Aryel Part 2: Summer Night's End

Posted on Thu Jun 15th, 2023 @ 3:07pm by Watch Leader Frederick Hollywood

Mission: Findelion Watch - Villains
Location: Hollywood County, Findel, Tera
Timeline: Alternate Timeline

Her life had been nothing short of a fantasy. Aryel had traveled across the realms with Frederick. By land, air, sea, and magic they went too far away places neither of them ever dreamed they would reach.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Lorde had invested a massive amount of time and effort into making sure his familiar companion had been molded into a champion of the people. One perhaps to be respected even more than himself.

Although he rarely asked, the golden mephit would gladly dash into the heart of any problem, any sort of combat that her true love believed merited her attention. The air elemental also gained knowledge about combat and sorcery as Hollywood did. If he picked up a fighting technique her own prowess would also be enhanced.

“You are now my champion.” She could remember the day he spoke those words. Also the day he had crafted the finest armor for her to wear into battle. He said the plate fit her in ways because it was once worn by angels.

Later still Fred had come to her and presented a massive flamberge. With his usual strange smile he said, “This will help you defend the realm when I am gone.” That was the day she no longer just felt like a wandering adventurer. The wispy woman suddenly felt burdens of responsibility. She had always told her love that heavy things bothered her. This was indeed a burden beyond any she had lifted before.

When her love became a god of The Findellion Pantheon along with his friends. He raised her to a demigod-like status that he called quasi deific. Suddenly her pure heart became just a bit tainted. Tainted both from the Chalice of the Immortals that had born her new god and some of the idiosyncrasies that made him who he was. Suddenly she had desires to taste and feel some of the deepest darkest desires her Lorde had imagined in life.

So things were for a long time. The two of them acted as dark evangelists of the land. Not just focused on evil doers but also the innocent. Trying to twist and pervert them to what he had dreamed of.

Still there was a softness to him that he always said was because of her. He had built massive storage units using some strange magic that allowed him to keep people in a kind of eternal sleep. He would copy them and send them upon the world. This way if they died he would always be able to remake them. Most of them lived life through the eyes of these doppelgangers. Some did not. The one who didn’t live as clones stayed in a fantasy world created for each individual. So in essence whatever they needed or wanted was supplied to them, including strife. She had no idea how long some of the sleepers had been in these places, but she did have an idea of how many. One of the major renovations to his city after becoming a god was to have a massive cubed building placed in its epicenter. He told her it was his Menagerie.

They ruled like emperors of Rome. Constantly tasting the best of what Hollywood County had to offer. Great churches had been built in Lorde’s name. Four massive cathedrals had been placed at the four main entrances to the city to the North, South, East and West. Much like the great catholic churches he had admired as a young man. The sanctuary ceiling was ninety feet off the floor with various carvings to inspire his people. On the floors serpents would writhe about. They had been pacified by priests of the order. Above the altar in each church loomed a massive cross with Ariel perched upon it. These could sometimes come to life and even had their own followers and devotees. Lastly there was a pool just in front of the altars filled with a liquid that resembled blood that could heal, restore and even help a person to feel euphoria.

Ariel would even come to some of the worshipers to help them feel at home or sometimes to guide new champions into service. Some believed that Lorde only chose the most beautiful for this task and there was some truth in that.

They would sometimes take people to his palace for further contemplation and training in his ways. She of course enjoyed these times, but she knew full well it was his darkness that made it so. Of course her inner light did keep his more sadistic fantasies from pouring out into his “Shangri La.”

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Years later, many of these “champions” had come and gone. Some had even attained a level of enlightenment similar to Lorde’s. Of course not before transforming most of them into twisted visions of what he wanted them to become.

Ariel woke up one fine morning and Frederick was gone. This in and of itself wasn’t unusual. It was when he had not returned for quite some time she became concerned.

When weeks became months the golden champion began to make inquiries. When the inquiries failed to show any results the winged goddess began to hunt in earnest herself.

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Ariel slammed Fierna into her bedroom wall with enough force that the demon queen left an indent. As the stone crumbled down to the floor the golden winged goddess continued her single question. “Where is Lorde? Tell me now or it will cost you your life!” She was screaming with her small fangs bared.

