"The culmination of nature, life and the non living give birth to that which we call the world. From the tiny ant which dedicates its life to its labour; humble in being yet majestic in lifestyle. To the Fragments of shattered heaven which lay ornate in the void, illuminating the darkness and ruling the sky. Then there's the vast seas, stagnant and tranquil, yet ferocious and versatile. The gargantuan mountains which defy the firmaments in their isolation, and the peaceful valleys, a haven of life of all kinds. The cascading rains, the ever moving winds; all these and more are interwoven into the fabric of the cosmos. Yet in the entirety of their splendour, the grandeur of their being, the magnificence of their existence, all fall subservient to paradise, which stand at the pinnacle of creation and evolution.
The proud lion bares its fangs and takes its place as the king of the savannah, the bold rhino brandishes its horn at its foes, even the small wasp makes its enemies flee with the potency of its stinger. Paradise? We have no fangs to rip our prey, we may not be as fast or agile as the cheetah, we do not have the muscles of the horse, yet paradise stands at the climax of all life. What paradise has is intellect. Intelligence which can process and synthesise knowledge like no other organism, and with it the ability to progress. This ability even among celestials separates the kings from the servants. The ability to keep moving forward regardless of circumstances is what made paradise the greatest conquerors of realms. This instinct we have to progress is driven by desire, and desire encourages action which leads to results favourable to us. But ultimately the most important attribute of us celestials, is the ability to feel. Happiness, sadness and jealousy - our feelings - they determine our desires which as a result control our actions. These feelings, these urges, these tendencies which arise in response to what's before us, to this we gave the name emotion. And our control and understanding of these things called emotion is what gives us our individuality.
Now as you all know, paradisum consists of the three kingdoms which govern the realms of heaven, earth and everything in between. They form a social hierarchy with our forefathers' the divine entities at the top, followed by us angels, with the humans at the bottom.
Welcome my fellow angels, today marks your first day as a student in the kingdom of paradise. As many of you know I am Victor Gavisus from the house of anger and joy, but to you I am Headmaster victor the head of education in paradise. You may look forward to an eventful semester where you will learn to be the best guardian angel you can be. Of course it will not be easy, but with help from me, your teachers and grace from the divine entities, no matter what advance with your wings outstretched and halos gleaming !"
The crowd of almost 10,000 angels burst out in a brilliant cheer audible from miles away. The cacophony of joy and energy roared through the colosseum-like amphitheatre which served as a rather dramatic lecture theatre. Angels of all shapes and sizes jumped up and down with exuberance, all excited to commence their journey to becoming the best they could be. Headmaster Victor basked arrogantly in the cheers of his new students. He had a rather muscular build with chiseled features. His short beard which softened the rugged geometry of his handsome face held an air of status and superiority. He was tall, however had some relatively small wings which stuck out of his back rather disproportionately. His stance was firm and confident, with muscles that rippled in his arms as he crossed them across his large torso. A bright orange halo Hovered over the top of his head, illuminating colours from a light orange to an ever so darker hue, but never seeming to change too drastically in colour.
The crowd, still gallivanting in their excitement was halted as the huge oak double doors swung open at the back.
A silence audible to all followed the once noisy crowd in contrast. There standing with his hands on his knees, panting for breath, and at the absolute centre of everyone's attention, looked to be a student with an athletic but humble build. His hair was braided with skin shaved sides, and his skin, a lovely golden brown. However masculine his face was, the only word that could be used to describe it was pretty. His features were too rounded for him to be called handsome yet too defined for him to be beautiful. In his face though above everything else were sat the most majestic pair of eyes. Eyes that were indeed like no other. They were an enchanting ruby colour that almost blazed in the white background that formed the rest of his eye. 'Punctuality of all things was never really my strong suite.' he thought
"You, what's your name?!" Head master victor's voice shattered the weighty silence as if it were never there. His voice filled the atmosphere to its very corners. His dominance, undisputed and undoubtedly the focal point of the vicinity.
'What have I got myself into?' the teenage boy thought. 'Of all the days to be late I chose today. Okay you're in deep shit, but if you go out you may as well go with a bang so…' The boy consoled himself in an attempt to maintain his composure.
He straightened up, spread open his arms, puffed out his chest and with as loud and deep a voice as he could mustered declared "me? Who am I, you ask? I am your saviour, Gabriel Equinox, Feast your eyes on the greatest archangel paradise is yet to see!"
The final syllables echoed several sentences after the statement was uttered. And indeed quit a statement it was.
The colosseum burst out in laughter, and hysterics as what he had said sunk in. Gabriel? The late commer who seemed apparently no different to anyone else? An ARCHANGEL?! Even headmaster victor was seen indulging himself in a snigger or two.
That was all until they saw the smug grin on his face. His timing, lacking, his choice of words, humorous, but one thing that was certain was the look of determination and the conviction in his ruby eyes.
Gabriel began to join them in laughter, and as the crowd simmered down, as they came to the realisation he wasn't joking but genuinely meant every word he said, Gabriels laughter was the only voice that remained.
"You don't believe me?" He retorted to the crowd, and with a more darker and serious tone said "You're not the first to doubt me on the grounds of your own mediocrity. However my greatness and drive is inevitable. I WILL achieve my goals."
The crowd remained quiet, but a murmur of agitation could be sensed in the undertones of the atmosphere. Not only was Gabriel late, not only was he making statements so bold with such confidence. But he had dared to call the audience… mediocre?
The crowd burst out with rage and curses at the impudence of their fellow peer. The bedlam was again put to rest though by the undisputed voice of headmaster Victor. Now with an inquisitive grin on his face he stroked the facial hair on his chin and gesticulated towards Gabriel with the other.
"And how exactly do you intend on doing so when individuals of a calibre greater than even my own haven't been brandished with the honour of being an archangel… 'saviour "
The rhetoric in the word 'saviour' was louder than anything else.
Gabriel breathed in, in an attempt to give a response " we…" he was interrupted as for a second time the grand mahogany doors swung open. But who was it this time?