Akting Out

It was a descent into madness; Raphael kept his body flat as he fell through the sky, allowing his stationary wings to carry him. The familiar sounds of battle; metal against metal, screams of rage, victory, and violent death, rose to meet him from the sky below. His quarry wasn’t aware he was coming, a hideous black monstrosity, kept airborne by a rapid fluttering of transparent wings.  It was descending towards something itself, and as Raphael neared the six foot insect, he saw that it was preying upon another member of the Holy Sefiroth that had no idea his death was imminent.

Raphael allowed himself a slight smile as he slowly drew his sword, careful not to alert the predator that it had seconds to live.
Raphael righted himself, slowing his descent, and raising his sword high above him. At the last possible second, the insect turned, it’s bulbous red eyes growing larger as it absorbed the knowledge of what was about to happen. In one swift, fluent movement, Raphael brought his sword down, cleaving the creature cleanly in half. Green fluids burst from the split insect as it gave a final, warped, high pitched screeched that faded as its two halves fell haplessly to the castle miles below. As Raphael continued his descent, he slashed once to the left, catching another of Balaam’s Rodentia in the midsection. He continued his turn, raising his sword again, bringing through the stomach and chest of the creature who tried to appear behind him. He brought his sword down one final time, halving a smaller insect. He landed hard on the stone grey bridge that linked the two keeps, squarely in the middle of a heated battle between the Holy Sefiroth and Balaam’s Rodentia.

Raphael wasted no time; as one of the Rodentia hurled a Sefiroth from the keep, sending them to their death, Raphael raced up behind the creature and sliced downward, cutting the shocked creature nearly in half and severing its spine. As it fell to the ground, Raphael stabbed downward, ending the creature’s life through the back of its neck. He quickly continued forward, his regal cape stained with green blood, flowing wide behind him as he spun, avoiding a creature’s punch and turning into him. The creature shrieked as Raphael drove his sword into its stomach and then raised it quickly, quartering the insect. Another creature came forward, attacking Raphael with a spear thrust. Raphael leapt to the side, bringing his sword down cleanly through the creature’s arms, which fell to the ground. Before its scream could grow too loud, Raphael swung his sword back through its neck. It strike was quick enough to send the creature’s severed head spinning.

As Raphael completed the swing, he was able to glance to the conflagration far below, where the battle seemed to be about evenly matched. He came across the boy he had been talking to when Yevon was attacked…the pale-skinned crossling, who was locked in mortal combat with a muscular insect easily four times his size. Raphael braced himself on the brick wall, preparing to leap—

He was suddenly knocked off of his feet, sent head-over-heels and crashed back to the ground, more surprised than anything else. He quickly rolled to his stomach, turning, trying to get his bearings. He saw a rolling bug, circular as it was encased in its protective shell, turn and unfold, glowering at Raphael through eight red eyes as it centered itself on sex legs. It shuddered as it growled, taking several steps before returning to its shell and barreling down on Raphael.

Raphael quickly scrambled to his feet, still not used to having his right arm, trying to clasp his sword. Something struck him in the back of the head, and for a moment, the entire world was spinning. Raphael turned to acknowledge the threat—which was quickly dealt with by a spear hurled with such force that the impact sent the demon careening over the other side of the ledge. Raphael quickly looked to where the rolling insect was a second ago and saw it dead in front of him, a spear sticking out of its side, raising straight into the air.
“I’m tired of watching your back, young man.” Metatron’s voice Reached into Raphael’s mind. Raphael looked downward to see the mighty Sefiroth leader, and was almost in awe of him; Metatron was a solid nine feet fall, five feet wide, all muscle, and ancient. He had survived torture in Hell, reflected by his body being almost totally bandaged. Still, here he was, fighting alongside his troops to defend Heaven’s capitol. Metatron smiled slyly up to Raphael, who quickly looked around before looking down at his old mentor. He shook his head. “This makes no sense!” Raphael Reached back, quickly crouching to catch an insect who was rushing him. Raphael took the creature on his back and rose, performing the Fireman’s carry to drop the creature back to the ground. He then stabbed downward, impaling the creature through the chest and twisting for finality. “What does Balaam want with Yevon?”

Below, Metatron quickly told hold of a hapless insect, crushing its neck in his bare hands and hurling the corpse into the sky. “Keep them away from the Caverns!” Metatron replied, his thoughts coming quickly. He had never been able to give orders and fight simultaneously. Raphael knew that Metatron was referring to the Nexus Caverns, the  greatest power source between Heaven and Hell, as well as the resting place of their father, Amen, but Rodentia died too easily for Yin to think they could breach the castle. Raphael knew this; their strength was in numbers. They were pawns, spear fodder, they softened up resistances for more powerful reinforcements. And yet…no one else was coming. They were out here alone, and this made no sense.

Raphael bound into the sky, slicing at whatever came his way. He needed to get above this, figure it out. When the weather became cold, and he neared Gabriel’s realm, Raphael stopped. He gazed over the battlefield below.
The Rodentia army kept growing; each one slain was replaced by two more, one of Balaam’s many ‘gifts’. Raphael noted that their leader was absent. All of the insects seemed to be pushing from the East to the West, which was also odd; the Caverns were to the west, hundreds of miles below the Castle. Yet the army was moving away from it. They were moving as a unit, but gathering as if surrounding something. Indeed, the Holy Sefiroth seemed to be outside of the Rodentia, and trying to push their way inward.

Raphael scowled as his mind raced, trying to put the pieces together. They weren’t there for the Caverns, Yang was in Asgard, so there wasn’t really anything here of value.
Not for Balaam. What would Yin want?
What has Lucifer told her?

Raphael’s mind continued to work; what could be in Yevon that Yin would want, if not the Caverns? Yin, or Lucifer had chosen this day to send Balaam to attack the castle, which she could’ve done at anytime. So what was here now that wasn’t there before?

The answer hit him like a bucket of ice. Sheer terror ripped his gut right out; he realized what the Rodentia were after.
What was here now that wasn’t here before?
We are.
He was, Azrael was, Uriel was, and Michael was more than likely around here somewhere…although from what he knew about the boy, he wasn’t one to miss a battle. The lack of his presence meant he was elsewhere, but he was supposed to be here.

The four Angels deemed worthy to accept the power of the Nexus Caverns had been carefully selected. If they weren’t around to receive the Nexus, it could be months before another set could be selected—something that had factored into Raphael’s decision when he accepted the invitation.

Raphael fought to repress the horror in his stomach as he turned downward and plummeted back towards the battle; specifically, where the Rodentia appeared to be gathering. This wasn’t an attack on the castle; it was a hit on four Angels. The Rodentia died easily, yes, but this many could easily kill the four of them. They were centering around the crossling! Azrael!

“METATRON!!” Raphael Reached with such force that it was a miracle that all of Heaven didn’t hear him, “PROTECT THE BOY! THE CROSSLING!!”

“What?” It was clear from the hesitation in Metatron’s thought that he was distracted, “What are you talking about?”
Raphael nearly reached the speed of sound as he prayed to Amen that he wasn’t too late. “THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON THE CASTLE! THEY ARE HERE FOR US, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

Metatron said nothing. Raphael knew the knowledge was sinking in. “Summon the Valkryie,” Raphael continued telepathically, “No matter what, protect Azrael. Do you hear me, Leader? Azrael must be kept alive at all costs!”

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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