Crash Landing...

[Aranthol]

His ship sunk underneath the bog. Looking around Aranthol wondered what ill forsaken place had he landed on. His ship had only flashed the name Roon on the Console before it went dead stick. Having never heard of this place he walked towards the only building in site. Walking through the dark shrouded woods he sure felt isolated and alone. Not even the sounds of animals could be heard in the misty darkness. Aranthol treaded carefully his blaster and swords held in a tight grip.

Not really hearing anything he turned. Maybe it was the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. "Anyone there." he said nervously....

[Pandora Damaris]

The thick tree canopy above the dead forest groaned and creaked methodically with the wind's gentle touch. Wisp's of fog rolled slowly over the woodland floor like a writhing caldron at its boiling point. Unseen eye's watched carefully and patently all who dared enter its dreary confines. Some of the fortunate few made it out alive to tell their tale, however, that was only once in a Roon's blue moon.

A set of green emerald eye's watched the outlander from the shadowy veil's that seemed to have a life of their own. The sweet scent of fear and uncertainty reached the nostril's of the Ancient as the man unknowingly walked in her direction. As Aranthol turned his head back to the path he was taking, he was greeted with an unlikely sight of a beautiful woman starring right back at him!

Finely tooled obsidian armor adorned her shapely form as an inky black cloak billowed behind her. Within the pale hands of the Ancient was a serrated bastard sword, inlayed with unknown silver runes that glinted from the moon light that spilled through the gnarled branches above. Roon's moonlight also reveled within that moment some of the precious glistening "Roon stones" about her armor's attire.

"Only a fool would trod theses sacred and hallowed ground's,..." came a poisonous voice from the silhouetted female as she took three paces towards Aranthol then stopped, her black leather gloves creaking as she tightened her grip on her sword she called "Blood Bane."

The Sith sword the Ancient wielded immediately erupted with fire, illuminating her marble countenance as she stood poised and unmoving. Her eye's burnt with an unholy fury that demanded the man full attention, glowing eye's that seemed to bore right through him, reading his inner most thought's.

"...Or an enemy looking for an early grave!" Pandora finished her sentence in icy tones, a wicked smile playing on her ruby lip's as she lower her head slightly at the lost man.

[Aranthol]

Arantol bowed his head low. "I am neither milady but just a lost soul on his way to meet his family. I got trapped in a wild asteroid field. It was uncharted and wreaked havoc on my ships controls. This forced me to land here unwillingly and Im sure unwelcome."

"May I ask who you are and where I'm at?" The console flashed the name Roon but that means nothing to me.

Aranthol released his weapons he did not fight women after all no matter how much armor and power they radiated. He waited for the pale beauty to continue before saying anymore.

[Pandora Damaris]

The Ancient remained stoic and unmoving her stance, her calmly face gave no hint or inkling to the wicked thought's that crossed her eternal mind. As the outlander bowed to Pandora, a wiry smile tugged at the corners of her ruby lip's.

"My name is of no consequence to you,...Trespasser!" Pandora snapped, her word's were filled with steel as she let her bastard sword swing low in front of her. The fiery blade made a low crackling noise as she continued.

"This forest is not only sacreed mortal, it is forbidden to enter as well...One that holds death to any who treads its grounds,..." The Ancient's deadly emerald eye's narrowed at Aranthol, the fire from her blade reflected her intent within them.

"...And I am the keeper of it!" Pandora stepped slowly towards the man in black, her cat like movement was intentional as she edged closer to him. She obviously wasn't buying the outlanders story of a supposed family on a remote planet such as Roon.

[Aranthol]

He guessed they where rude to all guests. Aranthol drew his weapons in a purely defensive position. "Is this how you treat all who appear on your planet?" He fired a warning shot in front of the female's feet. "Stay away now I have no desire to harm a woman." Though he appeared heavily dressed and ready for combat. It was not so. He only had on what he could salvage from his sinking ship.

[Pandora Damaris]

A scoffing laugh escaped the Ancient vampire as Aranthol drew his blaster pistol and fired off a warning shot. Pandora's stride never wavered as she pressed closer.

