Irina was a loyal soldier, fearless, determined, and innocent -- the perfect pawn to play. Dayseus, the Wing-Commander in the Host of Heaven mulled through the list of his recent recruits. It truly baffled him how every cohort of angels could be so... average.
All angels that had displayed aptitude in the time since they graduated from the Institute of War, he recruited. Gabriel and Michael had been looped into his plans enough to satisfy their curiosity and had agreed to grant him the first pick of recruits. Though all angels are a part of the Heavenly Host, not all are soldiers. Those that would take the fight to the demons, to push back against the tide of evil, would learn exactly how to do so in the Crucible of the Institute.
Irina could be just what he needed to put an end to the eternal war against Hell’s hordes. He just had to be sure. An angel of such conviction and compassion was rare, nearly unheard of. The augmentations she'd selected on graduation for her H.A.L.O coupled with her natural aptitude in the charge and discharge of Divine Bolts marked her as an exceptional candidate. Dayseus wondered just how far he could push Irina and her virtue.
“Boel, come here!” Dayseus called over his cherubim assistant. Though near infantile in appearance with rosy cheeks, tightly curled blonde hair, and a diminutive frame, Boel had served Dayseus without question for a millennium.
“Commander,” Boel answered, fluttering down to the ground to kneel before Dayseus.
“It’s time Boel.”
“Commander?”
Dayseus leveled a cold glare at his assistant. If there was anything he hated more than the demons, it was repeating himself. "Our lives' work Boel, it is time to act on it. Do you understand?"
The cherubim froze in place, "Y-yes Commander,"
“Then get Irina to headquarters, and make sure that Oriphiel and Haroth are there,” he growled.
“Yes Commander, of course Commander, right away Commander,” Boel flapped his diminutive wings and sped off.
Dayseus ran an armored finger over his map of the Lord’s creation; it stopped over one of the “kingdoms” of man. The humans there referred to this city as the capital of the “Achaemenid Empire,” it had been sacked by enemies of the state. Hordes of low-born demons were sure to be present, as they followed the fall of man, scavenging for survivors to eat or wayward souls to drag into the inferno. A suitable horde to ensure Irina’s competence in the field, he divined that there were living souls present as well. Dayseus grinned, supremely satisfied with himself.
"I do so love a two-for-one."
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When Irina received Dayseus’ summons from Boel she could scarcely believe it. Irina had just joined Dayseus’ wing within the last decade, to be summoned to Headquarters at Dayseus’ command along with two members of the covert unit was nearly unheard of. She was a footsoldier, not a spy.
Irina prepared her armaments, a razor-sharp silver longsword, its handle inlaid with diamonds and honeyed topaz to better allow for the channeling of divine energy. Irina of course would need protection as well, she elected for the half plate and chain armor, a breastplate forged for her after graduation from the Institute of War with a chain hauberk and skirt, sturdy but light enough to not impede her movements or flight.
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As she made her way to the Wing-Commander’s headquarters, she sawHaroth, the Shield-Wing. He had welcomed her warmly into Dayseus’ ranks and become one of Irina's closest friends. His big brown eyes were easy to get lost in and despite his lithe frame, his wings had developed to be exceptionally resilient, earning him the namesake Shield-Wing. Haroth typically was on guard detail or serving as a mobile shelter. His involvement in the mission at hand and his spear slung across his back had to mean that they would be going behind enemy lines or into a combat situation.
Haroth waved at Irina, a wide smile across his face. “Will you be joining us?” he called.
Irina jogged toward him and gave a flap of her wings, landing gently an arm’s length from Haroth. “I will!” her eyes were alight with pride. “Do you know anything about the mission?”
“I do not, maybe Oriphiel will,” Haroth replied gesturing ahead of them. Up a flight of alabaster steps, Oriphiel stood, unarmored but bristling with knives of various cut and purpose. Irina could not see Orphiel’s favored silver dagger but felt certain that she had to have it somewhere on her person.
Oriphiel flicked her long, straight charcoal hair over her shoulder to look down the steps at Irina and Haroth. For a moment, Irina thought she saw a smirk cross over her flushed lips, but it was only to say, “About time the two of you got here, I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour.”
“Well, some of us take the time to put armor on, and properly,” Haroth jabbed cresting the steps and flinging one of his wings around Oriphiel's shoulder. “Come on now, mustn’t keep the commander waiting.” a tinge of jealousy flickered through Irina's chest.
Oriphiel glared at Irina for a split second before following immediately alongside Haroth.
Just keep your head down. Irina thought. It will pass.
Irina had been to headquarters once before for the H.A.L.O ceremony and her appointment to Dayseus' command. Unlike most of Heaven’s architecture, most of the building was copper-colored brick with granite floors. War was not a pleasant thing, perhaps when Michael and Gabriel decided to have the place built, they wanted that contempt represented in the masonry.
What Irina was not familiar with was the elaborate system of tunnels within what she had presumed to be solid walls. The brick was enchanted and resilient, she had no idea that sections had been hollowed out. Irina followed quietly behind Haroth and Oriphiel, the weight of the unknown task mounting with each step, it had to be something serious for all the secrecy.
Several turns and sets of stairs down later, the trio of angels arrived in a massive square room with a large marble slab in the middle. There were maps and projections of buildings scattered on its surface, the pins and points of light were clear indications of their destination, somewhere on the Lord's Creation.
“So-” Irina began to ask.
“You will be going to the fallen capital of the Achaemenid Empire,” Dayseus stated stepping into the dim light cast by the candles adorning the walls and the projections.
Irina knelt instinctively, to Oriphiel’s apparent amusement.
“Stand Irina, there is no need for such formality here,” Dayseus said coolly.
Irina got to her feet and felt a flush rise in her cheeks.
Lesson learned, be less formal in the secret planning chamber, check. She thought.
“The city has been burning for days, it’ll be mobbed with garzok!” Haroth protested.
“It very well may. Scouts reported demon activity before the city fell, you are to investigate the ruins of the palace and determine whether those reports indicate attempts at summoning or something else. Should mankind be summoning demons into creation, we will have to escalate our efforts against the Infernal Host. Get in, investigate, and get out as quickly as possible. Understood?”
The three angels clapped a closed fist over the left side of their chest in unison as a silent acknowledgment.
“You depart in one hour.”