The great bird thrashed and shuddered violently, its nervous system severed by the pale green blade that was still plunged into its skull, sending a desperate echo of movement throughout the pelga's body before finally allowing it to drop lifelessly to the ground. The angel's eyes widened at the ghastly sight, as though woken from some sort of trance… for some reason he couldn't remember how exactly he had gotten himself into this position, only that he had regained consciousness to see the furious bird about to deal a fatal blow to the young arc. It was as if the divine weapon itself had possessed him to take action.
Instinctively the boy attempted to pull the blade from its current position, and it slowly slid out of the dead bird's head—finding himself looking away as he did so. The thought alone was overwhelming, and the sight threatened to make him sick to his stomach. He was not a grim angel; the act of taking any kind of life was strictly forbidden to his kind. In his heart of hearts, he knew he had done the right thing… yet even so, he couldn't possibly feel any farther away from his home in the skies.
One thing was for certain however, and that this wasn't any ordinary pelga… the way it acted; it had clearly been driven insane with bloodlust. Being an angel, he was far more sensitive to a living being's spirit than those who tread in Riviera, and there was truly something wrong with what he'd felt moments before the creature perished… it was changed somehow, deformed beyond what he could possibly imagine. But who could have done such a terrible deed, and more importantly, how? Such matters should already be presented to Asgard's council chambers; however, the terrible pain that plagued his chest was a sad testament to the fact that returning was no longer an option. With his strange wings, it was no surprise they had thought he was a demon. Not only that, but the diviner was a weapon which possessed both holy and unholy properties in order to combat evil, so even the purity of his own soul was in question and therefore, barred from the gates of Asgard.
Having almost completely lost himself in thought (again), the angel blinked and shook his head, not allowing his mind to question the matter any further, one of the reasons being that this wasn't a very good time to space out. Sighing tiredly, he used his gloved fingers to comb his unruly green hair as he turned around to look back at the arc—still on her knees, simply staring at him in silent awe. The look she was giving him, it was as if he had gone back through time, it was just too uncanny to be false hope… there was no doubt about it, she was indeed that girl. Even though the fact that she found him familiar seemed to contradict with lady Ydun's words, the joy he'd felt in his heart reminded him of the reward she had told him about. Perhaps the arc truly did forget, she was simply starting to remember again… and whether or not this was the goddess of youth's doing, he was more than grateful for it either way.
But his expression shifted vividly to that of concern when he noticed the blood dripping from her right thigh to the marble rock.
Serene couldn't help but look on in wonder as the mysterious boy dropped his weapon and proceeded to kneel down in front of her, his eyes seemingly glued to her leg… speaking of which, she'd almost forgotten about that! A stinging sensation began to throb from the affected area as her senses started to kick in once again… but that seemed to dull away as fast as it appeared when she realized what the boy was going to do, a small blush creeping up on her cheeks as she curiously watched him work on her leg. With a gentle touch the arc rarely saw in any male, he began to use his leaf-like wing to wipe away the blood… all things considered she should have said something to stop him, but her throat was so tight she could barely breathe, much less say anything.
Yet even with his cautious touch, he still came across a particularly sensitive spot on her wound and Serene winced, causing him to look up into her deep blue eyes once more, an apologetic expression on his face. Needless to say Serene's blush deepened, and she had to break eye contact lest she embarrass herself… the boy on the other hand simply smiled sheepishly and returned to cleaning her wound, sporting a light blush himself.
"It's not too deep," The angel said, his voice clearly battered and worn, no heavier than a whisper. It definitely wasn't deep enough to be anything too serious, but the four clean cuts were deep enough to keep drawing blood… without a moment's hesitation he removed the dirt-ridden glove from his left hand, and rested his exposed palm on her thigh.
Serene's eyes widened as a warm tingling sensation began to emanate from her injury. After a few seconds she also realized that she could no longer feel any kind of pain from her wound, like it had just disappeared. Confused, she looked back at the boy to find that his eyes were closed, a look of concentration etched on his face.
He promptly opened them seconds later, pulling away his left hand and letting out a shaky breath as he studied the result. At the very least, the wounds were disinfected and closed… had he still possessed most of his divine powers, uniform to the angels in Asgard, he would have been able to eliminate the rawness and even the scarring of the wound. A sad frown came upon his lips at the thought of no longer being a pure soul, and his chest throbbed harder as if mocking his disposition. In fact he would never admit it to himself, but his descent to a harsh, unforgiving reality from his loving family and ever peaceful Asgard had deformed his soul as well, just like that poor pelga.
