A long time ago, north of The Braided Jungle, and southwest of the Teeth of Madness, there resided a large forest. It had no such name, or great title, but those that lived there called it home. And a fine home it was, full of clean drinking water, plentiful food and most importantly, peace. In those days, no God had walked this land, and there was no notion of war, hate or sin. The humans that called it home were pacifists, living in harmony with nature as life had always intended man to do so. They were a good people, who sought balance above all else. They only took what was needed and gave back whenever they could. They helped one another, they cared for another, and all was good. But like all great stories, it was never going to last.
To the far west, in the black land of Osarion, the Goddess of Devilry sent out the Three. Seri, Rowa, and Maya, powerful succubi sisters, and the firsts of their kind. They were tasked with one single purpose, to spread their corruption to man. Though they had never left Osarion before, it was deemed necessary by the Goddess to further their species and return with success. Eager to impress Anu, they left. Seri, the oldest of the three went North, for she loved the cold. Rowa, the second oldest of the three went east, for she yearned to see what resided there, and finally there was Maya, the youngest of the three. Now she had a choice to go south, past the wretched Hive jungle, then down in the direction of Verzak and The Ruiner, or she could go west towards the Mad Musician's realm. It wasn't at all hard to choose, and so with nothing but herself, she traveled that way.
Many days and nights she walked, meeting little else then animals and beasts. She found herself growing hungry for the first time in her life, for being near Anu was eternal sustenance. Now she was forced to find her own, and after a few more days of searching without success, she stumbled upon a village. Nestled next to a mighty river, there had to be at least one hundred humans or more, and these ones were no strangers to danger. Many tribesmen held spears, hatchets, all sorts of tools. She would have to be cautious, and a plan was developed. In the coming days, one person would go to sleep at night, never to be seen again in the morning. At first, there was no alarm in the village, but soon it became apparent something was afoot. More men began to stay out, watching for intruders or any sign of what plagued them. Many feared an animal, a few thoughts of vengeful spirits but not one was correct in their assumptions.
Maya had been very busy feasting upon the essence of man, and when she at last grew full, it was time to truly cause fun. She took a woman, a young adult by the looks of it, she couldn't really tell, nor care for that matter and she transformed her through pleasure, creating her first disciple. The new succubus was an eager young one, and Maya taught her much and in doing so, they swiftly gained a following. These new succubi, these disciples of Maya, would in turn be converted to cultists of Anu. They would spread the succubus gene on, in time, once they matured. Satisfied, Maya left them to terrorize the humans of that land and traveled west further. She followed the river up north, into new lands not ventured by any agents of Anu. Weeks passed with no signs of humans, or other life, besides endless plains and great swathes of beasts. She took little comfort in such beauty, for she was by far the prettiest creature that any would ever see, save Anu herself of course. Eventually, Maya began to grow hungry again, and quickened her pace, for in the far distance she could see the vague outline of a forest.
But these succubi weren't the only lifeforms to tread first upon the rich virgin soil. Hyperion had also placed his eyes on this rich forest and believed it was a sanctuary that must be preserved. And by preserved, he means to occupy the space for his own Angels of Light to purify what they'd call "sacred" and flush out any dark corrupting figures from within. He, as well, sent out three elite angelic warriors; Ariel, Zuphalas, and Lucius respectably. These angels rarely ever set foot outside of the boundaries of Terratoria and often not very far from the island, save for one. In fact, the last time they did was back during the first crusade in the beginning years of the war. However, their skills in their respected portions had made them worthy enough to occasionally go out on reconnaissance missions to scout out the environment of interest. They are to scout out the jungle and report back to him once they've gathered enough information, thus opening the way to Angelic occupation.
