The Azra-El Series Ch. 12

Obligatory Warnings:

1. Only one sex scene in this chapter, but I think it's good. The Regnbage festival has been postponed to the next chapter as this turned out to be too long.

2. Page breaks: They didn't show last time. From now, I am going to use oOo for page breaks and *** for shorter breaks between conversation. Hope that helps. I apologize for the confusion last time.

Lore:

Language: The language of the Heavenly Union is called Avestan. Thousands of years ago there were numerous languages in the land, but as trade and power brought the angels together, the languages gradually merged into four distinct groups.

Enochian was spoken by the northern Asynja; Shensi was spoken by the eastern Kami; Kriti was spoken by the central Devi; Vac was spoken by the southern Mulungu. These four regions were united around ten thousand years ago by the Deva, Eris, and the language Avestan evolved from this unity of the four regions.

The demons have numerous local languages/dialects of their own but Avestan has now become their common language. When this happened is a question that sparks fervid debate among angel historians.

Txiki, the trickster: She is playful trickster from pixie folklore, who keeps tricking the soul reaper from collecting her soul. There are numerous short stories on her various tricks and wagers with the soul reaper.

Txiki is also sometimes considered to be the estranged daughter of Yanluo, the goddess of death in angel mythology.

Religion: The angels do not have formal religions like on Earth. They have local beliefs and a pantheon of different gods that vary depending on the location. The beliefs of the societies are the closest to what can be a considered a religion on Earth.

Mata: The goddess of creation.

Rhea: Goddess of land.

Xihe: Goddess of world energy.

Hathor: Goddess of motherhood.

Kali: Goddess of destruction. The Xian believe that Mata and Kali are one and the same - sort of like yin and yang, while the Malakim tend to look at Kali in a more negative connotation.

There are many more and the names can vary but the above are the more popular ones.

Character Descriptions (Only the ones that are helpful for the chapter)

Seshat Amun: The exotic looking History teacher at Tir. She is a brilliant teacher and makes learning fun and enthralling. She has a sweet crystalline voice that adds to the charm of her lessons.

An exorbitantly curvy angel with honey colored skin and sleek midnight black hair that's parted in the middle and flows down her narrow waist to her wide hips. Dark green eyes shine beneath long heavy lashes, adorned by pitch black mascara. She has a perfect Greek nose and plump auburn bow shaped limps.

Barely concealed by skimpy exotic clothing adorned by jewelry. She has buxom pear-shaped breasts that usually hang freely under her tops. Her hips are wide, with a pert mountainous butt, thin arms and lustful legs.

She is 6'8 and is around Jie Er's age.

Yulia Vasilek: She has shoulder length hair with bangs that cover her forehead. Her almond shaped eyes are lime green and have a severe gaze that accentuate by her crescent like silver eyebrows. She has a long thin nose with a smooth curve in the middle. Her lips are heart shaped and pouty, and her face is small and round with a sharp chin.

Though not the most entertaining teacher, she seems to care a lot about the growth of her students as she painstakingly goes through each one of them to give personalized advice.

Siofra Eoiwagn: She is twenty-nine years old but at 5'2, she is small for an angel but not for a pixie. Siofra has long bushy orange hair, large round upturned orange eyes with orange mascara, an angular jaw with a small rounded chin, full pouty pink lips, and a sharp slightly turned up nose. She is cute but has a piercing gaze with a hint of broodiness.

Aahna Maitreya: A cheerful, talkative and overly enthusiastic girl, who became the de facto class representative if Class 1A. She is a cute violet haired girl with a round face and large pale blue eyes that contrast against her pale brown skin. She has loose shoulder length hair and is around 5'2. Her mother is the vice head of a major merchant guild.

Bi Tru'ng: A lanky black-haired unassuming girl with almond shaped dark brown eyes and a shy countenance. Her hair is long at the back with short even bangs covering her forehead. She usually tags along with Aahna. She is 5'6.

Rachel Arianrhod: She is a confident & combative kid with boyish short pink hair. Her bangs are parted in the middle and swept behind her ears, with a thick lock of hair hanging to the side. Her mother is a knight captain in the Cloud Nine regiment and thus she seems to know her way around Pegasi. She is as tall as Blaze. She initially didn't like Pixies but has become somewhat comfortable around Siofra.

