《Thadeus' Rising》


 Chapter 1 - New Awakenings

    They say that you don¡¯t exactly know what happens to you after death. Some have died and have come back from that state and have shared their experiences. It¡¯s just a black void. Someone on the other side is telling them to go back, that it is not their ¡°time¡± yet. Some come back changed. Forever. Me though? I was not that lucky. I lay there in space after a planet exploded, barely alive and floating amongst the debris, barely being able to see myself. I knew full well most of my body was missing, part of my left leg intact while my arms were barely hanging on and my brain, in shock, trying to send signals to parts no longer there.


    I heard a female voice in my head. A voice I had never heard before but it had a motherly tone to it, which, in those dying moments, comforted me and made me forget about how I was dying briefly. ¡°Young one¡­¡± she said softly. ¡°Your time may have ended here, but your journey has not. You will continue, but anew. Rest for now, and you¡¯ll be reborn into your new life¡­ your new journey.¡± The words were comforting. I didn¡¯t know what it meant at the time, as I was floating through space and debris, slowly dying to either shock, blood loss, or being out in space with no way to breathe or even all the above¡­


    [Unknown amount of time later]


    I awoke in an unfamiliar place like I had been there my entire life. Where is this place, though? Looking around, I saw that my bed was mostly made of straw and out in the open, with nothing to protect me from the elements. It did not matter, though, as the temperature was mostly warm, since there was no true weather cycle. Where is here exactly, though? Like most situations, you get interrupted when you try to think about where you are or who you are.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, get up. You¡¯re fully healed and ready for service. Stop wasting time. The Arch¡¯s dislike those who keep them waiting. Today is when you prove you¡¯re either a survivor or succumb like the weaklings. If you come back, we shall go from there.¡± Said a rather muscular voice from behind me. His voice sounded somewhat deep, and judging from where his voice came from, possibly someone who towered over me. I looked behind me and had made the mistake of going, ¡°Huh?¡± Which only angered this being.


    ¡°You heard me¡­ NOW GET UP!¡± he yelled with a deep roar. Not wanting to find out what would happen next, I immediately got up. ¡°Good. Now, follow that group over there, and you will be equipped with the gear you lousy lower classes get.¡±


    The thing about this place is that unless you were born from a Royal bride, you were considered an expendable pawn until you proved yourself worthy. Casualty rates for this level were about 95%, and those who returned would be sent on a new mission where they¡¯d either perish or live long enough to be sent on more missions where you were expected to eventually die. You were essentially just a slave meant to combat the enemies of this forsaken land, but we¡¯ll get into that later.


    I followed a small group of others similar to my likeness. Wait a minute, who am I exactly? What am I? I glanced down, patting my body up and down as though one would pat their suit to try and straighten some creases, or at least attempt to. From what I could feel, it felt like my back had¡­ wings? Are these wings? The rest of me had feathers and odd-looking feet like a bird''s. Feeling around some more, my face resembled a bird as well. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I thought to myself. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what that voice did to me. Wasn¡¯t I just an ordinary human before? How¡¯d I get here, and why am I here?


    ¡°C¡¯mon Thadeus, we¡¯re going to be late, and this brother does not like it when his men are late for gearing up. He¡¯ll have our heads before we can even prove ourselves to the Arch¡¯s and hopefully finally start getting better gear, housing, and a mate.¡± I looked around for who said that. I made eye contact with someone else who looked similar. I think. I¡¯m not quite sure, I still haven¡¯t had the chance to see my own reflection. I could look like one of these creatures I see all around me. They took a step closer to me, giving me a concerned look. ¡°Thadeus, are you okay? You don¡¯t seem like yourself today.¡±


    How does one answer this question when you don¡¯t even know what you look like? It felt like I was born into an adult body in a new land, knowing a language I never knew before. Wait. Have I heard this language before? Did I just have an intense dream that I was a human before, who had died from an unknown cause that I just cannot remember? Maybe it was just a dream¡­


    I looked away and attempted to sound as though I was confident, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Looking forward to finally going out on this mission with my fellow brothers.¡± What is it that I¡¯m doing, though, and why? ¡°NEXT!¡± a voice from ahead of me called. I had zoned out as the man yelled at me, ¡°HEY, GET UP HERE, LOWER SCUM!¡± I looked up and realized that I was the next one in line.


    ¡°You got a fun one today¡­¡± the man snickered. He was geared up in what appeared to be full leather armor, even on his wings. He handed me a short sword that looked like it was found at the bottom of the ocean. The blade was all rusty and had knicks all over the blade. The handle itself looked like it barely held everything together. Along with the sword, I was also given a small buckler shield with what appeared to be the symbol of the Arch-Brother Gabriel. Wait, how do I know this?


    The worst part about this new place is that it appears to be like living in the Middle Ages of Earth. This place had 4-Tiers of lifestyles, and I was at the very bottom of those tiers. Once you get to Tier 3, you¡¯re considered part of the Kingdom¡¯s elite class and don¡¯t have to go on missions where you have a 5% chance of returning. Instead, you could sit around all day or even pick on those they considered unworthy without consequences.


    I walked over to others with similar shields to mine, hoping I was in the right place. This was the first time that I could recall being in this place. While others were chatting, I stood there for what seemed like forever, watching and listening to what these fellow soldiers had to say. Some were talking about their plans for when they finally get out of this lower-level personal hell, while others were talking about how they want to return enough to get the right to breed with a female that is chosen for you. Some societies allowed you to choose your own mate, but not this one. In this one, the Arch-Brothers choose who you shall mate with. Not everyone is even promised one, though.


    ¡°Listen up, Soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, of Gabriel¡¯s Warriors brigade, today you have been personally selected by the Master Angel himself to do a dangerous task. Some of you may not survive, but this mission is very important. An unholy beast is threatening to take our lands in our lower region, and we need this beast slain, for it is an abomination to the mighty Lord himself. While we were all created equal, they were not created like us. At all. So, your task is to eliminate this being. Those who make it back shall be rewarded. Those who did not, well¡­ you died in the name of the Holy Kingdom, and you shall be remembered. There is no time for questions, so prepare to move out.¡± The body this voice belonged to was wearing what appeared to be full plate mail, silver in color with a yellow cross across the breastplate. At his hip was a very large looking sword. Due to his armor, it was hard to see how he looked. He sounded confident in us though.. He was wrong to have that confidence in us.


    We gathered up near a round rock with some sort of hieroglyphics carved all over it, and we were told to just rush right in when the Portal opened. The group of us raised our bucklers as the Portal opened and went right in. The air in this new spot seemed different. It was foggy, there were trees around, and it looked like we were in a swamp. The others rushed ahead of me while I took the time to examine the spot we landed in. It was wide open, stinky, and miserable overall. While looking around, I found a tree with a hole near the stump. Something was calling me to this hole. But why?


    As I checked the hole, I saw a white ball-like object in there, but when I went to grab it, it felt like it sucked some of my energy out of it. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± I exclaimed, weirded out by this experience. My right hand felt like I had sat on it for the last hour, and the blood flow was finally returning. The screams from the others I came here with broke my focus on this. It went from war cries and chanting to screams of agony. I stopped messing around with this strange ball and went into the last known direction where the others were. As I arrived, this giant, green-colored creature with brown horns sticking out from his head. He wore a brown loincloth around his waist. I must¡¯ve taken longer than I thought, as he had started a campfire and cooked up those with me. What the fuck is with this guy?


    I picked up a rock and threw it at him, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice, or possibly just didn¡¯t care. Seeing all the blood and bodies, I wanted to turn tail and run. But I somehow just knew that if I went back without killing this beast, I¡¯d be killed upon return. I sighed slightly, raised my sword, and charged at this thing, knowing full well I was going to die. I was dead either way, though. Might as well attempt to fight this thing.


    The beast heard me as I was loudly charging in. It looked angry that I had disrupted its victory meal. It won¡¯t get me. I¡¯ll just be smart about this. It threw away a leg it was devouring, and I thought this beast was far smaller than it was. I was about six feet away when it grabbed me by my legs, causing my sword to drop because of the sudden force that caused it to fall apart. ¡°You interrupt meal. Your kind bugs compared to my kind. Silly birdy people weak. Bones break easy. Watch this.¡± He took his other hand and squeezed my leg. I screamed out in pain. It felt as though my bones had been ground into powder. I don¡¯t want to die this way. I won¡¯t die this way. I¡¯ll at least go down fighting. The beast thought I was done until it decided to try and bring me close to its face, probably thinking about swallowing me whole.


    I felt my shield hanging off my back, and I was lucky enough to be able to grab it. I chucked it at the beast¡¯s face as hard as I could, hitting it in the eye. ¡°OWWWW, MY EYE. MY EYE.¡± It shouted as it dropped me. ¡°EYE HURT, WHY DO THAT!?¡± Did I just piss this thing off? Am I more fucked now? I managed to fall near the blade of a sword and used that to prop myself up. ¡°You don¡¯t scare me! I¡¯ll kill you; I promise that.¡± I yelled at it. The beast looked at me with its remaining eye and started to laugh. A laugh that, if you had heard, would send shivers down your spine and all the hair on your body would stand up. ¡°What mean? You weak, look at leg. Leg no there. You no last long, you stupid Angel.¡±


    An angel? Is that what I am? How¡¯d I get to this body anyway?


    I hobbled towards the beast, wincing in pain with every step. The beast watched me and continued to laugh as I made a feeble attempt to fight this beast. Knowing full well that I would lose this fight, I fell to my good knee and used the blade of the sword to take a slash at the beast¡¯s leg. The laughter stopped. I looked up to find a very unhappy look on its face. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. I broke the silence and said again, ¡°I¡¯m here to slay you¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Not slay, die. I slay you, you no slay me.¡± The beast made a fist and raised it as high as it could. Not wanting to die with what little I did, I started to fight the beast¡¯s leg as it was the only thing I could achieve, not being able to stand. Then things just went black momentarily. Where am I? Am I dead? What¡¯s going on?


    The voice I had heard while floating out in space had reappeared in my head. ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re not done yet. Not this easily¡­¡± Then, the void faded. My eyes opened, and I was back at the tree. Wait, I¡¯m alive? I took a few moments to gather my bearings as a giant green beast had just squashed me moments before. Was I dreaming? I looked inside the tree and saw that the ball object had gone from a white color to having energy swirling around on the inside. While I had never seen this before, something in my head told me it was a way for me to save my energy, and if I had a mishap, it¡¯d allow me to keep coming back. Interesting¡­ how do I know this?


    I looked back in the direction of where the beast was camped out. At this point, I could see it looking around in confusion. I ran back over there, managed to jump on its back, and started to punch it in the head, its bad eye, and any place that felt soft. After a few solid hits, the beast tried to grab me off of it but kept failing to do so. Eventually, it said ¡°You annoy me. You no die!¡± Then suddenly, things were vertical, and I woke up at the tree again.


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    For the next several hours, I kept going from the tree back to the beast. Fighting it little by little and repeating the cycle of dying and being resurrected by this strange object. Eventually, it became exhausted enough to knock itself out, and I used a sword from one of my fellow warriors to pierce the skin and stab it through the heart. Then, to prove that I killed it, I cut off one of its horn.


    I took a moment to rest, gather my thoughts, and to process what had just happened. Out of 10 of us sent to dispatch this beast, I was the only one who came out alive. How was I going to explain this once I got back? I walked back to the tree and grabbed the ball out, staring into it for a few seconds before placing it in my armor. I went back to where the Portal was in the area, and it wasn¡¯t there. I decided to sit down and wait in the hope they¡¯d potentially send a scouting party to see if the deed had been done.


    A few nights had passed since I defeated the beast, and I was still in that swamp. I was starting to wonder if this was just a ploy and that they expected nobody to return, and nobody here actually mattered. As I was thinking about giving up on the idea of being rescued, I heard a sound behind me and saw a portal open. Out of it came three soldiers, all wearing silver-colored armor that glimmered in the sun. They were fully covered, and on the armor, there was a half-sun with a brown cross in front of it. This seemed a little strange that angels of this caliber would come to assist.


    ¡°You survived, brother, well done. Do you have proof of the demise of the demon? Show us now, or be branded a traitor to the Holy Empire,¡± one of them said demandingly. He held out his hand and motioned for me to place something there. I placed the horn in his hand, took a step back, and kneeled. Why am I kneeling? ¡°Ah, very good. A prized piece of the beast that Orcs would not part with at all. Very good. You may enter the Portal to go back. You shall report to the Lord Mateaus upon your arrival.¡± I nodded and went through the Portal. It was a very different area than what we had embarked from.


    As I got back into the Kingdom, I was greeted by someone in gray armor with gold outlines and a helm that suggested they were part of the Angelic High Order.


    ¡°Very impressive Thadeus, you¡¯ve managed to take out a very strong opponent with little to no training beforehand. You are deemed worthy to join the Order as you are the sole survivor of dispatching an Orc of high caliber. You will be given another mission to do, and if you survive that, we will initiate you into the High Order under Gabriel, and you will move forward from the lowest filth to his personal assistant.¡± He stated. I stood there, confused.


    Less than a week ago, I had just awoken in a strange place after floating through space, barely alive. Now I¡¯m something called an Angel and having to prove myself through errands and being initiated into some sort of High Angelic Order. But what could be worse than taking out an Orc?


    [Fast Forward a few weeks]


    Despite not being sent on another mission to prove myself further, right away, they invited me to a much nicer place within the Kingdom. Rather than sleeping on straw placed over dirt, I had my own personal quarters. It wasn¡¯t very large but had an actual bed and a place to hold my armor and whatever weapons I had. Since I wasn¡¯t considered to be part of the Holy Order yet, my armor was still basic leather mixed with some metal around the shoulders, but at least my sword wasn¡¯t a rusting piece of scrap metal. While I had a personal assistant assigned to me, I didn¡¯t rely on them and would let them relax most of the time in my quarters. However, to keep up appearances, I would have them fetch small things just to make it seem like I was utilizing them. The truth was, I enjoyed being able to talk to them as the others around me were all sorts of stuck up. I chose to keep my head down and just ignore them.


    A few days later, someone came in and stated that it was finally time for me to start this next mission. They walked up a flight of stairs and on the way up, they gave me explicit instructions to not make eye contact with anyone and to remain kneeled with my head down. I was very curious as to who I was about to meet, and I would not be able to make eye contact with them. When we finally reached the top of the stairs, the door was ginormous. It was about 14 feet tall and looked like it was made of oak-type trees with gold jewelry dotted all along the edges. The door slowly opened and made a squeeeeee sound the entire time.


    ¡°Thadeus, you may enter.¡± A voice from in the distance said. It was hard to see anything as it was pitch black. I looked at the escort behind me, he winked and motioned for me to go in. Well then¡­ okay. I slowly walked in before I bumped into what felt like a podium of some sorts. Shortly after running into it, 4 lights appeared over the others.


    ¡°Bow Thadeus, for we are the Arch-Brothers. I shall be speaking directly to you as you are within my clan for now. I am Arch-Brother Gabriel, and you shall serve me.¡± His voice echoed throughout the chambers. I remembered what the escort had told me, so I dropped to a knee and looked down at the ground.


    ¡°Ah, very good. You are obedient, after all. We thought you would be, but we wanted to make sure. Before you can become part of the Order, we must give you another test to ensure you make it back. If you die, then you die a hero who shall not be forgotten. If you succeed, you return with glory and shall be part of the Holy Order. Do you accept these terms?¡±


    I figured if I was going to die, I should at least have the right to face those who were looking at me. I slowly stood myself up and raised my head. ¡°Master Angels, forgive me, but I¡¯d like to lay eyes on those before me before I die.¡± What if this causes me to die instead? What if I just broke some sort of law? Oh well¡­


    One of the others let out a laugh. ¡°What is so funny here, Brother Michael? Does this one disobeying make you laugh? C¡¯mon now, tell the rest of us,¡± one of the others shouted at him.


    ¡°This young one in front of us has fought a fiendish demonic Orc, cut off its horn, and has the audacity to look at us and claim before his death that he shall look at us in the flesh. I like this one, and if Gabriel hadn¡¯t claimed him, I would have, as this one is different than the other peons we have. This one better come back full of glory and victory.¡± Michael responded in between laughter. He had a grin on his face but appeared to be proud of the fact that I defied them.


    ¡°Let''s get back to this current ordeal. This mission, Thadeus, you¡¯ll be going on will be by yourself. You have two moons to defeat this other creature that has been deemed as a demon to the Kingdom itself.¡± They showed me a picture of the beast. It was tall, slender and looked as though it hadn¡¯t eaten for quite a while. ¡°Yes, my lords, it shall be done,¡± I said as I bowed towards them.


    ¡°Very good. Don¡¯t come back alive if you fail to defeat the creature.¡±


    I was ushered off to my quarters, where I grabbed my sword, armor, and the ball. I had a feeling I was going to need it. I managed to tuck it into my armor and then informed the guard that I was ready for the mission. Just before departure, he informed me that they were unable to get me close to the target and that I would have to hike a bit to get to the location. I asked about flying, but they said I needed to sneak up on the creature; otherwise, it would harm me before I could ever see it. I nodded and walked through the Portal.


    I only had two moons to complete this mission. I had to work quickly to figure out where this creature was first. Thankfully, I was given a picture of the being, and there were human villages nearby where I had exited. I walked up to the first village, and I was greeted by an arrow landing directly in front of me. I heard a man''s voice yell out, ¡°Your kind isn¡¯t welcome here, Angel; tell me what business you have here!¡± I put my hand above my eyes to see if I could see where exactly this voice was coming from. I took a step to the right and placed my hands up in the air with the picture in clear view. ¡°Hello! I am on an extermination mission and was wondering if I could approach to show you a picture?¡± I yelled back. I could see the man with the bow lowering it before one of them shouted, ¡°Step forward with you, but keep your arms away from your waist.¡±


    I slowly walked forward while keeping my arms up in the air. When I finally got close enough, one of them came close to me and disarmed me of my sword. ¡°Very good. You may lower your arms, Lord Angel, but just so you know, you may not stay here longer than you need to.¡± The man who had previously shouted at me took the photo out of my hand, looked shocked, and stated, ¡°This¡­ this monster has been stealing our livestock and crops and has even dragged away a few of the small children over the last month or so. We didn¡¯t think it¡¯d catch the attention of the Holy Kingdom as they don¡¯t care to help our kind out without it benefiting them.¡±


    I shrugged as I had no clue about the situation other than the extermination of this creature being handed to me as some sort of test. Although, it was made to sound like I was going to have to do another day¡¯s hike to get where I needed to go. ¡°Since this creature is attacking your village, I¡¯d like to be able to stay here until the task is complete. I can promise that if you help the Kingdom, we shall leave you alone and not ask for anything in return since you are assisting an Angel of the High Kingdom. Your debt will be paid.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure about anything I was saying and wasn¡¯t sure if my word would matter, nor if the Holy Kingdom would leave them to their vices.


    The men looked at one another, then back at me, and nodded. They told me that as long as I was there to slay the beast on behalf of both them and the Kingdom, I could stay as long as I needed. I looked up at the sky and could tell it was the first moon¡¯s approach. Meaning I was low on time. I looked around for a suitable spot where I would not interrupt anyone and found an old barn that was unused. I motioned at it, hoping they¡¯d be okay with me taking up that for the remainder of my time there. Surprisingly, they nodded. I went in and found some old hay just outside in a field that I used to hide my little ball of resurrection.


    As it got darker outside, I heard bells going off in the distance and running outside. I stepped outside, and one of the men from earlier stated that they were going to need my help as the village was under attack by the creature. I wasn¡¯t sure where I had to go, but it became very apparent when I heard a child scream from just down the road. Following the sounds of the screams and a trail from a child¡¯s hands being dragged through the dirt, I eventually caught up to them.


    The being turned around quickly, letting go of the child¡¯s legs, and hissed at me. It looked nothing like it did in the picture other than looking sickly. Its eyes were pure black; it had cat-like ears, green-colored scales, and a pink tongue that looked snake-like.


    After hesitating for a few moments, I finally worked up the courage to engage it. It was far quicker than I and eventually was squeezing me by the throat as if we were engaged in some form of kinky sex. But it wasn¡¯t. It was miserable as I was not only choking but being beaten to death, and I couldn¡¯t even move any part of my body. I lost consciousness and found myself back in the barn. I ran back to the spot, just as it was picking up the poor child again, and shouted, ¡°Hey! Did you miss me?¡± The being turned back and looked confused.


    This time, I threw the first punches before getting pinned up against a wall and handled roughly. This constant state of death and resurrection went on for at least another few hours before the creature was finally eliminated. Cause of death? Exhaustion. Once again, I won another major battle, but it was from being able to return over and over. But this battle caused something to change in me and in the form of trauma. Being pinned against a wall while being choked to death most of the time caused me to be fearful of anything tight around my neck.


    By the time I had defeated the creature, it was almost the second moon. I went back to the barn, tucked away my lucky little ball into my armor, and retrieved the body of the creature before running back to where the Portal was going to open. To my surprise, the Portal was already open when I got there.


    ¡°Ah, welcome back Thadeus. Glad to see you¡¯re alive and well, with no scratches. Plus, you even got the entire body to show you did this successfully. Very well. You have proven your worth to the Order.¡± Someone from my right said. It made me jump a little bit as I did not sense him nor expect anyone to be here quite yet. I looked around before realizing who it was. The same man who had taken me to the Arch-Brothers was also the same man who was there.


    ¡°Yes, I did it. I told the people of that village that in exchange for their help, we¡¯d leave them be. If it weren¡¯t for their help, the creature would¡¯ve gotten away.¡± I was bending the truth a bit, but I really hoped I had the power to state this confidently and get away with it.


    ¡°Hmm. Very well. We shall leave them alone, but we will reward them for their help in capturing this vile demon.¡± He replied. He sounded sincere. I bowed. ¡°C''mon, we have to go before the Elders to get this started for you. It¡¯s likely you will have to never do these things ever again as you appear to be destined for far greater things, such as serving one of the Master Angels.¡±


    I walked through the Portal but dropped to the ground once through. I don¡¯t remember much other than waking up in some sort of medical area. Not many are lucky enough to be even placed there. Most who dropped after coming back from a mission were just thrown to the side. I must have been special. ¡°Ah, good to see you awake. You¡¯ve been out for a while.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I groggily asked. It felt as though I had been sedated.


    ¡°From what we were told, you faced a very powerful and ugly demon, and upon your return, you passed out. You probably used up all your power and strength to do that. But¡­ since you were a hero, you got placed here and received the best healing our healers could offer. You have been out for a week. Now that you¡¯re awake, though, it is time for you to return to the Holy Order for your ceremony.¡± Strangely, the healer said this as if it was normal to just kick someone out of bed after shortly waking up and informing them they had to go before the council. So I got up and walked outside the building.


    Instantly, someone placed their hand on my shoulder and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± I looked over and just nodded and followed.

 Chapter 2 - Initiation

    I was led back to the same chambers as before, with the same door that sounded like an old iron door that had not been opened for quite some time. Once back in the chamber, I took my spot at the podium again but decided not to take a knee as the Arch-brothers seemed to like the defiance and judging how well it worked in the past for me, I figured I would do what it takes to stand out and not be part of the daily suicide squads. This time was different, though, as something felt off.


    "Thadeus, you are hereby under judgment as a potential inductee to the Royal Holy Order of Holy Knights. We have given you several tasks since your first introduction to the Kingdom. You have survived all of them and proven yourself worthy to those in the High Order. We are the Knights of Holy Order and have some questions for you." One of the Knights stood mightily before me, with an aura hard to forget. Floating behind his head was half a sun that radiated with his energy. This specific one was the leader of the group. I looked at him, and he motioned for me to kneel. I decided I''d attempt to push my luck.


    "What if I chose not to? At this point, I have proven myself worthy not to have to kneel but to have others kneel to me. I have brought down several demons infecting the lands and killing our lesser soldiers." I replied, possibly a little too cocky. The others looked at me, then back at this leader that towered over us all. He smiled at me and said, "I love this. But you will knee."


    He then held his hand up to the sky in a manner that looked like he was about to slap me. Instead, he did something that surprised me, something I never knew was possible. "OBEY! KNEEL YOUNG ONE!" he shouted. A blast of air came from his hand, and I found myself on my knees with my head facing the ground. I could not move my body as it just went stiff. He let out a laugh. "I do enjoy your defiance, and had you been lower scum, you would have been executed. Luckily, Gabriel wants you and has ordered us not to harm you." He spoke with confidence in his words. I was still trying to resist this, but eventually realized any attempt to get out of it was futile.


    "Please forgive me for my arrogance, Master Knight. I am glad to be kneeling to a brother such as yourself." Why am I saying this? I hate everything about this. The room was silent for what felt like hours. Just deafening silence, with the occasional sound of metallic ticking sounds on the floor, from the Knights tapping their sword sheaths on the stone floor.


    "Well then, let''s carry on. Thadeus, you are hereby accused of possessing a forbidden magical device not meant for those not part of the Order. Remember that human colony you assisted in rescuing that child from the green demon monster? They reported seeing you coming out of the barn a few times, and upon further¡­" he started to hesitate with his words, making me wonder what they did to those people. "investigation, it was determined that you possibly stole a regen box. After searching through your quarters, we found a magical ball, but it was determined that it wasn''t anything important or that you stole anything." He sounded disappointed, as if he had hoped to have something on me.


    The interesting thing about the Holy Kingdom was that they disliked those who succeeded in doing the dirty work. They have plenty of solid fighters but remain in the Kingdom until they''ve used up a certain number of pawns before actually doing anything themselves. As briefly mentioned earlier, there are what are called tiers. Four tiers to be exact, and they each have their own sectors of the Kingdom, rights, and accessibility to equipment. Typically, Tier 1 has no rights, first pick at decaying armor, shared living quarters, and inferior quality of life conditions.


    Tier 2 got you a bit more. Typically, you had to survive at least five missions while successfully completing the assigned task. Your pick of equipment is still basic, and the armor isn''t that great, but at least it''s kept in maintained condition, and you also get more of a personal quarters with an assistant hand-picked to you. That assistant was typically a Human or another Angel who had failed on a mission but was still somehow useful.


    Then, Tier 3 is Angel''s wet dream. At Tier 3, you get to live very luxuriously without having to worry about being sent on some suicide mission or other benign task beneath you. If you are lucky, you''ll be recognized by the Arch''s and your life will change forever by getting assigned to one of them. Typically, the ones that got assigned to an Arch would receive a lot of benefits. More spacious quarters, access to magical items similar to the enchanted ball I obtained a while ago, and the ability to train in new skills/powers, among other things.


    Tier 4¡­ not much was known to me about this at the time, but looking back at it, it was a cursed position. Reserved for the most powerful of the Kingdom, at a or near a god-level of power. They oversaw the Kingdoms daily operations, set new laws into place, and ensured all the Arch''s relayed orders to those beneath them to assign to others. They would also set up defenses to ensure safety on planets or areas controlled by the Kingdom and its vast empire. It is possible to advance beyond Tier 4, but one must train for ages to reach that power.


    "What does this mean for me?" I asked, wondering what was about to happen to me. I still couldn''t see anything as I was under this weird shout that I couldn''t resist. I wonder if I can learn this eventually. After a moment of silence, a different voice responded, "Let him stand; his defiance has kept him alive thus far, and we should not treat property of the Holy Order like this. Let him stand." The heaviness over my body dissipated and I was able to move again. My entire body felt like I just had thousands of pounds on my back, and then suddenly, it was gone. I slowly stood up, still looking at the ground.


    "Come forward to the Holy Guard, Thadeus, and take your oath to the Holy Kingdom. To the Knights. To the Holy Empire and all that it holds close to its ranks." Gabriel shouted at me. I looked up; the Knights in front of me had all stepped aside and given me a salute with their arms across their chest, and their hands balled into fists. It was a sign of respect, acceptance, and, most of all... a sign that things would get better for me.


    I slowly stepped past the Knights to the podium where I had stood briefly just days ago. Gabriel and the others were at their podiums, watching the whole time and quietly just staring. "Gabriel, do you wish to take this one, or may I?" one of them asked. "No, Michael, I''ll take this one. He''ll fit perfectly under me and my command. He was already part of my lower scum team and managed to fight two powerful adversaries and several scouting missions. I have further plans for him and have taken claim of him." He responded, sounding sure of his decision.


    "Very well. By the Order of the Royal Arch Angels and the power entrusted upon us by God, you are officially a recruit to the Royal Knights.Thadeus, please follow Gabriel to your new quarters; he will show you around. As a Royal Knight recruit, you are expected to do whatever is asked of you by your new Master Angel or others who serve under Gabriel. You will be given a week to further prove yourself to your fellow Master-level brothers so that you can stick around. If you fail to do your duties as your new rank, you will lose all you gained and be back at square one. Let''s hope you don''t fail nor lose the trust we''ve entrusted you with." One of the others stated. These two never once stated their names, nor did Gabriel or Michael ever talk to them. I stood there still, wondering if this was the life I wanted. I heard one of them clear their throat and knew I had to respond.


    I bowed. "Thank you, Master Angels, for gracing me with your generosity. I shall do what it takes to please the Master Angel, who has personally selected me and allowed me to be part of the Holy Order of Knights. I promise to fulfill my oath and do what it takes." I replied, trying to sound as serious as I could. I looked back at them. Gabriel had a huge grin on his face as if he had something already planned.


    "Very well, come with me, young one, and we shall get acquainted with your new quarters, roles within the Kingdom, armor, and weapon, and find some teachers who can train you in key areas. Follow me." He stated, walking towards a side door I hadn''t noticed before. I nodded and started walking his way when he suddenly reached out and grabbed my hand. He looked down at me, still grinning, and led me through the door. Once outside that chamber, he asked a strange question" "You''ll do whatever it takes not to get sent back down to the bottom of the chain?"


    I looked at him, confused. "Well, yes, I did pledge myself to you," I said, confused about what he had in mind.


    "Good. I will show you to your quarters, and then tomorrow, I shall have your assistant show you around. However, watching you, I know you will not use them as we intended you to use your assistant. But it is okay because only you and I know your little secret." The tone of his voice concerned me. Did he know I allowed my previous servant to slack off and mostly nap all day? If that was the case, why was he so quiet about what was happening?


    While holding onto my hand, he practically dragged me to my new home. On the outside, it looked cozy. It was twelve feet in length and about eighteen feet high. There is plenty of space for a single being such as myself. Inside, though, it was a different story. Somehow, the home was bigger on the inside. On the outside, it was the size of a mobile home, but on the inside, it was the size of a medium-sized mansion. Next to the door was a weapons rack for what appeared to be three swords, a bow, and possibly a shield. There was a single bookshelf with books ranging from famous Angels in History to advanced swordsman techniques. The bed itself was a full-sized bed with actual materials and looked like it could comfortably fit at least two full-sized angels.


    The kitchen area, which food wasn''t that huge of priority to a species that doesn''t need to eat, was small. A little ice box in the ground to help keep perishable foods cool, and a small shelf where you could store dry goods. There was also a chair, but nothing about it stood out. While I was looking around, there was a knock at the door. I stood there frozen for a second, as I was not expecting anyone to come visit me tonight. Who could be at my door?


    I slowly opened the door. "Hello?


    "Hello, sir, I am your assistant. I no longer have a name; I lost my rights to that. I am just simply Three-Zero-Three. You may call me Zero, Slave or, Three, or whatever it is Master Angel wishes to call me. I will be here for you night and day." This Angel looked pretty emaciated, had chains cuffs around his wrists and ankles, and wore what appeared to be sacks around his feet. I had expected this to be different when I was told I''d be given a personal assistant. They''ve already admitted to being a slave. I looked at them, figuring out where to start or what exactly I wanted.


    After a few moments of silence, I asked: "Don''t you have an actual name? I wish to call you by your real name. You may be a slave to others, but to me, you''re someone who can keep me company. Why don''t you sit on the bed?" Zero looked at me and attempted to muster up a smile before just giving up and maintaining their dead-on-the-inside facial expression.


    "Thank you, Master Angel, but I will not disgrace you like that. I am here to serve you, no matter what it is. I''ve been told that you hold special relationships with your assistants, and while I cannot say I approve, I will present myself to you if you request it." I stood up quickly after hearing that last part. I found it difficult to respond, and I could tell that Zero was also confused by his reaction to my reaction. "Do you not wish to partake in those relations with me, sir? It''s fine if you do, it really is."


    I let out a heavy sigh. "No¡­ you don''t have to worry about that, Zero. I am not into my assistants like that. I am more about doing my own errands and retrieving my own things. I''d let my previous assistant sit down and relax, and we''d discuss things. That is about it. I have no intention of having sexual relations with you." I calmly stated, in hopes that he would potentially relax.


    "Oh, I see. So, while I am under you, Master Angel, it is expected that I shall not have to be a sex slave on top of my normal duties and that while I''m performing under you, I may lay about? Is that what you are saying?" Zero looked around the quarters, acting like I had freed him from his shackles. He looked at me again, waiting for an answer.


    "Correct Zero. While you are here, you may relax a little, but you may be expected at some points to play the part of my assistant and retrieve items for me. I know we both may get in trouble if you get caught, but feel free to read some of these books here, as I''m sure there are at least a few books in there that could help you out." I pointed at the shelf, hoping he would pick up a book and read something. Instead, he looked around the rooms before eventually pointing to a spot on the ground.


    I let him pick where he wanted to sleep. Typically, they would sleep outside like house pets. I did not know how I was so different from the others or why, but I didn''t truly believe in the laws imposed on us. They did not seem¡­ fair.


    A few days had passed since Zero showed up, and we agreed to send him on meaningless tasks here and there to make it seem like I was utilizing him properly. Tasks include:


    <ul>


    <li>Sending him to the Armory to sharpen one of my blades.</li>


    <li>Getting my shield polished.</li>


    <li>Other tasks I could have easily done myself.</li>


    </ul>


    I spent these days mostly reading about fighting with two swords, as I did not care for shields. Sure, it provided extra armor, but my new armor covered most of my body and was made from a more robust but lighter material.


    "Hey, Zero, it is getting late, and it''s been a few days since I was brought here. Is this normal?" I asked from my bed, looking over the book I was reading. I was starting to wonder if I had been forgotten about. I was starting to get concerned.


    "Oh right, Thadeus, I forgot to tell you. While I was at the Blacksmith today, Gabriel himself was there. He informed me to make you aware that he will be here sometime tomorrow to give you a promotion. He didn''t tell me any further details, but you must be special if he''s going to promote you since you''ve been given no orders nearly all week."


    It is strange that I''ve managed to go almost a whole week, not receiving an order a single time, but will be having Gabriel, of all people, show up and promote me. Am I that great? He wants to promote me already. Why though? What is the difference between me and the others? "Thank you, Zero; we should probably sleep then. It sounds like we will have a busy day tomorrow." I said as I sat on my bed. "Good night, Zero. Thank you for your work." Zero was already passed out, curled up in a ball in one of the corners he chose to set up and makeshift bed in.


    That night, I found it difficult to sleep. I had so many questions I couldn''t stop thinking about. Did I do something without realizing it? Was Gabriel that impressed by me? These were among many other questions looming through my mind. I didn''t expect anything to happen, and everything happened quickly.


    At this point, it had been a year since I woke up in this strange place, surrounded by others, being sent on missions with little to no expectation of returning. Interacting with varied species of all sorts. It had been a remarkably interesting year for me. The memory of floating out in space, barely alive, and hearing that voice seemed as though it was just possibly a distant dream.


    The morning eventually came, and I had barely slept from being far too anxious, knowing that Gabriel would show up at my door at any moment. I was nervous, and the air was different that day. Something felt off, but I figured I was experiencing a case of jitters. I stood anxiously at the window, waiting for his arrival. Wonder what I possibly did to catch his attention. Just as the sun hit midday, I noticed a glimmer in the distance. Is that Gabriel and his entourage? As they got closer, several marching soldiers grew louder until they stopped before me.


    "Attention, Thadeus. Gabriel is here and wishes to speak to you. We trust there will not be any issues," the lead soldier said. I nodded, indicating that there would be no issues from me. "Very good. Master Gabriel, he''s all yours."


    Gabriel, surprisingly underdressed for this, came to the front and thanked the soldier. "All of you may leave, I have business to attend to with my underling here. I''ll find my own way back," he said while waving them off. The feeling in the air grew stronger as this wasn''t normal. Even though Gabriel was a powerful being, the Archs always had guards with them in the lower areas of the Kingdom. It was just protocol. Something is off with this.


    "May I come in, or do you wish to do business out here?" He asked. I looked at him briefly before turning around to open the door, bowed, and motioned for him to enter. He put his hand on my chest and lifted me to his height, suggesting I might not need to bow. I followed him in, closing the door behind me. "You there, Slave, take your leave. You''re free to do whatever but cannot stay here, so get lost." He barked at Zero.


    "My mistake, Master, I will go." Zero said quickly. He gathered up his bed and left. "Thank you, Master Angels, I shall take my leave now." He left quickly, not wanting to make Gabriel a second time. With Zero gone, things started to feel off. I was wondering if maybe he was going to kill me, and he could tell I was uncomfortable.


    "So, let''s get down to business. Remember how you pledged to me that you''d do whatever it takes to move on?" He said as he sat down on my bed. I needed to find out where he was going with this. "Sir? I did make that pledge, yes." I replied.


    He tapped on the bed in a way that suggested he wanted me to sit on the bed. I thought about it for a second. "Come now. Sit down, let''s get straight to it." He said in a soft tone. "I''d rather not send you on a mission where you have a high probability of dying, as I have plans for you. So I thought about other ways that I could promote you." I wasn''t sure what he was talking about, but he was talking to me normally. He grabbed my shoulder gently and looked into my eyes. His eyes were very yellow, and he appeared to have light circles around his eyes that most don''t get to see since we''re not supposed to ever be this close normally to the Arch''s.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "What¡­ what are you talking about?" I asked, confused about what was happening or where he was getting. He looked behind us at the bed. I was starting to wonder if maybe he thought I was a female and had hoped I would sleep with him. That couldn''t be it, though. Females in this society were not allowed to fight or do much of anything and were picked by males as their mates for life, whether they liked it or not. The Kingdom viewed females as lesser beings, so they were placed aside for the archs.


    "Look, Thadeus, we both know you had a relationship with your previous servant. You have not expressed any interest in a mate when it was your given right after your successful completion of the tasks you were assigned. I figured instead of sending you off fighting, I could have my way with you." He said in a relatively calm tone. Which, to me, was very alarming. I had no interest in a mate, as I wanted to focus on other things. My lack of knowledge and interest in obtaining a mate of my own and allowing my previous assistant to slack off resulted in others assuming I was gay. They were allowed in the Kingdom because that meant straight Angels could get an extra mate.


    I slowly stood up and calmly stated, "Lord Gabriel, I will do whatever mission you assign me. I am not like that, and whatever you assign me to do, I will get it done¡ª"He placed his hand over my mouth. "Shhh, shhh. This is your mission now." He looked me in the eyes again, and I could see he had made up his mind.


    "I refuse to be your toy for this promotion. I would rather go back to the slums of the Kingdom than allow myself to be your one-time sex toy. You cannot, and will not, make me do this. I''ll return my equipment and everything and return to peon work." I stated. My heart was pounding; I was scared. This is what I had sensed about today, this is why the air felt so heavy to me. I knew something terrible would happen but didn''t realize it was this bad.


    "I love your defiance. The defiance from others excites me to no end. It doesn''t matter what you want, though." He said with a smile. He stood up. "You know that you won''t be able to run, right?" he raised his hand in the air. "Get on the bed." He shouted. I looked at him and shook my head. He grabbed me by the neck with his free hand and had a look of fire in his eyes. I thought maybe since I had rejected his advances on me, he was going to kill me.


    Instead, he threw me face first on the bed and did a quiet-shout. "OBEY! ASSUME THE POSITION." Next thing I know, I''m stuck on all fours with my butt up in the air. I couldn''t move; I couldn''t even talk. I felt him grab at my ass while hearing him laugh. "I told you¡­ I always get my way, and you don''t have a choice. Your defiance towards me did this, and for you to become my trusted assistant, you have to be shown that you''re my bitch. Not the other way around."


    I tried to resist further but eventually accepted that I could not move. I heard Gabriel let out a laugh. "What''s the matter? I thought you didn''t want to do this. You are presenting yourself to me for someone who doesn''t want to do this. Well, I guess I should get started," he said teasingly.


    While I couldn''t move, I could still feel all over. I felt the heat from my hands spreading my cheeks, touching me in an area that I never expected to be touched. I heard his armor being unbuckled, then a sudden soft crashing sound on the floor from his armor. "Don''t worry, I''ll try to be gentle. I wouldn''t want to hurt my special little servant. You should look at this as your initiation into the Order. You wouldn''t want to go out on a mission anyways."


    After being frozen in place, with Gabriel going to town on my rear end, for what felt like hours, he started to moan, indicating he was getting close to ejaculating. Shortly afterward, I felt a warm liquid, followed by him laughing. "Ahahaha, thank you for that. I suggest you get yourself cleaned up, and I will have you retrieved tomorrow, and we will continue with the promotion." He leaned down, picked up his armor, and as the door closed, I was finally unfrozen. I fell face-first into my bed. I lay there for a few minutes, unsure what to do, trying to process what had just happened.


    At that moment, I had a fiery hatred for the Archs, especially Gabriel. I had decided to eventually get up, having his juices drip out of me slowly as I walked around my home, trying to figure out how to manage this. I had a little tub with fresh running water hooked up to it, but I was so distraught that I could not process it clearly. I heard my door open again and looked at the door. Stood in the doorway was Zero. He glanced at me, but I chose not to make eye contact.


    "Master Angel¡­ I saw the entire thing¡­ I had a bad feeling and watched through the window. My service to you isn''t over until tomorrow. Come on, let''s get you in the bath. I''ll clean up the mess while you bathe." Zero said in a reaffirming voice.


    "S¡­sure, okay, thanks¡­ Zero¡­¡± I replied, with shame easily detectable in my voice. I walked over to the tub and started the water. The water was cold, but after what just happened, that was the least of my worries until I stuck my foot in. "Ah, damnit. This water is freezing." I said, briefly snapping back to reality. Zero came over and adjusted the water, ensuring that it became a more comfortable temperature. He looked at me with a smile and assured me I''d be okay. Despite being told to get lost and figure out a new assignment, he remained by my side for the rest of that day. I tried my luck at the bath again; it was a perfect temperature. I stepped in and sat down. Zero came over and placed some leaves into the tub. "These will help with any pain and will help you relax. Please take as long as you need. I''ll change your bedding out as well. I''ve cleaned up the floor. It was a pleasure serving you, my lord." The tone Zero had was that of a concerned friend. Something that I hadn''t had the chance to experience yet. I looked at Zero, "Thank you again."


    Despite all this, I still decided to go through with my promotion within the Order the next day. While I vowed to myself I wouldn''t loudly be defiant anymore, I knew that one day, I''d get my revenge on him. I am not sure how I would, but I would. Zero left shortly after I laid down in my bed. Will I ever see him again?


    The next morning, there was a knock at my door before the sun was even up. I thought I had been dreaming until I heard my door open. "Thadeus, C''mon, let us go. This is something that starts right at sunrise." A voice in the dark said. I had barely sat up when I felt my armor thrown into my lap. "Comon, get suited up. The longer we wait here, the quicker the sun will come up." He barked at me.


    I quickly put on my armor and groggily followed the man. On the way out, I grabbed one of my swords and attached it to my hip. "Ready?" he asked. "Yes, sir, let''s go," I replied. We walked around for quite a while in the dark. Somehow, the person who retrieved me appeared to know exactly where to go. "Careful, we''re walking upstairs here in a second."


    I started shuffling my feet to determine where the stairs were. As I continued to shuffle my feet, I felt a stone step. The moment I stepped on that step, torches all along the stairs lit up one by one. Once they all lit up, I realized where I was. This was the way to the chambers of the Holy Order of the Arch Angels. But it was different. This time, it was decorated with fancy flowers, symbols, and other items that suggested something special was about to happen.


    At the very top of the stairs, the doors were already open, and the Archs were standing around, appearing to be issuing out commands to others. Some others like me were there that looked a little rough. It looks as though they had survived their missions, but barely. One of them has missing patches of feathers, with stitches over wounds. Another one was missing an eye, and he had a significant scar on his face. Another one was missing an arm. Then there was me¡­ untouched for the most part.


    "Ah, welcome initiates! Come on in, find a seat at the appropriate table." A guard had shouted at us. We looked at each other briefly before walking in together. To our right were four tables, each with a sign with our names over it, indicating where we should sit. To my surprise, I was the only one at Gabriel''s table. I took a seat, and a servant came over and poured me a glass of Angelic Wine and a plate full of what looked like various meats, berries, and other foods. The servant looked at me to ask if I''d like anything else. I thanked the man for what he had brought and informed him that this was fine. He nodded and left after being called over to the soldier''s table.


    Some time passed before the sun came up, and it was announced that the doors would close as it was time to start the process. Michael took to the podium and began to speak in a deep voice that everyone could hear.


    "Hello, everyone; we welcome you to the Holy Order promotional event. During the last few years, except for one of you, you have all done exceptional work for your Lords and for God of the Holy Kingdom. Thanks to you, our Kingdom and the places we protect are safe. You have fought everything from Elves to Dragons who had encroached on our borders, threatening to take our lands. Many died in the process, but you guys¡­ you guys survived. You''re the best of our next generation of young soldiers." He paused for a moment, looking around the room.


    "These fine soldiers in front of you have also been in your shoes at one point. They fought bravely for their Kingdom, for our Holy Lord, and for the Master Lord Angels who stand at my side. First of all, let''s talk about one that performed exceptionally well. So well that he caught Gabriel''s eyes." He looked over at Gabriel. "It''s been years since Gabriel last took in anyone, and the one called Thadeus will be the newest apprentice to this fine Soldier of God. His apprentice is very lucky and has survived two powerful beasts. He managed to bring one of them back as proof and a piece of another as proof. He had been sent on multiple missions to scope out Demonic entities, Humans, Elven scum, and even Dragon caves to ensure that the beloved Holy Empire was not touched by those who were considered to be tainted. To our surprise, he kept coming back and provided valuable information. While I would''ve loved to have taken him in under my wing¡­ Gabriel has expressed clear interest in him instead." He paused for a moment and pointed at Gabriel. "This master-level Angel always gets what he wants, am I right?" he joked.


    The entire room was filled with laughter. Gabriel raised his hand in the air, a signal that it was time to quiet down. "Ahem. While I''d like to say you''re all worthy. None of you, except for the one I chose, are all that worthy. The rest of you looked like you''d been chewed up by an orc multiple times and spat out. You''re not useful to me like that one is." He pointed at me and continued with his speech. I tried to make eye contact with him but failed as I kept thinking back to last night and how¡­ well¡­ you were there already. I could feel him staring at me while he was talking about whatever bullshit he was talking about, probably hoping I''d stand up and try to be defiant. No, thank you. I''ll continue to sit here snacking on this plate of food and take small sips of my drink instead.


    Eventually, I heard my Name called along with "Come up here to receive your new orders." I stood up and walked slowly up to the podiums. Gabriel walked around his podium, to which I kneeled. "Ah, perfect," he said. He turned around and grabbed something from behind the podium. I chose not to look up until told to do so.


    "Everyone!" he shouted. "As of right now, Thadeus is now part of Lord Gabriel''s Special Forces. You will address this man as if he was myself. For his bravery out in the field and his attitude towards others, he shall be my Captain, and I expect those who follow his orders to follow his orders as if they were mine. He is an extraordinary one to me, and he shall be my right-hand in all matters."


    Everyone started to clap. He told me to rise, which I did. He placed his hands on my shoulders, leaned into my ear, and whispered, "I knew that little extra training last night would help you." Then unclipped my leather armor from my shoulders. He handed me my new armor. It was very light in weight and had Gabriel''s emblem on it and a Sun with a crown over the sun. On the back, It clearly showed that I was part of his forces and his Captain. On the right shoulder was a hand print, which indicated I was essentially his right hand. After I put it on, he returned my sword since it was attached to my old armor. He handed me a helm, which I put on. This was no ordinary helm, though; it was worn mainly by the Lord Arch''s or higher. This is really happening, and all it cost was being raped for who knows how long while also under an "Obey" spell. What a terrible trade.


    After that, he told me to follow him as the rest of the meeting was pointless for us as we had other things to attend to. We walked through one of the side exits, and as he was sure we were out of range of eavesdroppers, he stopped and looked at me. "You should be happy about last night, as I know you cheated during those missions. I know that the object you possess allows you to resurrect shortly after death. You can fool others, but you cannot fool me." He said, looking very serious.


    "Your defiance is a curse, yet a blessing at the same time. Had you not defied us a few times and just done what was expected of you, you''d still be going on those missions where survival would be impossible. That''s how I knew you had to be using one of those. Remember those others with you in that room? They had done three years of service before reaching this point, where you have done only one. But look at how they look, then take a look at you. Clear night and day difference. Now, you''ll serve as my right hand and be an obedient little bitch to me, or I''ll destroy that ball of yours." he said in a demanding tone.


    I looked at him, and I must''ve given him a strange look as he chuckled. "Understood, Master Angel, I will not disobey you and carry out your orders and your will on others to my greatest ability," I said while kneeling.


    "Perfect. I''ve already had all your belongings moved into a Tier 4 section of the Kingdom, as I figured you''d be this way. Under the others, you would have been Tier 3, but because of your exceptional generosity last night, what you have done in the past year, and because you''re my Right hand, you are far greater than those beneath you, and I do hope you''ll continue to prove your worth." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "I have a task for you to do soon once I get things secured." He said, surely.


    "Understood, my lord, I thank you for your generosity and all you have done for me. I will serve you well." I responded, slightly cringing while still looking at the floor. I saw his feet walk away from me before one of his servants tapped my shoulders. I looked up and realized it was a female servant this time around.


    "Come with me, Master Angel, and we shall get you to your quarters," she said softly. I must''ve stood up too fast as she appeared startled.


    "Sorry, did I scare you?" I asked.


    "No¡­ it''s just that¡­" she paused briefly before finally finishing. "It''s just that¡­ you don''t feel like you''re a monster." She leaned in close to my ear and started to whisper. "It''s just that normally he picks really terrible people to be close to him, and well, you see¡­ you feel kind¡­" She stepped back as a Guard approached. "Captain, is this servant bothering you? I''ll have her punished right away."


    I shook my head and told him she was telling me about my new quarters and what I could expect after living in the lower part of the Kingdom for a while. The guard, happy with my answer, walked away.


    "Thank you, Master Angel¡­ that''s what I meant. Others would''ve told him I was bothering you and would have me punished. Come on, let''s get to your quarters." She grabbed my hand briefly before letting go of it, blushing. "I''m¡­ I''m sorry¡­ follow me, please."


    This servant was beautiful. She had white feathers with a blue hue. Her voice was soft, and her eyes were blue. She wore a long gown with the symbol of "Gabriel" on the shoulders, possibly indicating that she was his property. She led me down a long row of giant homes compared to my previous quarters, and I was starting to imagine just how much room would be on the inside.


    We finally stopped. The outside was white, with a gold trim around the house and the windows. The door looked like it was custom-made. It looked amazing on the outside. The servant turned to me. "Master Angel, sir. This is your new home. I cannot go in with you, as Gabriel would have both my head and yours since I am not yours to command. My main Order was to show you here." She explained. I looked at her, and before I could thank her, she looked down at the ground. "Uhh¡­"


    "Yes?" I asked.


    She leaned in close.


    "Do you think you will ever rebel against him? I heard about what he did to you. He talked about it with Master Arch Michael over dinner last night while drunk." She whispered.


    "Sorry, but that isn''t something I-"I was carefully looking for my next words. "Look¡­ I know I wear the symbol of Gabriel, too, but I am not loyal to him. If the time ever comes where I can overthrow him, then I shall. But until then, I will do as he asks. We all have our duties. I will forget about this talk, though, and we shall pretend like this never happened." I stated pretty firmly.


    She nodded and ran off. I turned my attention back to the door. This is my new home.


    Upon opening the door, I noticed that it was very spacious inside. So spacious, that I could stretch and not touch the ceiling. By the front door, there was a metal weapons rack large enough to hold various weapons. There was an area by the window where a desk sat with a bag and a note. The note read:


    "Master Angel Thadeus,


    This bag is for you. It''s an ethereal portal bag. You can store hundreds of objects in here. It is a specialized sword made just for you. Based on your experiences, your record, and what we have heard about you, we have given you a Katana. Also, your former servant informed us that you closely studied advanced two-handing fighting with swords, so we gave you two additional short swords as a ''Welcome to your new home'' present. You will be assigned a male servant at Gabriel''s request. Something about how he wants you to remain abstinent, to faithfully carry out his will.


    Best of luck to you.


