Many mountains existed within the third heaven. Some so steep and tall that they pierced the clouds like swords, others as flat and wide as a continent. The Seraphim chose a mountain in between these two extremes to call home.
It was a gargantuan, wide and tall. On the more leveled areas, trees and various other plants flourished in the mountain's surrounding spiritual Qi, it was so thick that it had turned into a dense fog making it difficult to see.
In the fog on the mountain side was a city surrounded by thick 100 meter stone walls. Thousands of glorious palaces made from stone, jade, gold, wood and various other unique materials were evenly spaced throughout. The buildings looked new and vibrant and the roads between them were paved with neat bricks that were decorated with glowing patterns.
Many Seraphim walked to and fro between the palaces and many young children laughing and playing much to the displeasure of their parents who wanted them to cultivate.
This lively city was Elysia, the home of the Seraphim race.
At the top of the mountain was a grand palace that dwarfed the others in size and majesty. It's grand pillars that stood hundreds of meters tall held up what looked to be the tip of the mountain, only that it had been carved into a stunning looking roof.
Helel was sitting on a grand throne made from white stone with his eyes closed in meditation, nothing about him had changed except the aura he displayed. He gave a more mature feeling compared to his past self.
Beside him sat Cybele on a smaller throne. She was still petite but much more curvaceous and her demeanor was now sharp ans steady. She was like an innocent flower before but now she was like a rose, elegant and dangerous.
On their heads were exquisitely crafted crowns adorned with jewels and engravings, effectively displaying their current status. Both had ditched the barbaric hides that they wore before and now had a set of simple but stylish silk robes.
On Cybele's lap was a 3 meter tall child. She had fair skin and porcelain doll features, her hair was auburn with a few highlights of gold. She often peeked at Helel with her beautiful ruby eyes. Small white wings had begun to sprout from her back.
Helel's eyes opened as he smiled towards the little girl. "Pandora, something wrong?"
Pandora reached out her arms and replied with a cute voice. "Father, carry."
Cybele pinched the Pandora's cheek as she sulked. "Isn't mother's lap comfy enough?"
Helel chuckled as he snatched Pandora out of Cybele's embrace. "She just wants some of my attention dear."
"Isn't that right?" Helel asked as he stroked Pandora's hair.
Pandora beamed a large smile with her small pouty lips as she nodded her head happily.
Cybele crossed her arms and snorted, a small hint of jealousy could be seen briefly in her eyes.
It was at that moment that the grand doors to the throne room opened and in came a burly man with terrifically large muscles.
"Those Hezurians are skulking around the borders again my king." Bael patted his muscular chest in a form of greeting, he was now wearing a silk loincloth. The tooth necklace he had was now gone. A big stone hammer strapped to his back was the only other thing on his person.
"My king?" Bael noticed that Helel was lost in thought which was a common occurrence these days.
Helel's hand was gently running through Pandora's hair which was nice and soft, she seemed to enjoy the attention immensely.
Cybele reached over and flicked her husband's head.
"Hehe!" Pandora who saw this let out a giggle as she covered her mouth.
Helel snapped out of his train of thought, finally noticing Bael.
He smiled wryly and asked. "Uh.. what did you need Bael?"
"The Hezurians have been snooping around our borders, shouldn't we do something about that?" Bael asked with a worried expression.
Helel shook his head and replied. "Pay them no mind, they're just curious. I'm sure you've seen our people around their border too."
"But..but they're different my king, they don't even have wings.. " Bael said with a hint of aversion.
"I feel sorry for the poor souls, to be born without wings." Cybele sighed.
Bael shook his head. "Don't feel too sorry your Majesty, they still have their tail's which are in no way inferior to our wings."
Helel laughed. "Who cares if they're different, they're interesting. It's been boring with only beasts roaming around, interacting with this new race will be exciting. They also may be able to confirm some of my suspicions."
"You mustn't my King! It could be dangerous!" Bael said with an expression of worry.
Helel waved his hand. "I've already set a meeting date with their leader today, I have a feeling it will be quite fruitful."
Cybele gasped in worry. "My love, why didn't you tell me?"
Helel smiled as he rubbed the back of his head. "You've got your work cut out taking care of our daughter, I didn't want to trouble you."
Cybele nodded with a blush, she felt warm from her husband's care.
