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Ascension to the Heavens|Descent into Hell(Corsair and Xana)

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Jeorom laughed, at the look of blank incomprehension and horror in Lily’s eyes and at the surge of power flowing through his veins. He drank again, consuming the last drops of er blood, charged with her shamecand violation and prayers and fused with the last energies of the long dead god. His laughter grew wilder as he threw out his arms. “Yes!” he exulted, basking in the web of power that suffused the room.

Two decades of work and struggle coming to fruition, finally. Two decades since Matthias had torn his soul free, since he’d begin his bargaining and hunting to find a new demon and a new source of strength. He breathed in, drinking power from the air, revealing in the feeling. He would be more, far more, than he had ever been. Powerful. Powerful enough to take his revenge on Matthias. On Aurianna. On that little bitch Clara and the whole Order. On Afodesia Herself.

The other demons shifted impatiently, looking at one another. “Hey, pass the skull,” one demanded. “We all get a share.”

Jeoram smiled, revealing fangs. “Oh, yes. All of you will share in my power.” And then he lunged, gripping the speaker by his scales, tumerous thriat. The demon had time to scream once before Jeoram’s fangs ripped open his neck, before the fallen Paladin gulped down black blood as it gushed over his face and chest.

The others stared, stunned, as Jeoram let the withered husk drop to the ground. “Who wants to share next?” he laughed, turning. One hand rose, scattering thick drops of black blood, and barriers of dark light sealed the exits. And then he lunged to the attack.

The demons fought, unleashing their hatred and fury in a desperate struggle for surviva. Jeoram moved among them like an avatar of death, tearing hearts from chests, opening throats, crushing bones. Soon, only Jeoram and the monstrous Ahmoet remained alive in the abattoir of a room. “You think you can best me, Jeoram?” the demon laughed, his words sounding hollow.

Jeoram moves, ducking low and shattering the bull-demon’s knee. “Yes,” he replied, driving a clawed hand into the demon’s back. Ahmoet cried out, collapsing onto his hands and knees, then cried out again as Jeoram’s foot smashed him to the floor. Laughing madly, the fallen Paladin knelt behind him. “I’ve dreamed of this for years,” he kissed, driving his cock into the demon’s ass.

Ahmoet struggles, strained by to rise as Heoram pounded into him. Jeoram just laughed harder, gripping the bull-demon’s horns and smashing his face into the floor before jerking him back up. “At... at the end...” Jeoram snarled, “You were... my... my bitch...”. Then he climaxed with a cry, muscles straining. There was a sickly ripping sound and Ahmoet’s head tore free, drenching the room in a shower of gore.

Jeoram stood up, dripping with the clotting I hit of thirteen demons, seed still dripping from a semi-hard shaft. “And now for you, bitch,” he growled, turning to face Lily. He took a step forward. “I’m going to break you, whore. You think it was bad befor? I’m going to hurt you, and I’m going to make you love it.” Suddenly he was across the room, hefting the Paladin by her throat and slamming her hard into the wall.

“You’re going to beg me to hurt you,” he snarled, raking his claws across her breasts. His fangs followed suit, and he drank deep of the blood that welled up. “And then, I’ll let your mother see I... I live... what’s left... of... I live... of you.”

The iron grip faltered, letting Lily slip to the floor. Jeoram staggered, raising his hands to his head, then snarled and grabbed Lily again. “So... so she can... can see... what will... will happen... to... to her...”. His free hand forced Lily’s thighs apart, spreading her for him. But then he gasped and stumbled away, letting her fall as he gripped his head once more. “What... what’s... nothing. Why... what... fool. Did you think to use me?”

“No!” Jeoram’s words were a despairing shriek. “No! Yo... you’re dead! This is my power! My triumph!” He fell to his knees and collapsed, screaming in agony as he writhed. “It’s not fair! You’re dead!”

The screaming suddenly stopped. Jeoram lay still, motionless on the corpse strewn floor. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet and examined his own hands. Fingers flexed curiously, as if they were unfamiliar. “Dead? I think not.”

He smiled, and then He spoke a Word. As the syllables echoed, the world seemed to collapse inwards.
 
Lily shied away from Jeoram, away from the carnage and the fury and the terror of trapped demons. It was over in a matter of heartbeats, but the moments stretched into the night, each bloodcurdling scream imprinting on her mind and soul. As much as nothing made sense, everything made sense. None of these demons were interested in atonement, only power. And they’d used her, her guilt and her father and her blood to fuel their dark ritual. In turn, Jeoram had used all of them to empower himself. And, in the end, even he was used, his body nothing but a meat suit for Thanades to revive in.

All around, souls tore free from their bodies, leaving desiccated husks behind. The humans of Reeve’s Bluff fell by the dozens, the scores, the hundreds. Screams were infrequent, and terribly brief, drowning in the rancor of annihilation. Thanades reclaimed it all with a single word.

Lily’s insides shrieked as well, tearing like her intestines being pulled out through her gut. Knees pressed to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs, she tried to hold herself together. Afodisia, she prayed, one last time, seeking a small measure of mercy as she prepared to leave this world. Forgiveness, please Goddess. I wanted only to serve you.

She wasn’t in control of her body anymore. If she were, she might have stay huddled into herself awhile longer. Instead, her legs stood, stronger than before, stronger than possible, resisting the consuming hunger of the once dead god.

“Your existence is not welcome here, Thanades, or anywhere in the heavens and hells. I’ll not stand by while you gorge yourself on the souls of mortals.” The voice was not hers, alien as her vocal cords stretched to create it. Not her voice, but familiar. Warm. It reminded her of her mother, enveloping her like a strong, tender hug. And so, she retreated into herself, allowing the glorious, overwhelming presence to take control. She yet could serve Afodisia.

“And you would stop me? All alone, like this?” He laughed, a vicious sound that threatened to rapture Lily’s eardrums. “Where is your dragon, Whore?”

Light gathered around Her, burning bright. Beams focused, constricting into a luminous chain. “I will defeat you, and send you back into oblivion.” A blinding flash washed the shadows from the room, and when sight returned, those golden chains bound Thanades.

For a time, it worked, constraining the god within the human body he’d taken. Binding him to the flesh and sundering his connection to the primal divine source. Thanades glared, eyes narrowed, before relaxing his gaze, and smiling. An arrogant, triumphant smile, shedding the chains of brilliant light. Instead, those chains transformed and became black and cold. Corrupted with the souls of mortals, and the destruction of a hundred innocent voices. The shadows that had once bathed the room surrounded Her now, twisting up Her limbs and holding Her fast.

“You seek to challenge me, and you come in this form? I should destroy you for your insolence. I will destroy you. But…not yet.” Thanades spoke another Word, a Word older than language or even time. Another hundred souls were consumed, and their dying wails tethered Afodisia within the body she’d inhabited. She could no longer retreat, or escape to the heavens. “You play at strength while dividing yourself. You will never have the power to challenge me while you hide behind your pawns, daughter. Now, summon your dragon. Call for his aid, and bring him before me.”
 
Mykel strained, pressing against the beans and masonry held at bay by the golden shield Eva had summoned just in time. There had been an instant of premonition, a sense of hearing the Goddess command them to protect thenselves, and then a clap of thunder that blasted the walls and ceiling of the shrine-room apart. He’d had a wild impression of demons howling and screaming as shrapnel tore them into gobbets and then dust, and then all he could see was wreckage and the light of Eva’s spells.

“You need to hurry, Paladin,” the succubus informed him. She was kneeling by Eva, holding a bleeding wrist to his lover’s lips. “She’s weak from being fed on, and my blood can’t sustain her.”

“I know,” he grunted. “Can’t you..?”

“I’m stronger than I look,” she replied, “but I’m no warrior. I can’t move that much weight, and the spell protecting us seals me in.”

“I can,” rumbled the bat-wolf thing that had grabbed Cassandra and Melinda and kept into the shield just as it came into existence. Mykel wasn’t sure why he had saved them - an attempt to demonstrate the sincerity of his quest for redemption? Or just in case he needed food? But there was no time to worry about that now. Instead, Mykel shifted a little and let the demon get a grip as well.

“On three,” the demon snarled through teeth gritted against the pain of touching the golden barrier.

