The Ascent of Zariel, Volume I, Chapter 2 - Part One


 * The Commons - 


 * An open cobblestone plaza in the midst of Whisperwood Hold, surrounded by a tavern and other low buildings. Broad thoroughfares lead off in several directions. Castle Row angles north toward Whisperwood Keep, the seat of power in Cataract. Temple Row takes travelers toward the marble-domed Temple of the Shining Ones. Hanging Row, to the south, is where criminal punishments are meted out to the wicked and unworthy. Market Row, with its stalls and shops, extends to the west.


 * It is a cool night. The air is stagnant, not stirring with the slightest breeze. The skies are perfectly clear.

In many stories involving medieval settings (and many stories in general, really), there becomes involved a cool night with a clear sky. One can see this realm's countless stars tonight, and any who would actually stop to take a look might even find them to be particularly lovely.

Zariel's not one who cares. Not tonight, at least. Dressed in blues and having done away with his wings, the demon-in-man's-clothing rubs at the back of his neck. He's armed in an obvious fashion, with a nearly-cartoonish revolver at his right hip and a baseball bat hanging from his left. He regards Castle Row and then the rest of the area - hesitant.

A bit further in, a mage is sitting on a low stone wall, humming to himself as he watches the guards pass by, a slight smile on his face. A waterspout is swirling in between his hands.

Zariel notes Linnael's presence and waves. "Hey," he calls lightly, "How you doing?" He eyes the castle's direction again, but seems a little more inclined to talk to the mage instead.

Linnael tilts his head at Zariel. "I'm doing alright," he says. "How about you? Heading somewhere?" The waterspout shifts shapes, to an elf, to a human, to a bird, then disappears.

"Just mentally trying to grow a pair and get back to the King," Zariel remarks pleasantly, "Wanna come see what I do wrong this time?" He grins lightly and then lets out a sigh.

Speaking of wrong... a good example of it just flew in from the Hanging Row. Skimming close to the ground is Medea, humming quietly to herself.

Linnael laughs. "Sure," he says. "I'll watch. And you'll do fine."

"You're sounding like Ravus," Zariel replies to the human, "I'm a smartass with a pride problem. He's a King. Do you not see the inevitable failure in diplomacy there?" Movement caught in the corner of his eye and he looks to the newly-arrived demoness. "Oh, lovely," he murmurs, "At least it's not Xerum." Jerking his head towards Castle Row, Zar starts off that way.

Medea, interest apparently piqued by the currently-wingless Zariel, comes to a sort of running-stop landing nearby that's more hasty than graceful. "...Well, you're looking very... mortal today," she offers cheerfully as she folds her wings and adjusts the sword across her back. "Positively corruptible. It's so -cute-." With a shrug, she tags along after him. If she had pockets, she'd probably put her hands into them.

Linnael tucks his hands in his pockets as he follows Zariel away, as a watery tongue and eyes appear in the back of his head to blow a raspberry at Medea. "The first step is to realize your problems," the mage says knowingly. "Can't fix 'em elsewise."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Zariel replies to Medea easily, continuing on his path without pause, "So, what're you doing in the area?" He glances to Linnael and considers that for a moment. "True enough," he replies, "But realizing them doesn't necessarily mean one /can/ fix them."

A giggle escapes the demoness as she points at the back of Linnael's head, then trots for a few steps to catch up with the two."Bored," Dea replies then, shrugging after a few moments. "Looking for Alexia, actually. She's fun to get into trouble with."

Linnael hmms, tucking his hands into his pockets. "She's probably with her husband," he notes idly, before saying to Zariel, "That's nonsense. Of course you can fix them. Maybe you'll need a little help, but you can fix them." Linnael begins following you.

"Yeah, you probably want to check Necromundus," Zariel remarks. He glances Linnael's way, then, "It's rarely ever that simple." And he leaves that topic there, returning to Medea: "So... you're awful chipper. Still trying to avoid the ArchDemon?"

