Moondust.

All kings have phases. Yune regarded Apollyon with a quick curious look as he said it. A nice cover up, a smart idea, but his words she wanted to question too. All kinds? Him included? Yune only hoped she would be useful for far longer than his ‘phase’. She was not a toy to be thrown aside, no matter how she had come into his realm. She was no Priscilla and no Prentiss and no Guin. She hoped he remembered it – and had no doubt he did.

Away from the crowds and masses, she tilted her head to glance at him – momentarily. “You can do better,” And softly added with a smile to show she did not criticise him roughly, “Everyone can. There is always room to improve. I’m sure you know, it is how power grows.”

She watched the masses below on the fields a little more then turned away and with a grin stepped into the rushing waters to cool her legs. Her dress floated around her in the water in a way only the dress of a goddess does. “When we go to fight him, I need my angels. It is purely to ensure my success in taking his position, to fulfil all the criteria. Hence, I want you to meet them. Don’t be afraid, they will not speak of you to anyone. These are my strongest five warriors, following Uriel. And you know Uriel, he couldn’t care less about our alliance.”

She returned to him, careful to not drip water on him and said, “Take me to Earth, let me summon them there.”

---

The morning demanded his attention. He would have loved to stay and linger in bed beside her, to lay by her on his stomach with one hand wrapped around her waist – both to keep her near, and to lay claims – mine. He would have loved to bury his nose into her hair, or listen to her breathe – but four hundred thousand souls demanded his attention and he needed to satisfy them. And so he left the bed unwillingly, departed from the room hesitatingly. Arneas mediated in the empty room overlooking the fields – doors open wide to allow the fresh air to carry in new prayers and carry out the answered. The turnover of life was happening, a war was staring, a war was waging, a war was finishing, a war was won… or lost. A wife and a husband settled their hatred and split the household in half. The neighbouring kingdom had been subdued. The neighbour revenged; the father avenged.

Another thing demanded his attention too, something a little more hated and a little more vile. But Arneas was in no mood to soil his temple yet – so he left it untouched, blocked it out of his mind. It’s presence had been long gone from this earth – a day more could wait. He was growing his power regardless of where it (he could hardly call the thing a god anymore, seeing its sin on its dying tree) was.

And lastly, the original temptation was beckoning once more. Arneas returned to the room quietly, materialising in a spectacular shower of little gold particles right by the bed and crawling onto it – seeing Aurora awake cause him to smile. He locked eyes and crossed the bed, putting one hand over her and leaning down to give her a small nip on the side of her jaw. “Good morning, flower.”

@ ashen knight;
Apollyon frowned, even though he knew that Yune was right. He could do better, but the Underworld was always shattered into factions. It was a far more difficult task than she would ever realize. Humans bend to her will and to the will of other Gods. Even the Gods fall to Zeus. They all bend, but being a demon means not bending unless you choose to. There are choices with being evil and usually, those choices lend you to be more powerful. Those that decided to bend to Apollyon were rare. They were able to recognize the needs of their people and the need to overthrow Hades. Not all demons could see this. Not all demons wanted this. It was not like asking humans to join his fray, it was far more complicated and political than she would ever realize.

Apollyon’s frown deepened. “To Earth?” He asked, raising a brow. It was clear by her posture and her words that she yearned to be on Earth, even for a little. She yearned to be with her angels once more. In truth, Apollyon had not been too far into Earth. He preferred the Underworld. It provided him safety, solace and power. He did not need to expand past the confines of the Underworld, not yet. To be honest, in his deepest core, he was afraid of Earth. Yune was one Goddess and she was weak and broken when he found her. Earth, however, had so many Gods gallivanting around. He was successful in the Underworld, but that could not be said for Earth.

“I suppose,” he said, lifting his thumb to brush her bottom lip. “If you feel we must.”

---

Aurora gasped and laughed all at once when Arneas came back into the room. His affection and his presence warmed her so. She stretched out, her arms sliding up his chest and around his neck. “Good morning,” she said, arching her back into him.

This was one of the moments that she wanted to keep forever. The soft tranquility of his white washed room and the silence of just their voices and their breathing. A moment without the mess of it all, without her constant worrying and without his pressing duties. A moment, just a moment, of being completely content. She clung to this moment almost as sincerely and softly as she clung to his neck. She kissed down his neck and pulled back. “You always up so early,” she commented, pulling him down onto the bed. “Stay in bed with me a little while longer.”

