- Death (Past) -
Death pulled his scythe out of the corpse of the demon while the two angels whispered to each other.
"I can't believe that fool thought his banishment would be lifted if he killed the [Hunter]."
"That's not half as foolish as thinking he could beat the [Hunter]."
- Gabriel and Creator (Past) -
Gabriel had his head down on a desk that was stacked with papers. [Creator] was continuing his explanation.
"I expect the mission to go well with the added help. The Godlands have been getting more dangerous with the absence of the [Hunter], perhaps his reappearance will help calm things."
"Uh-huh," Gabriel mumbled before turning his head. "Father...why?"
[Creator] sighed, "I'm not explaining again."
Gabriel exhaled slowly, "The [Hunter] has no defensive capabilities other than his weapon's ability to negate magic, however, it doesn't appear to work on physical objects that-"
"Gabriel," [Creator] interrupted. "I didn't give you this task because I wanted you to question me."
"Well that's a shame then," Gabriel sat up. "My siblings might tolerate all of your decisions without question but I've more than earned the right to be skeptical."
"Have you now?" [Creator] said with menace.
Gabriel stood up slowly. He organized the papers on the desk and moved them to one side. He took a breath in and held up three fingers.
"Three times I've almost been killed in that forsaken land,"
"Gabriel-"
"THREE!" Gabriel shouted.
"That's what the [Hunter] is for," [Creator] said. "An overwhelming offense is a good defense. That's enough of this pointless argument; prepare for your departure."
- Death and Gabriel (Past) -
"I'm sorry," Death said to Gabriel.
Gabriel and Death were at the border of the Godlands with one other angel. The three traveled until nightfall.
"Why are we stopping?" Death asked Gabriel.
"Common sense," Gabriel was curt.
"I can see in the dark," Death said. "I thought archangels could as well?"
Gabriel put a glass lantern down and filled it with his mana. The lantern shone brightly as Gabriel sat down.
"It's not about seeing, it's about increased activity. Monsters, as you would call them, attack more at night. I'd prefer you not get drenched in blood while we travel. Besides, it's not as though we're in a hurry, the dragon isn't going anywhere."
Death sat. "So we just sit here until sunrise?"
"That's the plan," Gabriel said. "I suppose we could get to know each other better while we wait. As much research as I've done on you, there're still some things I'm curious about."
"Such as?" Death said.
"Your plan for a peaceful life," Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "The point of you joining Purgatory was to give the humans a champion and you a respite from hunting. Yet, despite all that's been done for you, you can't seem to settle."
"Is this about your Father?" Death asked. "I'm sorry I attacked him, I don't understand it myself."
"That's the problem," Gabriel said.
The other angel joining Gabriel and Death's journey was intently eavesdropping on the conversation while pretending to rest. Gabriel continued:
"Instead of calling you a living weapon, or assuming you are some beast given recent sentience, I want to go for a different method. WHAT," he enunciated harshly, "do you plan on doing in peaceful times?"
"Peace is temporary," Death said calmly. "It always has been, always will be."
Gabriel shook his head. "Humor me. What would you do if all the monsters in the world were slain and there was a dedicated system for exterminating monsters? What would you do if your talents were no longer needed?"
"End my own life," Death said without hesitation. "Because then I would be the last monster that needed to die."
The silence that came after Death's words weighed heavy on Gabriel. Gabriel had only been asking the questions to vent some misdirected frustrations but was now at a loss for how to respond to such a severe statement. Gabriel stood up.
"Rell, stop pretending to sleep, we're going to keep moving."
"I thought you-"
"Changed my mind."
- Saliel and Lucifer (Past) -
Lucifer was reading a report on Hell from angel scouts. "The war is nearing an end. The demons with the forward-facing horns are winning. It has been officially confirmed that their leader, Satan, has the ability to "see emotions," he placed the report down on the table. "I suppose such an ability could be advantageous on a battlefield."
Saliel picked up the reports. "I wonder how he can be trusted with such an ability? I would assume it would be discomforting to know one's true intentions are constantly laid bare?"
"He makes it work," Lucifer shrugged. "Other parts of the report mention that he has a rather casual nature for someone in his position. The fact that he's made no attempts to hide his ability probably helps as well."
"Mmm," Saliel placed the papers down. "I appreciate you gathering this for me. And I appreciate you helping me with what's to come."
"Think nothing of it," Lucifer said. "Father's mood has been more...Difficult lately, probably due to the [Hunter]."
- Death and Gabriel (Past) -
Death and Gabriel stood atop a cliffside that overlooked a mostly burned-down forest. A massive red dragon slept in a cleared part of the forest.
Gabriel read from a notebook, "Its fiery breath is a physical reaction. The dragon produces a flammable liquid in its body that it sprays out and can ignite by striking its coarse teeth together. First step will be severing its wings to limit its mobility, then go for its eyes. Once that has been accomplished, I'll gather a large amount of stone to crush its neck."
"Assuming it doesn't listen to reason," Death said.
"Of course," Gabriel said in an uninterested tone.
Death jumped off the cliffside and started making his way to the dragon. The other angel asked Gabriel why throughout the trip Gabriel had made no attempts to convince the [Hunter] out of reasoning with the dragon.
"Consider his position in this, Rell," Gabriel sighed. "We're asking him to help us kill a mighty creature that we were unable to deal with on our own. He won't be able to convince this beast, but he has every right to try."
Before Death got close, the dragon lifted its head and roared out.
["WHATEVER YOU ARE, THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING TO LEAVE!"]