But whenever he laid his eyes on the arc, who was currently staring wide eyed at her half-healed injury… he still couldn't help but feel a great pity for her, despite his own problems. After all, her family had been taken away from her as well, the light of the entire arc tribe burned out in an instant. They were in the same boat… only her soul felt so warm with a golden luminescence; the angel knew all too well that he would never be able to compare to such strength, such will. And yet for some strange reason, that fact seemed to sooth his broken spirit. "I uh, don't think I've introduced myself… my name's Issirudor."
Riviera: Æsir of Deception, Chapter Three – "Dreams of a memory."
Issirudor huh… Serene thought, looking back at the weapon that he'd dropped earlier, only to find that it wasn't there anymore. Ein's weapon seemed to disappear from time to time as well, only forming in his hands whenever the situation called for it. The diviner—a grim angel's weapon, forged from the blood of the gods, with the sole purpose of destroying the Accursed… though in Ein's case it was given to him in exchange for his wings. At least that's what he had told her. It wasn't like him to lie, so she was certain that his words were true. Only, was this boy a grim angel? He certainly didn't look like one. Sighing inwardly, Serene realized that trying to distract herself with afterthoughts still wasn't taking the stupid blush away… "T-thanks for all your help Issirudor; the name's Serene by the way."
The boy smiled happily at that. He hasn't had a decent conversation in ages—he was infinitely glad that the awkwardness was beginning to fade away. He was also ecstatic to finally know the name of the arc from his past. Issirudor only wished that they had met during happier times… then again; they may never have been able to meet under normal circumstances, so there was at least some form of silver lining to this situation. "I see… that's a very beautiful name."
"Ah… well uh, yours isn't so bad yourself!" Serene laughed oddly, the annoying blush which was already starting to disappear seemingly back in full force, and she instinctively lifted her hand to scratch the back of her head as a sheepish smile formed on her lips. For the life of her she didn't know why she couldn't control herself, it was just a compliment after all… maybe she was just tired. Yeah, that was it. In any case, it was still awfully sweet of him. Yeah that's right, make a complete fool out of yourself in front of this guy Serene; get a grip why don't you!
"Thanks, I appreciate the lie," Issirudor couldn't help but chuckle, managing to ignore the pain on his chest, at least for the moment. Even in Asgard his name was considered unusual, at best. But he stopped his train of thought right there… he knew that this kind of thinking would lead straight to his parents, and that would effectively ruin his mood and ultimately, ruin the conversation. Even the slightest hint or thought of his family was more than enough to send him to a downward spiral, which was why if he intended to live on, he needed to regain his strength. "To be honest, I'm not even sure if it means anything. You can call me Izzy for short, so it's not too much of a hassle for you."
"Oh okay, Izzy it is then." Serene smiled, her expression becoming a little more serious. She had been meaning to ask him this, though it seemed to be pretty obvious to the both of them now—actually the arc felt incredible shame at the fact that she had even forgotten that fateful event at all. Needless to say, she still needed to hear it from him; she needed to be absolutely certain. "I have a question… when that, that thing was chasing me all those years ago… were you the one who flew me back to Rosalina?"
"Ah, so you do remember…" Issirudor's voice trailed off, being able to recall the moment as though it was only yesterday. He was a bit mischievous in his youth, and had done a lot of fooling around during those times… though none were more etched into his mind than the day he'd taken his teacher's spell book and chanted the incantation which transported him to the realm of the sprites. He was only supposed to explore just a little bit before the spell's effects wore off, but by the mechanisms of destiny he came across a young, exhausted arc, running for her life from what looked to be a huge boar. He was scared at first, and dared not intervene, but his nature soon got the better of him and when he saw her jump off the edge of the island in one last act of desperation… he found himself leaping off the edge himself, using the leaf wings he was born with as best as he possibly could in an attempt to catch her… he eventually got a hold of the arc—her entire body frozen stiff with fear—after which he attempted the suicidal plan of flying them both back to Rosalina… until now he still had no idea how he managed to do such a thing, considering the fact that he could barely fly even after the years of training that would come to pass. Thankfully the spell's duration was long enough to last the struggle, although it would only be several seconds after they successfully landed safely on Rosalina before Issirudor's body was enveloped in a bright light, and he found himself in Asgard once again. Just enough for the two to get a good look at each other… the effect it had on him was such that he had never forgotten her face. Inwardly, he hoped that she felt the same way… after what had happened to him recently however; it didn't come as a surprise if she didn't remember. What truly shocked him was the fact that she did. "I was really hoping you would… yeah, that was me. Talk about close calls huh?"