"Stay away now I have no desire to harm a woman." No sooner had the outlander finished his reproving word's to her, the muzzle of his gun crumpled and flattened with a creaking groan.

"Hurt me?...So you jest." Pandora's countenance seemed to glow as she spoke, the silver rune's on her ebony armor ebbed and pulsated momentarily, protecting her from any normal or physical harm for a duration of time only known to her.

"You assume to much little man. At this point you have no other choice in the matter." Her icy word's were as cold as the air about them.

Suddenly and without warning, Aranthol was snatched from the very ground he stood on, his prone form was lifted into midair as if by an unseen hand that griped him tightly. His limb's and arm's were splayed and extended outwards as if he were on a torture rack invisible to the naked mortal eye. The strange power that held him fast was incontestable as he struggled in a vain, attempting to free himself, however, to no avail.

[Aranthol]

Seeing as how Aranthol could not physically extracate himself from his position. He started to surrender but in his head a voice the voice of his father the voice that had led him to many a victory, 'spoke'. The constant drilling from his youth up replayed in his mind. The hours of mental and physical training just to make sure he was worthy of his fathers name Aranthol...

Seeing he had no other option the voice droned on permanently embedded in his mind. A long forgotten training session came to mind. Aranthols joints ached from the pressure forming in his limbs. Concentrating fully he focused only on the female and the force. Making a wedge of air between her and him he struck quickly causing her to drop him. He landed on one knee from the effort. Licking the blood that formed on his lips from the strain. His head was throbbing but he did not hesitate.

Pulling his swords out he moved in and attacked the female. Her wicked smile unnerved him and the way she easily parried his hand to hand attack. With lightning like reflexes she blocked his every move he knew he was in serious trouble. She was not human though she appeared to be, no one could move that fast! Only a lifetime of training gave him any kind of chance, but in the end Aranthol got the impression that the female was merely playing with him. On his belt he had throwing knives, his only thought was to keep her busy long enough to escape. Throwing all 4 of them in quick succesion. He ran then fired his blaster behind him as he went in the opposite direction. A small amount of fear filled him for already he could hear her racing footsteps coming up behind him. His only thought before he was tossed in the air was "Father I have let you down. My fear shames you and me and Im sorry.... with those last thoughts on his mind he hit a tree and slumped unconcious.... possibly never to rise again.

[Evangeleen Starbreeze]

An inhospitable landscape unknown to him was what he awoke to. Its dust swept plains seemed barren of any life forms, only the soft outlines of distant mountains could be seen from his vantage point. Dust and sand tore at his exposed flesh, relentless and unforgiving it was. Aranthol's mind screamed for shelter, yet there was none. If there was ever a hell, this had to be a close description of it. All the man could do was shield himself with his cloak for the time being until the churning element's about him settled.

After what seemed like long grueling hour's, the storm finally passed. Sand and dust caked the lost soul in a fine reddish, brown powder as he sat hunched with his back turned to the once blowing winds that threatened him earlier. As Aranthol opened his stinging eye to the waste land before him, a glimmering light flashed and sparkled in the distance. Weather or not it was a mirage or a simple trick of light that played in his tormented mind from the scorching sun over head, he knew not. Nevertheless, it drew his attention as he stood to get a better look.

Strangely, there appeared to be tiny specks of black that seemed to litter the area around the glistening beacon of hope as he strained his eye's towards the hazy location a few miles away. He would be forced to walk if he wanted to know what it was that called out to his curiosity, beckoning him to it. The basic instincts for survival had not yet kicked in, however, the lone man quickly realized he was without any type of rations or any of his prized possessions he carried on his person. His weapon's along with the other trinket's he had were now simply gone.

After a great deal of walking and trudging through the low banks of endless sand dunes, a terrible sight came into Aranthol's focus as he made his way to a dry lake bed. An enormous battle field lay beyond him, one strewn with the last remaining remnant's of decaying bodies and the machines of war that were used in its epic apex. It was obvious upon first glance, what took place here happened before his time as a mortal. Despair and dread filled him as he surveyed the charred husks that laid abandon as far as the naked eye could see...

