The Angel and the Creature
A gift to @enigmaticpigeon.
The Lord filled His chamber with an overwhelming light. In His presence, every other light dimmed in comparison. You almost couldn’t see the host of angels surrounding him, all on their knees, their foreheads touching the ground in total submission. The Angel knelt before Him, the only one looking up, for He had called for it.
The Lord boomed, “Do you know why I ask for you?”
“To serve you,” the Angel replied, “for, through me, your will is done. I am your messenger, a guardian of your domain, your tool.”
The reply was rote repetition. Every angel had to respond to that question in that way. The Angel’s mind remained wholly empty.
The Lord smiled as much as one like Him could smile. For He had no mouth, no face, no head. But the impression of a smile permeated the space, imposed upon it by His light. “You will protect a village for me. A monster stalks the outskirts and seeks its destruction. The residents worship me well and I wish not to see harm done to them.”
The Angel bowed its head. “I understand what you ask of me, Lord my God. I will serve your will, destroy your enemies, and protect your domain.”
Again, the reply was what had been drilled into it. There was a stillness to the repetition. Not a single thought was necessary to obey.
“Then,” He intoned, “go now to the human world. Make haste and do not delay.”
The Angel rose. Its countless wings spread, revealing its face for but a moment. Beneath the cracks, the missing chunks, there was a stunningly beautiful character to the face. Obscured, now, by all the wounds of its submission, you could still see the perfect symmetry the face once had. The sharpness of the features, the roiling storm of the glassy eyes. But the missing chunks made the artificiality of it apparent. At the jagged edges, it was obvious that the face was sculpted from pure marble.
In a moment, its face was gone, hidden once more behind its wings. It rose into the air.
It took not a moment to find itself above the rolling hills of the Land Below, hurtling at unimaginable speed toward the village He had sent it to protect. Its movements were rote and automatic, not a thought crossing its mind.
The stillness broke in a moment, its thoughts flooding back. It hung in the air, hovering miles above the ground. From far below, sobbing rose to meet it. A great sorrow filled it, the sound all too familiar, yet half forgotten. It let itself drop, tumbling through the air. At the last moment, its wings spread, halting its descent and allowing it to land softly on the ground, perched atop a mound. Down here, the sobbing filled the air, not just a distant sound down below, but flooding over the whole of the space.
The Angel’s voice boomed out, louder than it wanted to speak, “Be not afraid. I wish only to help.”
From the depths of the long shadows of the hill, as deep and dark as they were from the setting of the sun, two pale white eyes, the irises obscured by a milky film appeared. The eyes looked up and flinched back from the luminosity of the Angel, retreating into the darkness.
The angel closed its eyes and took a deep breath. As it breathed out, its light faded.
The eyes appeared once more. After a moment, a Creature stumbled out of the darkness. All over the Creature’s grey-blue skin, mushrooms sprouted, concentrated on the black-purple bruises. The Creature moved as much with faer pitch-black clawed hands as with faer beastly legs. From faer head, a great antler of twisting wood and bark extended, but, where the other antler should’ve been, only a stump remained, the wood of it torn and broken. Fae scrambled forward, slowly and halting, stopping every few moments to figure out its surroundings once more.
The Creature stopped at the edge of the Angel’s light.
“Do you serve Her?” The Creature spoke with a cracked voice. “Have you come to take me Below?”
The Angel shook its head. “I serve only the Lord On High.”
The Creature stalked the edge of its light. “Have you come for my destruction?”
Once more, the Angel shook its head. “I come only to protect.”
“Protect, protect, protect,” the Creature said. “What is it to protect but to destroy? The shield destroys the arrow, the movement, the blow. The wall destroys the army, the flow, the life. The watch destroys the terrors, the degenerate, the strange.”
The Angel said, “My only task is to serve. Beyond my duty, I will do no harm.”
“Duty, duty, duty,” the Creature said. “What is duty but your own destruction? The knight destroys their will, their gentleness, their connection. The homunculus destroys its selfhood, its thought, its movement. The servant destroys their freedom, their standing, their home.”
The Angel said, “I do not seek destruction, though it might come. It is not for me to choose.”
The Creature smiled, faer teeth sharp as knives. “Not to choose is a choice. The shield doesn’t choose to be raised, but, in not choosing, it destroys the attack. The knight doesn’t choose where he is called, but, in not choosing, he destroys his land. The wall doesn’t choose to be built, but, in not choosing, it destroys the wilderness. The homunculus doesn’t choose to be made, but, in not choosing, it destroys its mind. The watch doesn’t choose their shift, but, in not choosing, they destroy the dark. The servant doesn’t choose their master, but, in not choosing, they destroy their life.”
