Rhestus

There'd been plenty of rogue gods during his time as King of all Realms, plenty of which had been challenging enough in their own way, but with the passage of time comes the burden of age: Even the mightiest of the New gods had struggled to retain their strength without swearing an oath to Kaeyr and Ielia. Oath sworn as he was it simply slowed the degradation Rhestus felt, and now as he sat on his throne grey beard intertwined between his fingers he felt fear. Fear for Oro, his ever foolish half son, Vyva had let him take what warriors he would have to "apprehend" the Starlight child. 'He has no idea what power Xerilla's child holds inside them. Damn Phaarus, and his ambition." His silent woe remained unheard as the golden orb along the ceiling of the throne room revealed an image. Oro stood atop Heaven's Breath his griffin surrounded by battalions of angels, and valkyries lead by Usiu, Kagabi, and Izara three of his best warriors.

They stood illuminating the night sky while Xerilla's child stood beneath them in a destroyed field. The boy looked more destitute than Rhestus had expected, but Oro gave him no chance to surrender signaling his soldiers to attack the rogue god. They were soon bathed in the light of thousands of golden beams from the warriors, and after a time Oro ordered them to stop with a raised hand. When the dust settled the Starlight child still stood with their flesh gradually reformi while they raised open hand to the sky; Rhestus noticed the smallest orb of dark magenta that rose into the air as if on a breeze. When the orb was around halfway between Xerilla's child, and Heaven's greatest they unleashed another barrage towards the god: The golden energies never passed the small orb, and instead they stopped for a moment before returning towards the warriors while the orb continued on its way.

As they attempted to avoid their own power being turned against them some of them were struck down, and Rhestus watched in cold silence while his hands clenched down hard enough to crack the armrests of his golden throne. Oro deftly avoided what came his way, and the trio protected him from anything he couldn't manage on his own: In their struggles though many had forgotten about the magenta orb that suddenly stopped meters away from the battalions as they recollected themselves. Starlight closed their hand into a fist, and as they did the small orb began to expand before it exploded into thousands of small semi-transparent pieces that suddenly exploded when they open their hand. For a moment the image cut out after being filled with the bright magenta flash, and when the image returned Rhestus stood from his throne a look of true dread on his face as Oro struggled to free himself from beneath his now dead mount while the trio attempted to hold off a monster in dark armor that attacked them with a dark spear wreathed in flames that brought a single name to the God King's mind, and an old fear that caused a great many aged scars to ache: Melevar.

"The boy truly is a sight to behold isn't he little brother?" The words were spoken by a familiar voice that Rhestus never thought he'd hear again, and when he looked away from the projection he saw a dark figure cloaked in tattered rags: They seemed to flinch in the light of the Golden Citadel, but when the projection showed the rogue god cutting down Usiu before using his corpse as a shield Omega spoke again. "He'll bring an end to us all Rhestus his existence is the only reason I'm even able to stand within your precious golden city. Soon your child's life will be snuffed out, and your men will be eaten by the wild beasts of the land. What comes after that little brother?"

Rhestus found himself at a loss for words as Vyva's attendees cried out in horror as Kagabi's wings were torn from his back before Starlight, the beast, forced his head into the smoldering ground. Oro had finally freed himself, but the god's shining armor had lost its luster while he'd been forced to remove his helmet: The god charged forward in a pointless attempt to attack, but the beast knocked him back with a wave of their hand. Rhestus spoke again after witnessing the horrific way the beast tore into the fallen warriors to find their god cores. "Are you here to gloat full of pride for your Chaos spawn?" The God King spoke through clenched teeth while small thunderbolts emitted from his eyes, and fingertips. Omega chuckled wryly again while offering Rhestus a placating gesture before speaking. "Calm yourself. The boy will be the end of us both brother, and while we have lived a full life I'm not quite satisfied with it just yet. I believe...an alliance is in order."

Oro was torn apart by Starlight with what looked to be little effort, and Rhestus knew then his decision was already made. "You suggest an alliance between the old and new again like the days of Melevar? Even together we needed the Nameless Ones help to take down the dragon." Omega's hood nodded in agreement while Oro's god core was torn from his chest before Starlight consumed it whole. "Yes, and you're keeping them held beneath the Tower with Xer- her. We'll need to hurry I've got a feeling time is short." Omega's final remarks were followed by him directing Rhestus' gaze back to the projection where a pair of dark faerie wings sprouted from the rogue god's back: The overly large faerie wings faded from sight before another pair of dragon wings sprouted. The god looked up then, and for a moment Rhestus felt as if they were looking at each other before the orb filled with a dark mist, and then he felt fear again.