"Disturbing...Is it not?" Came a soft hallow voice from behind him. As the lost man spun around, he was astounded at the sight he beheld that was no more then ten feet from were he stood. A woman whose countenance radiated an aura of scintillating color's that were of unnatural sources. Her slender stature was at least nine feet in height. Massive wings adorned her back, tucked in like a tattered cloak that ran to the ground in their length. Her beauty was beyond any mortal word's or comparison...Evangeleen's ageless eye's were pools of power, glowing a stark white as she looked down upon Aranthol with an expressionless face.

[Aranthol]

Aranthol had not known how long he had walked. But there in the distance something shined in the sunlight. Having no where else to go he trudged on towards the only beacon in these barren wastes. Aranthols lips where starting to crack. His small clothes clung to him in an uncomfortable way as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The sand that had clung to him earlier was turning into a red mud upon his sweaty body. He was nearing a rise. The creaking of heavy metal on the wings of the wind was brought to his weary ears.

Approaching the crest he saw the origin of the noise and the black shapes he had seen before. Half buried War Machines, and weapons of every kind. Some corpses still manned there posts faithful beyond death. There black armor glistened in the sun there red fist banner still prominent. Aranthol wondered inwardly what it was all about. Who where these being?

"Disturbing...Is it not?"
Aranthol was startled to say the least. The voice seemed to be barely a whisper yet at the same time it reverbrated through his whole body. There on the ridge behind him was an angel? Surely his eye's where playing tricks on him. Maybe he was still on his ship. I mean first he's in the dark woods fighting a devil and now an angel surely his mind was not his own. Still he was here as far as he could tell so he answered her. "Yes it is," he said hesitantly." Do you know these people and what this was about."

[Evangeleen Starbreeze]

The Ieago Angel said nothing at first regarding Aranthol's puzzled inquiry, her solid white eye's remained fixed on the man below her. Aranthol felt a wave of uneasiness fall over him as the beautiful angel studied him for what seemed an eternity. Evangeleen then raised her head slightly, looking beyond the man, out and over the wide expanse of carnage and death that stood as a silent testimony to what had taken place. Her shimmering gold lockets swayed with the gentle breeze that blew from behind her...Then she spoke to him, her attention still drawn to the scene before them.

"This is the future Aranthol, a time and a place that has not yet come to be." Replied the Angel, her voice almost sounding like a sweet melody as she spoke. Again Aranthol was mentally stunned, this strange being spoke his name as if she knew him. Her cryptic word's of a future time they now stood in was difficult to comprehend as it dawned on him.

As the lost soul pondered in her word's in deep thought, the angel's wing's splayed open to their full span, shadowing Aranthol as they did so. Evangeleen stepped from the low ridge and gently glided to the place were the man stood. As she landed softly next to him, Evangeleen casually glanced towards him. Suddenly, within her delicate right hand appeared a magnificent staff of wonder. Its exquisite craftsmanship was simply extraordinary; inlayed with precious stones of all shapes and colors, it's shear length stood over the angel by a foot or so to the top stone that was the size of Aranthol's balled fist.

"Come, walk with me mortal...There are thing's I must show you. Thing's you must now know Aranthol." Evangeleen then walked past him, her stride was great as she easily put distance between herself and Aranthol with her first step away from him.

[Aranthol]

"This is the future Aranthol, a time and a place that has not yet come to be."

"The future?" Aranthol was mystified what this could all mean just as he was amazed at the angelic being. Suddenly it unleashed these massive golden wings and swooped down on Aranthol. He thought his life was over. Like heavy thunder the angelic being landed. Serenity returned as the Angel walked on the wind. The Voice chimed in again over the Carnage before his eye's.

"Come, walk with me mortal...There are thing's I must show you. Thing's you must now know Aranthol."

The Contrast was to much for Aranthol, he spoke unsteadily having been shaken up. "Am I dead? Am I? Did God send you? Where are we go-going?" Aranthol steeled himself not knowing what was going on did not help his resolve. He would have to rely only on his training. Taking a deep breath he returned to the conversation with a calmer demeanor. As calm as one can get with a 9 ft Angel holding the world on a staff. "What things must I know? Aranthol breathed out finnally. Straightening his back and his will.

