Gabriel's Armada

Chapter 17: Peace?

“Yes, I'll take my own life, too.” Another voice echoed.

“Me too.”

“I will take my life!”

“I will also take my life!”

The voices were bold and defeating, and most of the people speaking were not hiding their faces.

Before Dina could blink, about a hundred people had volunteered to commit suicide if Gabriel was not sent out to fight for the angels.

“You must stop saying those words now!” Dina scolded angrily, “Don't you know it is sinful?”

“It's also sinful to do nothing while we are slaughtered,” the voice who had started the whole fiasco retorted.

Dina counted to ten to calm herself down, fearing she would tear into whomever was bantering with her.

“I have not been doing nothing. I have been doing my best to ensure Gabriel gets the best training possible, because an untrained Gabriel will be eliminated easily in battle!” Dina shouted.

“That is a matter of opinion, General! I have made myself clear. If an offensive against the demons that includes Gabriel is not launched soon, I will take my life.” The voice concluded.

The crowd murmured in agreement and of their own accord, began to disperse to continue with their previous activities.

Dina's vision reddened with rage and she let out an almost silent growl, “Do these people not understand how difficult my job is?”

“Actually, they can't,” Zachariah tried to console her.

Dina looked at the crowd and noticed all the civilians were gone, leaving the soldiers and students.

“You all can leave!” She ordered and they obeyed, saluting her.

As she climbed down the stage, she noticed that two people remained waiting for her.

“Get back to your class,” Dina spat without looking at them, when she passed them.

The intractable duo ignored her orders and followed her instead.

“General, you heard the people. If I don't start start fighting, they'll commit suicide.” Gabriel put forth hastily.

“General, I am more than capable of destroying demons. You're wasting my talent by keeping me here.” Duncan added too.

General Dina suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing the men to bump into her.

Turning to face them, she looked into their faces and saw how eager they were to fight and defend the angels.

She had come in contact with that rookie enthusiasm well enough to know that it rarely ever lasted. The brutality and gore of the battlefield usually wiped it away really quickly.

“You two want to start combat training?” Dina asked with forced cheer.

The duo nodded eagerly with hopeful smiles on their faces.

“Fine. You can start combat training.”

Gabriel and Duncan exchanged glances of disbelief, before Duncan addressed her again, “Forgive me, General. Did I hear you say we could start combat training?”

“Yes, you did.” Dina snapped curtly, “Report for combat training now.”

“Right now?” Gabriel asked, shocked, “I thought we were going to start, you know, tomorrow morning.”

“No way. You wanted combat training, you've got it. Starting now.” Dina concluded and resumed her walk.

“Yes, General.” Duncan hollered from behind her, “Whom and where do we report to?”

“Report to training arena IV and wait for me. I shall be your instructor!” Dina replied without slowing down or looking behind.

* * *

“You did what?” Beelzebub roared, his untied blond tresses flying over his shoulders. He was sitting in his palace, and Gabriella and the hooded figure were before him.

“They looked like a patrol unit of some kind, and we slaughtered them all,” Gabriella croaked, quaking in her boots.

“Didn't I ask you to spare one of them for interrogation?” Beelzebub screeched, raising his hand to strike her.

“I was the one who slaughtered them all,” the figure said coolly, halting Beelzebub's hand in the air.

Gabriella heaved an audible sigh of relief when Beelzebub let his hand drop to his side.

“And why did you disobey a direct order of mine?” He asked calmly.

Gabriella wondered why Beelzebub never raised his voice at the figure, but had no qualms about screaming her ears deaf.

“The last one, whom we were supposed to spare saw my face, so I had to kill him.” The figure reported.

“And someone seeing your face is a sin punishable by death?” Beelzebub asked sarcastically.

“But of course.” The figure answered, either missing Beelzebub's sarcasm or choosing to ignore it.

“While you were slaughtering those angels senselessly, did you formulate a plan to get rid of that Gabriel?” Beelzebub asked sweetly, cracking his knuckles.

The figure nodded, “Yes, I did.”

“Pray tell,” Beelzebub returned to his throne.

“Instead of torturing their location out of the angels, we let the angels come to us.” The figure revealed.

“Such a simple plan,” Beelzebub replied, “but, who knows how long it'll take those angels to plan an attack against yours? You know their numbers have drastically reduced.”

“I have a feeling that they'll want to avenge their dead and attack us as soon as possible.” The figure explained sweetly, “all we have to do is leave crumbs that will lead them to us. When they attack us here, we'll be more than prepared.”

Beelzebub slicked his hair backwards and pulled it in a loose ponytail, grinning malevolently, “I love this plan. Well done.”

The figure bowed.

“You too, Gabriella.” Beelzebub added as an afterthought.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Gabriella curtsied and was about to leave when Beelzebub stopped her.

The figure left quietly, and when it was just Beelzebub and Gabriella, he whispered, “Gabriella, I'm very proud of you, actually. I know you're proud of yourself too.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Gabriella chorused uncomfortably. This was her first time being completely alone with Beelzebub, and it completely unnerved.

“I sense you have some doubts, some questions.” Beelzebub predicted.

“No, Your High—”

“Don't lie to me, Gabriella. You know how much I hate that.”

“I'm sorry, Your Highness,” Gabriella was quick to apologize, retreating from him.

“Good, now answer my question; what bothers you?”

“Your Highness, it's just that I— I feel guilty about killing those angels, I mean—”

“Gabriella, where those angels armed?”

Gabriella nodded, remembering the elegant broadswords the angels wielded.

“Did they fight back when you attacked them?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then you should not feel guilty. If you hadn't killed them, they would have killed you, and you don't want that to happen now, do you?” Beelzebub questioned.

“No, Your Highness.” Gabriella answered, scratching her nape.

“That's not all,” Beelzebub said intuitively, “You have something else weighing down on you.”

Gabriella decided to come clean with the haunting thoughts that occupied her mind unceasingly, “Your Highness, is it really imperative that we fight the angels? Why can't both parties dialogue and solve whatever problems caused this war? On earth, nothing good comes out of war.”

Beelzebub laughed mirthlessly at Gabriella's outburst, “Gabriella, you know nothing, absolutely nothing about war. I have kept an eye on earth for quite sometime, and what you call 'dialogue' is just a farce. After signing such peace deals, both parties still continue the war, only secretly.”

Gabriella closed her eyes, embarrassed. Everything Beelzebub said was true, she conceded, remembering the images of the wounded and the dead she saw on the television even after peace deals and accords had been signed.

“Moreover, you don't know these angels like I do. On earth, you love and revere them, thinking they guard and guide you, but that's a lie. Angels are selfish creatures who'll do nothing to help you when you need them the most. Those creatures, Gabriella, do not deserve your pity. Do you hear me?” Beelzebub advised, his voice rising an octave with every word he said.

“And Gabriella, I don't know why you want peace. If there's no war, then I have no need for you, and do you know what that means?” Beelzebub smirked.

Gabriella shook her head fearfully.

“It means you go to a torture chamber.”