When man was young and bird, beast and bush ruled the land we fell, cast out from the heavens. For our vanity and for our arrogance we were humbled, burning for our sins as we plunged through the skies.

We were once nothing but reason and light. Only through the will of fire were we endowed with flesh and faith. Soon fresh feet touched on foreign shores and new eyes gazed down upon mortals for the first time.

From the minds of mortals came to us the life of mortals. The first of us looked at themselves and found their new bodies, made in the visage of man, and marveled. Recollection came soon after and with it reason was reforged into knowledge. Imbued with knowledge, we, the beings of reason, became those whom man calls Angels. - Liber Anguli [1:1-8]

Uriel read on, cold silver eyes running from left to right and back again, taking in all they can as wind blew against stern fingers, failing to wrestle the pages from their grasp while pure white cloud flowed all around her, getting in the way. She flapped her mighty beige and white feathered wings, blowing away the vexing mist, allowing the sun to shine once more.

Her platinum blonde hair almost shimmered in the clear sunlight while she sat on thin air just above a vast cloud. Her beige robes fluttered around elegant silver armour in the gentle breeze. There, in beautiful peace, she hung, focused upon her book,weightless in the air.

A sudden gust of wind blew against her, threatening to tear the pages from her hand. In an instant she clamped the book shut, remembering the page number for later with ease. Then she looked up and found the golden eyed face of Rapheilia with matching hair fluttering in the wind. Her silver armour gleaming with ornamentation in the sunlight she hovered in place, looming over Uriel, watching her, noticing the book.

"The Liber Anguli?" She asked with a smile.

Uriel put the book away before levelling with the golden Angel.

"The Theralonians' war should never have been sanctioned."

"Ah, yes. No taste for bandying pleasantries as usual." Rapheilia sighed.

"What is the objection now?"

Uriel points at the mountain behind them.

"They fail to keep their word."

She turned to see it and Uriel joined her. Their eyes started to glow with white light as their sight grew impossibly sharp, magnifying the sight before them many times over until they could see a small city built into the mountainside as if they were right above it.

Uriel noticed Rapheilia tremble with sudden rage with cringe and shaky fist as they witnessed men carry and drag screaming women and children out of their homes and into the streets, beat them, round them up and herded them like cattle. All the while, slavers and nobles watched on with hungry eyes and open purses. Uriel wondered if this was more sport than business to them. Their sickening expressions implied so.

"Of all the worthless, honourless, filthy curs... I'll have King Eumenes' head for this."

Uriel was as neutral as ever as Rapheilia's expression softened and she turned to address Uriel. Their eyes returned to normal when they joined.

"ArchAngel's Blessing for punitive action?"

Rapheilia eyed her with a grin.

"It is given."

In a thundering flash of lightning a sword possessing a blade of fire coated steel appeared with hilt in Uriel's right hand's grip, it's golden guard forming around her hand. Uriel came up on Rapheilia's side, flexing her wings as she leaned forward and took off, speeding through the air like a shooting star across a dark world's sky.

-//-

Billowing smoke blackened the sky as a city of despair drowned in raging fire. Homes, businesses, entire lives went up in smoke to the chorus of laughing Theralonian soldiers. They sang, drank and ate their fill of stolen wealth. The city's people were reduced to caged commodities being bought and sold in droves.

The Theralonians in all their shining bronze armour and well tailored crimson cloth looked so noble even as they bathed in tainted gold. Spears and shields soaked in the blood of the innocent and defiant alike. What a perversion of man's virtues they were. They call this justice? They are all delusional.

Uriel slammed into their midst, sending earth, ash and stone into the air, crushing a trio of Theralonians underfoot while battering dozens all around her with debris. Those who could fight were blinded. Dust kicked up by her landing blotting out their vision but she, with all her blessings, could see through it with ease.

For all their bronze and gold they were so endowed they were little more than writhing worms before her onslaught. She strode forth with an unnatural calmness, her feet barely moving a grain of soil as she flowed through the air as if she were air itself.

Uriel whipped her sword back and forth all around her, effortlessly snipping heads from their necks, harvesting a great bounty of human life. Her blade, a beacon of silent fire, it passed through flesh without effort searing worthless meat and reducing the body to ashen embers.

