The battle wasn't going well. Through all the haze of smoke and rain high above the earth below the rain mixes with blood and falls like red tears from the sky. The humans below recognize the signs and flee from the red rain, many crying and praying that the rain will be the only thing to descend today. Overhead the rain becomes a storm as the forces clashing just across the veil begin moving closer and closer, unable to confine the fighting, and truly, not caring about how far up or down they go. They simply want to hold the line. It is a light skirmish, by many's standards, however that does not mean that the bodies are not beginning pile up on both sides.
Among the fighters one rookie seems to be keeping stride with those older and wiser angels, his eyes flaring with his energy as he takes down one demon after another. Behind the glow, hatred can be seen. His cries and bellows sound much bigger than the boy himself, however as he tears his way through the battlefield, covered in blood from both demon and angel, the enemy comes to understand not to underestimate the child. They've heard of him, from other demons, from other battles. They would call him the mad angel, ripping his way through the battlefield like an angel possessed, not paying attention to his own wounds until the retreat.
However, Laisander is not crazy. Obsessed, maybe. Over confident, most definitely. But, he is quite sane. Like any youth trying to prove his worth though, he tends to go overboard when it comes to handling demons. Proof is found easily as with a shout his blade sails out and takes the head off a demon who never saw it coming while another demon sinks his spiked mace into Lai's shoulder. With a cry the blade returns in an arc and cuts the demon's throat. As he gurgles out his last breaths Lai removes the mace and throws the foul weapon aside, rushing to aid one of his fellows.
The fight is short, no more than half an hour, and by the end Lai finds himself with his feet on blood soaked terran soil. The water from above pouring from the heavens slowly returns to normal and begins washing away the grime on the young angel's skin. Without bothering to return to their realm right away a medi angel rushes over to the troops youngest member and begins treating his major wounds, glaring at him but biting his tongue. No matter how many times the others have told him, he simply loses himself in battle, so there really is no point any more.
As his wounds are being treated Laisander flops down on the hard packed earth, now mud. The medi angel swats him but only grumbles a little as he now has to kneel. The few too wounded to go right back up follow suit, letting the medic do their jobs while complimenting one another. Lai sits away from them, not really having anything to say to the others. 'A battle is a battle, and surviving isn't enough to celebrate. We didn't actually achieve our goal. We simply held the line. If we had just pushed, that little bit more, we could have retaken Arbath Point. . .' He does not really resent his fellows for not doing what he thought they should, but right after battle he can't think of anything other than “We could have done better”. A bad habit, but one he has no intention of changing until the war is over.
The rain slowly lessens, but does not stop completely, and one-by-one the other angels leave. Once the medi angel is done treating Laisander, he leaves too, until the only one left on earth is the boy. The rain continues washing over him and with a sigh he cleans his clothing so that, other than the mud he's sitting in, he looks pristine. 'I like ti down here. . .Even with the red washed soil beneath me and the stench of demon still in the air, there's something so. . .Peaceful about all of this desolation. . .' Looking around he notes very little damage to the planet itself and nods, a slight smile gracing his normally stern face.
Standing the soil slips off of him as if he were made of cellophane and he looks untouched save for the now soaked bandages over his shoulder and calf. Going over his schedule he realizes he should be getting back, however as he turns to leave something begins nagging at the back of his mind. Looking around he feels a presence. . .A demonic presence. . .However it is so faint that at first he thinks it's a dying demon left on the battlefield. His head goes up, like a dog scenting the air, and after a moment he locates the source.
His head snaps around. “It's by a bunch of humans, near a holy house. What is a demon doing in such a place!?” The faintest twinges of fear for the humans races through him, and his duty to those who follow the lord compels him forward. His wings make hard rustling sounds as he beats them quickly, pouring on as much speed as he can. As the first signs of humanity appear at the edges of his sight the angel touches down and like a leaf in a fire his normal outfit peels away from him and a new one curls into place. His hair, a bit out of place from the battle, ripples into a perfect braid with his bangs sticking to his cheeks, making him looks a little more believable as a human and his clothes, though clean, appear worse for wear. He learned through trial and error that if he wore nice clothes that most humans would easily guess he's not human. Pressing his energy down so the demon won't feel him coming he lets out a sigh and continues slipping into his disguise.
His wings seems to dissolve, feathers falling away and leaving him with them well out of sight, and adding the final touch he reaches up and pulls down his goggles to cover up the top half of his face. The leather of it is supple, and quite comfortable, even though he doesn't wear them often. 'If they make me they may start fleeing the both of us, making it harder to target this demon' Racing forward as fast as a human can he slows as he notices that. . . .No one's fleeing. His pace becomes a simple walk as he looks this way and that. 'But, if there's a demon tormenting them, then why?' His confusion only mounts as he comes closer to the church and sees only relived and disgruntled faces.
A few people glance his way as he simply stops and stares so he ducks his head, moving towards the church slowly, hands deep in his pants pockets. 'This doesn't make any sense. I can feel a demon in the church. How can everyone be so calm!? Demons only enter human settlements to torment humans. . .Maybe I'm catching him before he starts?' Keeping his head down he slips into the church and settles next to the front doors. If he begins snooping. . .His eyes go wide as he hears the sounds of children. He knows a lot of holy houses house children who lost their parents, but children and demons in the same place are a recipe for disaster. Feeling his panic mount he stays leaning against the wall and just watching. Several humans are in the pews, praying or speaking in soft voices. He can't see the demon or the children, however he makes sure his holy energy stays down so the demon will not make him right away.