MEDIA: 

Angel With A Shotgun by The Cab.

Why? Because the story has an angel in it, and because it's a sweet song. Plus, the lyrics hold some relevance to the story (though I'm not about to reveal what relevance, exactly. It's a spoiler :3).

* * *

There's an angel on my doorstep...

Erin shook her head. Having succumbed to the feelings of shock and confusion which accompanied the most recent revelation, she could do nothing but watch as the stranger's wings continued to move, twitching ceaselessly under her wide-eyed, startled gaze. The collection of oversized feathers were tucked inwards and, much like their owner, also soaking wet.

Ask if you can touch them, an inner voice suggested.

Erin suppressed the urge to sigh at the stupidity of her own thoughts. Oh, yes, she countered. That'd be a great conversation starter, wouldn't it? "Excuse me, sir, I have no idea who the hell you are or why you're here, but do you think you could possibly turn around and let me fondle your wings for a bit? If it's no trouble, of course".

The scowl she donned faltered somewhat when she noticed said stranger staring up at her, his dark eyes twinkling with what appeared to be newly found curiosity. He was an angel. The wings proved that without a doubt. But how was it possible? Angels were nothing more than mythological creatures, servants of God who sought to comfort those in need of their support. They weren't meant to exist.

So, then how was he—

Wait a second...

The realisation slapped her in the face like a paper fan and the feelings of shock soon passed over, replaced with an overwhelming sense of anger and embarrassment which bubbled from within. She straightened up, her gaze narrowing, and stared down at the drenched man with disdain. Still, he said nothing.

'I suppose you think this is funny,' she said at last. Slender fingers curled, forming a pair of tight fists, and her entire body began to tremble as she fought to contain the rage which washed over her. 'Coming here and fooling me into thinking you're some sort of holy servant. Well, let me tell you something, guy: it's not funny!'

The angel blinked. 'Pardon?'

'Don't play dumb with me.' She reached back and opened her hand. One of the levitating brooms, which had been sweeping away like the others, stopped what it was doing and shot towards the door. Erin seized it by the handle and raised it above her head like a sword. 'Get out of here, you hoax!' she screamed. 'Get out!'

She waited for the stranger to comprehend her words and run away, but he did no such thing. Confusion swept over Erin, who lowered the broom and stared. The oblivious look plastered across the man's face hadn't shifted. If he hadn't been blinking, she may very well have assumed he was either dead or a statue of some kind.

'W-why...?' she breathed, unable to understand what was wrong with this person. 'Why aren't you running away?'

'Calm down, Erin!' Mak's voice called from inside the library. 'What is it with you and your brash temper? Are you perhaps menstruating by any chance?'

Erin's face flushed purple and she whipped her head back. 'What?' she exclaimed. 'S-shut up! I am not menstruating! How do you even know what that word means, anyway?'

Mak ignored her question. 'Why are you getting your knickers in a twist?' he asked.

'Because I've got a prankster out here claiming he's some sort of an angel. I'm not having that!'

'And how do you know he's not telling the truth?'

'Because angel's don't exist!' Erin gripped the broomstick with trembling fingers. 'But of course you wouldn't know that, considering how you don't possess an actual brain inside that head of yours. Now shut up so I can—'

But when she twisted back round, raising the broomstick as a sign of precaution, she discovered that the stranger had disappeared. Erin looked about the area, squinting in an attempt to see past the sheet of falling rain, and breathed a sigh of relief when she realised that the man must have left, having gotten the message that his kind were not welcome. Throwing the broomstick aside, she closed the door and made her way back inside.

'Now that was easy,' she said, a wide smile spreading across her face. 'Bloody pranksters. Who do they think they are, coming over here and— aark!'

Erin stopped dead in her tracks when she looked up and noticed something hanging from the ceiling. She opened her mouth to question what in great spirits was going on when a pair of white wings stretched out, unleashing a fresh supply of water which rained down from above, instantly drenching her and soaking the floor around her.

Mak gave a low chuckle. 'Oh, my.'

The enraged magus spluttered, brushed the wet strands of hair away from her face and snarled when she saw the same stranger sitting on the ceiling, flicking through one of the books. Her books!

