Fantasy The Divine Cycle [Closed]

[Slifer]

It was a morning like any other. The bright rays of light pierced through the thin veil of curtains directly onto Nathan's face. He could feel the warm touch of the sun as he lay in bed staring out the window. He could see his two kids outside playing in the grass. Each of their smiles filled with such cheer and pure joy, Nathan couldn't help but smile wide himself. He slowly rises from his bed blinking the dryness of his eyes away. As he stands up to stretch, Leah places her hand on his shoulder and rubs gently.

"Wish every morning could be so peaceful," she sighs to him with a subtle smile.

Nathan turns and carefully takes his wife's hand as he lovingly nudges his head to hers. "It can be," he replies with the same tone. They both enjoy the peace together for a couple seconds. They listen to the laughter of their kids and the sweet chirping of the songbirds. "Should I call them in for breakfast?" He asks.

Leah chuckles slightly. "Yes. They ran straight out at the break of dawn! I couldn't get them back in to make themselves ready for the day. I'll start something on the fire while you get them," she replied. She gave him a playful smile as they both knew the small challenge it would be to get the children back in for breakfast.

Nathan began down the hall towards the front door of the house. The wood creaking softly every few steps as he let out a hearty yawn. As he opens the front door, the sunlight comes in stronger than he thought and he is blinded momentarily. He calls out for his children to come in for breakfast immediately. He can hear their laughing growing louder and their footsteps trampling the dirt as they rush towards the door. He brings his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun and to look for his kids. He is confused. He sees them clearly running towards the door. The boy's striped red and tan shirt wrinkly in the sun, and the girl's long flowing dress with the beautiful arrangement of red beads on light blue cloth. He recalls briefly of the escapade that was choosing the materials for her birthday gift. Again though, he looks at them puzzled. As they get closer and closer, he suspects it is not the sunlight playing tricks on him. He can't see their faces. Where he expects to see their shiny blue eyes, there's nothing but their skin tone. His heart skips a beat, and time seems to slow down. He can hear his breath like a hurricane in his ears. He tries to move, but he's frozen still as the time distorted world moves forward. His vision begins to fade. A steady blackness taking over from the edges of his vision inwards. He can feel that he wants to cry out, to scream, to run, to do anything! He cannot. He watches with a broken heart as the blackness envelops his children.

And then, his eyes truly open. He tries to snap himself back to reality after the terrifying dream, but struggles to focus as he eyes his surroundings. He doesn't move, only his eyes dart around. He isn't at home. He isn't anywhere he recognizes. He finds himself staring at a lit fireplace, the flames giving off the only light in the room. His eyes begin to adjust to the pale orange glow. He takes a second to acknowledge what he's sleeping on. He can feel the simple cotton beneath him, and the relatively comfortable pillow and blanket.

"Where... where am I?" He whispers to himself. He sits up on the edge of the bed and continues looking around. It's not a large room. He looks at the window behind him and sees a dimly lit sky. He stands up and walks towards the window to peer outside. He feels the cold brick beneath his exposed feet, the grainy texture helping to rouse him from the slightly sleep state. He looks out. There's a deep fog, and he cannot see anything in the short distance, and he can barely make out the ground beneath him with the fog just nearly completely obscuring the land below.

"How did I end up here? I don't think I've ever seen a building so high in my life!" He exclaims to himself. He takes two steps towards the small dresser along the little wall. It has two drawers. He opens one and pulls out a plain white commoners shirt, and slightly long brown disheveled pants. He opens the second drawer to find a clean pair of socks to put on, and a couple other clothing accessories that he doesn't usually wear. He adorns the simple outfit and goes towards the fire to reflect on his situation. He's in a tall building of some kind, far from his home. He recalls sleeping in his home the night before. Before he can continue pondering, he notices there is a wooden door off to his left.

"How did I miss that?" He thinks to himself. He walks towards the door and reaches for the shiny brass handle. Hoping it will be open, he gives it a little testing twist. To his surprise, it turns completely and the door begins to swing open. He shuts it quickly because he doesn't want to alert anyone nearby to his presence, but in doing so makes quite a loud bang as the door shuts with such force. He winces and backs away quickly, reaching the back wall in a couple steps as he presses his hands against the stone.