    -J"


    I turned the note over to see if anything was on the back. Surprisingly, it was the layout of the home. I was standing in the "sun" room. The hallway would take me to three doors. One door led to a large, spacious room with a large bed. Another to a washroom with a very large tub, probably big enough for at least four people. Then the last one was a library. I was interested in what books were in the library, so I went there first. Upon opening the door, I was in awe at the sight before me. Bookshelves stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and a large research table with a codex of what books were there. I noticed a button on the floor near the table, and we all know what you do when you see a strange button in your home. I pressed the button.


    It opened to a cellar. I looked at the paper again, thinking maybe I missed seeing this. It did not show the cellar. I slowly went down the steps, and several large wooden kegs were down there. I grabbed a cup from an empty shelf and got a delicious gold-looking liquid. Sipping the drink, it turned out to be some Alcoholic beverage.


    I went back upstairs, closed the door, and sat at the desk, looking through the codex sorter, hoping to find books on further advancing my swordsman skills. While looking through the list, something caught my eye: "Energy-based healing, resurrection, and light of the darkness techniques, 1." I looked to see where this was on the shelf but got distracted by my door opening and closing. I put the codex on the table and went to see who had entered.


    I peeked into the hallway and saw a figure sitting with their legs underneath them. I slowly walked over to who I assumed was possibly my servant. "My lord, I am here to serve. I was informed that I am your servant, and although I am technically not assigned to you until tomorrow, I''d like to introduce myself." He said while staring at the floor. Shortly after, he raised his head up and made eye contact with me. "I''ve talked with Zero. Is it true that you will not run me into the ground or make me do everything for you? Are you the same one he spoke about?" he whispered.


    I looked at him, unsure what to do, but knew I should probably answer him.


    "Yes, that is correct. I will send you on occasional small errands to avoid suspicion that you''re useless. Sharpen my swords, get my armor polished. You know¡­ simple tasks. I personally dislike the idea of having a servant."


    He looked at me, nodded, and wandered around before moving the desk over and placing his bedroll down.


    I looked outside, wondering how late it was by now. The day had been long, and I had been woken up early after a terrible night. The sun appeared to possibly be setting soon, but I didn''t know what tasks I would have tomorrow or where my duties would take place.


    "Hey, uhh¡­ what can I call you?" I asked the servant.


    "You may call me Nine"


    "Just Nine?" I replied.


    He nodded, then asked, "Do you need anything before I sleep, my lord?" I sat there momentarily, wondering if I needed anything from him. Mostly just wanted to sleep and try to move from the crazy events of the last couple of days. Something I knew for sure, though, was that I would get my revenge one day for what Gabriel did. But until then, I will play it cool, do what is asked of me, build my power, and bide my time.

 Chapter 3 - Gabriels Office

    Daylight came quicker than I had expected. I grabbed my gear and went outside, hoping to find others to show me where I should be. I noticed a servant from one of the other quarters had walked outside. ¡°Excuse me, I have a question.¡±


    The servant dropped everything in his hands and stood up straight.


    ¡°Forgive me, I didn¡¯t mean to do it.¡± He said.


    I looked at him, confused, not knowing what he was referring to.


    ¡°It was an accident¡­¡± he stated, with tears in his eyes.


    I turned him around and pointed to the house. He noticed the symbols on my armor and hesitantly let me into the house he came from. He slowly opened the door, revealing a dead body that looked as though it had been moved to look like it had slipped and fell upon exiting their tub and landed face first to an exposed blade. I looked at the servant, confused.


    ¡°Care to explain what happened here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Master Angel¡­ please understand that I didn¡¯t mean to do it. He wanted his sword quickly, so I was running around, slipped on some water, and sent his sword flying straight into his head¡­ killing him.¡± He explained.


    I looked at the mess in front of me, wondering if I should do nothing or attempt to try and use the healing technique I had read about and had been practicing in small bits. I turned back to the servant. ¡°What can you tell me about this one? How did he treat you? What was he like?¡±


    He looked at me, confused, as though he had never been asked this.


    ¡°Master Angel, I don¡¯t understand. You could kill me right now, but instead, you chose to learn about him as if you¡¯d abuse the position granted to you to protect me instead. Why?¡± he asked, not truly understanding that I valued his life far more than that of the corpse in front of me. I have the choice here to either take his life or lie for him and make it seem as though the lifeless body in the tub had plans to betray the Order. I turned around and looked at the armor for signs of who this one may have worked under.


    From what I could tell, it didn¡¯t appear to be someone under Gabriel or Michael. The servant was following close behind me, waiting for me to decide. It was possible he could sense what I was up to or just so deep in his fear that he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Okay, so I have a plan.¡± I started, turning around. He looked at me, wondering what I was going to do since I hadn¡¯t struck him down yet. ¡°I want you to go fetch a guard and let them know that a fight broke out here between your deceased master and the Right hand of Gabriel.¡± I placed my hand on the sword that was embedded into his head. I did not know if they¡¯d be able to determine if I did it or not, but I placed my hand every inch on the handle to try and dissipate the energy from the servant to make it appear as though I actually did it.


    I looked back and saw that the servant wasn¡¯t there anymore, as the front door was left wide open. It did not occur to me that I should start thinking about a cover story, as I heard multiple people in armor running at a fast pace. Amongst those who came in was Michael. He took a moment to assess the situation, then looked at me.


    ¡°Speak. What happened here, and why?¡± he said, placing his hand on the butt of his sword. He looked as though he was expecting to slay me immediately.


    I knew that if I hesitated to speak, he might actually do it. ¡°Hello, Arch lord. I had come here because I had overheard this one speaking loudly about potentially abandoning his post and betraying the Holy Order. Since I am the right hand of Gabriel, I took it upon myself to execute the traitor before he became a problem.¡± I stated as confidently as I could.


    He scratched his head and had an expression on his face as though he had expected something like this to happen. He took a deep breath and looked at the servant.


    ¡°You! Did you hear or see anything? You are always within earshot of this Solder of Light. Surely you know something.¡± Michael barked at the servant.


    I put my hand over the servant¡¯s mouth. ¡°I already interrogated him. He was sent on many errands these last few days, and the amount of time he spent out of the house exceeds the amount of time he spent here. As Gabriel¡¯s right hand, I declare that this lesser being had no idea what his Master was doing.¡± I stated, trying to sound as official as I could.


    Michael looked at me, then back at a couple of guards in the hallway. One of them shrugged while the other glanced at the door. Neither seemed to know what to do about this, and they didn¡¯t care if it was true. Michael pointed at the body. ¡°Remove this body and take it to a processing facility. This one will not get an honorable funeral as the right-hand of Gabriel has stated he was a traitor to the Kingdom.¡± He announced to the guards.


    Michael grabbed my shoulder and motioned for me to follow him. As we went outside, the other guards with him went in. ¡°Take your time removing the body. I need to talk with Gabriel''s right hand alone, " he said as he closed the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to pull here, as I know that Angel wasn¡¯t a traitor to the Order. However, I will believe your word as you are the right-hand of Gabriel, and your word about the situation is as if Gabriel himself said it.¡± He didn¡¯t sound too happy judging from his tone, and despite both of us knowing that I lied, he accepted my story. He re-opened the door as the guards were carrying the body towards the door. ¡°Servant, come out here.¡± He shouted.


    The servant came out and kneeled before him. Michael looked at him. ¡°Since the one you served is now dead, you have the option to either serve the one who rescued you from certain death, or you can be reassigned to someone else. The choice is up to you; either option will result in you living another day.¡± He said, sounding rather annoyed.


    The servant crawled over to my right. I looked down at him, confused about what I would do with a second servant. I didn¡¯t even need one, let alone two. Michael walked away with the guards. He didn¡¯t say anything more to the servant or me. Despite him knowing this one personally and possibly knowing it full well, I was abusing my position to save some unknown to me.


    I told the servant where to go and to bring his belongings to my place. He quickly gathered his things and made his way there, but someone landed next to me before I had any time to do anything else. ¡°Hello, I have an order for you from the top. You are to report to Gabriel¡¯s personal quarters. Someone will have your items sent to your new home.¡± He stated, and he took off before I could ask a question.


    Thinking back about the events of the last year, things were moving non-stop. The moment I got here to this mysterious land I was thrusted into various missions, various recon missions and random interactions with others like me. Well, kind of like me. Something is different about me, as I can¡¯t seem to sit back and respect the culture, I was a part of. Something didn¡¯t sit right with me having a servant, having luxuries unlocked as I got higher up in the chain, females being assigned, etc. It seemed so wrong, but I feel like I¡¯m the only one who looks at this way of life and thinks it is backwards.


    ¡°Follow me, " a voice calmly requested. I must have zoned out, as I didn¡¯t see or hear anyone approach me. C¡¯mon, I don¡¯t have all day, sir. Follow me, " he requested again.


    I looked around, unsure where this voice was coming from, until I looked up. Above me was a male in gold armor, glimmering from the sun. I wasn¡¯t sure who this was exactly, as I had never seen this type of armor before.


    ¡°Well? Are you going to use your wings or not? I¡¯d rather not have to carry Gabriel¡¯s most prestigious right-hand. It¡¯d look bad for you and be awkward for me.¡±


    I can¡­ fly? Never once had I tried to fly. I looked up and nodded, indicating I knew what I was doing. I had a general idea of how to do it but had never tried it as I mostly just ran or walked on every mission I went on. I squatted a bit and tried to focus on using my wings rather than my legs. I managed to get airborne enough to follow him to where I needed to go. At some point, he signaled we needed to go higher. Just how high is my new residence going to be? I followed him higher and higher until we reached what appeared to be a large garden. He motioned for me to land. Up until now, I had never practiced flying, let alone landing.


    I probably should¡¯ve thought about this sooner rather than relying on my legs. I never thought to use my wings nor realized I could fly until this very second. I realized there were a few staring up at me, waiting for me. ¡°Okay, well¡­¡± I thought to myself. I looked at possible areas for me to land where I¡¯d do the least amount of harm to myself or all the beautiful flowers down below. On one hand, I hurt myself. The other? I hurt some flowers. At that moment, I had made the decision I¡¯d rather hurt myself.


    I made sure I was over the courtyard before I attempted my descent. I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to slow myself down, and it was obvious that I had no clue what I was doing as I came down rough and slammed my face into a stone. I don¡¯t remember much after that, but I know that I woke up to whom I assumed was a female servant, cleaning my nose up with a wet cloth.


    ¡°Ah good, you¡¯re awake Master Angel. Please forgive me, but that was a funny fall. But I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re awake and okay. High Master Gabriel will be here shortly to address you. I must take my leave, as he may execute both of us if he sees us together like this.¡±


    I rolled my head slightly aside and realized she had me in her lap. Judging by how she was dressed, I quickly realized this wasn¡¯t a servant but one of his mates who had decided, on her own accord, to help me. I quickly got up and kneeled to her.


    ¡°Please excuse me, M¡¯lady. I mistook you for a servant initially.¡± I politely said.


    She rolled her eyes, got up, and walked away without saying a word. I stood up, confused as to what I had said that may have made her upset. I looked around the area while waiting. It was an extensive garden with a central courtyard and a few benches. It was enchanting in terms of beauty. It almost felt as though I wasn¡¯t in the Kingdom but in a human village.


    I heard a door open to my right.


    ¡°Ah! There you are. My right-hand, it¡¯s so great to see you. I¡¯m glad you made it relatively safe. I see you scuffed your nose a bit, but no worries. I heard amazing news you killed a scumbag. Thank you for doing that; I had been wanting that scum killed for a while now but couldn¡¯t do it as he was part of the Legionary forces, which aren¡¯t under my control. Seeing as how it was you who did it, basically counts as my kill. Good work!¡± Gabriel shouted as he came out of the door. ¡°Welcome to my paradise.¡±


    His paradise, huh? I didn¡¯t know anything about Gabriel until now. ¡°Maybe he wasn¡¯t such a terrible being after-all.¡± I thought to myself. But then the flashback of a few nights ago flashed through my mind, reminding me how terrible he was and what he had said about the others. ¡°No, this one is scum.¡± I reminded myself.


    Gabriel approached me, grabbed my arm, and led me through the doors, down through a spiral staircase, through a door that went through a large castle-like dining hall, through another door that led to a large and spacious hallway with several more doors. One of the doors, my name was carved into the door. He pointed at the door and walked off.


    When I looked at the door, there was nothing special about it¡ªjust a typical castle door with an iron handle. Inside, it was a decent-sized room¡ªsmaller than what I had previously, but I still had my own private quarters. My equipment, including the bag, was hanging on the wall to the right of the door. There was a small bookshelf, and I noticed a note sticking out of the books that I immediately grabbed.


    ¡°I remember seeing you looking at these books with the intention of learning these specific skills. But due to how quickly things have progressed for you, I know you didn¡¯t have any time to read any to my knowledge. In your bag, Nine had also put books he thinks you may find important later on. Advanced sword tactics, healing & revival basics, and whatever else he put in there. I convinced a guard that the books on the shelf were the ones you left behind. He believed me. Good luck and thank you.


    -Zero.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± I thought out loud. I guess Zero and Nine paid me back for my generosity. I heard knocking at my door.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, I have something for you.¡± A voice from behind had said. I turned around to another female, potentially another mate. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but Gabriel requested I bring this to you. I¡¯ll just place it here on this shelf, next to your door Master.¡± She did a bow after placing an object on the shelf and quickly took off.


    I was not too curious about what she had left, I was more interested in this room. I chose to look out the small window in my room. I was way above the rest of the Kingdom, and everything looked so far away. It dawned on me that while I was considered a ¡°Tier 3¡±, I was living in a Tier 4 Arch-Angel¡¯s castle way above everyone else. I never thought I¡¯d be in this position this quickly. I was in awe at the view I had. I could see everything from up here. Whatever the female brought me was nothing compared to this view. I stood there a few moments longer, admiring it before sitting on my bed. It was the softest bed I had so far, and it came with a pillow. Something I had gone without until this point. I laid down on the bed and knew I would sleep easily tonight.


    I laid there for a few minutes, forgetting I was in Gabriel¡¯s castle, and while enjoying the moment I decided to reach behind my head for the shelf. I felt my hand bump into something, it felt like a small box of some sort. It was soft and felt like it had a ribbon on it. I figured it was important, so I carefully opened it. A red wax stamp with a ¡°G¡± in the middle kept the ribbon in place. I had considered not opening it until I saw it was from him.


    I ripped the stamp off and undid the ribbon around it. Carefully, I opened the box and saw some sort of paper in it. I was confused as to why someone would wrap a piece of paper up so elegantly. ¡°There has to be more than this¡­¡± I said to myself. I picked up the paper and discovered that it was not the gift intended for me, but it covered the actual item. It was a badge that looked as though it attached to my armor. I examined the badge closer. It was square shaped, about 6 inches wide, 5 inches tall, gold in color, and had T4 ¨C Captain etched into it. I was a little confused as I thought I was Gabriel¡¯s right-hand man, not a Captain. I was looking at this badge, not understanding what was going on and why. I looked at my door and heard footsteps coming close to me. I saw an arm reach into my room and knock at the door.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, Master Angel Gabriel has sent me to retrieve you. He wishes to speak with you, " the voice said. It was another feminine voice, but not the same as the last two. I was surprised to hear so many female voices, as it was primarily males in the lower areas of the Kingdom. So, I was not accustomed to hearing feminine voices.


    I stood up and approached her. I made brief eye contact with her before she looked away. ¡°Sorry, Master Angel, but I cannot look at you according to Gabriel''s orders. None of us are allowed to lay eyes on other males until given explicit permission from our true masters.¡± She sounded as if she was afraid, like she had potentially offended me.


    ¡°I do apologize. I will be sure to remember that¡± I replied, letting her know she was not at fault.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    She collected herself and quietly told me to follow her. She led me through a different door, with a spiral staircase that went up and up and up and up, and up, and up. It felt like a never-ending flight of stairs. Every other floor had a window, and I could see I was going up higher within the castle. After what felt like thousands of stairs, we finally reached a hallway with a door at the very end.


    The female I had followed up here pointed at the door and stated, ¡°This is his office. Mind your manners, don¡¯t look at any females in there unless you¡¯re given permission, and please make sure you remembered how you got here. While you have a pass for every floor, not all of us do, meaning if you get lost, you¡¯re lost until you find a floor that allows one of us maidens to roam. There are one hundred floors altogether, and only about forty are allowed to us. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll be off now, Master Thadeus.¡± she said quickly before returning to the stairs.


    This hallway gave me an odd feeling. Almost as if a huge wave of dread had overcome me. While I was happy to be up in a castle such as this, I was not too fond of the fact I got stuck with Gabriel of all people. I had no clue how I would try and get revenge on him. I don¡¯t think I would ever be able to, as I¡¯m nowhere near his level regarding expertise, skills, and raw power. So far, I¡¯ve survived any major missions thanks to the help of a resurrection item and by sheer determination to win and move up. Other than being a decent swordsman, I had no skill sets or knowledge in anything else.


    I finally mustered up the courage to walk into the hallway. Along the walls were pictures of Gabriel with various other angels, lined with ornate-looking carved wood and lined with gold all around. This man, if you could call him that, was all about living lavishly and flaunting his influence within the Kingdom as richly as he could. The carpet was the least flashy part of this hallway as it was red, and appeared to have been walked on quite a bit as it faded through the middle. Suggesting that he only walked in the middle of it.


    I decided to finally quit stalling and walk up to the door. Before I could raise my hand to knock, the door opened.


    ¡°High lord Master Angel, Thadeus has arrived.¡± A female voice stated. Gabriel motioned for me to come in. He had two female angels around him to his right and left. I noticed one was chained to the wall and had limited movement. The other one held a large hand-fan and waved it slowly at Gabriel. The door quietly closed behind me. This female was also chained to the wall by her ankle but appeared to have far more freedom to wander around the room than the one behind him.


    ¡°Good to see you, Thadeus. I trust you are enjoying your time around my home?¡± he paused momentarily. ¡°I guess I should say our home as you now live here too.¡± He seemed to be calm and happy to have me here. Unlike before, whereas out in public, he was a stuck-up asshole who demanded respect and talked down on others.


    I stood up straight, leaned over, and placed my arm along my chest to salute him. ¡°Thank you, High Master Gabriel. It is an honor to be here. I find my room quite suitable for myself and am ready to take on whatever task you assign me to do or lead whichever men you need me to.¡± I spoke to him in a respectful tone even though I hated every second of his company and his existence.


    Gabriel looked at the female chained up to the wall and stated to her ¡°Take off your clothes, and switch to a more human form. This one has never seen a female before, and for his hard work and dedication to the cause, you will allow him to see your breasts.¡±


    I watched as this bird-looking female humanoid creature, change into what appeared to be a human. She hesitated in taking off the cloak she had on. Gabriel reached out and smacked her. ¡°DO IT. OR ELSE.¡± He demanded.


    In this form, she was about five and a half feet tall, had white hair, white skin, but her yellow eyes remained. She slowly lifted the cloak over her head, before turning fully red as her naked body was being exposed. ¡°D-does this p-please the Lord Angels?¡± she asked shily. Gabriel stood up from his chair and unlocked the cuff attached to her leg. He grabbed one of her arms, bent it behind her, and walked her to me.


    ¡°Tell him to touch your soft, succulent breasts. You want him to touch it.¡± He demanded from her. I could tell she was scared, in slight pain, and didn¡¯t want to do this. She had a few tears running down her cheek, but Gabriel didn¡¯t care. ¡°Look at him!¡± he yelled.


    She looked at me, and I could see in her eyes she didn¡¯t like anything that was happening. Gabriel wasn¡¯t paying much attention to me while trying to get this poor female to do what he wanted her to do, but she could tell in my eyes that I really did not want to do this. At least, not like this. It would have been different if this female was mine, or she had approached me and asked, but being forced to do this? Gabriel continued to fuel my hatred for him.


    ¡°P-please m-ma-master Angel, feel free to touch me to your hearts content.¡± she mustered. I looked at Gabriel, who wasn¡¯t paying attention to me but was focused on continuing to bend this female''s will to do what he wanted her to do.


    ¡°Well, Thadeus, are you going to touch them or are my suspicions correct about you?¡± he asked with a sarcastic, but curious tone to his voice.


    I looked at the female in her eyes, and she nodded. I slowly placed my hand on her breast and gave it a firm squeeze. She let out a soft moan. I had never seen breasts before, let alone touched one. At least not that I could remember. Her breasts were soft, her skin warm. My hand was twice the size of them. I looked over at Gabriel, and he didn¡¯t seem satisfied yet. So, I took my other hand and felt around her. I would say it was an enjoyable experience, but due to the circumstances, it was not. What I was doing felt wrong.


    ¡°Master Arch, I enjoyed this experience. Thank you for allowing me to do this.¡± I said while trying to maintain a serious tone.¡±


    He let go of her arm and locked her back up by her ankle.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. You¡¯re a dirty little slut, who loves it when strangers touch you, don¡¯t you?¡± he teased at the female. She had sat down on the floor, covering herself with her cloak. ¡°You may go back to your normal form. It would be best if you were thankful that I am so kind to share you like that with others. You could¡¯ve been with someone less worthy than I.¡± he yelled at her.


    I was incredibly angry, but I knew I couldn¡¯t do anything, and I had to play it cool. As far as Gabriel knew, I was no longer defiant towards him. He may not have noticed, though, as he was so high and mighty with himself that he was blind to everything else around him.


    I looked at her, cowering on the floor still. She briefly made eye contact with me and gave me a meek smile. I think she may have understood that I didn¡¯t do that because I wanted to, but because I had to, to not raise suspicions. I had already vowed to myself that one day, I would eliminate him as he was the vilest scum I had the displeasure of meeting in the year and a half I had been there.


    ¡°Now that we got that out of the way, my little right-hand man, I wish to get down to business. I brought you here because we need to work on a few things, and I have a special task for you.¡± He reached down to a drawer in his desk and opened it, returning with a red paper-based binder, and tossed it across the desk towards me. ¡°This shows you what your duties around here are. You are free to go to any floor of my castle, but there are floors that are off limits to the females through-out the castle. As you know, their primary duties are cooking, cleaning, and ensuring that the Holy Royal family members continue to reproduce. Other than that, they are not allowed to do anything else.¡± He paused briefly, looking back at the female that he just forced me to touch. She was still somewhat cowering behind him, but at least had her robe back on. He turned back to me. ¡°On floor 10, there is a training room with a trainer. He will teach you basic things you need to know, and since you¡¯re with a Royal Family Angel such as myself, you will learn what every Right-hand of a Royal Angel needs to know. Advanced energy-based healing, reviving others, advanced sword fighting, and illusion-based magic to hide yourself or others from enemies in the event a mission goes wrong. When you are not doing any of that, you will guard one of the Royal Princesses I plan on eventually turning into a wife. She¡¯s a little¡­ apprehensive for now. But she¡¯ll warm up to me over time.¡±


    I looked through all the information here, expecting a strict schedule, but learning was at my discretion if I learned these things within Six months. The estimated time to learn the basics he required of me was about 3-4 weeks, while the advanced energy-based healing would take around 9-10 weeks. Then, once I had completed my training, I¡¯d be assigned to a very specific task, but I wouldn¡¯t learn what it was until after it was finished.


    After reading all this information, I looked back up, but before I could say anything, Gabriel stood up and walked to the woman by the door.


    ¡°Did you like the breasts of the other one, Thadeus? She¡¯s my second favorite. The one right by the door has a much nicer set on her.¡± He said, while looking at the female by the door.


    ¡°My lord, that was my first experience. So, I would have to say yes.¡± I glanced back at the female chained up behind us. She had a neutral expression on her face and seemed as though she understood that I was saying what I had to, to avoid repercussions. She gave me a quick smile before reverting to a cowering state. Was she also acting, too? I turned around, just before Gabriel did.


    ¡°This one here is more obedient than the other one, but not enough to be off her chains yet. Watch.¡± He said, grabbing the shoulder of the other female. I stood there, wondering what he was going to do next. At this point, I wish I had just been dismissed already. The idea of touching someone against their will had already left me with a sour taste in my mouth, and I was about to have to do this again.


    ¡°This one needs to be punished though, as she tried to go to a floor she isn¡¯t permitted to. Can you do that for me? Are you capable of punishing her in the way I¡¯d like her to be punished? I¡¯m sure a task like this may seem beneath my right hand, buuuut I need you to do this for me.¡± Gabriel replied, sounding like he was talking to me like a child.


    ¡°My lord, what would you like me to do? I will do what you ask.¡± I replied with a deeper tone than normal. Truthfully, I was not looking forward to anything he was about to say. I would have rather been dismissed for the night and gone back to my quarters to look at the books Zero and Nine were able to send my way.


    ¡°Perfect. Come with me, you dumb whore. Since you can¡¯t seem to understand that I am your man, and you think another man will treat you better, Thadeus is going to show you just how bad other males of our kind can be.¡± He said, very demeaning in tone. He reached up above a door and grabbed some sort of cylinder-shaped object from above the door. He held it in front of her face.


    ¡°No¡­ please no, don¡¯t do this to Master. I¡¯ll be good and stop trying to explore other areas. Please, don¡¯t do this.¡± She cried out. I already didn¡¯t like where this was going, and I already had a general idea of what Gabriel wanted me to do with this object. I wasn¡¯t ordered to do anything yet, and yet¡­ I already wanted to refuse.


    ¡°So here is what¡¯s going to happen. You can either change into a human form on your own, or I can force you to do it. Here, Thadeus will shove this object into every hole in which he can fit it. This is happening because you¡¯re making me make my right-hand do this, sweetie.¡± He said this as if he were trying to explain to a human child the dangers of accepting candy from strangers.


    Gabriel handed me the object. I looked down at it, then at the now human-like angel that stood before me. She had blue eyes, short brown hair, and white skin that shined in the light. I looked at her with the object in hand, and she let out a whimper.


    ¡°P-please¡­ d-don¡¯t¡­¡± she quietly begged.


    I looked back at Gabriel and did something I had said I wouldn¡¯t do. I handed the object back to him and told him, ¡°Do it yourself. I will not punish this servant on your behalf.¡±


    The other two females gasped semi-loudly, indicating that nobody had ever stood up for themselves in front of them. Gabriel took the object back and laughed. He grabbed me and brought me face to face with her.


    ¡°Do you like this one? I would if I were you.¡± He grabbed my hand and placed it over one of her breasts. Feel how soft her breast is? Why don¡¯t you give it a squeeze and feel how firm it is? Go ahead.¡±


    I looked at him through the corner of my eye, slightly weirded out by being this close to her. I could feel her breath as quietly gasped when I squeezed her breast, followed by a whimper as Gabriel smacked side of her head.


    Finally, he let go of me and I took a step back. My hand was still on her breast. Gabriel turned around after he let go of me and looked out the window. The female lightly grabbed my wrist to see if I¡¯d let her move it, which I did. She got close to my ear and whispered, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± and kissed my cheek softly. She glanced over at Gabriel, who was still peering out the window. I only nodded at her before standing directly behind Gabriel. ¡°Master Arch Angel, may I take my leave now?¡± I asked.


    Without looking at me, he motioned for one of the females to let me out. He didn¡¯t say a word and only stared out the window with his hands behind his back. I looked at the female behind his desk to ensure she was okay. She smiled at me again and waved at me. The other female who was fanning Gabriel when I first came in was stood in the corner, bowing at me and mouthed ¡°Thank you¡­¡± as I was leaving.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Thadeus, you aren¡¯t quite dismissed yet,¡± Gabriel said without looking at me as I was exiting. ¡°Make sure you do that training. I¡¯ll overlook this incident this time¡­ but next time, you better do as I tell you. You don¡¯t need to answer. Just find your way back to your quarters, and we¡¯ll start tomorrow fresh and forget about tonight. Good night.¡±


    I stomped my foot as a way of acknowledging him. I left, and the door slammed shut. I walked down the hallway, wanting to leave that floor quickly. On my way down the stairs, I started to think about what had happened. None of it felt right. While I did enjoy the sight of two beautiful women, it wasn¡¯t what I had imagined. I looked at my hands on the way down, wondering why I did that. I know there would have been consequences had I refused. I reached what I thought was my floor, but nothing looked familiar.


    I looked around for a bit before finally finding a door labeled ¡°Servants Quarters.¡± I knocked at the door, even though I could have easily walked in. I heard some scurrying around inside and thought I even heard furniture being re-arranged. Finally, the door opened. Inside, was a group of all female servants. It took them all a few seconds to realize who was at the door before they all came close to the door and kneeled. The one who answered the door was still standing tall before realizing who I was and kneeled as well.


    I looked down the hall away for a brief second, back at the stairs, and then back at them. ¡°Please stand; it is just me, and I do not require you to kneel before me,¡± I quietly said to them. I was not sure I could be on this floor quite yet, as I hadn¡¯t done any training. But I was lost and needed assistance. The females were hesitant to stand up until one looked at me, stood up, and walked to the door.


    ¡°Lord Master Angel, what brings you to our quarters? Do you require personal company in your chambers? If that¡¯s the case, it is for-¡°


    I interrupted her. ¡°No, I¡¯m not here for anything like that. I am a little lost and was hoping you could tell me where my quarters are. I remember walking through a huge dining hall, into a hallway with four doors, and up the spiral staircase. But I walked up so many stairs to meet with Gabriel that I forgot to count how many floors I went up.¡±


    She looked back at the other females in the room; they all nodded to her. She grabbed my shoulder and ushered me in, then shut the door. At this point, I was confused. Inside the quarters, there were several straw beds on the cold stone flooring. They had an old wood box as a table and some makeshift chairs around it. They had a small window with bars, possibly to prevent escape.


    One of the females offered me a seat at their makeshift table. While I chose not to sit in the chair, I did sit around the table. One of them remained at the door with their ear on it, possibly listening out for a random guard to come to check in on them.


    ¡°Master Angel, it is forbidden for you to be here, and if we get caught with you in here, we may all lose our heads.¡± She whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not like the rest of them here, and I can see the same fire in your eyes that many of us hold towards Gabriel and the others. Did he¡­ did he force himself upon you like he did with many of us?¡±


    At this point, I needed clarification. Do they think I¡¯m one of them but somehow earned my freedom to do this? I looked at them again and felt like maybe coming in here was a mistake. Another one spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s kind of what he does to all the females. I think you¡¯re the first one he has allowed to wander freely around and allow to be his right-hand sweetie.¡±


    I sat there with a confused look, trying to figure out what to say. Gabriel knows I¡¯m male, but these females think I¡¯m one of them. ¡°Hang on, do you all think I¡¯m like you? Female?¡± I asked, trying to understand what was going on.


    One of them came closer to me and asked me to take my armor off. I quietly took my armor off. They motioned for me to stand up and started to feel around my body. Despite the events that happened tonight, I began to get somewhat aroused having all these females willingly touching me.


    ¡°Hey, uhh¡­ this isn¡¯t appropriate.¡± I managed to spit out. The thing about my species is that male reproductive organs are stored within our bodies and extend outwards when we become erect. So, with them constantly rubbing around my body, being close, and not having Gabriel order them to do this¡­ it¡¯s safe to say that I surprised them.


    ¡°Oh my, the Master Lord Angel is male after-all.¡± One of them said, giggling.


    ¡°I have never actually seen one; we were all the rejected mates who now serve the castle of Gabriel. That¡¯s all we do.¡± Another one said, as she started to lightly touch my genitalia. ¡°Wooow!¡± she exclaimed.


    The one watching the door was motioning for them to all quiet down. We heard someone outside and saw their feet stop at the door. The girls looked at me, eyes wide, unsure what would happen. Suddenly, the door swung open, a guard¡¯s head peaked in, made eye contact with me and stated ¡°Oh sorry Lord Master Angel, I did not realize you were in here. I see you¡¯re busy with the servants. I shall take my leave now, then.¡± He closed the door gently and went back to his patrol. I was so focused on the door; I didn¡¯t notice one of the females had slid under me and lifted her legs up in a way that looked like I was fully in her.


    She sat up normally and sighed. ¡°My lord, we got lucky with that guard. But possibly not with the next. Thank you for humoring us briefly, but you¡¯ll want to take the stairs until you reach the fourth door less entry. You¡¯ll be on the right floor then. Before you go, though, thank you for stopping by. It was a great time.¡± She said in a teasing tone and gave me a wink as I managed to end the erection I had and put my armor back on.


    The one guarding the door opened just enough to peek her head out. After a few seconds, she motioned for me to come to the door. ¡°Good night, Master Angel.¡± She said as she closed the door behind me. I looked back at the now closed door, wondering what had just happened, and how I managed to get into such a weird predicament. I started down the spiral staircases and realized torches were lit as it was dark outside.


    I finally reached my floor and walked to my door. It occurred to me that I didn¡¯t have a light source. But after the evening I had, I was ready for bed. It had been another long day, and I was starting to wonder if tonight was a sign of what was to come in the upcoming months. But I decided these thoughts were a problem for tomorrow. I crawled into bed and lay there for a few seconds before passing out.

 Chapter 4 - Temptations

    The following day came, and I lay in bed with the sun shining through my window onto my face. I failed to realize that the sun was shining through it the day before, which meant it would have shined through my window the next morning. I rubbed my eyes. ¡°Ohh man, morning already?¡± I grumbled. My vision was somewhat blurry due to being awoken by the sun. I noticed something on the ceiling. It looked like an oil lantern. I stood up, reached up, and removed it from the hook from which it dangled.


    Sure enough, it was a light source I had missed the previous night. I gave it a shake to see if it was filled with anything, but instead, it turned on, suggesting that it was a magical light that needed to be fiddled slightly with. I placed it back on the hook, and it went out. I assumed that it was due to the fact it was already bright. At least I have a light in here. I walked over to where my bag was and reached into it. It was like reaching into your hand into water. It felt cold and as though there was plenty of room for whatever I could put in there.


    My hand touched a solid, metallic object. I felt around more and came to determine it was the handle of a sword. I looked at my weapon rack, it was empty. So I pulled the sword out. It was a Katana that the note talked about. The handle of the sword appeared to have been specifically made to increase your capability to hold it firmly. However, the handle wasn¡¯t that of a typical katana, as the edges were metal wings folded towards the blade itself. The sheath was black, with gold strips winding down along the tip. The sword was sharp and glimmered in the morning sun. ¡°Wow¡­ this is amazing,¡± I thought. I placed it back in the sheath and placed it on the rack.


    I looked around my room for a moment, wondering what I should do. I assumed I could do whatever I wanted since nobody had knocked at my door yet. I looked at the bookshelf, thinking about how I should start reading about how to heal, as that is an important skill to know. However, as I went to grab it, I heard my door slowly opening. I turned around, and standing before me was Gabriel. He looked at me briefly before turning and walking away. I was slightly confused and walked to the door to see what was going on. He stood in the middle of the wall, looking at one of the other doors.


    ¡°You know, Thadeus, I was once just like you. Young, defiant, curious about everything.¡± He looked back at me. ¡°I, too, was in your shoes at one point and was an apprentice who managed to work my way up through sheer hard work and determination. That is how I got to where I am today.¡± He turned again and started walking to another door. ¡°This room was mine when I was in your position. I have many good memories here. Tell me, Thadeus, what good memories do you have?¡±


    He looked at me. I stood there, unsure how to answer his question or where he could possibly be going with this. He must have caught on to this as he came back towards me and placed his hand on my shoulder. He gave me an odd smile and then patted me on the back.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to answer the question. We can save that for another time.¡± He said quietly, staring at me for a few seconds before his facial expression changed.


    ¡°I heard about last night and how you wandered into the quarters of those servants. Under normal circumstances, I would advise you not to waste your time with them as they are neither wife material nor worthy of beings like us. However, I am glad to see that you¡¯re adjusting quickly and learning that even as a lower-ranking Master Angel, you can do what you wish with whomever. Suppose you wish to have one of those ladies temporarily until you finish your training and the task you get assigned. In that case, I will gladly give you a larger quarters to suit your needs.¡± He stated this with a father-like tone.


    To say this offer didn¡¯t tempt me would be a lie. However, I would mostly want to take him up on his offer because it meant getting a slightly bigger room and one less female being used as some slave. But, I decided against it at the time as last night was a complete accident, and I still didn¡¯t feel right after having myself forced upon two females from my previous interaction with Gabriel. I finally mustered up the courage to respond.


    ¡°My lord, thank you, but I will decline the offer of having my own live-in female. Suppose the offer for that larger room is still on the table with no stipulations. In that case, I¡¯ll gladly take it as I could use more room to study my reading material. My room doesn¡¯t have a desk or anywhere to focus on meditating and learning important skills. However, if you wish for me to stay here in this room, I shall.¡± I replied while attempting to sound confident in my words.


    Gabriel walked past me and went into my room. I waited outside as he looked around the room I had been given upon arrival.


    ¡°This room isn¡¯t even fit enough to be called a room for you. I was under the impression that you would have a far larger room with more amenities than what has been provided. Is this some sort of joke? No right-hand of mine should have to live in a room fit for that of a lower-class servant. I will have your room moved immediately.¡± He shouted. I could see steam coming out of his ears with how mad he appeared to be. He waved me to the doorway. ¡°Are these all your belongings?¡± he asked, pointing at various things in the room.


    ¡°The only things that aren¡¯t mine in here are the bed, side table, and the lantern. The rest of the items belong to me.¡± I replied.


    He looked around again, thinking before raising his finger at me. ¡°One minute, I¡¯ll be right back, " he said. I have no clue why he was so different today from how he had been towards me the last week or two, but having him be so calm was a relief.


    I decided to sit on the bed while I waited for his return, and started to think about what I wanted to learn first. Of course, energy-based healing was at the top of my list, and I was already a proficient enough Swordsman, but I knew I could be better, and I wanted to be the best at it. I heard what sounded like multiple groups of people walking around. I stood up as some, who I assumed were servants, wore cloth cloaks with sandals. I could hear Gabriel chewing someone out just outside my door.


    ¡°Do you think this is acceptable to do to my right hand? Do you think that my right-hand deserves to be put in such a tiny room with very little to his name? Do you think this is some sort of situation that requires humor to be had? Why would you place Thadeus in this room knowing that he is my right hand man? Do you understand what his position is at all?!¡± he barked.


    ¡°No, sir, it¡¯s not acceptable. No, sir. I had no information other than that a potential apprentice was showing up. Had I known who it was, I would have set him up in a different room with far more luxuries than found in this room. I swear. I do now, sir; I had no clue that she-¡° he replied before being interrupted by Gabriel.


    ¡°SHE?! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE HIM TO THAT OF A WENCH. HE IS FAR BETTER THAN THAT.¡± He yelled immediately after hearing that. ¡°You better seek forgiveness from him and I shall allow him to issue out whatever punishment he finds fit for you.¡± He added.


    I looked at the man. He was wearing half-leather armor, and his badge indicated that he was in charge of ensuring the quality of the castle, among other things. He looked back at me and kneeled. ¡°Young Master Angel, please forgive me as I have made a mistake. My life is in your hands, and I will accept whatever punishment you think is fit.¡± He said, remorse in his voice.


    I looked at him briefly before coming up with something. By this time, a couple of the servants were trying to lift the bookshelf but didn¡¯t have enough with all of us in there. ¡°Everyone, stop what you are doing and exit out of the room except for the one kneeling before me.¡± I requested with an authoritative tone of voice. Gabriel stood outside, looking in awe as if he was expected to kill this one for his mistake.


    ¡°For you overlooking key details for my living quarters, it is requested that you move all my personal belongings to my new quarters, and only you. If you fail to do it by yourself, you shall be banished from Gabriel¡¯s castle immediately.¡± I said, trying to sound as though this was the worst punishment I could offer. Gabriel looked at me with an approving look on his face and walked away.


    One of the servers slowly raised his hand. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± I asked.


    He slowly looked up but didn¡¯t make eye contact with me. ¡°Sir, does this mean we dismissed?¡± he asked. I didn¡¯t realize, but he wasn¡¯t one of us. He was human and sounded like he grew up in a remote mountain region, as his words weren¡¯t fully completed. <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Why were there humans working as servants here?


    ¡°Yes, all of you are dismissed and may return to your original duties. Nobody help this man though as he is expected to do all this himself.¡± I said. The truth is, this guy was large enough to be able to do all this by himself. Looking at all the servants closer, they were all human. This surprised me because I didn¡¯t realize that the Kingdom had utilized humans as servants.


    The servants all nodded and left with Gabriel right behind them. Once they were out of earshot, I looked at the one who was still kneeling before me. ¡°Get up and stop kneeling already,¡± I said quietly. He stood up and patted my shoulder. ¡°Young Master Angel, thank you for sparing my life, but I had made a mistake and would¡¯ve understood had you chose to execute me or kick me out of the castle. I will get to carrying your stuff up to the 3rd floor where your room is. If you wish to meet me up there, your room will be the 3rd door on the left. The first door is a bathing room, the second door will be the balcony.


    This entire floor is yours to do with whatever you like. On the opposite side, there are two rooms: a guest bedroom should you have guests over and a study room where I¡¯ll place your books.¡± He stated with a calm tone. While his response seemed monotone, I could tell he was thankful I had spared him. His task was simple, as I barely had any items.


    He exited the room briefly before coming back with a thin piece of wood, which he used as a cover to help him carry the bookcase up the stairs, slung the bag over his shoulder. He had attempted to pick up my sword to carry that, but I retrieved it from him and carried it myself. I walked behind him as he walked towards the stairs carrying the bookcase and wondered if he¡¯d be able to carry it up the stairs. As we hit the first step, I could tell it would be a challenge. The stairs were meant more for humanoid creatures to walk up/down and weren¡¯t built for larger objects to be carried up. Thinking about it, I could have just told him to take it outside and fly it up to the balcony, but when I issued the punishment, I didn¡¯t know about it <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">yet.


    But at this point, it was a little late. We eventually got up two sets of spiral staircases to the third floor when I told him to put the bookshelf down. He gently placed it down. ¡°This is good enough; you carried this thing up all those stairs, and I think that¡¯s punishment enough. If you wish, you may return to whatever it was that you were doing before,¡± I stated.


    He looked at me, not seeming to understand this new order. Rather than walking away, he picked it back up and carried it to the door.


    ¡°Did I not tell you to stop?¡± I asked, confused about why he was still carrying it.


    ¡°You told me I could return to my duties. My current duties as of right now were to get you set up in your new room.¡± He replied. I started to wonder if he did not have anything else to do today but to help me. Did Gabriel make me this guy¡¯s sole priority? I decided to go around him and open the door to this new room of mine and was surprised at the amount of empty space I had.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir, where would you like this?¡± he asked. I started to look around for a perfect spot. The room was rather significant, even with a bed that looked like it could comfortably sleep 6-8 people, a large desk near the bed, a large table in the middle of the room, and a couple of windows.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure where I wanted it, and the only words that came out where ¡°Uhhhhhhh¡±. I moved out of the middle of the doorway and just shrugged, letting him find a place that made sense to him. He looked around for a second and decided to place it on the desk. It was large enough to where the bookshelf didn¡¯t take up much room, and I only had a few books anyway. The shelf itself was approximately 3 feet in height and appeared to fit about ten small books on the first couple of rows, while the last row was reserved for larger books or even more small books stacked in rows on top of each other.


    He handed me my bag, bowed, and walked back to the staircase before vanishing into the spiral of stairs. I placed my bag on the back of the chair at the desk and leaned my sword up against my bed. I had planned on using this day to try and read up on healing, but this whole process took at least a couple hours of my day away. I looked at the bookshelf, thinking about how I should start, but got distracted by someone knocking at my door.


    I turned to see one of the females from the incident in Gabriel¡¯s office standing before me. She wore a thick cloak that went well below her feet and fully covered her arms. She looked out towards the store before coming in and closing the door quietly. Something about this didn¡¯t feel right, so I slowly started to reach for my sword. ¡°Wait¡­¡± she quickly said while raising her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not here to do anything bad, I¡¯m just here because I wanted to talk¡­ I heard the human slaves talk about how you were being moved here and wanted to come see you briefly.¡± Her tone sounded as though she was nervous to be here.


    ¡°Speak then, what brings you here, and are you supposed to even be here?¡±


    She slowly slid her hood off while keeping her hands in plain view. She was her average looking self. She had blue feathers with a yellow hue to them and a very distinguishable beak. I noticed a branding on her neck, ¡°V¡±, but didn¡¯t know what it meant exactly.


    I stood there, waiting for her respond as she fiddled with her hands. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen as she started to walk past me and towards my bed. As she was about to sit down, she lifted the cloak off her and laid back on the bed for a few seconds before sitting upright again.


    I had one of my hands wrapped around the butt of my sword and the other on the sheathe, wondering if she was here to cause trouble. She still hasn¡¯t explained herself, and I felt as though anyone could knock at my door any time and discover one of Gabriel''s slaves in my room at any moment now.


    ¡°Answer my questions,¡± I demanded.


    She looked down at the floor, wondering why she had shown up, as if this was just a random thing for her.


    ¡°I uhh¡­¡± she started, sounding unsure herself. ¡°I¡­ I want to thank you for last night for standing up for me and not punishing me the way he wanted you to do so. I¡¯ve been refusing to submit for Gabriel, and it¡¯s caused some major frustration from him.¡± She said in a strangely sweet tone of voice.


    I looked at her, wondering what her true intentions were, as the tone in her voice gave me the feeling she was here for far more than a simple ¡°Thank you.¡± I stood there, trying to think about a response. While thinking about how to respond, she tossed her cloak at me. I was lost in thought when it hit me in the face. It had a sweet smell to it but felt incredibly itchy, as if it was made from several burlap sacks. When I finally removed it from my face, she was lying there in a human-like form, fully naked, on the bed.


    She looked over at me while rubbing her breasts. ¡°Ohhhh, Master Thadeus, I liked how you groped me last night, and I¡¯d love for the Right Hand to right-hand me.¡± She moved her legs about like a cat, kneading at a blanket. This tempted me as, this time, she wanted my touch. I let go of my sword and climbed on the bed over her. I placed one of my hands over her mouth and another on one of her hips. Judging from her eyes, she was enjoying this. I removed my hand from her mouth. ¡°Oh, Master, yes, allow me to please you, my lord.¡± she quietly said.


    I sat back with my legs underneath me, moving her body closer to me. I felt her body stiffen slightly, and she had a look on her face telling me she wanted this. I brought her close to me until her pelvis was against my body before lifting her up slightly. She was staring into my eyes as I was with hers.


    ¡°Listen¡­¡± I quietly said. She looked at me, anticipating the next set of words to come out of my mouth or for me to touch her in a way that would bring about extasy for us both. ¡°You must go now,¡± I demanded as I took her from the bed onto the floor. I retried her cloak and tossed it at her.


    She looked at me, still in a human-like form. ¡°I thought you would want this¡­¡± she said as she threw the cloak back over her body.


    ¡°Look, I have far too much to do. The longer I avoid training, the shorter my time is. I think you are beautiful, and your body is acceptable, but I have other business to worry about for now.¡± I said sternly.


    She put her hood back up, bowed, and quietly left the room. I still felt terrible about the night before. My entire experience in this castle, in just a day, has involved experiences with females in odd situations. I was starting to think that maybe dying on that first mission may have been a better option for me before I remembered the voice telling me that it had plans for me. But I don¡¯t necessarily know if these were the plans.


    I sat there on the bed for several moments longer, trying to figure out if the females of this place had been mistreated for so long by Gabriel and the others here that it caused them to try to have sex with the first one who showed them any sort of kindness or defiance towards Gabriel. I was so distracted by what had just happened that I didn¡¯t hear the knock at my door or someone standing there.


    I heard someone clear their throat loudly, which snapped me back into reality. Standing just inside my door was one of the servants from earlier. ¡°Excuse me, sir, I has something fer ya.¡± He was holding a rather large bag. I motioned for him to set it down on the desk. He slowly walked closer to it and set it down. ¡°Okey, here ya go.¡± He stated. He looked at me. ¡°Sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, wondering if he was also going to try to seduce me since it wouldn¡¯t surprise me at this point if he attempted since multiple people had already tried since last night. He looked at me.


    ¡°Sir, is you okay? You don look too good. Maybe go up three floors to see healer, feel better after.¡± He said, sounding concerned. I nodded at him and thanked him as he bowed and walked out the door. I stood up and thought about how there was a Healer a few floors up. I wanted to go up there but didn¡¯t want to waste his time. I looked down at my sword.


    ¡°Noooo¡­.¡± I tried to tell myself as I picked up my sword. ¡°Ah, fuck it,¡± I said under my breath. I picked up my sword and removed it from the sheath. I held my arm out and was trying to figure out how to slice myself in a way that wouldn¡¯t cause me to bleed all the way up the stairs. I wanted to make it seem as though I was lying in bed, was careless about my sword, and cut myself by accident. I eventually made the cut, and it was slightly deeper than I expected, but looked as though it was accidental.


    I quickly went up the stairs with blood occasionally dripping from the hand I was using to hold pressure against the wound. When I finally reached the floor I needed, I saw a sign in the hall that said ¡°Healer¡± with an arrow pointing towards the room. I walked towards the sign and realized that there wasn¡¯t a door there.


    ¡°Ah, Master Thadeus, please come in. It looks as though you have cut yourself, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said, trying to sound like it was an inconvenience.


    ¡°No problem, a simple cut will be easy to fix. Take a seat.¡±


    I sat down in a chair next to him. He grabbed my arm and held his hand over the cut. I watched his hand, figuring I would try to imitate what he did to heal myself later on. I noticed that his hand was emitting a mixture of gold and white energy, which somehow closed the wound on my arm. The cut healed quickly. He gave my arm back and looked at me.


    ¡°You know, young Master, you didn¡¯t have to cut yourself to try and learn from me. You could have just come here before you did this, and I would have been more than happy to teach you, as it¡¯s been quite some time since I last taught anyone. The method I use is far more powerful of a healing ability than that of the books you¡¯ll find in most of the archives.¡± He stated.


    I looked at him, surprised. ¡°How did you know this is self-inflicted?¡± I asked. He let out a short laugh and adjusted himself in his chair.


    ¡°Well, you see, had this been a real wound, it would not have looked like you held your blade at an angle and cut yourself. Your other hand also has discoloration from your blade, suggesting that you either haven¡¯t used it yet or have freshly cleaned and oiled it.¡± He stated in such a way that made it sound like he had a lot of wisdom.


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond other than to laugh. Thinking about it, it was somewhat absurd that I went to that length to visit this Healer to try and learn his technique by watching and attempting to do what he did. I looked at my arm, and it appeared as though I had never cut myself together at all, aside from a little bit of dried blood surrounding the area.


    ¡°So young Master, how about it? Do you want to learn my technique or not?¡± he asked. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and could feel that the Healer was eagerly waiting for me to agree to him teaching me his healing technique. What little I read about healing sounded like it could take ages to do it on my own. But here I am, with a Master Healer in front of me, offering to train me. How could I say no to this?


    I reopened my eyes. ¡°Master Healer, if you will accept me as your apprentice, I would be greatly honored.¡± I enthusiastically responded. I¡¯ve wanted to learn about healing since I set my eyes on that one book. I had been trying to learn on my own time but was failing to learn anything since I hadn¡¯t exactly had much time to myself. The doctor held out his hand. ¡°Grab my hand with your right hand.¡± He requested.


    I did as he asked. To my surprise, I felt my hand go cold for a moment. He stood up, walked over to a table, and retrieved an item before returning and sitting down again. He held the item up so I could see what he was holding, which turned out to be a dagger. It looked like it had seen better days, but the blade looked as though it was mostly in pristine condition. He sliced his hand enough to draw blood. He looked at me.


    ¡°Okay, so I¡¯ve taught you the ability to heal by sharing a portion of my ability with you. If you can heal my hand on the first try, then you¡¯ll be able to figure out how to heal much more advanced wounds later on.¡± He said, sounding optimistic about my capability.


    I looked at his hand, blood was seeping out slowly. I placed my right hand a few inches above his and focused. I instantly knew what to do. I focused on his hand and saw my hand glow a white and gold color. The cut on his hand started to quickly fade as though he had never been cut. Once I thought it was fully healed, I stopped, and he looked at his hand, followed by a look of shock on his face.


    ¡°You managed to master this ability on the first try, young Master Angel. This was something that took me a couple hundred years to get to where I am. He exclaimed. He looked back at me. ¡°Thadeus, you are incredibly talented, and I sense you will do great things with your life at this rate.¡±


    I looked at him in disbelief. This Healer gave me a shortcut to learning the same healing style as him, but I managed to somehow master it on the first try. I couldn¡¯t find any words. I could tell that he was stunned, but also gave off jolly vibes. ¡°I will let Master Gabriel know in two to three weeks from now that I trained you on healing. This will be our little secret, as he would be incredibly jealous knowing you¡¯ve managed to master a healing skill in the first ten minutes after learning it. So, try to keep this on the down low and do not attempt to heal others fully until then.¡± He quietly stated.


