PRL Serials

Metatron was nervous. It had been a very long time since Tracia was on Endla and he could feel her approaching the outermost layer of the planet. He briefly wondered what would bring her to Endla, the conflict between the mmoatia and the Aerphim had been long settled and there was such a peace in the universe that beings from many planets could now be found on Endla. The Aerphim were properly introduced to the universe as beings of the universe like everyone else, the facade of angels or special messengers of gods was systematically destroyed in the wake of the Arbitration of Hysteria. Many planets, including the inhabitants of Earth, had viewed the Aerphim as special beings created by a mysterious god of light. But the only thing that made the Aerphim special was their ability to utilize the Essence of the Fonlands; though even that wasn’t unique to the Aerphim. The Essence could now be found all over Prime 5 and the universe embraced its connection to the Fonlands. Endla was by many respects just another planet. Metatron was happy with the status quo after the Arbitration. 

He was at the center of Endla along with many of the Archangels and Welboas, and they discussed many pressing issues, including the rhasd mines on Wiis, Fonlander settlement on Earth and in the greater Milky Way galaxy, and the disappearance of the Daemon from Endla.

“I’m surprised it has been a secret for as long as it has,” Jophiel said. “The entire population of Daemon just vanished? That’s not an easy thing to pull off.”

“It is not easy,” Gabriel said. “It is so impossible, unfathomable, that we know something very powerful had to have helped them.”

“It was the mmoatia,” Welboas said. Her face and body were malformed since her confrontation with Pultine on Earth. The animosity between the two had boiled over following the Yumbo and Mmoatia migration to the southeast US from all corners of Earth that created tensions between Fonlanders and Earthers who were alarmed by their numbers that were woefully underestimated and their mass movement to the south. Of course Pultine advocated for the safe migration of the Fonlanders who had lived on Earth for many centuries but were compelled to migrate to the swamp that Pultine made popular when Fonlanders became less secretive, but Welboas was trying to build a kingdom for herself on the island formerly known as Hispaniola, more recently the countries Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Welboas allowed the human countries to remain, but added the Umbatia nation of Wolo by confiscating territory from the Dominican Republic. Welboas had been installed on the island as its leader by force and Pultine had beat her mercilessly when she witnessed the subjugation of Haitians and Dominicans at the hands of the Umbatia. Wolo still exists alongside Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but it has new leaders.

“It was not,” Gabriel said defiantly. “Ahdis is a fixture of Earth and there are no Fonlanders more beloved than the mmoatia. They barely care about other planets in the universe, least of all Endla.”

“That is what they want you to think,” Welboas said. Her hair was bright pink and it complimented the soft brown of her skin. Her left eye bulged from her head and it seemed to pulse with more intensity the more she talked. “They never wanted an end to hostilities with Endla, they only ever wanted to see Endla destroyed and they have some elaborate plan involving the Daemon to finally accomplish these goals. We should never trust a purebred mmoatia.”

Metatron stifled his smile. Tracia was approaching still, but he wondered if Welboas would be speaking so boldly in Tracia’s presence. Pultine had beat her worse than anyone knew was possible for an umbatia to sustain and survive, but Tracia would always be the unofficial leader of the mmoatia, even after stepping down as Supreme, and even Pultine secretly feared her might. 

“The Head is responsible for the disappearance of the Daemon,” Raphael said to Welboas, looking seriously into her eyes before looking to Metatron. “Should we tell them the whole truth?” He tried not to look as angry as he was. Raphael had hated Metatron for a very long time because of the fate of the beings born on Endla who became known as Daemon. These beings were Aerphim, they were the children of Aerphim and had all been born on Endla, but due to their deformities or strange powers, they were deemed lesser than and not worthy of the name Aerphim. 

“I will give a detailed rundown of the Head when next we meet,” Metatron says. ‘We will leave off here for now. Gabriel and Raphael, remain here with me. Welboas, I recommend that you go hide somewhere.”

When he said this, Welboas looked at him with anger and cocked her head like she was listening for something. After a few seconds, she flew away without a word to anyone. 

“We are just now telling everyone about the machinations of the head?” Metatron asked Raphael. 

“We could have told them when you banished them from Endla and started this messy business,” Raphael says defiantly, “but you insisted on secrecy. Assured us that you would take care of it. But all you did was create an obscenely powerful army who could challenge us at any moment because the Head seems capable of emerging into our spacetime at will. We are only lucky that they are so obsessed with razing Bludon and not on their justified revenge.”

