He’d grown angry that she was not obeying him, influenced by the tree. She had declared they were equal but he vehemently refused her demand. He’d called out to God to make him a new wife, and so it was done from his very rib.
Lilith, born of the dirt alongside him, was highly offended. They had started to argue again, but God cast her out of the main area of the garden, the area free of death. She was placed into the wilds and he was waiting until the right time to keep following her.
“Maze. Everyone. Let’s move.” Asta said this quietly as the camp began to pack up. They moved through the trees like apes, wings pulled back to help them swing better. They would have flown but the air was filled with tiny beetles that stung their wings and made them swell to sizes that hurt. As they swung through the trees, Asta looked down, looking at the bodies of a few angels who had paid the ultimate price to try to fly above the trees.
They were bloated, their cheeks puffed up and covered in small raised bumps. Their wings were engorged and the feathers had nearly fallen out. He frowned at the sight; the pup held tight to his chest as the flock made its way to another area to nest for the night.
Surithiel called out, hooting, Lilith had been spotted near a lake, her stomach round with the second child that would be born a demon. Beelzebub was carefully cradled against Maze’s chest as he swung from one tree to another. His hair was like a sling that kept the newly born child secure while Maze used his hands to swing.
The infant gurgled and nuzzled into his chest. He smiled and kept moving, the rest of the flock led by Surithiel heading deeper into what was now the jungle. It was easier to swing here and the angels raced the other tree dwelling animals. After a long time, the flock made it to a spot high enough in the canopy that Suri sent Asta out to investigate and was deemed safe.
Surithiel hooted at the others in a mimic of an animal he was about to create to cover their tracks. Maze had made a nest of large banana tree leaves and was settled down into it with Beelzebub. The panting hoots and howls could be heard of the newly created creatures Surithiel dubbed, ‘Apes’ this kind specifically ‘chimpanzees’. They had black hair covering their bodies save their faces, hands and hand like feet.
A few of the angels went off with them into the jungle and were never seen again. But their calls could still be heard. “We are going to use the angels who decided to live like my apes as decoys. G O D doesn’t even know we can chirp let alone hoot. We communicate like my apes for a while, live as they do, until Lilith gives birth to enough demons. Once that happens, we take them all and raise them somewhere else!” Surithiel made this known through a series of loud bird calls every angel understood. It was a secret language they had created to hide from God.
The other angels hooted and pant-barked back their agreement, some shaking the tree branches in joy. Raziel stared blankly at his son, Nammu, the larvae had a head of pink hair similar to his father.
Looking at it made the older angel miserable, but he tried hard not to let it affect him outwardly. He watched Nammu swing through the trees with Eros and the younger hatchlings of the other awakened angels. They were bouncing from tree branch to tree branch, hooting and chirping at each other excitedly. He smiled a bit as he watched them, leaning back against the trunk of the tree.
He closed his eyes and listened to the hatchlings at play. Even though it broke something inside him to hear them so happy. “What’s on your mind?” Raziel opened his eyes when the sound of another angel alerted him. He looked to see Maze; the young prince held against his chest. Maze sat down next to him, reaching over to poke his forehead.
“Well, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Raziel frowned and turned away from him.
“I don’t want to talk about it…” Raziel trailed off and tried to think of something to change the subject.
“Right. Well. You really need to let go of the agony inside your mind brother, Salsa wouldn’t want you so hung up over this you’ve given up on your own life, keeping you and his pup safe…” Maze waved a clawed hand at the young child hanging from the crooks of his knees from a tree branch, his small wings unfurled to help him balance. “Think about Nam, what about him? You’re his fucking Ema, he is not your slaver, stop acting like he’s your cage.”
Raziel sighed loudly, sliding a hand down his own face. “Just shut up Maze… I know that! Don’t you think I fucking know that?! Get off my case already!!” He stood up and let his wings fall free from the slits in his back. The enraged angel took off like an angry star, shooting away from the trees… right toward the danger above.
“Raz! Raziel, you fucking idiot!!!” Maze cried out, he called out for Asta in panicked hooting barks and shoved the prince at him. He then let his wings flow out, leaping up and flying as fast as his wings could carry him after his fellow naked angel.
Raziel flew even harder, uncaring of the tree branches and leaves that stabbed him in the face. He shot up toward the sky, the buzzing of the small bugs rattling in his head. He closed his eyes, fangs biting into his bottom lip, the pain inside his heart was tearing him apart worse than any stings.
He was suddenly stopped in his tracks; his hair had gotten caught onto the trees. Raziel was yanked back just as he was about to break through the canopy. A firm hand held onto a lock of his hair and he turned around to see an enraged Maze. “You fucking moron!” a fist came flying into Raz’s face, the sound of the other angel’s knuckles cracking against his flesh echoed around the jungle air. He turned to stare at Maze with wide, blank eyes.
“You’ll end up dying by your own hands acting so fucking stupid! Now come back to my nest and get some sleep. I’m not leaving you alone tonight and I’m not leaving Nammu with you by yourself.” Maze said this before he reached out to snatch him against his chest. He began to shake, sobbing with his hands curled up while he laid against the other angel’s chest. “I can feel the despair washing over you Raz, don’t give in to it.” The younger angels noticed when Maze pointed down at the jungle floor. The dead angels that littered the ground, covered in boils and some half eaten.
Maze rocked Raziel back and forth, stroking his hair. He kept whispering the same thing over and over again. Maze realizes, as he rocks Raz back and forth in his arms, that this angel will never get over this situation and there was little anyone could do about it. “Don’t give in to it…”
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