 

[FrostyDragon]

The being that waited outside Nathan’s room made no secret of the fact that he was utterly bored and had no desire at all to be set the task of waiting for his Lord’s new “Guest” to awaken. He slouched against the wall outside the closed door with a scowl on his face and his arms folded over his chest. His dark, tattered wings hung behind him limply, the ruined scraps of skin and muscle murmuring an ache of protest at the careless way he pressed the sensitive flesh against the stone wall. He had long since learned to ignore their complaining, and had equally long ceased to offer them any consideration or attempt to evade the pain they inevitably brought him at the slightest of movements.

He shifted quietly as he heard the sound of movement from beyond the closed door, as the newly awakened guest explored the small room and came to understand that they were no longer in familiar surroundings.

The angel, for any human would instantly recognize that this is what he is, straightens somewhat reluctantly. He is a tall creature – he stands at least a head taller than any human, with skin that appears almost tanned bronze. His black hair is long and tied back behind him in a loose tail by a simple leather strap. His eyes are brown and his face wears an expression of boredom and disinterest. His feet are bare of shoes and socks. He wears nothing save a pair of leather pants as he prefers to let any who might look upon him see the extent of the ruined mess of the wings that lay limp against his back.

He is tempted to step into the room and face the human, but his Lord has very specific instructions for how this guest is to be “welcomed”, and he does not intend to face divine wrath for such a foolish transgression as going against those wishes. He will do as he is told, and wait outside the room until the human ventures beyond the door. If curiosity does not lure him out, hunger and thirst, or perhaps even a need to relieve himself, will prompt him to action. The angel can wait. He is very used to waiting.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan's heart beats rapidly as he waits for a few moments against the wall. He tries to listen as best he can for any noise on the other side of the door while his heart sounds like a squadron of cannons in his head. An agonizing minute goes by and he begins to calm down. He waits another minute as his body finishes relaxing from the adrenaline spike, all the while still listening acutely for any sign of someone noticing him. He tentatively makes his way forward towards the door again.

He stares at the doorknob for what seems like an eternity before the thought comes to his head, "You were placed in a room with a bed and a warm fire. You were given clean clothing to put on, and the door is unlocked. Whatever reason your here, it is clearly not to be killed." Of course. How could he have been so paranoid given all this information. He chastises himself for being so illogical and feigns a confident pose as he reaches for the doorknob. He loses the false bravado almost immediately, but still grasps the handle. He takes a quiet, but deep breath, and slowly pushes the door open. He scans the room quickly as the door slowly creeps open. He takes one step out and sees right away that he is not alone. He freezes, locking eyes with the Angel. He takes in the details of the menacing being before him, almost entranced.

"This... this isn't even my world," he thinks to himself. He notices the ravaged wings of the Angel, and feels a sense of dread. This is not an Angel of his beloved Belial. This must be Baal's domain. Finishing this thought, he fully steps into the room and hesitantly closes the door behind him, all the while looking into the eyes of the Angel. He doesn't say anything, partly from not knowing what to say and mostly from trying to suppress the anxiety flowing through him. He hasn't had much experience with Angels, let alone one paired with Baal.

 

[FrostyDragon]

The Angel pushed himself away from the wall with a sigh and stands up straight. His dark eyes cast an assessing sweep over the human, examining him as if he is no more interesting than a piece of furniture. He watches the human's expression as he begins to realize that he is standing before one of Baal's creations. The angel shifts his wings slightly, as though to draw attention to the fact that he is, indeed, Baal's angel. Although he does not particular enjoy making his connections with Baal so blatant, endless years of experience have taught him that humans usually respond better if he keeps his identity fresh in their mind.

"You know who I am," the being keeps his tone carefully neutral. "Your Goddess has my name mentioned enough in your sordid history books. It would be impossible for you not to know me. Before you ask, no, this is not a dream, and no, you are not dead. My name is Ramah, and this," he extends a hand out to indicate the dark hallway. "Is, as I hope you've had the sense to work out for yourself already, is His domain." He does not speak Baal's name just yet. Experience has taught him that humans can react very strongly whenever his Lord's name is spoken in their presence.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan continues to stare at Ramah and he begins to regain his composure. His heartbeat returns to normal and his facial expressions relaxes. However, he still remains slightly skeptical. He takes an exaggerated, but reassuring breath.

