Holy Intern

Azrael’s face still lit up with excitement after receiving news about his internship program. He was eager to start his first duty immediately, though a part of him felt nervous. He was a little afraid of failing his first assignment.

Michael noticed Azrael's excitement and handed him a piece of paper. "Take this and give it to Miss Receptionist on the first floor."

Azrael took the paper carefully, glancing at it. It was black with gold handwriting. “Sure, Captain. I’ll do it right away.”

As Azrael left the room, he continued trying to read the paper, but many of the words were still unfamiliar to him. So, he decided to head straight to the receptionist's desk. After walking for a while, he finally spotted the desk and approached it.

"Captain Michael wanted me to hand this to Miss Receptionist..."

Suddenly, Luzy grabbed his robe and pulled him closer. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me that, right?”

Azrael stepped back, his face showing fear as he remembered his conversation with Luzy that morning. “Sorry, Miss Luzy. I was just repeating what Captain Michael said…”

Luzy sat back down with her arms crossed and pouted. “Don’t listen to him. He still can’t remember my name, even though I’ve been working with him for almost a year now.”

“Is Captain Michael really that bad at remembering names?” Azrael asked, standing up straight.

“Of course. Everyone in this department agrees. The only name he gets right is Vice Captain Raphael, but that’s probably because they’ve known each other for thousands of years…”

“Ooh, maybe you’re right. He’s never called me by my name either. I hadn’t noticed that… By the way, I got a job offer from the captain.” Azrael handed Luzy the paper that Michael had given him.

Luzy took the paper and read it. “Assign the new angel to assist the spear guy… He always forgets his subordinates’ names. How can he be a captain?” Luzy sighed and softly slapped her forehead, clearly confused.

“Spear guy? Is that a guy who looks like a spear that I should assist?” Azrael asked, leaning forward slightly.

“No.” Luzy sighed again. “I think he means Sariel.”

“Sariel? Is that the angel’s name or the spear’s name?” Azrael asked, still puzzled.

“OF COURSE IT’S THE ANGEL’S NAME! He’s your senior, you know.” Luzy snapped, fed up with Azrael’s silly questions.

“Ooh, he is? Sorry if I wasn’t polite. What should I do with him? Assist him?” Azrael asked again, moving closer and gripping the edge of the desk.

Then Luzy stamped the paper. "Bring this to him. He should be on the third floor, I guess." She handed the paper back to Azrael.

Azrael nodded and headed to the third floor. As he walked, he asked the angels working there if they knew an angel named Sariel. They guided him until he arrived at one angel's desk.

The desk was made of gold, like most of the desks in the office. The chair resembled a king's throne. Sitting there was an angel with short, curly white hair. His wings were nearly invisible, blending seamlessly with the air. He wore white clothes with a gray pattern around his chest.

Azrael noticed the spear leaning against the desk. "Oh, so that's where the spear comes from..."

Sariel looked puzzled as Azrael approached him and spoke randomly. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Oh, sorry, senior." Azrael quickly apologized, suddenly feeling nervous. "Captain Michael asked me to hand this to you."

Azrael handed the paper to Sariel, who read it. "So, you’re going to be my assistant?"

"I guess so…" Azrael answered hesitantly.

"What can you do as my assistant?" Sariel asked, leaning on the table.

"I can do anything. Fight, fight, and fight." Azrael said, throwing a punch forward.

Sariel looked at him with half-closed eyes, still puzzled. "So, all you can do is fight?"

"Yeah, senior. I’ll try to do more, but sorry, I can't be a… uh, inappropriate assistant for you."

"I’M NOT ASKING FOR THAT!" Sariel snapped, then composed himself. "Alright then. I suppose I can bring you on some combat duties."

"Really? Are we going to fight demons?" Azrael asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

"You’ll find out soon enough," Sariel said as he walked out of the room, leaving Azrael confused.

*

Now, both of them were flying through the celestial complex. Azrael followed Sariel wherever he went, but his curiosity was growing. "Where are we going, senior?"

"When an angel takes on a duty, we have to visit one of the headquarters," Sariel said, still flying ahead without looking back at Azrael.

"What headquarters?" Azrael asked again, still confused.

Sariel stopped flying, prompting Azrael to stop as well. "Here!" Sariel said, pointing to a large, imposing building.

Azrael’s eyes lit up when he saw the headquarters. The architecture resembled the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Each building was adorned with flowing waterfalls that created rivers and lakes throughout the complex. The buildings were painted mostly in white and blue, and from their gleaming appearance, it was clear that the walls were made of jade.

“What headquarters is this, Senior?” Azrael asked, his jaw still dropped in awe.

