by Light seared Gaelan's very soul. It wasn't light in the form of an attack. Not a searing like that of red hot iron pressed to flesh. This was the act of having the light, his grace, the very thing that made him an Angel, pulled out of his body. And thus he fell. Flames roared around him, burning, always burning as he fell. They were not what hurt though, his memories were gone all but one. His last one and his first. The memory of being rejected and cast from the Heavens. Gaelan closed his eyes as the flames burned around him and remembered.
"Why?! Why would you do this to me?!" Gaelan shouted, the emotion of being betrayed full in his voice. "You've broken my law." A voice boomed. It was not a loud voice, nor was it harsh, but it sounded like it came from everywhere all at once. It was a strange memory when Gaelan clearly remembered looking at someone. Who? He could not remember. "You've broken my law and intervened in affairs below. For that Gaelan StarFire, you shall be cast out." "It's not fair. I only did what you forged my soul to do! I sought out Justice in a world that lacks it! For that, for upholding your law, I'm to be cast out." "From this day forth you shall no longer be Gaelan StarFire, Judge of the Wicked." The voice continued as if Gaelan had never said a word. "You shall now be known as Gaelan ShadowBane and walk the earth as the mortals do."
Gaelan's opened his eyes, his vision blurred from the tears that poured into the sky. The pain of his grace being ripped from his body fresh on his mind and he looked at his beautiful white wings. At least they were still granted him. A pain shot through his chest, in the place that had been home to his grace. Clutching at his heart, he looked down and saw the glow of his body slowly fade away. The white purity stained to a light tan. He looked at his wings. The white from them too began to bleed away leaving behind pitch black where there had once been starch white. And still he fell.
The flames grew hotter, more intense the closer he came to the earth. It burned him, but the pain was just that pain. It would past. Gaelan's eyes closed and he tried once more to remember. Remember what? Remember anything. But nothing else came. His eyes opened and the earth was closer now, maybe a few miles away. He blinked and looked again. Now it was only a couple of miles. Another blink and it was one mile. Curling his legs in front of him, Gaelan crossed his arms in front of himself, holding his legs to his chest. Closing his eyes, he struck the Earth.
The flames that had burned so hot went out immediately and all that he could feel was earth solid beneath him. Gaelan's eyes opened. What should have made a massive crater in the ground was nothing more than a slight indentation. He stood, uncurling his wings from around him, and felt rain falling on his skin. He had never felt this feeling before. He had never felt anything before. He took a breath, his very first one ever, and smelled the forest surrounding him. For whatever reason, that gave him hope. The smell of a forest as it rained. It smelled clean. It smelled like a new beginning.
His black wings extended out to their full length, brushing the rain from off them before they curled against his back and vanished into shadow. The light that once had suffused his entire body was gone, but he could feel his power still. Before he had always used the light within himself to banish the darkness from anywhere that he went. That power was lost to him now. Instead he could feel a void where the light had been. He may not be able to force the shadow to flee before him any longer, he would instead consume them and make them obey his will. This was his true power. He would devour darkness and it would serve him. No longer would he be light forcing the darkness away, instead he would be the darkness itself. Devouring it's own corruption from within.
Though the casting from the celestial presence had been hard, he knew his purpose here. He would continue his work. He would judge the wicked, uplift the righteous. Where ever he went, light would prevail. He would be Evil's adversary. Darkness' Foe. The Shadow's Bane. Gaelan strode forward, new hope, new purpose strengthening his every foot step. As he walked, the shadows of the very forest seemed to be pulled towards him as if they awaited to be consumed by the fallen angel. Or to consume him.
"Why?! Why would you do this to me?!" Gaelan shouted, the emotion of being betrayed full in his voice. "You've broken my law." A voice boomed. It was not a loud voice, nor was it harsh, but it sounded like it came from everywhere all at once. It was a strange memory when Gaelan clearly remembered looking at someone. Who? He could not remember. "You've broken my law and intervened in affairs below. For that Gaelan StarFire, you shall be cast out." "It's not fair. I only did what you forged my soul to do! I sought out Justice in a world that lacks it! For that, for upholding your law, I'm to be cast out." "From this day forth you shall no longer be Gaelan StarFire, Judge of the Wicked." The voice continued as if Gaelan had never said a word. "You shall now be known as Gaelan ShadowBane and walk the earth as the mortals do."
Gaelan's opened his eyes, his vision blurred from the tears that poured into the sky. The pain of his grace being ripped from his body fresh on his mind and he looked at his beautiful white wings. At least they were still granted him. A pain shot through his chest, in the place that had been home to his grace. Clutching at his heart, he looked down and saw the glow of his body slowly fade away. The white purity stained to a light tan. He looked at his wings. The white from them too began to bleed away leaving behind pitch black where there had once been starch white. And still he fell.
The flames grew hotter, more intense the closer he came to the earth. It burned him, but the pain was just that pain. It would past. Gaelan's eyes closed and he tried once more to remember. Remember what? Remember anything. But nothing else came. His eyes opened and the earth was closer now, maybe a few miles away. He blinked and looked again. Now it was only a couple of miles. Another blink and it was one mile. Curling his legs in front of him, Gaelan crossed his arms in front of himself, holding his legs to his chest. Closing his eyes, he struck the Earth.
The flames that had burned so hot went out immediately and all that he could feel was earth solid beneath him. Gaelan's eyes opened. What should have made a massive crater in the ground was nothing more than a slight indentation. He stood, uncurling his wings from around him, and felt rain falling on his skin. He had never felt this feeling before. He had never felt anything before. He took a breath, his very first one ever, and smelled the forest surrounding him. For whatever reason, that gave him hope. The smell of a forest as it rained. It smelled clean. It smelled like a new beginning.
His black wings extended out to their full length, brushing the rain from off them before they curled against his back and vanished into shadow. The light that once had suffused his entire body was gone, but he could feel his power still. Before he had always used the light within himself to banish the darkness from anywhere that he went. That power was lost to him now. Instead he could feel a void where the light had been. He may not be able to force the shadow to flee before him any longer, he would instead consume them and make them obey his will. This was his true power. He would devour darkness and it would serve him. No longer would he be light forcing the darkness away, instead he would be the darkness itself. Devouring it's own corruption from within.
Though the casting from the celestial presence had been hard, he knew his purpose here. He would continue his work. He would judge the wicked, uplift the righteous. Where ever he went, light would prevail. He would be Evil's adversary. Darkness' Foe. The Shadow's Bane. Gaelan strode forward, new hope, new purpose strengthening his every foot step. As he walked, the shadows of the very forest seemed to be pulled towards him as if they awaited to be consumed by the fallen angel. Or to consume him.
