Samael – Chapter Eight

Chapter 8

When Samael finally returns to the Palace, it is fairly late in the day.  Due to the time he spent in Forbidden Lands, he is covered from head to toe in rust colored dust.  Though most of the dust is located upon his boots and pant legs, it coats the rest of his clothes as well as his face and hair.  As he travels down the corridor within the Palace, Samael does so with a purpose, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

He’s been played for a fool and he wants his retribution.  Though he doesn’t have a clear idea on who was responsible for this, he does have a few leads in which he wants to pursue.  But first things first; he heads off to Sara’s apartment to see if she’s there.  As he comes in sight of Sara’s apartment, he just so happens to cross paths with Gabriel, who is currently distracted by some papers that he has in his hands.  Since Gabriel is here, Samael figures that now would be a good time to ask him a few questions, the foremost being, where he got the note.

“Gabriel,” Samael says.  “I have a question for you.”

Looking up, Gabriel meets Samael’s eyes and doesn’t like what he sees.  They promise nothing but trouble.  “What’s wrong Samael?” Gabriel says concerned.

“I came across some information today that I found to be a bit disturbing.  It has to do with that note you gave me yesterday.  So I have to ask, where did you get that note?”

“I’m not following,” Gabriel says confused.

“Don’t play dumb with me Gabriel!  Someone had to give you that note and I want to know who that person is.”

Gabriel thinks for a second.  Then, with a look of confidence, he says “I’m not at liberty to tell you.  And besides, it shouldn’t matter who I received the note from.  Whoever sent you that note must have identified himself when you read it.”

After hearing this, Samael rushes forward in a fit of rage and grabs Gabriel by his neck and lifts him clear off the ground.  Once his arm is fully extended, Gabriel’s head is just inches away from the ceiling.

“Don’t play with be Gabriel,” Samael proclaims.  “I just got back from meeting the person who the note was allegedly from and she said that she had nothing to do with it.  Since I trust her, it must mean that someone else had to have sent that note.  So I’m going to ask you again, who gave you that note!?”

“Listen to me,” Gabriel manages to say through Samael’s grip as he squirms against the hold.  “You don’t want to do this.  You’re upset and you’re not thinking straight.  Take a few days off and rest.  Then you can proceed with this matter in a calm and collected manner.”

“No.  I’ve waited long enough and I want some answers, now!  What are you hiding from me?”

“What do you want me to say?” Gabriel says choking.

Realizing that he isn’t going to get any answers from Gabriel, Samael decides to get his answers elsewhere.  Looking off to one side, Samael looks upon the door that leads to Sara’s apartment.  He makes his way over to it, hauling Gabriel along with him as he does so.  He checks the door to see if it would open.  No luck; it’s locked.

As Samael deals with the door, Gabriel does what he can to get out of Samael’s grip, but without success.  As Gabriel tries to escape, Samael looks at his prisoner and decides that there is more than one way to open a locked door.  Whirling Gabriel around to gain some momentum, Samael throws his fellow angel into, and then through, the solid, hardwood door, causing it to splinter.  Once through the door, Gabriel lands hard on the floor and comes to a stop once he hits a dresser located on the far wall, smashing it.

With the doorframe now vacant of its wooden occupant, Samael is able to walk into the apartment unimpeded.  As Samael goes about looking for any evidence that Sara is home, Gabriel remains on the floor, showing very little evidence of consciousness.  When his search is completed, Samael finds no sign of Sara.

With his primary search coming up empty, Samael starts combing through the apartment, looking for something, anything, that might tell him where Sara is.  Though he doesn’t know exactly what he is looking for, Samael has a feeling that he’d know it when he finds it.  In his search, he eventually comes across a scrap of paper that is sitting upon a bedside table.  When he picks it up, an amulet is revealed.  Upon seeing this amulet, Samael becomes confused.   He knows who it belongs to, and it’s neither him nor Sara.  Turning the piece of paper over, Samael notices some writing, which reads:

“To my beloved.  Take care.”

