Where Spirits Have Lease

"Archangel?" she seemed positively mystified by the idea, thoroughly confused, as though she didn't understand the term. She glanced up at the man holding her with a question evident in her beautiful eyes. His hooded expression parted only briefly in a small smile for her benefit, a reassurance. Then, with deep shadows cast over his eyes, head slightly bowed, he replied in a way that she could not. "She knew and knows only that you are sent from Heaven's gate," his voice kept a low tone and always he seemed polite if not comfortable, although whether that effect was generated by the presence of the angel, Akhlys, or just other people in general was not very distinct, "Your descent from the sky like lightning was not difficult to notice, and you did not take pains to hide the mark of your wings, but she did not recognize you as an archangel. I did." Darkly said were those last words, as if born from some shadowy memory or the phantom remnants of a nightmare. They seemed to chase him into silence, and speed his discomfort and desire to get away from this place. The warrior of the skies did not wish to follow, which did not seem to bother him too greatly, and the dark woman had remained relatively silent after his offer, a proposition which hadn't even appeared to be remotely pleasing to him in the first place. But he remained, awaiting her word as etiquette demanded.

"I can not hide the shadow of my wings, it stays with me regardless of the body i choose to inhabit." The Archangel revealed, as he silently followed the man. "I need not food or sleep, but I may watch over my charges how i please. My name is Gabriel, the strength of god." The Archangel stated, taking a stance in the centre of the camp. Lightning flashed again, revealing his wings curled around the settlement.

Having brought the woman safely back to the camp, he laid out his cloak over some of the slightly softer earth, being that the moss which might have been a comfort of some kind had been burned away. She descended gracefully with his aid and stretched herself out quite easily. One may have noticed before she gently closed her delicate eyes that while her body appeared to be tired, those very same eyes which now rested shut were alive with activity. So one might surmise that although she breathed deeply and calmly and appeared thoroughly serene in that most haunting of settings, that her ears still listened to all that transpired.

"My title has long been without use," the man said as he sat down by the fire, which had dwindled in his absence, "But once I was called Artu'ur." His acknowledgement of the angelic defenses about him was only to stoke the flames before him. "I ask that you forgive me my inquisitiveness," he poked about the remains of his food rationing bits into little piles, "But I wonder why should an archangel of heaven descend here?" He looked up into the shadows gathering all around in the onset of night, out of the scorched remains of what had once been green and living. "In this forsaken arboreal sea? There is nothing but forest and the ruins of dead civilizations for leagues." His gaze, hooded and suspicious looked up at the strangely clad individual.

"It is precisely because of that, that i chose this location to descend. There are, or shouldn't have been, any people for miles, who could have seen the descent of an angel...or more accurately, angels." The archangel spoke without any emotion in his voice, he didn't seem capable. It was only logic in his monotone voice. He stood up straight, his hands held behind his back, allowing his coat to ruffle in the wind.

"And confined to a body, unless it is possessed of speed many times in excess of a human's, such as yours will take several days at the least if not weeks to reach any form of civilization," The man's frown furled his features handsomely. Still, his hands dabbled with the food, and he did not necessarily look at the angel as he spoke, averting his eyes in a deferent manner as much as was possible without disregarding courtesy. "Forgive me," curiosity was not only for felines, "I mean not to overstep my bounds, but what business should a warrior such as the Archangel Gabriel find pressing enough to bring him so to these lands?"

"Lucifers first is breaking the seals." That was all that the celestial being anounced, as he stood there, next to the fire. "The first seal was broken, a righteous man shed blood in hell. Said man was a hunter. 33 seals exempt from the first have been broken. Only 32 seals need to be broken, and their are over 600 possible seals. Nobody knows which ones she will break or in what order. This makes her very difficult to stop." Gabriel informed the hunter. "Perhaps, you should tell me your name, and use your skills to assist in the hunt for Lucifers first."

The man looked back at the woman. His eyes remained fixed upon her form, the slight rise and fall of her breathing. "I have already given you my title," he said absently, "And I am unsure as to what I might add to the force of power at your command." He glanced back at the vessel of the angel. "Why would you ask for the aid of a human in your earthly business?" were it possible that suspicion could be visible, then his face was rife with it.

"It has been thousands of years since i was last on earth. Things change. I can locate humans anywhere on earth, and most demons. But the first, Lillith, she eludes me. She has sigils carved into her vessels ribs that hide her from every angel in creation, including Archangels." Gabriels announced to the hunter, as rain started to fall, but none reached the camp. They hit a barrier that could not be seen, keeping those kept within it dry.