"You said it!" Serene grinned blissfully, all of the awkwardness absolutely gone, just like that. Suddenly she felt like she could tell him anything, an indescribable happiness filling her whole being. The empty feeling had disappeared as well… the nerve-wracking puzzle was complete. It still really bothered the arc that she'd forgotten, but she supposed it was normal, considering what she had been through. "Thinking back to it, jumping off Rosalina to get away from that thing was probably the single, most stupidest thing I could've ever done. So that's twice you've saved me now… make that three times, counting what you did for my tribe."
"…I can't say that what I did for your tribe was a pleasant experience, but it was the least I could do," The angel said frankly as he looked away, a sad expression on his face. In fact the experience was anything but pleasant… he had become somewhat attached to little Serene after their fateful encounter, and throughout the years he was always wondering at one point or another if she was doing all right. When he had fallen from Asgard the second time, his instinct brought his battered body to Rosalina, hoping that the sight of their busy village would warm his heart. What he had seen when he set foot in the village, instead shattered it into a million pieces. "I'd gone there hoping to see you and your tribe, still doing okay, and I… well… digging their graves just wasn't a great feeling…"
Serene found herself at a loss for words, suddenly regretting ever bringing the subject up. She could literally feel how deeply etched into the boy's silver eyes the pain was, and though it also reminded the arc of her own terrible loss, the way it affected him… he must have thought that she had died as well. Truth be told it made her feel very special. To think that an outsider would care so much for her… it was simply unheard of. And now, she wanted nothing more than to give him a reassuring hug—which was exactly what she had done. Swallowing her fears and embarrassment the arc opened her arms and, leaning forwards, enveloped the vulnerable boy in a warm, tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Izzy… if I'd only buried them sooner, you wouldn't have had to go through a horrible thing like that."
"Serene…" Issirudor stifled a gasp, taken aback by the arc's sudden act of affection. Unable to stop himself from thinking of the past, he remembered how good he felt whenever his mother took him in her arms. Soon afterward, the boy reluctantly hugged back as his senses were, albeit overwhelmed. The arc's skin was soft, and her scent was subtly sweet and intoxicating… had he not been mourning his family's untimely demise his tendency to be hopelessly shy might have gotten the better of him and the angel probably would have began shaking involuntarily. Instead he just seemed to melt in her arms, absolutely exhausted both physically and mentally. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, really… I'm the one who should be sorry."
The arc closed her tired eyes and held him tighter, as she found herself in desperate need of the hug as well. What a hectic and emotional tornado of a day this has been… she most certainly didn't wake up this morning expecting all of this to happen. Taking a deep whiff of the boy, a little smile played on Serene's lips. He had the strangest odor—it was the kind of aroma you would more expect to catch near a waterfall, or by a creek in a pine forest. But then again, he was covered nearly head to toe by random gravel and dirt, so that could've attributed to the scent… nevertheless; she found it very relaxing, a state of mind she really, really needed at the moment. "Then, I'm sorry for the both of us."
Issirudor could only nod in agreement, having managed to completely and utterly ignore the pain on his chest—a first in his book—and actually feel genuine relief in the gentle arms of his most unexpected friend. It made him want to cry… in fact he would have, had he not wept himself dry of tears already. Somehow, even after everything he'd been through, he still wasn't sure if this act of kindness was something he deserved. Those thoughts seemed to speak volumes on the simple strength of his nature, something his mind had subconsciously shielded from the pain of heartbreak and the tragedy of loss. No longer anxious of the future, he took another breath of her wonderfully addicting scent, and let out an equally exhausted sigh. "Yup, me too."
As the two extracted some much needed comfort from each other, neither had realized the venomous purple mist seeping out from the stiffened beak of the dead pelga, which then remained suspended in the air above the corpse for a few fleeting seconds before returning to its source; a hunched shadow whose dark presence was scattered malevolently, bathing everything around it in darkness which in turn, further hid the obscure apparition from clear sight. There was no telling how long it had been standing there, the only thing certain being it was clearly the reason for the pelga's mysterious malformation. It had no distinguishable features, but it appeared to take great interest in the angel and the arc, and it continued to watch the two silently… though it would only do so for a few more seconds, before slowly fading into the strange penumbra it seemed to exude so naturally.
Angel, why doest thou bleed?