She needed to stretch the moment out just a little while longer because she knew Arneas well by now. He was solution focused and always ready for the next step. It was how, she was sure, he rose through the ranks of Olympus. He would want to start almost immediately on finding her angel and getting her on track. Imagine if they were able to figure out this whole angel ordeal before the festivals of the God. She would be almost as legitimate as he was. They would be new, fresh and maybe a little scandalous and young, but in a good way. It would be the beginning of something totally new for them both.

@ chandelier-stars
Of course they must! She smiled to him, softly but impatiently for she was eager to show him the best of her too. Her beloved army. It didn't take long before they finally came to the surface and for the first time in what like forever, Yune could take a deep breath of fresh air. And she did. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cool night air, dropping her tense shoulders and letting her head loll a little before regaining composure and with a fixed firm stare she extended her hand.

She mouthed something, brows furrowing, and the space in front of her shimmered and air rushed out from all sides. A small whirlwind appeared and settled, revealing an angel standing in its place. The boy raised his golden head and stared at her, a look of loyal obedience but questioning. The air beside him shimmered and little dark petals fell to the ground. This one revealed an angel with long dark hair and long lashes, thin brows and an effeminate face. Beside this one, the air shimmered again and another crimson-haired angel appeared though less extravagantly than the first two. He sat a little away and observed. All three were tense. And then a sharp gust of air came and the last angel appeared. Immediately, his golden eyes landed on Apollyion, and a blazing light akin to a bolt of lightning appeared in his hand. His arm drew back, ready to release it and it would have flown if Yune had not sharply moved in front of Apollyon.

"What is this?" The angel demanded, but lowered his spear. He was older than the others, about fourteen years of age to his face but fierce and wise. His golden eyes were bright and shiny but full of knowledge and his black hair was like a mane around his head. "Yune, does he hold you captive?"

"No." Yune beckoned for them to relax. "I beseech you listen to my words. This demon, he is a powerful ally. You all feel it, I am not as strong as I once before. I have no wish to die. I will claim Hades' throne."

"You think he'll help you?" the golden boy replied, sneering a little. Yune met his gaze evenly, if not with superiority.
"Yes." Her answer was firm. "And if not, then I will destroy him or bring him down with me. But he has no gain from betraying me.... Uriel knows." The angels seemed reluctant, but at the mention of their superior, they gave in. Yune moved aside so that Apollyon could judge them better and glanced back to him, a little smile on her face.

"My strongest four after Uriel. They are worth as much as an army." She gestured to the golden-haired, "Michaelangelo, my second."
The golden-eyed, "Rafael, my third."
The long, raven-haired, "Dionysus." And lastly, the crimson-haired and youngest looking of all, "And Armitage. I suppose, Rafael and Dionysus would be like your Prentiss and Drego." She tilted her head, watchful. "Would you wish to test them?"

---

He sunk into her arms with all will, closing his eyes as she spoke and enjoying the trail of kisses she left. Yes, he could stay a little while longer, just do nothing but roll around and hold each other in their arms. Arneas gave a soft mumble content and agreement. Duty called, he had to wake up early, or the dreams would bother him. And the prayers would bother him. Better to rid of them, and be clear minded and focus on the woman in his sheets, in his arms.

"I'll stay with you a little while longer." Arneas replied, smugly and with a hint of a smirk. Then, he lay still beside her, breathing ever so softly so he could only hear hers, listening to her human heart work away somewhere in her chest, beating softly. To feel her soft skin under his wandering fingers. To just stay still in peacefullness. Yes, he could do this everyday.

He almost lost himself in the thought and imagination, but a small weight pressed on the bed, crawling up between them, little hands and feet pushing here and there. Arneas cracked open an eye, but still held Aurora close, his nose buried into the crook of her neck, and looked up as the childish face of Ariel appeared above them.

Ariel grinned, but not in a mischief sort of manner. It was a beaming smile of an innocent child. "Mom, dad." He gave a soft 'nyee' of a laugh and plopped down between them, much like a young child would between parents, and took Aurora's free hand and put it onto his head. Arneas raised a brow, and peered over at Aurora. Would she stroke his head a little?

