• Prologue

    The night was cold and motionless; the moon was barely peeking over the frost covered mountaintop. The silent moonlight lit sections of the forest floor, making jigsaw patterns across the withered land.

    There was scarcely any movement to be seen on this night, as if the forest creatures were afraid of what lurked in the shadows. A lonely howl would occasionally appear from the other side of the mountain, only to be replied by a hushed whine. But there was something in the air, and the animals knew it, and feared it. For something hid in the shadows that was not welcome.

    From the distance came a faint sound, at first it was a light flapping rhythm. But it was soon accompanied by two other soft wing beats. The moonlight revealed three winged figures soaring above the forest trees. All three figures had brilliant white wings that glowed in the pale moonlight. They flew in an ordered row of three, the one in the middle flying in front. The figure on the right outstretched a hand and muttered something; a beam of light shot from his palm, revealing life on the forest floor. Countless of forest creatures scurried away from the light, fearing it would reveal them to whatever was causing the thick feeling of dread on the forest.

    The light also revealed the three figures, they were Men. But they all had astonishing wings that spread a few feet from their bodies. Their thick wings were luminous thanks to the snow white feathers that edged from them. They carried a sense of order and justice that seemed to light the apprehension of what lied in the forest.

    The figure in the middle talked in a mature husky voice “Alright, he is somewhere around here.” He paused “I can feel it.” His dark black hair was tied behind him in a samurai’s ponytail. Even though the night was obscure it still caused his dark hair to shine with an emerald tint. His face made him look like he was in his mid thirties. He had a five o’clock shadow that gave him a rugged look. He turned to the man on his left “Antonello, this may be your first mission but that doesn’t mean this will be a light one. Be prepared for anything”

    Antonello looked to him. “Yes sir.” He said gravely. Antonello looked no more than eighteen; he had dark brown eyes that had a tint of red to them, his hair was also streaked dark red, it almost touching the back of his neck. He also was very good looking for a kid his age “May I ask something?” he called to the leader.

    “What is it?” he said, not looking away from the forest.

    Antonello looked puzzled as he looked down “Who are we looking for? You haven’t given me any information on him at all. I at least want to know who I might be fighting”

    The man laughed in a husky manner. “You remember that incident I told you that happened a few years back?”

    “You mean when The Corrupt breached the Archangel stronghold? Yeah I do, why?” Antonello replied

    The man sighed “It turns out one of our members turned against us that day and revealed our stronghold location to The Corrupt. Because of him hundreds of Archangels died that day. After the incident that man escaped with The Corrupt, and he’s been missing ever since that day”

    Antonello was dumbfounded; the thought of one of his own allies turning against him to work with the one thing they fought against shook him to the core. “But what does that have to do with why we’re here”, he paused, suddenly it came to him “Wait a minute, you don’t mean.” He said with a look of desperation in his dark eyes.

    The man looked at him and smiled “Yes, we finally found him”