Medea nods. "Pretty much. I haven't run into her yet, so I seem to be doing alright at it," she points out. A nod then, her expression almost comically pensive. "Hm. Last time I saw Lexi, she was out in Heathaze. We went and played with the Shinies for awhile." A shrug follows. "You're probably right, though. Her wolf boy doesn't much like her being around me, it seems like. Eh."

"I never said anything about simple," Linnael says, rolling his eyes as he approaches the castle. "Anyways, let's head in."

"I can only imagine how he feels about her being around /me/," Zariel remarks with a chuckle, "She's a fun gal. You missed a great dance that night, Medea. And more shameless flirting. I should probably knock that off - it's all in good fun but I think I'm coming off a little sleazy."

Medea snorts. "He's apparently lectured her on the vagaries of having demons as pals before. It doesn't seem like she's listening, though." A brow is quirked then, and a shrug offered. "Sleazy can be fun too." A quick look around is taken before the demoness nods toward the castle. "So. Maybe I should ask you what -you're- doing in the area, considering."

Linnael grins. "He's visiting the king," he says. "You'll not want to dally too much, by the way."

Zariel tilts his head to Medea. "Considering what, exactly? There are a trillion things in my unlife to consider and I stopped keeping track of them," he remarks passively. Still moving right along.


 * Throne Room - 


 * The tower and tree symbol of Whisperwood Hold are displayed, gray and brown-green on a background of pale blue, on a tapestry that dangles above the meticulously carved wooden throne and gray stone dais where King Lionel Trueguard of Whisperwood Hold rules. The king's elite soldiers are always on guard here.

"...Considering we're just walking into the castle just as bold as anything?" Dea asks, albeit quietly, smirking. "Smartass." She tilts her head at Linnael, expression rather quizzical, then eyes Zariel expectantly.

Linnael tucks his hands into his pockets. "Well, now it's Zariel's show," he notes to Medea. "I'd let him handle it."

"Always," Zariel says, "I just wouldn't be me if I wasn't." The demon looks to Linnael, "I'm not visiting today, by the way. I think. I've got chores that come with having sworn fealty to King Trueguard's court." He waggles his eyebrows Medea's way before adding some hushed words to the human mage.

You whisper, "Today is a watch-and-formulate-a-real-plan day." to Linnael.

Zariel, as a member (albeit a low one) of the King's court, is allowed to pass. The rest are halted - politely but firmly - at the entrance to the hall. The King seems to remember Zariel. At least...he's frowning at him.

Medea blinks blankly. "Sworn fealty...?" she asks nobody in particular, clearly somewhat confused. Then, she stifles laughter. "Oh, cute. I get it. 'Fealty'..." She doesn't seem particularly inclined to fight being halted, but does stand up on her tiptoes to try to get a better view of what's going on in the throne room.

Linnael blinks as he's stopped, then shrugs and steps back. "Mm... Well, if he's just watching... I'll probably leave, before too long."

Zariel doesn't seem at all surprised to be frowned at, although there's a slight frown as Linnael's held back. He takes a knee at the appropriate spot, bowing his head and hiding his face from view. There's a moment where it looks like he might speak, but he seems to decide it's better to wait until he's addressed.

"So you return to our court," says the King. "For what reason? And what of your escort?"

"Escort he says," Dea mutters to herself, smirking, then sidles up rather close to Linnael. "You should stay and keep me company," she offers quietly, nodding in agreement with herself. "So... is he, you know, serious?"

Linnael tilts his head to the side. "About the sworn fealty bit?" he asks. "Well, for now at least."

"The man is a friend," Zariel says, "And the woman just started following us on the way here. As for why I return - I am here to serve, your Majesty. Please, honor me with a task that might grant me more time in your magnificent presence, even if only a moment longer."

King Trueguard looks about to speak, when one of the robed priests steps forward. "The woman is from the city beyond, your majesty, an honored guest of Father Lightsake's."

"Indeed?" asks the king. "Well then." He looks at Medea, and says, "What task would be worthy of my new servant?"