“Right,” Mykel agreed. “Three.”

They heaved, muscles bunching and writhinguntil a grinding crack was heard. For an instant Mykel thought it was his spine, until the beam moved and slid. Masonry and plaster shifted and ground and slid with it, revealing a view of the cloud-covered sky. Then they kept back as the barrier vanished, evading more stone that dropped into the empty space. “Eva!” Mykel gasped, spinning.

“She’s all right,” the succubus replied, barbed tongue caressing the wound she’d gashed in her own wrist. The crimson flesh closed without a mark. “But she’ll need rest, and food. The priestesses always do.”

“Not likely,” the bat-demon replied, surveying the destruction around them. Furtan’s manor had collapsed, and much of the surrounding town was in ruin. Shaking his head, he offered Mykel a clawed hand. “Aipieros, by the way. Former Duke of Torment, before Furtan found me and offered me a hope of redemption.”

“Mykel,” the Paladin replied absently, distracted by the sight of the carnage. “And she’s Eva.”

“Xilani,” the succubus added, settling Eva into a more comfortable position. “Once a Herald of Edana, before I followed Baath-Me’el into exile.”

“Right, well... wait. What’s that?” Mykel pointed, gesturing towards two nude figures standing at the center of the destruction. One was shackled to the earth, the other standing free, and both radiated power like nothing he’d ever felt.

“Gods,” Aipieros breathed.

-*-

“My Paladins,” Afodesia declared, glaring at Thanedes as She tested the strength of the bonds that held the human firm She wore, “are My strength. A pity Younever understood that...“

“That what?” Thanedes sneered. “Your bleating about working together for the good of all again? Your deranged notions that power derives from consent?” Mocking laughter echoed like thunder. “I am Thanedes, first and greatest...”

“Not first,” Afodesia interrupted, “and not greatest. Maldovar and...“. Her voice cut off as Thanedes seized her mortal host by the throat and lifted, choking her and straining her back and arms against the chains that held her.

“Do not speak those names,” Thanedes hissed. “They were weak. They are nothing beside my power!”

“Maldovar and Athera,” Afodesia whispered, voice harsh as she strained for breath, “were your equals in age and power. They simply had no wish to rule.”

Thanedes’ eyes flashed with hatred, and then he glanced skywards. “I will chastise you later, Daughter. For now, I must prepare to welcome the beast You whored Yourself to.”

-*-

“Thanedes,” Clara gasped. “He has bound Me... bound Afodesia, I mean. Part of Me... of Her...“

“A Paladin,” Verrier growled, what bugs beating the air as he rose. “He has a Paladin. This ‘Rynne’, I suppose. But why would Afodesia let herself be trapped within a single being? What game is she playing?”

By now he could see the devastation that had once been the port city of Reeve’s Bluff. It was a wound ripped in the World of Substance, a weakening of the material where the spiritual grew stronger. The presence and the actions of the destroyer would bring the Heavens to the Earth in that spot.

“Or the hells,” Clara whispered, as if she had read his thoughts. Perhaps she had. He could shield his thoughts, but he was tied by blood and passion to Clara and Afodesia both, and it was harder to close his mind against the attention of the Goddess of Love and War.

“I have never seen a difference between the two,” the Dragon sneered. “Save politics.” He could see them now, the ebon-haired figure inhabited by Afodesia and the golden-haired figure that was now Thanedes. Acidic saliva dripped from his jaws as he watched the destroyer cast his mate aside.

“Distract him,” Verrier snarled. And then he fell from the sky, his form twisting and writhing and collapsing as he plummeted towards ruined city below.
 
Rynne pushed aside rubble, escaping from the ruined remains of Furtan’s manor. Clad in the loose cotton breeches and top she’d fallen asleep in, she emerged without weapon or armor. There were lost to the wreckage, leaving her with precious little to defend herself with, in a town filled with demons.

Except, where were all the demons? Or the humans? The air was thick with sulphur and iron. A distant light, that had burned bright, extinguished, and Rynne ran for it. Turning the corner, finding other survivors filled her with relief. Mykel, Eva, the twin priestesses and a couple demons. But Eva and the priestesses were unconscious.

“What happened?”

A demon answered, a naked red skinned succubus whose striking appearance might have been more of a distraction in normal circumstance. “Your guess is as good as ours. Whatever’s happened, it was massive. With enough power to awaken a God.” She pointed across the carnage, to the two figures at the center of the cataclysm.

“That is… Afodisia.” It was Lily, and yet, it wasn’t. She radiated power, and love, and warmth, and… fear. That realization chilled Rynne to the bone. What could the Goddess fear?

~*~​

“A Paladin,” Verrier growled, wings beating the air as he rose. “He has a Paladin. This ‘Rynne’, I suppose. But why would Afodisia let herself be trapped within a single being? What game is she playing?”

Clara –was she still Clara now, while the Goddess shared her body?– understood why. The Nephilim paladin was the best choice Afodisia had to bind Thanades before his power grew out of control. She was closest, and the divine blood in her veins could withstand more of the Goddess’ essence than even a regular paladin. But Lily wasn’t fully divine, and had Afodisia anchored Her full strength into her, Lily’s mind would have shattered. Just as Jeoram’s had.

Instead, She had failed, and Thanades destroyed hundreds of souls to sever Her connection to the primordial source of Order. But if she –Clara– could reach Lily, then She –Afodisia– could reclaim Her split strength. And Clara, now transformed by Verrier’s blood, was tough enough to take on the Goddess’ power and remain herself.

Possibly.

Verrier dove towards Thanades, but She took a moment longer to plan. Took a moment longer, while She was bound, feeling each soul destroyed to tether Her. Hundred painful deaths, writing in eternal agony within the chains around Her. But with the agony, came clarity.

Dammit, they can’t fight Thanades here! The veil between the material and spiritual planes was whisper thin. Still, she flew in closer, shifting into human form by the time she landed. Thanades stood between Her and Lily

Thanades breathed deep and snarled. “You stink of chaos, Whore.” Reaching his hand out, more souls gathered, coiling into a lash. “I’ll flay that stench from your bones, if need be.” The whip leapt forth, whistling in the wind and wailing with the demise of more souls, but Clara twisted out of its reach.

In a gathering of golden light, a spear manifested in her hand. Clara gritted at the weapon, wishing for a sword instead, and taking solace in the fact that she hadn’t been fully subsumed by Afodisia. He struck with the last again, but this time she caught it on the shaft of her spear. “The union of Order and Chaos is stronger than you’ll ever hope to be.”

“Oh?” Thanades laughed, and his whip fashioned of soul exploded, throwing Clara back into pile stony debris. “We shall see about that.”
 
Verrier wore the shape of a black and red serpent the length of a man’s arm by the time he landed. Old reflexes, trained into him by Ages of hiding and stalking and surviving, camouflaged his power as well as his form. Gods hadn’t been able to find him when he didn’t want them to. His own kin hadn’t been able to. And he didn’t want Thanedes to sense him, not yet.

He flowed through the wreckage of the city, tasting the death and destruction around him with each flick of his forked tongue. It tasted... wrong. He was no stranger to death and destruction, having been its agent timecand again. But he’d never left a sterile-feeling waste behind. He’d destroyed lives and structures, even hopes and dreams. But he’d never killed a part of the world itself before.

Thanedes has to die. Again.

-*-

Mykel watched the golden dragon swoop low, transforming into a human figure as it landed. “Is that... Aunt Clara?”

Rynne stared, and fought the urge to drop to her knees in supplication. “No? I think.., I think she’s... Afodesia.”

“But... that is Aunt Clara,” he insisted.

“I don’t know this Clara,” Xilani said, “but that Dragon was certainly Afodesia. I was there, when She helped slay Baath-Ne’el.”

“Both, I wager,” Aipieros said. “Like be and War, manifest in mortal form.”

“But she’s manifest in Lily!” Mykel protested .

“Gods can manifest in different places at the same time,” Aipieros laughed. “And... hey! Where are you going?” The last question was accompanied by the demon grabbing Rynne and Mykel both by the arms.

“To help,” Rynne snapped, jerking by her arm free. “We are Paladins, and our Goddess need ya.”

“My sister needs us,” Mykel added.

