Fantasy [MiraAutumn and Phoenix]

[PhoenixMire]

Malri stood at the edge of a cliff that dove down into the sea. He breathed in the fresh air of the pines surrounding him. The scent of rain lingered despite the fact that it had stopped a little while ago, leaving only a delightful scent and thick, dark clouds in its wake. He loved weather like this. The humans didn't seem to - they preferred sunny days and warm weather - but clear days were a little too bright for Malri's taste. He was accustomed to the Underworld, after all.

The demon shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was here on official business, and he needed to concentrate. One of his fellow Messengers had reported something disturbing - about the humans searching for a way to overthrow their gods.

It wasn't all the humans, of course. Malri suspected it was only a small group. And he doubted the humans had found anything yet. The gods were hard to kill, after all.

Sucking in a deep breath, he forced himself to concentrate, using his shadow magic to spin an illusion of humanity, hiding his many clearly demonic features. He knelt to peer into a puddle beneath one of the many pine trees around him; his reflection looked convincingly human. He was still terribly pale, but his hair was black instead of green, and gone were his ram-like horns, black scleras, and faun-like ears. Flashing a grin at his reflection, he saw that his canine teeth were still a bit too sharp, but he'd never been very good at hiding his fangs. He supposed he'd be fine as long as he didn't grin too widely.

Suddenly he sensed something strange in the air. His head jerked upright. What was it? It was a presence almost like his own - and yet vastly different. It was magical, but not demonic. Eyes narrowing, he got to his feet, venturing out from between the trees and into the cobblestone streets of the nearby human village. There was something inhuman here, he could feel it.

image credit - 1 . 2 .​

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

A sudden jolt forced the young red-head awake, who lazily opened her eyes to reveal the carriage she was in. It was overall a dark and dusty place. The walls were made of oak, worn from years of constant use. Light streamed in through a single window, illuminating the sacks of produce surrounding her. They mainly comprised of potatoes, making it pretty clear that whoever was the owner, was either a merchant/farmer of such goods.

"Oi lass, we're here." A rough voice called out, not intentionally sounding forceful. Ivory knew better, especially since he had allowed her to tag along for the ride in the first place. Pushing her way out the awfully short door, she smiled sincerely at the gruff driver with an offhand thanks before continuing on her way.

Something was off here.

She had felt it whilst travelling in the carriage, almost at the same time she noticed the pitter-patter of rain had stopped. An eerie presence was growing closer with every second that passed, sending unwanted chills up her spine. As much as she hoped that it was just a being with great magical potential, or perhaps another angel, the lack of virtues flowing from the presence tore her from the thought.

It was her duty to confront what may be a threat to the world, but that doesn't mean she wanted to. If anything, she would love to just live a carefree life away from all this drama on earth. She sincerely worried for why humans were attempting to overthrow the gods, but at the same time she was convinced that there were far more skilled angels out there for such a case. Ivory wasn't exactly intimidating afterall. Perhaps her information gathering skills were a little better than most, but it wasn't anything too notable. She had been on this case for a few years already, having found very little leads to go off. She had heard rumours and drunken exclamations, but it was clear that they were just spreading the news and weren't directly involved in the actual case.

Her destination had actually been the capital, at least, before that strange presence caught her attention. Although she had been there before, the first time she came to Earth actually, she had recently heard something odd going on in the underworld around there...

Before she knew it, lost in thought as she was, she came face to face with that ominous presence. Despite his irises being a beautiful, clear green, his awfully pale skin and dark hair rung alarm bells in her head. A strange power pulsed off him in waves, intimidating her even further. But perhaps the scariest thing of all was the sins she could feel off him. There was almost no presence of any virtues. She was undoubtedly afraid, but she had to stand her ground. It's not like he knew she had little combat ability. It was her duty to confront this evil presence, or at the very least find information about him and report him back to an archangel.

"Good morning."

