Light blinds my vision before the dirt below smashes against my face. Pain shoots through my body as the gash across my stomach only grows more painful. Opening my eyes, the light makes my head ache before I start to cough out blood. Inky red blood flies out of my mouth before I choke it down. Every bit of my body is begging for rest, pushed beyond its natural limit but I can't stop now. Taking a sharp breath of cold air I focus, hearing no footstep or shifting steel. I was safe for now, but still in danger.

Shifting my hand to my hip causes agony to shoot through my waist, pain making my movement slow and clunky. Working my hand to grip the handle of my dagger only to find it missing. Fuck. Ok no time to panic, panic only gets you killed. Strangling on a cough I refuse to let out, I begin inching my hand back down my side and around where I fell. The ground around me is covered in a tall dry grassy plant with something sticky coating it. Cracking my eye open as they adjust to the light, tall thin plants surround me, stretching out in all directions. A fence is faint in the distance, my magic reaches out, telling me its approximate shape and location. Beyond that, the faint beating of hearts going about their day beyond it. Some however seem to be stalling by the fence. Great. Not far from witnesses, means people could be coming and if some are loitering, it means they know something. Being face down in some farmers field isn't what concerns me however, it's the dark red, nearly black liquid covering the area Im on. Blood… My blood soaking the ground. I'm more injured than I thought.

Forcing calm to wash over myself I begin to focus on my form. I bring my sharpened teeth and claws back in to help disguise my demonic origins. Anyone who knows basic demonic traits will still know, but anything to appear more human helps. Next, how injured am I? One leg is numb below the knee, can't tell if my toes can even move. Second leg is better, capable of movement with only some stinging pain around the groin and hip. Abdomen took the brunt of the injuries, the landing only made it worse. Head could be worse, nose broken, my headache has subsided and is now a dull ache on my parietal bone above my ears, potential fracture.

After what feels like hours looking for my dagger, I feel a sting against my hand. My blade. Grasping the handle I could feel myself calm down just a bit. Despite the cut, the hilt in my hand gives me a sense of safety. I am armed, and in a place I do not know with threats I can only imagine, that's what matters. Closing my eyes for just a second I could hear some people yelling in the distance. I can't make out what is being said but with how quiet the voices are they are not close. No way they know I'm here. Attempting to take a deep breath backfires on me, as I start coughing up even more blood, setting my head down to help muffle the sound. A soft thud nearby brings me back to the moment. Opening my eyes for just a second I see the sun has moved lower than it was. How long have I been laying here? Did I pass out?

“Found it!”

The voice yells, footsteps coming closer, accompanied by the sound of shifting metal. A guard of some sort. The person stops only a foot or two behind me before immediately suppressing a gag. I keep my eyes closed, unmoving.

“It smells like death.”

Most wouldn't even hear the words with how quiet they were. More footsteps rush up behind, and come to a sudden stop, turn around and vomit a few feet away.

“Saran! Control your damn stomach and call for backup, this is serious!”

Saran, the one with the weak stomach, seems to compose themselves and take a few uneasy steps back towards the other man.

“That can't be blood, there is so much…what could- co..could make so much blood?”

“A dead man can make that much blood, did you call for backup or not?”

“Yes… yes sir, they’re on their way.”

“Then go be useful, as a guard you will see worse stuff then some blood on the ground. So calm your stomach and try to figure out what made the damn blood!”

They don't know I'm here? I thought they were closer than that. How out of it am I? My head throbs as I strain to hear their movement. Not that it should be this hard. Saran, clearly in training, is not a stealthy walker, his harsh, uneasy steps crunching towards me. The moment the man sees me is obvious as a high pitch shrill scream rips across the grass..

“It's a monster, and it's dead! God it's dead! I'm gonna be sick again, I can see its guts!”

“Monsters aren't real you idiot” The first voice stomps closer. And then stop dead.

“But you are right about it being dead, god what happened here?”

