A World Like That

Chapter II

-Ariel-

The next morning, Ariel woke and sat up slowly. He hadn't slept well. He kept having nightmares about that demon ripping out the feathers on his wings until they were completely bare. Cautiously, he stretched out his wings, but winced as he felt searing pain. There was no way he'd be able to go down to Earth today.

Looking out over the clouds, he basked in the warm sun rays that were beginning to fill the air. The light always glittered gold in the morning and in the hour before the sun set. Although, the sun didn't really set, not in Heaven at least. Night was like an eternal sunset, with the sky dimmed to deep magenta and orange. It was never completely dark.

Making an effort to smile, he approached his friends to join them for breakfast. He didn't want them worrying any more about him.

"Ariel!" Jael exclaimed, a smile breaking across his face. "How are ya feeling?"

"Better. But I won't be able to go down to Earth today."

"Even if you could, you shouldn't," Raguel said. "Take some time to rest."

"I agree," a soft voice said from behind him. He felt a gentle touch on one of his wings and turned to see Charmeine. Her rich, dark brown skin stood out against the white cloth they all wore, and her warm hazel eyes always made him feel at home. In his opinion, she was the most beautiful angel. Not just because of her appearance, but because of her kind and loving demeanor.

"Thank you for helping last night," he said, smiling brightly.

"Of course. I'm going to take a look at your wings again, and then God wants to talk to you," Charmeine told him.

He nodded, and when he turned back around, Jael tossed a banana at him.

"Thanks," he said, catching it. He ate the banana and some of the grapes that were sitting on the marble table while Charmeine examined his wings.

"I hope those don't take too long to heal," Jael said. "We're going to miss you the next few days."

"I know. I'll miss you all too. Going down to Earth is my favorite part of the day."

-

After breakfast, Ariel approached God's throne. The light was so bright here, and it immediately lifted his spirits.

"Ariel." God's melodious voice filled the space, seeming to come from all directions. She smiled, her golden hair shimmering as it streamed across the sky around her. Her skin was a brilliant bronze and seemed to glitter, and Ariel had always found her amber eyes to be warm and kind. She was the personification of love and light.

"I heard about yesterday. How are you?" God asked.

"I'm feeling better. My wings still hurt, but Charmeine put a salve on the open wounds last night so they don't get worse."

"And how are you feeling about going back to Earth once you've healed?"

He hesitated. "I'm feeling a bit nervous about it," he confessed. "I don't want to see that demon again."

"Understandable. The demons are dangerous and should be avoided whenever possible. We're fortunate that your incident wasn't worse."

He reflected on that for a moment, giving thanks that he was safe and would heal with time. Then he looked up, a question on his lips.

"God? Has - has a demon ever killed an angel?"

"Yes."

"Why do they do what they do?" he asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.