Chapter Fourteen

After Aeron had revealed his identity, for a few seconds, Zia just stood there, her mouth agape. "You're one of Heaven's ambassadors, are you not? Don't act so surprised," the man said as he walked up to her, wings out. The silver halo floating above his head was the icing on the cake. Now that he was in the light, Zia could see the large leather holster hanging off the Angel's waist. A pistol-like device rested within its confines. Its intricate designs were far too fancy to belong to some regular weapon. And—if those engravings were genuine—that could only mean one thing.

"You're a judge," Zia spoke. The words felt like sludge seeping out of her mouth. She wasn't sure if she was lucky or just plain stupid. "Hmph, in hindsight, I really should've researched the other diplomats before coming here. I thought it'd just be the usual crowd," she thought, her expression tense, as she curled one of her hands up into a frustrated fist. She never expected that a judge, of all people, would be invited to the summit. "Damn," she hissed as she bit her thumb. "This must mean that the Bureau is moving to cement themselves in inter-realm politics. I'll have to keep an eye on them." Once Zia finished agonizing over her naiveté, she sighed and turned back to Aeron. "So, enlighten me, Angel, when were you going to tell me about your real occupation?" She already guessed the man's proper title; there wasn't a soul in Heaven that didn't know about the Bureau's pet Cherub.

"Wait," Aeron started as his wings twitched. "Aren't you surprised that I'm not a mortal?" Zia rolled her eyes. Did he think she was an idiot?

"Don't mistake me for being some uninformed fool," she snapped as she forced her way past the floating diplomat. "Even though I only represent the lowest level, I'm still one of Heaven's ambassadors. Please refrain from underestimating my intelligence." It was cocky Angels like him that made life in God's garden unbearable. How many times was she looked down upon by those winged shits? How many times was she pushed into the mud, demoted, and embarrassed thanks to the opinion of just one Cherub? Their harassment was so constant that it was practically a part of her daily routine! And, while there weren't many Angels in the Bureau itself, in the diplomatic sector—her area of expertise—they held nearly every leading office. It was infuriating. Thank God the lower sector was one of the few with a half-decent mortal in charge. Otherwise, she would've never gotten her position. She may distrust mortals, but at least they didn't treat her like garbage.

"Well, that sucks. I didn't think you were that observant," Aeron mumbled as he floated back down to the ground, staining his shoes with thick mud. For a second, Zia thought she was hallucinating. Pretty much all the Angels she knew would rather die than besmirch themselves with filth. They didn't want to dirty God's gifts or some crap like that. This entire situation was bizarre. She couldn't tell if her new friend was a blessing or a curse wearing a Cherub's skin. Either way, she couldn't afford to waste time thinking about it. That Demon was about to tear the tower apart to find them. They had to get back to their rooms fast. "So, are we running back?" the Angel mumbled as he walked beside her. "No offense, but that would be a horrible plan. Quite a few dangerous creatures are living in these woods. Of course, if we stick to the path, we should be fine. However, at this point, Dr. Leeson probably has that stretch of forest covered in patrols." Zia frowned and crossed her arms. There was nothing here that could scare her. Compared to Hell, this place was paradise. "I know you're one of the Ascended, and you probably hate my species' guts, but I need you to meet me halfway on this. We need to find a way out of this thicket without causing a scene." Zia couldn't believe what he was saying.

"You want my help?" She was shocked. Most Angels usually ignored her presence or glared at her when she walked by. None of them ever thought to ask for her opinion. "You're one weird Angel, Mr. Weber, you know that?" she said as she leaned back against one of the many dead trees. What should they do? "You know, unless you have a problem with it, we could always fly back. God gave you those wings for a reason." Aeron shook his head; that was far too risky.

"If you don't want to spend the night in prison, I recommend we walk. Dr. Leeson knows that I'm staying here, and by this point, he probably has the roof crawling with guards." The situation was dire, but they weren't doomed yet. Zia knew how Demons thought, fought, moved, and breathed. Escaping them wouldn't be a problem. The real danger was the wildlife. "You might want to move," Aeron told her as he gently pushed the ambassador aside and whipped out his gavel. Some of the carnivorous plants were getting hungry.

While they might have resembled simple—albeit gigantic—flowers, Aeron knew that these plants were far from ordinary. As he expected, some of the larger pods started to twist and turn, revealing a multitude of titanic jaws full of sharp teeth. The blood of their previous victims spewed out of their maws like rain, covering the ground and staining it red. These little beauties were a common nuisance in Hell—and one of the region's most prominent invasive species. "Oh great, this is the last thing I need!" Zia yelled as she dispersed some of the greenery with a hail of silent gunfire.

