A young Angel sits silently watching the stars wondering why she was cast down. Her heart longs to fly again but her broken wing prevents her. Her green eyes glitter with tears that slide down her smooth beautiful face. Her white hair lays a in snarls that are quite new to the girl. Her white dress stained with dirt and grass. Her white wings dusted and matted. Her feathers fall out due to malnutrition. Her one wing bent at an odd angle swollen and infected.

Though she walked on hard packed earth, her hooves made no sound. Instead of shining in the light like normal horses, her hooves seemed almost to absorb the light, without reflecting any back. Black smoke swirled around her lower legs, long tendrils drifting outward like spectral arms. Her long body devoid of any flesh or heavy muscling wrapped only in a thin covering of dark translucent skin over her skeletal frame. The whiteness of her bones could be seen where her skin was pulled taut, like over her joints, her skull, and her vertebrae. The vertical columns of the vertebrae of her back and neck almost appeared to rip through the skin, giving her the appearance of spines.

She took a deep breath, her narrow ribcage crackled slightly at the change in pressure. Her large nostrils flared as she exhaled and breathed in again. Her long pointed ears were tipped back against her head, their edges ragged. Her eyeless sockets looked at the ground, looking for any sign or trace of the prey she was tracking. She arched her neck, her spines poking out and separating her sparse mane into uneven sections. Her appearance had caused several people to call her a dragon in times past, even a nightmare on one occasion. They weren't wrong in some aspects of their claims.

She was like a dragon. She was a hunter of both men and beast. She was designed to be a killer of such, her long fangs and advanced senses showed that much. Also similar to a dragon, she was also adept in certain aspects of magic, being able to conjure shadows and dissipate in smoke, even render herself partially invisible. Though she lacked scales and the ability to breath fire or manipulate it, she was a feared beast, in her own right, just as dragons were. She was also like the nightmares of people. Haunting their dreams and living in the back of their minds. She was the bogeyman that parents taught their children to fear. The reasons why they weren't allowed to play outside at night, or in deep water where they couldn't see or feel the bottom. 

She dwelled in the closets and bedrooms of children with overactive imaginations. The dark places of the city where people feared to go alone. She stalked the lonely traveler across the fields at night, just as she was doing now, in order to determine whether they got home safe or not.  She did not hesitate to take a child or pet out from under the eye of an unwatching parent. Nor did she hesitate to escort the heavily intoxicated to their place of residence, only for them to never reach it at all. However, she did pity the homeless and respected those who did not fear her approach. These few folks she granted mercy to and sought another soul to take. There were many people in this world, the few she respected, she permitted to walk away alive, there would always be more. 

The prey Caligo was hunting tonight, however, was not a man, nor woman, nor beast, nor child. The young body she was hunting was unlike any she had found in a very long time. The scent of this creature brought back memories and pain from a long time ago. Screams and the clatter of metal on metal and metal on flesh drifted through her mind from a portion of memories she wished to forget. And because of these painful recollections that this scent and creature brought forth, she would make sure that they were given the most painful demise. For tonight, she was hunting an angel. 

Something was wrong that night. Despite how breathtaking the spectrum of islands looked in the glow of starlight, there was a pit in The Northern Light’s stomach. With all of the peaceful rumors he’d heard surrounding one of Onnen’s more gorgeous locations, the last thing he expected was the chill of death down his spine. Yet he knew Dalanesca was nowhere nearby, so what was causing this? Some unseen specter that haunted the lands? Onnen was an old place, surely death clung to every nook and cranny, but this, this was something deeper, something darker than the mere idea of death.

When he first sensed this presence he had been seated among the sea of flowers. Luckily such a spot was quiet and gentle enough that when he closed his eyes he was able to meditate properly. Death was not his realm, neither was darkness, but light was and sometimes knowing the opposite of something could give you a leg up. That’s what he was going for at least. After all that had changed for him in the last year he was on shakier standing than he’d been before. Death was no stranger to him, but it wasn’t the negative force he was seeking out: it was their prey.

