"MICHAEL!"
Zerachiel shouted after his Fallen Brother, but his efforts were in vain. The rift sealed as Michael faded from view, and the Ruler laughed. "Did you really think I would allow a rogue Seraphim to exist in our midst? You're a fool, Zerachiel."
Tears streaked Zerachiel's face as he looked up toward the Ruler. The Seraphim still knelt on the ground, having watched his Brother's Fall broke his heart. He turned away from the Ruler and His laughter, facing his other Brothers. Raphael sat on the floor of the Great Hall next to Remiel, who had fainted and still not regained consciousness. Gabriel had backed himself against the walls, pulling his left wing forward, running his hand over the feathers as he stared wide-eyed at his youngest Brother's bloodied wings on the floor. Jeremiel had not blinked since the Ruler had kicked a wingless Michael into the rift, terror clear on his face. Raguel simply sat down, trying to come to terms with the fact that his decision had been part of what happened to his Brother.
The Ruler stepped toward the throne, turning from His Seraphim. "Azrael. Samael. To Me."
On the Ruler's command, the Archangels crossed the Great Hall, marching toward the throne. Their boots made sharp steps on the floor, harshly breaking the silence of the Seraphim that they stepped between. Azrael stood on the Ruler's left, and Samael stood on the right.
Remiel began to regain consciousness as the Ruler began to speak. "I have been displeased by the display here today. Several of My own Seraphim decided to side with their Brother, who shall no longer be named. We are not to speak of him any longer. To speak of him is now grounds for punishment."
Zerachiel and Raphael shared a glance as the Ruler spoke. The Ruler's words made them very uneasy; the intent behind the words was clear. He intended to erase Michael from the Kingdom, the way He had erased Lucifer.
The Ruler continued to speak. "But yes. I am displeased by several of you. Seraphim Zerachiel; your insubordination cannot stand. Seraphim Raphael; your words were pretty, but in the end, you did the same thing - you stood with your Brother. Seraphim Remiel; you are the biggest disappointment of all. You originally brought your Brother's sins to my attention, and then decided he had done nothing wrong after all? I question your loyalties, all three of you. I am hereby assigning an Archangel to each of you. Seraphim Zerachiel, for your insubordination, I assign My most ruthless Arch; the Archangel Azrael. Seraphim Remiel, for your disappointment, I assign you Archangel Samael. Seraphim Raphael, it pains Me to do so, but I will be assigning you the Archangel Orion."
"Uriel, I want you to go to the Archangel Orion and inform him of his new assignment. You are dismissed." The Ruler waved His hand dismissively at Uriel, who had curled himself in a small ball in the corner of the Hall, rocking himself slightly after watching the Ruler rip the wings from Michael's back. "Now, Uriel." Uriel quickly scrambled to his feet and disappeared to find Orion, not wanting Michael's fate to become his own.
"Azrael, Samael, you begin your assignment in the morning. That gives you time to prepare for your new roles. You are both dismissed." At the Ruler's words, the Archangels left the Great Hall, heading toward their battleground homes. "The rest of you, out of my sight."
The six Seraphim quickly stepped between the realms, disappearing instantaneously from the Hall, not risking the Ruler's wrath.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The six Brothers appeared outside the Palace, a hushed silence between the angels. After a moment, Gabriel spoke. "Brothers, please, let's go back to my home. Zerachiel, my wife will care for your wounds. My home is a safe place, we can talk about what happened before the Archangels…before their assignments begin."
The angels followed Gabriel to his home a short distance away. The eldest Seraphim Brother opened the door to his home, where his wife Emilia waited to hear what her husband had to say about the occurrence at the Palace; why Uriel had summoned Gabriel at such an unusual time. His maidservants quickly came to stand behind Emilia, waiting for any commands from their master.
"My love, is everything alright?" Emilia stepped toward Gabriel, drawing her husband into her arms. "Uriel had come for you in such an urgent manner, and you look so upset!"
Gabriel placed a kiss on top of Emilia's head, and withdrew from her embrace. "I will explain in a moment. My Brothers wait outside, I am bringing them into the parlor. Please have the maids bring wine for the six of us and yourself. If you could also bring something to help clean Zerachiel's wounds, the Ruler whipped him again."
Emilia's face showed concern and confusion. "Six? That's…not right, my love."
"You will understand shortly. Thank you for having the maids prepare things for us." Gabriel squeezed his wife's hands, and turned away from her to let his Brothers into his home.
Emilia entered the parlor with her alcohol and clean cloths. She had much practice cleaning wounds, as Gabriel's back was terribly scarred from the Ruler's whips. The angel harbored a deep resentment toward the Ruler for harming the Seraphim that she loved, but never spoke of it, not even to Gabriel. After all, the Ruler had allowed a high-ranking Seraphim to marry her, a low-ranking angel, at Gabriel's request after they had fallen in love. Emilia kept her feelings to herself, and every wound she cleaned deepened her rage. She looked at the despondent Zerachiel before her, having seen that look on her own husband many times.
"Good evening, Zerachiel. Gabriel tells me you had an incident at the Palace today. Lie across the table here, I will take care of your wounds for you."
At Emilia's command, the six Brothers removed their glasses from the table and made room for Zerachiel. The Seraphim followed the woman's orders and stretched across the table, his bare back exposed. His tunic had been left behind in the Great Hall of the Palace, but that was of little importance to him. One of the servants there would retrieve it for him, but Zerachiel did not care if his shirt came back to him. Emilia knelt next to the table, and Zerachiel hissed as the alcohol came in contact with the fresh wounds.
"The Ruler got your wings too this time, I see."
"Yes, He knows it hurts more to whip the wings than my back."
"It is going to hurt more to clean the wounds, too, I'm afraid."
"I know you do what you must. I appreciate the help, Emilia."
Another hiss escaped Zerachiel's lips as Emilia cleaned the whip wounds on his wings. His wing involuntarily twitched, knocking Emilia back. Raguel caught Emilia, and Zerachiel apologized profusely as he removed himself from the table.
"I know you did not do it on purpose." Emilia packed her healing kit, and turned to her husband. "Now that your Brothers are here, well, most of them…where is Michael? You said I would understand when everyone was-"
Remiel spoke for the first time since he cast his vote in the Great Hall. "He's…he's gone, Emilia. It's my fault. Michael's gone. He Fell. He isn't coming back." Tears glistened in his eyes, and the glass of wine shook dangerously in his hand, threatening to spill onto Gabriel's pristine white floor. Jeremiel took the glass from his Brother's hand, placing it on the table that Zerachiel no longer occupied.
Emilia sat on the sofa between Gabriel and Raphael, trying to comprehend what Remiel had said. –Michael Fell? No, it isn't possible. Gabriel mentioned Michael was missing, but surely…–
Gabriel put his hand on his wife's knee, and turned to face Emilia. "Our worst fear has happened to one of us. The Ruler used the Reflecting Mirror to show us the things Michael had done. He killed a human man to save a human woman. Michael is obviously in love with her, the Mirror showed him kissing her as well. We had been shown the young woman with a different young human male, and Michael watching, envious. He answered a prayer, my love. The Ruler sees that as pride; as if Michael was equating himself to the Ruler."
Emilia began to cry, tears splashing from her large blue eyes. "I can't believe Michael was cast out…that he Fell…he was so young, Gabriel!"
Gabriel's Brothers silently looked toward the floor as Emilia cried into his arms.