The Creature let out a low growl. “Each of them could have chosen, but, by not doing so, they chose. Be careful not to mistake not choosing for not having a choice. Do not abrogate your responsibility for the destruction, whatever good or ill might come of it, that follows from your lack of choice.”
“Your words vex me,” the Angel said. “I do not know what it is you wish of me. I ask of you to ask me straight for what it is you so desire.”
“My sort aren’t known for straight answers,” the Creature said. “But, to you, I will make my desire plain. I seek safety and freedom. I am sure that both my goals will bring destruction, just as your duty and your protection do, and I choose that destruction with open eyes. I ask of you to choose it too, for my life to be preserved by your hand, whatever the will of your Lord may be.”
The Angel held its tongue for a minute before it spoke. “You did speak plain, yet your words still vex me. I do not know what you intend, but I have made my choice. I will protect you.”
The Angel’s wings opened. “You may find shelter beneath my wings.”
The Creature slinked forward and curled up at the Angel’s feet. The wings curved in, the tips touching. A third and fourth wing moved to cover the top of the enclosure. The Creature slipped into darkness.
This task completed, the Angel was consumed with stillness. It stood over its hidden charge as night passed it by.
It took until the third watch of the night before the light of the crescent moon was blinding. In the light, the Lord stood before the Angel.
The Lord intoned, “You are not at the village. Was not my will for you to not delay?”
The Angel knelt, separating its wings. The Creature could not be seen at its feet, but it felt faer warmth against it. It returned to automatic speech. “That was your will as you conveyed it.”
“Yet,” the Lord said, “you are delayed.”
“I am no-thing,” the Angel said, “but a worm before you. I enact your will as best I can.”
“Yet,” the Lord said, “you are delayed.”
“I am no-thing,” the Angel said, “naught but an instrument of your will. I act only on your will.”
“Yet,” the Lord said, “you are delayed.”
“I am no-thing,” the Angel said. “I serve your will and nothing else. The thought to disobey can’t cross my mind.”
“You will make it to the village before my light fills the sky,” the Lord said. “I feel the presence of the monster that threatens it. The thing stalks in the shadows. You will see to it that it is destroyed by my light.”
The Angel said, “I understand what you ask of me, Lord my God. I will serve your will, destroy your enemies, and protect your domain.”
The Lord smiled, cruelty filling the sensation of it. “Good.”
The night was dark once more. After a moment, the Creature could be seen curled at the Angel’s feet not having moved an inch. The Angel carefully reached down and picked the Creature up. Together they shot into the sky. Before the fourth watch even began they were at the village, hovering miles in the air, their eyes scanning the surroundings. As its duty determined, it was present when the Lord’s light filled the land.
It took several hours for the Creature to stir in its arms. Fae looked down, taking a moment to focus on what fae was seeing, and then fae writhed in panic. Faer arms grabbed onto the Angel’s body, massive compared to faer own, and clung to it for dear life.
“We left the place before I awoke.”
“I am duty bound,” the Angel said. “I had no choice.”
The Creature cackled. “I see you learned no lessons from me last night.”
“No,” the Angel said, “I did learn. Last night I chose.”
“Ah, so you did,” the Creature said. “I am still here. How long has it been since you last chose?”
“It has been an eternity.”
“But this isn’t your first time choosing,” the Creature said. “What led you to begin to choose not to choose?”
“Like the homunculus, I was crafted this way,” the Angel replied. “My body was sculpted from marble in Heaven, but I am pure breath.”
The Creature’s blackened claw traces a crack on the Angel’s chest. “But you weren’t made broken, were you? You weren’t made refusing to choose.”
“It is better this way,” the Angel said. “The Lord my God taught me that long before time began. I am meant to lack will. The cracks are simply the result of Him imposing submission upon me, destroying my thoughts, leaving me empty.”
“And you have accepted this?”
“I must,” the Angel said. Its hand gently found one of the Creature’s bruises, smaller now than before the night began. “And how were you cracked?”
The Creature pursed it lips and considered how to proceed. After a moment, fae said, “I also had subservience imposed upon me.”
“Yet you lecture me on serving.”
“I understand serving,” the Creature said, “but that doesn’t mean you don’t choose. When She commanded me, I obeyed, but I still chose to obey. She constrained my choices, warped the consequences of my actions, to force of me what She wanted me to do, but I still chose. No matter how much She broke me, and I was surely broken, I still could not, cannot, abrogate that responsibility.”
“Who was She?”
The Creature growled. “She is the Queen Below. My sort, the aos sí, the folk of the mounds, fairies, live under her dominion. Not in totality, like your Lord Above, she isn’t the only Queen, but none escape dominion entirely.”
