Ahltha stood in silent reverence, once again finding herself speechless at the scene spread out before her.
"I'm glad this place hasn't suffered the same fate as the rest of the Watch," Raven observed plaintively. "welcome to underworld."
"I could stay here forever without ever feeling as though there were something more elsewhere," Ahltha said in a hushed voice.
Raven understood her feelings, having felt that way a few times himself. They stood on a platform overlooking a cavern several kilometers in length and breadth. The roof of the cave was actually the bottom of the outside lake. The same illuminating crystal that was used in the Watch grew in enormous veins throughout the granite ceiling, casting a soft twilight glow on the amazing landscape draped across the cave floor. More than 700 meters below them, the land wrapped itself around a central lake of deep azure water. The terrain lacked nothing. It was as if life had sought refuge here from the sweeping death outside, cramming as much as possible into this confined shelter.
Beaches of sparkling, golden sand swept up from the water's edge into fertile ground exploding with flora in endless variety.
Large trees, heavily laden with leaves, wedged their way between moss covered rocks on the lower slopes. Grass covered the ground with a thick, velvet carpet of soft emerald. Wild flowers, too numerous to name, claimed their bit of ground as far as the eye could see. The terrain built itself high where it met the walls of the cave, forming plateaus covered with soft mosses and grass. In the distance, she could barely make out a small mountain range through the thick, humid air.
The only sound to be heard was the white noise of numerous waterfalls flowing from a section of the cave wall to their right. Some were mere trickles of water meandering their way through the cracks in the dark stone down to the lake. Others were like the opening of a dam, blasting nearly 10 meters away from the wall before arcing down into the water below. The atomized water spawned multiple rainbows that slid down along the spray in a constant technicolor rain.
It was the kind of scene that could draw you into it so completely that nothing else existed.
Raven could feel that Ahltha was in that place at the moment, mesmerized by the sound and motion of the falls.
"You did all this?" she asked.
"I did," he replied with a smile. "this place has grown over the course of a lifetime. I come here to think."
"I can see why."
Looking down into the lake, Raven could see a dark, sinuous shape beneath the surface, with a motion as liquid as the water itself. Ahltha looked as well, wondering what has his attention.
"What is that?"
"Ever met a dragon?" he asked her playfully.
She looked at him sideways. "Something tells me I'm about to,...yes?"
"Unless you'd rather stay up here," he said, stepping to the edge of the platform.
"I didn't come this far to stand and gawk," she stated with facetious indignation.
"You sure about that? You're doing a great job so far."
"Ha!" she laughed, launching herself over the side. Raven tipped himself backwards, dropping like a stone towards the lake. He took a brief moment to enjoy the rush before straightening out, tucking his wings tightly, and hitting the water like a bullet. With a mental push, he darted through the lake.
Ahltha banked casually to look for him behind her. From the corner of her eye, she saw his form in the water passing just beneath her. As she threw her body forward and spread her wings to brake, Raven breached the surface like a sub-launched ICBM, spinning so fast he was a blur of wings and water spray. She almost ended up in the lake herself as she lost -- and as quickly regained -- control of her flight.
A beautiful sight though. The spinning water made waves of circular rainbows that expanded away from the angel, drifting slowly back into the lake.
She watched as he continued to ascend for nearly 100 meters before the spinning stopped and he came to a hover, the grin on his face was nothing short of devilish. It was nice to see him smile even though he'd almost dumped her in the water. There was something unquestionably impish about this angel, something she found endearing in spite of the darkness that overshadowed him. She decided to enjoy what she could, while she could, knowing the situation would become serious again far too soon.
He pointed to a small islet about 500 meters away near the center of the lake. She nodded, and headed for it.
Pulling in his wings, he dropped rapidly after her. Within seconds he was streaking across the water beneath her. Slapping his hands hard against the surface of the lake, he pulled up, arcing over her through a 360 degree loop, to come around beneath her again.
She smiled, he was definitely enjoying himself.
The islet came up quickly. It was fairly small, but covered with resplendent with flora like the rest of the terrain. A few large, twisted trees grew on the upper levels of the stepped ground, hanging their weeping branches over the miniature landscape. It was mostly light-colored stone, thick with moss in every available crevice. Grass and small wild flowers grew anywhere they could find enough soil to sustain them, along with small shrubs and vines.
