Chapter 18
They watched as a group of black swans, with long elegant necks, landed smoothly on the small pond in front of the room they occupied. Ariel was exhausted but satisfied as he sat relaxed, watching the beautiful birds interact. One of the larger birds rose up higher in the water and beat its wings powerfully, causing the water to run away in frantic undulations. He gave a throaty cry and settled back into the water, peering at his flock authoritatively. The show was interrupted by a familiar voice.
‘Here are the twins, all settled into their new home.’
They turned and were surprised to see Gabriel approaching them. ‘Gabe, to what do we owe this honor?’
‘Hello. I was hoping you might have a moment to talk.’
‘Of course. Follow me.'
Ariel led them into his suite and after distributing a glass of water to his guest, closed the door and indicated some chairs. The group took their seats inside the passage to the room’s veranda. They sat and looked at each other intently for a long moment.
‘Gabe, from the look on your face, I would guess this is not just a social visit. Is something wrong?’
‘You're right, Ariel. As good as it is to see you both, there is something weighing on my mind, and I hoped to get your advice.’ He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
‘For nearly six months, unbeknownst to even our closest friends, a group of us has been meeting at a former trainer’s estate.’
At this admission, the pair exchanged a glance, unseen by their friend.
‘It started, as I saw it, as intensive training for students who had showed promise in class. It bothered me that we were asked to keep it quiet, but Helel convinced me not to be too concerned. With the extra help, we became quite proficient at the skills we learned. Had it continued in only this form, I would not be here discussing the subject with you. Things have changed, however.’
Gabriel paused and took a long drink from his glass. He looked at his former housemates with an anxious expression.
‘The next step, which bothered me more, was that we were shown new and powerful applications for our skills. I doubt you can even imagine what I am describing, but we learned ways to control the basic elements never taught in school. Some of them seemed quite beneficial, and they may eventually become part of the curriculum. For example, the ability to reverse the attractive nature of molecules inside of us, the force holding us together, to create an invisible shield impenetrable to anything I have yet seen. But some of the powers seem purely destructive, and it was these which started to weigh on my conscience. We harvested the electrons in the air and utilized this power to form a devastating bolt of energy. How no one got hurt practicing these techniques is beyond me. But once again, even this may not have convinced me to betray my oath of silence.’
Ariel rose from and refilled Gabriel’s glass with water, which he gratefully drank. He looked up, seeming unsure how to continue. Gadreel pulled his chair closer and grasped Gabriel’s shoulder supportively. Finally, their friend went on.
‘What has been weighing so heavy on my soul is not only what we do in our training sessions. It is the tone as we sit around discussing various topics. It started as mere philosophical musings, but it has changed. I must say if anything was openly rebellious, I would have immediately departed and gone to a higher authority. Azazel encourages us to question everything, which itself is not a bad thing. But these conversations seem to always descend to criticism. Even when we discuss the motivations of the Kings and their method of ruling, we are encouraged to evaluate the correctness of their ways. I get the impression, although have never heard it said, that Azazel has doubts about how the universe is administered. It almost seems like he believes that he knows better. I thought I might be imagining things, but have been unable to shake my apprehension. It is with this heavy weight that I come to you two for counsel, as I have always respected your resolute faith and honesty.’
Having witnessed a practice session firsthand, Ariel knew about the energy bolts and had surmised the activities went beyond extra training. Gabriel’s assessment of the group’s discussions was disturbing, but he wasn’t sure how to respond. The guilt of spying on his former housemates made him hesitant. Luckily, Gadreel found his tongue more quickly.
‘Gabe, I trust you as a friend and am going to share a secret with you as well. During first year, Ariel and I grew a bit suspicious that you, Helel, and Pharzel would disappear for long periods with obscure reasoning. We deduced it somehow involved Azazel. So, one evening we flew to the mountains west of his estate and hiked down to the edge of his yard. We climbed a tree and witnessed one of your practice sessions, one in which you were learning to use that tremendous energy bolt you spoke of.’
Gabriel’s face lit up at hearing this and he interrupted Gadreel.
‘So it was you two? I remember the day clearly. Many were convinced that something unnatural had caused that sound, but Azazel had been inpatient to get back to work.’
‘Yes, you can thank the poor branch selection of our agile friend Ariel for that cacophony.’
‘Anyway, later we discussed it with Raphy. He thought that we should allow the Kings to deal with it in their own way, so we have not pursued the issue any further.’
Gabriel’s face revealed that just talking with his friends had already alleviated much of his stress. ‘Does this additional information make you want to pursue the issue once again? Would you counsel me to tell someone with authority to step in?’
‘Gadreel, if I may?’ Ariel had finally found his tongue and wanted to clear his conscience.
‘Certainly, jump in.’ Gadreel responded.
‘I had a private conversation with Azazel some weeks back. He was sabotaging me during our practical exercises and I told him that I could see his aura and knew what he was doing. I also said I wasn't the only one who had seen.'
‘Why didn't you tell me?’ Gadreel asked in a wounded tone.
'It just never came up, he replied sheepishly.
‘Well that does help explain why he chose you as his outstanding student,’ Gabriel interjected. ‘I was pretty shocked he would do that. No offense. Perhaps he thought that you were blackmailing him and went along with it.’
‘It’s possible, but that wasn’t my intent. I just wanted to be left alone. I wasn't looking for special treatment.’
‘So should I quit and report their activities?’ Gabriel asked.
‘If you leave the group and inform on them, I'm not sure any good will come of it. You would harm your relationship with Helel. And if the meetings are harmless, you would miss out on a learning opportunity. But if they prove dangerous, it might be more important for you to stay. If a rebellion is in its early stages, making accusations at this point would be fruitless. For one thing, there is nothing, as of yet, to report. Second, if examined too soon the seeds of rebellion will still persist. The only way to destroy a bad seed in a bucket of good ones is to allow it to sprout. Then the plant can be identified and dealt with. In my opinion the best option for you is to be a faithful servant of the Kings while staying in those meetings. Perhaps you can dissuade others that may be susceptible to influence, and if things prove to be revolutionary, you may be the earliest voice of warning for what is coming.’
Gadreel looked at Ariel with surprise.
‘Well said, my friend. I completely agree.’
Gabriel did not respond immediately, but looked off at the gathering darkness beyond the veranda. After a few minutes he finally spoke.
‘Thank you both. I'll do as you advise. I appreciate you taking the time to listen. It is such a relief to talk about this. Would you mind talking about this in the future? I can keep you informed on how things are going and we will have an excuse to visit on occasion.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Ariel replied.
‘If we could talk you into taking up bocket, we could hold these discussions while playing a round,’ Gadreel added, smiling.
‘I’m afra
id I will be a bit too busy this year to pick up a new hobby. Helel and I were accepted in a mentoring program to join past graduates who are now working as covering Cherubim in the throne room. We will be going three times a week for the rest of the year.’
‘Are you serious? You are going to the actual throne room? That has to be some sort of record for youngest junior covering Cherub?’
‘Actually two are picked for the honor from our choir every year, although this is the first time that the position was awarded to two second years.’
‘Well congratulations! What an honor. You have to tell us about it. And to think, I was going to impress you by telling you Ariel and I both made the Aralim bocket team. Your news makes ours seem a bit silly.’
‘I'm proud of you both. I am sure you worked hard and are pleased that it paid off.’
Ariel stood watching the retreating form of Gabriel. Although he was concerned and startled by the news of the meetings, the idea of his two former housemates standing in the actual throne room was comforting. They would be in the presence of the power which had created him and all else. What damage could simple questioning cause given the incredible omnipotence of the three Kings?