Devourer

Chapter 140: Ghosts of the Past

Uriel sat down heavily in her chair as she felt the fatigue finally catch up to her. She might have just made a deal with the devil, but as it stands there was no other alternative. Or at least an alternative that carried less risk. But Uriel was no stranger to risks, she herself has approved her daughter to continue her mission to scout the lands of the vampires. It was a foolish plan considering what just happened but she knew they needed to know what was happening in the dark lands of the vampires.

So Uriel sent her two of her personal guards with Ariel in the hopes that they could keep her safe. It should be safe considering she received a report shortly after signing the treaty that Persephone and Heimdall were spotted in the north launching a renewed offensive. So at least those two were not anywhere near the region as for the dark mistress herself Nemesis she was nowhere to be found… as usual… It was hard to believe her and Nemesis used to be friends. How cruel fate could be at times. As if mocking her train of thought her eyes wandered to the new document that was on her table. It was a casualty report and it didn’t look good. If this kept up Uriel would have no choice but to agree to order a general mobilization of the Seraphim. As it stands if the general mobilization is called they would increase their numbers by six times and that wasn’t even including the Cherubim reserves that would no doubt be pressed into service.

The Cherubim were numerous even if they were weak. However the trained regulars were more than a match for most of the average denizens of both Terra and Hell. However, against an ancient? Like the Great Beast? They were chaff to be cut down like stalks of wheat before the scythe. Uriel knew all the best Cherubim could hope to do was to slow the Great Beast down if they were sent against him. Even a meat grinder needs to slow down to grind down meat…

Then there were the other ancients still roaming around, the ancient serpent Serchax has started to stir in the Azure Sea. Mahaila the Swift who was probably the most skilled combatant in the world was still nowhere to be found. The Crowfather is still out there serving his own personal agenda. Then there were the others still hiding and waiting for their moment to reemerge. Uriel knew all too well this world was filled with forgotten horrors…

If this war escalates and spreads there are going to be rivers of blood. Uriel knew conflicts like this tend to spread and escalate. The longer heaven fights the weaker the Seraphim become. Then new challenges may start to rear their ugly head. If the Daemon Lords of Sin finally decided who was to be the new Prime Evil then they might finally try to break the seal.

At that thought Uriel ran her hands through her hair as she furrowed her brow in frustration. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated at that little lie she helped to concoct. It was common knowledge that the denizens of hell could not enter Terra unless they had an invitation. Heaven had an invitation in the form of prayers. However, this was not always the case. Travel between the worlds was not always restricted.

The three worlds were sealed off from each other thanks to the actions of one person, Magne Morningstar, the second Prime Evil. It wasn’t a cage to lock the demons in, it was a wall to keep Heaven out. More accurately it was a wall around Terra, so by erecting it, it barred travel to both Hell and Heaven. It was simultaneously designed to protect Hell and to obstruct Heaven from accessing Terra. Luckily for the Seraphim they found a way around it but the bottom line was that the demons had eons behind their walls to rebuild. The only solace that Uriel had was that only a Prime Evil could use the Black Heart to break the seal and thus far the demons seem to be content to fight each other rather than organize themselves in any meaningful fashion.

However, if Heaven becomes too weak then old enemies and forgotten horrors might reemerge from the shadows to take their vengeance or perhaps just for the fun of the slaughter.

When Uriel closed her eyes she could still see the battles with the Old Gods, the dreaded Firstborn and their army of horrors…

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Uriel soared at the head of her flight of Silver Maidens. They were some of the best warriors that the Seraphim had to offer. Though their numbers may be depleted what they lacked in numbers they made up for in skill, experience and raw bravery. It was a good thing too, for the foe they faced, nothing less than bravery that bordered on madness would suffice. But this was for their freedom, to be free of being toys to the old gods.

Uriel muttered a short prayer to her ancestors as she slowly approached the battlezone. This battle was an important one. They were facing the last hive of the Old God known as the Eternal Mother. The Seraphim’s role in this battle was simple, they were supposed to help tie down the last Hive of the Eternal Mother alongside the Draconians while the main Draconian force faced down the Eternal Mother herself. If they fought the Eternal Mother with her Hive present they would stand no chance. The Draconians already sacrificed a city as a distraction so everyone had to make this count.

