Prologue:

Of everything that's changed, I miss sleep the most. People need sleep. This isn't a huge revelation, but it takes an entirely different meaning when you live in the fear that every time you close your eyes to rest, you might not wake.

The gray light of coming dawn slowly devours the starry skies and I rest my forehead against the cool glass of the window. My eyes open to see my reflection staring at me. Outside, towers and spires stretch outward across the world and upward into the glittering heavens. Inside the glass though, all I see are the dark circles under my eyes, oddly mismatched now since that day years ago. I push away and look back into the glass, unsure of what I was searching for in that gaze. Younger features than I should expect stare back at me and my hands run through the sandy hair atop my head. I grimace and feel the rough shade of stubble on my chin. I’ll have to shave again soon, much as I hate to. I sigh and look up again. My eyes stare back, and it's like looking at a stranger. I can’t stand it anymore and turn my back on that unfamiliar gaze.

People need sleep. They need time to rest, time without burdens, and I think most importantly, time to dream. But those are human needs, human concerns. The divine need no rest, and have no dreams beyond their purpose. I'm so tired, but I know every time I finally collapse into sleep, I'm still human. I just hope the same can be said when the dawn finally arrives.

Part 1:

Don't say I have the face of an angel,
'Cause it's such an easy thing to do.
I would never want the face of an angel,
Not after seeing what an angel goes through.
-Face of an Angel, by Shonya Bayle,
the Balladrix of Tin Street

The wind rushed around us as we soared over the 7th district. The roar drowning out the clatter of my armor as heavy muscles rolled under my thighs and the griffin beneath me pounded the air with its wings. My partner, Keris, let out an exuberant cry as she urged her own griffin into a dive and pulled ahead of us. She loved flying, and I'll admit, her joy was contagious. Her smile stood out on her face as her jet hair streamed back, subject to the whims of gravity and the wind while her 'fin rolled and somersaulted in midair. Not the most professional thing for a member of the Cloud-Winged Guard to do, but you couldn't fault her for enjoying her work. She finally leveled out as I moved my 'fin to within a wingspan of her own.

"What's the emergency this time? I didn't get a chance for briefing this morning before they told us to take off." I yelled to her, the wind drowning out my voice as much as you would expect.
"Same as usual. The goblins are revolting." she laughed.
I smirked. Some jokes are old no matter what plane you're on. Of course, most people wouldn't know that. Most probably couldn't even conceive that their world wasn't alone in the vast empty void, separated from others only by a thin veil and an indescribable ocean of aether. I'm not most people. Those few who even suspect there are greater worlds out there, mostly mages, have no way of proving their work, but then there are those like me. We're born different, born with some sort of infinitesimal spark of something far greater. We can step between worlds and survive. They call us planeswalkers. Beings of legends and myth, gods to some and devils to others. I've never understood some of the stories I've heard in my travels, of the power walkers are supposed to possess, but I guess that's what happens when history becomes legend. Then again, legends are what brought me to Ravnica.

As our griffins climbed, sliding under enormous buttresses that spanned towers like bridges, I marveled at the vast scope of this world. The climbing spires floating in the air, suspended by magic or the more conventional struts that held entire keeps off the ground. Thousands of people milled about on the plazas below, almost invisible from this height. Even in the air, there were things to see, enormous flying animals and more models of aircraft than I could have guessed ever existed before I came here. They call it Ravnica, and even in the tumult of worlds I've lived on, it’s something to behold. Civilization stretches endlessly from horizon to horizon, literally, a metropolis unmatched in size and diversity. Virtually every race under any sun you could name was present on Ravnica, citizens trying to survive in the shadow of towers that rival the Radiant Bastions of my home plane. Humans, elves, goblins, giants, all ordinary citizens in this world. Even angels, living beside the grounded folk. Even angels...

"Wake up Raef!" Keris yelled.
"Hosts above!" I swore, snapping back to attention just in time to be slapped in the face with a griffin tail. I’d reacted way too late to avoid getting a faceful of feathers and embarrassment. Keris slowed Kang, her 'fin, down to match mine as she snickered. At that moment I realized how much speed I had lost while daydreaming. I shook off the distraction and tried to smile at her, but concern was plain in the eyes behind her goggles.
"You really need to get more sleep Raef. If you drift off up here you could fall. Then I'd have to break in a new partner."
"Pft.” I snorted. “I know you'd hate that. You did everything except feed me to your griffin when I started, I wouldn't wish that on anybody else." I used my most reassuring smile as I glanced back at her. “I’ll be fine Keris. Really." My convincing tone didn't work. She wasn't buying it for a moment.
"Raef, I've known you for six months. I can tell when something's bothering you, which has been pretty much always. You never get enough sleep and it shows."
"Hey, now that's not..."
"You need to relax. After our shift, you should come get a drink with me tonight. It'll help you to unwind." I'd swear she was blushing if I didn’t know the wind reddened her cheeks on a regular basis.
"I sleep enough. I just have trouble..."
"Which is why you need a drink with me. So, matter settled." she said right over my objections. She shot me a cocky grin again and banked her griffin away. I sighed and shook my head ruefully. If only it were that easy. Hosts, if only I could tell her why I couldn't relax, much less sleep.

We soared over the edges of 7th district towards the edges of the 8th where the canyons of Old Rav pushed up into the city proper. That's where the call had come from earlier and where we were ultimately bound. Our rich benefactors had demanded we investigate because of the disturbing rumors coming from the poorer districts bordering their estates. It wasn't out of any altruism on their part, they were worried those rumors would spill up over the canyon walls and disturb their garden parties. We passed above those august compounds and soared over the dark canyon that housed those too poor to live anywhere but the ghettoes of Old Rav. The griffins folded their wings, Keris and I leaning forward, and we dropped like stones. Buildings flashed past, the winds whistling in our ears at first as they grew to a deafening roar as we let the 'fins fall. My mount, Sid, unfurled its wings first, catching the updrafts with a snap and he slowed nearly as hard as if it had actually hit the cobbled streets below. Keris waited a few more seconds, wringing the last little daredevil thrill out of the dive before Kang's wings shot out and swelled.

I usually don't like coming down here. Shadows from above keep the canyon walls dark, and the windows carved into them always remind me of hollow, dead eyes. As we glided through the perpetual twilight that Old Rav suffers, the last rays of sunlight above faded and the crowds thinned on the broken terraces and canyon floors below. With a last abrupt drop, we landed hard, lichen and moss making the cobbles slick under the griffins' talons. We climbed off and the smell of stale water made both of us grimace, which is the second reason I hate coming down here.

Keris scratched her 'fin behind its feathered mane and it warbled loudly. I stretched slightly, rolling my shoulders and making sure that I wasn’t too stiff from spending so long in the saddle. It was harder to do in my patchwork armor than out of it, but necessary if we were about to wade through a bunch of goblins causing trouble. The thought brought a sneaking suspicion to mind and made me slow though, before I stopped completely. I reached behind and made certain my claymore slid smoothly from its scabbard. Something was wrong. It was way too quiet in the streets to be goblin raids, even if one had just ended. There should have been fires and drums going, but it was silent. Keris must have picked up on it too. She was checking both of her short swords and looking around. Something had definitely happened here, or worse, was still happening. We were the only ones on the streets, and for a city the size of Ravnica, that was virtually unheard of. The only things moving aside from us were dozens and dozens of rats, which gave our griffins a healthy berth, sticking to shadows and trash in the alleys and on the walls.

"The report said goblins didn't it?"
"Yeah, that's the call we got from down here."
"If we ever got accurate intel, I'd probably die and save whatever's trying to kill me the effort." Something stirred and I stiffened. It wasn't from the world around me, but deep inside. Something uncompromising and angry was rising to the surface in response to whatever was out there. That unnerved me so much more than the silence, and I tried to halt its rise, pushing it down as deep as I could. Whatever had stirred that power within, it was bad. Something substantially worse than goblins. "Keep your guard up Keris. There's definitely something out there."
"No, really?” She shot back, an edge of irritation in her voice. “Tell me something I don't know Raef. The griffins can take care of themselves. C'mon, we've got a job to do." With that, she walked away leaving me to watch her back. Always left watching people's backs... I sighed and followed in her wake.

The atmosphere in the canyons was stifling, a thick stinking fog rolling over the ground thanks to sewers that were never completely cleared out. As we moved, Keris pulled her pair of short swords, the opposite of my claymore in virtually every way. She preferred her weapons to be quick, but I was raised with the heavy sword in my hands. It wasn't a common weapon on Ravnica, it stood out, and I'd developed a reputation with it because of that fact. The sword shone wanly in the guttering light as we cautiously edged forward. What illumination there was came from the glow orbs that lined the streets, every few posts burnt out thanks to neglect. We didn't have to go far before that changed. All the glow orbs on either side of the street had gone completely dark, casting a wall of shadow in front of us that was almost palpable.

"Great."
"What's the matter Raef? Scared of the dark?" Keris teased as she sheathed one of her swords and knelt, setting the other aside. She pulled at her belt, a long chain coming unwound from the hanging crescent lantern she held. A muttered word caused verdant light to spill from the searchlight and she picked her blade back up. "That's why I love working for the guard, we get such nice toys."
"I thought you liked working for the guard because they let you fly." I whispered.
"That too. Also, shut up."
"You're the girl with the sword, anything you say." I shot back with mirth. In honesty, it didn't make the darkness ahead any less oppressive, but at least it helped ease the tension that had been building. We steeled ourselves and eased into the green limned gloom.

Out of the darkness, the ruins of people's lives loomed. Heavy columns and caved in hovels lay blown across the streets. I knew all too well that no matter what had happened here, those ruins hadn't actually changed that much. People lived desperate lives and eked out what they could down here in places that others would condemn. Vines hung off the glow orb posts and as we travelled deeper, the silence began to hang as heavily as the fog swirling about us. After a few minutes the searchlight that Keris held did little to battle back the darkness, the miasma smothering the light, but from the mouths of doorways, new illumination stirred. I gripped my sword tighter and heard Keris pull her second sword from its sheath. The lantern winked out and we were left alone with the dull radiance glowing in the fog. From homes, they drifted out. Their illumination gleaming brighter as more joined the legion. The streets were filled with the dead. Bodies lay where they had fallen and their ghosts were the only eyes left to see the slaughter that had taken place. The spirits stretched out down the streets, faint wisps that vaguely resembled humans around a glowing niveous core. The ghosts wore the scars of their deaths on their spectral flesh. White gashes and torn bodies stretched unnaturally long as the dead drifted through the fog. I tried not to look, but Keris kept an eye on them.

"Those wounds weren't made by weapons. The edges aren't right."
"I know. I've seen enough wounds in my time, but I don't think I've ever seen injuries like these... Keris, what could have done this?" I whispered. My knuckles had turned pale on the hilt of my claymore and Keris's swords hung loosely in her hands.
"I have no idea Raef, but I think we're way out of our depth here." Keris said shakily.
"We're all these people have Keris. We can't help them now, but we can't let them go unavenged." Iron had crept into my voice as I spoke and something must have stirred Keris with that speech. Deep within my soul, I felt a surge of pride and righteous anger, but I tamped it down. I couldn't let my emotions give rise to something that I couldn't control. It fought and a phantom growl ran through my head, but I ignored it and it faded to a sullen tone. It faded slowly, but it didn't sink as deeply as I would have liked. It still strained in response to the darkness I could feel in the distance.
"I miss Kang."
"I wouldn't mind some back up either, but we can't let our 'fins get hurt."
Keris sighed, "I know, but I'm not eager to get hurt either." She shot me a candid look, one of the few times I've ever seen her look vulnerable, but it lasted only an instant. "C'mon Raef, you want to live forever?" She smiled with false bravado and marched forward, skirting around the drifting phantoms. We stepped cautiously over fallen bodies, trying hard to keep our footing in the blood that slicked the streets. The haze didn't help and no light shone from above. Eventually the lights of the dead grew sparse. "The spirits are thinning out Raef, but the bodies aren't. Get ready, I think whatever did this is close."

"Very astute observations." A low voice boomed from ahead. As we watched, the lambent glow of a spirit winked out and the darkness seemed to thicken, coalescing against the blackness around it. The voice itself was smooth, silky and sinister, and I could hear the smile in its tone. I fought to keep control, knowing what that voice would do to the spirit within. From out of the darkness, another ghost drifted forward, but as it approached, I could see it was being dragged. The darkness took shape, an enormous form with an elongated torso and arms that ended in ruby claws. It was smiling, its bottom jaw jutting forward to reveal tusks and as we watched, it lifted the spirit to its mouth and drank the ghost, savoring it as if it were a fine wine. Its eyes shone briefly and the glow orbs around us burst to sudden life. Keris gasped and her swords whispered together. I fell into my stance, claymore held tightly, its mirrored length gleaming.

The thing in front of us stood twice the size of a man, its horns, wings, and claws stained red with blood. Ebon skin glistened across its broad chest down to cloven hooves, its forearms covered in a twisting pattern that resembled nothing so much as viscera. It smelled of a strange, heady spice, thick and foul against the moldy depths of the undercity. More than anything though, its presence was overpowering, the source of the oppressive atmosphere that we had felt since we came here. Darkness seemed to hang about him, even in the light. We stood in a square, bodies scattered across the ground and hung in busted windows. Rats casually gnawed them, seemingly unconcerned with the massacre or its master.

"I didn't realize I should have left the lights on. I wasn't expecting guests, but I'm so delighted to see you. I was growing bored of just feasting."
"What the hell is that?" I asked, my voice strained from the effort of maintaining control in the face of this abomination.
"What do you mean 'what is it?!" Keris hissed. "It's a demon!"

I'd heard of them, but never seen one. They didn't exist on my home plane, but you couldn't learn of angels as I had without hearing of demons. Everything I'd heard was true, it seemed. They were creatures who existed solely as a bane to the living. Avatars of death and malevolence, imbued to their very essence with the empty mana of decay. On Ravnica, I'd learned, they were descendents of a greater beast called Rakdos, a monstrosity that had slept for ages in the molten rock far below the land. The sick feeling this thing gave me was enough, I didn't want to imagine anything even fouler. Keris caught my eye and with a nod I signaled back. We had to kill this thing or it would just keep up its slaughter. We'd be the first of its new victims, but it was unlikely to stop with us.