“If that ain't a monster then what is it, a demon?”

Silence fills the air for a moment, I can hear their heart rates increase, the seasoned one however is maintaining his calm appearance and tone of voice.

“Alright if you're gonna be like that go inform the farmer that we will be out here for a while and stand guard at the fields gate.”

‘But sir.”

“NO BUTS! That's a command, do as you are told!”

Definitely a leader of some sort. Saran runs off at the command. His superior remains close to me and lets out a heavy sigh. I can hear him pull out a flask and take a drink. In the distance my magic flares up in response to people moving towards the area. Fuck, I can take this guy in my currrent state but dont think I can take anymore

Magic can’t help me here, I need to save what strength I got left. Bringing my magic in causes all the beats of life to fade, I'm now left with my senses and training.

They assume me dead however so that will help, unlikely they will try anything. Hopefully they will just survey the scene and I can run for it when the area settles down.

Over what I assume to be several minutes, the leader is walking around me and observing the area close by, periodically muttering under his breath. I don't put the energy in to make out what he's saying, it's just a waste of effort.

After a bit the people that were coming towards the field approach and begin to talk to the guard that was already here. I can't be sure but it seems like three people. They settle a little way away but I can make out some of the conversation with little effort. At first it seems they were talking about portals, evidence of them and how one was detected. The guard leader, Tari, as I hear him called, reported what he found, a dead body of what might be a demon based on the blood's smell and colour. Tari knows a thing or two about demons then, identifying a demon off blood isn't easy. However none of them have gotten close to actually inspecting me directly thankfully, I don't want to fight anyone. But it seems my peace is to be broken sooner rather than later. A few of what I can safely assume to be guards begin walking over to me with Tari. The one that remained behind, however, I can tell is different. I can feel it in my core. I just can't place why.

It has to have been at least an hour since the first guard arrived. An hour of being face down in the dirt. As the group approaches me I feel a cough trying to make its way up my throat, I choke it down, but blood still seeps out my mouth as I struggle. I am keenly aware when each person comes into view of me, their pulses skyrocket and a silence falls over the once chattering guards. Tari is the one to break the silence

“Call him.”

“Really? You actually think its a demon”

“Yes, and I doubt it's truly dead” Tari’s voice is barely audible.

“How could a thing that looks like that be alive.”

Rude and not a question. The loud, cocky confidence in the voice gave that away. I've heard that same tone from newer soldiers who think they know all there is to know. Survived training and think they know the job inside and out, there is alway one in each group. Typically they learn that they do not in fact know anything the hard way. I hope I won't have to teach him that lesson. The guy should listen to Tari. Many of us can survive what would normally kill any other creature. I happen to be one who can take that to the extreme. Even I don't know how injured I truly am. However I'm in pretty bad shape, even by my standards. The fact I couldn't accurately tell how far away they were confirms that.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“If that's a real demon we can't be sure it's dead, and more importantly no checks have been conducted to confirm death. Remember, it's alive until proven deceased.”

Tari’s voice is calm but I can feel his distaste for the man he's speaking to, and yet he does not pull rank on him.

“Ya right watch me.”

A dull thud with the clattering of metal rings out. A sheathed sword tossed to the ground.. Oh boy here we go. I crack my eye open just before the man walks up around to face me. Not enough for him to know they’re open, people like this overlook small details like that when they are convinced they are correct.

“Jax dont you..”

Too late, the man crouches down in front of me, I can sorta make out blonde hair down to his jaw, hazel eyes and what I can guess is fighting leathers, my vision is too blurry to make out much more. He starts touching my head and shoulders, shaking me slightly as he tries to prove I'm dead. Shaking makes my need to cough worse, but I must keep it together, snapping will cause more trouble. I can not, however, control the blood that runs from my nose as a result of the shaking. Seeing the blood seems only to encourage him.

