Is this place Heaven or Hell? [OpenHentai x Sophia Titor]

To be a lightsworn meant you followed in the path of angels and all of their expectations. It required sacrifice, devotion and unimaginable faith. No living being within the order had seen an angel, but all of their idols and scriptures were proof enough that they existed and that it was the purpose of the order to serve them. Some within their ranks, those of who were the most pure were even blessed with the holy gift of angels. Abilities such as holy healing and harnessing the light offensively to inflict it upon their enemies. One particular soul with this gift possessing the rank of Heavenly was known as Erisella Oceanwing. A golden haired battlepriest who wielded the word of the lightsworn, swearing away all worldly temptations, such as wealth and love.It was considered the highest honor to remain pure and celibate in the name of the angels, especially when it was the duty of a heavenly battlepriest to fight against the archaic sin of those who worshiped demons. The two orders had fought each other for ages. It wasn't just a matter of praising different idols, but the very core of their ideals were different. Even the tales of angels and demons spoke of them being enemies since the beginning of life its self and so their devoted servants followed suit and did the same.

Many regions, nations and cities chose to worship neither as both factions or cults as some called them were deemed far too extreme, and so both were relegated to construct their places of worship within far away mountains or valleys or in places where it was said angels or demons may have lived long ago. One such place was a large, nearly untouched valley surrounding a deep, seemingly bottomless lake. There had been signs of a civilization living there long ago. The lightsworn believed it may have been a land of angels, where the other faction had evidence that the demons roamed the land once, thousands of years ago, and so both factions had been caught in bloody conflict for claim of the land, both believing it was their deities that once graced the land.

Erisella had been called to the front to protect her fellow lightsworn in a battle that was believed would secure their place within the valley and allow them to control the lake which resided in the most central region. The woman nearing the age of 25 summers preferred not to brandish blades despite having the training to do so. Instead she wielded the powers she was blessed with to heal and restore the fallen or conjure shields of pure light to protect those from the more sinister tactics of the opposition. Believing they were on the verge of victory, the heavenly cleric sprinted ahead, raising a hand to the skies to cast a light down in order to blind her opponents, hoping they would flee once and for all, when the earth below her feet gave way, sending her, an ally and an enemy that she had been pursuing deep below the depths.

The cavern that they had fallen into delved miles below the earths surface, many water falls, streams and underground rivers carried the three even further into its depths, depriving them of very little hope of every finding the surface. The fall and the harsh rapids of the underground river had rendered Erisella unconcious as she was unable to fight the currents in her heavy armor. The last thing she remembered was her ally splitting his head open upon a rock, effectively killing him before they were both pulled along the torrent of rushing water, losing sight of the third that had fallen with them, and then everything fading to black.

-------------
Erisella Oceanwing

The Graywards, an ancient and long held faith. Worshipers of the mighty demons that once walked the surface. Now resting below, keeping the world’s order in check. The Graywards did not see the world as a pure and holy ground, but man’s playground given to them. One owed it to themselves to live the life they wanted, but it was not man’s right to dictate others. Much like the demons before them, Graywards believed in love, lust, debauchery, and being a free being of the mortal realm.

Unlike the Lightsworn who sat on high, shamelessly casting judgement on the actions of others. Graywards were true free spirits. They denied social norms. They offered great sacrifices to their demonic gods. The greatest of which granted power by the demons gods themselves. The powers to control the elements, command the dead, and syphon the energy of the living to sustain themselves. Selfishness was the way of the Graywards, still they were a tight knit group. Creating the stigma of a cult. Men and women were not bound to one lover, marriage was an archaic and ludicrous concept.

They still had their morals about them though. Rape, murder, and theft was strictly forbidden. Personal possessions were not banned, but it was an accepted belief that all things belonged to the demons, and mortals were simply borrowing them, and shot share the demon’s vast bounty amongst themselves.

Hierarchy was established by strength and influence. The stronger one was, the more acknowledged by the gods they were. It was a reality they accepted. Denying favoritism amongst the demons was a foolish idea. One favored mortal was Ruta of Shava. Shava, the demon goddess of love and fertility. Ruta lived by her words and tenets. Ruta commanded powerful elemental magic. Magic she used to combat the bigoted Lightsworn.

Many conflicts arose, but one Ruta found herself in the heart of. Ruta barely knew what happened. All she knew was she had very little energy and they were deep under the surface. She would embrace it as a paradise, but the circumstances hardly gave her the opportunity. Ruta needed to get her Bearings and reunite with her allies, quickly.