Did she know that angels changed with the feelings of their god? No matter how much Ariel must have disliked her at the start, the connection between him and Arneas was strong, and Arneas' feelings influenced the angel. Against his will, Ariel would start to like her, to accept her. And eventually, his will would follow through too.

@ ashen knight;
Apollon felt nervous. He was, in truth, completely out of his element. He looked at Yune, trying to hide his wary eyes and nervous fluttering in his stomach. She could not see that being on Earth was his weakness. He felt awash with light when he quite preferred to be shrouded in darkness. This was her element and Apollyon was acutely aware of the position he put himself in being on Earth. Many demons traveled to Earth, this was true, and many of them did it with a purpose, just as he did. Yet still, Apollyon felt vulnerable here. Angels were coming and he worried Yune was going to fall deeply into her own arrogance. Why would angels ever spare a demon? Why would they remain loyal to her when she was as soiled as she was? They had to know what she and Apollyon had done. They had to see it written all over her skin. How would they ever justify her actions? She was a Goddess, but these angels were not fools.

He looked at her as she sucked in a breath, her chest heavy up and down. It was like she was drowning in the Underworld and they finally resurfaced. Her breath was deep and frantic, as if she was trying to suck in all the air from Earth that she could before they left again. He frowned. If the Underworld was to be her life, how often would she miss Earth? Apollyon was not sure because he craved solely the Underworld. He shifted his weight as he watched her, crossing his arms in a simple act of defiance and disdain for this place. Then, the air around them shifted. It was no longer refreshing. No, it was tense. Apollyon moved his eyes from Yune to the angels that were steadily appearing in front of him. Every fiber of his being reacted, wanting to flee or to fight. He knew he could take them all if needed, but how could he kill an extension of Yune? His eyes flicked back to her. He was not sure that he could do that, not anymore.

Yune stepped in front of him and Apollyon did his best to protect his ego. She spoke hurriedly, in hushed but proud words. She was demanding and controlling. She was directing and yet, her words were not enough. It was not until she mentioned Uriel that these other angels bent. She knew that she was being being a bit too arrogant at first, but at least, they bent. They seceded to her, at last. Apollyon registered the name and gave curt and silent nods. “I trust you,” he said, the best way he could show his allegiance to her. He took a step towards her, uncrossing his arms to let one rest on her shoulder. He smiled then. “Do they wish to test me?” He asked, raising a brow with his usual amount of arrogance.

---

Simple, simple, simple. This all felt simple and pure. This was the easiest part of Aurora's life at this moment. While everything is usually shrouded in mystery, Arneas’ kisses on skin felt right. She understood them now, even if at first they confused her. Now, they felt right. His kisses followed a map that he had already written across her skin. She expected his every touch and yet, it still exhilarated her. How could it not? His touch had always made her melt. The control he had over women and mortals was never completely lost on her. She was overwhelmed with a common desire: lust and love. She smiled, running her fingers through his hair.

“Yes please,” she started. She would have jumped on him then. She would have rolled over and let her legs fall on either side of him. She would have let them waste the morning away because that was the effect that he had on her. A high pitch voice, however, broke the magic. Ariel pushed their way through them and separated them. She sat up, pulling the sheets to cover her chest with one hand and the other resting in Ariel’s hair. She was surprised. Ariel rested between them without a snarky comment or a sly insult. Instead, he craved her affection. Aside from Arneas, a few other suitors and her father, Aurora was limited in showing her affection.

Mom. She practically wrinkled her nose, but one look at Arneas helped her to resist this. She was not at the point in her life where she ever consider motherhood. She was young and selfish and she knew that. She was focused on her own desires, like her desire for Arneas. She was on the verge of finding herself and the idea of someone calling her ‘mom’ made her a little nauseous. She did not want to include others in the equation; there was no time. She looked at Arneas and his affection (and expectation for the moment) was clear. She smiled, uttering a short and awkward little laugh and ruffling his hair just once. “Adorable,” she said, letting her hand fall into her own lap, “And good morning.”