One minute to battlezone

Uriel heard a voice sound off in her ear and she tried her best to steady her breathing. She could faintly see the flashes in the distance. It wouldn’t be long now and Uriel was soon proven right when she saw the massive sand storm that was spinning like a hurricane.

Uriel did a quick scan of the sandstorm and saw it was cursed. The dark magic coursed along the spinning sands like dark veins around a festering wound. Purple lightning occasionally flashed along the edge of the sandstorm, arcing along the perimeter like a tendril.

She has seen such a thing before, this sand storm was not filled. It was just a dome intended to create a barrier. However, that did not make Uriel feel much better as though it could be used as a decently effective barrier to keep something out, more often than not the servants of the Firstborn used this spell to keep something in.

Which means Uriel was going to have to order her soldiers to charge straight into a cage. Hopefully with Uriel’s help they could at least free what was trapped within.

“I will open a gap, prepare to enter.” Uriel said.

“Yes my lady.” Her soldiers replied in unison their voices ringing in her ear.

Uriel turned her head to look at the six hundred soldiers behind her. The Silver Maidens were once three thousand but now they were down to a mere six hundred. Only the strongest remained and the last thousand lasted much longer than the dead two thousand. The final six hundred were by far the most resilient; they have survived the killing of two Firstborn. As far as horror goes, they have seen it all and Uriel being their commander was with them every step of the way.

When Uriel reached the edge of the sand storm she paused and tried one last time to contact the missing army they were sent to assist. Uriel had a feeling they were inside this sand storm but she decided to check just in case.

“General Dragoth, this is Archangel Uriel.” Uriel said into the silent transmission spell.

Then Uriel heard a crackling response…

Sand… orm… assistance…

Not…

Combat ineffective…

Repea…

Not…

It’s not a…

Not a…

Uriel went silent as the transmission finally crackled out into eerie silence. They were here to kill a hive leader. Were they saying it was not a Hive Leader? Were they facing the Eternal Mother herself? If that was the case then Uriel had to go in, if she could confirm the presence of the Eternal Mother then she could call for the rest of the divine council.

“We are going in.” Uriel said and she turned to see her soldiers all solemnly nod.

“Get ready to enter once I make a path.” Uriel said as she channeled her spell. It was a rather simple spell but quite effective at this specific task. She created a ring of time dilation magic. She shoved it into the sand storm. Instantly an opening appeared, since the cursed sand was swirling in a clockwise direction by creating a ring she could make a hole. The sand would get caught by the edges of the ring as it continued to flow.

Instantly Uriel started to feel her magic threaten to unravel, she immediately made corrections to maintain it. The cursed effect of the sand was eating away at her spell and she wouldn’t be able to hold it open for long. But she didn’t need to, her soldiers had already formed up into a neat column and the moment it was possible they rushed through the hole. Uriel darted forward after her soldiers and she felt her spell unravel just as she passed through.

Right as she cleared the hole she saw a streak of purple lightning strike one of her soldiers. The angel let out a shriek as she fell from the sky smoking. Instantly two other angels rushed down to break her fall.

Uriel looked up and felt her blood turn to ice. She saw a maelstrom roiling overhead, this wasn’t magic that was used by the Eternal Mother’s Hive. This was the magic of another Firstborn…the Deep Shaper…

Sure enough she saw a large serpentine shape appear in the dark clouds overhead for a brief moment. The silhouette was only illuminated by an arc of purple lightning that lit up the roiling clouds above. Uriel knew that presence that lay above her, she could feel it. The rampant desire that seemed to bleed from that storm and then she saw it. A symbol of a humanoid eye appeared in the clouds and its gaze locked on her. It seemingly narrowed as if in a smile and then she heard the voice she knew all too well.

Uriel…

The voice echoed out, its tone betrayed its thinly veiled excitement. Uriel knew that gaze all too well, it was a gaze that belonged to one who could feed off misery.

