Divinitas

056 - The Glory of Heaven

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There was a beautiful little girl, who couldn\'t have been in her teens yet, sniffling softly as she clung to an older boy. They were siblings; their delicate facial bone structure gave that away. That soft crying, unable to be suppressed no matter how hard the girl tried - it cut him to the very core of his being. That desperate and utterly human sound… wasn\'t it an echo of his own desperate desire to live? Impossible to ignore, impossible to block out. It hurt, to hear it. It hurt, to listen to the soothing lies the brother told the sister. It hurt so much he wanted to hate it, to hate them, to shout at them to shut up. Yet he couldn\'t utter a word. What right did he have, when he would be the instrument that would cause the girl\'s fear to be realised in the most bloody and violent way?

Phoenix shut his eyes, blocking out the sight of them.

In a carriage again, softly, silently rocking, travelling from Ten down to Chikyuu. The slaughters would take place in Chikyuu, in places most befitting of the Elements of the Divine Beasts. Because it provided the most powerful conduct for their powers, Deus had said. But really, wasn\'t it just so Ten would not be dirtied? That trivial thought was bitter poison, spreading throughout his mind and corroding what little tolerance he had left towards this so-called Heaven.

The Children of Fire would be last. Earth woul fir first, because there was no decision to make. There would only be the metamorphosis from Child to God, the binding of Chimaera\'s soul to that of the Divine Beast of Earth, the Chimera. To show them the full Glory of Heaven.

The carriage rolled to a gentle stop, and the bubbling sound of water running over stones and harmonious bird song drifted into the carriage. It overlaid the sounds of the girl\'s cries, winding around it, merging with it until only the outside sounds remained. When the carriage door opened, the fresh scent of newly fallen rain greeted them, followed immediately by the awe-inspiring sight of the valley that lay out before them.

Stepping forth from the carriage, Phoenix\'s eyes roamed over the expansive green valley, over the singing river that sparkled like gold in the early morning light. Wisps of mist still curled up from the water, laid like an insubstantial blanket over most of the valley.

The sun was just rising to their left, lighting up the sheer cliff that rose vertically to their right. Time changed, depending on where they were in the Realms. The sun remained on its eternal course, but they moved erratically, travelling, travelling, from one bloody site to another.

Was he glad, that this green and living place would not be splattered with the blood of innocents? It was beautiful. It could almost have been mystical. And it was in Chikyuu. He had always hated Chikyuu. He had known nothing but hate and ugliness of this Realm. Yet here was beauty, staring him in the face. Here was peace, caressing him in the soft breeze that gently ran its fingers through his hair and garments. Would things have been different, had he known such a place existed? If he had lived here, by himself, would he have accepted Deus\' offer? If he returned here… could he be happy?

But now was not the time to ponder. It was a time to witness. To watch, as the God of Ten descended on his pure white wings into the center of the valley and beckoned the Child of Earth to come to him.

A long period of stillness and tranquillity followed, where nothing interrupted the serene voice of nature that surrounded them. The Elemental Children looked to each other, wondering what was supposed to happen now, confused by the long silence. Wasn\'t something supposed to happen? The Child of Fire did not wonder. The delay was understandable and expected, after the words spoken earlier in this long, long day.

\"I don\'t want to go!\"

It was the shrill cry of a panicking boy that finally shattered the serenity. A boy so young, that his voice had not yet broken and still retained its sexual ambiguity.

Commotion down at the edge of the tree line forced the surrounding Children to move aside. Two Tenshi, their wings spread wide and stiff, half dragged, half carried Chimaera screaming and struggling towards Deus.

\"Let go of me! I don\'t want this! I don\'t want to be anything other than what I am now! Why can\'t you leave me alone! Let me live my life as I want!\" They were words that were beyond the childish facade the boy often wore. They were words that came from his heart, which echoed throughout Phoenix\'s being.

Phoenix felt his heart wrench, watching as Chimaera was forcefully carried down to Deus, waiting there serenely, a seemingly patient and understanding God. Lies, all of it.

It was wrong, to force Chimaera to submit when he did not want divinity. It almost made him want to reach out, to help him… so why didn\'t he? Maybe… maybe he wanted to see that child suffer. Because he did not have to pay the price he would have to pay. Because he might have been jealous, that Chimaera was still an innocent, whilst he was not. Because… he hated seeing the corruption in himself reflected back at him every time he looked into those large, innocent emerald eyes. So dirty him, just a little. Make him into one of them.

Phoenix cut those thoughts off. There was no time to be disgusted with himself.

One of the Tenshi suddenly cried out as Chimaera bit viciously into his hand, whilst a savagely landed kick caught the other off-guard. The Child of Earth jumped away from them and sprinted towards the nearest cover the trees offered, intent on reaching safety.