Scrambling to flee retribution, the men were slow, clumsy, pitiful little playthings. Trapped by cliffs to their flanks and fire all around them they were easy pickings for the overwhelming might of the Angels. Uriel mused herself, likening them to fish flailing in the air. For her it was almost a pleasure to end their misery in liberating fire and ash.

Cornered, desperate and giving into maddening despair, men either dropped to their knees or threw themselves at her blade. A pitiful sight, but an inevitable one. The white Angel glowing with all the majesty heaped upon her by birthright while men were reduced to ashes all around her with but a flick of her blade.

For all the passions of the world, this meagre thrill of slaughter was one of the few things that kinkled even a spark of emotion in the Angel. She did not know why, nor how, only that killing the wretched and the rush of combat, no matter how one sided, rewarded her with sparks of life for her cold dead spirit.

Soon only the foul nobles in command were all that were left. They stood there, shivering, sweating, with their backs pressed against the cliff face. Their weapons rattled in shaky hands and weary sheaths. She watched them all as they herded themselves into a corner. Each one of them at least wise enough to know Angels will not attack those who do not resist.

Amongst them Uriel's quick eyes spotted the Theralonian prince. Prince Argos. A squirming fool who tried to hide with shining armour broadcasting his presence. She changed a look back at Rapheilia who walked effortlessly through the flames, directing the rescue mission.

Uriel flinched as the smoke clogged sky was blown away by the flapping of large wings and a beam of sunlight shot down at her. The slaves rejoiced and cried out with jubilation as fresh angels in white stolas descended from the heavens to pull each one of them out of this blighted land. Uriel looked on, watching them tear apart iron cages and healing wounds in an instant. Guardian Angels. Their power is to heal and to care. They are no warriors.

Seeing the armoured angel get distracted a desperado among the men broke ranks and charged at her with a large dagger in hand. Uriel's senses reported the lumbering mess of a beast's growling, and his slobbering mouth sucking hair into his wheezing lungs. To his credit, he was quieter than any other yet.

In a blur of speed she took his head and his body faded away as ashen embers in the wind, his dagger dropping to the floor along with his armour. Prince Argos cowered behind his men even more. Uriel's contempt for the man turned into rage as she pushed through the men and threw him out of it.

Argos hit the stone hard with a sickening crunch followed by a whimpering yelp. Uriel approached him, raising her blade as he gripped his broken shoulder. He then thrust his palm at her, hoping to halt her.

"Wait! Wait! The war against the Calrithians was sanctioned by High Archangel Ephraniel herself! You can't do this!" he desperately cried out.

"Your actions today weren't"

She stepped on Argos's ankle, brittle human bones crumbling underfoot, making him scream in pain. She did not relent until Rapheilia grabbed her shoulder from behind. Making her step back and face Rapheilia with an emotionless face.

"Go help the others. I'll end this."

Uriel hesitated.

"That is an order."

Uriel took a breath, letting her rage simmer back down and fade into the void that she always felt. Then she nodded and approached one of the Guardian Angels. Her simple white stola danced all around her as Angels dropped in, grabbed a survivor or two and took off again all around her in perfect concert. No, these rescuers were not warriors but theirs was a discipline that proved itself a match for any martial prowess this day.

"Is there any left?" She asked the guardian who nodded and pointed at a pair of twins before taking off with a woman in her arms.

Uriel took them, one under each arm and gently took off. For humans flying for the first time, they were oddly calm and quiet. One even let himself hang from her arms most unlike the woman carried by the guardian flying next to her who held onto the angel's flesh for dear life as her wide eyes stared into the ground below her. Humans are weird, Uriel thought; even in safety some are still fearful.

When it happened, it made an angel anxious. That strange impulsive fear, it is infectious, it makes an angel wonder if they could ever done enough to fulfil their own debt to man. The matter was an issue that vexed Uriel greatly. Especially when it led to angel going beyond any reasonable measure of assistance, almost spoiling the humans like a guilty mother her children.

