Devourer

Chapter 138: Divine Sanction

Uriel looked at Junie with a slight smile on her face. If her jaw dropped any lower it would fall right onto the wood floor. Mother Justina slightly furrowed her brow when she saw the amused look on Uriel’s face. Mother Justina turned to look at Junie who just realised she was gaping. Junie immediately shut her mouth and bowed hurriedly.

“Do not worry, that is a common reaction to my wings.” Uriel replied with a light flutter of her wings.

Uriel noted that she got the reaction that she wanted as the two women looked at her wings in awe. Not all angel wings were created equal. In Seraphim society the wings were a crucial component in determining an angel's beauty. Which meant that the Cherubim who had small stunted wings were considered hideous by the other angels. Uriel had particularly large, white and voluminous wings. Combine that with her other bodily features and Uriel was considered the most beautiful Seraphim in all of heaven.

Yet Uriel often found her beauty more of a bother than an asset in recent years. In her youth she was as many would put it, stuck up and arrogant. So arrogant in fact that she left her realm of Heaven as she felt the land of her home was just restricting her. Though that was true to an extent Uriel herself knew that arrogance was moving her more than calm reason.

Uriel, like many of the young and foolhardy, eventually discovered the true meaning of the phrase “frog in a well”.

“Archangel I apologise for the rudeness. I accept whatever punishment you see fit but please spare my husband.” Junie stammered in response.

Uriel let out a soft smile at those words. Even when Junie thought she was in great danger her mind still went to her husband. This was both heartening and saddening to Uriel considering this fine priestess would have left the faith if not for the Great Beast managing to amend the ways of the Church of Order. The irony was not lost on Uriel, she taught that monsters must never be trusted. True monsters looked down on what they considered artificial creations. For natural monsters have evolved and survived to hold their current forms. The artificial creations were created as tools to fulfil a specific task and to the monsters that made them stunted creations. Humanoids especially were hyper specific tools which depended on each other making them individually weak. All the more reason for the scorn they receive.

Yet an ancient beast has managed to correct the path of her church with nothing but simple interpretation of her texts. How far has her work fallen for something so far removed from humanoids to be able to fix it so easily. In truth the Great Beast must truly be a close creation of the Firstborn. He reminds Uriel quite a bit of the Firstborn. They were everything in the world, the good and the bad, miracle and calamity, light and dark. If there truly were children of the world it would be the Firstborn. They do say mothers often favour the first child. If the creatures of this world represented different sides of the coin then the Firstborn were the coin itself.

“Fear not, I have no plans to punish you. If you could see past my disguise I would hardly be an Archangel no?” Uriel replied with a warm smile.

“It is heartening to see you care so much for your husband and fear not you did the right thing with regards to your marriage. I have not been paying as much attention as I should towards this realm. 

It appears the current church of order has lost its way. I plan to make several amendments to the church doctrine. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call them corrections.” Uriel said.

“Corrections my lady?” Mother Justina asked.

“Marriage and love are part of my teachings. Why would those that follow my faith be barred from finding love? My domain is the aspects of compassion, love, marriage and fertility. Why would I stop my closest adherents from enjoying my greatest gift?” Uriel said gently as she stood up and walked up to Junie before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Your love for you husband shines through brightly young Junie, yet I sense guilt within you. Tell me what ails your heart?” Uriel said gently and she saw Junie look away for a moment. She hesitated for almost a minute before finding the courage to speak.

“I was not the first love of my husband. He was promised to another but when he returned from the war…” Junie said as her words got caught in her throat.

“She lost the child they made together and when we returned we found her in bed with someone else. There was so much anger from him and I tried my best to calm him. You teach us to forgive but in a moment of weakness I felt forgiveness was not possible for him. So I told him to leave with me, I felt at least with the anger gone he might suffer less.

Did I steal him away? Did I take advantage of him?” Junie asked softly as her eyes filled with tears.

“Come sit.” Uriel said as she led Junie to the couch and she wrapped a wing around her shoulders. Junie looked at her wing in shock before turning around to look at Uriel again.

“One day he will have to make his peace with it. You must ask yourself what you truly wanted at that moment. If you fall to temptation then repent and resolve to never make the same mistake again. You did what you did out of love but even if part of you coveted his affections then you must think on what to do.

I do not demand all of you to be perfect. I demand all of you to try, I only scorn those that know they sin but do it willingly, gleefully even. I myself have made many mistakes, many mistakes I still regret.” Uriel said gently and she saw Junie looking up at her wide eyed.

“You make mistakes?” Junie asked.

“Of course, but I try my best to fix what I have broken and to never make the same mistake again. 

As for my mistakes I am still making my peace with many of them. Now you make yours, perhaps it may be good for you and your husband to one day return to his first love in order to resolve the conflict. Less conflict is always good, would you not agree?” Uriel said with a smile.

“I am not sure if my husband will ever forgive her…” Junie said with a sigh as she rubbed her arm.

“He might not at least not without your help. You are his wife so help him heal. Do you remember my teachings? One must learn to let go of anger…” Uriel began before pausing and waiting for Junie to continue the words.

“One must learn to let go of anger for anger is a heavy burden. Anger can lead one to harm others but the one that carries that anger is harmed the most. Learn to forgive for yourself as much as for that which angers you.” Junie said with a nod.

“Yes, exactly. Try to find your peace Junie, then one day you can help your husband find his. All I ask of you is to try.” Uriel said gently.

“I will try Archangel, I will try my hardest and my best.” Junie replied with an earnest nod.

“There is nothing else I can ask for.” Uriel said with a smile and a nod.