Medea eyes Linnael sidewise, expression again almost comically pensive. "Hmmm..." She's pulled out of her dint of thoughtfulness by the robed priest stepping forward and vouching for her, however. She blinks for a moment, then inclines her head slightly and just -smiles- at Zariel. "Well, you -could- make him sow dragon's teeth, your Majesty," she offers then, shifting her gaze to the king. "But that's been done. Mmm. How about... a rope made of sand?" She smiles. "And it has to work, too. No silly tricks."

Linnael blinks slowly, before looking to the King. "Ahh, while all those tasks would be impressive, your Majesty, I am not sure they're really worth yours or the court's time. If you have a servant willing to aid you in any way, perhaps it may be more prudent to set him to a task that would do you and your subjects some good." He pauses a moment, bowing. "I do understand there have been some people going missing in your city... Perhaps he could help you find what happened to them, instead, to put an end to this?"

The kneeling demon can't help but chuckle at his situation when Medea speaks. It's one of those, "Even I can appreciate how beautifully that would screw me over," kinds of laughs (if that makes any sense). Zariel lowers his head a bit more, then, and folds his lips to pin them between his teeth as he awaits an order from the King.

The King eyes Linnael disapprovingly. "And who are you that seeks to advise a king as to which matters are important?"

"If you want him to do something mundane, you -could- have him do that," Dea agrees rather politely, indicating Linnael with one hand, though her attention stays on the King. "But you have guards and servants to look for missing people, do you not? Are there any other demons that have sworn fealty to your court?" She smiles slyly. "Why not set him to a task worthy of him?"

Linnael bows slowly, and as he does so, little points of light dust all over him, turning him into a, well, shining one. "My name is Linnael, light bringer, if it please your majesty," he says reverently. "I have traveled across many worlds, seen many places, but Whisperwood Hold... it holds a place in my heart. All wise rulers have advisors, and I know you have yours. I apologize, I should not have spoken out of turn, but did not feel I could keep quiet. This shining one shall endeavor to heed your wishes, majesty."

"I am /not/ a demon," Zariel barks Medea's way, shooting her an irritated glare, "Why do people keep accusing me of this?" While his head is turned, he sees Linnael's transformation. He stares for a moment, before turning his head back towards the King. Again hazel eyes turn to the ground.

The king probably can't help but be impressed at Linnael's display, and nods. "But this charge must be addressed. High Priest, administer the test."

One of the *other* Shining Ones steps forward with a golden cup, walking toward Zariel. "This water has been blessed in the temples," he says. "It will burn the flesh of any demon, but a true soul will remain unharmed."

Medea simply smiles cheerfully in reply to Zariel's glare, wiggling her fingers at him in a little wave. As the Shining One steps forward, she watches inquisitively, staying silent for the time being.

As the cup is given to Zariel, Linnael starts murmuring under his breath softly.

Zariel blinks. "Are you serious?" he asks of the Shining One, half-chuckling. "What happens with it, then?" he asks, fearless, "Gonna dump it on me, or what?" He's unaware of any attempts to alter the odds. Apparently he's not bothered by the idea of getting burned by holy water.

The priest casts the cup of water over Zariel in a dramatic gesture. Where it strikes, it burns as if it were acid - completely destroying Zariel's human disguise. This result seems to startle the Shining One at least as much as it does everyone else in the room. "It *is* a demon!" Far from feigned - the priest seems genuinely astonished.

"...Ooh. -That- looks like it stings a bit," Dea asides to nobody in particular, wincing. She also, however, stifles a giggle. She's not surprised -- no, amused is definitely much closer to the truth.

Linnael raises an eyebrow. "What nonsense," he says imperiously. "That is a fun parlor trick, but nothing more, I assure you. Pour it on me, or even on her." He gestures to Medea. "On anyone a spell of that sort would reveal a demon within. Would you like me to reproduce it with a bucket of rainwater?"