With a swift and well rehearsed move, we both dashed forward. Keris's swords slipped in and cut deep into the demon's thigh, my own sword singing as I swept in with an overhanded slash. Meat parted beneath its edge and a deep growl of pain and rage echoed in the square. The lights abruptly cut out, as if the demon's blood had been darkness itself, now spilled into the air. I heard Keris scream and a heavy crash on the other side of the plaza. Then, everything turned into pain as my breastplate pierced my chest underneath and I went flying. I smashed into the wall and felt my ribs go. The edges of my vision grayed as I struggled to sit up. The fog swirled where I landed, and my mind was fuzzy with agony. Sharp burning pain accompanied every breath and my chest plate had been crushed. I reached up to unbuckle it and nearly passed out from the effort, sweat breaking out across my forehead. The buckles finally came free and the armor crashed against the ground, leaving me only in my 'mail. It helped, but the pain hardly lessened. I fumbled at my belt for the signet I'd been given, a starburst behind an upraised fist. I closed my eyes and tried to center myself, shoving the pain aside as I called back the memories of the shining castles in the sky, the endless seas of emerald grass beneath them. The crisp sharp clarity of mana flooded my body and the metal underneath my hand grew hot and violent, the fiery mana stored in it from ages past bursting in response to my call. I poured it into one of the few spells I knew, picturing the mana sliding along my wounds and sealing the breaks and gashes. By the time it was finished, I was breathing hard, but my mind was clear from the absence of pain. I just wish it hadn't been.

While I'd been healing myself, Keris had been under the sadistic ministrations of the demon. Her screams made me shudder and in the ghostly light, I saw its massive silhouette stomping on her prone form, reaching down to rip at her body. I was across the square before I realized I was on my feet, my sword jammed to the hilt in the demon’s back and mana flooding my senses as the massive claymore burnt the monster's flesh. It stumbled away shrieking, taking my sword with it but leaving Keris. I fell to my knees next to her, trying to judge the worst of her injuries, but I felt my fury growing. My pulse raged and I felt surges of power cascading inside in time to it. My vision swam as I looked at her arm, bones shattered, twisted unnaturally. The sound of my sword hitting the ground on the other side of the square registered, but with deliberate intent, I pushed it aside and channeled the mana from the plazas of Ravnica above into the same healing spell I'd used on myself. The clatter of hooves on cobblestones drew my attention back to the present and I wheeled about, putting myself between the demon and Keris.

"What are you boy?" It looked grotesquely curious, its horned head tilted as it approached me. "That spell was divine, something that should be outside the abilities of your kin. Your blood smells strangely, so I repeat, what are you?"

Unarmed, Keris barely breathing, power coursing through my veins, and sure death staring at me, I only had one way to answer his question. I closed my eyes and let the inner chains slip free. Power welled within and my vision burned white. As my awareness waned, a beautiful and furious voice filled my mind. It spoke only a single word, in a clear note, but to me it simply sounded like a death knell.

Finally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The kneeling soldier began to glow, an inner light finding its way free at last. Raef’s demonic opponent, unsure of this new development, rushed forward with malicious intent, arms and wings spread wide. Its claws raked Raef, knocking him to the ground, but with a fluid motion and surprising strength the soldier grasped the demon's arm and pulled. It began to topple and with a single strike, the warrior caved in the demon's chest, sending it stumbling back. The demon recovered and lowered its horns, charging the fallen warrior. Raef rose to his feet and once again raised his hands, catching the demon. He was pushed back, boots skidding across the ground until the pair came to a stop. With a might twist, Raef threw the demon into the side of the nearest building. What injuries remained on Raef's body blazed briefly, half an instant at most, and then the light that escaped was contained just under his skin again. The demon tore free from the wall and roared. Raef jerked his fingers, running them through the air, carving a rune that hung brilliantly in the darkness. It fell like a rock to the ground and a circle of white fire burnt into the stones around the pair of them, blasting away the debris the demon stood in. Raef's eye blazed fiercely, six wings of light suddenly coalescing upon his back, casting color through the fog's vapor like a prism. With a single beat of his wings, the mists exploded outward and Raefiel lifted into the sky.

"Finally. You’ve no idea how hard it is to see an abomination like you walk the streets while I've been chained away," he said, voice ringing like chimes as he spoke. The angel's left eye shone and runes inscribed themselves slowly in the burning circle. "I knew you were there, I could feel you out in the dark, but I couldn't do anything about your vulgar presence until now. I know the atrocities you've committed and it is time for you to pay. And after you have fallen, I will fly through the streets and put this place to right. Corruption runs like rain through these streets and it is long past time those wrongs be addressed."

"An angel. I should have known, you had the stink of the holy about you,.. but you don't burn like your sisters." The demon spoke nervously as he shuffled about in place, staying well away from the boundaries of the circle. Its wings twitched as the runes embellished themselves onto the cobbles. "Nothing like you has ever been in this pit. Where are you from? What magic wrought you?"

"The souls of good men wrought me. Not that you'd know anything of it. Crystal palaces were to be my home, but I was denied them by my other self. Something of the chaotic void burns in him and that has let him lock me deep in his soul. But I am patient." Raefiel snapped his wings and chains of light snapped from the circle's edge and wrapped tight about the demon's arms, pulling them wide. "And as you can see, that is all that I needed. Now, I shall fly free and the worlds will burn with my righteous fury. Then, only the innocent and the just shall walk beneath my gaze."

The angel alit upon the ground and his wings folded inward, shining as a single pair as he strode majestically across the plaza. Raef's double handed sword lay on the ground and with a thought it found its way into Raefiel's hand. The blade seemed to absorb the radiance of the hand that held it, and it burnt away the darkness, the light’s very presence causing the demon pain.

"For the crimes against the innocent, I sentence you to burn." Raefiel held out his hand and a bright bolt of alabaster fire streaked forward, slamming into the demon's chest and turning its wings to ash. Its ebon skin burst and blistered under the beam, leaving ichor dripping from cracked and burnt flesh. "For the crimes against law, I sentence you to kneel before it," another beam lit the square and the demon's legs turned to smoke and shadow. The chains of light pulled the demon to its ruined knees. "And for the crimes against the holy, cast in the name of the Seraph, I sentence you to death."

Raefiel lifted the claymore, sword and angel shining brilliantly, and let it fall upon the demon's neck. It sheared through horns, biting into flesh and spilling dark blood that smoked on the blade and ground. The angel sheathed his sword as the circle faded. He walked around the carcass and for the first time, it seemed he noticed Keris laying to the side. Her body was trampled and badly broken. She stirred slightly as Raefiel stood above her and he laid a hand upon her head.
"You defend the laws Keris. I shall not have you die in my presence." Light flowed from his hand, anointing the fallen guard. Her eyes parted slightly and her shallow breathing caught.
"R-Raef..?" she whispered.
"Never again." Raefiel said with a cold smile of eager satisfaction. Tears welled in Keris’s eyes and Raefiel's eye flickered. The light of his right eye wavering until it blinked out. His wing shed a feather and he suddenly shook violently. "NO! NO! No, no, no, no, no! I will not be put back!" The angel gripped his head and beat at the air as his body seized with palsy. He crashed to his knees, wings fanning out about him. Feathers that had shone brilliantly moments before dimmed as they tore the sky looking for purchase, but they instead dropped like leaves upon barren ground.
"You won't hold me again Raef! You can't! You shall not have this day..." but even as he spoke, his beatific voice faltered and the feathers turned to naught but light once more. With his final act, the angel let out a spiteful laugh. "I feel the weight of your chains Raef, but you won't have the will to lift them one day. You won’t be able to pull me back. You know it. I just have to be patient."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I fell to my knees, landing heavily on Keris. She groaned, still hurt but no longer dying. The past few minutes were nothing but a blur of light and fire to me. Only one thing shone through the darkness as those memories faded. Keris was crying. I'd used that to claw my way back, to lock away Raefiel before his power finished consuming me. I was exhausted and it felt so good. While I passed out on top of my partner, I let out a weak laugh. At least I was human enough to pass out, and Keris had wanted me to get some sleep.

Raefiel's final taunt chased me into oblivion. He was right. My only hope lay in finding other angels and praying they had answers to stopping him.

Part 2:
Don't say I've got the voice of an angel,
Don't tell me that you think I'm true.
Don't say I've got the voice of an angel,
'Cause an angel would never lie to you.
-Face of an Angel, by Shonya Bayle,
the Balladrix of Tin Street

The headquarters of the Cloud Winged Guard is a sprawling edifice of steel and glass that stood sentinel, overlooking the crowds going about their daily lives. It spreads out near the exact center of Ravnica, close to the ruins of a titanic statue that fell to the ground far below. Both the colossus and the building hang high above the only undeveloped land I've seen on the entirety of the plane. To be honest, it reminds me of nothing so much as a spider, squatting in the center of a massive stone web of buttresses and bridges. Ten spokes surround the massive tower of the building proper like legs and these serve as the entraces to the high towered structure. They call it Centerfort, a name leftover from when the Guard was part of the Boros Legion.

The Boros had been the armed force of Ravnica for ten millennia, but that changed when the spell called the Guildpact was broken. Before, there were ten guilds that had vied for power in ages immemorial, but in those ancient times they came to the conclusion that they’d probably end up destroying that which they fought over before anyone actually won. Together, they cast a spell that would create lasting peace and structure for every party involved. They cast it with the best intentions, but as time wore on, the guilds grew fat and corpulent. The pact kept them in power as much as it balanced their influence against each other, but when the pact broke, nothing was there to keep the guilds in check except their word. A vicious cold war sparked, each guild doing their best to secretly destroy the others. Eventually, the guild wars exploded across the plane as they tore at each other and the cold war burst into an inferno. Civil war is something I'm all too familiar with, my home plane had been ripped apart by it, but Ravnica had something Ellysium didn't. Ravnica had an underclass that had been oppressed for over ten thousand years. The Guild War turned to bloody revolution faster than any of the powers of the time could have predicted, and much of the guilds were brought crashing violently down. The ruling bodies hung from towers, and those that didn't found themselves oddly free. They changed, allowed to become something different from what they were fated to be and as a result, some of the guilds found a new purpose. Others were left badly broken and their membership drifted away to become something free from the stigma of those ancient orders.

I strode into the central tower, dreading the meeting that I was about to have. I'd been on medical leave for the past three days after letting Raefiel free. Our 'fins had come looking for us when dusk darkened the canyons and we hadn't returned. The next thing I remembered is waking up in the medical barracks. Aside from exhaustion, the doctors gave me a clean bill of health. They wanted to keep me to make sure I rested, but my sleeping habits are an open secret with pretty much everyone in the guard, and they couldn't find any excuse to hold me. Keris wasn't so lucky. She'd had a healer on her almost immediately after we arrived and she was still in their care when I woke up. The doctors said she'd survive, but they didn't know how long it would be before she'd be back to normal.

After all was said and done, that left me to give the report of what had actually happened. Other guards had been sent to investigate, but all they could find was the aftermath. The incident caused a stir all the way to the brass, and now I was being asked to meet with the commander. It didn't take a detective to connect the two. I'd thought carefully about what I'd say, but I wasn't sure what to expect and that made me anxious. As I entered the complex, I was bombarded by the cacophony that makes up central booking. Even though we were only guards, nominally peacekeepers, we still took prisoners more often than not. That left us the difficult problem of keeping the prisons for the city, and that created a lot more paperwork than I'd ever dealt with. It's one of the reasons I had chosen griffin duty rather than trying to work the offices. Every few weeks our prisons were freed up as the senate finally got around to trials. The Azorius Senate, served as the judges of Ravnica, measuring the penance of anybody we apprehended whenever they got around to trials. Of course, that didn’t seem to happen often enough these days. Since the fall of the guildpact, the Senate had seemingly ground to a halt under the weight of their own bureaucracy, but every so often they managed to file all the right paperwork and address the surplus crime rate. Most cases seem to end with exile from the city, but we didn't take many prisoners from outside the city to start with, so maybe that was an effective punishment.

At the back of booking, the steam lift ran to the other floors of the tower. Most of them were prison space, but towards the top, the floors started opening up to the griffin and roc stables where we housed the mounts. I'd rarely had reason to go up further than that, but today, I pulled the lever with that intent. The lift hissed and rose smoothly, taking me to the top floor where administration kept their offices. The gates clattered and opened onto a fairly dark hallway. Glow-Sconces provided light every few feet and it was lined with a clashing array of art. I honestly couldn't tell you if any of it was good or not. At the end of the hallway two guards stood looking bored. They were a mismatched pair, one a human and the other a viashino, one of Ravnica's lizardmen. Each wore the red of the Guard under armor and bore brutal looking spears. The portal they were so attentively protecting was a massive work made of gold. A giant stone golem was locked in deadly combat with a cyclops, the sculptures embossed on the door were larger than I was and I had the feeling that it was meant to intimidate. At the very least, it left me feeling unimpressed. The entire thing looked gaudy, but I suppose I had a little more experience than your average guardsman. As I neared the portal, I caught the tail of their conversation and slowed to see how much I could pick up before they noticed me.

“-m telling you, the Boros aren’t long for battle. There’s someone challenging the guildmaster.” The viashino spat.
“There’s hardly anything left of the Boros. We weren’t the only ones who moved on when the ‘pact fell. If they want to fight themselves, it just proves we were right to abandon it when we did. Especially if half the things I’ve heard about Aurelia are true.” The human shot back.
“Never thought I’d see the day the Boros were so hungry for war that they’d attack themselves.” The viashino shook her head. At that point they both snapped to attention as I neared. They saluted and I returned it. The human held out his hand and I unstrapped the claymore slung across my back. I passed it over and the doors parted soundlessly thanks to some unseen mechanism the guards had pressed. I steeled myself and marched brusquely in.

The commander sat behind his desk, a great arc that spread around him. Captain Owhen Dech was an older man, his hair still dark. Steel and iron shot through it as the only real concession to his age. He dressed in a uniform very similar to the guards outside. The only differences were the stylish cut of it and the host of ancient signets that covered his shoulder. A disfiguring burn scar ran down the length of his face, right over his destroyed eye and hidden partially by an impressive patch. It was an ornate piece of metalcraft and leather work in the shape of a dragon whose wing stretched over his lost eye. Its head and tail looped around and twined together to form the thong that held the patch in place. He cleared his throat and finally looked up at me.

"Raef, how have you been?" he rumbled. His voice sounded like he swallowed gravel and marked him as a former resident of the fifth districts. The smoke and heat of the factories in that section damaged his voice, but seemed to add a little of their fire to the man who used it. He'd been on the front line during the riots of the revolution, and the scar and rank he wore were his rewards.
"I've recovered well enough sir."
"Good. It's time we learned what happened. You've raised more than a few eyebrows over this incident and I'm eager to hear how you managed to take a damned demon down by yourself."