"Have you blessed your weapon?" Aeron asked as he plucked one of the pods out of the ground. With little effort, the Templar freed an entire batch of hungry roses from their roots. Of course, this upturned quite a bit of topsoil, which garnered the attention of several other predators. They'd drawn in enough ravenous tigers, lions, and other horrors to fill a small zoo in just a few moments.

"Stupid bastard! Think before you act!" Zia yelled as she ducked under one of the creature's claws. This particular beast resembled a giant black lizard. Although, unlike a regular reptile, this one had four heads—each covered with freakish spiderlike eyes. "We're being hunted! Did you think it was a good idea to alert the entire forest to our presence?!" In an instant, the tranquil clearing had transformed into a battlefield. And, for some reason, she was the only one fighting! "Aren't you going to help?!" she screamed as she glared at the floating Cherub. For the past few minutes, all Aeron had done was sit around while juggling his gavel. "How in God's name did they let somebody like you become the templar?!" Zia snapped as she ran behind a nearby log. The monsters tore it to shreds in seconds, but the maneuver gave her enough time to reload. After a few more close calls—and quite a few bullets—she'd had enough.

"You're pointing that weapon at the wrong person, ma'am," Aeron told her as he twirled his gavel around. He sighed. There was never enough time to think. As several rage-induced shots flew past him, he yawned and tried his best to get out of Zia's way. However, that just seemed to infuriate her more.

"Hurry up and use that fancy toy of yours!" she screeched as she was thrown back by one of the carnivorous shrubs. Yet another reason why she hated Angels, they all suffered from a severe case of sloth. Why did she have to do everything herself? Eventually, after far too much waiting, Aeron snapped his fingers and smiled.

"Yes! That would be perfect!" he thought as he pulled back his gavel's hammer and took aim at one of the massive horrors. Now he could finally get to work. When it came to large creatures like this, there was no better counter than sheer numbers. As he pulled the trigger, a massive swarm of insects poured out of his weapon. They filled the night sky like dense fog before descending upon the monstrous plants and animals. In seconds, the locusts had bled their corpses dry, leaving nothing but barren husks behind. As a bonus, he made sure to make the bugs unnaturally quiet so they wouldn't alert Dr. Leeson and his cronies. However—even with the buzzing blight eating away at the hordes—a few hungry pests survived.

"That was impressive! But, next time, try to be a bit more efficient!" Zia's calls fell on deaf ears. Aeron was too busy admiring his work to notice the predators slithering up behind him. It didn't take long before they were ready to ambush the Angel. Thankfully, he managed to grab one of the larger ones before it could strike. Once he'd silenced the beast, he tossed its limp body into a nearby tree. The creature's hide was no match for the hard lumber. The branches pierced the animal's skin effortlessly, skewering it like a roast on a spit. After that, it didn't take long for the two of them to decimate the rest of their assailants. Before the minute was up, they filled the forest floor with corpses, trailing only death and destruction in their wake.

"Just a few more," Aeron thought while turning to the woodland's last remaining residents. All that remained were a couple of giant reptiles. These creatures each had three pairs of black wings, each covered in a thick layer of scales. "These two are going to be our ticket out of this hellhole." The look the ambassador gave him made him chuckle. "What?" the Cherub mumbled as he scratched the side of one of the beast's heads. After killing all their friends, these creatures suddenly got a lot more agreeable. "Are you not a fan of chimeras?"

"That's putting it lightly." Zia's disgruntled and twisted glares were worth a thousand words. In Hell, it was commonplace to see these beasts serving as guard dogs or laborers. She had the pleasure of meeting such monstrosities on multiple occasions during her time in God's dumpster. "Tell me again, why are we sparing these two? Let's shoot them and call it done." When he heard Zia whine, Aeron frowned and rubbed his eyes. He thought that she'd understand his plan.

"It's normal in Purgatory to see chimeras flying around buildings. They are simple predators and usually only go after small pests, yet they are big enough to carry a full-grown man." After that comment, it didn't take long for the ambassador to piece together his horrible plot. And the thought of it made her stomach churn.

"You've got to be crazy if you think I will ride one of these things." She couldn't count how many times she almost met her end thanks to one of those oversized salamanders. The fiends were quite prevalent in the lower circles and had delayed her plans on numerous occasions. That said, it wasn't like she had any better options.