“Serchax…” Uriel muttered as she gazed at the glowing eye.

Then that accursed voice rang out, its words intended for no one but Uriel herself.

I see a dark wind blowing through

I see days with neither fun nor glee

I see a future caused by you

I see a path not meant to be…

“Get ready, spread out!” Uriel shouted as she knew an attack was coming. Serchax always did this to cut into her resolve with her words. But Uriel knew better, the Deep Shaper had yet to perfect Serchax’s future sight ability. If he had, they would all be dead by now…

The future should be filled with magic

Dreams and wishes brought to life

But the days ahead are dark and tragic

No time for hope when all is strife…

At those words the entire sky lit up with lightning as Uriel and her forces were racked with purple lightning. Luckily for her, this time they were ready for it and they only took some light wounds which were quickly healed.

Whatever might have been, all the dreams you share

Because of you, the future is a cold nightmare…

Then the storm began to swirl and rage with greater ferocity. Uriel looked up and saw the entire storm above them begin to crackle with energy. Then she spotted this pillar of flame shoot up into the sky from ahead of them. The pillar of flame seemed to calm the storm slightly but Uriel knew this wouldn’t last long. Uriel shifted her gaze and saw the Draconians still battling the members of the Eternal Mother’s hive.

It was then that Uriel realized what the warped transmission was trying to tell them was.

It wasn't saying “it wasn’t a”. It was saying “it wasn’t alone”.

They were in a lot of trouble…

They were not prepared to fight two ancients at once. They were going to need help and judging by the battle going on below with the hive they were going to need a lot of it. The forces assigned to this mission were not sufficient to take down a Brood Mother and Serchax at the same time.

“Dive!” Uriel shouted as she shot towards the ground. She sensed the rest of her forces do the same, they needed to get as low to the ground as possible. With Serchax roiling the skies above them, flying too high up was a death sentence. The Draconians could fly as well so this must be their little trick to restrict their movements. Afterall, Draconians and Seraphim were far more vulnerable when grounded…

Mother?

Uriel remembers the coming battle being costly. Serchax wrought a heavy toll on them and they didn’t even win. Serchax abandoned the fight halfway once Uriel somehow managed to get a message out to Mihael. The breakthrough cost her two dozen comrades but the message went through.

She could still remember that little exchange that Serchax had with the Brood Mother…

You would betray me?

Are you really surprised?

The Deep Shaper sends his regards

We remember your treachery in Samsara

This would be a problem if it wasn’t so thoroughly predictable

Thank you for your contribution

Glad we have an understanding…

Betrayals upon betrayals, alliances with betrayals, betrayals that lead to alliances. There was no order, just raw chaos and personal gain. Honor was described as a humanoid construction, a practice made necessary due to the individual weakness of humanoids. Due to their dependence on societies. Humanoids were weak, that was why they needed morality and honor…

Uriel knew that was correct to an extent, but Uriel wanted a world where peace and order was the natural way. Not the chaos and bloodshed that the Old Gods loved so much. She had to succeed… for her children…

Mother? Can you hear me?

Uriel wanted to trust the Great Beast but she knew betrayal was the way of the ancients. The monsters cannot be trusted, they will suck anyone and anything dry if they were given a chance…

MOTHER!

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Uriel jolted as she heard her son’s shout. Uriel looked up from her desk to see her son staring at her with concern in his eyes.

“Nathanial…” Uriel said in slight embarrassment, she must have zoned out.

“Mother, are you alright, you’re pale.” Nathanial said as he knelt down and held Uriel’s hand.

“I am fine dear.” Uriel replied gently as she gazed fondly at her third son.

Nathanial was always the gentlest of her sons. His combat abilities were always lacking, he simply lacked the temperment to strike down an opponent. He was the exact opposite of his oldest brother Rafael. While Rafael preferred quick and direct solutions much like his father Nathanial preferred a softer and more indirect approach.