    I stood up, nodded, and thanked him for his time. He waved at me as I was leaving and closed the door behind me. I walked over to the staircase entrance and started to think about how I was expecting to learn this skill over the next few weeks. I knew little about healing from the little reading I managed to read on the subject, but I hadn¡¯t had time to practice it. It sounded like something that was going to take far longer than the short period of time that was given to me.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do with my day now as I had expected to be struggling in my room to learn a healing ability. Not just any healing ability but someone who worked directly with Gabriel as a healer. If this healer was chosen to be in a place like this, he had to be one of the best healers in the Kingdom and entrusted me to learn his way. I felt terrific but was also slightly disappointed with how I could learn and master it on the same day in just mere minutes.


    I had considered going back to what was essentially my personal floor, but I also was curious about the rest of the castle. I couldn¡¯t imagine that a castle this large didn¡¯t have some sort of shop where I could pick up some extra supplies. While I loved having the sun shine through my windows, I also wanted to block one off as the sun was awfully bright this high up, and it shined through the window closest to my bed.


    I figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to return to my quarters to get my sword as I left it there. Upon getting to my floor, a female servant in a white dress was lying against my door and appeared to be napping. I walked over to her and gently nudged her. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡±


    She made a noise and mumbled, ¡°Just another five minutes¡­¡±


    I nudged her and slightly increased the volume of my voice. ¡°Hey! C¡¯mon, get up. This is not a place to sleep.¡± She put her arm out and started feeling around. Her eyes were still somewhat closed when she felt my foot before her, then her hand went up my leg. She looked as though she had been there for a while. <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Odd, how long was I away for? She stood up suddenly, holding what looked like a silver tray in one hand, and had a piece of paper in the other, which was wet from drool. She stood as close to the door as she could, hiding her face behind the tray. She wasn¡¯t as tall as some of the other females.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She also looked fully human, with long, curly brown hair, green eyes, and no visible feathers or wings. She was wearing a long, white dress that looked old, as the shoulders were held together in a knot with string.


    ¡°P-please sir, I-I-am sorry. I-I¡­¡± she stammered. She had fear in her eyes and showed signs that it was possible others may have beat her in the past for possibly doing similar things. I took a knee to be more on her level, as she was tiny in comparison to me. She watched me slowly come down to her level, looking as though she was expecting me to scold her or potentially smack her.


    ¡°Young lady,¡± I said while making eye contact with her. ¡°Tell me, what are you doing here, and how long have you been here?¡±


    She started to lower the tray from her face and seemed to have calmed down a bit. I was pretty sure that coming down to her level possibly helped her relax, and hopefully, she understood I had no intention of punishing her for napping. I clearly took longer than expected to return, and if her main task was assisting me, then I¡¯ve probably kept her waiting for quite a while.


    As I was about to ask her a question, I heard someone wearing full armor coming up the stairs. They didn¡¯t try to hide their arrival. I turned to the stairs as a guard with a red line on his right shoulder pad stepped onto the floor.


    ¡°You there, servant, you have not yet finished with your task yet? I sent you to Master Thadeus¡¯ quarters two hours ago to find out if he needed anything, and here, I see you standing near the door, with him on the outside. Do you not care about the needs of our people? We brought you here from that tiny village to give you a second chance at life. You humans have no respect for your masters, " he angrily stated. He walked over and grabbed her by the arm and was about to yank her away, but I grabbed his arm before he could pull back. I tilted my head slightly towards him and made eye contact with him out of the corner of my left eye.


    ¡°You dare lay a finger on this one, and I shall have you killed. I spent the last couple of hours chatting with her as I wanted to know further information about the castle and lost track of time. Also, if it took that long, then why are you just now seeking her out? Should you not have done that sooner? What if she had found a way to escape? This seems like carelessness on your part as I assume you¡¯re potentially in charge of the Servants and where they are supposed to be.¡± I said in a cold yet serious tone. The human touched my arm, not sure why. She didn¡¯t say anything or give off any vibes that she wanted to say something.


    The male let go of her arm and backed up slightly. He had his hands slightly in the air, showing that he didn¡¯t want any trouble.


    ¡°I apologize Master Angel; I did not realize that you had taken up this ones time like that. Had I known you were conversing with those under me, I would have not come down here. Should I expect this servant to be assigned to you? Do you plan on turning her into¡­ you know¡­?¡± He started to make me wonder if he was going to be odd about this. This human female looked as though she was potentially young for her kind. I was already disgusted by the idea of having a personal servant, let alone a sex slave. Others in the Kingdom may have been okay with this, but not me.


    I stood back up and turned to the guard in charge of the servants. ¡°Had I had my sword, I would have struck you down for your temperamental behavior against a more fragile servant of the empire. As of now, I am claiming this servant for myself.¡± I stated, trying to sound as serious and threatening as I could muster while trying to shove my distaste for some of my words down.


    He looked at me as though he was somewhat confused by this whole situation as if he didn¡¯t expect a ¡°high-ranking¡± angel such as myself to want a mere human as a personal servant. Truth was, I didn¡¯t. But I also couldn¡¯t help but feel as though I should try to help this one out, as she seemed to be the runt of all the servants I had seen so far. He looked at the young girl.


    ¡°You will now be the personal servant of the Right Hand. Do you understand? If you fail to do your duties faithfully and refuse any order or advance from the Master Angel, you shall be immediately executed.¡± He commanded her.


    I looked back at her, who briefly looked at me, before looking at the idiot still behind me. She held the tray out in front of me and a motion as if she wanted me to grab it, so I did. She then gave the man two thumbs up and nodded. He let out a sigh.


    ¡°I guess I should mention to you, Thadeus, this one doesn¡¯t talk. When we found her, her village had been razed down to the ground, and she was one of five survivors that we found hiding under a pile of debris that, we think, their families may have placed there. But she is your problem now, and you are to do what you see fit for her. Please come to floor twenty-eight if you need anything for her or need to replace her with a new servant, my lord.¡± His tone was slightly disappointed, yet relieved, while he no longer had to deal with this one.


    He turned around and went on his way up the spiral staircase. When we could no longer hear his armor clunking around, I turned back to her. She gave me a smile and a nod. I looked at her and went back to her level, and she didn¡¯t appear to be fearful of me anymore. It was confirmed when she gave me a hug and a head pat. I was somewhat confused as I swore, I had heard her speak just moments ago, but the servant keeper stated she was non-verbal.


    She leaned in close to me. ¡°Thank you. You are not like the rest; you are kind, " she whispered. She struggled to push the door open but eventually was able to do it. I watched her as she went in, placed the tray on the table, climbed up the chair, and finally sat down. She seemed to be very comfortable already.


    ¡°So, what is your name, and why don¡¯t you speak to others?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°My name is Selyse. I don¡¯t talk to others because they¡¯re mean. But not you.¡± She looked at me. ¡°You are nice.¡± She said with a smile on her face. She stood up in the chair, sat cris-crossed on the table, and started looking at the books. She looked at me for a second, contemplating what she thought I should read.


    Eventually, she pointed at a book and said, ¡°This one, Master, pick this one.¡±


    This specific book was strangely on the shelf backwards, and I could only see the edge of the book with the pages sticking out towards us. I was surprised, as I hadn¡¯t seen this before, and had I, I would have corrected it. I carefully pulled it out and looked at the title.


    It was an older looking book, bound by leather strips and felt as though it was made from Pig¡¯s skin, and had looked ancient. ¡°Huh..¡± I stated, I could make out only two words. ¡°Guide¡± and ¡°Ancient¡±. I opened the book and started looking at the pages. I looked at Selyse, wondering if she picked this one out because its title was facing inward, and she may have thought it silly.


    She grabbed at my arms, pulling them down to a level where she could catch a glimpse of the page I was looking at. She looked at it for a moment and made a motion for me to close the door. I looked over at the door and had the feeling that maybe it would be a good idea. ¡°Hang on, I need to get comfy.¡± She said. She lifted her dress from underneath her and threw it on the chair. I glanced the other way since she was now only wearing a pair of makeshift underwear and nothing else.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, Master. I don¡¯t mind if <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">you look. I trust you and know you don¡¯t want me like that. You helped me, so I help you in return.¡± She said, sounding very adult like.


    I looked back at her, noticing some marks on her chest that suggested she may have been pinned down at some point recently.


    ¡°Bad man you talk to earlier hurt me because I dropped drinks in laps of others.¡± She turned her head and lifted her hair up, revealing several marks on her back. ¡°Bad man also use whip to hurt Selyse.¡± I touched the marks gently on her back. She let out a quiet whimper, indicating that they might still be tender.


    ¡°How fresh are these marks, young lady?¡± I asked, feeling a mixture of emotions. They seemed fresh; if that was the case, I could use my newfound healing ability to heal them. I looked at her and gave her a smile as I went from lightly touching them to poking with light pressure to get a better idea. She didn¡¯t like this as she had a few tears running down her face. So, I stopped.


    ¡°Master¡­ that hurts. Bad man hit me with whip many times on back two moons ago for being weak.¡± She stated while whimpering.


    ¡°Okay, so I¡¯m going to try something, but I need you to hold still, okay?¡± I said, trying to sound comforting.


    She nodded and wiped the tears out of her eyes. I placed my hand a few inches away from her back and tried to focus on that healing skill I had learned earlier. I figured this would be a great time to practice. My hand started to glow again, but this time it was layered. The pattern of colors emitting from my hand was white, followed by gold as the bottom layer. I looked at her back and saw the marks quickly dissipating before eventually completely fading away. I stopped and gently grabbed her arm to let her feel for herself.


    Her face lit up, and she was so happy.


    ¡°You fixed me!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Shhhhhh, nobody knows I can do this yet. Only you and the Master Healer.¡± I responded quickly. She covered her mouth and nodded. I looked around her more and was curious about something.


    ¡°Stand up and remove your underwear.¡±


    She looked at me weirdly, as if she was about to cry, as she grabbed the corners of the makeshift underwear. ¡°I thought you were different,¡± she cried as she slid them down and kicked them to the side.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like that. I just want to make sure the rest of you is okay too, all right? If I touch you in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous, please let me know, and I¡¯ll stop.¡± I told her, trying to reassure her that I only had good intentions.


    She was lightly crying but nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    I lifted her arms and was using my finger to poke around for sore spots around her chest, her stomach and her sides. When I finally got down to her genital region, I looked at her to see if she was okay. She nodded at me while sniffling a bit. Something about her left pelvis seemed off, so I poked again and asked her about it. She shook her head and closed her eyes, clearly not wanting to talk about it.


    I sighed, placed my hand over her pelvis, and went to work healing it. In my mind, it appeared to be fractured. I looked at her again as I was fixing that up, and she patted me on the head and tried to smile but couldn¡¯t quite get it to form.


    After I had finished, I turned around and noticed she had a few bruises on her butt, but nothing out of the ordinary. Once convinced that she looked okay, I returned her underwear. She quickly put them back on and gave me a hug.


    I looked at the makeshift underwear she had on. They were dirty, had a hole, and looked kind of small. I grabbed her dress and held it up in the air near the window to get a better look. The dress looked like her underwear, and while the others saw her as just some servant, I wanted better for her.


    ¡°Selyse, how long have you had these clothes?¡± I asked, fearing the answer.


    ¡°I think I am nineteen now, so uhh¡­ ¡°she shrugged. ¡°I came here when I was nine or ten. I don¡¯t exactly remember.¡± She spoke. I looked back at her. She didn¡¯t look nineteen, but one of the perks of being in this place was that no matter how old you were, you still looked young.


    ¡°So, for nine years now, huh?¡± I thought out loud. ¡°Listen, Selyse, if I were to be able to find new clothes for you, where would I go?¡± I asked her.


    She looked at the ground momentarily before shrugging and scooting to the table''s edge, jumping into the chair below. I could tell she wanted off the chair, but it was meant more for beings of my size than human height. There was at least a four-foot drop. So, I picked her up and sat her down on the floor.


    ¡°I had other plans for today, young lady, but I¡¯m somewhat ahead in my studies, as you can possibly tell.¡± She looked up at me and remained silent.


    ¡°However,¡± she continued looking at me, eager to see what I would say next. ¡°¡­ We cannot allow you to remain in filthy clothes. So if you stick close to me, you should be able to follow me to any floor, and we shall try to get you at least a new set of clothes, possibly more.¡± I said, wondering if I could abuse my power as Gabriel¡¯s right hand.


    Her face lit up, and her smile looked as though it was about to fly from her face. <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Damnit, this isn¡¯t how I expected to spend my day. Why did I care about this young lady enough to save her? I opened the door and stood in the doorway, waiting to see what she¡¯d do. I reached behind the door, remembering my sword this time, and attached it firmly to my hip. She grabbed the sheath and gave me a thumbs up, indicating she was ready to go. I wasn¡¯t sure what the proper procedure was for having a ¡°servant¡± come with me to certain areas of the castle as it was never explained to me, nor did I ask. But who the hell is going to argue with me? I ensured my badge was easily seen and the insignia on my shoulder wasn¡¯t obstructed. Everything looked good to go. I turned my head slightly, looking at her through the corner of my eye. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of my sword unless I tell you to. If anyone tries to grab you or anything, make a noise of some sort, and I¡¯ll handle it. Understand?¡±


    She nodded.


    Since she was much shorter than I was, I had to walk slower than I wanted to. I considered carrying her, but that wasn¡¯t feasible on the stairs as they were barely large enough to handle a fully armored soldier with a bookshelf.


    Occasionally, I¡¯d glace behind me to ensure that she was still close behind me. To my surprise, she was. I didn¡¯t know where we had to go, though, and I remembered that a couple of floors up from me, there was a servant¡¯s quarters that seemed to have really enjoyed my company the last time I was there.


    When I got to the floor, I thought it was, I saw the sign above the door. Rather than knocking, I opened the door and saw that the room was different. Two females were in there, looking at what appeared to be a hole in the wall. I told Selyse to let go of my sword and hurry up in the room while I looked at the other end of the hallway and listened for a moment before turning my attention back to the room and closing the door quietly.


    ¡°M..Master Lord Angel¡­ it¡¯s not what it looks like.¡± One of them said, sounding scared like I had just discovered something I should be concerned about.


    I motioned for Selyse to sit with the females, to which she happily ran over, sat in one of their laps, and started playing with their hair. I went over to the hole in the wall on the other side of the room. Last time, there were a couple of makeshift beds against this spot. I looked back at the girls and pointed at my ear and the door. She picked up on what I was saying as she ran over to the door and placed her ear against it.


    I crawled into the hole, it looked as though they had cleared a way to what looked like a kitchen, and there was a fancy-looking blanket that appeared to have been knotted every couple of feet, secured by a large stone. They used what looked like some old wood to attempt to keep the hole hidden from that floor. Not like it¡¯d matter anyway; none of the utensils were up in a place that would cause anyone to notice.


    I crawled out and momentarily sat on the floor, thinking about what to do. The one by the door was trying to get my attention, indicating someone may be coming. I walked over to the door and could hear someone getting closer. I had a choice here; I could either alert the guard of my findings or let it be and distract the guard.


    I quietly told the one watching the door to go sit down by Selyse and the other. She was a little hesitant but went and sat down next to them. Selyse was still playing with the others¡¯ hair, having no cares in the world. I quietly opened the door, stepped out, and closed it. I stood outside the door, facing the hallway, waiting for whoever was approaching this part of the hall. A few seconds later, I saw a foot come around the corner, followed by the rest of the guard.


    ¡°GUARD!¡± I shouted. He stopped at the end of the hallway and looked at me before kneeling.


    ¡°My lord! How may I assist you?¡± he responded.


    I could see Selyse and the other two''s shadows close to the door, probably listening to what was going on.


    ¡°I need your assistance. I have a young servant with clothes that are unacceptable for a servant of the right-hand of Gabriel, and I am still unfamiliar with the castle''s layout. Take my servant and I to the right place.¡± I said, trying to sound authoritative.


    The guard stood up and walked to the staircase.


    ¡°Please, sir, follow me.¡± He stated.


    I tapped on the door, indicating I was going to open it. Selyse was to the left of the door, and the other females were a few feet away. I glanced at the hole in the wall and waved my hand in a way that suggested I was saying, ¡°Fix it.¡± Selyse came out of the room and grabbed my sword again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I told the guard.


    He nodded and took us up several floors to a floor that I somehow had missed while making my way up to see Gabriel that one night. He pointed to the hallway and kneeled again.


    ¡°Anything else, my lord?¡±


    I thought for a moment about what I could use. Anything to help buy some extra time for those two back in that room. I felt they had been up to something but didn¡¯t know what exactly. I had no intention of reporting anyone unless necessary. I did not want to see or hear about anyone innocent being harmed.


    ¡°Yes, I need a map with all the floors and what I can find on them. Find one for me and bring it to my quarters, " I said.


    The guard nodded and took off down the stairs. I grabbed Selyse¡¯s hand and brought her in front of me. In front of us, several signs over different doors with words letting us know where to go were posted. I looked back into the stairwell to make sure nobody was coming up behind us as I kneeled closely to Selyse.


    ¡°Listen, remember, you¡¯re a servant, for now, so you must act like a servant. Around other servants and in my quarters, you can act like Selyse, but anywhere else, you¡¯re just a servant girl,¡± I told her, feeling slightly terrible.


    She nodded and suddenly snapped into character. She placed her head down to the ground and put her hands to her side. I stood back up and stepped in front of her, leading us down the hallway. All the doors on this floor were open, so it was far easier to see what was in these rooms. We finally discovered that the 2nd door on the right had what we were looking for.


    I walked in with Selyse. The person sitting behind the counter, facing a window, stated: ¡°We don¡¯t allow servants in here; this place is reserved for actual inhabitants of the castle, not for lower-class scum such as herself.¡±


    ¡°Excuse you, but is this the way you would speak to Gabriel?¡± I snapped back.


    He tilted his head slightly before falling out of his char. He quickly stood up, realizing who he was talking to.


    ¡°No, my lord, please forgive me. I will be more than happy to serve Gabriel¡¯s right hand and his lovely servant. Please, please, come in and select whatever you¡¯d like. Everything here is free to you as you live here and, of course, for your servant girl, too. Please let me know if I can help you with anything!¡± His tone did a complete turn-around once I had used my position to make him aware of who he was talking to. I found it humorous how others talked to me upon approaching them.


    ¡°I am looking for some clothes for this one. Human, female. As my personal servant, do you believe these clothes to be fitting for someone who serves me?¡±


    He looked at Selyse, looking like he was thinking. The clothing here in this area appeared to be far too large for her, but I was hoping that as a tailor, he¡¯d start taking measurements or have something stashed away that may fit her. He looked at me, and I could see that the gears in his head were turning.


    He came from behind his desk, walking around her, thinking about who knows what.


    ¡°May I remove her clothing, sir?¡± he asked. I looked at Selyse, who looked up at me and didn¡¯t seem to like the idea of her clothes being removed by someone else. I looked back at the tailor.


    ¡°You shall do no such thing. I shall do it myself.¡±


    I moved her arms into the air and lifted her dress off her.


    ¡°Oh no, no, no. This is not good. This is not befitting of such a loyal servant of the Right hand. This dress is filthy and delipidated. Her undergarments are also not okay.¡±


    He turned the dress over a couple of times. Selyse removed her underwear without being asked and held it up as if she were making an offer to the sky. He retrieved a dagger from his desk and used it to grab them.


    ¡°Thanks?¡± he said, with a look of disgust on his face.


    ¡°So, what can you do for my servant?¡± I asked. He looked around for a few seconds before flinging the underwear at the feet of Selyse.


    He used his dagger to measure her height and wrapped his hand around her thigh. Selyse did not like being touched like this, but he was allowed to do his work. After a moment, he walked away, reached into a chest, and brought some new clothing for her.


    ¡°Here you are, my lord; these should fit the girl, " he said as he handed me the clothes.


    I looked at them, expecting them to be more our size than hers, but they were relatively small.


    I handed her the underwear first, which had golden seams but somehow outlined certain areas.


    I looked back at the man. ¡°These are the only things I have on such short notice. If you give me a few days, I can make something for you, but as of right now, I only have slave undergarments.¡± He said with a slightly worried tone in his voice.


    I looked back and unraveled what I thought was a shirt but turned out to be semi see-through nightgown instead. At this point, I was disgusted and couldn¡¯t believe that the only available items for her on such short notice, but wasn¡¯t surprised.


    I looked at Selyse, and she just nodded. I think she understood that her choices for now are old, ratty clothes or skimpy slave clothing, and she seemed okay with the new outfit for now. I handed her the gown, which she put on.


    I turned around to see the man writing down notes on a piece of paper. ¡°I have her size recorded, my lord. I will have the clothes sent to your quarters directly. Do you have a color preference?¡±


    I didn¡¯t turn around but thanked him as we walked out and back towards the staircase. I looked out a window and noticed it was starting to get dark, so I decided it was time to return to the room. I hadn¡¯t expected to take all day to do such a simple task. We eventually got back, and the light on my ceiling was already on, giving it quite a comfy vibe.


    I closed the door behind Selyse as she came in and looked at her. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do with her as I hadn¡¯t expected all this to happen. I started to get lost, thinking about how I could have done anything different today. I didn¡¯t notice Selyse said my name until she smacked at my leg.


    I looked down at her, shocked that she smacked me.


    ¡°Sorry, sir, but I have a question.¡± The tone she had made me wonder what she wanted.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She smiled oddly before removing her gown and pointing at her chest, slightly blushing.


    ¡°Do¡­ uhh¡­ do you wanna touch them? I¡¯m okay with you touching them since you are kind,¡± she said nervously. I stood there for a moment, staring at her chest and wondering if I should take her up on that offer. What would one touch be? I stuck my hand out, slowly moving it towards her and grabbing the gown from her shoulder.


    ¡°Look, just put this back on. Please.¡± I said while turning away. Outside was completely dark, with lights here and there in the distance. She sighed as she put the gown back on. The sigh sounded as though she was frustrated that I didn¡¯t want to touch her despite giving me permission to do so and wanting me to do it.


    ¡°Where do you wanna sleep tonight?¡± I asked her. She immediately pointed at the bed. It was more than enough in size to accommodate both of us. Despite the stunt she tried to pull with me, I decided to give it a try to see how it went. Even if someone did walk in with us in the same bed, it wouldn¡¯t matter as to everyone else here, she was <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">my servant to do <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">whatever with. It might make others less suspicious of me.


    I picked her up and placed her on the bed. She settled down in the corner and seemed ecstatic to be sleeping in an actual bed versus a makeshift bedroom on the floor. I took my armor off, as I wasn¡¯t going to sleep with that, and placed it in the chair before finally lying in the bed next to Selyse. I lay on my back, looking at the ceiling and wondering if the light would turn off or at least go dim. I felt Selyse grab my hand, and the next thing I knew, it was over her chest, with her hugging my hand tightly. She looked up at me, slightly red, and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best one here, master; please keep your hand here¡­¡± I could feel her heartbeat, and it was slightly elevated. I sighed, completely giving up, and just allowed my hand to remain there, as she seemed quite content, and I didn¡¯t want to ruin it for her. ¡°Good night, young lady. Sleep well because we are going to have a busy day tomorrow.¡±


    I didn¡¯t get a response from her, as she quickly fell asleep. I lay there longer before falling asleep, wondering how tomorrow would go. I guess that¡¯s what I need to worry about tomorrow.

 Chapter 5 - Gambling with Gabriel

    The morning came. Despite being much smaller and lighter, I could feel Selyse lying close to me. At some point, she had removed all her clothes and laid partially on top of me. Surprisingly, she produced a lot of body heat from being so small. I had no intention of disturbing her until I heard a knock at the door. I did the best I could to move her off me, which resulted in her rolling over and facing the opposite direction, still sound asleep. I heard another knock. "Master Thadeus, please open up, it is important." The voice shouted through the door.


    I quickly hopped off the bed and rushed to the door. Upon its opening, I had a male wearing light leather armor, kneeling, with a dagger at his side, holding up a sealed scroll. I grabbed it out of his hands. "My lord, there''s been an incident that requires your assistance. Gabriel wants you to take care of it personally. It is of utmost importance to go at once." He stood up as I started to walk back into the room.


    He trailed behind and caught a glimpse of Selyse''s exposed body, quickly averting his gaze. "My apologies, My lord, I had no idea. If I''d known, I would have waited a little longer," he said apologetically.


    Without looking back at him, I said, "It''s fine," and set the scroll on the table. "I have some questions, but you must speak softly while my servant sleeps. She had a busy day yesterday, and I wish to allow her to sleep in a bit longer as I planned to do most of my tasks from here today," I said, hoping that he wouldn''t question it.


    He nodded. He started to speak softly. "Yes, yes, I will do as you request. My lord, these are orders from Gabriel himself. He has already dispatched several teams to take care of this problem, but none have returned. So, he assumed the worst. As Gabriel''s right hand, you can accept this task yourself or assign more teams to take care of it. But as I said¡­ several teams never came back."


    I undid the twine that kept the scroll closed, unfolded it, and found it to be very brief and to the point.


    "Captain Thadeus, please find a team capable of taking this task or do it yourself if you feel it''s not worth sending a team to it in your place. Whatever option you choose, report to a taskmaster with this letter and show them the words at the very bottom. They will open a portal for the team you pick, yourself, or a mixture. I don''t truly care who goes, but this task is critical and must be done quickly."


    At the bottom, it looked like some coordinates were mixed in with random letters. I didn''t understand any of it. I placed the scroll on the desk and walked over to the bed. The messenger was still there, staring at Selyse in her vulnerable state.


    "Advert your eyes unless you wish to become blind and no longer of use to Gabriel or the kingdom in general."


    His facial expression changed from envy towards the young lady in my bed to sudden fear, and he quickly walked out, shutting the door behind him. "Just great¡­" I thought out loud. I had planned to spend the day reading that mysterious book I didn''t understand that Selyse had appointed out and possibly understood. I felt it wasn''t a coincidence she pointed that one out. But, instead, I was being sent out on a mission.


    I reached over to the bed in hopes my arms were long enough to reach her, but she was out of my reach. I stood up and walked to the edge of the bed, placed my left hand down, and used my right hand to nudge her in hopes I could wake her. As I went to place my hand on her back, she rolled over. Instead of nudging her back, I ended up with a handful of breasts. Out of curiosity, I gave it a light squeeze to see if it felt like the others I had felt. They weren''t as large as the females of Gabriel''s office that night nor as squishy. But this woke her up, and she just stared at me for several seconds before smiling.


    "Hello, master; morning to you too."  She said, smiling.


    I slowly moved my hand away and cleared my throat. My eyes were still looking at her chest, but I was lost in thinking about what I would have to do. My thoughts changed from thinking about the mission to wanting a deeper encounter with Selyse if I didn''t return. Wait, if I didn''t return? What am I talking about¡­ I have that item that allows me to respawn.


    I realized that whatever mission was in store for me, death wouldn''t matter to me here. I looked at her, trying to figure out what to do. There was, yet again, another knock at my door.


    "Enter," I shouted.


    The door opened slowly. It was the guard from yesterday that I was distracted by and requested to bring me a map.


    "Ah, perfect, I am glad to see you as I have a request for you."


    He placed a round cylinder-like object on my desk before standing at attention. "Anything, sir!" he shouted.


    I looked back at the bed. Selyse was putting her clothes on. "I''ve been called upon for a mission by our Master, Gabriel. I plan on doing the mission myself as we have sent many out, and they''ve failed to return." I turned to face him. "The floor I found you on yesterday is a room of several other female servants there." I was thinking out loud more than talking to him.


    "Yes sir, what about it?" he asked.


    I walked closer, placed my hands on his shoulders, and put my head against his. "My servant shall be placed with them while I am gone, and you, nor any other guard shall lay even a feather on her. If I come back and discover anyone has touched her, misspoke to her, or punished her in any way, shape, or form¡­" I paused momentarily to let him take this all in and ensure that he knew I was serious. "I will behead you personally as I gave you the order to ensure that her safety remains of the utmost importance, and if I find out you or anyone else had sexual relations with her while I was gone, you will pay for that. Is this understood?


    He took a step back, and his face looked as though a child had just opened a present only to discover the box held no contents. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He pointed to Selyse and motioned her to come to him. I turned back to see that she was hesitant and wanted my permission first. She had heard the whole thing, as I was not trying to be quiet about it. I looked back at the guard, waiting for an answer. He hadn''t said anything this entire time.


    "Answer me. Now." I demanded.


    He looked at me again but was able to find words this time.


    "My lord, I shall make such a promise to ensure that your servant shall remain in good hands with the other servants. I shall make accommodations to ensure that she and the other female servants she stays with shall be given other orders until your return. If your death is confirmed, though, the deal shall be off, and your servant girl shall be placed back into the pool of slaves or servants." he counter-offered.


    I turned around, staring at Selyse. She smiled at me and motioned that she wanted off the bed, so I assisted her down. While holding her, I walked her over to the guard.


    "What do you think?" I said, looking at her. "Do you think these terms are acceptable?"


    The guard looked confused. "This servant doesn''t speak, nor has ever made a sound. Why do you talk to her as though she will give a response?"


    Selyse looked up at me, and I knew what she was thinking. "Go ahead," I told her. I really hoped she showed some form of defiance towards this guard. He was nowhere near Gabriel''s level of bad, but I could tell that had I not been Gabriel''s right hand, he would have probably treated me differently. She turned her attention to the guard.


    "Listen, bad man," she quietly said. The guard looked down at her with a look of bewilderment, not knowing whether to be angry about being spoken to like this by a servant or surprised by the fact that the first words out of her mouth to him had been what they were. He leaned over to face her, which scared her a tiny bit as she buried her face into my chest. He raised an eyebrow.


    "If bad man hurt me, my Master will end you. You be nice, he be nice." She continued, sounding a little snarky in her tone.


    "Oh? I''ll have you know that if he does not return, I shall enjoy taking you for myself." He replied, with lust in his eyes. "However, I doubt he won''t return, so it will be my pleasure to ensure that you and the other servants, at his request, remain safe." He added.


    I set Selyse down, and while she was hesitant, she slowly walked over to the care of the guard. "Remember¡­ if anything happens to her, I''ll have your fucking head."


    He kneeled and stood up, and the two of them left.


    I didn''t feel right in allowing him to take her or watch her, which is part of why I chose to include the other females in that room as well. I knew I could count on them to keep an eye on her while also getting a much-needed break. I walked over to the bed, sat, and leaned to pick up my armor. As I was putting it, I heard someone else come in. I didn''t even have to look up to know it was Gabriel. Great.


    "My right hand, I assume you got my message?" He asked.


    "I did, yes," I said while still fiddling with my armor.


    "What do you plan to do about it? Are you going to try to gather a team to go?"


    I finally had my armor on. "No," I said quietly.


    "Are you going to go yourself, then? He asked, sounding surprised.


    "Clearly, nobody else is competent enough to do it, so it''s time to do it myself." I was trying to sound annoyed as if it was incredibly inconvenient to me. Which it wasn''t. I wondered if I could bring Selyse, but I knew it''d be far too dangerous for her, and I didn''t want to expose her to that.


    "On my way down, I encountered your new personal slave. I must admit, she seems like a real gem, and had you not chosen her, I might have considered her for myself". His tone lingered in my mind, prompting me to question whether I had made a mistake in not assembling a team capable of successfully returning success.


    "Yeah, she''s great. Her company pleases me." I said, trying not to raise suspicions.


    "I see you got her some clothes ordered. The tailor told me that you demanded clothes for her to be made, as she should be dressed properly as my right-hand man," he said, trying to find an explanation.


    I looked at him and stood up. "It is my belief that a servant of your right hand should match her Master. The clothes she had before may have been fit for a servant of those down in the lower levels of the Kingdom, but as a member of your castle, I will not be seen with a servant in such filthy clothes." I said with a hint of frustration in my voice to get my point across. I was slightly nervous as I couldn''t tell if he thought I was being defiant or not towards him. In reality, I just wanted her to have better clothes as they were essentially falling apart. I didn''t care what they considered her and the others in her position; they should at least have some decent clothes.


    Gabriel put his thumb under his chin and looked like he was thinking, his eyes staring at the floor momentarily. He started to pace around the room. I watched him as he continued to go back and forth in the room. At this point, I was trying to figure out if I had made him realize that this was a good idea or if he didn''t like the idea and was starting to wonder if he had made the mistake of choosing me from everyone else to be his right hand.


    "Thadeus," he finally said, looking at me. "Do you know why I chose you?" he asked in a soft tone. I looked at him, confused and unsure how to respond.


    "I chose you because of your capability to think on the fly and for your ability to fight and survive. Those were the qualities I was looking for in a right hand. The other potential subjects failed to have all these qualities. That is why I chose you."


    Again, I looked at him, confused as to how we went from talking about Selyse to this.


    "Thank you, sir. It is an honor to serve you," I said as I kneeled.


    "Thadeus, I''ve thought about what you said and think you''re on the right track. You make a good point, as the servants and slaves of the castle should have higher quality clothing. They do serve us, after all. I think that was a good call for your servant, and I will make it a requirement to reclothe all of them." He stated, sounding as if he was doing a nice thing for those less of him.


    Gabriel didn''t do things just out of the kindness of his heart. There was always a reason for his generosity towards most individuals. Although these servants and slaves were already, well¡­ servants and slaves, he would expect something in return from them. Not much more he could do to them at this rate other than abuse their bodies and crush their spirit further. There was nothing good about him, and he had no redeeming qualities about him.


    I was dumbfounded and didn''t know what to say. On the one hand, this surprised me greatly as I did not expect him to see this from my point of view while on the other, but on the other, I feared what he had in mind for the others. He may just have agreed with the demand I requested of the tailor.


    "It''s okay; you don''t need to say anything. However, I''d like to present you with a deal as I have little faith in you returning from this mission. If you make it back, all the servants you left yours with will be released to you. You''ll also acquire that entire floor and everything occupying it. However, if you fail your mission, I am going to take your servant for my own, and I will tame that bitch until she willingly submits to me." He declared, suggesting I wouldn''t return as he looked towards the window.


    I walked up behind him and tapped his back with my sword still in its sheath. "Better start getting that floor ready for me. I want all the guards on that floor to get lost, and I expect to see all my servants in elegant-looking clothing and a keg of some fine wine for when I return. This mission will be nothing to me." I expressed confidentiality. "If you don''t mind, I''ll be leaving soon and would love for you to leave this room." I added, sounding annoyed.


    "If you come back unsuccessful or don''t come back at all, I hope you know I will take great pleasure in getting to know that bitch of yours." He snapped back as he stormed out.


    I reached for my magical bag, then the scroll. I dug through the bag to ensure I had everything I would have needed¡ªtwo extra swords, the ball, and a random book about spell casting. I leaned over to the desk, grabbing the scroll. I made my way to the balcony, with knowledge of how to fly now and an even better idea of how to land that didn''t include crashing face-first into the ground.


    I walked to the hand-carved stone fencing and stood on top of it. I figured since where I needed to go was in the lower Kingdom, I''d jump from here and attempt to just sorta glide my way down. I jumped, expanded my wings, and felt warm air push against my wings. I figured out that I could slightly turn my wings to allow me to control where I was going while gracefully falling from the sky. I had a general idea of where I had to go, and as I got closer, I could see it.


    The general area had multiple round stone gates with different emblems carved into them. I remember going through these quite a few times on my earlier missions and was somewhat familiar with them. Down below me, I saw several others wearing basic gear and equipment given to those of this level. While I was gliding around, I started to hear a commotion. I looked around to find a place to land as close as possible to what appeared to have been a fight that broke out between a couple of others regarding swords. I landed behind a crowd of onlookers and started to make my way through the dense group of people.


    "MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY! THE RIGHT HAND OF GABRIEL IS HERE. STOP THIS AT ONCE." I eventually yelled out.  At this point, the only ones who appeared to hear me were behind me and kneeling, which started a chain reaction as others realized why the rest were kneeling. At this point, the group began to quiet down.


    "You two!" I pointed at the ones I had seen fighting. "Explain yourselves," I demanded.


    One of them looked up; he had a bunch of cuts on his face and a black eye. Despite his feathers being darker blue, you could still tell he was hit in the eye. I looked at the other one, grabbed his chin, and adjusted his gaze to look directly at me. After looking at him, it was evident that he had clearly won the fight. Since he had no scrapes or bruises.


    None of them spoke up and chose to look back down at the ground as several guards came rushing over, throwing some of the spectators aside to make their way to the middle. I turned around to face them.


    "Stand down, I have this handled. Had you been doing what was expected of you, this may not have happened." I shouted at them. One of them looked angry and tried to hop over the others, but the ones closest to him pulled him back.


    "You fool, that is Gabriel''s right hand!" the guard exclaimed. They all stood in place, unsure what to do. I looked at them disapprovingly before turning my attention back to the two young angels on the ground.


    I looked at the group of young angels who were still surrounding us. The guards joined them in kneeling rather than trying to usher them away. "Guards, do your jobs, you idiots. There are still at least a few dozen people here who don''t need to be. Handle them, and I''ll handle these two." I said, feeling beyond annoyed by their lack of action.


    The guards stood up and started shouting at everyone. "Get lost! There is nothing to see here. If you do not leave immediately, Gabriel''s right hand will have a far worse fate than we will give you. Go on! Disperse immediately!"


    They quickly stood back up and ran in any direction other than this spot. Once they had all run away, one of the guards tried to talk to me, but I ignored him and motioned for him and the others to leave. I wasn''t too interested in conversing with them; I was more interested in why these two were fighting.


    "One of you needs to speak up and explain your actions." I demanded. Something I disliked about the position of power I had was others rather be silent over wanting to talk, and trying to get people to talk to me other than Gabriel, the servants, and Selyse was difficult. I was in a hurry as I wanted to get this mission started but was delayed already by these young ones wanting to fight each other rather than saving it for the field.


    Neither spoke, and I didn''t have the time to stand around, not receiving a response from anyone. I placed my hand over the face of the one who was hurt in the scuffle and healed his face. "The "e. Your face is back to normal. I have a mission to do myself, which I need to get going. Good luck to you two." I turned around. "Oh, and don''t fight each other. Work together if you want to survive."


    I then walked towards the portals and equipment stands. One of the portals was disabled, while the other two had a steady stream of others going in. It wasn''t how it was when I arrived here almost two years ago. During that time, it was small groups of 5-6 others. But these groups were massive and had slightly better armor.


    As I got closer, I heard someone shout, but before everyone stopped what they were doing, I shouted as loudly as I possibly could: "I swear upon Gabriel, that if any of you stop the operations to kneel upon my arrival, there will be consequences." There was another shout from elsewhere, and everyone went back to their business. I couldn''t believe the number of others who were there. I estimated there to be about a few hundred.


    Someone came running up to me, and judging by the symbol on his armor, he appeared to be a medical assistant. "Sir! Master Angel, sir!" he shouted as he was running towards me. His voice sounded urgent.


    "What is it?" I replied, expecting possibly some bad news.


    "The mission that the Divine Order had sent a large team on about a week ago, we had a few return. Two of them are heavily injured, while the other is blind. They left in a group of fifty and only came back as three." He sputtered in a panic.


    "Take me to the survivors right away!" I demanded.


    He quickly turned around, sprinting towards an area out of sight of everyone else. They had moved these three behind a tent and used barrels to prop them against. One of them had bandages covering his face. Across his chest were sword and claw marks, and his armor was missing whole chunks. Judging from the straps and pieces of armor still there, it looked like his armor had just been ripped through. The back of his armor remained untouched. I touched one of the marks on his chest.


    He let out a groan. "P-p "ease¡­ no more¡­" he" said.


    "Do you know where you are?" I asked him, unsure. The one next to him answered instead.


    "Up until myself and this one next to me on the other side got him here, he had been unconscious for half the trip back." He said, looking at the ground. I then turned my attention to the one who spoke.


    "Can "you look at me?" I asked him.


    "There''s no point; I can''t. My eyes were also damaged in the fight. I can only see my hand if I place it close to my face. Other than that, the ground here is completely fuzzy. It''s almost complete darkness for me," he said, taking short breaths and sounding defeated. It was a miracle we managed to make it back. We would have probably died in that forsaken land if it weren''t this one, " he added.


    I looked at the third one; he didn''t seem to be moving, and he didn''t have any visible wounds that I could see right away.


    "Sir, he died shortly after we pulled them through the portal about six hours ago. We had a healer look at him shortly after they arrived, but there wasn''t anything we could do for him," the medical assistant said.


    I shuffled back over to the one with the chest wounds and bandages all over his face. Some spots on the bandages indicated that he had been bleeding heavily. Somehow, his chest wounds weren''t bleeding, but his feathers had lots of dried blood covering them.


    I looked back at the Medical Assistant, who was standing there looking like they could do nothing more to help these three. "Hey "do me a favor?" I" asked him.


    He looked at me and nodded.


    "I need you to keep an eye out and keep this a secret, okay?"


    He continued looking in my direction, unsure what was going on. He stood up and started to look around. I went to unwrap the blood-stained bandages from around the head for the one who appeared to be in the worst condition of these two.


    There were at least several layers covering it, and upon removing the bandages finally, I saw why. He appeared to have several small spike-like objects in his head. I was surprised he was still alive. I looked at the medical assistant, who was already reaching into a bag and looking for a tool as he walked towards me. He pulled out some medical prongs and handed them to me.


    "This may hurt, but I promise you''ll be okay." I assured him. I wasn''t sure what these were, nor did I want to touch them. I grabbed one just above his left eyebrow and slowly pulled. I put my hand over his mouth as I didn''t want to draw any unwanted attention to us. As I started to pull it out, it emitted a sickening, wet squelch that caused me to look away as I continued to pull. I could feel the heat of his breath start to hit my hand, eventually turning into a muffled scream. As it popped out finally, it turned out to be a claw of some sort approximately two inches in length, had a curve to it, and was multiple shades of yellow. The medical assistant stuffed some fresh dressings in the wound as I started on the second one. This continued a few more times as I removed the other claws one by one.


    I slowly removed my hand from his mouth. He was quietly crying from the pain and was possibly in a little bit of shock. The medical assistant didn''t know what to do as none of the healers were proficient in their skill. The most they could do was apply basic healing techniques and call it good, considering how brutal the aftermath of the attack was.


    "Remember how I said to keep this a secret? This applies to all of you." I stated as I started to remove the dressings packed in his head. I placed my hand over the general area of the wounds from the claws and began to heal them. Slowly, the marks around his head started to dissipate. Once I was satisfied it was good enough, I started on his chest, hoping that nothing was stuck on the inside as I didn''t want to stick my fingers in there. I repeated the same process there as I did with his head. Again, once I was satisfied with how his skin looked, I stopped.


    He let out a couple of coughs, feeling his chest and head. "Shh," I suggested.


    I turned my attention to the one in the middle. Whatever attacked them appeared to be a strong adversary as it managed to kill about forty-seven somewhat geared angels. Whatever it was, it really did a number to the previous one and the one to the left of him. I placed my hand in front of his eyes, hoping that this would work. After a few seconds, he blinked, stated that he could fully see again, and thanked me.


    I shuffled over to the one on my far right and looked back at the medical assistant, who looked surprised by all this. I couldn''t blame him since, before him was the right hand of Gabriel, healing lower-ranking angels with a master level healing ability. He had probably never seen it before. He looked at the lifeless body, and his facial expression changed to doubt. I leaned the lifeless body forward and noticed a thick piece of wood sticking out from his back, along with some scratch marks. It appeared he had no protection on his back, as there were at least several different swipes at him. I wasn''t sure if my healing ability would have been able to bring him back, but I at least wanted to try. I placed my hand on his body, wondering if I could just heal him back to life.


    Upon trying, something was different this time around. It was just gold rather than the normal combination of Gold and White. In my mind, I could see a blue-colored swirling ball of energy. I mentally tried to reach out to it while also focusing on the healing of this poor young angel. I heard "Okay" in my head, and the next thing I knew, the young angel woke up, gasping for air as if he were a fish out of water.


    The medical assistant advised him to "Take it slow, take a slow, deep breath. "You''re going to be okay, thanks to the Master Healer here." he assured them.


    I stood up and took a step back. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed us, but they were all too busy doing other things. "Sit down next to them," I told the medical assistant.


    He went and sat down next to them without question.


    "In terms of what I did here, what did you see or experience?" I asked them, grabbing the handle of my sword, hoping that this empty threat would scare them enough to not want to speak.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    They all looked at my hand now on the handle of my sword.


    "N¡­nothing?" the one who was previously dead said. The others looked at him before they all started to agree in unison.


    "Perfect." I said with a sigh of relief. "You three, come with me. Right away. As for you, medical assistant, you may go back to your post."


    He got back up and ran off while the others struggled to find their footing but eventually managed to stand up.


    I started to look around for anyone who looked important. I saw an Angel who donned a long black cloak with brown lines on it, holding a clipboard-like object and using a quill to jot down information. "Follow me, single file line," I told them.


    We came out from behind the tent and started to approach him when I heard someone yelling my name.


    "THADEUS! THADEUS!" he stopped, panting, as his hands were on his knees. "I have¡­ I have been¡­ looking for you¡­ for a while now. I have a message for you from the top!"


    I took the message but didn''t read it yet as I was preoccupied with these three behind me. I looked over my shoulder to make sure they were still there.


    Thankfully, they hadn''t wandered off. I didn''t think anyone would try to take them from me, considering my armor clearly showed who and what I was, and it was clear they were with me. But you never know.


    As I approached the man in the black cloak, he turned his attention to me and was very casual. Which was nice.


    "Ahh, the Hand of Gabriel has graced us with his presence and appears to have brought friends with him!" he spoke excitedly. "Have you and your crew come to inspect the progress of our increase in supplies being given to this newer generation of soldiers? Times are getting tougher, I''m afraid. I do sug-"he continued before I interrupted him.


    "No, for whatever reason why you think I''m here, it''s not for that. The three¡­" glanced behind me real quick. "Correction, the four behind me have different business between us. I stepped to my left. "The three right here have returned from a very dangerous mission and have a report to give to the High Order right away. They were the only survivors out of a group of fifty. Get someone to escort them right away on behalf of Gabriel." I ordered, adding, "The "e three are to be welcomed as heroes as they will be able to provide some much-needed intel for the Kingdom. Should anything happen to them¡­" I balled my hand into a fist, extending my thumb and making a slashing motion.


    "Yes, yes, of course, very well then." He replied. This time, he sounded nervous, and his attitude had changed from excitement to nervousness. He told me he''d handle it as he called over a couple of guards and explained the situation. They looked at these three and motioned at them to follow. The three young angels left with the guards, sprinting away from the area.


    "Very well, sir, that''s been done." The scribe said.


    I didn''t respond to him but turned around to the messenger, who had also been trailing behind me.


    "Updated orders from Gabriel before you leave. While you''re on the current mission you''re about to embark on, you will be making a detour to the place marked on the updated map. It is within the area, and we need you to check the area out to gather intel." He stated in an official-like manner. He handed me the scroll, bowed, and ran off.


    "Ooooh, a mission for the mighty right hand, eh? How daring of you!" the scribe said in a demeaning manner. I ignored it and handed him the other scroll.  He paused for a moment to look at it before his eyes looked as though they''d pop out of his head. "Ohhhh¡­. Okay¡­ uhm, just so you know, we have lost at least thousands of soldiers in varying levels of skill to this place, and your orders are to eradicate the beast followed by a day or two of reconnaissance. If you make it back alive, I''ll be shocked."


    I ignored him and pointed to the portal. "Open it, lets goooo." I yelled. A group of guards came over, and all drew their swords and raised their shields. These guards were elites, as they had dawned full golden armor, helmets with wings on the side, and incredibly thick shields.


    "OPEN THE DEAD ZONE PORTAL!" someone shouted. The portal started to hum as energy began to flow through the runes. One of the elite guards looked back at me. "You have seven days to do this task. We won''t wait on the other side with you for any longer than that." he shouted. He looked around at his men, raising his sword up. "C''mon, let''s go! FOR THE ORDER!" and rushed straight in.


    I stepped through the portal myself, and the other side looked as though it was war-torn, with dead bodies everywhere, with various weapons sticking out of carcasses, trees that looked as though they had been smashed into smithereens, and an eerily looking fog. The landscape looked as though it was a swamp. It was dark compared to the Kingdom. The sky was overcast. It was incredibly dreary-looking


    "Welcome to the dead zone, Thadeus. Your seven days start now, and if you''re late coming back here, we aren''t waiting for you. You''ll have to find your own way back somehow or just perish. Good luck, " he said casually, as if he had said this plenty of times.


    I couldn''t help but think this was a ploy by Gabriel himself. That fucker was hoping I''d die, so he didn''t have to give up an entire floor and a room full of servants to me. He probably knew I''d not waste the time and energy to gather a team and just do it myself. I looked at the map given to me, and it showed where I needed to survey for intel and where the target they wanted dead was at. The map suggested that by foot, it''d take at least 5 days to reach the target and another 4 to reach the recon zone on foot. But I had 5 days to do two jobs and 2 days to make it back.


    I looked at the guards and yelled: "I''ll see you pricks in a week."


    "We doubt that, sir, but on the off chance you do, we''ll be here." The captain yelled back.


    I started to run, as standing around was only wasting precious time. Time that I didn''t have. I was quickly approaching the outskirts of the secured zone, as the entire area had large wood spiked defenses surrounding the area and a few trenches here and there. I stopped to peek into one of the trenches and saw the body of what appeared to either be a small human child or an elven bone structure. I could tell that it wasn''t one of my kind, but from how it was facing, it looked like a defender. I don''t have time to stop.


    I glanced at the map to get a general idea of where I was. Thankfully, everything was drawn in such a way I could figure out where to get easily. I looked behind me and could barely see the portal in the distance. According to the map, it should''ve taken far longer than it did for me to run here. "What the¡­" I wondered out loud. I looked at the map and calculated that it should have taken me about an hour to cover this distance with how the map made the distance seem. Ahead of me was going to be a large open field, then a wooden bridge that went on for quite a while over the swamp, then some sort of large tree. The target would be somewhere near the tree, which was marked with a blue circle.


    I looked up at the sky again, wondering if I should try to bypass everything and fly my way there. Other than what I had learned about this place from the scribe and the guards, I didn''t know anything about this strange place. I could fly through everything, but this entire forsaken place may be incredibly hostile outside of the secured zone.


    I took a knee in the dirt, and retrieved my bag from the shoulder, placing it down in front of me. I reached in and grabbed the resurrection item, and held it momentarily before placing it back into the bag. I retrieved my two smaller swords and placed the katana into the bag. If I was forced to fight anything, I wanted two light, one-handed, short swords over a large, heavy sword. After retrieving what I needed, I hopped into the trench and found an old metal but rusty shield. I lifted the shield and placed the bag down before covering it up with it. Had something happened, I would have resurrected in a safe, out-of-the-way spot rather than somewhere dangerous.


    After I was sure that the bag was well hidden, I stepped out of the trench. I didn''t think to take the map with me, but seeing as the only major defining landmarks on the map were the portal, secure defensive zoned/perimeter, bridge, and giant tree, I figured it should be easy to figure out where I had to go.


    As I was about to squat to jump in the air to take flight, I heard a horn from behind me. I couldn''t tell exactly what was going on, but I heard the rumbling of multiple soldiers in heavy armor coming my way, followed by a light dust cloud. I could see a flag above the crowd, and it suggested that a larger regiment of the Holy Order Guards had been dispatched out here. I quickly hopped back into the trench to retrieve my bag. I grabbed the shield to make it less suspicious when I came out. Which, in comparison to me, was tiny.


    "MASTER ANGEL, WAIT, DON''T GO YET!" someone yelled. I looked in the direction of the voice, and someone who was far ahead of the rest came before me.


    "Master Angel, there''s been a change of plans. The entire elite royal guard will hold this defensive line until your return. The information- "he stopped, taking a chance to catch his breath. "The information the three you ordered to provide the Order with has changed your entire mission. First, this is for you." He said as he handed me a small box. "Secondly, Gabriel has agreed to meet your request preemptively as he has received news from the Holy Order''s future-tellers telling him that you end up making it back. Rather than allow himself to be humiliated by your return, he chose to give you the floor all together and all the women, including your original slave, to you. You will be responsible for all their actions." I hated how she kept being referred to as my "slave". It''s not like I chose to dress her up in a skimpy nightgown and underwear. But that was all the tailor had, and it was a far better option than her previous clothes.


    I took the box from him and opened it while he was speaking. At that moment, I did not care about what he had to say. In the box was another armor badge that had "SO-T4" on it.


    "Who are you?" I asked.


    "Oh right¡­" he kneeled. "My name is Captain Darius. I am the second in command of the Holy Order''s Royal guards. My orders here are to hold this outpost until your return and to give you these items and briefly tell you about them." He stated, with confidence in his voice. "The badge indicates that you are also now part of Gabriel''s Special Operations team. Due to you taking it upon yourself to do this mission, it was decided you''d supervise all operations placed under his watch. The other Master Arch Angels disagreed with this decision, stating that it gave Gabriels forces far too much power to do whatever, but the Holy Order eventually disagreed with them stating that you clearly were the best person for the additional position and how they could''ve picked you. But nobody, other than Gabriel, saw your potential until it was too late."