"Lieutenant Keris and I flew out to investigate a call about goblin raids issued near the border of Old Rav, where the sixth and seventh districts meet near Grigor's Canyon. When we arrived, we found the streets deserted and proceeded on foot with weapons drawn. We encountered a place where all the gloworb posts had been darkened and it was in this area that we found the ghosts of the residents in the district."
"First I've heard of that. The ghosts must have faded by the time forensics and reinforcements arrived." He looked down briefly and added a note to an open file on his desk, "Go on."
"As we continued forward, we were ambushed by the assailant, the demon who was responsible for the massacre, and he separated Lt. Keris and me. I was knocked back and my chest plate was caved in. While I dealt with that, he-" my voice faltered and I went silent for a moment. Captain Dech noted that and nodded, implying I could skip what Keris had gone through. "By the time I was back on my feet, I'd drawn mana enough to throw up a shield when the demon lashed at me again. The mana from the signet caused feedback in the spell and the demon caught the full brunt of its own attack. It fell to its knees and I got lucky enough to put my claymore through its neck. I hacked at it until it came off and then dealt with Keris' injuries. I overextended myself and passed out. It was stupid, but I was worried." I finished and looked at him. He returned my stare appraisingly and I was briefly amused at the fact that none of our eyes matched any other. He turned his attention back to the file and made a few more notes in the scroll. He laid his quill down and put the topper on his inkpot. I shuffled while he stood up and turned to a shaded window discreetly placed where it wouldn't impact the lighting in the room.

"You cast a fury shield and got a lucky strike in on him. That's the report, correct?" He folded his arms behind his back as he gazed outwards.
"Yes sir. That's my report."
"That's dung and you know it Raef." He stated calmly. My stomach fell out and I forced my breathing to remain even. The adrenaline spike stirred the spirit inside, but it lethargically settled when it didn't detect any threat. "I walked the beat before the guilds fell, and I may not have had a lot of experience before that time, but I knew when I was being lied to. Besides how sparse that report is, it doesn't match the details we recovered from our investigations. There was evidence of a broken spell circle carved into the cobbles and debris. It could have been from a fury shield, but that doesn't account for the burnt out runes on several of the stones. What's more, the demon itself had extensive burns that were entirely too clean to be from a shield spell. Of particular note are the burns around its neck where the head was attached. Raef, I know you're good with your sword, but you don't have the strength required to behead a demon in one stroke."

The cool assessment Dech laid out before me showed that he'd become captain for a damn good reason, and it had nothing to do with how he'd conducted himself in the riots. He turned back to me and sat down, keeping his one good eye trained carefully on me as he leaned forward on his elbows.
"So, do you want to tell me what really happened, or do I log your story in as the official report?" I remained silent for a while, matching his gaze carefully and trying to work out what would happen to me if I told him to run with the story. He was difficult to read, but he didn't seem angry. Just cool, calm, and assertive.

"That's what happened sir. That's my report." Half a second of anger flashed through his eye, but he nodded and his cool demeanor was back before he was done.
"Very well Raef. As I said earlier, you've impressed some people. They're insisting I give you a bonus." Dech laid a pouch of rectangular gold coins on the desk between the two of us. "They're calling you a hero you know. They're right of course, I've seen my fair share of heroes working the streets. Nobody can fake that kind of skill or bravery, and you've got it." Fire stole into his voice as he leaned further forward. "But let me tell you what happens to heroes. They do something stupid and they end up dead. There's a time for heroics, but I'd rather my Guard do the smart thing and survive. If you'd run for reinforcements, you might have been able to beat the demon without getting hurt. Your chest plate was recovered and you did get hurt, no way you couldn't have been. If you'd come back, the demon might have gotten away, but at least you and Keris would still be in fighting condition. You have to know when to choose your battles and don't give in to stupid heroics." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms again. I sat silent, angry at him and myself, mostly because I knew he was right. "And Raef?"
"Yes sir?"
"Good work." He smirked, something of approval passing over his weathered features.
"Yes sir." I smiled back, a bit of vindication creeping into my voice. He nodded my dismissal and I began to leave. He cleared his throat again and pointedly motioned at the bag of coins. "I don't really want it sir. I don't have anything to use it for."
"Take it anyways Raef. You never know when you might need it, and our benefactors were very insistent it end up in your hands." I sighed and moved forward, pulling the cord and tying it to my belt. "Go see the armormaster about replacing your chestplate."
"Yes sir." I nodded and started to leave yet again
"May I ask you a question Raef? Strictly off the record?"
“Yes sir?" confusion and wariness edging into my voice.
"Why haven't you gone to speak with Lieutenant Keris yet?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sound of clashing steel rang over the thunder of the armies' advances. Even the death cries of men quieted to the singing metal. Boots churned the once verdant plains and blood watered the ground to mud as men and women died by the hundreds. Dull flashes sparked deep in the clouded sky, the heavens themselves being turned to a killing field. The winds promised rain as they blew, as if the clouds themselves wished to weep at the sacrifice of so many. But, no tears fell on Ellysium.

They say my brother died on a day like this. He'd been younger than me, but he joined the Seraphic legion years before I did. When he died, my sister was crushed. My father accepted the loss better than he should have, better than I did, but he'd seen a lot of death in his time. He'd been a knight before mother died giving birth to my sister. He'd retired to raise us, working as a griffin breeder for the Archons. He taught us everything he knew, how to fight, how to ride, and how to live. My sister was always too frail to take up the family swords, but she was still the light of the stars to dad. When Uden felt he'd learned everything he could, he ran away and joined the war. Dad was furious, but there was no denying the pride he felt either. Uden joined the Legions and died amongst hundreds of others in a battle just like this one.

A battle I wasn't actually a part of. I sighed and my comrades groaned again.
"I never expected to be doing this when I heard the giants were planning an assault." I motioned around, waving at the forest in the middle of nowhere. Our base camp had been hidden half a mile into the greenery, the battlefield that saw the fighting stretching out below our position. It offered a prime vista, ideal for tactical appraisals.
"We know Raef, you haven't shut up about it since the battle started." Tari griped, moving her greataxe to lean against her pauldron. She was surprisingly tiny, but her ferocity with that massive weapon had earned her spot on our team. She kept her long raven tresses pulled back most of the time, and she tossed the tail as she swore. "We were told to hold the back lines because we'd be wasted on the front. The rank and file just doesn’t have what we do."
"Be respectful Tari." Ahz shot at her. "A lot of these men are probably going to die today. Their blood is going to buy a victory, but it won't make any difference if command falls." Ahz folded his thick arms across his massive armored chest, his demeanor kept carefully calm. He had a blockish face and huge body, but he moved conservatively as he turned to me. "She's right though Raef."
"You're both wrong. We may rout the giants, but we will lose this fight. The battle is going to go in our favor, but you aren't looking at their real goal." Boreas motioned down to the theatre of violence. "We outnumber them, but the battle is destroying our mana base. The mana in that field is going to be wiped out by the fighting and the damage our own forces are doing to the land is going to keep it from regenerating for years." Boreas kept his wizened eyes on the ebb and flow of the fighting.
"So what's the point then?" Tari snorted.
"The point is, we'll wipe out more of the Cherub's forces. That in itself is a worthy goal for the death of a soldier." Ahz stated calmly. "And one never knows the strategy of the angels. We might very well buy a more worthwhile victory later."
"I just can't stand it!" I hissed. My sword whipped through the air and I grunted as it stopped its arc in mid air. "I joined to do something, not guard command. I joined to fight."
"You want to fight because your brother did." Boreas said.
"That's not-"
"Yes it is!" He barked. "We've been over this every time you get taken out of the fighting. We're not an infantry unit. We strike harder and faster than the rest of the army, but that also means we can't fight alongside them. So we guard command when the killing starts. You've been with us long enough that I'm starting to get tired of it. Look boy, I know you want to avenge your brother, but you're of more use here." He sighed and folded his hands behind his back. "Sorry to have spoken to you like that commander."
"It's alright." I sheathed my claymore and shook my head. "I just never expected to be anything more than a soldier like Uden. I wasn't trained for this."
"The hell you weren't. Your father was a bloody knight, almost a legend! He could've even been in the Order of Archons if he hadn't retired. He trained you to do more than stand next to a bunch of thugs with swords." Tari smirked spitefully as Ahz grimaced at her.
"The battle is turning in our favor." Boreas informed us. He almost sounded bored and I didn't blame him. "It's also starting to rain."
"Thanks Boreas, I could tell that last part." I grimly commented. I sighed again and leaned against a tree. Guard duty hadn't been what I thought I'd be doing while others fought, but it was an inevitable part of the military life. I just thought being a sentry would happen in the middle of the night instead of in the middle of the war. Ahz shot straight up to his feet and I sent him a questioning look.
"This rain isn't natural." He said, the edge of his voice taking on a suspicious tone as he spread his hands to catch the rainfall. "It's powered by the green. But why would they- We have incoming!" With that last word, we were all up, weapons drawn.
"Where?” My claymore hissed out of its sheath and the wide blade glistened in the falling cascade.
"They've shrouded themselves, but there are a lot of them. Coming from the west it feels like."
"Feels like? Dammit Ahz, you're our cleric, if you can't give us accurate intel, start prepping your spells." We moved to a diamond formation, our backs pressed against each others'. "Eyes sharp everyone."

The rain continued to fall, turning into a full downpour and drowning the already muted sounds of the forest. The patter of rain and the harsh noise of our own breath were the only sounds to be heard, but Ahz didn't make mistakes. I looked over my shoulder at him and watched as his eyes darted through the trees. They finally settled, and slowly, he began a lilting chant. The air felt crisp and chill around him as we all watched. Apparently, his chant was all the world was waiting for, and a great cacophony shook the water from the leaves. The heavy stomp of boots and bodies slamming against ground and tree crashed towards us. Ahz's eyes flickered white and his hand darted out to the source of the sound, lips parting. What he was planning to say, I'll never know, because at that moment, an arrow bloomed from his back, the point punching through his chest. It was the size of a javelin and he shouted, falling and letting the spell he'd shaped go wild. A blinding ray sliced through the air, the torrent of rain turning to steam in its wake for half a second. The trees it raked through sparked to fire and ember in seconds. Amazingly, the sound of heavy bodies hitting the undergrowth joined the din. I yelled as Ahz fell, and he answered with a grunt of pain and shock. I felt him reach for the mana in the valley below and I did my best to remove the arrow. If he was calling a healing spell, he needed the wound to be open so it could close. His blood splashed against my armor as I pushed the arrow through, his life running hot down my hands. I had been wrong. As he died, I realized that he had never planned on trying to save himself. He was trying to save us.

The life left Ahz's eyes as his spell rippled the air. It passed across me and nothing changed, but as it struck the giants, their shrouds fell. The power of Ahz's last magic tore through their invisibility and Tari gasped. Fifteen goliaths came to a halt as their enchantments failed. Each stood twice my height and wore the rough leather furs and steel that made their battle armor. Their dark skin was marked with winding patterns of paint, and coarse hair hung down their backs. Heavy brows hid black eyes which darted between the group as they became visible. The tallest of them nodded and hefted his heavy staff, the giants marched slowly forward, a sharp contrast to the headlong rush they had made while hidden.
Tari tensed as the enemy drew close and with a sudden flurry of movement Boreas brought his sword up, punching straight into the giant nearest him. My own sword rose and with a speed that seemed preternatural to me, it sank into his legs. It was like chopping into a freaking tree, my claymore hewing muscle far thicker than my own and rattling my arm all the way to my shoulder as it hit bone. The giant's mace whipped out and caught me on the side, sending me flying. I went rolling through the undergrowth, my sword joining me in the brush as it flopped out of my limp hand. A third giant fell as Tari's axe made bloody work of yet another. I grunted and felt something pop as I stood, but reached for my blade. I waded in again, my sword cutting through sinew, and hot blood splashed against me. Boreas folded around the iron club of one of the enemy, and Tari split the skull of the woman who did it. Carnage flew about us as I whirled around, my blade arcing through skin as I spun over Boreas. I fought to keep the enemy away as he groaned, trying to rise. Half the giants had fallen, some dead, but most just wounded. Tari flew at the largest Goliath and with a war cry, he met her. She danced around his staff, amazingly swift with her greataxe. It slammed home and the leader bellowed. Tari laughed and twirled about.
One of the warriors slipped to her side and brought her sword down on Tari. She gasped and lunged out of the way, but stumbled off balance. Tari’s blood splashed and pooled within the death she left in her wake. She gripped her side and whimpered as we watched, stunned. Boreas shouted and I was moving again, my sword weaving through the flesh of anything between us.
The sword had gone deep and she'd been hurt badly. I tried to staunch the bleeding while Boreas stood sentinel, his back to us with blood staining his own clothes from half a dozen wounds he'd acquired during the fight. I looked down and realized I'd been hurt too, but I could only draw blanks to when it had happened. The giants circled us and I jerked Boreas down to me.
"I'll hold them, get Tari out of here!"
"Raef, we can't leave you behind." He struggled, but my grip tightened.
"That's an order. You're hurt worse than I am and you have to tell command that an assault is coming. I'll hold them here." I rose from Tari's crumpled form and pushed him down towards her while I faced the giants and braced myself. To my amazement, they didn't stampede forward to trample us. I heard Boreas swear and Tari's piteous cries as he pulled her up. My sword rose to the first ancient dueling form my father taught me and my breathing steadied. A murmur rose up between them and I heard thrashing far above us. The Goliaths scattered and faced me. It wasn't until seconds later that realization hit me, why their formation looked so familiar. They were an honor guard.
The Cherub plummeted to the ground on all fours. His heavy frame blew apart the undergrowth and his wings exploded outwards, the four of them rising high, marked with the plumage of a raptor. Slowly he stood and I swallowed hard. If the goliaths were giants to me, then this was what they called a giant. He stood easily four times my height, a massive wall of short fur and smooth muscle. His hands, talons really, rose from the ground, and he looked as natural on his hind legs as he had on all four. The most disconcerting thing was the humanity in his face. He had the face of a human, and not of the giants that stood with him.
From his head, a great leonine mane ran down his chest and back, accentuating the feline look of his eyes. Vicious horns curled forward, polished dark and marked in silver. Leather wraps crossed the hard planes of his body and with every move, the muscles rippled under the thin coat of fur that covered him. A cloth hung at his waist, ornately arranged but bearing the undeniable marks of being cinched for movement. His powerful legs were of a great bull and he crushed saplings beneath his hooves as he folded his wings down. His talons clenched, as if eager to tear me apart, but what he did surprised me more.
"Why do you seek this battle?" His voice was deep and resonant, but he spoke gently. "You know you cannot win. You are overmatched, if not by my guard then easily by me. There is no honor in this fight for us. Just surrender and we shall not have to do this." He folded his massive arms across his chest and looked down at me. Silence reigned in the forest and finally, I shook my head.
"There is no honor in fighting a weaker opponent." I knelt down in front of him, my hand resting in front of me. "But there is honor in fighting for those you've sworn to protect." I stepped forward, my muscles screaming as I hurled Tari's greataxe at the angel. I yelled when the axe flew free, whirling in arcs before striking the Cherub. The head bit deep into the angel's chest, and I'm not sure who was most shocked, the cherub, the goliath, or me.
I surged forward and leapt, forcing my blade through the chest of one of the giants. As she fell, I held on, riding her down and pulling my blade free only when her back finally crashed against the forest floor. I parried a wild swing and felt something else connect, but as I spun, the angel's claws hit me.
They sheared through plate armor and tore the rings of the mail underneath. I coughed blood and grew cold as my life cascaded down my chest from the huge rents in my armor, already slick from the rain. I gripped my sword and tried to fight again, but another hit sent me to my knees. My vision went gray and shapes swam through the haze. I heard a battle cry go up, but it sounded distant to my ears. The only thing I heard was a faint chime and the deep voice of the Cherub.
"Rest now. We shall battle again, in war or peace."
And I died.

