My Heaven

-A Sudden Marriage-

By Michael James

Part 1

A younger angel

In the corner,

of a hospital...

“Honey please stay with me, I don't want to lose you. I am nothing without you!” Her final thought was she hoped her husband finds someone to take care of him. The doctors rushed in when her status dropped below negative. “NO!”

Right beside her was an angel of death, an Azazel. Those who tend to linger for long periods of time, need help. This Azazel was there to help her to the staircase of the afterlife. What happened next was not a usual incident. Another Azazel came into the room and tried to kill his brethren. And upon his attack a 3rd Azazel named Riddle blocked his weapon. And no one could see them or be affected by their conflict.

“Gatherer, take the soul to paradise, I will deal with this rogue.” He did as he was told and flew out of the hospital room with the soul. This enemy fighting Riddle looked at the length of her hair. Realizing how screwed he was. “Rogue, I cant believe you would pull this cra... so close to my home.” He used all his strength to push her back then fled, or tried to. He ran out of the room and went for a window.

This breed of angel cant go though anything non transparent. And she was blocking the window in the room. Like a bullet, her scythe on a chain took off his head and he evaporated into nothing. A nurse walked right through Riddle as she stood in the hall, she just kept going. Riddle walked back to the late husband.

“It's for the best sir, don't think of suicide again.” She said walking up to him as he cried. She put her hand close to his shoulder and relieved his terrible thoughts.

At a large church,

a few miles from the hospital...

“Ahg, its good to be home. Ralph, anything interesting happen while I was gone?” The gargoyle spirit rose from its stone shell. He wandered over to his friend and told her she had a guest. “What kind of guest Ralph?” It was another Azazel. Riddle looked at him asking “why did you let another one into my church? You are here for a reason you know.” This boy was here to at her brothers call...

In front of the alter,

on his knee...

“Oh great god of wolves, though you are not my true lord. I bend the knee to you and ask for a blessing.” He bent head then prayed. “Will you come pray with me?” Riddle walked up to the podium and kneeled down for a prayer. 6 minutes later they rose up as others came to pray, but they didn't see them.

“Lets go talk upstairs.” He followed her up a labyrinth of stairs to a little dug out in the roof. It had a window and a bed up there. “Ralph tells me you are here because my brother sent you?” Yes that was why he was here. The great lord, her brother Asia sent him to her. “Judging from your hair length, you are no green horn.”

“I was in my own church for decades. Master Asia came to me and told me to come to you.” What was his name? “My name is Mile.” Riddle stood up and looked shocked. “What's wrong?” Why would her brother send him across a galaxy to her. “You've heard of me?” Of course she had, he was the one that took out Blackroad. “Well, I hope we can make this work.” She told him her bed was small but he was welcome in it.

He had a moment of lust in his mind, but then they both felt a presence. They jerked their heads towards the window. Mile told her this rogue was a hunter of Protectors, like them. He must have followed him here. Riddle took her weapon and said they had a job to do.

“Glad to hear it, lets go...”

Part 2

The hunter of hunters

In a vacant parking lot...

“Oh my he led me to a big fish.” He was standing there making his presence known. These two allies were not the only Protectors who showed up. He watched as a dozen circled him and trapped him in a barrier. Awaiting the strongest they had.

“Heh, you small fry's will be next after I kill your leaders.” Again no one living could see them. Cars on the street were going by. Wolf people walked on the sidewalk only a couple yards away. Riddle and Mile arrived on the scene minutes later.

“Well aren't you a big fella, you don't look that strong though.” He laughed at Riddle telling her he was skilled not strong. Then he looked at Mile asking if he really thought he could outrun him? Mile responded he didn't know he was on the run. “The 12 of you, break formation and return to your churches” ordered Riddle.

“Yes master...”

“You think you are skilled? I welcome the challenge” Riddle mocked. He claimed his name was Knocker. This was another name she had heard before. He challenged her younger brother, lost, but managed to get away. He had a hammer in his hand that looked like it came from a slaughter house. Mile asked him why he came all this way.

“You killed my brothers, now I will kill you.” Riddle asked Mile if he wanted to share the bill? He told her to stay out of this one. He wanted this victory. He drew his scythe that was on his back. As Riddle stepped out of the way, Knocker wanted to know something. Why was he using a different weapon?
“Well you know the short swords ran their purpose.” Knocker looked him in the eye, then immediately sprinted at him with super fast speed. The scythe blade was an inch from Knocker's neck. The hammer was an inch from Mile's forehead.

“Old tricks, may they die hard” Knocker muttered. Both men jumped back and then flew into each other. Knocker swung his hammer down over and over again. Doing his best to disarm his opponent. Mile used his weapon like a circular saw blade. Creating a wheel of force. Attempting to cut him in half. But every time the weapons met they canceled each other. Mile flew up in the air and threw his wheel at Knocker. It cut Knocker's arm a bit. But now Mile was disarmed.

“I have you now you stupid little boy.” He sprinted up in the air and meant to knock his head off his shoulders. Mile called his weapon back to his hand in the same wheel it was sent. Knocker got his left wing cut bad. He was in extreme pain and decided to flee. Mile let him go and watched him try to fly away correctly.

“You got spunk kid... why did you let him go?” Mile dropped his weapon claiming his arms were in great pain. “Okay no big deal, I'll get you to my church.”

“What about the nearest one?” She asked if territory meant nothing to the churches in his own land? “Wouldn't an injured lover count as an exception?” Afraid not.

As night fell,

he rested in her bed...

“Oh man, my body feels ready for another fight.” Mile said rising up on his feet. Riddle wasn't anywhere to be seen and he started to worry. He closed his eyes trying to sense her. Of course she was down stairs observing a mass from the priest.

