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moosestories2025-07-05 06:49 am
nyc_merlin) wrote in moosestories2025-07-05 06:49 am
Entry tags:
Angel AU: The Sun
19. The Sun - a character is feeling GREAT; a character is here to brighten another character's day; a character is revitalized after a period of slump
—
It is a beautiful morning even though the sun hasn’t yet fully risen.
Thor stands at the edge of town with his wings spread to take in the early morning light as the village behind him starts to stir to life. There is one road in and out of town that is nearly impossible to find unless a hiker deviates from the main trail and then finds the right way through the dense forest to another trail. It is designed that way on purpose.
The village behind him has almost no electricity. No running water. There are a few radios powered by batteries charged by a singular solar panel. They are what most of humanity would consider primitive but it is for protection.
The village behind him is almost entirely angels. There are a few human members of the underground who are wanted that are hiding here. They are the exception to Thor’s rule for all of the hidden angelic communes he’s set up around the world: no humans.
It is safe for his people that way. This village is remote but not the most remote. It could be found by lost hikers, big game hunters, or a forest ranger if things went spectacularly wrong. There are other villages he’s set up that require wings to reach. Some are in such harsh environments that no human could survive there for long without the help of modern technology. A few are scattered on remote islands across the ocean.
Humanity thinks they have angels under their thumb but Thor has made it so there are pockets of freedom, of life, where angels can be safe.
As the sun fully breaks over the horizon he closes his wings and turns back to begin his morning patrol checking on everyone and everything. It’s late summer so most of the early morning angels are up harvesting their little farms. Thor stops to chat with a few.
Even in the deepest, coldest winter they won’t starve. They’ll barely be bothered by the freezing temperatures and deep snow. They will take turns making sure the few underground agents don’t suffer too badly but they have plenty of preserved fruits, vegetables, and grains. If they need meat, they’ll go hunt.
The village is self-sustaining for a reason. Thor doesn’t want anyone going to the town that is a two day hike away unless absolutely necessary. He doesn’t want the locals to get suspicious that strangers come out of the woods on a regular schedule. They survive on their own because to do otherwise would jeopardize the freedom they’ve all fought so hard for.
“Thor!”
He pauses mid-conversation and looks over at his steward.
Because Thor has set up so many villages around the world there is always someone who looks after them when he’s not there. This village steward, Valkyrie is arguably better at running things than he is. That’s why Thor picked her.
She was freed from the same fighting pits that once held him. Humanity loved to watch her battle against other angels, her blue jay wings stained with blood while they cheered the slaughter.
Thor pushes the memory down and meets her halfway. “What is it?”
“Radio this morning.” She jerks her head in the direction of her small house and they start walking together. “I was listening to the news. They’re sending search parties into the mountains. A dad and his daughter went missing two days ago. They found the dad’s body yesterday and are stepping up the search effort for the girl. They’re heading our way.”
Thor feels a surge of worry. That’s not good. A large search effort could find them. A publicized search effort could find them and they could have cameras.
“Prepare the town. Let them know there is a threat.” He sighs. It will create anxiety and worry in everyone but no one will panic. Not yet. If the search party gets close… “I will go look for the girl. Move her closer to the town.”
“She’s going to tell people an angel saved her,” Valkyrie warns.
“It is what angels are supposed to do.” Thor shrugs. “And it is our best option at the moment. I don’t want to evacuate everyone.”
They have lives here, hard won lives. He would hate to uproot them now just because a search party might find them. Better to make sure the search party never even gets close.
“Just put them on alert. I will handle it.” Thor once again stretches his wings and takes to the sky.
His wingspan, much like his body, is huge. While the air is thin high up he easily catches the breeze and soars above. He circles above the village for a minute to orient himself and then heads towards the town because that is where the search efforts will start from.
The advantage of being able to go as the crow flies is the shortened time but it reaches midmorning before he is over the hiking trails that cut through the wilderness around here. Thor circles again, looking for signs and souls.
To the west he catches sight of a vulture circling on a thermal. He makes his way over and joins one of God’s creations on the updraft.
“What have you seen?” he asks the bird.
The bird tells him of the dead she smelled. The humans taking her food.
He’s close. Thor turns back towards the village. The humans have reason to believe the young girl went towards the village. Now that he’s found his starting point Thor flies low above the treetops as slow as he can.
It is almost the afternoon and his fifth pass over the vast expanse of trees that Thor hears crying. Human crying. He carefully drops through the trees to land and sees her. She is young for a human. Her clothes are dirty and torn in some places. She sits on top of a rock, her knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped tight around herself as she cries.
He crouches down before he approaches, his heart going out to the scared little girl. Thor flattens his wings against the ground to show he’s not a threat even if the little girl won’t understand that body language.
“Hush, child, and do not be afraid,” he says calmly as he extends a hand towards her. She looks up, startled. “I will deliver you to safety.”
She looks uncertain, almost afraid. “Daddy said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”
Thor chuckles. “Fair, but what did he say about angels?”
“He didn’t like angels. Said they didn’t belong with people.”
Ah, one of those humans. Thor feels bad the child has spent time surviving in the wild on her own but he’s slightly less sad about her father’s death.