Ruta of Shava

Water spluttered from her lips as she attempted to breath, lifting her head higher above the surface as the heavenly soldier crawled to shore. Erisella collapsed onto a small spit of grassy moss covered land deep underground which was surrounded by two rushing rivers of bright turquoise water. Her right arm had given way under the weight of her armored body, twisted and broken from the fall. For several moments she rested there, legs still within the river while she struggled to catch her breath, wincing from the pain. Carefully she rolled onto her back, slowly reaching for the clasps of her plate mail with her left hand while kicking with her feet to push herself farther onto the mossy island. It was then from the corner of her eye that she took notice of the other woman who had sought refuge, one of the Graywards who had fallen with her.

"get back-aaauugh" She cried, trying to lift her right hand in a failed attempt to cast a light ward for her protection, pain coursing through her broken arm. Worried that the foul, demon worshiping woman may take advantage of her vulnerable state, she attempted to cast a healing charm, calling upon the aid of the heavenly angels to bind and mend her arm, but nothing happened. For the first time ever, it was as if the light had abandoned her. Was she too injured to borrow from the light? Or was it this place, far below the earths surface, sealed away from heavens graces that prevented her powers from manifesting? The cavern its self was not a dark or dreary place. On the contrary, it was quite beautiful, and there was enough light to see clearly. Where it came from was unknown, but it was worth to count ones blessings for the moment and not question it.

Unable to climb to her feet, too cold, wet and beaten from the fall and weighed down from her heavy armor, she once again struggled to undo the bindings on her armor with her one usable hand, craning her head to look toward the direction of the other woman, bracing herself for an attack as she pulled loose her breast plate, tossing it aside.

"D-don't come any closer Grayward!-ngggh May the light destroy you if you do, I have the angels heavenly-ghhh-blessing." Her threats were ofcourse toothless, and perhaps this was even obvious in her wet pale face and pain filled eyes.

Ruta rolled her eyes. She lucky faired quite a bit better than the other woman. Ruta was sure she was regretting all that heavy body armor now. The fall hurt, Ruta was still reeling from it, but nothing was broken. She landed in the murky depths, so the water distributed her weight and pain on impact. “You Lightsworn are a stubborn lot. Loyal to a fault, but can’t you see your oh-so holy blessings aren’t reaching you?”

Ruta staggered herself into a stand and looked around. “The depths of our world. It’s beautiful. A paradise to a Grayward like myself. She held out her hand and ignited a dark, sickly flame in her hand.” Its malevolence glimmered in Ruta’s eyes. All at once she tightened her delicate hands around it, extinguishing it. She sighed and stood over the Lightsworn. “Sure you see the hopelessness of the situation. Battered and broken. Trapped what I would assume is miles under the surface. I wouldn’t be surprised if this cavern was forgotten by the gods themselves.” Ruta laughed at the woman’s plight, as well as her own.

Surely there was no escape for Ruta either, but if she were to die, at least it would be in a place closest to her beloved Shava. Ruta did take pity on the holier-than-thou knight, look the Lightsworn in the eyes. “I can set that broken arm of yours for you. So long as you don’t explode me with that frighteningly pretentious light you love so much.” One less Lightsworn in the world would be nice to a Grayward such as herself, but Ruta understood the idea that there was power in numbers. Plus, she would rather not die if she could avoid it.

As the grayward laughed in her direction, Erisella used the moment to strip herself of her plate pauldrons, gauntlets and chest pieces, leaving her laying on her back in a soaked white linen tunic and her plate leggings, which were still somewhat submerged within the river. The woman was surprised that her enemy had not taken the opportunity to silence or kill her and was in fact offering to treat her broken arm. Surely it was a trick? Thought the heavenly woman as she lay there soaked and helpless, chest heaving as she drew heavy amounts of air into her lungs, grateful to be clear of water.

"A truce then." She said softly, blue eyes fixed on the woman standing above her, paranoid of her actions but all together useless to do anything had she decided to harm her. "What is this place?" Her voice trembled as the pain of her arm and battered body continued to course through her much like the rivers flowing past them. Her eyes wandering from the woman a moment, taking notice that some of the cavern walls were carved with runic scripture. It was impossible to tell if the runes were left by demons or angels as both used similar writings in ancient texts. Considering how deep they were, she'd hazard a guess that this was once perhaps a demonic city, now long buried, but there was certainly something beautiful and angelic about everything and the way light seemed to illuminate from the water.

