The Llums gathered outside the temple gates, forming a large circle around Rosie in the open field. Deon hesitated, but spoke.
“What is this news? Please…let us go inside and hear them.”
Rosie stood up, but shook her head after looking at the gate, which made her feel dizzy.
“I…I must not go in there. But you can stay here.”
Her Vie shone bright. The Llums felt a warm light that touched them. Small vines slithered from where she stood, and small trees began springing out of the ground nearby, appearing and blooming quickly. A new garden was forming around them as the crowd watched in awe. Hailey noticed some new flowers blooming next to her, which made her giggle in excitement.
“An act of creation…we truly stand before the almighty…”
Deon spoke in disbelief. Rosie slowly opened her eyes to look at him, her face was not one of joy.
“My dear… You’ve mistaken me, as your kind has for centuries. Beloved Rosie knows this, for I have shown her. I have taken her body as my vessel, but she is still here. My name is Apeiron.”
The Llums whispered, the council stared. Deon’s smile faded while he contemplated silently. All of a sudden the chatter ceased, an eerie silence fell, where not even the leaves made a sound with the wind. All sound had been swallowed in a split second. Deon gulped and felt a shiver up his spine as he sensed something slowly approaching from behind. He slowly turned to look at the open gate of the temple. Behind it, an unnatural darkness that seemed to slowly spill out. The crowd stared, cautiously standing up, alert. Rosie extended her wings, her body moved itself into a ready position. The voice spoke softly within her.
“He’s here.”
Rosie’s heart rushed.
“Shh…Don’t take from me the joy of being the revealer.”
A powerful, deep voice came from within the darkness. Within the silence, they could hear faint cracks like that of bones, and something dripping on the cold marble floor. A purple light began flickering unevenly; Deon could now make out a distorted silhouette. It breath with difficulty, slowly approaching. As the figure walked out the gates, some Llums screamed and ran, others got closer to Apeiron.
“Z-zech…?”
Deon whispered, taking some steps back.
“Almost.”
The creature stepped into the light. Blood dripped from his sides, creating a trail that led back into the temple. His legs seemed to break with every step, just to be reformed again with every next movement. From his back, two new limbs extended. Abnormal legs that ended in a strange amalgam; five bony appendages, each with joints, attached to a padded base where the limbs ended. His face no longer recognizable due to the extra pair of eyes it wore. The whites of his eyes had turned black, and his pupils burnt in bright purple. With twitchy, uneven movements, he approached.
“Little Zech is in here too, wouldn’t you know. He cries. ‘it hurts!’ He says. Isn’t that beautiful?”
Deon’s Vie lit up and he showed his wings. Rosie stood tall, Hailey hid behind her. The council formed next to Deon, all showing their light; Three red, three blue. Rosie’s posture seemed to falter and she shook lightly, squirming, trying to regain control of her body.
“Z-zech!”
She spoke in her normal voice.
“What are you doing to him?! Stop it, bring him back now!”
Her body moved by itself again, restoring its posture, but Apeiron’s voice didn’t speak. Seeing the struggle, the creature that stood at the gate simply began smiling. A slow expression that did not stop where it should have, as the sides of his face began breaking apart in an increasingly unnatural display. He approached slowly.
“Not one more step, demon!”
Lucian yelled. Zech stopped.
“Oh, my. The insolence. How arrogant can you be? Your god shows himself in the flesh, right in front of you and you call him demon?”
Deon growled.
“Such a beast could never be our god. You are telling lies, deceiver! T-the lord of darkness…he makes the fragile believe he is god. It is written! Do not fall for his tricks!”
Zech tilted his head though his neck seemed to snap out of place with the movement.
“Oh? You think I’m a beast! I am messed up, but I ask you, oh holy jolly priest-thing. Why did you make me like this if you’d hate it? Oh…prophecy… The lord of darkness. About that.”
The creature sat up on its hind legs and erected its body, throwing his head backwards. The twisted appendages reached forward, the boney ends grabbing each side of his chest tightly. The few that remained behind Rosie screamed and fled, as Zech’s own limbs pierced through his flesh, then pulled outwards harshly. With a loud crack, his ribcage split open. Instead of organs, an anomalous structure floated inside his hollow body. In a sight that defied nature, one half of a diamond shaped prism floated inside him, a pyramid with a pulsating purple light in the middle. Rosie looked wide eyed at the display, and immediately lunged forward.