“If you wish to know why I am telling you this, it is because I feel the faith in this world has lost its way. I have been to Divonia and I must confess I am far from pleased with what I saw. In truth I find the situation here in the new empire far more palatable.” Uriel admitted even if she had mixed feelings on this.

“I am telling the two of you this because I plan to speak with the Empress and the Great Beast on certain matters. If our talks reach agreeable terms then I plan to grant the church my personal sanction. Perhaps I will even grant you my sanction as well, Mother Justina.” Uriel said to Mother Justina. Uriel felt Junie jump in shock but Mother Justina was still calm as a placid lake.

“Your personal sanction?” Junie asked in surprise and reverence.

“Perhaps?” Mother Justina asked as she caught the main point of the statement. Uriel smiled internally as she looked at the wizened Mother of the faith. Her position would grant her the title of High Mother but the fact she still chose to be referred to as simply Mother Justina spoke volumes of her character.

“Come, as you know I can read the true thoughts within my followers if I am allowed entrance. Would you permit me to see if I can grant you my sanction?” Uriel said as she extended a hand. In response Mother Justina extended her own.

Uriel took her hand and cast her magic. She peered into her mind and saw what could only be described as an Iron Lady. She may look like a motherly woman but as Uriel scanned her mind she saw a woman who had suffered much and lost much. Yet her trials have never broken her, she held a strong moral compass. What amazed Uriel the most was that her convictions were not founded on fear of the divine or blind obedience to doctrine. Instead she walked the path willingly with no need for external coercion. Her moral compass stays true and her actions speak louder than any words she could possibly utter.

Uriel sees her walking up to the Great Beast and demanding the safety of the injured behind her. Uriel saw her thoughts, she was afraid, as would anyone in that situation. Yet she still stood unarmed and unarmoured, with no means to defend herself. She stood before an ancient beast who had just slaughtered an army before her eyes. 

Uriel could hear the thoughts that ran through her head in a loop. The phrase rang in her mind like a mantra granting her strength to stand against the terror, against the forgotten horror that was the Great Beast of the Elysian Woods. 

It is better to die for those in need than to live for yourself…

Mother Justina gambled with her life on the line, the Great Beast could have easily opened its maw and turned her to ash. She offered everything in that moment and miraculously she was granted all she wanted. She was a humble woman, she wanted no riches, glory or titles. Good and true, Mother Justina only wanted the safety of the wounded and the priestesses under her care. 

As Uriel peered deeper into her mind she realised that Mother Justina rarely prayed. Instead she devoted her time and energy to what she felt would do the most good. Often working late into the night before finally retiring from fatigue. 

In perhaps a great show of irony, Mother Justina felt her actions were her prayers which although was true to the spirit of Uriel teachings was the exact opposite of what the Divine Council wanted. They wanted prayers above all even at the expense of what is good and true. In fact Uriel knew her thinking deviated greatly from what the rest of the Divine Council wanted. They just wanted the prayers to flow which was why they didn’t really care about the lives of those that worshipped them. Uriel was just a convenient means to that, she was beloved by those on Terra for her past actions. She was the reason the myth of the Seraphim's benevolence and mercy was so prevalent in Terra.

Uriel mentioned her past mistakes previously and this was one of the mistakes she has made. It was a mistake she has yet to make her peace with. But perhaps she should follow what her old friends did. Many of her old friends were either dead or hated her. Uriel regretted and mourned the deaths. As for the hatred Uriel felt it was well deserved…

Deeds not words…

That was the words of The Blade, it was words she once took to heart. But Uriel has fallen into complacency and at that moment she resolved she would do better.

Uriel did another scan of Mother Justina’s mind and found her life to be filled with trials. Even now as she effectively held the highest post within the Church she still held onto her humility. She wore her mantle with grace and carried the burden with no complaints.

So Uriel at that moment made her decision…

“Mother Justina, you have my personal sanction. I will inform the rest of the church and the Empress.” Uriel said and she heard Junie audibly gasp from the side. Mother Justina on the other hand merely nodded in acknowledgement.

“I will not waste your trust Archangel. I intend to use your sanction to better the lives of those in need.” Mother Justina replied with a bow.

“I know. I know my sanction is in good hands.” Uriel said with a warm smile and Mother Justina responded with a small smile of her own. It was a smile of relief that she could now do more, the rest of the Church would now have to give her more authority with this personal sanction. In fact even the Empress and the Great Beast would have to give her more leeway.

“I will now return to the palace, there is much to discuss with the Empress and the Great Beast.” Uriel said as she engaged her disguise and returned to the appearance of a perfectly normal human, albeit an exceedingly beautiful one.

“My lady, there is one thing you should know. It is not wise to try the limited patience of the Great Beast. He is not known to be the most patient individual.” Mother Justina said.

“Not many would dare to speak to me like that but thank you for your concern. However, you are mistaken…” Uriel said with a small grimace.

“My lady…” Mother Justina began but she was cut off by Uriel.

“I am not offended by your words, if anything it speaks of your devotion to your work and your trust in me. For that I thank you. But you are mistaken about the Great Beast.” Uriel said as she turned to face Mother Justina.

“The Great Beast is an ancient. The ancients are never in a rush, they do not age they do not wither. They are immortal whether it takes one year or ten it matters not to them. They move when they are able so no he is not impatient. It is just that he has no reason to be patient thus far, at least on the matters that you have observed. 

Patience begets inaction and careful planning. Plans you will not be privy of, the ancients have minds like a maze. He is not so easy to comprehend.” Uriel said.

“We must coexist for now, if not…” Uriel began.

“The vampires will remain unchallenged.” Mother Justina said and Uriel nodded.

“Exactly. However, if an equitable arrangement can be achieved then it may be good for the people.” Uriel said.

Mother Justina just sighed and nodded in response.

I hope so too Archangel…