From one Holy City to Another

[Loki]

(Hello Sparda – Kyrie said this was an open thread and invited me to invade it, I hope that’s alright with you! If not send me a PM and I can delete my post)

Loki’s inky wings beat as he lowered himself down to the parapet of the building. He was in a new world again, he could feel the shift in the air as he moved through dimensions. So much better than the last one though – the air here was still pure. He had spotted this structure from a few miles off, sensing the holy power wrote into the very stone. It attracted him like a moth to a flame. Beautiful, bright white light, just crying out to be tainted… The fallen angel raked his black claws lightly over the stonework. Places such as this gave him mixed feelings – grating on his powers and making him want to snarl and destroy, while at the same time, reaching into the forgotten parts of his soul and soothing them in its familiarity. He both loved and abhorred such places. Much as he both loved and abhorred himself.

At the soft sounds of voices drifted up to his keen hearing, Loki turned his silver eyed gaze down through the stained glass windows of the building, fixating on the two beings within. Curious… The fallen tilted his head as he examined them. Neither of them were holy beings – the girl in particular possessed a flare true darkness in her, so why then was there something about them that reminded him of God-slaves…? Eyes narrowing, the former angel crouched down on his hookers, folding his wings behind him as he continued to study the creatures below.

[Sparda]

[ No worries, Loki, go ahead. ]

Sparda listened quietly to Kyrie's recounting of the tale that brought her here. It sounded as if Fortuna had indeed fallen upon more dark days - this time of its self-appointed protectors' own doing. The news of experiments in the creation of artificial demons and hybrids troubled the Dark Knight quite deeply; he had always, by stark contrast, known the knights of ancient Fortuna to take pride in their humanity above all else.

"What a shame..." Frowning concernedly, the demon reached out to lay a comforting hand upon Kyrie's shoulder. "I'm glad to see you survived, my dear, to put a stop to this another day. If we ever find our way back home, I promise, I'll return to Fortuna with you and see this affront to its exemplar history put to an end..."

It was at that moment that Sparda became sensible of the creature watching them. Its grey, tainted aura hung in the periphery, skulking as if it believed itself unnoticed, not outright hostile but certainly not well-intentioned. Clearly, this inquisitive being had no idea who it was spying on.

In almost that same moment, the Dark Knight turned a black scowl up at the window through which they were being watched, and in a blur of violet movement, Luce followed his gaze to stare down their observer; who would hear Sparda's voice grating in his mind.

"I don't think much of voyeurism, friend, especially not with a lady in the room. Show yourself."

[Kyrie]

"I'm glad to see you survived, my dear, to put a stop to this another day. If we ever find our way back home, I promise, I'll return to Fortuna with you and see this affront to its exemplar history put to an end..." "Th-that would be great!" Sparda would be able to set things right. The people would listen to him. If not then it would show that Fortuna really was beyond saving, beyond redemption. Kyrie noticed then that one of two of Sparda's signature pistols, Luce, were out of its hostler and aimed at one of the windows. "What is it?"

[Loki]

Loki’s eyes narrowed in interest as the male-creature turned his head to stare at him, his own tilting to the side as the weapon followed in an unmistakable threat. Then the voice came, grating through his mind in a manner none had since his severance from his Goddess. Head jerking back in surprise, the fallen bared his teeth, but stilled to listen to its message.

"I don't think much of voyeurism, friend, especially not with a lady in the room. Show yourself."

The former angel considered the situation a moment before slowly standing. He had no idea what this creature was exactly – it’s aura felt demonic, but it was so unlike the other demons he had come into contact with before – it lacked the fetid taint of the pit. What that meant exactly he didn’t know, but he was curious to find out. Turning his back to the window, Loki leaped down from the parapet, landing in a crouched position in the entrance to the temple, inky black wings flared out behind him to slow his descent, displaying his white trimmed pinnon feathers, the huge, black scythe on his back equally on show. Looking up through the shaggy locks of his white-shot, black hair, the fallen gave a small smirk to Sparda.