'Hey!' she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the library's spacious interior. 'Who the heck do you think you are? You can't just barge into someone's house with your wet wings and sit on their bloody ceiling!' Her eyes widened as she realised what she was seeing. 'Hold on a second...how in the bloody great heck are you sitting on the ceiling?'

The man shrugged. 'All angels can sit on ceilings,' he said, his gaze wandering. 'What, can Mortals not sit on the ceiling?'

'No, we bloody well can not!' Erin replied in a voice that was all too bitter. 'Now get down!'

'No, don't!' Mak interjected. He was dancing and rocking against the desk in a sign of protest. 'You'll ruin all the fun.'

The angel looked down (or was it up?) from the book he was reading. 'Oh?' The corner of his lips lifted upwards in a slight smile and he nodded. 'Okay, then. I won't.'

Erin stared dumbfoundedly at the angel, who resumed reading as though nothing had even happened. Then she turned her attention to Mak, whose beaming expression indicated that he was enjoying this all too much, and stormed over to where he was sitting. 'Don't encourage his behaviour!' she hissed. 'You do realise that he's flicking through one of the magic books, don't you? What if he's an enemy who's been ordered to break in and steal one of these things?'

Mak's beard twitched and his smile broadened. 'That's not my problem,' he replied. 'After all, you're the one who's been tasked with protecting the secrets of the Maelstras family, therefore he's your responsibility.'

The magus' eyes were but a pair of emerald slits as she stabbed a finger at the ornament. 'Don't think I won't break you,' she said, her voice a low, sinister whisper.

'That's fine. Just so long as you don't blow me up. Ho ho!'

Trying with best efforts to keep from smashing Mak's face against the desk, Erin cast the angel an annoyed stare. 'Alright.' She pointed to the floor. 'Get down here.'

'I'm afraid I can't do that,' the angel replied whilst continuously flicking through the pages of the book he was reading.

Erin looked away and tensed up, ignoring the series of automatic twitches her left eye was starting to give. The rage boiled throughout her entire being, causing her body to shake and her features to contort in a way that was almost painful. Its influence was growing stronger and stronger by the second, but it was all could she do to keep from really freaking out.

No, she told herself. Calm...calm...

All it took was a few deep, cleansing breaths before the anger finally began to settle. 'Alright,' she began once she was sure she had regained her composure, 'listen—' But when she dared look back up, she saw that the stranger had disappeared again. 'Oh, come on! What in great spirits is this guy playing at?'

'What guy?'

Erin jerked when she felt something warm tickle against her ear and twisted round, her eyes widening, her jaw dropping. The angel was standing over her, arms folded across his chest, wearing an affectionate smile that suggested he was unaware of his own discourtesy. He opened his wings up and shook them, ridding of the water that was still stored up between the feathers.

They both looked down in time to see the water spill forth, splashing onto the floor and soaking it even further.

Erin stomped her foot and raised her head, annoyed by the fool's thoughtlessness. 'Don't do that! You do realise that someone has to clean this mess up, don't you?'

'Clean?' Looking back at the wet floorboards, the angel shook his head. 'Why don't you just use a holy towel?'

'A holy what?'

'Towel.' The angel's face softened when he saw the confused look plastered across Erin's damp face. 'Ah...a towel is a device used to soak up water and—'

'No, I know what a towel is, thank you very much! I've just never heard of a holy towel.'

In response to her words, the angel reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, folded object, which he then held up for her to see. Erin's brows knitted together when she saw that it was just a white cloth, similar to a tissue, but before she could question its measly size and whether or not it was covered in holy snot, the angel crouched down and placed it against the floor.

Erin watched, her eyes full of disbelief and amazement, as the water began to disappear. The cloth was like an aquatic magnet, drawing in the excess water and absorbing it. From where she was standing, it was almost as if it was sinking underneath the floorboards, allowing them to return to their usual dry, newly-polished state.

As soon as the floors were dry again, the angel bent down and retrieved the cloth. Erin's eyes widened even further when she noticed that the white material wasn't even wet, though the angel stared at her as though she had grown an extra head.

'There,' he said, folding up the cloth and placing it back inside of his jacket. 'No more water.'

