Private one on one thread

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel



'There is room for ten, maybe fifteen angels and supplies to support them for a few weeks at least. It is more than enough to cause a great deal of damage and there is no way for demons to reach us up here.” he replied to Skylar's question.

When Skylar spoke of heaven and forgiveness Cassiel shook his head. “I'm not the angel you think I am. Not any more. Don't throw your own future away for my sake. If you do that, then I will have truly lost everything. I can't follow you and I don't want you to follow me. The places I've been are darker than you can imagine and you don't want to go there. “

Cassiel looked down at the hall below them. How many times had he looked up at this cave? He had never thought he'd actually stand there. He never thought that he would be free again. But what Skylar was talking about was truly impossible. There was no way he could ever return to heaven, even if God forgave him. That was not the reason he had fallen.

“I know it's hard for you to understand, but I can never go back. I am a fallen angel for a reason. It's not a question of God forgiving me. It's that I can't forgive him. It hurts me to feel that way, it hurts more than anything a demon ever did to me, but it is how I feel. I don't want you to ever feel this way. An angel is not meant to feel this way. I know that this means I am broken and because of this I cannot lead. There are angels down there who need to be rescued. They need someone who has faith to do it. It has to be you. Please. “

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

Skylar couldn't help but bite his bottom lip as he heard Cassiel speak. This was not the proud angel that he had remembered and in a way, it was sort of crushing. Because he had hesitated and because he had been unsure of being able to lead back then, Skylar probably cost the only person he looked up to his pride and freedom.

Slowly reaching out then, Skylar's hand hovered ontop of Cassiel's for a moment as if deciding on if he wanted to touch the other male or not. Ever so slightly then, Skylar gently brought his hand down then and took one of Cassiel's hands in his. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, Skylar looked over at Cassiel then and gave him a look of pure determination.

"Cassiel listen to me. You fell because you were hurt and betrayed. It's a feeling that probably will never go away and I understand that. But I want you to know something. No matter how betrayed you feel or hurt, I want you to know that I will always follow you. There was a reason that you were made a leader and just because the color of your wings has changed does not mean that the leader inside of you has changed."

Slowly pulling his hand back then, Skylar looked away then with a light blush across his face as a sudden thought occured to him. "Besides...if you were truly broken, you wouldn't have managed to get this far. The real Cassiel is in there somewhere and I know that he'll be the one to lead us to freedom." Slowly standing up then, Skylar pulled away from the other angel then and started walking towards the cave that Cassiel had explored just moments before wanting to get a feel of the cave himself before they went ahead with their plans.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel



When Skylar touched his hand, Cassiel felt strange. He had not been touched in a way that wasn't hurtful in such a long time, but he didn't shrink from it. It make him feel less alone. Skylar seemed unwilling to lose his faith in Cassiel, no matter what he said. It was touching even if Cassiel felt it was misguided. But he didn't see the point in arguing about it.

Cassiel followed Skylar down to the cave. They had been very fortunate to find this place. It couldn't be better for their needs. Perhaps it would give them the edge they needed. But there were some practical considerations the needed to take care of Cassiel sighed. “We need to figure out a way for me and other angels who can't fly to get in and out of this cave, but not leave it open for the demons. We'll need everyone we rescues to hep but If were are being pursued, we can't depend on an angel with wings that work being around to help us get up to the cave quickly. We need to find something else.

We also need to plan on how we will take out our first target. It will get easier the more demons we can kill but the first one will be the hardest because we won't have any weapons. “

Cassiel realized he that despite his protests, he was in fact acting like a leader again. Cassiel thought about what Skylar had said. Perhaps it would be easier not to fight it so hard As long as they remained, here, there was nothing to stop him from using his experience to help the other angels escape. “If that is what you want, than I will lead you, but you have to promise me that you will do what I tell you, without question, not matter what it is. If you can do this, I will never ask you to do anything that will put others in danger or anything that you care not capable of doing. Can you do that? “

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

As Skylar waited patiently for Cassiel to think over what he had said, Skylar placed his hands on his hips as he gazed down into the huge cave getting a feel of what they could do in such a huge place. If they could somehow steal some supplies from the demons like Cassiel had mentioned earlier then there was no denying that this could actually last them a few weeks at least to deal with the demons.