“But you belong with people, don’t you? I can take you back.” He smiles, warm and bright. “My name is Thor. What’s yours, little one?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Olivia. But Daddy called me Love.”
“Okay, Love, let’s get you to safety.”
—
It is a beautiful morning even though the sun hasn’t yet fully risen.
Thor stands at the edge of town with his wings spread to take in the early morning light as the village behind him starts to stir to life. There is one road in and out of town that is nearly impossible to find unless a hiker deviates from the main trail and then finds the right way through the dense forest to another trail. It is designed that way on purpose.
The village behind him has almost no electricity. No running water. There are a few radios powered by batteries charged by a singular solar panel. They are what most of humanity would consider primitive but it is for protection.
The village behind him is almost entirely angels. There are a few human members of the underground who are wanted that are hiding here. They are the exception to Thor’s rule for all of the hidden angelic communes he’s set up around the world: no humans.
It is safe for his people that way. This village is remote but not the most remote. It could be found by lost hikers, big game hunters, or a forest ranger if things went spectacularly wrong. There are other villages he’s set up that require wings to reach. Some are in such harsh environments that no human could survive there for long without the help of modern technology. A few are scattered on remote islands across the ocean.
Humanity thinks they have angels under their thumb but Thor has made it so there are pockets of freedom, of life, where angels can be safe.
As the sun fully breaks over the horizon he closes his wings and turns back to begin his morning patrol checking on everyone and everything. It’s late summer so most of the early morning angels are up harvesting their little farms. Thor stops to chat with a few.
Even in the deepest, coldest winter they won’t starve. They’ll barely be bothered by the freezing temperatures and deep snow. They will take turns making sure the few underground agents don’t suffer too badly but they have plenty of preserved fruits, vegetables, and grains. If they need meat, they’ll go hunt.
The village is self-sustaining for a reason. Thor doesn’t want anyone going to the town that is a two day hike away unless absolutely necessary. He doesn’t want the locals to get suspicious that strangers come out of the woods on a regular schedule. They survive on their own because to do otherwise would jeopardize the freedom they’ve all fought so hard for.
“Thor!”
He pauses mid-conversation and looks over at his steward.
Because Thor has set up so many villages around the world there is always someone who looks after them when he’s not there. This village steward, Valkyrie is arguably better at running things than he is. That’s why Thor picked her.
She was freed from the same fighting pits that once held him. Humanity loved to watch her battle against other angels, her blue jay wings stained with blood while they cheered the slaughter.
Thor pushes the memory down and meets her halfway. “What is it?”
“Radio this morning.” She jerks her head in the direction of her small house and they start walking together. “I was listening to the news. They’re sending search parties into the mountains. A dad and his daughter went missing two days ago. They found the dad’s body yesterday and are stepping up the search effort for the girl. They’re heading our way.”
Thor feels a surge of worry. That’s not good. A large search effort could find them. A publicized search effort could find them and they could have cameras.
“Prepare the town. Let them know there is a threat.” He sighs. It will create anxiety and worry in everyone but no one will panic. Not yet. If the search party gets close… “I will go look for the girl. Move her closer to the town.”
“She’s going to tell people an angel saved her,” Valkyrie warns.
“It is what angels are supposed to do.” Thor shrugs. “And it is our best option at the moment. I don’t want to evacuate everyone.”
They have lives here, hard won lives. He would hate to uproot them now just because a search party might find them. Better to make sure the search party never even gets close.
“Just put them on alert. I will handle it.” Thor once again stretches his wings and takes to the sky.
His wingspan, much like his body, is huge. While the air is thin high up he easily catches the breeze and soars above. He circles above the village for a minute to orient himself and then heads towards the town because that is where the search efforts will start from.
The advantage of being able to go as the crow flies is the shortened time but it reaches midmorning before he is over the hiking trails that cut through the wilderness around here. Thor circles again, looking for signs and souls.
To the west he catches sight of a vulture circling on a thermal. He makes his way over and joins one of God’s creations on the updraft.
“What have you seen?” he asks the bird.
The bird tells him of the dead she smelled. The humans taking her food.
He’s close. Thor turns back towards the village. The humans have reason to believe the young girl went towards the village. Now that he’s found his starting point Thor flies low above the treetops as slow as he can.
It is almost the afternoon and his fifth pass over the vast expanse of trees that Thor hears crying. Human crying. He carefully drops through the trees to land and sees her. She is young for a human. Her clothes are dirty and torn in some places. She sits on top of a rock, her knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapped tight around herself as she cries.
He crouches down before he approaches, his heart going out to the scared little girl. Thor flattens his wings against the ground to show he’s not a threat even if the little girl won’t understand that body language.
“Hush, child, and do not be afraid,” he says calmly as he extends a hand towards her. She looks up, startled. “I will deliver you to safety.”
She looks uncertain, almost afraid. “Daddy said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”
Thor chuckles. “Fair, but what did he say about angels?”
“He didn’t like angels. Said they didn’t belong with people.”
Ah, one of those humans. Thor feels bad the child has spent time surviving in the wild on her own but he’s slightly less sad about her father’s death.
“But you belong with people, don’t you? I can take you back.” He smiles, warm and bright. “My name is Thor. What’s yours, little one?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Olivia. But Daddy called me Love.”
“Okay, Love, let’s get you to safety.”