Divinitas

Divinitas

059 - Home

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Blank blood red eyes stared out into a grey world, broken and lifeless. It was raining, and the whole world was wet and grey, running together into a meaningless mess. Salt water lapped at his feet, washing up to his bare thighs, retreating down to his ankles. It was icy cold, no better than the biting wind that stung his skin, frosting his flesh.

He laid on a grey beach, devoid of colour and life. A heavy grey sky pressed down on him, burdened by rain-pregnant clouds. Tall black cliffs rose up above him, jutting out of the colourless sand like ugly crocked teeth.

This was Chikyuu. This was where Aether had cast him down to, thrown from Heaven like a fallen angel with his wings broken. He knew. Of course he knew. Why Aether had thrown him from Ten in such a way. To hurt him, to wound him, to drive another stake into his butchered heart and soul. To say, ‘no one will save you. Ten will never accept you. It lets you fall and will not embrace your or save you. Only the realm of Chikyuu will catch you now.’

It was true, there was not a single lie in those unsaid words.

He had fallen for a very long time, unable to call the phoenix out to save him, lacking his weapon as he was. He remembered seeing clouds, all whipping past him at terrific speeds. His wings had fluttered uselessly behind him, like flags flapping mercilessly in the wind. He remembered being too shocked and frozen by the winds to feel the pain of his dislocated wings. And then into the grey ocean he had crashed, sending up a violent flower of grey water, only to have it all pelt back down like vicious rain to join that seemingly endless body of water.

Everything had gone black then. And when consciousness had returned to his drenched and battered body, he had been lying washed up on this grey lifeless beach. The green valleys and vibrant blue rivers and lakes seemed a distant dream, untouchable in this colourless world.

Phoenix closed his eyes, shifting his stiff body and instantly regretting it. The pinched nerves at his wing joints screamed out in agony, setting his whole upper back on fire. A strangled cry escaped his lips as his body clenched at the pain. The wet sand that pressed against his face and body provided a poor surface for his hands to clench onto, squeezing out between fingers as he clawed at it.

Biting down on another cry, Phoenix rolled onto his side, pulling every last bit of his strength together to raise his hand to his back. Wet fingers grabbed clumsily at drenched feather-covered bone, struggling to close around it and force it back where it belonged. But his fingers slipped, jerking the dislocated wing. Another stab of pain knifed down his spine, and his agonised scream cut through the air.

Tears stung at this eyes, but he wn\'tn\'t allow them to fall. Not now, not ever again. He had no right to cry, no matter how great the pain that was delivered to him. He would bare it all, and he would live.

Swallowing the pain, the God of Fire reached back for his left wing again, finally closing his fingers around the bone in a steady grip. Clenching his teeth together, he shoved the wing back into its socket, nearly blacking out from the hammering shock. One down, one to go.

A bitter smile tugged at Phoenix\'s lips. One could never say Aether did not know how to inflict pain, even when he wasn\'t in the nearby vicinity. First dislocating his wings, and then throwing him down from Ten to crash into a hard ocean of water. He hadn\'t even come to find him. Just left him like so much trash to clean up after himself, forcing to to fix his bloody wings without another’s help.

Well, he would, Phoenix thought stubbornly, rolling onto his other side and curling stiff fingers around his dislocated right wing. He would fix his hated wings by himself, just so Aether could cut them off again, and he wouldn\'t bloody cry about it! Taking a final breath, Phoenix jammed the feathered limb up into its newly formed bones, letting out a sharp groan as it connected and became mobile once more.

Like a log, Phoenix rolled back onto his stomach, breathing heavily, eyes closed as he tried to regain some self composure. Rolling around on a beach, fiddling with things on his back... he didn\'t think he had ever done something so ridiculous.

Yeah, go ahead and laugh. It was still better than being in constant pain.

The God of Fire started. Someone was laughing. Giggling, and trying to muffle it behind small hands.

Hoisting himself up onto his elbows, Phoelooklooked through curtains of misty rain, hand absently pushing aside soaked red bangs that obscured his vision.

Golden eyes. That was what Phoenix saw first. Large golden eyes, and deep dark pupils, liquid and overly innocent. Eyes that belonged to an exquisite creature, yet was set in the face of a child, framed by darker gold hair.

It was standing in rai rain, yet the rain didn\'t seem to touch it. The child radiated, and the rain seemed to acknowledge that, and did not intrude into that golden glow. In its arms was a mass of black cloth, a vivid contrast to the child\'s brightness.

