A face full of snow was what Joan opened her eyes to. For a minute she was confused by the never ending expanse of white that lay before her, flat or slopping in places before reaching up to touch the sky. She had never seen this much snow in all her life.
Mountains dotted and obscured the horizon, reaching impossible heights. Clouds drifted low, so low that Joan felt she could reach out and touch them. She stood on the rough, granite surface of the mountain side, a sheer drop careering off to her left. The snow capped peaks spread in all direction, forming deep valleys that would normally be bursting with green, contrasting sharply with the permanent blanket of snow. Now however the valleys lay dark and frigid, winter holding a firm and icy grip upon this strange, fantastical realm.
However, only a few seconds after Joan had arrived and taken in her bearings, a sudden wave of nausea swept over her. Her head spun and her vision dimmed. She gasped and doubled over, sucking at the air desperately for oxygen.
"What's wrong with her?" She heard Avander's voice from far off and tried to focus on it. She fell to her knees and was aware of him holding her as she collapsed. The pain in Joan's head rendered her helpless, unable to understand what was happening.
Then she felt warm hands clasp her own, a flash of blonde strands invading her line of sight. At once, Joan felt the turmoil within her ebb, her headache receding considerably and her breathing became normal once more. Avander held her in his arms for a few minutes until he was she was well.
'What happened?" Joan questioned as she leaned against him, the world still spinning slightly.
"Altitude sickness." Heidi explained. "The air here is thinner than in plain areas, so it makes breathing difficult. You're body is not used to such little amount of air, so I made sure it adjusted accordingly. I also took it upon myself to arm you against the cold. Wouldn't want you to succumb to frost bite."
"Thank you." Joan murmured gratefully. Indeed, despite the many layers of clothing she wore, the cold was far more severe than the chilliest of London winters.
"It seems in my haste, I did not take time to ponder upon this location." Joan murmured, gazing once more at the ethereal mountain peaks covered with perpetual snow. "Where are we exactly I wonder? I am aware this is the Sanctuary's location, but where exactly is here...?"
"We are far from England, one could say we are on the other side of the world." Heidi remarked thoughtfully, gazing into the distance. She raised a finger and pointed.
"That's the highest point in the world." She said, directing their attention towards a mountain that towered above all others. "It will claim the lives of many who choose to climb it."
There came the fluttering of feather and crunch of snow, causing the three to turn and find Gabriel striding up to them, his great wings and clothing blending seamlessly with the surroundings. As always, Belefees and Meligard were behind him. He greeted them solemnly
"The angels have assembled and are waiting for you to lead on." He informed Joan.
At this, Joan was aware of many figures rising out of the white scenery like ghosts. A great army with thousands upon thousands of angels perched on the mountainside. Seeing that many eyes were trained on her, she closed her eyes and listened to the mummer of her Guide instincts.
The Sanctuary was near, Joan could sense it. Unfortunately as Heidi informed her, it could only be approached on foot. To complicate matters, the Sanctuary would only remain accessible for a few hours before it disappeared for an unknown amount of time, reappearing again some years after. If however Joan sealed Heidi away in it, the Sanctuary would permanently disappear into a space between Heaven, Hell and Earth. The moment Joan had discovered the location of the Sanctuary; a metaphorical timer had been set off. Last Joan checked, three of the twelve hour deadline had passed already. This was not a pleasing fact, but the past three hours had been spent taking care of necessary matters.
After making sure Heidi and Avander were fully healed for the upcoming mission, Joan had sorted out some personal matters. She could not simply disappear off the face of the earth without attending to the future of her assets and the manor.
She had called her three servants into her study, informing them that she was making a journey to an unnamed place and there were chances she would not return. Joan had watched the shocked and horrified expressions of each servant, but knew what she spoke was in fact the harsh reality of the situation. There were many risks involved, not to mention that she would be fighting in one of the greatest, most vicious battle in history. She would be a fool to hope to walk out unscathed at the very least. If she survived , then that would be a great accomplishment indeed.