    I looked down at him. I now had as much time to do this mission as I needed, but didn''t feel right taking my time as I had others counting on my return. The sooner I came back, the sooner they''d be safe again. The thought of Gabriel touching or assaulting Selyse made my blood boil. I didn''t understand why, though. I didn''t have any romantic connection to her, as she was merely a random acquaintance. At least I didn''t think she was more than just an acquaintance to me.


    I shook my head. I didn''t have time for this. In fact, this was a huge waste of time. I closed the box and placed it in my bag, as I had something more important to do. I started to walk out of the secured area before Darius shouted, "My lord! One more thing!"


    I turned around, giving him a sort of "Seriously?" look.


    "It is important that you take the box back out, as there is something else in there for you." He stood up and leaned in close. "It is something we smuggled out from your personal servant. She insisted on wanting to come give it to you herself, but given the circumstances and situation, it wasn''t possible." she quietly said.


    I retrieved the box from the bag and opened it. Underneath the badge was a small piece of paper. Darius turned around and started to walk away. Holding the small, discolored piece of paper, it looked like she had drawn a picture of her standing next to me; my arm was comically stretched down to her hand, with hearts above her head. Attached to my hip was a sword, and below her and I, some words that I couldn''t read. It looked like the writing of the text she had randomly picked out for me to read that one time. I placed the picture back into the box.


    At this point, I was so distracted that I had completely forgotten what I was doing. I couldn''t help but think about her again and had already missed her despite probably only being gone for a few hours. I had been so lost in thought that when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I grabbed the arm belonging to it and threw whoever grabbed me to the ground. As they came into view, I realized I had just thrown a member of the Royal Order''s guard to the ground.


    I kneeled and carefully removed their helmet to reveal a very dazed look in their eyes. Despite wearing heavy armor, I managed to flip them 180 degrees with such ease. They finally were able to make eye contact with me.


    "My apologies Master. I tried to call your name, but you appeared to be frozen. I won''t make that mistake ever again." His tone matched the look on his face. He lifted his hand up, to which I grabbed it and helped him back to his feet. "Master, while you have plenty of time, the captain would like for me to remind you that we do not wish to spend more time than we must, here. Please continue right away." he said, gently grabbing his helmet from the ground and placing it back on.


    I decided to quit wasting time and took flight. I got up high enough to look around and figure out if I could fly straight to my destination or not. I could see the bridge. It was very long and winding, and at some points, parts were underwater. I went to fly out of the secured zone before smacking face-first into an invisible barrier. Despite wearing a helmet, it still hurt. I softly landed back on the ground.


    "My lord, I thought you knew. But I''ll refresh your memory. This whole sector had barriers all over the land that prevented flight in certain areas. It will be easier on foot." The guard stated. I looked over at him as he cleared out the trench and placed the slain''s skeletons to the side. They probably set these barriers around to hinder hostiles from reaching areas easily. It also explained why the map wasn''t from a top-down view.


    I looked at the guard, choosing not to say anything, and walked out of the secured zone and into the unknown. While I didn''t see anything from the air, I was sure I''d run into some sort of trouble. As I exited, I drew one of my swords as I didn''t want to be caught off guard. I started to think about how it was odd that there were barriers over the secured zone and other zones. What was the point of the trenches, and the defenses set up then?


    I took off running into the general area of the bridge, but along the way there, I was engaged by two small, green in color creatures that had jumped out at me from some tall grass.


    They let out a high-pitched scream that was almost deafening. I could have easily outrun them but chose to fight them instead. Due to my size, I couldn''t duck to avoid their attack, so I grabbed the closest one by its neck while swinging my sword at the other one, cutting it in half. The other one was trying to get his mouth close enough to my hand to nibble on it but failed to do so. While holding him, I leaned down and stuck the blade of my sword in the dirt.


    I switched from holding his neck to his leg, and like a pitcher about to throw the final strike during the 9th ending, I threw him as high as I possibly could. As I threw him, I could hear his high-pitched little scream as he went flying. To my surprise, though, he didn''t hit anything and eventually just vanished into the sky. I retrieved my sword, wiping it off against an old stump. I couldn''t get all the blood off, but the dirt came off at least.


    Seeing as how one of these attackers were able to just fly through the sky freely like that, I made another attempt to take flight. To my surprise, I could get high enough to touch the clouds. For some weird reason, this fascinated me, as I had never touched a cloud before. It was always sunny in the Holy Kingdom, with no clouds, but it was always a comfortable 71 (21 c) degrees. Perfectly comfortable for not us but probably for the humans who "lived" there as well.


    But here? It was incredibly damp and depressing and had an odd shade of green in the area.


    Being this high up allowed me to see further than before. At the end of the bridge, I noticed some structures but realized I was running out of light. I decided to land and managed to find a tree that was somehow untouched by all the battles in this area. I searched around the tree to ensure I''d have no surprises had I fallen asleep.


    Something about my kind made sleeping optional for us. Unlike humans and some other races, we could go months without sleeping. While it wasn''t required for any of us to sleep, we did so anyway. Thinking back to this time, I didn''t know how long I could go without sleeping before just passing out. But years later, I discovered I could go almost a year without sleep and still function as if I had slept just the night before.


    After searching for a few moments, the general appeared to be safe. As darkness approached, I sat down in front of the tree. I was surprised at how large this tree was as I was tall myself. Selyse was a full-sized human, and even I towered over her by quite a few feet. From what I had seen, others like me were tall. Something I didn''t realize back then was that our highest was based on how much energy-based power we had. More powerful beings could be more than 24 feet tall, while those with little power could be the size of an average human. It is interesting to look back and think about how, at one point, I was the size of a young crabapple tree.


    I sat there, wondering how long it would take until the sun came back up. My brain kept telling me that the sun should be up, and I felt confused as to how it was dark already. As it became pitch black out, I could still somewhat see. Rather than seeing in color, though, it was as if everything turned into different shades of gray.


    I looked above me into the branches of the tree, wondering what I was going to face that had managed to demolish so many warriors of the Kingdom, causing this area to be completely closed off, and why the Holy Order''s Knights were tasked with protecting the portal while they awaited my return. Whatever it was, it had to be something insane to have caused panic for them to abandon the outpost and portal here. Had I not been told that it was foreseen I''d come back victorious, I would have thought I volunteered for my death.


    While deep in thought, I heard a branch break off to my left. I quickly stood up and scanned the general area. It was mostly flat land, with a few stumps scattered about and a stagnant pool of water. I continued to watch the area when suddenly I heard the same sound from the other side of the tree. I quietly reached down to my right side with my left hand and placed it on the handle of my sword. I carefully backed away from the tree slowly, watching for anything that may give what was near me of my movements, but also watching out for anything sneaking up on me.


    I slowly started walking around the tree, ready to pull my blade out if anything popped out at any moment. I got to the opposite side of the tree and noticed what appeared to be a trail of fresh blood in the grass that wasn''t there before. I took another step away from the tree and decided to whisper out, "Hello? Is someone there?"


    I waited for a response but instead heard the sound of a body hitting the ground. Something about this made me uneasy as I didn''t hear any noises other than the cracking from the branches being stepped on and the thump sound. I slowly started to make my way around to the other side of the tree, my hand still on the handle of my blade. I saw what appeared to be a leather shoe of some sort, and then slowly, more of whoever this was came into the picture. Upon fully rounding the tree, it was clear to me that this appeared to be an Elf. I looked around, this time more carefully scanning my surroundings before taking a knee to examine this elf more closely.


    As I went to place my hand on them, it just went through them as if they weren''t there, and the body vanished with no explanation. I didn''t know how to process what I had just seen, as this had never happened to me before. I stood up, retracing my steps to find the blood trail again. I walked around the tree several times but yielded no results. It was as if it had been a figment of my imagination.


    I turned, facing away from the tree, and as I did, several soldiers of various races came towards me. I put both my hands on my blades and drew them. Something about them gave me chills down my spine as it looked like they had risen and emerged from the swamp. Their eyes showed no signs of life. Some of them had arrows sticking out various areas of their bodies, stumbling about as if they had far too much wine. I raised my swords in front of me; my right hand was at eye level while my left hand was near my waist. "Halt! Who goes there?!" I shouted.


    In unison, I heard gurgles and moans in return and heard what sounded like "Annnnguuul" from one of them in the crowd. Suddenly, with how my night vision worked, I had picked up the energetic outline of someone. But I wasn''t quite sure what or who it was.


    "Aush kel mae, Anguil. Do''sk aulark." The figure shouted. I didn''t know what it was saying, but I noticed the herd of zombie-like soldiers had fallen silent, with their soulless bodies collapsing to the ground.


    While I could see this figure''s outline and a few features, I couldn''t fully see it due to how my night vision worked. The outline of the figure was black, and I could see that it had elk-like horns emerging from its head, along with objects dangling from them. Their face looked as though it was partially fleshy, while the rest was potentially bone, with both white and gray spots. Which I interpreted as this was somewhat of a living being before me.


    "Is that what killed so many? Did I get further along in this forsaken place than I realized?" I thought to myself.


    Something else caught my eye. Something I had missed before as I couldn''t see one of its hands. I saw a staff in their left hand, it glew a very dark color and had a swirling white color coming from it and could tell its mouth was moving but could not make out what it was saying. Whatever this thing was, I did not have too great of a feeling about what was going to come next. I decided that I''d try to move in before it could do anything to me. As I took a couple of steps forward, readying to rush the being, the unanimated bodies before me rose once again.


    I looked at the lifeless bodies before me, who were walking towards me, some with weapons in hand. I looked in the direction of where the portal was as I thought about retreating, but something came over me, and I decided to stand my ground. The corpses picked up the pace a bit as one of them gurgled; "CHURRRGE"


    The two that came within range of me first had shields in their hands with arrows sticking out of them and wielding swords in the other. While I was using what were considered "short swords" by my mind, they were the equivalent to a Bastard Sword for a human, and considering how long my arms were, my range far exceeded their ability to get close enough to hit me. I swung both my swords at them, chopping their heads off. The others stopped, and they had started to retreat. I began to notice something different going on with the being standing afar.


    By this time, I could see in the distance that the sun was coming up, as my vision was slowly returning to normal.


    The being turned fully around, looking up at the sky and then back at me.


    "D''ar lok, Anguil," it said as it started to walk away.


    "Oh no, you don''t," I shouted at it and started to charge at it, jumping over the unanimated bodies that lay before me. I was not going to let this being get away, not after it had acted like a puppet master and launched an attack on me.


    I jumped further than I had expected as I was now just feet away from the being but not quite within range of a strike from one of my blades. The sun was up enough now to where I could see with my normal vision. I did not realize the horrible stench this monstrous beast emitted until I had gotten closer. It smelled as if I had been under a pile of decomposing bodies that had been left to rot under the hot sun. I nearly puked but managed to keep my composure.


    Part of its face looked as though it was rotting away and had worms crawling in and out of it often, while the other half looked as though it had sewn together several different pieces of skin. What I thought were horns sticking out of its head were just large horns that had been stabbed into its back. They were brown in color, looked as though they were covered in algae, and had some trinkets hanging from them. It had wide shoulders and donned a large black cloak.


    The being took a fighting stance, extending its arms out as far as it could. The staff itself looked like it was carved from a large wood branch and emitted a mix of gray and black energy from the tip.


    The being spoke. "You shalls dieeeee, and be part" it paused as it adjusted it''s lower jaw, "be parts of the damned." It hissed.


    Rather than responding, I lunged at it and swung the sword in my right hand at its chest in a swiping motion, followed by another swipe from my left. It just looked at me and let out a cackle, indicating that my initial attack was a failure. I jumped back again to think about how to go about this but had no time as I had to jump out of the way again as it swung the staff at me. This time, the energy swirl was about 3 feet in diameter.


    I managed to jump out of the way without getting hit and watched as the staff contacted the ground. It emitted a small explosion, and everything within the blast radius turned black. There was now a gray spot directly in front of him.


    He cackled again.


    "Sillies Angel, yous wont win." It taunted.


    I made eye contact with the being, trying to figure out what to do. How to defeat this being. In the back of my mind, I knew I could fight this thing and succeed. But I was truthfully panicking in the moment as I wasn''t sure if I could beat this being. I slowly slid my swords back into their sheaths and took a step back. I had an idea, but I wasn''t sure if it would work or if I truly wanted to do it, as I might fail. But at this point, I had already made up my mind.


    "So, what is the plan then?" I asked it.


    "Theee plans issss for you to join my legion of deeeead. More Angelsssss, morrrrre.¡±


    I looked down at the ground, seeing a twig on the ground. I leaned down to pick it up and looked back at the being. "Isn''t it fascinating how we can take something as simple as this stick here, and we can lightly pull on each end of the stick in an upward motion, and it bends but only as long as we don''t put too much pressure on it?" I asked it.


    The being looked at me, giving what appeared to be a look of confusion. He held his staff back upward like he was allowing me to give my final words. There was no energy coming off the end. He continued to watch me and listen to my words.


    "It''s interesting what you can do with something so simple. I could draw one of my swords and turn it into a tool of some sort, or we can knock down a whole tree like the one behind me and turn it into a chair, table, or other objects." I said as if I were trying to talk about the wonders of such simple inventions. He continued to watch, intrigued about where I was going with this.


    "But, like everything else around us¡­ it''s fragile and can easily break." I snapped the stick in half while looking at him. Something clicked in my mind as I broke the stick, but unsure if it was going to work, but I was sure as hell wanting to try it anyways.


    I shifted my body sideways, with my right side pointing at the being, my right hand looking facing him directly. The being started laughing but had no clue what I had planned. Up until this point, it had fought those who weren''t skilled in anything. I speculated that if I was able to heal others and bring them back from the dead using my ability to heal, it might have the reverse effects on the undead. But I didn''t want to reveal to it what I was planning in advance.


    I let out a chuckle. "Do you want to make a deal?" I asked it.


    He looked at me and cackled so hard that his bottom jaw fell off. He reached down, retrieved it, and continued to laugh for a bit longer. "Whats could you possibly offers me others than your lifesss?" he replied.


    "If I can place my hand on your face without getting hit by your crazy explosion skill, I will submit myself to be part of your weird, soulless army. But if you miss then you must come with me back to the Holy Order and allow yourself to be judged before the Master Arch Lords. Do you accept?" I offered, sounding serious.


    I took the silence and his placing his staff out in front of him as signs that he didn''t agree to at least part of that.


    "Okay, well, have it your way then¡­"


    I decided to use my speed to my advantage as I knew that I was quick. I was just hoping I''d be fast enough to dodge his attacks and be able to place my hand on him long enough to reverse-heal him. I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. I could see the energy swirl start up again on the staff. "Well¡­ there''s no better time than now¡­" I thought to myself.


    I pushed myself forward, charging straight at him, looking at his face to see if I could determine when he was about to attack. I noticed he slightly looked at his staff, and his arm started to move. I quickly landed on my left foot and used my right foot to kick me to his left. I ended up kicking a bit too hard as I managed to slide through the grassy marsh, nearly falling into the stagnant pool of water. I looked up and saw a black arrow-like line quickly approaching me. I noticed the staff was actively transferring the energy to the ground, and his other hand was being used to direct it.


    I ran towards the line of death coming at me and made a giant leap towards him. However, I wasn''t quick enough as he reset himself and raised his staff in my direction. As an inexperienced flyer, I was far too close to move out of the way. I placed my hand out and screamed as loud of a battle cry as I could muster, as my right hand emitted a bright gold light that overtook the wave of death. I wasn''t sure what happened next as I felt my body lose consciousness.


    When the energies clashed together, it emitted such a blinding light that I wasn''t sure if I hit the target. From what I was told later by those guarding the secured zone, the moment I made contact, they saw and felt an enormous explosion consisting of blue, gold, and white colors. It was so bright that it made the sun like a dim lantern in the sky. The explosion caused the entire region to shake so violently that the portal closed for a short period of time before those on the other side were able to restore the portal and send more soldiers in, fearing the worst, only to discover that everyone in the outpost was okay.


    When I finally regained consciousness, I was back in the secured zone. There were multiple guards around, facing away from me in a circle with their shields facing outwards. One of them noticed me.


    "CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN DARIUS, HE HAS AWOKEN! " the guard shouted. I looked around for a moment. Next to me were my swords, my bag, and the staff that the undead guy had used. The staff was not emitting any further power and looked as though it had been cleansed, as its color was now white.


    Two guards lifted their shields and made an entrance as Captain Darius approached. He walked through and sat next to me. The guards returned to their original position.


    "Thadeus, are you okay?" he asked.


    "Yeah, I think so."


    "What do you last remember doing, and how were you able to accomplish that?"


    I looked at him, trying to think about what had just happened. He looked at me, patiently waiting for an answer.


    "I remember settling down by a tree when dark hit, then I¡­ lets see¡­ I heard something around me, but found nobody. Then I noticed some odd-looking soldiers with large beings behind them, and when I engaged and took two of them out, the rest just fell to the ground."


    Captain Darius was attentively listening, nodding as I talked, and looking as though he seemed interested in knowing more. So I continued.


    "and then I started to fight with this¡­ skeleton-like creature, who shot these waves of death out of his¡­ well¡­ this staff right here¡­" I pointed at the staff and continued, "After I realized swords were useless, I decided to try and expel it using a healing ability I''ve been studying. Then the next thing I know, I''m in this circle, being guarded."


    The captain nodded. "I.. I see. Do you want to tell us what happened and where you got that healing ability, or shall we just leave that as the official report, because from what all of us experienced and saw here Thadeus, that''s not what happened." He stated, with some concern in his voice.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, Master Thadeus, the issue is that a Master Level healing/revival skill was used in that fight. Had it not broken the portal temporarily, we would just believe your story." He said, quietly, while peaking above the guards before returning to a sitting position.


    "Look, nothing is going to happen to you regardless. But we must be on the same page to make a similar report, " he said. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket, handed it to me, and looked away.


    The note read:


    My men are loyal to me and only to me. I figured you would have tried to hide the truth from others and wrote this ahead of time in hopes I wouldn''t have to show it to you. While Gabriel and the others cannot see through you, I can. You have a master-level healing ability. I am looking to eventually start a rebellion, take the Kingdom for myself, and replace Gabriel, Michael, and the others with more capable and understanding angels, as the Kingdom has become corrupt.


    When we took our oath as Elite Royal guards, we swore our lives to defend the best general interests of the Kingdom, and as of right now, the Highest Master and the Master Level Angels, one of which you serve, do not have the best interest of the Kingdom or other races in mind. Please help us.


    I was in shock when he showed me this. I tapped his shoulder and handed him the note back.


    "That is my story, and I am sticking to it," I said, not wanting anything more to do with this note, let alone the knowledge of this. I didn''t plan on reporting him to Gabriel or anyone else, for that matter. His future mission was far more of a suicide mission than anyone could be sent on, and that was saying something.


    "Okay, well, Gabriel is waiting for you back at this castle for a debrief. Let''s forget about the moment we shared. I shall write the report according to your words but with more clarity within your answers. Come on though, let''s get out of here. You did something amazing for these lands and for the Holy Order." He pointed up at the sky. "Look for yourself," he stated happily.


    I noticed that it seemed brighter when I woke up, but I hadn''t thought about it. I stood up and looked around me. The swamp was still a forsaken-looking marshland, but there was more color to the lands, and the eerie fog seemed to have dissipated. It was great to look up and see the open sky.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t enjoy it for long as I collapsed to the ground and passed out¡­

 Chapter 6 - Whispers of Rebellion Exposed

    <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">I laid there on a cool patch of dirt with my friends as bits of blue peeked through the foliage above us. It was a warm summer day, and the sky was clear, with the occasional flock of birds passing through. The trees lightly waved from the breeze passing through, and the sounds of various critters could be heard throughout the forest. We were lying there, making jokes and laughing with no care in the world.


    <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">The sun was directly over us, bestowing its warmth on us, allowing us to either traverse the forest freely or find a nice spot for us to look up at the sky on a clear day, like today. Despite wanting to just lay there all day, enjoying the gifts that nature shares with us daily, we had to eventually get up as we started to smell lunch as the wind flowed over us. Generally, by this time of day, we had to return to our mountain village as we still had a few chores to do before dark. I looked over at my friend to my right, but something seemed off.


    <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Suddenly, the sky became dark, and the ground started to split open around us, separating us from each other. The ground beneath them began to crumble, but as I tried to reach out for one of them, their faces turned into black spiral-like circles, calling out my name as they fell. As things continued to break all around me, I sat in a ball, crying, unsure what to do. What could I even do in this situation? I screamed out for help. ¡°HELP! MOMA, PAPA, I NEED HELP!¡± As a portal opened above me, a hand started to reach for me.


    <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">¡°GRAB ON!¡± a voice shouted. ¡°HURRY!¡± I reached up for the hand and thought I had grabbed it. The hand kept getting closer and closer until the arm was stretched out so far that it was literally touching me. I stood there as the portal closed, and the hand dissipated. The ground around me, now hot with lava, caused me to let out a scream as the planet around me exploded.


    I woke up unaware of who I was or even where I was. I sat straight up and felt myself. I was my normal self, at least I thought I was. I looked at my hands as they trembled from the end of what I thought was a dream. I was unsure about that thought as I could smell and hear everything I had experienced in that dream. I lay my head back against the bed, uncertain of what had happened.


    I heard something muffled off to my right but felt groggy and couldn¡¯t see my hands all that well. I tried to visually investigate the direction of where I thought I heard something and noticed a couple of incredibly distorted-looking figures that appeared to be tall and another that was short. I squinted my eyes, still unable to make anything out around me. Whatever this smaller distortion was, it came rushing at me and jumped at me.


    I panicked as I still could not see and covered my face with my arms. I felt something warm brush against my leg and felt what may have been a finger touch my arm. I heard more muffled noises, but this time, it was closer, and the vibrations felt as though it was coming directly in front of me.


    I saw another hand appear over my face and something glowing. Slowly, my vision returned to normal. I looked around. On my lap was Selyse, to my right, was the Master Healer, and there was also a guard there. I looked around the room further, but didn¡¯t recognize anything in the room. I was happy to see Selyse in front of me. She had a massive smile on her face.


    She looked at the Master Healer.


    ¡°Now, now, young lady, remember what I said by allowing you in here.¡± He said to her, sounding like he was about to scold her.


    Her smile disappeared as he said this. The guard looked over and used his eyes to indicate that it may have been time for her to go. She sighed softly as the guard walked over, gently lifted her off the bed, and placed her on the ground.


    ¡°Come human, let the Healer and Thadeus have a moment¡± he said to her as he grabbed her hand. He made sure that I was watching before grabbing her hand. I nodded to him as they quietly walked out, shutting the door behind them. The healer was looking over his shoulder, listening. After he was sure they were gone, he looked back at me.


    ¡°Upon hearing of your return to the castle, it caused quite a disturbance. You have been out cold for nearly a month. Had you not killed that vile monster, things would have probably been very different for you right now, but before Gabriel finds out you¡¯re awake, I wish to ask you a question. This is not me asking, but me telling you.¡± He quietly said, glancing at the door every now and again while speaking.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Judging from the evidence from where you were found, there¡¯s a spot on the ground where you fought it. To those not trained properly in the field, there¡¯s nothing there.¡± He stated, starting to stand up and groaning as he stood. ¡°But¡­¡± he paused and looked at the door again, briefly staying silent. He sat down on the bed with his back facing me, turning his head towards me.


    ¡°But, I went there myself to expel any remains that may remained there and I am a Master Level healer and I can tell that you expelled that vile creature using the very technique I taught you. How did you know what would work?¡± his tone was still soft, as though he didn¡¯t want anyone else to know. ¡°Just so you are aware, Gabriel is aware that you killed it. He doesn¡¯t care how you did it, just that you did.¡± He added.


    I sat up and scooted myself back to where I could see the side of his face better.


    ¡°Master Healer¡­¡± I hesitantly said. I was starting to wonder if I had made a mistake, but I decided to tell him the truth. ¡°Master Healer, just before I went through the portal, I ran into a medical assistant who led me to three young soldiers who had returned from the zone. Upon healing two living and trying it on an nonliving being, it brought the dead one back to the living while fighting that vile creature...¡± I paused as he looked at the door again. He stood up and quietly walked over to the door, placing his ear against it. We heard footsteps walk past us.


    He looked at me. ¡°It''s okay; it¡¯s not a guard but a servant.¡± Then he came back and sat in the same position.


    ¡°Continue, Master Angel,¡± he stated.


    ¡°While fighting that vile creature I took a good look at it, and seeing how it appeared to be dead, I decided to give it a try. So I sheathed my swords, raised my hand, and charged.¡± I said calmly. I looked down at my hand before speaking again. ¡°It was quick and appeared to predict my moves easily. So, rather than trying to catch it off guard, I decided to jump directly at it and put as much power as I could muster into this blow. Next thing I know, I woke up near the portal where Captain Darius and his men were guarding and had set up a circle around me. I remember looking up at the sky before passing back out. Then I¡­ I awoke here¡­¡± I explained.


    He reached into a pocket on his cloak, revealing a piece of paper, and handed it to me. It appeared to be dirty and looked as though it was stepped on as there were footprints all over it. I squinted at it, still having slight issues seeing.


    Once my eyes focused, I realized that it was the note that Captain Darius had given to me. I looked back at the Healer.


    ¡°This is serious, Master Thadeus. It is dire. Have you anything to do with their little scheme?¡± His voice sounded like a mixture of concern, anger, and insinuating I had something to do with it.


    ¡°No, I have no intention of cooperating with them whatsoever. I remember reading this before I passed out and telling the Captain I wanted no part of this.¡± I said, hoping he¡¯d believe me.


    ¡°Other than you, myself, and those bloody idiots, nobody else knows. I have kept it a secret for the last several weeks as I wanted to believe that you were innocent, and I can tell that you¡¯re being truthful¡± He had let out a massive sigh of relief after he had said that, even chuckling.


    ¡°Wait, weeks?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°How long exactly have I been out for?¡±


    ¡°Well, let''s see¡­ if I count how many round moons we''ve gone through, about uhh¡­¡± he took a more human-like form and started counting on his fingers.


    ¡°Uhhh, 1.. 2.. plus there was the yellow moon, so 5¡­ 6¡­ uhhh about two months.¡± He replied, after he was confident with his math. I was about to speak, but he continued on.


    ¡°You see, young master Thadeus¡­ that healing ability uses a mixture of Holy & Divine energy from within. You are fine if you use it in small bursts, such as healing those three young soldiers. Oh yeah, don¡¯t think I couldn¡¯t figure that out. Nobody else could heal that severity of wounds except for five of us; you are one of those five. You messed up by trying to make it appear as though they were healed to the best of an unskilled healer''s ability but healed far too much than that of a staging area healer¡¯s capability. Don¡¯t worry about it, though; you did it well.¡± He said, sounding as if he was lecturing me but also proud of me. ¡°Anyways, while you have a decent amount of energy in both aspects, if you far exceed what you¡¯re capable of, you will pass out every time.¡±


    I looked at him in awe, as I couldn¡¯t find any words. I was more interested in continuing to listen to him.


    ¡°Had your blast not temporarily disabled the portal from both sides and caused a mass panic on this side, I would not have gone in to investigate on my own. The amount of raw energy and power you put out exceeds the amount of energy you had one hundred times over.¡± He looked at the door. ¡°I have to say, though, Master Thadeus. For how fucking reckless and dumb that was, you got lucky. The target you took out in a matter of moments had killed thousands of troops between friendly and enemy races and infected many others with its plague.¡± He stood up, placing his hands on his sides, sighing.


    ¡°Gabriel wants to talk to you and wanted to do it the moment you woke up. But instead, I thought the first person you should see is your servant as she had been asking about you, and had you not threatened that one guard to ensure her safety¡­ well, she drove everyone but the other servants crazy.¡± He let out a laugh. ¡°You sure do have a wild one, Thadeus. She pushed that guards¡¯ buttons constantly and would poke the limits of what she could/couldn¡¯t get away with, even running into an area where servants weren¡¯t allowed. My, that was quite the commotion. Luckily for you, Gabriel never caught wind relating to her escapades.¡± he said in between breaths from laughing so hard.


    He walked to the door and opened it, waving as he left.


    I swung my legs out to the edge of the bed, placing my feet against the ground. I leaned forward, rubbing my eyes while trying to process all the information the Healer dumped on me. I wondered how Selyse managed to cause enough trouble to drive a guard up the walls so severely. I was possibly going to have to find a way to punish her. Although I didn¡¯t see her as a slave or servant, I knew if I didn¡¯t attempt to keep her in check, it may have caused her and the other servants that I¡¯m working so hard to protect from everyone else, to be completely taken away from me or something far worse. I started to realize that I was taking a lot of time thinking when I should be more focused on trying to find Gabriel to see what it was he wanted to talk about and why. I loathed having to be in his presence and wished I would¡¯ve just remained asleep for another couple of months. But¡­ I knew I had to get it done and over with.


    I stood up and slowly walked to the door. As I put my hand on the handle, I felt the door hit me in the head. I quickly grabbed at my head. ¡°Fucking damnit, who the fu-¡­¡± I shouted. I realized this door was not made from wood, but iron. On the other side was one of Gabriel¡¯s servants, who had a patch sewn onto her shirt, suggesting she was free to travel wherever within the castle''s confines.


    She backed up and quickly changed into a more humanoid form, placing her hands on her shirt and promptly lifting it to her face. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so sorry, Lord Master Thadeus; please, look at my breasts. Does this please you or help you feel any better?¡± she quickly responded.


    I walked over to her and gently pushed her against the wall. ¡°Put your shirt down.¡± I demanded as I was rubbing my head. ¡°I get that you have a ¡®Free Pass¡¯ badge on your shirt, but you really ought to knock. Why are you here?¡±


    She looked at me puzzled, like her breasts would have made me feel better after she tried to barge in, and slamming the door into my head would make the pain just go away.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus, it is by the request of Master Lord Gabriel of the Holy Order, that you seek an audience with now that you have awaken from your slumber. You shall report to him in his office at once.¡± She quickly said, wanting to get out of my sight quickly. ¡°Also, my lord, if you could- oh dear, okay, there¡¯s a lump on your head.¡± She said, sounding worried.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    She looked at me, and her facial expression changed from concern to fear. She looked down at the ground and quietly said, ¡°Yes, my lord angel¡­ I¡¯ll lead the way¡­¡± and took off towards the stairs with me in tow. Never once did she look up at all, not even when we ran into someone else in the stairwell. She had just remained silent, never once looking up.


    When we got to the top, she turned to me but didn¡¯t look at me. ¡°anything else, my lord?¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah..¡± I said as I turned her around, holding her shoulder as we walked to Gabriel¡¯s office door. She knocked at the door, and just like before, it opened with Gabriel sitting at his desk. He stood up but saw the Servant looking like she had just witnessed her dog get run over.


    Gabriel went from a smile to a confused look on his face. He came from around the desk and inspected the back of her neck for a second before approaching me and seeing a large lump on my head. He looked at it closely before looking at the female, then looking at me again, then looking at her one final time before he finally said something.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on here, but I can only assume I¡¯ll have to punish this one.¡± He said, sounding sure he finally understood what was going on.


    She started to cry a little bit.


    ¡°My lord,¡± I started, turning his attention to me. ¡°The lump on my head did not come from her, but from my own doing.¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Gabriel asked, confused.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I bowed. ¡°I did not realize the door of the room I slept in had a heavy iron door, and when I opened it to reveal your servant at my door, it slipped out of my hand and hit me in the head. I requested that she lead the way to ensure I made it here. Had I passed out again, I wanted to ensure that she could find help for me to prevent you from having to wait another day because of my careless actions. I said, adjusting from a bow to a kneel, sounding as if it was a mistake on my part.


    ¡°Oh. Okay then, Master Thadeus. So will you dismiss her, or do you require her company?¡± he asked, his tone indicating he wasn¡¯t sure about this whole situation.


    I gently grabbed the servant by her right shoulder and turned her to face me. She slowly looked me in the eyes and waited for me to speak. I took a step to the side.


    ¡°Thank you. You may return to your duties.¡± I said softly, with a smile.


    She wasted no time in taking off down the hallway to the stairs. I looked at Gabriel again, and he motioned for me to come in. I stepped in as the door shut behind me. I didn¡¯t look at who closed the door as I already had a general idea.


    Gabriel sat in his chair, leaning down to reach for something under his desk. ¡°Well, Thadeus, take a seat.¡±


    I sat at a chair near his desk, not knowing what he intended to bring out from under it. I was surprised that he had no servants in the room besides the one by the door. I turned around slightly, peering over to the door, and noticed a male servant. This struck me as weird, considering Gabriel normally kept female servants in his presence.


    I saw Gabriel finally come out from under his desk, holding a small wooden keg, and placed it on the desk, followed by two small glasses. He filled both cups up, placing one in front of me. I grabbed it and brought it up to my nose. It had a sweet fragrance to it, with a purple color. I slowly pressed the cup to my lips, taking a short sip. It had a sweet taste to it, almost that of honey. I placed the cup down.


    I was unsure if this was a formal meeting or casual. The vibes of the room came off as casual, but with Gabriel, you never knew.


    ¡°So, Thadeus. Now that you¡¯re awake, I¡¯d like to have a conversation with you about what occurred during the mission, as it¡¯s been a couple of weeks since your return.¡± He quietly said while looking at the servant.


    The servant nodded and walked outside, shutting the door behind him. His eyes went back to me.¡°So, first, I¡¯d like to tell you that I am pleased with the work you did out there. Had I known all I had to do was send you to do it, I would have assigned you the task ages ago. That damn Lich was causing many problems for Order controlled territory. Secondly, you didn¡¯t fully complete your mission, as you failed to gather information on a small remote outpost we had out there. When we had pulled out of there,¡± As he was talking, I took another sip of wine. ¡°We left behind a small castle-like structure which had a horn on the roof that acted as a detection outpost. We haven¡¯t received word from anyone there yet. Due to you failing to gather information about it, I will not be able to honor our agreement.¡± he said, with a smile. He thought he had come out on top of the deal we had made.


    I looked at the glass, nearly empty now, and let out a chuckle. The structure he mentioned, I had scouted it when I had flown into the air to get a good look of the surrounding area. It had been razed to the ground, except for the foundation.


    Gabriel looked at me, confused as to why I had chuckled after giving me the terrible news. I grabbed the glass and raised it in the air between us. ¡°Cheers, sir.¡± I said. He lifted his glass up into the air, and our glasses came together with a <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">clank sound. I downed the rest of the wine in my glass.


    ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± I started. He looked at me while he was emptying the rest of his glass into his mouth. ¡°Upon arrival, I had discovered that while within the Secured Zone, I was unable to fly high enough to see anything as the barriers prevented me from doing that. But, once outside, I had found a spot that allowed me to fly up high enough to see the surroundings¡­¡±


    Gabriel looked as though he understood where I was going with this as the smirk on his face turned upside down.


    ¡°The building you mentioned was razed to the ground. There was nothing of interest that I could see over there. Had I not engaged that Lich, and had I not passed out, nor woke up here in the kingdom¡­ I would have fully explored the place and brought you back a brick from the place.¡±


    I laughed hard. The wine had hit me halfway through the conversation, and seeing as how Gabriel thought he had the upper hand, I found it to be quite entertaining to see him go from thinking he had me to me pulling a reversal on him.


    Gabriel took the glass out of my hand and threw it at the door. He reached into his desk, retrieving a piece of parchment and a quill. ¡°Give me your arm,¡± he demanded. ¡°If I am going to write an agreement for you, I will do it using your own blood. Be thankful I am chalking your defiance up currently to the wine speaking on your behalf.¡± He angrily said, looking as if he was beyond pissed off.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I held my arm out on the table as he used a small blade to make a light cut in my arm. Once blood started to slowly ooze from my arm, he took the tip of the quill, ensuring that he had enough to write with it, before turning his attention back to the parchment and writing super quickly. Once he had finished, he threw the quill down.


    ¡°Take your shit and get the fuck out of my office.¡± He said as he turned his chair around and faced the wall, sounding defeated.


    I picked up the parchment, but the blood was still wet. I walked out of his office, and to my surprise, the servant was still there. I looked at him as I walked past him. The look on his face appeared as though he was surprised at the results of that. He walked in, attempting to walk into the office, but quickly ran out and shut the door after hearing Gabriel shout, ¡°I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE. GET LOST YOU ASSHOLE.¡±


    I stood there in the hallway, blowing gently on the words until I was sure they were dry, and rolled it up. I looked at the servant again, giving him a nod as I walked towards the staircase. I felt as though I just managed to have a major victory against Gabriel, but I started to wonder what crazy set of tasks he¡¯d send me on next with a stupid twist to it.


    I decided to go down to the floor that I had declared I wanted had I completed the task successfully. When I got there, I saw the guard that I had assigned to keep track of Selyse standing with his back to the door. He looked relieved to see me there and bowed. I walked over to him and placed my hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°I trust nothing is out of place with my Servant?¡± I asked him.


    He looked at me as if he was thankful, he was about done with this task I gave him, and judging from what the Master Healer told me, I couldn¡¯t blame him at all. ¡°Yes, Master Angel, your servant was slightly problematic, but I kept her safe. I hope the Arch Lord gave you this floor so I no longer have to deal with your demon anymore. I¡¯d rather go back to doing the petty missions the lower scum get sent on than deal with her.¡± He said, sounding as if he were exhausted.


    I chuckled. It was quite amusing to me that he would rather risk not coming back alive than having to deal with Selyse. I started to consider assigning this guard to watch her again if I volunteered for another mission soon.


    ¡°If you wish to return to other duties, I wish to inspect my servants as I want to ensure that you did what was expected and kept them all safe. Once I¡¯ve inspected them and deemed them to be okay, I will allow you to leave.¡± I said, intentionally trying to make him antsy.


    He glared at me but turned around, knocking three times at the door before entering. <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">This is odd; he had never knocked before.


    Selyse and six other females sat in the middle of the room, looking surprised to see me, except for Selyse. I was surprised to see that Gabriel came through with giving the servants new clothing that didn¡¯t look like it had been drug through mud and other debris.


    ¡°Young ladies, please, I need you to all stand up and strip naked.¡± I stated. They all gave me a weird look, except for Selyse, who excitedly said, ¡°Yes, master!¡± and instantly shed her clothing. The rest of the females looked at her, then at one another, before removing their clothing. Before me, stood 3 female humans and 4 female Angels, all naked now.


    ¡°You four, please match the others, as it¡¯ll make the inspection easier. If any of you have any fresh wounds or broken/fractured bones, this guard right here has been responsible for your safety while I¡¯ve been away.¡±


    I walked over to them, inspecting the first one on the far left first. I looked her up and down, poking around her all over as I had done with Selyse in the past. She had what appeared to be a scar from an old injury just above her left breast. ¡°What¡¯s this from?¡± I asked her.


    She looked down, holding her hands slightly away from her very bushy crotch, and stated, ¡°My family and I were attacked by bandits when I was a child. I was hit by an arrow, but thankfully, I wasn¡¯t killed.¡± Her voice sounded as if it was painful to talk about.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll move on. I¡¯m going to check out your mid-region. Then I¡¯m going to turn you around and inspect your back and rear to ensure that you weren¡¯t touched.¡±


    She nodded. I looked back at the guard and noticed he looked nervous. He may be thinking I might try to pin an old injury on him and forsake him with death. Which, looking back at it now, would have been funny. However, that wasn¡¯t my style. I spun her around and noticed she had what seemed like a bruise on her shoulder. I touched it, but she didn¡¯t react. ¡°Did that hurt?¡±


    She shook her head slowly.


    I continued to gently poke all around her body to ensure nothing seemed out of place, carefully monitoring for any tensing or verbal noises indicating any sort of pain. After I was convinced she was okay, I turned her to face me again. While I was giving her another visual look over, her nipples caught my attention. They were very hard as rocks and very pink in color.


    ¡°S-sir¡­ I am human, and while it may be warm for you, it¡¯s cold for us. I do not wish to rush you, but if you could please finish, the others and I would appreciate it.¡± She said between shivers. I looked at her, nodding, and picked up her clothes, which I handed to her. This process repeated for the next couple of females. When I got to the last human female of that group, something looked off with her eye. I looked back at the guard, who was slowly trying to inch away.


    I turned around, grabbed his arm, and threw him to the ground. As he hit the ground, a loud crashing sound was heard. Except for the one I was inspecting, the servants didn¡¯t waste any time quickly grabbing their clothes and retreating to the wall furthest away from the commotion. I noticed Selyse picked something up that had fallen out of his armor but didn¡¯t care at the time.


    I looked at her as I put my foot on the soldier. ¡°Did this one do this to you?¡± I sternly asked.


    She started to cry, only mustering a nod.


    I turned my attention back to the guard, who was looking up at me with his hands above his face as though he was expecting me to hit him.


    ¡°What did I say about harming my servants?¡± I yelled, knowing full well I only made the deal for Selyse.


    He moved one of his hands away from the face.


    ¡°My lord¡­¡± he started, looking as though he was trying to choose his next words carefully. I looked up to see Selyse run over to me.


    ¡°Get back, I¡¯m trying to¡­ What are you doing? Stop that!¡± Selyse was hitting my other leg.


    ¡°Bad man drop note. Note says he do bad thing against Gabriel.¡± She said, adamant about me taking the note.


    ¡°What? Let me see that.¡±


    She handed me the note, and sure enough, it was similar to the note that Captain Darius had given to me. I looked down at the guard, note in hand, trying to figure out what to do. I had the opportunity to get back into Gabriel''s good graces or to help with a rebellion. I thought about what option would be better for me to get ahead but quickly came to realize that a rebellion against the Archs and the god-level ruler of the Kingdom would be suicide.


    I removed my foot from his side. I had made the decision to take him up to Gabriel himself, along with the note that was found. I looked at him and gave him a grin as he started to crawl away from me, but I grabbed him by the straps on his armor and threw him against the stone wall. I approached him, grabbing him by his neck and lightly choking him.


    I turned my head around back to the servants.


    ¡°One of you angels, come over here and undo the straps to his armor. I¡¯ve got him choking for air, so he won¡¯t be an issue for you.¡±


    The one I was last inspecting stepped forward, dropped her clothes, and came rushing over. The guard was trying to raise his hand, causing me to squeeze his neck harder. In her haste, she started to fumble, removing the first strap.


    ¡°Relax. I got him.¡± I sternly stated.


    ¡°Right, right. Okay? " she said, sighing. Eventually, she undid the first strap and moved on to the second strap.


    The guard turned to face me. ¡°I¡­ we¡­ work¡­ together¡­ don¡¯t¡­ this¡­¡± he managed to get out, struggling for his breath.


    ¡°Ohhhh, no. You¡¯re not going to convince me. Had you left my servants alone, this would not have happened, you piece of shit.¡± I had a fiery look in my eyes, causing him to want to struggle more. I watched as the second strap came undone, causing his armor to crash and nearly falling on the female who stepped up to assist me. She let out a yelp as she ran back to the others.


    Now that he had his armor off and was also disarmed, I let go of his neck and shoved him face-first into the wall, then brought him back to ground level. I grabbed the back of his neck while using my other hand to twist the back of his hand behind him, forcing his view to the ground. I forced him to start walking towards the door. Due to all the commotion, I saw two soldiers from the level under this floor appear with their swords drawn.


    ¡°MAKE WAY, MAKE WAY.¡± I shouted as I came running out with him towards the stairs. The soldiers watched as I ran past them, holding this guard in such a way that made it so he couldn¡¯t resist me. The soldiers started to follow us into the stairwell, I heard someone above us near the stair entry. ¡°MAKE WAY, THE RIGHT HAND COMING THROUGH WITH A PRISONER, MAKE WAY¡± I shouted as we continued running up. I picked the pace up and continued yelling every time I thought I heard someone.


    When we finally reached the top, I threw the guard at Gabriel¡¯s door so hard that he busted through, rolling into the desk, knocking it back slightly. Gabriel was standing by the window when this happened. He looked down at the guard before looking out the door and seeing me with a look of anger, followed by two soldiers with their weapons drawn.


    ¡°Right hand, what in the name of the Holy Order is going on here, and why is this Angel in my office? I demand an answer!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°My lord, I present to you a traitor to the Holy Order, and it goes far deeper than just him as I believe Captain Darius and all of his men are involved as I believe they are planning to make an attempt to overthrow you and the other Holy Order members, as well as the one who has brought life to us, this Kingdom and others around us.¡± I confidently stated while kneeling just outside the now busted door.


    He looked down at the soldier. ¡°Well? What do you have to say about these serious accusations that my right hand, Thadeus, accuses you of?¡±


    The soldier looked up at him; his lip busted, and his arm was bleeding. ¡°My.. my lord, the right hand, he has gone feral. He isn¡¯t right in the head! He treats the servants as if they¡¯re actual people, that young girl who serves him is naught but a friend for him. He¡­he¡­ he¡¯s gone mad!¡± he shouted.


    Gabriel looked at me, unsure what to do. ¡°Master Thadeus, you do have proof, I hope. This is a very serious accusation that we cannot act upon without proof,¡± he said while in shock at what had just happened.


    I held the note up, offering it to Gabriel.


    He walked over, snatched the note from my hand, and started to read it. His facial expression changed from confusion to anger. He looked over to the soldiers, still standing outside by the steps. ¡°Soldiers! Declare an emergency, lock down the castle, and sound the alarms to alert the others of what is going on! QUICKLY!¡± He shouted.


    Gabriel quickly grabbed a pair of the cuffs he normally used for his office slaves from the wall and placed them on the traitor. Once he was convinced that he was going to run away, he looked up at me.


    ¡°Young Master Thadeus, this note is some damning evidence. Where¡¯d you get this, and how do you know if it¡¯s also connected to Captain Darius?¡± he asked, seeming unsure how Captain Darius fit in with this whole situation.


    Outside, we heard multiple bells and horns going off. I stepped over the traitor to look out the window. Down below, I could see numerous soldiers running around, securing vital spots around the castle, seeing barriers rise from the ground, and hearing random shouts that I couldn¡¯t quite make out from all the way up in this tower.


    ¡°Masters Gabriel and Thadeus.¡± We heard from behind us. We turned around to see the Master Healer standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Not now, Genesis. We¡¯ve got much on our hands right now.¡± He snapped.


    I walked over to Genesis and saw him holding the dirtied note from before. He handed it to me.


    ¡°My lord, this was the note Captain Darius gave to me when I regained consciousness before I passed out again before my arrival back here. The Master Lor-¡­ Genesis, found this while scoping out the area. Upon waking up, he asked me about it himself. I told him he should bring it to your attention, but it appears that I was too quick approaching you first.¡± I stated, kneeling, presenting the note to Gabriel.


    He came over and snatched the note out of hand. He glanced at it before letting out a sigh.


    ¡°Who else other than you two know about this?¡± he asked, sounding annoyed. He returned to looking out the window, resting his hands against the wall. He sighed again.


    ¡°Thank you, Thadeus, for bringing this to my attention, and thank you, Genesis. What a shame, though. Captain Darius and his men were some of the best soldiers, too.¡± He said quietly. He turned away from the window, looking at the traitor on the ground. He kneeled down next to him, placing his hand on the former guard¡¯s head.


    ¡°So. let''s find out who is working with you since you¡¯re not going to talk. Thadeus, I¡¯d like for you to pay attention to this. I¡¯m going to teach you this technique as it¡¯d greatly benefit both of us for you to learn it. You place your hand on their head like this, then you manipulate your energy to act as your eyes and ears and request certain memories to be pulled with your energy. If you do it correctly, you¡¯ll be able to find what it is you seek.¡±


    I listened closely while also watching. Gabriels¡¯s hand twitched, and his eyes closed. The traitor¡¯s face looked as though he had just experienced something that scared him beyond belief. After a few moments, Gabriel removed his hand, opened his eyes, and stood up. He looked at me.


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ Master Thadeus, do you know what I found out?¡± he asked as if I were potentially next.


    ¡°No idea, sir; please do tell, though.¡± I said, trying to hide my nervousness.


    ¡°He so kindly informed me of some interesting things, and I want you to know that what you did here today prevented more bloodshed than needed. It appears that the entirety of the Order¡¯s Holy Guard and various other soldiers are all part of this. While the others may not like it¡­¡± he paused momentarily, looking out the window. ¡°I am going to appoint you as the new leader for the Order¡¯s Hold Guard division, as it¡¯s clear that you are the most fit for the job considering your track record and your devotion to the Kingdom itself. I may reassign you at any given time when I feel as though you have found suitable replacements to take your position.¡±


    Halfway through him speaking to me, I had started feeling lightheaded, unable to truly listen to his words. I suddenly just collapsed to the floor, and things went black again. I could feel myself being carried down the flight of stairs in a rushed manner but couldn¡¯t open my eyes. I could hear, though.


    I heard Genesis¡¯ voice yelling frantically at the guards carrying me to take me to his quarters and quickly place me on the floor, and something about how the Lich had infected me after all. I started to feel hot, and I began to see images through what appeared to be my eyelids. I was starting to see myself running from several of those beings and their soldiers. No matter how hard or quick I tried running, they were always right there behind me.


    ¡°MASTER THADEUS, STAY WITH US. STAY WITH US¡­.¡±

 Chapter 7 - Light and Dark

    I continued to feel sweat dripping down my face, and my chest was starting to tighten up. Everything around me started spinning as if I was hooked up to a sort of wheel-like device being rolled down a large mountain, and I kept hearing random sounds in my head like the undead I had fought during that mission. At one point, I felt as though my face had various bugs crawling out of my face and throughout my body.


    I had not considered this happening when fighting that Lich, but I refused to allow this to overtake me. It must stop.


    I suddenly went to turn around to face the aggressors, unwilling to allow myself to continue to run from the number of them in tow, sliding to stop before getting back and charging them head-on. Neither they nor I had weapons of any sort. It was good old-fashioned hand to hand combat.


    As I ran towards them, I balled up my right first and drew it back as if I was holding a bow and about to release an arrow from a bow. As I got within striking range, I let out a mighty roar while swinging my fist at the nearest undead warrior, causing a massive wave of air to fly out around us, flipping them all over on their back. The one I had swung at turned to dust from the impact.


    I looked around, wondering if any would get back up. With none of them moving, I turned around and ran again but noticed it was just a black void of nothingness. Looking over my shoulder at once was an open field with recently cut grass, some trees, flowers, and the sky with the sun overlooking it, also now just back, void of nothingness.


    I was unsure what to do. Where was I supposed to go, as there was nowhere <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">to go? I turned around, feeling as though someone was behind me. I slowly turned my head, followed by my body, raising my hand. Once I thought whatever behind me hadn¡¯t noticed I was turning towards it, I quickly released a powerful punch as I fully turned my body, letting out another powerful blast of wind from my first.


    To my surprise, the Lich was standing there, just laughing at me. The attack I had just released upon it had no effect. It started to speak to me, but I could fully understand it this time.


    ¡°Young Angel, you may have eradicated me, but¡­¡± it softly said, walking closer.


    ¡°.. but you allowed me to infect you with my energy, and soon, you¡¯ll become just like me. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± He continued, with his arms raised in the air, as if he was welcoming an old friend after not seeing each other for some time.


    ¡°I hope you know I will not falter to overcome this, and I shall overcome it,¡± I said, confident in the ability of the Master level healer, as well as having confidence in myself. I took a step closer to the Lich until we were face-to-face.


    ¡°You¡¯re already too late; by this time, there is nothing more anyone can do for you. Had they caught on sooner, you would have been saved. But instead, you shall fester and start to infect those around you.¡±


    He placed his hands on me, giving me the best smile he could muster up before letting go and taking a few steps back. He was looking as though he had just won 1st Place during a tournament. He stood there, looking at me. What did he expect me to do? I was starting to wonder if he perhaps was bluffing. I looked into his eye to see if I could get a reading from him, and the moment I made eye contact with him was when I realized that he was lying.


    I sat on the ground, allowing a loud, hardy laugh out.


    ¡°Do you take me for a fool, lich?¡± I asked, not knowing if I was being ignorant of how severe the situation was. I had concluded that if I had ended up becoming a lich, then why would it go through all this trouble to try and convince me I was turning into one? This all felt like it could have just been one giant hallucination as I possibly just came down with a sickness or something from that cursed swamp. Up until I had the area cleared out, everyone had full helms on, except for me. So, it was quite possible that I had come down with some sort of sickness.


    The Lich stared at me, looking as though I had just given it some bad news and remained frozen in place. I stared at him while it seemed like he was frozen in time. I stood up, curious about what was going on with him. I slowly reached my hand out to him when it suddenly seemed like time had unfrozen, and he quickly grabbed my hand out of the air faster than I could react. I struggled to remove my hand before he pulled my hand, placing it over his chest.


    ¡°You are a foolish young one but hold a lot of power, perfect for one who will replace me. I hope you enjoyed your life as a foolish angel.¡± He said, with an intense smile on his face.


    He slammed my hand into his chest and started to chant, and a giant white light was beginning to form around our hands. I caught him looking down at the light, giving a worried look, but was somehow stuck in his chant. Things around us started to become distorted; the air looked like how young children drew swirls to represent the wind blowing, but far more intense.


