Shortly after the fall of the blessed Heaven’s Peak, as tribes of demons rampaged across our land, a powerful angel emerged from the rubble of the fallen city. Armed with a crossbow, she left a bloody path in her wake, making a steady living for herself as an assassin. After many years, she became well-known, stories of her being fearfully whispered across the fractured Vitalune.
One moonless night, the angel was approached by a tall figure cloaked in a black shroud. She immediately recognized him as Death himself. But rather than run away or show any sign of fear, she greeted Death politely with a small smile.
“I have heard you are the best assassin that has ever lived,” Death said to her.
“So they say,” was her reply.
“If that is so, I need your assistance. There is a human king that has evaded my grasp for many years. If you truly are the best, you shall deliver him to me. If you succeed, you will be rewarded well.”
“And should I fail?”
A low chuckle sounded from the cloaked figure. “Then I will merely have to come for you instead.”
The angel thought for a long while in silence. After considering her options, she shook Death’s hand. “It’s a deal.”
Concealing her wings, she ventured to the kingdom where the man reigned unchallenged for centuries. It was there that she learned of the queen’s sudden death, and the king’s search for a new wife to reign by his side. Pretending to be a suitor for the king, she was brought before the seemingly immortal man.
Immediately, the king was captivated by her beauty. He permitted her to remain in the palace with him, and as he fell deeper and deeper in love with her, the angel took notes of any weaknesses she could exploit. It was not until many moons after her arrival that she realized he frantically drank from a glass bottle filled with a green liquid. She asked about it, and the king, desperate to impress his love, told of the elixir capable of allowing a human to live forever.
“With this,” he boasted, “I will be able to live even if Death himself came knocking. Not even he can harm me now!”
The angel knew this was her chance. With this knowledge, she brewed a poison that looked identical to his elixir. While he slept, she switched the bottles. He was none the wiser. When he awoke, he took a sip of the poison. Immediately, he was overcome with agony. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain, calling for the angel for help. But instead of her, Death arrived to claim his life for his own.
After fleeing the kingdom, the angel returned to the spot where she had met Death and awaited his return. It was not long before the hooded figure arrived, hiding a smile under his cloak. “Well done,” he said. “You have done me a great service. Now, allow me to uphold my promise.”
He slowly approached the angel, placing one hand on her cheek. With his other hand, he slowly drew a line just under her eyes with his finger. A chill went down her spine as her wings slowly turned from a snowy white to a deep black. Death took her hands.
“My dear, I have blessed you with the power to see how I will approach any man, angel, or demon. You will be able to see me everywhere you look for the rest of time. With this power, you shall forever be known as the Angel of Death.”