"Gods tied to motherhood, Goddesses that have kids, Goddesses that have cried and the origin of motherhood. So hows doing what?" Eve posed as her eyes locked onto the boys.
...
"I'll take the Concepts linked to Gods." Mazel offered, it was a subject he was familiar with so he chose to at least handle something within his expertise.
"I'll take the Gods that have kids, divine or demigods, or do I just take on both?" Regis queried.
"Just cover the whole spectrum of kids, it'll help to broaden our search." Ahmed advised before adding, "I'll be taking the gods that have cried subject, I doubt that there's a lot, so in exchange I'll be thorough."
"That leaves me with the Origin of motherhood, alright boys lets get to work, after brain storming we'll interchange our works and add on to things that have been left out." Eve directed as she turned around to leave the group.
"Where are you going?" Mazel couldn't help but ask.
"Away from you three, God knows when you'll start bickering, I'd rather spare myself of the torment." She waved off not turning around.
Mazel's brows furrowed while Regis' lip twitched, Ahmed held back the urge to roll his eyes and chose to stare at the sky.
Regis clicked his toungue as he went East also following Eve's example to tackle the issue in solitude.
Mazel went West, opposite to Regis, he quite frankly didn't want to interact with the Troll-kin more than necessary after all he was already on his kill list.
Before he could go too far though, Ahmed held his arm forcing the youth to stop and look back.
"What?" Mezal asked, despite not having the best thoughts for Ahmed he didn't go out of his way to be hostile.
"Nothing really," Ahmed begun amiably, "I just wanted to say thanks and sorry."
"Thanks and sorry?" Mezal raised a brow curious about whatever it was Ahmed was going to say.
"Yeah, the thanks is for you being where you were. If not for you and thw angel guys presence, I may have not gained what I have, it might not be much for you but for me it truly has been life changing for me, so thanks Mezal Azazel, I owe you one." He earnestly thanked.
"As for the sorry, I'm sorry for you loss. I saw the corpses." He sympathized briefly.
Mezal stood in daze for a few minutes not knowing what to say before he let out a sad sigh, "thanks for that, but honestly they're already dead and I can't even give them a proper burial.
I was supposed to be their guide and leader, I was entrusted their lives and yet I let them die...worst of all I'm not even sad they're dead but disappointed I couldn't lead them through the awakening, is that normal?" Mazels eyes watered and he struggled to hold his expression, he didn't know why he told a stranger how he felt but he just did, now he was looking at the same stranger with a semblance of hope thay maybe just maybe he wasn't too weird that he wasn't too abnormal.
Ahmed stayed silent briefly gathering his wits, Mezal in his eyes made him think back to the time when he had lost his pet cat, well their pet cat after all it was his brothers, sisters and his own.
The cat had died, he wasn't as attached to it as his siblings, when they cried he just stood their and watched not knowing why they were crying it was sad yes but did it really warrant tears?
He was a bit sad yes, that was a given, he had enjoyed playing with it and all majorly he was just disappointed it died before he formed a deep connection with it.
So now looking at Mezal he couldn't help but think that they were quite similar in the way they processed loss.
"It's not that your sad, it's just that your not used to processing sadness. The disappointed I understand after all you took their lives as your responsibility, it was your responsibility yes but it also wasn't at the same time.
You can't order people to do things they don't want to. In your eyes they died because you weren't as great of a leader as you thought right?" He asked hoping to steer his albeit temporary teammate forward.
Mazel nodded in agreement, he had been blaming himself, if only he were a better tactical leader, a better commander then maybe just maybe...
"The same way you feel you weren't the leader you thought you were, they also felt that they weren't the comrades they thought they could be for you.
There's no 'I' in team Mazel, everyone is accountable for whatever happens, plus within the awakening realm fortune is heavily accompanied by misfortune. They died trying to lessen your burden, trying to ensure you survival, they died so you could live.
If you can't grieve them the normal way, then carry them, their memory as brief as it was when they were under your command, when they were your allies, when they were your comrades.
Honor them with how you live, live in a way that makes you and them proud, after all your Mazel Azazel, Scion of the Azazel Clan, what's daunting to most should be embraced by you, that's what geniuses are, that's what's heroes are, so find out who you are."
The two boys strared at each other for some seconds before Mezal begun to wipe his watery eyes.
"Hmm, your right. I'm not used to grief, so I'll carry them, thank you Ahmed."
"Don't sweat it, ohh by the way, if it makes you feel any better." Ahmed waved his hand, before them the corpses of the demon comrades of Mazel appeared before them.
"I couldn't control my Imprint at the time, so it stored away all the corpses at the entrance without exception, these are the bodies of your comrades." Ahmed sported a white lie, "I may or may not have rheir storage devices, I don't know how they look like nor am I interested."
Mazel chuckled at his poor attempt of a lie," its alright, their bodies are enough. Thank you, with this we're even Ahmed Reeves." Mezal stretched out his hand to which Ahmed readily agreed.
A distance away a forlorn voice whispered to itself, "it has begun, the due has been cast and the canvas prepared, I wonder which portrait shall come to be at the end of it all, I wonder."