10. Chapter 9: Tyrael (1/2)

hello again! sorry for the month-long update, school started up again and i had to wait for it to settle down a bit. ._. i really am not the most confident in this chapter... i had something planned for it, but i figured it was a chapter too soon and held it off till then. but to give you a hint, there's gonna be a 1st person pov switch. a lot is going to happen in the next chapter, i swear! however, this one just felt too short... my long author's note will just deceive you all that it's longer. ^^;

more impy in this one, and you can guess by the title who else, but

iefly of course. :| i know a lot of you are hoping for more tyrael, and there will be more of him soon, i just have to set up for him! so, hang tight, i haven't forgotten about him! he's quite famous after all. ^^;

as a further notice, i'm also working on another illustration to add up to my profile, but it will take quite a while since i am like the slowest artist ever. it'll be more detailed than my past ones, which is why.

currently reading the sin war trilogy, for those who suggested them to me. i've taken waaaaay too long to get on top of those. an alright read so far~

well, with that said, i hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

chapter 9 – tyrael

"...alright, imperius," i stated. "can you carefully sit up for me?"

as soon as i returned from the li

ary and imperius was awake, i supposed it was time to let imperius get some exercise, like i promised. but i am wary of it at the moment since i am not sure if he is healed well enough. his recovery went uphill the last few days, but anything can make that rate descend at this point if he is not careful.

doing as i asked, the archangel slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. he had gotten most of the way there, but i reached forward and helped him straighten. he regarded me with irritation. "allow me to do this on my own," he snapped.

i bowed by head slightly in apology. "i apologize, sir." i did fret over the higher angel, but i can't help but worry. what if all of my hard work on getting him back to his feet goes to waste? what if the archangel of valor has to stay in recovery longer and possibly put the silver city in jeopardy? a lot of weight was piled onto his shoulders, and i am the one keeping him up at the moment.

"..." he regarded me in silence for a moment, then pulled me out of my thoughts. he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, as if to either dispel my worries or dismiss my apology. "do not fuss, angel," he told me. carefully moving his legs over the side of the bed, he slid over in order to raise to a stand. i offered him my hand, but he waved me off, deciding not to rely on me. i hesitantly stood by as he raised himself from his haunches, his large drooped wings sliding against the surface of the bed as he did so.

once imperius got to his feet, that was when he struggled. his inactive muscles and sore body made it difficult for his legs to support him at first. when he wobbled ever so slightly, i finally came over and helped support his weight. with his arm draped over my shoulders, weight slightly leaning against mine, and my hand held to his chest, he was able to steady himself.

letting out a grunt once he was stable, he looked down at me. there was a considerable height difference between him and i. the warrior of valor towered over me; he was indeed quite a tall man. all the better to intimidate his subjects and foes. "the weariness cannot stop my determination to return to war," he told me. "the conflict is forever clashing and never rests. therefore, i cannot either."

i considered this for a moment. i knew he was right; the angels of valor wouldn't last long without his guidance. "...very well." before he could open his mouth once more, i held up a finger. "but," i proclaimed, "you cannot leave until you can at least walk and swing a weapon on your own, or else you will be of no use to them."

he didn't seem to like my proposition. he shifted on his feet, though it only managed to throw him off balance further. "the next i see a demon to slay, my movements will be as light as air," he grumbled under his

eath.

"that may be so," i told him, "but you would have to get there first." and so, i rested my case. but i did not contradict him to be smug. if he had a chance of surviving and being of use to the angelic host, he needed to recover as much as possible.

he remained silent. perhaps he saw the truth in my words. or maybe he was simply fuming within the confines of his hood. it was quite difficult to tell from my position.

as if we were to perform a dance together, i placed my hand upon his chest once more. "now, imperius, can you take a step for me? i need to see how much strength you have recovered."

when i slowly slid a foot forward, he repeated the action in kind. his balance wavered for a moment, and i was afraid that he may very well tumble, taking me with him. but the placement of his step was firm, relieving my worries. he looked down at me, as if to say, "happy?"

i smiled in response. "walk with me." i placed another foot forward, and waited for him to place his own. he did so, and the two of us started walking slowly in unison.

it was a short walk around the room, but it allowed me to assess his progress. he did not grunt or let out any cries. the archangel was, instead, rather silent, focusing on placing each foot forward. at times his footing was unsteady, causing him to wobble and me to steady him, should he be in danger of falling. but he was quite strong despite this. able to keep up with my slower steps, the archangel paced across the room with me.

when i went to turn with him, however, he was thrown off balance by trying to swing his foot around to follow. quickly, i wrapped my arms around his torso. he seemed surprised and gripped my shoulder to steady himself further. we stood like that for a long moment: me, with my head buried in his chest and arms wrapped around his frame almost as if in an em

ace. he was so tall that my head barely reached halfway up his torso. imperius was hunched over me slightly, and i could feel his grip was quite tight on my shoulder. not a word was said between us.

a realization came to me that i was practically hugging the archangel of valor. i could feel his abdominal muscles against my now-heated cheeks. in embarrassment, i pulled away from him, taking a step or two back. "i-i apologize, sir," i told him, embarrassment and sheepishness laced in my voice.

imperius wobbled slightly once i pulled away, but he managed to remain standing. he looked down upon me as if he were high in the sky. "do not make sudden movements like the one you just performed," he grumbled, preserving his pride. he did not seek assistance, but he appeared as if he could be knocked over with a light push.

i nodded in understanding. imperius would be imperius, and we angels rarely ever change. "very well." as i looked at him, i realized that now that he wasn't leaning against me for support, i should test him some more. "can you walk around for a few moments without assistance?"

"..." somewhat hesitantly, but keeping his back as straight as manageable, he took a few steps forward. his steps were a little unsteady, even shaky, but he did not fall. his back gave him some problems, for he could not stand as straight as a pillar in danger of tearing at his wound, but it was a sure sign that he had gained a good chunk of his strength back. it filled me with hope, that he would soon be healed and to his full glory.

but, the situation wasn't to be perfect. the taller angel suddenly bent dangerously forward,

inging me out of my observational thoughts. i caught him before he could fall further. he was stunned, i could tell, unable to pull himself up from sudden pain and weakness. but i was there, and i supported him until he felt strong enough to gain balance again.

after a moment of what felt like ages, he used my arm to get himself properly to his feet. deciding that was enough exercise for now, he clambered forward back to the bed, sinking back onto his hindquarters. the archangel was exhausted; i'll give him some time to rest.

imperius has been up and about over the day, determined to move as much as possible even after my warnings. after a long nap, he miraculously had gained much strength and walked with a stronger gait. despite his tendencies to be able to find a way to hurt himself no matter what, he persevered through them, healing at an admirable rate. i grew more hope as each hour passed.