Nep was waiting for us at the entrance to the citadel. Sarah had led me there the whole way, zipping through the tunnels and pulling me along in tow. Heidi was still nowhere to be found.

The entrance itself was grand. Near the gigantic crystal in the centre of the main cavern, an outcrop of rock was cut and polished into a monolithic cube. The smooth surface was engraved with various symbols: a cicada, a hexagon, something that looked like two crossed oars, a shield divided with some lines, and more. The symbols.. of the Flights? I assumed that was what they were. Besides the symbols carved into the rock, the largest feature on the monolith was the enormous pair of doors set into them.

Indeed, the doors were perhaps more impressive than the monolith itself. They looked to be two massive slabs of amber, translucent golden resin that was remarkably free of impurities and debris. And encased within the amber were all manner of insects, all shapes and sizes, preserved forever in stone. Just looking at the door made me feel small and insignificant, just like another insect among the thousands sealed within its material.

As I was admiring the doors, there was a rumble. The great slabs of amber slowly moved aside, opening just wide enough for us to enter. Nep led the way. There were stairs leading down, once again, though this time the lights along it were not electric. Rather, lit lamps were burning along the walls as we spiralled even deeper into the Earth, casting a warm glow on the smooth stone walls.

It felt like we were descending for ages. Nep continued at a steady cadence. Sarah had her nearly closed and a hand on her chest. And Heidi... “Where’s Heidi?” I asked.

“She’ll be here,” said Nep. “Don’t worry.”

As we continued, the walls changed in colour from the warm sandstone to various bluish gray stones, and finally smooth granite and basalt. Finally, the reached the very bottom. This was yet another cavern, of course, but it felt very different from all the others. There was no steel or glass here, only a stone-carved facade with enormous pillars of smooth black stone. In the facade were windows of amber, with light shining through from the inside, though I couldn’t see the source. This place felt ancient and powerful. Next to the comically large doors stood an Angel, dressed in a normal-looking uniform.

She nodded to acknowledge our presence. “Good morning.”

Footsteps came running down the stairs. That would be Heidi. Sure enough, as I turned I saw her running down the steps, wearing a plain white uniform. It was pretty jarring to see her in anything other than her hoodie, though she still had her oversized glasses, which she took the time to straighten. “Sorry,” she said, out of breath, “I was... distracted. But I’m not late!”

Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. But Nep was not so concerned. “You’re not late,” she said with a smile. “In fact, we’re still early. Seems like they’re still arbitrating with someone else.”

There were some muffled shouts coming from inside the citadel. Whoever was in there was very upset. Suddenly, the doors flew open and an Angel stormed out. She was entirely transformed, her Imago a dazzling mix of iridescent emerald-green and chrome magenta, with two pairs of tinted wings. As she rushed by, she stopped to scream back into the citadel. “Fine. If I have to, I’ll do it. But I won’t like it.” Her wings thrummed to life and carried her up the stairs.

“Quinn?” Nep tapped me on the shoulder. “We’re going in.”

“Right.”

“Transform,” said Vespa.

“What?” Nep, Sarah, and Heidi were all already changing into their Imagos. “Isn’t that a little weird?”

“The Archangels are there to arbitrate on matters that affect all of the Angels, and indeed the entire Earth,” said Nep. “To do so, they must strip away the human element. To not let human feelings and morality get in the way of their decisions. And for the same purpose, we transform, so that... human elements don’t get in the way.” She winked at Sarah.

We walked up to the doors and stepped inside. The citadel was grand, on the inside, a cylindrical chamber made of the same polished black stone and glowing amber. Emerging from the ceiling above, the base of that enormous white crystal descended like a chandelier, reflecting the golden light in dazzling rays across the room. The rest of the ceiling was a network of amber, giving the whole place an airy, ethereal feeling. The walls, by contrast, were stark, straight black pillars and tall angular enclaves cut into the rock. At the far end of the room, there were a set of carved crystal thrones. Each one was cut of the same white crystal that descended from the ceiling, shimmering opaline in the uneven light. Though of the same material, they differed in pattern and embellishment, and in the large symbols carved above the tops. There were nine thrones, though only five of them were occupied today.

Each of the Archangels was fully transformed. Furthest to the left was a tall Angel with a sandy-brown carapace. Her outer pair of wings were netted with bands of black, while the inner ones were clear and glassy. Her face was a like a smooth mask, with two relative small dome-shaped eyes set into the face. At first I thought it was just the lighting, but as my eyes adjusted I realized her carapace was actively shifting colour, changing from brown to vibrant greens and reds and back to brown again.

Beside her was the tallest of the bunch, with a thick, armoured carapace. Though parts were black, most was lined with bright powder-green in a metallic sheen. Behind her head was a large plate that wrapped around from shoulder to shoulder, gleaming iridescent purple and pink. She was sitting rather casually, playfully knocking her fists together.