Sariel pointed to a logo featuring a lion, a sheep, and an ostrich with wings of water behind them. "It’s the headquarters of the Cherubim."

Upon hearing the name Cherubim, Azrael gulped, remembering someone. He followed Sariel inside. As he passed through the gate, he noticed many angels with water wings all around the place. It felt like entering a water park, with splashes of water everywhere. Azrael tried to avoid their wings, afraid of getting wet.

He observed that many Cherubim were busy working behind desks. They seemed deeply engrossed in their documents and barely noticed the newcomers. Sariel approached one of the desks and handed over a paper. "We need to go to work. Duty."

The Cherubim angel received it with a smile. "So, you’re back to work now, huh, Sariel?"

The Cherubim angel had dark blue hair with shades of black, and her wings appeared muddy with hints of brown. "By the way, why do your wings look like that? Did you jump into the mud?"

But before Azrael could process the question, Sariel already had his spear pointed at Azrael’s neck. "Watch your mouth, kid!"

Azrael’s eyes widened as he stepped back. "I'm sorry…"

Sariel returned his attention to the Cherubim. "Don’t listen to him. Lina is beautiful with her muddy wings."

Hearing that, the Cherubim named Lina blushed slightly. Azrael could sense something between them and decided to stay quiet, unlike his usual self. Lina then checked the files on her desk.

“There’s one job in the human world. Maybe you can take it.” Lina handed Sariel a document.

Sariel read it for a moment, then nodded. "I guess this suits us."

Just then, another Cherubim approached the desk, carrying many files. "Senior, here are the documents you requested…" She paused when she saw Sariel and Azrael. "Azrael? You again?"

Azrael was shocked to see her. "Elara…"

"Why do I keep running into you everywhere?" Elara said, pouting and crossing her arms.

Lina looked between them curiously. "Oh, you two know each other? Maybe it’s destiny."

Elara blushed and looked away, while Azrael was still confused. "Well, isn’t everything already part of God's plan? That’s what destiny is."

Sariel shook his head. "You really don’t get it, boy. Maybe there's truth in God planning people to be together." Sariel then smiled at Lina.

Lina blushed and looked away. "G… Go do your mission already!"

"Well, okay then. Stop this nonsense and let’s just go," Sariel said as he walked away.

As Azrael was about to follow Sariel, Elara called out to him. "Azrael, wait…"

Azrael turned back to look at Elara, seeing her face flushed red. "Go… good luck! Stay safe."

Azrael smiled. "I’ll be back." Then he walked away, leaving Elara behind with a smile.

Azrael followed Sariel to another location. "Where are we going now, Senior?" Azrael asked while flying behind Sariel.

"To the terminal for the human world," Sariel replied, continuing on, leaving Azrael confused.

They arrived at a building that resembled an ancient Roman structure with pillars and a roof, but with multiple floors. Many angels, shaped like circles, were flying around. Azrael remembered that Elara had mentioned their name: Thrones.

Azrael noticed a logo at the entrance, featuring a large eye with wings. He assumed it was the headquarters of the Thrones. He followed Sariel to a large book-like structure. Sariel glanced at the book and began writing, and Azrael looked on.

There was a schedule-like note written there. Sariel sighed. "There’s no schedule for Dubai right now."

Their destination in the human world this time was Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. However, it seemed there was no way to get there at the moment. Suddenly, something gently bumped into Azrael from behind.

Azrael looked down and saw a Throne with one big eye, surrounded by wooden tendrils and transparent wings. Azrael knelt to its level. "What’s wrong, buddy?"

The Throne couldn’t speak but shook its body. Azrael noticed something written on its body. "Tian? Is that your name?"

Tian nodded, and the wooden tendrils around its body formed expressions that resembled a smile. Azrael patted its head. "We need to go to Dubai, but there’s no Throne available to take us. Could you help?"

Tian’s eye widened, and it shook its body in a nod. Azrael smiled. "Senior! This Throne can take us to the human world."

Sariel looked at Azrael, confused, then at Tian. "I’m not sure about this one…"

Tian’s eye grew teary, and the wooden tendrils that looked like eyebrows drooped in disappointment. Azrael patted Tian again. "Come on, Senior. Why don’t we give it a try?"

Sariel checked the schedule again, knowing they couldn’t afford to be late. He sighed. "Okay then. I just hope we don’t get lost."

Tian’s eye brightened, and it seemed overjoyed. Azrael smiled and patted its head again. "You did it. Now, take us to the human world."

Tian’s eye began to glow, and it projected a beam onto the wall, creating a portal. Azrael and Sariel stepped through it. Azrael walked with a firm but slightly nervous stride, determined to do his best on his first mission. Whether his job would go smoothly or not—only God knew.