The warrior demon grabbed them again, trying to pull them back. “That is Thanedes,” he hissed. “The Lord of Destruction, reborn somehow. You wouldn’t... DOWN!” He tackles them, driving them into the broken masonry as something monstrous erupted from the earth.

-*-

Thanedes cracked His soul-whip as Clara plowed through shattered stone and timber, then turned as Lily strained against the black chains that rooted her to the earth. “Careful,” he scolded, lashing the whip across the Paladin’s bare stomach. Lily shrieked in agony as the welt burned and bled, staggering and collapsing to her knees. “That’s better. Remember Your place, Daughter. And the fragility of Your worshippers.”

Lily’s gasping sobs of pain suddenly stopped. Slowly, eyes blazing with golden fire, Afodesia rose to Her feet once more. “Fragility? I have made them so much more than You could understand, Thanedes. They have always been like Us, Father. I only showed them their potential.”

Thanedes backhanded Lily, staggering her and sending blood splattering as the scabs in her split lips burst. “They are animals!” he bellowed. “Animals invested with a fragment of Your essence! Nothing more!”

“We used too much of Chaos when We created the Elves,” she replied. “And so We countered that in Humans by infusing them with Our own essence. The seeds of divinity have always been in them.”

She might have said more. He might have said more. But neither had the chance as a great black figure erupted from the ground, sinking fangs into Thanedes back as pounced on him. The two figures tumbled and rolled, fangs and talons and fusts flashing. Thanedes landed in his back, his blood soaking into the ruined earth beneath, as the serpentine figure reared over him.

“Time to die, Thanedes,” Verrier snarled. “Again.”
 
Now, when Verrier was distracting Thanades, she could reach Lily. Reach Herself, and be united once more. But it was difficult to push away Lily’s sensations, their minds connected by divine fetter, and everything the girl had suffered, her shame and guilt, weighed heavily on Clara. Each step fought against the bondage of extinguished souls, the burden of their demise constricting her own movements.

Pinned beneath Verrier, Thanades’ situation grew dire. The elder god did not, however, give in to despair, but instead called upon more dying essences from the ruins of Reeve’s Bluff. His fist turned black, festering with the obliteration of more souls. It didn’t glow so much as absorb all the nearby light. Then he plunged it into Verrier’s chest moving beyond the material realm and reaching through the spiritual plane. He pulled a heart out, still beating and spurting black blood nowhere in particular.

“Verrier!” Afodisia called, Her voice manifesting from both Clara and Lily simultaneously. Clara fell to his side, examining the extent of his injuries. It was not Verrier’s heart that had been ripped from his chest, but Thanades’, the spiritual remains of his divine powers, that Verrier had devoured centuries before. Still, reaching into Verrier’s being, caused a tear in the veil between the material and spiritual words, and injured the dragon, internal bleeding flooding his inner cavities. With the power that remained in Her, Clara (or Afodisia) had just enough strength to stem the bleeding.

“Binding yourself to this dragon shall be your downfall, daughter,” Thanades laughed, swallowing his heart and regaining more of his divine essence. He seemed to grow then, stretching the physical form he wore beyond human proportions. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you live long enough to see the destruction of your draconic lover.” Again, Thanades called on the souls of mortals, to bind what remained of Afodisia in Clara, the way he’d bound her in Lily.

This is it, She knew. They’d failed to stop and Thanades, and now it was all over. Verrier would die as soon as she stopped holding his insides together, and there was no way to overpower Thanades’ soul chains. She grabbed Verrier’s claw, and brought it to her chest, right over her beating her. She drew Closer to Verrier, lips against his ear as she spoke in a whisper. “Devour My heart, and take dominion over War, so Thanades cannot. I can aid you from within. Now, before he binds me as well!”

Except, nothing happened. There were no more souls to absorb and destroy, no more souls to power Thanades’ annihilation. Thanades had no worshippers, after, he’d been dead until quite recently. For now, he could only draw power from acts of destruction, and his was the great act in recent memory. But he’d drain every iota of that power into binding a Goddess within a mortal frame and reclaiming his divine essence. This was

Thanades glared down at her for but a moment, and turned, grabbing Lily with a single massive fist. “Through her, you will experience the demise of everything you hold dear, Daughter. You will see it, taste it, feel it, until her faith breaks. And then I will reclaim my dominion over War.” Then, Thanades turned, massive steps putting distance between the ruined remains of Reeve’s Bluff and the awakened God.

~*~

Carried by her husband, Aurianna took no joy in the trip to Reeves Bluff. Oh, usually she loved the sensation of flying, the feel of his arms tight around her and the wind buffeting her skin. But the dread in Clara –Afodisia– voice just before she left for Reeves Bluff had been sobering, and Aurianna’s mind was solely on her duty.

Perhaps Matthias could have arrived more quickly alone, but the Goddess had instructed them both to follow, she’d never think to disobey Afodisia. A figure that resembled Jeoram, but clearly was no longer him, commanded a maelstrom of devastation, between Clara, Verrier and… “Lily?”

Her daughter was nude, bound by black chains void of light, and covered in wounds and blood. The mother in her was horrified by the sight, wanting nothing more than to protect and comfort her daughter. The paladin in her was in awe, seeking to serve and aid her Goddess by any means necessary, and this internal strife stayed her hand

“Lily! LILY!!!” Aurianna’s wails collapsed into sobs, reaching her metallic arm towards her daughter, and the man she hated, and had once loved.
 
Verrier’s scream of mortal agony split the shattered masonry around him, kicking up a hailstorm of stone fragments that exploded outward from him as Thanedes tore into his chest. He reared back and crashed to the ground, his talons raking great furrows into the earth as he writhed and convulsed. Wracked with pain, he was only faintly aware of Afodesia beside him, wielding her power to bind him together. He beat at the air, twisting in an effort to regain his footing, but the strain did little more than tear fresh wounds within him. He roared again, vomiting bile and blood and caustic venom.

“Devour My heart,” Afodesia whispered as he convulsed in agony, trying to reshape his organs to staunch the bleeding. Behind them Thanades ranted and gloated. “Take dominion over War, so Thanades cannot.”

“No,” Verrier gritted out, his own blood dripping between his fangs. “No. Not... not a... a god. Won’t.., won’t be... a god...”

“I can aid you from within,” she insisted. “Now, before he binds me as well!”

“NO!” Verrier thundered, vision swimming as he twisted and tried to lunge at the god of destruction. His limbs failed him and he crashed into the shattered material of the house. Timber and stone shattered as he shook his head, trying to clear it. Thanedes was gloating again, the fool. And he’d been the same fool, talking instead of killing. Bellowing in pain and fury he strained totwist and change his form. A new shape would force him to heal, he knew.

Thanedes might still kill him. But he would not see him go down to death quietly.

-*-

Fear churned Matthias’ gut, fear like nothing he’d experienced - even in the Ebon Keep. The Godslayer writhed in agony, monstrous form melting and flowing like wax. Afodesia was incarnate in Clara, and he could see Her power flowing into the Dragon, staving off death as the ancient monster fought. Afodesia was incarnate in his daughter, his daughter who had been tortured and violated and now hung numb in the grip of the reborn God of Destruction.

He’d never seen that being before. He hadn’t known there was a God of Destruction, except from references in ancient books. But there was no mistaking who and what He was.

He knew what he had to do.

“I can catch her,” he told Aurianna. “But I have to put you down. I’m not fast enough, carrying you.” He swiped low, letting her drop from his arms beside Afodesia-in-Clara. Then his luminous wings beat the air as he raced after his daughter. “Lily!” he cried. “I’m coming!“

It strained everything he had to close the gap between them, trying to close a gap measured not in feet and inches but in proximity to the divine. “Lily!“

The God of Destruction turned and reached out, catching him in a titanic fist. “Not Lily, little angel. Afodesia.” The God’s voice was mocking. “You need to learn respect for your Mustress.” The fist tightened, and Matthias screamed over the sound of his breaking bones. Then the world dissolved into an agonized whirl as the God cast him aside.

-*-

Mykel couldn’t remember ever feeling so helpless before. So terrified. The Godslayer was defeated. Afodesia was defeated. And now his own father spun limp and broken as the God of Destruction - Thanedes, Aipieros had called him - three him aside like a broken toy.

