Chapter 23

The Justicar Appears

“I became The Seraph. An elite of all Arael Warriors the best of the best. Not to be outdone by my mother before me. Who was notoriously known as The Crimson Seraph. Every single high ranking military official of the arael race was there to see my inauguration. But what they didn't know was that I was just the appetizer. The real course was when my sister stepped out of the shadows. Not one person was silent at her appearance commenting on her wing coloration and even saying she looks like our mother but with black hair and wings. She was the star of this ceremony. The only Guardian that made their appearance to this was Wrath. The largest and most powerful of them all. The moment he said her title everyone bowed, no questions, no retorts, no rebuttals. She is known to them as The Justicar, The bringer of Justice and Balance. She even outranks me. I was glad. In my eyes she deserved that title. With Her service for the guardians, though kept in secret, that very duty made me proud to call her my sister. No longer was she behind closed doors. This was, and most very may be, the turning point that we all thought would change the tide of the war in our favor.”

---

"Steady yourself child. Breathe. One does not manifest this ability by force. When you take, there has to be an expel, nothing more, nothing less, an equal to an opposite." Envy prattles on as he gazes at Azriel as she has one hand outstretched at a large pot with a glowing flower in its center. Her hand is slightly trembling as she focuses on the flower. The vegetation sways in the wind as it seems to dance and mock at Azriel's attempt. She exhales and drops her hand as she looks at the flower in malice. Envy's body stands a bit straighter and slightly sighs through his nose. "You are not focused young one" Azriel gives him a stare and balls up her fist. "I am doing what you're telling me Master Envy... but it just doesn't work." She sneers. Envy notices her balled up hands and slightly smirks. With a hmph he then steps to another flower pot and outstretches his hand. The flower seems to be bending itself towards his palm as the color begins to sap from its body. Wisps of smoke and light exit the flower and form a very small ball of light which he places in between his index finger and thumb tips. "As Justicar it is your duty too will the people below into your grip... this grip," He raises the orb down to her eyeline "is what it means to have control. To have control means to uphold the justice." He then crushes the orb and small particles of light disperse from his hand and fade into the surrounding air. The colorless flower then wilts, turns to dust and is picked up by the wind. "Too have justice... is to have peace." He then begins to walk out the room with his hands behind him. "Keep training young Justicar..."

Azriel stares as he walks away she then glances at the pot. She out stretches her hand again, trying hard to focus, but it seems to be no use. She keeps trying and trying her anger building, her hate engulfing more and more. Her feathers begin to fluff out and her eyes glow. Gritting her teeth she let's out a angered scream and shoves her hand down in defeat. Drops of sweat are shown on the floor below her as she pants. Staring angrily at the plant without raising her hand the flower stops swaying and is being pulled with force in all directions. It seems to implode into itself as it's color escapes it at a violent pace. Instead of a orb of light a small explosion is emitted as the pot breaks and the flower burst into flames and smolder. Azriel takes a step back as she is shocked at what just transpired. She stares at the destruction in awe and disbelief. She then looks to her hands thinking on what she just did. She looks around to see if Envy noticed. However, He is no longer in the room, Sure, it wasn't done exactly right... but she was able to do it somehow, with a bit of anger.

The Guardians said that this ability may only be used on the ones who has sinned the most. Public execution of their grace. Taken from their bodies and expelled onto twilight to be Judged. Never to be absorbed into oneself. The grace of Arael is our life blood they said. For even if our physical bodies wither or lose itself. Our grace will piece it back together whole again. They tell Azriel this over and over. Embedding it into her mind as she is the one to uphold peace they said. Envy is the most outspoken of them all about their duty. The way he speaks to her is as if it's gospel. The others especially Endurance teaches them as if they are just children in a class. Her brother, unaware of these abilities and of their origin still hold true to the ways of the Arael. She wishes she could tell him. But she knows he is to far gone and would never believe her if she did. Azriel thinks that he will think she is the only outlier. She still longs to know what her parents were like.... what her father was like. How they became together and what brought them both to not be around. They are both dead. That's for certain. But it still the question as to how and why. That book that Envy showed her was fairly new. It was dated not long before their supposed birth. Have the Guardians been studying them for that long? Were they just a product of their plans? Still these thoughts linger in her mind for all these years under their eyes. But no answers come to light. It makes her angry, it makes her frustrated. This frustration makes her want to question them more. It has come to her bewilderment that she is staring at the one thing she could have done now after all this time. She is The Justicar. She flaps her wings and flies to the only Guardian that can give her the answers without question. Trust.