A violent jolt passed through the valley, suddenly and violently throwing Chimaera off his feet. The ground rumbled, shifting as if it had been woken angrily from its long desired rest. Huge clumps of rocks and earth exploded from the ground and soared through the air, raining destruction around the Child of Earth. Thunder ripped through the air, booming around the valley as the Divine Beast of Earth landed heavily on the upturned earth and roared.

Chimaera stifled a sob, watching as the Chimera stalked towards him on its massive hooves, its intense bright green eyes boring down into the Child of Earth. For a long silent moment, the Divine Beast of Earth simply stood over the trembling Child of Earth, its sharp white teeth bared, a low growling emitting from the back of its throat.

\"I do want to be with you!\" Chimaera suddenly cried out, struggling to his feet from where he had fallen and latching onto the Chimera\'s golden mane. \"I do…\" the Child of Earth repeated. \"But why does it have to be this way. Why do I have to be tied to these people who will force my friends to kill one another… I don\'t want anything to do with them. I just want to be the way we were. Can\'t we be the way we were?\"

The child\'s pleas seemed to soften the Divine Beast, making it press closer to Chimaera, comforting him. The Child of Earth finally nodded, conceding to the Chimera\'s wishes. Gently the Divine Beast picked up Chimaera between his fanged teeth, carrying him by the back of his shirt to where Deus waited, ever so patiently.

Whatever words that passed between the God of Ten and the Child of Earth remained between them, but the smirk on Deus\' lips and Chimaera\'s unease indicated it couldn\'t have been pleasant. The boy turned and touched the Chimera\'s muzzle, asking him to step away. It was also a silent command not to interrupt… because this was what it had wanted.

What followed brought a glower to Phoenix\'s face. The Child of Earth stripped, casting away every article of clothing from his youthful body. One of his small boots bounced and rolled down the bank, splashing into the stream. Unperturbed, Chimaera squatted down onto the ground, touching the earth with his fingertips and then standing.

The ground rose with his fingertips. No, not the ground, but chestnut stems that broke through the earth, thickening and sprouting thick waxy green leaves and bright violet flowers. The climbed upwards, following the path of Chimaera\'s hands, reaching, reaching, wanting to embrace the one who had called them.

The Child of Earth\'s hands halted, arms held out straight to either side of him. Immediately the twisting vine-like branches curled around Chimaera\'s wrists, winding up his arms with a lover\'s caress. At his feet, similar vines bursrth rth from the ground, wrapping themselves too around the Child of Earth\'s passive limbs.

They loved him, these plants. They weren\'t there to restrain the Child of Earth. They were there to help him. Phoenix\'s fiery red eyes narrowed. But that help would come in the form of unrelenting support. What would happen now, for Chimaera to ask for such interference?



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\"Do you not have a weapon, Child of Earth?\" Deus asked as the growth of the lush green and violet plants came to a halt.

\"I don\'t want one,\" Chimaera replied, his boyish voice hinting at his discomfort.

The God of Ten smile coldly. \"Let me gift you with one, then. One that is befitting of your Element, so you may tend to it all the better.\"

A long, heavily worked scythe with a finely crafted metal and jewelled claw, attached to one another by a fine chain materialised in Deus\' hands. He held it out towards Chimaera, as if offering the weapon for the boy\'s inspection.

\"Do you like it?\" Deus asked, his voice inquisitive, as if he really was interested in Chimaera\'s thoughts and opinion. \"It will be bound to you for your eternal life, and it will be the link that binds you to your dear Divine Beast of Earth.\"

Chimaera\'s eyes squeezed shut, shaking his head from side to side as if trying to clear its image from his mind.

Dues laughed, softly, falsely, under his breath. \"It\'s no use, Child of Earth, to deny it,\" he whispered, reaching out and lifting Chimaera\'s chin to force the boy to look into his deep blue eyes. \"You agreed to ton yon your own Free Will, and you may regret your own stupidity later. But for now, you will play your part and become the God of Earth. Take comfort, knowing you will be returned to your precious Earth when all this is over, and you will be happily home. It is a lot more than what your friend Phoenix will get when this day comes to a close.\"

Before Chimaera covoicvoice a protest, the God of Ten had moved behind him, and his hand seared itself against the Child of Earth\'s bare back. It throbbed with power, pulsing with each beat of his racing heart. Everything inside of him danced, singing with the power that now poured into him, changing him. The boy bit his lip, trying not to cry out. It felt as if something alive was crawling under his skin from where Deus\' hand touched him, itching, worming. His body trembled violently, his muscles contracting erratically. He would have thrashed his limbs about, thrown himself to the ground and rubbed his back against the innocent and clean grass were it not for the unmoving greenery that held all his limbs in a frozen embrace.