“And how could a mere human possibly aid you, when even you yourself and your mighty Archangels cannot find Lilith? Indeed, it would be unwise to.. Unnecessarily sacrifice this poor man.” The mocking voice came before the woman as she walked up behind the hunter, subtly moving her hand to fleetingly touch his back with her nearly claw-like hand, “After all, life is such a frail thing... It should be cherished.” Akhlys chuckled darkly, gradually digging her nails through the fabric of his clothing as she said these words. It was threatening, the way she menacingly applied pressure. The hand then slowly slid off his back, tension immediately leaving with it. She quickly glanced at him and took a few steps further to sit down by the fire. The dark clothing fell around her, hugging her curves in an absolutely beautiful way. The blood that not too long ago still covered her dress and skin was non-existent, as if nothing had happened at all. It was perhaps strange, for one whose entire being depended so heavily on shadows and darkness to be this close to a source of warmth and light. Still, the fire did not warm her skin, which simply was as pale and cold as before. She slowly reached out with a hand, nearly touching the dancing flames. “I apologize for my silence”, a smile distorted Akhlys’ features in a cruel way as she kept staring at her hand, her smooth voice continuing “it has been a rather long time since a person decided to invite me.” She looked up, turning her head towards the hunter. “I do not eat human food” Those green eyes narrowed dangerously as she noticed the other woman resting. “But there was something…” Her voice trailed off as she pondered further, trying to remember it, holding her own delicate hand in the fire. A small sigh escaped from her lips as time trickled further and nothing happened to her flesh, even though the flames hungrily engulfed it. “Yes…” She uttered, moving her hand out of the fire, letting it rest in her lap. It was… Warm. But brief, already the heath was disappearing. “I believe they were grapes” She frowned, at nothing in particular. A small smile curled up the corners of her lips as the old memories flooded her mind. “Yes, grapes… That is the only human food I can stand.” Akhlys couldn’t help but look at the woman again, her face somehow darkening a little as she thought further.

The archangel looked at the women, and noticed the change in her stance and attitude. "Do not worry about the Hunter, should he die, i can bring him back." Gabriel responded to the women. "Perhaps, you could find Lillith? I know not what abilities you may hold, but i doubt you want to go toe-to-toe with Lucifer." The angel stated his opinion. Throughout the whole monologue, his voice remained the same, constant tone and frequency. "and...i doubt you want to go back...there." he added after a few moments of silence.

Where he crouched by the fire, the man's hand tightened over the handle of his knife, as of yet still sheathed on his belt. Slowly, he rose to a standing position. A cloud had come over his face, like a storm blown in suddenly from sea. "I have invited both you and this lady here as my guests, personally, and as long as she chooses to remain under my hospitality, I will thank you to keep your threats at by, Sir," the condition of the knife could not be known but by speculation, but the edge on his voice most certainly could have rent the hardest steel into pieces. He stood his ground, eyes narrowed at the Archangel's vessel. Every muscle in the hunter's body was taught and ready to spring if the need arose. Whether he simply was unaware of the power of the angel or disregarded it in favor of his code of honor might have been evident in the obvious caution he took. It was not fear but prudence that dictated his stance. Still, despite the fact that there was no chance for him to beat the heavenly power, he retained his forceful and defensive attitude.

This being established, I might take a step backwards in my narrative (you hadn't realized I was narrating, had you?) to describe the events immediately preceding this reaction to the words of the angelic presence. It was a dark and stormy night... (Alright, alright, I'm done having my fun.)

Perhaps the man had been about to speak when the shadowy woman again materialized, her words preceding her into the realm of perception, but he deferred to the lady. As she swept his back, nails finding purchase upon the skin beneath his clothes, and even drawing blood in just a trickling amount, he neither moved in the least nor made any indication that he even felt the pain which must have been inflicted upon him. However, the woman where she lay apparently was cognitive enough to notice what was happening, for she writhed a bit, pushing herself up to her elbows, ready to rise, perhaps in defense of this man. What exactly their relationship was had not been very clearly defined, but it was evident within itself that she was not pleased at the sight of him being hurt. As her hair fell about her head, and her pale face rose to look at him, he did indeed acknowledge her motion, always attuned no matter the circumstance to her present condition.

At Akhlys' pronouncement of a desire for grapes, he had made for his sack. In it there was only several berries and some dried fruits which he had acquired some time since, a fact that he knew all too well, but courtesy demanded that even what meager portion he had be offered for consideration if nothing else. Before he could do so, though, the Archangel continued his banter with the woman, a topic in which the hunter himself contained a certain amount of interest. Of course, the ending statement of that creature descended from the sky managed to bring the traveler's hackles to a risen state, and of course, the rest is known to you already. that is, except for a small detail. When he stood, confronting the denizen of heaven, the woman behind pulled herself up so much as to be in what amounted to a crouching position, though masked slightly, still the muscle movements could be realized as such. As she did so, the low rasping of a chain hissing through the dirt could be heard just enough to have been noticeable, though not over the conversation.

