Chapter 30 - Acedia

Lazar peered up at the towering demon. His true form was so massive that he could barely make out his face from this distance, and his shadow fell across the chamber, completely cloaking the mirror-like floor. The seraph’s fingers tightened around the halberd, and he exhaled and forced himself to remain calm.

“What do you want to know?” He was aware of how small his voice sounded, how dwarfed they were by the figure in front of them. Cassius shifted, and those white scales gleamed like the edge of a blade.

“Why don’t we begin simply. Leon tells me he met the two of you within the tunnels. Why would you, a fallen seraph, work with a demon?”

He knew, then. Lazar supposed it would’ve been obvious to Cassius once he saw the halberd, and since they’d been attacked while crossing the ravine, there was no opportunity to hide it.

Lazar met eyes with the serpentine demon, studying that placid blue gaze. The demon didn’t seem especially angered, not in the way that the soul eater in the caverns had been after learning the truth.

“I met Ciel after landing in the Abyss,” the seraph spoke carefully. “We realized we had similar goals and decided to form an… alliance of sorts.”

“And what exactly is this goal you speak of?”

Lazar’s eyes shifted over to the flesh eater. She was staring up at Cassius as well, and her hair had fallen back to reveal all of her gleaming golden eyes. Her expression, however, was completely blank, free of any discernible emotions. She didn’t meet the seraph’s eyes, simply continued to scrutinize the massive demon with an unnerving intensity.

Lazar furrowed his brow, but a rumble reminded him that Cassius was still waiting for an answer. The seraph turned back to the demon and, after a moment’s thought, decided the truth was the best option.

“We intend to ascend up to Elysium.” He spoke slowly, the words feeling heavy in his throat. Though that had been the goal thus far, saying it out loud made it feel more real.

Those blue eyes didn’t blink.

“I have never heard of a fallen managing to ascend.”

“I haven’t either,” Lazar admitted. His free hand shifted to his chest, clutching at the fabric there. “But…I do think it’s possible. There’s no reason a fallen soul couldn’t be strengthened the same way a regular soul is. And, though I haven’t managed to perceive essence yet, I believe I’m close.” He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the crisp air. “It’s faint, but I can sometimes feel traces of it.”

Cassius hummed thoughtfully, and the sound reverberated throughout the chamber, permeating every surface.

“I see. I suppose the logic is sound, though achieving ascension before the mark fully spreads will be difficult.”

“I’m aware.” Lazar lowered his hand again, letting it rest at his side, and didn’t shift his gaze away from the demon.

For a moment no one spoke, silence falling across the chamber. Lazar remained tense. Waiting.

After what felt like hours, Cassius exhaled, a second cloud of steam escaping and rising upwards in wispy coils that soon dissipated into the faint red light. Perhaps the seraph only imagined it, but the demon’s voice as he spoke again sounded just a bit quieter.

“I haven’t yet thanked you for saving Leon. Twice now, if what he tells me is true. For that, you have my sincere gratitude.”

Lazar blinked. Those blue eyes looked completely genuine, not a trace of deception present. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again, not knowing what to say or how to react. He cleared his throat.

“I…It was nothing. Many would’ve done the same. However, while we’re on the subject, we had a few questions for you as well.”

Cassius nodded, and the seraph continued.

“You’re a demon, and yet you seem to care for Leon. Why would you protect a fallen?”

The demon lowered his head so that he was a bit closer, and the shadow across the ground shifted with the movement. Somehow, this only made him seem even more massive.

“The Abyss,” he began, his words heavy and measured, “has been falling apart for many, many years now.” The demon closed his eyes. “With every new tear that opens, another section of the realm is destroyed. That is why we devour fallen so relentlessly. We cannot afford to allow more tears to open.”

He opened his eyes again, and their clear blue color shone in the light. “But I do not hold fallen personally responsible for this destruction. In the end, we are all victims of the Cycle and the Oblivion’s whims, and of Elysium’s indifference.”

Lazar’s eyes drifted to his halberd, to the distinct silver engravings. Memories of the burning light and the circled guardians flashed in his mind, of the weight of two different chants holding him in place, of emotionless green eyes. He shook his head to clear away the images.

“Do not be mistaken. I protect the Abyss as I can, and that responsibility means I cannot allow a fallen’s mark to reach its limit.” Another cloud of breath escaped into the iridescent air. “I simply do not believe that this duty necessitates treating fallen cruelly before their time comes.”

A sudden snorting laugh rang across the chamber. It reverberated off the crystalline walls, gaining volume with each echo. Lazar jumped, jerking his head around to see Ciel still standing in the same place, her entire body shaking with laughter. Cassius’s eyes narrowed.

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The flesh eater straightened, pushing back stray hairs so that every eye was uncovered. Her lips were still curled in a grin, lingering amusement continuing in stray chuckles.

“So basically,” she said, still snickering, “you house a bunch of random fallen, give them a bit of hope, then eat them before they become a real problem.” She shook her head mockingly. “Pretty cruel, if I do say so myself.”

“You have no right to speak of cruelty or compassion.”

Cassius’s voice had become ice cold. The temperature in the chamber dropped. The demon shifted that serpentine body closer, and the entire area shook as though making space for him.

