"A foolish thing you've done Dmitri, even for a human. Unleashing Akahaziel like that," said a hollow voice from behind him. He spun around - no one was there. Then it moved. Seeming to materialise out of thin air was a man – of sorts. He stood head and shoulders above Dmitri, his bronzed skin was garbed like a warrior in a shining breastplate adorned with runes and strapped to his back was a massive broadsword. His face bore a sardonic grimace. But of all this, the minimal attire, the sword and the dark tan in this snowy climate, none of this could prepare Dmitri for the man's other defining feature; his wings. He had great massive feathery snow-white wings. They were folded up on his back, in no way hampered by the sword that hung there. Dmitri dropped to his knees in shock, his mouth hanging open. He opened and closed it a few times, at a loss for what to say. Finally, his mind caught onto something the man, no angel, he corrected himself, had said; "Akahaziel?" he asked.

"Yes" replied the Angel, "the demon you unleashed is none other than the demon Akahaziel. He was sealed under that mountain hundreds of years ago."

"Who are you?" Dmitri asked, regaining some composure.

"I am Uriel." He said simply.

Dmitri blanched; not just any angel, but one of the Arch-angels!

"Have you come to punish me?" asked Dmitri fearfully, then quickly added "I didn't release him on purpose."

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"No," said Uriel, "I've come to help you defeat him."

"What? You want me to fight that thing?" asked Dmitri incredulous.

"Yes you will fight the demon, but not just yet. You cannot do it alone. There will be a person in the land of France, you will need their help."

"France?" exclaimed Dmitri, "It will take weeks to travel that distance. And how will I find him when I do arrive?"

"You won't be travelling in the conventional sense Dmitri, I will Shift you there. After all, the person you need has not even been born yet. They will be born of the bloodline Destria."

Dmitri looked at Uriel confused, "Not born yet? So I have to find a child that hasn't even been born yet?"

Uriel shook his head patiently, "No Dmitri, I will Shift you through time as well as across the miles between here and France. Be wary when you arrive, this quest is of paramount importance, and if the wrong people learn of it they will try and stop you. Try not to travel too much once you are there until I have found you. If you can, find some holy ground and call upon me, I will hear it from there. But work quickly, I will trap Akahaziel in another plane for now but it won't last forever. Now brace yourself, the time is upon us."

With that, Uriel raised his arms and began an incantation; the words were nothing that Dmitri could recognise, but the sounds were an unearthly chorus, he was standing there in awe of the music of the incantation. Then Uriel lowered his arms and stopped his chant.

"But what-" Dmitri started, but was suddenly interrupted when everything went black.

Dmitri was falling, plummeting.

Certain that his conversation with an angel had been some sort of imagining, Dmitri closed his eyes tightly, knowing that he had stumbled in the cave and was plummeting to his death in a sinkhole. But then gradually, the falling feeling stopped. Dmitri heard the whoosh of a massive amount of air being displaced and all was silent but for a ringing in his ears.