Here we are once again! Let's see if you readers can spot the hidden reference I made in this chapter, ehe.
To fight. To insult. To hate.
Demons were feared by men since ancient times, said to be subordinates of the Devil and the main cause for which they have sinful thoughts and are tempted to commit sinful actions. One could argue they're the reason why men hate, and therefore, fight and insult others.
"Irina." a handsome soldier wearing a ducal crown called out to his steed, voice calm and gentle despite staring at the Hellish wasteland in front of him. A crocodile came up beside him, and he petted her, earning a pleased growl.
They were demons, yet they never spread hatred. In fact, the soldier's objective was to eliminate it. Just imagine how many of his brethren laughed in his face, calling him delusional and pathetic. By a strange twist of fate, he was born with a pacifist's heart. He saw no problem with that, after all, the world would truly be a boring place if everyone was to be the same.
The demon believed hatred wasn't an innate impulse. Instead, people find it easier to point fingers than to confront their own shortcomings when they're struggling, they fear the unknown, and some are unable to contain emotions like jealousy or greed. Now, did the same apply to demons? He wasn't sure, but he met many who didn't pick a fight with him and truthfully asked for his protection, who simply wished to survive.
He won't give up on Hell yet. Nor on humans. Whenever possible, he would use his powers to deepen the bonds between them, help them find love. There was no need for fists or curses when problems could be resolved with a discussion. Understanding was necessary to achieve peace.
Hatred may be instinctive to some, but it only gives rise to hostility and aggression. It may even be a distraction from one's inner pain. Peace was needed to truly live one's life to the fullest. It's an ideal worth striving for, childish as it sounded, even if you're a mighty Great Duke of Hell.
The real question was...how long will it take to realize such an ideal? Will he live to see it? Will the world actually learn the importance of peace, or will it forevermore turn its back on it? The demon mounted his teed, now frowning, and the two left.
Flames burst out of the ground in front of me then, and when they retracted, I was standing beside a jackal-headed god and a sacred two-plate scale, a feather already present on one of its plates. A dozen feet away from us lay the Eater of Hearts, lazily listening to a man addressing the Assessors around us. The god of the afterlife sat on his throne at the end of the hall. Next to him, an ibis-headed god recorded everything on his scrolls.
When the man concluded talking to the forty-second and last Assessor, his eyes landed on the Eater of Hearts, prompting her to growl. It wasn't a show of aggression by any means, but rather her voicing her irritation. For some strange reason, the eyes of every human would be drawn to her at some point during the ritual, and she would be met with fear.
It was fine at first. It even made sense, after all, her body was composed of the three largest man-eating animals known to their people. Her titles and role weren't exactly soothing, either. But over time, she found herself wishing for that respect they had in their eyes when looking at anyone else in the hall. Why? She didn't know.
This human, however, wasn't scared. Something akin to affection flashed in his eyes. The Eater of Hearts snapped to attention. The jackal-headed god noticed, always noticed small things like these.
"You may speak freely." he encouraged the man.
The Assessors fell silent. The ibis-headed god stopped writing. The god of the afterlife had a secret smile on his face. The Eater of Hearts watched in bewilderment as the man smiled and let his voice be heard once more.
"Much ashamed, but it's a rather silly thing, my god. My deepest apologies if I've offended you. You see, my father was teaching me how to fish when, one day, we saw a crocodile sleeping on the riverbank, basking in the sun's warmth. He pointed at it and began telling me what he knew of its kind to the tiniest detail. I remember he was smiling. The sky was dyed a mesmerizing orange. I was in awe. Everything felt so...peaceful. I cherish this memory since I was a child."
The man held back tears. The Eater of Hearts, who's never left this post once in her life, couldn't picture any of that in her mind to try to discover what this 'peaceful' meant. Or why it meant so much to the man.
