New Chapter in Highest Tier (May 2021)

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Archangel Uriel (Flame of God)

First Guardian of the Garden of Four Seasons

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The lady knight who liked to be called 'Merle' stayed with Archangel Uriel for almost two seasons, waiting for the tree to bear fruit.

Time flew fast.

He could perfectly recall Merle visiting him outside the gates, riding her gaunt and skittish warhorse, acting all high and mighty as she pretended to be a man during the twilight in the last summer.

Now, it was the opposite.

Archangel Uriel smiled.

He rarely smiled when he was alone as he preserved this special garden as his God-given mission.

He wasn't lonely anymore because he had an excitable companion to amuse him, regaling him with stories in this Earthly Realm which he found unbelievably ridiculous.

He wasn't certain if the lady knight made them up just to make him laugh, or were they real? Archangel Uriel couldn't believe that brave, haughty Merle can transform into a cheerful lady knight after slowly warming up to him as they got to know each other more during the wait.

At first, Lady Merle was cranky and impatient on the first few weeks, always asking him every single hour if the fruits were there yet until he explained it properly to her.

"It takes time and a specific temperature for the tree to finally bear fruit, lady knight."

"But their flowers have bloomed already."

Lady Merle was right.

The Tree of the Four Seasons has blossomed, adding a lovely aesthetic to the landscape.

This particular tree rose ten feet from the ground.

It stood at the heart of this garden with leaves growing out of its branches in four colors which showed the four seasons in the Earthly Realms—snow white which represented winter, vibrant green for spring, scorching oranges for fall and molten gold for summer—and casting shadows unto the grass.

The Tree of Four Seasons appeared as if it was drenched by colored fire from afar since the red leaves stood stark in the naked eye.

It shouldn't take long for it too—-"

"Can you just stay in the present and learn to appreciate the beauty of this garden, hmm?"

Archangel Uriel's ward was a wide and open garden that was parted into two by a sloping snake-like river.

A copse of cypress pines stood proudly on one side while a thicket of bamboo clustered on the farthest gates, guarding the boundaries.

There was a vast meadow stretched past the river where Archangel Uriel can stroll as he inhaled the crisp air in the morning air as the unearthly mist surrounded him.

He had the feeling that this was going to be the first and the last time Merle could visit here.

"It is indeed beautiful but I can't, Angel. I can't enjoy myself with this wonderful view right here while the people in my village suffer from demonic possession." She murmured, her eyebrows drawn together as she glanced up at the tree for the thousandth time today. "I couldn't deliver the fruits there any sooner. I am mentally anguished, exhausted of the thousand things running across my mind where every route I chose will only lead to a dead end."

Facing her, Archangel Uriel said bluntly as he placed the scroll he carried around in his lap. "Whose fault do you think it is? Certainly not me, Merle. Nobody else is doing this to you except yourself. You should stop thinking since wouldn't make Fall come faster."

"I can't seem to stop it, Angel. Time is ticking for the Fae. Archangel Ariel's mission is causing me a lot of anxiety and distress that I can't think properly. What should I do next? What is currently happening in the Faerie Realm while I was cocooned into the safety in this garden? It isn't fair for the others to be constantly living in fear of those demons while I sit here with an Archangel under this stupid tree, just waiting for it to yield for a very long time, without a care in the world!"

He could tell Merle was trying to be patient as she waited for the fruits despite the Angelic War overlapping with the War of the Fae and the threat of the 'Nephilim-turned-demons' loomed over her.

"Well, at least, you called the tree 'stupid' and not the Archangel. I could say we are on the way to establish a true friendship. Don't fret and empty your mind, lady knight. Beating yourself up will not alleviate the suffering of your people. Tormenting yourself along with the Fae in your village will not make the situation even. Now, stop this nonsense."

In their moment of silence, worry and concern etched on her countenance every time Merle glanced up to the branches only to sigh in disappointment, expecting the Tree of Four Seasons to yield only to find nothing.

Archangel Uriel disliked the frown lines marring her forehead.

Gazing down at her while she stared at her fingers, he made the honest mistake of bending his neck down to kiss the crown of her hair.

His eyes widened when Merle abruptly tugged his forearm and brought him closer to give him a quick smack on the lips.

Withdrawing from him, she jerked her head and cleared her throat.

Her beautiful, innocent face was flushed with embarrassment despite initiating the kiss herself.

Recoiling from her as he shifted to the side, Archangel Uriel glowered at her as he gritted his teeth, "Don't love me. You will get nothing from me, Merlettta. That is the fate of Archangels like me. I can love you from afar but I can't be with you. Because first and foremost, my loyalty is to God."

"I will remain with you throughout, offering help and support." Despite his anger, he still reassured her. "Yet I know my limitations of my influence in your life. This is a responsibility of an Archangel. Fate and destiny will play their part and this is the only role I play in yours. I can't give you what you want aside from the fruits."

Merle swallowed hard. "What I will achieve is not predetermined by fate alone. It can't dictate how I live my life but is determined by my choice. And, I choose you."