"W-who ngh knows how deep this labyrinthian waterway goes, perhaps it may be best we work together to find a way out?" She tried to lift her arm for the other woman to inspect but cried out in pain again, dropping it back to the moss covered ground. "It's definitely broken-ngh."

Ruta bent down and examined it, “Working together is about the only option we have if we wish to survive.” She appreciated that the Lightsworn wasn’t so blinded by her divine fervor to not acknowledge a Grayward as a mutual ally. She took the wounded arm in her hand and reached into her bag, grabbing a robe and tearing off part of the hem. Ruta grabbed the material and positioned the arm suddenly. She winced at the Lightsworn’s cried of pain. “This is going to hurt a lot by the way.” A little late for that, but at least the arm was in a position where it could begin to mend. Ruta would need more stable supports if she wanted to mend it properly though. A temporary fix worked well enough for now though.

Hopefully some of that heavenly magic would kick in and the Lightsworn could heal it herself. Ruta got up and looked around. She examined the runic text more thoroughly. “If I had to guess I would say we were amidst a demon city, but something feels off about it. Surely you feel it too.” Something sickeningly pure and vibrant. It wasn’t the abundance of life, it almost felt holy, but at the same time felt so demonic. It made no sense. Ruta would have to pray to Shava and reflect on this discovery later. For now, they needed to move.

“Can you stand?” Ruta offered a hand to the Lightsworn. As much as she didn’t want to, Ruta trusted the Lightsworn. Their word was as good as a Grayward’s blood pact. So, the offering of a truce was one Ruta knew wouldn’t be betrayed so lightly. Ruta also knew not to make her angry, negativity would accomplish nothing. For now, they had to act.

Erisella screamed as her arm was wrenched back into place, her already pale face fell, whiter than before as the nausea grew. "Unngh-Castella and Uriane please shine down your light, bless me this day with your grace so I may carry your strength." She prayed, fighting back the growing need to vomit as she sat up slowly, her long golden hair was wet, and matted against her face and neck. "Th-thank-you" She gasped, reaching over with her good hand to clutch her injured arm while breathing deep, pleading silently not to retch infront of her enemy.

Prayer was all that she could do in this instance, the light atleast for the moment had left her, perhaps it could not reach her here, which meant hse had to heal the slow way. "I think...I can stand." Muttered the woman slowly before drawing her legs out from the river, staggering to her feet, clutching the other womans shoulder for support. "Perhaps these are ruins of an ancient city, something even our texts failed to mention."

Ruta wasn't wrong. There was something unsettling and peculiar about this place. Her first assumption would be to agree that it was the ruins of a demonic city, and yet there was a beauty of it more befitting of an angelic presence. Was it possible there was a time where angelic and demonic beings lived in harmony? No. That was impossible.

"The current is too strong to go the way we came, and we'll never get up those falls, the only way to go is deeper into the labyrinth but then... that may only lead us quicker to our doom."

She sighed softly, still pressing most of her weight upon the other woman as she struggled to ease her nausea and the pain in her arm, shivering slightly. "M-my name is Erisella, by the way. If we are to be agreeable to each other we may as well be acquainted."

“Ruta.” She looked around. Examining the currents and the paths before them. “It looks like we have no choice. Deeper in the cavern is our best option. We will have to be careful though.” Ruta hoped that at the very least they could find someplace drier to at least rest and recover from the fall. Erisella wasn’t fairing too well. Enemy or not, Ruta couldn’t turn her back on someone in need. Shava wouldn’t. Ruta couldn’t help feeling an even stronger connection to her goddess. Not a normal one she felt on the surface, but something more natural as if the demons were in the very ground they stood. Yet there was that other lingering presence in the air.

Ruta helped guide Erisella along towards to ruins of the necropolis. “Let’s see if we can at least find somewhere to rest and regain our strengths. No need to go on in these conditions. It’d just hasten our demise.” Ruta had a very self-preserving nature about herself. Selfish as it may be at times, Ruta would never do anything that she was an even a slight unnecessary risk. Plus, she didn’t want to risk anything happening to Erisella. She was still useful to her, and Ruta didn’t doubt for a second that was how Erisella saw her. If after this they returned to being enemies, then so be it. At least they would have braved the situation and lived to tell about it. Still, Ruta had faith that her goddess hadn’t abandoned her. In her heart she knew this.