Bael frowned. "If they try anything suspicious, I'll crush them into meat paste!" He cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"Father, don't go!" Pandora gripped Helel's robe with her small hand.
Helel kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Be a good girl and stay with your mother."
Pandora weakly nodded, still, worry could be seen in her eyes.
Helel handed Pandora to Cybele and stood up from his throne. "I hear Pazuyu has made a new ship. Perhaps we can ride it to the meeting."
Bael nodded. "I'll call the heavenly guards, just in case things get hairy."
"You worry too much Bael." Helel remarked with a laugh.
"You can never be too careful my King." Bael warned.
"My love, maybe we can come along too?" Cybele was a little curious about the wingless race.
Pandora's eyes brightened at the thought of coming along.
Helel shook his head. "No dear, you and Pandora should stay. Although I'm fairly certain the Hezurians won't be a danger, I'm not 100% certain."
He stroked Cybele's and Pandora's cheeks. "I'll never let anything dangerous happen to you no matter what."
Cybele nodded with a blush. "Okay my love, please be safe."
"Be safe!" Pandora mimicked her mother.
Helel nodded warmly before turning around and walking towards the exit.
"My king, I'm still baffled as to why you're even meeting with these Hezurians." Bael looked to Helel for answers.
Helel held his chin, an expression of deep thought covering his handsome face. "The main reason why I want to meet them is to form an alliance. If we work together we can more easily cull the beast hordes and explore further into the more dangerous regions."
"That.. sounds reasonable." Bael frowned in thought, he was clearly still a little doubtful.
"Those aren't the only reasons though.. " Helel whispered quietly as he stroked something in his sleeve.
...
At the bottom of the mountain was a massive lake that had rivers flowing into it from higher up the mountain. There was a large building beside the lake which had an open top, it was quite reminiscent of a shipyard.
Inside the building there was a magnificent ship several hundred meters long, it was made from spiritual woods that had a violet sheen, the deck was made from jade tiles and running down the center bottom of the ship was a massive spine and rib cage which belonged to some godly creature.
9 masts dotted the upper deck of the ship varying in height with each carrying a beast hide sail.
It was an astonishing sight, a masterpiece of craft.
Beside the ship sat Pazuyu, he now adorned a silk robe that had the many feathers he had collected attached to it in a decorative manner. Something else that was new was the comically large hat on his head which was tall and dotted with rare flowers, a couple of the largest feathers he had were pinned at the top of the hat.
Pazuyu was carving mysterious pictures on the ship's hull. Sweat dripped from his brow as he poured his full concentration into the task.
"It certainly looks mighty." A calm voice sounded behind Pazuyu.
Pazuyu finished the picture he was carving and turned around to see Helel, Bael and a group of 50 heavenly guards. Specially groomed soldiers who make up the defending force of Elysia. "I'm just doing the finishing touches. It'll be ready for take off soon."
Bael scrutinized the ship closely with a skeptical look. "The ship looks a little rickety my King, I'm afraid the weight of my majestic muscles would cause it to collapse on itself. It may not be safe."
Pazuyu scoffed. "My grand ship could hold over a thousand Seraphim let alone you and your bulbous muscles."
Bael merely crossed his arms and answered with the twitching of his pectoral muscles.
Helel looked at the ship admiringly. "Have you named it?"
Pazuyu shook his head and replied. "I haven't, perhaps you could give it a name my King?"
"Hmm.. " Helel frowned as he thought for a while. A drop of sweat slid down his brow, he was never good with names, a good example was the mountain he resided on which he called stone rock. His wife scolded him endlessly over the poor naming choice and forbid him from naming any future children.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Aha!" Like a lightbulb switching on over his head, Helel replied. "I'll name it after my lovely daughter, Pandora." Helel laughed proudly, Inwardly he was thinking. "I dodged an arrow there."
"I'm honoured to have my creation named after the princess." Pazuyu gave a short bow.
Helel nodded and jumped up to the top of the ship landing on the deck, Bael, Pazuyu and the heavenly guards followed.
"Where to my king?" Pazuyu curiously asked.
"Flat ridge mountain."
Pazuyu waved his hand causing the ship to shake, pictures covering the ships hull lit up brightly.
As the ship floated into the sky out from the open top building, a transparent bubble formed around it. The sails dropped and next thing the ship had vanished like a mirage leaving an intense gale of wind which blew through the nearby trees.