@ chandelier-stars
Michaelangelo was the first to react when Apollyon’s arm touched Yune. A sudden glow surrounded him, and a beautiful shinning sword materialised in his hand. It was held high and pointed straight at Apollyon, his eyes narrowed in disgust. “Your arm. Off. I may be an ally, but you can fight with one less arm, no?”
Before he could keep ranting though, Dionysus spoke up, opening its starry eyes (they had closed at some point, and the angel seemed to have fallen asleep). “He did more than lay his arm on her.” It was not an insulting tone, but a teasing – and directed at the fiery angel beside. Michaelangelo took a moment to process the words then his face warped into horror. His sword lowered. He looked at Yune but the goddess didn’t say anything. Dionysus smiled knowingly at Apollyon. Oh, it could sense the demon all over Yune. Of all her angels, Dionysus was the one most linked to her health, to her wellbeing and her soul. Dionysus knew, ever since the eyes closed and the angel calibrated its soul to its goddess – it knew.
“Your sin is deep, Yune. It will be possible to take Hades in whole, but not easy. Do you wish to do as you did last time?” Dionysus peeped at Yune.
Yune nodded.
Dionysus pondered, “He is large, unlike the last. He might not fit in you.”

---

Watching her nose wrinkle was quite the amusement. He liked that face. It was not something he saw a lot of, and he didn’t even comprehend it at first. But Arneas decided that he liked to see Aurora act as such, and he made a mental note to repeat this sometime later. Satisfied when she ruffled Ariel’s hair, Arneas dropped his gaze to watch the angel squirm in joy before settling still again.
There was a moment of silence, and for a second all was well – before Arneas caught a thread of Ariel’s thought and groaned, rolling away to hide his face. “Ariel,” He said out loud, but for the sake of keeping Aurora free of embarrassment, added the last bit mentally, You’re disgusting.
Ariel’s eyes snapped open, but the innocent look stayed. He reached up, and gently put his hand down on where Aurora’s stomach would be. For a second it stayed, then slowly inched down. Without a second delay, Arneas whipped around and threw Ariel off the bed. Ariel flew into the air with a laugh – all innocence lost and suspended himself midair, watching as Arneas raised himself up into a half sitting position and put his hands on either side of Aurora, in doing so – leaning over her with his body. He looked at the angel firmly, and said simply, “Mine.”

This little act (or maybe not so little) of dominance expressed by his god made Ariel grin more before he promptly disappeared into thin air. IT seemed he was gone, but Arneas wasn’t fooled. “Bring us breakfast. Whatever Aurora wishes. I want you to cook the best one for her. Yourself.” He glanced down at the woman beneath him and winked.

@ ashen knight;
Apollyon felt torn between being slightly fearful and completely enjoying the angry that Yune’s angels showed towards him. He thrived off this kind of negative energy and pushed the fear down deep within him. Their resentment and disgust for him were feelings rooted deep in sin. He took a deep breath, trying to bring back his arrogance. He smirked, not moving his arm because Yune was the one who would tell him what to do. Instead, he let his fingers rub along her shoulder and he peeked from behind her.

“Do as you did the last time?” Apollyon asked.

Apollyon realized his failure in this exact moment, letting his hands fall from his shoulder. He placed enough of trust in Yune that he never asked her what the plan actually was. He was so focused on him and his army that he did not consider her and her choices. She could have something completely out of reach planned. She could be lying to him. He thought he buried this lack of trust deep within, but the angels were bringing out the worst in him. They reminded him of his failures and his insecurities. He frowned. He was so wrapped up in Yune's presence and let himself be completely distracted. He needed more information from her. Why were they even here? Suddenly, the negativity he was once feeding off of came was now radiating off of him.

---

Aurora, as usual, always felt blind sighted by interactions between Ariel and Arneas. Their unspoken connection always made her feel like she was intruding on something far more special than her and Arneas had. Before she could even react to Ariel intruding upon her, Arneas did it for her. He knew exactly what he was thinking and he reacted so suddenly. What was once innocent and childlike became something far more mischievous. Aurora was unsure if she should scold them both (and become the Mom she literally feared becoming) or if she should laugh it off.

Before she could react, Arneas’ arms were surrounding her and his voice rumbled in her ears. Mine. Once again, she felt herself reacting more on the inside than the out: did she want to be completely his? Yes. Did she want to belong a little bit to herself? Yes. She was always so unsure and so confused. She was just in a whirlwind of Arneas world and she was just lost within it. She smiled back at him, though she untangled herself from his arms. She left a soft kiss on his hand as she did so. She was worried that she may hurt his feelings, though that was not her intention. She just needed a little space from what just happened between them all.

