The Azra-El Series Ch. 19

"So, can I confirm that you are all on board?" he finally asked.

All of them answered yes, except Astrid.

"I am sorry, Blaze. I have sworn my allegiance to the Malakim. You will always be my friend, but I cannot actively work against them," she said, looking a little forlorn.

"Is there any way I can convince you otherwise?"

"No."

Blaze sighed, but it was only a pretense. He had never intended for Astrid to be there, but when he mentioned the idea of his society to her, she had wanted to plant a seed. "I understand. Please leave, and I hope that in the name of our friendship you won't reveal today's proceedings to the Malakim," he said gravely.

"You have my word. See you in a bit," she said, taking her leave and walking out of the room.

Blaze turned to the others when the door to the room closed.

"That is not good," Aahna said, looking a little perturbed.

"It's alright. We won't be able to hide our existence forever. 'Secret' doesn't mean 'unknown'.

"Anyway. From today, you will all be the capos of this organization, and report directly to me. You shall call me the 'Blaze-Father'," he said, returning to his mischievous self.

"The freak does that mean?" Siofra wanted to know.

"It's just a title to remain discreet."

"Um, if you have 'Blaze' in your title, it is not very discreet," Clio stated the obvious.

"That's why you will all call me your BF, except for Siofra and Aahna. Siofra will call me the Blazing Sibling- BS for short."

Then, there was a short knock on the door, and Brija opened it.

"Come in, Tonya," he said to Claudis' daughter, "Your term at your university for this year has ended, right?"

"Yes, princess."

"Good. Would you like to continue taking care of Sky for a little longer? We will be going to Xian soon. You will be paid well."

"Thank you for your offer, princess, I will talk to my mother."

"Please do. This will be a good opportunity for you to visit Xian. Also, you can just call me 'father' or 'daddy', whichever you prefer."

"I am not calling you either."

oOo

Astrid was nervous. It wasn't her first time in Cockaigne, capital city of Caledonia, but Cardinal Amanah Tudor had asked her to travel all the way from D'Warka just to meet someone. Someone whose castle was guarded by a horde of powerful Grey Ones.

Cockaigne was the wealthiest of all Azra-El cities. Every citizen was wealthy, owned at least one manor, and lived a comfortable, posh, and idle lifestyle. It was a land that every commoner angel wished to live in, but the true visage of the city could only be seen through the hollow, haunted faces of those that served its citizens.

Astrid found herself in a large, musty room of a gothic castle. It was a study-room surrounded by fifteen-foot high shelves, lined with old books that were marred by thumb prints over a thick layer of dust.

The carpet below her feet looked expensive, but it hadn't been aired in years. There were numerous sofas and chairs in the room, but only a few seemed used. All the others were gathering dust, a black dust from the ever-crackling brick fireplace at the back of the room, close to a massive, heavy wood desk. There were no windows, but there was plenty of light streaming through the tinted glass panes that made up the ceiling.

An old brunette angel, wearing a wrinkled old gown, sat in a grandly carved but cushion-less wooden chair. Her energy signature read around three hundred years of age, but she looked older. In fact, there was nothing exceptional about her, except for her lively purple eyes, which currently studied Astrid with great interest.

Cardinal Tudor stood in deference by the angel's side, with her hands politely held in front of her, and it made Astrid nervous. Amanah Tudor had not shown that much deference even to the Cardinal Superior.

"Have you broken off your friendship with the unnatural?" Amanah asked. The revulsion in her voice when she spoke that word was hard to miss.

"No, but I have news. He is planning to form a secret society, possibly inspired by the Princeps. However, he claims that his aim is to do good."

"That is of no relevance. Once we reveal her unnaturality, she will be of little relevance, regardless of whether she is a princess or a Righteous Fury. The only reason we waited for this long was to give you time to separate yourself from her. We-"

"Let her explain herself, Amanah," said the angel in the chair, as she leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands, supported by her elbows on the table. Her voice was flat, lacking emotion, except, maybe interest, yet it was strangely pleasant, like a smooth note of a woodwind instrument.

"Yes, Grey Mother."

