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Many years ago, a guardian angel fell after his charge was wrongfully condemned. While he sought a way to return to the heavens, he fell in love with a homo-navitas. They started a family, but the angel could not stay. His purpose still drove him to protect, something he could not stay from even for the family that needed him. When Eliza was eight, he left to redeem himself in the eyes of heaven. Even though his wife and daughter knew he was not human, they still did not understand why he left. To an angel, purpose is the very being. They live to serve their purpose: a truth that as Eliza grew older, she'd find absolute.

But let's not rush things. The story to be told has barely just begun... Let's get started, shall we? ^o^

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Atelia: a city, once resplendent with the presence of a protective force still stood, though (arguably) not as resplendent or reputable as it was all those years before.

Many of the old protectors of the town had either left or perished (some disappeared in the night without explanation). At least one of these protectors remained, but she had moved on: started a family in a home just outside of town. Ever since marrying Luchesi, it felt safe, but that support disappeared one night. There was no convincing the man, even if leaving put his family at risk. Seeing this loss and eager to get her child's mind off the sudden departure, Claire called for a trainer to ensure Eliza would at least be able to defend herself.

Eliza's lessons were a pittance to what she wound up being up against: an assassin sent by someone who wanted her kind dead and eventually, the powerful knight that finally drove Eliza's mother to send her to the Holy Order where she would be safe.

One night, like any other night, Eliza decided to play after her training. It was getting dark out and a cloaked figure approached. A voice from behind, condemningly whispered something about her being an abomination. She caught sight of the dagger in the his hand and ran into the woods. The attacker pursued her, picking up speed. As the gap between them closed, the ground beneath Eliza slipped and broke.

The little girl fell through, landing roughly, on her knees on the dirty stone floor below. All she could think of was getting away. Taking the nearest opening she could find and hurried through, getting far enough away from the hole that her attacker would have a hard time finding her.

What stretched out before the lost child was a long and cavernous underground building: a glorious find, however dark and hard to see it was underground.

In this tomb, an energy still thrummed through the walls, giving them a life of their own and Eliza the feeling she was being watched. If she heard a sound, she immediately turned, expecting the attacker before to catch up with her. "Just what are you doing here," a feminine voice asked, startling Eliza. The child let out a scream, picking up her pace once more. She found her way to a dead end: an alter of sorts covered in a large, stone, alabaster box. The room was incredibly bright compared to the rest of the tomb. In the center of it all, a large tile sat, bearing an etched lettering she couldn't read. The light rose from the lettering, shrieking as a bird's head formed from the energy and rose from the marble floor to lash out at the unsuspecting child and knocking her to her feet. A griffon's body formed in the light, making a leap for Eliza. She knew not why the griffon had appeared, only that she wasn't supposed to be there.

The beast continued to attack, lashing out as she dodged and weaved, fighting to stay alive against a force she didn't understand. Being verbal did nothing. The beast changed with each new attack. She ran, it could still catch up. She grabbed whatever she could find to fight back. It phased through the beast. Intangible. Wait! Eliza thought, finally realizing the creature could not be harmed. She could feel the energy rushing through her as her heart pounded, a power she'd never felt before. As the power that be pounced for her once more, she stood expectantly, already frightened, waiting for the final blow, but it disappeared into her when she whimpered, ducking to the ground.

"Sorry about that, love...," came a gentle voice from ahead, where the grave stood. Eliza raised the hands from her eyes to see the strange man lounging on the box of alabaster, "We hast been watching our grave for many a moon. There aren't supposed to be visitors... Thou art an odd sort to be down here. It's dangerous, you know."

The man slid down from the alabaster and strode to meet her. Eliza looked up at him curiously, her whole body aching with burns that started to heal," Who was that...? Who are you?"

The man stooped to his knee in front of her," Well, it does not have a gender, that's Ramiel: something we've decided to bequeath thee. A powerful energy that'll protect thou as thou needest it... Thou'll have to learn how on their own, of course. As for Us, we are no one important. We are simply the shadows of a past that once was and now isn't. We will be forgotten, but, we wanted to see thee. Thou art younger than we expected... Unexpectedly brave for thou age to be down here..." "We," the little girl asked. He grinned," Tis the royal we, poppet, but that is not important. Thou must return to the surface..."

Her attacker was still out there somewhere," But what if my attacker..."

"That matter does not concern us, poppet. Thou art in good hands," spoke the royal, comfortingly," but we will be watching how you progress with fascination, we are sure! Now! We must be going! So long, poppet!" With a wave of his hand, a smile, and a tilt of his head, the man's form dispelled into smoke and vanished from her view, leaving the room dark again.

The child took a moment, letting what just happened sink in, but footsteps behind her caused her to turn to the attacker that now rose above her.

"Die..."


Eliza screamed, running away just in time to avoid the blade he was embedding into her.

She scrambled into the darker sides of the massive room and hid behind a pillar, breathing heavily.

"You are an insult to all that is pure, not worthy of life," The man called out in frustration, coming after her. Now that he had her trapped in this room, it would be much easier to kill her. Hiding her body would be unnecessary in a place no one knew about, which would keep her mother from suspecting his group. The little girl that disappeared... It wasn't an unheard of occurrence. Sensing her behind one of the pillars, he struck it, driving her out of hiding.

Eliza, the Nephilim, tried pulling out her sword and running to the back of the room, but the attacker grasped hold of her arm, pulling her towards him.

Just as he was about to drive his sword down to impale her, another blade plunged through his chest. He looked up in surprise at the blood-covered thing and collapsed.

"Are you ok," the woman asked. This was the voice from before. The child looked up at her confusion and shock, then losing consciousness...

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A few hours later, Claire paced the room of their home. With Eliza asleep on the bed and her savior guarding the door, she hadn't much time to think.



That explanation drove home the severity of the insult to the little girl, scaring her more. She asked if they would come again and who they were, but these were all questions Claire didn't have an answer to. She had a feeling she knew who it was and that they would come again, but it wasn't certain and so... she came to a decision, sent word to Angelus of the Holy Order, and set out with her daughter for Tillie's house, which would be along the way.

The Wishmaster's followers, who decided to raid the house that night, found it to be empty. "Damn it," one of them hollered, ramming the side of his fist into the door frame and creating a sizable dent," She's caught onto us and left. Spread out, send a team to the surrounding towns! They can't have gotten far."

Liz immediately ran for Tilly when she came into view. This was her favorite aunt, or at least the closest thing she had to one. Seeing her eased her mind for a short time of the events the previous days.

The guardian that protected her had been arrested in a town along the way and hanged for her deeds and dis-service as a fallen knight. They hadn't had time to dawdle with the Wishmaster's followers on their tail.

Tilly and Angelus ensured their safe arrival to the Order. Claire bade her child goodbye, leaving her in the Order's care and took off for Atelia once more. there was still work to be done.