"That's correct, I had deduced who you are. I've studied the histories intently with my family," he says with a conversational tone. "I have many questions, but two that are pressing my mind greatly. Firstly, I awoke from a dream that seemed hauntingly real. In the dream, everything was normal until suddenly my vision started fading into blackness. Then I awoke here. I want to know, how did I get here? Was it while I was sleeping, or have I been here for longer and forgotten? My second question is probably obvious. I'd also like to know why I'm here." He tries to keep his composure as he asks his questions, but he can't help the natural progression of an angry tone arise. His emotions gaining the better of him especially near the end. He realizes this, and shyly looks away quickly, embarrassed for the unintended attitude. He looks back up and softly apologizes. "Sorry. I'm just... This is a lot to take in. I've lived my life and raised my children in devotion of my Goddess. I can't imagine what I've done to end up in His domain... My family isn't here too, are they?" He asks sorrowfully. He takes a couple tentative steps forward as he ponders his thoughts and listens.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah made no effort to hide the myriad emotions that passed across his features. First anger at the human's audacity to be angry at him. If this human was truly so learned in the ways of the Goddess, then he should realize that an Angel had as little say in the mechanisms of the Gods as a human did. His wings gave a involuntary twitch; a sign of annoyance that he had no ability to control. Then irritation, at the human's presumption to ask him questions, and to expect that he would answer them. Ramah's hands clenched by his sides as his wings gave another irritated flick. He was almost ready to offer a curt refusal and move things forwards. The human needed to be fed and at least told enough so that he would not accidentally incur the wrath of a God who's temper was held in check far too tenuously than Ramah was comfortable with.

The arrival of a human always provoked his Lord's ire, and this particular human had left his Lord even more displeased than usual, for the Goddess' choosing of this particular human was even more senseless for the Goddess than usual.

Ramah felt a brief moment of almost pity at the human's apology and his concern for the family that he had been ripped away from. No matter how many times he had been commanded to welcome Belial's latest "gift", their confusion and distress always hit on a nerve with him that he hated to admit was still so easily pressed. He knew what it was like to be ripped from everything he knew; to realize that the deity he had so beloved was not what he had believed.

Ramah drew a deep breath sharply, flicking his wings behind him in a painful attempt to keep himself focussed on the now. Sympathizing with a human was a waste of time. His Lord would do with this one as he pleased. He had learned long enough that any attempt to form comradery with the humans sent to entertain his Lord during his long and tedious sentance would end with painful regret. Humans were not immortal. They died eventually. He was immortal. He would watch them suffer, time and time again, and there was nothing he could do for them.

Perhaps if they were more receptive to his Lord...

Ramah shook his head quickly. That would not happen. Not with the lies and years of hatred and fear the Goddess had supplied to keep her followers fearful of Baal.

At last, Ramah turned his attention back to the human, and his task of trying to keep the doomed creature from going into shock or completely losing his mind as he faced the reality he had now been forced to inhabit. "You have been here long enough to be cleansed," he said carefully. "Only the Goddess herself can answer your other questions. Neither I, or my Lord, can tell you why you were brought here. I can assure you that your family were not chosen to join you here." He tilted his head slightly to give the human a considering look. "My Lord believes that perhaps you yourself can answer your other question." Truly, neither Ramah nor Baal had the slightest idea why Belial had chosen this human. It was not her usual means to take a human away from those that would miss him. The playthings Belial sent were usually criminals, priests or sometimes those that were terminally ill...

"You didn't come bound in chains or bearing the whip marks of a prisoner," Ramah mused outloud. "Nor do you look like a priest. The presence of a family confirms that much at least." Priests did not have families. Their lives were dedicated entirely to the Goddess.

He gave the human another careful look, just to be sure he hadn't missed anything. "You're not...dying are you?" If not a criminal sent here because he was considered too dangerous to be allowed remain in the human world, and not a priest, then the only other reason Ramah could think of was that this human was somehow dying.

Even though his Lord had already proclaimed the human fit and well and free of disease or illness, it was the only explanation that made sense.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan listens intently to what he's told. He nods his head slightly in acknowledgement a couple times. He understands the fact they both don't know why he was brought here, and appreciates that he's been given fair answers.

