It was another day at Northridge, or is what the locals call.
A chilly afternoon, people walking around the streets. It was a calm and serene day.
Whooosh
Whoosh
Whoosh. Whoosh.
The wind fluttered around his balcony.
A man with bluish black hair and striking blue eyes was sitting at his balcony, letting the afternoon sun shine down on his body.
Something felt weird though.
The calm wind around him fluttered suddenly, as if something disturbed it's peace.
"Yaawnnn... Hm?"
The light that shone through his eyelids disappeared and reappeared four times, what the hell? Very strange!
"Get back here!"
"Stop this instant!"
Usually being high above a tall building, you wouldn't hear the distant yelling of arguing vendors or whatever people, from very far.
Yet why did those two voices sound so close?
THUMP THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP THUMP
THUMP
' my roof is... '
The man opened his eyes and saw a weird sight.
Three people, a few roofs across from him are running across the tiles making lots of noise.
One appears to have jet black hair with a haircut that reaches just shoulder length, this woman had a sword and a uniform of a Gate Operators and Authority agent.
Just behind her was another young girl, in her teens, light gray hair and is readying to throw her naginata towards the third person.
The person appears to have a hood but due to the running around, it was down. Lime green hair and pointed ears, that girl was an elf a pretty common sight here in Northridge but green haired elves usually live by the edges of the city, just near the woods and forests.
"What the he—"
He was about to yell at the three people but something or someone leapt off his roof just above him.
A young man with pale skin, holding a dagger made out of obsidian on his hand. The sun was making him look very picturesque, and very paint able...
Wait is he crazy!? He's leaping off from this high, and this far!!?
The young man didn't seem to care, noticing the man just below him, he spared the man a glance and flew from his roof to the distant roof just a few meters below.
The man noiselessly landed on the tiles and then disappeared suddenly, leaving an echoing sound of a snake hissing and aggressive rattling.
"Well my day has just gone from normal to abnormal"
Finishing his coffee, he put on a brown coat and some pants. There was a symbol on his chest to.
What appears to be...
A bird flying, and below it was a nest with several empty clips.
Click
Then those several clips...
We're still several clips
Duh
But there was now a new one.
A symbol of a caged, dying, bird. With what looks to be a scale behind the cage, the scale had a sword on the left and a key on the right.
"Yawn... Work does not call, but something tells me that things are about to get exciting."
Getting a cane and his hat.
He walked towards the door, cast one last look at a distant abandoned cathedral, and sighed
***
' tsk how infuriating! '
The elf girl gritted her teeth, her lime green hair fluttering in the wind.
ZWWIIIIPPP
Dodging more attacks by her pursuers, she summoned a book that seems to levitate on its own. The pages flipped, and the runes inside it glowed bright red.
Hup!
Suddenly jumping down from the roof and onto a lower one, she then looked up and then pointed her hand at the tiled roof she just leapt off of.
"Flames entwine, bind and snare!"
The runes the shone bright red emerged from the papers and then formed into several burning orbs, and then it shaped itself into a large, burning net.
Vwoooosh!!!
' that'll do it right? '
Not looking back, she ran, not bothering to make sure it worked or not since it's just to buy herself some time.
...
Leah and Raven leapt off the roof and was suddenly met by a net of flames!
"Ugh..."
"Han!"
Leah's main weapon was to cast lightning and electricity, did she want to explode and ruin her beautiful make up and well kept hair?
Of course I not!!
Raven did not have the time to switch weapons to appropriately counter the fire so she just rolled her eyes and waited for her subordinate to make it disappear.
I'm supposed to be... We're... Supposed to be on a break.
Han appeared once more from wherever the hell he disappeared once off to.
WHOOOSH
SWEEEEP
He slashed at the firey net just in time with the pristine white dagger, the slashes flew passed both the girls and felt something cold shiver down their spines.
Han easily landed first and dashed, his hair was now turned white and is no longer looking messy and disturbing his line of sight.
"Stop where you're go—"
THWACK
BANG
THUMP
The elf girl sent several pieces of the roofs using the bricks and stone and sent it flying towards Han.
' this damned mage... '
The two girls have landed and then dashed passed Han, they sent their abilities forward, aiming for the green haired elf girl.
The elf girl looked over her shoulder, then turned around to face them with a jump, pointing two of her arms at the three of them.
The book, which is apparently a catalyst, was hovering below her hands and was glowing with an eerie purple.
[Gravity Manipulation]
The area around Han, Leah, and Raven suddenly changed. Then, an unknown pressure pushed them down to the ground.
"My clothes!"
"Seriously?"
"I'm supposed to be on a break..."
The three of them were pushed down, and then flung up into the air and then back down on the ground, while being dragged against the tiles.
