form of reparation from the society or the perpetrator.

Incapacitation: Used to justify actions against the demons.

Denunciation: Considered by the angels as the most powerful tool to prevent crime by angels.

Divine Justice: Righteous Fury is seen as a form of divine justice.

Of course, all these broad varieties of justice are used in conjunction with each other, but they vary in importance across nations.

Character Descriptions (relevant to the chapter)

Minion Army

Aahna Maitreya: A cheerful, talkative and overly enthusiastic girl, who became the de facto class representative of Class 1A. She is a cute violet-haired angel with a round face and large pale blue eyes that contrast against her pale brown skin. She has loose shoulder length hair and is around 5'2.

Bi Tru'ng: A lanky, black-haired unassuming girl with almond shaped mahogany brown eyes. Her hair is long at the back with short even bangs covering her forehead. She usually tags along with Aahna. She is 5'6. She doesn't talk much, but her initial shyness has turned into a silent confidence over the year, at least around her classmates.

Rachel Arianrhod: She is a confident & combative kid with boyish-short pink hair. Her bangs are parted in the middle and swept behind her ears, with a thick lock of hair hanging to the side.

Her mother is a knight captain in the cloud nine regiment and, thus, she seems to know her way around Pegasi. She is as tall as Blaze. She initially didn't like pixies but has grown used to Siofra.

Kida: A black-haired girl with Japanese features. She is a good batter in Flyball and amazing at arts and crafts. She carved the Pegasi toys for Blaze that were used to terrify Badava. Of course, she didn't know what Blaze was going to use them for.

Azalea: Blaze met this young and exuberant, Mami Wata, at Riverbridge, when he visited a Mamgi grove. She has extremely long cyan hair, and a light greyish-purple skin. She has a pretty face with a prominent, but cute, button nose, and a pair of large angular golden eyes. Her mermaid tail has the color of a goldfish, with a large fluffy fan at the end.

She and Blaze had a good rapport, despite their short meeting.

Others:

Lynn Streltsy: Blaze's Kindred? Blaze has met her multiple times since his first trip to Sekat, and she always leaves an unforgettable impression on him. At Riverbridge she involves Blaze in a plot to expose some of the Princeps and obtain valuable information regarding their activities.

Blaze is not entirely sure of her appearance as she is always in a disguise, but he is always captivated by her beautiful, slightly upturned, purple eyes, the only things that she cannot disguise. Her wings are silver in color and she may have similarly colored hair. She is lean and over six feet tall.

Clio Elen Mousa: She comes from a long line of professional journalists, some of whom have been quite famous in their times. She works for the Aranyan Weekly.

She has lucid, hazel-green eyes, and medium-length yellow hair with curly locks at the front. She usually carries a silvery short sword. She is lean and petite, and her whole body is covered in freckles, except for her breasts. Her breasts are small, but her ass is wonderfully curvy. She comes to the Aranyan princess's party, dressed as a bee.

Aurnia Flynn: She is Rebecca's mother, and a retired captain of the HU army. She is 327 years old, but the only physical signs of her age are the lines under her eyes, which are mostly covered by the winged red mascara that compliment her magenta eyes. She has thick, deep crimson hair, tied in a comfortable top bun, and a diamond shaped vermillion mark adorns the center of her forehead. Aurnia loves to tell stories and is very good at it.

Brija Dhara: Brija was introduced in chapter 5. She is the Aranyan angel who had placed 5th in the previous YAMAT. Blaze makes a wager against her to win Elyssa's spear at the auction. It ends with Blaze and Brija ending up in bed. Astrid says in Chapter 5 that Brija may be one of the toughest opponents that Elyssa may face in the YAMAT. Brija comes from a commoner background.

Anastasia Marigold: She is the Duchess of Cali and shares a striking resemblance with her daughter, Elyssa.

She is a small but striking woman; small for an angel at around 6'5. She has piercing gray eyes that seem to take in everything, a small red mouth, a thin soft nose, and voluminous pecan colored hair that is put up in a fontange.

She is a beautiful mature woman with plenty of cleavage, bony hips and long thighs. But being a stickler for the Bro Code, Blaze plans on keeping his hands off her.

Anastasia has a warm and welcoming personality, but she exudes a natural air of nobility; poise and elegance. She makes people feel safe and that everything around her is under her control.

General Lynn Sturm: Elyssa's other mother. She has a loud and jovial personality while she is with people she likes, but that changes quite quickly when someone gets on her nerves. Her voice is grand and deep, but still feminine.

She has reddish flaxen hair, held in a short but voluminous ponytail, bushy and parted bangs, prominent and angular brows, sharp dark green eyes, and pursed lips that makes her look like the serious sort. Her angular face, tanned skin, wide shoulders, and a tight armor made her appear quite handsome. She also has a thin but visible scar, running diagonally across her eyebrow and down her cheekbone.