Nathanial was a natural diplomat and boasted great administrative abilities. His combat abilities were limited to rudimentary self defense with a one handed fencing style. Well at least rudimentary as compared to the finest fighters of Seraphim, against a lay opponent he would be more than enough to defeat them.

He was a peculiar child preferring a one handed style as it allowed him to appear rather lightly armed and armored at all times which was consistent with his pacifistic philosophy. Uriel didn’t tell him but his father detested this style and philosophy of combat. As for why he detested this it was simply because in style and philosophy he resembled The Blade of all people.

A one handed style with a free off hand was a pacifist’s style of combat. Where violence was a last resort, that was the way of The Blade as well. Violence as a last resort was the motto, although The Blade was exceedingly effective at violence when the situation called for it.

Not many knew this but The Blade often preferred to speak before drawing the blade. He was far better at persuasion than outright combat, although his ideals often fell on deaf ears. He was truly ahead of his time, Uriel herself modeled her philosophy of Order around The Blade’s philosophy. Although she did disagree on the part that all must be able to defend themselves. Uriel herself feels a disarmed population was a peaceful one, a population that was well armed and combat effective was just a conflict waiting to happen.

Uriel wanted to defang to protect. But The Blade believed a well armed and combat capable population was a polite one. As the subtle threat of violence forced civility, he argues that a government that held all the power was prone to falling to tyranny. However, Uriel felt that this philosophy would lead to chaos, and the people would not be able to unite to seek further horizons.

The fall of the Firstborn was all the proof that Uriel needed of the correctness of her philosophy. There was even a song about how together the mortals felled the gods…

Though faceless and reviled we were loyal the same

Serving the gods through the worst of our pain

When the old world falls let it be writ on its grave

The mortals felled the Old Gods unnamed…

“Are you having the episodes again mother?” Nathanial asked and Uriel shook her head.

“No, my latest trip just gave me a lot to think about.” Uriel replied as she lied through her teeth. This was her first dissociative episode in centuries, meeting the Great Beast must have jogged some very unpleasant memories. Although when she tried to recall them in sharp detail it almost seemed like her mind was blocking them out…

“Ok let me know if it happens again, we need you mother, now more than ever.” Nathanial said gently as he gave Uriel’s hand a squeeze.

“I will. Now what did you need dear?” Uriel asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“Oh I wanted to ask where Sister Ariel is? Did she not return with you?” Nathanial asked.

“No, she decided to continue her mission. I sent members of my retinue to guard her just in case. Since there is little need for secrecy now, I suppose a larger force should be fine. I do not care if the Vampires realize we are watching them. Hopefully that will dissuade them from their dark crusade.” Uriel replied with a sigh.

“I highly doubt that will dissuade them.” Nathanial said grimly.

“Yes I suspect you are right. You are right more often than me on these matters after all.” Uriel said gently.

“I assume you sent Valkyr with Ariel?” Nathanial asked.

“Yes, I did.” Uriel replied and Nathanial nodded as if satisfied.

“Then all should be well. Your personal champion should be more than enough.” Nathanial said and Uriel nodded in agreement.

“I should go now mother, I have much to do.” Nathanial said as he rose to his feet.

“See you later at dinner dear.” Uriel said and Nathanial responded with a warm smile before exiting her office.

Uriel winced as she thought back to her daughter and felt the worry well up. Then the images started flashing before her eyes. The memories of the battle she was just recalling, she remembers what happened once Serchax left.

They thought they had the Brood Mother dead to rights, but the Brood Mother then released her trap. They didn’t even manage to kill the Brood Mother in the end…

Uriel grabbed the chair’s armrest hard enough for the wood to groan and her knuckles turned white as the images flashed through her mind. The screams, the howling, the smell of flesh melting. Their eyes boiling, blood red foam bubbling from their mouths, their limbs turning to stone as they crumbled away…

Uriel tried her best to get her breathing under her control but she couldn’t draw breath. It felt like she was being strangled. She couldn’t make her chest expand to take in air. Subconsciously she let out a whimpering mutter, mentioning that accursed fog that killed most of her soldiers in a single attack.

Death Fog…