\"Are you prepared, Child of Earth…?\" Deus\' soft and crooning voice said nst nst the boy\'s ear. \"The ceremony to become a deity isn\'t all golden and shinning. It demands a great of blood… and a few high pitched screams would please me even more.\"

The jingle of chains cut through the loud beating of Chimaera\'s heart. The whistle of air being cut silenced both. Chimaera\'s sudden agonised scream tore through the valley, bounced off the surface of the sheer cliff face and washed over all the Elemental Children and Tenshi present. It chilled to the bone, to hear such an innocent screaming with such pain. The pain of havihe she scythe gouge into you, tearing your tender flesh, ripping a bright red strip down your back where a wing would soon be.

Chimaera\'s scream had barely tapered off when the child\'s body suddenly seized up, emerald eyes snapping opening wide, tearing as Deus\' hand slide itself in wound and grasped something that was pulsing inside, digging his fingernails into it and pulling it forcefully out.

The sound of blood splatter was drowned out in the wild scream that followed. It echoed for an eternity around the valley, the anguished cry of a beautiful animal in agonising pain.

The Divine Beast of Earth would have leapt to Chimaera\'s defence, would have torn out Deus\' arm from its socket, would have done a great deal many things, all violent and bloody. But with that devastating scream, a brilliant white wing was ripped forth from Chimaera\'s body, a wing that was drenched with blood that rainown own upon the Chimera and bound him as no chains could have. Each droplet sprung forth multiple shimmering lines of glittering red, that spun themselves around the Divine Beast, tightening and tightening until it cut into the fur and scales and disappeared under the surface. With that, the Chimera fell, poison green eyes glaring at the God of Ten who smiled ever so coldly as he made the second bloody incision onto the Child of Earth\'s body,ewinewing the already raw scream




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How he found Aether, and how he shoved past all the Tenshi, he didn\'t know. But his free hand was suddenly griping Aether\'s collar in a death hold, and the blade of his weapon was pressed against the God of Soul\'s flawless neck.

\"How can you stand by and let this happen…!\" Phoenix growled, trembling from his anger. Oh, how he regretted not helping Chimaera when he had the chance. He could barely keep his stomach from divulging itself of all its contents, he felt that sick and hateful towards himself. How could he have wanted this to happen to the Child of Earth? What sick and twisted kif crf creature was he?

\"I\'m selling half my soul for you, Phoenix. There isn\'t anything I wouldn\'t do or let happen to own you. This is your fault. Blame yourself,\" Aether whispered, a sadistic and cruel smile curling at his lips.

Nothing could have masked the pure hate in the glare Phoenix threw at Aether before shoving him away from himself. The Child ire ire turned and made his way down into the valley, violently pushing and shoving everyone out of his way.

Below him, Deus stepped back from Chimaera. The boy hung limp from his self-grown supports, bloody and naked, his two new white wings glistening with blood.

The God of Ten gestured grandly towards Chimaera, and addressed the shocked audience. \"I give you the God of Earth, Chimaera. Lord and Master of all that grows and walks on the land, and Vessel for the Divine Beast of Earth.\" He raised the bloodied scythe and chain into the air, and for a single moment, glittering threads of blood linking it and the Chimera flashed in the golden sunlight. \"And this is the Divine Weapon of Earth, the symbol of all the power the God of Earth welds. Acknowledge and Serve, those who are bound to the Earth.\"

It was like a sick joke. The way Deus presented him. The way the God of Ten ceremoniously thrust the weapon into the earth in front of Chimaera and then lifted off into the air on his own pristine white wings.

Phoenix reached the boy\'s side a moment later, dropping his own weapon to gingerly touch the unmoving God of Earth. But then he froze, staring at Chimaera\'s limp form. The bloodied white wings weren\'t the only thing the child had gained. Chimaera had grown. Before now, he couldn\'t have been more than twelve or thirteen years of age, and he had acted a hell of a lot younger. But now. Now he looked at least sixteen or seventeen. This was a God that hung before him. Not a boy, but a God.

The sudden wilting of the plants that supported Chimaera caused Phoenix to snap out of his shock, catching him as he crumpled. The Chimera stirred, a low growl rumbling at the back of its throat. A glance towards the Divine Beast of Earth found furious poison green eyes glaring back at him. Of course the Chimera was angry. It had every right to be. And he had none, to be here, touching the God of Earth in such an intimate manner.

Gently, Phoenix placed Chimaera down on the grassy ground, slowly picking up his own weapon and backing away. The Chimera immediately advanced, crouching protectively over the God of Earth.

That\'s right. He had made his choice from the very beginning. He had no place here, feeling sorry or regretful. Living was a selfish task.

Turning his back, the Child of Fire made his way back up the valley, unseeing all that passed by him. Nothing would move him from his predestined path. No matter how long this day dragged on for, no matter how much blood and violence he would have to witness and take part in… he would continue walking, step by step, until he had achieved his final goal.

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