I had meant to complete this earlier, but to compensate everyone for my brief inactivity of in-story posting, I shall provide what I had originally intended to write in two separate posts.
***
The last sight that Catyrael caught a glimpse of before his departure was the highest landmark of Heaven: the Crystal Arch. It was believed to have been forged by none other than the legendary Solraegiel, who materialised a portion of his own inner light to create it, and many millenia ago, before Catyrael ascended to the Council, when the Light of Heaven was brighter during its Second Golden Age, it was said in legends that the radiant sparkle of purest light emanating from the Arch could be seen from the Middle Plane and was a beacon of hope for the inhabitants of that realm that Heaven guarded them and guided them with its divine, celestial wisdom. Though presently, its brilliance only sufficed to enchant the Angels, it remained the physical manifestation of the greatness, former and present, of Heaven and the symbol of its divine power and authority.
"My friends, be cautious and act within the parametres of our mandate. I have not visited the Middle Plane in person since the end of the Last Golden Age, more than three thousand years ago. None of us can presently be certain as to what extent the mortal world has changed, for it changes so quickly and we never do," said Catyrael to his twenty Sword of Justice companions.
"Then one thing is certain at least: the Middle Plane has become from our perspective a brave new world. I shall be curious however: what inhabitants does it now contain? Will they be worthy of the same praise I lavished upon such people I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with, when I, too, visited the Middle Plane ere the ending of the Last Golden Age?" asked Dominrael.
"I wonder as to how they have fared, as our guidance and our interventions decrease in strength and frequency. But another thing is certain: we shall soon possess a first-hand view on the matter," said Falindael.
***
Corpses strewn everywhere, a chill breeze blows harshly past, the heavens are clouded. Such was the first impression that the Sword of Justice received of the Middle Plane.
What a wonderful welcoming committee."This...does not bode well," said Moriael characteristically grimly.
"It appears that the battle that we have been dispatched to intervene in has already ended. We are too late," noted Dominrael sadly.
"The battle may have ended, but the war may still be ongoing," said Catyrael.
He strode over to the eastern edge of the battlefield, over the littered dead bodies of combatants and bent down to examine the earth.
Instinctively, he reached a quick decision.
"The tracks here remain fresh, and are not aged by over a few days. Our course of action is clear, for our mandate does not end with this battle, it concerns the war in its entirety. We must determine with exactitude what occurred here, find surviving combatants if we can, and determine whether the war continues. We shall divide ourselves into pairs in order to expedite our investigation. We have all of the Dead Marshes to scour."
"Are you certain of the advisability of this? The little intelligence we do possess indicates that beings of great power are involved in this conflict. We may be vulnerable travelling as pairs, should we encounter anything greater than us," said Dominrael.
"I am afraid that no other option remains for us. Though it increases the risk to our personal selves, we must discover as quickly as possible what has transpired here, and finally coming to that end long after the war has finished is not a possibility, where our intervention mandate is concerned," replied the Archangel of Justice, "Falindael and I will follow this set of tracks which seem to point into the heart of the Dead Marshes. Select your own set and see it through until the end."
***
Flying at accelerated speeds with due urgency, Catyrael and Falindael easily travelled within hours what would have required most inhabitants of the Lower World three days to walk.
"This realm remains as putrid as it was since the day of its creation!" exclaimed Falindael, but accurately.
The two Sword of Justice veterans were dismayed, but the deathly environment, however disgusting to them, was but an aesthetic inconvenience. The miasma "defence" wall and the odors scarcely affected the high Angels of Heaven.
Very quickly, however, they noticed more acitivty; the fog had grown denser, and within an hour, Catyrael perceived via audition noises ahead of them, which increased significantly in intensity with every kilometre passed.
"What an unexpected suprise! They are the sounds typical of a battle," said Falindael dryly.
"Prepared for some action at last, old friend?" asked Catyrael amusedly.
"Already, I sense myself to be much younger than I actually am."
"Then let us make our presence known to these mortals."
Summoning forth their inner Light of Heaven, the pair brought forth its brilliance into physical existence, and dispelled the grey fog, suddenly rendering a substantial portion of the terrain as visible as day.
Speaking in a powerful voice of authority, ringing clear onto the field, Catyrael then proclaimed, "Denizens of the Dead Marshes and of the Lower World, I am the Archangel of Justice, sent by Heaven to put an end to this quarrel between Darkness and Death. Hear me and obey: in the name of Heaven, cease your futile combat, or face the wrath of the Light!"
"Very subtle," whispered Falindael sarcastically, "But remember, there are only two of us. Isn't this method usually more effective when you have three thousand heavily armed angelic warriors standing menacingly right behind you?"
"You underestimate us. If they refuse to cease this fighting, then we shall simply join the fray, and they will have ample cause for regret."
***
OOC: Regarding the continuation plot-wise, Emparael will be arriving soon on Earth with the Angelic Host to apprehend Xanriel and to duel Bloodshadow, but it seems to me to be wiser to finish your battle against Death and for Catyrael to become acquainted with the party first.
