[Other FULL] BEYOND THE GODS[IC][T]

Thaig wakes up with a start, feeling something tugging at his heart, something itching on his neck. The same sensation that had driven him for the past few days, leading him up the mountain and away from the area he had been calling home. It was so much stronger now, stronger than it had ever been.

He rolls off his makeshift bed, landing heavily on his feet, swaying a bit as he stands. The tugging sensation was almost physical, and very disorienting. He grabs his tattered cloak, which he had been using as a pillow, fastening it securely. The winds this high up could rip it off him if he wasn't careful, and no matter how tough he was, he was grateful for the protection it offered. He grabs his hammer, peering outside his shelter at the light of dawn. He needed to make it to the summit, and he needed to get there today.

"No time like the present."

Within the hour, he had lost sight of the sun, the thick fog preventing him from seeing more than a few feet ahead. There was no way to tell the time, and no sound but his breath, or his feet on the rock below him. The silence, the solitude, they were nothing new. But they seemed worse now, with his destiny so close. Soon everything he had prepared for would start. Soon he would meet the Cherub who he would help save the world. Soon he wouldn't be alone anymore. This thought pushes him on, almost stronger than the feeling pulling him up.

Abruptly, the fog clears, leaving Thaig out in the open, the world below hidden by the mist. The way forward is clear to him, while the path back is dangerous and obscured. He appreciates the metaphor, finding it amusing. He allows himself a laugh, the first genuine laugh he's had in years. He races up the mountain, throwing caution to the wind and rushing toward the summit. He dodges around rocks, leaps over pitfalls and crevices in his path, scrambling over the rough terrain until he sees his destination.The Shrine. Thaig doesn't know why he calls it that, or why it warrants a capital"S", but when he sees it, he knows it deserves the name. He moves forward almost reverently, the tugging at his heart almost unbearable.

This world--the mortal world--was in pain. This was something that she could feel with every fiber of her being, even before she had made physical contact with it. After emerging from her "cocoon" she landed on the ground with grace, knees slightly bent as an automatic reaction to cushion the landing. She rose to her feet and took one last look over what had essentially been her "home," or in the very least, her shelter. It was a giant gem, it shone brightly in the gleaming sunlight, casting a purplish light where the sun shone through it. It was something a mortal would probably try to sell if the world was in better condition. She doubted, however, that they had tools capable of rendering the stone into use, if for no other reason than the divine energy that emanated from it. It mattered little to her, she had no use for material objects.

The naked woman shivered as she began her ascent up the mountain, although it was not from the cold. The energy of the world tugged tightly on core in two different directions, providing a small feeling as if she ripped in two if she did not quickly make it to one of these places. She knew what the forces were, after all, it was the purpose of her creation and she began to move towards the stronger pull which was coming from the peak of the frozen mountain that she entered this world at. It was a bit of a somber journey, but she enjoyed the solitude that this mountains vast expanse provided. The relative tranquility provided here was in stark contrast to the chaos of the world below, but she knew the truth and would not let such lull into a false sense of safety.

While she suspected the journey towards the Shrine to be an eventful one, she prepared herself for the worst. The Divines most likely had the forethought to place her and her "siblings" in relative safety--at least until they were bound to their Cherubs, but the world was a dangerous place and only a fool would allow themselves to be taken by surprise. She ventured alone up the mountain, focusing solely on the path she had decided. Ushered on by Divine purpose, it didn't take long for her to reach the top. She was a bit surprised, however, how little mortal life she saw. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Those who called this mountain home most assuredly lived careful lives to protect themselves from beings who had more sinister intent. It mattered little, however, she cared little for the mortals of this world--her ultimate goal was to punish Kasimir, smiting him with her own version of Divine righteousness; that is, a a painful and agonizing death that would make him weep for mercy. Even that, however, would only be a fraction of all the suffering he had caused this world.

The Shrine was in sight now, and she could make out figures that had already begun to amass there. They were, she assumed by the fact that they were not bare as herself, the transcended humans whose purpose was to assist the Cherubs in their plight. She gave a slight scoff as she approached. Just the thought of it, her needing help? She was borne from the essence of Divinity itself and saw these mortal men, powerful as they may be, as nothing more than extra burden. So, it was with reluctance and not being in a position to negotiate that she accepted this idea.