Ariel had been researching regarding the fundamentals of nature and had become very experienced within the field of taxonomy. She had discovered a variety of fauna and flora and has continued to identify and record any new species within her wake. Zuphalas is often called a rational environmentalist and has always requested to limit their civilizational expanse to a certain point or creating creative methods to coincide with mother nature herself. He abhors when the mortals cutdown trees to make way for non-ecofriendly methods regarding housing and agriculture. And then there was Lucius, one of Hyperion's most trusted advisors and generals. He had fought valiantly with his angelic brethren during the crusades and had made himself quite the reputation as the "Light-Bringer". While highly respected within his class, he had often bashed heads with Hyperion regarding strategy and was also the leading figure in convincing to halt the God of Light's crusades against darkness. He seemed to sympathize with those shrouded in darkness, thinking that they have room to change for the better, only forcing himself to slay them for the good graces of Hyperion.
For any hints of heresy, big or small, is a sentence to ruin.
The three angels had been busy, staying together as they've scoured the jungles for many days and nights. Ariel had so far discovered roughly 56 new species of flora and roughly 34 new fauna. Zuphalas had been studying how the local tribesman were coinciding in nature, giving him several ideas on how to amalgamate nature with artificial structures. And Lucius? Well, he's just there to provide a defensive force against any foes that dare attack them. However, their progress had been bogged significantly due to the amount of new discoveries and Ariel having to stop every time to document the object or creature in question. This had begun to take a toll on Lucius, who eventually found it best for them to split up for at least a few good hours. The taxonomist would head northward, whilst the environmentalist went westward, and the group leader goes south.
Lucius had been trekking through the forest for quite some time. The dense foliage made it troubling for him to move adequately in his bulky silver armor and it was surprisingly humid here. It almost felt like he's going to faint any minute or get bogged down in deep mud. The other angels had it easy, wearing traditional gowns and "scientific" attire, which makes them much more flexible through such an environment. He somewhat envied them. Regardless, after hours of trotting through the brush, it would be nice for him to stop and rest somewhere before continuing forward. And luckily for him, as he steps from behind a large tree, he finds a small forest lagoon just waiting for him to show up. He was welcomed to clear glistening blue water, with a waterfall running down a steep cliffside, and the sunlight casting her warm glow to the lake. Thank Hyperion! He would begin to take his clunky armor off piece by piece, revealing his short brunette hair, his radiant yellow eyes, and a divinely chiseled physique, as he slowly begins to wade into the water. The cool waters breathed a new life into the angelic warrior as he plunges his entire body in. With an exasperated sigh, Lucius blissfully swims from one end of the lagoon towards the other as he slowly begins to regain his strength for the road ahead. He's going to need it too.
Maya had entered the great forest upon the second day since spotting it on the horizon prior. It was old, older then even Anu and the air was weighted down by the sounds of nature. She wandered upon a game trail, worn down over time by the wandering feet of animals, and she occasionally bumped into them as well, but such creatures feared her for what she was, and this pleased Maya greatly. She walked the trail until it faded into overgrowth, but it did not stop her, for her will was strong and she hungered once more. That hunger was a powerful thing, urging her body to find sustenance before starvation kicked in and she did not want to find out what became of a succubus then. Her heightened senses and perception did little to help in that place, for she picked up animal after animal with no sign of any human inhabitation. Maya began to doubt that there were any humans living in the forest, and by nightfall, with her search still in vain, she settled down upon a bed of leaves, cradled within the fork of a tree's gnarled roots. The earthen smell was powerful here, but she was beginning to get used to it. She shut her eyes eventually, letting the sounds of night tuck her into a restless sleep.
She awoke at first light with a start. It took her groggy brain but a second to remember where she was, and why she was there. Hunger pains stabbed at her as she stretched, today she needed to find something to devour, or she feared the worst. She quickly walked off, silently as she could be through the thick undergrowth.
