Wings that Guard Me

Chapter 3 Seraph

Before the golden dawn breaks I rise from the comfort of my soft bed. I had finished packing last night before I went to sleep. So I just make my way over to the closest across the room and fish out a pair of comfortable and thoroughly stretched out jeans and a form fitting shirt that allowed for much movement. My halo starts to glow steadily brighter the more I wake up.

I dress quickly and grad a belt with an attached holster. I slide the belt on and fasten it then buckle the holster around my thigh. As much as I hated it I am required to keep a weapon on me and I much prefer knives to a firearm. It has to do with my wings, they can survive being hit with a blade better than a bullet. I take my lucky dagger out and slide it into the holster.

Making my way to my front door I grab my bag and swing it over my head and one shoulder, squeezing one wing through it, and hooked it to the other side of my belt. I exit my home and stretch out my wings after my long and restful night's sleep. I give my home one last, almost mournful look while I do a few experimental flaps of my wings to warm them up.

When my wings are ready I peel my eyes away from my cozy little cottage and I take off into the gradually growing light of the very early morning.

I fly to the very edge of the Righteous Realm, land, and look over the edge at the images flashing in the fluffy cloud like substance that is the thin veil between my realm and the human realm. I brace myself, knowing that there is no land beyond the clouds. So I close my eyes and think of where on Earth I want to go, open my arms and fall off the edge of my realm, closing my eyes from the inevitable wind that would hit my face.

My hair is blown out behind me and I fall faster and faster, the wind stinging my face slightly as I whips by. I count the seconds of my decent. One Righteous River, two Righteous Rivers, three Righteous Rivers. I count a fourth and a fifth and a sixth. On the seventh I open my eyes and my wings as far as I can.

My wings catch the wind effortlessly and my decent is slowed and controlled as I watch the ground come closer. My heart is beating like a pair of angelet's wings. The wind is roaring in my ears. But I've never felt so alive.

Realizing I'm about to be seen I twist the ring replica of my halo and pause my decent as I feel the magic working to keep me hidden. When my entire body is covered in the veil of magic I continue. I land lightly on an abandoned dock and look towards the city where my charge is being born. Without hesitation I fold my wings and sprint faster than any human the whole way to the hospital room where my precious human is entering his world.

With the magic that veiled my presence also allowed me to phase through the wall and join the other guardians in the room, mainly the mother's guardian though. Her guardian is a tall and confidant man with broad shoulders and stern eyes. He looks to be about in his late thirties in human years, in angelic years he's clearly over five hundred. His hand rests lightly on his charge's head.

I walk up to him and stand dutifully by his side. He gives me a nod in acknowledgement. And moments later I hear the first cries of my charge. I smile happily, my little Anthony had entered this world and he is now my responsibility.
I don't take my eyes off of him for a second even into the late night when I stand guard at his bed. Not even when the mother's guardian wanders over to me, "So you're the new kid. I was wondering who they would be sending to take care of the squirt. You're awe fully young, and new feathers from the looks of it. How old even are you kid?"

Without looking up at him it answer, "A hundred and ten sir." I don't need to look at his face to see the smug smile on his face as he asks his next question, "First time then? I don't think I've ever seen new wings this young out here before. Word of advice fresh feathers, stop staring at your charge and pay attention to everything around them. Otherwise by the time you see the danger you won't be able to stop it." I nod, finally looking up from Anthony's tiny frame.

"Thanks for the advice-?" I let the sentence hang, waiting for a name. "Joshua. And you would be-?" he asked. "Seraph," I answered proudly. His eyes grew wide for a heart beat before he composed himself. "So you're this 'independent thinker' we've been hearing so much about. I smile proudly even though this was generally used as an insult, "It's a new age, we need some new thinkers. The same old stuff isn't gonna work forever."

"New age thinking could get you killed," he stated solemnly. I roll my eyes, "So could standing still when the world changes around you." He watches me for a few moments and though I grow uneasy under his scrutiny I hold my ground. "I've been doing this job for a hundred and thirty-five years. And doing exactly everything that I was told to do has saved my life countless times." He says this like the matter is over, that's final. But I'm not finished, "And how did your charge come out in those situations?"

I watch the shock on his face, he doesn't have to answer me for me to know that they died before their time. "Our job is to protect our charge to the ends of the Earth and to the doors of death at their time and not a moment sooner. Even if that means we lose our life here. You failed at your job when you put your wellbeing ahead of hers. I'll be dragged into the pits of Hell before I make that choice." Then I turn my back on him and do a quick check of the surrounding area. As I start to pull security equipment out of my bag and set it up so I can sleep I speak into the deafening silence of the room, "Get some sleep grey feathers, I'll take first watch." And I finish setting up the alarms and casting the protective perimeter and sit against the wall between Anthony and his mother. Joshua is already sound asleep across from me.