As if sensing Phoenix\'s eyes lingering on the clothing, the child stepped forward, offering the bundle to the God of Fire with a wide smile. \"Aether said Phoeniouldould cover up,\" the child said, tilting its head sweetly. \"Because Aether doesn\'t want the servants to see his Phoenix in \'all his naked glory\',\" the child quoted.

Phoenix twitched. For a passing moment, the God of Fire seriously considered rejecting the offered blanket just tote Ate Aether. That... jerk sure had a lot of nerve. Grinding his teeth together, Phoenix snatched the cloth from the child and pulling it around himself, noting with another twitch at he had been naked all this time. Of course, expecting his sheet to have survived his plummet from Heaven to Earth was wishful thinking, but still...

The God of Fire faltered. Somehow, he coul qui quite throw the blanket fully around himself. Something was keeping the other corner just out of his grasping hand, inhibiting him from pulling it close.

The child giggled. \"Ten wings are silly. They can\'t be pulled back into your body. But that\'s okay. I\'ll replace them after Aether cuts them off for you,\" the child announced cheerfully.

Scarlet eyes narrowed at the child. \"Who are you?\" Phoenix demanded, struggling to pull his wings in close enough to his body to und under the blanket, and knowing without a dothatthat he looked absolutely ridiculous doing so.

The child smiled, and pointed its small hand up the tall black cliffs. \"I am Genesis,\" it announced. \"The personification he Che Castle of Genesis. I\'m your home, Phoenix, Aether\'s Sacred Bird of Fire.\"



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It had been a bit of a shock. And took some effort to swallow. That this small golden child was the personification of the intimidating dark castle that stood before them. They had walked on the beach around the tall cliffs until they had faded to little more that rain darkened rocks. These they had climbed over to exit the beach, before taking a wide path that lead up to the main entrance of the castle itself.

The Castle of Genesis had looked huge from sea level. It had grown with each step they had taken towards it. And now, standing before it, its size daunted the God of Fire. The castle stretched on each side of him until his eyes could no longer make it out in the rainy gloom, and its high towers and battlements too were lost in the dark clouds. The entrance itself was like one huge gapping mouth, greedily open to devour any soul foolish enough to step upon its steps. And if that wasn\'t enough to scare off a curious traveller, the four statues created in the image of the Divine Beasts guarding the entrance would have.

\"I\'m sorry Phoenix had to see me like this,\" Genesis pouted, frowning up at the gloomy looking castle. \"I don\'t look well when drenched with icky rain.\"

Phoenix cast a sidewards glance at Genesis. Well. A vain castle. Now he had seen everything. \"It\'s okay,\" Phoenix assured it, a sweat drop sliding down the back of his head. \"Besides, it\'s what\'s on the inside that matters.\"

But instead of soothing the child, Phoenix\'s words just made it burst into tears. \"Then Phoenix will hate me! Some of the top of me is okay, but the bottom of me is dark and rough and scary!\"

\"No, no! Even if you are, I\'m sure I won\'t hate you! I promise!\" Phoenix quickly amended, forcing a wide false smile which he hoped looked genuine enough for the over-reacting child in front of him.

Genesis sniffled and looked up at Phoenix with its huge watery golden eyes. \"You promise?\"

Phoenix nodded stiffly, giving Genesis an awkward pat on its head. \"Let\'s go in, ne?\" He really wasn\'t use to dealing with a child. Chimaera.... Chimaera was more like a puppy. He was clingy, but not so... high maintenance.

The golden eyed child grinned, its tears quickly drying to nothing. \"Okay,\" it agreed, taking Phoenix\'s largerd ind in its own and leading the God of Fire through the main entrance.

Despite the abundance of candles and torches that were lit within the castle, everything still appeared gloomy and lacking definite form. The side effects of having resided in Ten, where everything was overly bright and clear, Phoenix assumed. The Castle of Genesis was still grand though, still way above anything he had ever glimpsed whilst he was still an unwanted child struggling to survive in Chikyuu. The abundance of precious stone statues and the finely painted ceilings clearly labelled this as no ordinary place.

Yet for all the grandeur and high open space of the main entrance hall, it was hauntingly empty. Aside from the servant that had dashed out from some dark corner to mop up the trail of water Phoenix had left on the polished stone floor, the youth had seen no other living being.

\"Where is everyone?\" Phoenix asked after an interval of walking in relative silence. The emptily lit corridors and stairs they travelled were beginning to creep him out.