The forest seemed to be a never-ending expanse of brown and green, occasionally mixed with some other color. It was incredibly disorientating for a being such as her, for she liked places that she knew, that she could control. And the sounds of nature were most irritating, for they never ceased and continued to paint a very different picture then what Maya was feeling altogether. She was a creature of beauty, a beauty so profound that nothing could match her, save Anu, and grudgingly, Calli. The life that constantly surrounded her, paid no attention to her, when they should have been groveling at her feet. Then again, one could not expect a great amount from animals and insects. They were even dumber than humans, and that was saying something.
The succubus was just about to curse out a very loud songbird, when the fresh smell of water hit her senses. She quickly shut her mouth and made her way in that direction instead, for where there was water there might be more suitable prey. Or this forest was completely empty, a very souring prospect. As she grew closer, the sound of running water became more apparent, which brightened her mood. Though she did not need to take a bath (for Succubus only have a naturally intoxicating aroma, and not the foul smells commonly associated with man), the thought was enticing. A chance to let her problems wash away, if only for a bit. She stepped out from a large tree and froze in her tracks, before quickly hiding herself. She peeked out her head again to look at what startled her, and to her great surprise, she was not alone. In fact, there was a man- well it looked like a man, but with wings. Great white wings, like the birds she had come to know on her travels. This perplexed her, for she did not know of humans who grew wings! Her lavender eyes wandered some more, quickly falling upon the armor near the shore of the blue waters. She frowned slightly, was this winged man a warrior? She would have to be most careful approaching, there was no telling what could befall her if she overstepped her boundaries.
She hid behind the tree again, thinking of a plan. She had a gut feeling that this man would not hesitate to kill her in her current form. There was something about those wings... she just couldn't place it, but it felt very
wrong. She had to act fast, for fear she would be found. So, in a moment of inspiration, Maya cast an illusion upon herself. Her black horns disappeared, leaving behind only her wavy golden hair, which flowed down to the small of her back. Her pointed ears became rounded like a human, and so too did her teeth. Her ceremonial symbols, and Anu's mark left her pale skin, and her ethereal beauty dimmed to be that of a most pretty human woman. For all intents and purposes, Maya now looked like a human and in this form even her powers were locked away. She would have to revert her form to use them.
Extremely dissatisfied that she had to stoop to such a low level, she shut her eyes and a took a deep breath. Carefully, she stepped out from the tree, wearing nothing but the silken gown she had departed Osarion with. She swiftly moved to a nearby rock and sat down upon it, moving her attention to the winged man. She then spoke aloud so that he might hear her,
"Um... Hello! Enjoying the water?" she said meekly, not sure of herself just yet.
Lucius surfaced as he plopped himself on a nearby rock, scrubbing his robust form as his dampened wings slowly dry in the wind. He's not going to fly for at least a few long minutes, not like he needed to though. It's only a minor inconvenience for him, unless he happened to be ambushed by the enemy. But just as he considered jumping back into the lake, he'd hear a feminine voice coming to his right. His blood ran cold for a second, not expecting company to arrive so soon, before he gained back his composure. He turns slowly to see an elegant woman sitting on a rock, who seemed curious with him. She was an absolutely gorgeous thing, with her long golden hair flowing elegantly down like a river of silk upon her pale snow-white skin. Her amethyst eyes were instinctually unique for a human, a pair of bright jewels shining amongst the sunlight's warm glow, and her form was dainty yet poise. Yet despite these slight oddities, the angel didn't feel any suspicious feelings regarding her. To him, she's simply a female mortal with unique eyes and nothing more. Lucius casted a warm friendly smile as he stood up, exposing his entire naked form as he turns to greet her. He didn't seem ashamed in showing his radiant form either. After all, he often baths in the company of his companions, male and female alike, in the barracks' local sauna.
