I used to hear stories about angels.
Everyone would call them assassins.
They'd say there was no reasoning with them, that whatever mercy they preached didn't apply to us.
They'd say if one ever found you, don't be brave.
Don't bother running.
Don't bother hiding.
Don't bother fighting.

Angels equal death.

I'd hear that and think ... why?
Why are we so helpless? Why is this the way things are? What's God's problem with us? I've never even seen God but it wants me dead. This almighty being that couldn't be bothered to erase me in person always sounded like a coward to me. It didn't make sense ...
but it's what I grew up hearing.

Looking back on it now ...

A tiny figure spirals through the air swinging a colossal, double sided battle axe. The weapon rips through its target, swiftly separating the top halves of an angel's head and torso from the bottom halves. The vicious acrobat lands with a roll as her gigantic, decapitated opponent's pieces float around her.

I don't get what all the fuckin fuss was about.

The Head Hunter stands and stretches before turning her attention to her foe's detatched scalp and the dim, barely visible, swirling ring of energy around it. The remaining scattered body parts slowly gravitate toward it, reattaching themselves as they get closer.

We were told to fear them.

With a hefty overhead swing, the blade plunges into the angel's severed noggin. The surrounding aura breaks and fades upward as the body stops moving and falls to the ground.

Good thing I didn't listen.

She raises her axe over her head with both arms and stands there like a weight lifter. Big ol Lt. Perse walks over to her, grabs a hold of the handle from the middle with one hand and lifts her off the ground without breaking his stride. He carries her like he's holding up a lantern while she does pull ups until they reach Starve sitting on his mount.

"Let's get going." says Starve as his small army assembles. "This isn't the place."

"Mmph, you sure?" asks Temptation while continuing her workout. "It fits the description. Mmph, and there were a bunch of angels here."

"Nine is much more than we're used to seeing in one area but it's still not what we're looking for. Stay sharp. We need to be ready for a real fight."

Ready? We're always ready.
We train specifically for this shit.
Sure, hunting these freaks has gotten a little monotonous but boredom is a small price to pay for freedom. Besides, if the intel is right, we're headed to the fuckin motherload. There've been rumors going around about an abandoned stronghold, covered almost entirely in the Frost. They say the place is infested with angels. It might be their main base of operation, their passage between here and Heaven. If so, we gotta destroy it.

Someone should insert a montage here. They search about five distant strongholds, all victims of the Frost but each one is more vacant than the last. Determined to confirm or debunk the validity of their intel, they press on.

"Things are so different out here now." says Starve as he steers his battle beast, scanning the barren terrain for their next destination. "Used to be you couldn't get close to a settlement without getting jumped."

"Hehe, you miss fighting random assholes?" Tempy giggles from behind him while sharpening her axe. Lt. Perse travels along side them on his own creature. "I know a few you can beat up back home."

"Nah, don't miss it. I'd take it over this though. This ... stillness. Almost makes my skin crawl."

"Leave it to you to get all nostalgic for violent douchebags."

"Violent but mostly harmless."

"Harmless?"

"Compared to angels, yeah."

"They might be 'harmless' to you but dumb fucks like that are why I spent my childhood in hiding." Her sharpening intensifies. "Sure, angels are a major threat but at least they want to do is kill you."

"Shit. I didn't mea-"

"I'm glad these places are trashed. They all got what they deserved. I hope every single last one of those cocksuckers suffered and died slowly as they froze over. Fuck them and fuck you for missing them."

"Watch it." He warns.

"What the fuck ever." She mutters.

"...." He keeps steering.

"...." She keeps sharpening.

He knows he messed up.
Although ... I get what he means.
This world was hungry.
It fed on pain seasoned with paranoia.
It felt aware, malicious and unstoppable.
Now it's being swallowed up.
Sometimes I can't help but think ...
maybe it should be.

Maybe we all should be.

"Ok, I take back harmless." he says with a slight look over his shoulder.

"Good." she says still focused on her weapon.

"... Isn't there something you wanna take back too?"

"Nope." she says as she smiles to herself.

"Don't be a brat. That's an order."

"What if I'm tired of orders, huh?" she teases. "Suppose I just AWOL on your ass?"

"Then I'll have your mom catch you so your sister can discipline you."

"Oh, I'm sure the colonel will be way too busy for that." Her voice lightly mimics her mom's mischievous banter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks firmly, clearly familiar with the implications of her tone.

"No~thing." she sings.

"It's that Tegan. I'm not an idiot."

"No one thinks you're an idiot, dad."

"You DO know I'll kill him again, right?"

"You didn't kill him the first time and JEEZ lighten up. I was super skeptical at first but SOMEHOW Wraith seems to actually like him. If you ask me, she couldn't have made a better choice."

