"With this sword, your enemies shall fall, and you shall be victorious."

His words were warm, and filled her with purpose as she took the glowing blade offered her. With a smile, she turned to her company, and held the sword high, to their cheers.

The angel squadron would defeat the demon army this day!

With a grin, she flapped her wings, and rose into the air. A sudden rush of wind filled that auditorium as they all followed her. Air rushed over their white wings as they followed the scent of carnage, with her in the lead. Stasia would not let the high angels down!

The humans fled the coming battle between them, leaving their houses, carts, and merchant stalls. Demons rose from their carnage, noticing their approach from the change in the wind. She saw that the beasts had slaughtered people and torn apart everything in their path. If they hadn't arrived when they did, this entire town would have been destroyed.

Stasia smiled, and held her sword aloft. Lightening gathered along its length, and she shot a blast towards the swarm below her. It detonated upon contact with the ground, sending bolts scattering in all directions. The demons that were hit, spasmed, unable to move as the electricity fried them where they stood.

Her company scattered in the wind, and charged towards the enemy below. Their very presence caused weakness to the demons. Their coarse red skin blistered from their holy aura, sending them into a mad frenzy. She gave a laugh as she dived for the thickest group of them, slicing them apart, then spinning, to land in a crouch.

The demons behind her, fell to the ground with wails of pain, falling to dust as they died. Turning at the sound of footsteps, she saw a trio of the beasts charging at her, and smirked. These foul things were no match for her.

Slashing out, she caught the first just under the jaw, turning to stab the second as the first fell to dust. The third's claws stopped inches from her face, as her sword cut it in half. Standing, she looked around as the wind scattered the dust behind her.

Everywhere she looked, flurries of dark demon dust told of her squadron's success.

"Stasia, we should pull back. There are reports of more demons to the south. These are no challenge for us. The humans can finish off the few that remain."

Nodding to her second in command, Jaxter, she jumped into the air, calling her people with a whistle, and headed to the south.

XxxxX

The demons below, were not the standard imps they had fought up to this point, and Stasia looked upon them curiously. She confidently held up her sword, and called lightening upon the horde below her. As the blast hit the ground, she was shocked to see the demons dodging it!

Frowning in disbelief, she directed her squad to attack in a forward formation. They dived, as before, with laughs of confidence. Never before had they met a demon they couldn't defeat.

She landed and swung her sword at her first opponent, but unlike every other time, this demon blocked her attack, then laughed in her face. It was then that she realized this was more than just a random group of demons. This was an actual battalion!

Determination set on her face, she slid her foot back and attacked. The battle was fierce, as she went back and forth with the demon. His black skin glistened as sweat ran down his face. She panted in exhaustion. The sounds of fighting and dying echoed in her ears. Not daring to look away from her opponent, she prayed that her company was doing better than her.

He attacked before she was ready, and she barely managed to dodge his blow. His sword caught her own, sending it flying through the air. Landing ten feet away, impaled in the ground, sparks shooting off of it.

Before he could deliver a killing blow, Jaxter was there, shoving his sword into the space before them.

Stasia watched as the demon's blade protruded from his back. His own sword had penetrated the demon's armor, piercing it in the shoulder.

"No!" she screamed as he fell back into her lap.

The demon fell as well, screaming in pain as the holy blade poisoned it, disappearing into dust.

"My angel," he whispered, the light fading from his eyes. His body fell away to a cloud of white feathers that drifted away to nothing.

Stasia looked around her, her hands shaking, as tears fell down her cheeks. The field where they had met the enemy was silent, and empty. Wisps of black dust and white feathers danced on the wind.

Suddenly, a holy light from above fell onto her sword and hope blossomed in her chest as an angelic messenger flew down and landed next to her sword.

"You have failed. You are no longer worthy of this blade."

Her mouth hung in disbelief and horror as he grabbed the sword and flew back up along the white beam of light.

"Wait!" she cried in distress.

He paused in his ascent and turned to her.

"You are to return for reassignment." His voice was beautiful, but only caused pain to her heart.

"But what did I do wrong?" she choked in anguish.

"You were not the one to fight this group. You were to defeat the demons in the town then return. It was not your place to decide your orders."

Without another word, he finished his ascent, leaving her alone.

Stasia sat for a while, pain filled her heart for all those who she had led to their deaths. Kneeling, she prayed for each of them, their names written in her heart. They had trusted her, and she had never led them astray before. She hoped they forgave her, wherever they may now reside.

Standing, she prepared to leave, when something caught her eye. In a group of trees, a small figure struggled.

She should just leave, but if it was another demon, she couldn't leave it to cause more trouble. Picking up a sword that lay on the ground, she approached slowly, keeping her eyes on the form.

Suddenly, it burst out of the ropes that contained it, and she reacted without thought. The demonic blade she held in her hand slid effortlessly through the child's chest as she paused in surprise. They both looked down on the impaled blade as if neither could believe it were there.

Falling to her knees, the girl gave a small sigh, then slid off the sword to the ground.

Stasia was frozen. The sword fell to the ground with a clatter. She tried to breathe, but she couldn't seem to get a breath. A sound from behind her, caused her to slowly turn her head. Her pristine white feathers were darkening, losing their luster and changing black before eyes.

"No," she whispered. "It was an accident!"