"I am, fair maiden." the angel replied politely, with not a single hint of shame or discomfort in his voice,
"Quite the lovely day for a swim, don't you agree?" The winged man stood, showing himself in a very modest way, one that Maya could not help but look at. Usually humans were afraid of nudity, but this winged man showed no sign of being uncomfortable with himself, or even in the presence of the opposite sex. It was incredibly intriguing, and even more so appealing. She liked confidence, and though his body was not that of a God's, it was far better than any man she had ever seen before. Though she hated to admit it, the winged man was attractive, but she was hungry and there was nothing that would stop her from fulfilling her appetite now. She would have to play a part, and there were so many options to choose from. She could be playful and witty, charming and smart, meek and embarrassed, or any such combination and more. She briefly avoided the man's gaze as she thought, looking at the inviting water.
Maya suddenly looked back up at the winged man, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight as her lips curved into a welcoming smile. She had decided to be playful and witty.
"I would agree," Maya said surer of herself,
"Oh noble winged man." she finished with a small giggle. Maya then stood up, and moved closer to the water's edge, dipping her feet into the cool blue water. Small minnows came to nibble at her toes, and at the feeling she could not help but smile widely.
After a moment she spoke,
"Mhmm, so what they say is true, the water is delicious. I must admit, I had not expected to meet anyone here, but I don't think you'd mind the company?" Maya said, slowly moving both straps of her dress off her shoulders. The dress then fell, revealing further her currently modest figure. Without so much as waiting, she waded into the water. It sent shivers up her spine, as the water was cooler deep down, something she had not assumed. She laughed again, exclaiming,
"Oh, this feels so wonderful!" she then turned back to the winged man and beamed an inviting smile at him. Maya was playing a dangerous game, but weren't her kind dangerous themselves? All she had to do was act like a human, and say human things, then the winged man would be her meal. And a fine one indeed.
"Neither have I." Lucius nodded nonchalantly with a smile as he gestured her to come,
"But please, make yourself at home." The angel observed the woman take off her light dress as she slowly made it into the water herself, with her alluring pale skin shining nicely in the glancing light. She appeared to be enjoying herself once she got used to the chilling, yet crisp, blue waters. He'd watch her from ashore for a minute before he got hooked in by her inviting look. He couldn't resist the youthful face of sheer radiant beauty and the unique violet eyes that seemed to hypnotize him somewhat. She was an intriguing mortal, one unlike any he had ever seen. Nevertheless, he soon gave into her gaze as he plunged into the waters head first, diving several feet into the depths as he swam towards her from below. He would emerge a few seconds later as he gazed into the woman's eyes with his own illuminating orbs while he slowly swims around her in a seemingly lazy manner. The wings on his back were made into good use as make-shift floaters, allowing him to kick back and relax on the water's buoyant surface without wasting much energy keeping himself afloat. Why waste precious energy when relaxing anyways?
"If I may ask, my lady," he asks politely,
"What is your name? Are you from around here by any chance?" Maya watched the Angel with roaming eyes, taking in his splendor up close with a soft grin. When he asked her his questions, Maya had to think for a moment. Could she use her real name? Could this man know of her and her sisters? Where could she say she was from? Ideas came to mind, but not wanting to seem awkward in front of him, she opened her mouth to speak,
"Oh, you can ask all you'd like, but names are fickle things and need to be worked for." she said with a pleasant laugh. It was time to have some fun with the man, she liked some entertainment before a meal anyways.
"Here is a relative term my dear. Where is here? Do you mean this pool? Perhaps the forest itself? Surely you can see I am neither dryad nor nymph." she finished with another high laugh.
"Mhmm." she began gently swimming around him.
"I'm afraid I've been too harsh, I will say this; Rephrase your question, make it more specific and your reward shall be my name. Does that sound fair?" she asked, stopping in front of him with a large childish grin on her face.
She was just beginning to enjoy herself, it wasn't every day one got a delicacy. She wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could, but not long enough so that he might catch on or flee.
Lucius studied the woman carefully as she stated her simple riddle. He couldn't blame himself for thinking that she might've been a native of this unknown forest. A dryad and nymph were a few of the ideas he considered her to be and they fit well with how she looked. The attire, the eyes, they matched said description. Apparently, this doesn't seem to be the case, for she unintentionally claims not be part of the forest at all. He chuckles lightly upon seeing the woman's youthful grin and sighed before he finally spoke.