' I should flee. '
The elf girl turned her back and ran.
She was running and running as fast as she could, towards the distant cathedral.
SLAAAAASHHHH
"Argh!? What?!"
Her back was suddenly cut, blood flowed down her body and onto the the ground.
She looked back...
The zone of gravity she surrounded the three people...
Cut in half? How!?
That's not possible.
How?
I....
Lost?
"Ahh... It hurts..."
The three agents were shaking off their disoriented state and we're already walking towards the immobilized elf girl.
Yet, she looked like she didn't care. Her gaze...
Her gaze was fixed on that cathedral...
"You're under arrest young one"
Raven made sure to cast simple healing magic to stop the shallow wound and then stabbed her with a syringe to make sure she temporarily couldn't move.
"Jeez... My clothes are all ruined!"
Side eyeing Leah who's grumbling like a kid about her clothes, Han couldn't help but want to give her a pretty good slap.
Can't though, I'm a man who respects women...
Is what he wanted to believe anyway.
"You rich kids sure are lame."
He muttered out under his breath and walked towards the cathedral.
Leah rolled her eyes and followed Han, she was eyeing the sudden transformation of his hair.
' tsk, I bet she's saying how much it doesn't suit me or she's fashion critiquing me again.'
"That girl was looking at the cathedral right? Or was it just me? She even seemed to be running to it."
Surprise, surprise. Han was surprised that the first things that came out of her mouth, were unexpected about something else.
Character development?
Obviously not.
Nodding, Han sighed and quickened his steps towards the cathedral.
" Any idea why?"
" No, but shouldn't we wait for captain Raven to join us?"
Looking back over his shoulder, he looked at Leah with a bored expression then faced forward once more.
They both leapt off a few roofs and then landed on the ground, the cathedral is right Infront of them.
" If you wanna wait for her then do as you please, I'll go inside and check what's up."
She clicked her tongue, adjusted her hair and checked her clothes and then brought out her naginata weaving it to appear in her hands through shining threads of blue and purple.
She walked up beside Han and huffed.
" You're not cool just because you said that y'know?"
" Leah... Please... Stop talking."
She turned her face and puffed out her cheeks, yet she followed him inside the cathedral.
***
Step. Step. Step. Step
Droop. Droop.
The abandoned cathedral was surprisingly, abandoned.
There were not a lot of homeless people here in Northridge, but there are plenty. Places like this cathedral, or any ruined places, will be home to atleast a few people.
This cathedral was large with many floors, it would house atleast a few dozen of homeless people to serve them as shelter.
"Creepy, there should be lots of those homeless rats living in a place like this."
Leah jumped over a muddy puddle and looked at the large tainted windows.
"Weren't you a slum rat yourself? Doesn't that seems rude?"
Han gave her a furious look and was about to say something but Leah continued:
"Well you're already living a good life now, so I guess you have the right to call them rats. As for that fallen statue by the front, where the large windows are. What god is that?"
Han sighed and followed her gaze until it landed at the chancel, there was indeed a fallen statue by the altar.
The statue had cracks and burn marks, several pieces of it's stone body missing. It had a robe like hood and wings, one that fell to the ground was designed to look like it had feathers, while the one that stayed only looked to have bones and withered.
"Not a god, just a person who was treated like one for a while."
Han looked away and continued exploring the cathedral, the seats were all broken and pieces of the ceiling and the other top floors were broken.
Just what could have happened here?
"Huff treated like one? You're rather educated, I thought schools were hard to come by back where you lived?"
Han sat down on the few steps that lead to the alter and sighed once more.
It's getting cold isn't it?
"That fake goddess over there is the reason my grandparents became slum rats, then my parents, and here I was. Born as a slum rat, but it was good that those harsh days died down, our generation had it lucky."
The goddess of love and justice...
About sixty two years ago, there was a priestess who received power from an ancient creature who was believed to come from a god.
The people were ecstatic to find that their priestess was able to handle said power. The power of truth, judgement, justice, and fairness. That power came from a Relic, indeed it was a powerful Relic, a scale that can measure the soul of a person or spirit, a scale that can deem whether what this person is saying is truth, or lies.
After a few decades, Northridge lived in peace. Everything was fair, every decision was made by the priestess, every time there was a dispute or a crime made that a normal judge can't handle. The priestess would be called, the first time she used the relic was to judge a suspected murderer.
It was said that their souls would be put on the scale, if they told the truth that they were not guilty then the scale with their soul in it will not grow heavy. But if they continue lying, saying they aren't guilty even though they are, the scale with their soul will grow heavy.
"... Everyone from the slums know this story, everyone else of high status either didn't care, never heard of, or forgotten."
Han took out some snacks from his pocket and ate it swiftly, throwing the wrapper to the side.