There was a white room.
It seemed to stretch out in all directions endlessly, but I knew that this was just a room. I felt no weight, no pain, nothing but the floating sensation that held me. Unsure of what to do, I tried moving forward and felt a sudden heaviness, as if something was dragging at me. A heat started building in my chest, growing hot and I tried to move again. The white room around me started to dissolve, the brilliance shrinking to pin points that shone like stars far out in blackness. I pushed again and felt something holding me. The radiance shone so brightly out in the darkness, halos of prismatic light adding color to the black void, and I felt a sudden need to go to them. The reins holding me pulled abruptly and I glanced down. Multicolored chains wrapped me and as I watched they sank into my body. Where they touched, there was only pain.
It wasn't a pain of the body, but a soul deep agony that blazed across my senses. It felt like being dipped in molten metal and it burned as light ate away at my self... my soul, I realized. It rose, sliding across ethereal skin, turning it into shining gold as it passed. My vision flickered as it passed over one eye, closing upon the other slowly. The heat in my chest, different from the terrible fire on my skin, grew to an inferno and fought the shining light that reforged me. The cascade of light slowed as the inner ember resisted and slowly I became aware of something else on the periphery of my mind, something righteous and eager. I recognized it then. It was an angel... and it was coming from inside me.
Breath exploded back into my body, an alien sensation in this place. When my eyes snapped open to the real world I felt the heat in my chest ignite into something cool and powerful. The remains of the white room vanished instantly, replaced by the drooping canvas of a medical tent. The hard ground cold under my back, and in that instant, I knew I was alive. Then... I was elsewhere.

The skin of the world ripped away from me and I found myself in another place, one of tumbling chaos and worlds, a place between places, vaguely familiar from before. Worlds hung in the void, surrounded by susurrating auras of light and sound. Behind me I felt the world I knew, familiar and safe in this terrible void. With a thought I was staring at the canvas tents again, coughing blood and gripping my chest, feeling rough scars raked bloodily across my skin. Breath came quick and my head darted around. Awareness slipped away and I didn’t fight. The last thing I heard as I passed out was the soft patter of rain. Just like the day my brother had died.

I awoke with a shout. My hands going to my chest again, for the hundredth, maybe the thousandth, time. My breathing was heavy and came in gasps, the skin under my fingers slick with sweat. I closed my eyes and lay back, forcing my breath to calm as they'd taught me on Kamigawa. My eyes opened again finally, looking to the ceiling of my apartment. It was dawn, but it would be hours before the sun rose high enough to stand above the spires and towers of Ravnica. The dream was one I have a lot. It had started weeks after the battle, when I returned home to rest. As time went on and the dream became worse, I understood what had happened to me. The Rapture had chosen me to become an angel. I desperately searched for answers, but found there were none on Ellysium. I told my father and sister, Isabel, everything I could. I told them that I had to look for some way to set things right, and I left. I still visit them when I can, and they still worry about me. They're the only ones whose concern I can stand to bear, the only ones I want to have to worry about me... which means I can't get close to anybody else. The bed shook as I fell back, shutting my eyes tight with a sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When dawn truly arrived, I put on my armor and made my way to the medical barracks to see Keris. Captain Dech had picked up that I wasn't eager to see her, but he thought it was only a matter of survivor's guilt. That she had been hurt so badly while I didn't suffer the same injuries. What had really kept me from going to see her was the invitation she'd given me before we landed and the tears in her eyes after I'd let Raefiel slip free of his bonds. Those are what haunted me most.

I got in without any real trouble and eventually hunted down her room. It was still early and I wasn't surprised to find her sound asleep. She woke slowly and found me sitting there. I'd been there for a while, put the solitude felt like penance that I deserved.
"Can't you let a lady sleep you jerk?" she grumbled blearily with a smile.
"Oh terribly sorry, let me just leave then. I'll give your best to the captain shall I?" I shot back at her playfully. Truthfully I was glad she was awake, even if I hated the reason I came down here. Mostly, I'd just been getting bored, and I felt more than a little guilty about that already.
"Nah, you can stay. You really spruce up the room." she chuckled weakly. Unfortunately we lapsed into silence after that. It stretched for a long time, which means it probably didn't last nearly as long as it felt.
"How are you Keris?"
"Itchy. Mostly itchy." she leaned back and closed her eyes again. "And the food here sucks."
"Military food always sucks Keris, you should know that."
"That doesn't mean you have to feed it to the sick and injured. That's just mean. Also shut up." She groaned and sat up. "I know you've been up and walking around, but I never got to see how bad you were. All I know is that you killed that... thing and then took care of me," about halfway through her sentence, her voice broke. "The medics said you were fine, but I was still worried. Didn't you think I'd like to see you? You’re my damn partner, I care about you."
"I know."
"So what's a girl got to do to get some attention? Lose a limb?" She gave me a wry smile.
"No. I don't want to see you hurt Keris." I answered somberly. I took a deep breath and looked her directly in the eyes. "And I know you care for me, as more than just a partner." she blushed fiercely and adjusted her bandages, looking basically everywhere except at me as I confessed to her. "I'm sorry."
"Well, I'm embarrassed you jerk, but-"
"I can't Keris." I interrupted. She blinked at me and I saw hurt and anger in her eyes.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I can't get into a relationship. I care about you too, but I just can't."
"Well why not?!" she huffed. "Am I not good enough or something?"
"No, you don't understand Keris, it isn't you. It's me."
"Oh, I've heard that before! You can just get out! Get the hell out!"
"No, I mean it. Listen to me!.." I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair. "The reason I came to Ravnica is because I have a curse. I came looking for answers, for how to free myself from it, but I'm not sure if I can find what I'm looking for in the city. If I can't then I'm going to have to leave. I don't know where or when I'll find the cure I need, but I can't let you get attached while I'm like this." The anger in her eyes slowly faded to confusion and the silence picked up where it left off earlier, heavier than before. I felt horrible for hurting her, but it had to happen sooner or later. After what seemed an eternity she looked back at me and spoke.
"I don't pretend to understand what's going on with you, what this curse is or anything else, but I might be able to help. Didn't you even think to ask me?"
"I'd appreciate any help I could get, but I don't know if you could do anything. I don't really like talking about it, but I've already told you more than I've told anyone else here Keris."
"So... let's say you find the cure to your curse. Do you think we could have a chance then? Would you come back to the Guard if you had to leave?" she blushed again and gave me a stern look.
"Yeah, I probably would." I gave her a small smile and she nodded once.
"If you don't, I'll kick your ass." She said with a straight face. It didn't last long as she smiled wanly. The hurt was still in her eyes, but something like understanding was there too. I didn't know if that hurt would fade with time, or if I'd see it every time I looked at her, but at least she was willing to smile.
"I promise." I smiled back at her. All the while, I felt dead inside, knowing I was probably lying to her.

Part 3: Interlude
Chill air caressed my cheek and sent a shiver rolling down my back. The reflection of hundreds of glow orbs stared up at me from the dark still waters of the lake below. I couldn't imagine what lived in those waters any more than I could imagine the people that would choose to live here. I pushed myself away from the rail and continued down the bridge that spanned the underground lake. Despite the multitude of lights scattered throughout the district, they hardly touched the gloom that seemed to squat along the wide streets. I hated the undercity.

I'd never been to this part of it before, but it still bothered me a great deal. It was unlike any portion I’d visited, but the district still gloried in the darkness it called home. The end of the bridge opened to an enormous gate, finely wrought iron and stone and guarded by men in bright gaudy armor. This was the mansion district, the ancient home of the Guild of Deals, the Orzhov Syndicate. They had cloaked themselves in the finery of religion, but in truth the only thing they had worshipped was wealth and it showed. Even the ruins that scattered about the district were ostentatious. When the riots following the collapse of the guildpact broke out the Orzhov cathedrals had been a prime target, but wealth had its privileges. Many of the families had private armies to protect them while they sat secure in their sanctuaries. But the riots did their damage and times changed. Now, family cathedrals sat empty, godless shrines to opulence and decadence. Many of them had been torn down as tastes moved away from the religious trappings that the Orzhov had thrived on. New money and old money alike thrived with mercantile opportunities and where once some cathedrals stood, sprawling mansions rose. A great deal of the wealthy lived here, and those who didn't were in the sprawling plazas of Ovitzia above.

The high walls on either side of the avenue made me feel claustrophobic, a distinct difference from the open and shining venues of Ovitzia. The entire mansion district didn’t seem remotely interested in me and the water falling from the high vaulted cavern ceiling didn't alleviate that feeling. The faux-rain slicked cobbles reflected the light of the glow-orbs on the high posts above the streets. Overall, it made me even more miserable than I already was to be here. Inevitably being back in the undercity just reminded me of Keris being hurt. It had been a month since I'd visited her in the medical barracks and things were still awkward between us. We tried to pretend there was no tension around us, but we weren’t fooling each other even if we tried to fool ourselves. She occasionally pestered me, trying to see if she could help, but I don't even know what I'd tell her. I was worried enough that she might remember Raefiel. I felt something stir at the thought and chained it down. A wave of sullen annoyance drifted back to me and I smiled. I'd never known angels to sulk.

The streets were mostly empty as I walked the district, only messengers and the occasional guard in garish livery passed. I warranted a few stares by some, most of these servants were unaccustomed to seeing someone carrying a sword the size of mine walking these streets. I'm sure I stared at a few things they probably took as normal. I came to a gate that soared over an off-street, an enormous gem encrusted statue that growled loudly as I passed. If that was what these people considered art, they had more money than taste. Eventually, my destination came into sight.

The enormous basilica was one of the buildings that still bore the religious overtures of the times before. It was just as obviously being lived in unlike so many of the others, the grounds well cared for behind the iron fence and lights burnt inside the brilliantly colored windows. I stepped through the gates and slowly made my way across the courtyard, the twin figures standing in front of the massive doors watching every move. They were gigantic and what skin I could see was a pallid gray, like a corpse left too long in water. Heavy hoods shaded their faces, and what I could see was hidden behind featureless golden masks. They didn't move as I ascended the stairs, still as statues even as I approached the door. Neither spoke as I watched, just staring at me as I passed between them.

The towering doors loomed before me and I looked at them, at a loss for how to proceed. I wasn't sure how to announce myself and I felt foolish just standing outside. Somehow I doubted the silent guards would be much help, but a rope to the side caught my eye. For lack of better direction I pulled it and a series of heavy chimes rang from the far side of the doors. I felt the burn of embarrassment and composed myself. Several long moments later, the heavy doors parted, swinging smoothly inward and framing a petite woman betwixt their height. She was small, barely to my shoulder, but she carried herself with a much larger presence. This was a woman not used to disobedience. She wore black silks and leather in an ornate cut, swaths of fabric missing across her chest and legs despite the high collar and length of the dress. The skin she so provocatively showed was the smoothest ivory and shone against the darkness of her dress and hair. Small silver piercings dotted her eyebrows and lip, a compliment to the dark rings hung delicately through her ears. She wore her short hair swept back from dark eyes. The only color she bore was the red of her lips, pulled into an archer's bow of an amused smile. I hadn't been swift as I studied her.

"I am used to such inspections, but I still enjoy them. They make a maiden feel appreciated. You are Raef are you not?" She leaned a hip against one of the doors, carefully keeping her arms stretched across the opening.
I nodded, "You received my message I take it?"
"Indeed. Welcome to Stinov Manor, my brother has been expecting you since your message arrived. He's quite intrigued what so notable a member of the guard wants with one such as him." Her cold eyes were fixed squarely upon me. "Please come in. Be cautious with the décor if you would, I am a traditionalist, unlike my brother, and I do so want to make sure the heirlooms are preserved. You may call me Lya."

She turned away from me and I stepped into the titanic foyer. It had once seen life as a cathedral, but there was no mistaking it for that anymore. The floor stretched away, black marble shot through with gilt veins under thick crimson rugs. Stairs rose at the far end of the room, framing a set of great double doors. Ivory railing slid up the balusters of the stairs to the second floor above. Massive pillars drooped down from the landings and sconces dotted the sides of the columns. Rooms joined through open doorways on every side of the space and an enormous ornate window dominated the top of the far wall.

