Averon – I just realized that I've neglected to thank my kind reviewers... So I shall!!! Let's see... (is trying to cover up the fact she's memorized all reviewers names and what they said)...

To no-face and Ashli, who are secretly the same person – I can do what I like twin, and I'm updating quickly for once (makes face) Kurama will show up eventually.... Hehe

To nannon – yeah, cliffy's suck. At least you'll come back.

To koriaena – Thanks for complimenting!!! Yes, poor, poor, Hiei. I confuse him so... And it is going to be yaoi eventually. Sorry, you don't have to keep reading if you don't like it, but I hope you will. I'm a yaoi fangirl, through and through!!

To Kittengrl39 – Yeah, I got the idea of the sword from Need (looks guilty) but it's my muse, not in the story. I picture the setting a lot like Valdemar, too. The customs are kinda strange and eventually you'll see all the prejudices and narrow-mindedness in this land that is very un-Valdemar like.

Thanks you all for reviewing!!!!

On with the story!! .

.

Divine Intervention

Through the light, Hiei couldn't see anything that was happening. All he knew was that the light was very bright and he was seeing spots. When his eyes began to adjust he saw a shadow lowering into his line of sight. He didn't realize that the bell was lowering over top of him until it was too late. He yelled when he became trapped beneath the bell and flung himself to the side to no avail. He couldn't move the thing, it was too big. Not like it mattered, all he would've been able to do if he could move it was push it across the floor. Panicking, he beat his fists against the side.

He heard a voice that seemed to be inside his head say, "You know you can't move it. Stop trying. I won't hurt you, I need your help." Hiei stopped, bewildered, and stood still. "Good. Now come." The voice sounded smug. There was a blinding flash of light and Hiei was no longer in the throne room trapped under a bell, he was in the main room of the Temple.

'Whatever. I must be dreaming...' Hiei thought, trying to clear his sight. Those spots were annoying.

"You're not dreaming." Said the same voice, but it was no longer inside his head. It sounded spoken. Hiei looked at the area the voice had come from to see a man with shoulder length blue-black hair and eyes that seemed to change colors constantly. The man had the body of an acrobat and was wearing a red sleeveless tunic and dark blue trews. He looked like a god (and kinda like Vanyel). The man chuckled. "I am a god Hiei, the god you're supposed to be worshipping for a matter of fact. Remember, you're a novice at this temple. The Temple of the Rising Sun, which worships the main god Horizon? You can't have forgotten everything in my presence."

'Pompous bastard. This is why I don't place my faith in any god...' Hiei thought, trying to ignore the stuck up god in front of him.

"You are not Horizon, Kerian. You're just like the rest of us." This came from another man who appeared next to the claimed Horizon.

"And you are ruining my fun, Janik. I was told that Horizon needed this boy and I was going to tell him why. So what if he doesn't know who the real god is?" Kerian retorted.

A new person appeared, a woman this time, and spoke up. "It does matter who he thinks the god is. He doesn't like stuck up bastards, so he wouldn't listen to either of you."

"Be quiet, Verina. Who invited you, anyway?" Janik shouted.

"We're all supposed to be here. Which reminds me, where's Venam? He's late." Verina countered.

"Right here." An ugly man stated, coming out from behind a statue. "The most important of us all." This, of course, started another batch of arguing which left Hiei looking helplessly from one person to another trying to figure out why the hell he was there.

"Enough." A new voice shouted. "Stuck together for 3 thousand years and you still fight like children." A man appeared shaking his head. He seemed to be a good humored man in the prime of life, with long brown hair and the same changing eyes all the people in the room but Hiei seemed to have. He looked like a fighter and about ready to kill the other four people. "I said enough!" They stopped. "Thank you. Ok, Hiei, I'm assuming you know why you're here and who these fools are, so I'll cut to the chase-"

"No, I don't know." Hiei stated, rather annoyed. Nothing was really making much sense right now and he would rather be talked to like a child than be left in the dark.

"You don't? Oh, then I'll start from the beginning. I'm Horizon and these," the god waved his hand to the four now silent beings, "are the founders of Seren. Now, three thousand years after their deaths, they are my advisors. I suppose to you they would be considered avatars. Kerian, the one who tried to trick you, is the founder of the house of the fox. He was originally the head of the assassins' guild in the empire of Jinven before he was banished with the other three for fighting amongst themselves. I'll explain more about that later. Janik is the founder of the house of the hawk. He was the head of the mercenary's guild. Calvary were his specialty. Verina is the founder of the house of the dove. She was the Lord Marshall in Jinven. And last (and certainly least) is Venam; he was commander of supplies and foot troups." The god explained.

"How'd they get banished?" Hiei asked, for once interested in a history lesson.

"They wouldn't stop fighting." Horizon shrugged. "They argued about all orders they were given by the king. They all thought that their ideas were best, so the king decided it was best to banish them and hope they got killed in the wilderness. No such luck." Hiei laughed outright at the god's disdain for his advisors.

"That's not fair, Horizon. We didn't fight about everything!" Verina argued.

"I suppose you're right. You didn't fight about who was ugliest. That was a given..." Horizon laughed.

"Hey!!" Venam shouted.

Entertaining as this was, Hiei still didn't know what any of this had to do with him. He cleared his throat to get the quarrelers attention.

"Oh, yes." Horizon continued, "Anyway, They were banished. Upon being cast out of the kingdom, they decided to work together for once. They managed to survive the wilderness and come here, to the town that stood here at the time. I don't recall the name right now, but it's really not important. The town was in danger of being destroyed by an enemy to the north, and with the combined genius of these four fools they won. Of course the people thought this was great and proclaimed them their leaders. Hoping to save the town from disaster, Kerian here suggested that they prayed to the local gods for guidance. I decided to answer them."