“Now, it is time to train in groups.” Verchiel didn’t waste any time as he continued. He was business-like, efficient. With tens of thousands of angels to train, he could afford to be nothing less.

            “Watching the seven on one sparring, I saw all of the groups naturally go into a particular formation. Can anyone tell me what that was?”

            One of the angels in a group opposite Alizel raised his hand and spoke. “It was a half-sphere, sir. We surrounded the target on foot while a couple attacked him from above.”

            “Yes, that is exactly correct. Yet, I did not direct any of you to make a half-sphere. Why did you do it, then?”

            The angel thought for a moment and then responded. “I suppose it just made sense because that was the way we could all get at a piece of him to strike.”

            Verchiel nodded, seeming satisfied. “Precisely. The half-sphere is a critical formation for combat. This is the best way to attack an individual. At the same time, it is also the best way to protect an individual or an object. Just as the half-sphere attack pattern makes use of the greatest number of vulnerabilities, the half-sphere defense formation reduces the greatest number of vulnerabilities. The other reason that I made you do the seven on one drill was so you would get the idea of what it feels like to face foes on all sides. This is a feeling I hope you never have to face in combat. If we do the half sphere correctly, then none of us will have to face an enemy coming at us from more than one direction. If one stands…”

“All stand!” the group shouted together.

            It was brilliant, and simple. With one drill, Verchiel had not only told the angels what to do, but also let them teach it to themselves. They spent the next several hours practicing all manner of half-sphere drills, forming them of different sizes with different groups of eight. The most common formation and the one that would likely be used in battle was a half sphere that consisted of twenty-four angels on the perimeter and eight on the inside of the half-sphere. Some were standing and some were hovering. The eight on the inside were to serve as backup in case one of the angels on the outside fell. Thus, they were assured that the other forces would not break the formation if only a few angels fell. This formation was to be used on the ground, with all of the angels on the shell facing outwards.

            After the half-sphere they worked on the full sphere. The full sphere was just a natural extension of the half sphere, but for when they were airborne. The leader of the sphere was the angel on the inside who would look out and manage the fight on all sides. It was his job to make sure that each point of the sphere was reinforced as efficiently as possible.