Rita, as expected, had taken the lead in the servants' questioning, demanding why her mistress was taking off without warning , and where she was going. Joan had not relented and added to her maid's distress when she announced that she would be handing over the Hale family estate and assets to the three servants.
"If I do not return to the house in a year's time," She explained. "All that I have shall be distributed amongst you three as payment for your years of service. I have already sent a will of sorts to the family lawyer."
"Madam please!" Rita had protested, looking very alarmed. "Do not do this."
Joan had only smiled. The three servants had served her family for years. Rita had been by Joan's side since she was a little girl, always caring for her even when she herself was but a child. The maid's loyalty was unwavering. Joan regretted the loss of her faithful servant and friend.
Eventually, the servants had accepted things as they were. Joan never realized how attached she was to the three servants until the time had come for her to bid them farewell. She was glad that, even if she never returned, she had left them all with something to express her gratitude for their years of service; to both her and her parents.
Brought back to reality, Joan was once more aware of the many waiting angels. The First Faction has responded speedily as soon as Heidi passed them instructions on where to meet. They had then assembled at the farthest point to where teleportation was allowed. Beyond that point, they would have to walk and fly to reach the Sanctuary.
Joan swept her gaze over the gathered angels and then back to the mountains, her eyes turned eastwards. In unison, everyone else turned and followed her line of sight, seeing that their path was blocked by mountains.
"It will be a very long walk and not a pleasant one I'm afraid. Nature has set many obstacles for us." Heidi murmured.
"We will have to manage nonetheless." Gabriel assured. He waved to the angels and they split into two. One half would walk ahead while the other half brought up the rear. Joan, Avander and Heidi would be sandwiched in between.
"Arm yourselves in case of an attack." Gabriel ordered and in reply, many a sword and spear were raised. "Joanne Hale, you may relay direction to me at the front via Belefees." He added as the other angel swept down to join the three, nodding his head briefly in acknowledgement.
The First Faction began its march, trudging down the mountainside and traveling eastward as indicated by Joan. Had they been a normal army, Joan was sure that they would never be able to make it far with the perilous terrain. However with their powers and wings they were able to cover a good amount of distance in a short while, even with the howling wind threatening to blow them of course. It also helped the fact that they had angels controlling and coaxing the wind to spare them.
That's not to say that the descent down the mountain was an easy feat, especially for Joan. The terrain was steep, falling away in places into an almost vertical drop. Joan needed Avander to assist her constantly, knowing that one false step would send her tumbling down to her death. Heidi kept close by and unlike Joan; she easily skipped from one rocky outcrop to another without the need to take on her true form. The wind kept attempting to blow them away, even with the angels redirecting it and lowering its intensity. Thick layers of snow hindered Joan's progress further and she constantly had to sweep it aside, all the while wary of causing an avalanche. The snow posed another danger. With the sun's light reflecting on the accumulation of ice and snow, Joan was at constant danger of going blind. She had to shield her eyes every few minutes.
"Careful now." Avander advised, taking hold of her by the waist as she approached a scree. They treaded across the treacherous patch carefully, coming to a stop below a ledge poking out from the snow, providing temporary shelter from the cold winds. Joan looked around in awe, once more taken by the beauty of this strange, secluded land.
"It's quite a place." Avander commented, arm still around her waist. She did not mind. "How much farther?" He questioned.
Joan turned her face automatically eastwards, looking past the jutting rock faces and towering peaks as she did. "Still much distance left to be covered. There is a pass along the way. When we cross it, we shall find ourselves at the bottom of another mountain. The Sanctuary is located near that mountain's summit. "
Avander sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Let's hope we reach it without much trouble." He murmured. "Although I'm surprised we have not encountered any of our enemies yet."
"Indeed." Joan nodded in agreement. "They would know by now where to find us. Such a large army cannot move undetected after all. Still, rest assured, they'll come for us sooner or later, and what a battle it shall be once that happens."
