"Dark Angel ~ 1" by Marie ´Jadeanite´ Westbrook

      Telanari glared softly through flashes of lightning, his wings beating steadily despite the frequent blasts of moisture from the clouds churning about him. The height didn't bother the dark angel, though once it may have. Instead, as blood dripped slowly off of his sword, he merely spared a moment of thought for where it would land and the probable amusing reactions of those that found it, or were hit by it, before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.

      His opponent had no similar reason for amusement. The light angel's white clothing and wings were stained red and ripped in multiple places, highlighted by the bloodstained glow from the crystal of his sword. White is such a stupid color for battle, Telanari thought coldly, noting exactly where his opponent wouldn’t be as strong in his defenses. His own black clothing and wings were in only somewhat better shape... but the other couldn't see that.


      Beating his tired wings slowly, he circled around his opponent. “Well, don’t we just look the part?” He asked mockingly. Of course they did. That was the point. But for some reason being reminded that they were fighting the "evil angels" always seemed to distract the light angels, so he said it every time when he was certain of winning. They hadn't caught on.

      The young angel shook water out of his pale hair. Glaring at the black angel in front of him, he lunged. Telanari dodged easily, the dark, tarnished silver of his sword catching the other in his side. Gathering his wings, he dodged closer to the lightning filled clouds above them, making the Feared's angel labor to catch up. Until then the fight had been mere circling and striking. Telanari planned to change that. As his wings beat strongly despite their weariness he spared a thought for the irony of it all. None of the humans far below would have ever guessed the title their beloved and flawless angels held.


      He didn’t stop climbing until he was well hidden in the foggy darkness of a cloud. The dark angel gave the moist fog cradleing him an annoyed glance as it weighted down his wings and soaked into his shirt, being wet was not high on his list of good things at the moment. But it did get the job done; while he was hidden, the other was a white beacon with every strike of lightning. The young angel slowed as he entered the cloud and Telanari tensed, knowing that soon they’d be within striking distance of each other.


      For some reason all the white angel's had the same line at this point. Maybe it was supposed to work like his did... But then again the angels who fought him never exactly got the chance to pass on what did and didn't work against Telanari. Especially the naive ones that said such scripted lines. “You can’t escape by hiding in your element. Come out and face me in true combat.”


      Laughing, he answered, “Afraid of the dark, are we?” The young man swirled towards the sound, pulling a white arrow from his quiver and sending it flying directly where Telanari had been. The shadowed angel smothered a laugh, his owl-like wings beating silently against the cloud as he twisted to the side and around his opponent, studing him. The Falcon wings worn by the light angel were more streamlined and often faster, but he doubted the angel had anything in mind other than how impressive they looked when he picked them. For a reason as of yet unresolved in Telanari's mind almost all the angels he had met had been oblivious to the advantage of the silence and grace his wings gave him over the flashy speed theirs held. Not that he really wanted others to share his advantages, and theirs could beat him in certain areas... But it did puzzle him that those who chose his kind of life didn't get the wings that fit.


      As the blond angel peered into the roiling clouds, wondering if his arrow had hit so true that the angle of darkness had fallen soundlessly, Telanari struck from behind, sword held streight as he stabbed downwards. The other angel was fast, he would give him that, but not fast enough to dodge the blade that ripped into his back.


     To his disappointment he’d missed a killing stroke. He’d hoped for a quick battle, which he didn’t seem to be getting. As the other swung around, his face a picture of rage, pain, and hate, Telanari smiled, for all the world as if he was greeting a friend. “You’ll learn, child, you’ll learn. Just not on this world.” The younger angel barely parried the strike that swiftly followed the words. The two swords slid against each other, Telanari’s slicing the edge of the crystal off as if it were wood. Most silver wouldn't have been able to do that, in truth most silver would have bent with the first blow, but the dark angel's sword was not like most silver.


      The young angel stared at his mutilated sword, then with a shake of his head he flipped it so that the remaining side was facing the dark angel. Telanari dodged the resulting blow, made clumsy from the other’s pain, and swung his own sword down in an arc. The light angel flew backwards, not fast enough to avoid the blade completely. As more blood soaked the white silk, Telanari dodged forward, the blond angel meeting his blow with another clumsy defence. Slowly he pushed the other back into the thicker fog of the clouds.