And so, the mental battle begins.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Malri halted in his tracks when a woman stopped in front of him. She had vivid red hair and bright blue eyes that glimmered like crystal. Her presence was so different from his own - she felt like light personified.

An angel?

That thought very nearly made his lips draw back into a snarl, but he stopped himself. He kept his expression neutral and lightly shifted his weight. “Good morning,” he mirrored her greeting with a nod.

It wouldn’t do any good to start a fight right off the bat. Though Malri was sure she probably already knew what he was; she could most likely sense his presence, after all. Humans couldn’t sense presences - but she definitely wasn’t human.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

Ivory smiled wryly. It seemed he had come to the same realization she had, about their true identities. It was almost painful, suppressing her inner urge to show hostility, which was so very engraved in her being. Although she doubted whether or not he would remain civil, it seems he was more collected than what she initially thought of a demon. Scary.

"Hmm, perhaps we should take our 'discussion', to a more suitable area?" She offered, with a sideways glance at the casual passerbys and odd onlookers. Their conversation could entail many different topics, but the most important of which shouldn't be discussed in a place with humans all around. It could turn into something far more destructive than a conversation at some point too, and as an angel, she couldn't allow that here.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Malri shot a glance at the little town surrounding him when she mentioned moving their discussion elsewhere. There were only a few people passing by at the moment - though if his "conversation" with the angel got heated, this place could very well be destroyed.

He didn't mind that too much. It was a quaint little town, but why would he care if he saw it ruined?

Malri sucked in a deep breath through his nose. No, he was supposed to be here to gather information. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself. So he cocked his head, smirking at the woman standing in front of him. "Why not? The pine forest nearby is lovely, I'd say it's the perfect place for a... civil conversation."

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

Ivory tapped her toes impatiently, as she awaited his response. She didn't like feeling so suppressed/endangered all of a sudden, especially without much warning. She'd have to improvise this whole scenario as best she could.

"Wonderful, lets head there then." Contrary to her light-hearted words, she replied stoically with a wary eye on the demon. Ivory felt somewhat miffed by how easily he could appear aloof to the matter, whilst she was over here having her innards turned inside out multiple times.

Ivory followed behind the demon warily. They both knew an angel would never backstab someone, it simply wasn't honourable, hence her being the one following made the most sense. For the briefest of moments, she was distracted by the lovely humid atmosphere that only comes after rain. But the deeper they went, the more paranoid she became.

"So, what are you doing here demon?" Her words seethed through her teeth, expressing pure hostility. Her eyes simmered into an icy glare, as she stood her ground a fair distance away.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Malri led her deep into the trees, looking over his shoulder multiple times despite the fact that he knew an angel would be too honest to backstab him.

"What am I doing here?" he repeated, turning to face her. His lips pulled back into a grin, revealing his long fangs as he allowed his illusion magic to drop. It was too taxing to keep up for too long, after all, and he didn't see any other people around. "I've been sent here, of course. What about you? What's a light-dweller like you doing here amongst mortals? I thought your type was too high and mighty to care about humans," he said derisively.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

It's not like she didn't expect him to have demonic features, but it was still alarming to see the change happen right before her very eyes. She was certain she paled; whether he could tell against her already ivory skin remains to be seen.

Sent here? Perhaps the demons had been alerted of the recent news as well. She grit her teeth in thought and exasperation. If demons were being sent here, who knows what sort of chaos would ensue. The angels had to resolve this as soon as possible.

"As much as it disgusts me to say this, I'm the same." She glowered at him fiercely, refusing to show a sign of weakness. "Oh, and your 'type' is better? What do you do, sacrifice them? Enslave them even? Treat them as your little playthings? Don't make me laugh comparing us with your kind."
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Malri folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Enslave them? What are you on about? We harvest damned souls and keep them in line after death in a place where they deserve to stay. I highly doubt your kind would want the type of souls we guard."