Ellia Martanya

It began as a stir, an invisible nudge which beckoned Ellia toward a certain direction. She ignored it in the beginning. There were other, more important things which occupied the warrior's mind. In actuality, there was only one. It was one word that has seized her entire being. One singular, blinding path in which she walked, which darkened all others forever. There was only one end to this path, and everything else that Ellia would encounter in her eyes would only help or hurt her along that path. The end came either with the death of Achelous, or her. This path, this word, this occupation in her mind, was vengeance. It wasn't her main drive or purpose. It was her only one. It was her life.

Deny the pull as it grew stronger became daunting. Ellia soon discovered that this pull was directly tied to the Cherub she was to protect. The idea of having to watch over anyone at a time like this was absolutely out of the question for her. She cared not for anything else but her own purpose. Yet as she thought on it more, she saw this task as an extension of her objective. If there was anyone or any being capable of helping her see her mission through, it would be a being of divinity. She no longer ignored the pull, and make her way to the Mount Cassiel.

Ellia had never been high up the mountain, but she did visit it occasionally as a younger girl on one of her many nights she had sneaked out of bed. The powerful winds and chilly air were just as she remembered them. In fact, she was certain she stood now at a similar spot as she was standing many years ago, in one of her first ventures around the mountain. The path was hidden from her, as it was then, which caused her to turn back the last time. This time was no different. The fog was intense and almost blinding. The path of the rocks in this area were jagged and far apart, to the point where proceeding would have seemed impossible. She remembered looking to her side as a younger girl and seeing no end to the fog, and thus no path to continue. What she saw now was the same thing. There was no path, only the fog.

But there was something else, something additional that wasn't there before. A feeling. The same, tugging feeling she had been sensing recently. It drew at her from some deep, incorporeal center in her chest, and fluttered into her mind. The feeling was powerful, and almost uncontrollable. It urged her onward, even if it didn't appear there was one. It did give on thought in her mind, however. It gave her a sense that there indeed was a path forward, even if her eyes said otherwise.

When faced with such a predicament, people would choose their course of action based on the type of person they were, or chose to be. A logical person would see no path forward, and turn back to find another way. A cowardly individual would not risk their own life for something that they cannot see, and thus leave. A patient person would wait and see the path presented to them. Few would seek to move word despite no concrete way of knowing one's fate. A person with strong conviction in religion would proceed forward on faith alone. Another is someone with nothing left to lose.

Ellia took a running start and jumped to through the fog with little hesitation, and was rewarded with the sound of stone and rock beneath her feet. She proceeded forward again, jumping through parts where no path existed, and climbing through others too vertical to walk. Eventually, the fog began to lift the further she went up, until she came upon what she believed to be her destination. There were a few others there, others who seemed to have made a similar journey to the top. More notably, two others, naked and unnaturally alluring, also were present.

The one with crimson hair was more notable to her, though she couldn't explain why. She felt a twinge on the nape of her neck, and a storm of... something brewing deep within herself. She felt the draw pull her toward this woman, and understood this to be the one she was chosen to protect. The Cherub. Ellia walked silently toward this woman, her cold, barren eyes fixated on the Cherub's eyes.

Outside the Shrine of Mount Cassiel, one would take cognizance in a nearby crack in the ground. It was Gaia letting free a cherub from it's underground prison. Out of the crack in the ground came a roughly human sized jewel with a blue tint about it. Any passerbyers would gawk at the jewel emerging from the ground, and gape at the sight of what was emerging from inside the jewel. A dastardly handsome young man which one wouldn't ignore, sleeping with all the time in the world.

After roughly 7 seconds of sleeping inside the jewel, the young man was pushed out of the jewel and was lobbed onto the floor. A groan, a mumble, and a twitch of his left arm is what set Justice into motion. The man was covered in a seemingly bluish liquid which was dripping off of him, the liquid most presumably from the large spherical crystal. The first thing Justice heard was the chirping of the bugs, and the calm breeze passing over his naked back. He was aware of what was going on, and that a disciple was to find him. He got up, awkwardly trying to adjust with his muscles. Moving and getting up was a chore for Justice, especially trying to manage his own weight. He let out a small chuckle, and a ping of dissapointment. It was a hazy evening and he expected something more splendid when he was to be awoken. He did notice, however, a shrine. A small shrine which paid homage to the former god Calazar. He wondered what his disciple would think of him, he hoped he would get approval from his soon to be life-long bond.