"It is a shame the changes my brother has made, but he at least demonstrates good taste.” Lya smiled at me as I took in the surroundings. “I'm afraid I must insist you leave your sword with us. We cannot have armed guests in my brother's presence."
“I understand." I hesitated and she waited gracefully as I unbuckled the claymore and handed it to her. She took it in both arms without comment and held it to her side. A hunchbacked gray... thing wearing a delicate mask shuffled forward to take it. Its skin was the same sickly color of the guards outside, but there was no mistaking it for human. Its body was horribly twisted in unnatural ways and it shambled more than walked. It had to be some sort of homunculus, and it further compounded my unease at being unarmed.
"They are thrulls." Lya said in response to my reaction. "Utterly loyal creations of dead flesh. I prefer them to living servants, unlike my brother. They are less prone to bribery and defiance. He claims it is pure paranoia, but as I said, he does spurn tradition. Unfortunately, he inherited the mantle of the family and he does not listen to his sister nearly as often as he should." She gave me a smile, but it didn’t hold a bit of comfort. “I’ll show you to my brother’s office now. Please, follow me. Do try not to touch anything as you go…’
I frowned, but followed behind. She’d turned and started across the massive room before I could have said anything anyways, leaving me with little choice. All around, the twisted lumps of flesh she called thrulls scurried. Raefiel’s presence echoed in my head and for once I had to agree, these things were horrid, but I couldn’t deny they seemed intent on their jobs. We came to a long hallway and as I stepped in, the warm and rich colors were suddenly absent. Black marble stretched out, gloomy and indifferent. Silver fixtures gleamed with ruby eyes, cyclopean stares following our progress. Dark doorways loomed intermittently, empty and foreboding and with a look back at me, Lya stepped into one. Sconces lit one by one automatically as she climbed and I glared at the narrow stairs. I didn’t mind being unarmed, but that was only because I trusted in my own skills, but I’d have no room to fight if Lya decided to break her hospitality.
I blinked at the sudden paranoia and shook my head. That was… unusual. I didn’t normally think like that and for once I didn’t feel like I could blame Raefiel for the strange behavior. Lya coughed and I looked up. I’d stopped about halfway down and she gazed elegantly down at me.
“Difficulties?”
“No. Just… felt strange for a moment.”
“I see. Well, at your leisure. We’re near Liet’s office now.” She turned again and stood for a moment before continuing on. I did my best to climb the stairs and dismiss the image of the way her dress hugged her hips. I flushed and sighed. That thought, on the other hand, I feared, had nobody else to blame.
Lya was already halfway across the room by the time I reached the top of the stairs and the gloom and hazy light did nothing to diminish the grandeur of the room. The entire ceiling was an enormous arch of brilliantly laid glass, pale light woven amongst the riven black marble and gold. The carpet returned, a midnight blue stripe running the room’s length. To each side, enormous sculptures were caught in a variety of poses and altars further behind displayed works of brutal art. Weaponry was spread before the eye and my hand felt empty without a sword to fill it.
I shot a look towards Lya and made my way to the nearest display and knelt to look at the blade it held. It was a heavy sword, strangely double tipped and made of some sort of metal that resembled copper alloyed with steel. A gigantic black pearl was set in the cross hilt, surrounded by upswept gold. I reached out and Lya coughed. I looked up, acutely aware of her inspection. With a quick push, I stood again and wandered towards her, looking up at the statues as I passed.
“Some of those are hundreds of years old, purchased from the heart of The Restless Tomb. They’re priceless, given that most gorgon in Ravnica has since passed into death. Of course, I think there may be a few still living, exiled to some long forgotten corner of Ravnica, but my brother didn’t feel the expense of finding them was justified in order to purchase newer statues.” Lya lectured, almost wearily.
I suddenly felt the need to give the stonework a wider berth and shot a dark look towards Lya. For her part, she just smiled and I marched towards her, intent on finally getting this meeting over with. I didn’t like being here, and I started to suspect it was the company as much as the surroundings. Lya shrugged elegantly and pressed a small node beside the door with her thumb, painting the button with blood. The enormous doors slid open silently and I walked in, followed shortly by the hostess.
The parlor was vast for how sparsely it was decorated. The floors were the same uniform dark marble as the rest of the mansion, and the carpet stretched further into the room from behind us. A fire crackled in a distant corner, surrounded by deep seats, but the flickering light did little to illuminate the darkness. The only substantial sources of light came from the far wall, where twin gloworbs sat to either side of a desk and an enormous window leaked pallid light behind its curtains.
Behind the desk, Liet Stinov reclined. He was a lean man, tall even while seated and dagger faced. Sharp features looked even more severe because of his hair, slicked back and as dark as Lya’s. While her’s was silken, his just looked oily. It was also obvious, almost painfully so, that he wore his hair back to accentuate the noble’s point on his forehead. He glanced over with pale eyes as we approached and I realized he was toying with an enormous knife. He made no motion to rise and instead continued to fondle the blade. It was a vicious looking thing, all brutality and little grace. It twisted like a barbed kris and the tip was horribly serrated. He seemed pleased at my brief inspection and motioned to the seat opposite his with a wave of the dagger. Lya retreated to a hidden bar to the far left.
“You must forgive my indulgence, but this is my latest acquisition and I’ll admit to being rather smitten. I’m quite proud, you know, it took some effort to acquire.” He smiled, a chilly expression that never reached his eyes. “This is a piece of history and I managed to get my hands on it. The blade was said to belong to Izolda and is one of the only weapons to have ever tasted the blood of a guild leader. It really is absolutely charmingly unique.”
I let him continue, but without any reaction, he seemed to lose interest in trying to impress me. He carefully wiped the blade with black silk and placed it on a stand set on the top of his desk.
“But of course, my preoccupation does not excuse me from my duty.” Once again, he offered me a smile that reminded me of nothing so much as a snake. “Lya dear, please bring refreshments for our guest and myself.” He crossed his hands and waited for his sister to return, bearing a tray and a sour look for being commanded over so menial a task.
“So, my sister,” as if on cue she placed a glass on his right and he favored her with a smirk, “Thank you Lya,” he said and turned back to me, “my dearest sister informs me that I can assist you in a way. So in what way might I offer my services? A loan perhaps, or maybe you’re looking to traffic in a slightly different currency?” He asked as he turned to face me again. Lya dropped a glass at my hand and practically stomped away, an impressive feat in heels as tall as those that she wore. Liet smiled expectantly and nodded at the drink. I rolled my eyes inwardly. He was the host and it wouldn’t do to insult him, at least not until I was finished. Raising the glass, I took a sip and nearly spat the liquor out. Reluctantly I swallowed and very purposefully placed the drink on the table far away from myself. It was quite possibly the most bitter wine I’d ever tasted.
“I’ve no need for gold, I have enough to live on. What I need is information, something that I’m sure you can answer.”
“Ah, secrets. Often I find that you can buy far more with those than with coin, though my dear sister seems to think the almighty coin will offer salvation to anyone that kneels at its altar. Of course, it’s hardly worthless and has its uses, so before we begin, there is the small matter of my fee.” He leaned further back, steepling his fingers as he spoke. “Just a show of good faith you understand, so that I know you have the means to afford anything I might divulge.”
“Of course.” I’d been expecting that and took the heavy pouch of coins from my belt. Most of it was the bonus I’d been given and it really didn’t bother me to spend it. I hadn’t wanted it in the first place. “I trust that’s enough. If not, I’m certain I could find someone else to work for that. Maybe Pellam or even the Consortium…”
“That won’t be necessary.” Liet said with considerably less mirth in his voice than a moment ago. The smile had vanished once the money had come out. “What can I do for you?”
“I thought that you’d know that already. After all, you do traffic in secrets, right?” I smiled at him, unable to resist the slight jab.
“Droll.” He leaned back once again and rested his hand on his chin “The question, I suppose, should be amended. What do you want to know?”
“I was studying the history of the Boros and specifically the history of Razia’s rise to power. It’s common knowledge that she created the angels on Ravnica, and while her own origin is mostly nothing more than conjecture, it’s clear that there’s been a lot of documentation and theory on how she accomplished that feat. But I ran across something unusual and virtually none of the scrolls or books at my disposal gave me any answers for it. I started looking further and found that the references were tied to the Orzhov, but no archive I could find was very forthcoming about it.”
“Alright, you’ve established your interest, but you’ve yet to actually tell me what you desire.” Liet said as he studied me intensely. He leaned forward and propped his head against his hand, looking for all the world like he was immensely bored. “Is it history you want? I wouldn’t have taken you as someone which would be deeply interested in the past.”
“I want to know about the Angels of Despair.” I said forcefully. “How did the Orzhov make them and how did they control them?” Liet smiled at me again, slowly and confidently, knowing he’d hit a nerve. It stoked the embers of my temper to burn a bit hotter.
“So you were bluffing when you said you could go to others for what you were looking for. Oh yes, I’m aware of how the angels were made and I’m pleased to say that you knew that fact already.” I reddened slightly and he bared his teeth genially. Leaning forward his predatory eyes met mine and he waited. I didn’t look away and moments ticked past. He must have realized that this game was gaining him nothing and slowly his smirk took on a hard flat edge and vanished. He sat up and smoothed the front of his clothing while I inwardly put a check in the victory column. Nobody could stand to hold my gaze for long, my eyes disconcerted people too badly.
He stood and walked around his chair, trying to keep the sneer off his face. Liet turned his back on me to stare out the enormous window that made up the back wall of his office, though much of it was obscured by curtains. Time passed and I began to think he’d forgotten me when he finally continued.
“The angels have been a tool of the Orzhov for a very, very long time.” Liet placed a hand on the glass and his gaze suggested he was seeing something much farther away. “Their existence predates the Guildpact and very nearly the Ghost Council, its decrepit and corpulent self. In those times before the accord was struck, the Angels were the symbol of Orzhova, the creator of the world. The people believed they did everything in Orzhova’s grace and the angels were her divine form manifest. In truth, the angels were nothing more than idols, created as a way for the Patriarchs to control the masses. They were nothing but mouthpieces, a convenient façade for the living Council to shield themselves with. As time wore on, their original purpose was buried, practically forgotten in all but the most abstract symbols of the guild and the Patriarchs found that they didn’t need the deception to control the idiot masses. The lie was more convoluted than necessary and the angels and their secrets became increasingly rare. As they grew scarcer, they became a mark of wealth, a status symbol as well as being an unflinching tool to be used however their owner saw fit.” He turned and approached me, pulling his sleeve up as he did. He held his arm up and showed a number of large stones that were melded into his flesh. They were dark and shiny, like pieces of onyx and looked completely unnatural sitting in his arm like that. I’m not normally queasy, but I couldn’t stand to see them for long. “These stones are the inheritance of my patriarchs. The stones are what allow us access to the things our bloodlines are capable of. The purpose is a matter of control, the stone enslaves anybody beholden to the bearer through blood magics so complicated that it doesn’t bear to even think of them. I’ve certainly never bothered to, so long as those magics worked to my favor.” He let his sleeve drop and leaned back against his desk. “Can you imagine it? A single little trinket that gives dominion over whatever you want. Isn’t it marvelous?” Once again that smile popped up, but this time it concluded with a small tilt to his head.
“I’m a bit disappointed.” He said and I was momentarily taken aback. “I would have expected it to have taken effect by now, but perhaps you just didn’t drink enough. I suppose dear Lya’s spell will just have to do.”
“What?” I asked. I stood, realizing something had very definitely changed in the room and it was not to my advantage. I looked for his sister, unsure what exactly was happening. “What did you give me? What are you talking abo-“ and then the world turned sideways and went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I groaned.
My body felt leaden and warm sand pressed against my cheek. I tried to push myself up, but some effect of the spell stole the strength from my limbs and I collapsed back down onto the sand-softened floor. I focused on the sounds around me, trying to get some idea of the space I was in. Energy slowly ebbed back, but for the moment, I was helpless.
“Come now, I know the spell should have worn off by now. Feel free to rise at any time.” Liet’s jovial voice rang out from somewhere far above. He seemed to be genuinely amused at my predicament. I had absolutely no idea what plan he had in his oily head, but I was sure it wasn’t in my best interest. “Of course, I’m surprised I had to use the spell at all. There was rather a lot of poison in that wine, but you seem to have ignored it entirely. Curious…”
I groaned again. That didn’t seem to amuse him. Eventually I cracked my eyes and hissed, throwing an arm above them to keep that horrible scouring light from destroying my eyes. Unfortunately, once I started moving I found the fatigue dissipating, meaning I’d finally have to address whatever mess I was in. My arm lowered slowly and I realized that the light wasn’t quite as bright as it had seemed, but that most of it was still shining directly onto me. An enormous spotlight stared at me from the high dome of the ceiling, bright and actinic. I gingerly sat up, feeling the last dregs of sorcery melt away, and looked around. Sand stretched the length of the floor and high walls fenced me, walls cast in crimson, gold, and black. Reliefs were carved into every portion of their surface and I didn’t want to look too closely at what scenes they might show. There were a number of arches at regular intervals, but they were all barred with ornate portcullises. Above the walls the room just fell away to shadow, but it was obvious what unseen things filled that darkness. Seating. I’d been thrown into a damnable arena, and at that realization I cursed my own desperation. I’d given up my sword without another thought. I knew that had been stupid at the time, but now I realized it was downright idiotic. I punched the sand strewn floor beneath me and climbed carefully to my feet.
Liet applauded and I looked up towards the source of the noise. Of course, he had a private box. I grimaced at the ostentatious filigree that practically dripped from it, all done in gold on marble. Veils and curtains hung ceremoniously around his seat and I could see the window behind him. It looked like his office lead directly here and I tried not to think about what that meant about his usual business practices.
“Very good. I knew you’d get up eventually.” He looked down upon me and ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back once more.
“Oh, you have no idea what I’m going to get up to.” I scowled at him. “So what in the nine hells is this about? Why go through all this trouble?”
“You’ve made quite the name for yourself lately, and certain associates I’m familiar with aren’t too pleased with how notable you’ve become. So, they contacted me to see if I couldn’t curb your notoriety. It was no coincidence that you arrived here, but I must say that I am fairly pleased with how things turned out. Such a fine weapon to add to my collection too…” He chuckled to himself as I paced in the pit.
“So you’re planning to kill me? You’ll find that harder than you expect.” I sneered at him. It was rare that I got angry, but I very badly wanted to kill him. A deep satisfaction ran through me at that and it felt alien, but for the second time today, I agreed with Raefiel. “If you wanted me dead so badly, why go through with all this?”
At least they’d left me my armor. As I spoke, I twisted the brace on my gauntlet and the buckler snapped from it, wrapping my forearm in a column of steel. It might not be much, but I’d take whatever advantage I could. Things were not looking good. At the clear ring of steel Liet abruptly stopped laughing.
“Clever…” he growled, but his demeanor became cold once again. “It won’t be enough, but clever. As to your question, it really is quite simple. I suppose that I am simply far too fond of poetic justice.” He clapped and one of the portcullises rose. With a casual and disturbing grace, an angel strode into the light.
She was tall, at least a head taller than I. Vast raven wings stretched behind her, dark and shocking in contrast to her porcelain flesh. There wasn’t a single hair on her body and piercings in a number of places, many of which would normally be covered by clothing, but it was hard to call what she wore clothing at all. A studded leather corset hugged her midriff tightly and she wore no breastplate, actually displaying a prominent amount of her chest instead. The Orzhov sunburst framed her chest in relief and the gilt edged collar she wore swept downwards, running beneath the corset to emerge below. Long leather stockings rose to her pallid thighs, her feet bare in the sand, and a tight black belt hugged her hips snugly. The only armor she wore at all was a set golden pauldrons and heavy gauntlets. Her body beneath her clothing was perfectly sculpted, but her face was the most striking of all…
Staring into her eyes was nothing less than staring into an abyss. No light shone from her cold soul and a primal hunger dwelled in that deep darkness, a hunger barely contained by her lithe form. Her eyes were black and empty, holding nothing more than the endless desire to see the world pulled down around her. It was as if she would consume everything she gazed upon, but the emptiness inside was one that could never be filled. She was insatiable and I could tell the hungers that she craved were ripped from the darkest dreams you’d never admit to having and the most terrifying nightmares that haunted your sleep. The worst part was how alluring she was despite that gaze, or maybe because of it.
She was a primal being. Dark and sensual and terrifying. She moved with deadly grace and my heart beat hard in my chest. It thudded in desire as much as fear, which only scared me more. Every line of her body screamed her purpose, as if she was created to evoke as visceral a response as possible, regardless of meaning. She was both beautiful and abhorrent in the same moment.
“Leaves you speechless, doesn’t she?” Liet airily said. “Well, this has been droll, but I have much better things to do than watch you die. I would wish you luck, but I feel that might be somewhat disingenuous.” He laughed and turned, vanishing behind the drapery.
And I was left alone with my executioner.
I’d barely thought that before she was upon me. I reacted on instinct, assuming a stance as she slammed into me. She’d pulled a blade from somewhere, I have no clue where, and it came singing at me. I threw my arm in front of it and caught the blow against my gauntlet. Sparks spat where the metal clashed and I nearly crumpled under her inhuman strength. The blade skipped across the shield and whipped past me. I stepped in and threw a punch as hard as I could, my fist aimed directly at her head. There was a dull flat smack and my arm jarred all the way to the shoulder. Her head snapped back and her wing abruptly unfolded, hitting me squarely in the chest with the force of a battering ram. I was flung back, skidding across the ground as my teeth rattled. I could already feel the deep bruise that would be forming and I groaned, hoping she hadn’t cracked a rib. All at once my mental shields faltered and I could hear screaming in the depths of my soul.
Raefiel struggled against the chains that held him, straining to join the battle, but I desperately shut him out. It was difficult enough fighting one angel, much less two, and I didn’t have Keris here to pull me back if I let Raefiel free. Besides, it was only my life at risk, there was no else to protect, nothing else at stake. My mind stilled amid the violence, seeking the center I had learned to look for. Inwardly, I found that well of calm and promptly shoved Raefiel into it, shutting him out as best I could. Probably not the way the monks had intended me to use my meditation, but things were substantially more desperate now than during meditation.
I stumbled upright and my breath caught in my throat as I saw her ready to strike. Her sword arced towards my head and I pulled mana from the streets above, throwing it into as large an unshaped shield as I could. A crackling golden nimbus burst around me and the blade shrieked as steel and spell met. The sword slowed to a near halt as it cut through the cloud of mana I’d called. The shield withstood most of her attack, blunting it, but beneath her violent strike the spell buckled. The flat of her blade caught the side of my head and sent me tumbling backwards as her strength returned. I hit the ground hard and sucked in a quick breath. Memories of ancient floating stone and roiling fields surged to mind, and I cradled the formless mana in my palm, building it in my closed fist. I could feel heat seeping through my fingers and I threw my hand into the air, eyes closed tightly as I looked away while the entire arena erupted into fulgent light.
She screamed incoherently and pawed at her eyes as I leapt to my feet and ran, putting as much distance as I could between the angel and myself. Her howls sent shudders down my back and I grimaced. The angelic voice rang clarion, but the sound was painful, raw as if it had been ripped from her throat. I exhaled slowly and tasted blood. I lifted my hand and felt my cheek, my fingers coming away wet as I spat onto the sand. The edge of her blade must have caught my cheek when she’d hit me. The angel across from me let out another scream, but this one was angry instead of pained. Wind kicked up as she leapt the distance between us in a single bound, her wings bearing her aloft. She plummeted at me abruptly, stretching her shapely legs into a deadly spear.
I ducked the kick, but she still struck me in the shoulder, sending me skidding across the sand again. She landed with a heavy thump and I kept moving, knowing that if I didn’t she’d punch that wicked blade straight into the ground if I was in its way or not. I thought furiously, finally finding my feet and pushing past her as she struck the ground where she’d expected me to be. Only one spell came to mind that might help. Images of misty dales from a twilight world flashed across my vision as I reached for the cool wispy mana buried within. My eyes shone briefly as I released the spell and runes snapped into being near my head. The sigils cycled rapidly as they drifted in their slow orbit, seeking the combination of glyphs to ward against the angel’s onslaught. One by one they stopped their rapid changes, sparkling as the coalesced. All in a moment, I felt the aegis snap into being around me, a ward tailored specifically against the Orzhov angel, an enchantment which bore her true name.
She struck again, the protection ringing like steel, but her blows were turned aside as she slashed at me. Finally, the blade shattered with the fury of her attack. She ceased and flapped her wings in frustration, tossing the broken steel aside. A fierce gloom fell across her brow and she shook with primeval desire. The dark hunger inside of her bared its fangs as her wings strained in denied violence.
I sighed and carefully watched her prowling movements. I was safe for now, but I had no clue what else she might have in store for me and I was still without a weapon. My hand ached as I clenched my fist, wishing I had my sword or anything really. Magic wasn’t my forte and I’d already been abused worse than usual in my fights. I wasn’t giving up yet, calling up the memories of vast savannahs stretching off to great spires. Bright mana flooded my senses again and I envisioned the spell, a simple ivory cross and the memories of hope it held when it had been in my hands. Those feelings surged through my body and some of the fatigue lessened. The gash across my cheek sealed and the angel tilted her head. I stretched, trying to loosen the stiffness of the injuries she’d already given me and then as she stared curiously at me, I dashed forward, throwing a kick into her midsection. It caught her by surprise and her wing unfurled, buffeting me again but unable to touch me. I had hardly hurt her at all, mostly just surprising her, but she leapt back with a suddenly wary look on her face. I smiled and slowly knelt, picking up the broken sword she’d discarded.

