Symphony of the Universe : Unwanted Children
From time to time Seth would question his place in the universe. When reading a scientific journal of the cosmos, for instance, it becomes very easy to see yourself as one tiny speck of sand in a vast ocean of stars and celestial objects. The proportions of the universe can make one feel small, insignificant. This was a pleasing humble experience to think of oneself in relation to the impossible to measure scale of the magnificent universe.
Equally as humbling and yet not the least bit pleasing is the experience of being suddenly knocked over by a significantly larger opponent. Seth was momentarily disoriented as he tumbled down. Milton was falling also, but in a slightly different direction. Seth's horns pulled out of Milton's shoulder during the tumble and Seth felt a few splashes of hot blood droplets spray his face.
Seth only had a few seconds to think about how this scene may look to an outsider. It almost resembled a renaissance era painting. The victorious angel hovering over a fallen cowering devil. Seth realized that he looked monstrous, and that the gore on his curved horns would not help to convince Valerian that Seth is actually a really nice person. Seth tried to convince the angel anyway, holding his hands up, palms facing Valerian, trying to signal a clear surrender.
Valerian produced a broad sword and held it our in front of him with both hands. The blade started to glow and then lit up with a bright yellow flame. Milton scrambled to try and get away. Valerian pounced at Milt, using his wings to assist in an impressive leap. Seth scurried beneath the metal stairwell. There Seth assumed a human form.
Milton bellowed. Seth didn't look. He didn't want to see if his once-friend was now split by blade and burning. Seth instead ducked into a very narrow alleyway.
Valerian landed on one side of the alley. The angels body was completed wrapped in holy flames now, as his sword had been a moment ago. Valerian pointed his broadsword at Seth, and started to step forward. But even with wings tucked behind him, the impressive shoulder width was not going to squeeze into this tiny crevice. Valerian morphed into his human form, the flames vanished, the alleyway darkened.
Seth cried out. "Please, it's not what you think. I don't-"
Valerian roared back. "DIE DEVIL!!" and swung his broadsword.
But it didn't swing very far or very well. It scraped loudly and awkwardly against the brick wall. Valerian did a double take, confused. Seth took advantage of this and started up the wall, since it was narrow enough to press his hands and feet on opposite sides. Seth couldn't think of a time in his life he had ever moved so quickly.
Seth pleaded. "Valerain there must be some way we can speak, we can compromise--"
Valerian shouted. "The righteous shall never compromise you son-of-a-whore. I am going to kill you, skin you, and send you to hell where you belong."
Seth glanced about the roof. Nothing spectacular. A weather vane, some electrical wires, a bit of metal covering an air duct and a toolbox. A toolbox! How convenient. Some lazy repairman must have left it while performing half-ass maintenance. One of the signatures of apartment living. Seth threw it open and pulled out a pair of bolt cutters.
Valerian was trying to climb up to the roof and finding his own bulk to be a sudden disadvantage. Valerian didn't stop cursing or threatening for a moment while he climbed. But Seth wasn't listening, Seth was thinking about all the things he had read about electricity. About the way that power lines were constructed and with one snip here and one snip there, he sent live wires spiraling down into the narrow alleyway.
Valerian fell and hit the ground with a loud thud. The ground was wet, and bolts of electricity went wild, bouncing around in the narrow passage. Seth covered his mouth as he watched the twitching and bellowing angel. But Seth didn't watch for very long before he took off running, and praying to never see Dr. Michael Valerian again.
Equally as humbling and yet not the least bit pleasing is the experience of being suddenly knocked over by a significantly larger opponent. Seth was momentarily disoriented as he tumbled down. Milton was falling also, but in a slightly different direction. Seth's horns pulled out of Milton's shoulder during the tumble and Seth felt a few splashes of hot blood droplets spray his face.
Seth only had a few seconds to think about how this scene may look to an outsider. It almost resembled a renaissance era painting. The victorious angel hovering over a fallen cowering devil. Seth realized that he looked monstrous, and that the gore on his curved horns would not help to convince Valerian that Seth is actually a really nice person. Seth tried to convince the angel anyway, holding his hands up, palms facing Valerian, trying to signal a clear surrender.
Valerian produced a broad sword and held it our in front of him with both hands. The blade started to glow and then lit up with a bright yellow flame. Milton scrambled to try and get away. Valerian pounced at Milt, using his wings to assist in an impressive leap. Seth scurried beneath the metal stairwell. There Seth assumed a human form.
Milton bellowed. Seth didn't look. He didn't want to see if his once-friend was now split by blade and burning. Seth instead ducked into a very narrow alleyway.
Valerian landed on one side of the alley. The angels body was completed wrapped in holy flames now, as his sword had been a moment ago. Valerian pointed his broadsword at Seth, and started to step forward. But even with wings tucked behind him, the impressive shoulder width was not going to squeeze into this tiny crevice. Valerian morphed into his human form, the flames vanished, the alleyway darkened.
Seth cried out. "Please, it's not what you think. I don't-"
Valerian roared back. "DIE DEVIL!!" and swung his broadsword.
But it didn't swing very far or very well. It scraped loudly and awkwardly against the brick wall. Valerian did a double take, confused. Seth took advantage of this and started up the wall, since it was narrow enough to press his hands and feet on opposite sides. Seth couldn't think of a time in his life he had ever moved so quickly.
Seth pleaded. "Valerain there must be some way we can speak, we can compromise--"
Valerian shouted. "The righteous shall never compromise you son-of-a-whore. I am going to kill you, skin you, and send you to hell where you belong."
Seth glanced about the roof. Nothing spectacular. A weather vane, some electrical wires, a bit of metal covering an air duct and a toolbox. A toolbox! How convenient. Some lazy repairman must have left it while performing half-ass maintenance. One of the signatures of apartment living. Seth threw it open and pulled out a pair of bolt cutters.
Valerian was trying to climb up to the roof and finding his own bulk to be a sudden disadvantage. Valerian didn't stop cursing or threatening for a moment while he climbed. But Seth wasn't listening, Seth was thinking about all the things he had read about electricity. About the way that power lines were constructed and with one snip here and one snip there, he sent live wires spiraling down into the narrow alleyway.
Valerian fell and hit the ground with a loud thud. The ground was wet, and bolts of electricity went wild, bouncing around in the narrow passage. Seth covered his mouth as he watched the twitching and bellowing angel. But Seth didn't watch for very long before he took off running, and praying to never see Dr. Michael Valerian again.