Mythical Guardians

※Prologue※

The night sky extended beyond the balcony, seamlessly integrated into the horizontal atmosphere. So close, that it was like she could merely stretch out her hand and touch it. Clouds hovered lazily below the heavenly city, stretching out in an endless sea of fluffy greyness, flickering with dim light as she drummed her fingers on the railing. Thunder grumbled in the distance, reflecting her mood perfectly.

  Despite the clear skies, she had no time to admire the view. The war with their greatest enemies was brimming just beneath the surface, and as the general of Heaven's armies, she has a lot of planning to do. But first, she had an important appointment.

  She made it as unpredictable as possible. It was in the middle of the night, as she was unable to sleep, brooding, troubled about her plans and the impending storm, before she finally decided to call for the candidate she had in mind for her mission.

  She had thought long and hard about who should she choose, and she had been observing her soldiers carefully. Without a doubt, one had indeed caught her eye. As flawed as he was that she could notice, his capabilities made up for it without question. True, he had made some dumb mistakes, but either it was his determination to not screw things up again or that he wished to cover it up, he always found some sort of way to get out of trouble and make up for his wrongs. That combination of capabilities and luck made her very, very interested in him.

  She walked back the war meeting room, staring intently at the maps, when in reality, she was wondering when he would arrive. She was not patient, especially not at this hour.

The bronze doors opened after what seemed to be an age, light spilling out from the room to the relatively darker hallway, as a lone figure entered, his silver wings folded up against his back," You wanted to see me, General?"

  "Come in, Captain."

  The young soldier walked in the room, as the doors shut by themselves with a muffled thump. She regarded the angel. He looked so young, no more than fifteen, but his looks were often deceiving for those who judged his capabilities. Even at such a young age, he had already quickly risen through the ranks and had been assigned to be in charge of one of the four major squadrons of the armies of Heaven. No small feat, she thought. That was, when she discovered the hidden power coursing through his veins that gave him extraordinary abilities, especially amongst the rest of the soldiers.

  "Just wanted to ask a question," he snapped, not even bothered to hide his irritation, as he strode towards her, dressed in a deep green jacket with the silvery green emblem of the Westwing squadron," Why did you summon me at such an hour, ma'am? It's the middle of the gods damned night!"

  Her lip curled, indeed, teens tended to get very moody when they lose sleep, even for an important meeting," I am very much aware of the time, Captain. Perhaps you wouldn't mind sparing a few hours of your sleep? There is something I wish to discuss with you."

  He didn't say anything, just looked up at her, not betraying an ounce of the doubt he must surely be feeling. The boy may be arrogant and rude, but he surely wasn't dumb.

  " Tell me, Captain," she paced the room, but kept her eyes on the boy's piercing blue ones," What is your parentage?"

  The boy narrowed his eyes," And why is it of your concern?"

  She shrugged nonchalantly," My interests are none of your concern. But please, pray tell."

  "What if I say no, General?"

  "Why would you say no," she drawled," unless you have something to hide?"

  He clenched his jaw," I do not wish to share it. And with all due respect that you probably don't deserve, it is none of your flipping business. "