Nina: A blonde ponytailed angel who is good at sports. She is a decent pitcher in Flyball and is quite good at Troisnet.

Kida: A cute Japanese looking black haired girl who is a good batter in Flyball. She is also good at arts and crafts.

Elyssa Marigold: Blaze's first real friend in Azra El. He met her at Varan's library. She is from a noble family and despite their rough start Blaze and Ely have become the best of the friends.

When Blaze first saw her, he fell in a daze because of her surreal beauty. She has an oval face with gentle curves and a sharp chin. Slightly downturned large aquamarine eyes with long fluttering lashes, adorned by thin gently rising eyebrows.

She has a soft graceful nose & her reddish pink cupid's bow lips are full and luscious. Her long, thick and smooth golden blonde hair is parted in the middle, and then braided into a thick long tail that hangs below her waist. She also has long bangs that are usually swept behind her ears.

Ely is 61 years old and is 5'6. She is somewhat short for her age, but she claims that she hasn't had her growth spurt yet.

Ely is a genius and considered to be the angel with the most potential in her century. She is the quiet sort and doesn't have too many friends. Most likely because she never had anyone to relate to.

Response to Comments:

ZeroCross: I really appreciate the offer for being an editor, but dankmemez is proving to be an amazing editor and I don't think I am at a stage where I need multiple editors. But, please pm me your email so I can contact you in case dank is ever busy and cannot do the editing for a particular chapter.

Thank you for the positive review and I am glad you think so highly of my story. I will try to inculcate the minor descriptions you recommended, but if I can't, you can always refer to character descriptions I will be providing for relevant characters in each chapter.

RanceSama: What happened to the mind boggling, neurotic, lengthy and simply awesomazing comment you wrote? There is only a short version of it now. Thankfully, I did get to read it before you or lit shortened it. Feel free to keep doing it. I thoroughly enjoy your outbursts :P.

In case you guys missed my response earlier.

Ahren: His humanness is what gives meaning to his reincarnation. I am going to try my best for a proper reconciliation. Making mistakes is a part of life - Blaze is still a good person and I will not turn him into an angsty teenager (if that's what you're worried about). He seems a bit more like a kid as he is among 'teens' of angels.

James: Haha. I'd like to write that at some point. Actually, I am considering writing a short side story about the dragon at the end of each chapter :P. Let's see.

Motorbike Anon: I've done a bit of horse riding over a summer in college. Got to know two horses. One of them was a cantankerous pain in the ass and got moody and jealous very easily. The owner had a real bond with her though, and it felt quite meaningful. Anyway, I got to be a cowboy for a little while - still can't ride a motorbike though :(

I'd take that coffee any day :P.

ReaderReaderfic: I have no idea what you're talking about OR do I?

Finbar: No, Siofra is only 29 and is considered a kid, but there will be other Pixies.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Wankr: Poor Blaze:( Everyone liked him get put down. But I did think Claudis was the best person to do it and drive some sense into him. And yes, Blaze's character is still evolving. He has a lot more challenges to face before the final culmination of this book.

Finbar: Nope. No Siofra scenes in the foreseeable future. I intend her to be a non-sexual important character of sorts.

I hope all you have had a great holiday. Happy new year to you all and here is a new chapter to start of 2019 Enjoy!

oOo

Chapter 12

Starting in the third week of classes, the first years began a full schedule. This added either PE or combat training at the end of each weekday, except for the day they had Pegasi training. This did not pertain to Blaze as he was already attending the fourth-year combat training class. Though it did mean that he missed the PE classes.

On the evening of Morndas, their combat training teacher Yulia approached the two friends. She seemed to have saved the two of them for the last. She had gone through each of the other fourth years of class 4f, correcting their forms, discussing their strengths and aims, and giving them general but helpful advice.

"I left the two of you for last because I wanted to see you duel. I've taught the rest of the class in the previous academic year, so I am already aware of their general ability," she told them stolidly, her voice husky but not as low as Claudis.

Siofra looked at him unsurely but Blaze nodded and smiled at her reassuringly.

