All he could remember was a blinding light, that had been his awakening to his new life, his new story. Damian had been hoping so, at least, then everything had gone blank. "To think twenty-five years only accounts for a partial memory of my past." Damian whispered softly from his seat high in the trees that overlooked a wonderful river. His target was currently sitting in a kayak a huge smile on his face as he raced against another that Damian knew from the place that his target worked. The place that Damian worked.

One would think with all of the supposed majesty of the angels he would be able to at least find a way to provide for himself upon entering this world, however it was far more complicated than that. The human world had sunk itself within its own misery, swallowed whole by the dark fears that none of them were able to conquer anymore. While Damian did not know exactly what misery or fear people would have, it was a fact that they did. Damian could feel it in the air like a cloying mist that clung to everything.

The taste of it filled his mouth as he took another large inhalation of the humid summer air. Taking a step forward he fell, his arms crossing his chest as a mutinous pout covered his face. He had been living among humans for years long enough, yet he had not seen or even heard of a dark coming that had supposedly been prophesied by one of their greatest, Gabriel. Damian rarely allowed doubts against his superiors to fill his mind but of late he had been finding it harder to ignore the doubts. Harder to ignore the tangling of dark emotions filling him.

Shaking his head he looked down at his feet, watched as his form seemed to disappear within his direct view. The kayak he stood on had shook at his landing but the rider seemed to not notice. Just as the people on the river all but ignored Damian's six foot wing span to either side, they didn't see the skin that resembled snow, the glittering energy in his eyes, or the storm brewing within him. They would see nothing other than a kayak with a single man sitting within. Damian may have lost most of his abilities at being born as a human, but his body did not hold his soul, simply housed it. Astral Projection, Damian believed, is what the ability was named.

While his body may lay twenty miles outside of Hastings, Michigan, closer to the Gun Lake area, his 'mind' watched over his charge as he had unconsciously done for years until he had gained the ability to control it. Now, he simply followed his charge wherever the man went, a happy coincidence, since Damian always seemed to enjoy being around him. "Too bad you can't hear me, John, you never did teach me to kayak." Damian whispered, knowing that the man would hear only his name, whisper in the leaves all around them as the gargling and rushing of the water surrounded them.

Damian couldn't help watching as the man's concentration turned into a look of surprised confusion. Looking around only to find nothing before shaking his head and turning back to the route before him. Every single reaction that Damian found drew him more and more into the makeshift world that surrounded him. A world filled with more pain and depravity than should ever have been possible, so why had it happened?

A chill ran down Damian's back, the air thickened, and his hands twitched. Damian tried to stop the smile that filled his face. "Finally a boring day get's interesting, hmm?" Damian asked as he turned his eyes to the bank a few feet away. While Damian couldn't see a true form, the shifting dark aura that contained the person watching them was just enough to gain Damian's attention. While the whatever the hell it was did not move from its respective distance Damian felt a revolting sense of hatred, pure and undiluted, filling the air from where it stood.

The feel of every muscle tensing as Damian simply waited for any form of provocation, a simple sign that he needed to fight, yet as usual it never came, the thing simply stood back. When the creature was out of view, Damian let his wings lower, and cocked his head to the side. "If your going to show yourself why not fight? Or are you looking for something in particular?" Damian looked at John's happy face as he raced down the river. As John led the way Damian sat down, crossing his legs and closed his eyes. "John, how am I supposed to keep you alive, when I don't even know what will end up making it necessary to protect you." Damian whispered, knowing his worries would never be heard, and that he would never willingly voice them again.