Sigillum ex Fatum [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 23

It took me just a handful of days before I could summon my angelic abilities at will. Truthfully I could do it the first day. However, I had to learn self-disciplin. It was akin to a release valve–I couldn’t always be this glowing blue being of celestial essence. It was too much. So, I had to train myself to not only bring it out at certain levels, but siphon it as-needed.

Healing something took a lot of angelic power. It was like sewing–you took some of your grace, your soul, and used it like thread to fix that which was broken. It works the same for mortals as well as angels–although, healing angels is easier just because there’s already some angelic soul to work with. You’re not trying to shape and reform things against their will and what would be their natural state.

“It even works on demons.”

I was absolutely horrified. “Why in God’s good name would an angel ever heal a demon? That is simply repulsive!”

Raphael had chuckled. “No one ever has, Ulcinin.”

“So then why even bring it up?!”

Raphael shrugged with nonchalant innocence. “It’s something to learn.”

I wasn’t exactly thrilled with how Raphael taught me how to heal. It was a hands-on experience. First it started with plants. Then, bugs. I learned early on that if the damage is too catostrophic, there’s nothing even an angel can do.

I also learned the hard way, the more emotion behind it the more likely you were to suceed.

“Why would you do ths?!” I had shrieked, in the middle of a field in a forest.

I knelt next to a doe. Raphael had attacked it, slicing out a large chunk from her side. I could see her ribs, and she was on her side. Her big brow eyes were wide in terror, sometimes glossing over and I thought I’d lost her. But then she’d twitch. Both my hands were pressed against the wound. It didn’t do very much. At all, in fact. I soon lost sight of my hands in just pools of red.

“Why did you do this?” I shrieked at Raphael once more. I looked at him over my shoulder. He stood, still dressed in black, looking at the scene with utter indifference. “There’s so much blood!”

“You better heal her quickly,” Raphael replied simply. “She’s fading fast.”

As though on cue, she gave a sort of shudder, making a whining sound. I moved my hands, holding up her now-limp head.

“No. No. No, no. No, NO!”

The light burst out of me. Within seconds, the deer blinked, scrambled to it’s feet (in the process knocking me down and half-trampling me), and darted away into the forest. I sat up, still covered in blood. The green grass was stained with her blood. There was so much blood…

I got to my feet, rounded on Raphael, and decked him. Totally sucker-punched the guy. For a moment he looked pissed. Then, cracking his jaw, he regained his composure. I pointed at him.

“Never. Do. That. Again.”

“Why?”

I could feel my nostrils flare in barely-contained rage. “Never an innocent.”

“It was a learning experience.”

“Never harm creatures that are innocent!”

Raphael looked amused. “What is innocence, Ulcinin? Is a deer truly innocent? Would it stop at nothing to protect its foals? Do they not kill one other over territory disputes? Is the grass it eats not living? Don’t deer, technically, kill and maim grass?”

I hear enough of his nonsense. I decked him again. This time he stood up after taking the hit, thrust out his hand, and I went flying back through the air a good twenty yards. My impact upset the soil, leaving a trail of upset dirt and grass in my wake. In the blink of an eye, Raphael was upon me. He grabbed my by the collar and hoisted me to my feet.