She stood, offered one more gentle kiss on his hand and then crossed the cold marble floors to the wardrobe. She left Arneas in their tangled sheets with a smile. For a moment, she felt a little insecure being so naked in their room. She suddenly felt like everyone knew everything about their relationship. Everything was so connected to Arneas and she never considered just how connected everything was. “So, are we ever actually alone?” She asked, grabbing a soft white cotton dress that she pulled across her body and knotted. She needed to be covered. “It feels like Ariel knows everything about me.. us.,” she said, with a chuckle as she twisted her hair into a knot.

@ chandelier-stars
Yune stiffened when he asked, but not out of guilt. It was more of...shame. She glanced back at him and hastily looked away. The angels looked awkward and completely avoided eye contact with both her and the demon. In fact, all looked like they were ready to just vanish into thin air.

But at last, Yune spoke. "I..." She had to force the words out, "I ate him." Then quickly, the words fell from her mouth in order to explain, "It's the type of God I am. I eat to consume the power. Some drink the essence or the bloods, some steal the soul directly from the God they wish to conquer. Killing alone is not enough. For full erasure and full success, its best to eliminate completely."

She let out a breath and peeked up at him. For a God to eat another, a cannibalistic thing, it was one of the more vile techniques. Would he know, or would he judge? Or did demons have it differently? She was at loss. She tried to look firm, but she knew her eyes were searching for his reaction. Oh, how she cared!

---

Arneas held no grudge once she left the bed (any pout that was to form was prevented by the kisses) and watched as she crossed the floor before catching a small hint in her posture and turning his gaze away to allow her privacy - and to not leer as much.

"It depends." He reached up and played with the air a little, watching small tiny dust particles in the sunlight float away and out of the room. Not even Gods could escape it seemed. "Ariel knows everything that I know. There are, however, things I can conceal - although out of respect for whatever the thing is." He shifted himself up to rest on his elbow and looked over. "But he is a part of me, as if my own, for he is my first Angel. I share no other connection with other angels as intense as the one I do with him."

He stood then and dressed, although it was more of a flick of his wrist and he was covered in simple white clothes. He walked to her and gently took her hands into his, "I can block anything you'd like about you off from him. But hiding anything from him feels wrong. It's like lying to myself. I hope you understand." His voice was gentle, sincere. He knew that she - without her own first angel - would never understand. He feared the experience he had when he first awoke would not be the same as hers when she would meet hers.

@ ashen knight;
Apollyon felt the ice that settled across the other beings in front of him. He did not understand it. He did not understand the feelings he felt radiating off of them: shame, a little bit of fear, repulsion. Why? Yune was a Goddess and these were angels. They were the most beautiful and pure beings of this world. They were made of light and brightness. Yet, in this moment, it felt that Apollyon was the good one in the room.

He looked at Yune, though he only saw her back, and felt many of his own feelings: confusion, bewilderment, concern. Yune was always so confident and sure of herself and her position. She was proud to be a Goddess. She was proud of every fiber of her entire being. She never felt shame, unless it was in Apollyon’s bed. (Though, he was working on that). What about her history was this horrendous?

Apollyon knew very little of Gods except for their temperament and arrogance, which often rivaled his own. He knew only of how Gods perceived themselves: better and more powerful. They never took a second glance at a demon like himself and that was what frustrated Apollyon. He did not know how Gods changed and fought for he never cared that much to listen. It took him a moment to even register what Yune said and even longer to find the right response.

“Interesting,” he commented, trying to fill the silence and crack the ice. “I would like to avoid that particular part of the battle, if you don’t mind, love. I think it’ll ruin all types of fantasies for me,” he said, with a crooked smile.

He clasped his hands together. “Now that we’ve all said our piece. Can we get on with this? What’s the next piece? Do I tell you my biggest secret? Do we join hands and sing a song or perform a ceremony?” He chuckled.

He pointed his hands at the angels, “You guys don’t like me. Me and my guys are not fond of you. Yune, here, is somewhere in between being a Goddess and a cannibal. We’re all a little flawed. Either way, we have a war to fight. Let’s move along,” he said, growing tired of the formalities and the tension. If they were to join Yune and him, they would do it now or he would leave. “Time is wasting, my friends.”

