Saviour of the young
Time, to an immortal being, is nothing but a nuisance. After all, if you had lived since the beginning of time everything would eventually seem dreary to you. Azuriel flew over the masses of people and children watching the Ark filling slowly, hoping, praying for a spot. Crying and screaming echoing off the terrified children. Looking forward, tearing her gaze from the crowd below she spotted the large wooden Ark sitting beached in the distance. As she flew closer, she stuttered in the air a bit as the lingering pain of the trees used to create the vessel washed over her, overwhelming her for a short period. Azuriel hated the fact Wood was used and taken in such away. She saw it as murder, and it was! When she took the bark from her Apple Tree, she had asked permission and the tree had dropped pieces of decaying wood that she fixed right back up to use. She honestly didn’t see any point in the massacre of her trees. But it was too late now. There would be a flood soon and everything would drown. She hoped that her people in other countries survived this. It didn’t seem fair that it was only God’s ‘People’ that received warning.
Sighing once again she tucked her wings and dove down into the crowd. Sensing the presence of her favourite Demon and Angel she squirmed her way around the masses of bodies crushing around her as she made her way to the front of the crowd. Coming up the right side of Aziraphale she spoke, gaining both of the supernatural entities’ attention.
“Hello you two. Had a nice couple of centuries?” She spoke softly, her voice somehow ringing loud and clear to Crawly and Aziraphale.
Blinking away their surprise the two greeted her back before looking back at the Ark and the children playing with the yet-to-be-boarded animals, innocently unaware. Going back to their previous conversation, Crawly turned back to look at her.
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard of the next stage of this ‘Great Plan’?” Crawly drawled, a hint of worry shading his otherwise unaffected voice.
“I have, Crawly. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything to stop it. I wish I could, if only to stop the massacre of all the animals, trees and children…” Azuriel whispered, sorrow filling her to the brim as she thought of all of the innocent lives that were going to be taken.
She had previously worked on gathering all the soon to be ‘mythical’ creatures and shoving them in her pocket realm, a near perfect replica of Earth, except trapped in the folds of time somewhere. A place only she could enter and exit at will. She had created it when the Angels had started discussing the extermination of such ‘abominations.’ To protect her beauties, she had made the pocket dimension for her creatures to reside in until it was safe enough to let them back into the world without notice. Unicorns and Phoenix’s were only a couple of examples. Looking down at the gaggle of happy children she felt remorse spread through her very being as Crawly’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“Not the kids. You can’t kill kids.” Crawly turned to look at Aziraphale incredulously.
Aziraphale only nodded. Crawly made a face of disgust. Azuriel faintly agreed. It was disgusting of the heavens up above. Soon enough it started to rain, and the mood went from sombre to panicked as the Ark door started closing and the people screamed. Crawly, Aziraphale and Azuriel all flinched as a wave of despair washed over all of them so strongly it almost brought them to their knees. The children started screaming, responding to the adult’s terror, the remaining animals bolted or tried too. Azuriel faintly heard a cry of a name as someone was gutted by a panicking bull. Wincing, she turned back to Crawly. It was clear that Aziraphale wasn’t going to interfere with the ‘Great Plans’. Feeling only a little disappointed she turned to Crawly who was about to take off. Catching the edge of his wing he turned back towards her, a snarl full of snakelike fangs ready to bite her hand off.
“I’m saving these children, don’t even try to stop me you heartless—” Azuriel tugged a little harder on his wing, not enough to hurt but enough to silence him.
“I’m not stopping you; I’m helping you. Bring all the children you find to me. I have a safe place for them, away from here. Noah will NEVER let them on the Ark, but I can save them. Just… Please.” Azuriel finished, whispering the last part.
Crawly looked back at her in something akin to desperation and acceptance before taking off. Azuriel spread her dampening wings and swooped the crowd. The tall stature of the adults covered the small bodies of the children below. The God knew she couldn’t save them all, but she would do her goddamn best. Swooping in low, she scooped up a child of around 11 or 12 with olive coloured skin and hair as white as her wings. Looking down at the teary-eyed boy she smiled at him, hovering in the air.