What? Issirudor involuntarily broke the embrace in shock and looked behind him; staring straight into the direction where the voice seemed to make itself heard—coincidentally enough it was also the direction where the mysterious shadow had formerly stood. But there was presently nothing there, except for the oversized branches and roots. Whatever the voice was, it certainly chose the worst possible time to mess with his head.
"What's up? Anything wrong?"
"Oh no, nothing," Issirudor muttered as he looked back and shook his head, smiling apologetically. For a split second he wondered if he was going mad… considering the present circumstances that may not be too far off a theory. But all those thoughts jumped straight out the window when he came to realize that both his hands had found themselves holding onto Serene's shapely hips… though he was too preoccupied by his own brazen action to realize that the arc's arms where almost entirely circled around his shoulders, something she too seemed to realize just now. That and their faces were much too close… Urk!
In an instant the two stood and separated, stepping (jumping) at least three feet away from each other, their cheeks red as ripe beets. The sweeping emotion had managed to spare them the embarrassment when they were still locked in that friendly embrace… well; at least it seemed to at first. When they regained their senses, things weren't nearly so simple.
Serene could feel her heart pounding furiously in her chest, but she couldn't seem to look anywhere else. What made matters worse was that he didn't look away either… the two just stared, the warm rush of blood that colored her face almost reaching her neck. He made her feel… weird. Actually, this situation that was all too familiar; if she wasn't mistaken, Ein made her feel the same way at a certain point (totally different from the time when she hit him for it, the jerk). But all things considered, it really wasn't the exact same feeling—this one was just far too strange. Steeling her shaky resolve, Serene let out an embarrassed sigh, a sheepish expression on her still beet red face. "Hah, kinda awkward…"
"Y-yeah," The angel sported the same embarrassed look, amused at how things managed to turn out. It was a good thing that she was just as hesitant as he was… otherwise he really wouldn't have known how to deal with the situation. He was normally quite shy, and chary to a fault. But that was how Issirudor was raised… he'd always been more than a little strange, mostly because of his odd wings. And unlike most circumstances and trivialities in Asgard, the angels' views of him were mixed. Some, including his family thought that his birth was a sign of the Æsir's returning strength… others had taken it as a bad omen of sorts, which spelled the gods' inability to return to Asgard. Either way, he had spent most of his young life on his lonesome, passing the time by reading books or studying divine magic. But that didn't mean he wasn't accepted by the entire community—in fact he had a handful of great friends, all of which were very close to him. He just wasn't the type to socialize too much, and that was what ultimately caused his terrible shyness. Sighing, the angel decided to steal a glance at the dead pelga in a desperate attempt to erase the blush, as well as the dumbstruck expression on his face… though the latter just became even more obvious afterward. "Huh? That's odd."
"What?" Serene asked, inwardly thanking the boy for giving them a reason to be distracted… if things had dragged on, she wasn't sure what could have happened. Still, he was onto something; when she laid eyes on the aforementioned corpse, it definitely looked different somehow. Walking closer to the bird, the arc placed her hands on her thighs and leaned forward, inspecting it a little more. It looked… normal. In fact now that she thought about it, the pelga looked like it had shrunk a few inches since she'd last seen it. "Weird… is this the same bird from earlier?"
"Well, it has the same wounds, so it must be the pelga… right?" Issirudor couldn't help but ask, a little unsure himself. If this was indeed the same bird then there was only one true explanation for this, and that was demonic possession. Judging from the look on Serene's face, she was thinking the exact same thing. By now it should be safe to assume that they had already encountered demons from the so-called Accursed. Whilst he was still in Asgard he had also come across rumors of the great 'Retribution'… however; the angel's council vehemently denied its use. He remembered the magi, particularly the one called Hector, at odds with the council then. Though he wasn't sure how things had turned out, Riviera's situation seemed to be relatively peaceful these days. "The thing that attacked us before wasn't natural, that's for sure. Is it normal for demons to attack this close to the village?"
"Nope, this is the first time… okay now I'm worried—I need to go tell the old man and the others about this," Serene said resolutely, her sights set to the homely abode of Elendia's village chief. But just as the arc was readying her wings to take her to the center of the peaceful village, she suddenly remembered one particular detail that put all her current thoughts on hiatus. Looking back at Issirudor with a slight blush and anxiously biting her lips, she couldn't help but seem vulnerable as she saw the much younger boy from her past, disappearing into thin air before she could say anything. "Izzy… do ya really have to go? I mean, I dunno where you go home to, and it's probably a great place and all but it'd be nice if you could, you know… stay in Elendia for a while."
