Cliff - 1

White to black, a change of scenery. Where once there was merely a sun, taking up the world with its light. Yet now, the world was dark. A moon, three.

Two shone with reflected light, but the last, it shone with nothing. A black hole in the sky that sucked the light out of everything.

But as Gabriel hovered over the tree line, he found himself entranced at the beauty of it all, taken with senses of his own, rather than a virtual sense.

Scattered feathers fell over the swamp, soon covered by mud and water. But for just a moment there was a beautiful scene of white and black. Of feathers and night.

Yet for the time that it was there it drew the attention of others. Of the creatures of the night. Who all looked to the night sky, in askance. Of where the angel had come, and where he had gone.

Not far.

The answer was quite simple as upon a cliff, faced with caves of numerous orders. He sat with his arms to the wall.

Sweat poured down his face as mana rampaged within his wings. Traversed down into his arms and into the wall that he graced with his touch.

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Another gasp, a choked voice and soon his arms fell to the ground. The wall shone with a holy light but faded soon after.

It had failed.

He did not give up yet.

Gabriel stood and with a flap of his wings rose from the cliff. 

'Maybe another day…' He thought to himself, one last gracing touch before he rose from his place and turned to the swamp once again.

Lights flitted in the wind. A search party. Using fire of all things.

He couldn't help himself, he scoffed at the naivety of those people. To do such a thing here, at night of all times.

They had a death wish. But for all his griping, Gabriel still stood from his perch and with a step dropped to the air below.

A flap of his wings and he had set off.

…

…

…

[Unknown]

His arm reached down to the ground, his hand gently placed over a covered feather.

"Hey!" He yelled, his voice raised greater than one should need, but for this level of urgency, he felt it needed.

"Yeah" Another responded, her voice soft as she walked over.

"Look at this, doesn't this look like an angel's feather?" He said, his voice quiet against the backdrop of the swamp.

But to his confusion the woman merely looked up, her voice hitched in her throat as she stared at some unseen object.

"What are you looking a-" His own voice hitched as he looked to the sky himself. 

And like the grace of god, it descended.

Beauty beyond the mortal races, a face sculpted by the greatest crafters. All to give a boyish beauty that could not be found anywhere else.

But the most angelic part of him were those wings. And as unclothed feet landed upon the swamp, and his voice rang out, those around him could do nothing but stop and stare.

"I believe…" he plucked the feather from Rosa's hand, the woman that stood next to him, who he had called himself.

"That this is mine." 

And with that one sentence Rosa turned into a stuttering mess, her face lit with red, the armor on her chest rising and falling with her racing breath.

She took one last look at the boy, then averted her eyes. Then with a stuttering breath calmed herself.

Once more she took a look and opened her mouth to say something.

"I greet thee, angel." I interrupted, a bow erupted from my poise and my head lowered with my words.

Once I had done that I turned to Rosa and with a push of my hand forced her to bow too.

She did so and with one last motion I motioned for the angel to follow. Hopefully he would, out of curiosity if anything.

But there was one thing for certain, that this would be interesting. For him and for the angel.

…

…

…

He turned to the cabin door, the carriage that held it turned once, twice, and with one more twist opened.

The man that had gestured for him to follow had found his nerve. And once more gestured.

Gabriel followed, his eye half closed in an imperious gesture.

"Sir Angel."

"Gabriel" He interrupted, his voice nary more than a whisper.

"Gabriel, if you would allow me," 

Gabriel nodded and the nerve of the man subsided once more. 

"I would implore you to follow us back to the city, we…" He hesitated, his face set into a visage of stone as he turned to the swamp throughout.

"An urgent matter… of purification."

Gabriel raised his head, looking straight into the eye of the man. Of the woman beside him too. And with a nod furled his wings around his body.

"My prayers, answered, I thank you." The man took up Gabriels hand and with a shake, sweaty palms against small ones, he muttered countless thanks.

"I am Howard, a merchant of the town of Yaj, and it is my utmost gratitude that I welcome you to our caravan."

Gabriel once more nodded and turned to the woman, who had yet to talk. Her mouth shut tightly in order to avoid some social faux pas.

"And I, Rosa, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce myself to you." Gabriel nodded, taking in the slight dusting of her cheeks with a small smirk.

And once more, he looked to the outside world. Where the countless guards held torches to the animals and bugs that roamed within.

A gaze of envy at the weapons. But for him, it was a chance. As his gaze was noticed and a sword given to him.

"I noticed…" the merchant began, "That you have found interest in the swords, while ours may not be the best, we still pride ourselves on quality steel."

Gabriel held the sword in his hand. His eyes closed as Rosa and Howard stood at the edge of the carriage.

He took one swing, another. Eventually turning into a deadly dance of steel. One that only ended because of the abysmal stamina that he held.

But it was worth it, as with an everlasting smile he sheathed the sword and held it low to the ground.

"This gift, thank you. I was lacking one, and this will do."