The war had been costly. It had raged through the planes of hell for weeks. Still her beloved had been known to come here and almost all other options had been exhausted. It wouldn’t be long before the strain of war would bring the once great city of Hollywood to ruin.

“I have no idea, Aryel. I told you that months ago.” The seductive serpent tongue of the woman flickered as she spoke. She maintained her bravado but deep down there was a fear gnawing at her. Rumors had even sun down to her realm that Lorde’s once cheerful and bright champion had gone on a killing spree. Eliminating anyone who couldn’t answer her question.

Then a sick grin crossed the mephit’s face. “Don’t worry Fierna, I have a way to see if you're telling the truth.

The dark queen smiled thinking the worst of her fears might not be realized until the bone sword that Aryel’s master had given her appeared in the winged champion’s hand.

Without a moment's hesitation Aryel slid the sword into Fierna’s guts. Already the succubus could feel what she was draining into. As the sword stole the essence of the demon goddesses life, she said, “Maybe your god has abandoned you.”

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Later when Aryel questioned the demon’s spirit in her sword and found out that indeed she had known nothing. The wispy woman collapsed on the ground in grief. She had searched to the ends of Tera. Sought her love in almost any plane she could think of. Very few places remained where he could be hiding or taken to.

After crying for quite a time and crying out to all who would hear Aryel’s mind cleared. There was one last hope. Delvin had known Frederick even before he had come to Tera. In fact he knew much about the world devoid of magic that Lorde had once called home. Although The Great God of The Pantheon had gone one to spread his word to other realms he sometimes answered people who came before The Great Disk that was a symbol of his leaving.

She gathered her things and prepared for a journey she might not even make. One that would cost her dearly if it failed or succeeded. Then without a word to her subjects she left for the largest city in the land, Findel itself.

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The Great Disk loomed overhead. On its outermost edge where images etched into the strange marble. These told the story of the life of Delvin from his childhood to him leaving The Prime Material Plane. Inwards from his life story were the teachings of balance. To the left and right of the Yin Yang stood massive guardians that had once stood watch over his throne room.

The golden girl waited in line just like anyone else. The pathway to the great altar was lined with all of the deities of the pantheon. It was frowned upon to try and cut ahead in the line. Besides, it reminded her of the times she spent waiting to see the great god himself. How Frederick would almost be boiling over to ask Delvin some strange question about some faraway place that interested him.

The line was long. It took an entire day to reach the altar. It seemed fitting that the moon was full and it was moments away from midnight, as that was when Frederick had first called her in The Haunted Wood.

When the goddess approached The Great Disk, her countenance was filled with humility. Not just posturing. Aryel believed this to be her last chance. That coupled with the fact that her kingdom had suffered so much for her.

Her prayers were simple. Her sacrifice was not. Aryel placed her crown on the pedestal before her. “It is yours.” People in the crowd who knew her gasped. For a moment she believed her pleas had gone unheard or unanswered.

In a flash her mind filled with a dark ritual. One that required mass amounts of the energy that had been obtained from her followers. One that if it failed would ensure the oncoming storm of darkness would have her. As it would leave her with little of that power left over for self defense.

There was no hesitation. Without worry of just where she was, Aryel began to chant the spell. Her feet rose off the ground and her arms went out to a tee shape. As she spoke, the light began to pour from her eyes. The sky over the city began to darken. Runes began to take shape under her until a circular pattern was formed. The goddess could feel every inch of them like stripes from a whip.

In the sky an eye formed in the clouds. The clouds that had taken on a maelstrom like quality. A shaft of light poured through onto the woman below. Either because of her skin or because of some other aspect of the ritual light reflected off of the questing servant onto the crowd gathered below her.

Many would claim later that they could feel Delvin’s touch at that moment. Others still would say they could feel the brush of something else. Scholars would say it was a combination of both Delvin's power and Aryel’s own faithfulness being let loose.

The golden skinned mephit screamed out. “Frederick!” Then was no more as a pulse of energy went into the hole in the sky. The dark clouds rolled away and the sky became normal once again.

Some people would say she was going to say something else. Lore masters would say the words would have been, “I’m coming for you!”

TBC