Justice felt a slight tug. The kind of tug when being lurched by the shoulder. A tug in the direction of a strong bold man, burly and large. He tried ignoring the tugging, but it was persistent and continued pulling Armani. He looked in the direction of the man. He was taller than most around him. Justice also noted down a pretty young scarlet lady, and a women with white hair. Two astute figures, both had cunning looks.

The tugging kept on until Armani took a step towards the man, and another, and another. Justice was walking towards the burly man, a bit nervous, but continued his trek. He didn't want to let his disciple down, after all.

There were several people now gathered at The Shrine, and Thaig found himself moving closer to them. Surely they were all there for the very same reason, and some of them wore very little, or nothing at all. They must be very tough to weather such cold. But before he can introduce himself to the group, a mighty column of light erupted from The Shrine, sending rock fragments everywhere.

Thaig leaps into action, jumping in front of one of the others, a naked young lass with red eyes and white hair. He's not sure why, but his instincts compel him to protect her. He brings up his hammer, thrusting it forward to shatter a piece of rock heading straight for him, shattering the rock into tiny pebbles. His large frame prevents the Lady behind him from being hit by these small stones.

He turns to the Lady, offering his cloak to cover her body. "Are you alright, ma'am?" Though he's certain he has never seen her before in his life, she seems familiar to him, and she creates a strange feeling in his heart.

"It was of no consequence to me." The red eyes lady paused briefly, looking her protector in the eyes. "However, you wasted no time to rise to action." She narrowed her eyes. "And that has garnered my respect," she said staunchly, reaching out for the cloak that was offered. "I believe you are the one to aid me in my quest. Your valor will not got unnoticed by my side." She fastened the cloak on and then muttered to herself before walking off towards. You humans may prove useful yet... She stopped and turned back to him, "Prepare yourself. We are to enter battle against the demon horde as soon as I'm done here."

With unwavering boldness she approached the great Divine known as Zosimus. "I except you have prepared us with means to prepare ourselves for battle? A forge of some sorts to craft and repair armament? A hidden alcove in which we are to recuperate and plan our moves?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "At this current moment it is irrelevant, old man. If you have not, then you should." She eyed him with scorn, trying to find something in his stone-eyed face, but it gave no secrets. With a twirl, she was off. She wasn't up for discussion with an old man and his archaic ideals on how to save this world.

If they were going to defeat the Dominion 3 they would have devise an entirely new strategy. If they could defeat Divines before, they could do it again. Trying the same old trick, no matter how many new beings had been wrought into creation from the beyond, would find them fighting another losing battle. And that was not the purpose of her creation. She was not meant to lose, and even if it ended in her dismissal from this world she would stop at nothing. This world was not something she enjoyed anyway, and the only reason she was here to punish the evil that had been allowed to grow rampant while humanity languished.

She approached her Disciple, standing by his side as she peered outward over the vastness of the lands below. "Are you ready? It is only the beginning, but we must hold nothing back. I have watched you, and the other Disciples as well. If you are as good at crushing skulls as you are with rocks using that hammer of yours, then we should be well enough off." She began to stride forward, beckoning the man to follow her. She wrapped the cloak more snugly around her body, not to protect herself from the cold, but in a show of modesty. She didn't really know whether the man offered the cloak being a gentleman, or as an embarrassed prude who saw a lady naked. Either way, it was a kind gesture and the red-eyed missus always paid her dues.

Ellia Martanya - Shrine, Mount Cassiel

Ellia's gaze was broken when a sudden burst of bright white energy crashed beside the shrine. Ellia averted her gazed and brought her hands in front of her to protect her face. When the light faded, she saw what appeared to be a being with white hair and an ominous orange eye. The being had wings on his back, and a look as tough as any she had recently seen. One of the other Cherubs questioned the sudden arrival of the being, but he downplayed anything and quickly got to the point of his arrival.

And then Achelous' name was mentioned, and everything else didn't matter. Ellia clenched her fists tightly. She could feel her face flush with anger and her blood boil within her body, fueling it with what felt like tonnes of adrenaline. She gritted her teeth together, making an uncomfortable sound as the two bits of her jaw ground each other. She didn't want to waste anymore time up on that shrine. Every demon under Achelous' control that she personally dispatched made her feel as if she was getting one step closer to the Goliath himself.

