One sunny afternoon Stallion busied himself preparing the outdoor dinner table, with a chuckle he watched Raven looking at the spread a little warily.
“Say… Raven? Why are you called-” Stallion dusted off his gloves as he spoke.
“I’m not.. Not really.” Raven smiled, cutting Stallion short, he knew exactly what he was asking him.
Stallion stopped moving and looked fully at Raven who occupied himself with his pipe. He had not been expecting that answer to be so blunt.
“Wait… What!?” Mouse had been listening to them and soon stood in front of Raven, fully pouting.
Raven looked around the table before sighing. “Christophael. My given name. When I was summoned, created, born… whatever.” He shrugged gently and inhaled what was in his pipe. “Once a dove… now a raven.” He exhaled steadily and sat down at the table across from a silent Nohen.
Stallion looked at Mouse “Remember, I should be called Hania but you helped me choose Stallion.” He smiled, not seeing that much of a difference. Also there was something haunting Raven’s eyes as soon as he asked.
Mouse looked a little downtrodden and just took a seat next to Raven, one of his closest friends in the entire world and he hadn’t been trusted with such knowledge.
Stallion, having known Raven for a long enough time also, spoke up again “Come on Mouse, it is the first time I have heard him mention it.”
“Really?” Mouse did look a little surprised, Stallion was taking it awfully easy, but then if he had been told he may well have forgotten.
Stallion nodded with a smile “Of course… Otherwise I would slip up and keep calling him Christophael.” well… he could end up overcompensating.
Raven shook his head “He’s the only one to ask… no-one’s ever bothered before.” His eyes were fixed on an incredibly interesting bread roll.
Nohen broke his silence “-ael… -el” He looked a little confused “Light bringer… bearer, that’s an-“
Raven shot him such a glare that caused him to freeze even in his breath. “I know, I can’t use it anymore. So, Raven is my name now.”
Evangel popped in, breaking some of the tension by being literal. He swiftly moved to hug Stallion before he had the chance to sit down himself. “Sorry, heard some of it on the way down… why not?” he looked at Raven before sitting between Stallion and Nohen.
Raven remained in silence for quite a while and sighed, sending a deep cloud of smoke skyward. “Christophael is my Archangel name, I’ve been demoted and just being called Christoph is too much of a reminder… So… I chose the avatar and name Raven.”
Nohen started laughing after the stunned silence, it wasn’t easy to get demoted and dumped with the lowest ranks after all.
“CRAM IT YOU EX POWER” Raven stood up furious and slammed both hands on the table.
Mouse almost fell off his chair as Nohen recoiled into his. The little one had to wrap his arms around Raven’s side to try and get his attention or calm him down.
Nohen silently stood when his own shock ebbed away. He had fought stronger and meaner than Raven in his time, yet something phased him with that reaction.
Evangel shook his head and let go of Stallion’s arm, he had kept him seated with a vicelike grip. “What’s the difference, we’re all angels here. All of different origins.” He didn’t smile when he spoke and kept his eyes fixed on Raven.
Eventually the fury left Raven’s face and body “All angels? This idiot got himself pushed down from the realm of the cosmos to the realm of earth. A place many would dream of living in.”
“All sunflowers and roses for sure” Nohen shook his head “You’re lucky you don’t have all of the responsibility of it all…” he had been a few ranks above Raven and went out of his way almost to cause problems. He eventually got booted down to the lowest rank and his wings clipped for his trouble. On such thoughts Nohen sighed and went to stand by the waterside.
Evangel watched Nohen leave before turning his attention back to Raven “As a cherubim I have the complete and utter right to smack you so hard you’ll wake up in next week, and then some.”
Mouse looked at Evangel in some kind of awe, it had never dawned on him that being the angel of the North Star he would actually be more than an angel.
Stallion just looked neutral about it all, ranks meant nothing to him as he had never bothered learning and remembering it all. It was hard enough to remember that there existed several spheres of speciality for his kin as it was. “Enough of the politics!” Stallion stood and clapped a hand on Evangel’s shoulder to get him to sit down.
Mouse finally let go of Raven and settled in his seat, it was odd knowing Raven had once been ‘more’ than a guardian angel on call. He knew Nohen had been demoted because his boss had brought him down to them to ‘straighten him out’.
Stallion shot a look at Raven that meant ‘sit the fuck down’ before going to Nohen. “Come on, Salabeth would not forgive me if I did not care for you.” Stallion smiled and hinted at the table where Mouse had started cramming his face and the others were starting to eat in much more of a civilised manner.
“But… why do you?” Nohen turned to watch the others carrying on as if what happened before hadn’t.
Stallion smiled and started leading him back with a hand on his shoulder “Who’s idea was it to do reconnaissance before rescuing Evan? And, who stopped me being stupid while looking for him in the first place?”
Nohen smiled in reply, knowing what the long haired angel was saying.
“Come on, join in. You do test our patience, but you are loved. I think you are just learning how to in return.” Stallion handed him a plate so he could get what he wanted.
“You do know we survive off of mana right?” Though that didn’t stop Nohen selecting what he would like.
“Yes, but… this is far more fun. It is about living, not surviving…” Stallion sat down again and stroked Evangel’s hair out of his face.
“… so… why are you called Raven now.” Nohen sat and asked him again, ignoring everyone else flinching.
“…” Raven looked at him with a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “It must have been something to do with a holy war I practically started…” he tried to be casual about it and started eating “It’s also the reason I’m barred from entering any hallowed ground. Churches, Temples, Mosques…”
Stallion was the first to break the silence “That explains why you always circle above when your wards are in churches or graveyards” He laughed and shook his head.
Raven began to smile a little and nudged Nohen’s leg gently under the table to smile at him as an apology and forgiveness.
Nohen looked back and nodded gently, nothing came to violence and there weren’t any insults.
Soon the five angels were talking and laughing and eating with ease, it was a nice and sunny afternoon after all.
[words 1235]
Raven sure reacted harshly, why?
Because it’s a very touchy subject for him. Nohen is still a little sore about his own demotion but in many ways they both have more freedom and friendship because of it.
Who’s Salabeth?
Salabeth, The Peacock Prince, is a Dominion. He is a leader among Powers (Nohen’s group), he had enough of Nohen being well… Nohen, and clipped his wings when he was demoted. He personally brought Nohen to Stallion and Raven, thinking they would be good for him.
Why did Nohen laugh so much?
They pronounce ‘-ael’ and ‘-el’ with subtle difference. In this era of internet phael is similar to ‘fail’. That’s what made him laugh, not the demotion. He will later have to explain himself for that one.
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