“They think this insult to nature is alive! How cute that a freak like this could survive birth let alone this much blood loss.”

“JAX STOP!”

Jax does not stop, by this point the others who had been standing to the side have now approached to see what is happening. At this point I can feel my strength is returning, not much but enough to fight If I absolutely must. I feel a distinct aura coming up behind us but I'm too injured to get a better reading off it. Staying down and playing dead remains the best option. Realms be damned, why couldn't they have been at my front so I can actually see what's happening. would make it easier to judge my odds. Suppose sight is not a mercy I get today.

Jax, ignoring the command, opts to drop me, letting my face splash against the pooling blood before I feel his foot on the back of my head. His heel grinding into my hair before he shifts to kick me. Finally a different guard walks up behind the breathing asshole that is Jax.

“You are gonna get yourself killed, stand up and back away.”

Taris' tone leaves no room for argument. And yet Jax ignored him entirely, continuing to prod at my body. Each poke and kick causes fire to run through my body as more blood flows out of my wounds, my control starts to slip. I feel my grip tighten on the hilt on my blade, a movement that goes unnoticed by Jax but I feel tension rise in some of the others. I can hear the guards trying harder to get Jax away from me, one even talking about how it's disrespectful of the dead. However Jax does not stop, why none have stepped in to physically remove him is beyond my understanding. And then he does it. Jax stomps the back of my neck and pushes down.

In an instant my control evaporates. Instinct takes over as I grab his foot, throwing him off. A moment later I am over him. His face goes from cocky enjoyment to confusion and finally fear as I bare my fangs, and the realisation that a not so dead demon is on top of him with a knife at his throat, a knee pinning him down, dripping blood and realms only knows what other fluids directly onto him.. I can sense that damned aura getting closer by the second, however my entire focus is on the terrified man underneath me.

Raising his hand Jax tries to get me off, a pathetic attempt at that. I give a quick jab, breaking his nose. He screams as pain and the realisation that he is powerless sets in. Finally the others around us grab me and throw me off him. They only get me about a foot away as Jax desperately tries to get away. Unfortunately for them, even half dead I am faster and better trained than all the guards here. Using my one good leg I push off the ground, pulling myself free from the guards and tackling Jax with so much force we slide several more feet through the long grass. He shrieks as I grab his head and push down, knife at his throat. He tries to kick and flail his flimsy body to get me off him. Nothing works.

All the heart rates around me rise, they genuinely believed the creature on the ground was dead. A fatal mistake. A hand goes for my neck again, before contact can be made my arm is gripping it as my nails dig in. The grunt of pain is instant as I let go and the arm vanishes from view, not my issue at this time, the skin will heal and won't even scar. Shifting focus back to Jax as he continues to squirm, my training kicks in. shifting my weight to pin his legs. My heartbeat slows and breathing deepens as I raise my dagger.

An aura overtakes my senses, and next thing I know I'm being lifted off the man and held up. Jax scurries away the second I'm off him. Finally the aura settles and I realise what the aura belongs to, stretching my neck looking up at it.

“Cunt.”

The insult comes out as a growl through my teeth at the archangel holding me up. Of all the crap this shitty day could throw at me an archangel is definitely not the one I wanted to deal with. Worse yet, I didn't realise that the aura was that of an archangel. He grips me tighter at the insult. On instinct my elbow rams into his gut and my body twists faking a bite. He shifts my weight to avoid the feint. I twist his arm and slip out of the hold before I crash to the ground. Falling hard on my back, a hiss of pain makes it past my teeth as the impact rakes through me, forcing blood out of my stomach. Any strength I had is gone, which means I'm at the mercy of the archange.

Out of the angel’s grasp and able to open my eyes properly, the realisation of just how terrible of a state I'm in sinks in. Left leg is twisted past the natural range at the knee. And my stomach…. A large gash goes across, a large bruise where the skin is intact. Smaller cuts are spread across my legs, chest, and arms paired with bruises that are nearly black, with smaller minor blue and yellow bruises claiming the unbroken skin. I'm a mess. I can't imagine what my face looks like with how much blood has been dripping from it.

