Michael Morningstar found his nephew in a nearby park, not far from the inquisitorial headquarters. Along with him was a kitsune angel, an angel with blue wings and sapphire eyes, and angel who looks like she just rose up from the ocean and a green angel with wings that look like tree branches in full bloom. Michael recognized the green angel as Tarfeil.
“I thought you were going to a quiet place to think,” Michael landing as he looks at Enoch. The wolf-taur angel with white fur and dove like wings; he was wearing a black t-shirt that had the image of a killer doll wielding a knife. “Imagine my surprise to see you left Raphael’s temple with a patient in tow no less.”
“So I made some friends the wolf taur putting his black shades back on; hiding his solid blue eyes that crackle with power. “And we took care of a nasty issue that has been plaguing the cherubs.”
“I thought you took care of that last night,” Michael remembering the chaos bubble that Enoch described covering the library and inquisitorial building; but seeing a cherub sitting on Enoch’s lower wolf half, Michael figured it was best to let it go. “So you going to tell me who is who,” Michael looking at Enoch’s posse.
“You already met Tarfiel,” Enoch motioning to the green angel with tree branch like wings. “This is Nami;” Enoch gesturing to the blue angel who’s hair looks like wet seaweed and her wings are like the ocean waves crashing on a beach.
“I’m Inari,” the kitsune angel speaking; “Tarfeil and I are friends."
“And you,” Michael looking at the angel with blue wings and sapphire eyes; “your name?”
“Cromwell,” the angel sighing; “we already met when you introduced your fist to my face in hell.”
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Michael had to be held back by Enoch when, Cromwell introduced himself. Wanting to arrest the former human; Enoch had to inform his uncle that the man’s crimes technically don’t exist up in heaven. However, Michael did end up giving the new angel another introductory fist to the face.
“If it helps,” Cromwell sighing; “I already confessed my sins through prayer. So if I have to answer to anyone,” Cromwell getting up; “it’s to god himself.”
“If you are here,” Michael glaring at the angel; “then were is Reverend Church, Mather and Bashir?”
“On earth,” Cromwell brushing the grass off his new pants; “were I’m supposed to be if I didn’t ditch them.”
Cromwell begins to tell Michael all about the horrors he witnessed as Church and Kusheil took great delight in torturing Tarfeil. He also apprised him of what they did to get a trip up to heaven; poisoning Beelzebub as per Kusheil’s orders.
“And as I said before,” Enoch chiming in; “you should have stabbed him and cut off his head with a blessed blade to ensure he is dead.”
“You still believe he is alive,” Michael recalling the projection of his memory earlier in the day.
“I can sense it,” Enoch shuddering as uses his newfound power to sense the life in hell; focusing on the ninth circle he groans as he senses a void within the palace of Dis.
“But something is blocking me from pinpointing his location,” Enoch wincing in pain; “it’s like the chaos bubble that surrounded the library, only stronger.”
“This is worrisome,” Michael looking at the cherub fly off; knowing that it is going to report to Jehovah. “But we can’t dwell on that right now,” Michael looking at everyone; “I was going to take my nephew for lunch, I guess it would be rude for me to not invite you all to join.”
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It was a cozy little dining area in the old section of Heaven; Cromwell recognized it during his stroll on the streets looking for chaos energy thanks to Enoch sharing a small bit of his power. Not entering the place from the outside, he was surprised to see how nice it looked like on the inside. It had the charm and atmosphere of a chain of restaurants that dotted the interstate highways way back in the fifties; greasy spoons that catered to long haul truckers and seasonal tourists.
“I can feel my arteries clogging,” Cromwell commenting as he sat in a chair; quickly glancing at the menu.
“It’s not so bad,” Michael sitting across from the angel; “they do make a decent veal spaghettini.”
“I’ll try that,” Inari putting down the menu; “with a pint of ale that pairs well with it.”
“I’ll take the catfish gumbo,” Enoch looking at the menu; “with an Irish stout to drink.”
