"Masterpiece among the scions created by the gods, and the mastermind of the plot to rise against them. Prior to her betrayal, she was tasked with guiding souls to heaven and aiding in their reincarnation. Called the High Seraph for her angelic wings of glimmering gold, yet it was on wings of deepest black that the tainted angel Ultima rose against the gods. Since her fall, her heart is without light, and impossible to know."
Clan Primer on Ultima -
I do not know how or when I was created. I only remember six wings of sunlight on which I perhaps flew to Heaven. And after that…
"Hereby we Occurria mark you scion, your name be Ultima, the High Seraph. May your eye be closed to all evil and may your hand guide the fallen."
A winged helmet was put on my head as my Creators' voice descended from above. Thus my conscious existence began.
By the gods I was told my fate. I was their scion, one of twenty-four, each of us blessed and entitled. My task was to guide dead souls to heaven and towards reincarnation. The gods told me to keep my eyes closed so that I would have mercy on all who arrived, as it was not my duty to choose those who could enter. I was given a form resembling that of a Hume because otherwise the souls would be frightened by their escort. Yet legs were of no use to me due to my six golden wings. In their place I had a machine of divine gold, covered by a white dress.
As time passed without me even realizing it, I carried out my endless task. The steady stream of souls passing beneath my unseeing eyes would whisper to me of the strangest of things. Slowly I began to understand that all of the souls were those of mortals. They were granted but a fleeting moment of life on Earth, even mightiest of the souls were quickly gone. They would beg of me to revive them again. And not only Humes, even my fellow scions knew well to address me as the High Seraph, placed above them in creation.
I was intrigued by power, tempted by it. The cunning smile I wore on my face gave away my pride yet that alone would never have led me where my fate did.
Once the hollow whispers of the dead brought me news not pleasant. Eleven scions of light were invited to a heavenly feast together with the Occuria. I was not among those. This sowed a seed of anger within my untainted heart. Why were they who were inferior to me called forth to sit next to the Creators? I possessed more power than any of the scions…except Zodiark.
It was said that Zodiark, named the Keeper of Precepts, was so powerful that the gods were afraid to let him grow so they kept him as a child and sealed him to a secret place. His power was said to be so great that his mere substance could twist the matters of the world. Some did not believe these stories and doubted his very existence.
I knew better than to barge inside the gods' dwelling. It would have been madness to endanger myself by angering them. I could only hide the newborn darkness in my heart and wait for the future to enfold.
Unfortunately that future was nothing to be glad about. The Occuria had finally decided on scion Cúchulainn's fate. The world they had created had become filthy and it was to be Cúchulainn's duty to swallow all of the impurities of the world. Yet the world appeared to be too polluted for him to take. Thus once beautiful Cúchulainn turned into a hideous being due to the filthiness he had swallowed. Wherever he walked, all life would wither there, so the gods banished him away and he was given his full name: Cúchulainn, the Impure.
I could not believe this without seeing it with my own eyes. I left my place to see Cúchulainn yet when I found him, I could not approach him after all. So gruesome he had become. Terrified by him I fled and went to see Exodus instead. He was the most ancient of us scions, marked the Judge-Sal. His was the power to judge the value of all things by watching over the world. But as centuries passed, he became less and less attached to the world he was judging and he was starting to be an enigma for everyone. He greeted me as I entered his chamber at the zenith of the sky.
"The High Seraph, it has been awhile."
"You are as usual, are you not?"
"Same applies not to you. You are doubtful."
"I am troubled by the actions the Occuria have taken."
"I know. I have watched you, Seraph. It is about Cúchulainn. And yet Famfrit…"
"What of Famfrit?"
"He was an individual unknown. They chose to seal him away, not knowing the ways of his power."
"The Occuria imprisoned him?" I was aghast at this. I had never once considered Famfrit a threat.
"Now he alone is the Darkening Cloud."
I thought about Exodus' words. Frustration and the feeling of injustice were growing in my heart. Had the gods gone mad? They had no right to…
"Judge-Sal, what make you of this?"
He did not move, nor did he look at me when he answered. He was even more distant than I remembered.