Leah continued exploring the whole cathedral and found her way onto the second floor balconies.
Looking at Han, Leah noticed how gloomy he looked.
Where'd that annoying and sly rat I know go?
She leaned against the broken railings, not even bothering if she'll fall or not, and spoke in a nonchalant tone:
"Some interesting story, if it's not a sensitive topic, mind if you tell me the... Full... Story?"
Han glanced at her from where she stood, she looked bored out of her mind. She looked... Too checking aesthetic to.
' what a weird thought... '
The full story...
"That's not something someone who lived a good life will care about."
Han wanted to dismiss it but Leah, always so perceptive, did not want to dismiss it.
Plus she was interested do who wouldn't want to know the full story?
"You can't just end it there y'know? What a boring way to end a story!"
She suddenly used her naginata's passive ability and then leapt off the balcony.
KRRKSHAA!
A quick and blinding flash came and a crackle of thunder was heard, when Han looked up, she was now at the third floors balcony.
Yaawnnn...
Looking as bored as she was as always, she cast a smile at Han.
If it were any other person, they would have dropped dead from such a small smile.
"There's a twist isn't there? Why this priestess would then become the reason for several generations of suffering."
Han was dead bored waiting for their captain to arrive anyway, and he had nothing to do.
Kshkshkshkshksh...
Han appeared on the top of the statues head, the light coming from behind the giant tainted windows made him look like an album for a music cover.
Edgy much?
Crossing his legs and resting his chin on the palm of his hands supported by his elbows.
Letting out a sigh that sounded like a viper hissing, he glared at Leah for being too insightful and asking him questions... Too many questions, even.
' jeez can she not figure things out herself!? Do kids not read books over there!!??'
"After the first time they used it on a guilty criminal, the people were ecstatic, the priestess even more so. Over time, the littlest things like who did who? Did he do this? Did he whatever! The priestess was hungry for recognition, she loved how the people adored her power. To the point she was made into some goddess, justice, fairness, truth and lies..."
Leah listened intently, she then wondered and thought of something, then finally asked a relevant question:
"Then where did the " love" part come from?"
He laughed and side eyes Leah waiting for a snarky remark... It did not come.
Surprised, he continued:
" A few years after, the people were getting used to the power she holds. People no longer went crazy and celebrated for each job well done she achieved, the people even brought it down to only major court matters will she be called, but obviously people also feared her power so she was basically useless! She was frustrated, she didn't like how everyone was growing bored of her so she decided to find another rumored Relic. A charm that brings allure to the wearer, and even gives someone the power close to mind control or manipulation."
He took a sip of water and added in a nonchalant tone:
" She was sometimes called the goddess of birth and reproduction —"
Cough!
Cough!
Cough!
Leah patted her chest and glared at Han for the sudden name drop that she didn't expect to hear at all.
" W... W... What the hell!!?"
Han smirked at her stupidly naive looking reaction.
"What? Do your teachers not teach you about human reproduction? Do you think you were born because your mother and father decided to hold hands one-day?"
KRRRKKSSHAAAA—
Easily tilting his head to the side, he dodged a lightning fast strike that came from... Obviously, Leah.
The ground behind him quaked and a few rubble fell from the ceiling and bits of the pillars and wall crumbled.
"How old are we again? Sixteen? Gosh I feel I'm more educated than you now, How do you not know those things?"
"Idiot! I obviously know... Know... about those things..."
The last few words grew quiet. Feeling Hans gaze and knowing his grinning from ear to ear, her face grew red and yelled:
"H... Hurry up and continue the story damn it!"
' Gods is she that innocent?
***
Rumble...
Bang...
Clatter. Clatter.
Somewhere inside the same cathedral...
A lone figure resides, hidden in a room filled with books and carved statues. The room was untouched, dirty and dusty, dust and cobwebs and even fallen debris everywhere.
All around, threads that stretch out for who knows how long and who knows where it reaches are laid on the ground.
They all connect to one thing...
" Someone's here? "
Feeling a few threads react to the lound crackling of thunder, and the sound of something crashing and collapsing.
It appears to be someone he did not know of.
" Two young people?"
The man's voice was calm and emotionless, he turned his head towards a broken doorway and sighed.
" Those same GOA Seekers again... And my junior hasn't returned yet, has something happened?"
The threads by his index finger were vibrating and humming softly.
This one should be wrapped by the fallen statue, or atleast near it.
" A young man is speaking, telling his friend the story of the fake goddess. How nostalgic, so people know of her still?"
His lips curled up but disappeared as quick as it appeared.
Somewhere inside, deep in the depths of the cathedral. There were low vibrating sounds, a sound so revolting one could puke.
' A third vibration?'
***