"If their skittish behavior is what worries you, I can always force them to calm down," Aeron told her as he pressed his gavel against one of the beasts' skulls. Zia rolled her eyes. She didn't have the time to humor this Angel's ego. But her hands were tied.

"I'll be taking this one, then," the begrudged ambassador exclaimed as she pushed Aeron off his chimera—leave it to Cherubs to claim the best steed for themselves. Thankfully, he didn't fight her and gladly relinquished his seat. "Thank you. Sorry, but if we're doing this, I'm taking the sister. She's a little less wild than her brother." Aeron had no idea how Zia managed to determine the critters' genders, but that didn't matter. And so, he took the second without complaint. "Eh, I've ridden worse," she thought as she held on to the back of her mount's neck. When she was crawling through the frozen wastelands of the Ninth Circle, she saw numerous Demons flying atop similar monstrosities. The chimeras'—in typical fashion—didn't seem to like her that much. They could probably smell the stench of the damned lingering on her skin. Due to this, her steed constantly bucked and twisted about, trying to throw her off.

"Just a little further, crazy bird," Aeron cooed as he placed his hand on his chimera's temple. For a second, the creature froze in place. The poor thing must've been terrified, but then again, who wouldn't be in its position? It was carrying the Templar, a being known to have brought pain and suffering to numerous realms. Even though it wasn't intelligent, Zia knew that the beast could at least feel the Angel's crushing aura. When the situation called for it, God's Cherubs could be quite the sadists.

Eventually, after a few minutes of flying, they finally made it back to the tower. Now that dusk had fallen, the fortress looked much more foreboding, which sent a chill down Zia's spine. As Aeron had predicted, multiple patrols were searching the skies. Some of the Demons who had wings came dangerously close to spotting them. However, they managed to slip past. "We'll land here," he whispered as he patted the chimera's head. Like an obedient house pet, the beast obeyed his commands and set him down gently on a large marble balcony. Zia had much more trouble getting her ride to return to the ground. However, after a few threats—and a lot of muffled yelling—she managed to get her mount to drop her off besides Aeron.

"Where in the world is this place?" she mumbled as she hopped off the beast's back. Judging by the exquisitely carved furniture, they must've landed on one of the tower's main suites. "Is this the penthouse?" The ambassador's confused whispers went unanswered as Aeron quietly neutralized the pair of chimeras. He couldn't risk the Demons spotting them, after all. And so, as thanks for flying him back to the tower, the Angel gave the monsters a painless death. The beasts drifted off into a peaceful slumber before disintegrating into clouds of ash. His task finished, Aeron knocked the dust off his hands and quietly walked into his room.

"Are you coming?" he asked as he held the balcony's entrance open. "Hurry up. I don't want flies getting in." Once the door behind Zia was good and shut, he sighed and took off his coat. After removing all the brambles and leaves that clung to the cloth, he hung his jacket on a nearby rack.

"So, they put you in here. Wow," Zia started with a whistle. "Never underestimate the riches of the damned," she thought as she made herself comfortable in one of the fluffy chairs. A small bowl full of fresh fruit lay next to her. She made sure to pluck the juiciest apple from the bunch and bit into it with a satisfying crunch. Aeron, on the other hand, made do with a simple pear. As the two devoured their late-night snacks, Aeron slipped a tiny receiver into his ear and dialed the head operator's number. As expected, Jeremy answered in an instant.

"Well, isn't this a surprise? You, of all people, calling me so late at night?" Aeron could almost smell the stench of alcohol wafting through his earpiece. Jeremy wasn't alone.

"Is that drunkard Malcolm with you? Tell him to slow down on the scotch—I can smell it from here." As expected, the head operator just laughed and ignored him. Those two must've just gotten back from a night of drinking at the Flying Wing.

"Yeah, Malcolm's here. Do you want to speak with him?" Aeron rolled his eyes. He wasn't calling on a whim. "Relax, I can hear you grumbling. You know, for a Cherub, you've got quite the temper." Once the man finished prodding his Angelic pride, Aeron sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This whole ordeal was going to give him a headache.

"The Demons are planning something, Jeremy." That shut the man up. "I, and a compatriot of mine, followed Dr. Leeson after trying to sneak away from the summit, and we overheard something pretty interesting," he told the intrigued operator. Jeremy always did love a good scheme. If he tossed the man a bone, he would chase its stench to Hell and back.