Izra

When she woke Izra attempted to call out to Oro as the last thing she could recall was attacking the rogue god, but her voice came out as a cry of pain. Her left leg burned, but she couldn't move it while her other limbs were weighed down. A darkness surrounded her, but a voice called out erasing the darkness to reveal three figures arguing. The darker skinned man was speaking to the largest mortal she'd ever seen. "What possessed you to save this one Arturio when you spent a better part of the night watching me kill her companions?" The large man looked down at his feet as if he were an embarrassed child being scolded by their father before the woman spoke. "The Valkyrie landed at the hill's base, and the smell of her slowly burning leg was too much. I told the boy to bring her here Starlight, and perhaps she'll have information for you while I try to Bygone." The woman left the two men standing there as she walked to the other side of the tree Izra sat against seeming to ignore the hateful glare Starlight was giving her. When he turned that gaze on her Izra prayed to the gods for a mercifully quick death, that is until the larger one spoke: She wanted to kill him. "I didn't know these godly ones still piss themselves when their scared."

His vulgar comment drew a cold chuckle from Starlight while he squatted down to look her in the eyes, and though she attempted to look away her gaze was drawn to those pools of swirling colors. When he spoke Izra found herself enjoying the smoky tone in his voice, and the pain in her leg faded away as she listened to him. "I understand my existence is...anathema to the gods you serve, but they hold the only god to care for me. I must find Xerilla." He snapped his fingers surrounding the two of them in a shadow that silenced the ambient noise of the world before he spoke again. "I'll only ask this once Valkyrie. How can I enter the First Realm on my own?" Truthfully the question had a simple answer, and she began to tell him the proper circle he needed to draw when another voice came from her mouth. The voice gave similar instructions, but the circle was changed ever so much that she didn't know where it lead.

Starlight seemed satisfied with her answer because the shadow vanished again, and he stood to leave the hill. The larger man lifted her onto his shoulder before following Starlight who was already busy drawing the circle to "her" instructions exactly. When it was complete Starlight examined her leg before he bit down on his hand, and spread his blood on her leg. A new cooling sensation passed through Izra's body before she was set in the center of the circle with Starlight, but miraculously she was standing on her own two legs. The joy she felt was soon replaced by dread when Starlight began to activate the circle while her voice came back to her, and she attempted to warn him when a bright light filled her vision.

When her sight came back to her Izra was horrified to see the blood red sky, and desolate rocky land of the Third Realm; someone had sent them to die at the hands of the Demon Clans. Starlight seemed ready to make sure she wouldn't worry about that as his hands wrapped around her throat. Threats spewed from his mouth, and she felt hot spittle hitting her face before a deep voice called out from behind them. "Don't kill her too quickly Dragon-kin, or none of us will get a turn with her: Valkyrie flesh is priceless down here." The voice belonged to a two headed demon standing at four meters tall leading a group of similarly sized demons. They stared hungrily at Izra while she retched after Starlight dropped her to the ground. After a moment of silence the large demon's left head twitched before it ignited in dark purple flames, and when she looked to Starlight the color in his eyes had gone dark showing a crimson octagram in place of his irises.

"This God-kin belongs to me, a demon should know when they've met a greater power, but I'll let you return to your Clan alive this once if you leave." The largest of them had already fled, and though they wished to follow many of the demons were frozen with fear; Starlight taking a step forward while the tips of his short white hair began to emit smoke. He instructed Izra to get them to the First Realm, and failing that back to Astoria; she attempted to comply but every circle she drew placed them inside a lower Circle of Hell.

Starlight would kill the most dangerous demon that approached them, and with their leader dead the lesser demons would flee. When they reached the Sixth Circle the lessers didn't flee they swarmed around the fallen demon and tore him to pieces before they were consumed by Starlight's flame. In the Seventh they found a place to rest after her mama reserves became depleted with Starlight had become more, and more polite he offered to take watch while she rested. The sleep had been the best she'd had in what felt like a thousand years. When she woke Starlight was carrying her through a burning plain while he waved his ahlspiess through the air forming a circle in the air. "Next time try to remember which damned Hell Circle is enchanted Valkyrie or I'll leave you to be eaten."

In a flash of light they were transported again though thankfully Izra found herself back in Astoria as she watched the early morning sun rise. Starlight wasted little time before he'd started on another circle, and he even ignored the gathering Demi-humans that had started to gather around. They looked her with eyes full of the usual wonder mortals had for her kind, but a few among them were staring intently at Starlight. When he stood they all bowed low save for a young elf child who approached him with a wide smile, and the girl even grabbed onto Starlight's leg as he examined the circle. When he looked down Izra was surprised to see his usually angry visage change to something much kinder, and the smile he offered her as she spoke was genuine. "Thamf...Ooo."

Izra was shocked when she heard the muffled thanks the child gave, but then she felt the Demi-humans' prayers flowing towards Starlight through the mana around them; Izra was overcome with a sudden dread as a single thought passed through her mind. 'He must die.'