Scoffing, he shifted his gaze away from hers, staring off into the trees. "That's not the point. You said you were sent here, as well? ...What for?" Had she heard the same rumors he had - the ones about humans searching for a way to kill the gods?
Though he kept his body slightly turned away from her, he slid his gaze in her direction, watching for her reaction.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

As much as Ivory wanted to retort back, she held her tongue, knowing this argument could go on for literal eons. The demon, of all creatures, was the one to drop the subject as well. If she continued to bite and scowl, questions could be asked about her angelic heritage.

Back on topic, with her mind calmed slightly, she stared him straight in the eye as she responded. "An investigation... of sorts. How about yourself?" Her words were carefully picked, ensuring she wasn't going to give them a lead for free, or just blurt out everything about the human uprisings. At the same time, she tried her best to not appear shifty, as if she was hiding something. Although that was difficult, seeing as she was already plenty nervous and intimidated.

She eyed his every move warily, considering using her ability to scout the area and check if he had backup. But seeing as they sensed each others magical presence, she had the feeling that would be a terrible idea.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

An investigation. The demon lifted a brow. "Of what kind?" She seemed nervous - probably the fact that she was in his presence. It wasn't like he was any happier to be standing in front of an angel. Part of him wanted to attack her and get this over with so she'd leave him alone and he could move on, but he figured that'd be a bad idea. Why needlessly spend his energy and risk drawing some kind of attention?

Besides... wouldn't it be smarter to get as much information out of her as possible? Of course she'd be wary and unwilling to talk... but there had to be a way to get something out of her.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

"Hey, I asked you a question. Don't think you'll get information from me for free... unless you have something to barter?" She responded curtly, walking a little off to the side, nearer to the woods than the village. Not once did her wary eyes leave the demon, seeing if she can judge whether he has anything of worth to her based on his reaction. If he had nothing, why should she continue this conversation? The stakes seemed higher for her than for him.

She clenched her fists tightly to control her whirl of emotions, whilst also organising a plan of escape.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Malri raised both brows and idly rested a hand on his hip. “Barter? Well, what would be of value to you?” He watched closely as she moved; he didn’t trust her at all. Sure, angels were supposed to be honest beings that could apparently do no wrong, but that didn’t mean he trusted her.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

He was toying with her or oblivious, one or the other. Her crystalline eyes narrowed further into an icy glare. "It doesn't seem like we're on the same page here demon, well, not like that could ever happen anyway. I wonder if you even know what I'm getting at here." She provoked him slightly, whilst slowly furthering the distance between them.

 

[PhoenixMire]

He heaved a long sigh and rolled his eyes. “You want information, but I’m a little hesitant to tell you why I’m here... I’m sure you can understand why.” He smiled patronizingly.

Malri studied her closely. If the humans did figure out a way to kill the gods, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they destroyed the pantheon of light...
He shook the thoughts away. Who was he kidding? He didn’t like angels or the gods of light, but they were necessary for the balance of the world. Even if he did occasionally like seeing things destroyed, he didn’t want the entire world to meet an apocalyptic fate. He liked exploring here sometimes, he didn’t want it all ruined! Besides, the humans would quickly die off without their gods of light, and he didn’t want to see a huge influx of damned souls in the Underworld...

So maybe it would be a good idea to tell this angel about the rumors? He stared at her, trying to decide.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

"Oh my, what unnatural honesty all of a sudden." A sickly sweet smile curved her lips, perhaps an angelic sight if seen from a different angle, but her eyes remained frighteningly stone cold. It felt like the longer she communicated with this demon, the calmer she felt. Rather than fear/nervousness, she presently only felt a great wariness and dislike.

It seemed he was thinking about something, seeing as he wasn't following up with any snide remarks, but just staring at her. Considering her own stance more carefully, she pondered what would be the right thing to do in this situation. The problem at the moment not only endangered heavens gods, but hells gods as well. Although, most of the rumours she had heard involved the ungratefulness of humans concerning her superiors.

