Castaway

Prologue: A Test?

Arenciel's eyes opened, he was in the middle of a desert. Frustrated, the angel tried to fly back up to the Heavens only to realize that his wings, as well as his blessings and grace, were taken. The wind blew against Arenciel, he watched as words appeared in the sand.

'You will now know why.'

Arenciel scoffed and turned away. He saw a large city in the distance and he began walking. The sound of footsteps following him drew the angel's attention. When he spun around, a pack of wolves stared at him warily.

"Halt you canines, bow before me and return yourselves to your burrows." Arenciel commanded with a fearless tone. He was always blessed with a connection to animals.

Before his very eyes, he watched as the wolves bit down on his outstretched hand. He yelled in pain and fell to the floor clutching his hand. The bite mark slowly repaired itself. Arenciel smiled seeing that God had not completely given up on him. The wolves backed up slowly almost sensing a divine presence on this person.

"Do you truly value the lives of these primitive and uncultivated animals more than us?" Arenciel yelled up towards the sky. He waited, almost as if he expected a response. He knew as well as anybody else that God would never respond.

"You gave them their chance in Eden, they failed. Why give them another? Why ignore us, the perfect creations?" Arenciel yelled up again, but he knew God could not hear anything from Earth. Arenciel knew that better than anybody else.

Arenciel fought a war against his own brethren. Being one of the most graceful angels in the Heavens, Arenciel effortlessly outclassed all of the competition. But, in the end, he was still no match for the Archangel, Michael. Arenciel's Grace of Life stood no chance against Michael's Grace of Faith. While Michael's strength increased proportionally to his faith, Arenciel was only able to gift life to others.

After his defeat, Arenciel was thrown from the Heavens by Michael, stripped of his blessings, and separated from his Grace. Arenciel began to wander in the direction of a town leaving the message in the sand. Arenciel had a plan to return to the Heavens, but he would need a new Grace. If he gathered enough Graces, even Michael wouldn't be able to stop him this time.

As Arenciel marched onwards towards a nearby city, the eyes of the angels in the Heavens watched his every step.