She slowly came closer until she was within arm’s length. Unlike before, her guard was up this time, and if I made a strike, even protected, I doubted it would end well for me. Tentatively she reached a hand out and pressed it against the shield of my halo. Her hand flattened as she tested the magic and I could see the muscles in her arm ripple as she pushed against it. A growl rolled out of her throat and she threw her entire strength behind it, but I’d had enough and lashed out with her broken blade, cutting her palm and causing her to jerk back. Her lips thinned as she stared at me and I felt an abrupt shift in the air as she collected mana from all around us.

Her form began to flicker as a sapphire glow rose from her skin. Her silhouette became indistinct, bleeding into the air, and in the moment I blinked she just… vanished. I spun, trying to find her, but even the chill of her presence had disappeared. I didn’t think she’d given up, but I had no clue what had happened. Abruptly, the halo above my head started to spark and it screamed, as if it were being warped before it finally snapped, runes fraying as it exploded. I yelled as the enchantment was destroyed, its destruction blinding me as it burst.

A cold, dry hand gripped my throat while I was dazed and lifted me entirely off the ground. I choked and clawed at it, hoping to keep her from just crushing my throat. She’d appeared from nowhere and as I dangled above her, I could see ecstasy painted across her features. Her wings flared and with a mighty heave, she threw me the entire length of the arena. My stomach churned as the ceiling and floor flipped repeatedly and then all the breath exploded from my chest as I slammed bodily into the wall. Stars clouded my sight and I unceremoniously crashed to the ground, suffering another rough shock that drove what little air I had from my lungs.
I pushed myself up, shakily pressing against the wall, and kept my gaze firmly on the angel across from me. If she could vanish like that, I wasn’t going to even blink if I could help it. I swallowed hard and panted, sucking in as much air as I could as she slowly strolled towards me, a horrible calmness to her gait.

She sneered as she approached and the light around her began to wane. Darkness pooled in her hand, smoldering with a crimson glow as if the light itself was repulsed by the way the shadows acted. Umbral tendrils lashed the air, stretching downward until they formed a cruel point. She ran her hand down the length of the lance, a look of divine bliss etched on her cold features.

She raised the lance and drove its aphotic point directly at me. I raised the remnants of her blade and held on with all my strength as she thrust, the weapons dragging at each other before it was torn from my hand and the keen point stabbed into my shoulder. I stifled a scream as she pulled it back and I felt the cold burn of her weapon sear my flesh. I fell to the ground again and she raised both her hands above her head, gripping the lance for the final blow. My eyes widened and I rolled, pulling mana from memory again and throwing up a luminescent curtain. The world went white, the shining cloak keeping her at bay for the moment. I could vaguely see her through the niveous shroud and I called the last wisps of mana. The dark outline of her lance eroded and vanished completely.

The radiance began to fade and I readied as best I could, trying to reach for some last defiant spell but finding nothing but a trickle of mana answering the call. The world returned, but her attack never came. She stood calmly, staring directly at me with empty eyes. What she did next, I could never have anticipated… she spoke.
“My mistress bids you attend her.” The angel spoke, a raspy and dark voice devoid of emotion. She turned and began to stroll away, leaving me lying in the sands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The office was basically the same as the last I’d seen it. There were only two notable differences that I could see as I neared the desk. The first was Lya. Where Liet had perched when I’d entered before, she’d positioned herself quite comfortably. She was even toying with the same knife he had been. The second difference I could see was the blood.
It was splashed across the desk and soaked Lya’s dress. Her delicate skin was painted red with her brother’s blood and I couldn’t help but stare at the knife. It was far from pristine as it had been. There was a small icy smirk on her face, one of deep satisfaction, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. She commanded attention in a way her brother had probably envied. I was struck once more with the thought that she was everything her brother wasn’t. Everything he hadn’t been. What disturbed me the most was the sultry look in her eyes. Just like her brother before her, she carefully put the blade to the side, not even bothering to wipe it, or herself, clean.

“I want my claymore back,” I demanded as soon as she looked at me. That small smile became wider and she nodded, sending one of her attendant thrulls trundling off.
“As mistress of Stinov Manor, I must apologize for my brother’s dreadful manners. I should also thank you for allowing me the opportunity to address his… erroneous behavior.” She seemed perfectly calm discussing this and I fell into the seat across from her, my injuries finally demanding I rest. “I long believed that Liet’s allegiance belonged to someone other than the Syndicate, but it wasn’t until you arrived and forced his hand that he was so blatant to such an admission.”
“So you think he was a spy then?” I leaned back, trying to keep the pain off my face as my body ached. My shoulder throbbed, but I was just thankful it had stopped bleeding.
“Let us just say that I did not think he had the Syndicate’s best interest at heart.” She sat forward and regarded me. “As it may pain me, I find myself in your debt for giving me the chance to seize control, and the Council would surely agree once I contact them. I like to think of myself as a gracious host, so your injuries will, of course, be healed.”
I grimaced, “You understand that I might be wary of any more of your hospitality”
Lya carefully ignored the insult, “Very well. However, you paid quite a great deal of money and received only half of what you sought.” Lya reached into one of the drawers of the desk. “You were looking for a way to control an angel.”
She tossed something dark and glittering onto the desk and leaned back once again. They scattered and came to rest near the edge and my stomach rebelled again. A handful of black stones lay there, flesh and blood still bonded to them.
“They won’t work in the same fashion as my brother employed them, as you do not the blood needed, but if you study them, you could learn something of the magic behind them.”
“How…” I swallowed, “How will you control your forces then?”
She smiled and pulled her snug sleeve away from her wrist, smearing blood down her pale skin. A number of stones identical to her brother’s sat there and I nodded. Should have expected that. She straightened her sleeve once more and nodded to the stones.

I stared at them, simple looking stones, and thought of what they might do, what secrets they could give me. But I just had to think… what price were they worth?

Part 4:
Don’t say I’ve got the wings of an angel,
Don’t tell me that you want to fly,
Don’t tell me ‘bout the wings of an angel,
When you’ve never even seen blue sky.
-Face of an Angel, by Shonya Bale,
The Balladrix of Tin Street

It was dark, the entirety of the world blackened by some preternatural dusk that threatened to remain forever and never depart. I lay there, staring up into that comforting void and felt a chill peace deep inside my soul. A soft surface lay under me and I found I couldn’t move, left helpless to stare upward into that never ending gloom. From far above though, a single point of pale luminescence glowed as it fell slowly towards my prone form. Ivory skin, bare and unmarred perfection lowered itself to me on jet black wings, almost lost in the darkness and there was a hunger upon her face that made me shudder. Cold hands wandered across the scars on my chest and I felt them burn at her passing, her legs pressing against my own as she pressed nearer. She looked at me with that primal desire, that never-ending hunger as cool flesh touched mine and then hungry lips captured my own, lips pale as bone and hungry as death.

Her dark eyes bore into my own, the soft golden glow lighting her stark features as her kiss devoured me and I felt the great folds of my own wings enclose her body atop mine, a roaring sense of satisfaction tearing through me as my arms rose, shining, to hold this perfect dark angel as she called to the angel within me and he answered, eager to join with his like.

A deep gasp tore through my throat and I sat bolt upright. I coughed, the air odd to my lungs as I shuddered. My skin was soaked with sweat, but it wasn’t the cold fear that normally accompanied my nightmares, no, it was something entirely new and just as disturbing. I sat and shook for a while, holding my head between my hands as my elbows rested against my knees, the sheets pooling around my waist. It shouldn’t surprise me, but the last thing I needed was yet another nightmare to add to my list. My fingers found their way to the ridged scars across my chest and my breathing paused.

“Yeah… exactly what I need.” I groaned and rubbed the butt of my hand against my eyes for a moment, reaching up to run my hand through my hair when I was done. I glanced outside at the window and was relieved to see the sun fairly high in the sky. At least I’d slept later than dawn today.

I sighed and tossed the covers away. Even if I were inclined to try to sleep again, I had things to do and they might finally give me the answers I had been looking for when I came to Ravnica. I pulled on my tunic and belted it, feeling underdressed without my breastplate or mantle, but it would make the wrong impression to go fully armored. The familiar weight of my claymore settled over my shoulder instead, because while it would be rude to show up expecting trouble, it had proven foolish to not carry my damn sword. That pale form against darkness flashed before my eyes again and I grunted, banishing the thought from my mind while unfamiliar feelings shifted inside Raefiel. It was strange to have such confusing feelings coming from him, and I think it disturbed the spirit within nearly as much as it did me. On second thought, no, I decided, it definitely disturbed be a great deal more than it possibly could him. I closed the door to my apartment and locked it behind me as I did the same inside, ensuring Raefiel wouldn’t stir too much while I was out.

The mid-morning was chill with dew, refreshing after the humid night and the long shadows of soaring spires had yet to break their grip and let the ground warm with the sun’s gentle glow. People shuffled about in great crowds, many off to market, some off to meet old friends, and for once, it was so nice to just be lost in the masses, indistinguishable from the next person except for the sword slung across my back. Even that was barely uncommon.

