Wingless Bones: The Life of Sauriel, Former Angel

Anger

The feathered beast chirped and squawked as Sauriel used her shell's hands to scratch its head. Asa sat among the delicate flowers, a recent creation of his, and observed the interaction. Marcin was quick to join Sauriel in petting the strange creature while Abiah stood to the side, weary of approaching the new being.

"Look at you, my precious boy," Sauriel ran her fingers through its shining dark feathers. "I wish nothing but the best for you."

"This is so much cooler than my plan. I was thinking about heat-production, but I should've focused on aesthetics," Marcin said.

"I'm still unsure of this creation," Abiah said. "Is it homage or mockery of our being? You would do well to keep its numbers small."

"You worry too much, sister," Sauriel said, releasing the new creature to run amongst the trees. "Asa, what say you?"

Asa hummed noncommittally, "I think it is wonderful, definitely homage."

"Excellent, see Bia, you would do well to loosen the hold on your creativity." She turned once more to Asa, "what do you wish to create next, brother?"

He thought for a moment before allowing a fraction of his energy to swirl from his shell. The tendrils swirled around until they formed a shape reminiscent of a beetle, something Gabriel had created a while ago, but larger and more colorful. Its wings were light and delicate as it fluttered around.

"It's beautiful," Abiah said. She glanced toward Sauriel, "I suppose I was being a bit dramatic, my apologies sister."

"None taken, and I agree, it's quite a beautiful design," Sauriel said. As soon as she finished the thought, a shiver ran through all of them. The wispy design was washed away with a pulsing of energy.

"Here he is, oh, isn't he quite cute," a new voice rang through the forest. The group turned to see two angels, one with an amber-colored shell and an elegant waterfall of dark brown hair and the other with a pearly finish on his shell and braided, silvery hair. The woman held the feathered being securely and scratched behind its head. It took her a moment, but Sauriel recognized the shells as those of Gabriel and Michael, respectively.

"Sauriel," Michael addressed her critically. "I see you've been busy with our commanded creative endeavors."

"Yes, brother," she replied, eyes darting from his face to the ground.

"And, did it not strike you that this strange concoction of blood and sinew would be an inappropriate place to sculpt wings in our—"

"Michael," Gabriel interrupted. "I put wings on little crawly creatures, and you never bat an eye."

"Yes," he bristled. "But these have feathers and more closely resemble—"

"Hush now, Michael. Our Divine Creator plans for the evolution of beings in Their image with the scaffold of Asa's clay design. Why, then, can our little sister not give life to beings in our image?" Gabriel argued, setting down the creature and allowing it to run off. "Or is this vanity I'm sensing from you?"

At the mention of vanity, Michael balked, "carry on, Sauriel." He said simply before flying off. Gabriel gave her a dimpled smile and a wink before following after him.

Sauriel jumped as the morning news blared on her living room television. She groaned and rolled off the couch, pushing herself to stand. She put her palms to her eyes in an attempt to relieve the pressure forming in her head. She stumbled to her kitchen sink and splashed water on her face. She grabbed a paper towel and dried her face. She turned around just as she pulled the covering from her eyes and gave an undignified screech as she caught sight of a figure standing in the middle of her kitchen.