She glanced at him, brow creased in worry. "Don't do anything reckless should we meet the enemy. Knowing you, you would be the first to leap into battle."
Avander chuckled. "I can't stand around doing nothing. If it's a matter of keeping you and Heidi safe, then I won't hesitate to tear someone in half. "
"Just keep yourself in one piece." She muttered. Avander leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"I plan to. Once this is over, I'm all yours. Every last piece." He smirked suggestively. Joan shook her head, letting her hair hide the red creeping into her checks. Just then, Heidi appeared. She looked a bit agitated.
"What's the matter?" Joan asked at once.
"We are being followed." Heidi informed them grimly. " I sense the Second Faction, although they are attempting to mask their presence and are doing a surprisingly good job too for such a large army."
"We need to get through the pass as fast as possible." Joan murmured. "We can't stop here and engage in battle."
She relayed the message to make for the pass. Gabriel seemed to have become aware of the unwanted presence too and had the same opinion as Joan. The army quickened their pace at his command, some soaring above with a sudden beating of wings while other remained close to the ground. Everyone was on high alert for any attack. They were prepared to beat back the enemy should their wave crash upon them. However it seemed the enemy was not keen on engaging in combat just yet.
The way down grew less steep as they went, but the clouds were rolling in, sinking downwards until visibility became a problem. Fortunately, the pass came into view, nearly vertical rock faces flanking either side. It was a short trek and Joan was sure they would make it through even if the enemy launched an attack on them at that moment. It was the low rumbling that proved how mistaken she was.
The strange sound rattled every bone in her body. Amazed and confused, she looked towards Heidi and found the ground trembling beneath her feet. The rumbling intensified to a roar and finally she saw it through the parting clouds. A thundering mass of snow and rocks was racing down the mountain side they has just scaled, eager to meet them. It was a great, fast moving beast. It was upon them just as the angels began to raise the alarm. Joan watched in horror as the gigantic wave of snow crashed into the rear of the army, swallowing up the angels who dared to try and hold it back. While part of the snow wave would come to a halt because of their attempts, columns of it would still branch away and engulf any angel in it's path. It continued to roll down, picking up in momentum.
Joan was moving before Avander's hands gripped her around the waist again. Her own hands were tugging at Heidi as they made a desperate race to safety. Heidi had no time to transform and Avander was without his wings, which further complicated matters. Running at break neck speed the three hauled themselves behind a solid looking outcrop, a part of the mountain face that had long ago broken away by the work of wind and ice.
The roar turned into a deafening pound and Joan felt it's raw strength as it hurtled past, part of the tumbling avalanche crashing against the rock they sheltered behind. It shuddered, but held in place. The shouts and cries of the angels were droned out completely as the rumbling and quaking went on and on.
Then, abruptly it stopped, all sounds ceasing miraculously. Joan stayed where she was, bunched up with her face pressed into Avander's chest. Heidi in turn was wrapped in Joan's protective embrace, the three of them staying quite still for a few minutes. Then, when they had finally dared to breath, Joan released Heidi and Avander followed by loosening his grip on her as well. The trio stepped out from behind their shelter and stared, aghast.
What had been the First Faction army was now only a shadow of what it had been minutes ago. The elite army had become a chaotic wreck.
Angels were flapping around in frenzy to dig out their fellows from the towering mounds of snow. Already, survivors were being pulled out, the crushing force of the snow having crippled a few wings and limbs here and there. The angels who had reacted quicker than the others were only just descending from the sky, all facing bearing an equally shocked and horrified expression. But the worst was still to come.
A shadow fell over the wreckage, but this was not caused by the constantly shifting clouds. The dark shadow was cast by the swarm of angels that had materialized above, surveying the scene before them. At the head of this army was a familiar figure with a lethal looking scythe, glaring down with a sneer on his face.
Besides Joan, Avander cursed under his breath, and rightly so. Whether they liked it or not, it seemed the First Faction would have to engage in battle after all.