Michael observed as both Tarfeil and Nami ordered each a seafood dish with a fruit wine; while Cromwell opted for liver and onions with a boiler maker, a pint of beer with a whiskey chaser. Michael in the end ordered the Veal Spaghettini with a French white wine. The conversations were mild; Michael overhearing that Tarfeil and Nami were planning to live together, both part of the Nature Stewardship corps. Inari and Enoch chatting over the places they have been to on Earth; Enoch already having the kitsune beat, with his claim of backpacking across Europe back during the height of the Soviet Union. Yet Michael couldn’t help but stare at the blue winged angel with sapphire eyes; he wanted to know more about the former Iron Knight that he and Baal had trundled back to Lucifer a few days ago, but was interrupted when the food finally arrived.
Michael watched as Cromwell dove into the liver and onions with gusto; noticing that there was pile of mashed potatoes next to the organ meat that most people are turned off of.
“If Kusheil plucked you and your friends from hell,” Michael talking as he stares at Cromwell; “then why are you not in an inquisitor robe?”
“I don’t agree with Kusheil’s methods in extracting information,” Cromwell responding; “as a seventh day Adventist, I was taught to refrain from committing acts of violence.”
“That didn’t stop you from killing three demons down in hell,” Michael responding; “you were even blubbering that it was a holy mission from god himself when I had you hogtied and slung over my shoulder.”
“Not my finest hour,” Cromwell sighing; “nor is how we went about following Kusheil’s demands that an archduke of hell be killed. He didn’t outright specify that it had to be Beelzebub,” Cromwell pausing to sip his drink; “just someone that would create unrest and and provide the catalyst needed to violate certain agreements I guess.”
“Kusheil wants the war between heaven and hell to restart,” Enoch adding; “he wants to raid hell and kill demons.”
“He won’t be doing that,” Michael scoffing; “he was just jailed for trying to assault Jehovah.”
Michael then apprised Enoch and the party as to what he was informed by others as to what transpired while he was busy talking with Dionysus. Michael also informed everyone that Dionysus’s court is currently being used as a refugee camp for those escaping the civil war going on in hell. Children being housed along with Loki, Jahi helping out brought a bemused look from Enoch.
“That randy angel acting as a babysitter,” Enoch chuckling; “now I got to go to earth just to see that alone.”
“Please don’t,” Michael shaking his head; “let’s not have a repeat of what you did back in 2500 bc.”
“Dionysus told you,” Enoch chocking on his dark ale; “didn’t he?”
“Every sordid detail,” Michael shaking his head; “why would you do such a thing.”
“Simple,” Enoch smirking; “I was a young demon and was slumming it with Baal at the time.”
“Baal introduced you to Dionysus,” Michael looking stunned; “watching his nephew smile as he enjoys his gumbo.
“Can you steer back to Kusheil getting sacked,” Cromwell speaking up; “what happened to get him to try and deck god?”
“He has a pleasure harem,” Michael rolling his eyes; “apparently god ordered him to turn it over to the palace guard as per a new law that was just passed. Called Jove’s law,” Michael noting the irony as Jove himself has a large slave harem; “plus Semyaza produced a report detailing Kusheil’s questionable actions as of late.”
“Semyaza is not to be trusted,” Cromwell speaking up again; “there is a darkness in him. He hides it well, but on the few times I’ve seen him alone,” Cromwell shuddering; “you can see it pouring out of his eyes.”
“I met him last night,” Enoch recalling breaking into the sealed up library to first shut down the chaos bubble; “he seemed genial enough.”
“Be wary of him,” Michael looking at his nephew; “the angel is a hardliner when it comes to dealing with demons. Rumor is he is worse than Kusheil.”
“So you have told me,” Enoch finishing up his gumbo; “but so far he has yet to give me cause to doubt him. Father always did teach us to give those the benefit of the doubt upon first contact.”
“Well here is another bit of news,” Michael eyeing everyone; “Jehovah ordered Semyaza to officially release both you Tarfeil and Azure from inquisitorial custody, due to insufficient evidence of collusion with chaos.”