Looking over Cassiel then as he approached him, Skylar listened to the other angel's question of what to do about the angels that couldn't fly. Thinking it over for a moment, Skylar slowly walked back to the ledge then and looked down at it as he pondered a moment. "Well...what if we build some sort of underground tunnel to it? If we rescue the angels who can fly up here first, we can get them to dig a tunnel from the holding area to the cave. If you think about it, the tunnel wouldn't be that long and we could probably have it done in no time. That way the angels who can't fly have a way to get to the cave without having to worry about flying up. All we have to do is place sentries in the tunnel entrance then to make sure that we don't get any unwanted guests."

Looking down at the hall below then, Skylar tilted his head to the side for a moment when he thought about the second part of Cassiel's question. "What if...we do an aerial attack? Wait until a lone demon comes along with weapons and we nail him? All we have to do is pick him up, fly him up to about the ledge's level and drop him. The fall should kill him instantly and the shock of being picked up into the air would certainly cause less chance of resistance."

Biting his bottom lip then when he heard what Cassiel was asking of him, Skylar couldn't help but smile a little when the old Cassiel he remembered started to show more and more. Giving a small bow of his head then, Skylar reached out and offered Cassiel a hand to finalize the deal. "I think I can manage that but I need you to promise me something as well. Promise me that you'll try your best not to get hurt." The last thing that Skylar wanted was to lose the elder angel so soon after getting him back and at least if the angel tried not to get hurt then Skylar could rest easy for the time being.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel



Looking at the cave carefully Cassiel could see places where the rock would likely give and might connect to existing vents and pockets. The rock itself was not very hard and it would not be hard to carve a tunnel. “A tunnel is an excellent idea. We will need to see if we can't get our hands on tools to dig with when we raid the demons.”

Cassiel also listened carefully to Skylar's suggestion regarding a first attack. “They won't be expecting an aeriel attack and it is a strength we have, at least with you.” Cassiel felt a twinge of envy at Skylar's wings. Now that he was free, he wanted very badly to be able to fight along Skylar's side against the demons who had tormented him for so many years. But without working wings, that was impossible . Though there might be some way he could contribute.

“We shouldn't wait for a lone demon to come through this cavern. Time is already working against us and we can't wait for favorable circumstances, we have to make them. I know this area fairly well, and I could probably hide down there, find a lone demon and lure him into following me. While he is distracted trying to recapture me, you can swoop in and take him out.”

When Skylar offered his hand to Cassiel, he frowned at the words that followed it. “If you want me to lead you, I cannot promise you that. A good leader should try as much as possible to keep those below them safe and not put them at unnecessary risk, but it is a fine line. A leader needs to be able to ask difficult and dangerous things of those that follow them. He needs to accept the fact that his orders could get another angel hurt or killed but that sometimes that is necessary. It is the hardest part of being a leader and the only way I have ever been able to do that, is not to ask anything of those under me which I am not willing to do myself. I do not lead from behind and if you are asking me to lead you in the hopes of keeping me safe, I cannot lead you. This is war. None of us are truly safe until we win. I can only promise you that I won't take unnecessary risks, but to do what we need to do, you need to accept the fact that either of us could get hurt or even killed. ”

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

Skylar nodded his head when he heard Cassiel suggest as using himself as life bait to get a lone demon's attention so that they could ambush him then from above. "If that is what you think will be the best means of attack then that is what we shall do." After all, if Cassiel said that that would be the best approach of doing things then who was Skylar to question him?

Shaking his head at the thought, the smile that had been on Skylar's face when he offered Cassiel his hand slowly disappeared and his wings drooped slightly. Of course Cassiel would say something along those lines. A great leader always put others health and safety before his own and Skylar felt foolish for even suggesting such a thing but...as greedy as it sounded, Skylar couldn't stand to see Cassiel get hurt even if the other angel was probably a lot stronger than him.