A glossy, black form that could only be the dragon, perched on a high rock next to a tree. He was massive, even from her present distance.
Raven dropped from high above her, plummeting so fast she thought he might drive himself straight into the ground. Though she seriously doubted that was his intention, it wouldn't have surprised her at this point. In fact, she might never be surprised again after this night.
Seconds before hitting the ground, Raven slung his legs forward and arched his wings like parachutes, to land silently on the grass.
"You're pretty good at that," she said, coming in for a reasonably soft landing.
"Hardly a challenge when every motion is controlled by a thought,...and a halo. Or a wing and a prayer if you prefer," he smiled.
"I imagine that would be helpful. You seemed to be enjoying yourself anyway," she said with a grin.
He blinked innocently. "Who me? Nah, angels don't enjoy themselves,...against the rules you know."
"I see," she said, suddenly looking serious. "And just when did you start playing by the rules? During the flight? Or maybe the landing?"
He laughed, shrugged, and walked off shaking his head.
"I thought as much," she whispered behind him.
"Hey you! Come down here. I want you to meet someone," he called up to Irrisahi.
The dragon moved lithely down the steps of stone to the large clearing where Raven stood. As he approached, Ahltha realized just how large this creature was. With effort, she kept a calm look on her face. All the while thinking she would be nothing more than a single mouthful.
"Ah, you bring company," Irrisahi hissed softly. He generally spoke with a gentle voice, but with lungs the size of Buicks, it came across as a rather loud rumble nonetheless.
Raven turned to Ahltha. "This is Irrisahi, possibly the oldest creature here. And this is Ahltha," he said looking up at the dragon.
"Very nice to meet you, I've never met one of your kind before, and I must say I'm impressed," Ahltha said, doing her utmost to keep a steady voice.
"Why thank you my lady, it's very nice to meet you as well," Irrisahi returned graciously. "and watch who you're calling old little one," he prodded Raven.
"Don't be too impressed Ahltha, it'll go to his head," Raven smirked. Irrisahi turned his head to look at Raven sideways.
"Don't tell me vanity isn't a dragonish trait my friend," Raven warned. "I know better."
A huge golden eye winked, and the dragon grinned quietly. Ahltha restrained a giggle,...barely.
"So how go the revelations little one?"
Raven sighed as he took a seat on a grassy step. "Well,...as revelations go,...I'd rather be stripped of all my flesh and boiled in salt water."
Ahltha looked at him in horror, while Irrisahi simply raised an eye ridge at the little angel. "Worse than you'd expected I gather?"
"Typically understated, but yes,...much worse."
"Hmm,...I was hoping for something better, as I'm sure you were," the dragon rumbled.
Raven nodded, staring blankly across the water. Ahltha thought it wise to remain silent for the time being.
"Has it at least brought an end to some of your confusion?"
"Nothing but," Raven grated. "None of it is anything to be happy about though."
Irrisahi lowered his head, resting his chin on the ground next to Raven. The angel leaned against him with a deep sigh and a heart of molten lead.
"Where do you go from here?"
"Home," Raven said. "Maybe the world doesn't need angels at all. Maybe they ignore us for a reason, not just because they don't believe in us, but because they don't need us as much as we need them to. Whatever the reason, I'm tired of it all. Life holds nothing for me anymore, I give up."
"You are in a state aren't you?" the dragon observed. Raven shrugged one shoulder.
"Don't fall into defeat my friend, if there is anyone who's in need of angels it's definitely the human race. If not for your kind, they'd have done themselves in ages ago, and you know the truth of that. Never have I seen a species more in need of guidance, or understanding. Who would care for them if not for you? Certainly not they themselves. Look what they bring upon themselves in ignorance. Will they never stop killing their own future?" Good points all, but at the moment it was hard to keep such things in mind.
"If not for you, their lives would be devoid of light and magic," Ahltha added.
"Indeed," Irrisahi agreed. "what would their dreams amount to if not for the gentle hand of the angels? Never believe your purpose is for naught little one, or you mire your soul with their's. Where would they be then?"