"If you don't have any issue with fighting each other, I'd like you to pick up your choice of equipment from the racks and head to the arena. You can use your own weapons if they are blunted and not energy based," Yulia continued. "I realize you are friends, but I can't judge you properly if you go easy on each other. Moreover, it is always helpful to understand each other's strengths," she emphasized, walking them to the racks.

Siofra showed no hesitation in heading towards the rapiers. She tested a few before picking the narrowest of them, not even bothering with a shield. Agility was her primary strength and a shield would only get in the way.

Blaze considered Siofra's weapon for a moment and picked up a rotella, a rounded shield good at deflecting thrusting attacks. He pictured Siofra flitting around him and showering him with thrusts as he considered his own choice of weapon. He decided to go with a rapier as well. Block her thrust and counter it with a thrust.

Siofra questioningly raised brows at him but didn't voice her doubts. She pondered for a moment before she picked up a long twelve-inch dagger.

"If you're both going to use rapiers, you need to wear the required headgear," Yulia interjected, bringing out a couple of meshed helmets.

The two quickly donned them. They were heavy and uncomfortable, but it was better than losing an eye. Body reinforcement wasn't going to help against a rapier in the eye.

Without much fuss, they manifested their wings and jumped into the arena.

"You all can watch if you're interested," Yulia called out to the rest, noticing their curious glances. She knew that they were all eager to watch the righteous fury fight and almost immediately, everyone spread out around the arena trying to get the best view. "Winning is secondary. Just show me your best. You know the rules," she finished, addressing the duelers.

"Have you ever used a rapier before?" Siofra couldn't help but ask. Rapiers were a niche weapon and from what she had seen in the fight against Priscilla, neither a shield nor a rapier seemed to fit his style.

"I know the basics. Don't worry, I am not going easy on ya," Blaze grinned back. He didn't feel the need to hide or trick Siofra. A fair and exciting duel was all he wanted.

Before she shot up into the air, she intoned the cliché "I wouldn't have it otherwise," her butterfly wings beating so rapidly that they almost turned invisible. A translucent light reddish orange hue was all that could be seen.

Blaze followed her, maintaining a fifty-foot distance, and raised his shield at the pixie. It dawned on him that his role had been reversed from the fight with Priscilla.

"Begin!" he heard Yulia's shout and he dashed towards Siofra, with his shield raised and rapier hidden behind it. Defensive was just not his style.

Siofra darted towards him as if she wanted to meet his attack head on. He thrust his rapier at her chest but before it even passed his shield arm, Siofra disappeared. Blaze's own speed and her quick sideward dart helping in creating the illusion.

Shit! Feeling her on his left, he used his momentum to simply dive down and away from her, escaping her thrust by a mere inch or two. He glided low over the ground and quickly flew towards the edge of the arena.

When he turned around, he found her rushing towards him and only had enough time to raise his shield and block her thrust. However, the rapier never made contact as Siofra flicked to his left and lunged her dagger at his gut.

He barely managed to parry the attack with the bottom of his rapier and its guard, but as soon as he felt the clash, he pulled his shield to his chest and dove towards the pixie to smash her with it.

She simply ducked down under his shield and drove her rapier at his chest. He just managed to block the rapier with his own. Her movements replicated that of a humming bird, able to quickly change directions in midair.

Blaze was fast for his age, but he was nowhere as agile as Siofra and she tried her best to restrict his degrees of freedom to three; top, left and right. She had seen what he could do if he was given enough room to maneuver.

By blocking her strike, his gut was left wide open for Siofra's dagger. She thrust it towards him but stopped right before it made contact. The blunted dagger would've been stopped by his body reinforcement, but she stopped as a matter of principle.

"Stop!" Yulia cried from below. The students stared slack jawed in confusion. Was the pixie that strong? Or had Priscilla grown weak over the decade?

"Take a minute and start over!" she shouted at the hovering duo. Even she was a little surprised by the pixie's strength.

"Pegasi whiskers! Your movements are so damn strange. I thought you said you couldn't defeat Priscilla," Blaze complained at the pixie as they flew back to the center of the arena.

"I can't. She is much more skilled at using a shield than you are. Your movements leave too much room for me to exploit," Siofra explained as she landed, carefully searching his face for anger or disappointment.