“Stop it, let them live!”
Apeiron yelled, but was pushed and thrown aside by a pulse of purple light. The saints began twitching, and blood came from their eyes as they fell to the ground in an instant, their light absorbed by the shape. They squirmed and tensed their muscles, trying to stand up just to be pushed down by an invisible weight.
“Deon!”
Lucian cried, his Vie flickering and fading, unable to keep its color. Deon rushed to their side. Though his light shone bright, his wings wouldn’t appear. He felt an emptiness in his stomach, a crippling nausea as he sensed the life being taken out of the saints as they whimpered in pain.
“Stop it! Please!”
Zech’s voice cried from within him. Deon walked back in a panic, looking frantically from side to side at his peers as their bodies gave up. One of them spoke with a broken, weakened voice.
“A demon… May he forgive us...”
The saint’s head hit the ground, and he let out a final exhale. Lucian’s eyes faded. The creature put its chest back together, and stood up normally, shaking its head.
“That’s taken care of. Prophecy fulfilled, hm?”
Deon’s legs couldn’t move, as he stood frozen in fear. He trembled and couldn’t gather the strength to speak.
“That fear…good boy. That’s what you preach, isn’t it. Fear me, I just may forgive you”
The figure laughed after his words. Deon quickly ran and stood close to Apeiron, who seemed weakened and had just stood up clumsily. He looked up at her and she spoke.
“I’m sorry…He speaks the truth. He is Aigaion, the almighty of your prayers.”
Aigaion laughed, wheezing.
“Now tell them the whole story! They are so lost and ignorant, they know not what they do. Ha!”
His demeanor then switched in a split second. His anomalous face turned serious, staring at Deon directly with unblinking eyes and a large grin that dripped blood.
“Who was it that led them astray? Was it not that so called council? Was it not you? Oh but you’re honest. And you are scared…you still stand…”
Zech’s voice spoke within the being.
“Please…don’t hurt them… they are my friends. I will not let you hurt them!”
The broken body seemed to recoil, its purple Vie flickered for a second. The creature growled, then spoke with Zech’s voice.
“Rosie! Deon! I’m sorry!”
Aigaion’s limbs twisted, and it let out a deafening screech.
“Insolent child.”
The powerful voice spoke, struggling to take full control of the body. Zech grunted, trying to move what used to be hind legs, before Aigaion showed his wings. Larger than any ever seen in a Llums, they appeared with the sound of broken crystal. The deformed Llums took flight, growling, and soared towards the mountain. Deon collapsed on the ground, staring blankly at the husks of the council.
“I… They’re dead… I couldn’t stop him…”
He spoke quietly, with lost eyes. Hailey and Rosie’s mother came out of hiding; They had hidden under the exposed roots of a tree that had been born out of Apeiron just a few minutes ago. Apeiron laid down next to Deon, gently pressing against him. He felt her warmth envelop him. Hailey jumped on top of her and embraced her, rubbing her face against the soft, white fur. Apeiron spoke with Rosie’s voice.
“Deon…she mourns with you. Mom…I’m ok. It’s warm here and I feel…peace. She’s shown me everything…I can’t tell if I’m really here or not but…I can feel you.”
More Llums approached, some that had run, some that had hid themselves. They walked into the garden and sat next to Apeiron, who cried silently. Red and blue, they all gathered in silence, resting beneath the shadows of newly formed lush trees. Rosie’s mother approached Apeiron and rested her head against her.
I definitely could tell the shape of what was coming here in advance, but I didn't predict the details- in other words, the foreshadowing/payoff worked well for me. Can't wait to see what exactly is going on and where it leads.
I definitely could tell the shape of what was coming here in advance, but I didn't predict the detai
I will say, you definitely nailed the “unnatural/demonic” vibe with your description of Aigaion. I could be mistaken too, but haven’t they been basically worshipping the wrong god this entire time before hand? As I swear they had been worshipping Aigaion, and not Apeiron. It’s nice to see Zech trying his best to fight back as well, even if it isn’t working the best.
Thank you for yet another great chapter Flame, I look forward to reading the next one.
I will say, you definitely nailed the “unnatural/demonic” vibe with your description of Aigaion. I c
