Chapter 24
The Liars, The Wicked, & The Banished
"I was tasked with one final mission. The Guardians gathered around me in a hurried expression. Something felt off but at that time I didn't question it. They were conversing with each other in a language unknown to Celestial or Common. The one named Envy was the most silent while Wrath was the most Outspoken. They all then looked to me and Endurance spoke. She said I was to be sent away. Something had happened below that was not apart of their plans and it was coming here. I protested and claimed that it was my duty to face whatever force that tried to penetrate these skies. However, they retorted. They said that the foe coming would surely defeat me or convert me to their cause. A decision they do not want for me to make. So they gathered around me and spoke an incantation. My body moved on its own and my armor disappeared from my skin. Purple and black light swirled around me. It was if the space was warping around and distorting the very essence of the air I was floating around. Every single Guardians eyes glowed purple as they all were saying the same words in unison. Straining to keep together as I float in this strange warped space. Then, without warning, I was compressed. It did not hurt, I didn't feel anything really. My vision only saw disbelief of the cosmos. I was warped and teleported to a strange open area of black purple and white. Drifting in an abyss of nothingness. No floor, no ceiling. Absolutely nothing. It felt both cold and hot and yet I couldn't truly breathe. Though I was still alive. I felt as if I was being guided somewhere. As if a massive hand plucked me from where I was and took me to a different course. It seemingly spoke to me. I couldn't fully make out what it was saying. The voices I heard were multiple. Female, male, child, Common Language and even Celestial. The language that even the Guardians spoke was spoken. It went into my mind and said, 'You are lost in many ways. Not meant to be here.' Then all I can truly remember was me falling, burning in the atmosphere and landing into the waters of a fountain in a unknown city. Telling you this story."
The cathedral is dreadfully quiet than usual. Landing onto a balcony of the massive holy site. Azriel yells far out for her brother but receives no response. She readies her weapon and floats around the many corridors searching for anything. With no response from her search she is confused. She stares around and she stops her gaze outside a chamber feeling a presence just behind it she blasts it open with a gust of wind from her wings. When the dust settles Envy and Trust are seen they look a little worst for wear as they both seemed drain from something. Azriel keeps her weapons lowered and walks in slowly. "Where is my brother..." Trust slightly pants but sits up looking at Azriel with a slight grin. "No longer your concern young one... we sent him away on a mission that will be most beneficial to us in the future..." Azriel looks into his eyes to and is reluctant to see he is telling the truth but its just partial. she grits her teeth and yells. "Enough of these games, tell me the whole truth" Trust begins to chuckle which then turns to a laugh. "You have got some gaw little girl to demand me, Trust, to speak the truth." Envy looks to his brother in silence and watches the ordeal. Trust continues, "You want to know the full truth huh?! Well... we know that you were searching for answers for years, the whereabouts of your parents, and who killed them... it wasn't the daeva... you know that for sure now. So you tell me... who killed them little girl?..." Azriel grips her scythe tighter looking down, her eyes are in a fury... she knows full well that the answer lies infront of her. Trust cackles. "Ah, there you go. You're starting to realize now. Realizing that you're just a piece of our puzzle. The means to the end. Isn't that right Envy?" Trust Begins to walk around. "So blinded by your title, you killed all those Daeva to gain your reputation and to win us this war without us sullying our hands. You were the key to all of it. Wrath did what he did and you both were to blame." Azriels eyes widen in shock. "Oh yes. He is the one who killed your parents. but the death of them wasn't meant to happen. She was supposed to survive and train you two too become what you are now. But she protected you to the bitter end. Such a shame." Azriel aura begins to rise as she screams and charges at Trust with full force. Her scythe and body spinning in the air. Just before the scythe hits Trust's Neck he tsk's and stops her with just a hand wrapped around her neck and slams her into a wall, cracking the wall, creating a large crater.
"See, that wasn't very nice was it dear... poor girl is lost with anger and malice." Azriel gasps for air as she is dragged higher onto the ceiling his grip slowly getting tighter. "You see Envy, I told you, no matter how strong she got... she would never rival us gods-" His voice strained and his sentence abruptly stops as he begins choking on his own blood. He looks down to see a blade protruding through his abdomen as his glowing blood drips onto the floor. His grip loosens as his head turns to see who struck the blow. Envy is just behind him with anger in his eyes. "Oh brother, how I wished for the day I could do this to you..." The blade goes deeper as Trust gurgles in pain. "W-What, E-envy... why-" Envy grins in delight. "Why? For what we did to our mother and the many ions you boasted of our glory. The time has come for you, no, for us, to be reunited with her..." Envy looks to Azriel. "This is my plan for you Justicar... for you to be the one to carry our sins to Twilight. Quickly! Use what I taught you I cannot hold him for long! Take our grace.... use it to end this war once and for all..." Trust begins to scuffle and struggle with Envy as he tries to get out of this situation gurgling and screaming trying his best to use his wings to fly away but Envy has him in a hold. Azriel breaks out of the choked confused by how this is all happening but continues by extending both of her hands towards Trust. He screams in pain bashing and kicking scratching at his brothers face and hair. Envy sinks the blade deeper. Trust is slowly gasping for air as his body is slowly becoming wrinkled and frail he claws at Envy's face more and more but alas it's too late. His grace, large and vast is now condensed into an orb floating between the trio. The husk of Trust goes limp as Envy takes the blade out of his back and grasps the Grace delicately in his palm. He then looks to Azriel and floats it towards her.