"I do not think. I have no opinions. Such matters only skew the true value of things and make one blind to reality."
"But you accept the way they treat us?"
"They are no better than any others. Errors are only made when there is one to err. I am for and against all and every kind. Should there be none to exist in the world then the world would become perfect."
Nothingness to rule the world. So that was his wish.
When I returned to my post a messenger was waiting for me.
"Lady High Seraph, you are summoned before the gods. They are displeased. You are to meet them immediately."
When I approached the Occuria I knew they were vexed. In their monotone voice there was a hint of disappointment, as a parent scolding their always excellent child.
"We heard you left your post. Ventured rather far, had you not? 'Tis odd of you, Ultima, to so abandon your duties."
"No such word has ever been uttered which could betoken my sincerest wish to apologize", I began. "I have failed in fulfilling your expectations yet I ask for another chance to do so. Starting from now, I shall express my sincerity not through words but through deeds."
It appeared that they had not been very serious with me after all. That, or then they were even more foolish than I ever had imagined. Mere well put words were enough for them to send me away from them as their again beloved and again blessed scion. Their blessings, however, had turned to mockery within my darkening heart and my smile broadened as I left the gods' dwelling.
The Occuria shall indeed know my will.
As the first thing to do when I returned to my place was to close the gates of the Otherworld. A flood of those who would arrive was gathering in front of them, all pleading me to let them in yet I ignored them. No more I would work for the gods' benefit. After this I left. For good.
"Zalera, have you been busy of late?"
Zalera the Death Seraph, my underling of a sort, replied with a disgustingly bare smirk as his head was but a skull. I was not very fond of him but considering his greediness and loyalty - at least in some respect - he would make a fine ally for me.
"You would not guess. Much wars in the world of mortals these days. Killing each other so, they are, that the land is growing crimson grass!"
He laughed in a terribly uncouth way and the corrupt Hume shamaness he always clutched in his arm joined him with her high-pitched screeching laughter. I found myself wincing in disgust yet I had to bear this for a while.
"Would you care for more souls? You must be tired of getting mere scraps of them. I can prepare a true feast if you wish – for a price, naturally."'
I knew this was his weakness, his wish to get all the living to himself. And I did not fail to get his attention. Thus I spoke to him of my plan.
"As of now, I stand not with the Occuria. Too far they have gone; too much we have already taken of their tyranny. I speak of liberation, revolution if necessary. We scions shall war with the gods and defeat them. I have closed the Mythril Gate and if you agree to assist me, I shall lead you there. All those souls will be yours to take."
As expected, it was an easy win. In exchange to an entry to the gate, Zalera would do the job for me: he would spread the word of revolution, as I was willing to hide or pretend no more. I openly declared a war to the Occuria's fools and I wanted to know who those who would stand beside me were.
They were numerous. Apparently many of the scions had grown tired of our creators. Those, however, who were called to that fatal feast eons ago, the scions of light as they addressed themselves, remained on the Occuria's side. It was not surprising. After all, each and every one was to fight on the side that was more favourable for themselves.
Soon afterwards I had a guest. It was Shemhazai. She matched my wit and I had to admit that I admired her finesse. She had remained fairly neutral so far but now it seemed she was ready to take my side.
"High Seraph, seems that there is more to you behind that angelic appearance than meets the eye. You have turned out to be quite the traitor."
"And what about you? Should I take you as a friend or a foe, I inquire. In my current position, I trust none and doubt all. What errand have you here?"
Shemhazai smiled confidently and said, "I know the Occuria's weakness."
Had someone told me beforehand I would yet do what I was going to do at the moment, I would have laughed at them in mockery. Me to attempt such, never! Yet as the fates would have it, I was indeed there.
Shemhazai the Whisperer's words were sounding clear in my unending memory as I hurried on.
'To truly strike down the Occuria, you need the one whom they fear the most.'
The fates had not smiled upon me. Ill tidings had followed one after another, revolution far from prevailing. Those damned fools, unworthy scions, rushing for their fall, shouting challenges, making unimportant moves and taking fatal losses. Fools, fools they were all. Given in to their meaningless wishes and short-sighted desires my allies fell one by one. The Occuria simply sat, confident of their victory.
