Three's A Crowd

Chapter 1

The Virtue

"Oh dear!

I am late. I am soooo late crap crap crap. Today's the day when my assigned human is born! I mustn't her birth oh no! "

 Just then from somewhere in a corner of his mind boomed a voice "VIRTUE DARIUS"

the angels head jerked up from his desk. He'd just finished all his paper work for his new role as a guardian and he got up, his feathers ruffled in an inexplicably elegant way. He bowed "Archangel." . When he looked up an archangel stood in front of him, a bag and halo in hand. He didn't know which one it was though, never really bothered to match face and name. He would much rather be writing.

It was a hidden hobby, his writing. He'd sing and draw too sometimes as he sat on a cloud. Humans were always so interesting!

His train of thought was interrupted by the archangel harshly handing him his things. It said in its usual snobby voice "use the halo only when absolutely necessary." while it sized him up and down.

After a brief pause it spoke again "you should really get your physical body in shape you know. Your awfully thi and your hair! So many colours! Disgraceful is what it is! And you've even stuck things through your wings! O my god!"

"Yes yes sir, I'm getting late nowww. I absolutely mustn't miss her birth you know." He just couldn't keep up with Its nagging and so resorted to escaping.

The last thought he had before he drifted off was "ugh the sun's too bright".

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The Vice

"CYRIL YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE!" yelled his father. 

"No I'll be on time I want to be there when this child breathes. It is my responsibility" said he. Demons weren't know for being reliable or responsible really. But Cyril was obsessed with humans. Especially now that he had been assigned a child. Another human to lead astray another soul for the devil to enslave.

Cyril was a special kind of demon. He was a vice. Full of sin and disgrace but not to full extent. His job was to watch over humans, lead them astray one small sin at a time. They often brought bad luck, and sometimes this bad luck could accumulate into cardinal sins. But Cyril wasn't fond of this much. He wanted the human to party and live but he didn't want for the poor sinner to land in hell!

Cyril had been human too once. He'd been an angel too but that was long, long back. He'd fallen and now after a century he couldn't even remember his past so how in hells name did it matter?

His thoughts kept running and running and running throughout the day. his "father", he wasn't blood related, no! just some lowly, greedy vicar assigned caretaker for vices. But that man did have some "good" in him. He was never on time, never followed set out rules yet he did follow all of the rules that were never to be spoken but always inferred.

He'd reminded Cyril to take his clothes and belongings and whatever and set off already. So he did. He set off to the human realm. He was already late to this childs birth by.... 3 HOURS?!?

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Cyril flew with all his might up stairs to the middle realm to meet his counterpart and sweet child he would take care off. But there at the hospital time had slowed for the angel and a storm had passed.

Cyril arrives in a flurry of shadows and dark feathers, smelling of cigerattes and ash. Darius stood outside staring at the ground. When he heard the demon arrive he looked up, and inside his eyes burned something neither angelic nor demonic. Something of pure human origin.

Grief. Sorrow. Pain. Anger

And then he slapped the demon. Hard. 

In a slow controlled voice he spoke" You were late." and then he burst into tear. 

The demon confused was just about to ask "does this really matter that much?" but the angel interrupted him. "you were late! And in your stead came another demon. And he brought death."

Cyrils heart dropped. "Wha-"

"oh dont you worry. you will be able to advocate your sins anyway! it was the mother" Darius wiped his eyes.

"Oh" was all Cyril could think to say.