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"I do not know how your body will handle his grace. But with your Arael side you might just survive. You will have his memories his knowledge and his power. Power strong enough to take one of us in combat perhaps." He then walks over to her "You will also take mine. And thus will be nearly unstoppable by many. The others are in hiding waiting for the war to end. We Banished your brother. So that he wouldn't side with you and both of you would have met the same fate as your parents. I have grown tired and angered by what we did. What we have done to our Mother's world. What we did to her... you will be the cleanser of our sins. It is why I chose you to be The Justicar." He places Trust's grace into her body as she begins to float and groan in pain her body seemingly morphing and ever changing. Her wings turning into white and red and her body gaining a bit of mass of muscle. Envy smiles at the transformation as Azriel pants and breathes. Looking at her arms and hands as she feels this overwhelming surge of power. She then looks to Envy here eyes tearing up, feeling the memories flooding from Trust as she sees it all unfold. The death of her mother and father. The abduction of them as children. Going back even further of memories of a large woman nearly 15 feet tall with multiple wings. Being severely torn limb from limb by five children. Her head decapitated by Wrath, her lungs being ripped out of her chest by Endurance, Her heart torn out by Compassion and her arms and legs ripped apart by Trust and Envy. Azriel speaks angered and mournful. "You were all monsters, killing her out of jealousy... to have her all to yourselves." Envy sighs. "Yes, I was the catalyst to her death. Mother made me feel envious of everything and even to her. This fueled me to express it to Trust, then he, too Compassion, Compassion too Endurance, she too Wrath. We as a collective loved our mother 'to death'. So we sought it too keep her only in our hearts. How much of a mistake we have made. Now please give me swift end. They will never say it but I, am sorry, for the sins we have created" He raises his head to the sky and takes a deep breathe outstretching his arms as Azriel touches his head. She begins to absorb his grace and his body wrinkles and withers to a husk. Azriel body gains more red and black color and her wingspan is extended just a bit more. She sighs and looks at the grey withered corpses' of Envy and Trust. With the two Guardians intertwined with her grace she sees the memories of what they did to her brother presumably banishing him as a safeguard. But something feels off about it. He is no longer in that area they put him in.
Sariel seemingly moved and entered a domain that she cannot grasp. But it feels familiar now, which, she can't explain on her own. With her new found demigod-like powers she has a new mission at hand. To rid the Guardians of this land and become something greater in their place. With them scattered she is the only one that commands the army. They will follow her without question... She mouths the words thank you to Envy for giving her this failsafe title. For he was the one seemingly pulling the strings that he was forced to pull to stay in line with his siblings. She must find a way to get her brother back. Who knows how long that will take. She envelopes herself in black armor her hair is no longer half black and white but just the tips are black. Her feathers are more grey than white and the tips are colored black and red. She stands a bit taller now. Roughly the same height as her brother of six foot and eight inches. Azriel gazes down at the land below. The war between the Arael and Daeva is no more. This begins an Era of Rebellion, Rebellion against the ones that sinned on the holy land of the Tenshi and tainted it with lies and deceit. She, The Justicar, The One True Guardian will see to it at that.
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Uzume listened to the story that Sariel spoke. She has a feint memory of the being in question from time to time. The one that is seemingly of space and time. She remembers that she is so fond of it that her favorite book that she reads mentions the thought of such celestial being. 'The Void' more questions flood her mind about his sister and about the Guardians. More importantly the Tenshi. The Goddess of The Paradise of Light. What is her role in this war? Where is she? There is another realm that mirrors this one but is in turmoil while this one is seemingly at peace. How fascinating that Sariel's Sister from the telling of Sariel looks so different and given such a title. She wants to know more. "So is that why you didn't attack my people? Because you do not now what your purpose is now that you are here?" Sariel nods. "My duty is to maintain order and because the war was guided by my sister she is the sole commander of the army by the Guardians wishes. I am just the enforcer. This is a different world. So I do not have a goal." Uzume looks to him and then to the cell the sound of metal unlocking is heard as Sariel looks up to see Uzume unlocking his cell doors. She outstretches her hand and un-hoods herself. "You can come with me and I can give you a goal. I am the ruler of this kingdom so please respect my authority and we will get along just fine." Sariel begins to outstretched his hand and his finger tips reach towards hers. They clasps and he stands.
"You can have a chamber not to far from mine in my castle you're free to explore but please don't go far. I may be the queen of the Realm I do not own the entire world. There are many cities with their own leaders but all follow my rule. They have their own jurisdictions however." Sariel tilts his head but nods "You are a guest so if you wish to seek knowledge don't hesitate to ask." She points to the hallway . "Right this way." He begins to walk ducking his head under the prison entrance as he is guided by Uzume. Mal un-phases out of her hiding spot and looks to the prison wall then to the pair. How peculiar the story entailed. This will lead her to think this will more useful in the long run she exits out the prison and runs into the shadows. With the night slowly endng and morning dawns, a new light has shine upon the Paradise of Darkness. For now, it is emitting pleasantly, but all it takes is a bit of wind to set it off its calm course.