Samael recognizes the handwriting and his anger becomes even deeper.  He crushes the note and makes his way over to Gabriel, grabbing the amulet as he does.  Gabriel has regained consciousness and has managed to make it to his knees when Samael grabs him once again and lifts him off the ground, using his clothing to lift him up this time.

“What do you know of this?” Samael demands.

“Ahh.  What are you referring to?” Gabriel replies while gasping for breath.

“Don’t play with me Gabriel!  Why have I found Michael’s amulet next to Sara’s bed?”

“Hmm.  I figure the answer to that question should be self-evident; as clear as the nose on your face.”

At that, Gabriel once again takes an unexpected flight at the hands of Samael.  When he lands, it is hard against the bureau, smashing virtually everything on it. Samael storms out of the room, looking for the archangel Michael.  The people who congregated at the door to watch what was going on inside make way for Samael as he passes.

It doesn’t take long for Samael to find his target.  Michael is in Orkney Palace and is located in one of the corridors, conversing with some other angels.  Michael is a tall figure with a well muscular physique.  He has the look of a well weathered warrior, something in which he has rightfully earned.  He is dressed in a plain white dress shirt which hangs loosely upon the arms and is tied to his chest with leather straps.  He is also wearing a leather kilt with emeralds embroidered at the bottom of each strap that make up the kilt.

As Samael comes around the corner, he is almost betrayed by the natural aura in which he possesses.  But fortunately for Samael, he manages to sneak up on Michael before Michael is able to react to his presence.  As Samael approaches, Michael notices a growing light from the corner of his eye and begins to turn to see what it is when Samael lands a punch right on Michael’s jaw.  The force of the blow causes Michael to drop down to one knee and causes him to place a hand on the ground as well for balance.

If Michael wasn’t as powerful as he is, then the blow he received would have knocked him out.  But because of who he is, Michael is only left stunned.  What really got him was the shock on being hit.  As Michael holds his jaw as he crouches on the ground, Samael manages to land another strike, this time a kick to the ribs.  As Michael rolls about upon the ground, Samael gets ready for another strike.

But before he can, a number of angels grab Samael as well as get between him and Michael to prevent him from landing another strike.  This is in itself a Herculean task, but they manage to hold him back, but just barely.  There are also several angels on Michael to prevent him from landing any blows of his own on Samael once he regains his footing.  Luckily for them, when Michael does regain his feet, he isn’t as hard to detain.  He is also more agitated then anything else.

Pushing against the angels, Michael says, with a clear bruise developing on his jaw, “Is that all that you got Samael?  I would have expected more from you, God’s most beloved angel.”

“Brave words coming from the likes of you Michael.  Your mouth wouldn’t be so smart when I am through with it.”

“And what exactly do you have planned for me, oh great one?”

“I plan on teaching a traitor a lesson.”

“Me, a traitor?  That is pretty pompous, even for you.”

“I’d rather be pompous then a snake in the grass.”

After hearing that, Michael receives a burst of energy and tries to get Samael, but the other angels manage to restrain him.  The same thing applies to Samael, but it requires even more angels to restrain him.  If this continues to go on as it is, weapons are going to be drawn and blood will be spilled.  But before that occurs, something catches Samael’s eye.

It is Sara.  She must have been nearby when the confrontation first broke out, for her body language indicates that she has been there for awhile.  She is standing near the front of the crowd, but it wasn’t until now that Samael noticed her.  When Samael notices her, he looks in her directly.  When he does, he notices that she averts her gaze.  It is clear whose side she is on.

When this realization hits, it takes the wind out of Samael’s sails.  He eases his pressure against the angels holding him back as a look of shock comes over his face.  The truth of the matter just came home in a hard way.  He had his doubts, but seeing her now, the love of his life, side with another, erases all such doubts.  He no longer has a desire to stay, but before he goes, Samael takes out the amulet he found in Sara’s apartment and throws it at Michael’s feet.

“Don’t think that we’re through here,” Samael says.  “We still have some business to attend to.”  Turning, Samael walks away.

 

(c) 2009 Bradley P. Thomas