She looked back up at the exposed Cherub that belonged to her. Knowing that it was going to be quite chilly up Mount Cassiel, Ellia elected to bring along a cloak to keep herself warm. However, she was unaware the Cherubs would come into this world so bare. Figuring the cloak would slow her down anyway, she lifted the cloth over her head, and handed it to the flamed-haired beauty. "Here," Ellia said, gesturing for the Cherub to take the cloak from her hand. She seemed to be a woman a tad bit shorter than she, so the cloak ought to fit.

She then turned to proceed down the way she came, not seeing if the Cherub was following.

Thaig falls into step with his ward, gripping his hammer at the Divine's words. For all his time out here, he'd never seen demons in such high number. One hundred demons was a force to avoid, not fight. But the Lady was adamant, and the Divine promised she had a power to fight them. Things have changed, and destiny awaits while the horde runs rampant.

"My Lady, I know this mountain very well. I will lead you to the village, and help however I can. My name is Thaig, by the way. Please, follow me."

He moves in front of the Cherub, keeping close in case she needs help, but letting her follow as best she can on her own. He senses that she is very independent, and wouldn't want him holding her hand, but it also lets him see her physical ability, to gauge how strong and agile she is.

He doesn't worry about the other Disciples and Cherubs, letting them make their own way. All he needs to worry about now is the woman behind him, and the Demons ahead of him. He silently prays he doesn't screw up.

Ellia Martanya - Mount Cassiel, The Third Colony

Ellia didn't make a habit of giving many other people the time of day, especially when her mind was set on slaughter. Yet she felt some inner obligation to at least acknowledge what her Cherub had said to her and to answer her in turn, no matter how scornful it would turn out to be. She turned around and stared the Cherub in the eye. "I wait for no one. Not when it comes to this," She replied to the red-haired beauty. Without another word, she turned around and proceeded down the mountain path, electing a more direct path down instead of the climbing she had down on the way over. She skidded across the steep bits, and jumped from peak to peak as she descended as rapidly as she could. She was a woman possessed, one who had seen the potential fulfillment of her desires on fast approach with each movement down. There was no stopping her now.

By the time she did reach the base of the mountain, she was greeted by Zosimus, who began some sort of chanting in an odd but pleasant tongue. A few moments later, she felt an energy wrap around her, and transmit her elsewhere. When she was rematerialized again, she stood in front of one of the caverns of man. The sight before her appeared as if it was from one of her distant memories. To be more precise, it felt as if it were from one of her nightmares, one she would constantly have as a younger woman. For a moment, this gave her pause, as she stood by and stared. She felt as if she were that girl again, the one who left and ran while her family was torn to shreds. She felt just as helpless, as scared, as alone. That feeling only stood with her for a moment longer. As soon as she heard Zosimus address them, she felt her convictions return, as well as her skill. All those memories and feelings she had experienced as a child were gone, save for one: her anger.

She brandished her weapon, a longsword fit for her person, and displayed it for the demons in front of her to see. Many around her turned to view the new group who have appeared, while others continued their slaughter. Ellia pointed her weapon toward the demons, and charged them. She gripped the weapon tightly by the hilt with both hands, bringing it back to her hip, as she stormed toward a bull-like creature in the process of massacring a family. The beast had already ripped apart an older woman and man, leaving two children cowering beneath it, waiting for the end to come. The demon roared nefariously at the humans, before preparing to bring its might upon them. However, Ellia brought the full force of her weapon upon the beast's side. Her steel ripped through the demon's skin, breaking apart its bones and crushing its entrails, before proceeding cleaning out the other end. The beast roared in the agony of this unexpected injury, and that howl was suddenly silence as a second swing of her longsword separated its head from its shoulders. The head fell cleanly on the ground, while the blood from the top of the headless beast sprayed fluid across Ellia's clothing and partially onto her face.

The two children brought their attention from the headless demon which had collapsed to the ground to their 'savior', the one splattered with the blood of the monster. The woman looked down upon the two children for a moment, her eyes seeming to bore deep into their skulls, before she turned around and proceeded to the other monsters without another word. They knew they ought to have been thankful, to see this woman as the gallant, brave, selfless warrior she may have been. Yet for the brief moment that she looked down at them with her cold, spiritless eyes, she appeared just as frightening as the demon she had just slain.

