CHAPTER 20
Just as he said they would, other seraphim arrived shortly after Mikhael left us. Two of them, also walking from the horizon, approached the pool where we stood about like herd animals yearning for a drink. Ours, however, was a thirst for knowledge that had been recently awakened and could not be satiated by the curious water of our pool.
They introduced themselves as Raphael and Gabriel. The first thing that struck me about the pair was Gabriel's remarkable resemblance to Mikhael. He was slightly shorter, and of course less muscular, but their features were mostly identical. It seemed strange to me then that Gabriel would appear with Raphael instead of Mikhael, seeing as how the two appeared so similar. Raphael, on the other hand, bore no resemblance to anyone I had ever seen.
As I have stated earlier, all of my brothers and I, along with Mikhael, shared many common features appearance wise. Much like other families, an observer would be able to tell that we were all related. Raphael, on the other hand, did not appear to be from that family. He was the exception.
His hair was incredibly bright and the color of flame. It hung down in thick ringlets just past his shoulders and dominated any first impression that he made. In fact, at first glance it looked like his head was on fire. This was in stark contrast to his skin, which was a smooth white with a flat shine-like the surface of an enormous pearl.
Raphael's wings were different to. Unlike the wings of the other seraphim which were a brilliant white without flaw, his seemed highlighted at the base and tips by an earthy, rust color. Bits of twig and grass could be seen in both his hair and his wings. He made no effort to pick them out, and seemed genuinely unconcerned with their presence. He was certainly a striking figure, perhaps even a bit unsettling when compared to the meticulousness of the other seraphim, but when he opened his mouth to speak the same warmth and caring that we had felt emanate from Mikhael also poured forth from Raphael. After just moments, both he and Gabriel put us at ease with their words and we knew that they loved us.
No one saw Mikhael approach, but he was there among us now, appearing only moments after we grew accustomed to Gabriel and Raphael. I suspected that he dropped in from above while we were entranced with the other seraphim. That's just like him-taking the transparent route whenever possible.
I recall feeling a sense of family, standing there with my brothers and these three archangels. Yes, there was a closeness that I felt towards my brothers before the seraphim arrived, but it wasn't complete. We were just going through the motions like parts of a clock. Over and over we did the same things without any real purpose or thought. I liked that and felt comfortable doing it, but I developed no individual relationships because none of us acted like individuals. We were pieces of a whole that shared a consciousness, and we would be there still playing our games moment after moment, had the seraphim not awakened us to our purpose. They inspired intimacy and completed our family. All three were kind, caring, and seemed genuinely concerned with our well being and development. And even though I had no way of knowing at the time, and there were no outward signs as such, I always assumed them to be much older than the rest of us. They were certainly much wiser. The seraphim began calling us over now, one at a time, to an area where they stood about thirty paces from the pool.
These were the first moments I recall being aware of the passage of time . . . standing there, waiting for them to call me over. The largest of us, whom they would name Semjaza, was the first to convene with seraphim. After some time, they turned him back around to face us and stepped a few paces closer to the mass.
I admit that when Gabriel started announcing the importance of things such as arrangement and organization I was unimpressed. My thoughts were of names and purposes. More specifically, I wondered what my name and my purpose would be. I had correctly guessed that Semjaza had just been told both of his, and I was anxious to own that kind of knowledge also.
Gabriel then went on to tell us about something that we would be a part of, something he called the celestial hierarchy. "Ultimately, Father is the only superior that you have," he said. "He is the pinnacle of our linking. However, there are almost four hundred million of us now; all of us have specific jobs and responsibilities. Without method I fear we would be much less effective and efficient in carrying out our duties. I'm sure that the two hundred of you will come to see the wisdom of our system."
Mikhael then placed his hand on the small of my brother's back and nudged him to the forefront. "Servants to the elect . . . messengers of the truth," he addressed us louder than usual, "I give you Semjaza, your leader and first among the Watchers. Amen."
The Peacock Angel: Rise of the Decarchs Page 30