      From below all that was seen was the flash of swords, a shining light striking off of an endless dark. Then the two forms faded into darkness and there was a scream of pain followed by a light form plummeting from the clouds, the glow slowly fading until it was nonexistant. Telanari let him fall.




      Much later, Telanari landed heavily on a mountain ledge. Eventually he wouldn’t have to travel to find his master, but for now it was restricted to only this one bit. Telanari never knew if that was a good thing or not... it certainly was for his masters enemies, maybe even for it's allys. He couldn’t sense its presence yet, so it probably was biding its time for one reason or another.


      Shaking his head at the memory of the fight, he launched back off of the ledge. There was no way he was going to sit there and wait before getting at least some of the dried blood off himself. His master wouldn’t have wanted him to just sit there either, if for no other reason than even he could be hurt by blood loss. He’ll lecture me about caring for my wounds if I don’t anyway. He thought to himself. None of his kind could tell if the power they served really cared about their well being or just wanted them strong, not that it mattered.


      As his exhausted wings brought him over the closest lake, he folded them, only putting out enough effort to make a semi-graceful dive as he splashed into the water. It was freezing, but the shock of it brought him fully awake.


      Only when the setting moon no longer lit up the waters did he surface. As he walked out of the lake, weighed down by the water dripping off of him, he glanced back at the arches of his dripping wings. They were sodden with water, probably too much to fly after the time he'd spent submerged.

      Flapping his wings experimentally, Telanari decided with a sigh half of annoyance and half of relief that they wouldn’t hold him aloft after the saturating he'd given them unless he dried them, which he couldn’t do with the magic he’d been restricted to. With a sigh he started the brief hike back to where the caves began. It wouldn’t take long to get there, or at least only as long as it took the sunrise to start fading in the morning sky. Luckily there was no specific cave that he had to appear in, only a specific mountain range.


      As he neared the nearest cave the angel was quickly reminded that closest didn't mean most convientent. It was situated in the middle of a small system of ledges. Just the sort of thing that even he prefered climbing.


      He had never found out why his master had chosen that particular range of mountains. Something told him that he probably never would. He'd been informed many a time after questioning the decision, 'Do what you're supposed to and keep your nose out of my work.' Never mind the fact that Telanari was basically being an extension of it for its work, he was told to keep out. Unfortunately, being told to keep out made most just all the more curious, especially him. Even worse was that he couldn't tell if his master actually wanted him to keep out, or wanted him to poke in.


      With a sigh, he reached up for the highest handhold his fingers could touch, and swung himself up with a combination of strength and the beats of saturated wings. The black angel half grinned at the feel of the familiar stones as he stood and reached for yet another hold, even if the movement did strain muscles that were already cut and bruised. It was going to be a long night.





~~~~~~~~~



     What seemed hours later, Telanari reached the ledge leading to the cave he had to go to. He stared at it for a moment, feathers once again awry and breathing hard as he made certain it was the right one. Then he stalked to the entrance, flopping down beside a wall without any vestige of grace, closing his eyes, and getting his breath back. The sun was still a bit from rising, though he could see the first grey glow of it on the horizon, so he'd have at least a bit of time to rest before meeting with his master.


      After a moment he sat up with a sigh, weighing if he should be lazy or make himself presentable. Half a moment later he snorted, amused with himself, and leaned against the strangely warm stone of the entrance, allowing his mind to wander as he waited. He'd never before starting his "work" been one to play how it was supposed to be done, and he was damn sure not going to start now. Keeping his head on his shoulders was one thing, and looking right to intimidate something was another, but he'd leave the tradition and ceremony to those that really cared about it. With a shake of his head he sank back against the more forgiving of the rocks, letting his mind wander.




      A breath of air brought him from his reminiscing and he cracked open his eyes again, wincing as a ray from the now rising sun caught him in the eye. With half a grumble he twisted up to his feet, and looked into the cave. As he'd expected, an emotionless voice floated out to him, "Angel, you look a disgrace. Get in here."