---

Aurora sighed, casting her eyes to the ground as Arneas swept her hands in his. She felt like she was causing more drama than was needed, but she was unsure if he would even try to understand her. She was to blend into his world so seamlessly and yet, he barely ever tried to understand her world; a world that he was intrinsically involved in. He only seemed to correct her without asking where these feelings were coming from. Was that something a God did or something a man did?

“Where I come from, you learn about people because they tell you things. That is how trust and connection is built,” she said, turning his hand over and tracing a pattern with her thumb. “Humans are afraid and revere you because you know everything about them without a second glance. People don’t like that. You keep asking and hoping I will trust and love Ariel as I do you, but you both never give me the opportunity to speak for myself. Decisions are made and information is shared under my nose, in front of me. I feel invisible sometimes with both of you.”

She sighed again. Arneas was a God. He had to be able to decide who gets to hear things and who doesn’t. In fact, he even filtered his own angels. She could only imagine the roadblock that other angels must feel when they try to read him. She was a demigod after all. Shouldn’t she know how to hide her own soul and her own feelings? The feeling of frustration that was starting to become Aurora’s friend reared its head once again, but she did not feel like shrinking away from it. She had to take action. As helpful as Arneas was, perhaps it was time for her to learn on her own. Besides, he had work to do.

“Yes, I understand. All I’m saying is that maybe you don’t have to hide yourself from him, but you could hide me from him. He is not my angel, Arneas. Shouldn’t I decide who gets to know about me?” She pat his hand and smiled a little. “Just think about it. I’m going to go to the library or the garden. I don’t know. I’ll see you when you’re finished.”

She left then, walking across the temple and asking for directions to finally arrive at the library. She hoped that the books were not all written in Godspeak. She walked in to see an older looking spirit, rummaging among the books. The man looked gentle if not tired and she cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said.

The spirit looked up, surprised. He adjusted his glasses taking a closer peak at Aurora. “Interesting,” he said, his voice a little hallow. “You are the girl they whisper about outside of my door. They never mentioned you liked to read. They never say much about you aside from what you and our Lord do,” he added, a twinkle in his eye.

Aurora blushed, “Yes, well, I haven’t spoken to too many others, if we’re being honest here.” Hurriedly, the words spilled out from her lips, "I was wondering if you could help me find books on both demigods and angels.”

The old spirit smiled, stroking his thick mustache. “Yes, I am sure I will be able to. It is my purpose, after all. Otherwise, I may as well just be frolicking about like the rest of those idiot spirits.” He moved away from Aurora, up in the rafters and started stacking books that floated on his side. “Do you ever notice that when you walk about? That they are all just walking around, kind of stupid look in their eyes. Not sure what to do unless Arneas walks in the room and then they just about fall over themselves. No purpose, no purpose, I tell you.”

His words spilled out at the frequency that he flew about the room, creating quite a large stack of books. “Those spirits they are just a waste of my time. You, though. You have a purpose. You came in here and boom! You knew what you needed.” He paused and turned to look at Aurora’s confused face. “I’ve only grabbed the ones you can read, by the way.” He turned back to his reaching and flying. “Everyone else here, I tell you, they got nothing between their ears. They only have what Arneas tells them to have and well, it isn't much. Not a soul steps foot in here, not a soul! Arneas has only come one time, just once. Why give a soul like me purpose without any patrons? I tell you, it doesn't make any sense up here.”

He finished rather excitedly, dropping his stack onto a large brown table and Aurora smiled. With all his rambling, he was (at least), helpful. He seemed to be as alone as she. That was oddly comforting. They were opposite. His words spilled out of him and hers seemed to disappear the longer she was alone. His face lit up and he looked at her encouragingly. She grabbed the first book: Demigods and Deities. The spirit practically danced to back to his own seat. The company was surprisingly comforting. More importantly, the purpose (as the spirit said) felt right. She finally felt like she was doing something.

“Happy reading, Aurora,” he said, opening his own book.

“You as well…” she said, trailing off.

“Eustathius, but I go by Eustace.” He said and they nodded at each other and began reading.

Dina was different now. She was so incredibly different since the night that she saw that woman. Of course, she knew now that she was not just a woman. No, she was Dina's entire reason for existence; her Goddess. That part of her soul that yearned for a Goddess was buried so deep within her that she forgot it exist. Long ago, Dina gave up the idea of finding her God. She was content with the Hunt, she was happy. She needed no one else and no one else needed her. She was in charge. She was wild and free.