"It's not her choice to make. She has too many respo-"

"Um, it's ENTIRELY hers to make!" Tempy protests.

"-RESPONSIBILITIES as colonel! She should stay focused on her goals. The last thing she needs is some dipshit boy distracting her."

"First of all, that 'dipshit boy' is probably older than you."

"Not helping." he growls.

"And second, just out of curiosity, what exactly are Wraith's goals?"

"She ... wants to be a general."

"And why does she want that?"

"... err that's not important."

"Why does she want to be a general, daddy dearest?"

"So she can leave the city. I know, ok?"

"Then why not let her? She's more than capable of taking care of herself. She's badass! We could be done with this shit so much faster if she was here. You take ME out with you so what's the big deal?"

"I take you with me because it's too late to keep this garbage life away from you. I can't help that you were born out here into this bullshit but there's absolutely no reason for your sister to ever leave. I'm so tired of this stupid fucking argument. So help me, Temptation, let this be the end of it or I swear on the queen you'll permanently join Wraith at home." He doesn't yell but his words are harsh and decisive.

"She's the one that should go AWOL."

"Shut it."

"Is that an order?"

"Damn right."

"...." She keeps sharpening.

"...." He keeps steering.

It was worth a shot.
He won't budge when it comes to the colonel.
Oh well.

"... you think this angel base really exists?" she asks Starve while tossing her weapon to Lt. Perse in exchange for another.

"It's worth looking into," He breathes out with a grunt. "but I don't know."

"Well if it does, and we shut it down, what then?"

"I'm still not letting Wraith leave, if that's what you're asking."

"No, I'm over that for now. I wanna know what YOU'LL do if we actually end the war?"

"This war don't got an end."

"Humor me."

"Eh ... been meaning to kill your uncle. I could finally make time for that."

"OR you could take me to Earth."

"Hah yeah. I'll take you to my hometown and we'll scare the piss outta everyone.

"Ok, but seriously. We could all go."

"Heh heh, sure thing kid."

He dismisses the idea but continues to listen to his daughter go on and on about Earth. She mostly talks about movies and music that she either learned of from Tegan, her parents or the queen. A lighthearted topic like this is always appreciated during a dreary march toward uncertainty. However, her genuine excitement is unfortunate considering the Earth she dreams of visiting no longer exists ... technically. Of course, there's no way for her or anyone else there to know that so a few soldiers chime in with their own tales of a place they'll never actually see.

"General, sir! Our scouts have picked up a lone traveler!" shouts a soldier from in front.

"Hostile?" he shouts back.

"Not likely!" he looks back at Starve. "She's from the city! She's one of ours!"

Starve orders the troops to stop and set up a perimeter. The wanderer is brought to them and Tempy wastes no time investigating her. The civilian wears the tattered clothes of one of the queen's servants and is missing her entire left arm, breast and her right foot. She has wings but they're not nearly large enough to allow her the ability to fly. Her body trembles violently as she gazes blankly into the murky sky above.

"Unresponsive." says Tempy. "Something bad happened to her ... she's not handling it well."

"The fuck's she doing out here?" asks Starve.

"mmMnn?" She shrugs her shoulders and points off to their right. "She came from that way though."

"Then that's where we're going. Maybe our new friend'll be more chatty on the way."

The group takes a bit of a break before venturing toward their new guest's possible starting point. Without much else to talk about, the soldiers take bets on what might be the cause of the misplaced maid's misfortune. Servants are well taken care of and rarely leave the Queen's District. Some think she was abducted but smuggling her out of the city would be quite a task. Some accuse her of being a deserter but the queen doesn't force any citizen to stay if they don't want to. The Deep Continent is far from perfect but it's paradise compared to anywhere else. Maybe she accompanied the queen on an expedition and got separated. Not likely. Whatever the scenario, it's taken its toll on her. She eventually whispers "... don't open me ..." but her words provide more whats than ohs.

The ground soon becomes nearly impossible to navigate. It's warped by the Frost so taking their beasts any farther would be unwise. Luckily for them, they're prepared. After having dispatched over twenty angels on their journey so far, they've collected more than enough of the creatures' blood to secure a path. They backtrack a safe enough distance to leave their rides and the maid with some soldiers to guard them. Before continuing onward, the rest of the squad gears up into special armor outfitted with spikes that dispense the harvested blood.

The atmosphere gets heavier as they walk. It's as if the sky is pushing them down. After a bit of meandering, a scout spots a few angels floating along a cleared walkway above them. The team silently climbs up to the walkway and stalks their enemies into a stronghold the size of a small city. The entire place is an architectural disaster of distorted bars haphazardly formed into rooms and buildings, each filled with the statuesque remains of the residents. Their tangled bodies now fused together all strike a similar pose, reaching out from behind the shadowy mess of construction. This comes as no surprise to the 3SR. However, seeing the overwhelming amount of angels also frozen amongst the masses is alarming.