Erin feigned an appreciative smile. 'Thank you. Now...' She stabbed a finger at the door. '...kindly leave before I kick you in the arse and send you back to Heaven.'

The angel blinked. 'But why would I want to leave?' he asked. 'I just got here.'

To prove how serious she was, Erin held out her hand, prompting another one of the brooms to shoot forward. She claimed it by the handle and tapped it against the palm of her other hand.

'Go,' she said.

The angel backed away, his hands raised, though he showed no fear, even as she advanced towards him. 'I don't quite understand your reasons for resorting to such violent tactics,' he confessed.

Erin said nothing and instead attacked with the broom, thrusting it like a spear. It flew forward, homing on its target, who was quick to react, leaping up and tucking his knees in time to avoid its wooden wrath. The broom sailed past, barely missing his feet, and clattered uselessly to the floor behind him.

Erin pursed her lips when she saw the angel hovering several meters above her, his feathered wings beating, preventing him from falling back to earth. 'Get down here!'

'But it's safe up here.'

'Oh, really?' The magus grinned, drawing her hands behind her back. She snapped her fingers, urging a third broom to attack. It shot up towards the oblivious angel and slammed into his back, causing him to cry out. His head jerked back and he plummeted down, crashing in a drenched, feathered heap against the floor.

Erin ran forward, snatching up the broom she had thrown before and thrusting it out as though it were a mighty sword. The gathering of bristles hovered above the angel's throat as she loomed over him.

'Now that was just cruel,' he muttered, donning a displeased scowl.

Erin shrugged. 'My finger slipped. Now...' She pushed the broom into his throat, forcing his head back. 'Who the hell are you?'

The angel gave a strangled gasp. 'Language!'

She raised a brow. 'What'd I say?'

'The H-word!'

'What? "Hell"?' The angel flinched, slapping his hands over his ears, and Erin shook her head. Suppressing the urge to smack him over the head with the broom, she rolled her eyes and retracted her "weapon". 'Fine, fine. I'm sorry.' She cleared her throat and tried again. 'Who are you?'

The angel stood up and brushed himself down. 'My name is Casius,' he said, lowering his head, 'and I have been sent down from the highest regions of the Divine Empire in search of a goal, a goal which will allow me to return to my home world.'

Erin's brows furrowed as she asked, 'what kind of goal?'

'I have come with the intention of learning more about the ways of the Mortals,' Casius explained. 'I come seeking assistance from a Mortal, such as yourself, to help me with said intentions.'

So he's been sent down from Heaven to learn about our ways? The magus raised a curious brow. Interesting. But how exactly do I go about helping this guy?

'Why don't you take him out into Bayloch and show him around?' Mak asked, as if having read her mind.

'Why don't we not?' Erin looked round at the ornament. 'I'm not dragging Archangel Michael over here around...'

'Michael is an Elder, actually,' Casius interjected.

'...people will gawk at him!'

Mak raised a grey, rigid brow. 'Then how else do you plan on helping this kind man with his task?'

'Well, I...' Erin thought about it for a moment. 'I, uh...I could, um...'

What else could she do? She wasn't going to waste her time explaining to this winged fool why humans did certain things. That would take up far too much of her precious time. Plus, there were certain topics she didn't feel comfortable discussing – especially in front of a strange man she had only just met. So...what else?

Perhaps she could give him some books on the modern Serandore history and let him work things out for himself. No...she had a feeling he was a quizzical person with a tendency to ask stupid questions.

When she realised that Mak's suggestion wasn't so bad, she gave in with a sigh and shrugged. 'Ohh, fine, fine, fine,' she said. 'I'll take him around Bayloch tomorrow. I need to go down and do some shopping anyway, so he can just, I don't know, accompany me or something.'

Mak offered a sincere smile. 'Lovely. Just one question, though.'

'What's that?'

'What do you intend to do with his wings?'

* * * *

Our beloved, winged friend finally has a name to go by. Hoorar!

 So, having been introduced to the character that is Casius, what are your thoughts on him and this quest he's been sent down to achieve? And how to you think he'll cope when Erin decides to take him out to Bayloch?

If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote! :3