Then duty cut through the terror, and he exploded into action. Maybe he couldn’t fight a God, certainly not naked and unarmed. But he could help his father. Vaulting over shattered timbers and collapsed walls, he drew on his divine gifts to run faster than he’d ever run before. Faster than he’d ever believed he could run. Wings he didn’t know he had unfurled from his back, helping him gain speed.

It was just enough.

His father hit him like a two hundred pound sack of meal, sending him ass over elbows across the debris. He did his best to shield the man as they rolled, bouncing over the rough ground. He was a knit of pain when they stopped, but it was clear his father was worse off. His limbs bent at unnatural angles and his chest looked dented, and luminous blood bubbles in his lips.

“Don’t worry, dad,” he whispered, “I got you. I.. I’ve got this.” He summoned his faith, praying that it was enough, praying that Afodesia could still hear him.

“lily...” his father croaked.

“We’ll get her, dad,” he choked, trying to control his emotions. His hands glowed with a golden light. “We’ll find her, and we’ll bring her home.”

-*-

Verrier crouched in human shape, shaking as he vomited. Blood and ruined flesh spewed out, the remnants of muscle and organs too damaged to be healed by his transformation. He shook, wrenching again, then spat. “I’m going to kill him,” he gasped, his voice weak and shaky and full of inhuman hatred.

He tried to stand, and made it to his feet before he collapsed. He tried again, only to tumble to the ground once more. Crimson, slitted eyes focused on the distant figure of Thanedes. Then, with a sigh, he let himself fall limp. “But first, I need rest.”
 
Horror filled Aurianna as her husband failed to reach their daughter, and was tossed aside like a ragdoll. Only the barest hint of relief filled her as Mykel caught him, rushing to their side as quickly as her divinely gifted muscles could move her. It was strange to pray to Afodisia now, as she fought beside them, but old habits die hard, and she added her divine power to her son’s while they protected Matthias from succumbing to his injuries. She couldn’t lose Matthias, not now, while Lily’s fate hung in uncertainty.

Clara spared a mouthful of blood, to Matthias and Verrier, in aid in their healing. Matthias showed remarkable improvement, but still couldn’t walk under his own power as the bones fused back together. Verrier’s injuries were even more grievous, and even with Clara’s blood working on him, it would take time for him to recover. So Aurianna carried her husband, Mykel carried Eva, the demons carried the twin priestesses and Clara carried Verrier. She took dragon shape to do so, intending to bring him back to Mount Fearfire.

“Head to Porthcawl, and stand guard. The chaos in the aftermath of the destruction of Reeve’s Bluff may see greater aggression the demons in the region. Especially if news of Thanades’ resurrection spreads. I will direct Rielle to lead her troops here, to support you.” Clara spoke the words, but they still carried Afodisia’s authority.

“You want me to lead a handful of paladins against demonic onslaught?”

“It’s not the first time you’ve done so,” Clara reminded her.

“Yeah, I’m not a young woman anymore,” Aurianna protested.

“Right now your wisdom and experience is a greater asset than youth. Have faith in your own strength.”

“And Lily?”

Clara did not answer right away, placing a gentle hand on Aurianna’s shoulder instead. “She will endure.”

“What will she endure?”

Clara shook her head, “it’s probably better if you don’t know.” Aurianna swallowed hard, decades old trauma flashing through her mind. Knowing there was nothing she could do to protect her daughter was, by far, the worst feeling she’d ever experienced. “We will save her. Afodisia will call upon the other gods, and We will bring Thanades down again. For now, Afodisia is with her, and she will endure.”

It took several days to reach Porthcawl, a small village that had only sprung up in the last few years, once the demon’s claim on the land began to recede. Populated by mostly farmers, it could only boast a single, small inn, and the nine of them were crowded into the two upstairs rooms. BY now Eva had more or less recovered, but the priestesses were still weak, and slept for many hours in one of the two beds. Matthias took the other, just able to hobble around for short periods.

Aurianna took Mykel, Eva, and Rynne aside, expression serious, heavily weighed upon by concern for her missing daughter. “What happened in Reeve’s Bluff? Tell me as much as you can.”
 
“I... don’t know,” Mykel said, scooting to make room for Eva and Rynne on the be. “Did you see much?”

“Nope,” Rynne replied. “I was reading, and then everything blew up. I’m lucky to be alive, really.”

The door opened, admitting Aipieros and Xilan to the increasingly crowded room. “Thanedes has been revived,” the warrior demon said.

“You said that name before,” Mykel pointed out. “Who is he?”

“The God of Destruction,” Matthias answered. “Or, He was. Before He led a revolt in the Heavens, and Afodesia slew Him.”

“I’ve never heard of Him before,” Rynne murmured, and the other two young Paladins nodded agreement. “Or... wait. Yes. The Nameless One, who forged Hell and led away the...”

“Afodesia didn’t kill Him,” Aipieros interrupted.

“Not on Her own, at least,” Xilani added. “She wasn’t powerful enough.”

The Paladins looked at each other. “Verrier,” Matthias states.

Aipieros nodded. “She bargained with the Godslayer. A final end to the eternal war between God and Dragon, if he aided her.”

“What will He do, now that He’s back?” Rynne asked.

Aipieros shrugged. “Seek revenge.”

-*-

Verrier’s dismount was more of a controlled fall, body sliding over Clara’s golden scales until his feet touched the ground of his fortress. And then he had to cling to her side for support as a wave of pain and dizziness washed through him. Then he heard the approaching footsteps and pushed away to sway slightly as he fought for balance. “Hrothgar,” he said. “Tell me...”

The world spun. “My lord!” Hrothgar cried, catching him. He studied Verrier’s ashen face, then looked up at the golden bulk beside him. “My Lady, What..?”

“I am injured,” Verrier snarled, trying to stand once more. “Gravely. The Kingdoms, Hrothgar! Have..,”

“I sent your commands, Lord,” Hrothgar assured him, hoisting one of Verrier’s arms around his shoulder. “Now let me get you to your lair. You need rest, and food.”
 
“It’s gone…” Zamira whispered.

Reeve’s Bluff, the town she’s spent the last twelve years of her life in, was gone. Destroyed, more accurately, perhaps. Stone ruins lay where homes once stood. All that remained were the withered husks, and it was impossible to discern if they were once human or demon. “Everyone is…”

“What could have caused this?” Svalis asked, sifting through debris, until he came upon a corpse smaller than the others. None had been spared.

“It… it was too quick to have been an attack,” Anya decided, “Our allies would have stood their ground. They would have put up a fight, they… they wouldn’t have gone down so easily…” Zamira wanted to believe her words, but Anya herself seemed unsure of them.

It was two days since the trio left, to escort Zamira to Caerhold so that she could present arguments in favor of her sect of Afodisia. They were only one day out when they had seen the distant catastrophe, like an explosion of divine power. At that distance, it was impossible to make out details, but all three could tell something terrible had happened there. Now, all three prayed that their comrades had somehow avoided the fate that had befallen the rest of Reeve’s Bluff.

“If… if anyone survived they would have made for Porthcawl,” Anya explained, with a firm hand on Zamira’s back. If. The short word hung heavy in the air, and the massive destruction in every direction warned against hope. If.

With a determined nod, Zamira agreed, “Then let’s head for Porthcawl.”

~*~

Clara shrunk into her form as Verrier steadied himself, assisting Hrothgar in carrying Verrier through the halls of Radharc Realta. He was terrifyingly vulnerable like this, wearing human skin and needing assistance to walk. Nothing like the dragon of her youth, who inspired terror and awe with the mere mention of his name. The knowledge that both Verrier and Afodisia could be brought low shook Clara, leaving her for something to cling to, some bastion of strength and invulnerability.

Now, she had to be that strength. Not just for herself, but for everyone.

“I must leave for the heavens,” Clara told Verrier, helping him to lie down slowly, careful of his injuries. Trembling fingers brushed curly strands of hair aside, and she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “We will need more help, if we are to stand against Thanades.”

Clara’s perspective faded and Afodisia’s grew stronger, spreading in every direction simultaneously. Time deepened, possibility deepened, spatial awareness deepened. She was everywhere, all at once, with everything that had happened occurring at the same time as everything that could happen. Entire lifetimes blended together, becoming moments in time.

