Questionable Activities

She rounded the corner of the villa and proceeded down the lane towards the clinic where Raphael worked and played. She passed under the arched façade and crossed the courtyard to arrive at the clinic's door. She listened for any noise from inside. There was none of the usual giggling of woman or whispering from the other side of the door, so Levana figured it was safe. She knocked and entered into the spacious foyer.

Light streamed in from the inner garden illuminating the space. On the pillows piled in one of the corners laid the sleeping Raphael. His wavy blonde hair strewn about his head in a blazing gold halo made him look all the more like an innocent angel than the lecherous, manipulating man he truly was.

She silently stepped closer and crouched beside him.

"Hey Raphael… Raphael...," she whispered. She leaned a little closer.

"Raphael!" she yelled.

"Quiet down, can't you let your uncle rest a bit?" Raphael grumbled and rolled to face her.

"What are you here for dear? Did you want your uncle to comfort you?"

His devious smile only annoyed her further.

"When will you quit calling yourself my uncle? Seriously."

She pulled the scroll out from under her arm and held it out to him.

"I came to give you this."

"Hmmm… more reading material from Uriel, I see."

He took the scroll and sat up. He glanced back at Levana's solemn face and let out a sigh.

"Looks like you have something to talk about… something is bugging you."

"Yea."

"Well sit down and tell me about it."

Although Raphael was heaven's number one playboy, he was also surprisingly sensitive to other's emotions. Levana was secretly glad that he proclaimed himself her uncle and stuck his nose into her business. He and Uriel were her only family and were the only people she felt she could confide in. Raphael had been supportive of her and offered her counseling and a shoulder to cry on when she needed it.

"Am I selfish for wanting my father to take notice of me, and be proud of me?"

"No."

"I've worked hard to maintain my spot in the top ranks of the academy and I do my best to fulfill my duties as an angel of death, but he just doesn't seem to notice or care."

"I'm sure he does take notice, and does care. You shouldn't worry about this trivial thing."

"Grrr… you are so frustrating."

"Well sorry but you are going to complain about the same thing all the time, then you should expect the same answer. "

Levana turned to give him a dark look before getting up and marching out of the clinic. Raphael chuckled to himself then turned his attention to the scroll. He unrolled and began skimming over its contents. So this was the findings of the investigation from the month before.

The Thrones had been tipped off previously about some questionable activities within the ranks of the Powers. In the hierarchy of angels, the Powers were recognized as the warriors of the community and their chief was Lucifer. The anonymous tip stated that some of the Powers were conspiring against the Seraphim Council and were promoting ideas of anarchy. The Thrones, being in charge of dispensing justice, were called in to investigate the validity of such rumors. The report Raphael held stated that the rumors were just that and that any further mistruths questioning the loyalty of the Powers should be dismissed.

Raphael lowered the report as he mused over the pieces of the puzzle he had. Michael, Lucifer's younger brother, had always confided in him about Lucifer's hidden nature. The man was a manipulative tyrant is what Michael would say; a wolf in sheep's clothing that danced to his own tune and fooled other's into believing that they were getting things their way. Raphael glanced down to find who was the investigator and found the name, Astaroth. He grimaced.

"Something stinks."

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Levana wandered through town and arrived in the council district where she quickly made her way back to where the offices for the Dominions and Principalities were located. Sariel was the chief of Principalities so it would make the most sense for him to be near his office.

Levana opened the door to Sariel's office. The room was clean as a hospital room, but Sariel was not there. She then took a look around and heard voices down the hall. Down the hall came Sariel with Belial, they were discussing with hushed voices.

Belial was deputy chief of the Virtues and worked under Raphael to maintain balance. Belial himself though was a pretty unbalanced character. He was as witty and intelligent as Raphael, but was also quick to dislike and distrust others. Belial was a difficult person to be around, but he was also one of the most attractive. He had shoulder-length dark red hair and glittering green eyes that captivated the minds of those around him. He had an arrogant and haughty air about him, and moved with sense of conviction.

Sariel, in comparison, looked like a saint. His presence radiated a gentle kindness that made him seemingly glow amongst others. His short sable hair glistened in the sun creating a halo of light about him. His warm eyes were a fathomless sea of blue that disarmed his foes and enchanted his followers. Sariel and Belial were nearly complete opposites, but for some reason of another they got along well.

Levana waved at Sariel and walked over to them presenting the document. He smiled and greeted Levana, which sent a shiver down her spine. His kindness had always made Levana uneasy since she was little, but it was because that was the only emotion she had ever seen from him towards anyone. He was as stoic and unreadable as a wall. She was use to being greeted with disgust and rude remarks, but she had no idea where she stood with Sariel and this made her wary of him. Belial, on the other hand, didn't try to hide his contempt for her.

He sneered at Levana, "Well if it isn't Uriel's little pet, to what honor do we owe this displeasure?"

Levana buried her anger deep within her heart and paid no attention to the biting comment. She then bowed and excused herself. She quickly disappeared down the hall, and nearly collided into Astaroth, the deputy chief of the Dominions, just around the corner. Again she bowed and asked for forgiveness before running off.

Astaroth knocked on Sariel's door, Belial let him in and shut the door.

"I saw that kid of Uriel's, so I guess she was delivering that report of mine."

"Yes," replied Sariel.

"It's a good thing you can lie convincingly," Belial replied with a twisted smile.

"Yes well, we were lucky that the mole left a trail this time. Next time, we might not be as lucky and will be found out."

"There won't be a next time, Astaroth. I'll kill the next one to betray Lucifer."

Belial's quick answer sent shivers through Astaroth. It was exhilarating; soon they would finally oppose the Seraphim Council with Lucifer leading their way. They had been planning to free themselves from the shackles of the council's control for years. Ever since the angels were denied the ability to take partners amongst the other races, they had been gathering support. With the council adding more and more restrictive rules of late, more and more had been seeking them out for help.

The Seraphim Council was comprised of seven of the eldest and supposively wisest angels amongst heaven. They were responsible for making the rules and restrictions in heaven, and Lucifer's followers believed that they were going senile of late. The council had come to stress purity of their kind in the last few decades, and kept clipping away at their wings in a sense.