Raven wanted to tell them to stop making sense, but had no words at the moment. They were right, of course they were right. Still, the Stand was testament to the fact that even an angel could lose faith in that truth. For an angel to lose faith was deadly.
"It's hard to keep those things in mind when my heart keeps telling me something different."
"Will this not pass in time?" Ahltha asked.
"You'd think so, but you can't unbreak the heart of an angel,...we aren't made that way. Time doesn't heal all wounds when you're timeless," Raven sighed.
She frowned. It was painfully evident to her that she didn't know nearly enough about angels to make a convincing argument, they were consistently contradicting.
"Thanks for trying Ahltha," Raven reassured her. "I don't mean to yank the rug from under you every time you make a positive comment." She did her best to pull off a credible smile, but didn't really feel it.
"I understand, things are the way they are. At the moment, they just don't happen to be good."
Scanning the ground with vacant eyes, Raven fixed on a miniature rose vine spiraling up from between the rocks near his feet. Reaching down, he picked one of the small, blood-red buds.
"A rose by any other name,..." he said with only the slightest hint of a voice. A large, golden orb rotated to look at him, the inner mechanisms shifting the lens and iris in and out to a precise focus.
"Something little one?" he asked finally.
"Just part of the revelation. I've been living a double life and never realized it until a few hours ago."
Irrisahi was terribly curious, but thought better of testing the little angel's patience, he was obviously in no mood for questions.
Raven stood up and paced to the edge of the grassy platform looking out over the water. "I don't like the thought of turning this place into a parking lot," he said folding his arms across his chest.
"Parking lot?" Ahltha said, cocking her head questioningly.
"A colloquialism,...it means there won't be anything left but a big, flat space,...if that."
"I see." She didn't like the thought of everything she'd seen here passing into a distant memory either. Raven turned to her as a look of sorrow etched her face. Holding the rosebud to his lips, he blew on it gently. The petals rotated outward until the tiny flower was fully open. He filled his senses with it for a moment before taking it to her and placing it behind her left ear. She tried to smile without the tears, but failed.
"After I left you in the tower I took a flight out to the ridge mountains,..." Irrisahi reflected distantly. "I remember when the severe storms first started just over 20 years ago. I used to go there to watch them tear up the countryside with what could only be considered rage. They were a terrifying force,...but beautiful in their way. There were a few of times I was surprised to see anything survive them."
"Textbook teen years," Raven pleaded. The dragon grinned.
"Not here they weren't."
Raven shrugged helplessly. "Guilty as charged."
Ahltha giggled. "Why do I find it difficult to believe that anything in your life has ever been "textbook"?"
"Because you're a cynic?" he shot back.
"Aside from that," she said with a smirk. He smiled and returned to more serious thoughts.
"What the hell happened outside?" he asked the dragon.
Irrisahi craned his head mechanically to look at him. "Another storm, but one like I've never seen here before. This storm was a living thing,...a life force as large as the land itself. It spanned the entire sky from one horizon to the other. The lightning it attacked with was different as well. The bolts were thicker than the trunks of the redwoods, and when they struck the ground they exploded outward in waves of fire that consumed everything in their path. The high winds whipped the fire into a hellish fury. It was relentless. Not until everything had fallen to ash did it pass."
"How did you escape it?" Ahltha wondered.
"I came here,...to the Watch. I foolishly remained in the uppermost section of the tower though,...I should have come down here. The lightning blasted sections of the Watch to rubble just as it did with many of the mountains. Honestly Raven, I've never seen such fury in all my days. It moved so fast that if I had been just a bit farther from the tower, I'd never have made it here. One moment it was a typical day, the next, the skies were raining death."
"Sorry for all that," Raven said solemnly. "It wasn't a real storm though,...it was angelfire. Driven by this pain, and finally beginning to escape the suppression of the veil, my halo had nowhere safe to release,...so it came here."
"Then I'm glad this place was here. I can't imagine a storm like that cutting loose on a population. Casts a new light on stress management," Irrisahi mused using one of the terms he'd picked up from Raven. The angel shook his head at both comments.
"That isn't a possibility. There are far too many safeguards against it. The Watchers and the other guardians of the earth are proof against it. If not for them, the world would become a spiritual battleground," he said.