"Ruta. I see." She stated plainly, still leaning against her while nodding in agreement. "Yes, finding a place to rest would be best, I haven't the strength to venture into maze." The woman pursed her lips as she followed alongside the grayward, leaving her armor behind as they followed the path of mossy land. "When we find a suitable place to rest, we will need a fire...and food but what are we to do about food, is there anything down here we can eat?" Under different circumstances Erisella would have held a much calmer demeanor and would not be asking Ruta these questions as she likely would have come up with the answers herself, but the pain combined with mild delerium wasn't doing her any favors. She was counting her blessings that this greyward was aiding her and not taking advantage of her weakened state.

"I will be more useful to our survival after rest and recovery I assure you...b-but I must thank you for helping me Ruta. Perhaps the Angel Castella's teachings about demons and their greyward followers weren't entirely correct, perhaps you are not all bottom feeding leeches afterall."

Erisella gasped as she stumbled, her plate greaves catching on a rock, causing her to fall forward onto her injured arm. After all it wasn't just her arm that had been injured, she had been beat up pretty well due to her fall, just like Ruta had, but her significantly heavier armor caused greater injury.

The woman remained on the ground, groaning as she clutched her still broken arm, whimpering somewhat as the need to retch grew once more. "Help me take these greaves off, I can no longer walk in them. please."

Ruta simply rolled her eyes, “Gee thanks.” She said with plenty of sarcasm. Bottom feeding leeches? Tell her how they really felt, why doesn’t she. Erisella wasn’t completely to blame. There were many radicals in both sects. Ruta knew a great many worshipers who deemed the angel worshipers as tyrannical light bringers who persecuted anyone who disagreed with them. Ruta knew this wasn’t the case, but also knew there were a fair number of them, so she never tested her luck.

She looked down at Erisella heavy greaves and dropped to her knees. A bunch of excess weight. This is why Ruta preferred robes. She wasn’t about to sacrifice versatility for being able to sustain a hit better. She unstrapped them and tossed the unwieldy armor aside, “There, that should help.” A Lightsworn knight had to be used to wearing all that armor, and Erisella was no different. At a glance Ruta could see she had powerful legs. Sadly, they were doing her little good in their current condition.

Ruta helped guide her along more and eventually found a ruined building that was largely still intact. There was thankfully plenty of dry brambles and broken branches so kindling wasn’t a problem. Ruta held out her hand and shot a small burst of hellfire at the branches, igniting them instantly in an eerily dark, but hot flame. “This will keep us warm, but food is another story.” With any long they would find either wildlife, unlikely, or jars of preserved food, even more unlikely.

The woman grunted in quiet appreciation as the greaves were removed from her strong but battered legs. returning once more to her feet she braced herself upon the other womans shoulder as they followed the small stretch of mossy land and the river alongside of it until they came across what appeared to be remnants of a building, long since becoming one with the cavernous earth.

Erisella watched as Ruta applied her dark magic to the dried brambles that had collected within the ruins, pulling away from the woman to sit down against one of the crumbling walls near the flame, cradling her injured arm against her stomach as she huddled close toward the heat source. "Ngh...rest here, for a while. food would be nice but we will have to make due."

Closing her eyes the blonde leaned her head back exhaling a soft sigh as she collected her thoughts, grateful to be able to sit and get warm. "Who would have thought such a vast network of tunnels and rivers were underneathe the valley. It-it's possible our people may try to look for us, we could...stay here and wait for rescue."

She had no idea how important Ruta was to the greywards but she knew those of the lightsworn would stop at nothing to find her if they thought she may still be alive, her importance to their order was known. And the truth was she was frightened of this place. Being unable to call upon her light was the least of her worries, she could only imagine what untold truths were deeper within the labyrinth, dark secrets or monsters slumbering in the shadows.

Among her fellow worshipers Ruta was liken to something of a chosen one by Shava. Certainly, there were others chosen by other the demon gods, and Shava’s favor was no exclusive Ruta’s, but she was one of their most revered priestesses. So Ruta strongly suspected her fellow worshipers would come looking for her. The underground was long coveted by Graywards. Tunnels, caverns, and caves were places of worship and mediation to them. A place where Ruta could thrive if she could find them food.

Though the prospect of living out her days in seclusion miles under the surface was not exactly ideal for Ruta. Especially with a Lightsworn. Erisella was a perfetyl decent individual, but Ruta still preferred the company of her own kind. Ruta broke off another branch and sharpened it to a point on one end with a ritualistic knife. With any luck, she could find some shallows and spear fish.