The Archangel looked at the hunter, but did not humour him with an appropriate reaction. "Perhaps the lack of a change in tone of voice or mannerisms makes it harder for others to understand meanings. It would be safe to assume that it was in fact a threat if any indication of hostility was present, but that was not the case. Lucifer believes that all of man kind are filth, and seeks to eradicate them. This includes any creatures stemming from human belief. In the beginning, only the angels existed. Everything after that is a flawed creation in Lucifers eyes, and he would see them eliminated. All of them. There are few beings he would not be able to destroy, and those he can't, will end up in Tartarus. This women escaped from Tartarus once already, but her permanent freedom could be garaunteed if she helped stop my brother." The Archangel didn't stop to breath at any point in the speech, the body didn't require it. He stood now, completely still, waiting for a response.

"A misunderstanding then... I apologize," the hand still rested on the knife, but the tension had gone out of his frame, and it was an easy resting. The apology too seemed quite genuine. As he lowered himself back to the ground, to his pack, the woman laid herself on the man's cloak once again, apparently satisfied as he was. "Then what, if I may be so bold as to ask," the hunter began again, sorting through his things, "Do you believe that I will be able to do for you in your search that all the angels of heaven could not?" he had located the fruit, a little pouch had the ripe red berries contained within its leathery confines. He laid them on the ground, beside the rest of the meal which still remained, despite both of his guests' proclamation that they neither ate nor partook of human food. "Recruiting for yourself beings of power, such as the esteemed Lady," he interjected his query with a bow of the head to Ahklys, "That I can reconcile, but I am afraid that I admit to being at a loss to understand how it is that I might contribute to your search. I hunt rabbits." He indicated the meat in front of him. "And deer. Not people, and certainly not demons," his hand once again strayed to his knife as he glanced back at the resting form of his companion, the woman. "Not demons..." his voice petered away along with his thoughts.

"I see. Lillith takes on human form, a little girl, if i remember. Its not her body, its a poor child she has possessed. The girl has had the symbols carved on her ribs with magic, so we can not locate her easily. She is hidden from us." Gabriel turned to Akhlys, and somehow his body managed a slight smile. "If i may ask, would you mind telling me of your power? I may be able to find a way you can help stop Lucifer." Gabriel stepped back, but did not sit, he remained standing straight, his body was completely relaxed.

“Oh, Gabriel…”, the woman began dramatically, pausing after she sweetly sighed his name. The next instance, something in her appearance changed -it was rather impossible to determine exactly what, although some would claim that she deliberately wanted to create a large contrast between what she was, her thoughts and the overly sweet voice that, even though it nearly seemed to embrace a person in its false warmth and inviting sound, could not hide an underlying sense of hostility-, she grimly smiled back at him. Akhlys unhurriedly stood up, hands delicately brushing the sand off her dress as she did so. Her calculating gaze suddenly travelled to him again, those green eyes narrowing slightly. “Tsk, tsk…” Akhlys was unable to repress a disdainful smile. A few steps were taken around the fire, closing the distance between herself and this celestial being a bit more. “You truly must be quite desperate, attempting to make me ‘join’ you in such a conceited and, even worse, ignorant way”, the woman halted as she continued to speak. “An Archangel should know better than this”, Akhlys scowled at him, her voice gradually gaining resentment. “You dare to speak so obliviously about matters that you do not know, claiming to comprehend them. What do you know about Tartaros? There is NO ‘permanent freedom’. There will never be any freedom.” She nearly growled the word ‘freedom’ at this point, losing her temper as the thoughts started to violently swirl around in her mind. “They need me. Or perhaps they merely realize that I cannot be destroyed, for one would have to eliminate the sun and Death himself. Which would be a rather difficult task to accomplish.” The woman stayed silent for a few moments, anger gradually finding its way into her mind before she calmly spoke again. “I do not intend to aid you.”

The man stood allowing his eyes to run over the frightening woman where she stood. The locked in their path as they fell upon the angelic presence. "I am not so foolish as to misunderstand the importance of what you say, Lord Archangel, but this I would know, if I should agree to do your bidding, what would you have me do?"

The woman behind did not stir, but her eyes were wide open, and she was raptly attending to every word spoken. The slight hiss of a chain rasping across dirt could be heard. It coiled round her arm and down in the dust. Yet, she paid it no mind whatever, instead she focused all that was in her on listening, a look of concern lividly lighting upon her face.