His face conveys a bit of a puzzled look after the last question, and he replies with a soft genuine tone, "No. I don't believe so at least. We always treated our bodies as perfectly as we could to show our appreciation for Belial. No, I don't think that is it. Perhaps... " His voice trails off as he becomes lost in thought, staring blankly at nothing. He continues in a pondering manner, "I suppose these are questions we can't answer."

He continues to stare at the wall for a few more moments. His face contorting in waves of confusion and bewilderment. Could he have been sent here to learn? To grow? As a slave? As a friend? He chuckles to himself at the last thought. Still facing towards the wall he jokingly asks, "I suppose we aren't here to become friends, are we?" Becoming a little more serious again, he turns to look back at Ramah and walks towards him at a casual pace. He gets within a comfortable distance, stares confidently into Ramah's eyes, and asks plainly, "Am I to meet Him?"

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah tenses nervously as he waits for the human to process the answers he has been given. He is caught completely off-guard by the humans question about whether he was here to become friends. Most humans that he has dealt with would be more concerned about the pain and horror his Lord was supposed to subject his playthings to. This one didn't seem to consider that an option. Or maybe he was just too scared to ask...

Ramah is even more perplexed by the human's next question: "Am I to see Him?" Usually, a meeting with Baal is not something that he would think to bring up so soon after the human's arrival. They typically needed time to wallow in self pity and despair. Some even tried to escape... not that there was anywhere to go... but this one....

Ramah shifted uneasily. This human made him nervous. An unpredictable human was one that he couldn't so easily keep from provoking Baal's wrath. He didn't know what the human might say or do that could make Baal angry.

"He hasn't told me to bring you to Him... yet," Ramah watched the human's face carefully for his reaction. "But I can take you to Him, if you want."

 

[Slifer]

Nathan averts his gaze and considers the possibility of going to meet Him. He thinks about how nothing has really happened to him yet, aside from actually being brought to this realm. His reasoning beginning to come to conclusion that if anything particularly terrible was going to happen, it would've started by now. However, he also considers his own actions thus far. He hasn't really done anything to merit mistreatment. Would intruding on Baal uninvited bring about his own misfortune? Surely the powerful God must have some plan. Would this be an unwanted annoyance? Nathan can't seem to come up with a clear answer to this dilemma.

He looks back at Ramah and asks cautiously, "Is that... smart? I'm not sure I really want to meet Him before He decides it's time." Nathan's eyes convey a sense of worry that betrays his seemingly confident manner just moments before. As he asked his question, his mind begun rapidly calculating the almost infinite ways his future here could go wrong. He realizes he had been unconsciously assuming that his faith in Belial was going to guarantee his safety. Up until now it had not sank in that he is in the literal realm of Baal and it was foolish to assume the one he worshipped could do anything to stop His will here.

His eyes every so slightly appear more wet, as he successfully fights back the beginning of tears forming. He whispers with a slight tremble trying to keep his composure, "I'm afraid."

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah averts his eyes quickly as he sees the human's eyes begin to moisten. How many tears has he shed himself because of the suffering Baal and Belial's conflict has put him through? He does not like to be reminded of just how close he himself is to succumbing to utter despair and misery.

"My Lord does not like that your being sent here is so unlike the Goddess' typical way of doing things," he answers quietly. "But he does not hold you accountable for Her actions. You are an innocent in all of this." He hopes that that will at least offer the human some reassurances that Baal is not completely unreasonable, or poised to deal out divine wrath at any minute.

He tenses suddenly, his head tilting slightly to the side. His Lord has chosen to issue a decree. Baal does not need words with which to command his angel. Ramah can feel his Lord's desire in every atom of his body. He cringes involuntary at the sensation, for although it is not something that his Lord has inflicted upon him unwillingly, Ramah does not enjoy the reminder that he has bound himself to his Lord's service.

He takes a sharp breath, reminding himself of the bargain he has made with his lord. Obedience to his will, for so long as he remained imprisoned. Then, finally, a chance for destruction...

"He wants to see you." The reluctance with which Ramah informs the human that a meeting has indeed been commanded is not just because he doesn't want to deal with the human's distress at the prospect of facing Baal. Never before has Baal summoned a human into his presence so soon after their arrival here. Ramah has no idea just what to expect from his Lord. "I would advise that it would be quite unwise to refuse."

