Celestial Snub

Hezala knew that she had to find out more about this purple shard. There were few options available to her, so she had to grit her teeth and do what must be done. Gathering an escort of 5 other gods, she traveled to that plane that she found so very distasteful. The Celestial plane.

Having arrived, the small group of gods waited around as silver-winged Celestials gathered together in the distance. They sneered at the weak celestials, who took their time before coming over in a large group for safety.

"Hezala, we meet again after so long. Have you reconsidered our proposal?" A blonde celestial woman represented the celestial race. The celestials were dressed immodestly, and it was definitely to the advantage of this particular woman. The curves on her body left shadows that hinted at more, and there was little that was needing hinting in the first place.

"Ariel, my answer is still the same. We are not interested in an alliance with you. Nothing has changed in the circumstances between us, and there is no trust between us." Hezala responded.

"Then why have you come? Did you miss me?" Ariel smiled precociously and seductively at Hezala. Rolling her eyes at these attentions, Hezala produced the purple shard.

"Do you know what this is?"

Ariel looked at the crystal shard in a cursory manner, a smug look appearing on her face. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Why should we tell you? You're not our allies. Though the offer is still there..."

Hezala glared at Ariel. As a proud God, she was unaccustomed to being toyed with. Even among the Gods, she commanded respect! This 'Ariel' thought she was naive to this 'alliance'. How dare she!?

When the Celestials had first proposed an alliance, it seemed too good to be true. But as they began to refuse to provide information about themselves, Hezala realized the Celestials were just looking to use the Gods as a vanguard force in their war. They would be ground down to a fine powder between the Celestials and the Demons. And now they were being haughty again?!

Hezala particularly hated the weak Celestials being so arrogant in front of her. Each of them were no stronger than an Arch Demon! Any single god in her entire race could crush the strongest of them easily! It was an insult that she hated enduring, but it was a fact that as a whole, the Gods had the least overall strength and influence in the multiverse. So she managed herself, and resolved to keep the discussion on productive topics.

"Isn't it in your best interest to tell me? Though you refuse to tell me about your Celestial empire, it wouldn't hurt to tell me about the Demons. Your enemy's enemy is your friend, no?" Hezala said with a calm and even voice. The other Gods in her entourage respected Hezala's restraint, because they themselves were burning with a fury toward this treatment!

"No. My enemy's enemy is just that, my enemy's enemy. That doesn't mean they are not my enemy too. And maybe it wouldn't hurt... but I don't know that it would help either. So why do anything at all?" A tiny chuckle finished off Ariel's retort.

"Let me speak to Mikrel."

"Mikrel is busy. From now on, if you have any business with the Celestials, it will be through me.", Ariel said definitively. Even she no longer had a smile on her lips.

Hezala was insulted for the last time. Understanding it was truly futile to continue, she led her entourage away, leaving with nothing to show.

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"Move your damn asses!" A man kicked two children to keep moving as the rain came down. The road had turned to mud in this thick downpour, but the angry oaf only told the children to struggle harder. He ignored their difficulties getting up, even though they were bound by ropes by the hand and waist. They could barely see ahead of them in this dark night, with the clouds blocking out the moonlight. Only during the brief flashes of lightning could they confirm they were still on the road.

"Ugh, just my cursed luck!" Swore the man.

A bright snake of lightning illuminated the sky and their surroundings, followed by a thunderous crash. In that moment, one of the children, a small and frail boy, pointed out ahead of them.

"There's something there!" He shouted, weak as his voice was. Anything to distract this cruel man.

The trio trudged through the elements toward the tree, looking for a some sort of respite from the rain. While water was still leaking through the tree's crown, it was definitely less. The ground beneath the tree wasn't mushy at least.

"Sit against the tree while I tie you up!" Growled the surly man.

The boy and the girl seemed to slow to respond, not knowing how to act in this moment. With a slap, the man hit the boy so hard that he fell to the ground.

"Best learn to obey quick! You're gonna be slaves for the rest of your lives once I bring you to Rufasta. Don't bring me any trouble either, or I'll do to you what I did to your parents!" Snarled the scoundrel.

He threw the end of the rope restraints over a high tree branch, and tied it off at a height the children couldn't reach. They were barely 10, and not much higher than the man's torso. Even if they could, the knots that were used were terribly complicated. It seemed the man had a lot experience with knots... Or kidnapping.

Having secured his captives, he meandered over to the other side of the tree, to sleep out this terrible storm. Konja had been watching this entire thing, wondering what was happening. It had been the first time humans had come close enough that he could hear their conversation. Perhaps now he could finally get a better sense of what was going on in this part of the world.

"Jeremy, are you okay?" The girl whispered, once she was sure their captor was out of earshot.

"Yeah, I'm okay Shelley." The boy brushed it off, and acted like the injury was no big deal. He had gone dizzy for a while after the slap, but he didn't want to say anything.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the knight patrol will save us. we just have to wait a little longer." Jeremy said, trying to reassure Shelley.

"Don't say stupid things. The city watch turned a blind eye, why would any knights be chasing after us. And we've gone so far already, it's impossible for anyone to track us after this rain. Just... go to sleep."

Shelley's mood had changed from concerned to grumpy. Considering the future she was facing, it wasn't unexpected. This was what Jeremy was hoping to avoid, but it seems he had botched it and somehow made it worse. He sighed, crouching against the tree beside Shelley, the only source of warmth in the area.

Then he began to pray. "Almighty Zurok or Ruocka, please hear my prayer. Any god, really. Shelley and I... we're in a bad situation. We've tried to be strong, we really have, but we need your grace. We don't... have anyone else anymore. Not after that bastard set our town on fire..." Jeremy continued his prayer, recounting their trials and how they had tried to cope. How they were worthy, and how desperate they were. Shelley remained silent, unwilling to beg, but not stopping him either. She just remained crouched next to Jeremy for warmth, her head in her arms.

Konja had been angry from the beginning of the prayer. Learning this place was near where his own father had established a religion long ago, and that they still worshipped him was ludicrous! The gods had declared they were going to stay out of mortal affairs for at least a few centuries now. And yet these mortals still worshipped...

But as he heard more, he became angrier and angrier. He was reminded of why he wanted to smash apart human civilization in the first place! Their greed and savagery ruined anything good! He remembered his view of humanity and his personal convictions. How he came to be in this situation in the first place!

He had little need to doubt the words of these children. His divine sense had already detected a bloody dagger, a mostly empty flask of whiskey and a vial of poison on the man's person.

Konja didn't know where these two children fit in his definition of humanity. They were caring toward each other, and they were persistent and independent. But their captor certainly was the incarnation of every bad facet of humanity!

In his mind, his idea of humanity began to split in half. Instead of those who needed to be conquered, he began to think of them as those who needed to be saved, and those who needed to be removed.

And this sorry excuse for a human being... he needed to be removed...