The Nephilim: Excerpt 2

A city lay below me, stretching across acres of land.  It was awe inspiring, not only for its size but for the environment in which it had been built.  One could barely tell a city lay there are all because of the massive trees it had been built in that covered up most of the evidence that it was there.  However, the trees were thinner in the area where the city lay, which gave it away spectacularly.

Sadly, the city had lost most of its beauty to me.  I was tired of it after living there for so long with so little to do.  Of course, Uriel and his insufferable arrogance had not helped at all.  I did not mind so much that he treated me as less than him, because I was.  It irritated me that he treated Semyaza, a seraphim, as a lower being.  He had always been jealous of Semyaza, a dangerous feeling indeed for an archangel like him.  I hoped it screwed him over someday.

Even our godless acts could not bring the city back to its former beauty in my eyes.  I had left the woman I loved shortly after our child had been born, intent on leaving for good.  I could not tolerate the city for any longer.  Let Semyaza and Auza deal with the consequences of our actions; I would go my own way.

“Where are you going, Azazel?”

I whipped around, snarling at the owner of the voice.  Damn that Uriel!  If only had could have been a moment later.

“It’s none of your business, Uriel,” I barked back.

A cruel smile curled his lips.  “Now, now, Azazel, is that anyway to treat your superiors?”

“You and Michael sound alike, did you know that?” I snarled back.  By the gods, but I was itching for a fight with this jerk.  “Both condescending, aloof, bast—”

A bolt of blue lightning arced through the air.  I dodged.  The smell of burnt flesh and feather hit my nose.  Obviously, I hadn’t been fast enough.

“Damn you, Uriel!” I cursed under my breath, glancing over to assess the damage.  The bolt had only brushed my wings.  Thank the gods for that.

“I’ve been ordered to bring you in, Azazel,” Uriel sneered.  “It’ll be easier on both of us if you don’t resist.”

“You’re still doing as the gods have asked?” I asked, sneering right back.  “Don’t you see that they’re just using us?  We’re tools to them!”

“You’re speaking blasphemy!” Uriel yelled.  I had to dodge another bolt of lightning.  A smile formed on my lips, and cruel, cold smile.  I was getting to him.

“I already committed blasphemy, of the highest kind, dear Uriel,” I said, enjoying the way his face grew redder and redder in anger.  “I’m braver than you, and a better angel, because I chose to help man rather than hinder.  You will always be weak and needy, crawling at the feet—”

I sat up with a start, breathing heavily.  It took a moment to regain my bearings, the dream had been so vivid.  And this time, I didn’t have Sudi to help me fall back asleep again.

I flopped back with a sigh, staring up at the stars.  The dream had seemed so familiar and yet not familiar at all.  The names…and the setting…I had never seen anything like it.  I couldn’t even really remember what the world had looked like, though I remembered everything else with stark clarity.

I turned over and curled up, ready to go back to sleep.  Sometimes, I truly wished I could be normal.