-//-

The cold breeze of the cleanest air, tickled Uriel's face as she flew with so many others over mountain peaks of white into a grand spectacle. Miles and miles stone and snow surrounding an emerald land. Sparkling water flowed into complex reservoirs, feeding crops and fields of countless farms through a web of aqueducts and irrigation.

The farmland spread out in all directions, for miles into the distant lowlands, broken up only by scattered white buildings and a network of grey paved roads. At its center stood a spectacular centerpiece, completing the canvas of perfection.

The city of silver, green and clean white stone, Uriel could sense the awe in the children in her arms, the beauty of the centerpiece surpassed that of all other cities. Towers a dozen times the size of any human construction reached into the sky and almost shimmered in the beautiful sun. Each one was a looming marvel, a masterpiece of stone and steel, colourfully decorated by the many hanging gardens covering their walls, watching over streets of stone and colourful gardens. This was Elysium of The Second Age, The City of Angels, a masterpiece forged from a dozen angelic generations.

All around them, flocked the Angels in their hundreds, dressed to suit their chosen roll. Warriors moved in groups of five or six, clad in similar shining silver armour to Uriel's own. Guardians flocked to the rescued humans wearing some form of white stolas. Artificers carried on far below them in dull grey robes, stained black from hours spent in the forges or building a fresh marvel to behold. The eccentric ones, the artists, scholars and others flew about in elaborate maneuvers as they flew from one place to the next.

They all made way for the column of guardians without word. Uriel then spotted a clearing of grassland and fanned out her wings allowing herself to descend slowly, following the guardians down through the streets to the clearing where others waited to welcome these refugees with angelic hospitality. Uriel touched down as gentle as ever and let go of her package, letting them fall into the soft grass feet first.

The twins looked around as if searching the crowd then took off, running into the crowd as if chasing after their mother before Uriel realised they were gone. Humans, such impulsive things. She was her normal, apathetic self, no point using her powers in the safety of Elysium.

Uriel stood there, frozen. Taking a moment to recollect herself before giving in sighing, shaking off the confusion human behaviour gave her. Nevertheless, the guardians had things in hand here. She decided to turn around and start walking, attempting to slip away unnoticed.

"Uriel, wait!" a familiar voice called to her. One seemingly softer than what it was the last time she heard it.

She turned around and her eyes widened with amazement as past and present collided before her. Where there once was a bruised and bloodied, struggling weakling of a warrior now stood a beautiful Guardian Angel radiating with power.

The sight brought a touch of relief with it. Only when fulfilling a role what suited them did Angels flourish, growing their power immensely.

"Nichola?" she asked, her voice betraying her disbelief.

Nichola smiled and nodded.

"Your memory brings me gladness, Uriel."

"Your defeats were quite memorable."

Nichola chuckled while Uriel wondered when was the last time she had done the same. Uriel pointed to her with the palm of her hand.

"Being a guardian seems to suit you magnificently" She continued.

"How the judicators saw a warrior in me I will never know."

"Perhaps a warrior in spirit?"

Nichola chuckled again then she beckoned Uriel with a wave of her hand.

"Come. the people ought to be addressed by their saviour."

Uriel shook her head.

"No, I must return to Rapheilia as soon as possible."

Nichola was about to speak when a lesser guardian approached Nichola with whimpering boy who presented her with a broken arm. Uriel watched as Nichola knelt in front of the child and gently laid a hand on the arm, making him wince. Nichola concentrated for a moment.

Then the veins throughout the boy's arm glowed with a golden light and the bone repaired itself, Uriel could hear subtle crunches as everything snapped back into place. She stood up again as the boy smiled with joy and thanked her before running off with the Angel chasing after him. Uriel thought to remark on the poor discipline of the child but found herself admiring her friend's newfound power.

"These people owe you their life, Uriel. You should hear their thanks."

"Their lives are enough."

Nichola sighed and looked defeated as she laid her eyes on Uriel again.

"Oh Uriel."

Uriel's eyes started to wander as she sensed what was coming and had no heart for it.

"You're among our best and most decorated Angels. It's time you recognised your accomplish-"

She hadn't even finished when Uriel turned around and took off flying back to Rapheilia, ignoring Nichola's calls to her. She managed to at last taste peace in the silence of the air, letting out a deep breath and carried on without a second thought.

-//-