"Very well." he concedes as he gazes into her eyes for a few seconds before responding,
"If you are not a native of this vast forest - then where in the vast realm of Tabrasa do you hail from?" "Better, much better." Maya purred as she swam around him.
"It's true, I am not native to this forest. I hail from a land far away and without name, in the shadow of a vast mountain. There my tribe dwells, without me now. Surely you will ask why I left, so I'll tell you now. It was boring, I wanted to explore, to adventure upon this earth! To meet people and exchange teaching for learning. My sisters... they felt the same as I except for our eldest. She wished we would not go, but it's alright. I know in my heart I will see her again." she finished softly. It had been a long time since she had talked to a person, and before she realized it, Maya had gone ahead and revealed that she had sisters. A silly mistake, but when she looked at the man again, and gazed into his eyes she did not feel silly, she felt respected. He was a good listener, much better than her sisters. In fact, his eyes were the loveliest shade of yellow she had ever seen, and it was a thought that she wasn't entirely comfortable with either. Thoughts of another creature having any beauty comparable to one of her own kind, was unwelcome, yet at the same time there was something so alluring about those eyes. She could not help but feel that if she looked long enough, she would become lost and drift away forever.
Maya blinked, quickly averting her gaze from the winged man's. Her cheeks flushed, and Maya hoped the man would not notice, so she spoke again,
"Of course, where were we? Ah, yes! My name. You may call me Maya. Now, what should I call you?" The angel listened wondrously to the woman's history, not letting his gaze daze off her deep-purple pupils for even a second. Yet the more he listened, the more did he feel some connection to her. It was something he hadn't felt in a very long time, one that felt rather alien to him. His gaze would only cease once the woman, Maya, turned her gaze away, flushing brightly in a warm pink hue. It was rather charming to see her this way, perhaps even wholesome. He couldn't help but to chuckle quietly in amusement before the woman turned around to reveal her name. Maya. It was a nice name, one very fitting for her. The angel couldn't see her be named anything else. The perfect name for a perfect specimen. Then it was his turn to reveal his birthname.
"Lucius." the angel remarked softly.
"Lucius." Maya repeated warmly,
"I like that name." she beamed a smile at him. Her flushed cheeks cooled off to her normal paleness as she looked to Lucius again. There was something about this one that sent small shivers up her spine. Electrifying. Though they had just met, she felt a connection unlike she had ever felt before. In that moment she lost thoughts of wanting to sustain herself, to kill him so soon would leave her with only sadness. She wanted to know more about him, where he came from, why he was here. But she also knew that whatever Lucius told her, she could not be so certain it was true. For if she could lie, so could he, and she would not be able to tell the difference. But she also knew it would be worth it, it felt right to talk to him.
"So tell me, Lucius. Where might you be from? What's your story? I've never seen someone with wings before!" she finished with a youthful laugh.
The winged-man chuckled at her engaging response before glancing at her.
"Very well," he responds casually before beginning his tale,
"Like you, I also hail from a land far from here. I come from an island to the west, one called Terratoria, blessed under a coating of light and green. Where I come from, peace is nearly assured, free from the chaotic world outside where everyone considers one another as equals. There is no poverty, no internal discord, and everyone plays an equally vital role from within. Civilization thrives underneath a vast mountain, where we and our god thrive from above. We winged men are known as angels, born brothers and sisters alike, and we serve our god as divine warriors to spread peace and order through the realm. Yet I aspire to one day free my wings from Terratoria and go on a trip around the realm, just to explore at my leisure and comfort... but as a general, I must unfortunately hold my duty to my god's name, who he claims that I'm too 'valuable' to lose." He'd sigh as he looks out into the rich blue sky above.
"Oh, if only I could..." he quietly mutters to himself, audible enough for the woman to hear.