Ramah fervently hopes that the human does not try to refuse Baal's summons.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan ponders this response. For a moment he finds it peculiar that he'd be summoned just after expressing his thoughts on it himself. Then he realizes that the angel and god must have some sort of communicative ability that he is not privy to. He wonders for a brief second about the implications of Baal wanting to meet him after his near breakdown over the thought. Most likely he will get the answers he's looking for, he assumes.

Without a seconds more hesitation, he replies respectfully, "Of course. I wouldn't refuse the will of a God, especially in His own domain. I'll follow your lead."

He interjects immediately after with a small stammer, and then with a slight nervous inquisitiveness he asks, "Do you know why? I don't mean to question His will, I just... I'd be lying to say I'm not nervous. I've no clear idea what to expect."

He shifts uncomfortably in his stance, but is ready to move on and follow Ramah.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah is relieved that the human has the sense not to question Baal’s will. “I have no idea why He has summoned you. My Lord does not take well to being asked to explain himself, and I have no desire to risk His wrath.”

He steps aside, intending to motion the human to step ahead of him and proceed down the hallway. Ramah does not like to have humans follow him. It leaves his wings exposed to too much scrutiny and judgement.

His arm freezes just as he is about to gesture for the human proceed ahead of him. A movement in the shadows catches his attention. A Starvling crouches within the darkness. In truth, they are an off-shoot of the Abandon. The humans know them as demons. Foul creatures that both the Gods fiercely detest.

This one was no doubt lingering nearby, attracted by the presence of the human. The scent of divine combined with the already enticing scent of human essence would have emboldened it to reveal itself.

Ramah’ s hand flexed reflexively and slid to his side, where he found only an empty dagger sheath. He remembered that he had not brought his dagger with him for this meeting with the human, he hadn’t expected to need it. Of course he had known that a Starvling would likely lurk wherever a human was housed, but they typically were not brave enough to reveal themselves and certainly wouldn't typically dare to do so in his presence. It had been Baal's summons and the echo of divinity that that summons had created which had tempted the creature from hiding.

”Hsssst!” Ramah uttered a sharp warning at it. Starvlings were insane, driven to crave sustenance from whatever they could find. They did not devour flesh, but instead fed from the the energies of human, mortal and divine will and memories. They knew better not to feed from a human. But Baal’s decree that His human guests be left unharmed was not always obeyed.

This particular Starvling had likely found the temptation of both human and divine will too enticing to resist, and had lost what little control it had of itself.

The Starvling took a step forwards, it’s purple eyes glowing intently. The wretched creature had lost all semblance of secrecy, and uttered a loud, wet snuffling sound. Ramah could not see much of its features through the shadows save for the pronounced brow, cheeks and jaw. The creature was in a crouched position, more shadow than physical thing. At full height, it would have stood only a hands-width at most higher than the human. The creature was human in shape, with elongated arms and legs, and three-fingered claw like digits on hands and feet. It wore a layer of black shadow about its body like a shroud.

Starvlings could not be killed by any means other than the Divine Horn that Belial had entrusted her angel Samael to wield in the endless battle against the Abandon. Had Ramah a dagger or any other weapon with which to fend the creature off, he would only ever succeed in causing it injury to incapacitate it. Never death. Even his Lord was incapable of banishing these creatures permanently. Their flesh was as vulnerable as mortal flesh, however, and could be damaged by the usual forces of nature. Fire would burn, but there was no source of fire in the dim hallway.

Ramah motioned for the human to move close beside him. His Lord would absolutely not be pleased if Ramah allowed the Starvling to feed from his human guest.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan puzzlingly glances at Ramah as he is beckoned forward to walk in front. He shrugs and begins walking in that direction. He is only able to take a couple steps when he hears Ramah make a startling sound. He stops and looks back quickly with intense confusion. Ramah is not looking at him, so he turns again to face forward and look for the threat. He backs up towards Ramah while looking. His heart skips a beat and his breath catches in his chest as he notices the glowing eyes in the darkness. Although he can't make out much detail, he begins to race through is knowledge to try and explain what lingers before him. He decides it must be some kind of Abandon and knows that they are despised all over. He wonders to himself briefly about why there would be one here, snaps back to reality in order to address the threat first.