The question took the angel by surprise, mostly because he'd forgotten that he was trying to get away from Elendia when he saw Serene. That and his true home was no longer accessible… possibly for good. His chest pains seemed to dull away again as her innocent invitation made him feel happy inside, making him smile brightly in reply, his silver eyes clearly reflecting how much the arc's words meant to him. Inwardly, he thanked the goddess of youth once again. "No… I don't think I have to go anymore. In fact, I think I just found my new home."
"Really…? You're serious?" The arc's expression alone was more than enough to let the boy know that she was happy… in fact she was beyond happy. Making no attempt to hide her obvious delight, Serene almost leapt in the air as she celebrated the strange—yet mirthful—occasion. "That's awesome! Welcome to the club Izzy, I'm sure the village chief would be happy to have ya. I also have a ton of questions I wanna ask, so this'll be great!"
"To be honest, I have a lot of questions myself," Issirudor nodded, his mood being the brightest it had ever been since the incident. The way Serene reacted made him feel very wanted… it was an incredible feeling, and though he still felt broken, it did so much to comfort him. Returning to the subject at hand, the boy wondered if she knew about what had happened to the Accursed in Riviera. His instincts were telling him that the arc had more to do with Riviera's fate than he had initially thought… but perhaps he should ask another time, it wasn't very prudent to do so now. "Are we going to see the chief of the village Serene?"
"Yup," The arc said happily, readying her wings for flight, and once again a single detail stopped Serene in her tracks. Issirudor's single wing had already latched itself onto his torso, and she suddenly found it very difficult to say. "I uh, hope you don't mind me asking, but… can you still fly?"
"No, sorry…" The angel said frankly, not really minding his inability to take to the skies. During his youth he'd always been jealous of all the other angels and how flying came so naturally to them… but now, he didn't mind it too much if at all. The only thing that bothered him was the loss of his other wing, and this clearly wasn't the case. "Even when I still had both my wings, staying in the air was difficult, at best."
"Oh I see," Serene nodded, letting her wings fold and rest behind her. Now she knew what Issirudor meant when he was talking about close calls earlier… but that fact just seemed to cement her growing admiration for the green-haired boy. Quickly treading past him, the arc looked behind but kept walking, her trademark smirk present. "Let's get a move on then, we've got a pretty long walk ahead of us."
"Right!" Issirudor heaved, stepping to a jog until he was beside Serene, after which he began walking at her pace. Home… the thought seemed so far away, yet it felt like that was where he was heading. The angel would probably never be able to stop himself from longing for his family and his life in Asgard, but with everything that had happened; his options were already exhausted to the point where he would simply have to live with it. Whether or not a new opportunity arises would be up to fate to decide. Subconsciously, the boy lifted his hand and rested it on his ailing chest, where the intense pain just seemed to come and go. But it was far better than the months passed, wherein the pain would become so unbearable that he could barely walk. All in all, things were finally looking up for him.
"Oh, I have to ask Cierra to make that Paella dish of hers, you'll love her for it… wait, on second thought, maybe that isn't such a good idea."
"What was that?"
"Nothin'… come on slowpoke, last one there's a rotten pelga egg!"
Chapter Three – Closure…
"Is the tea to your liking, Elder?"
"Excellent as always, Ladie," The old man in question slowly put down the steaming cup on the wooden table, the specially mixed quality herbs doing wonders for his immediate health. He had this same cup of tea yesterday, and the day before that, as well as the week before that, and so on… there had never been an instance where his trusted guardian's tea had even been below satisfactory. And even if it did, the Elder truly didn't have the heart to say anything of it. "Come, you made enough tea for the both of us… sit, sit."
"But I… y-yes, Elder," Ladie replied albeit uncomfortably, not very accustomed to this kind of treatment. Though that didn't mean Elder Graham was a terrible person—quite the contrary actually—she just really didn't think that she deserved it. Forcing herself to relax, the winged sprite cautiously took the seat across the kindly old man, and to her utter surprise he had already taken the kettle and was gently pouring the hot tea onto her cup, much to Ladie's visible discomfort. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it…" The Elder smiled, once again lifting the cup to sip his tea, the warmth of the beverage spreading throughout his system. His ever-observing eyes were glued to the red-haired sprite at the moment, trying to hide his amusement as she struggled to decide on whether or not she should drink as soon as he had poured the tea. Ladie really was far too humble for her own good… she was not a servant, and though she was most definitely aware of that, he supposed she just couldn't help herself around him. Truth be told it made Graham feel uncomfortable at times, as he rarely if ever saw himself as a prominent figure of authority in Elendia. Eventually she gave up and placed her prized spear on the ground before taking the cup with both hands. Lifting it to her mouth, the Elder watched eagerly as Ladie tasted her own concoction… her reaction was priceless. By this time Graham had thought it safe to assume that she had not even tried the tea she was so famous for. "You see? Excellent as always."
