He was there the night the wall came down.
He lost her in the endless crowd,
In the shadow of St. Stephen's cross.
He sent cries aloft for his fellow man,
His fingers slipping from her hand,
The rain clouds prowling overhead.

Vienna Teng St Stephens Cross.


He never came to Earth, ordinarily, but he could taste on the wind the oddness of the day and feel it permeate his skin through the heat of the desert sun.

Well, not his skin of course. The skin of a very good man, one Castiel was very fond of. He had a certain distaste for riding a host. He found no joy in stealing the seconds that were already so precious. Humans were such transient things. To them, a hundred years was the same as eternity.

There was a darkness in this form as well. He had not long been in this form and still, his lips in force of habit whispered: "Holy, Holy Holy." He became conscious of the movement and made to stop it. It would be days before he had full command of what little will he had. And the darkness for one so used to dwelling in the brightness of God's holy light…

His heart sang at the thought of those lofty climes and yearned to return to his vigil, to be nothing more than a breeze of the will of God.

A distraction to his left a woman being dragged along by some ruffians.

Romans. Those as yet brought to into the Yoke of the one true. Heathens. The ore of his being turned with disdain for them, as was only fitting for a Seraph.

He moved to her and put himself between himself and the guards, his angel sword itching to feel the warmth of his palm and the clash of steel on mercurial steel.

"You there, by the will of Caesar Nero, desist or die."

He had no idea why he was intervening, but Castiel never questioned his own actions. He just assumed it was the will of the most holy.

"You will release her or I will be forced to exterminate you," Castiel responded.

What came from the soldiers was laughter. They laughed for a good long minute and in that time Castiel began to become offended. His angel sword slipped into his hand and before the expansion and contraction of a heart, one of the soldiers lay bleeding and dying in the dirt of the Roman street.

The others stopped and stared, unable to think, to form words.

"I will give you only one warning."

Anger welled in the eyes of the Centurians and they lunged at him, Gladii sliding against scabbard and stances changing from mirth to aggression like water mixing with ochre. It diffused into the crowd with people running and backing away to safer vantage points.

"I must warn you, I am an angel of the Lord and you have no chance against me," Castiel said.

All three of the remaining guardsmen leaped on him and he defended himself without even much effort.

"Fine" he uttered and in three minutes all the Guardsmen lay, their fluids and organs mingling with the dust of the city. Silence reigned around them, most staring in disbelief.

Calmly, Castiel turned to the woman.

"You are free to go." He said. She stared at him with wide, lovely brown eyes.

With a sigh, he stepped forward and took her hand and pulled her into an alley so they could avoid the coming Guardsmen.

Forward they moved, him pulling her stumbling after. Always behind them was the clatter of armor and the shouts of Leaders to followers.

"We can't outrun them." She finally said and fell to the ground.

He turns and pulled her close to him. "Then perhaps we should outfly them.

With a shake, his beautiful black wings spread out and with a mighty sweep of them he launched himself into the air.


Once truly airborne and away from the city, her death grip on him lightened and she pulled her face out of his chest. And odd feeling washed over him then, one akin to sadness or dissatisfaction. Her embrace had been quite pleasant.

Miles from the city He landed them in a copse of trees just large enough to be a forest. He remembered days from the beginning of time, vistas of trees spreading as far as the eyes could see, beast before men were even dreamt of by God wandering, lumbering, huge and fierce.

Castiel had always been firmly on the side of humans, but still, he regretted some of the changes they had wrought on so perfect a creation.

She set her down below a willow tree on the edge of a cold brook and landed himself.

"Are you a God?" She finally breathed.

"No, but I do work for one." He replied and reached into his pouch and took out some bread and cheese. He handed them to her.

"Eat and rest."

"And then what?" She asked, looking at the food.

He didn't know and so he just looked at her with his inscrutable eyes.

She built an expert fire and ate the bread and food.

"So, did your god send you to save me?" She asked, stretching out her feet and warming them in the fire.

"I suppose. I'm not really sure." She finished the bread.

"Do you have any wine in there?" She asked.

He dug around and found a wineskin.

"Why were the guards dragging you off?" He asked.

"You're the emissary of a deity, you tell me..." She said and drank some wine.

"He works in Mysterious ways." Castiel offered.

"Hum, don't they all." She responded.

"I take it you aren't a believer." He said.

"I believe, Sure. Whatever, I just don't see why it matters. I leave them alone and they do whatever the hell they want. I've seen too much stuff to think any of them care."

"Oh, such as?" He asked, intrigued.

"You wouldn't believe me." She said.

"I'm an angel. I doubt you have anything I haven't seen..." He offered and she giggled.

"Is that your name? Angel?" She asked.

"No, It's what I am. My name is Castiel." He said.

"Ah… You can call me Venadi." She said and extended her hand to shake. He grabbed her wrist and they shook like men. "You are really not like any man I ever met."

"It's the wings." He said and she laughed then a beautiful sound. "Venadi means Hunter, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it's a nickname. I'm a hunter."

"Birds? Deer?" He asked.

