LV- The Offer

"Lower your weapons!"

Michael called out to the demons, who refused the command. They took no orders from anyone save for their master, and Vincent's blade was dangerously close to the intruder's face. "Vincent! You're going to hurt him!"

"That is the point! He has invaded our home, our realm!" Rage flashed in the demon's sanguine eyes, far beyond anything Michael had ever seen in Vincent. 

"I'm not here to harm anyone, I don't want to invade anything!" The intruder's wings tucked close to his body, protecting himself from harm.

"Men! Hellena! Let the man up, let him speak." Lucifer recognized the silver hair of the man he had met the day he had taken Ravenna to his realm. The demons sheathed their blades, but Vincent held the hilt of his sword, not trusting the intruder.

Michael offered a hand to Zerachiel, who hesitated before taking it. The demons had scared the joker, and being in an unfamiliar realm made him uneasy. He allowed his Brother to help him up, before embracing Michael. –It feels so wrong, his wings are gone. There's nothing there.–

"What are you doing here?" Michael asked, stepping back from his elder Brother.

"I could ask the same of you. Where are we? Why are these people guarding you so heavily?" 

Lucifer approached the Seraphim, holding his hand out. "Welcome to my realm, darling. This is the UnderKingdom. I am Lucifer, the first Seraphim, the first Fallen."

Zerachiel took the man's hand. "I remember you; you were in the room before you took Ravenna. We tried so hard to find information on you after we found your name on a scrap of parchment in Michael's pocket; he had abandoned a set of clothes under his bed."

Lucifer smirked toward Michael, raising his eyebrows. "Were you taking notes on me?"

"I found your name in a book in the Mortal Plane! I wanted to know why there was an angel mentioned that I had never heard of!"

"As you insist." Lucifer turned to Zerachiel, again intrigued by the Seraphim that had found his way into the realm. "So please, do tell me how you made your way here. I thought I had secured this realm well."

Zerachiel pulled the chain from his neck, revealing Michael's ring. "I Traced my Brother. I thought he would be in the Human Realm, with Ravenna. I didn't expect him to be…here. I didn't want to cause any problems."

Vincent narrowed his eyes, and finally removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. He did not back down from the intruder, but he no longer prepared to attack. William and Hellena followed his lead; their weapons long sheathed, but their stances also relaxed.

Michael fought the grin from crossing his face. "Zerachiel, you took an enormous risk leaving the Kingdom, I'm certain the Ruler wouldn't want you around me at all. But I'm still so happy to see you…I just don't want you to be punished…"

Zerachiel's wings flicked back, and both Fallen men looked at them longingly. "We're already in trouble, Brother. After your trial, the Ruler declared that Remiel, Raphael, and I were disloyal to Him, and we were assigned Archangels to guard us every moment of every day. Actually, Raphael's guard is why I came."

Lucifer laughed heartily, the laughter echoing throughout his Hall. "The Ruler actually assigned Archangels to Seraphim that He did not agree with? That's rich! His power has been threatened, and He tried to re-establish order with His little guard dogs!" He wiped the tears from his eyes, seeing the lack of amusement from the Brothers before him. "I apologize, go on with your sad tale."

"The Archangel Orion, he was assigned to Raphael. He spent his days in the library with our Brother, and he studied with him. He found the humans' knights honor code, and felt that it resonated with him. He doesn't want to live the life of the Archangels; being forced to be a warrior, an enforcer. He wants a way out of a life he didn't choose." 

Michael felt immediate sympathy for the Archangel Zerachiel spoke of. –I know how that feels, to want more for yourself than the Ruler's plans for you. I was created to be a servant to the Ruler, and he was created to be an enforcer for Him. Neither of us picked this life, and we want better for ourselves.– "What do you want us to do for him?"

Zerachiel shifted his weight from one foot to the other, not sure of how to actually ask. He decided against going around the question, and figured being direct would be best. "Do you know of anywhere he would be safe, Brother?"

Vincent's eyes grew wide; he knew exactly what his master would want. –Master Lucifer had waited centuries for an ally, now a second is begging for a safe haven? He is going to be ecstatic.–

Lucifer put his hand on Zerachiel's arm, who began to shrink back at the Fallen man's touch. "Darling, are you proposing what I believe you are? You have an Archangel who is seeking safe haven? One who no longer wishes to serve the Ruler?" Delight dripped from his voice.

"...are you willing to take Orion in? I don't want to impose, and I definitely do not want to tell him that we have found him somewhere safe to go if you don't want him here." Zerachiel looked Lucifer in the eyes, trying to determine if the man was being genuine.

"Oh, trust me, Zerachiel. I would be most delighted to take in dear Orion. Bring the boy to me - I will make sure he is well taken care of." Lucifer smirked deeply, and waved for his demons to join him. "Men, Hellena, come with me, we have preparations to make!" He whipped around, his cape fluttering behind him as he led the demons away from the Great Hall.

Left standing alone in the Hall, Zerachiel and Michael took advantage of the time they had. 

"I know you can't stay long, Brother, but I'm still so grateful you were able to make it. I can't believe the Ruler actually assigned you guards for refusing to condemn me - has your guard at least treated you well? Have the rest of the Brothers been well? I've missed you all greatly…" 

"Azrael is a brutal man, but he's a stupid man. He's built only to enforce, he's not made to think. He's easily outsmarted and definitely easily flustered. The other Brothers are getting used to their lives without you, but Remiel has been so racked with guilt. Samael has bullied him into a shadow of himself. He's so fragile; he's lost so much weight. He doesn't sleep, he hardly eats. He…," Zerachiel paused, unsure if he should mention Remiel's punishment. He sighed, deciding to tell the full story. "Jeremiel hosted a gathering for Raguel, he just turned 950. Remiel had a breakdown, saying it wasn't complete without you. Since you Fell, mentioning you by name is grounds for punishment. The Twins took Remiel to the Ruler, and…He stripped Remiel, Michael. He stripped his wings. Every feather, pulled from his wings."

Michael's mouth dropped open, hearing the news of his old home. –Remiel's wings were stripped? That's unheard of! And he feels…guilty about what he did to me?– "How could He do that to Remiel?!"

"The Twins and two other Archangels were called to do it. Orion wasn't involved. Actually, Gabriel feels he owes a debt to Orion. When the Twins started to advance on Remiel, we surrounded him, our wings out so he was covered. Samael threw a knife to get through our barrier, and he pierced Gabriel's wing. The second Orion saw the knife, he dove and realm-traveled, but he hit Emilia at the same time so she was taken with him. He made sure she wasn't collateral damage." Zerachiel rubbed at the back of his neck wearily, exhausted from having been awake so long. "Once we realized he hadn't stolen Emilia for himself, we were very grateful."

"He actually believes in being better, doesn't he?"

"He does. And that's why we need to get him out." Zerachiel glanced around his Brother, to where Lucifer had taken the demons away. "Please, tell me. Will he be safe here?"

"He will. I've been safe here…even when I'm not safe anywhere else." Michael's eyes flashed with sadness. "Once you've Fallen, there are hidden powers in us that can be broken free. I completed that ritual, and I was only safe here. It wasn't safe for me back in the Human Realm. Sometimes, this is the only place that is secure."

Zerachiel didn't understand the sadness in his youngest Brother's face, but he knew his time was running short. "I will get a full story about that another day, one day when I'm truly free. I need to return, before my absence is discovered. I will be back with Orion soon. Be well, Michael. Your absence has left an enormous hole in all of our hearts."

The two Brothers embraced momentarily, before Zerachiel disappeared, returning back to the Kingdom.