Biting his bottom lip then, Skylar slowly lowered his hand then and he looked down at the ground with a small frown upon his face. What was he supposed to do. Suddenly tell Cassiel that he changed his mind about having him lead the angels. At least if Skylar was leader then he had a reason to keep Cassiel safe as well as the other angels but if Cassiel was leading then...

Eyes narrowing slightly then when he realized how much of a coward he was being, Skylar slowly raised his head then so that he was facing Cassiel with a look of determination. He realized that if he wanted to come even close to being the great leader that Cassiel was; he would have to follow the other male's example which meant no questioning Cassiel's orders as well as allowing the fallen angel to do whatever he thought was right in leading the angels to their freedom. "I understand Cassiel. Forgive me for sounding selfish. I was letting my personal feelings get in the way of the real task at hand and I apologize. I just want you to know that if one of us were to fall in the field of combat, that I was proud to serve a great leader such as yourself." he said once again reaching out then and offering Cassiel a simple handshake then with no strings attached. Just a simple handshake between two comrads on the field of combat who had just reached an understanding.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel



Cassiel took Skylar’s hand and smiled wider than he had seen him smile before. He had seen the conflict on Skylar’s face and knew it was concern for him that held Skylar back at first. Cassiel was grateful that Skylar could see how important this was. Whatever his doubts about his own abilities, Cassiel could only try and fill the expectations of this young angel. He hoped he would not prove a disappointment but Cassiel resolved to try his best.

“If we are lucky, neither of us will die, today or any other day. We have your strength, skill and wings, and while I may not be a strong as I once was, I know this place and I k now the demons well. If we are smart about how we fight, we will hurt them greatly with little cost to ourselves. They do not know where we are, but they know we are out there and as demons start to die or disappear, they will start to become frightened. Frightened demons are as likely to turn on each other when they cannot find us, and the strong will send the weaker ones out looking for us because they are afraid. “

Cassiel looked down to the floor below. They needed to start as soon as possible. “ If you take me down to the cavern floor, I will stay out of sight until I can lure a weaker demon with a weapon to you. I might even be able to find some useful supplies, or learn more about where other angels are being held. It should not take very long. If I am being chased by one demon when I return, attack him. If I am being chased by more than one, pick me up instead. We are not strong enough to take on more than one yet.”

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

When Skylar saw Cassiel's smile, a smile of his own slowly spread across his face. The Cassiel that he remembered was finally showing himself. All the other angel needed was for somebody to believe in him to show him that he was and still is the greatest leader of the angel army. Just knowing that Cassiel was getting his confidence back was all Skylar needed to boost his own determination of getting Cassiel and the other angels out of this place just like he had planned before he had been captured in the first place.

Gently pulling his hand back then, Skylar couldn't help but smile and nod his head when he heard what Cassiel had said. In a way, it made him feel like they were a team and there was no other angel in all of heaven that Skylar would rather team up with than Cassiel. "I see. So not only will the demons have to worry about attacks from the angels but attacks from themselves as well. That should put a little dent in their population then and make our jobs a whole lot simplier." he said as he moved to stand in front of Cassiel then and shifted his wings a little so that the other male would have some room to hold onto.

"Alright, sounds like a plan to me but I have a stupid question. If there is more than one demon chasing after you and I pick you up, where should I fly to? I can't fly up to the ledge obviously because it would be a dead give away so where would you like me to fly to?" he asked peering over his shoulder at the elder angel. While he didn't show it, Skylar didn't like the idea of Cassiel going down there alone but he had told the other male that he would listen and obey him and that meant allowing Cassiel to do what he thought would work in this time of need.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel



Cassiel took hold of Skylar again. He hoped going down to the floor of the cavern would be a little easier than going up. He answered Skylar’s question as they drifted downwards. “If there are more than one, take us to another lower smaller ledge. We can remain there and pretend to be trapped. They won’t be able to reach us from one of the smaller ledges and they will probably go and get reinforcements. During that time, we can make it to the ledge we are in. Hopefully they will think we found a way to climb down. “

When they reached the floor, Cassiel got off Skylar and moved quickly towards the tunnel they had come from. He slipped into a small supply alcove. He noticed there were some cutting tools the demons must use to expand the caves when they needed space to hold more slaves. He slipped one into his shirt. He saw a lone demon who was dragging the body of an angel. The demon went down a passage way and Cassiel followed him.