Though they didn't speak much on the way down, Thaig has a thought as he and the Lady approach Zosimus. "My Lady, what is your name? There must be something I can call you."

She shakes her head, placing a hand on Thaig's shoulder. "I can not tell you my name. It is unpronounceable to human mouths. It would be easier to show you." Her eyes flash with color as she uses her power to direct her thoughts into Thaig's mind.

Thaig mentally reels as a wave of words, images, and emotions rush into his head. It lasts for only a second, but he feels as though he could glimpse the Lady's very soul, understanding not just who she was, but what she was as well. "That's... quite a mouthful. Perhaps something simpler? We will call you Eris." After all those thoughts, the name somehow came to him.

Eris nods, as a light begins to form around the group. "That will do. Call me Eris."

As the light fades, Thaig sees a village not unlike the one he grew up in being attacked by Demons. He shifts his grip on his hammer, looking to Eris as he prepares to fight. "Be cautious, my Lady. We don't know how many Demons are here, or what kind, but I will protect you-" His words are drowned out by heavy footsteps and a loud roar, as a large Demon charges straight for him and his Cherub. It resembles a man, but with an oversized right arm, two thick tentacles in place of its left arm, and a beak-like face. Thaig has just enough time to shove Eris out of the way before the beast grabs him in its massive arm, carrying him toward the houses and slamming him against the wall.

A wave of smaller Demons swarm toward Eris, hairless simians with sharp teeth and nasty claws. She holds out her hand to signal them to stop, her eyes flashing. The Demons gain a sense of dread, feeling her claws in their minds. They now fear her, but with an effort of will, she twists their minds further. They are hungry, and angry, and the large Demon pinning her Disciple is the cause of their rage. It is just one, while they are many. With a sweeping gesture, she sends the weak-minded fools off to fight the beast.

Thaig struggles in the Demon's grip, but is entwines its two tentacles into a sold limb, ready to strike him down. Before it can, a score of hairless apes leap onto its back, biting and clawing. It drops Thaig, trying to shake the monkeys off. He takes his chance, smashing the beast's knee with a low sweep of his hammer. The Demon falls to one knee, allowing Thaig to swing his hammer up and catch the creature on the chin. Dazed, it is easy prey for the simian horde, who begin tearing into the large Demon like hungry rats. Thaig turns and runs back to Eris, who draws her sword and heads into the village. "Try to keep up. I may need you by my side."

He tightens his grip, keeping pace with her. "Yes, my Lady."

"I have no times for your games, Kasimir! Eris scoffed at the waste of life before her. "Yet, I am not naive enough to believe you will simply step up and allow this chaos to end now. No, because you're a coward." She said with this a certain righteousness, bringing her sword to point at the man's throat with a gritty accusation. Taking a few steps closer, she looked at him in his eyes, staring into the vast pools of nothingness. His consciousness was overwhelming, and she let out a grunt as she attempted to access it. In truth, it was agonizing to try and access his mind.

"Sorry, m'dear... That just won't work on me." Kasimir let out a gleeful chuckle. "But you still haven't answered my question, what is your name?" He placed a hand on his cheek as he sat in his obsidian throne.

"I am the unbridled wrath of the people you've tormented--born of their hatred. I am the fury of the righteous, and the instrument of your demise, Kasimir." She swept her hand in front of him in a threatening motion. "My name, what these mortals will call me is Eris. My true name..." She gave both her names, the latter in the ancient tongue incomprehensible to all but those born of divinity. "Remember it well, for it will be the last thing that goes through your mind as I rip your twisted soul from this pathetic shell you call a body. I will make you feel an agony so great you will beg for a quick death, but you've earned no such thing." Narrowing her eyes she had one last thing to say, "I speak not for my brothers and sister, but you will most certainly come to fear me Kasimir."

Walking back to her disciple she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Come now, Thaig. We have much to do..." He had not given her his name, but he had no need to. She had in fact known his name as well as the names of the other disciples during her incubation period. And even if she had somehow missed it, she could feel it when she probed his consciousness. "We will waste no more time on this wretch... unless it is my sword being brought across his neck."