Darned to Heck

The High Council

~Heaven~

"You don't understand, I have to see the High Council immediately. It's extremely important."

"You know for an archangel of patience Elerial you really aren't very patient." The doorkeeper for the high council lounged back in his chair, the long auburn feathers of his wings gently brushing against the polished marble floor of the luxurious office.

"Manakel, you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't an emergency."

"An emergency hm? What kind specifically, because you know even if you do get me in there to tell them, that's all they'll send me out saying. That is if they don't just completely ignore you. Do you have any idea how many 'emergencies' there are daily? Just this morning I was told I simply had to tell the Elders that 'Pershiel is making the flowers grow too soon, and they're dying from frost!' If you can give me enough reason to raise my eyebrows in at least moderate surprise, I'll go in there and suggest that they listen to you. If not then you're just going to have to deal with the 'emergency' on your own."

I sighed deeply and gathered my thoughts, wishing I had such convincing eyes as Remiel to tell of the impossibility of which I had learned.

"I know that this sounds insane..." I began, pausing while Manakel leant forward a little, amusement already gracing his fine features.

"Go on."

"There is a Saith in the underworld and we have to kill it before it does any damage. Also the young seer Remiel is a demon sympathiser and regards the High Council to be lower than the aforementioned demons themselves."

I watched nervously as Manakel's eyebrows rose, and then furrowed, and then rose again.

"Oooooookay then." He spoke as you would to a child or someone of unsound mental persuasion.

"Look, I kno-"

"Ah ah ah." He said, holding up a hand to shush me. "Don't say I'm not an angel of my word, the eyebrows raised, I'm goin in." He spun his chair around and stood up, patting down the front of his pure white robes to smooth out any wrinkles. "I'm not promising they'll talk to you, but I'll do what I can."

"Thank you Manakel." I said, both nervous and relieved that I might actually be taken seriously by the Elders.

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­­­­­­­­­­"Elerial, Archangel of Patience." A loud voice boomed from one of the seven thrones situated in a gallery that jutted out from the wall about ten feet above me. The voice was filled with such unwavering command and authority that even had I been allowed to raise my head to view the speaker, I'm not sure I would have been able.

I stood now in the high courtroom of the council, a place that everybody had heard about, but few ever got to see. Manakel had somehow convinced the Elders of my cause, and now I had to tell them everything.

"Elerial, Archangel of Patience, pledges his lifetime of loyal servitude and trust in the word of the Elders. And will act upon their word, as he would the word of God." I recited the ancient vow smoothly, falling to my knees and dipping my wings low to the floor as was considered the only way to greet an Elder; with more respect than you would greet your own crafter.

"Rise Elerial, Archangel of Patience, as your request has been heard. Speak freely and truthfully, without fear of consequence for yourself. As this you do for the safety of your brothers, and for the safety of all those we are sworn to protect." A new voice echoed around me and I stood from the floor, tucking my wings neatly behind me to show that I accepted their authority over me before finally looking up to the Angels who had spoken.

"Yes, your honour." I brought my eyes tentatively to the faces of the Elders, contrary to their title they looked anything but old, but at the same time they were completely ancient. Faces untouched by time held such great truth and wisdom that I could feel the countless centuries that surrounded them in a veil of time and power like a physical weight on my body. Power that dwarfed me so entirely, that my eyes dropped almost as soon as they had risen. I was not worthy to look into the faces of the Elders. They regarded me as you would a small child whom has lost the end of his sentence and is trying to communicate something which to him seems to be of great importance, but to the adult can be seen clearly as a triviality.

"The reason for my audience with you today is that certain information has become known to me, information that could have great significance to us," I paused nervously "Or that could just be a misinterpretation."

"Well I assume, Elerial that if you truly believed that this was nothing more than misinterpretation then you would not have taken the trouble to bother us with it. You are held in good regard by the Council of Elders. Your many years of service have been invaluable to us, and your loyalty has been constant. We will hear your information openly as I have said before, do not fear the consequences of speaking, but rather the consequences of your silence."

I nodded again, this time filled with the joy of approval. "My young apprentice Iaoel had overheard rumours of a vision that had predicted the return of a Saith in the underworld. I went to investigate the rumours by visiting the source of the vision, a young seer named Remiel, one of the apprentices of Paschar the Archangel of Vision." I paused again, curiosity driving my eyes up to quickly scan the faces of those above me for any sign of disbelief or scepticism. All eyes remained stony and emotionless, to my mind neither believing nor disbelieving what I had to say. I continued confidently. "Upon my arrival I was taken to the Hall of Visions by Paschar where I spoke directly with Remiel himself, he told me that he had seen the life of this demon, and that she had great power and a need for revenge. What's more he told me that we deserved it for what we had done in the War of the Blood Sea. That Angels are no better than the demons themselves and that the High Council especially are some great evil that brainwashes those of lower ranks into blind following. That we were wrong to destroy the Saith race and that we should seek her forgiveness if we hope to survive."

An uneasy silence settled over the room as I finished speaking and I began to wonder whether I had overstepped at any point, nerves bubbled up inside me.

"Thank you Elerial, your insight has been invaluable to the High Council."

"D-do you believe me?" I questioned, but the members of the council did not respond. Instead, two of the guards who had remained motionless throughout the meeting now walked forwards towards me seriously, outlines of their pointed spears reflecting off of their golden polished armour.

"You are dismissed." Was the only eventual reply as I was pushed towards the exit by the threatening expressions of the guards.