Several hours later, Helel was residing in one of the many cabins filled to the brim with the luxurious crafts of the more artistic Seraphim.
He sat on a comfy looking meditation cushion in the lotus position. His eyes were closed and his expression serene.
Several dots of light gathered at the tips of his fingers, their brightness lit the dim cabin room.
"My king, we have arrived." Bael came through the cabin door interrupting Helel, the lights on his fingers scattered into nothing.
Helel sighed in frustration before standing up.
"What was that my king?" Bael gazed at the scattering lights.
"A technique I've been working on, If I'm successful I'll be able to peer through the heavens, see the future and perhaps gain an answer to one of my questions."
Bael scratched his bald head with a confused expression. "Sounds complicated."
Helel laughed and patted Bael's muscular shoulder. "No need to think too much about it, you just need to focus on getting stronger."
The ship had anchored above a large mountain that had several narrow ridges that were quite the opposite of flat. The mountain was called flat ridge mountain, named by an explorer Seraphim called Pan.
An equally extravagant ship anchored at the opposite side of the mountain, it was a tad larger than the Pandora but lacked in majesty.
At the peak of flat ridge mountain there was a flattened off area, it looked as if someone had cut off the mountain top. It was the meeting place for the two races.
Helel, Bael, Pazuyu and the 50 heavenly guards landed on the spacious mountain top.
With his sharp eyes, Pazuyu spotted a group of humanoid figures at the center of the flattened mountain top. "Over there my king."
The group walked towards and stopped several feet from the foreign race. Bael and the heavenly guards were wary and holding their weapons tightly. Pazuyu seemed nonchalant.
Helel inspected the leader of the Hezurians.
He was a slim man about 11 meters tall, two sets of black horns sprouted from the sides of his head. His eyes were blue, hair short and brown, jawline wide and nose straight. He had a solemn expression. Metal armor covered the man's body quite thoroughly, it was simple in design but effective and a long beast skin cape hung behind him. Instead of wings, there was a long reptile like tail that swayed agily from left to right. Thick muscles could be seen bulging at the base of the tail and the tip was extremely nimble with a insanely sharp bone spear at the end.
Helel could tell this tail was in no way inferior to his wings in attack, probably exceeding them while it was weaker in defence. Not only that, the tail could be used as a third arm.
Outwardly he was smiling, inwardly he was frowning.
"Welcome feathered one, I'm Marx. The leader of my people." Marx greeted while inspecting Helel's wings.
Helel greeted him back. "You can call me Helel, I am the king of my people."
Marx waved his hand, a simple stone throne rose out from the rocky mountain. Seeing this, Helel did the same.
Two simple thrones 13 meters apart, each occupied by the leaders their races.
Helel observed Marx's subordinates. There were 80 soldiers similar to his heavenly guards and 3 unique individuals. One, a tall woman around 14 meters tall was covered in thick bronze armor. She had strong features and red wavy hair that had been cut short. She was eating a piece of beast meat with a satisfied expression.
Another was a rather shady looking man with a sullen face, he was short at around 9 meters. Instead of metal armor, he had a long black robe that gave ease of movement.
The last was a woman 11 meters tall, she wore a revealing robe which showed her jade skin and voluptuous body. Her expression was stony and cold.
Helel turned his gaze away and back to Marx. "Was it the same for you?"
"Same for me?" Marx replied with a confused look.
"9354 days ago, we awoke in a field numbering around 4000. I assume it was the same for you?" Helel focused his eyes on Marx looking for any change in his expression.
Marx's eye gave a faint twitch, he looked over to his subordinates and beckoned. "Victor! Come."
The shady man now called victor slowly walked over to Marx and the two whispered before he took his leave again standing beside Marx's other subordinates.
Marx coughed and replied. "That is indeed the case except we had 5000 people."
Helel's eyes narrowed and a faint smile rose from his lips. "A lie, he definitely doesn't have 5000, most likely they had 3000 just like us. Although Marx now thinks I have 4000."
"Interesting, so we came into this world at the same time." Helel stroked his chin in thought.
"Why do you care?" Marx asked warily.
"Aren't you curious Marx? We suddenly appeared out of thin air one day, unknown knowledge already ingrained in our minds allowing us to quickly build up our civilizations."
Marx shook his head. "I'm not."