"You mean it isn't?"
Raven smirked. "Yeah well, I guess it is, but not openly. And certainly not like that."
Irrisahi grinned, displaying several fearsome teeth. Ahltha stood and stretched in typical cat fashion.
"I think I'd like to take a short flight around. I'd really like to see the rest of this cavern."
"Take your time," Raven said. "there's no hurry."
Inclining her head in acknowledgement, she gracefully took to the air.
"Lovely creature," Irrisahi remarked, as he watched her fly away.
"Yes she is. She's been good company, even eased my mood somewhat."
"I'm impressed, that's never been an easy task."
"Are you saying I'm difficult?" he said with false sarcasm. "Nevermind, you're right, it's never been easy." he resigned.
"Ah well, as they say, if it were easy anyone could do it,...yes?"
"Yeah,...anyone," he said, with a smile as empty as his heart.
His mind slammed against the reality of his situation again as it seemed to do with nearly every breath. It was intolerable,...missing the one as he did. It was a fire that consumed him with a murderous hunger. What the hell was he thinking when he made this promise, knowing how it would destroy him to lose her. He relived every day, hour and moment from the time they met until the day she walked away. Each time, something more died in him. Soon, there would be nothing recognizable left of him. Oblivion was looking more and more like Heaven with every shallow beat of his heart.
Irrisahi studied him carefully. His enhanced vision allowed him to see the field of energy surrounding the little angel. It was very much like the storm that had swept the land like the Reaper's scythe. It grieved him terribly to see this,...and to be so helpless.
"Raven,...I must thank you for everything here. Not only for myself and my kind, but for all who've found inspiration here. It was a gift made even more valuable because you asked for nothing in return." He lowered his head down next to the angel. "Whatever I have, whatever I am, I would give if only it could bring you some peace."
Raven leaned against the dragon's heavy jawbone. "Thank you, my friend," he whispered. Dragons were high on pride, and protocol demanded that he say nothing more, though he wanted to.
"Is there nothing you can do? Will nothing ease your heart?"
"Not really. Angels are intended to ease the suffering of others,...as for our own,..." He hung his head as torrents of emotion washed over him. He just wanted his heart to go to sleep and never wake up again.
The dragon sighed, long and deep. Like a blast of hot napalm, the air burned through Raven's senses, but he gave no notice.
"Wait a second,...what do you mean by "inspiration"?"
"Certainly you know,...don't you?" the dragon asked, surprised. Raven looked at him impatiently, obviously he didn't know, or at least wasn't sure what the dragon was referring to. He was somewhat out of sorts, and not keeping up the way he usually did.
"This place," he began. "it hasn't simply been a place to exist, it's been a source of inspiration for the creative minds that seek just such a world. I don't presume to understand how this happens, I only know that it does,...and has since the beginning. This world and all it offers lives on in the writings and artwork of the human race. The sleeping have come here for years, some have come many times. Through the dreams of what they see here they've created new fantasies. What you've given through the creation of this realm is priceless."
Raven had all but forgotten about that in his present haze. Angels were the truest form of the muse. They planted the seeds of inspiration in the receptive minds of the sleeping. It was called dreamweaving, but it wasn't always intentional. Any angel could create in the same way he'd created the Watch. Once a thing was created, it became a permanent part of the ether, leaving impressions that were accessible by the creative spirit. This was the reason for simultaneous "creative synchronicity" between artisans in different parts of the world. They were actually tapping in to a larger reality. It was through their individual interpretation that changes were made, and the end result became "original". Even if the creation itself was destroyed, it's inspiration remained for all time. The fallen had always used dreamweaving to promote their own ends.
"I guess that should make me feel a little better huh? Maybe not so guilty about bringing it all down."
"It's a thought, something to keep in mind when you feel like this has all been for nothing." He shifted his tail slightly, trying not to crush too much of the plant life in the process.
"I know better than that, nothing done is done for nothing."
The dragon considered his comment momentarily before speaking again. "Profound,...where did that come from?"
Raven shook his head. "Just one of those remarks that falls out of my mouth, bounces across the floor and rolls under the refrigerator from time to time." He wasn't in the mood to take credit for anything at the moment, least of all something profound. Irrisahi thought better of inquiring about the "refrigerator".