Cassiel was horrified by what he found. It was the place the demon’s dumped the bodies of angels they had killed. He was about to make himself known to the demon when he heard a noise from the corridor. Another demon was coming. Not wanting to end up with two demons chasing him, Cassiel tried to hide. It was not hard, as lying amongst the bodies he could appear to be just another discarded angel.

The demons spoke and the one who had been dragging the angel left. Cassiel watched the demon removed the shock collar from the angel and placed it and the controller on a shelf. If he took one of those, perhaps he and Skylar could find a way to use it. Cassiel waited for the demon to leave. He was about to dart towards the controllers when he noticed the angel’s wing was twitching. The angel was still alive, though barely.

Cassiel could not bear the thought of abandoning the angel to die in such a horrible place. He went over to the angel instead and with some effort lifted him onto his back. This angel was very young and fairly light. Cassiel struggled down the corridor back to the cavern.

“Hey.. you, angel, stop. You aren’t supposed to be out here”

Cassiel forced himself to run towards the cavern without looking back. It looked like his plan to lure a demon would be happen as well. Thankfully it was only appeared to be one guard. He ran as fast as he could, finally making it into the cavern and hoping that Skylar was ready.

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

Once he was told where to take them if there were more than one guard, Skylar nodded his head in understanding as he gently glided down to the cavern floor with Cassiel secure on his back. Once they were both safe and sound on the ground, Skylar gently set Cassiel down and watched as the other angel soon disappeared down the tunnel from where they had escaped just a few hours before. Concern evident in his eyes, Skylar flapped his wings then and quickly flew back up to where he thought would be a perfect ambush spot for when Cassiel managed to lure one of the demons back to the cavern.

As the minutes passed by, Skylar found himself tapping his foot slightly impatiently knowing that it was pointless to worry about Cassiel. Just because the other angel's wings had been clipped did not mean that he was a weakling but Skylar still couldn't help but wonder slightly if something might have happened. Just as he decided to risk going down then to check on Cassiel, Skylar found himself blinking in slight surprise when the angel suddenly came running towards the cavern with a demon right on his tail.

Cracking his neck then, Skylar slowly stood up then and waited for the demon to get into striking range before he leapt off of the ledge then and dived down towards the demon. As he got closer and closer to the demon, Skylar found himself frowning slightly when he noticed that the demon was armed with what appeared to be some kind of strange bow and arrow.

So, it appeared that the demons realized that at least Skylar was still able to fly which meant that they were using weapons that could fatally wound an angel from such a long distance. Eyes narrowing slightly when he noticed that the demon had the arrow pointed towards Cassiel and the angel on his back, Skylar quickly flew down and managed to grab the demon under the arms just as he fired the arrow.

Eyes widening instantly, Skylar called out to Cassiel as he hoisted the struggling demon in the air. "Cassiel behind you!" he cried watching as the arrow made a direct path towards the two other angels. Knowing that he had to do something and fast, Skylar flew as fast as his wings would allow and right before the arrow could hit Cassiel and his young charge, he dropped the struggling demon directly into the path of the arrow.

Watching as the demon's own arrow nailed him directly in the chest, Skylar let out a sigh of relief as he slowly flew down to where Cassiel and the young angel were. "Next time watch your back alright? Apparently, bows and arrows are their newest weapons."