On the edge of the clouds Trust is reading a book it floats in front of him as the pages flip on their own another orbits around him as he reads he lifts his head as he senses Azriel coming as she lands as light as possible. "Ah young one. What is it?" Azriel looks up to the man and then looks out to the white cloud scattered sky. "I'm here on my duties to ask you some questions, My Grace." Trust raises an eyebrow and slowly closes the book and flicks his hand as it seemingly disappear out of thin air. "Delightful, well go on. I'm listening." Azriel stands straight her arms at her sides she gulps slighlty but clears her throat to speak "Tell me about this book when it was made and why" She extends the book for Trust to see it is the same book that Envy has showed her many years ago. Trust sighs and turns his body towards her. "Oh that, well it's a book on the physiology and anatomy of the many races of our realm my dear" Azriel looks to him. "Yes, My Grace, I know that. What I mean is, why was this book made around the time Me and my brother was just about to be born. The date correlates to the year, My Grace." Trust goes silent for just a bit as he stares at her but then his face relaxes a bit. "Oh yes. When you both were born it was a scientific marvel. We never knew it was possible for such opposite ends of the genome to converge into a hybrid such as you and your brother. So we took note of it." Azriel stares into his eyes and still sees no hint of a twinge of a lie. He is the Guardian of Trust after all. Maybe she can pry into it further. "It is good to know we were very unique, My Grace, however it still eludes me, I know My Graces are our protectors and to watch over all living beings as the Goddess Tenshi deems it so. But for you to know of our conception leads me to wonder if you knew our parents as well? If that is the case. We are still at war with The Daeva and The Mundah. How could our mother an Arael, be swayed by our father a Daeva?" Azrael searches Trust's eyes again. He however sighs but smiles. "That is such a good question, my dear... How could your mother be swayed by a Daeva when we are at war with them. That is a interesting conundrum indeed." He then looks to her with a smile "I, do not know that answer. For all intent in purposes, your mother was no traitor... I can assure you of that. Your father and Mother had, there own goals and ambitious, Ambitious that were far beyond the war itself. You could say they outlived the war in their minds and were both tired of it." He begins to walk circling around Azriel as he speaks. "Somehow and some way, they coexisted together. Melding a bond that, created you two."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Azriel stands straight not moving from her position as Trust walks around her only her eyes follow his as he passes in front of her gaze. "So what happened to them?" Trust stops walking just behind her a brief pause but he speaks again he leans in closer right up to her ear and speaks softly. "The War wasn't done with them." He begins to walk away as the Justicar opens her mouth to speak but seemingly can't. The way he said that answer just brings more questions than answers still. Again, Azriel is still left to the culmination of her mind. She didn't feel or hear a trace of a lie from Trust but it just seem he danced around her questions but still gave an answer that was not far from the truth. She thinks that her parents didn't just die of old age... but coming to the realization that they must have been killed for what they have done. Still she doesn't know which side did the deed. It still perplexing, perhaps their parents were being watched regardless of their conception but with that presence. It led to more than just that. They are alive. But their parents are not. Somehow the Guardians have them at their possession and they have lived so long under their eyes without a hint of transgression. She still has no idea what the true answer is but the pieces are slightly coming together as she thinks on the matter. Perhaps Envy will enlighten her with more unforeseen knowledge now that she has a bit more to ask.

Many more moons go by, years upon years of the war bending farther into the Arael grasps with the twins leading the helm it is only a matter of time before this war will surely end. Azriel's powers have grown to a very high degree no one can even challenge her much of really. Even her brother, as they spar, hasn't truly won with flying colors. The thoughts in her mind fuel her with the ambition to get stronger and stronger. More and more Arael soldiers are at her disposal after every year passes. This leaves the Guardians not having to do much on the war. It as if they never have to sully their hands with the twins around. With Sariel being the embodiment of what it means to be at the peak of Arael prowess, Azriel is both feared and respected by all. Every town that is subjugated is bent and molded to what is its most ideal. The Daeva and Mundah look to fear as she purges their town of its soldiers. Who die just as quickly as they fight. Her scythe has never been beaten. It cleaves through many that oppose her will. This seemingly still isn't enough for her. She seeks something more something that burns into her mind every single day as she wakes. Who killed her parents. Every high ranking Daeva she finds she questions, when they don't know, or give and answer that isn't to her liking, she kills them. She can see if someone is lying it's a ability she was taught because of her title. Time and time again no one knew who killed her parents or what happened to them. All were telling the truth or did not know to begin with. She was starting to lose hope. Maybe she should have followed in her brothers footsteps and forget the past. Maybe there deaths weren't that significant. It was only a matter of time for the war is slowly coming to an end.