I'll never understand angels.
They'd rather stay here to kill us than leave before the Frost covers them. That's some mighty venomous shit for things that aren't supposed to be able to hate. Why don't they go away? As far as tactics go, they're being dumb. Fuck, what if they're just dumb? What if this whole time we've been fighting a bunch of stupid fuckin drones? I mean, look at em.

The angels stop moving then turn to face Starve and his secluded team! Their mouthless faces peer directly at them with glossy almost sorrowful eyes as a single voice resonates throughout the city.

"Come forth lost ones.
None will be harmed.
We ... am in need."

"What the fuck is this now?" Tempy whispers to Starve.

"Not sure ... but these things don't lie so it might be safe to hear them out."

"... killing them sounds more productive."

"We're gonna kill them anyway. Might as well get some info from them first."

The 3SR come out of hiding and their new hosts escort them to a large courtyard. The frosted bars of the city stretch high over them, obscuring all light except for one wide circular opening in the middle of the makeshift ceiling. The floor directly beneath that appears to have been burned flat into the same shape. The angels move into the light and stop. Starve orders everyone to hold their position in the dark just as the voice returns.

"The light welcomes those who welcome it."

On the other side of the courtyard, frozen into the messy city walls is a disturbingly big angel. The fucker is huge but it seems to be completely immobilized.

"We're fine right here!" calls Starve. "What are you in need of?"

"We must return.
Creation must be whole.
All must return."

"Then get the fuck outta here!" shouts Tempy. "Just leave us alone! We didn't invade you, motherfuc-" Starve shushes her.

"You came to us. Not the other way around." says Starve. "Now you can't leave, huh? That's fuckin hilarious, right boys?" The 3SR share a short mean spirited laugh. "There's only one way outta here for you fucks. You have God to thank for sending you to die."

"We are not sent.
We are called."

Starve looks at Temptation. Her face is full of frustration but she walks calmly into the light and stands between the angels that led them there.

"Someone called you all here?" she asks "To this place specifically?"

"Yes.
We were called to protect one.
We are bound by the prayer.
Thus we must answer."

"A prayer?" she thinks for a moment. "Only angels can use prayers." Starve walks up next to her.

"Who called you?" he asks.

"Many."

"Ok, that was no help. Who were you called to protect?"

"The one called Elmn the Daevin."

"Who the fuck is that, dad?" asks Tempy.

"Name sounds familiar ... but I don't know. We'll hafta ask your mom or Sleaze."

"We must return.
We ... yearn to be whole again."

"Guess that's all they have to say. Alright, let's send em packing boys!"

The 3SR soldiers attack! They immediately destroy the angels around the general and his daughter before fanning out to make way for Lt. Perse who drops a long ass spear into Temptation's hands. She hops onto his palms as she catches the weapon and he torpedoes her into the halo of the angelic behemoth! It breaks and fades downward.

"You have ... our thanks-"

"Yeah, whatever! Adios, dipshit!" Her armor dispenses blood over the statue's head. She steadies herself, pries the spear from the wall with a stylish spin and drives it deep into the angel's scalp!

Heh, goes to show.
Doesn't matter what size they are.
They all die the same.
This one wanted it though ...
That's a first.

Temptation poses atop her prize. "SO! Which one of you strapping gentlemen wanna help me haul this big mellon outta here? I already got a spot picked out back home!"

The soldiers regroup and begin to collect the blood of their enemies to make sure they have enough for the trip back. Just as Tempy's about to dismount her trophy, something catches her eye. Through the hole in the ceiling she can see three angels hovering outside. They don't move ... they simply float there staring back down at her.

"C'mon, soldier!" Starve calls. "Quit fuckin around on that thing! We're moving out!"

"Dad. Look." She points upward.

He turns to- The ground quakes! The shockwaves break up the Frost causing bits and chunks of it to drift around midair. Starve orders everyone to take defensive positions and secure an exit. Easier said than done seeing as how the weight of the sky has doubled. Tempy braces herself with the pole of her spear as Lt. Perse hurries to catch her in case she falls.

A voice cries out.
It sounds soaked in agony.

"Whhhyyy?" 

"WHHHYYY!"

"WHHHIIIIIEEEEEE!"

The screams pierce the air. The Frost somehow grows, bubbles and splinters apart with each word. Starve orders the retreat and the team does their best to avoid the infected shrapnel to no avail. It shoots through their armor, imbedding itself inside them! The damaged soldiers opt to shield Starve while the others attempt to get away. They stand close together on both sides of him and release their individual storages of angel blood to form a path leading out the way they came but the general runs in the opposite direction toward his daughter. Everything continues to shake and the owner of the voice begins to move its colossal body!

"Fooorsaaaken!"