“Hello sweetheart. What’s your name?” She asked. The young boy looked up at her.
“Zekiel. My brothers call me Zeus though.” Then a horrified look crossed his face. “MY BROTHERS! Please miss, you HAVE to help them! I can’t just let them—” Azuriel pressed his forehead into her neck.
“Hush, sweet thing. I’ll find them and send them too you. Now, when you wake, you will be in a land of magic and fantasy where you will stay until it is safe for you to renter this world. Is that okay Zekiel?” The boy nodded. Azuriel placed her forehead on his and whispered a few words as she sent him to her pocket dimension.
Sweeping over the crowd once again, she searched for presences similar to his. She found one, lying in a puddle near the Ark. Landing next to him, she cradles him to her chest. A second boy, no older than 5 was cradled to the boy’s chest. Azuriel cooed internally before snapping out of it. The boy with chestnut brown hair and dark skin blinked up at her slowly.
“Hullo darling. I’ve come on behalf of your brother, Zekiel. What are your names?” She spoke softly.
“M-my name is Posikiel, Zekiel calls me Poseidon though. Kind of emerged from “Posie is dumb”. I like it though” Posikiel murmured, obviously harbouring a concussion.
“And whose this lovely dear?” Azuriel asked, hand gently stroking the face of the pale dark-haired babe held in Posikiel’s arms.
“H-Hadiyah. Hades for short. He’s the youngest.” Posikiel looked lovingly down at his brother.
Azuriel smiled at him, ignoring the chaos raging around them as the rain fell faster and heavier as every second passed. She distantly worried about how Crawly was getting on.
“Darling, I’m going to send me to your brother, alright? You’ll be kept safe where he is and where many others will come until this earth is safe for you, once again. Alright?” She pressed a kiss to his temple as his eyes slipped shut.
“W-who are you?” He whispered.
“Azuriel, Guardian of the Earth”
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Crawly was currently flying through the storm, struggling quite a bit as he had his arms full of young girls. As his wings threatened to give out, he felt his load lightning. Snapping his eyes open afraid that he had dropped a child he spotted white wings fluttering beside him. Aziraphale had taken a child from him and was now flying slightly behind them. Looking back incredulously he turned his eyes back to the ground, scouring the earth for Azira.
“I couldn’t, in good faith, leave you to help the children alone. Whilst I cannot directly interfere, this is not interfering.” Aziraphale shouted.
Crawly only nodded blankly as he searched for the speckled winged Angel among the masses. Eyes widening in delight he spotted her cradling a child while she pressed a kiss to his forehead, and he vanished in a burst of white sparks. Eyes impossibly wide both Aziraphale and Crawly landed behind her. Crawly readjusted the two children in his grip as Aziraphale held the 4-year-old.
“Azira! We found three sisters. I don’t know their real names, but they go by Hera, Demeter and Hestia. We have to get them out of here.” Crawly pushed the two girls towards the Angel who quickly talked to them before pressing a kiss above their eyebrows.
Crawly and Aziraphale watched on in fascination as they disappeared. Aziraphale handed the child to Azuriel as Crawly questioned her frantically.
“What are you doing to them? Where are they going?” Azuriel sent the young one to her Dimension before turning to Crawly and motioning up.
The waters had reached up to their waists now. There was nothing else they could do. Azuriel flew up to the lowest levels of clouds, above the rain and the other two followed, landing on the soft puffs. Azuriel cast a small spell to make the cloud tangible to Crawly.
“I sent them somewhere safe; don’t you worry Crawly. They shall be returned here as soon as it is safe for them to do so, I promise.” Azuriel promised the fretful Demon.
Crawly sent her a dubious side eye as he watched the rains pour down onto the earth. Aziraphale and Crawly made conversation about the unfairness of Heaven as Azuriel looked down on her domain in sorrow. Placing her hands together once again, she prayed to God. She prayed for a safe passage to the afterlife for all the Children, creatures and trees she could not save.
Still, the rain did not cease.