She looked over at the ailing knight and sighed, “It’s possible, my people will listen to me. Hopefully yours will do the same. I’d rather not see my or your head on a pike.” Ruta accepted the very real option that when either one of them gets rescued the other would get executed on the spot. Ruta was not a fan of Lightsworn, but she was a decent enough person to not want to see Erisella executed right in front of her for no other reason than being caught in a compromising position.

Quirking a brow as she repositioned herself against the crumbling wall to ease her injured limbs while considering Ruta's words. Erisella hadn't even considered what would happen if one of their groups found them both. Surely the lightsworn would kill Ruta on the spot just as the graywards would do with her, after all they had been fighting a bloody battle just before they fell into this heavens forsaken pit.

"I suppose if we do survive this, I will do what I can to convince my brothers and sisters not to execute you on the spot, it's the least I can do." She spoke with conviction, assuming that it would be her people that found them, most lightsworn were like this though, stubbornly believing that their way would win out, no matter what.

The battlecleric watched as the dark haired woman whittle the makeshift spear in her hands, assuming she was crafting something in order to hunt for food. "Do you think there will be any wildlife down here at all in this forlorn place?" She winced, clutching her arm as a surge of pain surged through it. Between the pain, cold and hunger she would not last long down here, and she imagined Ruta would not want to drag around a useless enemy as they searched for a way out. "I'd help but I-" She clutched her arm closer, biting her lip nervously. She was in this womans debt, but did not wish to be, especially being a sworn enemy, but she could not help but wonder how someone who worshiped demons could be so merciful.

"Why do you worship the demons? You seem an intelligent, respectful person."

Ruta looked at the spear and into the shallows. “With any luck we’ll find some manner of, hopefully, passive wildlife. I wouldn’t want to test my luck with a wolf or bear.” Graywards lived off the land. Though it was usually designated to hunters to gather food, not priestess like Ruta. Desperate times called for desperate measures though.

One thing did strike Ruta as off. She took a moment to think of how to respond to Erisella’s question. She began laughing. “Really? For centuries our people have fought, but you don’t even know why we worship demons?” She shouldn’t laugh, but the mere thought of Lightsworn not even explaining the fundamental difference between their people was asinine. Damn angel worshipers were too busy looking down upon the common folk from their ivory towers to see the forest for the trees.

Ruta calmed down, “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. Honestly, it infuriates me, because I know there are many of my own people who know nothing of the why the Lightsworn worship the way they do.” Blind hatred. At least Ruta disagreed with the views of the Lightsworn from an educated standpoint. “Tell me, why do you worship angels?” She turned the question around on Erisella to test her response.

Erisella rolled her eyes in response to Ruta's mirth. "I know why the graywards do. They are soulless unintelligent manbeasts who thrive on depravity and chaos. I meant why do you follow them? You don't seem like those who I've encountered in the past, admittedly I feared you'd have killed me by now, if you had been one of the men, probably rape me beforehand, but you, you're different."

She pursed her lips as Ruta redirected the question, considering her for a moment. It would do neither of them any good to get into an arguement about their differing philosophies while they were trapped down here, and if she said any more, it was possible Ruta may change her mind on aiding her. "I follow the angels because it is right. Order, law, celibacy, purity, discretion and mercy, but never shying from heavens justice of those who defy the feathered gods." She paused realizing that Ruta clearly had her reasons, perhaps the graywards conditioned those int heir servitude, told them lies to make them follow blindly. Ironically the lightsworn was guilty of such methods, even if Erisella didn't know it.

"Nevermind, asking you such a question was asking for conflict, I meant it as a compliment regardless. You seem of the kindly sort."

Ruta gripped hard on the spear and lunged it swiftly into the shallows. Impaling a modest fish. “We do not abide rapists. They are met with death.” Genuine, venomous hatred seemed through her words. Ruta took a deep breath and took the fish, before aiming for another. It was exactly that thinking that made her hate the Lightsworn. Like they only saw the bad in Graywards. Like so much of society.

“I’ll tell you why I am loyal to demons. Demons, we believe are beings that exist within the world we live. Sustaining life and balancing light and darkness. Graywards are the necessary evils of this world. We embrace debauchery, sex, violence, and sin. We don’t force our wills upon others. We don’t do things against people’s wills. We love, we hate, and we live the lives we want. Not what society dictates.” It was a mouthful, but this is firmly what Ruta believed.