"I'm listening," the man responded as Aeron heard the head operator pour himself a glass of fine wine. The Minister must've done something stupid to get him to drink this much.

"What did that fat bastard do now?" His question only made Jeremy more distressed. The poor guy couldn't even speak; he was far too angry for that. Before he could get to anything related to Dr. Leeson, he'd have to get the man to calm down first. After all, the information he carried was of the utmost import, and that required an operator with a cool head to record it.

"That prick is hiding something, he and the rest of the Council," Jeremy hissed as Aeron laughed. Since when was that newsworthy? "Normally, I wouldn't care, but this time is different. The Minister feels scared, Aeron, and that worries me."

"You know that man is terrified of everything. Give him a few days, and he'll be back to normal." As much as they had to say about the Minister, there was one thing the man wasn't, and that was subtle. That uptight airhead couldn't help himself when it came to sensitive information. He'd rather die than lose something that made him seem superior.

"Yeah, I know that isn't surprising to hear. However, that doesn't mean it isn't disturbing. Even when dealing with classified intelligence, the Minister would always ensure that I would be kept in the loop. I mean, for Heaven's sake, I am his operator." Yet again, the man chuckled as he downed a bottle of whiskey. "But I'm totally in the dark on this one. I've asked Malcolm if he heard anything strange, but he's also grasping at straws," Jeremy groaned as he sighed. He had hit a dead end. "Well… besides our boss' depressing secrecy, what's happening in your neck of the woods? By the sounds of things, whatever you learned must be insane. Is Dr. Leeson planning a coup d'état?" Aeron sighed as he got up and walked over to the penthouse's wine cabinet—this was going to take a while.

"Do you want one?" he asked Zia as he poured himself a small drink. It wouldn't be as good as his wine at the banquet, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Sure," she mumbled as Aeron handed her a glass, "thanks." Aeron wasn't sure if Zia liked the wine or not. Without the makeup, most of the woman's emotions were walled in like treasure in a safe, hidden behind a barrier of scars and burnt tissue. "Who is on the other end of the line? An envoy from the Bureau?" Aeron nodded as he dug through another cabinet. He had a spare somewhere.

"Jeremy, I will put my comrade on," he spoke as he tossed Zia his backup transmitter. "I'm certain you already know how these things work. Just put it in, and it'll take care of the rest." Zia frowned as she picked the device up. She never did like using these things. Thanks to her sensitive skin, they were always too loud and irritating to be practicable, but it wasn't like she could use one of the tower's phones either. Knowing Dr. Leeson, they were probably all tapped. And so, with no other options left to her, she gritted her teeth and inserted the earpiece. After adjusting it to the point where she could hear the operator comfortably, she yawned and turned her attention to the bustling forest below. The night was still young, and there was so much to cover.

"So… where do I begin?"

Ninety-five years ago...

What is it about God that inspires his followers? Is it the idea that he's an all-powerful being? Or is it simply a matter of fear? I don't know, and frankly, I don't give a damn. I only follow orders. My most recent assignment involves an inspection of one of the newest realms. The tiny hamlet is called Earth, and it has been slowly going to shit ever since the Almighty created it. The place isn't even slightly advanced as far as technology or magic is concerned, but its growing population has proven to be quite troublesome. The mortals here are reproducing like rabbits. In just a few short centuries, they've covered the globe their creator gave them. In my opinion, it's honestly amazing that Yahweh can even process all their souls in such a small amount of time.

Us judges are the ones who finish the job. We do the final checks, give everyone one last chance to prove themselves worthy before Heaven and their peers. In an ideal world, we'd be saints, but the truth is far from perfect. Heck, I'm an Angel, and I'm not exactly what most would consider faithful. If I wasn't conceived in the upper echelons and was born into this universe as a mortal, I'm sure that I would be rotting in Hell now. Thankfully, that wasn't how it turned out. However, that will be the fate of most of the mortals here. At the moment, I have to say this is one of the most rotten and despicable places I've ever judged. I'm not even thirty years in, and already this place gives me the shakes. Everywhere I turn, there's murder, rape, envy, greed, you name it. If there's a sin, then these mortals have already wallowed in it.

Still, that isn't exactly a bad thing. On the bright side, the more the humans profess their heresy, the more work I get to put into their grand finale. I still haven't decided what method to use for their rehabilitation. At first, I thought a nice meteor would do the trick, but that's not poetic enough. No, this doom should come slowly. Maybe in a few years, I'll have made my decision.