"We are FOOORSAAAKEN!"

How the fuck is it moving?
Even if we didn't kill it,
IT SHOULDN'T MOVE!

Temptation leaps from the once dead angel onto the shoulders of Lt. Perse but she's instantly shot off by the flying Frost! Perse catches her before she hits the ground and cradles her like a football. Her right hand is frozen solid with a spike lodged straight through it. The lieutenant acts quickly, grabs an axe from his back, saturates the ground with his suit's blood and sets Tempy down. She looks at him with no fear but he can clearly tell she's in immense pain. She holds out her arm and nods her head.

"Take it!" she orders and down comes the axe! Her hand and forearm drop like a stone! Her scream is mute compared to the wailing of the giant behind her.

"DISPAAAAAAAAIR!"

The angel collapses onto the ground but is lifted back up by the Frost! All of the surrounding particles are drawn to it as it staggers forward trying to free itself. Perse drops the axe, grabs Tempy with his left arm, holds her tight and hauls ass toward Starve!

We can make it!

Suddenly the other previously dead angels rise! Their bellowing is as loud and remorseful as the big one. They begin to crawl after Starve with great speed, drawing the Frost with them!

We can fucking make it!

Lt. Perse charges on! He grabs Starve with his right arm and keeps running. Starve positions himself in Perse's embrace to cover Tempy with his own body. He then spreads his armored wings over all of them as an improvised shield. The three collide with the oncoming angels and plow past them, all the while being pelted with the Frost! It adheres to them and keeps growing. The path cleared by the now dead 3SR soldiers is just ahead but it's too narrow for Perse. That doesn't stop him and he barrels through his frozen comrades! Their brittle bodies crumble as he dashes to the exit.

We're going to make i-

They stop abruptly! Starve and Tempy fall out of Perse's arms and slide away from him as they hit the floor. The two look back to see Perse had been dragging four angels with him. Starve sets Tempy down and unsheathes a thick hand axe. He goes to free the lieutenant but before he can get near ... Perse raises his hand and points to the way out.

They can make it.

Starve pauses briefly. He salutes Perse before he turns around, snatches Temptation and bolts.

"Wha-? No! Fuck no! Dad go back!" she yells.

Perse watches them leave all the while hearing Tempy plead with her father to turn around. Even through all the noise, he hears her.

I always hear her.
Her voice is what my thoughts sound like.
Because I don't have a voice of my own.

The Frost envelopes him but he pulls himself away from the smaller angels. He can hardly move. His joints begin to solidify. He can hardly stand. The strange gravity is too intense now.

She's so brave.
I wish I could tell her.
She made me braver.
I won't bother running.
I won't bother hiding.
Not as long as I can fight.

He faces the largest angel and runs to it with all his strength. He tries to jump but only ends up taking a long step forward. His hands have started to stiffen but he begins to climb up to the spear Tempy abandoned. The angel is too occupied with trying to dislodge itself from it's frozen prison to react.

"ALL MUST RETUUURN!”

"WE MUST RETUUURN!"

"I ... MUST RETUUURN!"

TOO BAD, DIPSHIT!

Lt. Perse reaches the spear, wraps his arms around the pole and throws his weight down on it! The blade crunches through and out the bottom of the angel's skull! Its blood pours furiously onto the ground ... and becomes more Frost! Perse twists his own body and falls backward while holding the spear, and as if he pulled a lever, the creature's head is ripped from its shoulders!

I used to hear stories about angels.
Maybe now they'll hear stories about me.

A handful of soldiers made it out and get back to the travel beasts just as Starve lands from the air holding Tempy. They both immediately remove their frosted armor and check each other to be sure the plague didn't spread to their inner suits. Without saying a word, Tempy wastes no time and throws on a fresh set of armor before mounting Perse's beast.

"At ease, Head Hunter." says Starve.

She remains silent and turns the beast in the direction of the twisted city they just escaped.

"Temptation!" yells Starve.

She sits atop Perse's ride and glares at the city. Her helmet hides her face. Her left hand clutches the reigns.

"He saved us. They all did. The least we can do is make it back home." says Starve.

She drops the reigns ... to salute her friend for the last time.

They all gear up and head out. Everyone is quiet with the exception of the traumatized maid who periodically mutters to herself "... I am a gate ..." while she gazes blankly into the murky sky above.

Starve looks over at his daughter still riding alone on Perse's mount which is tied up to his. She sits sharpening a long curved sword on her lap. He can't think of anything to say.

"...." He keeps steering.

"...." She keeps sharpening.

Back in the frozen courtyard, the screams and shaking have stopped. The reanimated angels are gone. All except for the largest one. Its head lies on the ground, impaled by a spear being held by a sinner. There he'll stand. Fearless, gripping a tiny severed hand as he gives a salute in the dark.