She vented enough. Ruta stuck her spear into the water and grabbed another fish. “We may not be right, but we are never anything less than true to ourselves.” She ran two sticks through the fish and propped them against the fire to get them nice and cooked. She couldn’t even say she was mad at Erisella, more the situation.

Sensing the venom in Ruta's words, she did not attempt to argue the matter. She had fought vicious graywards in the past, or atleast been present for the fighting. Was it simply that the hatred between the two factions was so great that it blinded each other from their virtues? Ruta seemed as loyal to her cause as any yet she was not as horrible as any lightsworn would have her believe, and yet she admitted that they embraced debaucherous acts. "The demons were lecherous, vile beings who even allowed sexual acts between pairs of men, or pairs of women! How can you willfully follow such sin?"

The lightsworn forbade sexual acts with the exception of a chosen few that were said to be chosen by the angels to marry and procreate. Sex was demonized, and all of the followers of angels were conditioned to fear it, especially sex of homosexual nature. Erisella had felt attraction and urges toward other women in the past, she was told by her elders that this was sin attempting to trick her, and that she had to repress it, and so she learned to loathe such desires even though they were ones she could not help and were natural to her.

Erisella jumped as the two fish were speared and placed over the now steady flame. She leaned closer, enjoying the warmth and the smell of the food. It wouldn't be much, she knew this. The lightsworn were used to servants gathering and cooking the meals and using an array of spices and garnishes, this would be different, but she wasn't one to complain, anything to aid in returning her strength was welcome at this point.

Ruta chuckled, this gave her genuine entertainment. She couldn’t be mad. Many claimed that homosexuality was abnormal. To the Grayward it was just another condition of their existence. Myth spoke of many demons having sex with those of the same sex. Two notable gods were Roksha and Yasma. Roksha amassed a mighty army of men who fought and laid together as a symbol of their unbreakable bonds. While Yasma accumulated her own harem of fine women she took as her lovers.

Even Ruta had her encounters with the same sex. A fine woman, with child, grieving from the loss of her love, a man. Ruta comforted her in her time of need, with her tender embrace, and loving hands. She was a beautiful woman, and she was neither the first nor last woman Ruta had known. She finally replied to Erisella, “If you had known the touch of a woman, you may be singing a different tune.” She wasn’t about to criticize all of Erisella’s views, some came down to matters of opinion. Ruta just felt like teasing her.

She checked the fish and made sure they were thoroughly cooked, did not need to add food poisoning to the list of problems that currently plagued them. “It’s not much, but it will sustain us for a little while at the very least. If nothing else, it will get us through the night.” That’s all Ruta could ask for right now. Something to keep them going.

Erisella's cheeks flushed red, quickly she turned away, avoiding Ruta's gaze after hearing the comment. "I-I haven't known the touch of man or woman, it is forbidden! But that doesn't matter, for a woman to lay with another woman is...sinful pleasure seeking and nothing more. there is nothing to be gained form it, no children to bear!" The way Ruta spoke of it, was as if she had experienced bedding another woman. Part of her, the part eager to find common ground with this enemy of hers wanted to ask what it wa slike, and if it was nice. She wanted to ask, what was it about the gentle touch of another woman that made it so tempting, that she'd struggle to keep her vows to her order. But she did not speak, to even give the slightest bit of inclination of interest on the subject was to tempt sin, and she could not do that.

Leaning forward to gaze over the fish that Ruta pulled off the fire, licking her lips slightly, the flush in her cheeks fading. "Eat what you need, i'll take the scraps if there are any. The fact you're helping me at all makes all of this...awkward, but I am in your debt all the same."

Ruta rolled her eyes and handed Erisella the other fish. “I appreciate the chivalry, but you’ll do neither of us any good if you’re near starving.” Ruta took a bite of the charred fish and savored it like it were her last mean. Privately thanking Shava for the fish. She would have never thought fish could taste so good. “Go ahead eat. You can repay whatever debts you feel you owe me once you’ve regained your strength.” Ruta still held strong to her sense of self preservation.

She would never turn down a free meal, and would do all she could to return the favor in kind. Something the Graywards and Lightsworn shared. A sense of common decency. Differences aside, Ruta could appreciate that the angel worshipers were loyal to a fault. Graywards were loyal, to a point. They welcomed a lot more free-thinking, which sometimes created conflict, but life could not be without conflict. If their centuries long war had taught Ruta anything.