While Torinasu buzzed at his hip, searching for the source of all of this to drink in, Naota instead locked in on the small dot of light on the other side of the island. “There,” he whispered to no one. When his eyes opened, they glowed brilliantly: crystalline, emerald. The white markings on his skin steadily glowed brighter until he himself was lighting the immediate area around him; chasing shadows away. The pull was weak, but it was there, and he followed it like a magnet as he disappeared in a silent flash of rainbow light.

He reappeared a few yards away from the small body, but his eyes were out in search for the hunter. Whoever they were, they weren’t far. Maybe he’d be able to get this person to safety before anything could happen. His footsteps were silent through the flowers as he moved one hand to the hilt of his blade. It was a girl. No, not a girl, her wings suggested otherwise. Could they really be an angel? It would certainly explain why he’d been able to hone in on them so quickly since holiness was his forte. But if they were defeated like this with a broken wing, then things definitely weren’t as they seemed.

Either way, he approached her with a gentle voice, “Miss? I’m not entirely sure what you’re doing here or what’s happened, but I think you need to come with me.” He looked past her in search for the threat, but kept himself fully aware of her all the same. For all he knew, she wasn’t as innocent as her appearance suggested her to be.

Ash darted to her feet startled by the man "who are you?" She asked backing away till she stood hidden behind a tree. As she moved her broken wing dragged over the small pebbles and roots and she winced in pain every time. "Why should I go with you"she asked through a gasp of pain.

The flash of light caught her attention. It was bright and in several different colors, just a short distance away. It came in the direction of the angel's scent, and for a moment she was curious if the prey had vanished on her. She stood quietly for a moment, breathing in deeply so that her frame rattled. No, she was still there, she hadn't moved. A second scent had actually joined her on the hillside. A different one. Stronger than the angel she was seeking, almost feeling his power radiant outward like light from the sun. She continued onward towards the source of this power. It was like the angels she had fought, only this was much stronger.

When she was closer, she stopped again. This time to listen instead of smell. She knew where they were, the combination of power and scent told her of their position. For now, she was curious about what they had to say. Her ragged ears lifted eagerly to hear the sounds of their voices. If things went according to her design, it would be the last time their voice would be heard by anyone. She would give them sufficient time to speak. She couldn't help but smile, her tight black skin pulled tight across her bones. The night air was cool against her long pointed tongue. She could almost taste them, the temptation was strong, but she would wait.

She felt herself dissipate slightly into a dark smoke, like a living shadow as she drifted silently closer. She stopped under the cover of a large tree, the shadow of the oak easily concealing her from the rest of the world. In the shadows, she existed best, unheard, unseen, almost invisible. Unsuspecting to anyone else, like a specter, she could wait for an eternity for the right moment to strike. She was in no rush. She had to feed constantly, but even then, her appetite was never sated. It was part of her curse to remain starving as long as she existed, no matter what or how much she devoured. 

She could see the angel and the young man that had appeared in the brilliant light. The man was attempting to take her away from this place. So peaceful and quiet, she could understand its ability to draw people to this land. After the angel, she wouldn't be against lingering longer in this place. More people would come here, long after they were gone. She caught the scent of blood from the pair, seeing that the angel had a broken wing and likely other injuries she couldn't see. She took a step forward, focusing in on the smell. She wasn't nearly as powerful as the man, her power a mere spark in contrast to his. 

The man was strong, and she decided that he wouldn't be worth the fight. His small body wasn't worth the damage his power could inflict. The angel, however, was still a  very real possibility.  If only the man would leave her alone. She didn't need to lose her because of him. She closed her mouth, the smile gone from her face as she gave a quiet deep hiss. She would be very angry if he stole her away with him, especially after she had tracked her down all this way. She was so close, too close for him to mess up her plan. She felt the tendrils of smoke rise around her legs. 

She turned her head to the side as she saw the angel stand up, her broken wing dragging on the ground. If she had eyes, one could have seen them sparkle in delight as she heard her gasp in pain and back away from the man. Pain was a feeling she understood very well. She stood silently, observing the pair from her vantage point on this hill. She casually licked her mouth in anticipation. They hadn't even noticed they were being watched. She could see without seeing. She saw no light, so she needed no eyes. She gave them another moment before creeping out from under the tree. 