“You need to calm down,” Gabriel said to Raphael. Gabriel was tall and burly, capable of intimidating most Aerphim with his solid frame, but Raphael was strong as well.

“You need to direct your annoyance at the only one among us deserving of it, brother,” Raphael said. 

Tracia arrived at the center then and interrupted them. She landed in the stone court that was the center of the center, an open air plaza under an arch of blue sky. She rested her large wings at her back as she landed, wearing a tunic made of lightweight fabric that made the white robes of Metatron and the Archangels seem heavy and uncomfortably hot. 

“Have I come at a bad time?” Tracia asked, crossing her arms at her chest. 

“Depends why you are here,” Metatron answered.

“I have been made aware of the Daemon’s relentless assault on Bludon,” Tracia said. “I came when I knew that you all would be discussing it. I hoped Jophiel would be with you. But you have two of the few sharp minds among your angels still with you, I guess they will have to do. I am not here for a conflict, only to know the Aerphim plan to aid Bludon in their struggle against the aggressors you have let loose on them.”

“The Daemon are not monsters, Supreme,” Raphael said. “And they are not weapons of the great Metatron to be deployed on unsuspecting planets. The Daemon are Aerphim, cast down by Metatron…”

“Raphael…” Metatron said gently, hoping to stop him.

“…forced to live on the underside of the layers of Endla,” but Raphael continued. “Metatron designated them unfit and cast them out, and the most dangerous ones, he banished to Lêgba knows where, but they came back and they have waged their war on Bludon ever since. Now they have taken all of the Daemon to Bludon, I am sure to kill every Bludonian that resists the takeover of their planet. This is all his fault!”

Raphael was so enraged that he was yelling. He breathed heavily when he finished and eyed Metatron. 

“I know that you are sensitive about the Daemon, Raphe,” Gabriel says gently. “Many of them are your off-spring. But this is not Metatron’s fault. He was trying to prevent something horrible from happening.”

“You would think he would have learned from the past,” Tracia interjected. “You saw what partition did on Age’s disc. It only caused problems, but you’ve been doing it here? With those scary looking Aerphim headed to Bludon on an asteroid?”

“Tracia, you know better than anyone that ruling is difficult,” Metraton said. “It is only hard decisions.” He looked to Raphael. “I do not regret what I have done, only that the Head was able to corrupt the minds of the Aerphim who lived on the underside of Endla. They were never second class. I never looked down on them. I do not call them Daemon. They are Aerphim like you said. But the Head, my children, are corrupted. I underestimated them. If we can stop them, we can save the others, and we can bring them back home.”

“I should not have used that word either,” Gabriel said. “They are Aerphim.”

“Whatever you call them,” Tracia said, “we need to deal with them. The Superguardian and the Guardians of Bludon have done a fine job of protecting their planet for a long time, but something has changed. Darkness has sprouted in the universe and I am afraid that it is taking very deep roots. The Daemon may be a worse threat than you know. It seems they are being aided by something, something they encountered in the space that Metatron banished this Head to. You need to stop them and you need to question them.” 

“I will go to Bludon immediately,” Metraton said. “I want you all to come with me, including you Tracia. I don’t think all of the Archangels would be helpful for this, but definitely Jophiel.”

“Maybe Ahdis and Pultine can join us,” Gabriel said to Tracia. “It would be good to spend time with Ahdis, we are often too busy to make time for one another.”

“We would be glad to join you,” Tracia said with a grin.

“Is that Top approaching Endla?” Metatron asked, feeling its enormous energy signature from millions of miles away. 

“And I’ll give you three guesses who will be waiting for us when we board,” Tracia said.

“I’ll retrieve Jophiel,” Gabriel said and flew away. “We will meet you all on board.”

“Lorv will join us as well,” Tracia says to Raphael.

“Thank you,” he said, then looked to Metatron. “Why did you choose Welboas to be my mother when the only true angel of this universe loved you? I struggle to comprehend your decision making process.”

“You have always been difficult, Raphael,” Metatron said with a sigh. “I see myself in you more than any other offspring of mine. We do not need to battle one another when there is a serious threat to address.”

“Fine,” Raphael said. “Let us go to the ship. Lead the way, Tracia.”