Disclaimer: I do not own Riviera: The Promised Land.

Author's Note: The prequel to Final Judgment. I had originally planned to post this all at once, but that would have taken too long for my liking.

Review if you believe you have any comments about this fic.

Flaw of the Grim Angels

Chapter 1: I Will Never Regret This Choice

It's straining, you know, trying to hold myself back. I'm gripping the hilt of Einherjar so hard it's starting to hurt.

They whimper as they lay there, on the ground, clutching their wounds. How pathetic…

Maybe I should end their lives now. They're just thugs, criminals, anyway. Villains like them deserve to die! Scumbags that need to face judgment.

I realize that these emotions of anger, hate and lust surfacing within me now are not my own, not completely. This isn't me anymore…

I make myself turn away and walk over to her. She's still sitting there, against the wall, tied up, blindfolded, and quietly sobbing to herself. The dark emotions raging inside of me instantly disappear. Only a child holds such power, I think. Too bad it will only last a little while…

I gently put my hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Hey, it's alright… It's me," I whisper to her soothingly as I start cutting loose the ropes and take off the blindfold. Than I place the Einherjar back in its sheath, strapped to my back.

The young child blinks several times, her eyes trying to adjust to the dim light coming from the setting sun shining through the dirty windows of the old warehouse. Than she turns her gaze to me.

"E-e-e-ein…"

The next thing I know she's clutching my shirt and starts crying uncontrollably. For a minute or two I don't know what to do.

I finally decide to pick up the young child. I tell her softly to keep her eyes closed until I say she can open them again. She nods into my shoulder, still sobbing uncontrollably. I nimbly move passed the bleeding bastards still laying on the ground.

When I reach the door I place the fingertips of my right hand against it and close my eyes. I quietly chant a short spell and then turn my hand ninety degrees, causing a clicking sound from the large steel warehouse door.

This simple magic trick Cierra taught me has really come in handy for this situation. Ironically, she had taught it to me so that valuable things, like the Einherjar, could be safely locked away from thieves and criminals. Instead, I did the opposite. I used the spell to keep the criminals in instead of out.

Outside of the warehouse, I place the small girl on the ground gently, facing away from the building. Her eyes are still shut tightly. I slam shut the large steel door of the warehouse, causing a loud metallic bang to echo through the abandoned area.

The girl jumps and shrieks in surprise. I realize my mistake and quickly rush over to her, wrapping my arms around her small frame and gently whisper "It's okay" over and over again into her ear. Gradually, she relaxes.

I release her for a small moment and walk back towards the door. I place my fingertips against the cold steel once more, but this time to lock the door. Good, that should keep them inside.

While I pick her up again I notice she still has her eyes closed tightly, so I tell her it's okay to open them again. As I stare into those tear-filled orbs my heart sinks even deeper then had been before.

I made a mistake.

I thought that with the defeat of Hector evil had been vanquished… What a foolish thought that was. I realize now that evil does not come in the form of a singular person or being. No, evil is everywhere. I may have defeated a great evil, but the smaller ones remain.

I wish I could say that I'm the right person to go into the world and stop those evils, but… I'm not. I'm not the right person because I can't see the limit anymore and… I may go too far in that quest for justice…

I am flawed.

The truth is that I am already going too far. Yes, as I walk through the dark forest, on a small, deserted path that looked like it hadn't been used in years, I am already planning what to do once I've brought this girl to safety.

I'm going to kill them… kill them like the filthy, power-hungry vermin they are!

I arrive at a small, two-story house with a small garden. The girl's mother is already waiting in the door opening. It looks like she hasn't moved an inch since I left, which was several hours ago now. She gasps as she sees us, her eyes instantly filled with tears of relieve. A few seconds after she started rushing towards us, a man, her husband, appeared in the door opening as well with a large knife in his hand, most likely to see what was the matter. He drops the knife and rushes towards us as well the moment he sees us.

I watch the tearfull family reunion from a few yards away with a small, relieved smile on my face. I wasn't too late to save everyone, not this time…

The child's parents look at me with teary eyes that just about scream "THANK YOU!". I nod to them once before explaining to them that they should leave this place. I tell the mother they should go to her sister, they'll be safe there.

She grabs my arm as I turn to leave and asks me to come with them. I shake my head with a heavy sigh and tell her that I'll come after them. I have to finish something first.

She understands and lets me go, although reluctantly. I tell her I'm sorry, but some things need to be done and, in this case, it is best if I did them.

I leave without once stopping or looking back over my shoulder and return to the old warehouse. After I seal the door behind me, I start to laugh at the sight before me. I laugh like I never laughed before. It's not an amused laugh, it's a laugh filled with hate and disgust.

I can almost hear their hearts starting to beat faster. I can almost hear their breathing quickening. I can almost taste their fear…

Yes…fear me, sinners. I draw the Einherjar and watch as their fear grows with every passing second.

Tonight the floor and walls of this place will become just as crimson as the hair of the little girl they had taken against her will. This night judgment will not be passed onto these sinners in name of the Gods… No, it will be in my name! I can't not hold back on those bastards, I will not hold back!

This night I will fall… and after that… I will need to go… forever.

Nevertheless!

I will never regret this choice! These animals don't deserve my regret! Besides… I don't have a choice. My destiny was decided the day I became a Grim Angel.