"Good, good!" Blaze walked up to her and exaggeratedly patted her shoulder. "My sidekick needs to be at least this good. How else would I take over Azra El?"

"Who's your sidekick?" Siofra couldn't help but laugh. Each time her guard went up, he managed to pull it down by his words or actions.

"Ready for round 2?" he asked after a moment.

"Yep!"

"Min Yulia, can I switch weapons?" he called out to his teacher.

"Yes. This isn't a challenge. I want to see all your capabilities," Yulia answered.

Blaze dropped the shield and rapier and brought out a blunted glaive from his space ring.

Despite its convenience, the space ring had a limited capacity and the only weapons he carried in it were his bat, a bow and some arrows, and a glaive. The glaive was his second-best melee weapon, at least according to Jie Er. He disliked using it, but he couldn't think of anything else to counter Siofra.

She looked at him standing upright beside his glaive and couldn't help but notice the difference, "Were you not serious earlier?" she questioned unsurely.

The glaive consisted of a twenty-inch crescent shaped primary blade, with two smaller horizontal blades jutting from the base of the head, which could catch objects if the main blade missed. It was connected to a six-foot wooden stave and Blaze posed a much more imposing figure than he had with the shield.

"I really did think that the shield was my best option. The rapier was more of a coin toss. A flatter blade might've been better," he confessed sincerely.

Siofra mused over her options for a moment. Fighting against the glaive would be harder yet simpler. All she needed to do was get inside its range and victory would be hers. But, getting inside would depend on Blaze's skill with the weapon.

"Can I get that shield?" she finally asked, pointing at the rotella on the ground.

Blaze picked it up and tossed it to her. She quickly replaced her dagger with the shield. "Let's go," she said without wasting any time.

They simultaneously jumped into the air and once again soared to fifty feet. Blaze pointed the spear at her and invited her with his other hand. This was not a fight where he could use any of his flashy flying moves. Hardened wings and power charges would only work against his favor. He needed to be quick with his arms but stable in his flight.

His hardened wings made him heavy and though they were useful when he garnered momentum, he didn't think he would be able to deflect Siofra's quick and agile thrusts while trying to simultaneously use them to fly.

"Uh uh," Siofra shook her head coyly, but before he could laugh at her, she dashed at him.

Blaze thrust his glaive with a mighty grunt, using nothing but the muscles of his arms. It was simple, straight, sharp and spartan like. The pixie only had a tenth of a second to dodge, and dodge she did, to her right by the breadth of a hair.

As the tip of the glaive skimmed past the hem of her top, she tried to close in on her opponent. But the glaive changed directions as quickly as she could, if not faster, turning into a wide sweeping slash that was almost unavoidable.

She barely managed to block the sweeping blade by the guard of her rapier as Blaze scooped her up and swung her away with all his strength, using his wings to provide the counter force required to keep him stable. Throwing a flying angel was much easier than throwing an angel standing on the ground.

The pixie went careening away from him and if not for her butterfly wings allowing her to quickly regain stability, Blaze would've charged in and ended her rightly.

"Why didn't you use this in the first place?" she griped as she tried to regain her sense of balance.

"How would I know that this stupid thing would work so well? I've always hated it. It's too freaking heavy and cumbersome," Blaze retorted, giving Siofra time to steady herself. Hastily rushing in when he had the upper hand didn't seem like the best idea with the cunning pixie. This was in fact a wise move as only half of the pixie's apparent disorientation was real.

"You mean to say that this is not your best weapon?" she asked, realizing the meaning behind his words.

"I don't have a best weapon. If anything, it's my bat," he responded.

"Seriously? The bat?"

"What can I say? I like whacking things," he shrugged. Didn't I say this before?

Siofra shook her head at him. Her new friend was as quirky as he was anything else.

"Are you coming?" Blaze jibed at her and she obliged. They weren't going to get anywhere by just hovering in their place.

Blaze thrust his glaive again and this time, she dodged to his left, testing his other arm. It was just as strong. However, her forward movement was a feint and she fluttered backwards, avoiding the swing as it went wide. She tried to close in once more and found the glaive sweeping back at her. She flapped backwards and rapidly put some distance between them.