Ruta dropped the topic, and focused on eating. She figured she wouldn’t and shouldn’t try swaying Erisella. This was neither the time nor the place to be discussing one’s sexual life choices. Plus, Ruta had no desire of getting a rise out of Erisella. So she made nice and kept a calm head. Though it bothered Ruta to know that Lightsworn were as close minded and bigoted as she feared they were.

Surprised that Ruta did not push the matter of sexuality, she accepted the fish with her good hand, holding it up to her lips to taste before setting it into her lap so she could pick it apart with her good hand and leave her broken arm propped up on one leg. She watched Ruta eat, noticing her not speak any prayer to her gods, she was surprised at her lack of faith, not realizing she had said them silently. "Thank you Castella for this bounty and keeping me safe even when the path is darkest, may your wings shield us all from threat and danger." Erisella was less subtle when it came to worship, never shying away from pushing her faith onto others, one of the many other negative traits of the lightsworn.

Carefully the woman picked small peices of flesh off the fish before slipping them past her lips and chewing slowly. "...and thank you, Ruta." She made a note to emphasize her thanks, realizing that only thanking her god could seem ungrateful, considering it was the grayward that caught the fish.

A long uncomfortable silence fell over them as they ate, both huddled close to the fire, Erisella more so as she had been wet and cold for too long, but fortunately was nearly dry by now. She continued to be amazed by Ruta. She had expected the girl to push her beliefs and preference for sin, but had seemingly restrained herself. Either this woman in particular was something special or there was a lot about the graywards that she had wrong. Had the elders spread lies about their enemy to instill hate? Emphasizing on their sinfulness to make them seem disrespectful and monstrous? A voice in her head advised she remain quiet, pleaded that she restrain her curiosity, but she could not help herself.

"I...must admit, I'm surprised you did not attempt to push your sinful views on sex further...you...you're not at all what I expected." Slowly she ate another piece of fish, savoring the little food she had in between words before speaking again. "The Elders say for a woman to bed another woman is not only wrong, it is the most evil. It frightens me. I used to whip myself at night as punishment when I had such thoughts about another priestess I once served with, fearing that even the thoughts would darken my soul." She bit her lip nervously, upset and fearful that she was even speaking of this to a stranger, let alone an enemy. "H-how have you known such pleasures and not been corrupted?"

Ruta smirked at Erisella’s comments. “Who said I wasn’t corrupt?” Corrupt with power? No. Morally corrupt? Maybe. It was the demon way. She lived the life of necessary evils. Accepting the moral gray. Hence their namesake. Grayward, doing what they believe is best, even if it’s not always the right choice. Lightsworn clearly only saw the world in black and white. Erisella was no exception.

Erisella’s self-punishment sounded extreme. Graywards treated their bodies as vessels of their gods. Welcoming their gods and all whom they accepted. Ruta and the other Graywards had no qualms with sadomasochism, but physically lashing out against oneself for their thoughts was a bit extreme. The reason Ruta had refrain from speaking on the matter of her sexuality, was because she did not want to talk about it without Erisella’s consent. Enemy or not. Which right now, Ruta couldn’t say she was. No, they were enemies by circumstance and nothing more.

She decided to give Erisella a real answer. “I accept the body I have been given, and I embrace the beauty of those around me. We all do, we are nothing more than parts of the this world given to us by the gods. Do you not enjoy the sight and smell of the flowers? If you do, then how is that any different from embracing the beauty of your fellow man or woman?” Ruta brought up what she thought was a good point. Though she questioned if Erisella would be receptive of this answer.

Ruta did not care for what she learned by Erisella. A higher ranked member of their Lightsworn, yet she seemed to know so little about Ruta and her people’s ways. It made her sick. Ruta saw the Lightsworn from a deficient perspective, but she at least had her own reasons. There were very few justifiable reasons to be look down on people of different beliefs, but when they just sat staring up to the heavens, blind to the world around them, it infuriated Ruta. It was their ignorance she detested. Though, in Erisella’s defense, she was more openminded than others Ruta had encountered.