The slightest smirk came across Gabriels features, but it was gone so quickly that one who had not known it had happened, would not have noticed it. He opened his mouth to speak, directing his words at Akhlys. "Actually, i served as the replacement for Abaddon in Tartarus, for 60 years, until Uriel was able to take up the position. I know of the horrors of Tartarus, i have damned angels to live their the rest of their long, long lives. I have seen the creation of demons, and all unnatural monsters that are existant on this planet. I have faced down gods from many religions, and come out untouched. I would not stand against my brother alone, only Michael would do such a thing, and that is simply because he is Lucifers elder. Your brother is not Death. He is an interpretation of such, an angel of death one might describe him as. Death himself is a being far more fearsome, one that is kept in eunekian chains 600 feet below the earth, in a room that has been proofed against all life forms. There is only one way to raise him, and when he rises again, it will be with his 3 siblings, and the world will never recover." The Archangel's voice seemed to heat up, become more intense, during his monologue, but when he spoke again, his voice was once more monotonous. "You call me desperate. You would imply that what i want, what i truly want, is to see my older brothers kill each other, in a battle that would scorch the earth? You think thats what i want to see? It may not seem possible, but i love all of my brothers. That includes Lucifer. If you do not wish to help stop the apocalypse, that is your choice, but do not try to assume anything about me, or my brothers, and especially do not assume, that we are ignorant. I have watched over the earth since the first life was breathed into it, i know what goes on." It was then that the celestial entity turned and faced the hunter. "All you would be required to do, is to the best of your abilties, aid us in sniffing out Lilith." The Archangel then closed his mouth, and for the first time since he arrived, he sat down.

She narrowed her eyes at this, at least in her opinion, pathetic excuse for an archangel. Yet, somehow, the woman retained her cold pose as anger rapidly began to cloud her mind. Akhlys ignored what he had dared to say and elegantly closed the distance a bit more between herself and this being, gracefully bending over as she started to speak to him. "Someone needs to search Lilith, hm.. What happens once she is found?"

Gabriel looked at the women, and opened his mouth to say what the archangel thought was fair obvious. "She dies." The celestial being announced in his monotonous voice, always with the hint of a second voice there. The tree's were rustling as a heavy wind picked up, blowing leaves along the ground, creating a sort of natural symphony.

"Then, perhaps..." Akhlys' voice trailed off, the expression on her delicate face becoming one of deep thought. Those green eyes briefly glanced back at the hunter and woman, before returning to this celestial being again. She slowly sat down as well, her body slightly relaxing more. A small smile suddenly lit up her face in a strangely inviting way as the woman nearly happily opened her mouth, "Perhaps in that case I could help. I believe you mentioned something like", Akhlys licked her lips in anticipation before the words could be uttered, "permanent freedom?"

"That is correct. If you were to aid us in terminating Lilith, I would ensure that you would no longer be hunted, to be returned to the prison of the damned." Gabriel replied, standing up again, but he hadn't physically moved. He seemed to have teleported to another location in the camp, now standing against a tree.

Akhlys slowly stood right, facing the archangel proudly. Her stance was a determined one, unfaltering as another charming smile that could not completely hide her cruelness distorted her beautiful features while she made a nearly unnoticeable bow with her head. “I believe, dear Gabriel, that we have a deal.. IF you can ensure my complete freedom”, her eyes flickered dangerously for a brief instance. “Do not attempt to trick me.”

"You think wrongly of us. The Heavenly host do not deceive, that is the job belonging to Lucifer." Gabriel answered, watching the dark woman with intrigue. "I would like a demonstration of your power, if you wouldn't mind. I need to know you can kill Lilith yourself if myself and the other angels become...pre-occupied with Demons. Lilith is protected, you see, if she is killed before 65 of the seals are broken, Lucifer will never be freed." Gabriel announced, his coat beginning to rustle. "If the hunter does not mind, you may attack me with whatever you deem necessary."

The man only sat himself back down when the angelic creature spoke of battle. "If you want her to slaughter you?" was all that he said, his voice trailing off. The woman behind once again propped herself up on an elbow, desirous to see what might happen when a spirit of the heavens angered a spirit of death's last kiss. He glanced back at her, a reassuring gesture passed between the two of them. "Madame," he indicated to Akhlys that her pleasure was his own.

Something strange happened. A half smile appeared on the Archangels face, his body language or stance did not change, he just stood still, nothing showing that he was ready for an attack, except for his facial expression. The first change in expression in the whole time he had been present on Earth, and then, his eyes turned a golden colour, as he stood awaiting the onslaught.