At this Genesis seemed to withdraw into itself, and an air of gloom settled around the child. \"There use to be a lot of people here. A long, long time ago, many of Aether\'s worshipers lived here and paid tribute to their God of Soul. I was very happy then, because there were so many people in and around me.\" The child stopped, halting in their path. \"But Aether never was. Aether grew more unhappy as time passed. Aether grew to dislike those who came to him for guidance. Then he asked me to create a kekkai to keep all his followers out. Now only servants live within here, and they are forbidden to ever pray to Aether.\" Genesis trailed off, seeming to fade for a moment before brightening again. \"If it wasn\'t for Casimir, I don\'t think Aether would ever venture outside of me. Casimir is always kicking Aether out to do his duties as the God of Chikyuu. Maybe Phoenix can help now? If Phoenix asked, I\'m sure Aether will do his duties! Then maybe I can have more company, ne?\"

It was Phoenix\'s turn to fall silent. The God of Fire lifted his hand to his face, staring at the faint veins that pumped blood through his entire body. Despite being faded now, accepted and absorbed into the very way his cells functioned and felt, he could still feel the etching of Aether\'s ownersdeepdeep within him. It was like a constant thread that linked him to the other god, that tied them ver ver together in a mocking dance. As it was... as it was, what kind of relationship could he possibly have with Aether beyond that of a slave to his master?

The God of Fire let his hand fall, and cast the thoughts aside with it. \"Maybe,\" Phoenix said after his long silence, and made an indication they should continue on their way.

Genesis frowned. \"But Aether really wantsenixenix. Wouldn\'t Phoenix do things for the one Phoenix likes because they asked? Phoenix would want to make them happy, ne?\"

He didn\'t say it. The words that immediately sprung to mind. That wanting and liking were two different things. You could \'want\' something without \'liking\' it in the smallest way. But it seemed pointless to try and explain that to Genesis. Instead, Phoenix changed the subject.

“Where are we going?” It was impossible to tell. The path before them stretched on forever in the gloom, and the road they had taken looked no different. Just empty darkness, broken here and there by torches that illuminated more empty hallways and the occasional closed door. It felt… utterly lonely and empty here. Devoid of love, of life. He almost felt sorry for the occupants who lived here, frowning as he realised he was now one of them.

The child giggled, brightening as Phoenix’s query reminded it of their current mission. “Why, to dress you, silly Phoenix! No one would think Phoenix is the God of Fire if Phoenix wanders around in an old wet blankie!”

Phoenix frowned. Why did the way Genesis say that make him feel uneasy? Down right afraid even?

Genesis finally stopped in front of a set of plain wooden doors, grinning up at Phoenix as it picked up the cast iron knocker and banged on the door loudly. “I will come pick Phoenix up when Phoenix is done, ne? Have fun!” Genesis said, vanishing before Phoenix could say a thing.

Muffled sounds of annoyance made their way to Phoenix’s ears before a rather disgruntled elderly woman pulled open one of the doors, glaring straight at Phoenix, convinced he was the culprit behind the unwelcomed noise.

The woman’s eyes narrowed, flashing as they gave Phoenix a once over. “Well, what do you want? Don’t you know I’m busy? Our temperamental Lord Aether has demanded I make a new set of clothing for a body I don’t have the measurements to - which is just like him to demand such outrageous ts – s – so either smarten up and tell me why you were knocking so loudly on my door as if doomsday had come, or leave so I can finish my work!”

It took a moment for Phoenix’s head and ears to stop reeling from the verbal onslaught and put one and one together. “Err. I think I’m that body.”

The old woman’s small eyes grew smaller still. “Well. Don’t just stand there, young man! Get in here so I can get started!”

The uneasy feeling Phoenix had experienced from before was quickly growing into a sense of impending doom. “Um. I really wouldn’t want to bother you. You sound like you’re really busy and everything. I’m sure I can find some clothes to fit me elsewhere… so no need to make them, right? And I’ll go and tell that bastard Aether as much, so yeah, I’ll be going now!”

A hand grabbing Phoenix by the scruff of his neck prevented any attempt at running away. For an elder, she certainly had more strength than her build led one to believe, unfortunately for Phoenix.

“Be good and stand over there. And take off that wet blanket! You’ll catch a cold, and I can’t take your measurements when you’re clutching that rag around you like that!” The youth didn’t move. The woman huffed, and stormed over to her un-cooperating model, grabbing onto the blanket and attempting to pull it off. “I said take off the blanket!”

Phoenix freaked, eyes ningning and hands locking around the wet cloth to keep it in place around his body. “No! I can’t!” the youth yelped, tearing away from the woman and backing into a corner of the room like a frightened animal.

“Why ever not?” the frustrated seamstress demanded, advancing on her most stubborn subject, pouncing on the youth and stripping away the black blanket with a flourish.