The living pantheon gathered in what could be compared to an open-air amphitheater. Athera alone sat in one of the three thrones at the center, the last of the original gods to split from the perfect essence of primal order. “Why have you called us together, My daughter?”

“Thanades has awoken, revived by foolish mortals who thought they could harness his power. He’s not yet regained his connection to the primal divine, but his return is nigh upon us. We cannot allow him to move unchecked through the material world, and we cannot allow him to usurp Heaven either.”

“His revivor was one of yours once, wasn’t he?” Moressa asked, tone mocking. “Chosen by your own divine wisdom to stand against demons.” Moressa had grown in stature since she’d left the heavens. Of course, she was Goddess of death, and there had been enough death in the last few days to grant her a great boon of divine power. And the coming days would grant her even more power, if Thanades got his wish and waged war on the living. And before that, demons and their gluttonous hunger kept her well fed on the deaths of mortals.

Afodisia spared her sister a moment’s consideration. “I’ve never sought to control my worshippers, and always hoped they make good choices in their service to me.” Turning her attention back to the greater collective of divinities, she made her plea, “We must stand together, if we are to stand against Thanades.”

“Why should we help your dragon slay more of our kind?” Moressa spat the accusation, and murmuring from other gods supported her argument.

Afodisia refused to be perturbed. Too much was at stake. “Thanades will destroy everything, if he is not stopped.”

“Thanades is our father. Whatever fault he may possess, he is of the primal source of order in the universe. His exile from the living pantheon has served as punishment for previous offences.” Quiet assent met this proclamation as well. “What say you, Mother, of grace and forgiveness?”

Athera glanced between Her daughters with a hard look on Her face, “Forgiveness is a divine promise. Between Gods and mortals, and even extended to the angels who rebelled against the mandate of heaven. Forgiveness can yet extend to gods as well.”

Afodisia stopped short, unable to believe the words that came from her Mother’s mouth. “And what has Thanades done to earn forgiveness?”
 
Verrier shrugged Haldebar’s supporting arm off as Clara vanished, staggering a few steps before collapsing. Only by catching himself on the wall did he keep from falling to the ground. Haldebar rushed to support him, only for Verrier to weakly try to push him away. “Don’t... need... help...” the Dragon snarled.

“Like hell you don’t,” Haldebar snarled back, dragging him back to his feet. “You’re...”

“Release me,” Verrier hissed, “Or I’ll...”

“You’ll what?” Haldebar mocked, easily overcoming Verrier’s efforts to shake him off. “Kill me? Right now, if I chose, I could fulfill my original contract.” He laughed without humor, helping Verrier towards the heaped piles of treasure that served as his bed. “Hrothgar Wyrmsbane, slayer of the dread Dragon of Fearfire. I’d only be, what? Two thousand years late?”

Coins crunched as Verrier collapsed the not the mound. “Try it,” he snarled, tensing. “I’m not so weak as...”

Hrothgar laughed. “I’ve no interest in trying, my lord. Maybe a thousand years ago, I would have. But now?” He shrugged. “No.”

Verrier stared at him warily. “Why?”

“Because,” Hrothgar answered, meeting the skirted crimson eyes, “I rather like you, these days. And because you’ve granted me wealth and power beyond anything I could have achieved on my own. And because, frankly, the drakkul would tear me to pieces if I did.”

“If you lived,” Verrier grumbled l.

“Yeah. If I lived.” He looked at his master for a moment, frankly terrified by the weakness he saw. “What do you require, my lord?”

“Food,” came the immediate reply. “Flesh and blood, to give me the strength to heal.” He snorted, and it took Haldebar a moment to recognize the sound as laughter. “And some constant, low level irritation. I need to be angry, Haldebar. Angry enough to focus.”

“All right. I’ll send the children in, and tell them to keep asking you questions.” Big laughed at that. “But why?”

“Because I am hurt,” the Dragon answered. “Badly. Worse than anything I have experienced. And if I am not angry and focused, pain and fear will drive me into the shape of a small burrowing thing. And I will crawl and dig deep, and hide for long ages.”

-*-

“What has Thanedes done to require forgiveness?” Moressa demanded.

“He...” Athera began, only to stop in shock as the Goddess of Death stepped into the amphitheater.

“He is Our Father!” Moressa declaimed, leveling an accusing finger at Afodesia. “Our Father and My Husband, Whom You betrayed! And why?” She paused dramatically. “Because He wished to bring Our recalcitrant creations back under Our control. Because You desired a throne that was His!”

“He led nearly a third the Host in rebellion,” called Karnais Harvest-Lord.

“He roused an army when He was betrayed!” Moressa cried. “Betrayed by an ungrateful Daughter, who whites Herself to the creature that murdered Her own Husband!” Her eyes swept the arena. “To the thing that walked among Us, learning Our secrets to betray Us to its kin! The thing that dares call itself Godslayer!”
 
“I did what I had to end the Dragonsfall war.” Afodisia’s eyes swept the gathered gods, who looked on with stoic expressions. “How many more would have died, otherwise?”

“Only one more needed to die, to end it.” Moressa hissed before her lips curled into a hideous smile. “Thanades will see to it that he pays for the Gods he’s so proudly slain.”

“Thanades is a tyrant, who will reshape the pantheon in his image. And he will destroy any who resist, or stand in his way. We must act now, if we are to defeat him.”

“No.” Athera stated, shaking her head. The word reverberated in the open air arena, shaking the very foundations of the heavens. “There has been too much death, for too long. We will not fight among ourselves again. When you took on the Mantle of War, daughter, you knew it was a heavy burden. Now you are too quick to wield it.”

No longer a favored daughter of heaven, Afodisia turned from the amphitheater, echoes of the last lost battle reverberating in her mind. These fools will not move until the threat is upon them, and by then, it may be too late. She’d have to return to the material realm, and see if Verrier had any plans for defeating Thanades.

“Wait.” Edana approached her, away from the rest of the pantheon. “I will stand with you. And I know someone else who will as well. But you won’t find him here.”

~*~

Zamira Anya and Svalis arrived in Porthcawl a few days later. By now Cassandra and Melinda had recovered, and they both rushed in to hug Zamira, to confirm that she was okay, and that they were as well. The rest of the Paladins were there as well, all of them except…

“Lily?” She whispered. Eva glanced over at Mykel with guilty eyes, before turning to Zamira and shaking her head.

“Thanades took her…”

“Took her? Took her where?” Zamira demanded. Despite the cold shoulder Lily had given on the day she left, she still cared for the nephilim paladin. “We don’t you go after her? Save her? You’re paladins, are you?”

“Thanades is too powerful for us to face. Too powerful for Afodisia and Verrier together.”

“Who is Thanades?” Anja asked, placing a hand on Zamira’s shoulder.

“The God of Destruction, reborn in the flesh,” Rynne explained, eyes distant, as if she could see the ruined remains of Reeve’s Bluff from here. Turn her attention back to the gathered group, she waved them along, “You should report to Knight Commander Aurianna. Things aren’t quite safe yet.”
 
Edana wrapped Herself in a worn, dusky cloak as They left the amphitheater behind. Clearly She intended it to conceal Her identity, but it did so poorly. As if on accident the simple garment clung to the curves of the Giddess of Pleasure and Desire. “I could never have done what You did,” She murmured, drawing Her hood over Her head. “Taking in the mantle of War. Seeking out the Godslayer. Even when he deceived us, presented himself as the Lord of Secrets and Mysteries... he frightened me.”

She flashed Her Sister a smile. “But, I suppose, that was why I was drawn to him. Why we both were, before the War. That sense of mystery and danger. But this danger? I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

Ignoring Her own palace, She led Them through the golden walls of the City of the Gods and along a path that led downwards. “Moressa has been working against You since you became War, Sister. She hates You for the death of Her Husband-Father. And now that He has returned?” She shivered. “None will support You, particularly with Athera opposing You as well.”

Shuddering again, She stared akin the path that descended the mountain of the Gods. There, far away and down below, stood the great mass of the Celestial Wall - the divine analog of the mortal Seraphin Wall.

“No one who remains in Heaven, anyway.”