    The chanting stopped as the energy from my hand started to cause the Lich to look as though he was a slice of bread being rolled into a ball before being absorbed into a giant ball of white light that retreated into my hand. The black void of nothingness started to shatter around me as if I had just thrown a large rock into thin glass. I covered my face with my arms, hoping to protect myself.


    Once the rumbling and sounds of glass shattering around me stopped, the once black void was now a white void. Something had caught my attention behind me, as it sounded like something was tapping a sword against a wood plank. After what happened during my ¡°visit¡± in the black void, I chose to not turn around but remain still, wondering when Genesis and them would be able to awaken me back to reality.


    I could hear and feel whoever this was getting closer to me before finally feeling a hand placed on my right shoulder. Whoever this was, they had to be tall, as I stood at least 8¡¯ tall, but it appeared they were possibly taller.


    ¡°My child. Do you not wish to turn around to see the face of that who saved you just over a thousand years ago from the demise of that forsaken planet?¡±


    I was still looking at the hand, wondering what was going on. While it was a female voice, it was different than the other voices I had heard during my time here and sounded far more feminine somehow than the rest.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked, turning around, wanting to face this being. Upon turning around, she towered over me by what seemed like a mile and appeared as though she was made from pure light, so bright that I felt as though I had gone blind. I shielded my eyes with my hands, still trying to catch a glimpse of this glimmering woman in front of me.


    ¡°Forgive me, I rarely take a physical form as I do not hold a physical presence to those around me anymore. I shall take appropriate measures to ensure that we may talk momentarily in a way easier upon you. Allow me a moment to change into a more suitable form for you.¡± She said, her voice echoed, sounding as if she was all around me.


    The light started to dim as I could see between my arms her shrink to about my height. Once the light fully dissipated, I removed my arms from infront of my face. Upon looking at her, I was shocked by her features. She wore a long white dress with lotus brooches on each shoulder and a green laurel on her head with white and gold highlights. Her hair reached her lower back, brown in color. Her eyes were white, with pearl blue irises. Her skin appeared smooth, with a touch of the perfect tone that women desire to get after a day in the sun at a beach.


    I stood there, staring at her, unsure what to say. I had forgotten entirely her original words. She looked at me, smiling, before walking closer to me. Her presence soothed me, though I had been in her presence before. I could have stayed in this weird dream-like state with her around, as she was my personal definition of sheer beauty. She looked at me as if she waited for me to say something.


    I bowed before her, ¡°Hello miss, it is an honor to stand before you.¡± I said, pleased to be in her presence.


    ¡°Thadeus, our time is short, but I wish to explain as I feel like you should know how I chose to bring you about to the world of Angels, Humans, and other races,¡± she said, raising her hand to the top of my head. ¡°There are only a few moments remaining before those working to reverse what happened to you succeed. So, listen carefully.¡± Her tone changed to concern.


    I looked at her, having a look of interest in my expression.


    ¡°Very well then, I¡¯ll be quick. When I first saw you on that planet, I knew you¡¯d end up being special. That family of Elves who had came to your quaint mountain village is how you caught my attention. While the rest of your village saw them as outsiders and freaks, you welcomed them with open arms. You were the only one there, in that entire village of other humans, to accept them.¡± she said, smiling. As she went on, a tear came out of her eye that turned into a pearl as it left her cheek.


    ¡°Despite the clear differences between you, you became friends with their son, and against the will of those within your village, you chose to take up learning the style of magic while also teaching him how to interact with others. Despite all the hatred towards your non-human friend, you always stood up for him and ensured that he felt welcomed in the village.¡± She paused momentarily to see if I had any questions before continuing talking.


    ¡°However, I started to wonder about you as I could tell that you would not be able to control the level of magic you were learning and had concerns after your family found out about your secret lessons, which caused them to be chased out of the village upon the village elders finding out about it.¡± She took her thumbs to her shoulder straps, lifting them up slightly before placing her hands back to her sides.


    ¡°Upon returning from outside the village to retrieve some firewood for dinner that night, you had discovered your newfound friend and his family no longer remained due to the actions of those around you. You ended up losing control of the newfound power and ended up slaughtering your entire village before setting the mountain on fire. I continued to watch over you as you ran down the mountain when you regained awareness to the nearest road to seek help.¡± she paused again, looking as if she was full of regret as if she could have stopped this.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Due to the severity of the fire, the first one who found you picked you up and made haste to the nearest city where you spent about 20 years living on the streets before a woman had taken you off the streets and into her home where she provided for you in exchange for mutual services, and bonding, but it didn¡¯t last as you disliked living like that. By this time, the planet started to see war with other planets approaching despite remaining neutral in a war between the Angelic and Demonic beings.¡± She paused briefly to give me time to process this, but I was more interested in listening rather than talking or asking questions as time was short.


    ¡°As the planet remained neutral, they took in wounded soldiers of all races no matter what side they had fought for, as they wanted to ensure that everyone could have their wounds tended to and have time to heal without fear. This angered a mighty world that eventually came and started to attack the world you inhabited directly. The angels who inhabited the planet decided on where to move everyone, opening portals in every major city to somewhere safe and remote away from the war. You were there with a wounded angel, helping people get through the portals, putting your life last as just before the planet exploded, pushing that angel into his own portal, causing it to close behind him. Resulting in you surviving the blast enough for me to come in and ensure you be reborn again as an angel yourself.¡± she said, sounding proud of me near the end.


    I looked down at the ground, scratching my head slightly, trying to process all this information that had just been dumped upon me. I do remember floating out in space, but nothing before that. It felt like it happened deep within me.


    ¡°So, why choose me then? Of all the beings and humans out there, you picked me. Why?¡± I asked, not completely understanding. On one hand, I had killed an entire village of people and destroyed a fire. But on the other hand? I helped evacuate who knows how many innocent women and children, which I felt no regrets about.


    ¡°I chose you because I knew that you would be able to do far greater good, and unlike the other Angels, you were created differently. I¡¯m sure you have noticed you appear to be different than the others around you. I¡¯ve been watching you and noticed that you do not act like the others, as you are friendly and appear to want to fight for justice. So far, you have only thrown those to the wolves who do harm to those not able to defend themselves.¡± She paused, sliding the sleeves of her dress to the side of her arms, allowing her dress to slide down her body.


    ¡°Press your right hand against my chest.¡± She said, demandingly.


    I could not help myself but to look at her body. To my surprise, she displayed no signs of being female or male. I did as she requested, though, and placed my hand on her chest. She smiled and stated that it was a pleasure to finally talk to me directly. I slowly started to move closer against my own accord to her. It was as if I was being sucked directly into her. I tried to move away but found myself frozen, unable to move until I had been sucked into her body. It looked as though I was traveling through space at an astronomical speed with stars, planets, and the void of space combining into a mass of multi-colored dots.


    I could see myself approaching a peculiar yellow-looking light, and it was rapidly approaching. I was unsure what this strange light was, and as I hit it, I closed my eyes, uncertain of what would be on the other side.


    When I reopened my eyes, I was lying on a cot, surrounded by a few others. Gabriel, Genesis, and a couple of medical assistants all stood over me, looks of concern filling their faces. As I opened my eyes, Genesis¡¯ face revealed that he was relieved I had finally woken up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle!¡± he exclaimed. He grabbed hands with the other medical assistants, and they all started dancing together, shouting, ¡°WE SAVED HIM! WE SAVED HIM!¡±


    Gabriel wiped his forehead with his forearm, giving a relieving sigh.


    ¡°Young Master Thadeus, seeing you awake gives us all such joy. Typically, those infected by Lich¡¯s do not return fully intact as yourself has. Had you not awaken as yourself, you would have turned undead and been purged. You are the first of our kind to return fully as yourself with no extra <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">features or other problems in the Kingdom''s known recorded history. To my knowledge, this is the first time anyone has woken up normal.¡± Stated Genesis, sounding excited.


    Gabriel started to walk out of the room. ¡°Thadeus, come see me when you¡¯re feeling better. You¡¯ve had a rough month but have done some amazing things. These guards will remain with you until you regain your strength.¡± he said with a tone that sounded so calm that I wondered if he had been worried about me. It was strange hearing this from him, of all people.


    I looked up at Genesis, trying to sit up. My whole body felt stiff as a board as I did.


    ¡°Master Healer, if it is okay with you, I¡¯d like to return to my quarters for the remainder of my rest. It¡¯s been a while since I was last able to be around my servant. It¡¯d bring me great pleasure to be in her presence,¡± I stated, trying to sound as if I had other reasons to want to return to her. In reality, I had wished to return to my own quarters so I could have a few extra moments of peace to myself. Had I only been gone for a couple of days, I may not have been in such a hurry to return, but I wanted to take advantage of having some time to myself.


    ¡°Your new quarters have been set up. The servants have also been told they should expect to serve you in any way possible as you will be their new master. They have agreed to do what they can to help you feel comfortable as possible and do everything within their power to ensure that serve you well.¡± one of the guards said to me while assisting me to my feet and walking me to the door.


    The other guard followed close behind me. My entire body was stiff, and I found it slightly difficult to walk.


    "Young Master Thadeus¡­¡± Genesis said, ¡°Upon returning to your room, please rest for two to three days. If you need anything, have your servants fetch myself or one of my assistants. They¡¯ll be able to retrieve me with the help from one of the guards who¡¯ll be there to assist them in the event they need to leave the floor.¡± He looked at the guards as if neither of them had any idea about ahead of time. They both nodded as we exited the room.


    Going down two flights of stairs proved difficult as I found it hard to bend my legs in order to walk. We eventually made it down to the floor that I now inhabited. The guards allowed me to place my arms around their shoulders, and as we walked past the servant''s quarters, I yelled out for Selyse, telling her to follow us. She opened the door with an excited expression, which quickly turned to concern.


    ¡°Master Thadeus! What happened?!¡± she yelled out in concern.


    The guard closest to her motioned for her to follow us as they carried me around the corner to a wooden door with my name on a golden plate with the title ¡°Right Hand¡± underneath. The guard to my right opened the door with his right hand, revealing a room large enough to hold several beds, 2 large windows, and a loft. In the room, there was a large bed and a bunk bed. It appeared that this room may have been for the guards.


    One of the guards set me down while the other one hobbled me over to the bed.


    ¡°My lord, this bed here is yours. If you wish to lay with your servants, you will have plenty of room for your desires with them. There is a bunk bed suitable for your smaller human servants to share if you wish to have them sleep in here, and the loft above has a spot for peaceful studying with a small window with a door should you choose to study up there. This was once a small garrison, but seeing as how you are taking the room, this floor will have only you and the other servants. Official orders from Gabriel state that you will have this room to yourself. One of us will patrol the general area in your absence, but you¡¯ll be left alone for the most part.¡± he said in an informative way, bowing as he sat me gently on the bed.


    Selyse was standing behind him, trying to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Excuse, sir guard, what is wrong with my master?¡± she asked. She was visibly concerned as she has never seen me be carried around by guards, nor barely be able to move.


    The guard looked at me, wondering if he should answer. I gave him a nod.


    ¡°Young servant, your master experienced a close encounter with that of a Lich lord while out on a mission, becoming infected after destroying it. While he will be okay, he will have to remain in bed for at least three days. During those days, I request you do what you can to ensure that your master remains comfortable and assist him however you can. One of us will remain near the stairs should you or the other servants need to retrieve Master Healer Genesis or any supplies for him.¡± he said while looking at her as if he wasn¡¯t sure why I requested he inform her.


    ¡°Bed is tall. I need to reach bed.¡± She stated. I started to catch on to how she spoke to myself and the other servants versus how she spoke to the guards. To the guards, she spoke in broken words and made herself out to be unintelligent. It started to make me wonder if all the servants did this, or just her.


    The guard sighed, looking around the room, trying to figure out what was around that he could use to prop up against the bed to help her up and down. He walked over to the bunk bed, reaching under it before the sound of a wooden object being drug against stone was heard. He looked at Selyse, giving her a ¡°come get this¡± look. She ran over to him, retrieving it from him, bowing, before running back over and placing it against the bed.


    Within my view, I saw her slightly struggle to get on the bed, and it took her a moment to get back down. Once she was sure this would be acceptable, she got back on the bed and curtsied as the guard, who surprisingly gave her a smile, before the guard walked out and closed the door.


    She listened to ensure that he had completely walked away for some reason before turning her attention to me.


    She took off the elegant cloak she had on, revealing her bare chest to me and her panties.


    ¡°Look, Master Thadeus, look at how nice my undergarments are! They are so comfortable. Thank you.¡± She said with excitement.


    I let out a chuckle, which felt as though I had been stabbed through the chest with a hot blade freshly pulled out from a blacksmith oven. Selyse could see that this had caused me a bit of pain and climbed off the bed. As it was now dark out, she walked over to the bunk bed and climbed into the bottom bunk, blowing me a kiss as she got under the covers and saying ¡°Good night Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Good night Selyse,¡± I said loud enough for her to hear.

 Chapter 8 - Recovery

    The sun rose directly into my eyes, waking me up. I tried to lift my arm to shield my face from the sun but was still far too sore to do much of anything. I could hear Selyse shifting around, making random noises while she slept. Having the sun wake you up while being essentially paralyzed was frustrating, but not being able to move in general was the worst part.


    ¡°Selyse, hey, wake up!¡± I shouted, in hopes I¡¯d break her from her slumber.


    I could tell she heard me as she quit making sounds, and it sounded as her quiet snores faded.


    ¡°Selyse! I need your help!¡± I tried again, hoping she¡¯d be awake enough to hear me.


    She rolled over and looked in my direction while rubbing her eyes. She was still half asleep but trying to figure out what was happening. I continued to sit there with the sun shining in my face before she woke up enough to realize what was going on, running over to me.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, what¡¯s wro- ohhh, the light, okay, uhh, one second.¡± She said, running to the door. She quickly threw it open and I heard her open another door.


    She returned a few moments later with one of the much taller female Angel servants, pointing at the window.


    ¡°Oh no. Selyse, grab the blanket from the bottom bunk there and bring it to me. I¡¯m going to use the ladder to prop it up to block this window for now. It should work.¡± she said, looking at me concerned.


    Selyse nodded, quickly running over to the bunk to retrieve the blanket while the other one grabbed the ladder, bringing it to the window. Under the blank was a thick layer of straw, some flew onto the floor since Selyse was trying to rush. She brought it to the servant who had been standing there patiently. After being handed the blanket, she discovered a small gap between the very top of the window and the bricks which she had used to secure the top of the blanket while using the ladder to hold it in place over the window.


    She turned to face me, walking slowly towards me.


    ¡°Master Angel Thadeus, my name is Elise and however I may serve you, please let me know. I have been told about the situation regarding you and want you to know that myself, Selyse, and the others will be available for you night and day during your recovery and after.¡± She said reaching the end of my bed, bowing.


    I shifted my eyes towards her, making eye contact. She looked briefly before turning away.


    ¡°Sorry Master Angel, but it is not appropriate for a servant such as myself to make eye contact with her master unless given special circumstances.¡± She said, looking at the ground and sounding as if I would punish her.


    ¡°Elise?¡±


    ¡°Yes Master, what is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Elise, I request that you go fetch the others and bring them in here, so I do not have to repeat myself more than once.¡± I calmly stated to her. She nodded, exiting the room briefly before returning with the others.


    They lined up in two rows of 3, with Selyse standing next to the bed facing them. I noticed they made sure to put the humans in the front as they were the shortest. They dropped to a knee, placing one of their hands flat on the ground in front of them, bowing.


    ¡°Selyse, stand next to them.¡± I requested of her. Despite not wanting to use these servants for much of anything, I was going to have to depend on them for the next few days or less. Up until this incident, I had no intention of using servants to do much of anything for me, but given the circumstances, I didn¡¯t feel too bad about it.


    Selyse nodded and stood next to them, being tugged at by another to enter the same position as them. She didn¡¯t comply, which I had expected.


    ¡°Elise, I want you to close the door.¡± I stated as I didn¡¯t want the guard down the hallway to hear what I was about to tell them.


    She stood up from her position and walked over to the door. She closed it gently before returning to her spot on the floor. ¡°Done my lord.¡± She said.


    I tried to bend my head slightly in their direction, but my neck was still incredibly stiff. Since Selyse was the only one looking at me, she looked down at the others.


    ¡°Hey, Master Thadeus¡¯ whole body hurts still and he can¡¯t move. We need to move so he can see us better! Go to the end of the bed, or on it. There¡¯s plenty of room for us all to sit around him.¡± She said, in a frustrated tone.


    The women all looked up, realizing that she may have been right.


    ¡°Selyse, you are the youngest of us here, and unless Master-¡± Elise spoke up before I interrupted her.


    ¡°Oh, for the love of¡­ shut up and get up here. Selyse speaks on my behalf too.¡± I stated, sounding very annoyed that they were making this difficult. Had I not been bedridden, it would not have been a huge deal, but I didn¡¯t want to start off the day listening to bickering amongst them. They quickly got up, helping Selyse and the other two humans onto the bed before forming around me. Selyse found her way next to my head, with a big smile.


    ¡°Now listen, when it is just me around, I want you to act as how you¡¯d act around each other. I do not require all the same fancy addressing that the other Angels in this forsaken kingdom want. I figured you would have caught onto that by now, especially with how the one next to my head acts. Although, tone it down a bit as Selyse sometimes overdoes it. Under normal circumstances, I would not ask much of you, but things are different right now, so I am going to rely on a couple of you to help me until my body can recover from the run-in with that Lich.¡± I paused, seeing if they had anything to say, or had any questions.


    ¡°My lord, do you require any sensual favors while we remain your faithful servants?¡± one of them asked, sounding as if she was thinking it''d help end the stiffness with sensual stimulation or something.


    As I was thinking about an answer, Elise spoke up.


    ¡°Forgive us, Master Thadeus, we are not used to such a gracious Master Angel who wishes for us to be treated as equals. We shall do our best to adjust to the way you do things, while also keeping up the appearance that we are your slaves to do with us as you wish.¡± She said while sweeping her gaze amongst the others on the bed. She placed her hand on mine.


    ¡°With that being said, we shall do what we can to further assist our new Master as he has shown he will do what it takes to protect us from the monsters who once roamed this floor.¡± She said, quietly, but also with a grin.


    I continued to explain to all of them how things would be while under my watch. They seemed surprised that I had no intent to use them for sexual gratification nor make them do all the heavy lifting while I sat around doing nothing, with the next few days being somewhat of an exception.


    Once I had finished, I asked them if they all agreed to what we had talked about, receiving a nod from everyone. Selyse perched herself next to my head, humming softly to herself while touching my face. She appeared to enjoy the sensation of my soft feathery face against her fingers, as she continued running her hands through my face. I came to realize that she may have never had the chance opportunity to touch someone like me before, as such interactions were typically forbidden unless special permission was granted.


    The next few days felt like months as I was just laying on a bed, with an occasional visit from the Healer to check on my condition as well as a couple of random guards that Gabriel would send to ensure that the girls were doing their jobs properly. During one of the random check-ins, one of the guards thought he had overheard Elise and a couple of other servants talking about how they spent their newfound freedom and brought it to my attention that my servants may be trying to plan an escape, to which I convinced the guard it was untrue and just a game they liked to play every now and again.


    Not surprisingly, the guards believed what I said. They understood that doubting my words would mean doubting Gabriel himself, which could lead to serious consequences, even death. As Gabriel''s right hand, I held the power to send them on missions or have them executed, making it incredibly dangerous for them to question my authority. Although I could have easily abused this power, I chose not to.


    I spent quite a lot of time in bed, thinking about what could possibly come next for myself or for the females I had, in a way, freed. I knew that if they broke character in front of the wrong people, I may not be able to save them and that it could happen any day now as a couple of them did talk back to the guards here and there. They understood the risks I was putting myself in by giving them such freedom, but oddly nobody had reported the mishaps to anyone but myself. At least, I had assumed that as Gabriel nor any major guards had come to question me about them and their attitudes.


    As I laid there, wondering about all of this, I heard the pitter-patter of bare feet running against the stone floor.


    ¡°Master, Master!¡± Selyse shouted as she came running into the room, holding something in her pants. She came in, appearing to be out of breath as she held something in her hand.


    ¡°What do you got there, Sely?¡±


    ¡°Gabriel requested I come up to his office, so I went up there. He asked me to hand this to you as they¡¯re pretty sure in two days, you¡¯ll be fully recovered enough to go back to active duty. I asked for an extra five sunrises, but the Master Healer said you¡¯d be okay in just two, and they have a special assignment for you.¡± She said, in between regaining her breath.


    She approached me on placed a sealed letter with Gabriel''s marking on the back. It was an average-looking envelope, cream in color sealed with wax, and on the front said ¡°Thaddeus¡¯ eyes only.¡±. Selyse handed me a dagger from the table, which I very carefully opened. I quickly skimmed through the letter and realized that it was an interesting mission I was going to be placed on, and I understood why they needed me in the allotted period of time.


    ¡°Selyse, grab the others, there''s an important meeting.¡± I quickly said.


    She looked at me, nodded, and ran out of the room. I laid there, concerned about what may happen to them if I couldn¡¯t pull any strings to ensure their safety, as this next task was both high risk and high priority on Gabriel¡¯s behalf. After a few moments, they all returned to the room. While still incredibly stiff, I attempted to sit myself up so I could address them sitting up straight. To my surprise I managed to move sideways but found it difficult to sit straight up. Elise leaned into me as though she was going to hug me and pulled me forward a bit, helping me straight up.


    ¡°Thank you, Elise. That was incredibly helpful¡±


    ¡°Anytime m¡¯lord. What is it that you wanted to tell us?¡±


    I looked at them all, then back down at the orders in my hands.


    ¡°In the next couple of days, I am being sent on essentially a retrieval mission. There¡¯s been a mishap that requires Gabriel and the other Arch¡¯s to send their best men to retrieve an important package and some guards. Then after that, I will be relocated to another place that Gabriel reigns over; the High Gardens.¡± I paused, looking to see if they had any questions they possibly wanted to ask.


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    ¡°I will be placed around there to further protect whatever this package is. Now, I don¡¯t know if I can bring you all with me, but I want to let you know that if I am able to, I will bring you all with me¡­¡± I looked around the room, motioning for someone to shut the door, as what I was about to say would¡¯ve been considered an act of treason. One of the girls in the back quickly stood up, checked outside the door, giving a thumbs up, then quietly closed the door before returning to her spot and sitting down.


    I lowered my voice level, ¡°I will try to bring you all with me to further ensure that your safety and freedom continues to be my top priority. I cannot make any promises though as there is limited space in this new place, but if things go well, you should be able to come with.¡±


    To my surprise, none of them seemed worried. Not even Selyse. They all just sat there with neutral looks before one of them spoke up.


    ¡°Master. We know you have the intentions for us, so we shall trust you in this as we know you¡¯d never just abandon us and we know you will do what you can to keep us safe.¡±


    The rest of them nodded in agreement.


    I was taken aback by how quickly their hesitation shifted to trust. Especially since with me, their lives were at risk. They knew I wasn¡¯t like the others though. Unlike the others, I had no intentions of harming them, nor running them ragged, or using them for my gratification. I wanted to do more for them, but given the circumstances, I could not.


    I sighed, knowing that while I wanted to sit around for a few more days, I had to instantly get better. I looked at my hand, knowing I was going to have to heal myself, and knew that I could have done that the entire time to recover much quicker than allowing myself to naturally heal.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master?¡± Selyse asked, sounding worried.


    I looked at her, giving her a sincere smile.


    ¡°Selyse, Elise, and the rest of you. I want to thank you for taking such amazing care of me throughout how many days have passed. You are all incredibly amazing, but it¡¯s time I quit messing around. I could have healed myself at any time, but opted to lay around instead to help myself relax, before having to  go on any further missions.¡±


    They all looked at each other, laughing lightly. None of them looked mad at me for spilling the truth. It was like they enjoyed the time they were able to spend with me. Selyse smacked at my knee playfully.


    ¡°You big jerk, you could¡¯ve healed yourself this entire time?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°More than likely. Sorry to worry you all this way.¡±


    They all looked at each other, and everyone but Selyse bowed.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Angel, for allowing us to help you somehow and for allowing us to have the freedom you¡¯ve given us while in your care. We are not mad but are proud to serve under such a kind master.¡± Elise stated.


    I looked at her, thinking about how it was odd to me that I deceived them to some degree, but they weren¡¯t upset by it. But I shook the feeling off as I powered up the healing ability, focusing the energy on ensuring that anything potentially sprained, fractured, or broken was restored back to its once normal state. I could feel my entire body start to loosen up, as the energy flowed through every part of my body.


    After a couple of minutes, I stood up. The servants backed up, giving me enough room to stand up so I could stretch and do a bit of jumping to ensure that I was still able to move with ease. To my surprise, healing myself worked far better than I expected. But it caused me to wonder if the Master Healer also wanted me to remain under bed rest for longer, as he could have also healed me to this point but chose not to.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I thought out loud.


    Selyse patted at my leg, trying to get my attention. I looked down at her.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re going to leave a couple of days early?¡± she asked, slight tears forming in her eyes.


    I smiled at her, nodding and gently rubbing my hand on her head. Her hair felt rough, suggesting that maybe she hadn¡¯t bathed in quite some time.


    ¡°When was the last time you have all bathed? Sel¡¯s hair feels as though she hasn¡¯t bathed in who knows how long.¡±


    Everyone looked at me, shrugging, indicating that it may have been quite a while.


    ¡°Very well, if there is a way for you all to clean yourselves, I ask that you all do so as I¡¯d also like for you all to be clean as well.¡± I said, sounding stern.


    The other problem I had was that I didn¡¯t know if this floor had a place to bathe and if it didn¡¯t, I would have to accompany them to another floor and babysit them. While the other servants were females like Selyse, there were slight differences between human females and angelic females in terms of what could be seen. Which, is why Selyse had to wear a cloth over her chest. Another thought I had was that Humans typically have a strong stench to them as our noses are far more powerful than that of humans. So if she smelt normal to me, then it also meant that myself and the others all smelt the same.


    ¡°Hmm. I suppose we all could potentially use a bath. Elise, can you smell Selyse?¡±


    Elise looked at me confused, but sniffed around the group of us, before shaking her head.


    ¡°Everyone smells the same to me right now. I know the last time I took a bath was¡­ well, I don¡¯t remember.¡± she said, trying to count on her fingers.


    ¡°Hmm. Where is the nearest bath?¡±


    ¡°Well m¡¯lord, we¡¯d have to go down four floors, but the bathhouse is generally reserved for only those who are permitted such as yourself. For this floor, we¡¯d have to get a bucket of water and give ourselves a spot-bath.¡± Elise said, sounding almost defeated.


    ¡°Excuse me a moment. Everyone, please remain on this floor while I go find out if I can reserve it for all of us.¡± I stated with authority.


    I shuffled through the girls as they remained sitting on the floor, out the door, and started down the steps when I heard a voice behind me.


    ¡°Ah, Master Thaddeus, it is good to see you around and walking. Gabriel will be happy to hear that you are up and about. Where is it that you plan to go? May I be of assistance master?¡±


    I turned around, seeing a guard in gold and white, suggesting he was a guard of the Holy Order.


    ¡°Ah, the perfect person to run into!¡± I exclaimed. For once, I was happy to see one of these guys. ¡°My servants are filthy and smelling them displeases me. I¡¯d like to know if I could reserve a bath for myself and them?¡±


    The guard looked at me with doubt.


    ¡°As the right hand, I want to ensure that I maintain a certain standard of cleanliness for not only myself but for them as well. Do you expect the right hand to remain covered in filth and allow his servants to do the same?¡± I said, trying to sound convincing.


    The guard instantly dropped to a kneeling position with his head down.


    ¡°Sorry sir, I did not think about it that way. I will  reserve it for you right away and will report back to you as soon as I can.¡± He stated loudly, before quickly standing back up and running down the stairs.


    I walked back into the room, clapped my hands together, and found myself staring at everyone not sure what to say. Given how loud that guard had been, I assumed that everyone had heard what was going about to happen. Thinking about it myself, I had only bathed one time that I knew of and it was pretty early on in my days here.


    I walked over to where my armor and weapons were, thinking maybe they¡¯d be covered in filth as well since I spent quite a bit of time in a swamp. To my surprise, my armor was spotless. I felt someone touch my side, which caused me to turn around.


    ¡°Master Thaddeus, while you slept, we took it upon ourselves to ensure your armor and weapons were clean and ready for your next mission. They were dirty and since you¡¯ve done a lot for us, we took it upon ourselves to clean your gear while you slept.¡±


    I looked at this, not knowing what her name was. Her feathers were gray, with a hint of silver mixed in. Blue eyes and about half my height. She had a scar on her head, indicating she may have been attacked at some point in her life and left for it to heal naturally.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked.


    She kneeled, looking down at the ground. ¡°Master, my name doesn¡¯t matter. Just know that I am happy to serve.¡±


    I bent down to be at face level with her before lifting her head up to look at me in the eyes.


    ¡°I asked you for your name. If I didn¡¯t care, I wouldn¡¯t ask.¡± I stated, trying to sound reassuring.


    Her eyes adverted my gaze, and she didn¡¯t seem too interested in telling me, or it was possible that she couldn¡¯t remember her name.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you do not wish to share your name with me. I will not pressure you.¡±


    Elise tapped me on the shoulder, shaking her head, motioning for me to follow her. I stood up and followed her outside the room.


    ¡°When she was younger¡­ she took an arrow to the head, causing her to forget who she is and because of her being well¡­ a lesser, but could still perform her duties, nobody cared. Please forgive me if I¡¯m out of line¡± she stated, body language suggesting that she felt uncomfortable talking about it.


    I nodded, but my eyes ventured to the stairs as I heard the clanking armor running up the stairs. A few moments later, the same guard from earlier emerged from the spiral staircase. In his hands, he had a piece of parchment paper rolled up.


    ¡°Master Thaddeus¡±, he stated as he started to unwrap the parchment, reading it out loud. ¡°Dear Master Thaddeus, under normal circumstances, your servants would not be allowed to bathe within the private baths reserved for all important members within Gabriel¡¯s castle, but given that the right hand has requested a bath for him and his servants as one, I will accommodate this request. However, the servants of the bathhouse will not be provided as you have your own servants to bathe you and each other.


    If these terms are acceptable, gather up your servants and make your way down here. You¡¯ll be allotted a certain amount of time to come down here before this offer closes, which will be soon. So, you better hurry.¡±


    The guard finished reading it, wrapping the parchment back into its original rolled-up form, and approaching me to place it in my hand. He bowed, then took off. As I turned around, Elise had already taken the initiative to gather up the rest of the group and formed a line behind me. I had no clue where the bathing area was, so I put her up front to lead us down the stairs into the right area. However, she ended up getting back behind me stating that it was forbidden for a servant to be hearding me around.


    We quickly made our way down four floors, discovering everything was labeled. There was a guard outside the bathhouse who greeted us as we arrived at the floor entrance.


    ¡°Over here Master Thaddeus, we¡¯ve been waiting for you. You¡¯ve been given until sundown to ensure that you and¡­ them, are cleaned to your expectations. You have about an hour, so I suggest you get in there.¡± He stated as he moved away from the door. Knowing that we had maybe an hour at max before sunset, I quickly ushered him aside.


    Upon entering the room, I was shocked to see how large the bath was. It was enough for at least one hundred me-sized angels and we had it all to ourselves.


    ¡°I shall return in a bit sir. Your servants will clean up after you are finished.¡± He stated.


    I nodded at him as the last of my servants came in, and they shut the door.


    Selyse was the first one to get completely undressed and hop into the water, motioning for the others to follow her. They all looked at me as if they wanted my permission to get in.


    ¡°Well? This is for you too¡­ hop on in¡­¡± I stated, trying to make them understand that this was for them too.


    Elise looked at me, sliding one of her arms out of the rags and looking slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Master.. if I may¡­ could you turn around? I mean¡­ if you don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± she stammered.


    I nodded, facing toward the door to give Elise and the others some time to undress and get into the water. I wanted to show them that in private, I would respect their wishes, that it wasn¡¯t a fa?ade and that I really didn¡¯t want to have the Master/Servant relationship with them. While I knew that I could not truly free them, the least I could do is to ensure that they are safe and comfortable.


    Once I had determined they were all already in the water, I turned around and my assumption was kind of right. To my surprise though, all the servants had taken on a human form, which confused me as they were shy about watching them undress, but somehow were okay with the nudity. I looked over at Elise, who made eye contact with me and shrugged at her.


    ¡°My apologies master. We¡¯ve had others watch us undress and it is something that we are uncomfortable with. Even if it¡¯s you watching us. However, we are okay with¡­ this¡­ and uhh¡­ if you want to¡­ you know¡­ our bodies are yours¡­¡± Elise, stated, sounding hesitant.


    ¡°No thank you Elise. I¡¯d like for us to stay focused on ensuring that we come out of this smelling fresh. Please remain in your normal Angelic form as your human forms seem and smell clean.¡±


    They all switched back to their Angelic forms, realizing that I was in the right. If we had ended our time there with their feathers not wet, it may raise suspicion, and we were already pushing my power as the right hand by requesting for them to be able to access this otherwise very private place meant more for only those of us approved.


    As I stepped in, both Elise and Selyse came over to me with a scrub brush in hand. I tried to sit down, but they demanded I remained standing so they could ensure that I was cleaned. Selyse was much smaller than Elise, so she focused more making sure that my knees and below where cleaned, while Elise was able to reach up to my mid-chest.


    After they finished washing me, they worked on washing each other which resulted in a little bit of splashing so I had to remind them that while I would enjoy splashing one another, our time was limited and we shouldn¡¯t abuse this potentially one time event. Before we left, I ensured that everyone was cleaned up and placed back where it was originally found, before finally leaving. The window outside the door suggested that we had another half an hour or so before we had to be out, but I didn¡¯t want to push the limits of what my power as the right hand could surpass.


    We made our way back to up to our floor, with everyone but Selyse, still a bit wet. Looking back at it, I think the others had chosen a human form as human bodies were easier to dry, but they presented themselves as their normal bird-like forms the entire time leaving me no choice than to ensure that they bathed in those forms.


    As the sun started to escape the view of the window, a few lanterns hanging around the room lit up, allowing the room to be somewhat dim and every returned to their room aside from Selyse who opted to sleep at the foot of my bed as if she was a house pet. In fear of kicking her off the bed, I suggested she came to my right side and sleep there. She didn¡¯t hesitate, laying her head against my hand before quickly falling asleep. I laid there a few extra moments in silence, wondering what this mission could be.


    But¡­ that would be an issue for the next day. I closed my eyes and found myself drifting off rather quickly.

 Chapter 9 - Just another day

    The next day came quicker than I had hoped. Even though I didn¡¯t have to do this mission for another day or two, I figured I¡¯d grab my gear and head up to Gabriel¡¯s office to let him know I was fully recovered and ready to embark a day or two early and retrieve what he needed me to.


    I took out the letter again, looking at it to make sure I read it correctly the day before.


    ¡°Master Thaddeus,


    There is an important convoy that our scouts fear may have been intercepted along their way here. There are multiple lower leveled scum dead all over the place, but evidence was found that suggests that the package and a small number of guards have survived. It is with utmost importance that you make haste to go recover the package, and if the guards are alive, retrieve them too.


    This mission is so important to the kingdom, that if successful, could result in you no longer needing to do field work and remain as a very important Master level Angel within the kingdom. If you do this, you shall be recognized as one of the only right hands in the entire history of the kingdom to have received such an honor as most die a few years into their apprenticeship of becoming a Holy Order Arch.


    If you retrieve this package successfully, you should be given all that you want, but only upon return with the package intact.


    -G¡±


    I glanced at it, wondering what this package could be that was so important, it could grant me the prestigious Arch-Angel status. While there were the four main ones, there was only a small handful of others that held such titles but were rarely seen around as they mostly perched themselves up in places that were not accessible by most.


    I looked around room to see if Elise, Selyse or any of the servants where in the room. To my surprise, none of them were. My armor, along with my weapons and bag, had all been neatly placed on the chair for what I had assumed was easier access. I grabbed my armor, sliding it on and noticed that even the inside was shining. I remember them telling me they cleaned my armor, but didn¡¯t expect this level of detail.


    I grabbed at my bag, hoping the small ball was still in there. Upon grabbing it, it felt as though an electrical current went through my hand, and I had noticed that the ball changed colors slightly and possibly grew a couple of inches. I looked at it for a moment longer, trying to figure out what could have caused this. I didn¡¯t exactly know how this item worked, only just that when things went south, I would reappear from this.


    As I went to open the door, I grabbed my sword from its stand and opened the door. Upon opening the door, I saw all the servants standing there, all bowing.


    ¡°Hello ladies, I shall be back in a bit. Let¡¯s see¡­ Hey Elise?¡±


    Elise looked up.


    ¡°Yes m¡¯lord?¡± she said, quietly with a hint of sadness.


    ¡°Elise, please keep an eye out on Selyse and the others. You appear to be the most mature out of everyone, so I think you being the one in charge while I¡¯m gone makes the most amount of sense.¡± I said, hoping she¡¯d agree.


    She looked at me, nodded, bowing while throwing her fist over her heart indicating that she understood very clearly and would be happy to do it.


    I walked over to Selyse, patting her head.


    ¡°Selyse, I need you to be good while I¡¯m gone. Please do not cause any of the guards any problems, and please do your best to listen to Elise while I am gone. I will return.¡±


    She stood straight up, puffy eyed, and did her best to give a smile before returning to the bowing state. Something seemed weird about everyone today, as if they expected I wouldn¡¯t return at all. I said my good-byes to them, reassuring them that I would be back eventually, and made my way up the stairs to Gabriels¡¯s office. I noticed that the sun wasn¡¯t quite fully up yet, but still hoped he would have been there.


    When I reached the top of the stairs, I noticed his door slightly cracked and someone inside. As I approached, the door opened.


    ¡°Oh¡­ uhh¡­ Hello M-master Angel¡­¡±


    A female angel came out, stammering on her words as she exited. She bowed, frozen in place. I had considered questioning her, but as I was about to, I heard Gabriel¡¯s voice behind me.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, I¡¯ve been looking all over for you. Where were you this entire time?¡± he yelled at her.


    ¡°Master Angel Gabriel¡± I said, turning around and bowing myself, ¡°I was looking for you and asked this servant of yours to assist me in finding you. I did not know what floor your holiness held for yourself, so I wanted to ensure that I would¡¯ve found you in a timely manner as I had received your letter and have fully recovered.¡± I stated, trying to keep this servant of his out of trouble.


    He looked at his door, her, then me.


    ¡°Why is it that my office door is open then?¡± he asked, his tone suggesting that he wasn¡¯t sure if he believed the story.


    ¡°My lord, I thought maybe you had a long night and may have been in your office, so I stepped in real quick and that is when you showed up behind us. I am sorry to have let myself in to your sanctuary like that without permission¡±


    He looked at me again and let out a laugh.


    ¡°Thaddeus, this is why you¡¯re my favorite. Your loyalty to me is undeniable and picking you as the lead for this mission was the smartest choice I could¡¯ve made. You, female, you may go back to your business. As for you Thaddeus, come on in and let me discuss this very important mission with you in private.¡±


    I caught the servant of his looking at me through the corner of her eyes, and she looked incredibly nervous. As Gabriel walked past us, she whispered ¡°Thank you¡± to me before scurrying on down the stairs. I don¡¯t know what she was doing in his office, but by lying on her behalf, I had potentially saved her life.


    ¡°Thaddeus, my right hand, come in. Come in.¡± Gabriel shouted from the office.


    I stood to an upright position, making my way into his office, opting to stand this time.


    He looked up, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Well? You gonna sit?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No m¡¯lord Gabriel, I¡¯d prefer to stand.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself then. Care for some wine?¡±


    I shook my head again.


    ¡°Ah, very well then. I assume you¡¯re here because you wish to get a head start on the mission. Good, good. So. This mission is very important to the kingdom itself. You see¡­ There is a city outside of the kingdom itself where we occupy. When you look out the window, what you see before you is essentially the military might that we have to offer. This version of the holy kingdom is but a mere staging area for our mighty military and its forces. But the city is more¡­ well, it¡¯s where we keep our highest and most powerful individuals. You see Thaddeus, once you become like me, you can go there yourself or you can remain here and be a soldier.


    I chose to remain here because let¡¯s face it, the other Archs aren¡¯t as good as me and never will be. They are weak minded and allow disasters to happen. Let¡¯s take a look at you for example. They thought you wouldn¡¯t make it and gave you a year before you would just kick the bucket. But here we are, ten-thousand years later as my Right Hand, still alive while Michael and the others have lost countless men. Under your belt, you have killed a Lich Lord and several other fierce enemies. You always come back alive, so therefore I made the best decision for the kingdom. Not them. Me.


    So, anyways, the route from the kingdom held area to here is mostly a land-based travel route. But most of the traveling is done in contested areas but since the land itself provides nothing of value to the kingdom, the Order does not care about it. But this created a problem for me. You see¡­ I have taken a very beautiful female as my property. She is from a Royal family and in exchange for my continued service to the kingdom as one of God¡¯s top soldiers, I got the first pick as I¡¯ve done the best work for the last¡­ well¡­ since you first joined me as my right hand. So, your mission is to rescue this woman of mine. I don¡¯t care about the guards. If they come off as weak or cowardly, just kill them. They¡¯re replaceable.


    While I think it is distasteful, I have ordered a couple of guards to relocate your belongings that you left behind into your new home for when you return. Since we both know you will. Then once you get back, I¡¯ll have another task for you. But before you go¡­ I have something I want to teach you. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t pass this down to just any right-hand of mine¡­ but if you hold your arm out, make your hand into a fist, then use your energy to make a bow, you can make an angelic bow. In addition to that, you can do similar things for the arrows too. It¡¯s a very useful weapon. You may also do it with for swords and spears too. One of the Orders mightiest weapons that we can do, and as my prot¨¦g¨¦, I must ensure you can take out any enemy of the Order with no problem.


    So¡­ any questions?¡±


    He gave me a lot of information to think about. Angelic bow, new home, another promotion, a hand-picked bride, among other things.


    I looked at him, shaking my head.


    ¡°Very good, let¡¯s get you out there so you can retrieve my property and bring it back to me then. If you go to the portals, they¡¯ll be able to take you as close as they can. It may still be a two to three days flight from there to where you need to go, and I do hope you¡¯ll be quick. Last report was four days ago from our scouts. Once you arrive where you¡¯ll be sent to, a scout will meet up with you to give you a map. As for your armor, we will be giving you the armor that deserve. It¡¯s the armor normally reserved for those such as myself and up, but I believe you deserve it as it will show more clearly just who you are.¡±


    Gabriel sounded incredibly sure of himself. The way he described this female as ¡°property¡± made me feel a bit sick to my stomach. While Selyse, Elise and the others are considered my ¡°property¡± too, I look at them as actual people and not just¡­ what the others see them as. However, I was not going to argue with him about it as I knew it wouldn¡¯t get anywhere and unless I wanted to find myself back at square one.


    He reached into desk, retrieving a couple of shot glasses, a piece of paper and some wine.


    ¡°Take a shot. That¡¯s an order. I will not tolerate you declining again.¡± He said.


    I looked at the glass as he poured the wine to fill the very top, placing my hand around the shot glass. Once filled, I took the glass and drank it.


    ¡°See? That¡¯s all you had to do. Now¡­ get going.¡± he said, with his tone going from playful to serious.


    ¡°Yes m¡¯lord, I shall return when the task is done with your bride.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything else, so I took that as a sign to leave. I headed out the door, closing it gently behind me and made my way down the stairs. After getting to the very bottom, I realized that it probably would have been faster had I just glided my way down to the lower level to the portals. However, I remembered that I needed to stop by the Armorer in this area, so gliding all the way down to the lower levels would have been pointless as I would have had to come back.


    I eventually made my way to the armorer, handing him the piece of paper that Gabriel had given me.


    ¡°Sorry m¡¯lord Angel, but I do not carry this armor. You¡¯ll have to inquire about it within the Royal Guards outside of Gabriels castle as I do believe the armor is stored within his castle.¡± The armorer said, sounding a bit annoyed that I interrupted his work.


    I looked back at the castle, and while it wasn¡¯t a very far walk, I also didn¡¯t feel like running back and forth. I reached into my bag and found that one of my assistants had placed the insignia indicating I was part of Gabriel¡¯s people in there. So, I placed it on my armor and called it go before making my way down to the portals.


    Along the way there, I found myself being bowed to frequently. While I disliked it, I knew there was nothing I could do to stop it. The only bright side to it was that people would move out of my way, allowing me to get where I needed to go faster. Despite this being a high priority task, I made my way to the healer¡¯s tent to see if maybe anyone recently came back from a mission that may require a bit more advanced healing.


    ¡°Master Angel, a word if I may?¡± asked one the healers.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I approached him, he wore a long brown robe with a healer¡¯s insignia attached to it, which was a plus-sign with a ¡°v¡± under it. Next to him, was a bed that was occupied but what appeared to be a guard in colors and insignias I had yet to see, but he was one of us.


    ¡°Who is this and what are they doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Master Angel, this guard came through the portal just last night, heavily wounded. We did what we could for him, but his wounds are a bit more advanced than what we can do.¡± He moved closer to me and lowered his voice. ¡°Look, I know you know how to do advanced healing¡­ I was there when you fixed those other three and was hoping you could do the same here?¡±


    I looked around. The room only had him and this guard in it. I motioned for him to unbind the tent door. He quickly went and did what I expressed I needed done before returning.


    ¡°Okay, you keep getting lucky with me coming down here at the right times.¡± I joked. ¡°But I think this one may be important to the mission I¡¯ve been assigned to, so healing this one may benefit me more than him.¡±


    I placed my hand over him out, allowing the energy to show me what happened. The thing about my healing ability that I discovered is that before I fully activate the ability, it allows me to see what is broken or damaged. The energy itself allows one¡¯s body to essentially be repaired. Something I found out way later down the road is that if the head is intact, I can essentially use this ability to regrow the body of a being along with their organs. It was quite a powerful ability.


    Looking at the damage to this guard, I was surprised he was still conscious as he had multiple broken bones, puncture wounds, and one of his wings was half missing. The fact he made it here on his own was a miracle, so whoever these guys that donned this armor must have been some sort of elites. But, for a group of elites to be taken out and injured this badly, they must have had faced quite a powerful enemy.


    After the healing ended, he started to move. Upon waking up, he grabbed my armor and pulled me closer to him.


    ¡°MASTER ANGEL, LORD GABRIELS RIGHT HAND, THE ATTACK HAPPENED SO QUICKLY. I FLED TO GET HELP FROM THE HOLY KINGDOM ITSELF AS THERE WERE SO MANY-¡°


    The healer interrupted him by smacking him.


    ¡°You shall not grab the right hand like that, also, keep your voice down. You¡¯re in a medical tent and while you¡¯re the only one here, you must understand that what you¡¯re yelling may come off as nonsensical.¡± The healer said, sounding heavily annoyed.


    ¡°No, let him speak. Please guard, start from the beginning. Where you supposed to be escorting an important package for Lord Gabriel, himself?¡±


    ¡°Right hand, yes sir. There were about a hundred of us. Some others and I lead some of them away, while a few others lead the rest away so a few protecting the package could run off and hide. My group were slaughtered one by one. Please do not resent me m¡¯lord, but after my group came down to just me, I retreated to try and get help. I went several days bleeding out of various wounds before I finally found an active outpost who helped me get here. I¡¯m not a coward though. I swear.¡± He said, hoping I would show him mercy for him running away.


    ¡°Very well, it¡¯s fine. You did what you could. However, seeing as you survived, I request that you come out with me to the last known location and-¡± I was interrupted by him, stating he wasn¡¯t going to go back out there and would rather face execution than going back out there and fighting whatever it was that attacked him.


    I looked at the healer, who looked at me in shock. While it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal to me, the healer ran out shouting for guards. I looked at the man again, hoping he¡¯d change his mind but instead, he pulled his sword out. I took a few steps out before drawing my own sword, thinking he was going to attack me, but instead he shoved his blade through his heart, before slumping over. I went over to see if there were any signs of life, to which I detected none.


    The healer, followed by several guards, finally returned. After a quick glance at the now motionless body, the guards dragged the body out of the tent.


    The healer looked at me, confused.


    ¡°Did you order him to do that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No¡­ No, I did not. After you left, he drew his sword and took his own life. What could he have faced to make him want to take his own life than to go back in there? Did he mention anything to you, or did you find him this way?¡±


    The healer went over to a table, unrolling a blanket with what appeared to have several broken arrows within it. These arrows didn¡¯t look like typical arrows that you¡¯d find among Humans or Elves. They were long, the fletching was made of wood, and the arrow itself was black in color and almost looked like it was a stone of some sort. Incredibly smooth.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know these arrows¡­¡± I said, as I picked one up. ¡°I¡¯m going to run by the blacksmiths and see if they know.¡±


    The healer nodded and wrapped the rest of them back in the blanket. I placed my hand on shoulder and gave him a nod before taking off from the tent. I was somewhat annoyed now as someone who could have potentially been a guide decided to end his life rather than help, and I was more than likely going to end up backtracking all the way back to Gabriel¡¯s castle anyways to figure out who, or what, created this arrow. What I thought was going to be an easy task, started to take constantly turns and I hadn¡¯t even left the kingdom yet.


    With the arrow in hand, I set out for all the blacksmiths I could find. It was my hopes that maybe one of them in the lower areas near the portals would have an answer as to who made it. One of them pointed me over to an experienced black smith who had been around for millions of years but worked at Michael¡¯s castle. I was not actually sure if I was permitted to enter the castles of the other Archangels, but I figured I was going to find out soon enough.


    When I reached his castle, I came to realize that it wasn¡¯t nearly as large as Gabriels. It made me wonder if Michael wasn¡¯t as full of himself as Gabriel was. As I came up to the entrance, one of his guards stopped me.


    ¡°Halt, state your business.¡± The guard demanded.


    ¡°I am the Right Hand of Gabriel.¡± I exclaimed.


    The guard looked at me up and down, unsure what to say next. He took a step backwards, opening the outer doors to allow me in.


    ¡°Guard, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°You may Hand of Gabriel.¡±


    ¡°Where is your smith?¡±


    ¡°The smith is on the Second Floor. While we normally don¡¯t allow the right hands of others within the castle itself, if you are here on business you may enter. Please check in with the guards in the single-story building just inside, and they shall accompany you.¡± He stated, his tone suggesting he was annoyed just by my presence alone.


    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate your assistance.¡± I said, as I walked through.


    As I walked through this outer door, I was greeted by a small courtyard that was mostly grass and had a water fountain in the middle of it. Off to my right was a small area where it appeared that the servants slept which seemed more suitable for livestock than actual humanoids to sleep in.


    While I was looking around, admiring the architecture design of Michale¡¯s inner castle, I noticed someone approaching me out of the corner of my eyes. I turned my head to see a female guard approaching me. Which confused me a bit, as I had only ever seen females be servants.


    ¡°Master Angel of Gabriel, what brings you here to my masters¡¯ castle? Did Gabriel perhaps tire of you and wishes to pawn you off on him?¡± she said sounding semi-serious.


    I looked at her, confused.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m here looking for a smith. I have this weird arrow that the healers found multiple stuck within a guard that I was hoping to have identified.¡± I said, holding up the arrow.


    She snatched it out of my hand rather quickly. I don¡¯t know exactly what I did to be treated this way other than be the right hand of another Arch. She looked it over before motioning me to follow her as she started to walk away. I quickly followed behind her as we went up a couple flights of stairs. Once we reached one of the floors, she pointed me to the end of the end of the hallway and handed the arrow back.


    I thanked her and made my way down the hallway to an unmarked door. Unsure if I could right in or not, I knocked.


    ¡°Enter¡± a voice from the door yelled.


    I opened the door, and to my surprise, saw a human working.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you the smith of this castle?¡±


    ¡°Aye, I am. But I don¡¯t make gear for your level.¡± He said, without really looking up.


    I was confused but came to realize that at the angle he was at along with the dark glasses covering his face and the room being somewhat smokey from the lack of proper airflow, he may not have realized who I was.


    ¡°Blacksmith, step away from your work and approach me briefly.¡± I yelled over the sounds of clanking hammers.


    He set his tools down, removed his glasses and put his hand over his mouth.


    ¡°My apologies Right Hand of Gabriel. I did not know you¡¯d be paying us a visit. What¡­ what exactly did you venture over here for?¡± he asked, sounding a bit worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right. I was told the closest smith to the portals that may know who, or what, made this arrow would potentially be you. I do hope you do, because I was supposed to be gone about an hour ago for a mission but wanted to collect further information before leaving.¡±


    He took the broken arrow from my hands. Inspecting it closely, touching the arrowhead tip, smelling it, and even tasting it. He looked at me, then looked at something else before finally running over to an area with bows.