The priest spoke “may the children run through the woods freely. And may they never be hunted for they are children of the Goddess Tratara. May they find their fill and not take more than is needed. For to waste food is a sin that is easily be avoided...”

“Riddle...” shh, the priest was giving a sermon. It was rude to talk while he spoke. Mile shut his lips and for another 17 minutes they watched wolf people give thanks to their goddess. Even though they couldn't interact they showed respect.

“Lets go upstairs. All that's left is the reception.” He asked her on the way up why she became a protector? “I had no choice in the matter, what was your reason?”

“I lost a friend to the rogues. She was a little Azazel, hardly had any hair on her head. She was under my watch to learn the trade. I remember her watching a stray dog play with itself. She found such delight in the mysteries of the living. One night she woke me in my church saying she wanted to go watch the dog. The little Azazel never came home. A rogue found and killed her. I know, because I was punished for it.”

“Ever since then you have hunted rogues?” Not just rogues, he sought the hunters of the hunters. Rogues that only go after Protectors. “I see why my brother sent you to me now. You are one of my kind. Elite Azazel's that walk a lonely path.”

They reached her room and she started to undress. He admitted it had been a long time for him. Riddle said her last merge was 37 years ago.

Part 3

Marriage

In the bed...

They were not joined like regular people were, when they made love. Yes they were bare, but they were joined by their wings. As they hugged each other. When their wings touched like this, it was better than sex. A holy ritual among their kind.

“I think its time we stopped don't you” Mile gasped. Riddle who was laying on top of him lifted up. Her wings moved away from his and they were no longer connected. As they got dressed, Riddle commented they needed a bigger bed.

“I was thinking it would take you longer to trust me. In order to do something like this” said Mile. Riddle told him they were married now, her brother sent her a fine man. “I just didn't want to assume anything.” Riddle walked up to him and put her hand on his wing. Creating a sensation like kissing.

“My brother has wanted me to get married for a while now. You should know, you are not the first suitor that has come to me. But there's something about you.” He touched her wing in the same way. “I will eventually want a child.” He had no problem with that.

Then they heard a distress call, it was coming from an urgent care. They smiled and took off out the window. As they flew a couple dozen miles across the city. The distress call seemed to be getting more urgent. When they arrived it was too late.

“Little one, we are going to take you to a happy place” said Riddle. When they landed, a dead gatherer Azazel laid on the floor. And the soul was curled up in the corner of the room. He was a child who died from a gun shot, and was more scared now, than in life.

“You think it was Knocker?” She told him they would discuss this later. The soul needed help. “Of course.” They took a trip to the staircase, and made it a cake walk for him to get up.

Upon returning to the church, a number of gatherers were waiting. They wanted answers why she didn't protect the fallen! Mile wanted to speak for her but stayed quiet.

“We received the distress call in the evening. We went as fast as we could to assist. He was dead when we arrived and I will live with that shame all my existence.” The one leading the gatherer party wanted to know why the evening? “I do not understand.” Their brother was killed in the morning, not evening!

Riddle looked shocked and could only conclude, Knocker sent the distress call. She informed them all, something was at play. A rogue was causing a great disaster.

“We have souls to guide to the afterlife. We can not, do our duty. If we are afraid rogues will come to kill us. You promised us all safety. Are you saying you can no longer protect us!?” Riddle told them that she would protect them all. She would not sleep until they could rest. “We are trusting you with our lives here.”

“And I will not betray that trust!”

2 nights later...

“You must rest, Riddle...”

“Found him!” Mile jumped back a bit from her outburst. She had been standing on top of the bell tower. Scanning the city non stop. Waiting for this rogue to show himself. Mile asked where he was? “A bridge pile up. Come our brethren needs us to watch his back.” She took off like bullet, to the bridge. Mile couldn't even keep up.

Beneath the bridge...

“You are being granted a great honor. Your otherwise meaningless life will serve a greater purpose and lengthen my hair. The gatherer took his scythe and readied to defend himself.

This rogue woman, found it amusing. But then sensed a power, she looked slightly to the left. Riddle rammed her hard right into the wall and chained her to the surface. She broke the chains with her raw strength. Drawing a mega large scythe.

“You knocked the wind out of me protector.” Riddle said she didn't understand. Knocker was supposed to be here not her. “Heh, what do you take me for. That mule got what he deserved. Trespassing on our feeding grounds, acting without consent.”

“Gatherer, take the soul and get out of here.” He didn't hesitate, he took the soul and fled. “Your telling me, Knocker is no longer in this city?” She was telling her Knocker was trapped in a coffin beneath the soil. Who could only get free if she released him.

Part 4

A bigger threat

The 2 women discussed...

“I got to say, thank you for the favor. But if you think keeping him contained is life insurance. You are sadly mistaken. What do I call you?” Her name was Villa, and she didn't need insurance. That being said, she was keeping 5 other rogues in the same cemetery. Should she die, all 6 would be free and quite unmanageable.

“Now I want to know about you. Looking at your weapon and hair, I would wager, you're Riddle.” She was. “I wish from the chalice of our lord. If I killed you I would get more than 1 centimeter. Doesn't really seem fair to me.” Where did she come from? “I have been in hiding carefully getting ready to hunt protectors.”

“Then lets begin your demise rogue.” Riddle took her position, ready for a heavy fight. When out of the blue, Mile arrived. He saw what was happening and got his weapon ready. Villa looked at them both and felt unsure of victory. Against 2 veteran protectors. Then the bridge above them collapsed. A huge chunk of concrete fell between them. Villa spontaneously evaporated into shadow.

“What in our lords name just happened?”

“We face a bigger threat love, its good you came when you did. I might have died tonight.”

In a cemetery,

6 feet down...

“HELP! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!?” Knocker screamed at the top of his lungs. Wrapped up in chains!