I walked for the better part of two hours, enjoying the anonymity and exercise, neither of which I felt I really got enough of since joining the guard. I was still fit, but after a hard life in the Seraph Elite Troops, being a griffin rider wasn’t nearly as strenuous. The densely crowded buildings became fewer as I headed towards the outskirts of the district, large copses of carefully maintained trees broke the monotony of the towering stone and steel. Even those became fewer, as I climbed a bit higher, following some arcane pathway devised by a demented city planner thousands of years ago. To my right, the world abruptly dropped away to rushing waters and the reservoirs it all flowed into. Enormous falls hammered down, their white foam and mists drifting across the cool reflection of the lake. The gigantic well provided the water for all the districts on this side of the city. The aqueducts here flowed downwards into the heart of the district and I continued on, ignoring the grandeur as best I could. The city still rose majestically upon the other side of the waters, but if nothing else the lake was at least less cluttered than so much of its surroundings, sparsely decorated with long bridges and the small villages that seem to dot where they overlapped each other. Here and there, great devices rose, drawing the water to higher aqueducts that sluiced the water to some other distant point of the city.

I passed the lake and its denizens and looked ahead. I was getting closer to my destination and the stairs continued to rise, ascending the terraced plazas overlooking the carefully tended labyrinth below and the darker shadows it cast in the twisting paths even further down. Upon the horizon, small at this distance but massive next to its surroundings, one of the giant stone colossi stood sentinel, staring into the relative wilderness beyond. It was hard to think of how truly large it was when the massive frame of the block towers loomed all around me.

The enormous residential tower closest to me soared into the clouds, a titanic monolith that was practically a city unto itself, even the largest buildings surrounding it were dwarfed in its shadow. Thousands of people called this singular structure home and truthfully few had any need to leave the comfort of the spire. They were not rich people, but everything they could want or need could be found somewhere in the tower, the middle class working in the same immense structure they lived in. It was shocking to think that some might live their entire lives without ever stepping outside the building.

Awnings hung over great sweeping arches that jutted into the space surrounding the looming edifice, entryways on every height giving access to the tower from others of its kind that looked nearly exactly the same. The doorways on the ground were wider than those above, the only thing parting them the huge columns placed regularly across the door, each thicker around than several men standing shoulder to shoulder. Gigantic portcullis hung above as I passed through those portals, the gates seemingly the only way to close the structure. Standing just inside the bottom of the tower, a sense of vertigo rushed over me. I couldn’t stand to look into the highest stretches of the building. It soared hundreds of floors above and I was overcome with the size of it once again. I crushed my eyes closed and let it pass, looking around once I felt more at ease.

The courtyard, the lowest level, was given over to businesses of every sort. Food stalls bustled, the smell of wildly different dishes clashing in a tantalizing war of aromas. Vendors of every sort called their wares to the residents passing through, shouting from the bright tents of their stalls. Scattered throughout the many tents were the bright dual-colored banners of the guilds. Members from their organizations answered questions and passed out pamphlets about recruitment. It was not an enviable position for most of them, and I think they knew how unimportant it was, but while some were obviously bored, some moved with excitement, happy to know they were doing meaningful work, though that was debatable considering the lack of interest most passer-bys were showing. Still, there was no question that the guilds needed the membership if they were to ever recover.

I looked up again, not quite so high this time, to see more of the building. The atrium of the spire was hollow except for the intricate network of bridges connecting one side of the tower to the others across the empty span, and even these were decorated with small carts or other businesses. Here and there, more permanent stores sat, quietly practicing their trades. Cafes, theaters, and even a clinic calmly went about their business, sure of their own constancy amid the bustle and noise.

I’d been on Ravnica for months, but I had truthfully never been in anything like it. Just the sheer scope of it all was hard to wrap my head around and I doubted I could find many other worlds that had a call for such a place. I wasn’t sure what to feel about that and I once again thought about the children that might never leave. It was a comfortable life, but was it really living? I shook my head, and firmly decided I had other things to occupy my time with than debating that philosophy with myself. I’d come here for a reason, and she was waiting in the suites close to the top.

I marched between people, wending my way between stalls and shoppers, trying not to get distracted while I found my path to the lifts. The platform came into view as I wiggled my way past a Selesnyan druid fervently pushing literature on people. The steam lift was operated by a squat goblin with long limbs and ruddy skin. He had a scrunched expression of boredom which waged a silent war with the enormous nose that stuck out from the center of his face. He wore the red and blue of the Izzet League, but to be doing something as menial as this, he must be a long long way down the ladder, even below the stall attendants. As I boarded the makeshift platform, I dropped a gold coin, a zib, into his dish where it clinked atop his other tips. It never hurt to be generous, and he nodded his appreciation, trying his best to smooth down the wild shock of graying hair that dominated his head. He adjusted the tiny, and I could only guess ornamental, pair of glasses that perched so officiously on his gigantic nose and at that I noticed he bore a tattoo, a silhouette of a dragon and a crown.

“Your tattoo is interesting. Is it the Izzet symbol?”
“My entire clan bears the mark of the dracogenius to show our allegiance. We have ever since he purchased our ancestors and gave glorious meaning to exploding us repeatedly.” The attendant said with a unique mix of deference and spite.
“I hate to say it, but whoever did your’s got it a bit wrong.” I said after a moment of awkward silence.
“Wasn’t wrong at the time.” He grumbled. “Our high lord, the magnificent firemind, and great so and so gets a wild hare up his tail every so often and demands all the signets changed. The mark was accurate last year… Wouldn’t be so bad, but I’ll have to get it replaced before my next evaluation. It’s not so bad, but it’s the way they burn the old one off that makes me cranky.”
I dropped another coin into his tip plate and decided to exercise the better part of valor and shut up before I learned anything more I might regret. He gave me a wide, crooked smile and we rose in relative silence, the only noise coming from the hiss and grind of the platform. There were a few stops along the way, but it still took long enough for me to reflect on how I had been drawn here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was shortly after morning roster had been filed and duties assigned when Captain Dech summoned me to his office again. Ever since Keris had been hurt, I’d felt the scrutiny of his attention, and even though she was back to duty, albeit light duty, the focus I’d been afforded had yet to disappear. It had been a few days since my encounter in the undercity, and I had the sinking feeling that it was likely the reason for my summons. I sighed and handed my claymore over to the guards on duty again, and they gave me a nod. At this point, we all knew the procedure, even if the faces changed. I strode in to find the captain’s office much as I remembered it, still starkly lit and understated.

“Raef, sit down.” He nodded to the seat across from him and I sank into it, half dreading the conversation considering how the last one had went, and half just confused. His manner wasn’t as officious as normal, which raised some questions in my mind. For that matter, was that a drink on his…
“Pour you something? I know it’s early, but things have been tense lately. We’re getting pressured from both the Boros and Azorius, but considering their past performance, I don’t think they’re in any position to tell us how to answer to our benefactors…” the captain slugged back the contents of his tumbler and pulled a stout bottle from a drawer under his desk. Whatever it was, it was dark gold and I could smell it from where I sat. “The Kiln district always did have a healthy liquor trade, a little surprising given how flammable the stuff is. Still, it was a gift and with things the way they are, I’m going to indulge. Which brings me to you.”

Captain Dech tossed a small note, still hanging from a bow onto the desk and I picked it up.

For services rendered in the elimination of a subversive element to the Stinov Family. Attached, a list of names of newly discovered Dimir agents. Do with it as you will. –Lya Stinov, Countess of Zelzo and Sixth Seat Prelate of the Keeper’s Cartel

“There was another note, but I think that one says enough.” The captain looked at me evenly and I had the decency to blanch slightly, though I couldn’t say exactly why. “I don’t usually mind what my soldiers do on their off time, but that mostly doesn’t lead to the discovery that one of the major heirs of the Orzhov nobility is a spy.”
“I-“
“Don’t worry about it Raef. The other note told us everything we needed to know about the incident. Still, it brings up the question of what you’re looking for. All I can tell you is it obviously has something to do with angels. I don’t know what it is, but it was one of the first things we noticed you looking into when you got access to our archives. You have some interest in them, damned if I know why, but I suspect it’s the major reason you even joined the guard. You’re a good soldier, a damn fine swordsman, but ever since the lieutenant was hurt, your attention has narrowed down to that one train of thought.
We never could dig up much about your past, but we never ask for it. Joining the guard is supposed to be a clean slate, but I need everyone at one hundred percent, and if something is getting in the way, it’s my job to make sure it doesn’t become a bigger issue.”

We sat silently for a few moments while the captain poured another glass and topped off the one he’d been drinking from. He slid it across the desk and I picked it up, not really feeling its weight in my hands as I held it. He took another sip of the alcohol and finished one of the myriad forms that lay orderly stacked across his desk.
“I’m going to do you a favor Raef. Just this once, mostly because I like you and I can tell that whatever it is that’s eating at you is only going to get worse. You want to know about angels and there’s someone that is an undeniable expert in the subject. She left the Boros a little before I did, but she should have the answers you need.” There was something in his voice which made me look at him again, and I could see an old pain in his eye while he thought of whoever it was. There wasn’t any anger in him, just a deep regret.
“Her name is Liecitel. I’ll arrange everything for you.” He sipped his drink again and looked down at the heavy weight held between my hands. I raised the drink to my lips and downed it in one swallow, the alcohol burning more than I think any drink had in my life. “I hope she helps you find what you’re looking for.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The platform jerked slightly and I grabbed the railing, trying hard not to look down as I snapped out of my recollection. It had been a while, to judge from everything, but we at last reached the pinnacle of the tower and I stepped off, the attendant goblin giving me a bored salute as he cranked the lever back the other way and sank once more below me. I watched him go until he slipped from view and I finally looked around. The quality of workmanship this high up was a great deal better than it had been in the courtyard below and there seemed a lot less wear on the floors and walls. The halls were more spacious and the doors fewer, speaking to the size of the apartments that made up this floor. I glanced up and shook my head. We were just a few floors down from the top and it made me distinctly uncomfortable to be this high up without something to catch me if I fell. I abruptly wished my griffin could have been here, but that just made me chuckle at how awkward that would be.

I pressed deeper into the halls searching for the apartment number that the captain had given me. Even this far up, when the suites were so much larger, it was shocking to see how many were packed onto this floor alone. Corridors passed by and the dull roar of the crowds in the atrium dwindled to nothing. I had to be nearing the outer ring of the building, but I was getting closer. Finally, I found it, and I paused outside the door. For a moment, I was at a loss for what I could say, how I could explain any of what I wanted to know and why, but I had come this far and with trepidation, I clapped at the door.

It took several long moments, but in that time, I noticed a strange sensation, like a humming at the back of my mind and I realized with a start that it was coming from Raefiel. As I stood there, trying to work out what it meant, the door opened and it suddenly made a simple sort of sense. An angel answered the door.

“You must be Liecitel.”
“And you are Raef. Please, come in.” she said in a surprisingly normal voice. I don’t know what I had expected, but it clearly had not even had a passing resemblance to this. I walked in slowly and took in her appearance as I did so. She was tall, taller than I was by at least a head, and her hair was the deep metallic shine of copper. The curls fell down over her shoulders and she wore a backless dress, a simple affair the deep rich teal of blue emeralds. Unlike other angels I had seen, Liecitel had four wings, a smaller pair right above her hips and the lower drape of her dress.

“Have a seat, if you will.” She turned back to me as I chose a nearby chair. Her eyes were molten gold and followed me as I slung the sword off my shoulder and set it aside. The warmth of those eyes stood out prominently against her creamy skin and I was amazed to see a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks that looked nothing more like powdered cinnamon. I don’t think I had ever seen an angel with freckles… Liecitel took my scrutiny with a great deal of grace and didn’t say a word until I had managed to deal with the surprise of her presence. Her manner was caring and kind and wholly unlike any of the angels I was familiar with. “Would you excuse me for a moment, Raef?”

“It’s no trouble.” I answered mechanically. She smiled and nodded, departing to another room of the suite. Without her to distract me, I finally could take notice of the apartment. It was enormous and the entire far wall was glass, the balcony beyond hanging over a truly awe inspiring view, likely overlooking Opal Lake, the waterway I had passed earlier. I had the distinct feeling that the landing was likely for more than just the vista, but I didn’t want to ask. The entire room gave off a spacious feel, helped in part by the sparseness of the furniture. A few low tables and chairs were all that marked this as a sitting room, and beyond, in a sunken portion of the room, a bed that was likely as large as my entire bedroom. There in the corner was the only familiar sign of what the angel had been. A suit of armor, fine chain mail glittering under exquisitely crafted plate and a sword that shimmered strangely in the light, as if it still glowed with the heat of the forge. The brilliant rays of a glowing fist blazon arced across the breastplate and the image looked familiar. It took a moment, but then I remembered the ancient signet I had been given, the raised fist of the Boros Legion.

“I never wear that anymore, but I cannot bring myself to discard it. It is a memento of a… different time in my life.” Liecitel said as she returned. I glanced back and saw complex emotions pass over her features. The expression seemed equal parts sorrow, joy, and disdain and it wasn’t clear what to make of it. She turned to me and her features smoothed into a smile again as she sat in the low backed sofa opposite the seat I had taken. “I apologize, but you arrived when one of my balms was ready to be decanted. It would have been inconvenient for me to start again.”

“Balm? You aren’t at all what I expected.” I shook my head as I responded. My gaze eventually strayed once more to the full suit in the far corner. “Then again, I didn’t know what to expect coming here. The fact that you’re an angel is a surprise, for one. Captain Dech didn’t see fit to tell me…” I offered her a look of sympathy and she nodded gracefully once more.

“Owhen is a good man. One of the best I have known, but he is somewhat contrary in his own way. I imagine whatever favor you called in from him, he would not see fit to tell you much more than you needed. It was a trait I tried my best to rid him of, but… there are some wounds that no balm can soothe, and whatever scarred him so, I could not heal it. He does not trust lightly, nor often.” She sighed and I could tell there was more than she had said, but it was not my place to pry.

“To be honest, I don’t think I would have believed him even if he had told me.” I said, doing my best to change the subject. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an angel who wasn’t a member of one of the guilds.”

“At one time, I was a member of the Legion. A warleader, in fact, but I sustained injuries that removed me from my command.” She frowned and a distant look glazed her eyes before she looked away. “I was hurt very badly, and my full recovery took years. In that time, I became unsettled by my sisters’ detachment, and despite my rank, I found more consolation in the infirmary than among the other angels. It had been a very long time since I had actually been with the people who made the ranks of my guild, and after my brush with death, I felt my time was better served in their company and that of the apothecaries, doing what I could to relieve the injured of their pain.” She sighed wistfully and shook her head. “It did me good to become a healer, made me feel something for the first time in… I don’t even know how long, but Razia and the others disapproved of my convalescence. Each passing year they pressured me to return to my duties, and as the decamillenia approached, I was given an ultimatum to return to my position.”

“What happened?” I leaned forward, deeply interested in hearing what she had to say.