Frowning slightly, Erisella stopped eating for a moment to consider what the grayward had said. Morally corrupt? She didn't see it. The entire reason they were having this conversation was because Ruta saved her, helped her, and had now fed her. They were bitter enemies, locked in a bloodied battle before this moment, someone morally corrupt could not have expressed such mercy. Would she have, If the roles were switched? Would she have rescued an enemy Grayward, mended and fed her if she was the one with the advantage? Fear welled up within her as the answer came clear as day. She wouldn't. She would have let her drown, or killed her swiftly, swearing by angelic justice as she carried out the act, and never would she have given the decision a second thought, but now after receiving this mercy, her entire order and their ways were called into question.

Unknown to Ruta as the girl continued to speak, Erisella sat there, fish half eaten in her lap, silently enduring an existential crisis, when the peculiar anaology about flowers pulled her out of it. "W-what? She sputtered. "That's entirely different. People aren't flowers. A man and a woman embraces to produce a child. Two women embracing is evil." Was it though? Part of her wished it wasn't. Even her vows of celibacy were taken to avoid being chosen to produce a child, detesting the idea of bedding a man even if it was for the angels. What if the elders lied? What if angels lied, or the tales of angels were wrong? What if blind faith and murder in the name of the lightsworn was an act of silencing enemies, so truth could not win out?

"Heavens wings...." She exclaimed suddenly, feeling exhasperated with her own inner struggle. A feeling of nausea over took her, which made the idea of finishing her fish seem impossible.

"but maybe...it's..." She chewed her lip, looking paler than before, sweat trickling from her brow. "You're certainly not evil. no matter how I try to look at it. I-I would have killed you, and now I wonder why. You're not-damn" She clutched her broken arm, the fish slipped form her lap onto the ground as she leaned over, grimacing. "ungh... why must the light forsaken me now? If I could call upon it just once more to heal these wounds...I could find us a way out of this infernal pit." The pain had distracted her train of thought, pulling her away from what ever it was she was trying to voice to Ruta, but it was clear to the grayward that Erisella was questioning her beliefs.

With a shrug Ruta explained, “Maybe it is evil? I certainly don’t think so, but even if it was that doesn’t mean it will stop me. As long as both sides agree to what they are doing. Then I don’t see a problem.” Sin or not, Ruta enjoyed it. Which is something like sex was so pleasurable, why would the god forbade it? The gods gave them the world to cherish and enjoy, not as a test to see what they’ll do with it. “I won’t condemn you for your beliefs alone. I care far more about all the people that have killed in your righteous angels’ names. That I cannot abide by.” Which was true, Ruta wouldn’t even care about the Lightsworn if they were constantly crusading against her people. The Graywards were just defending themselves, so logically they would fight back in self-defense.

Though, Ruta did not whomever casted the first stone. It could have been the Lightsworn, or it could have been her own Graywards. The fight between the two were older than history itself it felt like. Ruta wouldn’t be surprised if neither side knew who started this bloody conflict. That did let Ruta’s resolve be shaken though. She fought, she prayed, and she worshiped regardless of what had happened. She did wish for a peaceful resolution at the end of the day. She didn’t like seeing death. She wasn’t a necromancer, and even she found that a bit unsavory at times. She understood why people practiced it though.

“Just rest for now, maybe your strength will return to you in the morning.” Either way, they needed rest. Sleep now and devise a plan later. With any luck, someone would find them in the night. Ruta wasn’t holding her breath though. She didn’t think they’d get that lucky. She wasn’t going to be pessimistic about it though.

Giving a heavy sigh, she decided to drop the conversation. Ruta was rather honest and forthcoming, which was not the typical deceptive and evasive behavior she had come to expect from her assumed preconceptions of graywards. The debate on their philosophies was only serving to make her question everything she knew, which would be trying enough if she wasn't already suffering physically. "Mmmh...Rest...y-yes, I suppose this is the best option." Perhaps rescue would come in the morning, staying in one spot for now was wisest.

Erisella attempted to lay down on her good side, shivering as she attempted to lay close enough to the fire to stay warm, but far enough away that she could not roll into it and harm herself in the middle of slumber. She grunted uncomofortably while trying to position her broken arm in a way that it rested comfortably on her thigh, but continued to slip off and surge with pain. "Ugh..." She was not used to sleeping in these conditions, lightsworn like her were often cherished and blessed with soft beds and servants who catered to their every whim. Sleeping on the ground, cold as she was would have been difficult enough, but with her arm broken as it was, her fear grew that sleep would be impossible.

She grunted again as she tried to roll and reposition herself, gasping pathetically as she nearly rolled onto her bad arm, a soft whimper escaped her lips as she lay there helplessly, too proud to ask Ruta for any assistance.