As Above so Below

Chapter 2 : How are you?

Elyon's wings extended full span as he glided through the endless skies of Heaven. Moisture from the smooth air clung to his wings, and though it may have been annoying to others, it felt real to him. It was comforting like the embrace of Her affection.

He pushed harder against the wind currents, fighting to climb skyward as he gained speed, beating the wind powerfully underneath his feathers. The surrounding breeze grew colder as his altitude skyrocketed through the clouds. A grin drew across his face, relishing in the chilling temperature in contrast to the blazing sun of exaggerated heavenly summer.

A large mountain sloped steeply in front of him, a suitable perching place to escape from the contract for as long as he could. While being an angel wasn't a literal contract, it sure felt like one at times. He would always get over it though, and he would this time as well. It was an endless loop he couldn't seem to drag himself out of. He didn't need to, anyway, right? Elyon wasn't very sure, but he didn't mind.

His wings beat behind him as he slowly lowered himself down onto the rough, snowy peak of the mountain. The snow beneath him didn't melt as he sat down, and he was thankful. Elyon really didn't want to get his suit wet, the replacements were quite tedious and it would never come close to being the same.

Elyon sighed, tucking his feathers close to his back. He had to rub them against each other so they didn't freeze right off his body. Now that definitely wouldn't be very fun to deal with. It would be even worse than ruining his beloved suit.

His legs tucked beneath his thighs, precariously balancing on the sharp edge. Even with his wings, he wasn't the most balanced person, so he had to be careful around slopes like this one. Worst comes to worst, he could take flight if he starts to tumble. A pretty easy fix, and much better than falling to his inevitable demise. Paperwork.

Elyon shuddered at the thought. He had once got himself into a less-than-stellar situation when another angel had attacked him and almost killed Elyon in the process. Well, he did die, but he's still here. Why? Because he's an angel, of course. They don't really die unless they are erased from the Book of Life. They just have to be sent to the filing department for a month or two while they are eased back into Heaven. He had been sent down there when he died, and it was very uncomfortable. So, so many papers, and then when he was released, he had to sign a bunch of forms about doing better next time and staying out of danger.

A few weeks ago, though, Zuphlas had been ranting to him about another way to die, but Elyon hadn't been paying much attention. He was more focused on the beetles crawling through the grass they were lying on. Perhaps he was talking about black holes? Elyon hadn't put much thought into it. He should be more attentive.

Elyon shook out his wings, dusting the falling snow off and away as far as he could get it. While being an angel meant that he didn't have all the systems of a human, Heaven had given them human bodies. They couldn't die, per se, and they were fairly different, but they weren't immune to weather. They could feel the cold and hot, but it would not damage them, at most, it was uncomfortable, as it was now on the mountaintop.

A sigh pushed past his lips as he stretched out his stiffening limbs, enjoying the satisfying crack as he popped the gas build-up around the fluid protecting his joints.

However, a bigger crack sounded when he jolted upright at the feeling of a thud right beside him. "Je-ackrabits!" Elyon yelped out, shocked by the sudden appearance of a new figure. How had he been so careless as to not notice the wind currents abruptly changing around him? Of course, another angel was coming.

"Nice save," the white-haired man laughed at him, brushing the long strands behind his back. "What're you doing here all alone? Moping?" Zuphlas asked with a light-hearted push to Elyon's shoulder.