Category: Darksiders I & II
Rating: M
Couples: Azrael/Abaddon, Zeruch(War)/OC
Warnings: AU, Disturbing Imagery
Chapter: 61
Copyright: Characters & places © By Appropriate Copyright-holder, Plot & OC´s © by me
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"Zeruch." Azrael stopped his son mid-tirade. "I have gone to the Well of Souls many times, my child. There is no need to worry for my safety or anything of the like."
"You literally just told me that there is something wrong with it." Zeruch sharply countered. "Dad, I can't even decipher how many layers of wards you have on it… for something to disrupt it..."
"The Well is a machine, Zeruch. A highly automated, powerful machine. Things can break without some dire reasons." The Gatekeeper rose from his seat. "Ask my father, it has happened before. Even something as simple as one missed regular check-up can cause some minor trouble to spiral out of control."
"I know for a fact that you didn't miss a check-up." The younger male pointed out, restarting his pacing in the Argent Spire's most luxurious office. "Something is wrong, I can feel it."
"You are my son, your angelic energies are based on my own from when I made you your wings." The scholar reached for his child. "Despite being neither an angel or the Keeper, you are somewhat attuned to it by that fact alone. You sense – as I do – that something is wrong with it."
"Can't you at least take some guards?" The Nephilim pleaded softly. He felt like this was something darker than his father would admit to. Even though demons had not yet fallen so low as to attack the Well itself – Samael saw to that, ironically enough – there were creatures that would very much dare to do so.
"Zeruch." White eyes started to burn with a mixture of anger and annoyance. After the incident so many years ago that had broken the bond between the great General and Scholar, said scholar had grown more easily irritated with everyone. "If – on the exceedingly rare chance – that someone is messing with the Well, I am more than capable of dealing with them. Few are the ones who can stand against my power. I will leave now and leave alone. And that is final."
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A day later, Zeruch decided that his father could kiss his ass. By now, the scholar was well overdue on returning – or at least sending notice – and the young Nephilim was not happy at all.
"Grandmother." Thank the Creator for saved-up overtime, allowing him to just drop in on Fading Dawn. "I need to speak to grandfather, preferably nowish."
Her eyes narrowed, but she gestured to the stairs leading to the level that held the Firstborn's offices. "He is in the main office."
"Thanks." Zeruch marched up the stairs, just barely remembering his manners not to fly straight there. Flying indoors was usually frowned upon unless the room was spacious enough.
"Grandfather?"
"Mmh?" The male Firstborn looked up at the door opening. "Zeruch, what brings you here?"
"The Well of Souls. Dad went there yesterday and still didn't come back." The Legion Commander informed his relative. "As former Gatekeeper, can you get in still?"
"Should still be able, unless Azrael really changed the wards." The silver-armoured male rose from his seat. "One thing first though, if you'd follow me. It won't take long."
"Suuure?"
The two of them headed up the tower to where the repository was located.
"Am I allowed in there?" Zeruch hesitated at the door as the other male entered. "Isn't there like this massive clearance system here?"
"Yes, but I think you are forgetting one vital thing." Rahab smirked lightly. "Firstborn overrule near everything. Come in."
"Right." The Nephilim pulled his wings in tight, afraid to disturb the many, many shelves. "So why are we here?"
"I have a long-distance check-up relic for the Well here. Made it when Laylah got pregnant and I didn't want to leave her alone." The Firstborn was counting the shelves as he walked. "I want to give that a gander before storming into the Well. For all we know, Azrael might just be meditating in there. It is a very calming place."
"Good point."
In the end, what they found wasn't so much a mirror as it was an intricately carved stone slab. In fact, it looked like it literally had been one of the floating stones that were in the Well. "I had to use one of those, I needed something with a connection there to bypass the wards."
By the time the 'mirror' was getting activated, Laylah had joined them, her four wings neatly folded at her back.
Two seconds after, black ooze had overtaken the stone before being obliterated by two high-powered beams of pure holy light.
"What was that?" Zeruch demanded sharply, having jumped back briefly when the ooze had first appeared.
"Trouble." Laylah lowered her hand.
"We're going to the Well, but with that, I want to be able to use the door and bring more people than just myself in." Rahab muttered. "Zeruch, head to Lostlight and fetch the key there. Bring some muscle on your way back here. I'll fetch the other one."
"Yes."