[Evangeleen Starbreeze]

Evangeleen remained silent, her endless eye's focused on a path and at its destination ahead of them. She knew and sensed the mortal's growing frustration as he pleaded with her for more information. She offered nothing in return for the moment.

As the two figure's passed through the war zone, Aranthol was drawn to the realization that the answers he sought after from the angel would not be revealed any time soon, or if ever. The walk through the forsaken field of death seemed to be on going, endless and yet pointless at the same time.

Evangeleen stride alone caused the man beside her to jog in order to keep up the pace with her. The searing sun and the dry parched heat began to take it's toll on man. When Aranthol felt he could go no further and his endurance was at the thresh hold of collapse, the Ieago Angel paused.

"Behold Aranthol,...This is,...Your fate!" The celestial being lifted her arm slowly, her index finger pointing to a half buried corpse that appeared to be mummified by the hot desert sand's. It's grotesque feature's bore no likeness to what Aranthol might have thought of himself after passing. Even the tattered and decaying attire that the body wore had no familiar resemblance to anything Aranthol ever owned. Then his eye's glimpsed something shinny within the clutching hand of the deceased. Dreadful fear crept into his heart as he looked on in horror...It was the one thing that Aranthol knew to be his, an item he held dear to him in life. An undeniable object that left no shadow of a doubt in his troubled mind that he was looking upon himself in a future time and place.

[Aranthol]

Reaching down Aranthol was shook to the core. Grabbing it away from the mummified hand Aranthol retrieved the family crest. A round Talisman with two eagles, battered and dusted he looked at it with shock. Then reaching around his neck he pulled off his. It was black and shiny. The red eagles glistened brightly in comparison to the battered twin.

"How is this possible? He asked the large angelic being. Only silence greeted him...... Again Aranthol straightened. "To die in battle for what I believe in does not frighten me angel. It is a glorious death. What purpose would you have for showing me these things? Am I suppose to thwart destiny in some way? To turn back the clock and stop my death? Is there a reason for all of this?

Again the angel stood there stoically a massive thing of beauty and power. Aranthol was mystified as to what was happening but he was sure with patience he would be elightened. He fell to his knees in the heavy sand and decided to wait.......

[Evangeleen Starbreeze]

The Ieago Angel studied the man as he looked into her eternal eye's for the answers to the ever pressing dilemma that now confronted him. His question's seemed to fall on deaf ear's as he pleaded once more with her. Evangeleen slowly clasped both of her delicate hand's around the staff of power she wielded.

"I am the one who control's your sense of time Aranthol...You are neither here nor there." The Angel paused then continued.

"Indeed,...To die in battel holds a curtain prestige amongst mortal's. However,...This death,...Your death Aranthol was less then honorable. Your life was spent in vain serving the commander's of blood that led you finally to this forsaken place of bones and metal. Their unrelenting purpose you honored and obeyed unquestionably, yet you served them blindly. Not once did you question their evil intent. Head long into a way of life that corrupted your soul...Killing and pillaging the weak, the lesser of humanity until your ranks were decimated on theses plain's before you for the atrocities and sins committed for their name's sake...Sin after sin until you laid at death's door...To late for recompense and atonement as you passed to the land of the dead. " Echoed the angelic being word's over the vastness they stood in.

Aranthol's mind reeled painfully with Evangeleen's prophetic revelation of a future he found hard to comprehend. Scenes of death and destruction played unmercifully throughout his mind as the "Angel of Death" showed him the innocent blood that would eventually stain his hand's.

"Now do you understand what I speak of,...Oh man of war?...It is not within your hand's to thwart destiny as you would think. Nor can the future be changed by merely wishing it so...For you see, when you leave this land,...You will have forgotten what has taken place." Evangeleen word's were firm and even as she looked down on him expressionless.

"Only I can intervene in your behalf now mortal...If I decide it so..." Her eye's continued to ebbed and pulsate with an unholy power.