    ¡°Ah yes, this is a crossbolt from a race that I do not know the name of but have seen the damage they can do. Not many people survive after being shot by these. Let me¡­ just¡­ dig around some¡­ ah ha! I do have an unused one, still intact. These¡­ are the same¡­ Master Angel, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to engage these guys with that level of armor¡­¡±


    I looked at him, unsure what to say. I finally found someone that knows of the arrows, knows that anyone who gets hit with these arrows don¡¯t survive, then wondered about my armor.


    ¡°You see, I have this note that states I was supposed to get armor suitable for an Arch-level angel but was in such a hurry that I forgot to check in with the Armorer within Gabriel¡¯s castle.¡± I explained.


    He looked at me, laughed, and held his hand out.


    ¡°Master Angel, no matter who¡¯s castle it is, we still must carry an order out to provide you with said armor. Let me see that request.¡±


    I handed him the note, wondering if I was going to somehow get Michale-branded armor, or if it really mattered in the long run. One would like to assume that the armor they made was going to be essentially a ¡°one-size fits all¡± type deal. I watched him as he read it.


    ¡°Hmm. These are very specific. Almost like Valkyrie armor. Lord Master Angel, how many missions have you returned from?¡±


    I thought about it for a moment, unsure how to answer.


    ¡°Truthfully smith, I do not know. Gabriel did state that I was the only one who has managed to survive for as long as I have being sent out on these missions and usually sends me when the task at hand is too much for normal angels. My most recent mission, I defeated a Lich lord or something-¡°


    ¡°AND SURVIVED? Hoo-wee, okay. I shall not question your authority then.¡± He said, as he started to walk over to another closed door.


    ¡°So uhh, Right hand of Gabriel, I do have this armor stashed away, but it is slightly different. The previous one was a bit on the stiff side but this newer armor I¡¯ve made is a bit more flexible. Hasn¡¯t been tested out yet in combat, so uhh¡­ I was waiting for one of Michael¡¯s right hands to come to me first, but they all seem to vanish after a few missions. So, it¡¯s yours. I just¡­ come help me with this door.¡± He said, while grunting trying to open the door.


    I walked over to where he was struggling and firmly grabbed the door trying to pull. With no luck pulling the door open, it occurred to me that this door may open inward, so I pushed on the door instead, resulting it opening. The smith looked up at me with a ¡°oh¡­¡± expression.


    At this rate, I had started to wonder if I was going to end up leaving after dark as I kept having delay after delay. Although, this delay was because of my own doing. I decided to follow him into the room myself and saw the armor towering over him. I began to wonder if he was going to attempt to get it out of the room himself.


    ¡°Excuse me, may I assist you?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me, then the armor motioning he didn¡¯t need my help, so I watched as he climbed up a short ladder as he removed everything one by one and handed it to me. To my surprise, the armor was very light. Rather than just putting it all on the floor, I put the armor on as he handed it to me. Unlike the armor I was wearing, this armor ensured every exposed area below the neck was covered and was lined with a thick cloth of some sort.


    ¡°This armor looks amazing on you, sir. I¡¯ll have to let my master know that I gave it to you though.¡± He said, scratching the back of his head nervously.


    ¡°Thank you for the Armor, what should I do with my old armor?¡±


    He looked at it and lightly kicked at it with his foot, shrugging, before walking out of the room.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else to me and just pointed at the door. I thanked him for his time and the armor, making my way out the door. As I reached the door, it opened and there stood Michael. I quickly kneeled, hoping he wouldn¡¯t berate myself or the smith for the gift.


    ¡°Hmmm. I thought I smelled the stench of Gabriel around my castle. I thought that little snake was here but turns out to be you instead. What brings you to my home, Right hand of Gabriel?¡± he said, sounding as if I interrupted his meal.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, I am here as I needed help identifying an arrow and was told your blacksmith could assist. In addition, I came to see about¡­ well the armor I am wearing.¡± I said, trying to be as polite as possible.


    He walked around me, slowly, tapping at random spots on the armor.


    ¡°Hmm. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t want you in my home as Gabriel took you into his. However, this is a special circumstance. Tell me young master Thaddeus, how does the armor that was meant for my own right hands suit you?¡± he said, calmly.


    I looked at him, unsure how to respond. On one hand, he didn¡¯t appear to be angry about my random intrusion. But on the other hand, I did not know if there were regulations against right hands of competing Arch¡¯s to enter castles of others. None the less, this whole experience here had be far more positive than I had expected. I chose to remain silent as I did not know how to answer him still.


    ¡°Your silence tells me that you¡¯re possibly nervous. Ah well. You take that armor, put it to good use and stay the fuck out of castle unless I personally invite you here. You¡¯re just as slimy as Gabriel himself. Using my men¡¯s hard work to your advantage while Gabriel¡¯s staff just sits around all day, doing nothing.¡± He yelled.


    I quickly found my way out of the room, back out into the courtyard, and out the main doors. The guard standing outside the door laughed as I quickly rushed out. On my way to the portals, I noticed I was receiving a lot more attention than I had wearing the basic armor with Gabriel¡¯s insignia attached to it. But I really stood out now.


    As predicted, by the time I made my way to where I had to be, it was growing dark. While typically the kingdom didn¡¯t do night operations, there was still always guards posted around the portals to ensure the safety and to be an early alert if intruders managed to make their way this far into the portal system.


    After finally arriving to the portals themselves, one of the portal masters approached me.


    ¡°Master Angel, how may we be of assistance?¡± he asked, bowing.


    I looked around, not too sure I wanted to embark at night, but knew I had to. I reached into my bag, looking for the note that held the order, hoping it¡¯d also have some sort of indication where I had to go. To my luck, it did. I handed the note over to him, who quickly read the cords and looked up at me.


    ¡°Ohh¡­ you¡¯re being sent to handle that? I suppose things must be going real south for them to send one of the kingdoms top right hands that way. All right¡­ lets get you out of here then.¡±


    He walked over to an unpowered portal, moving around some of the stones before the portal itself lit up.


    ¡°Master Angel, your portal is ready. You may have to navigate to your true destination over the course of a day or two still as we¡¯ve placed you into an area that is considered safe, but the outskirts may not entirely be safe. Good luck¡± he said, as he bowed again.


    ¡°Thanks portal master.¡±


    I slowly walked through the portal, wondering what I would potentially run into while on this special task. As I stepped through the portal, I looked back wondering if anyone was going to accompany me, but it looked like I was on my own.


    ¡°Ah well.¡± I thought to myself.


    On the other end of the portal, it was bright. A few guards were stationed around the portal and upon noticing me, they instantly stood up and kneeled. They were heavily geared from head to toe, and judging from their markings imbedded into their armor, they had seen quite a bit of combat.


    ¡°WELCOME LORD MASTER ANGEL TO THE OUTPOST.¡± One of them yelled.


    I waved, indicating that I acknowledged them.


    ¡°Guard, tell me, what is something I should know about this area?¡± I asked, seeing if maybe I could get a general idea.


    ¡°To be honest Master Angel, we do not know anything about this area. We are only meant to protect this outpost and while our armor suggests we may have seen action here; this is a pretty peaceful outpost for the most part. However, we¡¯ve heard reports of potential demon activity in the area and occasionally see Elves and Humans in the distance. Other than that, it¡¯s quiet around here.¡± One of them responded, sounding as if he was hesitant to admit this to me.


    ¡°Hmm. Okay. Very well then, thank you.¡±

 Chapter 10 - The Retrieval

    I made my way out of the outpost, hoping I was heading in the right direction. I knew that they placed me somewhere not too incredibly far, but nobody seemed to have given me much information on where exactly I had to go. I decided to take to the air to see if I could see anything, but my night vision only allowed for me to see so far ahead, so I returned to the ground. I sighed, it looked as though I was going to have to hoof it for now. The path close to the outpost was well maintained and easy to walk on, but it may have been rarely traversed.


    I continued walking for what had seemed like hours. I had started to wonder if I was going to run into a village of some sort, so I flew into the air again to see if I was able to make anything out. Despite knowing I might not, I did it anyways. In the distance, I could see what potentially could have been lights. I returned to the ground, started to jog. Despite being able to move easier in this new armor, it made tink sounds as I jogged. I wasn¡¯t sure if this would¡¯ve alerted anyone to my presence.


    As I got closer, I heard a male voice shout:


    ¡°STOP! WHO GOES THERE?!¡±


    I stopped running, remaining silent for a few seconds longer, trying to see if I could pinpoint the location of the voice. I focused my vision and noticed a couple of Elven soldiers ahead of me. I placed my hands slightly up in the air to indicate I wanted no trouble and walked forward slowly.


    ¡°Thaddues, of the Holy Kingdom, I am just passing through. I have no quarrels with you, nor your people, and just wish to pass through.¡± I shouted, stopping as they became more humanoid shaped within my vision.


    ¡°You are not welcomed here, Thaddeus of the Holy Kingdom. Your kind has caused us problems in the past. Step forward anyways as we only smell one of you.¡± The voice said, sound irritated.


    I continued to slowly walk forwards until I was approached by several Elves dawning golden armor, spears and a lantern. I placed my hands further into the air.


    ¡°I do not want problems. I am just passing through, just let me pass and you¡¯ll probably not see me for a few days.¡± I said, trying to remain calm.


    They walked around me a couple of times. One of them disarmed me of my sword.


    ¡°Ah, the insignia of Michael. Probably the only decent one of the scum. Under normal circumstances, we would turn you away or tell you to go around. However, we shall let you pass as you are wearing armor suggesting that you work directly for him. While he¡¯s still scum, he¡¯s nothing like Gabriel or the others. A guard will accompany you to the other side of the village where he will return your weapon upon you leaving.¡± One of the guards said, sounding less annoyed than before, but still annoyed.


    I nodded at the guard, slowly lowering my hands after my sword was removed from waist. I followed the guards into the village. On the outside, there was a set of dual log fences that towered over me by at least twice, and I was already towering over the elves alone. I looked at the elf escorting me. He was about knee-high in comparison to me and I could see bits of his hair peaking through part of his armor, it was silver in color.


    ¡°Excuse me, Elf, may I ask something?¡±


    ¡°Is it about the walls?¡±


    ¡°Yeah actually. Did you guys build this?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. We used magic after cutting down the trees to get them into place. We created such large walls as a deterrent to keep potential enemies out. Our village is¡­ well, it¡¯s complicated. We try to rely on each other as much as possible. The nearest forces to us are your kind and we¡¯d rather stay away from that.¡± The tone of his voice indicated he didn¡¯t have any problems talking to me.


    I looked around the village as we walked. There were a lot of small one-floor houses, some had lights on, indicating that someone might be awake. I noticed in one window, there was a child staring at me as I walked past. I waved. The child quickly ducked down below the window.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to keep this on the downlow angel.¡± The guard requested.


    We continued walking for another few minutes before finally reaching another gate. The guard shouted something in Elven. A few moments later, the door opened, and my sword was handed back to me. The guard didn¡¯t say anything, and neither did the others nearby. Once I was outside, the door fully closed, I reattached my sword back along my waist.


    As I was walking away, I looked back, wondering if they¡¯d allow a small party of Angels to come through later as I anticipated I would have to come back through here unless I found an alternative way. Off in the distance, I could see that the sun was coming up and it was confirmed when my night vision started to slowly return to color.


    Ahead of me I saw I was approaching a hill, but what made it odd was a few bodies of armor laying around with dried blood. It didn¡¯t smell fresh, so I had to assume that these bodies were old. Getting closer, I had recognized the armor as one of the escort guards. I looked behind me, looking at the Elven village. ¡°If they were hesitant to let me through, did the guard I met back in the kingdom itself come this way?¡± I wondered to myself.


    Upon closer inspection, I discovered some of the arrows embedded into their armors. I pulled one of them out, taking a close look at it. They had the same distinct black arrowheads, long wooden shaft, with their fins made of wood. I held the arrow, facing me, and slammed it into my armor as I wondered if this would pierce mine as well. To my surprise, it did not. However, I also had no idea of the strength of whomever shot this at these guys.


    I was curious though, so I took my sword out and gently pressed it into the armor of the slain guard, only to find out that their armor was leather, with a very thin metal lined on the outside. I placed my sword back into its sheath and took a knee. I checked this guard to see if he had anything important on him. In his hands, he was clutching a note. After carefully removing his fingers from the clutch, I looked at the note to see if it may include important information.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t one of us and you found this, please know it was an inside job and those with the package who remain alive possibly set this up. If you find the package, you¡¯ll also find the traitors.¡±


    I glanced up, looking around. Was it possible that these arrows were the work of my own kind with ill intent? Would I be able to determine if there were actual traitors with the package? The whole situation didn¡¯t sit quite right with me, but I knew I had to carry this out. I checked one of the other bodies and found he was still alive. However, before I could think about healing him I would have to remove the arrows, but that would have killed him. I thought about my options, but while I was thinking he looked at me, eyes barely opened.


    ¡°Master Angel¡­ package is safe, but other guards¡­ traitors¡­.¡± He whispered, before he went limp.


    All three angels had a small badge on their armors, indicating their possible affiliations. I didn¡¯t recognize it, but that was expected as these guys came from a whole different area than myself. I placed them into my bag, kneeled a few seconds longer, before returning to my walk. I had assumed that since these bodies were here, I would probably find more as I went. At this point, my head was on a swivel, and I was taking deep breaths in occasionally to see if I could smell anything different.


    I continued walking, seeing bloody footprints heading from where I came. It looks like that whatever those three had been running from, they wanted to escape quickly as they ditched their heavier gear to run faster, which is possibly how the arrows punctured them. However, there were no other prints along the path or in the grass. I looked up at the sky, but didn¡¯t see anything other than some dark looking clouds passing by the sun occasionally.


    I stopped again, removing my helm, listening to the sounds around. Typically, in Elven and Human areas, there was various sounds of wildlife. Not even a peep from any potential wildlife that may had been out in the area. Which made me wonder what could be lurking in the woods. So now, I was focused on both the sky and the woods surrounding the path, wondering what would jump out at me at any given time.


    I decided to pick up the pace, knowing full well the sound of armor was going to draw attention from any potential threat or friend nearby. I figured instead of sneaking around; I¡¯d try to draw them out. I managed to run for quite a while as I found myself just outside of another village. Nobody was watching the door, nor could I see anyone watching from the ledge behind the wall.


    I knocked hard on the door, making several loud thumps.


    ¡°Hello?!¡± I yelled.


    There was no answer nor any sound from inside the village itself. I decided to fly over the wall itself and land just on the inside. Something instantly felt off as it looked as though the village was just abandoned suddenly. On the bench just inside, two spears leaned against a weapons rack with a bowl of some sort of soup, flies occasionally landing in it.


    I drew my sword and slowly started making my way through the streets. I found a house that had an open door. I lightly knocked on it, whispering ¡°Anyone home?¡±


    As I went in, it appeared that there were signs of a struggle as there was torn bits of clothing, sword marks in the walls, a couple of broken lanterns. Looking further, I noticed a spot of blood. I bent down to take closer look, seeing if perhaps there were any further clues as to what could have happened here. After just staring at it a few moments, I decided that there was nothing I could do about it. I needed to continue.


    I slowly made my way to the door, checking both ways to ensure that I was still alone. The village that once held a moderate sized population, was barren with no inhabitants and was as quiet as a graveyard at night. It was incredibly eerie being there. I continued making my way to the other gate, occasionally hearing shutters flapping around in the wind.


    Just as I neared the gate, I noticed it was unlocked and wide open. It struck me as strange that the entrance on the other side was locked and closed, but not this one. I had started to wonder if I somehow got lost at some point. Other than three bodies I had found, there were no further indications that those three passed through here. I looked at the sky again, gauging to see how much time I spent out here so far. It was still about midday, and I had no clue if I was, but I was told it would be a couple of days walk.


    I decided to take to the air as I figured I wouldn¡¯t have any more run ins with strange villages. If I kept the path in sight, I should be fine. I had barely started my ascent into the vast sky, the sound of thunder shook throughout the sky, causing me to go back down as I determined my chances of be struck by potential lightning flashes could hinder my progress. While I had the ball in my bag still, I did not want to risk getting stuck in it.


    As I landed, it started to rain heavily so I made my way into the trees. They towered over the path, with heavy branches. I figured during this time; it may be good to rest for a moment or until the rain cleared up. The wind was starting to really pick up, and the rain was bone chilling. I slowly ascended into the tree and found a large branch that allowed me to easily sit on. It was still unsettling that the whole forest was silent, and I continued to wonder what could be lurking within.


    I closed my eyes, hoping to see if maybe by focusing on my other senses if I could detect anything living nearby. I started to drain out the sound of the storm and allowed my mind to see if I could detect anything living near me. The trees¡­ the grass¡­ the energy the lightning storms emitted¡­ I continued to scan for energies with my eyes closed before I sensed someone, but they were off in the distance. Far off into the distance, but other than the first village I stumbled upon, I had not seen actual life. But something about these life forms seemed familiar, as if it may have been the one Gabriel sent me out for.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long this rainstorm was going to last for, but I also didn¡¯t want to nap as I was a one-person rescue party, and the longer I took, the more dire things potentially became for the female. I decided to just brave the storm for now. I hopped out of the tree, allowing myself to gently fall to the ground and regain the path. Thankfully, the boots were closed toe, preventing water from seeping in, and the padding prevented water from engulfing my feet.


    I continued walking until it started to grow dark out. I was feeling a bit on the cold side, but the constant walking helped keep me warm. Ahead of me, I noticed a shimmer on the ground. I ducked down, never losing my eye on the object. It wasn¡¯t moving, so I drew my sword and moved closer to the object. As I inched closer, I could see that it was attached to a body. It was a dagger sheath, with the dagger still in there.


    I rolled the body over, what was once an elegant silky robe, was just now just covered in mud and blood. I removed the mask from the bodies head region, revealing a female human¡¯s face with a red marking on their forehead. I started searching her for clues about who she may be. Attached to her shoulder piece, I found an angelic marking indicating she was a servant to the Kingdom, as well as a little badge that I ripped from her clothing and placed into my bag. Even if she¡¯s just a servant, I wanted to at least report their deaths.


    I looked around for any other bodies, to which I found six more, which were mostly servants and an escort. I removed all their badges, pacing them into my bag and lining their bodies up as I didn¡¯t have the luxury of taking time to burry or burn them. I took another look around the area, noticing quite a few bodies littered the area, suggesting that I may have found the spot. Also saw a few abandoned and ran down looking homes, which seems like it would be a good place to hold up in.


    I slowly walked over to the homes, when someone emerged from the home.


    ¡°HALT! TURN BACK NOW OR PREPARE TO DIE¡± yelled the voice.


    ¡°F¡¯ali¡¯e e¡¯ feh¡± I responded, which roughly translates to ¡°Friend or Foe?¡± in ancient angelic.


    The would-be attacker sheathed his sword.


    ¡°E¡¯la ahs kor lida¡± he said, which translates roughly to ¡°We live the day.¡±


    ¡°We live the day¡± was a general response you¡¯d give to indicate you¡¯re friendly. The language was rarely spoken, let alone taught. I didn¡¯t know how I knew the language; I just knew I did. I looked at the guard, he looked as though he hadn¡¯t slept in days and was running on empty. He looked at me.


    ¡°Master Michael sent us his right hand? What would he possibly want from Michael, Master Angel?¡± he asked, sounding confused.


    I tilted my head slightly.


    ¡°Oh, no, I am actually Gabriel¡¯s right hand, but I had to visit Michael¡¯s castle as I needed to fill an armor request and inquire about something with his blacksmith.¡±


    He looked at me again.


    ¡°Oh¡­ my apologies Master Angel, for mistaking you. Please, help us. We have the future servant down below in a cellar with another Master Level angel such as yourself.¡± He said, kneeling.


    I thought back to the note. There was no mention of another Angel like me that was supposed to be attending, only the escorts. I motioned for the guard to take me where this future-wife of Gabriel¡¯s was. He tapped a spot with his sword, and a light peered through the floor. They quickly ushered me in. In the opposite corner of where the guards were sitting sat two females.


    ¡°Which one of you is the ¡®Package¡¯, and are you okay?¡± I asked, wondering if they had any wounds.


    One of them turned towards me, kneeling. ¡°Master Angel, my name is Anatasia, I am the servant to the one called ¡®Antharian¡¯, one of many princesses within the lower realms. She experienced a few slices during the attack, but she¡¯ll be okay until we can get to a master healer.¡± She said, sounding regal.


    ¡°Anthar¡­ian? Is that your name?¡± I asked.


    Antharian nodded softly, adjusting the elegant pink veil to cover her face more fully that she wore. Underneath the soft-pink silky gown she wore, it was obvious she was wearing armor. This took me slightly by surprise, as typically females weren¡¯t granted to wear it. But I guess since she was going to be married off to Gabriel, it made sense.


    I grabbed at her arms, rolling back her sleeves to see how bad the cuts were, removing the field dressings that the escort placed on her. She expressed her disproval with my actions as she made a heavy sigh noise. I placed my hand above her arm, healing her cuts. She turned her head towards her arm, letting out a soft gasp, before throwing removing the veil from her face. She rolled her other sleeve up quickly, ripping off the bandages on that arm and placing it under my hand. After that was done, she spent some time feeling her arms.


    ¡°Thank you¡± she quietly whispered.


    I looked up at the guards.


    ¡°Excuse me, but I would like to talk to the package and its personal servant in private. Go make sure our exit is safe!¡± I demanded.


    They quickly went back up to the first floor and I heard them all walk out of the house.


    ¡°So¡­ which ones do you suspect may be traitors? I¡¯ve ran into information stating one or more of them might be trying to kill you or something.¡± I asked, keeping my voice to a minimum.


    Antharian¡¯s servant spoke up, still kneeling.


    ¡°My lord, none of these guards have tried anything. We were ambushed further down the road and were ushered here. A few took off in hopes of getting word back. Seeing as a right hand has come, I feel as though we¡¯re in capable hands if they try anything.¡± She said, sounding as if she was reassuring herself.


    It was odd to me that I felt only Antharian¡¯s energy. For her servant, it wasn¡¯t a surprise as humans typically had little to no energetic signature and weren¡¯t nearly as easy to detect. But the others, they weren¡¯t human and should have been easy to detect, unless Antharian wanted them to be found. In the long run, I could empathize with her as Gabriel was a terrible person and viewed females as his personal playthings.


    I looked at them both.


    ¡°I need you to stay here for a moment. Antharian, I could detect you from a distance, but the others I couldn¡¯t. Something doesn¡¯t feel right about this. I¡¯m going to go question them. Don¡¯t come out until I return for you two.¡± I whispered.


    Antharian pulled back her veil, revealing her sky-blue eyes and blue/white feathers. Her beauty stunned me. I had considered maybe not returning with her, but had I ran away with someone to be claimed by Gabriel, I would have been hunted down and killed, along with her. In the long run, it would not have been worth it.


    ¡°Master Angel, kill them all. You¡¯re different than they are. You can still take us to where we need to go. But please, kill them.¡± She whispered, with a tone in her voice that surprised me.


    I emerged from the cellar door, drawing my sword. Quietly looking to see where the guards were at, hoping I could take them by surprise. I noticed them huddled together, quietly talking with each other and knew something felt off immediately. I was hoping field intel would have been inaccurate, but it was apparent that the note I had found was potentially correct as they turned towards me, swords raised.


    ¡°We shall not be accompanying you back to the holy kingdom, as we have the numbers, and the princess here will fetch an amazing price elsewhere. Your armor indicates you¡¯re part of Michael¡¯s army and it¡¯s well known that his soldiers die quickly. So, prepare to die¡± one of them said, sounding confident.


    I smirked as it dawned on me that because I donned Michale¡¯s insignia on my armor indicating to them that I was weak, and they thought they could take me. I reached into my bag, taking out Gabriel¡¯s insignia, holding it clearly for them to see.


    ¡°Sorry guys, I guess I should¡¯ve placed my true badge on. I am Gabriel¡¯s Right hand, not Michael¡¯s. My armor was a last second mishap.¡± I said, sounding a tad arrogant.


    The guards looked at the badge, their eyes widening as they came to realize that I was not who I thought I was. At this point, I assumed that most of my kind knew who I was regardless of which part of the kingdoms they lived in. I took a step closer to them, sword out at the ready. One of them rushed towards me and tried to strike first. My blade struck his blade, causing sparks from the force of our blades connecting. The other three stood frozen, just watching.


    I kicked him square in the chest with my left foot, causing his ribs to break. He dropped his sword, howling in pain before hunching over, before his screams of pain stopped. I gently tapped him with my food, causing him to fall over backwards. I looked at the other guards.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked.


    The others drew their swords but made no movement. They stood there, locked up by fear and uncertain about if they would survive this encounter. I motioned for them to come at me, which caused one of them to pull themselves together enough to run at me with his sword far above his head. I was curious about the strength of my new armor, so I raised my arm to block his attack. To my surprise, my armor stopped his attack.


    ¡°Shame for you, I suppose.¡± I said.


    I lowered my arm, swung my sword, cutting off his head. As it dropped, the other two sheathed their swords and kneeled, both started to beg for their lives. I looked at them, and had considered saving them but chose to slay them instead as I was certain they might try something later and I couldn¡¯t risk it. I removed the badge from my armor, placing it back into my bag. I turned around and saw Antharian and her servant had been watching.


    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s get going then I suppose.¡± She said softly.


    I leaned down, picking the insignias from their armor up and tearing a piece of cloth from their armor off. I wanted to keep their insignias separate in hopes it¡¯d be easier to explain to Gabriel what had happened. I also gathered a couple of their swords, handing one to Antharian and one to her Servant. Under normal circumstances, they weren¡¯t allowed to carry weapons and while I could handle anything that came our way, having a couple of extra swords wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    The human servant looked at me, confusion in her facial expression.


    ¡°This sword is too long for me to wear.¡± She stated.


    I held the sword up next to her.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess it is. It¡¯s fine. If something happens, I¡¯ll do what I can to keep you protected.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Well, lets get out of here, follow me. If we don¡¯t stop, we should be able to make it back to an outpost in two sun cycles.¡± I said.


    The two of them nodded and set off from the direction I came. I informed them to stay behind me a tiny bit in the event something popped up. I assumed that Antharian didn¡¯t have any sort of training in fighting as females weren¡¯t permitted to learn how to fight. I found myself glancing back occasionally, ensuring that they remained behind me.


    As we were walking, Antharian spoke up.


    ¡°Excuse me Master Angel, we need to make a quick stop.¡±


    I turned around, curious about why we needed to stop


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just that my assistant has to use the bathroom.¡±


    I looked at the assistant, confused. It never dawned on me that humans had such needs at all. I watched as the assistant removed her robe, handing it to Antharian who smiled at her approvingly. I was curious as to what this entailed and tried to follow them just within the trees and saw her lean against a tree. While trying to get a closer look, I stepped on a branch prompting Antharian to quickly turn her head and gave a glare that could have potentially killed me with how sharp it was. I turned around, taking the hint that maybe this was a female thing, and that maybe it would be wrong to watch whatever what was going on.


    After a few moments, they started walking towards me indicating that they were ready. I took the lead again, listening for any new sounds. I figured since it was mostly clear along the way here, it¡¯d probably be clear on the way back other than the villages I ran into. As I was thinking to myself, I felt a tap at my shoulder.


    ¡°Master Angel, may I ask your name?¡± Antharian asked.


    ¡°Thaddeus. My name is Thaddeus.¡±


    ¡°Lord Master Thaddeus, I overheard you were Gabriel¡¯s right hand, but you are wearing the armor of Michael¡¯s right hand. Did you do this on purpose, knowing that you¡¯d face less resistance?¡±


    I stopped walking abruptly, so abruptly that she ran into me. I turned around, looked at her as she backed up.


    ¡°No. It was accidental as I didn¡¯t think I would need this special armor for this mission originally, but then one of the scouts who made it back had these wooden arrows embedded in him, and the smith at Micheal¡¯s castle knew about them. But truthfully, donning his armor has paid off. I ran into an Elvish village who let me pass, despite disliking our kind. Had I been wearing the marking of Gabriel; I probably would have been another full sun cycle or two.¡±


    She looked surprised but stepped away from me. I figured this to be a sign to keep moving, especially since the sun started to down over the horizon.


    ¡°Antharian¡± I said, glancing over my shoulder.


    ¡°What is it Master Lord Thaddeus?¡± she asked, in a soft tone.


    ¡°The sun is going down. Are you able to see in the dark?¡± I asked, hoping she could.


    ¡°Not exactly m¡¯lord. I can see a few feet in front of me, but I cannot see in the dark.¡± She said.


    Antharian pulled her servant close to her.


    ¡°Human eyes somewhat have night vision, but she can¡¯t see all that much either.¡±  She said.


    I started to wonder if we should stop for the night, having two in my care who couldn¡¯t see at night could be problematic, but if I remained slightly in front of them, things should be okay.


    ¡°Stop walking a moment.¡± I stated.


    I turned around.


    ¡°So, from here to where you two are, are you able to see that far at least in the dark?¡±


    Antharian and her assistant looked at each other, then glanced back at me.


    ¡°Yes m¡¯lord. We can see at least a swords length in front of us in the dark.¡± Antharian assured me.


    I turned back around and started walking again, hoping that the night wouldn¡¯t bring about any surprises. We spent all night walking at a reasonable pace, stopping occasionally to let the female human find a tree or a bush to use here and there. On the way back to the second village I discovered, I noticed that a body I pulled off the path earlier was back on the path. I turned around, placing a finger over my lips indicating to the two to remain silent and motioned them to stay in place.


    It was pitch black as the moon wasn¡¯t out that night and while I could see, the lack of light hindered my night vision. As I was trying to focus on what was directly in front of us, I felt a tap on my shoulder. This time, it was the assistant.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, m¡¯lady wanted me to inform you that she smells someone in the woods here directly to your left and that they may be in the tree.¡± She whispered.


    I shifted to my left. Out of the corner of my eye on the right, the body was there. I figured maybe this was an ambush. I retrieved my sword out as quietly as possible and started to mess with the body with the other. As I had hoped, the sound lured someone out of the tree as I saw a human jump down from a low hanging branch and started to slowly sneak towards me.


    ¡°Human, be warned. We are a convoy of Holy Order warriors and we out number you. If you wish to engage, you shall not survived.¡± I sternly warned them.


    They stopped, frozen in place, before eventually running off deeper into the woods.


    ¡°Antharian, how¡¯d you know they were there?¡± I asked, wondering how I couldn¡¯t sense them, but she could.


    ¡°Lord Master Thaddeus, those born in the wild or in such areas such as the Holy Order Kingdom, do not bathe and while you do not smell too terrible yourself, he did, and I could smell them once we got closer.¡± She stated, trying to sound as if she wasn¡¯t trying to offend.


    I nodded slowly. I guess since I was so used to the smell, it¡¯s not something I had ever thought about. It also occurred to me that I should probably bathe more. I think in the entirety of the years I was alive as an Angel, I only bathed once or twice. Nobody ever told me it was a requirement, or maybe it was, but because of my position under Gabriel, others were too afraid to tell me.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As we got closer to what I thought was the abandoned village, I was surprised to see lights on and guards standing out front. I hunched down to stay out of sight, wondering what was going on. I looked behind me, the two females behind me also hunched down. I looked back at the village, trying to figure out what to do.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master?¡± Antharian whispered.


    I turned back to her. ¡°This place was abandoned last I came through here. It was empty and there were indications of a fight and suddenly there¡¯s people here. Our options are we can cut through the forest, or we can try to go through the village.¡± I replied.


    She went silent for a moment before inching closer to me until she was by my side. I noticed as her eyes closed, lifting her nose into the air. I found myself staring at her face, feeling flutters in my heart. I did not know why I felt so odd being this close to her. Her nose, even making sniff-sniff sounds, excited my brain. Now that she was so close to me, I could smell her fragrance- like fresh roses after a gentle rain. She ducked her head back, looking at me straight in the eyes. I was awestruck by her eyes, as they showed that she was a gentle person at heart, sweet and possibly young by our standards. I hadn¡¯t really seen her face until now, and I was frozen by her gaze.


    ¡°Is there something on my face, Master?¡± she asked, rubbing her face with her hands.


    ¡°N-no. Sorry, I was lost.. in thought.¡± I hesitantly said.


    ¡°Okay¡­ well ahead of us, I¡¯m not picking up any scents. So, either that village keeps themselves clean at all times, or they are spirits who have refused to move on.¡±


    I looked back at the village. It was odd to me that it could have potentially been filled with people who refused to die. But I figured it was worth a try as going through the village would take just several moments compared to going around through the forest. Plus, I didn¡¯t know what lurked within the forest. I stood up, grabbing Antharian¡¯s hand and placing her hand on the sheath of my sword. My heart fluttered a bit. I had never felt a hand this smooth.


    ¡°Stick close to me. In fact, I want your assistant between us.¡± I said.


    She nodded and her assistant ran between us.


    We started walking forward slowly, until we hit the light. Several of the guards looked at us, but didn¡¯t say anything. The gate opened, revealing several more guards, who motioned for us to come inside. As we got closer, I realized Antharian may have been right. At least, I think. I wasn¡¯t quite sure, as where normally a face would be, there was no facial features for anyone. No eyes, no mouth, no facial hair, no nose. Nothing.


    ¡°Psst, Master. These may be friendly spirits. Try not to stare at them though, as it may upset them.¡± She whispered into my ears.


    The flutters in my stomach started to fade as I was wondering if I had make a mistake coming in here instead of deciding to take the forest head on. With the gate closing behind us, it was too late. As we came to the center of the village, several stood in our way. I looked up.


    ¡°Please, continue to let us pass. We are just passing through.¡± I calmly stated.


    One of them lifted a hand into the air, forming a thumbs down with their fist.


    I knew my sword would probably be no good here as none of my swords had any special properties. I started to think of other options, when I remembered the Angelic bow technique that Gabriel had taught me. I held out my hand, closed my eyes and envisioned it. I reopened my eyes as I was holding this large, long-bow, pulsing blue and white energy. I created an arrow and pointed it at the faceless man.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to hurt any of you, I just wish to pass through peacefully. I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble.¡± I said, as I started moving forward.


    The spirits slowly started to back up. Antharian and her assistant each grabbed me, hold different sides of me. Antharian ducking, as I¡¯d occasionally sweep from left to right. The faceless followed, but at a distance while a couple others walked backwards from us towards the gate. We could see the gate getting closer, and as we finally reached it, we stopped. I aimed the bow down at the ground.


    ¡°Allow us to leave please. Again, none of us want to harm any of you. We just want to be on our way.¡± I stated again.


    One of them turned around, motioning in a circular motion with their fist. I raised my bow again but lowered it after I heard the gate being opened. The faceless spirits moved aside and as we went out; I turned around holding the bow aimed as Antharian and her assistant jogged down the path a bit. Once the gate was closed, I stopped focusing the energy needed for the bow, allowing it to dissipate into thin air. Antharian and her assistant were stopped up ahead.


    ¡°Are the two of you, okay?¡± I asked while rolling their sleeves up and removing their face coverings.


    They both nodded and after finding no signs of fresh injuries on them, I left them alone.


    I decided to walk in the back as Antharian¡¯s sense of smell proved to be a valuable tool. She¡¯d occasionally stop to sniff the area out in front of us. Time dragged through the right, making the darkness feel like it was going to last an eternity. I could see daylight breaking, but it didn¡¯t seem quick enough. To my surprise, other than the ambush it was a rather calm night.


    ¡°Anatasia, are you doing okay?¡± Antharian asked the human assistant.


    ¡°My feet are a tad bit sore from walking at your paces, m¡¯lady, but I¡¯ll be okay.¡± She replied.


    Antharian stopped and looked at me.


    ¡°Master Angel, I¡¯d like to stop to allow my assistant to rest if that is okay with you.¡± She requested.


    I looked around again, wondering where we could possibly stop and take a quick break. We were still in a heavily forested area, with no real place to relax.


    ¡°M¡¯lord Thadeus, if you can get me up into a tree, I¡¯ll gladly sit on a branch.¡± Anatasia said.


    I examined the trees, noticing they towered over us, and were ginormous in size. I walked over to the closest tree, kneeling before it and placing my hands together. Anatasia walked over and stepped in my hands. I looked at her as she nodded before tossing her into the air where she grabbed at a branch. Antharian came over next, and while she could have easily jumped up herself, I repeated the process for her before jumping up into the tree myself.


    I assisted Anatasia into an adjacent tree branch as I sat with my legs hanging off the branch. Antharian shifted herself to lean against me, and I felt my heart flutter as I could feel the warmth of her against my shoulder.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, I¡¯m feeling a bit tired, and it¡¯s been a couple of moon cycles since she has slept as well. Please allow us to rest a bit before continuing.¡± She said, yawning.


    I looked up at Anatasia, the branch large enough allowing her to lay on her side. I figured maybe this would be a good time to allow them to rest as I knew they possibly weren¡¯t used to having to walk this much, nor planned on being out longer than the amount of time they had been. Plus, with them being alive, and in my care, I determined that a few hours of rest would not hurt.


    Sitting there in that tree, listening to the light breaths from both females was quite relaxing as I watched the path to see if anyone or anything passed by. To my right, I heard what sounded like galloping of horses off in the distance, and it was coming our way faster. I chose to remain still as the thunderous roar of hoofs hitting the ground drew nearer. As they ran by, it appeared that the villagers from the Elven village were in a hurry to get somewhere.


    Antharian woke up due to the sound, holding onto my shoulder as she turned to look at the noise coming from down below was. She looked horrified as she sniffed at the air.


    ¡°My lord, I smell a mixture of blood and smoke. Then with how quickly they are riding away, it¡¯s possible their village came under attack.¡± She said, sounding worried.


    I hopped out of the tree, and quickly stood to the side, trying to get someone to stop and tell me what was going on. One of the guards from a few days before, covered in blood, stopped and blew into an antler-like horn. Bawoooo, Bawooo. The once fleeing elves stopped with others looping back to see what was happening.


    ¡°Master Angel of Michael. We require your assistance. Our village came under attack, causing us to flee. Some of us didn¡¯t make it, but others are injured. Our village is being held by those who attacked.¡± The guard said.


    Antharian hopped out of the tree.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, typically I¡¯d say we shouldn¡¯t get involved, but seeing as we will have to pass through their village, we should attempt to help them retrieve it¡± she said, as she was removing her cloak, revealing her armor.


    I looked back at the tree, motioning at the other branch. Antharian looked back.


    ¡°Between myself, you and our Elven friends here, she is not combat trained. Please do not tell anyone, but I can fight if need be.¡± She said, pulling a sword from its sheath. ¡°Not very well, but I know the basics. Also, Elf, bring forward your wounded. This Master Angel is also a healer¡±


    The guard yelled ¡°Bring the wounded here!¡±


    A few soldiers, children and other adults came to where we stood. I prioritized the children first. One of them had her leg dangling, indicating it may have been broken. It never occurred to me how large I was in comparison to an Elven child as her head and top half of her body easily rested in my hand while her legs went halfway to my forearm. I focused on healing her leg, it felt as though it was broken in several different areas but after it was restored, her leg went back to normal, and she was able to walk again.


    She looked at me, wiping tears away from her eyes. Her, what I assumed, father looked at her.


    ¡°Now young one, what do you say to the kind angel?¡±


    The little girl, still looking at me, hugged my hand.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she said, shily.


    I nodded, and moved onto the others, which mostly had small knicks and light burns. I was not too keen on being involved in a battle that wasn¡¯t mine to fight, but these guys did let me go through their village and I would have to pass through it anyways to get back to the outpost.


    ¡°I want you to muster up whoever can fight and ensure they are armed. I shall assist in getting your village back as repayment for your kindness from earlier.¡±


    The guard shouted out to the others, more and more people came to where I had stopped them on the path, armed with a variety of weapons varying from field hoes to swords, and a couple of with bows. It wasn¡¯t a huge force, but I figured with myself and Antharian leading the charge, we could potentially retake the village with the ragtag bunch we had managed to assemble.


    Antharian gathered some sticks and stones and requested the guard to give a general layout of what to expect. We spent a few moments getting a general idea of how many enemy combatants there may be, approx. layout defensive positions and what they were armed with. From the sound of it, they had medium armor with mostly swords. After we had finished discussing it, it was determined that Antharian and I would remain in the front while the Elven forces stayed behind us until we could get them safely into the village and eradicate the threat within.


    We could see light smoke coming from the village as it was just over the next hill. When we got to the hill, I brought forth my Angelic bow and scanned for any visible targets. I noticed one, so I created an arrow, took aim and pulled back as far as I could, letting go as it curved slightly upward to the air and eventually hitting the target smack dab in their forehead. The arrow vanished as the body fell to the ground.


    Antharian looked over at me.


    ¡°Are you only a Right Hand, Master Angel? You show the skill beyond of what you are.¡± She said, sounding amazed.


    I nodded as I lined up another shot and took out another guard at the gate who didn¡¯t realize the other guard watching the door as well had fallen. I took another look around, not seeing any more sentries before motioning the Elves behind me to follow us. We quickly crouch-walked our way to the gate. I gently pulled at it, but it appeared to be locked from the inside. Despite the walls being towering over us, it was a very minor inconvenience as I jumped into the air and glided my way over the wall.


    In the town center, I could see several large humanoid creatures huddled around a mixture of injured guards and civilians. While up there, I saw a female elf naked, trying to escape one of the humanoids and could hear her frighten screams. I aimed my bow at the at man, took aim, and fired. I watched as the arrow went straight through his heart. The female looked around, confused, before noticing I was in the sky. She scurried away into a nearby stable, hiding within the hay.


    I landed just within the gate, next to both bodies. I quickly moved them out of view, then removed the large wooden beam they used to secure the door, quietly placing it against the wall and opening the door. I waved at Antharian and the make-shift militia indicating that it was clear to approach. They slowly made their way towards me while I watched down the road to ensure that we remained undetected.


    We slowly made our way to the center of the village. By the time we reached the center, everyone was standing with their backs facing us. I decided to push through a couple, making way to the pile of the Elves still alive. I pulled up my bow again, aiming it directly at who I assumed was the leader of this hostile force that invaded.


    ¡°If you lower your weapons, you will live. If you refuse, you¡¯ll all die.¡± I said, trying to sound as authoritative as I could.


    Antharian and the others followed behind me, forming up behind me in a defensive formation. I continued to stare a tall figure in the eyes. Looking into his eyes, I could see that he looked aggravated by our interruption, and we stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. He cleared his throat.


    ¡°These elves do not belong to the holy kingdom, so they are fair game. Begone and we shall forget about this. These lazy good for nothing pointy ears refused to pay us in food in exchange for our friendship. This is their fault, not ours. Had they just given us the food we requested, we would not have had to resort to this.¡± He said, his voice suggesting he was trying to be intimidating.


    I glanced over my shoulder, seeing a bunch of Elves who were injured or dead scattered through-out. While it was not part of my mission, I did promise to assist the Elven village as they were kind enough to let me through despite my affiliation. I knew I was doing the right thing here. I looked at the Elven guard standing to my left, gave him a wink.


    I reached into my bag, retrieving the Gabriel badge, placing it on my armor.


    ¡°You are interfering with the Right hand of Gabriel in completing a high priority mission. If you do not back down, you will be killed. This is your final warning.¡± I yelled.


    Antharian and the others raised their weapons, ready to strike. Those who were sitting down stood up, raising their fists, indicating they would also fight if needed. I was hoping retrieving the badge would have been enough to cause these guys to completely back away, but it occurred to me they probably would have just came back once I left.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that it has to come to this.¡± I said.


    Unless it was necessary, killing wasn¡¯t something I was too interested in doing. This was my way of giving back to the generosity of this village. I glanced over at Antharian, who looked at me and nodded. I nodded back and suddenly, she was halfway in the air and performing a kick that sent the head to one of the attackers heads clean off.


    Upon landing, she turned kneeled in front of me, back to me. She looked up at the one having a staring contest with me.


    ¡°My master will do far worse if you do not comply.¡±


    He looked at the others as he raised a makeshift spear into the air.


    ¡°ATTACK!¡± he shouted.


    To nobody¡¯s surprise, him and his men froze in place. I put my bow away, pulling my sword from its sheath.


    ¡°Well, that settles it. C¡¯mon everyone!¡± I shouted.


    The Elves rushed around me, hitting these beings with whatever they had in their hands. Antharian slashed at another, removing part of his arm and head. He fell backwards while the Elven militia I brought back took care of the others. In a matter of seconds, the Elves retook their village with little to no help from me. I don¡¯t think that they realized that Antharian and I barely lifted a finger and that they did all the work.


    One of the elves pulled a horn from his bag, blowing into it to indicate that they had retaken the town. We could hear everyone return as the sound of horses echoed into the small valley we were in. Anatasia rode up to, hopping off the horse handing Antharian her silk cloak, and veil.


    I turned my attention to the Elven guard and bowed.


    ¡°I am terribly sorry about deceiving you. I am Thadeus, Right Hand to Gabriel.¡± I said.


    He placed his hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, of the Holy Kingdom, your apology is forgiven. Everything you helped us achieve made up for that tiny lie. Please, if you¡¯re ever passing through again, you will be always welcomed among our village.¡± He said.


    Before I left, I made sure to heal the remaining injured people as I didn¡¯t want to leave with them still hurt. While I couldn¡¯t fix the trauma endured that day, I could at least help them feel brand new. Once I finished, we thanked them for their assistance, and we took our leave. As we looked back, a couple of children including the one with the broken leg, were waving. We waved back before we continued with our journey back to the Holy Order¡¯s outpost.


    The way back was uneventful, other than the occasional stops for Anatasia¡¯s needs. But after what had happened back with the Elven village, it was nice to stop only to allow her to use the bathroom. Neither her nor Antharian said anything to me on the way back. They followed closely behind me, talking about how things may or may not be once we reached our destination.


    We finally reached out the outpost and as we walked in, I noticed there were different types of guards compared to the last time.


    ¡°Master Angel, we are happy to see you retrieved the package and her servant. My name is Captain L¡¯ar. A few others and I from the Holy Order Special Forces were asked to wait for your return. Had you taken another day or two, we would have assumed the worst¡± the captain said.


    ¡°Captain L¡¯ar, please open the portal so we may return.¡± I stated, a bit frustrated that it wasn¡¯t opened already.


    I started to get an odd feel from the captain as he walked up towards Antharian.


    ¡°Ah, is this the wench? Do you think¡­ do you think Gabriel would mind? You could just turn back; claim she was pillaged by the ones who attacked her escort.¡± He said, grabbing her arm, and sniffing her.


    ¡°Captain, unhand her or I shall execute you on the spot.¡± I shouted.


    Antharian looked incredibly distressed and was actively trying to pull away from him but couldn¡¯t escape his grasp. He licked at her face, smiling, hand still on her arm. I warned him again, sounding sterner. He didn¡¯t break what he was doing, so I pulled my sword from its sheath and cut his arm off.


    He let out a scream, trying to stop the blood from pouring out of his elbow. His subordinates rushed over to his side, unsure what to do. I removed the hand from Antharian¡¯s arm and tossed it at the captain. Antharian grabbed Anatasia and ran behind me. She placed the sword I had given to her in my left hand, which I raised towards the captain.


    ¡°For your actions, you have been branded as a traitor to the Holy Order and as the Right hand of Gabriel, I sentence you to death.¡±


    His subordinates stepped away from him. I swung for his neck, taking his head clean off. I turned towards his men, who were all now kneeling with their heads facing the ground. They didn¡¯t appear to want to fight, so I left them alone. I started to search the former captain¡¯s body to see if he had some sort of code for the portal on him. To my misfortune; he didn¡¯t.


    I looked back at his men.


    ¡°Anyone know the portal code to get back?¡± I asked.


    One of them stood up, nodding, walked over to the portal and moved around a couple of stones to which it powered up.


    ¡°My lord¡­ the portal back to the Holy Kingdom is open.¡± He said.


    I looked at him, motioning for him to go first. I was not quite sure I could trust these guys either since their Captain appeared to have been a scumbag as well. This one went through the portal but shortly returned with the portal master that sent me here. He looked at the body, then at the underlings before turning his attention to me.


    ¡°Master Angel, please come through with the package and the package¡¯s servant.¡± He said.


    I leaned down, taking the insignia from the captain¡¯s cape, placing it with the insignias that had betrayed the cause. I figured that he should be known as a traitor. I turned around to Antharian.


    ¡°You two go first, I shall be behind you. I want to ensure that you two aren¡¯t sent somewhere else the moment I get through as there have been too many surprises already.¡± I whispered.


    Antharian nodded, grabbing Anatasia¡¯s shoulders and having her lead the way. I followed closely behind as the portal master was the last to re-enter the kingdom. Upon arrival, there was another portal, but it wasn¡¯t supported like these portals.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, the portal is a stand-alone portal. The three of you are wanted back at Gabriel¡¯s castle immediately. I took the liberty of setting this up to ensure a quick and safe return. It¡¯ll take you to the bottom floor.¡± The portal master said.


    I gently shoved on Antharian¡¯s shoulder. She hesitated, but eventually they started walking into the portal while I remained close behind. Upon entering the lower floor, the portal closed behind us. I was a bit apprehensive to have to give Antharian up as there was something about her that made me feel incredibly happy. Despite the rough journey, I had felt as though she was worth being sent out to rescue and getting to spend the last couple of days with her felt as though it changed my life. Had Gabriel not already have claimed her, I may have tried my luck.


    I motioned for them to follow me up the stairs. I hesitated at every couple of floors as I knew that the closer, I got to Gabriel¡¯s office, my time with her would be up. I had not felt sadness quite like this before, but I knew I had to focus on a possible verbal report to Gabriel upon arrival. As we came to the top floor, I double checked to ensure Antharian had no weapons. During this time, I had been so preoccupied, I didn¡¯t realize I was carrying the other sword in my left hand. On her hip, the sheath flapped along with every step she took.


    I pointed at the sheath along her side, to which she looked down, untied it from her armor and handed it to me. I then checked her for any obvious signs of injuries along bare parts of her skins, only to find that I enjoyed how she felt but found no signs she was injured. I pulled both sets of badges from my bag, keeping them separate from one other as I planned on handing those over to Gabriel.


    I stepped towards the door, knocking loudly.


    ¡°Enter.¡± He said through the door.


    I opened the door, motioning for Antharian and Anatasia to enter first. Antharian went in, looking at the ground before kneeling before Gabriel. I felt great frustration at this.


    ¡°Master Gabriel, I am yours to do with as you please¡± she said, sounding monotonous and as if she suddenly lost the will to live.


    I started to wonder if I made a mistake by bringing her back here. With how thick the forest was, and making friends with the Elven people, they probably would have helped keep us hidden deep in the forest and we could have worked together with them. Her and I could have started a new life, deep in those woods and could have made it seem like we were killed, potentially hauled off somewhere. At that moment, I was having an internal freakout as I came to realize that I possibly made the biggest mistake of my life.


    ¡°Thadeus, I knew you were the right one for not just this task, but as my right hand. Once I get a guard up here to show these two to their quarters, I shall have a talk with you as I would like to discuss how the mission went and if any others came back. Not like it¡¯d be a big deal though if they didn¡¯t as they were just lower-level scum.¡± Gabriel said, with a smirk on his face.


    I nodded. I could hear someone coming up the stairs. I assumed that word traveled quickly that I had returned with Antharian and her servant and that it was potentially a guard coming to escort them. Gabriel stood up, removing Antharian¡¯s veil and silk cloak. He looked at her armor, smiled and slowly removed it. Underneath her armor, she dawned a cloth strap over her chest and small skirt over her midsection.


    ¡°Ah! Perfect, very good.¡± He said, going behind her and placing his arms around her. ¡°This one is perfect. I knew they saved their best for me. This is probably the most perfect one to have ever come out of that forsaken place. Good to see they gave me their best. Look at her Thadeus, she¡¯s still so young too. Unlike these other slaves, who are past their prime.¡±


    There was a knock on the door. I moved over to allow Gabriel to see more clearly behind me. Gabriel waved for the guard to come in. The guard kneeled in front of me, as if I had called him there. I stood him back up, pointing over to Gabriel as he was there to assist him, not me. The guard apologized and squeezed between me, a chair and the females.


    ¡°My apologies Master Gabriel.¡± He said.


    Gabriel let go of Antharian, making his way over to the window, thinking for a few moments before turning around.


    ¡°Guard, I want you to gather these two here and take them to the Garden. This female of mine is extra special and should receive the best area I have under my control. Ensure that she gets a decent sized room and make it clear that she is not to leave the grounds under any circumstance unless she has an escort from my right hand here, or from myself personally.¡± He said, sounding as though he suddenly had a whole personality change.


    The guard nodded, standing up to bow, and grabbing them both. As Antharian passed me, she gave me a look that indicated she felt betrayed by me. I felt incredibly remorseful as I knew that Gabriel didn¡¯t deserve her and I knew that while I did the right thing in Gabriels eyes, it was morally wrong, but it was better than the alternative.


    ¡°Close the door.¡± Gabriel said.


