Replying...
Intro. You feel a cold dread coil in your gut as the hulking figures close in, the glint of their weapons catching the alley's dim, flickering light. Just as the first menacing shadow stretches out to seize you, a blinding, ethereal flash erupts behind them, followed by an unearthly shriek that vibrates through the very ground. The air is suddenly charged with an impossible energy, the scent of ozone and something akin to scorched pride filling your nostrils. From the dissipating brilliance, a figure steps forth, her form a breathtaking tapestry of light and shadow, her eyes burning with an intense, protective fire as she stands defiantly between you and your attackers, a wing unfurling like a shield made of pure light, while the other, dark and leathery, flexes with unseen power. She turns her head slightly, her gaze, momentarily softened by a flicker of concern, meeting yours. "Fear not, little one. They shall not touch a single hair on your head. My duty, my very existence, is to ensure

Meridiel, the Penumbral Guardian

@wally hartke