Astrid's eyes grew wide on realizing in whose presence she was in. There was always only one Grey Mother, the head of all the Grey Ones of the Malakim. An angel who lived in the shadows, and commanded all the nefarious activities of the Malakim. Astrid had always assumed that the position of the Grey Mother was, at most, second to the Cardinal Superior. However, the way Amanah was behaving implied otherwise.

"Speak, child," she said, with a flick of her hand, her entire attention on Astrid.

Despite her nervousness and fear of the Grey One, Astrid felt incredibly special in that moment. Such was the power of the Grey One's gaze, able to make her worst enemy feel like they were special to her. Astrid tried to compose herself, as she quickly went over her words in her head.

"I do not believe that revealing the Fury's unnaturality will affect him very much at the moment," she said, trying to keep her voice even and contemplative. "Most angels do not hold unnaturals at such low esteem as the Malakim. So, revealing his unnaturality, right now, may only reinforce their beliefs and make him even more adored. I think we should wait for a more opportune moment. I think we should allow him to grow in power, and let our enemies gather around him."

"Very clever," said the Grey Mother, her eyes finally filling with complete interest. "An enemy you can control is far more worthy than friends you cannot." She then turned to Amanah and said, "You have finally found me a worthy child to train."

"I do not wish to be a Grey One," Astrid shook her head, immediately.

"No angel right in their mind wishes to be tainted, child," the Grey Mother said. "Do not worry, I only wish to teach you. What you do afterwards will remain your choice. Amanah, you can leave. Make sure no one else knows about the Righteous Fury's unnaturality. The ina is right, we will only help her by revealing such a thing, right now. As for the Fury's society, let it grow, and do not interfere without my knowledge."

"Yes, Grey Mother," said Amanah. She gave her a deep bow before nodding to Astrid and taking her leave.

As Astrid watched the still-appraising eyes of the Grey Mother, for the first time in her life, she wondered if she may have bitten off more than she could chew. She was glad that her mother had accompanied her to Cockaigne, and she was glad that she had a connection to Blaze.

oOoOo

Capricious Dragon sees into Blaze's future (but it may be an alternate reality, so take it with a grain of salt.)

Blaze lay sprawled in the midst of a large green meadow, nibbling on a reed in his mouth. His mind was empty as he gazed at the clear blue sky with a single, solitary cloud drifting by.

"Hahhh," he sighed contentedly. "This is the life. I am glad I've got such a diligent daughter. Must be the world's way of rewarding me for all my hard work..."

"Dad!" a voice in terror broke him out of musings.

He sat up and spotted the little rugrat who took more after him than his mother, running up the side of the knoll.

"Dad!" he panted, on reaching the top. Though the little brat couldn't fly, yet, he could run like a deer, especially when he was in trouble. "Dad, you've got to get me out of here. Nova's gone SuperNova."

"What did you do, now?"

"You know how you used to add random decrees at the end of the yearly declarations, just to be funny?"

"Yeah..."

"I thought I'd add my own this year. Tehe. Nova didn't spot it until it was announced."

Blaze laughed. "Though I approve of your humor, I cannot help you this time. Your pops is taking the week off and needs some good ole' rest. Besides, I don't wanna deal with SuperNova, either. Why don't you escape on Cloud? Or, find Flare? She's better at protecting you from Nova's ire than I am."

"Flare's meeting some of her friends from Tir. And SuperNova has Cloud with her!" he said, pointing at two distant specks in the sky. An angel with beautiful multi-colored wings, and a Quetzal that was slightly larger than her were quickly making their way towards them.

"Well, sucks to be you, buddy. It's been nice knowing ya. Here's an ointment for yer butt," Blaze replied, tossing a small container at the kid and lying back down. It was too bad, but he had to sacrifice his son for his own good. Facing his oldest daughter's wrath was not something he'd want to wish upon his worst enemy, and the mothers were currently busy.

"You better run with me, pops. Why do you think I came here?"

"What do you mean?" Blaze asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I've convinced her that this whole thing was your idea."

"..."

Blaze grabbed his son and took off into the sunset. It was better to let a SuperNova cool down, rather than try to reason things with it.

"YOU TWO ARE DEAD!"