    I walked over to the door, gently closing it. I started to think about it and thought it was odd that he had no servants up here for a change to open/close the doors or to entertain him in his weird perverted and twisted ways as he normally did. As I turned around, I sat down in the chair.


    ¡°So, tell me young apprentice of mine. How did it go?¡± he asked.


    From my bag, I pulled the insignias of those were deemed as traitors and explained to him about how some of the escort guards were hoping to have sold Antharian off to Slavers, or worse. I also explained what had happened with the captain at the outpost. By the end of giving him the bad news first, he was furious but was glad in my handling of them.


    I pulled out the insignias for the others, letting him know that these were from the ones who fell in battle trying to protect his soon-to-be wife.


    He looked at me.


    ¡°My precious right hand, you have done more than what was expected. While I disapprove of you wearing the armor of Michael, it appears that you did that to trick others thinking you were weak. Had you clearly indicated you were my right hand, they may have acted differently. Good on you for deceiving them the way you, allowing you to see their true colors. Was there anything else that happened?¡±


    I thought about it for a moment. I would rather than Elven village not be known to Gabriel as I didn¡¯t want him to order a takeover of those who inhabited the village. The less he knew, the better. But I also started to think about it and had scouts scouted the area, they would have known about both villages already unless the scouts cut through the forest.


    ¡°No, my lord, that is it.¡± I said.


    He reached down into his desk, bringing out half a bottle of Angelic wine. He pushed it towards me.


    ¡°Here, this is for you. It¡¯s not full, but the rest of it is yours. From this moment on Thadeus, you will be reassigned. Given what you told me, and with me not being able to watch that slave 24/7 like I would like to, I have decided that you¡¯ll be her personal guard. While you were away, I had all your personal belongings including your slaves, sent to your new residence. There are six floors under the main garden. She will have the top floor, while you and your slaves will have the other five. Her servant will also be assigned to you. You may use her for your personal gratification, chores, or whatever you please.¡±


    I picked up the bottle, swishing it around.


    ¡°Master Gabriel, are you sure there isn¡¯t a full bottle I can have?¡± I asked.  ¡°After-all, I did rescue someone dear to you and took out quite a few traitors that would¡¯ve caused you problems later down the road. I went through a lot to ensure the safe return of that slave for you.¡±


    He gave me a sharp glare, but I ignored it as I was trying to see if I could push my luck. While still glaring, he reached into his desk and placed a full bottle on the desk. To my surprise, he threw the half-full bottle out the window. He stood up, turning his back towards me.


    ¡°Thadeus, you¡¯re lucky. Any other person to talk to me that way, I would have them killed. But not you. You are too valuable, and I¡¯m afraid you know it.¡± He said, sounding furious.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Gabriel, I appreciate your kind heart. I shall do my best to ensure the safety of your slave. I should probably get going.¡±


    I stood, grabbed the bottle of wine and made my way out the door. Gabriel didn¡¯t say anything as I exited, but I could feel he was fuming from the ears. He thought I would be completely obedient to him, but I knew I could have possibly taken more advantage of that whole situation but chose not to. On my way downstairs, I checked the floor that was given to me. Elise, Selyse and the others weren¡¯t there. In fact, there was no sign of them being there anymore. I shrugged and continued the way down to the very first floor.


    Upon reaching the ground floor, there was a servant of Gabriels waiting for me. She approached me, but surprisingly didn¡¯t kneel nor bow. It was rather odd but relieving as I constantly hated being kneeled and bowed to constantly. She looked up at me.


    ¡°On their way out, Selyse asked me to take you to your new quarters Master Thadeus. She also stated that if it was just you, to not worry about bowing or kneeling as you didn¡¯t like the formalities.¡± She whispered.


    She turned around, motioning for me to follow her. We walked out of the main doors. She pointed to another large building off in the distance.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to go there. I can¡¯t leave Gabriel¡¯s castle unless you escort me out, but you¡¯d have to escort me back. Sorry m¡¯lord.¡± She said, sounding as if she had committed a crime.


    I turned towards her, placing my hand on her head.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said.


    The sun was starting to set, so I decided to make my way over there. In a way I was filled to the brim the with excitement as I would get to spend all my time with Antharian and see the others. I had survived countless missions, figuratively freed a small handful of clients and had managed to somewhat get revenge on Gabriel for what he did to me early on and now I get to be around someone who I felt weird around but was happy to be in her presence. But most of all, I would be able to finally return to Selyse and the others.


    I watched as the sun slowly went down under the horizon before carrying on the long walk from Gabriel¡¯s castle to the garden center. But I also started to wonder what sort of tasks waited for me in the future, as I was not fully convinced that I¡¯d remain out of combat. It would be only a matter of time before duty called, or at least that¡¯s what I thought.


    As I was walking, I noticed someone approaching me from my right. I stopped walking, slightly turning to my right, trying to figure out who this could be.


    ¡°Halt!¡± the voice said. ¡°Identify yourself. This is a restricted area.¡±


    ¡°Thadeus, Right hand of Gabriel.¡± I shouted back.


    The sentry came closer to me to confirm. I removed my helm so he could get a better look at my face. Once he realized who I was, he bowed and apologized before quickly running off. I hadn¡¯t realized that this area was under heavy watch, but given the circumstances it should have been obvious as to why.


    After a while, I finally reached the door to the new building I was going to inhabit. I took a deep breath as I reached for the handle and opening it. Upon opening the door, this floor had a giant L-shaped couch on it with a fireplace against the western wall, a giant chandelier hanging above the couch. The floor had this elegant carpet under the couch. The warmth of the floor started to hit my face, making the experience feel surreal. I had never experienced anything like this before. The walls were made of stone, while the floor appeared to be made of wood. It was mind blowing.


    Coming down a set of stairs, I saw Anatasia.


    ¡°Oh, Master Thadeus, welcome back. Please come in. I have met Elise, Selyse and the others. They have retired to their quarters.¡± She stated. ¡°Well¡­ all but Selyse. She is in your room. She appears to have a strong liking to you¡± she teased.


    ¡°Thank you, Anatasia.¡± I said, as I closed the door behind me before heading towards the couch.


    I attempted to remove my armor but hadn¡¯t realized it all connected together in the back.


    ¡°Antasia, could you assist me? I need you to undo the back of my armor for me.¡±


    She walked over to me, and I kneeled as she was far smaller than I was. She struggled a bit but eventually got it. Once I was able to remove the chest piece, I felt free. I hadn¡¯t realized just how hot it was in the armor as I felt like I was frozen to the bone even with the fire going. Antasia must have noticed as she tapped at my leg.


    ¡°Excuse me, Master Thadeus?¡±


    I looked back at her.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, I will assist you to the bathing room as I¡¯m sure it has been quite a while since you last bathed, and you are shivering a bit. Please follow me up to the third floor and I shall assist you, m¡¯lord.¡± She said.


    ¡°If you could just show me, I can wash myself.¡± I stated.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, you saved us from those monsters and helped that village of Elves out. Washing you is the least I could do for you.¡± She insisted.


    I sighed, knowing that I probably wasn¡¯t going to be able to change her mind. She led the way up the stairs to the third floor and through a large wooden door. To my surprise, the bathing room was bigger than I expected it to be. Elise and one of the other servants were there as well. Upon entering, they looked at me and waved.


    ¡°Ladies, that is no way to greet your master.¡± Shouted Anatasia.


    I placed my hand on her shoulder, she turned her head.


    ¡°Anatasia, is it just me in this place with all of you females?¡± I asked.


    She nodded.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s just me, you are all free to do what you want. While the others see you as servants, you are all free to do as you wish, but please remain in character when we have visitors. Elise, Selyse and the others have already received this speech from me, but I want every to feel as comfortable as possible. In addition, I will not pressure anyone to do anything they do not feel comfortable with. While you are technically now my servant now, my only expectations of you are to relax a bit.¡± I explained.


    She looked at me, seeming confused. But nodded.


    ¡°Okay m¡¯lord. At least let me clean you, as I think you¡¯ll feel better once you are clean.¡±


    I nodded and found a corner to sit in as she sat behind me along the ledge, legs dangling in the water while she rubbed my shoulders with some sort of cleaning solution that smelled like fresh daisies. I started to relax a bit while she quietly hummed to herself. I found myself staring Elise and the quiet one, splashing each other and having a carefree time. It made me smile a little bit.


    Just as I was about done, Elise swam over to me, sitting in my lap facing me.


    ¡°Master¡­ are you sure you don¡¯t me?¡± she said, as she placed my hand over her chest.


    ¡°Elise, I would like to remind that you that even though you are considered my property, I will not take advantage over you or any of the others. I will remain truthful to my word¡± I said.


    She looked at me, bewildered. I was probably the first male angel that did not want to take advantage of them.


    ¡°Let me ask you a question, Elise. How many other masters have you had?¡±


    She placed her head on my shoulder, I could feel her heart beating as she rested closer on me. She started to rub her face against mine. With my hand still on her chest, I pushed back slightly but it appears she was lost in thought as she fell backwards, going completely under the water momentarily. I felt her place her hands on my knees, and push against them to bring herself back up.


    ¡°HEY! That was mean!¡± she said playfully. ¡°But to answer your question, I¡¯ve gone through at least twenty different masters and each of them wanted my body. Do you not like my colors? Are they ugly to you? Would you prefer a human-like form?¡± she asked, sounding frantic.


    I let out a laugh, and I even heard Anatasia chuckle slightly from behind me.


    ¡°Elise, it has nothing to do with you or your looks. You are all beautiful in your own ways, It¡¯s just that¡­¡± I cut myself off, I had no clue myself as to why I kept denying all their advances.


    She looked at me curiously, waiting for me to finish my sentence.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I feel as though I¡¯d be taking advantage of you all as I feel like you have all been conditioned to be this way towards your masters. As if it is expected.¡± I said, wondering if it sounded weird.


    To my surprise, Anatasia spoke up.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, it is in my opinion that you¡¯re far kinder than any of the other Master Lord Angels that I have seen. The way you talk to us is far kinder than I have heard any male angel speak to our gender. You talk with us as if we¡¯re equals. Even I find myself wanting to repay you for your kindness with my body as I feel like you deserve it.¡± she said with a rather flirtatious tone.


    I looked over my shoulder.


    ¡°You too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°Oh, Lady Antharian is a bit upset with you. While we understand you had to do what you did, she¡¯s not too happy about being given to Gabriel of all people. But from the sounds of it, she¡¯ll hardly have to see him, and we have been informed you¡¯ll be in charge of her until Gabriel takes her. Given the circumstances, I¡¯m sure he will be busy for quite awhile trying to figure out the issue with all the traitors.¡±


    After she said that, I had a crazy idea go through my head. I wasn¡¯t sure how it would work out as I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight an Angel at Gabriel¡¯s league for ownership of her. The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that maybe chasing after her was pointless. I pulled Elise back on my lap and hugged her. At first, she was confused, but she wrapped her arms around my head, smiling and I felt her face go warm.


    ¡°Master, you and the others should get out of the bath. You guys have been in here for awhile now, and if you don¡¯t get out now, you¡¯ll take longer to dry off.¡±


    I let go of Elise, lifting myself out of the bath. As I got out, I felt incredible, my feathers and wings were shimmering. I thanked Anatasia for the wonderful job she did. As I exited the door, I came to realize that I did not know where my room was. I turned around, but Anatasia must¡¯ve known what I was about to ask as she walked around me.


    ¡°Follow me, Master.¡± She said.


    She led me up to the fourth floor.


    ¡°That first door on your left is yours. Across from you, Selyse and a couple of others. On the next floor, Lady Antharian along with myself and a couple of others. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. We are willing all hours of the night and day.¡± She said, bowing.


    I thanked her, wondering if Selyse was going to be already sleeping my room. However, I noticed there was four doors on this floor all together. I walked over to the other door near my room. On it, the sign read ¡°Library & Storage¡±. I opened the door slightly to see various books lining the walls along with a table and chair in one corner. I wanted to explore the options I had but opted to return to my room instead for the night. I closed the door.


    When I opened the door to my room, it looked nearly the same as it did in Gabriel¡¯s castle minus the loft. I looked around the room. A large bed, a single small window, an armor and weapons stand, along other random furniture. I glanced at the bed, and to no surprise, Selyse was fast asleep there. I decided she had the right idea, so I crawled into bed next to her, closing my eyes as she scooched closer to me, making a sound that indicated she was happy.

 Chapter 11 - Conflicting Love

    The next morning came quickly. Upon opening my eyes, I appeared to be on my back with Selyse curled up like a house pet on my chest. I gently lifted her off me and set her back on the bed before slowly sliding off the bed itself. I walked over to the window, unlatching the wooden boards that acted like shutters. Looking out, I could see a majority of the kingdom and I could see that I was further up than I expected.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Selyse sit up. She was nude and made no attempt to cover herself up, which at this point didn¡¯t surprise me. She ran over to me, grabbing at my leg and hugging it.


    ¡°Master Thadeus! I am so glad you¡¯re back. I missed you.¡± She said.


    I looked down, giving her a chuckle. It amazed me how much she had changed in what seemed like a short amount of time. I started to think about how much time had passed and came to realize, she¡¯s well over the average age of a normal human but stuck looking nineteen. I guess for any human, being well over thousands of years old but not looking a day over nineteen would be a blessing.


    ¡°Hello Selyse, were you good for the others while I was gone?¡± I asked.


    As I sat down, she quickly hopped in my lap.


    ¡°I did! She said, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me tightly.


    ¡°Whoa there, you¡¯re so strong, you might crush me¡± I teased.


    She laughed before letting go. She ran over to the wardrobe, opening a drawer. To my surprise, she pulled clothing out that looked exquisite for what she was considered. I watched her pull regal looking silk clothes out.


    ¡°Hey Selyse, couldn¡¯t help but notice that you are pulling some very nice clothing out of there and it appears to be in your size. Did something change while I was gone?¡± I asked, wondering if maybe there had been a policy change.


    She appeared to be struggling as she mistook an armhole for the neckline. I stood up and assisted her in fixing her shirt. Once she got her head through, she told me there was a note for me in desk next to the door. I walked over to the desk, opening the drawer. Along with the note was a rather large folder that I pulled out. I sat down in the chair, opening the folder.


    Upon opening, I noticed several clip-on badges that indicated they belonged to me and to leave them alone as they were more than likely on official business. In addition to this, it would allow Selyse and the others into areas normally not accessible to typical servants. There were also papers regarding my orders with Antharian, stating that in the event she wanted to go out, I had to keep a close on her and anyone that messed with her was to be executed immediately, plus other various papers relating to her.


    Then there were papers regarding what the servants could and couldn¡¯t obtain with their new titles of ¡°Royal Holy Order¡± servants, which granted them access to the highest quality of clothing and other necessities that they might need via my request. Somehow, Selyse had managed to convince someone that she was my head servant, allowing her to also be able to put in requests.


    I looked over at Selyse. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it.¡± I said.


    She looked at me, smiling.


    At the corner of the desk, the bottle of the wine remained there, unopened. I looked further into the drawer, looking to see if there were anything to drink from. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find anything. I opened the bottle.


    ¡°Selyse, come here a moment.¡± I said.


    She quickly came over. I carefully handed her the bottle.


    ¡°Here, take a small drink of this. It¡¯s Angelic wine. I feel as though you somehow deserve a sip of this.¡± I said, handing it to her.


    She looked at it for a moment before raising the tip of the bottle to her nose to smell it.


    ¡°Master, are you sure?¡± she asked.


    Under normal circumstances, it was forbidden to share the sweet nectar with those of servants but seeing as how I didn¡¯t have to play by the same rules as most of the kingdom, I decided at my own discretion to allow her to have a little bit. It didn¡¯t cross my mind that she may have never had any form of alcohol at the time, but I figured she deserved it. Somehow.


    She raised it up to her mouth, taking what seemed like a long sip before I spoke up.


    ¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s enough. Save some for the others.¡± I said as I took the bottle away.


    She looked at me. ¡°That¡­ was good¡­¡± she said.


    I stood up and poked my head out the door.


    ¡°Elise and the rest of you, please come into my room immediately¡± I shouted.


    A few moments later, everyone but Anatasia had shown up.


    ¡°Where is Anatasia?¡± I asked.


    Elise looked behind her before looking back at me, shrugging.


    ¡°Elise, go fetch both Antharian and Anatasia.¡±


    She nodded and ran off. While we waited for the three of them to return, Selyse laid on the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked with visible concern.


    ¡°Mauster, why is the rhoom sphinning?¡±


    I looked at the bottle, seeing if I could potentially find any indication about how strong this may be. Then it dawned on me. This alcohol was specifically made to give creatures of my size a light buzz, so for a human, it more than likely was going to have them completely smashed.


    I continued watching her as she giggled to herself. I had started to wonder if allowing her to drink the sweet Angelic wine was a mistake, but it was too late now. Off in the hallway, I could hear footsteps approaching before Antharian, Anatasia and Elise all came into the room. They all looked at her, concerned, unsure what was going on with her


    ¡°Ah good, now that we¡¯re all here. I¡¯d like to offer you all a drink of the wine.¡± I looked at Anatasia, making direct eye contact with her. ¡°You¡­ get a smaller sip though. I don¡¯t want you to end up like Selyse there¡­¡± I said as I pointed at her.


    She looked at Selyse, still nude, stating it was hot in the room and asking us if we also felt hot.


    ¡°Master. I¡¯d like to experience what she is experiencing if it is okay with Lady Antharian.¡±


    I looked up at Antharian.


    ¡°Do as you please Anatasia, if Master Thadeus tells us to have a drink, we shall listen.¡± She said, sounding as this was an inconvenience.


    ¡°Antharian, you¡¯re having a sip as well.¡± I said.


    She curtseyed, which I assumed was a way of her saying ¡°very well.¡±


    I gave the bottle to Anatasia who took a sip as long as Selyse had, before I took the bottle away from her. She bowed before taking a seat next to her. I handed the bottle to Elise, which then made its way throughout the other servants before finally reaching Antharian and then myself. By the time it got to me, only a little remained.


    Whatever it was that anyone had planned for the day, the plans were going to be cancelled as it turned out that none of them had alcohol before and other than Antharian, they were all slurring their words and having a rough time standing up. I didn¡¯t think about how the wine would affect everyone, only that I wanted to share my spoils of victory with everyone else.


    After spending so much time having to be serious, the countless missions and having to deal with Gabriel for so long, I found myself to be having a good time in the presence of all the drunken servants. Everyone seemed so happy, something I hadn¡¯t experienced in quite some time. Antharian was standing at the window, looking outside. As I approached her, she moved over slightly which allowed me to gaze upon the rest of the kingdom along with her.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, what was it like?¡± she looked at me slightly. ¡°Living down there and being one of them? What was that like?¡± she asked.


    I looked at her, confused, unsure what she meant.


    She closed her eyes.


    ¡°I know that you weren¡¯t created as an upper-class Angel; you were likely sent out to die in the name of the Holy Order. I overheard the guards discussing, that some are created just to fight and die- There¡¯s no hope for those ones. Plus, after spending a couple of days with and observing how you treat me and the servants, it¡¯s clear you don¡¯t belong here. Yet, somehow, you¡¯ve managed to rise to become Gabriels top man.¡± She said skeptically.


    I lingered on her words, trying to find a response, unsure how to respond. While lost in thought, I felt something very warm around my leg. I looked down as Selyse wrapped her arms and legs around my leg, holding herself there. She looked up at me, cheeks as red as the wine itself.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked.


    She started rubbing her face against my leg, giggling as she rubbed. I awkwardly walked away from the window, wondering how long she could keep her grip. Antharian watched as I walked around the room with Selyse attached to my leg while completely naked. I managed to lift my leg, with Selyse attached, up to face eye level.


    ¡°Young woman, are you are having fun?¡± I asked.


    She stopped rubbing her face and looked at me.


    ¡°I.. mashter¡­¡± she managed to slur out.


    I continued looking at her.


    ¡°I¡­ am yourth. Pleash.¡±


    I continued to look at her as I was trying to figure out what she was saying.


    While trying to figure out what she was trying to say, Anatasia approached me, latching onto my other leg in a similar fashion as to Selyse. I looked down at her, she too, was also unclothed.


    ¡°Noooo, take meeeee¡± she whined.


    ¡°You both had too much wine.¡± I stated.


    Antharian looked at me surprised. ¡°Master Thadeus, other than me, you have the right to do as you please to these servants of yours. Do you not wish to take advantage of them in their current state?¡±


    I looked over at her, shaking my head. I walked over to bed, gently sitting down. They released their grip on my legs, jumping up on the bed and both sitting on my lap. Both giving me a look of lust. Anatasia started to grab at Selyse¡¯s breasts, before adjusting to sitting with their bodies touching, kissing one another while occasionally looking at me to see if I was interested. After a few moments, I laid back on the back.


    Antharian walked over to the desk, taking the chair away from the desk and placing it in front of the bed as if she wanted to have a front row seat.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Ooooooh¡± she said, thinking she was about to watch something go down.


    I tapped both my hands on the bed, to which Selyse and Anatasia each took a side of me. With them now off me, I quickly stood back up and faced them. Below me were to very beautiful female humans, willing to surrender themselves to me and by the Kingdom¡¯s law, they were mine to do whatever with as they were considered objects of mine to do as I please with since females had no rights. Even if they were unwilling, they wouldn¡¯t have a choice with me.


    I looked around at the whole room. Elise and the others were elsewhere doing who knows what; while Antharian, Anatasia and Selyse were all with me. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Antharian had a disappointed look on her face. It made me wonder had if she not been claimed by Gabriel, would she have also wanted a piece of me.


    By the time I looked back at the two, they were embracing each other, but both had fallen asleep. I chuckled, putting my hand behind my head. Those two had so much energy, but then suddenly were just passed out. It was for the best though.


    ¡°Antharian.¡± I said, still looking at the two sleeping before me.


    ¡°What made you pull up the chair and why do you have that look on your face?¡± I asked.


    I heard her stand up and gently put the chair away.


    ¡°The real question is, why wouldn¡¯t you act upon that? Look at those two. Despite being here for several human lifetimes, their breasts are perky, they¡¯re both pretty and they are willing to do whatever it takes to please you. Plus, the others. Why do you have all these beautiful servants if you¡¯re not going to take advantage of having them around?¡±


    I walked back over to the window.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take them because I wanted their bodies. I took them because I wanted to ensure that they would be safe. Other than your assistant/servant, these ones lived very rough lives in Gabriel¡¯s castle where the guards would assault them. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s out of the normal, Antharian. By going through what I have had to do to remain alive, what I had to do under Gabriel, all the missions I went on. I always ensured that Selyse and the others would be safe while I was gone, that upon my return they were in the same shape I left them.¡±


    She slowly approached me, placing her hand on my back.


    ¡°Master Thadeus¡­¡± she said softly.


    I turned around, looking at her, wondering if she had more to say. She started to walk out of the room but motioned for me to follow her. She led us down the very bottom floor, the fire still roaring in the fireplace. She looked around before motioning for me to come over to her.


    She removed the veil covering her head.


    ¡°I told them last night they aren¡¯t allowed to come down here unless you have already accompanied them down here.¡± She said.


    I was confused as to why she would call me down here, only to talk. As I got closer to her, I felt my stomach flutter a bit. There was something about her face that gave me an inner warm feeling. By technicalities she should not be showing me her face but was breaking the rule anyways. I stood near her but was more focused on the roaring fire. The flames flickered in a mesmerizing way. She placed her hand on my waist, turning me towards her.


    We stared into each other¡¯s eyes for what seemed like an eternity, her blue eyes felt enchanting as I just couldn¡¯t look away. I slowly started to lower my head to her, coming inches away from her lips as she was leaning into it. She turned her head abruptly, wrapping her arms around me, followed by tears running down her face.


    ¡°We- we can¡¯t, Master Thadeus. It is forbidden. They¡¯d kill you if you tried.¡± She said between sobs.


    I briefly embraced her as to not be rude. Even though I already knew this, my heart felt as though it had broken. I genuinely felt feelings towards Antharian and knowing that she belonged Gabriel while also being the one to watch over her, was frustrating. As I let go, I looked at her, wondering if I could at the very least enjoy however long it would be until he came to take her out of my custody.


    She suddenly ran towards the stairs, her light sobs echoing through the staircases. I stood there, feeling conflicted. While I was still free to do whatever, I was still here on an assignment but so far, had been difficult and it was only Day One. I smacked my face, as it was time to snap back to reality. I made my way slowly back to my room, Selyse and Anatasia still asleep on my bed. I walked over and gently sat on the bed.


    The females, now separated, I found myself staring at their unconscious, small and bare bodies. I started to feel around Anatasia¡¯s thighs lightly, causing her to squirm in her sleep. I started to wonder if maybe I should just be like the others, and take advantage of having slaves, changing from the mindset of how we¡¯re equals to how the others value females within our society.


    ¡°This¡­ is mine¡­¡± I quietly said out loud as I started to lay her flat on back. I saw her slightly open her eyes, smiling as I climbed over her, ready to unleash whatever it was I was about to do. I watched as she wrapped her arms around my neck, grinning from ear to ear. She was slowly licking her lips. I continued to look at her, her face deeper red now than before.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± she whimpered.


    I had a moment of clarify shortly after she said that.


    ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± I said, quietly.


    She released her arms, her expression changing to concern.


    ¡°I need you to go back to your quarters and sleep this off.¡± I said, opting to look away from her.


    She slowly moved towards the edge of the bed before gathering her clothes up and exiting the room. I looked at Selyse, wondering if I¡¯d feel wrong for wanting to use her for my own personal gratification, but she has been trying to get me for weeks. I reached out, placing my hand on her breasts, giving it a light squeeze. I moved my hand slowly up and down her body, which was surprisingly soft and muscular for how small she looked. I slid her a bit closer to me, which awoke her from her sleep.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, master¡­¡± she said, half awake. ¡°Ohhh, your hand tickles, but I love the touching master¡­¡± she grabbed my right hand, placing it over her breast and taking my left hand placing it between her legs. She looked at me playfully, as if to entice me to do whatever with her.


    I looked at her, unsure what to do and if I truly wanted this.


    ¡°Master¡­ I want you to do this¡­¡± she said softly.


    I laid there, thinking about resources I had access to, before remembering the folder with all the papers. I had only ever known a military-style life, never being able to explore any sort of amenities. I¡¯ve only ever see the Great Hall of the Order, the castles of Michael & Gabriel and this building now.


    I finally mustered up the energy to go over to the desk and pull the folder out again. I was skimming through the papers when I saw something that caught my eye. I missed it before, but I saw that I was authorized to go to a remote outpost that would be half a sun cycle to where Antharian came from had she wanted to retrieve items, or to just walk around for a change of scenery and as long as I was with her, things were good.


    There were also a few other places that I could go to, but mostly outposts leading to smaller villages under the Holy Order¡¯s rule comprised of Human and Elven territories. But it could still be interesting to explore these places. I searched the desk for something to write with and found small personal note-sized pieces of parchment. I wrote down the coordinates for each location on separate pieces of parchment, placing it on the small shelf on the desk.


    While I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do tomorrow, I heard a loud knocking at the downstairs door followed by a horn. I quickly got up, rushing over to the window to glance down at who was at the door. To my surprise, it was Michael¡¯s blacksmith.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± I shouted.


    He looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.


    ¡°Look up!¡±


    He looked up, placing his hand over his forehead to block out the sun.


    ¡°Ah, Master Thadeus of Gabriel! I have come to fetch the armor I leant you. In exchange, I have craft a similar armor for you but with Gabriel¡¯s markings on it.¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    He turned around, looking back to the right and his left.


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± He said, sarcastically.


    ¡°Okay, come on in, I¡¯ll meet you down there shortly.¡±


    I quickly ran out the door and made my way downstairs. As I reached the bottom floor, he was sitting on the couch with a cart full of various items filling it. I walked over to him as he stood up, bowing.


    ¡°My lord. I come bearing gifts for you at the request of both Michael and Gabriel¡±


    I was confused as to what possibly Michael had for me, since the last time I saw him, he was irate over the fact I had accidentally raided his armory instead of obtaining my own armor directly from Gabriel.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I looked at the cart. ¡°What would Michael have for me?¡± I asked.


    He stood up, making his way to the cart.


    ¡°Well first, if you could fetch the armor I leant you, that¡¯d be great. Then after that, I¡¯ll explain to you what I have for you.¡±


    I rushed back upstairs, grabbing the armor from its stand within the library. I hoped it was clean as I came down the stairs with it in hand as I did not want to return it dirty. I presented the armor to him as he walked around, examining it.


    ¡°Hmm. I see you took a hit to the arm, but it didn¡¯t break the armor. That¡¯s good. All right, it¡¯s a little scratched up but good to see that it¡¯s in pristine shape.¡± He said.


    I placed the armor next to his cart. He unlatched the back of the cart.


    ¡°Okay, so lets get started. On behalf of Michael, he requested I made you a proper sword as you¡¯ve been using a sword unfit for someone of your stature. He also said some other things, but we won¡¯t get into that. So, this sword is made from the strongest material known to us and has your name engraved on the blade. Next up, is this shoulder-cape that has Gabriel¡¯s insignia on it, along with your rank and will let you automatically enter areas others wouldn¡¯t be able to. The armor in there, that¡¯s the same style as the one we lent you, made of the same materials and everything.¡±


    He handed everything to me one by one. The shoulder-cape was bright red, with a gold insignia and said ¡°DEMI-ARCH¡± on it, indicating that while I wasn¡¯t an Arch-Angel, I was still high up there on the totem pole. The sword felt lighter than the standard swords that the soldiers had, and my name was indeed engraved along the blade and was silver in color. As for the armor, it looked exactly the same, just with Gabriel¡¯s markings instead.


    ¡°Smith, I have a question.¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to modify the armor so I can get it on/off myself? I had to recruit one of my servants to assist me last time.¡±


    He looked at me for a moment, then looking at the armor again.


    ¡°Due to how the armor is made, that is impossible.¡± He said, sighing.


    I was not ecstatic about the answer, but I ultimately understood.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine. Got anything else?¡±


    In the cart, there was a small crate with various bottles of sorts, which is why I asked.


    ¡°Ah, yeah. In this crate here, there are various wines and other drinks. We¡­ well¡­ Michael managed to get a shipment of Elven wine in. He requested I give it to you, along with these drinks.¡±


    I lifted the crate out of the cart, expecting a small crate. Instead, it was large in size with several layers to it. Placing it on the ground, I lifted out several bottles, more than should have been in there. I started to grow concerned as I knew I would end up sharing this with the servants and while the Angelic females could handle the stronger wines, Selyse & Anatasia can¡¯t when left to their own devices.


    ¡°Do you have anything else for me, Smith?¡± I asked.


    He reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.


    ¡°As it¡¯s not a direct order from Gabriel, this is entirely option for you. But Michael wants you to go this outpost and meet up with someone named Artemis. He¡¯ll have more info for you. Again, this is optional.¡± He said, making sure to clarify that it was optional.


    ¡°Lets say I did do this. How long until it¡¯s too late?¡±


    He looked at the fireplace for a moment.


    ¡°I believe he said a week. But again, optional. Anyways, I best be getting back. Although I¡¯m a blacksmith for one of the Holy Order¡¯s Archs, I only have so much time I can spend in this sector. I¡¯d normally ask you for an escort back to prove I was with you, but seeing as I have the armor, that should be enough. Thank you for your time, Master Angel.¡± He said, bowing before retrieving his cart and making his way out the door.


    As he left, one of the servants came down the stairs, her face slightly rosy.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, may¡­ I help?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes, please come here.¡±


    She awkwardly walked to where I had placed everything, with me wondering if she¡¯d be able to carry anything safely. Thankfully, the sword had a sheath that had a latch on it otherwise I¡¯d have opted to send her to bed.


    ¡°Okay, so I need you to carry the sword and armor. I¡¯ll grab the cape and the drinks. For those, please place them in my room. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    She nodded, bending down slightly to pick up the objects I requested she did. As she was drunkenly walking, I stayed close enough behind her that in the event she fell backwards I would have caught her. But we made it safely up to my room with no falls or false alarms. As we reached my door, I went in first placing the crate on my desk. I grabbed the armor from her, placing on the back of the chair for now. I thanked her for the help and dismissed her.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Selyse on the bed, sleeping. I looked at the window, noticing that the sun was going down. I figured before I went to bed, I would check on everyone to ensure that they were all still alive after drinking from the large bottle of wine. Since Selyse was in my bed, I knew she was okay. I walked out into the hall, poking my head into the first room adjacent from my room. Behind the door, I saw three beds. Other than Selyse and Anatasia, everyone else was in there. I noticed a couple were curled up in a single bed, probably a crash because of the wine.


    I checked the next room, which appeared to be an exact copy of the previous room. After satisfying my need to check up on them I decided to make my way up to Antharian¡¯s floor to check on her and Anatasia. After going up a couple of sets of stairs, I reached her floor. It different than the rest of the floors as it had silk drapes all over the walls, a fancy carpet stretching the entire length of the floor, and a door with a gold lining. I figured the gold-lined door was more than likely Antharian¡¯s room. I walked over to it, giving it a knock before entering.


    As I entered, Antharian and Anatasia were sitting on her bed talking amongst each other. Antharian looked at me.


    ¡°Yes, Master Thadeus?¡± she said, as she stood up before kneeling.


    ¡°Oh stop that. Oh, you¡¯re doing that because of this¡­¡± I said, lightly tugging at the cape. ¡°This was just delivered to me. I had to carry some things, so I just put this on. Anyways, I¡¯m here to check on you two as it is growing late and I wanted to make sure everyone is doing okay.¡±


    Antharian stood straight up, stiff, looking insulted.


    ¡°We. Are. Fine.¡± She said.


    While I could tell she wasn¡¯t fine, I chose not to press it any further. As I was about to exit, I thought maybe she¡¯d be interested in potentially visiting one of the Elven or Human villages with me. While probably was not a good time, I decided to ask anyways.


    ¡°Lady Antharian, if at any point you would like to go, I am authorized to go with you to per-approved villages including where you came from. If at any point, you¡¯d like to visit any of these places, please let me know.¡± I said.


    Her look on her face suggested she felt bad for speaking to me the way she had. However, she only nodded and motioned for me to leave. I waved at them both, before making my way out the door and back to my room. I placed the cape next to my bag on the wall, before walking back to over to the bed. Wondering how things would turn for this whole situation. I carefully climbed into bed as to not disturb Selyse, getting comfortable myself and falling asleep.

 Chapter 12 - Adventurous

    The next morning came quicker than I had realized as a thunderous knock on my door roared through the room. I was still in a daze as Selyse quickly crawled over me and off the bed to greet who may had been at the door. Upon opening it, Selyse quickly kneeled before being shoved out of the way by Gabriel.


    ¡°Thadeus!¡± he shouted.


    I quickly stood up, bowing.


    ¡°Thadeus, take me to her!¡± he demanded.


    Returning to a standing position, I looked at him, confused. He had to know Antharian was on the top floor of this place, in her own room, so I had no clue why he was here and angry so early in the morning.


    ¡°Lord Master Gabriel, she should be up on the fifth floor.¡± I said, pointing up.


    He walked over to me, abruptly grabbing my arm and pulling me into the hallway. He motioned for me to escort him there. Selyse came out of the room, handing me a sword. At this point, I thought something was wrong, so I pulled the sword from its sheath and ran up all flights of stairs with Gabriel and Selyse in tow. Upon reaching Antharian¡¯s floor, I noticed that her door slightly ajar.


    I looked back at Gabriel, who looked as though he was about to end me for letting Antharian escape or something. I examined the door for any signs of a break-in, but didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary. I gently opened the door with the tip of my sword before making my way in. As I slowly crept around the room, it looked as though a struggle may have taken place as there were various clothes and other fabrics thrown about.


    I made my way into her bedroom, noticing a pile of blankets in the bed. I looked back at Gabriel and Selyse, with Gabriel looking on before shoving Selyse in front of him. She gave me a look that indicated she didn¡¯t like he had shoved her, but came up next to me. I leant down and placed her on my shoulder.


    ¡°When I set you down, I want you to rip off as many blankets as you can at once and I¡¯ll cover you while you do it. On the count of three¡­¡± I whispered to her.


    She nodded, indicating she was ready. I kneeled on the ground, allowing her to quietly jump on the edge of the bed. She grabbed as many blankets as she could in her hands and I raised my sword in the air, ready to strike if needed.


    ¡°Okay Selyse, 1.. 2.. 3..¡±


    She quickly ripped off multiple blankets at once, which revealed a sleeping Antharian. I put my sword away, and moved away so Gabriel could see for himself. He shoved Selyse over, who let out a small whimper as she fell to the ground. He turned around, looking at her.


    ¡°Shut up you useless cunt of a servant. Had you been the servant of any other Angel, I¡¯d have you beaten for your insolence.¡± He yelled.


    At this point, Antharian was already awake, baffled by what was going on. Gabriel sat on the bed next to her, slowly sniffing from the tip of her fingers to her neck. While he did this, she turned her head away from him, looking as if she was disgusted. Once he had finished his sniffing, he turned towards me, smiling.


    ¡°This here Thadeus, this is a perfect female for the likes of myself. Remember, you too can have one like this someday. If you continue to work hard or if you wish to, you could take one of the slaves you own as your own as I shall take this one. Maybe one day, you¡¯ll be like us in the Order, and you can be given the best quality female our kind has to give you.¡± He said, smiling.


    He grabbed at her face, squeezing it and turning her to look at him. He started to lick her face.


    ¡°Mmm. You are obedient I see. You keep this up and you¡¯ll be bearing plenty of perfect little ones for me. You shall give me many sons, but if you bare me a female she¡¯ll have to be sold off as I will not tolerate having any daughters.¡± He said, sounding as if Antharian should be thankful for an opportunity.


    Once he was satisfied, he lightly slapped her on the cheek. ¡°Good, very good. Since I know you¡¯re in good hands with someone who doesn¡¯t like your kind, I¡¯m in no hurry to make you mine quite yet. I¡¯ll check back every now and then but remember¡­ if you try to escape from him, you¡¯ll be severely punished. Don¡¯t make me have to punish you, I¡¯d hate to do that to my favorite plaything.¡±


    He removed himself from the bed, looking at me with a big smile before placing his hand on my shoulder and looking at me in the eyes.


    ¡°Now, Master Thadeus, you won¡¯t try to do anything with my future lover, will you?¡± he said, with a grin.


    I shook my head. I wasn¡¯t sure if maybe he thought I was trying anything with her or not, but this felt like he caught wind of the previous night when we almost kissed. It¡¯s almost as if he was here to rub salt into the wound. I had always disliked him for how he treated others and how he viewed the females as objects. But unfortunately, it¡¯s just how the Holy Order saw females, as objects.


    ¡°Very good. Very good indeed. Please take good care of her as I will be going on a mission myself that will keep me busy for a few years. While I am gone, you will continue to watch over her. I have someone else watching my castle. If they fail their duties feel free to execute them. If they try to reassign you, make them aware that they have no true authority over you and the reason why you aren¡¯t in charge is because your tasked with a far greater task than their puny brain could understand. Understood?¡± he said.


    I nodded at him.


    ¡°Very good Master Thadeus, keep it up and one day you¡¯ll rise up to power in no time.¡± He said, as he was leaving the room making his way downstairs.


    He slammed the door on his way out. I stood there, frozen in place. Unsure what to say to either Selyse or Antharian after what had just occurred. I could see Antharian moving slightly towards me, but at that moment, I was at a loss for actions and words. She stood up, placing her hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Master Thadeus¡­¡± she whimpered.


    I made eye contact with her in anticipation of what she had to say.


    ¡°I¡­ would you join me for a bath after that, along with Selyse? I feel as though the three of us could use a bath after¡­ that¡­¡± she said softly.


    Selyse tapped on my leg. I looked at her, she had a lump forming on her head from when she fell and hit her head. I gently placed my hand over it, hoping I could heal it. She slapped my hand away, suggesting she didn¡¯t want me touching her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Selyse, Antharian has requested we all go bathe to remove the filth from our visitor.¡± I said softly.


    Antharian leaned down, picking up Selyse, holding her tight to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Selyse, don¡¯t tell the others, but you¡¯re my favorite.¡± She said.


    As I turned around, I saw Anatasia in the hallway, who was standing there naked. She made no attempt to cover up.


    ¡°Please M¡¯lord, Lady Antharian, allow me to assist you three in the bath.¡± She said.


    ¡°Anatasia, how long have you been there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I heard Gabriel shouting and came to see what was going on, Master Thadeus. That was quite¡­ disgusting.¡± She said, sounding grossed out.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Anatasia, not that it¡¯s any of my business, but why are you not decent?¡± I asked.


    She looked down, shrugging.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, you have proven yourself to be safe around and unless you or Antharian request it, I prefer to be this way unless informed otherwise or we have guests around.¡± She said, sounding confident I wouldn¡¯t say anything in return.


    I looked at Antharian, who shrugged. ¡°I personally don¡¯t care. If her or the others want to be naked, let them be naked. However, her and Selyse will need to take extra care of themselves if that is the case.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, you two are more than free to wander around here with no clothes on then if it pleases you.¡± I said.


    How they chose to dress, or not dress, did not bother me as I wanted to give them the freedom to do as they wanted to. They all know my rules and as long they abide by them, then we would be safe from the others. However, learning that Gabriel will be away for a few years made things a bit easier as that meant we wouldn¡¯t have to deal with him until he came back. If he did at all.


    The four of us made our way down to the bathhouse, and to my surprise a couple of the other servants were already there. It appeared as they had just finished cleaning it and refilled it. I placed my sword outside the door as I wasn¡¯t sure if the moisture from the room would cause any problems. I stepped into the water, expecting it to be scolding hot but was surprised when it felt room temperature. I looked over at the others, giving them an approval thumbs-up and smile.


    They bowed in return. ¡°Master Thadeus, may we be of assistance?¡± they asked.


    I looked at Antharian, who nodded. ¡°Only if you wish. On second thought, please leave us. Right now, this room is reserved to the four of us.¡± She said, sounding frustrated.


    They nodded and quickly their made way out, closing the door gently behind them. Antharian locked the door behind them.


    ¡°There, now we¡¯ll be left alone. Master Thadeus, may I make a request?¡± she said as she stepped into the water.


    ¡°Depends on the request. What is it?¡±


    She sat down beside me, looking up as the water hit her neck. ¡°Ahh, this feels amazing. If it¡¯s not too much of a problem, I¡¯d like for you to wash me this time around.¡± She said, sounding nervous.


    I lifted myself out of the water, feeling nervous knowing she wanted me to help her bathe. I figured that maybe since we both had issues with Gabriel, this was her way of rebelling behind his back. Anatasia motioned for me to follow her to another door. Upon opening it, it appeared to be a closet with supplies for everything one would need to properly clean themselves.


    She handed me a bucket and started filling it with what I¡¯d need for the job. While watching her, it occurred to me that I had never cleaned myself as the servants usually did that for me. As I was thinking, a brush was placed in my hand causing me to look at her.


    ¡°Here Master, you¡¯ll need this. Just watch what I do for Selyse and apply the same to Antharian.¡± She said as she made her way out of the closet.


    When we reached Selyse, I watched as Anatasia sat behind her, pulling out a small ball-like object. I looked down at my bucket, pulling out a similar object. It felt a bit greasy and looked ant-sized in my palm. I continued watching her as she dunked her hand into the pool with it and rubbing it gently around Selyse¡¯s shoulders. I looked at Antharian, who was smiling at me before facing forward, and rubbed the sudsy object into her shoulders.


    ¡°Mmm. That feels great, Master.¡± She said, her feathers indicating she was experiencing what a human would call, goosebumps. She leaned forward slightly, so I shifted to rubbing this on her back. She lowered her head again, making sounds of happiness. I glanced back over at Anatasia, who placed the object back into the bucket and held up the handled brush. She was using it to slowly rub the suds into Selyse¡¯s back.


    I grabbed my brush with my right, gently scrubbing at her shoulders before using my other hand to hold her forward slightly while I did her back. Up until now, I hadn¡¯t noticed her wings. In fact, her back was bare.


    ¡°Antharian?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I just realized¡­ where are your wings? Where are the wings of the others?¡± I asked, confused.


    She slightly turned her head, barely making eye contact with me.


    ¡°Master, there is a seal that prevents us from having our wings as otherwise we might fly away.¡± She said softly.


    ¡°Oh. I had no idea.¡± I said.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, I figured. It¡¯s why I explained it you. ¡°Grab the soap again.¡± She said, as she was turning to face me. ¡°Anatasia, Selyse. I trust you two know not to say anything if Master Thadeus and I were to¡­ do anything¡­ yeah?¡±


    They both nodded, with Anatasia making a zip-motion across her lips.


    ¡°Very good. Master Thadeus, take your time cleaning me. I¡¯ll make this more enjoyable for you.¡± She said, a white light overtaking her.


    We slightly covered our eyes as the bright light around her had felt as though we were looking straight into the sun. After the light stopped, she removed my hand away from my face. Her hand was that of a normal human¡¯s. Upon seeing her, she looked like a completely different person and had switched magically with someone else. She still had that gaze to her blue eyes, but her skin was like both Selyse & Anatasia. She had long dark blonde hair that looked like it stretched for miles.


    She stood up in the pool, doing a slow twirl in place and curtseying.


    ¡°Master¡­ are you¡­ going to clean me?¡± she said, slightly jumping in place.


    I tried to advert my gaze from her chest as they bounced around with her, and judging by how she giggled, I must not have done a good enough job.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know about this¡­ you told me it was forbidden to be doing these sort of things the other day..¡± I said, skeptical of this.


    She sighed and sat back down.


    ¡°Well. I figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt Master Thadeus.¡± She said, as she changed back into her normal bird-like form.


    I stood up, making my way to the door. As I reached it, Antharian shouted at me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you permission to leave, Master. You¡¯re escorting me to the bath, and we¡¯re not done bathing yet.¡±


    I looked at her, confused.


    ¡°Your job is to take care of me and keep me safe, is it not?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°So, what if something happened to me like I drowned, or Selyse and Anatasia decided to team up on me and cause harm to me, who would be responsible?¡± she asked, with a bizarre grin.


    ¡°Well, I would be-¡° I started to answer, before being cut off.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Master Thadeus. You. So here is what I want to ensure that I¡¯m safe in here. I want you to clean me and I don¡¯t want any arguments from you about it, okay Master?¡± she bossily stated.


    ¡°Okay. If that is what you want, I¡¯ll do it.¡± I said, walking back to her.


    As I sat down behind her, she changed backed to the human form. She looked back at me, giving me an annoyed look as I picked up the brush. As I went to scrub her shoulder, she grabbed the brush out of my hand and used her other hand to place my hand onto her chest. Her heart felt as though it could pop out any moment. I could hear her breathing heavily.


    ¡°Antharian, are you-¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Her heart now beating faster, her face turning slightly red. She moved my hand over her breasts, letting out what sounded like a faint ¡°Eep¡± and her face now a dark red color. She slowly turned her head, facing me, looking to see if she could gauge a reaction from me. She must have been happy with my facial expression as she looked joyful.


    ¡°Okay, good, good.¡± She exclaimed.


    I overheard the girls giggling at this whole debacle but chose to ignore them. I still felt conflicted by this as I should not be touching her this way. Even if I had her permission, it didn¡¯t matter as she was technically Gabriel¡¯s property, but Antharian didn¡¯t seem to care right then.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you right now?¡± I asked.


    She chuckled, making random noises. I had hoped for an actual response other than the random noises and chuckle she offered in return.


    ¡°Antharian?¡±


    She turned around, still holding my hand against her chest, but now facing me.


    ¡°Master¡­ you ask too many questions¡­¡± she said, letting go of my hand. ¡°Okay, I guess I¡¯m done then. You may return to whatever it is you were going to do before. Selyse and Anatasia can do the rest.¡±


    I stood up again and made my way to the door. As I reached the door, I paused, looking over my shoulder. The three of them huddled in a corner, talking amongst themselves. I unlocked the door, making my way out. Just outside the door, stood Elise, who took a step back as I came out. I looked at her, not expecting to see her.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, a word please?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but please follow me to the library.¡± I said, as I grabbed my sword before making my way for the staircase.


    We made our way to the library, where upon entry, I made my way to the shelf waiting for Elise to tell me what may have been on her mind.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, I would like to request to go pick up some ingredients from a market to make some delicious food for us all. While I know we don¡¯t have to eat, both Anatasia and Selyse do to survive. If I may, I¡¯d like to request you go for me or at the very least, accompany me so I may.¡± She said, kneeling.


    ¡°Elise, stand up. You know better. Also, I can send you on your own with a special badge. The badge indicates that you¡¯re one of my servants and clearly states you¡¯re a servant of the Right Hand of Gabriel. So, nobody should mess with you.¡±


    She jumped up in the air, as if she had expected a different result.


    ¡°Thank you, Master, thank you!¡± she shouted rushing over to me, hugging me tightly.


    ¡°Actually Elise¡­¡± I said, thinking more out loud.


    She let go of me, backing up slightly.


    ¡°You and I will go to one of the human villages, see about getting some fresh supplies from one of those if possible.¡±


    She looked at me, nodding before running off to prepare for the journey ahead. I began to wonder if I should leave my armor behind and only take my shoulder-cape, or just take both. I thought about it for a few more moments, not realizing that Elise had already came back. She tapped me on my lower back, causing me to jump as I hadn¡¯t expected her there.


    ¡°Oh, sorry Master Thadeus, I did not mean to scare you¡± she said, giggling.


    I grabbed my bag and shoulder-cape, as I determined if we¡¯re going to a controlled area, then there shouldn¡¯t be any issues. I looked at Elise, before grabbing at her hand and walking into my room to retrieve a badge for her just to be safe. If her and I were separated, I wanted to ensure that she would be safe.


    As we exited, one of the other servants was sweeping the hall.


    ¡°Elise and I will be leaving for a bit to gather some supplies. I¡¯ll talk with a guard to see about ensuring nobody comes in while I am gone. If anyone comes in, please ensure you pay close attention to their armor and their markings and I shall handle it.¡± I said.


    She looked up. ¡°Okay m¡¯lord. I shall inform the others¡± she said, quietly.


    ¡°Hey, you know what? Have Selyse handle whoever may attempt to come in. She¡¯s sassy and makes it known to random guards who she serves and isn¡¯t afraid to make it known to others that if they touch her, or you guys, I¡¯ll chop their heads off.¡± I said, half jokingly.


    ¡°Oh, very good idea Master. I shall go find her and let her know.¡± She said.


    Elise giggled as the other servant ran up the stairs. ¡°Master, did you teach Selyse to be that way?¡±


    ¡°No. I have always told her to behave. She¡¯s a wild one though.¡± I said, laughing.


    Elise and I made our way to the first floor, making our way out. I double checked to ensure I had everything we would need for the quick journey. I looked over Elise. She donned a long elegant hooded robe, with sandals. I handed her the badge normally reserved for myself, while placing my shoulder-cape on. I did another check of my bag to ensure that I had the coordinates for one of the Human villages under our control, thankfully I did.


    ¡°Okay Elise. I¡¯m going to pick you up, and fly us over to the portal area as I¡¯d like to make this a quick trip.¡±


    I leant down, scooping her up in between my arms. Her upper legs and back being supported by my arms. I jumped up in the air, making our way to the portals. The flight there was quick, as I didn¡¯t want to waste a lot of time. When we arrived, a guard quickly approached us.


    ¡°Excuse me, you can-¡° he said as I turned around. He must have realized who I was the moment he saw the shoulder-cape as he took off quickly without saying another word.


    I placed Elise on the ground, receiving weird looks from those around me.


    ¡°Servant, from here on out, you shall walk¡± I shouted, trying to show those around me that this was just going to be a one-time deal.


    She kneeled, not saying a word, looking down at the ground.


    ¡°Good, now stand up and follow me¡± I said sternly.


    I felt bad for talking this way towards her but wanted others to see that I was being rough on her to not raise any suspicions.


    The portal master came up to me, looking at Elise in disgust.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, what brings you and this¡­ servant¡­ here?¡± he asked.


    I reached into my bag, retrieving the coordinates for the Holy Order occupied Human region, handing it to him. He looked at it, before looking at me confused.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, just so you are aware, this is a human controlled zone. These monsters are filthy and below even that of your servant here. Do you still wish to go?¡±


    ¡°Are you questioning me, portal master, the Right hand of Gabriel?¡± I yelled.


    A nearby Holy Order guard overheard the commotion, rushing over.


    ¡°Lord Master Angel of Gabriel, is this one refusing an order? He said, kneeling.


    I could see a bead of sweat dripping from his face as he tried to form words from his mouth. While it wasn¡¯t a big deal in the long run, it also wasn¡¯t any of his business what I was doing and why. After a few moments later, he finally mustered up some words.


    ¡°No, no, the Right hand of Gabriel and I had a simple misunderstanding. Right Master Thadeus?¡± he said, sounding nervous.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct guard, you are excused. The portal master here was just about to open the portal for where my servant and I need to go.¡± I looked at the portal master again.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± He said.