-*-

Matthias regarded the poppy-laced wine he’d been given, then put it aside. The pain of his injuries was already less than it had been, a testament to the resilience and recuperative powers of his Celestial body. Besides, he deserved the pain. Needed it, as a reminder. “I almost had her, Ari,” he whispered, wincing as his ribs ground together. “I almost had her.”

“And I failed her completely.” Mykel dropped into a chair next to his bed, clutching Eva’s hand. Despite the pain of his healing bones, and the pain of his captured daughter, he Matthias smiled at the sight. Although it seemed Justine had won the wager. “I should have known something was wrong.”

Rynne snorted from the doorway. “How long am I going to have to listen to this guilt-ridden dick-measuring nonsense?” She stalked in and glowered at them all. “Seriously. I miss her, too. But you can’t read her mind, for all your closeness to her. And you got your ass kicked by a God, and you aren’t helping your daughter by wallowing in guilt.”

“Wallowing in guilt is my signature move,” Matthias protested with a hint of a smile. “Ask Ari.”

“I can’t,” Rynne replied. “She’s filling Svalis and Anya and Zamiria in, and then I’ll have another grief counseling session to deal with because that priestess has it bad for Lily.”

“You call this ‘grief counseling’?” Mykel asked with a laugh.

“Yep. Next step in my two-step program is kicking your ass if you keep wallowing.” She grinned.
 
It had fallen to Zamira to explain the details to Lady Aurianna, about the sect of Afodisia worshipped in Reeve’s Buff, and what her duties as head priestess entailed. And an explanation just how Lily had contributed. Still, it didn’t explain why she was taken, or where she was taken to.

Lily was the goddess of love personified, soft and warm and welcoming. Her mother embodied war, strong and unrelenting, eyes burning with righteous conviction. Lily’s eyes were hazel, like sunlight that streamed through leaves. Worry troubled Zamira’s mind, and she knew it had to be even harder for Lady Aurianna. Her stoic expression couldn’t disguise her distress at Lily’s disappearance. Clearing her throat, Zamira tried to distract them both.

“Truth be told, Lady Aurianna, much of our belief is inspired by you.”

She raised a dark eyebrow at this, “Is it now?

Zamira nodded, “ That love could grant the Fallen a path back to the Heavens.”

“Love alone can’t do it,” Aurianna explained, golden eyes distant, “Love can only give one the strength to take on the burden of atonement. It still falls to the atoner to do the hard work.” Both women were quiet for a time, weighed down by the profound absence. Zamira spoke up first.

“Is she going to be okay?”

Lady Aurianna placed a heavy hand on Zamira’s shoulder, “Have faith.” Then she pushed past the priestess, shielding her eyes against the midday sun. “And call upon our companions. I do believe trouble is upon us.”

~*~​

Afodisia and Edana descend down, past the material realm, and into the depths of Hell. Designed to be the maximum possible distance from the Heavens, and the embrace of the divine, Hell was a cold, bitter place. Since Thanades fall, more souls spent a short time here, atoning for their sins, before ascending to the heavens, if they so wish. Surprisingly, to Afodisia at least, some souls chose to remain in Hell, and the God of Freedom and Knowledge was chief among them.

Baaltecer’s corner of hell was crafted in his image, same as any god’s personal domain. In many ways, it reminded her Verrier’s library, his collection of knowledge in every form he could get his talons on.

“Afodisia, Edana.” He nodded to them both in turn, studying them carefully, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Fancy words and circuitous rhetoric wouldn’t win her any favors here. Might as well be upfront and honest. “I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye. But we have a common cause, now, and I need your help.”

Baaltecer glanced at her sideways, “You’re serious. Well, I’m listening.”

“Thanades has returned.” It was suble, but Afodisia didn’t might the flinch in his posture. Still he refused to show fear.

And you here?” Baaltecer uttered a short laugh, “You must be desperate.”

“He’s not at his former strength, not yet, but we only have a small window to strike.”

“Surely the Godslayer would be your first choice to… well, slay this god?”

Afodisia studied Baaltecer for a moment, trying to figure out what he knew. Always more than he let on. Last thing anyone needed was for the knowledge of Verrier’s grievous injuries to get out, and for vengeful gods to take this moment avenge their fallen brethren. “No one is interested in a fair fight, not where the God of Destruction is concerned. I am trying to build a coalition to go against him, to defeat hism decisively once more.”

Edana spoke up, this time. “He imprisoned you here. If anyone resents Thanades, it’s you.”

“And I’ve rejected his framing, and transforming Hell into a sanctuary for freedom and knowledge. Words lend power to belief, and words can steal it away, as well.

“So you won’t help us either?” Afodisia asked, exasperated.

“I didn’t say that. Afterall, Thanades won’t be happy, no matter how much power he accrues, until his authority reaches from the top to every inch of the realms, from Heaven to hell, and everywhere in-between. That, truly, will be the death of freedom.”
 
“Hey, everyone?” Svalis said, slamming open the door with a crash that made Matthias and Mykel both jump. “Grab your gear. We’ve got a situation developing.”

“A situation?” Matthias asked, looking up.

“What gear?” Mykel asked. “Eva and I...”

“Yeah, yeah,” Svalis interrupted, pulling a chain mail shirt over his head. “The Lady-Commander says to grab what you can out of the Church arsenal. Now.”

“Why?” Mykel demanded as he rose. “What’s going on?”

Svalis buckles a thick leather belt around his waist to help support the chain mail. “If we’re lucky, nothing.” He grabbed his sword. “I don’t think we’re going to be lucky.”

-*-

Prelate Mordwen gripped his staff nervously, staring at the church dedicated to the Giddess Afodesia. The false Goddess, he knew. Moressa had appeared to him in his morning devotions, blessing him with a vision of divine truth. Afodesia had - it was unthinkable, but Moressa had said it - betrayed the Gods. And it fell to him to lead the faithful against the fallen Goddess. Against Her Paladins, if they joined in Her rebellion.

“One of those Paladins,” murmured Mortiphant Dinos, voice shaking, “can stand against half a dozen demons. Wha...?”

“Have faith, brother,” Mordwen replied, trying to keep the fear from his own voice. “The Lady of Gentle Endings stands with us, against this fallen Goddess. And Her Paladins have always stood against the demons. They will not follow Her into Hell.”

“But... if they do?” Dinos persisted.

Mordwen gestured back at the force he had gathered. A dozen priests and priestesses of Death, and twice a hundred men and women devoted to the Gods. “Then we have faith,” he said, gripping his staff. “The Gods stand with us, do they not?”

There was no answer to that.

Drawing a deep breath, Mordwen stepped forward into the square before the church, and raised his staff. “Afodesia has betrayed us!“ he called, feeling Moressa’s power surge through him. “She has betrayed the Gods, and sought power over Them! I call upon you, you Paladins who love and revere the Gods more than Their fallen sister, more than a treacherous Goddess who now serves Hell! Repent! Renounce your fallen Goddess and find service with the true Gods! Repent, or share Her fate!“
 
“They’re nevin,” Eva whispered, glancing over the militia, “We can’t strike them down, or we will be stripped of our gifts.”

“We are allowed to defend ourselves,” Anya insisted, arms folded before her chest, “We don’t have to lie down and die.”

“Nor do we have to fight,” Zamira proclaimed, “Afodisia is the Goddess of Love, after all.”

“And War,” Anya reminded her, but Zamira stepped forward anyways, arms open and raised before the mob.

“Be at peace, oh children of the gods, for we do not fight. Afodisia serves not the forces of hell, but instead acts as a beacon, drawing those lost souls and rebellious angels from the depths back into the embrace of Heaven.”

The leader met Zamira’s argument, “No, Afodisia has whored herself to the darkness, and even the Godslayer themselves, Heaven’s greatest enemy. Forsake the war whore, and serve the heaven’s righteous cause.”

Zamira shook her head, and stood firm before the man. “Afodisia does not forsake Her children, and we in turn will not forsake Her. We stand with our fallen brethren, so that we may lift them up into the glory of Heaven once more.”

“Heresy! If you will not stand against Hell, the against the demons and your fallen goddess, then you stand against decency and the grace of heaven. And we will not abide traitors of Heaven to yet draw breath.”