She could only nod in reply, taking in the sweet and soulful aroma of the tea as she drank a little more than she had initially intended to. Ladie may not have known it, but the sight warmed the old man's heart. Afraid that she would finish it off in one gulp, the sprite placed the cup back on the table and smiled gratefully at the Elder, who of course smiled back. After several seconds of silence, she leaned to her side and took the spear, readying herself to stand. "Elder, thank you again… I should get back to my duties."
"Oh, won't you sit for a while longer? At the very least, until you've finished your tea," The old man shifted his position on the chair slightly to get a little more comfortable, his expression clearly urging Ladie to relax. Obviously, this was not an easy feat for his guardian, who had spent most of her life either fidgety, or alert. Granted this wasn't the first time he'd asked her to relax—and probably not the last—getting her to become completely laid back was a far-off dream that was likely never to happen. Nonetheless, he was determined to let her rest whenever possible. "I would enjoy your company very much."
"Of course Elder, it would be an honor…" Ladie returned her spear to the ground, ashamed of herself for trying to leave so quickly. She didn't mean to seem rude… she just wasn't comfortable in these kinds of situations. But who could blame her; she was sharing tea with the greatest sage in Elendia, possibly all of Riviera… true, she may have been his guardian for a long time, but that still didn't take away the fact that she was with a person whom she respected deeply as well as looked up to. Once again breathing in the scent of the hot drink, she couldn't help but take another sip as she made a mental note to make some for herself when she had the time.
"Much appreciated, Ladie, you make this old man happy." The Elder said gratefully, earning a flattered blush from his guardian. Though the town as well as Riviera itself seemed to be enjoying a relative peace, for the past few days Graham had been feeling quite uneasy… and he felt exactly the same for days until they'd lost contact with Rosalina months ago. Something dark and ominous was in the air; he could feel it in his old bones. Aside from that, there was also another strange feeling which was looming in the wind. It was far more imminent, but seemed much less dangerous—either way, there was still a sense of urgency. Curiously enough, what felt like the center of it all seemed to be heading this way. "Hm, there's quite a commotion going on outside."
"A commotion?" Ladie asked, without a single doubt in her mind that what he'd said was false. True enough, to her it felt like any other day in Elendia; the birds were chirping, there was no screaming or yelling to be heard, neither was there the sound of explosions coming from the magic guild (there used to be, but Soala's so much better now), so all things considered, it was indeed a normal day. But the Elder has never been wrong. "Would you like me to go and attend to the matter?"
"That's quite all right," Graham replied calmly, his brow furrowed in silent thought. There was something clearly wrong, that much was certain… but not at the moment. Years of experience had taught him that there was a time and place for everything, no matter how dire the situation may be. Besides, he wanted the sprite across him to drink her tea and take it easy. Nothing short of another Ragnarok will make him change his mind. "The matter will be brought to us soon enough."
The Elder's prediction proved to be correct once again when a more than familiar voice boomed from outside his living quarters only seconds later.
"Hey old man!!! Are you in there?"
Ladie twitched.
-----
A/N: All right, I'm on a roll. I'm gonna get to work on Chapter four right away :). Izzy's introductions with the characters are almost finished… after which the problems are reaaally gonna pile up. Who was that dark figure? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter which will be coming soon.
Random Trivia: The reason why Serene seemed to remember Issirudor was because he had a profound effect on her during her childhood days, which seemed to preserve the memory even though all traces of his existence were wiped off the face of Asgard and Riviera. Oh, and Ydun might have lent a hand here and there :P…
Also, there were no angels during the Æsir's rule; they appeared shortly after the grim angels did as a byproduct of the gods' sacrifice. Completely pure and free of darkness, they are the main inhabitants of Asgard and have white wings. They also have the ability to heal and support each other with many spells of divine property, however, this greatly depends on the purity of the soul, and Issirudor's soul is tainted by the diviner's unholy properties… therefore, he is unable to perform most of them.
Happy Reading!