Author's Note: For lack of a better title, I guess... Maybe I'll change it later. This is the story of the Angel Balthamos and the man Baruch (who later became an angel as well). It tells of how they met, how they became lovers and... Well, just keep reading. It will get better. If you have any comments, suggestions or anything else, please review. If you have any questions, review and leave your e-mail, and I will get back to you.

EDIT: This chapter has been slightly revised. No change storywise, though.

MaiaMadness

Chapter One

An Evil Thought

The day was grey and wet. It had been the first rainfall for weeks and the dry earth underneath had turned to mud. Balthamos watched the world. The way that he knew he must. It was his nature. He was a watcher, one of the lower class angels. He had been assigned this little part of this little world to watch. It was a small village, with kind little people, though lately he had sensed a disturbance among them. Someone here carried evil thoughts.

The dark, dusk-like quality of the day was not an advantage to Balthamos. Had it been sunny he would have been completely invisible, but in this light he would be seen quite clearly if he circled down to watch closer. But then the sun broke through the clouds and Balthamos took his chance to fly down to the village. Once there, he used some of his power to change into a little bird and fly to one of the straw-covered rooftops. He knew this rooftop well, for he had spent many a hot day up there watching the one who lived in this hut, a young man of 19 years by the name of Baruch.

Baruch was one of those kind people. He took care of everyone in the village, it seemed, for the smallest child to the eldest man. Baruch was a great warrior, yet he despised killing. He only ever did it to keep safe the ones he loved. But Balthamos often watched Baruch for the simple reason that he was so beautiful. He had dark hair cut short and green, blazing eyes filled with passion and love for every living thing. Around him glowed an aura of the same feelings, and Balthamos wished he could get a little bit closer to that aura and feel its heat. Just a little.

So he watched Baruch, every day. When he hunted in the forest, and when he ate during the feasts at night. When he woke up in the morning and when he went to sleep at night.

Baruch did not have any wives, the way many other villagers did. He lived alone in his hut. No wives, no children, no parents either. Yet he was never without company, for all the villagers wished to be near him, to shine in his light. If Balthamos hadn't been one himself, he would have thought Baruch was an angel. But alas, he was not. He was mortal. And soon he would disappear from this world. In the blink of an eye, he would be gone, and Balthamos would have lost his love forever.

Once more, Balthamos felt the presence of evil thoughts. He looked around him, but so many people were crowded here, at the centre of the village, where a great bonfire was kept alive day and night. Fire was light. Light was good. Light was safe. Balthamos looked at the two men stoking the fire, the women cooking food and making pottery, the children playing games, the old men chatting quietly. And the huts around were also full of life. It was impossible to tell who was thinking the thoughts.

Suddenly he felt another presence. It was the presence of that aura. He turned his little bird head and saw Baruch exit the forest, carrying four large rabbits over his shoulder. Other men came behind him, carrying other prey. All had bows and arrows and spears on their backs. They were far away, but Balthamos could tell Baruch apart from the others, for he shone like the sun. When the villagers saw the hunters coming, the evil thought was drowned out by the joy of the villagers, and several children ran to greet them. But before that, the thought had been empowered, and Balthamos had felt sickened by a lash of hatred. Hatred towards the beautiful Baruch.

Baruch awoke suddenly. He felt a presence in his home. But he could see nothing when he sat up. The hut was dark, but he was a hunter with keen eyesight, and yet he could not see the presence he felt so strongly. But in a room full of shadows it is hard to tell one shadow from another.

Movement. Baruch sat up straight and stared into the shadows. He crawled out from under his furs, out onto the dirt floor and crept over to the fire-circle in the middle of the hut. It was still glowing faintly, and as he blew on it, the smoke swirled around a shadow that was not a human shadow. A shadow standing up in the middle of the air. Baruch instinctively reached for the knife lying next to the fire circle.

"Don't be afraid," whispered the shadow. "I won't harm you."

Baruch lowered the knife. He blew at the fire once more, and again the smoke made the shape more visible.

"What are you?" he asked, realising that asking "who" would be pointless.

"I am a watcher," replied the shadow. "I am the sort of creature that you call angels."

"My father saw an angel once," said Baruch. "He said it glowed white and shining, like the sun. You are no angel."

"Angels come in different shapes and forms, Baruch," said the shadow.

"How do you know me by name?" asked Baruch suspiciously.

"Because I am an angel. A watcher. I have watched you and your village for several weeks. My name is Balthamos."

"Why are you watching me?"

"I am watching your village," Balthamos corrected. "Watching you is just a side effect of that."

"If that is true, then why are you in my house in the middle of the night?" asked Baruch. "Why are you not above watching the entire village?"

"Because I came to warn you," said Balthamos. "You are the best hunter and the greatest warrior of this village, are you not? There is someone among you, Baruch, who harbours evil thoughts. Someone who wishes to destroy you. I am not yet certain who it is, but he has ill will towards you. I am guarding you."

Baruch sat still next to the fire circle for a while, looking at the shadow in the dark. He blew another cloud of smoke towards him and watched his features grow a bit clearer. Well, he had not tried to hurt him yet…

As if reading his mind, Balthamos said, "Go to sleep. I will wake you if danger comes. I will be here watching." Baruch nodded, and crawled back underneath the furs on the bed of hay. After a while he fell asleep.