On the far right sat an Angel in shining black with ornate golden trim that made it look like samurai armour. She had velvety mahogany wings, finely patterned like a cape, and bore a black helmet with the same ornate trim as the rest of her carapace. Of the five, she made the least acknowledgement of our presence.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Right of center was an Imago very similar to Sarah’s. Smooth and black, with two dark wings folded over her back. Though her carapace was accented with patches of white, and her helmet-like head bore long, feathery antennae that folded back behind her head. The centre of her abdomen also was parted, the hard plates of carapace separated to reveal a smooth, translucent skin where her belly would be.

And at the center of them all, on the tallest of the thrones, was a rather unassuming Angel. She was rather short, clad in a smooth, reddish-brown carapace, with golden-amber wings folded over her back. A crown of leaves was twisted over her head. She sat cross-legged on the throne, her hands clasped with interlacing fingers. But despite her small stature, I got the creeping feeling that she was the most powerful of them all.

She did not speak first. Rather, it was the one on the far left who greeted us. “Good morning,”

“Good morning, Miriam. Ever the friendly face,” said Nep. Despite their impressive appearances, Nep was unafraid to greet the Archangels casually. “Well? To business, shall we?”

Miriam’s carapace flushed green and red for a moment, then faded down to brown again, staying dull. “To business, then. First, the matter of your behaviour in Vancouver. Kei?”

The Angel in black-and-gold stood up from her throne. I could see the symbol of a cicada engraved behind her headrest. She spread her wings and flew down before us, but she did not speak. Instead, she gestured for Miriam to come down and stand beside her.

Miriam hopped down from her throne, leaning close to listen to Kei before speaking. “Nep, you failed to act responsibly when the host of Vespa arrived.”

“Vespa told me otherwise,” said Nep. “She foresaw the issue with Ecto, and told us to train her in preparation. As acting lead at Sanctuary 73, I made that call. And things turned out for the best.”

Miriam turned her head and whispered something to Kei. After a few more moments, she turned back to us spoke again. “You did not inform us of any of this until it was nearly too late.”

Nep bit her lip. “I... did not think I needed to.”

After another exchange with Kei, Miriam continued. “Don’t be silly. You knew that you needed to. You withheld the information for your own purposes.”

“Because—”

“Because you thought we would be an inconvenience. Because you do not trust us or our judgment. And for that, things nearly got out of hand. Nep, you are a gifted Angel. You were given this position to exercise sound judgment. Not to act beyond your station. I expect better of you.” Miriam turned her head away. “Apologies for the harsh words, Nep, but that is what Kei says.”

“If you mean those things, then why don’t you say them to my face, Kei? Or do you still need to hide behind Miriam to speak your mind.”

“Enough!” Kei’s wings snapped against each other, making a shrill and deafening cry that shook the room to its foundations. “Nep, for how long have you been an Angel? How much longer will it take for you to grow up? I don’t want to deal with your petty personal qualms any longer. If I thought you deserved to hear my voice, I would use it. I do not.” Her words were sharp and short. “We are Angels. We are all on the same side. And if you cannot trust us enough to live by that, then we will not have you lead any Sanctuary at all. Or are you willing to reconsider?”

Nep sighed. “Apologies, my Archangel.”

Kei nodded. Seemingly satisfied, she turned and returned to her seat. Miriam remained near us, though, and chuckled softly. “You just had to push her like that, eh Nep?”

“You and I know how it is,” Nep replied. “It’s a mutual pushing, of sorts. Anyways. Other business?”

“You’re being split up.” The Angel in black-and-white lifted off from her throne. “Heidi and Sarah have been assigned to Sanctuary 2 for the time being.” She landed in front of us, reaching out for Sarah’s hand. Sarah recoiled. “Don’t be like that, sis.”

“Not here, Rachel” Sarah whispered.

“It’ll be nice in Pará. Both you and Heidi are being reassigned for now. The change of scenery will do you both some good.”

“As you say,” said Heidi. Sarah said nothing.

“Look, sis. If you have something to say, just tell me. I know you’re upset by the system we have in Flight Haltere, but it’s the best that we can do. Anything else is in my purview to change. But this is really non-negotiable.”

“You’re holding me back from the front. Just let me get my hands dirty. Let me save people..”

“You know I can’t do that,” said Rachel.

“Yes, because you’re a—”

“Okay, okay. That’s enough.” Heidi grabbed Sarah’s arms and held her back from rushing her sister. Likewise, the shiny green Angel reached for Rachel and held her back in turn. The two sisters both just glared at each other.

“Don’t patronize me, Heidi!” Sarah hissed.

“It’s not worth it.”

“I don’t care, okay? You have no idea what she’s—”

Kei buzzed from her throne. “Stop it. Both of you. This is no time for petty squabbles.”

“That’s right,” said Miriam. “You are being temporarily reassigned. That is that. Nothing else.”

“Fine,” muttered Sarah.

“And the final order of business,” said Miriam. “The case of Vespa and her host, Quinn.” At this, four of the Archangels prepared to fly down and speak. All of them clearly had plenty to say. But none of them would say it.

“Hold,” said the woman on the central throne, interrupting the commotion. She’d said absolutely nothing since the meeting had started, but the moment she spoke, we all listened. “There is a major incursion occurring now. We must attend to it. This case can be handled later.” Without further elaboration, she immediately took off, zipping past us and out the door.