Death jumped onto the top of the nearest tree. ["I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO LEAVE."]
Death thought back to a conversation he had with Gabriel. Gabriel told Death that the dragon was intelligent enough to be conversed with.
"I nearly lost my life trying to negotiate with it. Don't confuse an ability to speak with reason."
The flap of the dragon's wings bent the trees near it. The dragon opened its mouth and began to envelop where Death had been standing with flame.
Gabriel's voice played in Death's head as he appeared above the dragon's back. 'It's not the type of monster you're used to dealing with. It was displaced from its home and didn't mean harm when it first arrived at where it currently resides. Unfortunately, the creature's way of living is far too destructive for the land around it.'
Death slammed his scythe into one of the dragon's wings. As Gabriel watched the battle, a look of melancholy filled his expression. Gabriel had thought he understood the [Hunter], but the [Hunter's] words about ending his own life, the [Hunter's] want to attempt to negotiate with the dragon, it was perplexing.
"Father, it's time," Rell said.
The dragon crashed down into the burnt forest, its massive severed wings following slowly behind. The blade of Death's scythe struck deep into one of the dragon's eyes. As the dragon roared in pain, Death took the other eye.
["YOU'RE A MONSTER! YOU CRUEL EXISTENCE!"]
["You had your chance,"] Death said from atop the dragon's head. ["You've brought severe harm to this part of the world, don't pretend to be an innocent beast."]
The dragon started to flail on the ground while spewing flames from its mouth. Death looked up at the giant boulder that Gabriel was hovering high above. Gabriel was on top of the mass of stone. Gabriel moved the boulder down at great speed while Death blinked out of range of the attack. The boulder cratered the ground, smashing the dragon's head into a red splatter.
Gabriel jumped from the stone and lowered his head. ["May you find peace in the next cycle. Cursed with destruction, burdened with strength, worn by existence, may you be freed from such tragedies. Return to the beginning, the end, and the absolute truth."]
As Gabriel looked over, he was surprised to see the [Hunter] was also lowering his head. Gabriel walked over to the [Hunter].
"Its end was as quick and merciful as we could make it," He sighed, "When we tell the nearby beings about this battle I need you to say it was more difficult than it actually was."
"Why?" Death asked.
Gabriel signaled to Rell that it was safe to come down. "I didn't think the battle would be this easy...but I think it's important that the nearby beings think it was more of a struggle lest they start to question why this problem wasn't handled sooner," He shook his head. "Not that they would be wrong..."
(Back when Gabriel first met the dragon)
["I mean no harm,"] Gabriel said. ["I want to understand why you're so far from your home?"]
The dragon exhaled from its nostrils. ["My home is wherever I choose to rest. This is the first place I've rested where I haven't been attacked by beings strong enough to kill me. I found peace, peace I intend to keep."]
Gabriel looked around the destroyed forest. ["I'm sorry that you've lived such a dangerous life, but your presence here is too destructive. If you'd be willing, I can find you a place to live that's more suitable-"]
["NO!"] the dragon roared. ["ALL THIS TIME I'VE SPENT LOOKING FOR PEACE, I WILL NOT HAVE IT TAKEN FROM ME!"]
- Saliel and Satan (Past) -
Saliel stood across from Satan, the two of them surrounded by demons. Saliel lowered his head as he spoke.
"I wish to learn from you."
The demons erupted in laughter. Satan lifted his hand, signaling all the demons to be quiet. Saliel looked around, surprised by the immediate silence that Satan was able to command.
"Learn what exactly?" Satan asked. "I can only assume it's something you wish to keep secret given that you didn't send a messenger?"
Saliel cleared his throat. "I want to know how you live with your ability. How you can command such respect from others despite having an ability that should make them distrusting of you."
Satan snapped his fingers. A stone table rose from the ground with two stone chairs. Satan sat down and motioned to Saliel to do the same. Satan clasped his hands and rested his chin on one of his wrists.
"What you're asking for is not something only I can teach," Satan sat back, taking a deep breath as he leaned. "I understand the similarity in our abilities might have you fooled into believing I have some secret answer for you, but the simple truth is that you most likely need to learn to think before you speak. That's it."
Saliel shook his head in disagreement. "You don't understand how difficult a task that is for someone in my position. Ever since revealing what my ability is, my family expects the truth from me."
Satan sighed, "I think you're severely misguided," he held up two fingers. "However, I will help if you can answer two questions for me honestly. I will know if you're lying, so if you do not wish to answer, then save us both the time and just leave."
"Okay," Saliel agreed immediately.
Satan signaled for all the other demons to leave. Though hesitant at first, the demons left, leaving just Satan and Saliel. Satan asked his first question:
"Why are you here without the knowledge of the other angels?"
Saliel swallowed, "Because the very reason I need to learn how to live with my ability has to do with my kind. I can't ask them for help with this and most humans are too intimidated by my presence to be useful."
'There's a deep fear in him,' Satan thought. 'I only see fear like that in soldiers that know they're about to die. I need to change my original question,' he tapped his fingers on the table. "Why are you so afraid of your kind?"
Saliel's mouth opened but before he could speak he clamped his jaw tight, biting his tongue. He covered his mouth as blood started to pour from the sides of his lips. He stood up and mumbled.
"Sorry, but I can't answer that."
Satan held up his hand to motion Saliel to stop. "I'll help you."
"Why?" Saliel said, spitting blood as he spoke.
"A personal reason," Satan said. "You have your secrets, I have mine. Take this as your first lesson on how to think before you speak."