"Monsters." She returned and leaned back against the willow tree. She slid off her sandals and dipped her toes delicately into the water.

"Monsters..." He repeated.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. It's a family tradition. My father was a hunter but he died without a son, and so it fell to me. Fortunately, I'm meaner than any man I've ever met." She smiled and brushed her dark hair away from her face.

"Is that why the guards had come for you?"

"Could be. Might be because I killed one of their friends who was secretly a monster, or because I don't worship anything but most probably because I am a noblewoman out alone or they wanted to rape someone. Who knows." She said casually. She threw a hand full of crumbs from the bread into the water and it suddenly roiled with life as the fish fed. "They hardly need provocation."

He nodded and watched the fish. There was something about her, some light in her. He wanted to be near her, feel her warmth.

"You remind me of someone I will someday know." He said and then stopped. "I don't know why I said that." He added.

"I'd love to talk with you more on this beautiful evening, but I haven't slept in days and I got my butt kicked by Simulcra viro yesterday. I think I'm one big bruise. I hope I can sleep..."

Without thinking he reached over and touched her forehead. She smelled of honey and myrrh and turmeric. It was a balm for deflecting evil and it as a magical perfume to him. He healed her and she gasped.

It took her a moment to figure out what had happened and she looked at him in surprise.

"Well, Angel. Your more virtuous then just your beauty..."

"I could say the same for you. Sleep." She said and pushed her into a deep, untroubled slumber.


There was a rustle in the bushes and Castiel rose, his sword appearing in his hand. He moved cautiously, the stealth learned of eons of combat and glanced into the bushes.

A man sat there, slight and quiet. In his lap rested a lion which he stroked and made playful noises too.

"Gabriel?" He called and the impish angel looked up. "I thought you ran away."

"I did, but that's the problem with working for God. He's a big know it all." Castiel almost giggled and sat down across from his brother. "How have you been?"

"I was great until a few days ago when I got the summons. Had to go back to the tower of borning death."

"Heaven. It's called heaven."

"Yeah, whatever. How have you been?"

"Fine, in the trenches on the Eastern line. The demons grow more powerful and clever."

"Well, while Lucifer is in the cage all is well."

Castiel made a superstitious gesture in the air.

"You know, Cas, I know you think you're just another Seraph, but the truth is I think Dad has plans for you. Maybe you should stop all that superstitious crap. Believe me, if Lucy gets out of the cage, no hand gesture is going to save you. He's not the bogeyman, man, he's just one of us. Super powerful, obnoxious and self-centered as, well, hell, but really, just an angel."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't there when Michael took him out." Cas offered.

"Neither were you," Gabriel warned and Cas looked at him.

"Forgive me, brother." Cas looked down.

"No, sorry. Sore subject. I should have been there. But water under the bridge am I right? I'm not here to talk about that. I have a different mission."

"You have a mission?" Castiel asked, incredulous.

"Even I have a soft spot for the old me, Cas. He calls, I come." Gabriel hugged the lion and scratched its mighty mane. "Whose a good kitty? Who? You that's who, such a good kitty…."

"What are you avoiding?" Castiel asked.

"You constantly amaze me, you know that? Just when I think you're another Seraph Drone you show that you're actually paying attention. The woman, Castiel. She's important. To a lot of creatures. She will found a great line."

"And that means…?"

"I don't know, Dad said it and it sounded really commanding. Maybe I don't have the right baritone. Let me try it again..."

IN a low, deep rumbling voice Gabriel repeated himself. "The woman is important, she will found a great line… He told me that once, too." Gabriel said and looked away a little sadly.

"Are you ok?"

"You know what. No. I not. I want to warn you about something Castiel. Maybe that's why Dad sent me and not Uriel or Michael or Raph… So I could warn you. These humans, Cas, they get under your skin."

"What do you mean?" Cas asked, alarmed at the sudden seriousness of his jovial brother.

"I mean, They stay with you. Something about them, something… haunting. They're strong and weak, good and bad, confusing and wise… There's something about them that lets them get into parts of you that you never even know existed..."

"Is this about why you left?" Castiel asked, not wanting to pry but unable to stop himself. Gabriel's departure had been one of the biggest mysteries in the seven heavens.

"Yeah. I… broke a rule..."

"A rule?" Cas asked.

"The rule, Cas."

Suddenly Castiel understood. There was only one rule that could be "The Rule".

Though shalt not take as a mate a human. That shalt create no Nephalim…

"Gabriel?" Castiel asked. Gabriel pushed the lion off his lap and stood. He turned to leave. "Father threw you out? Can't you come home? Is he going to Destroy you? Did he turn his face from you?"

"None of the above. I think he realized he could do nothing to me worse then I had already done to myself…." Gabriel turned around, his face still serious.

"What do you mean?"

"To be love, to know love and to lose love, Cas. I can still smell her on my clothes, I hear her voice on every breeze, I resist every moment the urge to go to her and drag her to a mountaintop and just be near her. It's awful."

"So why don't you?" Cas stood and walked to his brother.