Looking back to the archangel, he feels familiar. Archangels have distinct auras, each unique to the individual. A result of the power they wield, in the magic they can use, but also of the bloodline they come from. This archangel’s aura is… familiar, but I can’t identify why. He however differs in how he looks from most of his kind. Short wavy, dark brown hair, black eyes, smooth tanned skin. That isnt what is abnormal about him. White long sleeve shirt, brown looser pants, a belt at his waist where a long sword sits, and black boots, all have the look of being worn. Well made yet worn, practical clothing that lacks any affinity to the usual high end clothing archangel wear. I still can’t figure out who this archangel is.

An odd look flashes across his features. It's gone in an instant as a calm mask slips over his features. The other people behind him, a mix of military and guards are watching this show, all clearly trying to keep their face neutral. With them an older looking man with white hair and a white beard, wearing overalls and work clothes. He looks the calmest of the lot. Farmers, not a thing phases them. I glance to the distant crowd near the fence. I can see some not paying attention while others openly gawking at the scene before them. The itching in my throat comes back, along with a throbbing headache as I look back at the archangel standing over me.

“Not every day a stranger falls from the sky in this town.”

The archangels' voice is that of a leader. I'm well aware that statement is meant to be a question, but no one here needs to know my voice. Instead I simply bare my fangs at him again. He raises an eyebrow as he scans me over.

“No need for that. I, nor anyone, will harm you.”

A low growl leaves my chest. God I really am out of it, I never growl or even bare my teeth at anyone, I'm not an animal. My distrust at his words must have been obvious as he takes a half step back. Everything spins as the urge to cough kicks in again.

“You are in Akarin, a city within the Anthaval Realm.We will not harm you if you don't harm us.” he glanced at the man I beat and seemed to dismiss him.

“We do not know how you got here, but we need to know as you did not enter from the city's portal. And with the…um state…you are in…” I would normally appreciate his attempt at kindness but as my vision spins again it's hard to focus on that. “ It is of utmost importance to tell us so we can process any potential threats that could come after you.”

Trying to sit up causes agony to rush me, making the world spin even more. One of the guards steps closer to the archangel at my movement. As the world stops spinning his features come into focus. Black curly hair that has specks of grey and white throughout it, fine wrinkles sit at the corners of his eyes. Wearing a simple armour that has an insignia marked on the shoulder, the captain of the guard. The man they called Tari, if my assumption is correct.

The archangel raises a hand, making Taristop, before returning focus to me. Clearly waiting for a response of some sort to his statement. I won't give them anything. Who I am, why I'm here, why I'm injured, what I was doing. Nothing. They dont trust me and I have far too many reasons to not trust an archangel. They aren't exactly known for being kind to us.

“Not a talker? Understandable. I haven't given you any information either,but that must wait. As of now all I can tell you is this. You may call me Sol.”

Sol? Don't recognize the name immediately, not a realm or person I've dealt with. Or at least one I haven't investigated yet. Sol takes a step forward and stretches out his arm. I shift away, causing my vision to darken and spin as pain splits my head one more. Gritting my teeth and spooking everyone around, I detect the uptick in speed of every heartbeat nearby. Squeezing my eyes shut a wave of nausea causes me to lean back on my elbows. I feel the guards around shuffle, but the angel remains calm and unmoving.

“You are clearly very injured if you come with us we will-”

Throw me in a cell to rot once more? Beat me senseless to know what I am and what I may know? Use me as a weapon to take out your enemies? They never help us, detesting us until the moment they can gain something from us. His words never reached my ears. The cough I've been holding back finally breaks free, sending blood flying down my neck and splattering across my chest. My head slams on the dirt as finally, the world rolls once more and the peace of darkness sinks in.