Ahltha silently swept over the rocks bordering the islet just then, pulling up at the last minute, she dropped gently to the grass.
"Breathtaking," she said, in further awe of the cavern.
"A small piece of Heaven to be sure." Irrisahi nodded.
She smiled briefly before her face melted away into sorrow once again.
"I hate to leave all this Raven, but it pains me to remain,...being aware of what's to come of this lovely place. I think it's time I return to stone that I might preserve the memory of it intact."
"I understand Ahltha, and I can't say I blame you. I almost wish I could do the same," Raven said, rising to his feet. Gathering what little courage she could, she looked up to the highest stone peak on the islet. It was the same place the dragon had been sitting when she'd first seen him.
"Would that be an appropriate place for a statue of a sphinx I wonder?" she said, with a nod in the direction of the peak. Raven and Irrisahi both nodded emphatically.
"Perfect," Irrisahi said, with sincere approval. She nodded curtly.
"Then I go. It's been interesting meeting you Irrisahi, I hope to see you in this place another time."
"My very thoughts," the dragon rumbled with a deep bow of his spiny, armored head.
"And Raven,...what can I say about the first angel I've ever met?" Her eyes swam, and her face was a storm of mixed emotions. "It is my sincere wish that you go well,..that you never stray so far from the light that you lose your way, and that your heart is reunited with that of the one someday."
"Go well Ahltha. The currents of existence are circular, and all things move within that flow. Her heart will find it's way, just as I know I'll see you again."
She accepted his wisdom teary-eyed, but somewhat lighter of spirit. With effort, she turned away, bounding up the grassy steps. Gaining the top of the rocks, she took her original "statuesque" position. Something drained from Raven as he watched her colors fade to stone.
He turned around, caught his breath, and noticed Irrisahi studying him closely.
"What now?" he said, impatiently.
"As long as I've known you little one, I still wonder at you."
"Yes, and? Is that it, or are you planning on finishing that thought?" he said, after waiting a few moments for the rest of the statement. Irrisahi looked away casually.
"I thought I'd just let it roll under the refrigerator," he said with mock indifference.
Raven lowered his eyelids and cleared his throat. "Uh,...yeah,...ok."
"Gotcha," the dragon said with a wink and a reptilian smile. "I was referring to that," he said, with a nod of his head in the direction of the statue. "How often does one see a sphinx moved to such emotion?"
"Yeah," Raven said, turning away. "I always leave 'em walking away in tears."
Irrisahi swung his deadly spiked tail around with startling speed. Raven dropped down, spinning clockwise beneath the lethal weapon as it ripped through the air just above his head. Several large stones shattered as it came to an abrupt stop.
"Damn!" the dragon cursed. "I thought I might catch you off guard just once."
"Sorry, not this time," Raven shrugged. "nice try though."
It was just an attempt to break his mood, but it would take something stronger than a dragon for that. Whatever that might be, Raven had no clue. Even time fell short in that area. Time could wear away mountains, evaporate oceans, even change the face of the heavens. But from the spiritual side of reality, love surpassed time in strength.
"I think it's time you were alone with this," Irrisahi observed, with great difficulty. Raven hesitated to look at his friend, but knew he was right, it was time.
"I guess you're right," he whispered. "I still have things to do, and it's doing me no good to procrastinate. After all the goodbye's, I just hate the thought of another."
The dragon lowered his head, closing his eyes tightly.
"As you say little one, all things are circular." He took in a long, slow breath, set his powerfully muscled legs against the ground, and propelled himself into the air like some arcane flying machine. Raven watched for a few seconds, then turned away and didn't look back..
After a time, he wandered up the verdant steps to sit by the statue of Ahltha. She looked exactly as she had before,...with the exception of a small, stone rose behind her left ear.
"By any other name,..." he breathed, with a pained smile.
Without the souls who brought life to this place, it lost something essential to it's beauty. His companions had kept him from falling over the edge, but with them gone, shadows fell deep and dark across his heart once more. He no longer cared about any of this, there were more important matters to attend, and he had spent enough time avoiding them. But before he went about them, there was something else he needed, and there was only one who could provide it. As dangerous as it was, he prepared himself to make the call.