While keeping one hand on the hilt of his blade, he cautiously held his other up with his palm facing her so that she could see he meant her no harm. She was afraid, but he wasn’t sure of what. The damage on her could very well have come from some struggle against someone. Could that same person be the dangerous presence he was sensing? There were too many possibilities, but one thing was for sure: whether this young girl was good or not she was most certainly in danger.

“I don’t mean you any harm,” he soothed, hoping that if nothing else she would believe him in that. “I’m just someone that wants to help, someone that can tell there’s a large threat to you and possibly others out here tonight,” he said. His eyes moved out in search of the unseen foe before returning his gaze to her.

“My name is Naota,” he said, quietly introducing himself as he took a few slow steps towards her, all the while keeping one hand held up. Though he’d given his name, he didn’t quite want to reveal who he was just yet. That in itself could be intimidating to some, and if she truly was an angel then it had the possibility of causing a plethora of reactions. Not all of them were necessarily positive reactions either.

“May I know yours? You look hurt, would you be willing to trust me enough to help and mend you?” he asked hopefully. Maybe they could start there. The comforting smile that had started to form on his lips quickly faded when the presence got stronger. Whoever they were, they were getting closer. He gripped the hilt of his blade tighter before untying it and pulling it from its sheath. Holding it in both hands, he turned in the direction he felt this thing coming from.

Torinasu hungrily tried to absorb the brimming amount of negativity coming off of them. That power transmuted into positivity which rushed through his veins and only built his own strength more. His eyes narrowed, unable to focus on what he was looking for, but able to see the faintest outline of something. Yes, someone was trying to hide from them, something unlike anything he’d encountered before.

“You have a chance to reveal yourself,” he warned. “Things might go easier for you if you went ahead and did that now.” It would be the only warning he’d give. The last thing he wanted to do right now was start a fight so close to someone that was already hurt. If it came down to it then he’d do all he could to protect, but at the end of the day if it was possible to stop a fight from happening then that’s the route he’d want to take.

"My..my name is Ash Faith. I am an angel. Why I was cast down I do not know." Ash very slowly stepped from behind the tree. Cocking her head to the side she watched as he tightened his grip on his blade. Then turned towards whatever he was talking to. "I could fly away from harm if my wing was broken. I guess I'll trust You. For now." She mumbled coming to stand just in front of the tree. Her wing still dragged but at the possibility of mending the broken bones she forgot her pain. Forgetting it even more as she too felt the darkness and she backed up again. Trying to stay far away from it but also staying close to the man who wanted to protect and help her.

The moonlight was bright, casting shadows across the landscape, causing the world to appear distorted underneath it's pale light. Though it was a natural world, the night turned it into a foreign land; colors were dimmed and muted out, common shapes became unrecognizable, and the will of the civilized man or beast became weak, causing them to be more inclined to crime, lust, drink, or any other sinful activity. The darkness caused change inside people as well as outside, and it was this corruption that Caligo took advantage of during her nightly hunts. She watched from her vantage point as the man became more nervous and tense. He must have felt her presence nearby, and likewise, she sensed his anxiety and possibly fear.

 He called out to her, calling for her to reveal herself. She couldn't help it, but she let out a low laugh, amused. Not physically, but telepathically and loud enough for both to hear at once. She slipped out from under the shadow of the great oak tree; her bony dark form appearing even more distorted under the faint light. She walked slowly toward the pair. Her large nostrils flared as she drew near, the smoke tendrils swirling around her lower legs. I admire your bravery, she said as she came closer. She watched him grip his sword and smiled, her large fangs sparkling in the night sky briefly before they were again covered by her thin dark lips.

She stopped walking and stood still, towering over them slightly. She arched her neck, turning her head to the side to look at the man with her eyeless socket. You have promise. I sense in you great power, far above a normal mortal. Even above the angels even. She gave a soft exhale of breath on his face before speaking to him privately. The power of a god. A deity. Disguised in flesh. She paused a moment, looking him up and down. And yet, power still radiates from you as strong and blinding as the sun. I haven't seen a being similar to you in what has felt like an eternity. She tilted her skull to see his face. Yes, I will remember you. Even without eyes, you are blinding to me, for a cursed creature, such as I, can never look upon such goodness and purity and see it for what it is.

