The sound of fire crackling was the first sound El heard upon coming to.

At least I'm not dead... Pay attention to the sounds around you and self-check for breaks or injuries...

In the blink of an eye, he threw his body up throwing his hands back and springing to his feet landing in a fighting stance and began to take in his surroundings.

Carnage. Everywhere he looked, all he saw was carnage. He had been with the R.E.P.S. for five years, since his 13th name day, although his life before that had been no walk in the park, abandoned as a baby by his parents who defected to the traitorous Annunaki. The Chitauri orphanages are notorious recruiting grounds for the Royal Elite Praetorians, or R.E.P.'s. If you can survive 13 name days as a ward of the C.Y.A., Chitauri Youth Authority, you can make it a few cycles on the front lines.

Well, he was coming upon his 5th cycle and soon would be off the front lines and commanding his own platoon, not just a unit of grunts. All he had to do was not die, which was proving to be very difficult.

As he walked through the death and destruction he began to wonder what all of this was about. All of this death and fighting for a wasteland of a planet that never sees darkness. What kind of planet has seven suns, SEVEN!!! Our home system seems so far away.

I don't understand why we can't just invade this stupid out world. In the millennia that we have been fighting for access to this gate, we could have conquered this planet a thousand times.

As he crested a hill his eyes fell upon a sight he never thought he would see, a fallen Malachem. He didn't even think that they could be killed, yet here was one lying prone on the ground. He had never even seen one land, their majestic wings, so white they seem to glow, and the feathers were so delicate.

"I am getting a feather!" he blurted out, his voice ringing over the landscape.

He broke into a light sprint, jumping over debris or using it to launch himself further. When he was almost within reach he slowed until he stood over the body. He had never beheld such beauty.

"How could a being as beautiful as you be anything but good?" he asked the fallen Messenger under his breath.

The body below him was like gazing upon a God. Its hair resembled spun gold, Its skin was like polished bronze. The definition and curves of its arms and legs were the work of a sculptor. It must have stood 3 meters and its wingspan must be 8 meters tip to tip.

He knelt to look closer at the tunic of Mithral armor it wore. He stroked its feathers and they seemed to stroke his hand back. It was so surprising that he jerked his hand away.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Jumping at feathers now? Glad Nah Lexa, wasn't here to see that."

He stroked the feathers again and now he was sure they were responding to his touch but he didn't stop, he was looking for the biggest most beautiful feather of them all.

As his eyes followed his fingers, they both fell on one at the same time. It was so large that he knew he had to have it. As his fingers closed around the base and he was just about to pull, the Malachem's hand grabbed his other wrist.

He had never felt such a jolt of energy, he felt as though he had never known discomfort or pain in his life. He felt refreshed and recharged.

And in that moment of bliss, the Malachem whispered,

"Remember",

And his body jerked and convulsed and seized as wave after wave of energy washed through him and what seemed like racing images on his monitor moving too fast to decipher.

And as quickly as it began it ended.

The Malachem stood over the boy as his body lie limp, exhausted from his seizures. He examined the boy seeing the man he was and the man he will grow into... hopefully.

As the boy began to stir the Malachem plucked 2 small feathers from his left wing and placed them on the boy's lap and with a mighty leap took flight. He surveyed the land and saw no life other than the boy. A tear rolled down Mikha'el's cheek as he looked upon those who had fallen...

"Such waste and senselessness death"

As the boy sat up, Mikha'el hovered before him.

"ADAMAH RISE!" He trumpeted.

El snapped awake and scrambled to his feet, confused.

Did he just call me Adamah?

"What did you do to me?" "Why are you still here?" Are you going to kill me?" "You'll find I'm no easy meat Messenger, I..."

"SILENCE" Mikha'el blasted.

El fell silent, he didn't know what else to do.

The Malachem flew closer and pointed to El's feet.

El looked down and saw 2 feathers, light and downy and he picked them up.

Mikha'el spoke.

"The feathers of the Malachem are more than just mere plumage. Go, find the Star of the Morning, he who was and shall be again, and release him from his bondage. You will find him in the tower of Samael."

El pondered for a second and replied

"How am I supposed to find a place I’ve never heard of and free a being I’ve never seen? I don’t take orders from you, in case you didn’t notice I’m your enemy."

The Malachem looked sad for a moment then spoke.

"I am not now nor have I ever been your enemy. As I said before the feathers of the Malachem are special. When you find the Morning Star present them to Him and he shall tell you what must be done next. Eons have passed awaiting the end of this war, follow your heart, trust your instincts, but most importantly know this, YOU MUST NOT FAIL!"

The last words were spoken so loudly that El recoiled and shut his eyes at the concussive blast of the words and when he opened his eyes, the Malachem was gone.