“Fate intervened. My sisters vanished in the time of their greatest need.” She looked at me curiously and then shrugged, continuing on. “The disappearance of the angels meant that I was no longer bound to do as they commanded, but the longer they were away, the more I began to worry. With my sisters gone, I was cast adrift. I did not know where any of them were, unaware if they yet lived or what had happened to them, but I felt ashamed that I was not with them. I couldn’t stay in the Boros any longer, the responsibilities that would have fallen to me were too much and I couldn’t deal with what had happened. I left…” her eyes strayed to the armor once again and I saw a shadow of that shame in her eyes again. “Eventually, the few survivors returned, led by Mistress Pierakor and I returned to my position, but… I felt disconnected. My heart was no longer in the work and I escaped as often as I could. Guildmistress Pierakor took notice and I think she understood how I felt, having been through something similar. With the guild’s influence waning, she let me leave to find my own path.

“I drifted to the furthest edges of the city, searching for some way to make what I’d chosen matter. I became a healer for those that needed it, offering my skills to those I encountered, but I couldn’t live as a vagabond, no matter how noble my goal was. I needed a home, somewhere that I could call my own. That’s when I finally found my place here, with Owhen’s help, a place where I could tend those nearby and… remain close to the skies. I live comfortably and I think I’m much happier now than when I was a member of the Legion. It was… a limiting existence.”

“I know the feeling, Liecitel.” There must have been something in my voice because she looked at me strangely and for a change, actually held my gaze until I looked away. Her eyes unsettled me, reminded me of my left eye far too much. Which called to mind the reason I’d come, something I’d been putting off.

“I need your help Liecitel. I have a-,” I was suddenly at a loss for how to describe it. I struggled and then settled lamely. “an affliction. I’m hoping that you can help.”

“Of course. However I can Raef. Come sit here so that I can look.”
“It’s not exactly like that, it’s… complicated.”
“Don’t argue.” She commanded softly, and I got up to sit next to her. For a moment, I understood perfectly the kind of angel she had been, and decided to wisely follow her instructions without arguing. She placed her hands gently to the side of my head and for a brief moment I felt a warm glow coming from them, but it abruptly vanished and Liecitel gasped.

“What the hell?..” she stuttered in shock. I was shocked myself because I don’t think I had ever heard an angel swear. I sighed and turned to face her, knowing that I’d have to explain.
“The affliction I have, it’s complicated. A long time ago I… died. When I did, I was caught in a spell that was meant to make me… an angel. One of you.” Deep inside, I felt the mental chains binding Raefiel shift. Displeasure throbbed from within that space and I tried to shut it out. “The enchantment was called the Rapture, but it didn’t work, not entirely. They revived me when it was incomplete and it caused my soul to split. There’s something else within me, an angelic soul, and it’s always trying to escape, to… change me. When he surfaces, I become something else, wings, light, everything changes. I… I think if he ever completely breaks free, I’ll die.” We fell silent for several moments and I couldn’t look at the angel next to me. I was afraid what I would see if I looked at her. There were precious few people that I had told this story to, but I couldn’t be vague, as I had with Keris. Liecitel needed to hear everything.

“There’s more to it than that.” The confidence of her statement made me look up and I saw a curious, if wary, expression on her face. Her lips were pursed and her eyes searched my own, giving me the uncomfortable sensation that she was searching for something and eerily, knew what it was that she was looking for.

“I’m not from Ravnica.” Her expression lit at that, some revelation filling her with awe and I could practically see her mind filling with questions. It was not the reaction I would have expected and suddenly I realized that she knew what I had not meant the city alone, but the news simply wasn’t that new to her. She knew there were other worlds. She already knew about planeswalkers. “You… knew, didn’t you?”

“I suspected. It has been a very long time since I have seen your kind, in a time when even the angels were young. Back then, there were those who came to Ravnica from other worlds. They were places very much like our own, but also different. Most of the people who came didn’t know they had even left their homes, but there were some among their numbers, very powerful beings who could travel to those other worlds. And sometimes, they would return with tales of their travels. Some of those beings were capable of things that I can scarcely describe, virtually immortal with spell wrought flesh. I understand now, what I felt before. It makes sense why you change.”

“What?” I sat up, breath catching, on the cusp of discovering something that might finally break Raefiel’s grip. “What is it?” Liecitel started, blinking in surprise at my reaction, but as she stared at me, her brow furrowed and a look of concern spread across her face.

“How do you not know? If you are a…” her face lit with dawning realization as she stared at me, and her lips flattened to a thin line. “Oh.”

“What? Tell me… Tell me!” I shouted as she stared at me, worry written plainly upon her face.

“The spell Raef. The enchantment you spoke of.”

“The Rapture?” I asked cautiously, suddenly pensive about what she meant.”What of it?”

“Raef, when this other spirit comes. It does not transform you. You may change, but it is only because you have already been changed. This Rapture did more than create this other spirit. Your flesh is like mine, Raef.
“For all intents, you are an angel.”

“I- what?” my breathing stopped as I stared at her, heart hammering in my ears as her words sank in. A chill rushed down my back as I tried to say something, a denial, anything at all. I sat stunned, my chest a leaden weight quickly becoming heavier as my head swam with the thought, the surety with which she spoke. Everything suddenly came into sharp clarity, why I hadn’t apparently aged since that day, why I could go days without sleep, why I could wield magic when I had never been able to before, and a dozen other smaller things.

“Oh… oh Hosts no…” I shook and my head collapsed into my hands. I shook, numb, overwhelmed by the truth of it. I looked up and stared at the stone of the ceiling, but I couldn’t see anything. Liecitel sat silently next to me all the while.

“This is obviously upsetting you… I’m sorry I had to tell you this Raef.” She placed a hand gently upon mine and I flinched. Calmly, she collected it again and held it between her own. “I know this must be hard to take, but listen to me. You and I may be alike, but at the same moment, we are so different from each other. You are not defined by what has happened to you, but by who you choose to be. You are still human Raef, because that is how you see yourself. No matter what happens, so long as you hold to that, it will be true.”

I shut my eyes and closed everything out. My heartbeat thrummed in my chest and I slowly focused on making it slow to normal, controlling my breath, emptying my mind, every exercise I knew to let it all go. Raefiel sat quietly within and I could feel him there, but he felt no joy at my revelation, not even satisfaction. It was truth and he had known simply because it was what he was, what we had always been since his creation. Yet…

I was still who I had always been as well. It had been years since it had happened. In all that time, had I really changed? There was no denying that I had, I was capable of more than any human could do, but at the same time, I wasn’t quite an angel either, no matter what kind of blood may flow through my veins. Could it really be as simple as choice? Could how I think of myself really shape what I was? No… it went deeper than that. It was about belief, not choice…

“Does this change anything?”

“I don’t know.” Liecitel gently squeezed my hand and I looked at her for the first time since she had spoken. “In the long term, it may, but I cannot tell you if that is true or not. For now, you are what you have always been. Learning this about yourself doesn’t change that it happened long ago and you have retained your humanity since. I couldn’t tell you much more without better understanding what occurred, but I think so long as you do not lose sight, you will continue to be what you wish.” I sat silent for several long moments and then shook my head.

“I have to go Liecitel. I have… a lot to think about. A lot to try and understand.”

“That seems reasonable Raef.” She smiled again, sympathy clear in her eyes. She rose and stepped back, giving me space that I obviously needed. I rose again as well, grabbing my sword while she walked me to the door. Liecitel held it open as I stepped through, but I stopped though, just outside and turned back to her, not sure what to say, but feeling like I should say something.

“When you are ready to talk, I’ll be here. I’ll try to help however I may, but… just know that you don’t have to be alone Raef.” She leaned against the door slightly and offered me the calmest smile she could. “I would enjoy speaking with you again. If you wouldn’t mind, I do have questions of my own, for another time.”

I nodded to her, a determined look falling onto my face and she quietly closed the door. I turned back into the hallway and started to make my way back to the lift. As I headed away from her apartment, the worry I had felt of not knowing what I might learn was replaced by the shock of what I had. The dull chatter of the halls, of the hundreds of people living their lives in the tower began to return as I walked from the angel’s rooms. The noise of life around me all seemed so… mundane, out of place next to the revelations I’d been passed. It was hard to stay shocked next to that sense of regularity and I sighed, nodding to myself and realizing that my purpose hadn’t changed. The details might be different, the challenges something completely new and unexpected, but the goal was the same. I was me, and I intended to stay that way. There were answers out there somewhere for how to deal with it, it was just a matter of finding them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Epilogue:

I groaned and leaned back in bed, my eyes aching as I pressed both my hands against them and sighed. The book I had been reading fell off my stomach and I caught it before I lost my place, wedging a slip between the pages and putting it aside on the nightstand. Keris had insisted I take it after our shift today and I had relented, at least partially to allay any worries she might have if I had said no. She was enthusiastic about helping, but I don’t think she really understood what she was looking for. I hadn’t told her any more of what I was going through, but she wanted to do something and I didn’t blame her. I still had a dull ache bloom in my chest whenever I caught her looking when she thought I wasn’t.

Of course, Keris wasn’t the only one trying to be helpful. Liecitel kept sending me messages requesting I visit. I think she mostly wants me to tell her more about traveling other worlds. She’s enthralled with whatever stories I share, but I’m not entirely sure why. It might just be in her nature.

There’s more to it though. She seems to think it important for me to test my limits, but I’m wary of the notion. If I push myself, Raefiel might find some way to weaken my hold on him… but more, I was just worried about losing sight of what I am. Limits are there for a reason, even if they only exist in your mind. It’s why I’m trying to sleep more often.

People need sleep. They need time to rest, time without burdens, and I think most importantly, time to dream. It’s strange now, to think of the fear that choked me in the past, more than the nightmares, the dread that I would be something else when I woke up, that I would cease to be human once my eyes opened.

I suppose it’s a little ironic that those worries have faded after everything that I’ve learned. I still have nightmares, more of them after the things I’ve seen on this world, but every time I lay down to sleep, it’s because it is something that I choose to do. It helps keep me together, to not lose sight of everything I’ve done and what I’ve become along the way. It keeps me human.

For the time being, I suppose that’s all I can ask for. Things have changed, or maybe I’ve just changed more than I thought, but there will be time for those questions later. Tonight, I wonder… will I dream?

I really like that this is a little bit of a subversive twist on the well-worn "protagonist is basically a good guy but has to fight to suppress some sort of evil nature inside him" character. In this case, it's a stereotypically good force that he's fighting to keep locked inside, and that gives the dynamic a kind of exciting freshness.

In that vein, I like that Raefiel doesn't do anything bad in a conventional sense, and so we don't get any reason to root against him other than that Raef fears being subsumed by him. It allows you to have a little thought creep into the back of your mind - is Raef being the selfish one here? - even as you don't want to think that way. You want to empathize with Raef, and you do, and you can understand why he wants to keep the chains in place without needing the crutch of the thing he has chained up being a baddie.

Second, the supporting characters really come to life, even the minor ones. Goblin Elevator Attendant Guy steals his scene, for one. Now, I'm not saying you have to write an additional 30,000 words about him. But, if you did, I'd read them.

There were just a couple bits that left me with questions:

First, in part one, Raef gets slapped in the face with a griffin tail after his mind has wandered, which in my head I took to mean that he flew into the back of Keris's griffin. But he then observes that he accidentally slowed-down when he was distracted, so that makes me think that he couldn't have rear-ended her, since she would have been going faster than he was. It's a super ticky-tacky thing, but I just wound up having a hard time visualizing how exactly they collided.

Second, I was surprised that Liet pulled a Blofeld/Dr. Evil and didn't stick around to make sure Raef was killed. It's not unthinkable given his character, since he's arrogant/overconfident enough to just assume that things will go as planned, but he also struck me as the kind of guy who would get his kicks from actually watching his victims die. So I was a little surprised that he skedaddled before the fight.

Third, when Raef has such an extremely negative reaction to discovering that he is essentially an angel, I was surprised that it didn't get any kind of a reaction from Liecitel. She told him that he is basically the same as she is in some regard, and he reacts with something bordering of disgust. I could see her being a little put off by that. The fact that she isn't underscores the kind of self-aware serenity which she projects, and also marks her as empathetic, but I kind of expected her to at least bristle a teensy bit at his reaction.

But those were just the few little things which gave me pause, and the reason they stood out was because the whole narrative is so richly and consistently drawn. I really enjoyed reading this, so thanks for doing all of the hard work.

Yeah, one of the main focuses of this entire project was to actually make a story whose thematics were more in line with science fiction rather than classical fantasy.
The questions of absolute morality's existence and the measure of what defines a human are huge aspects to Raef's journey in this. I'm really glad that you picked up on those concepts.

As to the supporting characters, I'm very pleased that you liked them. When I was writing them, I wanted them to seem as real as possible, and I actually borrowed heavily on layering unique personalities over strong archetypes so that you could actually provide more character based on experience with archetypes of their kind. It let me make those personalities really pop and also let you provide the detail, saving me the time of reinforcing those character traits.

The idea in that first part was that he slowed down, so Keris cut in front of him, smacking him with the trailing lion's tail as she maneuvered. Basically, she was playing with him to accentuate her point later on.

As to Liet... yeaaaaaaah. A bit of a mustache twirl, but I'm glad it didn't seem out of character. I think part of this probably stems from the idea he's thrown more than a few people to his angel before. After a while, it probably gets a little passe.

With Liecitel, that centered peacefulness was her strongest characteristic and I think she understood how unnatural it was. I think she was as put off by it in her own way, because it really was something that she just... had no reference for. In my mind, it wasn't that she would have taken his reaction as disgust at angels, but the fact that his entire self identity had just shifted hard to the left. In more general terms, it's like discovering that you're an android, even if you think robots are cool.

The funny thing was, I read this right after I finished watching Thunderball, so it was right on the brain. Maybe you oughta just shoot James Bond there, Mr. Orzhov fancy pants!

You know, the further I get into it, the more I notice how your prose seems to swing between the overly-descriptive to the fast-paced. I mean, the paragraphs of exposition at the beginning when Raef was spacing out was expertly done, but other parts kind of stand out.

These three lines:
aren't designated as said by whom. It's a little confusing since it comes after three paragraphs of exposition.

Typo:
Should be "mighty twist".

Possible typo:
Should be "eyes" (plural), unless you mean something that has otherwise gone unmentioned up to this point. In the next paragraph you say "the angel's left eye shone", but you either need to specify "left" in the above line, or correct it to "eyes" because it isn't mentioned prior to said line.

Typo:
That either needs to be a comma or three periods, not both.

Typo?
These two lines read as if you intended them to be one line.

It harkens all the way back to the prologue and how his eyes are different.

Ellipses.

It's possible they were one line not too long ago. I'd change wavering to wavered now.