The Fall

Chapter One

Before time was a concept, when the earth was just a garden, before man had taken their first breaths, there were angels. They ruled over heaven, following their fathers words faithfully. They were honorable and patient, kind and loving. They loved their father, they devoted themselves to him and would do all he asked, until he asked them to love man more than him.

They were broken, twisted things, how could the angels possible love them? Some were true, they loved what they were asked to love, but there were others who believed man to be unworthy of such devotion. Lucifer was the first to fall, struck down by the Arch Angel Michael and locked away in a cage in hell to spend eternity for disobeying, for choosing his own allegiance over the one that was asked from him.

There were others who felt the same way, who watched as Lucifer fell, wondering why their father had chosen a race of bacteria over his own son. Doubt grew heavy in their minds as the years melted away, their thoughts never drifting far from their fallen brother and what his fate had succumbed him to. But no one would dare speak out against these humans now, not when the line had been clearly drawn; they were second to them, no longer the favorites.

But Lucifer still believed angels to be above all else, and from his cage in hell, his fire grew, spawning grotesque, horrifying, evil creatures that crawled up to earth, and took out Lucifer's revenge for him on the humans.

The angels were charged to protect their fathers creations, put their lives before their own, and of course they did, they sacrificed for these tiny souls who lived in the garden.

But those who were still unsure wanted to ask their father; why must they risk themselves for these things? How could such insignificant beings be worth what they were worth? They were loyal to their father, and yes they put their lives down for humans, but they needed to know why.

Lucifer was the one to hear these angels, he fed off of their doubt and sent up to heaven the nine knights of hell, his most favorite creations. Before the angels could be assured by their father, that they were doing what was meant of them, they were dragged down to earth, their wings ripped off and the gates locked behind them.

These dispelled angels, lost and confused in a place they once looked down upon were left alone. No other angels came to find them, their father did not answer their prayers and Lucifer, the cause behind their fall, laughed at them.

Angels who once doubted the importance of man were now cursed to spend a millennium with them, pretending to be what they were not, hiding themselves until they could find away to rise back up to heaven where they belonged. But the answers they needed would only be found in the humans; a prophet.

The temple library had many books, some as old as the stone she lived in, and she knew how old this place was, but she had only spent eighteen years of that unimaginable stretch of time there. Alta has known no other home, from her birth she has been in this place, raised by her brothers and sisters.

She had often wondered where she came from, who her parents were, but she didn't tend to dwell on that for long; she had her family, the ones who cared for her, fed and clothed her, she didn't need to waste thought on people who hadn't done that.

Alta grew up knowing she was different, she was curious and loved to read, she spent hours in the temple library pouring over the books, all written in a language that only she could read. Her brothers and sisters had told her it was her gift; Enochian was a lost tongue that she could understand.

She had asked why she could read it and they could not, they were angels after all and Enochian was the language of angels, but they had been on earth for so long, cut off from heaven that they had forgotten how to read it.