The mist was forming beneath his feet. It had grown much thicker in the last minutes than throughout the whole night. He knew this of course meant nothing, save that according to the Cycle, the cold period was approaching fast. At night he had managed to see the opposite shore, but now he could barely see the calm waves 2 metres away. But he loved the mist. Well, he loved everything Father had created. Many times his other brothers quarrelled amongst them upon which was the purest, simplest, or most wondrous invention so far. But for him it was hard to decide. He adored everything Father had woven; ranging from the sea, the mountains, the trees, the heat… and fire! Yes, that one he loved the most — or so he would think for a while — until he remembered the chill that ice brought to his bones, and he would get lost in dilemma again.
His twin brother took him out of his deep pondering. He was right behind him now, he knew it. They could feel each other wherever they went. They all could, but the connection between him and his twin brother was not to be matched with.
“Michael!” he said, turning around to greet his brother.
“Lucifer”, his twin brother replied, hugging him and lifting him up as though he was a babe. “What are you doing out here? Trying to catch the mist, now?”
Lucifer let go of his brother and shifted his feet in the sand again to point back at the far away island he had been looking at before he fell into deep thought.
“Let’s go there, it looks interesting”, he said, but immediately noticed Michael’s black eyes were already elsewhere. “What?” he asked, curiously.
“You haven’t heard?!” Michael looked surprised.
“Heard what?”
“Oh my… this mist has truly devoured you, has it? Gabriel’s hasn’t stopped blabbering about it yet since the moment he learned — I bet he also went telling the animals of the oceans –”
“Not that they can ever understand him, but that’s Gabriel, he can’t keep news to himself”.
They both chuckled heartedly at their youngest brother’s reaction.
Then Michael approached his twin brother and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Well you won’t blame him… not this time!”
“Well, what about it then? Tell me Michael, tell me!” jumped Lucifer.
His brother smiled. “I bet to Raphael, Uriel and the others I’d be the first to tell you. And Raphael was going on about all this of him being the quickest — haha! I won!”
“And for a moment you considered to take his bluff? He is our brother true, but he doesn’t even start to-”
“Father has revealed something new to us, Lucifer!” interrupted Michael, his dark eyes shining.
If Michael’s eyes had shone, now they looked dim next to Lucifer’s blue ones filled of awe and curiosity.
“More than this? What else could Father come up with? He’s a genius if He has managed to-”
“That’s what I said too at first. I couldn’t believe it. He’s going to create-”
“-Michael! Lucifer!”
They both looked back instantly. It was the voice of Gabriel, the youngest of them four.
“What now, Gabriel?” asked Lucifer, glaring at his younger brother and sighing.
“Looks like I’m disturbing something here… but you should know-”
“I’ll be telling him!” yelled Michael, jumping between his two brothers and facing the younger one.
“What! You mean Lucifer hasn’t heard yet? Hahaha… where were you when Father revealed it, Luci. Playing with the amphibians, I s’pose, haha!”
Even Michael chuckled. But Lucifer stepped in front of Gabriel, his blue eyes still glaring into the green ones of his younger brother.
“Don’t worry”, continued Gabriel, shrugging, “Father noticed you were missing. Everybody knows nothing escapes his eye, especially his favourites”.
“Favourite, Gabriel. There’s only one, and that’s me”, replied Lucifer, now taking a vainly posture.
“Yes you can bet on that. Not only Father’s. Trillions of the females were pleading to Father to accept their offer to come and look for you. Haha! You should’ve seen them, their wings were already wide open and flapping and-”
“What is it you wanted to tell us then?” inquired Michael, curiosity unhidden on his face.
“Just did. I’m amazed how all those angels haven’t yet found you, Lucifer. They’re all over the place. You have to teach me how you manage to do all this hiding one time.”
“I would. But you’re too noisy. It would be difficult to-”
“Come now!” said Michael, laying a hand gently on each of his brothers. “Our dear brother here needs to know what Father’s come up with”.
“Yes, if Gabriel stops disturbing”.
Gabriel simply nodded to Michael to go on.
There was a silence which seemed to last a lifetime. Michael turned slowly to face Lucifer, who’s blue eyes still shone. They rarely dimmed. Everyone knew he was the most beautiful angel. No one questioned it. But Michael was the most responsible; the strongest too. No one denied that. No one forgot how he had won the Games On The Sands Of The Far Shore. Though Lucifer was his twin brother and together they were the eldest of the Legion of Messengers, Michael always felt that Lucifer was like a younger brother he had to take care of and protect. Though from what, of course, he didn’t know. He thought about what Father had revealed to them now, looked his brother in the eye and smiled.
“He’s going to create something new!” blurted out Gabriel. Michael, still astounded, turned his head towards his younger brother. “But his time it’s going to be different!”.
“Gabriel… you little-”
“Oh come on Michael… everyone knows I’m the best one at giving news around here. And you were taking too long, besides, haha!”
“Different? How?” asked Lucifer. Gabriel smiled as a thought passed his mind of Lucifer having to grab his jaw from falling.
“You know how he’s created those little things in the sea. And how they’ve been planned to become amphibians and walk the sands. But these won’t stop there. These… they will look like us, Lucifer! Even better I suppose; because Father said they’re based on his image! They will walk on two legs, have two hands like us, grow hair… but even more: they’ll be able to create, just like Father…”
“But nothing can be more intelligent than us, save Father…” said Lucifer, raising a brow slightly.
“Well not necessarily more intelligent. From what Father told us-”
“And you should have seen Him whilst he spoke of them!” interrupted Michael, eyes shining again. “His face was … it’s indescribable, Lucifer! His eyes, the way they shone. All Father was in glory whilst He revealed them to us… I’ve never seen Him in such glory!”
“And I’ve never seen a creation so beautiful”, continued Gabriel. “You should have seen them. Nothing Father’s done so far matches them. Nothing, I guess not even ourselves. Its incredible.. it’s — aaaahh, Father!!!”
And off went the usual Gabriel, jumping for joy and hopping on his feet; his laughter echoing one the shore. The twins were left alone, eyeing each other. Michael was smiling happily, but he didn’t fail to notice Lucifer was back to one of his dilemmas again.
“What is it, brother?”
“Uh? Oh… nothing”, replied Lucifer, shaking his head slightly.
“Oh come on, tell me..”
“Nothing Michael, I’m fine. I’m too happy with this news to-”
“You know we cannot lie Lucifer. Especially you and me, to each other. Come on, tell me. What could be troubling you?”
But Lucifer remained silent, staring at his feet. For he could see his feet now, shining on the sands. The mist had gone. Michael put a hand on his shoulder and started saying something, but Lucifer wasn’t paying attention. Then the faint sound of music reached them, and Michael jumped and hopped away, indicating to his brother to come after him. He was shouting out something, he truly looked happy. But Lucifer couldn’t hear him. He was so deep in thought, it seemed like he went deaf.
Lucifer faked a faint smile. “I’m coming”, he lied, as the sound of the music and that of his brother’s voice faded away dimly.