The priest moved to strike, but Aipieros leapt before Zamira, and batted aside the blow. “Retreat now,” the demon growled, drawing himself erect, “because I know no mercy. I defeated and devoured thousands of humans before Afodisia invited to yet return to the path of redemption, and I would yet devour a thousand more in her service.”

“They consort with demons! They have abandoned Heaven for their traitorous goddess and her treacherous mate! The Gods, the true Gods, are on our side. Fear not their strength, for our faith shall be our armor.”

Lady Aurianna pulled her spear off her back, “Try not to kill them, if you can help it. But defend yourselves, so far as you would defend Her name. So long as divine strength empowers us, do we have Her blessing.” And then she rushed forth, to met the first wave of attacking troops.
 
“Shit,” Matthias breathed, watching the bat-demon leap to Zamira’s defense. He couldn’t fault the demon, not really - he was clearly trying to seek redemption, that was obvious. But... “Mykel! Get him, no get them both back in here!”

Nodding, Mykel vaulted the rail and jumped, easily covering the forty feet between the chapel and the priestess Aipieros was protecting. “Fall back!” he shouted, catching a halberd as it slashed at him and tearing it from the wielder’s hands. “You aren’t doing is any good out here!”

“I will not let them harm my priestess!” Aipieros roared, disembowling a Mortessan priest who misjudged the demon’s reach.

“Then get her out of here!” Mykel roared back. “Your presence is making this worse!” He smashed the halberd against the cobblestones, snapping the head off, then smashed three members of the mob back with the shaft.

“Heretic!“ Prelate Mordwen called out, agony writ across his features. “Why, Paladin. Why do you betray us all?“

“I...”. Mykel hesitated as the ground shook.

-*-

“Sotryaseniye!” Matthias thundered, voice harsh and alien as his immortal throat twisted around the Primal Speech. “Sotryaseniye Earthshaker! I am one who has authority! Sotryaseniye! Stir your bones, and erect a barrier between myself and my foes!”

“I always wondered what it was you were studying,” Xitlani remarked. “All by yourself in the Ebon Keep.” The succubus examines his features. “Lady Aurianna must appreciate the benefits of exercising your tongue like that.”

“This is not the time,” Matthias grumbled.

-*-

Mordwen stared at the jagged columns of stone that had erupted from the ground around the chapel of Afodesia, tapping them thoughtfully. They were real enough, of course. He’d watched them rip up the roads and demolish half of a fountain.

“The palisade,”Dinos reported. “Runners confirm it surrounds the church and its grounds. There is no way in.”

“Then there is also no way out,” Mordwen replied. “Fetch hammers, and stonecutters. If the Paladins will cling to their fallen goddess...”

“Then?” Dinos asked.

Mordwen sighed. “Let us hope they will repent. They are good men and women, Dinos. For all that their goddess has betrayed us, they are good people.”
 
Aurianna paced the Cathedral ground, gritting her teeth at the cacophony of nevin trying to dismantle their stony defenses. The noise grated, interrupting any attempt at concocting a plan, a skill Aurianna could never boast proficiency with. She turned her attention towards her husband.

“I know you were trying to help, but we are stuck in here, waiting for them to breach, instead of doing something. You’ve slowed them down, but they aren’t going to give up. You should know zealotry has no bounds, after two and a half decades of marriage.”

The clang of metal on stone came from all sides at once, and the incessant noise brought on the beginning of a massive headache.

“Can you talk to them? You’re good at that. All I’m good at is killing.” She was being hard on herself, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. Lily weighed heavily on her mind, and yet everyone looked to her to lead them. Even Matthias. “Besides, you’re literally an angel now. Yes–“ she held up a hand as he started to speak, “I know angel just means ‘messenger.’ That what you need to be right now, a messenger. Proof that demons can repent, and earn Her forgiveness. That, even if She has traveled to the Hells, it’s not in betrayal of Heaven.”

Noise stopped for a moment, and she glanced around, more anxious than relieved. There was no hope that they’d given up their crusade, which meant they had a new plan. Without another word, Aurianna took off, racing up the steps of the bell tower. Eva was perched up there, eyes fixed beyond the palisade. She spared Aurianna only a moment’s glance.

“What’s going on? Why did they stop hammering?”

“They brought out some large horn,” Eva explained, pointing. Taking a place beside her, Aurianna covered her brow and squinted. Indeed, they had rolled out a horn, taller than two men. Eva cleared her throat, “Should… should I shoot them before they can blow it?”

Aurianna sighed. “Probably not, but–“ Whatever she was going to say was swallowed in the deep, earth shuddering sound of the horn. Beside them, the bell quaked and cracked, a jagged schism running up one side. Beneath them, tremors raced along the stone barricade. “Shit, we have to destroy that horn!”

“What’s the point? What they break down the barricade they’ll swarm us.”

“Yeah, and then they’ll use it to bring down the Seraphim Wall.”

Again, the horn blew.
 
“I doubt they’d be that foolish,” Matthias commented. “The Seraphim Wall keeps the demons back.”

“The Paladins keep us - keep the demons back,” Aipieros corrected, talons digging into the stone. “The wall is...”

“Can we focus?” Rynne snapped. “They’re out there with a magic horn that will shatter our improvised defense. What are we going to do?”

“Leave,” Matthias stated.

Rynne folded her arms. “Just like that?” she asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Why didn’t I...”

“We have six Paladins here,” Matthias interrupted. “This is a small church, with only four actual ordained priests, plus Zamira here. Are you saying you can’t carry one of them at a full run?”

“You,” Rynne said after a moment, “are a cocky son of a bitch.”

“Oh, believe me,” Xilani laughed. “He is.”
 
To flee from an enemy stood in opposition to everything they’d been taught as paladins. Especially an enemy they could crush. But their gifts were not intended to harm the meek, and the nevin worships of dreams and death hadn’t done anything wrong, other than devote themselves fully to their goddesses. No less than paladin.

Aurianna especially brooded during the journey back. The last time she’d fled like this, it was because of Jeoram. What he’d done to her, and what she’d done in response, to protect herself, and Clara. Now she was fleeing again, and away from Lily, away from her daughter who’d also gotten tangled up with that bastard. The fact that he was no more did little to soothe her mind, as imagined and remembered horrors returned.

Afodisia is with her; she will endure.

The Seraphim wall loomed in the distance, but it did not bring Aurianna peace. Not with her daughter so far away. Not with a horde of devoted bearing a horn that could destroy the only barrier between the demon’s claim and the hallowed lands. Not with an awakened god of destruction biding his time until his full strength returned.

It was strange to take two demons up the lift, not bound or captive in the slightest. But they’d proven their commitment to atonement, and Matthias had proven it was possible for demons to atone, two decades before. It would take some getting used to, but there was no time to adjust. Now they just needed to accept the demons’ sincerity

“What’s going on?” Knight Commander Roland Tempus approached. “Lady Commander Rielle sent word to rouse every paladin for battle and…” His speech fell away as he recognized Xilani and Aipieros as demons, and reached for his sword.

“Be at peace, Paladin, these demons are not our enemies.”

He stood a moment longer, hand twitching over the pommel, before finally relaxing. “Who are we organizing to face?”

“The faithful of Moressa and Illisia have united against Afodisia, and demand that we denounce her, or face their wrath.”

“Nevin?”

“For now, but they are wielding their Goddess’ ire, and it won’t be long before they get directly involved. Them, and Thanades, the God of Destruction.”
 
“I’ve lost count of the number of times I imagined myself standing atop this wall,” Aipieros remarked, claws scraping gently upon stone as he leaned against the rampart. “But never once did I think I would do it as a guest.” His wolflike head turned slightly. “It’s quite a view from up here.”

“Oh, I agree,” Xilani smiled, eying the Paladins around them. “A delightful view.”

Lady Commander Aurianna has vouched for them, so the two demons were permitted to remain. But Knight Commander Roland had assigned them an escort of four Paladins each. Just in case. One of them, a lean, dark-haired man if middle years, regarded Aipieros curiously. “You can fly. Surely you’ve seen such vistas before?”

“It’s not the same,” the demon replied. “Standing here, feeling the power of the Goddess resonating in the stones... it reminds me of walking the outer ramparts of Thaneheim.” He drew a deep breath, then smiled sadly. “Before the Fall.”