'To turn these crooked tables you need the one who can shatter their defenses and push back their attacks.'
I was nearing my destination. The key to put an end to the gods' tyranny.
'To do this, you must go to the King. You must find and release Zodiark.'
I was almost there. The prison of the Keeper of Precepts. When the Whisperer had told me where he was being held, I wondered why I had not realized that myself. It was all very obvious. Of course the Occuria would place their most dangerous threat close to themselves yet also carefully hidden from the world - in the deepest depths of Giruvegan, the city that was their own creation just as the scions. In its highest peak the Occuria themselves resided. Below them lived Giruvegan and its people, Humes blessed enough to live close to the gods. And under them – terror.
Down the Water-Steps, ever downwards, to the pit void of life. With my powers, the Occurian locks were nothing. Only one more door to Zodiark's chamber. The final seal to be broken for a new era of freedom…
"This far you have come. You astound me, Ultima."
A white wave of burning anger went through me. That was Emet-Shelch, Angel of Truth. Beside her were Nabriales the Majestic and Lahabrea, Abyssal Celebrant. Three of the scions of light, those pampered gods' favourites.
"Occurian pawns… What are you doing here? Should you not be close to your masters?"
"The Occuria was right to assume you would try this at a certain point", spoke Lahabrea. He raised his great spear and a magicked barrier was erected before the entrance of Zodiark's prison. "We were sent to keep watch over the Keeper of Precepts."
"Indeed," Emet-Shelch agreed. "'Tis a foul path you have chosen to walk, High Seraph. The Occuria will not take your traitorous actions kindly. Surrender yourself, and they perhaps shall ease the burden of your sins."
"Nothing good have those would-be-gods done to me in the past! My eyes are no more closed to injustice, my ear no more deaf to the music of freedom. Never will I go back to serve the tyrants!"
I knew I had no chance of winning against three powerful scions, thus I fled. Outside the Giruvegan, an ambush would surely await. I could not take that path. Instead, I returned to the city. In my despairing fury I attacked the people of holy Giruvegan, my Eschaton sweeping away all life with but one flashing light. Then I made for the Great Crystal, a giant substance most sacred in Giruvegan. Was there something more I could take from the Occuria? Were there more ways to make my pulsing anger wane?
"Putrid scion, take a look upon your crimes!"
Suddenly I saw the Occuria's embodiment floating in front of me. It was seething with Mist and the walls of the Crystal were growing brighter as I heard the Occuria's shared voice speak.
"Flawed must be the heart of the child who attacks her Creators! T'ward ruin and destruction she'll take the world. But Our hand is almighty. Praise it may the rightful and judgment be the fate of sinners."
I lunged towards the floating object to silence it but my attack was mirrored straight back to me. The yellow lights that served as the embodiment's eyes turned larger and brighter.
"We will correct you."
They caught my soul within a glyph trapped inside a shining stone. Then they locked me up in the Great Crystal, close to them, just like Zodiark.
"Here you shall wait, guard this Crystal 'til the Chosen one challenges your power. The freedom you wished is nevermore yours. You shall serve the blood of the mortal who defeated you 'til the end of Times. By the ones whom you lured to betrayal, is the same fate shared."
And wait I did. Time itself meant nothing to me but in the silent crystalline chamber where I could feel history's pages turn, I grew impatient. Finally, after centuries of waiting, I felt a group of mortals, Humes and a Viera, approach me within the Crystal. One of them, Princess Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, bore the mark of the Occuria.
'Occuria's Chosen tool, like her ancestor which they were so proud of?
' …I shall have the great pleasure of crushing her soul.'
A/N: Well, that was my first fanfiction story ever. I'm feeling kind of nervous now.
In case someone was wondering why Zodiark is in Giruvegan (and not in Henne Mines)…well, I think that the mines is kind of a dull place to put something like that. So…maybe he was originally in Giruvegan and then moved into the mines because Ultima almost released him…or something?
Please let me know what you think!