Let Justice Be Done Ch. 83

Thankfully Raguel was able to dwindle the numbers of angels that would come with him on the Black Beast hunt down to one hundred. 

He didn't think it would be a good idea to move with so many of Heaven's forces, not only due to logistics, but because it might provoke a response from the Fallen Angels. 

Also it would cause mass panic in the human kingdoms, thinking a large scale battle would happen once more. 

"Raguel, do you have a moment?" A familiar voice called out to him. 

Raguel turned, and smiled at seeing Raziel. 

"Hey, Raz." He said. "How have you been? Do you need anything?" 

"I'm good, brother." She smiled back. "I just wish to talk with you for a moment. Do you mind?" Raziel said, and she turned looking toward him to follow her somewhere secluded. 

"Oh! Sure, no problem." He said, and flew behind her. 

After reaching one of the quieter areas, they both stopped as Raziel made a small barrier around them, to stop their voices from leaving for privacy. She then turned to him, giving her younger sibling a serious look. 

"Raguel...I know." She said. 

"A...bout?" He tilted his head, as he wasn't sure what she was referring to. 

"About Father." Raziel said right away, not giving Raguel's mind time to wander. His eyes slowly began to widened, as he hoped she wasn't referring to what he thought she was. "About what could have ended up happening to him in the future." Her voice was filled with a resolve saying that such future won't come to be. 

"...'could have happened'?" Raguel blinked at her wording.

"Of course!" She said out loud. "While our siblings don't know, I do and will make sure to avert such future." She kindly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I just wanted you to know, that you're not alone in that knowledge, Raguel. That you don't have to shoulder it alone anymore. While the others don't know, I will ensure the Trihexa's defeat comes to pass, and avert that dark future where Father...leaves us." Raziel flinched, unable to even voice that future. "Thus you don't need to worry anymore." She smiled. 

Raguel immediately moved to hug her. Raziel was startled at first but smiled and leaned into the hug. 

"There, there, brother." Raziel patted his back. 

In truth, Raguel didn't hug Raziel because he was overwhelmed with emotion, or anything like that. He simply didn't want her to see his face. He didn't want her to see his conflicted expression. 

In his mind, he couldn't help but think that Raziel doesn't have the full picture or was in denial. He didn't want to even say someone to oppose her view, as he didn't want to upset her or argue with her. 

He didn't know what to say, so he simply hugged her, so she would be placated. 

Maybe I'm the one who lost hope and don't want to believe that that future could be altered. Because if I start to hope, I would be going against Father's wishes and his designs. After all, there are so many reasons why Father is going with His self sacrificial route. For the sake of humanity's spiritual growth, to combat the Extradimensional Gods. A lot of reasons...but I can't say that to Raziel, she wouldn't accept it. No reason will ever sound good enough. 

Raguel then left right away from that encounter, not wanting his sister to even see his face, as he didn't know how to face her. 

Raziel giggled, thinking her brother was bashful and wished him luck on his hunt. 

===x===

"So we have currently entered the Mournful Mound, the area around us is starting to fog up. It looks like there is even more fog up ahead. I can see why the beast is a tricky one for the warriors that have confronted it thus far." Arthur spoke to the cross he was wearing. 

"I think you're not suppose to bother an Archangel with every innate thing you see Arty." Kay said with an amuse tone from next to him. 

"Stay vigilant." Sir Ector said simply as the place they were in was setting him on edge. 

The three had reached the Mournful Mound and dismounted from their horses a while back, as the ground was too rocky for them. Only Arthur's horse, Llamrei could continue, but the other two horses were relatively normal. Thus the knight dismounted, with Llamrei left to guard the other horses. Of course, Arthur kept a waterskin at all times, for which Llamrei could use to teleport to his rider's location, and escape with him from danger. 

Not that Arthur wouldn't also take Ector and Kay, but Llamrei wasn't as concerned with them. 

Throughout the trip, Arthur had been preiodically talking into a cross that was made by the Archangel Raguel from some dirt, transformed into the silver-colored cross with some nice designs upon it, with one of Raguel's feathers folded into it. 

Raguel had told Arthur he could used the angelic cross to communicate with him, and to tell him when they encounter the Black Serpent. 

Thus far, while Arthur was talking a lot, Raguel's replies were short, and little as he was focusing more on Arthur's location, and trying to sense what was around the young knight to get to his side quickly, should there be danger. 

"I'm not bothering him, I'm reporting everything we're encountering." Arty said back. "I'm not bothering you, right Lord Raguel?" He asked at the cross once more. 

"No, but please focus." Raguel's low voice echoed from the cross, causing Arthur to blush, and look ahead. 

"Sorry, at the moment, we're on a rocky hill. The fog is beginning to thicken." 

He did not however stop his reporting. 

For a while the three knight kept walking, their footsteps becoming slower and slower, as the sounds around them quieten, causing every step to clank and echo like weak thunder in the clouds. 

"Guys," Kay whispered, yet his voice still echoed a bit, causing all three to flinch. "Don't you think it's a bit too quiet." 

"Yeah, it's really weird. ...Unnatural even." Arty whispered back. 

"This is disturbing." Ector added. "You can't hear any birds, or animals. ...You can't even hear the wind." He noted. 

Around the knights, the fog rose so high, it was difficult to tell what time of the day it was. It was so thick, they were starting to fear they might begin to not see what's in front of themselves. 

"No, there's a little bit of wind--" Kay started. 

"Kay!" Arthur whisper shouted. The suddenness of the action, stopping at other knight, and causing both Kay and his father to look at Arthur, then turn to see what spooked him. 

The three knight looked to see a large snake head overlooking the hill they were on. It's eyes glowed like shining malice and a red light gleamed from it's mouth, like it was constantly on fire. 

The wind was gone like Ector had said. But a small consistent rumbling that stay, was coming from the creature's long throat. 

The knights had found the Black Serpent of the Barrow.