Emerson was kneeling by the brook when the angel fell from the heavens.

He was filling up his canteen in the babbling waters when the sky turned from a soft blue, to a blinding gold. He looked up through the trees, catching a glimpse of something falling from above.

A meteor? He wondered, capping off his canteen and stuffing it back into his knapsack. He shouldered his kit and hopped to the other side of the brook to try and get a better view.

There it was, hurtling through the clouds, a blaze of fire and a trail of sparks. It came closer and closer, and Emerson began to realize just how close it was. He could hear it, like a thousand birds all chirping at once. It was headed right for him.

“Uh oh,” he muttered, “that’s not good, no sir.” He turned and bolted in the opposite direction, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. As he ran, the woodland creatures began to sense the danger, and they ran with him.

He got far, but not far enough. The falling object crashed into the ground with a might THOOM! And the earth rippled like a stone tossed into a calm lake. Trees were uprooted and tossed into the air. Bushes were blown away and leaves whipped about like they were in a tornado. A shock wave of dust and debris washed through the forest just as Emerson dove behind a boulder.

He curled into a ball and closed his eyes waiting for the chaos to be over.

He didn’t have to wait long. The wind began to die down, and the forest fell quiet. He waited for a few more moments, just to be sure, then he opened his eyes. He was surrounded by fallen timber and clouds of leaves all strewn about.

The forest surrounding the impact had been laid over. Thick oaks that had stood straight for a hundred years now lay on their side, completely uprooted. The grass looked as though it had been peeled up and rolled away. Fires smoldered closer to the crater where all was dirt and ash. Anything nearby had been incinerated to nothing.

Emerson swallowed at the sight. He took a tentative step out from behind his rock, and slowly made his way towards the simmering center of the destruction. A single trail of gray smoke twisted up from behind a rise in the ground where the dirt had piled up.

Peaking over the top, he looked down into the crater. The dirt was caked and burned black, and curled up in the middle of it was…

A girl.

Her hair was blonde, and her skin was fair, but her cheeks and nose were a warm red. She was curled up, as though asleep, then she stirred, muttering something under her breath.

“No…” She breathed, “no you can’t.”

Emerson hid behind the mound of dirt, observing from a distance. Who was this strange female who had fallen from the sky?

She stirred again, and this time her eyes opened. They were the color of juniper berries. She was wearing a white top rimmed with gold, and a skirt of similar make, but both had been smeared black with ash.

The girl looked around, and then she saw him, their eyes meeting.

“Who are you?” Emerson squeaked out nervously. “And why did you just fall from the sky?”

The girl cocked her head as she looked at him, a curious look on her face. Then she brushed the blonde hair out of her face and stood up, stretching as she did.

“I’m Elyaren,” She said putting her hands on her hips. “I’m an angel. I uh… kinda fell from heaven.” Her eyes fell just a little as she said that last part, a twinge of sadness in her eyes. Then her eyes brightened, and she crawled up the side of the crater. Emerson realized how much bigger she was to him as she looked down at him, her wavy blonde hair creating a curtain around him. “But forget who I am, who are you? Matter of fact what are you?”

“I’m an Emerson,” said Emerson holding both his arms out and giving a flourishing bow.

“An Emerson?” Elyaren asked, she picked up one of his arms with soft, delicate hands, examining him.

“Well, that’s my name,” He explained with a small shrug, “I actually don’t know what I am. I’ve never seen anyone else like me, and no one else has seen anyone like me either. My name is Emerson, and that is what I am. I’m an Emerson.”

“You are fascinating,” Elyaren poked his head with a finger, and Emerson bobbled, put a little off balance by the touch. “By the gods I’ve never seen or heard of anything like you before. Where are you from?”

“From the monastery,” He pointed back along the path he had come through the woods. “I was found by monks when I was a baby, they took good care of me. A couple of days ago I left. Figured it was time for me to get out in the world and find my way in life.”

“Guess I’m stuck here doing the same thing,” Elyaren huffed and sat down in the dirt beside him. “I’ve never been to this realm before, don’t know much about it, and now I’m stuck.”

“Well,” Emerson put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. “I don’t want to get into your business miss angel, but if an angel falls, don’t they have to find a way to redeem themselves?”

“Yeah,” Elyaren growled, turning her head away. “Something like that.”

“Sorry,” Emerson said quickly, “I’m not trying to imply you need redeeming, I just-!”

“It’s okay,” Elyaren said. Her red eyes seemed to glow. “Angels don’t fall without a reason. My reason is just… complicated.”

Emerson nodded in understanding. “That’s okay, I understand.” He stood there in an awkward silence for a little while. “So, do you have any idea what you’re going to do now that you’re here?”

“Guess I’ll find the nearest town and start there,” she answered. “I don’t have any money, any food, any extra clothes…” She trailed away, pulling her knees to her chest, and hugging them to her. “I don’t belong here.”

“Well, you know I’m trying to find my way too,” Emerson said stepping over to her. Even though he was standing at full height, he was only as tall as Elyaren was sitting. “I was on my way to Capital City; you could come with me. We could find our way together.”

Elyaren was quiet for a moment, then she began to nod. “I don’t see why not.” She gave him a bittersweet grin. “Lead the way little fella.” 

And that's how the journey began.