“Because I’m naked!” the God of Fire screamed, sinking down into a little ball and trying to hide elf elf from the woman’s narrow-eyed gaze.

The seamstress starede ste stolen blanket in her hand forgotten, realisation of just what this boy was dawning on her. The rain-washed white wings almost glowed in the dim lantern light, seemed to make everything else within the room insignificant. The youth from whose back they sprung suddenly seemed wrong, cowering there on her floor, huddled into a tiny ball as if he were nothing more than a castaway child, neglected and mistreated on the streets. For a deity to behave like that… it was just wrong. But somehow… somehow, it was understandable. For this one, at least.

“Oh please,” the elderly woman finally huffed, recovering from her shock. “You don’t seriously expect me to believe that no one has seen you naked before, do you young man? And do you really think I have not see everything you’re trying to hide before on my own husband and the five sons I’ve raised?”

Phoenix faltered. The woman had a point. Why was he acting all paranoid and shy over his naked bodyich ich had pretty much been shown to all the population of Ten, and used as a tool to get to Aether? “I… err… got carried away. And I guess I’m not use being naked in front of women…?”

“Oh? So am I correct to assume you don’t mind being as bare as the day you were born in front of men?” the seamstress asked with a wicked smile.

The God of Fire’s face became as red as his hair and eyes. “Could you just get me something to wear already, you old witch?!”

A dry fluffy towel was thrown smack center into Phoenix’s face, sending the deity reeling. “There’s no need to start calling names. Dry yourself off and then stand up straight so I can measure your puny underfed body.”

“I’m not this way by choice, you know,” Phoenix muttered, doing as he was told, an embarrassed blush still staining his cheeks. There was definitely something different from being required to be naked for a ritual, or to seduce someone, than to stand and be moved and mred.red. You just felt more self aware of your body, since that was all the seamstress cared about.

“I’m Phoenix, by the way,” the God of Fire said after a while as the seamstress lifted his arm to measure from shoulder to wrist. “Sorry for my outburst before. I have a pretty short temper and a foul mouth to boot.”

The seamstress huffed. “You really are underfed, you know that? I can see all your ribs,” the woman muttered, taking a step back to glare at the youth in front of her. Phoenix’s wings shifted, showing his discomfort at being scrutinized. “Just call me Yuu. I’m the resident seamstress of the castle. Onle, ae, as a matter of fact, there being so few living here and all.”

The God of Fire let those words pass through his mind, echoing what Genesis had said earlier. Home sweet home… the castle on top of the world, where the God of Chikyuu ruled. It was more like a haunted citadel, and just as sparsely populated. Aether chose to live like this. Sealed himself away from everyone who wanted to be close to him. Wasn’t it ironic then, that he had chained Phoenix to him, the one person who hated him with an undying passion?

“Idiot,” Phoenix whispered, catching Yuu’s attention. The old seamstress let the breathed curse slide, stepping away to record Phoenix’s measurements.

Caught up in his own thoughts, the God of Fire didn’t notice the elderly woman shuffle off into an adjoining room, and reappear a few moments later with some garments held carefully within her arms.

“Well, Phoenix. Unfortunately I don’t have any clothes your size. There haven’t been any young boys around your age here as long as I’ve been here, and Lord Aether has a larger build that you,” Yuu said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Fortunately though… You and Lady Casimir have a similar body shape, though of course, she’s more well endowed in the bust area, but these should fit you nicely once I make some quick adjustments!”

Crimson eyes focused on the seamstress in front of him. On the garment she was holding out towards him.

“No,” Phoenix said flatly, twitching.

“Oh, come now. It is only until I get your proper clothes made for you,” Yuu said soothingly, advancing on the God of Fire who looked as if he would bolt any second, naked or not.

“Can’t I just wear some rags until then?!” Phoenix yelped as the seamstress caught him and expertly slipped the top part of the white flowing garment over his head, despite his violent thrashing.

“Of course not! How would ook,ook, for a deity to go around in rags! And no, walking around naked or clothed in a blanket will not suffice either!” the woman lectured as she somehow managed to pull the skirt up around Phoenix’s waist and fastened it with a thick violet sash.

Phoenix stared down in horror at himself. His breaths came out in short little gasps that really didn’t provide enough much needed oxyto hto his brain. There was lace and ruffles everywhere. Pretty white lace and ruffles and embroidered flowery designs!

“Oh gods. What the fuck have you done to me?” Phoenix whispered before the lack of oxygen finally put him out of his misery, letting the tortured God of Fire fall into a dead faint.

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