Looking over at the young angel on Cassiel's back then, Skylar frowned slightly when he noticed the condition of the angel. "Oh my god. Is he still alive?" he asked reaching out to gently examine the extent of the angel's injuries and so that Cassiel could stop and catch his breath for a moment.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel


Cassiel heard Skylar cry out to them and silently cursed himself for not realizing the guards would now be armed to attack a flying angel. He would not have lead that particular guard back to the cavern if he had known he had a weapon like that. Still it was their now. And it gave them the opportunity to strike at demons from a distance.

He put down the young unconscious angel. Cassiel was gasping from the run, but he dropped to his knees beside the young angel. He could see the slightest rise of his chest. He was breathing, though it was shallow and irregular. Now and then the angel twitched but his eyes remained closed. He looked up at Skylar. “Yes. He is still alive but not for much longer. He is dying and the demons were already dumping him amongst the bodies. I couldn’t leave him to die there. Even if he doesn’t survive, at least we can try and make him comfortable.” It was probably not the smartest thing tactically to do and it had put both him and Skylar at great risk.

Cassiel had seen many horrible sights in his time in this place, but the charnel pit of dead angels was one of the worst things he had seen. There had been so many , covered in horrible wounds, and he would not be able to help any of them. At least they did not suffer any more, but this young angel had been still and to spend the last moments of his life in such a place seemed wrong. It might have been foolish but Cassiel did not have the strength to walk away from the young angel and leave him to suffer. He had seen too many die horrible and meaningless deaths.
“They took a collar off of him. He has only been here for a little while. “ Cassiel found some comfort in that. At least they would not have had the chance to do much to him. “They must have decided he was too weak to bother with keeping as a slave. Quickly, take him up to the ledge and then come back for me. If another demon comes, I can run and hide, but he can’t.”

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

Watching as Cassiel gently laid down the unconscious angel, Skylar looked over at the fallen angel and could tell that the run had been hard on the other male. Maybe from now on, Skylar should be the one doing all the running. Now that they had the demon’s bow and arrows, Cassiel could use them to fire upon the lone demon that Skylar could lead to the cavern.

Whether or not Cassiel would accept that idea or not was a mystery to him though. Skylar didn’t want to make it seem that Cassiel was weak from centuries of not using his legs but it would probably be better if he was the bait because he was younger and much more of a challenge. Something that the demons seemed to like when it came to the angels. Those who fought back seemed to bring out the worst of the demons and Skylar knew that there was a slight possibility that would be their downfall. Another reason Skylar was considering in being the new runner was also the fact that he hoped that he could somehow find out where the demons were keeping their supplies. He could probably carry a lot more than Cassiel as well which made Skylar wonder if the other male would hear him out when he suggested the idea.

Shaking his head at the thought, Skylar slowly knelt down beside the unconscious angel’s form then and placed a hand to his forehead. Feeling how hot the angel’s skin was to his hand, Skylar looked over at Cassiel and bit his bottom lip. He knew that he still had enough holy water left that could save this young angel’s life. However, it was probably the only holy water that they had left and Skylar wasn’t sure if Cassiel would want to save that water for an emergency or give it to the young angel who didn’t deserve to die such a cruel fate. Eyes narrowing slightly in determination then, Skylar gently scooped the young angel up into his arms then and looked over at Cassiel with a small frown upon his face. ”We should use the holy water Cassiel. If he drinks the remaining holy water then he’ll be fine. All he would have to do is sleep it off and when he wakes up; he’ll be good as new.” Looking up at the ledge then for a moment, Skylar nodded his head then before looking over at Cassiel.

”He’s not going to die Cassiel. I’ll carry him up to the ledge and come back down for you like you said and then I’ll give him our last holy water.” With those words then, Skylar quickly flapped his wings then and in the blink of an eye took off towards the ledge cradling the unconscious angel close to him.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel


Cassiel watched for a few seconds as Skylar flew the young angel to safety. When Skylar had said he would use the last of their holy water, Skylar had nodded. It was a much bigger sacrifice to Skylar than to Cassiel any way. Holy water was a burning poison to him. As much as he would have liked to keep the holy water, it was not his decision to make, and having another angel would only be good.