She was free until that night. She made contact with her Goddess and everything changed. The feeling she long since buried came bursting to the surface. Now, she felt fractured. She finally had a purpose. She was to find her Goddess. She was to find her and do what she should have done almost 20 years ago: help her, grow with her and help her to ascend. This need to be with her was surprising. She felt her feelings strongly: her confusion and concern. It felt wrong, but she was hidden.

Until, finally, she wasn’t. She was in another realm and she was so happy that the connection was so strong that Dina figured out exactly where she was. With that God, Arneas. That information only took her so far. It took her away from the Hunt and back to his temple. It took searching his temple for a connection and proof and the line of it all. It took hours of research and hours of reconnecting with who she actually was: an angel. She did not feel it for it so long. She groomed her hair, she brushed it and braided it tightly. She found a new and bright cloth. She found a purpose.

She focused hardly on her Goddess. She put forth positive energy. She needed to know that she meant no harm. She did this until she felt herself pulled through a portal and landing harshly on the grass. She gasped, opened her eyes and looked up at the shining gold temple in front of her. Nerves washed over her. Arneas and his angels could kill her immediately. She raised her hands quickly. “I mean,” she gulped a breath of air, “No harm.”

@ ashen knight;

@ oldbook;
She agreed with him, she too would like to avoid him watching her eat. She didnt control her apperance or grace when she ate- and knew that she must look messy and horrifying. Worthy enough to be a demon possibly. Sometimes Gods werent always that graceful image they throw up. She relaxed and nodded. "Yes, I think you should entertain yourself elsewhere for that time being."

"I'm keen on hearing your biggest secret." Rafael sneered. "Do you turn into a flower occasionally?" He was silenced by a light whack on his head from Dio, and the other angels had a giggle.

"After all this is over and we are successful," Dio turned to look at Apollyon and batted his eyelashes, "If you don't mind, I would like one of your.... more smart and controlled demons... to - I suppose - breed with." Both Yune and the other angels looked shocked but Dio only smiled innocently and in defense, added, "I hear consuming one's own kin muddled with demon blood is one way to strengthen yourself. If it tastes bad, I'll let it live - besides, I'm sure you would be interested in what a half-demon half-angel looks like." Dio laughed, threw back its head and winked out of existence. The other angels followed suit, with Armitage going out last but looking at Apollyon with some curiosity before offering him a tiny lift of the corners of his lips and disappearing.

Yune pressed her lips together. "It won't be wise for them to accompany us back. I'll summon them once the war starts. I'll need to link a portal to here, but until then - let's go back and finish preparations."

---

Arneas listened, perhaps for the first time in his life, because some little being in him told it was important. To hide her from his angels? Of course... He had been partially doing that but now that she requested it, for fairness, he would not dare disobey. "I will," he promised. "From now on, he will not learn anything of you from me. I can't say for anything else." He bowed his head and watched her leave, still standing there in the middle of the room. He didn't know what to quite make of it. He tried consulting Ariel but before he could reply, Arneas cut the connection short. No, this was something he needed to figure out on his own.

He spent the rest of his time doing what he did best - immersing himself into the world of humans, and going to play out the wars.

---

He left Ariel in charge this time around. Annoyed but being left at home, Ariel lounged on the roof of the huge building, napping in the sun and out of the way. His napping was becoming more pleasant by the minute, and he was in a good mood when suddenly, somebody decided to ruin it all in one ago.

An intruder into the holy space. In his mind, he saw air shimmer just in front of the temple and suddenly, the presence was there. An angel. It didn't matter whom, it didn't matter how strong or what purpose - there was an intruder, an invader, and they were to be dealt with. As soon as the peace was broken, Ariel vanished from his spot in the sun and reappeared just a few meters above above the intruder now in his older form, his warrior form, launching a spear to bury itself into the ground just where the angels' hands were a split second ago. Another angel appeared behind her in the air, ready to strike too- but Ariel signalled to pause. The girl was talking - and she was not Uriel.

In fact, she wasn't dressed for combat, and had no experience of the ways of angels it seemed. She was young. Ariel narrowed his eyes and lowered in front of her, gripping another spear to throw should she move. By now, five more angels had appeared, but remained concealed in thin air.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

@ ashen knight;
Apollyon really did not like these angels. They were smug in a way that he did not understand. They so knowingly discussed being so far from heavenly and yet, still treated Apollyon as if he was less than. That was what he always hated about Gods and their angels. They were so entitled and yet, they were almost as devious as those in the Underworld.