Zariel grunts, muscles tightening in a wince. But otherwise, he takes the acidic burning sensation /remarkably/ well. His wings having resurfaced with the loss of his human form, one of the black-and-crimson appendages twitches. He blinks, brow furrowing as he regards the Shining One. He's just as surprised, although his form of shock is the slow, thoughtful kind. "Well...," he remarks, "That's... I..." He stares as something sinks in, losing sight of the forest for one apparently unexpected tree. One single chuckle escapes his throat as well - one of those pressure-relieving laughs.

The King, however, while as stunned as the Shining Ones, seems repulsed. "A demon! Drown it in the holy waters, drive it from Our court!"

Medea seems to have taken a little longer to fully appreciate the situation. She promptly stops giggling, in any case, instead merely watching thoughtfully, the slightest of frowns creasing her brow.

"I told you," Linnael says with a growl, pointing at the cup and then pulling. "All he did was a simple /illusion/." He pulls, and all of the 'holy water' comes out of the cup, and a small bit goes to splash onto the king's hand. There's a sizzle, likely painful, and the same transformation that temporarily went over Zariel washes over King Lionel Trueguard as well. "Are you a demon, your majesty?"

Zariel suddenly snaps out of it as the King calls for him to be removed from the court. "Nothing's ever easy," he murmurs, before standing slowly. "Enough," he states firmly to Linnael, "No more tricks. No more lies." He clears his throat. "Your Majesty, I /am/ a demon. I lied to you and concealed my nature because I didn't want to startle you or your people. My apologies for that - you deserve the truth. I am of no threat to you, although I will defend myself if necessary. I came here on a quest, and you won't believe me when I tell you of it, but I will tell you anyway if you wish it of me. If you truly wish me gone from your court when I'm done speaking, I will leave without need for confrontation. Just, please, hear me out first."

The king *yelps* as the unholy water, augmented with Linnael's personal touch, burns his hands. "Guards, restrain that mage!" he demands, which has most of the guards in the room moving for the human. Cradling his hand, he snaps, "Bring us a healer. We will understand why you would cause false demons."

But...the Shining Ones seem to have other plans. Scourges are shown, the whip-tails whirring through the air as one after another of the priests draw them. "This has gone far enough," says one. "We will banish the infidels, and our Father will show you the Light, your majesty."

Perhaps wisely, Medea takes several -long- steps away from Linnael. At this point, she's still just watching curiously, her hands clasped behind her back.

Linnael sighs, putting his head in his hand. "Seriously, should have gone with blasting the Shining Ones straight off," he says, before pointing at the floor between him and the guards. "Freeze." And the floor does as he commands. Slick ice forms a thick band across it.

"You know, I'm /really/ losing my patience with you," Zariel says to the Shining Ones, drawing his Stun Gun, "Your Majesty, I have proof that the Shining Ones are not bringers of Light, but of Damnation. A short trip to the Temple and I can show you the Bloodworks, where they summon demons to do their bidding. A longer one to their Stronghold outside of Heathaze Village and I can show you where they work to summon the one known as Kazmazran. Bring as many Guards as you would like to protect against any form of betrayal you might suspect of me."

The guards are somewhat deterred by the sudden band of ice, calling out into the hall for crossbows. For now they're content to draw swords, raise shields, and encircle the hapless mage.

The Shining Ones, however, move to encircle the king while the guards are distracted. One shouts, "The first one to raise a hand against us, is responsible for the tortures we visit on the king. False demon, the Keepers will bind you and make you regret the day you turned against your destiny."

"Ah, old what's-his-name in the basement," Dea muses to herself, then looks up, tilting her head at the Shining Ones before looking to Zariel. "Uh-oh, -someone's- in trouble..." She clucks her tongue and shakes her head, still staying back at a (relatively) safe distance.

"Yeah, visiting horrors," Linnael says dryly. The mage looks around at the guards approaching him. "Really, it's almost insulting. Don't you know a sorcerer when you see one? In any case..." He points at the king's throne, and a circle of transparent ice rises up between the king and the Shining Ones. "Okay, should hold them off for a little while. Zariel, kick their asses for me?"