“I didn’t want to believe Ilana when she told me you were freed, but I suppose I should have known you would show your face here.”

“Hey, you make it sound like it was on purpose. I didn’t know it was you. Didn’t really catch a good look last time, you see, but thanks for confirming.”

Ciel took a single step forward. The moment her foot met the ground, the surface snapped, that mirror-like substance cracking and buckling under the weight and pressure. Lines and webs of fissures bloomed out from the point of impact, distorting the reflections until they were nothing more than crooked, warped smears.

Lazar sucked in a breath, gaze darting rapidly between the two demons. He saw the way Cassius leaned back a little, like a drawn bow string readying to snap, those formerly tranquil blue eyes now burning with an old anger.

In contrast, Ciel’s posture remained perfectly languid as she grinned up at the other demon. And yet, in contrast to her sharp smile, those golden eyes were completely void of emotion. Flat.

The seraph shifted his grip on the halberd, his mind whirring. If Cassius was as strong as he believed he was, then getting between an attack would be impossible. The tension had already risen too high for him to believe he could diffuse the situation, not when he only had a few suspicions about what was happening. Perhaps he could pull Ciel away before either one attacked? He would’ve been fast enough before falling, but was he now?

The flesh eater made to move again, and Lazar tensed, readying to leap forward.

But then, to his surprise, the demon took a step back.

Ciel chuckled, the sound a low, slightly raspy rumble, and she raised her hands in mock surrender.

“Relax, I’m not stupid enough to fight you. Besides, I’m not a fan of holding grudges. Wasted effort if you ask me.”

Cassius’s eyes remained narrowed. “Do you expect me to believe that?”

“What, you talking about this?” Ciel swept a leg out casually over the cracked floor. A few cracks continued to spread outwards in jerking movements. “I’m just not a fan of mirrors in general. Call it a personal preference.” The flesh eater pushed her hair back again. “Anyway, you just heard, but I’ve got bigger problems right now. As far as I’m concerned, the worst thing about that little rock seal was the boredom. You could’ve chosen a more interesting place.”

“You haven’t changed at all.”

“Very unfortunate for you, I know.” The flesh eater turned, her horn glinting in the light, completely unconcerned about exposing her back to the other demon. She strode forward confidently and placed a hand on Lazar’s shoulder. He jumped slightly, muscles still tensed.

“I’m doing some more hunting. You’ve got a decent head on your shoulders; I’ll leave you to finish your talk with this guy.” She jabbed a thumb back to indicate the demon in question, and then without another word, the flesh eater released her grip and walked out the chamber.

For a second, no one moved, not even when her footsteps faded. The tension in the air lingered, and Lazar continued to watch Cassius’s expression. The demon was still clearly angered, but some of the immediate malice, at least, was bleeding away.

It wasn’t until the demon’s shoulders slumped back down and the temperature returned to normal that Lazar dared risk speaking.

“You were the one who sealed her in the stone.” It was more of an observation than a question.

Cassius nodded, and when he turned to face the seraph, weariness had replaced the anger. Lazar shifted, moving further away from the fractured area of the ground. It was a single, violent blotch on the otherwise pristine space.

“She told me,” he said slowly, “that one of the other demons thought she was a problem, and that she didn’t know you very well.”

“That would be accurate.” Cassius sighed, and Lazar found himself wondering just how old the demon in front of him was. There was an ancient weariness present there; those were the eyes of someone who had seen too much.

“Most demons take time to evolve, but there are cases when a stronger demon has emerged without warning.” Cassius stared out the exit where Ciel had disappeared, as though following her trail. “That was the case with that flesh eater. She suddenly appeared one day and displayed no regard for the Abyss’s customs. I simply acted before worse could occur.”

The demon turned back to Lazar and nodded. “It seems you’ve spent some time around her. You must understand what I mean when I say that her…brand of detachment is dangerous.”

Lazar met his eyes carefully. “To be entirely honest,” he admitted, “I wasn’t very familiar with the Abyss before falling. I assumed most demons were like that.”

“You would be wrong.” Blue eyes flashed. “I won’t pretend that there aren’t demons who have fallen to their lowest instincts, who are driven by anger and rage, but apathy is a disease of Elysium. It has no place in the Abyss.”

Lazar remembered the mound of black flowers, the anger in the soul eater and Ilana’s eyes when they attacked. He thought about the undulating sky, even the shifting stone surrounding the tear. The Abyss was a place of movement, a place the seraphs dubbed the realm of chaos. Although it was most often associated with the Void, in some ways, perhaps it was really the realm most different from it.

“You should be careful as well,” Cassius continued. “You’re free to stay here until ascension, and if you do succeed in strengthening your soul enough to do so, then I will not stop you. In fact, I’d welcome it.”

Grey eyes fell on the exit, staring at the glassy walls of the tunnel as it extended deeper and deeper into the caves. I’m not a fan of holding grudges, Ciel had said. And yet, when she’d spoken of reaching Elysium, what was that if not a grudge?

“Thank you,” Lazar said. He turned back to Cassius, tilting his head up to look the massive demon in the eyes.

“If I may,” he began. “Could I ask you a favor?”