The cruelty of the Angels
"The angels… they took you in for…" I swallow, almost choking on my words. "That?"
A grim smile laces Val's face as he stares off to the side of the room, his hand slipping from my knee as he curls it into himself, frowning. A whimsical expression dances on his features, and then something much more sinister, the room darkening around us as cold purple flames of magic lick the air between us. Shadows waver between the lingering creatures of fluff, causing them to scatter and hide as a chill sweeps us both up. But before I can think about hugging my arms around myself to stave it off, it vanishes, and the air becomes warm again as Valerian returns his gaze to me.
"The angel's consider any… romantic activity in the angel community as a sin. We are supposed to be the peak of humanity, and therefore such crude and baseless acts would never benefit us. I was not supposed to have- excuse my crudeness, sex with anyone, much less a demon. To them, that was the icing on the cake. It wasn't long before they kicked me out of Elysium after that."
"I see," I mutter, and then add quickly as I wring out my hands. "Don't worry about your so called crudeness, I have come out with much worse," I laugh, but the gesture is half hearted, more in an attempt to make light of a situation than to actually thinking it is laughable. But Valerian gives me a small, wan smile anyway, perhaps out of sympathy, before resuming his gaze to the floating creatures around the room, fingers tapping at his sides.
There is something crestfallen about his expression: a feeling or thought that I am not yet privy too. I get the feeling there was something more to that vision he showed me, something of deeper significance that I am merely too blind to see. Then I remind myself that that is baseless nonsense, and that he probably just wanted to show me so that I would understand what happened. After all, its just a memory- a memory from thousands of years ago. I wasn't even alive then, much less relevant.
So I lean back against the sofa, sinking into the soft fabric as I desperately attempt to rid my mind of the thoughts and memories that swirl like a plague inside it, but finding every attempt more futile than the last. Hopefully, they will all soon fade. I would rather not have my existence whirling with feelings that are not my own.
"I can't believe I never knew, about what the angels do, I mean. About what they are like."
Valerian nods.
"Out of all the Realms, they are by far the cruellest. It is why you, chérie, are essential to us, to my people. You have the capability to stop this- once and for all."
But, I protest inwardly, my heart falling with a hopeless thud. I don't even know how to do that yet.
Scowling, I am once again reminded of what a shitty job my mother did of raising me: hiding me from my own prophecy, feeding me lies about the wondrous glory of our people, the corruptness of the downside, and the mercy and kindness of the angels. Bullshit.
By the sounds of it, the angels are just as bad as the Upper World paints the demons to be. True, maybe the devil exaggerates his tails somewhat, but he once was like them- an angel, even the Upper Realm knows that. He would know the ins and outs of their ways better than any prophet in the Upper Realm, would understand their corruption at a far more reliable level than my conniving mother.
"Not just me," Valerian adds, patting my hand lightly in a vain attempt to wash away my scowl. "Your father knew about the ways of the angels too- he was against them for a very long time. Especially their building of an army of souls. Of course," he adds, frowning slightly as he leans a hand up against his cheek, tail flicking by his side.
"The angel's always called them 'Elysium's Guardians', but anyone with half a brain would realise they were only there if the angels supremacy was threatened. They were there for war. Your father hated it."
This manages to perk me up. Straightening, I lean forward, bouncing on the edge of my seat as my eyes widen with the anticipation of an answer.
"Really? So my father wasn't like them then?"
Valerian shakes his head, standing now to pace the room. Unnoticed, a few of the flying purple creatures whizz back into the room, creeping over the couch towards me in a cat-like manner, in the tentative way that felines do. They chitter and purr as they approach, watching me with large eyes hidden under a mess of purple fluff, bearing the resemblance of tiny little hedgehogs- only much less spiky. Stifling a giggle, I pick one up, fits of laughter over coming me as it butts its head into my cheek, the fine fur tickling against my skin.
Valerian stands watching intently across the room, a slight smile on his face, brows raised amusedly. As soon as his gaze reaches mine however, the smile dies a little, as though some sort of realisation has just hit him, or as though he has seen something he doesn't like.
After that I begin to feel a little self conscious and don't look at him again.
The little balls of fluff continue to squeak and dart around the room, whizzing around manically, clustering around Valerian and playing ring a roses round his head, or leaping over his tail with frantic glee. Continuing to giggle, I watch them as they go, my head light, thoughts still drunken with memories that aren't my own.
Leaning against the piano at the opposite end of the room, Valerian rolls his eyes.
"I told them to stay put. They never listen," he sighs, but there is no mention about the look he gave at me, despite the fact he is undoubtedly reading my thoughts. So instead I prod at the fluffy purple ball clinging against my palm, content to let myself forget about it. Its not as if it really matters to me, anyway.
At least, that is what I tell myself.
"Well I like them," I announce, throwing him a wide, open grin. Sprawling across the couch, I ask. "What are they? I think I have seen them before in a book- Dilopuffs?"
The Devil pops one into his palm, eyeing it over.
"Dilopuffs," he confirms. "Usually they help accompany souls to the afterlife before they cross the threshold. But a lot of demons like to keep them as pets. They are native to the Downside, but completely and utterly harmless."
"Unlike you then," I snicker, jabbing a finger in his direction. Val pushes his hair back with a smile.
"Yes, unlike me indeed. Anyway, you asked about your father?" he queries, raising a brow to confirm his suspicions. Enthusiastically I nod.
"You said he wasn't like the other angels- why?"
"Because he had sense," Valerian says simply, splaying his hands with a shrug. He taps his fingers across the body of the piano, stroking it lovingly. "He and a few other angels left once they realised how bad things were getting- that was a few hundred years after I had gone. The angels didn't come after them- they weren't revolutionaries, and were seen as cowards. Unlike me, apparently," he chuckles, laughing to himself over some matter that I am not yet privy to. Twisting my head around to face him, I scowl.
"How do you know they said that?"
The Devil gives me a dark smile.
"Every few months the Realms are required to meet- or at least their leaders are. Its the worst day of the month, let me tell you, but the angels insisted it be done. They say they want to make sure all the Realms are running sufficiently, but that's a load of crap. All they want is to know what I am up to down here- or at least as much as I will let them know," he adds, voice lowering to the point that it almost becomes menacing. A cold chill sweeps up the room, the lights in the lanterns fading to an unsteady flicker. A fearful quiver runs through me, unannounced and sudden, sending the hairs on the back of my arms rising in terror filled trepidation. Then all at once it fades, gone as Valerian offers me a light smile, a sigh running through him as his body relaxes against the piano which creeks lightly under his weight, barely audible against the beating of my sullen heart.
I always got the feeling that the Devil and the angels weren't on the greatest of terms, but from the way Valerian seems to spike the air itself with impetuous misgivings at their very mention, I would guess that it is a little more than that.