Agatha Agnes: Jie Er's old acquaintance and friend, and Blaze's second paramour in the world of Azra-El. She runs a clothing store at Varan and has made most of Blaze's clothing. She is a businesswoman at heart, but she has formed a friendship with Blaze and has even gifted him some handmade clothes.

Thyra: She is the only protegee of Valinna Strom. Thyra is a serious angel, completely dedicated towards her craft. Valinna seems to value her skill and creativity. She was the architect and maker of Blaze's gauntlets.

She is a tall, lean angel, with a long voluminous mass of braided golden blonde hair that reaches her ankles. She has sparkling turquoise eyes and plump red lips. Her golden eyebrows are sharply angled, give her a perpetually serious expression

Tara Maitreya: Aahna's mother. She has long greyish white hair and tawny colored skin. She looks like an older version of Aahna, but her calm and serene vibe contrasts her daughter. She is the Vice head of Vidisha, a large merchant guild.

Cardinal Amanah Tudor: She is a hawkish angel and seems to wield a lot of power in the Malakim. An exceptionally beautiful angel, who doesn't care to hide that she is very dangerous. With golden blonde hair, a perfectly shaped and slightly upturned nose, deep set hazel eyes, and an angular jawline, she is almost a perfect specimen of beauty. Yet, the only emotion she evoked in Blaze was to get away from her as fast as he could. She dresses modestly but everything else about her is pompous and arrogant.

Priscilla Ainsworth: She is a brunette with long hair held in two ostentatious pigtails. She is quite beautiful with brilliant blue eyes, long lashes, a perfect nose and pouty red lips. However, her beauty is too perfect and seems made up. Her wings are beautiful, white, and radiant.

A Quick, Full Recap: Blaze hatches out of a large, feathery egg and is taken in by a kind, mysterious angel named Jie Er. Rebecca, a boisterous but well-meaning lieutenant in the Red Rose division of the Angelic army, unexpectedly becomes a part of the group.

At Varan, a nearby city, Blaze forms a friendship with a young 60-year-old angel, named Elyssa, who turns out to be the daughter of a popular Duchess.

One day, he picks up a baby Quetzal, while trying to rescue a carnike from the jaws of a Xenodon. Sky, the quetzal, soon becomes a part of Blaze's new makeshift family.

Blaze begins to attend Tir academy, along with Elyssa. While trying to defend Siofra, a pixie, from being bullied by an angel of the Malakim, Blaze displays the Righteous Fury. As the youngest Righteous Fury in ages, his name quickly resounds throughout the Heavenly Union, and he comes to be known as "Blazing Fury".

One day, while training with his classmates at Tir, Sky and Splash (an otter) show up at the academy, in search of Blaze. At first, the angels are suspicious of Sky, as the only quetzals they know of are demonic. However, once they realize that Sky is, in fact, the first angelic quetzal, everyone in the HU starts vying for its ownership.

A meeting of delegates at Tir decides that in order to retain the ownership of Sky, Blaze must prove himself first and place at least 3rd in the upcoming Under Sixty Martial Arts Tournament (USMAT). If not, Sky will be raised by Nikolett Lovag, a talented knight in training, considered to be the most likely person to win the tournament.

Thus, begins Blaze's training.

During the first break from the academy, Jie Er trains him at Mt. Raivataka, where he meets Valinna Strom and her apprentice Thyra. Thyra offers to make him a pair of novel gauntlets. Blaze also befriends an arctot, a large bear-like creature, and names him "Jeffery".

During one particularly intense training session, due to intense pent up emotions, Blaze loses the control of his mind. When he wakes up, he finds out that he had attacked Jie Er, though he had also healed some of her taint. Jie Er consoles him over his distress.

The next break, Blaze and Elyssa stay back at the academy for a special training session with students coming from the country of Xian. Blaze meets a princess named Chengguan Shangdi, and they quickly become friends.

On the third break, Blaze and Siofra accompany Jie Er and Rebecca to train at Riverbridge, a town on the southern coast of the Purple Sea. Jie Er requests her old friend and rival, Fulla Frejadottir, to teach Blaze the way of the berserker. While taking a break from training, Blaze attends a party, along with Fulla's daughter, Ragna.

There, he runs into Lynn Streltsy, a young angel, whose eyes never fail to bedazzle him. Finally, he musters up the courage to talk to her, and after a dance and an evening together, she invites him on a "date" the next day.

The date proves to be a spy mission to obtain information about a nefarious organization called the "Princeps". Blaze is pulled into more than he bargained for and the night ends with an energy blast at the Princeps' meeting place. Blaze is rendered unconscious and wakes up back at Fulla's place.