"Subjoining sedition Castiel? Wow, you're deeper then I thought." Gabriel smiled and again he was his own, happy self. "The thing about them is they don't love like we do. She will be a part of me forever. But she doesn't have forever for me to be a part of. Transient things. She already died and went on to her next… She married, had a life…. Everyone thinks only humans suffer… Trust me, Cas. Watch your back. And your heart." Gabriel hugged Castiel and Cas hugged him back, trying to take away some of his brother's pain.

"Keep her alive and get her to Ithaca. There are magicians there. Viri Literatum. They have ties to the Masons and can get her somewhere safe. Then go home, Cas. Just go home. Fight the demons and never come back to Earth again..."

Gabriel spread his wings and launched himself heavenward. Castiel watched him until he vanished. He then returned and looked at the woman sleeping beside the fire. It alarmed him a bit when he realized he was entranced with the way the firelight cast red flares in her hair.

She moaned in her sleep and then sat up. She stretched and looked over at him.

"I'm starving. If you have an apple and some puls in that bag. I'll kiss you on the mouth." She grinned, her hair a mess scattered over her fave like dandelion tufts dyed black and her eyes still shone with dreams.

Sheepishly, he reached into the bag and pulled out some apple and a bowl of uncooked porridge. She leaned over and took them and then impulsively kissed his cheek.

His breath caught and he shuddered. She looked at him. "You ok?" She said.

"Yes. I've just never..."

"You never kissed anyone? Well, when we get to Britannia, I'm getting you the biggest scortum in the house..."

"I don't think that would be appropriate..." She joked.

"You don't like girls? We could..."

"No, it's not… My Lord does not allow..."

She looked at him incredulously for a long minute. "OK, don't get me wrong, I don't judge people's gods or anything but yours sounds like a real downer. Does he at least let you drink?"

"I don't drink. I don't have to..."

"Man, you signed up with the wrong religion. Not to worry I'll show you the best of life…."

"I am afraid you will." He offered and watched as she cooked her Puls.


"I told you we are going to Ithaca." He repeated.

"And I told you that there is a werewolf in Britannia that someone has to kill and besides..."

"Yes, you go nowhere without your horse."

"Now you're getting it." She said. She looked over the wall into the stable. A group of guards stood in front of it. "Not that I don't appreciate the hand yesterday, but you seem to have riled the constabulary. This will make things harder."

"I will buy you another horse." He muttered.

"And I'll get you a new pair of wings. It doesn't work that way. I've had Amandus since he was a colt. And I was younger. He's my best friend."

"Most people have families and friends of the human persuasion."

"Well, a monster killed my brother. Don't know what it was but it had yellow eyes… You know all real monsters seem to look like humans…."

"Makes it easier for them to hunt." He replied distractedly. "I'm sorry about your sibling."

"Yeah. Nomine was a good guy. Tall. Kinds of a stick in the mud like you, though."

"Fine, if you must have the horse, I will fly over and distract the guards, you get the horse and we'll meet on the road to Ithaca."

"Fine, Ithaca..."


Castiel flew over to the roof of the stable. He picked up some loose slates and dropped them onto the guards below who were all conspiring over his picture. It was a flattering likeness for a hand-drawn affair.

The guards looked up and it was sudden chaos. Swords scratched out of scabbards, Feet pounded the ground and Castiel took off flying. It took a moment for them to realize he was flying.

"He is a GOD!"

"He is a monster!"

Arrows flew toward him, he dodged them easily. He was having fun. It had been a very long time since he had enjoyed himself. He got lost in the chase, the stumbling centurions cursing and following, the gaping crowds.

Ahead of him the road to Ithaca loomed and he saw many people there, but no of them was Venadi.

"I will kill her." He said as he realized she had ditched him for Britannica.

He quickly lost the guards and turned toward Britannia.


Ven urged Amandus onward forward and kept her eyes to the rear. She knew the angel would be coming and having never encountered one she didn't have any idea of their power.

She heard the sound of wing beats.

"Please be a sphinx." She whispered and just then Castiel landed in front of her on the road. Amandus stopped short.

"Ithaca." He said and looked at her darkly.

"Have fun. There's a wonderful bath there..."

"You, me, Ithaca." He said and walked toward him.

"OK, look. I kill things and I save people. It's what I do. Just because one of the random billions of gods has gone sweet on me doesn't mean I am obligated to go that way. Lots of gods seem to have lots of plans for me, but..."

"Well, this god has you and I do what I'm told."

"How very sad for you." She replied and pushed Amandus forward. His black hair shone in the moonlight and his eyes seemed a little wild.

"If you go so much as an inch forward..."

"You'll…. What?" She asked. He looked at her with narrow eyes but she was right. Short of knocking her out and dragging her, what would he do? "I'll tell you what. You come with me to Britannia and help me kill this creature. I'll go to Ithaca." He glared. "I can't walk away. They need me."

He sighed and walked over to the horse.

"Fine. But it's a long way, so I'll fly us..."

"You can do that?" She asked, incredulous.

"Yes. I can."

"More and more useful every day there, Angel."

"You annoy me." He replied.

"I get that a lot." She returned and comforted Amandus as they were lifted into the air.