Purges are a fickle thing. The light bringer and Fire Seekers of her regime blind and blaze the towns they glide on. Just near the edges of the Geist Woods. Azriel watches over the attack in the air. Her eyelids darken and shadowing she seemingly does not look like she has slept for a time. Her lips flat and her face emotionless. The screams and orders are slightly muted in her ears for a moment but she is taken back to reality when one of her captains calls to her name. "Speak..." The captain points to the ground "Ma'am one of the Daeva leaders has been captured as you requested" She stares down to the ground and lands with a shake she walks over to the cabin where Arael Angels, Light bringers, and Grunts guard the entrance and the inside with their weapons drawn standing straight and bowing their heads as Azriel walks past. As she enters the corridors ahead, she sees a fairly frail old man beyond his years in a cleric like cloak he is on his knees and being held by a Broad and Muscular Arael. The man groans as he is pushed to the ground he looks up in shock to see Azriel stand in front of him. "By the goddess.... y-you..." He is then pulled back up as the scythe is placed just behind him as he gulps his voice trembling as his eyes gaze upon Azriel. "By the wills of The Mighty Guardians and The Voice of The Justicar. You will answer her questions!" The man holding him from behind exclaims. Azriel taps the staff end of her scythe as she breathes in slowly then exhales her eyes stabbing into his. "Tell me. Do you see anything familiar about me? Do you know who I am?"

The cleric gulps again his voice still trembling as he speaks, "Yes M'Lady... you are The Justicar. B-but you look oh so familiar from nearly centuries ago..." Azriels eyes are intrigued... she goes down to one knee and speaks very calmly but stern, "Go on then tell me, who do you see?" The Cleric mouth is open as he is seemingly shaking. "The One that we had captured oh so long ago... To thought it be impossible but, we did it, The Crimson Seraph..." Azriel says nothing in all the years this one man knows of her mother in vivid detail. "I am called an Overseer.... I-I was one of the men who duties was to foresee the trials of The Crimson Seraph..." He goes to explain the details of the unexpected capture of Haliel, The reasoning of her trial by death and the unwillingness of the man that captured her to see her demise cut short improperly. Azriel is intrigued by this and inquires the Name of the man who first captured her. The man is confused at first as to why she wants to know all this but he is not in the position to argue. "His name was Maz'ikal Ma'ul a Lieutenant of the Daevan Military. Highly skilled and Stubborn but stuck to the code of war... he escaped with her with his Captain in pursuit... None came back and the Captain... he was found dead and mutilated through the chest. But that was Centuries ago... oh if I had just listen to him maybe... just maybe..." Azriel grits her teeth . "What happened to the Crimson Seraph and the AWOL Daeva?! Where did they go?!." The Overseer gasps and raises his hands in defense. "I-I swear I do not know! The trail ended cold after the death of the Captain. No other reports were made and the search was ended! We assumed both went there separate ways and she returned to The Guardians!"

She looks into his eyes and at her disbelief everything he says is true... the soldier holding him braces for the execution but to his surprise Azriel lowers her scythe. "Put him with the others for subjugation. He gave me what I need" The soldiers bow their heads and the Overseers is relieved greatly he extends his hand, "Wait I must know... are you...?" Azriel doesn't even turn to face him she turns her head slightly and gives her answer. "I am." She then exits the cottage and takes off into the air. This knowledge was hard for her to bear. She thought that she could get answers from the Daeva that they were the ones responsible for the death of her parents. But now... she is at a lost. They lost all contact with them , her parents. They weren't responsible for their deaths. They wouldn't die of old age they were too young. Then she remembers what Trust has said... that the war was not done with them... her eyes are in a fury of emotions as she can't fathom this possibility, that the Guardians had something to do with their passing? They knew of their births and they never got to see what there parents were as they were under their eyes.. she needs answers... whether they will tell her or not. She begins to fly high into the sky setting her flight to the Cathedral. This will be the defining moment to see if they will give her real answers. Thus hoping they did not do the unforgivable deed.