Of Gods and Man - Where Angels and Demons Tread Ch.4

The Immortal War, for its first time in thousands of years, came to an abrupt halt. Azox - God of Destruction was recovering from a staggering blow and Ciel - Goddess of Life had escaped unscathed. Neither demon, nor angel knew what to do during this pause, with many opting to return home to nurse their wounds after the stalemate. After scouring the Realm of Shadows, however, Ciel found what she was looking for...She found the Shaded Asylum. It was little more than a large town, but it was inhabited by creatures she had never seen before. Carefully she floated down to the surface, watching as the creatures fled to their homes to hide away. Ysolt, however, remained, peering to her previous superior with a defiant gaze, as if ready to defend her ground from all she had built up. "I'm sorry, Ciel, but I have no intention of returning home." She assumed with a stern tone. "Unfortunately, I cannot abide renegade angels. The risk of losing the Realm of Light is too great, and to see your people suffer even more at the hand of Azox would hurt me beyond words." Ciel's words hung in the air, granting her time to piece together the puzzle, not that it was cryptic in nature. Curiously, she spoke, "Suffer at the hand of Azox? Did something happen?" "I saw a group of odd creatures, neither angel nor demon, perish under Azox's terrible might. I could not save them." Ysolt paused...Stricken, her resolve faltering.

by Yan Tuan

"No. No...Please Gods. No. Gajaal. Agna. My children. No...No no." It seemed the only chant capable of holding what little sanity she had together. Ciel released a slow breath, truly empathetic to the loss of life. "I'm sorry. I did all I cou-" "You did nothing! You were supposed to protect all life! I never wanted this stupid war! None of us do! None of us deserve this! Look at what you've done...What all of you have done! My children, the Yman. My love. It's all gone. It's all gone." She fluctuated between righteous fire and a warbling quail, affected to the core by this loss. Her brow furrowed, and, blinded by rage, she lunged at Ciel with a murderous intent. This brash and bold move was, unfortunately for Ysolt, poorly executed and lead to her stumbling through her tears until she fell upon the floor, undone by her own fury. She was quick to scramble in a desperate attempt to stand and see her chore through, though Ciel made her move, placing hands firmly on either side of her skull and murmuring through her own forming tears, "I'm so...So sorry." From her palms came a soft glow, in short time, Ysolt's screaming mouth, eyes, ears and nostrils began to emit beams of divine light, overpowering her until she burst into holy radiance. Although Ciel was not apt in combat, nor were her powers geared towards death, in the metaphysical realms she had full domain over her angels, including dismantling them to be reformed...Renegade or otherwise. She began to raise the angelic spirits to her side, withering them in the very homes they huddled in. The demons knew they could not fell a God, and so they clutched the remaining Yman in their arms, fearing for their loss. Ciel called out to the survivors, "Demons, please, I urge you to return home to your master. In exchange, I will bless and welcome these new creatures to Ayn. Like you, I do not want them to suffer, and this is no place for them." One by one, wary and terrified, they began to file from their homes, standing before the goddess of life herself. She beckoned over to one of the Yman, hands planting softly on either side of their trembling cheeks,

"I know you are afraid. You are safe...I will not hurt you. Through my hands you will be reborn. You will be born a new Yman. A new man. A human."

And with her arms outstretched she pulled these new creatures from the metaphysical realm to Ayn, comforting them as they mourned, and then allowing them into the world.

by Sandra Duchiewicz

Ysolt had fallen from grace. Her final moments were spent with paranoia, guilty, rage, and wrath in her heart. Try as it might to return home, her essence, as holy as it was, was weighed down by this, and so she was resurrected in the Realm of Dark as a demon. No longer could her wings ascend her to the Realm of Light...The same wings that were now blackened, tipped with spikes, and of mottled feathers. Her hair wilted to tendrils of hatred, whipping in the air behind her. The only thing that was not reborn with an angel or demon was their memories. While she did not remember her reason for hating Ciel, deeply ingrained was her bitterness towards the deity regardless, and so she was eager to join in the fight to overthrow the bastion of holiness.

Gajaal's essence was made lighter through his brave acts, affording Ciel a moment to escape, rebelling against his dark lord, fathering children that he loved and cherished, and many more acts of good and holy. He was reborn in the Realm of Light, his demon hide a pale and soft leather...a stark contrast from his previous demonic carapace. He was deemed an angel, and although the first of his kind, he was respected and loved just as any other would be. Unfortunately, Gajaal had no recollection of his love, Ysolt, nor their children or the miracles that took place in his lifetime. He only knew to serve dutifully, as there was a warmth and glow in his heart he had never felt before. He had purpose.