Exile from the Garden
If someone was to ask Azuriel if Earth turned out as she expected, she would look at them in shock. Not because it’s a question that wasn’t applicable to her, but because no one should remember her. God had fallen into a deep sleep after the creation of Earth and subsequently, all memory of Azuriel had slept with him, after all, God was the one who had supplied knowledge of her to his Angels; Though before he had slept, God decided that the term ‘brother’ didn’t quite suite him and decided to use a more feminine term. After God had abandoned her post, the Angels started forgetting she existed, obsessed with the idea of the slumbering God. Not that Azuriel minded, of course. It gave her more freedom to roam the earth.
Ah, yes. Earth. Her second-best creation, after her favoured Angel, Aziraphale. Earth was a rounded orb, spinning within the confines of the milky way for the rest of its existence, a beautiful mix of reds, oranges, golds, greens and blues. Her favourite place on earth was her Garden. The Garden of Eden. The very same Garden she had so many memories in. The place where she created Aziraphale and Raphael, the place where Lucifer had first laughed with her. Though, on earth, Eden was filled with all sorts of life-forms. From God’s Humans, of which she was to look after, to the Angel’s creations, Snakes and Aardvarks, Doves and Donkeys. All of these magnificent beasts were under her reign for as long as anything lived on this earth or the next planet over. Though, Azuriel sighed, life was getting tedious. And, honestly, what was it with God and her ‘Great Plan’ anyway? Who’s grand decision was it to defile one of her gorgeous cherry trees, chop it down to create a chunky, unaesthetic wooden plank with words engraved on it. Oh, her poor tree. She could still hear it weeping as the axe carved through its delicate bark.
Sighing once again, she stood from her spot underneath her favourite apple tree which just so happened to be the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ as God had decreed. Pft, as if God had any rule over her Garden. Plucking an apple from a branch that the tree had lowered for her, she bit into its crisp red skin, groaning in delight as the apple’s juice burst inside her mouth. Turning back to the tree she patted its trunk.
“Thank you dear.” She tried to say through the muffled mouthful.
Striding away from the shade still chewing on her snack, she found herself the other side of the lake where she could spot the two humans, Adam and Eve, laughing around a fireplace she had set up for them. Taking the last bite of her apple she looked down and pressed her left foot deep into the ground before sweeping it sideways, creating a groove. Dropping the core down, she buried the remains and watched as a tiny little sapling sprouted, wriggling its way up to her voice. Giggling slightly, she pet the small leaves of the new apple tree, smiling as the tiny sprout seemed to be leaning into her touch. Looking up and over the lake, she could see her Angel, Aziraphale, talking with the Humans. Taking a seat next to her new sapling, she watched the Celestial being and the mortals chatter happily in the midday heat. Placing a forlorn face in her palm she rested her elbow on her knee before speaking to the sproutling.
“I wish it was that easy for me to consort with the mortals. Unfortunately, as the first of God’s beings, I am not allowed to speak with them until God herself has made contact first. And that, if I have heard right, will not happen until they are ready for release.” Azuriel sighed unhappily as her fingers brushed against the plant once again.
Standing, she brushed herself off as she shook her head in disdain. She hated herself for even thinking about the humans as if they were nothing better than cattle for the slaughter. No, she would not become like the Angels, pompous and stuck up. In the absence of God’s presence, the Angels seemed to have forgotten their place, especially the Archangels. The Archangels seemed to have forgotten that they were of the Third Choir, below that of the Seraphim or even the Principalities. But, yet, they had no God to correct their behaviour. Ugh, their attitude sent shivers up her spine. She’s take her chance with the Demons over a one-on-one meeting with the Archangels any day. Casting one more bittersweet look over her shoulder at Adam, Eve and Aziraphale, she slunk away into the vegetation, leaves and branches folding behind her as she went. She would just have to wait and watch. Bide her time until she was allowed to interfere. Until then, she would do her duty towards the others in her Garden. Until then.
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Aziraphale stood on the east wall of the Garden of Eden, watching the two humans traverse the unforgiving desert in their search for a safe place to rest. His eyes scoured the plains for any danger, though it was a fruitless endeavour as even if he spotted any danger, he was forbidden from interfering. Sighing sadly, he tipped his head downwards a little, startling as he caught a glimpse of red and black scales gliding along the concrete behind him. Following the sleek body upwards, his eyes came to rest on the head of a gigantic snake as the reptile came to rest next to him.
“I’m sorry, what was it you were saying?” He asked again, unable to interpret the hissing coming from the serpent’s slit mouth.
Watching in morbid fascination the snakes hood seemed to broaden before bulking out and retracting its scales, forming a vaguely human structure. It wasn’t long before a Demon stood beside him, darkened wings spread behind him, eyes fixated on the humans before them.
