Angel Raphael

He had been alone too long. An eternity without companionship was a long time and it was beginning to wear thin. Made at the dawn of time, Raphael had watched over the Earth, healing wounds and time with unparalleled skill and determination, waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Now it had been and as order and goodness had been restored to the world, Raphael had adopted three daughters, who were more precious to him than anything in the entire universe. With them he could be himself, be kind and loving and paternal. Because of them, one of his wishes had been granted. Raphael could be a father. For an archangel to possess such a gift was a rare thing indeed. Be that as it may, he was still lonely.

Around the other archangels, Raphael was cold and unfeeling, dedicated to his work, his mission for peace and balance. No one stood in his way as he served the higher power few of them could see, only feel. But he could. He could see the Power glowing all around him. He could see it everywhere in nature, feel it deep within his soul, within his blue and golden feathered wings. Only three others could do such a thing; were considered his equals in power and strength. His co-workers, of sorts: Michael, Gabriel and Uriel. Raphael was the angel of air, with the power to free trapped souls, heal the earth and release the caged energy which had to flow in order for life to continue. Michael wielded the sword and was the angel of fire. He believed in swift action and dealt with the heroes of the Earth. Gabriel nurtured emotions and brought harmony to the living, controlling water with peace and tranquillity while Uriel, the closest thing Raphael had to a brother, was the angel of earth and keeper of security.

All four of them held a power too deep to understand, too immense for words. But Raphael was not fooled. The power he wielded came at a price with great responsibility. He was only given the power because he could control it and he never forgot that it could be stripped from him just as easily as it was given. The problem was, among the four, he seemed to be the only one that really grasped that concept. Angels, were of course, responsible and good beings; they were created that way, to guard and protect, to honour and to cherish. But, Raphael thought bitterly, they were also capable of great evil. They could commit a sin just as easily as any human; it was rare of course, because angels were encouraged to be moral and righteous creatures. The problem was that when an angel fell, they became soulless monsters, capable of the worst things imaginable. It was his job to ensure that that never happened, to ensure that, if another angel fell, they would be dealt with accordingly. He hated the job, but someone had to do it.