 She switched her speech to speak to both of them again. However, young man, it is not you that I seek. She stepped toward the young girl behind him, her smoke reaching towards her ankles. I have searched for you for a long time, your scent has made me ravenous. I haven't seen an angel in ages. I remember them though. Every. Single. One. Her smoke changed, going from her legs to her back, forming a pair of black feathered wings raised high. I remember their faces, their names, their titles. I remember their power and strength. I remember how they fought well, with pride and honor. Even after they were stripped of their wings, they were still magnificent to witness. I remember plummetting down with them as punishment. Above all creatures of this land, above elf, and dwarf and man, the flesh of the angels was the sweetest of all.

She stopped just in front of her, the sweet smell driving her to near madness. She breathed deeply, taking in as much of the smell as she could, the memories vividly returning back to her. The angel was young and beautiful, still reaching for her prime, not yet an adult and at her peak of power and prowess. She didn't appear to have the aura of a higher angel, but she still had power and strength, though compared to the deity next to her, she was but a small flame. She stared intently at the young girl with broken wings, almost as if trying to see through her. Don't cry young one, I will make it as painless as I can. Her smoke drifted up and framed the young girls face. Suddenly at that instant, her desire for meat faded and her smoke wings disappeared. She raised her head slowly, her ears perked in shock and she took a step back. Azael? 

Ash stepped slowly from behind the tree suddenly forgetting her fear. "H..how do you know that name?" Her purple eyes wide with surprise she holds a gold chain that dangled around her neck with a heart locket attached to it. Inside was the last feather of both her parents. Her wing slump as she remembers watching the war from the window of her babysitters home. Watching them die. Her eyes darken and she turns away saddly lost in the memories.

So, his suspicions had been correct and she was in fact an angel. Usually when one fell it wasn’t for anything pleasant, but that could all be sorted out later. Right now, there was another threat, one that he kept his focus on even as the girl stepped out from behind the tree. The scrape of her wing sent a shiver down his spine, and he made a mental note to help and heal it later.

“I can help with your wing soon, Ash,” he spoke gently but there was still a firmness to his tone that couldn’t be erased. All of that was due to the dark form steadily drawing closer to the pair. The white markings on his skin glowed brighter when the image of the creature came into focus. What were they? Upon first glance he might have guessed at a horse, but this thing hardly resembled the usual equine.

There was a sensation at the back of his skull, alerting him that whatever this being was, they were trying to communicate solely through telepathy. His mind blocked such invasions, but he allowed that door to open just a sliver so that he could hear them. The laugh reached him first, followed by words that were hard to decipher as true or mocking. Then their fangs showed in the moonlight, and his eyes glowed brighter.

When she stopped just in front of them, he was able to take in her full form. She was large and appeared to be made completely of darkness and shadow. The largeness was only in height, for she was so thin that her ribs showed easily through her dark skin. What in the world was she? An arching bubble of protection slowly wrapped around himself and Ash, spreading from within himself to keep them encased while this dark horse was so close.

With her in such tight proximity, it would have taken little effort to swing his blade towards her, but he somehow knew that it wouldn’t be as simple as a quick slash. Thankfully she was only talking, and Naota listened quietly as she did so. She was able to sense him out well, and a younger him would have smirked, but instead he kept his expression calm and impassive. There was no reason to reveal that he was in fact an immortal, a fully realized deity, if necessary then he’d teach her that lesson through experience and not words.

Ash spoke back to the horse and Naota’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t engage her, Ash,” he warned. “She means to kill you, feast on you even, it sounds like,” his tone became more grave. The emerald of his eyes bled into threatening ruby just as bright as ever. “If it’s death you mean to bring to her then I’m sorry to say it won’t be happening. Not today at least,” he spoke the words simply as if regarding the weather or relaying the time to some passerby that had asked.

But this went beyond a simple feeding. No, there was something personal here, but he highly doubted it would lead to anything good. “How do you know something so specific to her?” While he wanted to move his gaze from this horse to Ash, he was careful to keep an ever watchful eye on her just in case she should spring. The protection he had put on himself and Ash was strong, but it wasn’t permanent.