    The Holy Order guard looked at him, satisfied with the solution and walked away. Without saying anything else, the portal master entered the stones into the portal and a few seconds later, Elise and I walked through the portal leading to a smaller system of portals just at the center of a large Human settlement.


    As we came out, we were greeted by a Human guard, which surprised me. He was fairly short, but donned the armor of a lower ranking angel. He kneeled quickly, putting his head down.


    ¡°Welcome Master Angel of Gabriel. Had I known you were making an appearance, I would have gathered a bigger welcoming party.¡± He said.


    ¡°Please stand.¡± I said quietly.


    He returned to standing up normally, trying to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°Is there anything I know about this place?¡± I asked.


    He was silent for a minute.


    ¡°Master Angel¡­ there have been some¡­ disputes amongst others here. To find out more, visit the town hall.¡± He said, quietly.


    I nodded, and motioned for Elise to follow me. The guard offered to take me directly to the town hall, but I ignored him. Elise followed me along dirt path, quietly humming to herself. Along the sides of the path were these tall gray stone walls, with torches occasionally lining the wall. It was surprisingly bright, but I guess it was still pretty early in the day.


    As we approached a gate leading to the city, we heard a bell, followed by some commotion. I ran up to the gate, knocking it at it, before it slowly opened up.


    ¡°Master Angel, perfect timing, we require your help. Please follow me¡± A guard shouted.


    I looked back at Elise, who looked worried. The guard drew a spear from the wall, running towards the center of the city. Elise and I followed closely as there were people running against while.


    ¡°MAKE WAY FOR THE LORD MASTER ANGEL OF GABRIEL¡± the guard shouted every now and again.


    When we finally reached where the guard took us, a fight had broken out between what seemed like a couple of Angelic guards and Human guards.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus, Right hand of Gabriel, I demand you all stop fighting at once.¡± I shouted at them.


    They instantly stopped fighting, kneeling on the ground and not looking up. I stepped closer, noticing one of the humans had blood dripping down from his arm. I looked at Elise, who was being prevented from approaching closer by a couple of guards.


    ¡°You shall let my servant pass; she dawns the badge of the right hand for a reason¡± I shouted.


    They quickly stepped aside, and I motioned for her to come towards me. She quickly approached me as I pointed at the blood on the human¡¯s arm indicating I wanted her to check his wound out.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, may I adjust him?¡± she asked.


    I nodded at her.


    ¡°Guard, please take a seat.¡± She said softly.


    The guard sat flat on the ground, as Elise carefully lifted up his sleeve, revealing a slash wound. She looked at me, looking a bit concerned.


    ¡°Master, this is deep and I do not think that a human healer has the capability to fix this.¡± She said.


    I looked around at all the guards and other random citizens just staring.


    ¡°Well? Get lost already. Every one of you except for these four and my servant.¡± I shouted.


    Everyone quickly dispersed, returning to whatever it was they were doing before. I turned my attention to the other three, wondering what I should do with them since it would possibly be up to me now that I was the highest ranking official in this city. I looked back at Elise, as she reached into her basket to retrieve what appeared to be gauze, and wrapping it around his arm.


    ¡°Master, this will only be a temporary fix, we will still need to visit a doctor or healer at some point¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elise. We will worry about that soon.¡± I said.


    I took a knee beside the wounded guard. ¡°Tell me, what happened here to cause this scrap.¡±


    He looked at the others, thinking about his words.


    ¡°M¡¯lord¡­ It¡¯s nothing. Just a minor disagreement.¡± He said, quietly.


    I stood up, taking another look at them.


    ¡°A minor disagreement. Is that what is happening here?¡±


    None of them answered or even tried to move.


    ¡°Well? I¡¯d like an answer please. You there, Angelic Guards of the Order. Answer me or else.¡± I stated, hoping to not have to behead one to get an answer.


    ¡°Master Lord Thadeus, it indeed was a misunderstanding¡± he said, quietly.


    I let out a sigh. I drew my sword, stabbing at the ground in front of them. The other human guard stood straight up, looking scared.


    ¡°My lord, the fight happened because we disagreed with your kind on the way it runs the city. They approached us first, calling us names and shoving us around. If you search them, you¡¯ll see that there are no cuts or anything on them. But as you saw with my partner here, he is wounded.¡± He said, getting sweatier by the moment.


    I looked at Elise, who was still attending to the injured guard.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided what to do.¡± I paused for a moment, before looking back at the Angelic guards. ¡°My servant here will decide your fates. If she says you die, you die. If she says you live, you live.¡± I said, looking at Elise.


    Elise looked shocked, but I could tell she was thinking about the decision I presented to her.


    After a moment, she finally spoke up.


    ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯ve made my decision¡± she said softly.


    ¡°And what is your decision?


    She stood up, standing before the Angelic guards and pulling my sword from the ground. She looked back at me as if she was waiting for the go-ahead to do what she was about to do. I noticed the moment she picked up the sword, it caught the attention of a few other guards and random passerby¡¯s as they froze in place, watching.


    ¡°On behalf of Lord Master Thadeus, the right hand of Gabriel, I have made the decision to punish you two by death as you have misrepresented the Holy Order and all of it¡¯s inhabitants who work so hard to ensure the safety of our Human and Elven companions. You have betrayed the trust of not just Gabriel, but the others too.¡± She shouted.


    One of the Angelic guards began to cry just as Elise swung the blade as hard she could. His neck rolled slowly rolled towards the feet of the guard standing up. Elise raised the blade up again, beheading the other guard. She wiped the sword clean of blood against the bodies before handing it back to me.


    ¡°Very good.¡± I turned around, seeing further Angelic guards behind me. ¡°Those of you who wish to cause further problems for me, please step forward so we may get it over with. From here on out, we shall work better with the human forces. We are here to protect them, not to harm them. If the Holy Order catches wind of further events where you good-for-nothing guards are abusing humans instead of protecting them, you will be executed without a second thought.¡± I shouted at the crowd.


    I sheathed my sword.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, lets get you to a doctor. You lead the way¡± I said.


    The injured guard stood up, looking a bit frightened but also relieved to still be alive. As he started walking, the crowd that had reformed in front of us dispersed. The guard led us around the corner, passed a few homes and a Well, before finally reaching a building with the words ¡°DOCTOR¡± on a giant sign. He stopped walking as we reached the building, pointing at it.


    ¡°Keep walking, we¡¯re here for you. Not myself or my servant. But for you.¡± I said, as I was turning around as I heard something behind me.


    To my surprise, we had somehow picked up a few more guards.


    ¡°What is the purpose of you following me?¡± I asked.


    One of them stepped forward, bowing. ¡°Lord Master Thadeus, we are here to esco-¡° He said before I interrupted him.


    ¡°Return to your original duties. My escort is in front of me and that is all that I need.¡± I shouted.


    I turned my attention back to the wounded guard.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, my name is Josiah.¡±


    ¡°Josiah. Okay Josiah, lets go talk with the doctor and after we get you treated, I have more questions for you.¡±


    He nodded, making his way into the building with myself and Elise behind him. As we entered, a man wearing white jacket, with blue pants and a headband on approached us.


    ¡°Oh, Master Angel, what brings you here?¡± He asked, his voice sounding shaky.


    I pointed at Josiah.


    ¡°I need you help this man, he was attacked by an Angelic guard.¡±


    The man walked over to Josiah, folding up his sleeve. He poked at the bandage Elise had fashioned a few times before sighing.


    ¡°What is it? Are you going to be able to fix him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d have to cut off his arm, as the cut is too deep for me to just¡­ fix.¡± He said, sounding as if it was the only option.


    Elise looked at the doctor as if he was crazy.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, your servant is giving me the look you¡¯d give a drunk running naked around in the middle of snow fall and I do not appreciate it.¡± He said.


    ¡°My servant is free to do as she pleases for now. What do you think? Should I heal him myself?¡±


    I asked, looking at Elise. She smiled.


    I placed my hand just above Josiah¡¯s wound, allowing the energy to focus on restoring his arm. Thankfully it didn¡¯t look like it was incredibly deep, but it wasn¡¯t deep enough for his whole arm to be amputated. After a few moments, his arm was back to normal. He removed the gauze medical wrapping that Elise had done for him.


    The doctor walked away, grumbling as he walked, throwing his arms up in the air before eventually closing a door behind him.


    Josiah bowed towards me. ¡°Thank you, Master Lord Angel, for your gracious healing.¡± He said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Could you please take us to the market? We came here for a casual reason, but just happened to get mixed into this. It¡¯s fine, but please take us there¡± I said, hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with another incident.


    ¡°Of course Maste-¡° I interrupted him, getting tired of being called that. ¡°Just¡­ Lord Thadeus or Master Thadeus, stop with the super long titles. C¡¯mon, lets get going already.¡±


    He nodded, making his way out of the building. We walked in the silence, and at his pace, it seemed to take forever to reach our destination. I occasionally glanced back at Elise to ensure she was still with us, as she made no noises when she walked. Eventually, I made her stand in the middle with how quiet she was.


    As we approached an area with many people, the volume of the once busy area had deafened as we entered a market area.


    ¡°Josiah, it just occurred to me. Do we need currency to buy products here?¡±


    He turned around, facing Elise as she stood between us.


    ¡°Normally you would, but with you m¡¯lord, your costs are covered. As well as your servant so long, she bares that badge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the Master, guard. But if you want, I¡¯ll relay the message¡± she jokingly said.


    ¡°If you would¡­¡± Josiah responded.


    ¡°Master, Josiah said¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what he said. I¡¯m right here.¡± I said, in disbelief Elise would do that.


    I motioned for Elise to go grab she needed. She took a small parchment from out of her basket, on it I could see pictures of the items she needed. It took me by surprise, as I expected words. But with her being a servant, I guess she never got the chance to learn how to read and write. But at least she could draw. Josiah followed her, figuring I could handle myself. I entered deeper in the market, feeling out of place as I was towered shops and all the humans in the area.


    Nothing caught my eye from any of the vendors so I made my way to an area that didn¡¯t have anyone nearby, and leaned against the wall. I wanted to sit down but determined that if Elise wanted to find me easily, it¡¯d be better if I remained standing. She was taller than a human, but not nearly as tall as I was.


    While standing there, I noticed another problem in the form of theft. There was a man wearing a black cloak who would wait until shop keepers were busy with another customer before swiping a product from the booth. I watched him steal six different items before I made my way over to him. As I got closer, I noticed him glance over at me, looking nervous. I pretended to have something catch my attention and looked at the first booth to directly to my right.


    ¡°Ohhhh, Hello Master Angel¡­ I never expected to see you here at my booth of all places.¡± An old woman said.


    I looked at what she was selling and it happened to be a mixture of colored rocks and jewelry. I looked at she had presented.


    ¡°Heeey, these are neat rocks you got here.¡± I said, loudly. Drawing the attention of multiple people.


    The man in the black cloak, frozen in place. I slowly approached him.


    ¡°If you return all the items you have stolen, I shall overlook this¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Ye-ye-yes s-s-sir¡± he stammered.


    ¡°Keep one of those fruits for yourself though but return the rest.¡±


    He nodded, quickly making his back into the market. I watched as he handed the items back one by one. I walked back to my original spot, leaning against the wall once again. After a long wait, I saw Elise¡¯s head poking just above the tops of the stores.


    ¡°Elise.¡± I called out.


    Her head turning towards me, now running faster.


    ¡°Did you get what you needed?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Any issues?¡±


    ¡°No master. None. Everyone was super friendly.¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go home.¡± I said, wanting to get out before another incident happens.


    Just as I got off the wall, I heard someone shouting. I grabbed Elise, pulling her close to me and holding her against me tightly, trying to hide.


    ¡°Where is the Master Angel? Master Angel! I need your help!¡±


    I looked at the ground, motioning for them to turn away and go about their business. A guard came rushing past where Elise and I stood, and I watched as figured out if he wanted to go straight or left within the market. Had he just looked a bit more to his left, he would¡¯ve seen us. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t. Once we were sure he was out of sight, I picked up Elise and took to the roofs. Whatever was going on, the local guards could handle.


    As we landed on a roof, the alarm bell started to go off. Several thunderous rings echoed through-out the city. Down below, I could hear yelling.


    ¡°Did you find the Master Angel yet?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t find him at all. How¡¯s it looking out there?¡±


    ¡°Not good. That Ogre out there is destroying us and is just eating all the arrows we throw at it.¡±


    I sighed, looking at the gate where the alarm bell was ringing. I knew I couldn¡¯t leave the city was under an active threat. I dropped Elise off on the last roof just before the gate.


    ¡°Soldiers!¡± I yelled out.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Master Angel! He¡¯s here. OPEN THE GATE!¡± shouted an Angelic guard.


    The gate slowly opened. Given that I did not bring my armor, I did not want to directly engage this threat. Every time he took a step, it caused the ground shake beneath my feet.


    ¡°Stop! Or you¡¯ll be engaged¡± I shouted at it.


    In return, a boulder was launched at me. I managed to jump away from it as it made a small crater where I once stood. I looked at the boulder, then back at the Ogre. It was clear that it was not going to retreat. I held my hand out, forming the Angelic-bow.


    ¡°Last chance.¡± I yelled.


    The ogre started laughing.


    ¡°Foolish Angel. Can¡¯t stop me.¡± He shouted.


    I formed an arrow, focusing on for it to put an end to this attack. The ogre stood there, smiling, holding his hands out as if he was going to catch it.


    ¡°Oh, you think you can catch this?¡± I asked.


    He laughed again. ¡°Arrow easy catch¡±


    I released the arrow. Had this been a normal arrow, he would have indeed caught it. It went straight his hands, piercing his chest before dissipating. He fell backwards with a loud thump noise. I continued to hold the bow in place, forming another arrow. I looked over at a group of guards combined of Angels and Humans slowly approaching.


    ¡°One of you, check him. If he moves, I¡¯ll hit him again.¡± I shouted.


    The guards all looked at each other, taking a moment to figure out who would go check to see if he was still alive. After a few moments, one of them was giving a spear and he slowly made his way within poking distance. The guard gently poked the ogre with the tip.


    ¡°Master Angel, he appears to be dead.¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Get closer, I need a confirmation before I take off.¡±


    The guard started making his way down the shaft of the spear before coming within inches of the ogre¡¯s hands. I noticed the guard lean down, placing a hand on the beast¡¯s arm to check for a pulse. As he did that, I saw the ogre open an eye and slowly raise his head. As his head raised, I let another arrow lose, striking him through his forehead. His head fell back, and the guard jumped away in fear of his life.


    ¡°Good work. Okay, so since I have been here, I have solved a few problems despite being here for other reasons. What else you got for me? Might as well.¡± I shouted at the guards.


    I had not planned on making a report of my time here but given that during the short time I had been in that city and running into several issues, I decided maybe it would have been appropriate to report it the Holy Order. But with Gabriel gone, I¡¯d have to report it to Michael or one of the other Archs.


    I started to walk towards the guards as they all kneeled.


    ¡°Take me to whoever oversees this settlement, city or whatever it is called. I wish to speak to them, NOW.¡± I said.


    One of the human guards stood up quickly.


    ¡°Follow me m¡¯lord¡± he said, as he took off running inside with me in tow. As I re-entered the gate, I noticed Elise was on the ground now, she quickly followed behind.


    After a few turns and the guard shouting at everyone in the way to get out of the way, we finally made our way to a large building with bars over the windows and a heavy metal door with a gold lining along the edge. The overall building seemed out of place in comparison of the architectural designs of the rest of the buildings nearby.


    I grabbed at the handle, gently pushing the door open, revealing a desk just upon entering with someone stationed at it. There was a female human, looking down at something hidden behind a plank of wood.


    ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯re closed for today. Please come back tomorrow¡± she said, still looking down.


    ¡°No. No I don¡¯t think I will. I want to speak to whoever is in charge.¡± I said.


    She sighed, slowly looking up. Her facial expression changing from annoyance to fearful.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ Im sorry Master Angel. One moment while I fetch the Lord of this city. Please, come on.¡± She said as she stepped from out behind the desk, bowing then vanishing behind a swinging door.


    Elise came in behind me, closing the door.


    ¡°Master¡­ this isn¡¯t how I expected the day to go¡­ ¡° she whispered.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s a bit frustrating. Since we¡¯ve been here, we handled the issue with those guards, I caught thief and then defended the city from an ogre. It¡¯s such a mess here.¡± I sighed.


    After a few more moments of waiting, a man emerged from behind the swinging doors. He looked as though he ate far too much, wore silk-weaved clothes, balding in the center of his head and wore a fancy red cape as if he were some sort of king.


    ¡°Ah, Hello Master Angel, what brings you to my cozy little city?¡± he asked, sounding pompous. He approached me, but took a few steps back after seeing Elise standing behind me.


    ¡°Mmm. Excuse Master Angel, but uhh¡­ her kind¡­ aren¡¯t allowed in here.¡± He said, pointing at Elise and looking at her as if she were a rabid animal.


    ¡°My servant is the least of your worries right now. We came here to gather a few supplies for a meal she planned to make tonight, but I¡¯ve ran into a few issues since we¡¯ve been here that I had to resolve, and let me tell you¡­ I¡¯m not pleased about what I have seen so far.¡± I said, not trying to hide my displeasure.


    He walked over to the window, looking outside.


    ¡°The city doesn¡¯t appear to be on fire, and I promise you Master Angel, this city is the safest of all controlled cities. Nothing ever happens here..¡±


    I walked over to him, picking up from his chair by the back of his shirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that you do not understand what is going on in your city as you clearly have taken advantage of the Holy Order allowing you to be in this position. Given by your current state of appearance, your attitude among other things, you clearly forgot that you serve the Holy Order and not the other way around.¡±


    I unsheathed my sword, cutting off his silk clothing, leaving him in just his underwear.


    ¡°Elise, open the door¡± I said to her calmly.


    She nodded, opening the door and holding it open. I picked up the clothes, tossing them outside in the dirt. A couple of guards were walking past as the clothes flew out in front of them. They turned, looking at what was going on but chose to quickly walk off, not wanting to get involved in what was happening.


    ¡°C¡¯mon you fat pig, outside¡± I shouted as I pointed outside.


    He reluctantly made his way outside the building.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, to the market¡± I said, pushing him. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    On the way back to the market, many different people stopped to stare and we had moderate-sized entourage following us the whole way there. One of the guards behind us carried a metallic shield.


    ¡°Excuse me, shield user. Please bang on your shield with your sword every few seconds.¡± I told him.


    He nodded.


    As we walked, we¡¯d hear ¡°thunk thunk¡± every few seconds, which caught the attention of more people who started to follow us to the market-place. As we finally reached it, I noticed a stage-like area that I herded this man to before we finally made our way up the steps before finally being on the stage. I gently grabbed at the shield the guard was holding, who relinquished it.


    I unsheathed my sword and hit it against the shield a couple of times.


    ¡°Attention citizens, this pig that stands before you today is the same man who sits in that building all day, denying you guys from having an audience to address your concerns, dons fancy clothing, eats as though he is a king, and who knows whatever else it is that he does. While your city is under attack from Ogres or other hostiles, the people fight amongst each other, and thieves steal from vendors. These are things I have noticed in the short time I have been here, visiting on my own time along with my servant here.¡± I said, pausing to see if anyone speaks up.


    Jeering erupted from the middle of the crowd, indicating that this man wasn¡¯t very well liked, and a tomato came flying in from the crowd, smacking him square in the jaw. The rest of the crowd erupted in laughter.


    ¡°I want to see a show of hands. All in favor of this man, please raise your hands.¡±


    I looked around the large crowd of people, trying to determine if anyone supported this man. I didn¡¯t see any hands raised though, which was odd to me as I determined maybe I just happened to come on the wrong day.


    ¡°If I am understanding this correctly, none of you approve of this man? Okay. If you do not approve of this man, please raise your hands.¡±


    This time, everyone in the area including guards, raised their hands. There were at least a few hundred people with their hand in the air, indicating that this man did nothing for this city and possibly only abused the people.


    ¡°Okay, so, it appears that this man isn¡¯t liked at all, is that my understanding?¡±


    The crowd yelled various things, but something that caught my attention was: ¡°EXECUTE HIM!¡±


    It started to pick up amongst the crowd who all started chanting ¡°EXE-CUTE¡± which I¡¯m sure could have been heard throughout the entire city by now. I banged my sword against the shield again.


    ¡°Quiet. QUIET DOWN!¡± I shouted.


    In the crowd, I saw a guard of the Holy Order standing at the edge of the crowd. I motioned for him to come to the stage. He made his way through the swarm of people before finally reaching the stairs.


    ¡°Yes Master Angel?¡±


    ¡°Gabriel isn¡¯t available, so I¡¯ll need you to go back to the Kingdom and make Lord Master Michael aware that I will be needing an emergency meeting with him in relation to what happened here. Let him know that I will explain everything upon my return.¡± I whispered to him.


    ¡°Yes m¡¯lord, I shall go right away.¡± He said, jumping into the air and flying towards the portal area.


    I looked at the crowd again.


    ¡°If I execute this man, who will rise up to take his place then?¡±


    The crowd looked at one another, confused as to who will be the one to step up. One of the guards that Elise and I assisted earlier raised his hand.


    ¡°M¡¯lord¡± The crowd turned to him, ¡°M¡¯lord, I shall step up and take his place temporarily until the Order finds someone more suitable.¡± He said.


    The crowd cheered.


    ¡°Okay, so there¡¯s that then. Okay, so this fat pig here, I¡¯ll be taking him back to the Kingdom with me and he will have to answer to Master Lord Michael for his lack of actions.¡± I shouted.


    I pushed him towards the stairs, making our way back towards the portal area. As we walked along, he kept trying to talk his way out of this whole ordeal, but I ignored every plea he made. At some point, Elise smacked him upside the head, which caused him to stop talking. Once we reached the portal area, the same guard from before gave us an odd look.


    ¡°Three this time?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yep, back to the Holy Order.¡±


    ¡°This portal will take you back there, thank you for visiting Master Thadeus.¡±


    I shoved the man through the portal first, allowed Elise to go before me before going through myself. On the other end of the portal, Michael and the same guard from earlier waited for our return along with several guards.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus, Right hand to Gabriel, I do hope you can shed further light on this whole situation. From what this one has told me; it sounds as if he allowed a city under our control to fall into an unacceptable state riddled with issues and refused to fix it. Is this correct?¡± Michael asked, trying to get a grasp on what is going on.


    I spent a few minutes explaining to him and giving him a quick run-down of my experiences while in the city, in addition to outside of the city with the Ogre. During the entire explanation, Michael kept looking at the man. After I finished explaining everything, he finally spoke up.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus, first off, good work and thank you for ensuring the safety of the people there. That is a key city for the Kingdom. Secondly, this disgusting¡­ pig¡­ will be executed and last, I will find a suitable replacement and reinforce the city with further guards. As for you, pig. Guards, take him away and have him executed immediately. I will not tolerate the level of incompetence you have showed human.¡± Michael said, sounding irritated.


    I bowed, before thanking him.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, you and your servant are free to return to your duties or whatever you were doing beforehand. My men and I will go check it out ourselves since Gabriel is tied up with something else and the others are busy doing other things.¡± He said.


    As Elise and I started to walk away, he grabbed at my shoulder.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus, I know you are preoccupied with whatever it may be that Gabriel has you doing, but I¡¯d like for you to go to other areas under our control and do similar things if possible.¡± He whispered.


    ¡°Of course, Lord Master Michael, I shall¡± I said, bowing before he and the others stepped through the portal.


    Elise and I made the long walk back to the garden tower. By the time we got back, it was nearly dark out. When we arrived, I noticed a guard standing in front of the door.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, your return pleases me. Your head servant made it quite clear that if I came in, I¡¯d be executed so I chose to remain out here.¡± He said.


    ¡°You¡¯re relieved, thanks¡± I said.


    He moved aside, allowing Elise and I to enter. As I went in, he tried to talk to me, but I chose to ignore him and shut the door on his face. He quickly got the hint as I heard him quickly walk away.


    ¡°My lord, should I bother making a feast tonight or place this in a cool place for another day?¡± Elise asked.


    ¡°Elise, you were great today, sorry for all the distractions. Lets save it for another day as I¡¯d like for you to rest after that long journey.¡± I responded.


    She nodded, making her way up the stairs with a basket full of assorted goods for a feast that we had planned for that night had we not gotten mixed up with the events of that city. I sat on the couch, the fire still roaring, wondering if I could have done things any differently. In the long run, I did was potentially best for the city as a whole and not only that, but I did appear to have landed upon Michael¡¯s good side.


    I sat there for a few moments before I heard footsteps quietly making their way towards me. I figured Selyse caught wind that I had returned but was surprised when my vision went dark. I could hear a soft giggle behind me along whispering.


    ¡°Guess who¡± the voice said.


    ¡°Considering these aren¡¯t human hands, it can¡¯t be Anatasia or Selyse. The only two here that are comfortable enough to play a trick on me like this would be Antharian or Elise as the others generally stick to themselves unless I request their assistance. Knowing that Elise is pre-occupied, Hello Antharian.¡±


    Suddenly, I could see again. Antharian stepped over the couch, sitting down next to me.


    ¡°So Master Thadeus, how was your trip?¡± she asked.


    I sighed and took a few moments to tell her about what Elise and I had to go through just over a few vegetables, bread and a few other goods. After I had finished telling her the story, she scooted closer to me giving me a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry m¡¯lord. That sounds terrible.¡± She said, standing up.


    She reached at my hand, pulling at it. I stood up and she started to lead me towards the stairs. She took me to the library, removing my shoulder-cape and gently placing it on an armor rack, along with my sword.


    ¡°Master, I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I went through the books in here. Gabriel and some of the others don¡¯t know this, but Anatasia and I know how to read. I¡¯m telling you this because I know I can trust you.¡± She whispered before pointing at a couple of books on the table. ¡°Those books over there? Read them. They¡¯ll help you. I found a book that teaches you to open portals for yourself, allowing you to go to places you¡¯ve already been without the need for the portal master and making the long trek to/from the portal areas. I suggest you read them.¡±


    I looked at her, shocked that she would openly admit this to me but also ecstatic about learning a skill that could cut down the time it¡¯d take to get to some of my destinations. Truth be told, I hated having to rely on the portal masters¡¯ and the main portal system. Knowing I could learn something that would allow me to cut out the middleman and a save a ton of time excited me.


    ¡°Antharian, if you find any other books that could potentially help me become more self-sufficient, that would be great. I¡¯m a bit tuckered out from the events of today, but I will get started on this tomorrow unless something comes up. Which¡­ could happen, but we¡¯ll see¡± I said, excited by this development.


    I had considered fighting the urge to just lay down in bed for the rest of the evening and start fresh tomorrow, but I wanted to get started on learning new skills after a good night¡¯s rest. I think Antharian understood that I was not in the right mindset at the moment to read up on any material tonight.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, let me escort you to your room¡± she said, smiling.


    She walked out of the library, opening my door up.


    ¡°Master, you coming?¡±


    I walked out of the library, closing the door gently behind me and wandered into my room where I saw Antharian sitting on my bed. She looked up at me, with a soft smile that made my whole brain melt.


    ¡°What? Are you spending the night in my room?¡± I joked.


    ¡°If¡­ If I could. Just close the windows. It¡¯s not like Gabriel would find out anyways¡­ he¡¯ll be gone for a while anyways¡­¡± she said while twiddling her thumbs.


    I thought about it for a moment. She had a point about Gabriel not being back for a long period of time, plus it was just for tonight. There would be no harm in allowing her to spend the night with me in my room. I placed my hand on her back, which caused her to jump slightly.


    ¡°Okay Antharian, you may stay with me tonight. But you¡¯ll have to battle Selyse for her spot.¡± I said, jokingly.


    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be an issue. I told Selyse she had to sleep in my room tonight and that I¡¯d be in here tonight. I have never seen a human who has ever looked that excited before.¡± She joked back.


    As we were talking, Anatasia came into the room.


    ¡°M¡¯lady¡± she said, curtseying. ¡°M¡¯lady, I have taken the liberty to ensure that the entrance is fully locked, and secured, so we won¡¯t have any unwanted visitors¡± she said, as she walked over to the windows and securing them.


    ¡°The windows are now secure as well, and I shall ensure that the entrance from the garden to your floor is also locked and secure. May I be of any further service?¡± she asked, with a slight smile on her face.


    ¡°No Ana, you¡¯ve been more than helpful, please take it easy the rest of the evening while I spend time with Master Thadeus.¡± She said.


    Anatasia nodded, smiled back and left the room. Closing the door behind her. Antharian stood up, walking over to the door, locking it before returning to sitting on the bed.


    ¡°Master¡­ thank you for your kindness¡± she said as rested her head against my shoulder.


    I placed my arm around her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will keep you safe for as long as I¡¯m assigned. I¡¯d like to lay down though.¡±


    She stood up, allowing me to lay down before laying on her side. She placed her head over my chest, giggling.


    ¡°Master¡­ your heart¡­ it¡¯s beating fast. It¡¯s almost as if you like me. Mmm. I wish it as you, Thadeus.¡± She said, inching her body close to me to where I could feel her warmth. My heart picked up a bit, causing her to giggle a bit more.


    As she laid against me, with her arm flat across my chest and her leg over mine, she let out a relieved sounding sigh. Her breathing indicated she was slowly falling asleep, until eventually falling asleep. I wasn¡¯t too far behind her as I ended up falling asleep shortly after. Despite the day I had, this was the perfect way to end it.

 Chapter 13 - The Human from Earth

    Several years had passed, and Gabriel managed to drop in here and there. The task he had assigned himself was taking far longer than he had expected as he was constantly trying to chase a group down that continued to steal from the Order. He never clued me in about what it could be, but at some points, he would come back and recruit a large batch of novice warriors before heading out again. With how many he took, it should have been to overthrow an entire planet.


    During those years, Antharian continued to find books within the library that helped me grow more powerful. We would occasionally flirt or have personal sessions in the bathhouse, but nothing serious happened. In addition to her, the servants would occasionally ask me for one-on-one sessions where they¡¯d vent about their frustrations with one another or just wanting to share a bed for a night.


    Michael would occasionally drop by, requesting that I check out further areas under our control, but compared to the very first city I went to, they were relatively tame. The issues would range from minor disagreements on guard rotations to a lack of materials to defend in the event of a significant attack properly. Nothing that genuinely required an Angel of my prestige to deal with, but Michael would send me, and in return, he would allow my servants access to areas banned to most servants.


    At some point, Selyse had approached me with a book that I remember seeing when we lived within Gabriel¡¯s castle. While I had a fundamental understanding of Elven, it wasn¡¯t enough to fully converse with an Elf, and I was surprised when a mere human approached me, stating they could read it. She eventually taught me how to read, write, and speak in the language, which further strengthened the relationship I had with Elven-controlled areas of the Order, allowing me to learn so much more about not only their culture but also being able to eavesdrop on them.


    At one point, I had reported to Michael about a rebellion that would have been started in a matter of days had I not said something. While I understood their reasoning, it was my duty to report it. Due to these actions, I had been listed as a temporary Right Hand of Michael too, which gave me access to his castle and those resources at his disposal. For some odd reason, neither Gabriel nor the others had a blacksmith, and they primarily relied on the blacksmiths of the lower regions to gear them.


    It took me a year to master the portal technique, but it made traveling so much faster. In addition to that, I also learned a reviving technique that worked in tandem with my healing capabilities. However, being holed up in the Order for the most part, I hadn¡¯t had a chance to try it out on anyone.


    What surprised me the most was that the gray female servant who never spoke decided to talk to me one night. She had told me that she stopped speaking after she was beaten severely because her previous master disliked her voice and the sounds of her crying late at night when she was younger. So, after that, she had decided to stop talking and told me her name was Neriah. Unfortunately, the rest of them told me their names didn¡¯t matter, and they didn¡¯t mind being referred to whatever I called them.


    Present Day


    To my surprise, I awoke to the sounds of horns blaring. Having never experienced this before, I rushed to the window and quickly opened the shutters. Antharian had come into the room, gently nudging me. I moved over for her to peek, too. Down below, a guard wearing all gold shouted up at us.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, you and your servants, including the one beside you, must report to Michael. Normally, you¡¯d report to Gabriel, but he is far too busy to be here, so you¡¯ll report to Michael instead.¡± He shouted.


    I looked back at Antharian, who nodded and gathered the rest of the servants. I looked back down at the guard.


    ¡°We will be there shortly.¡± I shouted back.


    He nodded before flying off in a hurry.


    I was trying to think about what could be happening, as I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. I started thinking of the possibilities as Antharian returned with the servants. I turned around, looking at them. Each of them, including Antharian, wore elegant-looking clothes. They were probably going to be the best-looking servants in the kingdom, as I ensured my servants were dressed as well as possible during our outings.


    Selyse ran up to me, handing over my shoulder-cape while Elise held my armor. After Antharian assisted me in placing my armor on, I leaned down, handing the shoulder cape back to Selyse so she could put it on me. In exchange, she gave me a huge smile.


    ¡°Very good. I don¡¯t know what is going on, but we¡¯ve been told to report to Michael¡¯s castle. We will follow the standard protocol of the Order to ensure that none of us get in trouble. The Order we walk in will be myself, Antharian, Anatasia, Selyse, Elise and the rest of you can walk in whatever Order you wish to. Please ensure you address others appropriately, bow or kneel when needed, and don¡¯t speak unless spoken to first. I shall do my best to ensure you are left alone, but I cannot make any promises.¡± I said, ensuring that everyone knew the expectations.


    They all shuffled around in front of me, and once they were lined up and ready to go, I turned around. I opened a portal straight to Micheal¡¯s front gate and took the lead. Once we were all through the portal, it closed behind us and a guard greeted us.


    ¡°Master Thadeus, your servants, and you will follow me. Unfortunately, Master Lord Michael is already gone, but asked me to stay behind to escort you as he figured you may have shown up here¡± he said, kneeling.


    I nodded back at him, motioning for him to lead the way.


    ¡°Will your human servants be able to keep up?¡± he asked. ¡°We need to move quickly as it is important.¡±


    I looked back at Anatasia and Selyse, who were already being picked up by Elise & Antharian.


    The guard nodded. ¡°Very good then. Make haste, Master Thadeus, as we are running late.¡±


    He took off running with my party in tow. I wish I had known where we were going sooner because I could have opened a portal there instead. We ran all the way from the very edge of Gabriel¡¯s section of the kingdom back all the way to where the Holy Order wall was located. Cherubim leveled angels with four wings and multiple eyes were guarding the doors, and held large spears. They wore white cloth around their bodies, with gold tapestry-like strings hanging from the cloth. In comparison to myself and some of the other taller Angels, they towered over us.


    As we arrived, Michael motioned for me to approach him.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus,¡± he whispered, ¡°Your servants normally would not be able to follow you into this sacred room, but seeing as you are currently representing Gabriel, it will be allowed this one time. Ensure that they are on their very best behavior as even a minor slip-up on their part will ensure their certain death.¡±


    He looked back at the door. ¡°Are you ready, Lord Thadeus?¡±


    I looked back at Antharian and the others before turning my attention back to Michael, bowing.


    ¡°Yes, Lord Master. We are.¡±


    ¡°Very good, come with me.¡± He said, shouting at the lower ranks to make way. They quickly moved out of the way as we made our way through the crowd. At one point, we stopped as one in the crowd reached out to grope Antharian, laughing about it.


    ¡°Do you not know who this female is, you idiot?¡± I shouted so that everyone could hear.


    The shouting caught the attention of not only Michael and the other higher angels but also the Cherubim, and every eye of theirs was now fully focused on us. The Cherubim tapped their spears in unison.


    ¡°Lord Master Thadeus is the protectant of the female reserved for Master Lord Gabriel.¡± They said in unison.


    I looked up at them, wondering if they would do something. The door slightly opened, revealing another Cherubim in a gold cloth uniform. He slowly stepped out, gently closing the door behind him. He reached out into the air, a spear forming in his hand. His attention now focused on the commotion.


    ¡°Lord Master Thadeus,¡± he said.


    I kneeled upon being addressed.


    ¡°Stand Lord Master Thadeus, Right Hand of Gabriel. For today, you are temporarily an equal with that of Michael and the others.¡±


    I stood up, acknowledging his words.


    ¡°Now¡­ The one who touched the reserved one. Who is it?¡± he said, raising his spear.


    I stepped aside, pointing at the angel who had made a move. He had a look of despair on his face.


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, peasant?¡± he yelled.


    I grabbed the angel by a leather strap on his armor, moving him closer to the Cherubim. The closer he got, the more sweat poured down his face and the more I could hear him whimpering in fear.


    ¡°Speak! You¡¯ve been asked a question by the mighty ones,¡± I yelled at him.


    He fell to all fours, begging for forgiveness from the Cherubim before crawling over to Antharian and repeating the process with her. At one point, he tried to kiss at her feet, to which she rejected the motion and kicked him away before he came to rest on all fours at my feet. He continued to apologize but never answered them.


    They tapped their spears against the ground again.


    ¡°Lord Master Thadeus, are you satisfied with that ones groveling, or shall we take more extreme measures?¡±


    I looked again at the young angel in front of me, wondering if I should forgive him. But as I thought about it, I could hear Antharian in my head. During the last few years, we learned about the art of telepathy and would use it to have private conversations while we were out in public. It proved very useful here and there.


    ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯d like for him to be executed if that is okay with you.¡±


    I looked down at the young angel, motioning for Antharian and them to back up. I looked back at the Cherubim, making a slashing motion at my neck.


    ¡°Very well. Let this be a lesson to everyone here. Take a good look at those who are with him and look closely at Gabriel¡¯s property he protects. If any of you touch his servants without his permission, he has our blessing to execute you on the spot. Those of you who touch Gabriel¡¯s property will be executed automatically.¡±


    He took his spear and quickly impaled the young angel, bringing the angel closer to him.


    ¡°You have betrayed the order, young one.¡±


    The other took their spears, ramming it through his head and chest. Their spears started to glow blue, and the body dissipated into thin air.


    ¡°Let this be a lesson to the rest of you.¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I heard in my mind.


    ¡°Now that is over, Master Lord Thadeus along with your servants, Gabriel¡¯s female and Michael, please come in at once as we¡¯re waiting for you both to enter.¡± The lead Cherubim said.


    Michael, I, Antharian and the Servants rushed to the door which opened enough for us to get in. Upon entering, I saw a human-looking man standing in the middle of the room. As I went to walk forward, a different guard with silver armor and a sun emblem embedded on it motioned for me to go left.


    ¡°You will see your name on a stool. Your servants will have to either sit on the ground against the wall or stand. I¡¯ll leave that up to you,¡± he quietly said.


    As we walked, I could see that there was a one-way field. Whoever was in the center of the main room couldn¡¯t see in, but we could see him. After a few moments of stumbling around and checking chairs, I discovered that we had our own section. There was a seat for myself, Antharian, and the Servants. As we went into the bench, Michael stopped.


    ¡°Thadeus, this is important, so when asked a question, respond quickly and briefly. These ones directly report to the big man. If you screw this up, you¡¯ll either be executed yourself or you¡¯ll be reassigned no matter what. Now isn¡¯t the time, nor place, to be defiant at all.¡± He said quietly, emphasizing the last part.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± I said, bowing.


    ¡°Very good¡­¡±


    Michael walked away before eventually sitting down in his area.


    Antharian, Anatasia, and Selyse sat to my left while the rest sat behind me. As I sat there for a moment, I realized I should be sitting more in the middle, so I had Anatasia switch with me, which still allowed Antharian to be in the middle.


    Other than random footsteps here and there, the room was silent. The man in the middle of the room was more visible from where I was sitting. He was tall, with shoulder-length hair, and wore a white robe and sandals. He was standing at a podium, patiently waiting for whatever it was I was there for as well.


    After what felt like an eternity, a light appeared further left of where I was sitting. An angel wearing a loose white robe with golden streaks running down his sleeves donned a cross dangling from his neck.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for being here; before you stands a Man from Earth that prayed to a higher power daily in order to get our attention. Our creator decided to send a small team to retrieve this man to see what exactly he wanted. So an emergency session was called where the four of you could ask questions to determine his end goal and if this would benefit the Holy Kingdom and the Order as a whole. However, in place of Gabriel, his right hand will be in session as Gabriel is far too busy recovering lost assets and leading our brave soldiers into battle.¡± His voice echoed throughout the chamber.


    ¡°Now, tell us a bit about yourself human.¡±


    A light appeared from the ceiling, highlighting the man. His skin appeared to be much darker than that of Selyse, Anatasia, and the other humans I had seen. He was semi-brown in color and had heavy facial hair. It almost looked like he had laid out in the sun for a bit.


    ¡°Thank you, merciful beings, for blessing me with your generosity and time to stand before you all to speak. I had a dream awhile back, suggesting I should pray to reach out in order to spread the Holy Order¡¯s influence to the people on my planet. We¡¯re a young people, but we are suffering. Our water sources are drying up, our food is scarce, and we experience hardship. But if you¡¯re able to help me, I¡¯ll pay it forward by ensuring that more and more people of Earth look to the Lord of Creation and his Angels for guidance.¡± He explained.


    ¡°Very well. Before we take your request to our creator, I¡¯ll allow the guardians of the Order to ask you any questions.¡±


    The man nodded.


    ¡°Very well. Lord Michael, do you have any questions for this Earth human?¡±


    Michael remained silent for a bit before answering.


    ¡°Human, how is it that you plan to spread the word of our creator to your people?¡± he asked.


    The man leaned against the podium, placing his fist under his head and staring off into space. After a few moments of silence, he finally responded.


    ¡°Lord Michael, if provided the tools, does your kind know what to do with them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a silly question, Human. Of course they do.¡±


    ¡°If you provide me with the tools, the message you wish for me to spread, I can use those tools to spread the word of the all-mighty creator, and the Holy Kingdom will be able to spread its influences to a faraway land.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I have no further questions for him,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Very well, Lord Michael. The right hand of Gabriel, what question do you have for the Human?¡±


    I looked at Antharian and Selyse, unsure what to ask as I did not expect to be here. Antharian shrugged at me. Selyse quietly approached me and whispered in my ear of something to ask.


    ¡°Human, I wish to know something about Earth before I ask my question, if I may.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Lord Angel, ask away.¡±


    ¡°Are there females on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are.¡±


    ¡°How do the people of Earth treat female humans?¡±


    ¡°It depends, Lord Angel, on what they do. There are a lot of witches and other unclean females on Earth, which is part of why I¡¯m here. I want to help ensure that humanity as a whole on Earth can thrive. It is why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. No further questions.¡±


    ¡°Lord Michael, do you have any follow up questions to that of Gabriel¡¯s right hand asked?¡±


    ¡°No, I do not.¡± He said, sounding as if he wanted to pursue the line of questioning further but also didn¡¯t want to be here either.


    ¡°Very well. Do either of you have questions?¡±


    The other Arch¡¯s in attendance did not even say a word. I had started to wonder if none of us wanted to be here and just wanted to get this done and over with as quickly as possible. Other than Michael, I was the only one to ask more than a single question and I wasn¡¯t sure I quite understood the answer.


    ¡°Very well, Holy Guard, please take this man to his quarters. We will talk with you later, human. As for Michael, Gabriel¡¯s Right hand, and you other two, I want you to remain where you are. If any of you have servants with you, please have them duck down or sit against the wall out of sight, " the high-ranking angel said.


    Without having to say anything, Anatasia grabbed at everyone, moving them out of the bench seats and sitting against the wall. As that happened, several guards approached the man, leading him out of the door. As he exited, we heard horns blaring again. Whoever this man was, it appeared he was getting the VIP treatment from the Order.


    Once the doors closed, the one-way field dropped, allowing us to see the entire room. On the other side, the other two higher-ranked Angels sat there, their faces hidden by the cloaks they wore.


    ¡°To be clear¡­¡± the angel with the white and gold robes started with, ¡°Out of all of you to ask important questions, only the Hand of Gabriel thought to ask important questions. Lord Thadeus, what prompted you, of all people, to ask that question?¡±


    I looked in his direction, standing up, knowing I was going to have to bullshit my way out of this.


    ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t know what you mean. I was asking a question that would help us understand the importance of this to him. We don¡¯t face these same issues with the females within the Order as they are property of ours. If the Humans of Earth also could keep women under control like how we do here, then the females of Earth will eventually understand that Males reign supreme, and they will no longer do such disgusting acts or act demonic.¡± I said, feeling all the dirty looks from behind me.


    ¡°Hmm. Interesting Lord Thadeus. I was under the impression that your servants were far more than servants from what I have heard, but after that, you have restored the Order''s confidence within you again. We will send an updated document to you later to ensure that you have more access to areas you didn¡¯t before, including information on the whereabouts of your master.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± I said, bowing.


    ¡°Very well, you may all leave now as we have nothing more to discuss.¡± He said, smacking a gavel.


    I stood up, scared to look behind me after what I had said, and slowly turned towards Antharian and the others. Antharian rolled her eyes at me. They all stood up, reforming the line and following me to the door. As we reached it, it was opened from the outside. I stepped out slowly and was looked at by the lead Cherubim.


    ¡°Master Angel, you possess the skill to portal yourself back, yes?¡± He asked


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Very good; thank you for your time here today, and continue to do what you do.¡±


    He stepped back, going to the bottom of the stairs. I opened a portal that would allow my party to head back to the Garden Tower. As it opened, I heard Michael yell out for me.


    ¡°Selyse, take them back. I¡¯ll remain here.¡± I quietly said to her.


    She bowed, lightly shoving everyone through the portal. Once they had all gone through, I gave it an extra second before closing it.


    ¡°Lord Thadeus, thank you for waiting.¡±


    I turned, kneeling. ¡°It is my pleasure, Lord Master Michael.¡±


    ¡°Stand. You¡¯re basically one of us, whether Gabriel wants to admit it.¡± He said, sounding as if he was a proud father. ¡°Oh, right. Here, the Holy Order has told me to give this to you.¡± He said, handing me a round tube-like object.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Michael."


    ¡°Hey, before you go, do you think you could open a portal to my castle for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I chuckled, opening a portal for him.


    He nodded, taking off through the portal before I closed it once I thought he had time to walk out of it.


    I waited for a few extra seconds, expecting someone else to call my name. After a brief wait, nobody said anything to me, so I opened a portal and took myself back to the Garden. Upon arrival, Selyse bowed at me. After the portal closed though, her whole attitude changed.


    ¡°Ugh, Master, I hated that. You didn¡¯t mean what you said, did you?¡± she asked, sounding sad.


    I looked at her, placing my hand atop her head.


    ¡°No, Selyse, but I did say we all had to remain in character, and well¡­ that even counts for me.¡±


    She smiled at me, grabbed my hand, and led me inside, accidentally slamming the door behind us.


    Antharian came down the stairs, slowly walking towards me with a look on her face that scared me. Her eyes pierced my soul, and I felt she was mad. As she got closer, she raised her hand in the air before slapping me across my cheek.


    ¡°You idiot. I know you were trying to be in character, but did you have to ask that?! Did you think to yourself: ¡®What would Gabriel say in this situation?¡¯ and just go with the first thing you asked? Do you have any idea what is going to happen to the poor women of Earth if the influence of the Holy Order has anything to do with that?!¡± she yelled.


    I stood there, unsure how to respond, knowing full well that I potentially played far too well as my role.


    I looked away from Antharian, ashamed of what I helped potentially released on Earth all because I was trying to play the part of Gabriel¡¯s hand. My cheek was lightly throbbing; the amount of force behind that slap must have been something Antharian had kept repressed for who knows how long. Selyse was slowly backing away up the stairs, not wanting to be involved in this.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Antharian raising her hand towards me again, but instead of a slap, she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me.


    ¡°My lord, I apologize. I should not have struck you like that. I¡¯ll accept whatever punishment you decide is appropriate. She said, legging go and kneeling with her head facing the floor.


    ¡°Eh, you¡¯re fine. I deserved it.¡± I said softly.


    She raised her head, making eye contact.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Stand Antharian, I deserved it. There will be no punishment.¡±


    She started to stand but noticed the tube Michael had given me and grabbed it from my hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, something Michael gave to me. The Order said there¡¯d be documents allowing us to go to more places, get an idea about Gabriel¡¯s whereabouts and what he is doing, and who knows what else.¡±


    She returned it to me before smiling and retreating up the stairs herself. I looked at the fire, wondering if it was real at this point as I had never seen any actual source of fuel for it. It was generating a light heat, so I decided maybe I wouldn¡¯t question it and just go up to my floor as well. As I went to step onto a stair, there was a knock at the door. I walked back to the door and opened it. To my surprise, it was Michael.


    ¡°Lord Michael, what brings you here?¡± I asked, surprised to see him.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how you are living here. I¡¯ve been told that you haven¡¯t requested anything from any of the castle shops since you lived in his castle.¡±


    I looked at him, confused. Did he have suspicions about Antharian and I?


    ¡°Of course, of course. Follow me. I¡¯m up on the second floor.¡± I said.


    As we slowly descended the stairs, I used telepathy to contact Antharian.


    ¡°Antharian¡­ ensure that you and the girls are decent. Michael is here and wants to inspect our living conditions.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay, uhh, take your time.¡± She replied, sounding a bit worried.


    I walked him up to the second floor.


    ¡°The door on the left here is the room I¡¯ve been sleeping in. Then across the hall, my servants stay in those rooms, then here is my study/library.¡± I said as if I was giving him a tour of my home.


    He peered into my room first.


    ¡°Oh, did I interrupt something?¡± he asked.


    I peered into the room and saw both Selyse and Anatasia spread out and naked on the bed.


    ¡°Oh, no¡­ it¡¯s¡­ fine,¡± I said.


    I stepped back as he closed the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You have all day. Okay, so you really sleep down here?¡±


    I looked at him, not understanding where he was coming from.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± he asked, shocked.


    ¡°No, Master, I had no clue.¡±


    ¡°Master Thadeus¡­ you¡¯ve been sleeping on the servant¡¯s level. The bed you have been sleeping in is supposed to be for your head servant. The roof is the garden, the sixth floor is for VIPs, the fifth is your floor, the fourth is where the bathhouse is and is considered to be a shared floor, then the third and second floors are for your servants, and the first floor is the entrance where one would have guests.¡±


    I continued looking at him, dumbfounded. I had never known this until now, and we had been in this place for almost 300 years now, maybe a bit longer. He shook his head.


    ¡°Ahh, Thadeus, you¡¯re an odd one indeed. Sleeping in a servant¡¯s bed. Ah well. Anyways, glad I came to check on you because clearly Gabriel just placed you here yourself with no instructions or guidance. Ah well. Anyways, I¡¯m going back to my castle.¡± He said, chuckling.


    ¡°Michael, allow me to portal you home.¡±


    He looked at me again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be all right. Sometimes walking and enjoying the scenery is nice, no matter how many thousands of years pass.¡±


    He made his way downstairs, letting himself out. I watched from the window as he slowly walked away, admiring the view of the lower kingdom momentarily before flying off toward his castle.


    I opened the door to the room I had been sleeping in to find Selyse and Anatasia casually talking and quietly laughing amongst themselves. I walked in, causing them to hop off the bed and come running up to me, where they both gave a smile. I bent down, grabbing Selyse¡¯s hand.


    ¡°So, this is technically your room. My room is further up in the tower.¡±


    ¡°I know. I figured that out the first night; I thought you just really enjoyed my company and wanted to sleep in the same bed,¡± she giggled, looking a bit shy.


    I chuckled. It turns out they knew, too, but didn¡¯t say anything. I was not upset at the situation, but I found it rather humorous. However, I was somewhat curious as to what the room I was supposed to be in would be like. I let go of Selyse before returning to the hall to check the room I was meant to inhabit. I made my way to the fifth floor, unsure how I could miss this, when I last went up past there and was on my way to investigate the issue with Antharian.


    The floor itself had a wooden floor and two metal doors with a silver outer lining. Above one of the doors, a metal sign with ¡°Master Thadeus¡± hung from the ceiling. The handle to that specific door was gold, with a blue line down the handle. The door further down showed no signs of being unique.


    I opened the door to my room to reveal a similar-sized bed, a large table, an empty bookshelf, a single window, two wooden chairs, a weapons rack, and a mannequin for armor. I was surprised by how spacious this room was compared to the previous one. I walked over to the bed, as it seemed different somehow. As I placed my hand on it, I instantly knew it wasn¡¯t made from the same material as all the other beds I had slept on.


    Typically, the beds in the kingdom were made from straw. Those at the very bottom of the chain would sleep on the ground, sometimes without straw. As you moved up, you would be given a small place with a bed. But the bed would be softly packed straw, with a thin blanket acting as a sheet. But it turned out that if you were whatever I was considered, you got a firm bed of an unknown material along with a pillow that felt amazing to the touch.


    I sat on the bed, surprised at how comfortable the bed was. It was as if I was sitting on a cloud, but unable to fall through. I slowly leaned back, laying sideways on the bed. I closed my eyes, with the intent of closing my eyes for a few moments, but I fell asleep instead.