Gabriel's Armada

Chapter 7: The fight.

“We need to send out a search party,” Gabriel asserted.

“No. We don't.” Dina countered.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed angrily, “Why not? It's not as if you all have something important doing.” Not when, he'd seen Zachariah with his arms around Dina as if they were in a relationship.

Dina's eyes narrowed in return and she replied, “We have something very important going on; training you. We can't lose sight of how important that is by halting your training to look for James.”

“You don't have to stop my training to search for James, you could send other people to do it.” Gabriel said with a shrug.

Dina took a few breaths before she replied through clenched teeth, “I don't know how observant you are, but I'm sure you've noticed how small the warrior angels are in number. We need all hands on deck protecting Teres.”

“Moreover, James left of his own ,accord. There were no signs of an abduction.” Zachariah spoke up for the first time since Gabriel and Dina started their back-and-forth.

“But why would he leave without telling anyone why and where he was going?” Gabriel asked, undettered.

“I don't know, but I know this. James is an adult, capable of making decisions and dealing with the consequences. If he decided to leave in the middle of the night without any explanation as to why, then he probably had his reasons for doing that.” Dina explained.

Gabriel knew she was making sense, but for some reason, he had a premonition that James was in trouble.

“Fine.” He said and watched as Zachariah and Dina's faces softened with relief.

He enjoyed wiping the look of their faces when he said, “If nobody's going to look for James, I will.”

“What? Are you crazy?” Zachariah asked furiously, close to losing his temper.

“Hey! You don't speak to Gabriel Sinator that way.” Gabriel warned.

“You must be crazy!” Dina echoed, “Do you really think you'd survive a day outside Teres?”

“Yup,” Gabriel said coolly, walking up to where Dina stood, “How hard could it be?”

Dina laughed harshly into his face, “You think it's easy because I used the void to bring us here. Let me tell you, out there are a number of Beelzebub's lackeys and other creatures of no affiliation, looking for easy quarry to devour.”

“I'm pretty sure I can handle them.” Gabriel said breezily.

“Then you're a big fool!” Dina grated out.

Gabriel felt rage boil within him at Dina's insults. Without thinking, he attacked, “What the f**k is your problem with me? Why do you always look down on me? Why do you think I'm so stupid?”

Without giving a bewildered Dina a chance to reply, he continued, wagging a finger in her face, “I don't care how sexy you are, I won't let you get away with talking down on me like I'm some child. I may not be a general in an army, if you still call yourself that, but I can assure you that I know how to take care of myself!”

“You don't mean it,” Dina replied sarcastically.

Her sarcasm only incensed Gabriel further, “I mean it and I'll prove myself by challenging you to a fight!”

Zachariah looked alarmed as he rushed to intervene, “Now, now, there's no time and need for this. We're all on the same side here.”

Dina ignored Zachariah and said to Gabriel, “You want to fight me? Then, a fight you shall get.”

“Good,” Gabriel said, fuming.

* * *

“Are you out of your mind?” Zachariah queried furiously as he paced his office, making the small room seem smaller.

“Are you actually asking me that? Didn't you see how insolent that brat was towards me? He even had the audacity to call me sexy.” Dina replied, just as furious. Gabriel had left the room to get ready for their fight, and Zachariah had asked her to stay back.

“Dina, you're one of the most unflappable people I know. Why are you letting Gabriel get under your skin?”

Dina kept quiet because she didn't know the answer to that. Gabriel just knew how to push her buttons and he never hesitated to do so.

“You know what, I order you to withdraw from the fight.” Zachariah said firmly.

“Excuse me?” Dina asked, shocked.

“You heard me.”

“That's impossible. I won't do that.”

“Why?”

“Gabriel needs to be taught a lesson on humility, and I'm just the person to teach him.” Dina shrugged.

“Have you forgotten who he is? You're supposed to be training him, not fighting him.” Zachariah said.

“Me teaching him to be humble is all part of the training process.” Dina said obstinately.

Zachariah sighed and scratched his blond head, “I hate to do this, but you've left me with no other choice. General Dina, as the chief of Teres, I hereby ban you from dueling with Gabriel Sinator.”

Dina's mouth hung open with shock, “No, you can't do this!”

“I believe I just did. It hurts me to lord my position over you, but I believe it's for a good cause.” Zachariah said, patting Dina's shoulder.

Dina shrugged his hand off and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Zachariah shook his head and stepped out of his office, looking for Gabriel.

* * *

“What am I actually doing here?” Gabriel asked himself for the umpteenth time, pulling at his hair in frustration.

He was huddled behind Zachariah's house, having a full-blown panic attack.

“Who am I kidding?” He asked, putting his arms around his knees, “I've never fought in my life, and Dina is a freaking General!”

He slammed his head against the mud wall repeatedly, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

“I just got here, what if she kills me?”

“She won't, because there's not going to be a match between the both of you.” A deep voice interrupted, pulling Gabriel out of his panicked state.

He turned to see Zachariah standing near him with his huge hands clasped behind him.

“Huh? What did you say?” Gabriel asked, scrambling to his feet.

“I said General Dina will no longer duel with you.” Zachariah reiterated.

“For real?” Gabriel asked, a look of relief on his face.

“For real,” Zachariah echoed, testing the words out.

Gabriel did an inner happy dance before he asked, “Why? I was really looking forward to dueling with her.”

Zachariah shot him a disbelieving look as he walked up to him, “She just decided fighting with you wasn't worth her time.”

“What does she mean by that?” Gabriel asked angrily.

“Come off it,” Zachariah admonished, “You and I know that you are no match for Dina.”

Gabriel's cheeks bloomed and he was about to counter Zachariah, but thought better of it, “I know but it's so annoying, the way she chooses to treat me like I'm a child.”

Zachariah quirked an eyebrow, “Gabriel, you are a child. You have no idea how old Dina is.”

“How old?” Gabriel asked curiously.

“I'm not the one you should be asking.” Zachariah replied, “I want to beg you to avoid antagonizing Dina. If you continue to toe that path, it'll definitely end badly for you.”

Gabriel scoffed, “Believe it or not, I don't set out to antagonize her. It's actually the other way around. She takes advantage of every opportunity she gets to look down on me.”

Zachariah scratched his head, “Secretly, I think she blames you for the death of her brother, Ariel.”

Gabriel's eyes bulged with shock as he screamed with righteous indignation, “Me? How? I didn't even know her brother.”

“Well, I did.” Zachariah answered, looking away, “Ariel was a lively and passionate warrior who staunchly believed that you would actually come to our aid.

Dina believes that if you had arrived earlier, Ariel would have still been alive.”