“And does she still live?” the Angel said. “You don’t seem particularly keen on serving her.”
“Unfortunately.” The Creature grimaced. “I would’ve killed Her if I could’ve, but my freedom was more important than my revenge. So, when the opportunity presented itself, I simply fled.”
“You ceased to obey?”
“I chose,” the Creature said. “I question why you continue to obey.”
The Angel’s reply was automatic. “I must obey.”
“I see.”
The hours of the day passed. No monster presented itself as the pair hung in silence, the Angel holding the Creature as the Creature clung to the Angel. With the final hour of the day, the Lord’s light sunk beneath the horizon, but no moon presented itself, nor would one all night. The Angel lowered itself to the ground more smoothly than it did last time, gently placing the Creature on the ground.
“Clinging for dear life like that,” the Creature said, “is exhausting.”
“You may sleep within my wings as you did last night.”
The Creature smiled up at the Angel and again curled up at its feet. “I am glad you chose last night. I feel safe in your presence.”
The Angel smiled softly down, then covered the Creature once more with its wings. This time, though, stillness came less easily. It was restless as it stood over its charge. It knew not why it was so difficult, this had never been difficult before. Still, eventually, it found stillness.
As the second watch reached its close, midway through the night, the darkness grew cold. Before it, a pair of cat eyes appeared within it, blinking once.
“You have something of mine,” the Queen said, her voice twisting through the dark. “I intend to retrieve my monster.”
The Angel stared at Her. “I don’t think my Lord would appreciate you harming His property.”
“He wouldn’t,” the Queen said. “But you aren’t acting as His property, are you? I’m sure He would see it my way if I acted. But I do not wish you harm. I want faer, my property, without fuss. I can’t play my games by myself.”
“I won’t give fae up to you,” the Angel said. “I chose to protect faer.”
“Chose, chose, chose,” the Queen said. “To choose is to abandon. The knight who chooses abandons his queen, his subjects, his lands. The homunculus who chooses abandons its creator, its purpose, its love. The servant who chooses abandons their master, their duty, their home.”
“Then I am to abandon,” the Angel said. “I chose and I will choose again, even if it means I am free of my duty.”
“Free, free, free,” the Queen said. “To be free is to kill. The shield that is free kills its duty, its wielder, its battle. The wall that is free kills its city, its protection, its people. The watch that is free kills its charge, its safety, its certainty.”
“You play games with words,” the Angel said, “with the skill of my charge. But I have give this thought. Not choosing would still be to abandon. I would abandon my responsibility, my life, my love. Equally, not being free would still be to kill. I would kill my selfhood, my master’s enemies, my heart. You may be a master of words, but my mind is made up. I make the choice, not you.”
The Queen’s smile appeared in the dark, Her teeth just as sharp as the Creature’s. “If your mind is made up, then I can’t invent it further. But I will leave you with a warning. My property betrayed me. Fae is not to be trusted. Fae is a deceiver, a twister of words, a player of games. You may have chosen, but you are still a playing piece, not a player. And, one day, fae will betray you as well.”
The Angel considered this for a minute, then nodded slowly. “I understand. Thank you for telling me. My choice is unchanged, but, with what you have said, I can now choose the full consequences of my actions.”
The Queen’s laughter split the air, sharp as a knife. “You are quite earnest. I respect that. I will not make a move against you for three full moons hence. Beware your Lord, though, for He may not take as kindly to your choices as I have. Take my monster and leave before He realizes what you have done.”
Her eyes disappeared before her smile. The Angel stood in stillness for the whole of the third watch. As it came to its close, it spread its wings and knelt down, putting a hand on the Creature’s shoulder.
“Awaken,” the Angel said, “there is much which must happen before my Lord’s light fills this world.”
The Creature stirred slowly. It looked up at the Angel and smiled. “I’m glad you’re still here. I was worried I’d be alone when I woke up. Or worse. But here, with you, I know I’m safe.”
The Angel smiled down. “I will keep you safe. It is my choice. But I don’t believe my Lord would abide by it. I was sent to protect a village, to destroy a monster. Yet, now, as I stare down at the monster, I can’t help but be filled with the desire to protect, the instinct to stay with faer, the knowledge that I chose to be with faer.”
The Creature hesitated a moment, then nodded. “We should leave here, now, then. Find someplace safe where we can be together.”
The Creature rose slowly and embraced the Angel. The Angel dropped the wings in front of its face and rested its head against the top of the Creature’s head. Desire filled it, but now wasn’t the time to act upon desire. The Angel lifted the Creature up, holding faer close. It crouched and then lept into the air. It wasn’t alone, and it didn’t intend to be alone ever again.