Blaze completes his final stretch of training and his final term at Tir. During one of the shorter breaks, he manages to completely heal Jie Er's tainted wings, and she is finally able to once again use her archangel wings to their full potential.

After winning a dramatic Flyball tournament at Tir, Blaze bids his farewell to Tir and his friends, and returns to Varan to prepare to head over to D'Warka, a major port city of Caledonia, where the tournament is to be held.

oOo

"People are often quick to judge something as flawed when it doesn't align with their beliefs. They ask the question, 'Why is this wrong?', and find answers accordingly. However, it is often prudent to ask, 'Why is this not wrong?' for they may find that it is their own premise or assumption about that particular something that is flawed." -- Aspasia Saras Marigold, a monk of the Chayot and mother of Astrid Athene Marigold.

"Philosophy -- It (referring to the Philosophy of someone or her own) is wise if you understand and agree with it. It is esoteric if you do not understand it. It becomes foolish if you disagree with it." -- also by Aspasia Marigold.

Chapter 19

The legend of D'Warka was not an unfamiliar one. Earth had many similar legends.

The island city was once a pinnacle of power and civilization. The angels of the city held such strength, that the legend states that they hatched as archangels. Even the demons, at times, deferred to their power.

However, a great cataclysm in the Purple Sea caused the city to sink to its depths and took the city's denizens along with it. No one could be sure why the angels, who could have easily flown away, perished along with their city; there are only conjectures that attempt to explain why, the most popular being that the power of the D'Warkans was somehow intertwined to their land and, thus, their fates.

Eight hundred years ago, an earthquake rearranged the faults and brought the sunken land back to the surface. Though absent of sentient life and covered in beautiful, yet eerie, colors of moss, corals, and anemones, the ancient structures of the city were still intact.

Angels from near and far flooded to occupy the city and its wealth, but very few dared to live inside the original buildings, afraid of linking their fates to the city, just like the ancient D'Warkans. Ill fate seemed to beset anyone who did try, until the rulers of Caledonia sent out a decree forbidding anyone to reside within the original structures.

Thus, the new city of D'Warka was built atop the ancient buildings, made of a lime-green stone called "malachite" that seemed to not erode with time. As a result, every house in D'Warka had at least one unoccupied floor of malachite.

In time, the malachite floors turned out to be a boon in disguise. D'Warka was located within the confines of a massive semi-circular atoll that served to magnify the high tide, which regularly flooded the lower city under almost fifteen feet of sea water. Thus, the indelible malachite protected the newer buildings, while the angels of the city quickly learned to use the tides to transport goods around the city, and expanded the city well into the continental shelf.

The water in the city also allowed for the Undine, a race of sea nymphs, to take up residence inside the city. Some claimed that the Undine were the original residents of D'Warka, cursed to never fly again. However, historical data indicated that most Undine settled down in D'Warka only after it resurfaced.

The appearance of the Undine was a little different from the Mami Wata -- their skin was a shade of light blue, instead of purple. To a colorblind angel, they might even be indistinguishable from one another. Collectively, the water nymphs of Azra-El were known as merangels.

***

It was a sweltering and cloudless Hadie afternoon in D'Warka when four viridian-plated carriages, lined in silver and gold, swept over the walls of the city. They were escorted by a platoon of sixteen Aranyan soldiers, riding magnificent looking war-Pegasi.

However, their grand entrance did not receive any more than a curious glance from the citizens of D'Warka. With the USMAT and YAMAT tournaments just around the corner, they had become accustomed to such glamour; there was no lack of nobility coming from all around the continent to watch or take part in the tournament.

Blaze and Elyssa peered out at the city below, through the windows of their carriage; neither of them had been to the city before, and its sights filled them with wonder.

The midday sun gleamed off the surface of the smoothly polished malachite and covered the entire city in a brilliant hue of emerald.

Sailboats and ships floated in the sea that surrounded the city, and the bright sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water and the white sails made it hard for the two angels to keep their eyes on them for too long. The name "Purple Sea" originated from a purple-colored floating weed that was prevalent in the sea, but the waters around D'Warka were mostly clear.

To the south of the city was a massive port, moored with boats, caravels, and venetian ships. Their general shape was similar to their Earthly counterparts, but even from afar, Blaze could make out their piscine nature. The rudders, sides, and the masts had a spiny, fish-like appearance to them, making him wonder if the merangels were the architects of these ships.

Canals and moats replaced streets in D'Warka, and enormous manatees pulled floating cargo over the water. Angels, Gryphons, and a few Pegasi occupied the air over the city. Gryphons were the more popular flying mounts in D'Warka, as they could easily land and take off from perches and rooftops.