"His mate had not wanted to give up Daos' presence. She had chosen to stay, and so was anchored in the heavens. Rithanael sought to stay in the heavens by clinging to his mate, but he was foiled. Rather than the both of them staying in the heavens, the both of them tumbled to the earth."

By now the girl's eyes were wide with wonder and fear, and she was thoroughly entranced with the story. The priests of Daos' Temple had never gone any further into the story of the fallen angels than to say merely that they were cast out of heaven. This was definitely not something that she had expected! And even if it was not a story of dungeons and dragons and maidens in distress, it was a story that was told in such a way that she was very, very interested.

"So angry was Daos that he cursed Rithanael, and declared that Rithanael and his mate were never to gather with others of their kind. They were to stay in the shadows, away from those who were faithful, and who believed that Mortality was worth the pain. Rithanael's mate agreed to his punishment in the hopes that Love would be worth it. In the hopes that feeling real true emotion, regardless if it was pain or pleasure, would be worth it. Of all celestials, she is the one who should be most lauded. It is a shame that her name has been lost to history. A deep shame.

"But there were others. Time in the heavens is not as time on Kythandria. Each day more and more leave the stars and come down onto the earth. Some find that it is indeed worth the pain. Some wish that they had never left. And some feel that imperfect perfection could be the most imperfect perfection of all."

Once more that graceful, muscular arm reached for the mug of ale. The girl's eyes grew even wider when she saw the edge of bright wings from beneath the strange man's cloak. Her eyes darted to his face: to those darkly impassive eyes, as he sipped from the mug of ale. The whisp of coal-black hair that fell across his shoulder. She felt hot again, and knew for certain that this heat radiated from him: that he was burning.

When sound finally came to her lips, she realized that the windows were dark, and the fireplace burning merrily. The man across from her seemed even darker in contrast of the cheery inn, and several of the people who had been there at the start of his tale had left their copper on the table and gone back to their homes.

"You're Rithanael, aren't you?"

His eyes flashed again, and this time she was certain that she saw flames dancing behind them. He shook his head faintly, with a bemused smile. "I stood beside Rithanael before his fall. I was angered by Daos' curse. I stayed in the heavens and tried to learn as much as I could about the ways of Change before I decided to join the realm of Flesh. I felt emotion for the first time in my life as I watched Rithanael's mate fall beside him, her face full of hope. By the time that I came to my choice, it was too late. The angels who had left had left. Those who had been cast down were cast. Those who had waited too long had missed their chance and remained the all Father's servants.

<Read On....>