”You called?”

[Sparda]

Sparda's answer to Kyrie's question was prompt and dark.

"We're being watched."

Now homed in on the aura of the creature that was observing them from outside, Sparda kept his eyes fixed on the source, Luce's muzzle following it as it drifted over the building and descended before the open doorway.

Seeing what looked at face value to be a fallen angel of some description, Sparda's eyes narrowed behind Luce's sights.

"Have you nothing better to do, fallen child?"

[Kyrie]

"We're being watched." In that instant Kyrie was already on her feet with her staff out, gripped tightly in both hands and ready to fight should it come down to it. She looked around the building waiting for something to appear and her eyes would be on the entrance just moments before the fallen angel descent. "You called?" Kyrie held her staff at the ready and locked her eyes on the tainted holy creature. "You're not welcomed here! Be gone!" she demanded firmly. Kyrie may not have been a servant of Yahweh but she respected opposing religions enough to respect their sacred grounds even though she herself defiled them by being what she is. What she refused to accept she is.

[Loki]

As the former angel slowly stood, pupil-less silver gaze studying the hybrid demon, his lips quirking ever so slightly in amusement. It had been centuries since any had called him ‘child’.

“I was simply exploring an abandoned city that reeks of God-magic when I happened across two creatures that do not fit into any category I have come across before.”

“Tell me,” he continued, tone tinged with interest and his eyes narrowing on the other male. “What are you exactly? You seem demonic, but you lack the usual reek that clings to them. Are you a different breed? Or simply a mongrel?”

Though his words were insulting, the voice that spoke them lacked bite or insult, instead being simply curious, suggesting that the fallen being was simply used to speaking in such a manner than having any true desire to offend.

Before their conversation could continue however, the not-quite-human barked a command at him, yapping like some cur dog and holding her staff in a threatening manner. Turning his head to her, the fallen bared his sharpened teeth in a mocking semblance of a smile, the effect cruel and sinister. It was one thing this Other being holding a weapon out to him in threat, but the arrogance of this slip of a human (or almost) doing so irked him.

“Begone?” he repeated, tone scornful. “And who do you think you are to condemn me for walking here? I can sense the corruption in you. Black taint dulling your light, clawing outwards… Do you think whatever God claims this area would welcome you any more than I?”

As he spoke he took a step closer to the girl, eyes flashing dangerously as his magic called out to the darkness he could sense waiting just below her surface, curious to see if it would answer him, or if her other side would be strong enough to resist the temptation.

[Sparda]

Though Kyrie's intent was noble enough, Sparda was sensible of the hypocrisy she presented. He could not only feel the demonic aura about her - concluding with a measure of sorrow that she too had been a subject of this artificial demon experimentation - but he could judge its power accurately.

Enough of that, he decided. The nature of her being wasn't important. What was, at least to the angel child, was that Sparda's aim with Luce hadn't once wavered.

"Mongrel? There's one I haven't heard in a while, especially from infant angels who don't know a true demon when they see it." His eyes narrowed. "I couldn't care less about the god of this city. In fact, he has everything that's been going wrong on this planet to answer for. What you need to worry about, boy, is right here."

"Right here" was Luce, who Sparda cocked with his thumb.

[Kyrie]

"Begone? And who do you think you are to condemn me for walking here? I can sense the corruption in you. Black taint dulling your light, clawing outwards… Do you think whatever God claims this area would welcome you any more than I?" Kyrie began to panic, though he didn't say it outright she knew he spoke of the devil blood that flowed through her veins and the last thing she wanted was for Sparda to find out about that, in fear that he would slay her like so many demons before her. "Shut up! The only black taint here is you!"

Kyrie charged towards Loki, raising her staff and aiming the tip of it for his throat once she got within striking distance of the fallen angel.