He sees Ramah beckon him to get behind and he gladly obeys. This is not a time to try and be heroic, he thinks to himself. He realizes the tension in the air knowing that he may have to help Ramah in dealing with this creature. He begins to sweat as his adrenaline kicks in reacting to the Starvling moving forward towards them.

"Ramah. What are we going to --" Nathan says in a low and serious tone before he is cut off by a loud sound from the Starvling. It darts at them with a pace unexpected by Nathan, as its limbs delicately maneuver across the floor. It closes half the distance in seconds running ravenously towards them. Nathan is briefly reminded of a lone wolf he encountered some winters ago. He could see the desperation in its eyes and knew it must have been starving. He can remember that although it came at him with such ferocity, it still showed some sense of caution as if it didn't want to commit itself to attacking an armed human. This situation is much different. He can only see torturous intent in the eyes of this foul being. It has no remorse in its vocation to seemingly devour them each whole. The ambient sound of the situation sends shivers down his spine. There are no footsteps, only the quickly increasing sound of the creature's wet snarls. Nathan tries to think to himself this must be foolish though. Surely an Angel of Baal could stop such an attack, he hopes. He can't say he is confident about that hope.

Before he knows it, the creature is but a few steps in front of them as it leaps into the air like a cat pouncing on its prey. Nathan instinctively crouches low with horror in his eyes as he looks to Ramah in desperation. The Angel, however, appears calm and ready.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah watched the Starvling carefully. He wasn't overly concerned that the Starvling would inflict any kind of permanent damage. His Lord would not let the Starvling harm the human. Ramah could not say the same for himself. If Baal had to intervene because Ramah failed in his task to take care of his charge, Ramah would be punished. If the Abandon should manage to feed from him instead of the human, then Ramah knew chances of his Lord intervening were quite slim. He'd suffered attacks from the Starvlings often enough to not want to go through that particular experience again.

Ramah may well be Baal's angel, but he was not a complete being. His wings had once served as connection between him and the divine power wielded by the Gods, and they were ruined. Ramah did not have any way to fight off the Starvling except with his fists.

The creature was so close that he could smell its horrible, hot breath. It smelt of corrupt divinity; a fetid mismatch of Baal and Belial's divinity somehow turned rotten and foul. "If you harm him, Baal will not be pleased." Ramah somehow managed to keep his voice calm and firm. With Starvlings, it was important to handle them with confidence and dominance.

Mention of his Lord's name had the desired effect that Ramah had known it would. The creature recoiled back, hissing in frustration. Ramah lifted a hand, and even though he did not possess any kind of weapon with which to threaten the fiend, it backed away further, hissing and whining and muttering under its breath. Ramah heaved a sigh of relief. "You are safe here," Ramah told the human. "He will not allow anyone to harm you." He tried not to sound bitter as he spoke the reassuring words. Baal would certainly ensure the human would only ever suffer by his own will. Ramah could not say the same for himself.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan just stares blankly at the situation unfolding. The creature seemed to be in extreme distress at the mere mention of the Lord of this place. Although he is quite glad, he had not expected to make it out of that short chaos unscathed. He watches in fascination as the Starvling hissed and cried out while it staggered backwards still staring with hatred in its gaze. He lets out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

He looks up at Ramah as he is reassured by the Angel that nothing shall harm him save it be the will of Baal. Slowly, he stands up with his hands on his knees. His muscles slightly ached after being tensed so suddenly and aggressively, while he still struggled to regain his breath and composure.

"Thank you," he says while short of breath. "I didn't know what to expect there. I wasn't even sure I'd be alive right now, let alone untouched." He looks up at Ramah with a side eye as his breathing returns to normal.

He wipes sweat from his forehead and asks, "So, forward then right?" He glances ahead and manages to catch a slight glimpse of the Starvling before it disappeared into shadows. He takes a tentative step forward and continues. I'm not sure if it's comforting to know that I'm under the protection of Baal here or not, he thinks to himself. Is he making sure that I'm all his to lock in despair, or is he saving me for something grander? The thoughts of the God's possible intention racking his brain.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah gives the Starvling a warning glare, then motions the direction the human is to take.

His Lord’s domain is not excessively large, nor complicated. Baal has very little need for endless rooms and hallways. It is a fairly short walk to the entrance to his Lord’s chamber. Ramah clasps his hands together behind his back, in case the human should turn around and see them shaking. His wings droop and cringe against his back, an almost reflexive response to being near his Lord.