While Skylar was taking the young angel to the ledge, Cassiel searched the demon for useful items. He found a ring of keys which he took even though he did not know what they opened, whatever it was, it might be of use. He also found a canteen of water and some rations. Demon rations were disgusting, but it would sustain them when the bread ran out. There was also a small dagger. He took these things and the bow and arrow. The demon had little else of use.

By the time he had finished going through the body, and dragged it to one of the tunnels, Skylar had returned for him and he grabbed hold of him so Skylar could fly him up to the ledge. Once on the ledge he showed him what he had found, including the digging tool he had found earlier. Once they had healed the young angel, there would be three of them and they could do a great deal more. Cassiel thought about it. The best thing to do would be to divide the work and the risk evenly amongst them.

“Once this angel is healed, he will need to rest. Until then, you and me can switch back and forth luring demons and killing them, with the bow, I can attack them as easily as you. Once our friend can help us, he can take his turn as well, and we can add digging to the rotation. Dig, attack or lure.. three tasks, three angels. Once we are close to a workable tunnel, we can try and do a quick raid and rescue more angels. “

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

When Skylar had come back down for Cassiel, he was expecting the other angel to tell him to save the holy water for later when the casualties among them would get higher and higher. The more Skylar thought about it, the more he began to wonder if there was any way he could somehow produce his own version of holy water from the water around the caverns. All holy water really was, was nothing more than water blessed by an angel who hadn’t fallen.

Smiling at the thought, Skylar easily carried Cassiel back up to the safety of the ledge then before gently setting him down then and making his way over to the unconscious angel. Having used his bag as sort of a makeshift pillow for the young angel, Skylar quietly reached into the small bag then and pulled out the remaining holy water and once again uncorked it. Cradling the angel’s head in his arms then, Skylar gave the remaining water to the young angel and watched as some life slowly returned to his face.

Smiling a little knowing that the angel’s life had been spared, Skylar set the now empty vile to the side then and gently laid the angel back down to get some rest. Looking back over at Cassiel then, Skylar listened intently to the fallen angel’s plan and nodded his head in understanding. ”That sounds like a plan to me. At least that way nobody is overworking themselves doing one job over and over again.” Reaching out then and gently taking the items that Cassiel had picked off of the dead demon then and laid them down beside the sleeping angel.

Peering over the ledge then and noticing the demon’s dead body laying in the middle of the hallway, Skylar frowned as he looked over at Cassiel. ”I’ll be right back. We shouldn’t leave that body where every demon can see it. It would give the demons an idea of where we might be hiding.” Without waiting for Cassiel’s permission, Skylar spread his wings then and gently glided down to where the demon’s dead body was in the hopes of disposing it before his fellow demons returned.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel watched as Skylar glided down to move the body further from the hall. It seemed like a good idea and he would have moved it further if he could. Cassiel took up the bow and notched an arrow. If Skylar ran into any trouble, hopefully he would run back and Cassiel could cover him.

Cassiel had not held a weapon for hundreds of years and while he was better with a sword than a bow, it was not a skill easily forgotten. It felt good, even though it was a demon weapon. Cassiel moved as close as he could to the new angel while still being able to cover the doorway that Skylar had gone through. He wondered how this angel came to be captured. This angel seemed awfully young for a solider.

Skylar had said the war was going well, but seeing how young this angel was, he had to wonder. The demons had left this angel for dead and likely weren’t even looking for him. That was good because it was clear from the bow, they were looking for Cassiel and Skylar. Cassiel wondered for a moment what he could do if Skylar didn’t return. The walls of the cavern were far to step for him to climb down which meant he had to wait until the other angel was awake, and hope he would have the strength to carry him. By then it might be too late to help Skylar if he got into trouble.

It had only been a short time, but Cassiel had found he was starting to rely on Skylar, not just for his skills but for his company. Cassiel had been so close to losing all hope before Skylar had arrived and in the time since, his constant faith in Cassiel had helped him regain his will to fight. What had crushed him with despair before, now became a motivation. Cassiel watched the entrance to the cavern carefully, hoping that Skylar would return soon.

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.