The first time I met him was not exactly the most optimal impression. Neither was the second time. He still leaves a disreputable image in my mind, and I doubt that will ever cease. But I always am reminded of what he could be. Because even the most evil thing that someone can picture, it will always have a ribbon of humane nature fluttering through the dark recesses of it.
The first time. It's hard to forget when I first saw his presence on the battlefield. That discomforting landscape, where the wind always blows a wind of bad omens. Where both life and death, pain and rejuvenation are certain. Only the Ancients that we protect know the secrets, and they refuse to tell us why so many beings find themselves walking these lands. I was on the side of verdant green, cool stones outfitted with a healthy green vegetation, the cold water of the river below my feet. I was to assist my allies in the north for their tower was to fall soon. I knew of the threat that the Slayer posed, though I was not very scared of the fragile flame charmer. By my wings I glided through the river and up the ravine of dark stone scattered with low born vermin. I plunged through the dark of the wood, clouded by fog of war that plagued the land here.
My muscled tensed as I approached the pathway that the dire soldiers marched down, when I was stopped by the bellowing of the wildwings. I heard them falling to the ground, their feathers crunching into the dirt. I cautiously slowed my pace, the wind beneath my wings and waited patiently in the trees. I flew up and peered through the leaves to see him.
When I saw him, he was terrifying. He lived up to his name, as I would find out later. His skin had a luster of a sickening purple, shining like a color I have never seen amongst a natural creature. He had the great horns of centaur, but he also had the strong legs of land walker, much like her... His veins glowed brighter than his dark skin, shining a mystic blue. But his wings. Those are what made me feel uneasy. They were sharp, a sickly dark color, and they were inverted. As if they not only mocked the beautiful wings of a skywrath, but made them tremble in fear. Many times had I seen wings of land walkers that were little more and a mocking of our majestic wings, but these, these objects that he claimed as hs wings, left me in a disquieted state.
The last collapse of the third and largest wildwing brought me back to my senses. The demon began to walk away, most likely to kill more creatures of the jungle. I knew that I needed to take my chance to take him down. From my perch I flew down from the trees and brandished my scepter. I fried off a bolt of arcane energy, blasting him in the back. I heard the wind get knocked out of him, and I moved in for the kill. I fired off one more bolt, and I saw him turn only to take a hit to his chest. I knew he was almost finished, and I was ready to finish him and I felt my arcane energies power through me.
The next turn of events happened so fast, that I have trouble remembering very well. The demon stood, at the time I thought it was little more than a last-minute act of desperation. His blades fit together with a clang that rang through my ears, and vibrated through my body. In a bright blue flash I felt my wings give in and I fell to the ground. My lungs filled with my blood, my powers grew weak and I heaved up a bile of pain to the ground in front of me. I grabbed my stomach and I heard the sound of my scepter hitting the ground with a clash.
I was not down yet though! I would not allow myself to fall to a demon such as this. I reached for my staff and brushed away the demon with my wings and got hold of my scepter. But I was late, and He grabbed my hand before I could pick it up. No...it was not the demon. By the Goddess! It's was me! A twisted visage of myself smiled cruelly at me. With a whip of his, MY talons, he slashed me across the face, and a sour sting spread over my nose and cheeks. I could no longer stand, and my wings crippled. All I could do was hopelessly hold the scratch across my face as I looked at my revolting reflection. In him I saw everything knew about myself. I saw the selfish man who does not think of what is right, but what is considered 'honorable'. I saw the man who sat idly by as anguish fell over the ones I once cared about. In his crooked smile I looked upon the man who was unable to protect the one I loved more than love itself. I was not aware of whether or not, in my final moments I was weeping or not, but the blood that dripped from my face and to the ground may has well have been my tears of anguish.
Before I even managed to look up and see the demon I had just fallen to, I head a muffled set of words. At first I thought that he was speaking softly, but the heat leaving my body through my neck made me realize that I was simply losing my hearing, as well as my sight. Death embraced my body, a cold and sick feeling, it my bones sag and my bloody wings droop over me.
'An Angel falls.'
The first and last words I heard from him that day.
When I awoke at the shimmering fountain, I saw that the battle was lost and that the Radiant Ancient had crumbled while I had been dead. It's blue light dimmed from it's beautiful gemstones, and the grass even looked as if it was sad, and it's color dulled slightly. The fountain began to turn to rubble and the water spouting from it splashed over me, bringing me to attention. Everyone else was waiting for me to move along with them to the Dire camp. My four allies gathered together to give their assistance to the Dire Ancient, as were the rules for the force that loses the battle. The triumphant team of the dire walked over, and we marched from the sad scene of the Radiant camp to the abhorred landscape of the Dire land. I followed my disgruntled team as Akasha, vile and venomous as ever, prodded us along down the pathway to the river. As I gently flew out the entrance to the Radiant camp, I saw his face in the shadows, standing aside a tree with the bright Enchantress not far behind. His cyan eyes glowed and pointed at me, and his angled face burned into me as I passed along. The moment was but a glance, but I somehow made it feel longer than that. As I turned my head towards my new camp I felt his eyes once again on me. It was the beginning of something bad, an ill omen as Harbinger would say. Indeed it was. But at the time I had no idea just what type of omen it was. all I could think about was what he said to me.
Why did he call me an angel?