"Why? Can't you feel it?," Helel looked to the sky. "I feel it.. Something gazing down upon us like how we stare at the insects scuttling about on the ground." The aura around Helel began to change and radiate an immense pressure causing the mountain to shake.
Marx's guards surrounded him with their weapons drawn, they looked at Helel vigilantly.
"I felt it since the first day I awoke, everyday, day after day.. I feel it's gaze," Helel gripped the stone armrest causing it to crack, his red eyes blazed like a volcano ready to explode. "I want to find out what being has been staring at me all the time.. I want to poke it's eyes out!"
Marx gulped as he thought. "This man.. It's best not to provoke him."
After the little outburst, Helel calmed down. "Forgive me Marx, I got a bit carried away there."
Marx waved his hand causing his guards to retreat, he cleared his throat and replied. "I have some advice if you would listen."
Helel perked his ears, his curiosity was piqued. "Oh?"
"Instead of contemplating our origins, why don't you focus on what's in front of you?" Marx opened his palm. Beside his throne a stone detached itself from the rock floor and flew into Marx's hand with a swift movement.
Marx held the stone, rubbing it's sharp edges. "This right here is material, I can touch it, shape it.. or," Marx closed his palm shattering the stone into dust. "Destroy it."
He smiled. "Why worry about the immaterial, something we can't perceive or understand? We exist in this world, whether or not it was on the whim of greater power shouldn't be of any concern to us."
Helel raised his eyebrow and asked. "Aren't you afraid that one day that being will come down and slaughter you?"
Marx shrugged his shoulders with a carefree expression. "What could I do? Something that could create us could as easily destroy us, there's no point in thinking about it."
Helel's brows knit. "So you're content with how things are? You disappoint me." He thought.
His expression calmed, Helel decided to not bring up the matter again. "So let's get down to business then?"
Marx's expression brightened, he nodded and replied. "Yes, the matter of the beast hordes. They're getting stronger."
"Not just that," A cold light shone in Helel's ruby eyes. "They're getting smarter."
Marx stroked his chin with clear confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean? How could they be getting smarter? They're just brainless beasts."
Just the thought of such absurdity caused Marx to shake his head in denial, unwilling to believe it for a second.
Helel sighed and moved reached into the sleeve of his robe, pulling out a strange gem. It was a perfect sphere that fit in his hand like a marble, it glowed a red hue and radiated an fiery aura.
Marx focused on the gem with a hint of curiosity. "What is that?"
Helel rolled the marble back and forth across his knuckles. "This? This is what I've come to call a beast core."
Marx frowned. "Beast core? It comes from beasts? I've never seen it before."
"I pried this from the corpse of a beast, a behemoth. It was far stronger than any beast of it's kind I had encountered before. I believe that this gem is the fruit of the behemoth's cultivation."
Marx's eyes opened wide in disbelief. "Impossible.. " He muttered in a shaken voice.
He shook his head repeatedly. "Beasts can cultivate now? If what you say is true.. we are in grave danger!"
Helel nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "Yes, beasts are already uncountable in number. If they suddenly became stronger than they already are then we will not be able to fend them off. Beast hordes will roll over our domains like an unstoppable tide, even with our awakened forms we will eventually be overwhelmed."
Marx stood from his throne, his cape fluttering in the wind. "An alliance then?" He asked.
"For the preservation of our peoples." Helel smiled as he left his throne.
It was merely a spoken agreement since neither of the two's races had yet to develop any sort of writing system. Even though they were given a head start in the form of existing knowledge and verbal language that was in their minds since the beginning, apart from speech, their only other form of communication was primitive looking pictures that is quite common among early civilizations.
Although both Marx and Helel didn't trust each other, the benefits of co-operation were too good to pass up not to mention vital if their peoples were to survive the advent of the beast race.
"Well, It has been a lucrative meeting feathered King." Marx nodded his head towards Helel before turning around to leave.
"Yes it has." As Helel was about to leave with his entourage, the ground began to shake and rumble. The ground was quaking so much that a nearby rock face shattered and it's remnants fell down the mountainside.
Everyone present became alert as they looked around cautiously.
"What's that?" Bael asked what everyone was thinking as he drew his stone hammer.
"Maybe an earthquake?" Pazuyu wondered.
"No..," Helel listened intently as his eyes narrowed. "That's no earthquake, that's the trembling of a beast horde!"
Watching from atop the mountain, the small crowd saw a huge cloud of smoke blanketing the distant horizon.
