This post takes another look at some of the themes in the Black Feather universe in order to clarify how its mythic beings and characters fit into the story. These may be different to the generally held beliefs about these beings in the real world.
ANGELS, DEMONS, FALLEN ANGELS AND WATCHERS
ANGELS
As mentioned in the previous angel lore post, angels or more precisely, guardian angels, shadow their human charges from birth. They are invisible, unless they choose to show themselves and reside in an etheric or energy body on a higher plane than our own.
There are many types of angels, or hierarchies, but they don’t feature in Black Feather so I won’t go into them here.
THE WATCHERS
There are only one thousand Watchers on earth at any given time. They do not age, but inhabit semi-physical bodies that can be “killed” in one of three ways; self sacrifice for a human life, breaking the neck, and with an angelic sword, otherwise damage to the body heals within moments. They retain many of their angelic powers, but spend most of their time visible and look just like any other human being. The only things that give them away are their taller than average height and their eyes, which have intensely coloured irises and an oddly mesmeric effect on anyone who stares too long into them.
The primary mission of these supernatural beings is to prevent Lucifer and his demons from having too much influence on the earthly realm. As we mentioned in our previous post, there are many instances where humans have reported miraculous escapes from life-threatening situations and have walked away from certain death without a scratch. It is The Watchers they have to thank for their good fortune. A Watcher will voluntarily take the place of a human in such a situation and appear to “die” in his place. His angelic soul then returns to heaven, and another takes his place, thus maintaining the balance between good and evil.
Whilst they roam the earth, Watchers are exempt from normal angelic rules. They can partake in all earthly pleasures, including sex. In fact, one Watcher in particular enjoys his time on earth so much that he has avoided returning home for many, many hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Watchers and fallen angels can tune in to the location of all their brethren around the globe, no matter where they are, and can communicate with one or all of them telepathically. They can sense demons, but demons cannot sense them. A distinct advantage in the Watchers’ favour.
They rarely advertise their true nature by displaying their wings, but if they do, you will find they are black.
FALLEN ANGELS
Fallen angels are angels exiled from Heaven for certain misdemeanours or crimes.
They share all the characteristics of The Watchers, but a fallen angel has one purpose while on earth and that is to right the wrong he has done and redeem himself to God’s satisfaction. Only then will he be allowed to return home to Heaven. A fallen angel (and The Watchers), will do their best to blend in with the era in which they find themselves, and they have even been known to take a job if it will further their cause.
Fallen angels are rare. At the present time there is only one fallen angel on earth and that is our hero, Ashrafel.
Their wings are also black.
DEMONS
A demon is very similar to a fallen angel in so far as he is exiled from Heaven for crimes against God, and they too inhabit physical bodies. However, demons cannot redeem themselves and return to Heaven. They are classed as “unforgivable” and will never be allowed home. Demons can also be “killed”, releasing their demonic souls from their bodies, at which time they return to Hell and rebuild the body they inhabited or choose a new physical human representation to inhabit.
Demons came into being when Lucifer rebelled against God. He and his followers were banished from Heaven, but they also retain angel-like powers. They cause much mischief on earth. It is the domain of The Watchers to prevent this mischief, thus preventing Lucifer from gaining a strong foothold here. Demons are extremely vain, are almost always well dressed and supremely arrogant. Their wings are black, shot through with red. Some say this is to represent the human blood they have spilled. Lucifer’s are completely red.
A FINAL NOTE
All angelic and demonic souls are indestructible by all except for one weapon. An angel’s sword. During the war in Heaven all angels carried such weapons and The Watchers and Ashrafel still have access to their swords, albeit in an etheric, less deadly format. They only use them in extreme circumstances. Lucifer and his army had their swords confiscated after the war in Heaven. Only the legendary Malakh Rozeach – The Angel Killer – persists in its physical form here on earth. It is a most deadly weapon, for not only can it release the soul of an angel or demon, it can also destroy that soul.
It is virtually impossible to tell any of these beings apart, so if you pass an incredibly handsome young man in the street who is taller than the average human and whose eyes are of an unusually bright colour, you may be looking at a Watcher, a demon or a fallen angel, so be on your guard until you are 100% certain of their intentions.
Nel Ashley is the author of Black Feather and Immortal, the second book in the Black Feather Series. She is currently working on her third novel, Dandelion Time, a time slip romance novel.
You can also connect with Nel on Facebook
Nel Ashley - Indie Author 