"Whenever I see a crocodile...I remember," he went on. "Those words. That smile. That sky. And I come to the realization that, despite living a monotonous and poor life, I made it this far. My family, the family I and my beloved created, our friends...I thank them for helping me on this journey. It's their love which kept pushing me forward. Such a beautiful emotion... Do you also think love is beautiful, my goddess?"
She didn't know. What even was this 'love'? How could an emotion aid you reach the Hall of Ma'at? The Eater of Hearts just found out she knew so little of the people whose hearts she swallows and of their world...and she wanted to learn more. To experience this 'love' herself and see how far it could push her. To answer the man's query.
The jackal-headed god cut her thoughts short, "Let us proceed." and so they did. The heart wasn't heavier than the feather, allowing the man to enter the Field of Reeds. This was the first time the Eater of Hearts felt relieved she didn't have to devour the dead.
Out of the blue, someone fell from the sky with a startled cry, turning my surroundings into an enchanted forest. The pointy-eared youth who'd just fallen off a tree branch stood up, caressing the back of his head with a hand and muttering incoherently under his breath.
"Oberon!? Why are you here?" a fairy draped in black zoomed into the scene, eyes wide in surprise.
The said King of the Fairies brought his fists to his hips. "There you are! I was just looking for you!" he smirked zealously. "I've made up my mind, and there's nothing you can do or say to change it. We're going on a journey! A heroic quest, if you will! We'll fight anyone who dares lead us astray, we'll aid anyone who cries for help, and we'll—"
"...Titania kicked you out again, didn't she?"
"I'm innocent!" Oberon's valiant façade instantly shattered to pieces. He now stared at his fellow fairy with a pleading expression, but when it was met with a half-lidded stare, he panicked. "You have to believe me! We were in bed and I wanted to make things a little more interesting and really impress her, so I—"
"Ew! Leave me out of your sexual life!" the fairy rudely interrupted him again, to which he fell to his knees and began sulking. She sighed in exasperation. "It explains why you're dressed like that..."
True to her words, Oberon wasn't wearing an attire befitting of his status as a king, but rather a worn-out shirt and pants, his feet bare in the grass. He didn't have time to grab anything decent before he was forced to leave, poor guy. A scowl found its way to her face before she could stop it.
"Why are you two still together if you constantly bicker...?"
Oberon froze on the spot. He raised his head, and the fairy blinked twice upon seeing the warm smile plastered on his face.
"Have you ever been in love?" he inquired, changing her stare into one which screamed 'um, isn't that obvious?' The king jumped to his feet playfully and dusted himself off. "It's pretty good. We may love someone, but it doesn't mean we mustn't see things differently or act independently. It wouldn't be love if you take for granted everything the other person says or does. It's normal for couples to argue from time to time. It can be a means to express that we care, that we want our love to live."
The fairy sat down on his shoulder and dangled her feet, now frowning. "But Titania..."
"Oh, please." Oberon chuckled mischievously. "I'm sure she loved what I did. She simply doesn't know how to properly express her feelings. But I love that reserved part of hers. I love everything about her."
Has anyone ever loved her? Besides her king and queen, who've displayed a clear interest in her for a reason they refuse to admit, the other fairies always try their best to avoid her because black wings like hers were believed to be a bad omen.
It wasn't fair. What did they think, that she asked for these wings? Sure, they were cool and unique in her opinion, but if she could choose, she'd reject them. She would rather ask for new friends—not that Oberon was a bad friend, of course!—or for a partner or for anyone to call family.
"Will anyone...ever love me?"
"Mm-hmm! Someone will. You just haven't met yet." Oberon reassured her with an unfeigned smile. "And when they will, spare no effort to love them back! Now then...since I can't return to the palace yet, why don't we go for a walk? For all we know, we might find someone in dire peril and really embark on a heroic quest!"
That got her hopes up a little, earning a half-hearted nod in return. The king nodded back energetically and walked deeper into the forest, sporting a secret smile as he side-glanced at the palm-sized fairy on his shoulder—
I came to with a start, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. I put my face in my hands...and just took in a shuddering breath.