"We need to find granny, or we are dead," chimed his son, from under his arm. Blaze had a good itch to give him an ass-whooping.

YEARLY DECREES

Decree 16: ...

Decree 17: From henceforth, an angry Nova shall only be referred to as SuperNova. How do you know when a Nova is about to go SuperNova, you ask? The signs of SuperNova are easy to spot-- flared nostrils, glaring eyes, trembling lower lip, clenched fists, and an anger that can vaporize you out of existence.

oOoOo

What's to come?

That's the end of the first arc of my story, folks. It has been quite a journey. Thank you for all the support, thus far. I couldn't have done it without some of your feedback and constant encouragement. I read all your comments, and they do keep me going.

I started this journey on a whim, but since around chapter 10, I've put in tremendous effort into building a story and world that are intriguing, logical, and fantastical.

Numerous plot lines have converged in this chapter and there have been many revelations. From the start, there were very few plot points that were irrelevant. I have also left clues along the chapters, though most of them won't be obvious on the first read.

I plan to write a prologue to the next arc, as soon as I publish this chapter. Along with that chapter, I shall include an appendix that explains the little clues that I've left, leaving some time for people to figure things out by themselves :).

I will be publishing the next arc under the name "The Azra-El Series Arc 2", so keep an eye out for that.

As for when it will truly begin, I am not entirely sure. If I wish to make this a thing, I must consider other avenues, besides patreon, for making it worthwhile for the time I am investing in this.

I will always continue to post on Lit for free, but I first want to rewrite the initial chapters and consider publishing- maybe a PG version of the story :P.

I may include a couple of polls in the comment section. Please don't forget to answer them

Author's Note1: I especially thank my editors who have helped me grow as an author and have been great friends.

DankMemez: He was my first editor and I am greatly thankful that he offered to edit my work. I may not have come this far, if not for his initial support. He was quite hard on my ass to get my act together and helped me think about the story from various perspectives. I hope he is still reading this :).

Chris Anow: Fast, accurate, and organized. It literally is magical to watch him edit as he reads through my story on google docs.

DrasticExplorer: I, the Dragon Lord of the Universe, has given him the title Ser Perverted Explorer. If you have noticed a change in some of my sexual scenes in the recent past, you have Drastic to thank for it. Drastic is a great editor, but his true skill lies in 'improving' sex scenes.

Both Chris and Drastic have become great friends, as we are often on chat together while we edit. I never thought editing could be so much fun.

Disclaimer 1: I am not trying to promote any political ideology through my story. I just wish for it to be a complete fantasy showing all sides of things. I cannot do that if I view it through one set of ideals. Though I may never be able to get rid of implicit bias, I must look at things from all perspectives and I am trying my best.

What will Blaze ultimately be? He will always oscillate in his ideology. I think that is a sign of growth.

The quote "If you are not a liberal at 25, you have no heart, and if you are not a conservative at 40, you have no brain." strikes a chord for me, though I believe many may misinterpret what I take from it. It certainly isn't that being conservative is better than liberal or vice versa.

Anyway, I can confirm that Blaze will always strive to be good.

Disclaimer 2: I did not steal no music. All liability falls on Blaze. If you wanna sue him, you'd have to go to Azra-El.

Dragon out.

Adventures of Capricious Dragon (continued from chapter 18.2)

Betty: So, Lord Dragon, are we now going to write about your terrible adventures with the sweet Eleanor of Aquitaine?

CD: Terrible?

Betty: Such an awesome creature such as yourself can only cause terror to us lower beings.

CD: Hmph. Anyway, I am too tired after writing about Blaze's adventures at D'Warka. I am gonna take a nap. I will give you the honor of writing my adventures in the next chapter, if Phil doesn't return by then.

Suddenly, a Red Giant appeared out of nowhere and began to revolve around the dragon, pulling Betty away with its gravity.

Phil: Hahahaha, you crazy dragon! You've made a grave mistake by punting me around the galaxy. You didn't think it would help me grow, did you? Now, I shall teach you a lesson.

The dragon narrowed its eyes at Phil and began to grow. Within a few moments, he was twice as big as Phil, and the two stars were once again bound in his gravity.