Ramah wishes he could offer the human some sort of advice, so that the meeting with Baal doesn’t get off to a dangerous start, but the human hasn’t asked, and Ramah has very specific instructions as to what he is and is not allowed to say without prompt from his human charge.

From his current viewpoint, Ramah can see only part of the room. The chamber is circular, with smooth walls and floor of some sort of seamless piece of polished white stone. The walls pulse with a dim yellow light. The throne is positioned just beyond sight from this vantage.

Ramah takes a deep breath and let’s his hands drop to his sides. He steps in front of the human. He hates that his wings would be on display to this mortal, but Baal requires a certain adherence to strict protocol. An Angel must enter the chamber first. He steps forwards and lowers his eyes before he can can so much as look upon his creator.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan feels uneasy as they approach the chamber. He remains silent as he tries to adjust to the feeling, noticing the faint hue of yellow casting small rays out towards them. He stops as Ramah passes in front of him and for the first time, takes a real good look at the Angel's back. The ragged torn appendages bringing to his mind the idea of shredded curtains. His heart sinks for a moment as he briefly imagines the life Ramah must have lived.

He sees the Angel walk inside, gazing down. Nathan stands awkwardly for a few tense seconds. He then slowly takes the nervous steps forward. As he walks inside, he glances around the room instinctively. He quickly copies Ramah's stance however, and looks down. He is unsure what to do in this situation, as he has never really studied about the customs of Baal and His domain. He can feel his face flushing red with heat as he immediately thinks he's doing something wrong. He starts to think about the possibility that he walked into too early, if he was supposed to kneel because he wasn't an Angel, if he was meant to say something, among other things of this paranoid nature. He can feel his hands become moist and he shakes slightly, but all over.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah's hands clench into fists at his sides, his fingernails digging painfully into his skin. He welcomes the pain as a distraction from the ache of his ruined wings. Whenever in his Lord's presence, his wings serve only to issue constant reminder of his Lord's cruelty and betrayal. The ever-constant pain of the ruined shreds blossoms from a dull ache to raw and angry and throbbing.

Ramah senses his Lord's divinity coalescing and manifesting around him. His Angelic sensations, so attuned to detect the slightest nuances and desires of his creator, begin to tingle. Heat and cold flush across his skin in waves. Ramah's legs feel weak and he sighs inwardly, instantly recognizing the warning signs that his Lord's temper is not at its best. Ramah's stomach clenches, knowing that for him, this meeting is not likely to be without ordeal.

Ramah envies the human. His Lord has ever been more tolerant and forgiving of his mortal guests during their first meeting with Him.

A shape manifests itself in front of him. With his eyes carefully averted and lowered, Ramah can see very little. Ramah has no desire to lift his gaze and look upon his Lord. He knows what he will see if he were to be so foolish as to do so. Baal had manifested himself into the image of a tall being, standing over a head taller than Ramah himself and at least two over the human behind him. His body was the embodiment of human perfection, or at least, Ramah considered it to be so. Baal's unblemished skin was pale, almost marble white, and seemed almost to shimmer slightly. His fingers were long, the fingernails glowing a dull gold. His hair was almost a living thing of burning fire that trailed down to his back to his waist. His eyes were stern, cold, intent.

It was the eyes that betrayed the God's aura of omnipotence. Once, those eyes had shone a bright, fierce golden. Now their hue was faded, almost dull to the point of appearing more bronze than gold. This was a sign of divinity restrained.

Ramah knew what his Lord expected of him. His body trembled with the need to kneel. Ramah sucked in a breath, lifting his gaze as much as he dared and let several long, deliberate moments pass by in a gesture of deliberate defiance. Then, lowering his eyes back down, Ramah lowered himself to his knees.

He knelt with his head bowed low, and his hands laid palms facing up upon his knees. His wings relaxed and made a dry shuffling sound as they allow themselves to go limp against his back.

