What Lies Beneath His Pelt?

CHAPTER 20: AN ANGEL FALLS

Six hundred years ago...

Angels were created by God to serve as His messengers and protect His people. They were created to guide, and that was what Celestine was supposed to do.

She didn't expect that she'd fall in love with her charge.

Julian was the son of a rich feudal lord with hair the color of the night and eyes the color of green leaves, reminding her of Spring and Rebirth. She took her job seriously and made sure that those who wished ill towards him and his family would not succeed and she was fine with that.

If only he couldn't see her. Being the only child and sheltered in their humble abode, he had no one to talk with and found solace in her instead.

She matched her form with his age so he was comfortable with her but when he reached the age of eighteen, he was more mature than the rest of his peers and she was taken aback by his transformation.

She should leave, she knew she should, for he had already reached the age where he could take care of himself but something about him made her want to stay so she made the decision.

She chose humanity and that began her downfall. They were together for a year but as people became greedy, they began to attack his manor and she was powerless to stop it. He decided to leave their old manor with his family to recuperate, and they left her as well without even a word.

That was the first time she felt betrayed and she began thinking of ways to make ends meet, even selling her body.

She was disgusted with herself yes, but what can she do? She had no one else to rely on, no place to live and she had to endure.

Greediness, lust, anger, betrayal filled her entire being and she started hating people who took advantage of the unfortunate.

She was just trying to balance everything, but the scales tipped when she met the sailor.

He was a handsome one, with tresses the color of silver that he always wore up. He had bright eyes that were the color of emeralds and skin the color of snow and he was gifted with a silver tongue.

He whispered words of love in her ear every night he called her and he indulged her with warm caresses, leaving none of her skin untouched.

She was starting to love once again and then, his wife had come to them in the middle of their lovemaking.

The negative emotions resurfaced and before she knew it, she had grabbed the knife he kept and had stabbed both the sailor and his wife beyond recognition.

Red had colored her fair skin, and she knew this was the consequence of the decisions she made two years prior when she gave up her immortality.

She tried to finish herself off as well but as it turned out, she only lost her wings and her privilege, not her immortality.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips and the familiar surge of power rushed through her veins.

"The more you are bound to earthly desires, the more you lose your power but if they are let go, the stronger your power will become."

Words of her friend echoed in her head and her laugh grew louder and more hysterical.

No one is allowed to feel this kind of pain I feel. I will make sure of that.

As she picked herself up, wings began to sprout from her back but unlike before where her wings were filled with white feathers, her wings right now were made of bones.

There is no time for worrying. I need to clean up this mess.

And she did, through burning. As she walked away from the house engulfed in indigo flames, she knew she wasn't as pure as before but she didn't care.

She had a lot of people to punish.

Her crimes were reported but no one seemed to catch her, even thinking that she was a man but she didn't mind. She didn't care as long as her punishments were carried out.

She was untouchable until one of the men caught her in the act and she laughed when she saw that it was Julian who finally caught her. He had chosen the path of the friar and she found it funny because she was a holy being before and now she was tainted with sin while he was a tainted being before and now he was a holy being.

He had gotten older and she wondered just how long she had been running.

It was a bittersweet reunion and even if she knew she wasn't going to die, she still said her goodbye as flames began licking her legs and thighs.

She was immortal, yes, but she could still feel the pain. She allowed the flames to engulf her and she closed her eyes.

She wasn't sure if she fell asleep but when she opened her eyes, it was already dark and she wasn't in the middle of the plaza anymore. She was inside a grand room with gold trimmings and she was clothed in silk.

Beside her was a creature that had an ox skull for its head with ram horns bending backward. He wore a suit and he was broadly built. Intricate red lines adorned the skull and in the middle of what she assumed was the forehead was a goat's eye twice the size of a normal eye. The creature wore a tailored suit that emphasized its broad build and red eyes bore into hers.

“Who are you?” She asked, and she was surprised at the sound of her voice.

“I go by many names but you might know me as Aka Manah-” it started and it was she who finished.

“The demon of sensual desire, the ‘Evil Mind’ and the ‘Evil Intention.’”

“Indeed, funny how you still remember.”

Instead of answering, she looked down at her hands and she saw that her then well-trimmed nails were long and sharp now, with flecks of blood underneath them.

The blanket was thick and made of the finest materials and a thought occurred to her.

“What is the time?” She asked as she took in the furniture that looked nothing like what she was used to. Gold was present everywhere, and silk as well, which was expensive from where she was.

“In human years, five hundred years have passed since your timeline.”

She froze as she ran towards the mirror and found a young woman staring at her.

Her then long blonde hair had turned crimson red and it fell until her waist like waves, bouncing as she moved as if she hadn’t been sleeping for a long time. Her fair skin had become a light brown but she was glad her eyes retained their vivid grey-green hue. When she was captured, she had been in her mid-forties but the woman who stared at her was someone in their early twenties.

“What is happening? Why do I look like this?” She asked and was surprised to find that a young man now stood in place of the creature. He was tall and slim with sky blue hair pulled back in a thick braid with the sides of his head shaved. He wore the same suit Aka Manah had worn and when he approached her, he noticed that his eyes were a grey-green hue as well.

“You were given life, my dear angel, did you not want that?” He grinned and she took a step back, intimidated by his presence.

“No. Why would I be given another life? I had killed more than fifty people, I had burned houses, caused destruction. Why was I given another life?” She said hysterically and the young man simply watched as she had her breakdown.

She had begun wailing and throwing everything she could get her hands on and it took a few hours before she calmed down and the young man simply waited with a cup of tea that appeared out of nowhere.

“Are you calm?” He asked when she had already expended her energy and she simply nodded.

“Join me for tea?” He mused as he reached out a hand to her and she was surprised at how kind his tone was.

It reminded her of Julian and the sailor but she didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. She simply took it and allowed him to lead her to the corner of the room where a table had been set and a pair of chairs.

On the table was a tea cake stand that had a variety of loaves of bread in various shapes, sizes, and colors. A teapot had been set beside it and a teacup and saucer waited for her.

“Please eat. Being asleep for five hundred years, you must be famished.” He began pouring tea into her cup. It smelled strongly of lemon and lavender and her stomach growled because of the scent.

She allowed him to serve her before he served himself. She had taken a few big bites (screw being a lady) when she finally spoke.

“What am I doing here? Why was I given another chance?”

“Another chance, my dear? I am appalled by your optimism, truly. You consider this another chance?”

“Why, don’t you?”

“My dear angel, have you forgotten how these mere mortals affected us? If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be here.”

She stopped eating when he mentioned that and he knew she was slowly understanding what he was trying to imply.

“So this is not another chance. This is our punishment, our penance for the crimes we have committed and will commit again.”

“‘Will commit again’?” She repeated as she fixed him with her gaze.

“Yes my dear, the reason why we are here is to continue punishing those who have wronged other people and taking away their chance to enter into heaven. Do you understand?”

Her teaspoon clattered on the floor as the realization dawned on her.

“Do you understand, Danglathas?”

Danglathas….so that was her new name huh?

She spent another century doing what she had done before but it was easier now that her abilities grew. However, she had to endure rigorous training to learn how to control it and she also took the time to study what happened in the years she was asleep, amazed at how civilization came to be. Slowly she forgot about the sailor and her sins, but try as she might, Julian remained in her mind. Yes, she had various lovers in this new timeline but she knew deep down that Julian will always be her first love, her first romantic encounter, even if he wouldn't be with her.

As for Aka Manah, she began to look at him as a brother figure and he played his big brother role properly. She was happy with her found family and she knew she would remain loyal to them whatever happens.