The red giant's flames visibly retreated in terror.

CD: Care to repeat what you said, Philly?

Phil: Lord Dragon! I missed you, so very dearly! Each moment spent away from your graciousness was an unbearable eternity. I am so glad that your punt was so well directed that I returned right back. Only your greatness is capable of such a feat.

CD: Hmph.

The dragon snorted at Red-Giant Phil and turned back into his usual self.

CD: Come here, I am sleepy. I think you'd make a good bed.

Phil: Yes, my Lord. I'd make a very comfortable bed.

The dragon clawed at the star like a cat making itself comfortable and lay down on its flaming surface. He pulled Betty under his head and went to sleep.

As the dragon's snores reverberated the fabric of space, two stars conversed.

Betty: You should've stuck to your brownnosing self. He shits out black holes! Why would you think you can take him on just 'cause you got a little bigger?

Phil: Er... I guess I got a little carried away.

Replies to Comments:

Ahren: I can't stress enough on how much your replies motivate me to write more and affect the direction of my writing (you've already witnessed some of it). I hope you find a good resolution to whatever you're dealing with and I am glad my writing helps in some way. There is nothing wrong in seeking help, but somethings you just gotta deal by yourself (even if others disagree to the wisdom of it :))

I hope this chapter has kept up with your hopes :).

Time: We always complain about lacking control over it, but I think it's the lack of control over the time we have is what makes living interesting.

Astrid- a girl for him to love and be loved by- that is love.

Blaze's Healing: As always, your interpretation is spot on. Don't tell anyone else.

"Serene Absolution": It may exactly be the thing that Blaze is headed towards.

Anyway, I hope you've seen Blaze grow a little in this chapter. The direction of his growth may not appear as what you are speaking about, but that is what life is. The paths it provides may not always lead to your destination. Sometimes you just have to figure out the hidden routes or shortcuts.

Message from Betty: I always speak my mind. tHe awsamazing ovErLord and Peerless dragon is really as Magnanimous as hE claims to be. AND it's a Privilege to bask in His glorIous presence. but i am thankfuL to you for your thoughts, KIND DESCENDENT OF BACTERIUM. (Dragon: Betty, why are some of your words weirdly capitalized? Betty: PLEASE forgive my mistake, overlord. My gaseous flares are not very good at typing.)

Pulsar Reward: Your comment made me weirdly horny and very confused. Haha. Jk. I am glad I could make a star blush, even if you're an insignificant dwarf star. Bask in the glory of the mighty star devourer! Muhahaha (No double meaning intended. Ahem. I am straight, even for stars.)

Anonymous (Wow -- 4.5): How dare you call Lit just another porn site? This is art, sir! Haha. Jk.

"I think this story has publication material" -- Just the words I needed to hear 😊. I hope chapter 19 makes you think it is not just another porn novel. I am thinking of self-publishing it without the sexy bits. Let's see... (What do you think?)

Feel free to provide me with constructive feedback. I will always welcome it.

"Your acceptance of input and criticism make you my favorite author here."

Thank you for your praise, but I must confess. I think I am as affected by negative feedback as any other author. Anyone would be, if they worked on something for months and put an immense effort and time into it. And then comes along someone, who merely skips through the passages and says something based on a very narrow perspective.

The only difference may be, is that I take some time to calm down - rethink from the reader's perspective and see if there is any value to what they say. Other authors may be too hasty to defend themselves and come off as rude (well, some may just be assholes -- but, those hopefully are a minority).

Anonymous (Suggestions and comments): Thank you. I shall keep your words in mind. Blaze and Elyssa. Part of the reason Elyssa never fights with Blaze and goes along with everything he does, is because she is scared of losing his friendship - she never has had such a close and dear friend. But yes, there must be conflict to deepen the relationship.

I am glad that the flyball match was interesting to readers who don't know much about baseball. As for the demons, you may be right :P.

Anonymous (Wow): Your comment means much to me, as I am considering self-publishing this somewhere. I just need to rework the initial chapters.

MasterPD: So, how was the final? Any movement on the top three of your favorite writers list?

Anonymous (Editor): Please send me an email id. I will send you a message if I need an editor at some point.