Isabella watched as Inarys breaths became deep and even before she redrew the crude runic symbols on their hands just like the first night that she'd seen Inary. She held her hand rightly and meditated on opening her mind.
When Isabella opened her eyes she was met with not the thicket she'd seen before but dead decaying trees and the swamp ish water she had once been trudging through now ran a sickly red color. Even so she moved forward searching for the beast she vaguely remembered.
She trecked silently as to not disturb Inarys inner peace. She came upon a small child that looked similar to Inary but so very different. Her skin a olive hue her hair black and her doe eyes honey brown. Her form felt so similar but they looked nothing alike. She stepped closer before hearing the child speak.
"I see you little witch." The voice was so ethereal and smooth it sent goosebumps across her skin. As she moved closer the scene came into full very. The child was knelt before the massing maul of a white fox it's horns raised high and it's eyes a lifeless lilac.
The child rested it's head on the snout of the beast and Isabella could make out faint struggled breaths from its corporeal form.
"Do you know how we are born little witch. Or how we die." The child hummed softly leaving light kisses on the beasts snout. Isabella stepped closer coming right up to the child before kneeling. " I am not sure how it is for deity's I only know of humans lives." Isabella said thoughtfully.
The child let out a soft sigh " I am Inary." She stated softly still petting the maul. " I was eight years old, many centuries ago, when I was a gift to this beast here before you." She continued. Despite Isabella's puzzled look. " the people took me and sacrificed me to ensure the harvest. And because their hearts were so true to the cause I became the sacrifice to end all and to guide them to wealth fertility and luck in its purest form." Isabella felt appalled by this.
" I was one of many back then as it was a tradition until after I became one with the beasts soul. I never again wanted blood to be the reason things went right with the world. And yet it seems I was wrong to be so naïve to the greed of others." The child Looked at Isabella with a sad smile and held her hand. " I need you to hold onto this for me little witch. For your soul is as pure as mine and full of wonder as mine was. And I fear I'll be leaving here soon and my body will be left in a state of humanity though I plan to leave traces of my power behind."
Isabella felt the claws of the child dig deep into her wrist as a sharp pain like writhing snakes shot up her arm. She let out a scream of agony as the blood dripped down into the last living patch of grass left in area. And so bloomed violets of deep and dark hues.
The child let go and smiled brightly. " I fear it is a bit painful to be like us little witch. But I assure you the fox is far greater a challenge than a few vines. Hopefully we shall meet again in the future Little witch. As deity's. farewell my new friend."
And just like that the entire scene went to black and Isabella opened her eyes her wrist seared in pain as she saw a runic symbol she'd never encountered before etched into her wrist. She felt sad and sleepy as she traced its form. " what did you see this time little witch." A low voice came from The arm chair nearest the small fire place that was now lit allowing light to illuminate the king.
His grey tunic half laced at the front exposing the mangle of scars and the sleeves rolled up just below the elbow. And his black slacks rolled at the hem to make room for the bones of his feet still moving back into place slowly. His eyes were hollow this time as if he was a ghost in the shell of a man. Isabella met his gaze with a hit of anger and sadness as she spoke.
" I saw the death of a deity sire." She could tell her words were full of ridicule and accusations even for the man who helped raise her she felt so conflicted by his actions.
"I see so she will become human once more." He mumbled mulling the thought around in his minds. " what do you feel little witch, do you hate me, detest me, wish to harm me for what I've done to the creature." He asked absently.
Not really expecting an answer from her but he could feel the sorrow slithering out of her as if she'd watched a beautiful flower wither in a flame. " sire. You make me Ill with disdain at the moment." She muffled back tears wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her dress before continuing." But I do not hate you or wish to harm you. I only wish to know what you plan. And how I can see you obtain your goal." Her words left with little life as if she could barely believe them even as she spoke.
" I plan to gain the attention of the gods. And slowly pick them off one by one. It will bring chaos and confusion as well as desolate and blood will be spilled." He said sternly " I will make them regret allowing me to continue until I bring down hell on their holy empire and free my brothers from their hellscapes." His eyes oozed black over the blue with every word and Isabella felt like withering away in his wake.
Isabella nodded barely able to wrap her mind at all of this. " do you still wish to serve me knowing that my plans may kill many and hurt more." He asked in a low menacing voice.
" I do not know sire." She spoke truthfull but fear still gripped at her throat and she felt a familiar swirl of writhing inside her wrist as she looked down a small sprout wrapped itself around her wrist and swirled until coiling in her palm softly. She was awestruck through the fear.
" I will give you time to think my little witch." Azazel spoke before standing from his seat to move to the door. "I will never harm you Isabella." He spoke softly as his palm laid on the door for a moment. " I only wish for my freedom from this curse." She watched azazels back as he left the room. She turned back to tend to Inary who looked gaunt but rested peacefully and soundly.
Azazel walked down the hall another pain in his chest. He shook his head and returned to his floor of the large castle. He had to handle court affairs soon so he could his search for the other deity's . "Izanami." He mumbled to himself with a mischievous grin. 'The twins will be Perfect for the next catch.' He thought passing by the small number of servants bustling up the steps to help clean the top floor.
He paid them no mind and continued on to his study. Mulling over what Isabella had said about witnessing the death of a deity. In all honesty he wasn't sure because no one was privy how to take a deity's power he only thought of burning the furs from a hunch he had while watching her shed it that first day.
As for the twins he thought it was highly unlikely they'd be as easy. For he knew all about her. He studied four main deities he saw as a child in his nightmare's and she was the first that ever came to him. It was always the same dream and it was always just as horrific is the first time he's ever dreamt it.
He wasn't quite sure if she remembered as much as he did, but she definitely wasn't the same deity that he remembered in his past life as an angel under God. He remembered the feel of her skin, the sound of her laugh, even the fragrance of her hair. And yet he was resign to the fate, where he would only betrayed her. This time he knew he couldn't save her to begin with as he needed her to save himself.
Only once he got his heart back and reclaimed his rightful place amongst the angels would he even consider saving another. The voice of Isabella rang in his ears.
' I think you more monstrous in this moment than any other' she had the nerve to say that him of all people still he could not blame her.
Of course, someone as young as Isabella, who only saw what he allowed of himself to be seen, couldn't fathom the cruelty he was capable of. Nor could she begin to understand the war that waged in his mind as he went against everything embedded in him by his maker by distorting the balance of the world and taking out the small building blocks that held the fates twine together.
He entered his study quietly and sat behind a large blood wood desk that shone in the fire light. His gaze glassy and in some what of a daze as his mind reeled back and forth between the echoing screams of Inary to the memory of her face contorted in anguish as her soul was ripped from her by that damned void of a god.
He placed his head in his hands massaging his temples. Quickly clearing his mind he opened the note book that sat in-front of him and scanned through the ledger for the common tax then moved on to the winter preparations and the ledger in correspondence with the money used to ensure a smooth winter. He continued to check through and make notes of issues and make changes in grainage depending upon the necessity and scarcity.
The hours drug by as he made arrangements to meet with the head of knights and the chieftain over the village surrounding the castle. Thought a small number of people gathered in these area due to its close proximity to the woods and the fear of wild beasts and bandits, he still had to maintain it as any other king of the land. The lack of notoriety didn't hinder the work needed to be done to upkeep the small kingdom.
Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He put down the heavy ledgers before leaning back in his chair and called out. ' you may enter' as he was already aware of who was distributing him at this hour.