She listened intently, floating in comfort beside the man as her gaze never left his face. She had never heard of Terratoria before, but something about it seemed wrong. Perhaps it was the peace, or the freedom from chaos that fogged her perception of it. Chaos was a vital part of life, had Anu not taught her that? And what was peace but living without war? She had no concept of what equality was, for she had always lived a life of luxury beside her own God. All other beings in Anu's realm were beneath her, and she could never see them living as equals, it just wasn't right. But the thought of it being right did not leave Maya's mind at all. Could there be a different world out there where such things were normal?
Maya also caught the longing in Lucius' voice as he finished speaking. There was a certain sadness to it, for she to, knew what it was like to be valuable. She had her own duties to preform for her mistress. She found herself wondering what life would be like if she could go anywhere, be anyone. To live without having to do anything for anybody. His words stoked something in her heart, something long buried before her birth. A time when the entire world was big and bright and full of wonders. It felt like a dream, and one she longed to return too suddenly. Who knew that such a stranger's words would give rise to feelings that she knew not existed within her? Yet, there they were all the same.
"Your Terratoria sounds lovely, Lucius." Maya began softly,
"But it seems to me you carry a great burden. The Gods demand much of their chosen ones, to live constantly on their whims and callings. I can see why you would want to travel, the world is full of wonders just waiting to be found. she paused again, swimming closer to Lucius. She looked into his yellow eyes again and her heart skittered, for now she saw her own soul reflected at her. She felt closer to him in that moment then she had ever felt before with anyone, even Anu. What was she doing? How could she even think such a thing? But she continued anyways, regardless of her duty. This chance meeting with an angel was more than just fate, it was destiny. She had never considered the possibility that another soul would be the same as hers. They were two completely different beings with different ideologies yet found each other in the vast world of Tabrasa. An event with odds ever stacked against them.
"Tell me something Lucius... she whispered delicately,
"Have you ever felt... Connected to someone before?" The angel gazed at the woman surprisingly as he began to stiffen up. However, Lucius wasn't stiffening up out of fear, but of something else. A peculiar sense of raw feeling began to spread throughout his divine body. Why is it that now, at this point in his career having fought in some of the most hostile conditions and fought hordes of succubi, that this is leaking out of him so easily? It was a feeling he had kept under wraps for so long, burdened by the professionalism and standards he had to keep under the watchful eye of Hyperion. There was something more about this lady then he can simply fathom, more beyond her physical looks. She seems to understand him - on a rather personal level - despite not knowing a thing about angels in the first place. The oddity seemed uncanny yet welcoming all the same. So, when Maya brought up the question regarding connections, he began to hesitate as his cheeks began to flush a bright red.
"Pro-Professionally...?" he stammers softly, his lower lip quivering slightly as he attempts to uphold the last bits of restraint in his failing body,
"I consider myself... connected to my angelic brethren." But he had the overwhelming feeling that he already knew what the young woman really meant.
Maya giggled softly as Lucius stammered. She took note of his quivering lips, the way his face grew red and the way he looked at her. He was trying so hard to contain himself, to be calm and collected in the face of something he had never probably been trained for. Her mouth curved into a smile as she pressed herself into Lucius chest. Their bodies touched, and Maya melted at the contact of skin. She looked up at Lucius now, her eyes full of passion as she bit her lip gently.
"Relax, Lucius. Relax." She whispered ever so softly, before leaning in to kiss his lips.
As soon as Maya pressed her palms on his gleaming pecks, it was all over for Lucius. The sensation was utterly electrifying, as his heart began to beat faster than his adrenaline could ever muster in battle. Never had he felt a sensation quite like this before. And once she leaned over to lock her sultry lips with his, it was simply the final nail in the coffin as the angel's eye glowed bright in lustrous passion. His professional ties that kept him in check had finally been compromised. And on this high off love, he embraces her in his muscular arms as they descend beneath the surface...