 

[Slifer]

Nathan pays attention to Ramah in his peripheral vison to try and get a clue on what to be doing. He notices him becoming considerably more tense up until the Angel lifts his head to stare at what Nathan assumes is the God of this realm. Ramah then kneels down just as Nathan decides to sneak just a quick peak at the God, his anxious curiosity getting the better of him. In just the small glance, however, he becomes frozen with intimidation. The atmosphere of the situation condensing on him instantly. His eyes stuck in an exaggerated look of astonishment. His mouth becomes slightly ajar as he continues staring at Baal. A few more moments go by and he snaps back suddenly. He shakes his head in embarrassment and bows it again.

"S-s-sorry," he mutters nervously as he ungraciously falls to his knees like Ramah beside him. He still wears a look of utter fascination mixed with fear. He appears jumpy and nervous as he tries to collect himself.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Baal's gaze lingers for a long time on his kneeling Angel.

Slowly, he turns to regard the human. "There is no need to kneel," his voice comes as though it is both spoken aloud and inside the human's head. The sound of it is an embodiment of ice itself.

Even though his Lord's attention is not directed upon him, he shivers slightly, chilled. Angels are extremely sensitive to the affects of divinity, even when it is not directed at them.

"You are not My follower. I will not have any creature kneel before Me without cause. That is not worship. Nor is it obedience. It is simple mindlessness. I will not tolerate mindlessness."

 

[Slifer]

Upon hearing this, Nathan looks up sheepishly as he begins to stand up again.

"Oh. All right then," he says slowly with caution. He scratches his forehead in a nervous twitch and looks around.

"I was being careful, I didn't know what to expect coming here. This is all still a lot to take in," he says more at ease, beginning to feel somewhat comfortable. "I have a lot of questions as I'm sure you already know. I umm... I don't really know what I'm doing here for starters. Both here in your realm, and here being summoned before you."

Nathan finishes off feeling quite back to normal again. It seems as though finally hearing from the ruler of his predicament has calmed his nerves. He appreciates the outlook on worship that the God has, seeming more relaxed than he anticipated. He takes a quick glance at Ramah again pondering the relationship between the two.

 

[FrostyDragon]

Ramah scowls at the exchange between God and human, but he knows better than to say anything to interrupt. He doesn't understand why his Lord goes to the trouble of making His guests feel... comfortable. Why does He restrain so much of His divine presence so that they could almost think He was less than a God? Ramah can feel his Lord's divine power chilling every pore in his body. Baal's consideration does not extend to Angel's and creatures that have actually agreed to serve Him. The human will learn that if he ever accepts Baal as his God.

"I do not know why you are here in my domain." Baal answered the human quietly. Your Goddess has Her wills and Her ways. I do not know the will of a Goddess. Even if She is my equal. That is between you and your Goddess. You are better off without Her. A Goddess that would willingly surrender Her own faithful worshipers to the hands of a God whom She considers to be cruel and merciless does not deserve their love."

Ramah cringes slightly as he senses the atmosphere in the room change suddenly. His Lord is displeased.

"My own reasons are mine alone to know. I do not answer to you, and you shall learn not to expect me to explain myself to you."

Even though they weren't meant for him, Ramah cringed at those words. He well knew exactly what it meant to have to accept without question his Lord's decisions.

 

[Slifer]

Looking down and scratching the back of his head, Nathan accepts the disappointment filling his mind after the answers to his question. He feels the need to defend his Goddess after what was said, but also understands the logic in the statements as well. He holds his tongue at that thought, not willing to test the patience of Baal. The tenseness in the air almost palpable, Nathan begins to fight back tears of stress. He has so much he wants to say, but at the same time knows nothing will come of it. The time to mourn his past will come, he assures himself. He just stares into the eyes of the God before him with his best face of content, although he's sure that some of his true frustration shows itself in his demeanor.

"Ok. No questions," He says plainly.

 

[FrostyDragon]

“I have something for you.” Baal turns His hand palm facing up. The air shimmers and distorts above, and a black orb appears out of seeming nowhere. Baal lowers His hand so the human can see more clearly what He is holding.

The black orb is about the size of a chicken egg. Its surface appears completely smooth and unbroken, though when Baal lowers it, it’s surface wobbles like it is something not quite solid.

Also of note is Baal’s hand itself. It is larger than a human hand, and has one extra digit than humans. Whilst most of His hand is the same colour as the rest of him, the palm and underside are clearly not. They are splsttered unevenly in a very dark brown stain. Whatever the stain is, it has long since dried, though it appears somewhat flaky.