Pazuyu's pupils constricted as he gazed at the cloud of smoke. With his godly eyesight, what could not be seen by others was laid bare for him.
"..Numbers.. uncountable!" Pazuyu shouted in fear, what he saw was an endless tide of viscous beasts far surpassing any number he had seen before.
"Maybe we can escape using the ships?" Bael suggested with a cold sweat running down his back.
Pazuyu shook his head as his hands cupped his face in fear. "Too many sky beasts, they'd catch up and tear our ship to shreds.. "
As the beast tide come closer, fear and panic began to spread like a viral cold. Only Helel and Marx had noticed something strange about the beasts coming towards them.
Marx looked towards Helel with a serious expression. "Did you see it?"
Helel nodded and replied. "The beasts seem to be running from something, something that has them absolutely terrified.. "
"What could have so many beasts this scared?" Marx whispered as the thought of such a being gave him the shivers.
Helel's fists tightened into balls as he replied in a grave tone. "Something far beyond our abilities.. "
The gigantic tide of beasts that came in many shapes in sizes finally reached the base of the mountain. Contrary to the belief of those present, the beasts didn't climb the mountain in an attempt to devour them. They merely parted and passed by the sides of the mountain which were shallow hills at the most, even the flying beasts didn't dare attempt to scale the tall mountain in fear of their speed decreasing.
The group watched with mouths agape as the frightened beasts ran around the tall mountain in droves, the intense shaking caused the sturdy mountain to rumble and shake, many loose rocks detached from the sides and fell down the steep slopes.
While everyone else were focused on the endless swarm of beasts, Helel had his sights fixed on the horizon from where the beasts came from. It was there that he saw something which made every hair on his body stand up and make him shake uncontrollably.
"W-what the.. " Helel's eyes were bloodshot as he spoke with a tremble in his voice.
Noticing Helel's strange behaviour, both Pazuyu and Bael looked at what he had spotted. The moment they saw it, they too began to shake in fear.
Marx was the last to turn and look, what he saw frightened him to his very core.
Above the distant horizon, in the vast sea of clouds were collossal shadows of humanoid figures. The sizes could only be described as beyond understanding since Helel and the others had nothing to compare them to. Everything they had seen before, the largest beasts, the tallest mountains.. all were insignificant to these mighty giants.
The beings in the clouds seemed to be fighting in a ferocious battle, one that caused disturbances that the group had only begun to notice. If one focused enough they would find that the very world itself was trembling, not just the earth or the heavens but space itself!
The attacks themselves were simple but the within each move was a depth and profundity that was nigh incomprehensible, the laws of the universe exploded forth from their very bodies let alone their attacks.
The group was spellbound by the sight, unable to move their gazes away or even utter a word. They could only watch in awe and abject fear as clouds rippled and heaved under the intense battle.
Moments passed as the battle came to an end with a scream of pain that pierced through the barrier that separated these godly figures from the 3rd heaven. The scream was so powerful that shattered the eardrums of Helel, Marx and everyone present.
Helel clutched his ears as a wave of pain and dizziness overtook him, along with the ringing, his legs felt like jelly.
It took him a moment to gather himself as he looked down at his palms and noticed they were soaked in blood. He stood there stunned in disbelief.
"All it took was just a scream.. to deafen me." An immense fear began to take hold within Helel, one that shook his proud and aloof self to the core.
"I.. I must become stronger.. I must..understand." A firm resolve eclipsed the fear that brewed within him but only barely. Looking upwards again, Helel saw another sight which shook his being.
The tip of a severed gigantic finger was falling from the heavens towards the earth like a fiery meteor. Although it was an inestimable distance away, it's impact would have serious consequences considering it's size.
"We are certainly within it's destruction radius.. I must warn Elysia!" Helel looked towards his people, the weaker guards had passed out. Others were on the ground holding their heads as they grimaced in pain. Marx's guards were in a similar condition.
Only Bael, Pazuyu, Marx and his top subordinates still stood.
"Grab the incapacitated! We must return immediately!" Helel shouted towards Bael and Pazuyu who barely managed to hear him. With their abilities, their wounds were already healing at a rapid pace.
Marx was doing the same as he was adamant about returning to their homes immediately.
Helel gave Marx a brief nod before departing on Pazuyu's ship back towards Elysia at the fastest speeds it could travel!