“You were an Angel, once?” the Paladin asked.

“Oh, most of us were,” Xilani replied. “Angels, or damned human souls reforged and alloyed with fragments of demonic essence.”

-*-

Roland poured himself a goblet of wine, and sagged into his hair. “Why does it seem like we never get any good news?”

Matthias shrugged. “Because you stand watch on the Wall?” he suggested. “As I recall, the only good news here is that no demonic attack is happening at the moment, or that you get to rotate out on a rest.”

“That’s true,” Roland sighed, staring out the window. The view from the tower was breathtaking, in an uncomfortable way. The window, after all, showed the twisted landscape of the Demonlands. “But it’s been almost quiet since Hydranes and Baath-Me’el fell. Attacks have been sporadic, with Wrath and the lesser demon lords fighting amongst each other for their old domains.” He sipped his wine. “I’d hoped we’d found a season of relative peace. And now this.”

“You know the saying,” Matthias laughed.

“Yeah,” Roland grimaced. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. He stared out the window. “Lady-Commander Rielle is four days march from here, with the bulk of the Paladin Host that was on rest. At her command I’ve gathered all of the Paladins on watch duty, save a skeleton contingent to keep the Wall secure. All told, we’ll have six legions here.”

“Nearly thirty thousand Paladins,” Matthias remarked. “And that number never seemed enough, when the demons assaulted the Wall.”

“We’ve never gathered a force like this,” Roland rebutted. “Four legions to hold a thousand miles of Wall gets spread pretty thin.” He drained his goblet. “Do you really think the Moressans will be fool enough to try and bring it down? The Wall, I mean.” He stared out into the Demonlands. “Do you think that whatever it is they believe we did is worse than what waits out there?”
 
“They see us as the same,” Aurianna explained, leaning into Matthias. “Doesn’t matter how long we’ve spent bleeding in defense of humanity, they still strike us down on the word of their goddess.” Rage rose up in her then, her decades of prideful service now a heavy weight around her neck. “What the hell has Moressa ever done while the demons threatened the lands? Illisia?
They live beyond the walls, enjoying the safety we fight to provide, and now turn on us once we’ve beaten the forces of hell back?” She hadn’t realized she’d begun yelling, not until she recognized the look of concern on Roland’s face, and released a long sigh.

“Why don’t you two get some rest,” he offered, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Before Lady Rielle returns.” She knew it was a good idea, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to manage it. Not with Lily haunting her mind. But she nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, maybe.” She tugged Matthias along, “Besides, you’re still not fully healed yet.”

It was hard enough to find an empty bed, with so many gathered paladins here. Many had taken up in the cathedral, but she couldn’t be one of them, even after all these years, and Matthias understood that much. Besides, she didn’t want to be around anyone else. She didn’t mind an audience, not usually, but not tonight. Not while she felt so raw and so empty and so needy for a comforting embrace from her husband.

Metal and leather clanged dully as she tugged off her armor, letting it fall to the ground without ceremony. She was clad in a tight cotton top and breeches, the sort she always wore under her armor. With her flesh hand, she reached for Matthias, and pulled him close once he turned to face her.

“Do… do you need more blood?” she murmured, molding herself to his body. With her head buried in his chest, she found a small measure of peace. “To heal, that is.”
 
MF Smut Scene: Matthias and Aurianna
  • Index
    • Aurianna has always been a study in contrasts - unyielding steel and rock-hard muscle and soft flesh. Rigid discipline and wild passion. Obedience and rebellion. Even after all these years, he still found the mixture intoxicating. “Always,” he whispered, lifting her face to his. He let his fans scrape her lips as he kissed her. “For healing, of course.”

    Feeding was an act of intimacy for them, something deeper and more personal than sex. Something shared just between them. It had been the cause of the only time he’d seen her express jealousy. The time Rielle had begged him to bite her as he moved in her, stroking deep as Edwin used his tongue to bring Aurelia to the edge of climax again and again. He’d caught Ari’s eye and she’d nodded, but her expression changed as his fangs pierced Rie’s shoulder and her blood beaded in her skin.

    He’d never bitten another soul, after that.

    Matthias peeled her thin cotton shirt over her head, and tossed it aside. “No reason to stain the fabric, right?” he murmured, molding her body to his. He let his fangs trail over her skin, scratching a bloodless red line down her throat, and her shiver of anticipation matched his own. His lips covered the skin where her neck flowed into her shoulder, skin marked by tiny white fang scars from previous feedings. Similar scars decorated her wrists, and her inner thighs, and her back.

    Sometimes, he knew, she’d stroke them when she masturbated. Especially if she knew he was watching.

    He bit gently at the base of her throat, not breaking the skin as he fumbled at his breeches. “What do you want?” he whispered, erect cock rubbing against her belly. “Shall I fuck you as I feed? Or shall I paint your skin white with m seed?”
     
  • Index
    • “Inside,” Aurianna murmured, emotion tugging at the word, gripping her chest in a torrent that she could only just hold back. “I need you inside me.” She took another kiss, her tongue caressing his elongated fangs, and just resisting the urge to pierce herself upon them. There was no need to force Matthias. Not when she knew he wanted this as much as she did.

    Her breeches slid off as she walked back into the bed, not leaving Matthias’ arms all the while. There was a demand in her grip as she pulled him along, a hunger she didn’t bother to hide. They went down together on the bed, a tangle of muscles and limbs and flesh and need. Even without light, their bodies aligned, decades of marriage and love making guiding their movements. No matter what, no matter where, they could find this place, this moment of peace and safety. And he wasn’t the one who needed healing. At least, not the only one.

    Cool metal fingers dug into his shoulder as he rose up above her, draped in shadow except for his golden eyes. Afodisia’s promise of redemption and hope, even now. “Matthias,” she exhaled, only to gasp once more as he entered her. Supple flesh yielded to his girth, clinging with the same desperate strength as her arms. “I…” Word slipped away, as he drove into her, her moans carrying her meaning. So she clung tighter to him, and refused to let go.
     
    “Aurelia,” Matthias murmured, slipping off his clothes as she stepped out of her breeches and went down across the bed. Age had softened her slightly, and added fine streaks of iron to her dark hair, but none of that mattered. She was still his, still the Paladin who’d saved his soul, still the woman that held his heart and inspired his desire.

    He slid over her in the darkness, lips exploring her bare skin, her limbs twining around him as he explored her. Cool steel and warm skin gripped his shoulders as he slowly filled her, drawing his name from her lips in a delicious gasp. Pleasure built as she moved with him, taking what he offered and returning it as she arched against him, tightening around his strokes and biting at his skin.

    He felt her tension building, felt her building release in her breath and the tension of her body. His lips parted, tasting the hollow of her throat, fangs scraping her skin. Only when he felt the first silken clench if her orgasm did he pierce her throat, reveling in the feel of her skin parting around his teeth. She cried out in rapture as the iron taste of her blood filled his mouth, and his own ecstasy was muffled by her skin as he drank from her and flooded her with his seed.

    Spent, he carefully lapped the last drops of blood from her pale skin and sealed the marks of her fangs. Then he kissed her, letting her taste her own life on his lips. “You are amazing,” he whispered. “Utterly amazing.”

    -*-

    “You Paladins amaze me,” Aipieros declared, spearing a roasted potato with a fork that was far too small for his hands. “We’re here on the front lines, and you still eat like this?”

    Anja helped herself to a roll. “Why not?” She countered, splitting and buttering it. “The Seraphin Wall is a fortress, not a field camp. We have kitchens and everything here.”

    Xilani eyed the Paladins at the next table, three women and a man, all of whom had been watching the table with a nervous curiousity. “You certainly do,” she agreed with a smile, licking her lips as she caught the man’s eye.

    Svalis shook his head. “Is everything about sex to you?”

    “Oh, no,” Xilani answered. “Not sex. Pleasure.”

    Zamira, who had merely picked at her food, looked up with sudden anger. “How can we just sit here?” she demanded, throwing her napkin down. “Lily is... is gone!”

    Everyone looked at her, and she flushed. Finally, Mykel broke the silence. “We don’t know where she is. But the minute we do?” He took the priestess’ hand. “I promise you this: nothing will stop me from rescuing my sister.”
     
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