Zariel growls as the Shining Ones encircle the King, and then grins once the ice appears between them and him. "Linnael, you're my hero. Remind me to hug you later," he remarks, before raising his weapon and starting to shoot stunning bullets at the Shining Ones. "Dance for me like good little targets."

"We know of magery," snarls one of the Shining Ones, even as one of them starts a fire spell to melt away the ice around the king. It's not as hot as the ice is thick though, and will take a while to get through. The others cluster about to protect the mage, even as one is stunned senseless by Zariel's gun.

The guards, for their part, have apparently had enough of the mage causing trouble. Between steel cleats they start putting on their boots and long spears to poke toward Linnael, there's going to be trouble with further spellcasting very shortly.

"Good, stop him! I'll help the priests with the demon," Dea calls to the guards, running toward the throne and the Shining Ones, and perhaps more importantly, Zariel. She draws her sword as she goes, the motion smooth and practiced.

Linnael shakes his head, still ignoring the guards, before he points at Medea. "You, now, you I don't mind fighting a little bit, okay?" And a jet of water flies out, aiming to hit the demoness from the side at high speed.

"This is too slow," Zariel remarks, tucking his gun into his pants to pull out his baseball bat instead. He ignores Medea for the moment, charging forward to take a wide, low swing at the group of Shinies' knees.

Now it's pure chaos in the throne room, as the Shining Ones try to avoid Zariel and get control of the King, and the King's guards are trying to subdue Linnael for all the ice he's throwing around the place. A good half dozen guards start taking swings at Linnael, even as several Shining Ones barely miss being hit with Zariel's bat. In answer, they raise their scourges high. Oh, it's *on*, boys.

Medea -somehow- manages to evade that water that Linnael sent her way, and ignores the mage aside from said evasion. She's intent on the demon with the baseball bat, her sword raised up high to swing at him in a vicious, overhead slash.

Linnael looks around at all the spears coming toward him, before he snaps his fingers. Spears of water shoot up from the ground, catching the spears coming at him and deflecting. "No," he says firmly, before swatting his hand, sending a final spear of water towards Medea.

Zariel is fast. Crazy-fast. And flexible, too. The demon doesn't get hit by /anyone/, although the first swing does get very close. Wearing his best grin, Zariel takes another sweeping swing at the opponents around him. Again aiming for knees, in hopes of knocking them all on their rear ends.

Linnael is quite busy with his water magics, holding his attackers at bay. Four shining ones discover that hey - marble's a hard surface to fall onto. But in the distance the fighters can hear the ringing of gongs, and the march of booted feet. An attack on the king is rousing all of Whisperwood - it's going to get very busy in here soon.

The demoness hops back from the swing at her knees and ducks under the water spear with almost preternatural speed. Medea just -grins- then, and swings at Zariel again, that too-large sword not seeming to slow her down a whole lot.

Linnael looks around at all the spears coming at him again, and holds up a hand. Sheets of ice come up, catching all of the spears but one... which merely grazes his armor. "Alright, I think I've had enough of this," he says dryly, before making a swirling motion with his hand. A ribbon of icy water swirls around him, freezing any armor joints it may touch... which is, sadly, none today, but it looks good.

Zariel just barely sidesteps the other demon's swing. "Back off, Medea," he says calmly, "This isn't any of your business." He taps lightly on the ice, then, calling, "Are you all right in there, your Majesty? Sorry about the mess." He holds his ground for the moment, staying on the defensive. But the bat is ready in case he needs it.

The king is still walled off - and apparently panicking - in his transparent tomb of ice. He points toward the doors, where...wow, it must be at least a significant percentage of Whisperwood's defenses trying to get into the throne room, all armed and ready for trouble. "In the name of the King!" can be heard...and they're after everyone. Doesn't seem to matter to them who started it.

Continue to The Ascent of Zariel, Volume I, Chapter 2 - Part Two

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