These feelings were what prompted Apollyon to want to build and embrace the Underworld. He did not need the mortal world. He did not need to beat the Gods. He needed to grow the Underworld, where the creatures were honest (in a sense) and he almost always knew exactly what to expect. The Underworld made sense, but Yune’s world did not. He looked at her. She was so serene and beautiful and yet, she consumed other beings whole. Not even a demon as he consumes beings whole, only their blood.

“Whatever you need,” he stated, a bit lost in his own thoughts. He turned, assuming that Yune would follow him as they went.

He felt instant relief in walking back into the shadows of the Underworld. The air felt better and he took a deep breath, taking in the must and the smell. Except, something felt off. Something in the air smelled different. It smelled of ashes and blood. He looked behind him to Yune. “Do you feel this?” He asked her, pushing forward until he was back onto the field.Darting towards him was a bright flash of silver, streaking across the ground. Before him, Prentiss stood and her chest heaved from her running. “My lord,” she said, “He is here. Hades, he has come. He is marching upon the cavern. He is in the Field of Poppies.” Apollyon blew out a breath, one which sounded like a hiss. The Field of Poppies was the only hill between the River and his home. He was close. Apollyon never anticipated Hades bringing the fight to him. The old God had some spirit left within him and although Apollyon appreciated it, it threw off his expectations and calculations.

“Better call your angels back,” Apollyon said to Yune. “ -And stay out of sight for now,” he barked, following Prentiss down the hill before Yune could even respond.

Prentiss already rallied many of the troops, sending out the vampires, shapeshifters and warlocks first. She sent out giants as well. She was holding the Elementals with her and the other weapons. An array of stronger demons were now following the stream of vampires. Prentiss and him walked in silence, heading for the Elementals and more powerful demons that waited.

They arrived at her table and she helped Apollyon into his armor and handed him a sword. “There are steads for you to ride waiting. I’m moving the canon now. The Vampire Queen and the Seer are safe within the castle. The vampires will not lose power as long as she is safe. We are as ready as we could be,” Prentiss said, though her voice had a certain edge.

“Right,” Apollyon muttered, twisting the blade Prentiss crafted for him in his hand. “Let it begin,” he said, looking back to where Yune now stood with her angels.

She would act on her own accord. Of this, he was sure. She would act and fill in the holes of his own strategy. They could not lose, not with Yune. For them to be separate made sense, at least to Apollyon. Hades would not expect Yune and keeping her hidden until she could figure out her move made the most sense. Plus, if they were together, two of the most powerful beings would draw attention to one location. Better to be split.

At least, that was what Apollyon told himself.

---

Dina sucked in a breath as a spear landed in front of her. She resisted the urge to grab it and twist it back around, to defend herself. If there was anything she could do, it was fight. She had no doubt she could handle a fight with the angel in front of her. He was older, yes. He was more powerful, but he was putting on his best and most powerful front. Dina did not need to do that. She could fight as she was. However, taking on two angels would be more difficult and it would be something she would do in The Hunt. She would act savagely. That was not fair. They were right to defend their God and their temple. There were more than two angels now. Many angels surrounded her or at least, she thought so. She had not tapped into her senses in too long, but she felt a lot of energy around her. She was pretty confident that she was surrounded.

“So many angels just for little old me,” she whispered, the words slipping from her tongue before she could stop them. She spent a lot of time talking to herself and sometimes, she could not help it. Yet, the angel in front of her did not waver, but rather tensed around his spear.

For a moment, she thought of fleeing. She could leave. She could absolutely teleport away from all these angels and save her own life. She could go back to The Hunt and forget all oft his. It would be easier. She did not have to do this. She did not have to be this angel to a misguided Goddess who did not know her own angel or what she was missing. She could make everything easier and disappear from this exact spot. Leave them to figure out how she got here rather than wondering who she was. But, no. She came so far and worked so hard to land in this exact spot.

“My name is Dina. I am looking for my Goddess. I have sought for her and I have felt her here. I only come to serve as you serve your own,” she said, unmoving. “Our connection, weak as it is, has brought me here. Is she here?"