“I said, that went down like a lead balloon.” He spoke, voice teetering between sultry and annoyed.
Aziraphale lost his words for a moment, brain only focusing on how beautiful the Demon next to him was. His breath caught completely in his throat, however, when the Demon turned to look at him for a response and two golden serpentine eyes came to rest upon the Angels face. Aziraphale looked away quickly, pale face flushing deep red.
“Ah, I-I-I suppose you’re quite right.” Aziraphale managed to stutter through his flustered state.
The Demon only stared at Aziraphale, lips turning upwards slightly.
“Crawly, at your service, though I might change it at some point. And may I know the name of my adversary?” Crawly drawled.
“Aziraphale, Principality and Guard of the Eastern Gate.” Aziraphale said, without a stutter this time; He was quite proud of his station.
The unlikely duo continued to chatter for a bit, getting to know each other, talking about the weather, you know. I suppose this was when Small Talk was invented. So, if you’re ever at a fantastically boring party and your friends 60-odd grandma starts making conversation with you about the weather or the little snack bar, blame Aziraphale and Crawly.
Back to the story.
Unbeknownst to them, Azuriel was watching the humans from the hole in the wall of her Garden directly beneath the Demon and Angel, when she heard a familiar voice chatting with her Angel. Looking up at the roof of the hole she quirked one eyebrow before stepping back and repairing the gouge. Spreading her wings, she prepared to fly up to the edge of the wall until she realised, ‘I’m not supposed to be a God. Got to choose one set of wings AND change my appearance. Oh, this won’t be pleasant.’ Closing her eyes, she gasped as she lost feeling in six of her wings and her eyes tingled. She was right, it was dreadfully unpleasant. Looking back, she spread her remaining two wings, smiling only slightly as her snowy owl appendages opened behind her, bigger than normal. Turning around she once again prepared for take off until the feeling of a branch beneath her feet snapped her wings closed suddenly. Head tilting down instinctively she saw a thick branch of the Oak behind her curling around her feet, lifting her upwards, towards the two figures on the wall. Smiling and petting the bark of the branch she kept her eyes on the two on the wall as she rose to meet them.
“Didn’t you have a flaming sword?” She heard the Demon inquire.
“W-well, I-I-I-I—” Azuriel couldn’t help but smile as her Angel stuttered adorably.
“You did! It was flaming like anything, what happened to it? Lost it already, have you.” The onyx wings on the Demon’s back ruffled with amusement as he heard Aziraphale stutters get worse.
Coming level with the wall edge she spoke up, gracefully stepping off the branch with a silent thank you to the oak who shivered in happiness before retreating out of sight.
“He gave it away.” Aziraphale and Crawly whipped around to look at her with such speed she was worried they had broken their necks.
Smiling at them, disguised blue eyes squinted at the pair before she glided forward to stand between Aziraphale and Crawly.
“He did what?” Crawly exhaled, temporarily distracted, having processed what she had said.
“He gave it away! It was quite cute actually, walked straight up to them and said ‘Here you are, flaming sword, don’t thank me! Off you go.’ Right before exiling them from m- uh, THE Garden.” Azuriel relayed, stuttering slightly on the Garden bit.
Aziraphale gaped at her while Crawly’s gaze flickered from her to Aziraphale with something close to respect in his slitted eyes.
“And Wh-Who are you?” Aziraphale managed to squeeze the sentence from his nearly frozen vocal chords.
Azuriel blanched, momentarily taken aback by the question. Good heavens, she hadn’t thought about her identity! Taking a deep breath, she stuttered her way through a hastily put together introduction.
“Uh-uhm, my name is Azira, Virtue o-of u-uh, Patience! Yes, Azira, Virtue of Patience.” Azuriel drew another big breath, unaware of the sceptical looks the Angel and Demon and Angel were throwing at her and each other over her head.
Well, actually she wasn’t unaware, she just chose not to draw unnecessary attention to it. Straightening back up she gazed forlornly out, blue eyes settling on the small silhouettes of the humans fighting off what seemed to be a lion. Crawly and Aziraphale joined her in watching Adam and Eve in the distance. Crawly looked up suddenly as something wet hit his head. Dark clouds gathered overhead, seeming to be spitting water. Aziraphale held his hand out and water gathered in it as the rain came down heavier. Azuriel closed her eyes and placed her hands as if she was praying. Blessing her garden with protection from most of the rain she spread her snow-white wings, speckled with grey feathers here and there, to their full span, covering the slightly wet heads of the Angel and Demon.
Aziraphale and Crawly looked up at her breath-taking wings sheltering them from the storm shuffling closer under the warmth, all three watching on as the ‘Great Plan’ was finally set in motion.
Life beyond the Garden had finally begun.