Ruthless Divinity

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Atlas

Atlas hates flying. This made him a terrible angel because angels were supposed to love flying, the feeling of wind in their wings, and the freedom of soaring in the skies. All Atlas wanted to do was lay in a field of flowers, listening to the sound of nature, and feel the grass beneath his toes. He did not want to have the wind mess up his already curly black hair, or sting his black eyes, especially sensitive to light.

Atlas did not hate being an angel but that didn't mean he didn't wish to be human. Or atleast live among humans. But the three realms rarely mixed so he was caged to a life in the sky. Of course he could be dead, or living with demons, so he really couldn't complain about his cage.

To be an angel is the greatest gift of life. They are strong, wise, and patient beings who seek only good for the world. From a very young age, Atlas has been taught to not fight for the thrill of violence but to fight to protect those who cannot fend themselves. Despite this lesson, angels did not feel the need to protect humans—beings who definitely cannot fend for themselves. So Atlas was forced to watch humans from above, catching glimpses of what mortal life could offer.

Atlas did not feel like he was living, he was just floating through the motions of his so-called life. His mother said he felt this way because he was young but Atlas could not imagine an eternity stuck in the skies. Atlas was too gloomy, too lanky, too sad, and asked far too many questions to be an angel. But this was the life he was condemned to so Atlas kept his thoughts quiet.

It was another one of those days where Atlas felt like he was carrying the whole weight of the world on his shoulders. He layed in his feather bed as Theodon, his best friend, said he was being dramatic and just needed to fly a bit. If Atlas was the rainy sky, Theodon was the sun peeking through. He was everything an angel thrived to be. He was as young as Atlas but appeared to be as wise as his father, Adonai, the ruler of the angel realm. When Adonai decides to pass, Theodon will fill his position, ruling for the rest of his eternity with Atlas at his side. Or at least that is what Theodon expects of Atlas.

Atlas met Theodon when he was a mere youngling learning how to fly. In the kingdom of the skies, angels push their younglings off the clouds, forcing their wings to swiftly adjust to the wind. Atlas was freaked out, pleading with his mother to let him learn to fly some other way. He wasn't ready to die and this fall from the clouds could only mean Death. Atlas was about to burst into tears when a dark skinned boy with beautiful green eyes stepped to Atlas' side. Theodon didn't say a single word, just grasped Atlas' hand, and pulled them both off the sky. Together they learned to fly and from that moment on, they were inseparable.

Today, Theodon wanted to fly close to the human realm with Atlas. He knew Atlas loved the humans so he hoped this would cheer up his gloomy friend. Theodon, like his father, didn't see any use to humans. He thought they were mindless creatures with no true meaning to their lives. But he loved Atlas and Atlas loved the humans so they would fly as close to the human realm as they could.

Atlas turned in his bed, sighing before sitting up. His room was spacious, filled only with a desk, dresser, and a queen sized bed. Huge windows covered the wall to his right, revealing the expanse of the kingdom of skies. It was extremely sunny out making Atlas feel even worse. His black eyes, extremely rare for angels, were highly sensitive to light. Atlas grimaced against the light, raising his hand to shield his eyes. Theodeo, next to him on the bed, slapped the back of Atlas' head.

"Come on grumpy. A smile won't kill you."

"It could."

Theodon narrowed his eyes at Atlas before getting off the bed.

"Atlas, get your butt out of bed so we can go see your humans."

Atlas sighs again but lifts himself off the bed. He shrugs his wings out, stretching them out releasing a huge yawn. He slides on his shoes before following Theodon out the door. They both were dressed in their flying leathers already, as they had already flown earlier that morning at the crack of dawn. Theodon loved flying and Atlas loved Theodon, so he went flying at sunrise with him. They both were extremely talented flyers for their age due to all their practicing but with Theodon being in line of succession to rule, he had to be the best.

The two boys took a step out of Atlas's building and into the skies. The kingdom of skies was built in the air. The buildings floated, suspended above the human realm, far too high for any living creature to see but the angels. Atlas did not understand the science or magic behind how the buildings remained in the sky only that it meant that the angels had to fly everywhere if they wanted to get between buildings. It was quite annoying for a boy who hates flying.

The boys dipped beneath the buildings, tucking their wings in to dive below. Atlas' grey wings were huge, flecked with the occasional white and black feathers. Theodon's wings were entirely white, as pure as his bloodline. His wings were more narrow, allowing him to dive much quicker than Atlas. They continued to dive until they saw the treeline of the mortal realm. Only then did they expand their wings, allowing the wind to slow them down.

Atlas laughed, the sound escaping from the smile on his lips. He hated flying but the feeling of the wind catching you as you descended was like no other. Him and Theodon flew above the treeline, just out of view of the human eye. They didn't speak, basking in the feeling of the wind and the silence, as they soared over the green lands. Atlas craved to land, to feel the grass on his feet, but rules were rules. He would have to be content with just looking, never experiencing.

Human lives were so short compared to angels, and Atlas had seen many empires rise and fall in his lifetime. It was impressive, the amount of destruction that humans could create without powers. But while there was destruction, there was also a joy that Atlas had never seen in the angels. Time is not a gift to humans but rather a curse that forces them to savor every second before their lives slip away. It was such a privilege to see these small beings even if it was only from the sky.

As they flew over the broad mountains, Theodon banked towards Atlas brushing his wings against Atlas' signaling him that it was time to head back. They never flew long over the humans, at the risk of revealing themselves. They flew high enough out of sight but that didn't mean an odd mortal couldn't spot them.

They swept up, pushing themselves hard against the wind. Quickly, they reached the kingdom of skies, landing in the courtyard of Adonai's castle. Both boys pant hard, trying to catch their breaths from their race to the castle. Theodon grins at Atlas before ruffling his hair.

"Feel better?" He asks.

Atlas shoves him, causing Theodon to trip over his feet. But he returns Theodon's smile before waving goodbye. Theodon has his princely duties to attend to and Atlas has a date with his bed.