Location: < Ground floor of the 'Temple of Birth' > - One of a few such places scattered through the isolated corners of the lower heavens.
POV.: Nameless silver-haired fledgling angel.
As I gazed upon the figure in the air outside the Temple, draped in robes of earthly hues, a sigh of relief and triumphant joy escaped the lips of the angel, for I was now sure that it was indeed an angel. The ethereal atmosphere surrounding the "Temple of Birth" seemed to shimmer with newfound energy at the arrival of this celestial being.
For a brief moment, the angel remained suspended in the heavens, a serene silhouette against the sky. Then, succumbing to sleep, it fell from the sky. However, the descent was not swift; it defied the laws of celestial motion, descending in slow motion, defying the natural order.
A few heartbeats passed, and the celestial visitor, now in a peaceful slumber, continued its unhurried descent. Before finally, with a soft thud, the angel made contact with the mountain's ground.
Without hesitation, a group of coven members glided over to the celestial being on the ground, their movements deliberate and focused as they examined the otherworldly form with intricate attention.
From my position within the temple, I observed their gathering, noting their exchange. My curiosity heightened, but the distance rendered their words indecipherable, intensifying the frustration that now tinged my initial choice to seek refuge within the secure walls of the temple.
I didn't have to wait for long as soon one of the coven members, with an air of skill, began to weave a spell that gently lifted the new angel off the ground. For a few seconds, their hands moved in elegant patterns, conjuring the unseen force that cradled the slumbering celestial being.
With the sleeping angel suspended in the embrace of the spell, the coven member flew towards the Temple. The spell acted as an ethereal basket, carrying the visitor beside them, towards the temple.
When the coven member reached the Temple's entrance they landed and still carying the visitor with their spell the coven member began to walk through the ground floor looking for the right place to put the sleeping angel down.
I saw that soon after reaching a section of the floor that was illuminated by the golden sunlight streaming through the gaps between a colonnade's columns, the coven member carefully lowered the sleeping angel. The ambient light played upon the angel's serene features, creating a tableau that merged the celestial with the earthly colours of its robs.
Then after they had turned to face Lyra, I caught the hurried tone of the angel's voice as they swiftly addressed her, "Sorry to drop this problem on you, but this angel seems utterly exhausted. Fortunately, there don't seem to be significant injuries."
As the words hung in the air, the angel pivoted, seemingly ready to depart. Lyra, with a curious tilt of her head, intercepted, "Why not cast healing magic on him?"
Continuing to walk, the angel responded, their steps measured, "We opted to conserve our mana for the impending battle." The weight of their decision echoed in their words, a strategic choice with implications that resonated through the air.
Lyra, her curiosity tinged with a hint of mischief, inquired, "So, why go through the trouble of using a spell to float," she paused, gesturing towards the slumbering angel, "him here?"
As the angel was leaving the Temple to return to what it was doing before they responded with a chuckle, saying, "Healing, especially rejuvenating stamina and mana, guzzles up considerably more mana than that spell employed. Besides, the spell I cast barely lifted him, relying heavily on some sorcery he must have cast to bear the weight of transportation."
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Intrigued, I approached the slumbering angel, my steps cautious yet fueled by an overwhelming curiosity. The celestial being held in its grasp a bundle of pristine white cloth, the cloth seemed to have been wrapped around something.
Battling the allure of the unknown, curiosity surged within me, compelling me to reach out and unravel the mystery concealed within the folds of the cloth. As my fingers extended to touch the pristine fabric, an unseen force abruptly halted my hand.
After another few attempts that unfolded in much the same way I decided to give up. Disappointment mingled with fascination, I resorted to speculation about the contents of the bundle.
However, my attempts were abruptly interrupted as the white cloth unexpectedly wriggled, the subtle movement akin to that of a slug, evoking a startled reaction within me as I jumped good a half meter into the air.
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Location: < Above a pit cell within 'Uggrock's Den' > - One of many caverns found throughout the upper stratums of the netherworld.
POV.: Nameless amethyst-haired demon larva.
As I teetered on the precipice of being flung into a pit by a big-boobed demon, my mind raced back, attempting to make sense of the whirlwind of events that had unfolded in what felt like the blink of an eye.
It all began when we narrowly escaped the clutches of the monsters, going into the cave that unravelled to be an intricate maze of shadowy passageways. Forced to follow our guides down its twists and turns, we found ourselves ensnared in a cramped, lightless cavern, where time seemed to stretch indefinitely.
Minutes or perhaps hours later the cavern's oppressive darkness was shattered by the emergence of the tallest, scariest, and strongest adult demon I had ever laid eyes upon.
This demon, clad in skin resembling obsidian, dwarfed our diminutive forms several times over. A colossus in comparison to our group of eight demon larvae, it loomed over us with an ominous presence.
Then the scary demon cut our foreheads and I felt a pain much more painful than pain I had ever felt before. And when the pain had gone away, the voice had told me something about being bestowed a legacy or somesuch.
Soon after a demon with big boobs gave each one of us eight demon larvae a roll of thin material with black symbols on it and we were all told a bunch of rules we had to follow. As they told us these rules I could feel my body being forced to obey them and I didn't like it.
Then, the scary demon used one of its sharp, pointy claws to slice across our foreheads, and it hurt more than any hurt I'd ever known.
I must have whimpered and winced tail curling in pain, as I wondered why anyone would do such a thing. But, after the pain scuttled away like a frightened critter, the voice chimed in, had whispered something about me being bestowed a legacy or whatever that meant.
Right after that head-scratchy moment, a demon with, generous proportions and large boobs handed each of us eight demon larvae a roll of thin stuff covered in strange black squiggles. It had been like like a new chew toy except for I soon learned that we weren't supposed to chew it!
Then, the scary tall demon had left and the generously proportioned one had begun to ramble off a bunch of rules, and my body felt all tingly like it had to listen, but I hadn't been too thrilled about it. It was like trying to train an abyssal squirrel to juggle—confusing and not exactly my idea of a good time.
confusing and not exactly my idea of a good time.
So, the demon with the, significant frontage force guided us to this pit. And then, out of nowhere, she scooped me up in her big, strong arms and tossed me like a old chew toy into the pit. Just like that, I was airborne, letting out a terrified yelp as I plummeted into the dark unknown.
As I sailed through the air, my screams echoed in the pit. Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was actually probably less than a second, I crash-landed on the pit's unforgiving floor with a solid thud.
Once I crash-landed on the ground, I wobbled to my feet like a dizzy hell fox, taking in the eerie surroundings. But, oh joy, my moment of recovery was short-lived. Out of nowhere, another demon larva tumbled from the heavens, and I had to pull off a nimble dance to dodge becoming a pancake.
In my attempt to dodge the incoming demons, I found myself in a bit of trouble. With a demon core gripped in one hand, and that roll of that weird thin stuff in the other, I tried to run. But soon I tripped over a pretty obviously dead demon larva with a hole in its chest.
Down I went, skidding on the stone floor. Eventually, I came to a halt right in front of the biggest, baddest, and probably most attractive demon larva my cute little eyes had ever laid sight on.
The demon larva, with its flowing silver locks, stared at me as if it could read the secrets of my soul. There it was, all regal and mysterious, sitting cross-legged like a dark and handsome sorcerer in front of me.
Its tail, sharper than a thorn, twisted halfway around it, and those deadly jet-black claws were out for everyone to see. Along with the tail each one stained with a hint of ominous red. It was like looking into the eyes of danger itself, with a touch of sinister elegance that sent shivers down my tiny demon spine, but I loved the sensation.