"The crops aren't looking good this year."
"Yeah, well, what can you do? Those lazy butts up in the celestial realm are-"
"Shhhh!"

A little annoyed by the recollection, she clicked her tongue.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Folding his arms, Malri looked at her with something of a sneer. “The last thing I want to do is speak to one of your kind about this, but...”

Should he really tell her? He hesitated, slightly tapping his foot. “I’ve heard the humans are... planning something,” he said vaguely.

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

"Oho." Ivory couldn't help but chuckle as he slowly mustered out those words. "Indeed they are." She smiled somewhat triumphantly, feeling a little powerful now that some information had been leaked. "Well, as much as it physically repulses me to say this, thank you for relenting." Perhaps he deserved some credit there, even though he was a demon.

"Related to the gods perhaps?" She put her hand to her chin as she eyed him carefully. A hint for a hint as they say.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Malri’s lips curled back into a snarl. “Don’t patronize me,” he said, voice laced with irritation.

When she asked about the gods, his faun-like ears twitched involuntarily. “So what if it is? Maybe it isn’t,” he murmured. “Look, I’m not happy about having to talk to a light-dweller like you.”

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

"Oh? But I'm just returning the favour." She stated calmly before allowing her smile to fall back into a neutral expression. Her eyes remained icy, even though they were very slowly beginning to co-operate.

"Hey now, I thought you demons were better at hiding your emotions." She couldn't help but chuckle as he tried miserably to cover up. "Me neither darling." The way he acted persuaded her that she was older than him significantly. Whether this was true or not remains to be seen. Even if it wasn't true, she was beginning to have fun poking fun at him anyway. Although she supposed it wasn't very angelic of her to think that.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

Returning the favor? Whatever. He glared at her, but decided to bite his tongue. He didn’t know if a lot of sarcasm would do him much good when it came to getting information out of her.

When she made a comment about him not being very good at hiding his emotions, he flushed, his gaze dropping to the forest floor. But he quickly lifted his eyes again when she called him “darling”.

“Darling? Darling?! I should rip your ugly tongue out of your ugly mouth,” he hissed, still horribly embarrassed but trying his best to hide it. “Don’t give me pet names. I’m trying to have a conversation here. You should be grateful I’m more diplomatic than some of my brethren. Just talk. What do you know?”

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

"Perhaps you should, but you won't." She smiled in an amused fashion. Ivory knew full well she was the reason this conversation wasn't progressing the way they needed it to: she was indulging herself a bit too much here.

"Yes, yes. I am." She countered his angry retorts with simple, dismissive agreements whilst thinking more deeply about what to reveal. Well, she supposed it wouldn't do too much harm if she revealed this to the demons. It already seemed like he knew afterall, with his twitching and flushing. Perhaps this difficult case could be solved more quickly if more celestial beings began to work on it too, seeing as it was already a matter that could escalate quickly.

"Hmm... okay." She concluded out loud. "So.. there may be some humans trying to rise against the gods." She spoke calmly, almost emotionless with her words. It might be a little obvious she was trying to hide smaller details from him using this tone, like the fact that she had a lead in the capital, or that rumours had been escalating over the years, or that she had been gathering information for years now.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

He listened closely, knowing that she was hiding something from him. Not surprising. In fact, he was surprised that she’d told him anything at all.

Now the question was what to do with this information. An angel was here for the exact same reason as he. Malri pursed his lips in thought. “We have the same goal, it seems... but I feel like you’re not telling me everything.”

MiraAutumn

 

[MiraAutumn]

"Well, why would I?" She responded icily. "We both already know, what we wanted to know from this conversation." She stated calmly. He had given her enough confirmation that this could be reported back to the higher ups, although, she was a little tempted to make something more of this.

It had been a little while since she had seen her close ones back in Heaven. Since she was undercover and on an important mission to boot, she had been a little lonely. Outrageous thoughts of having a demonic partner entered her mind briefly, before she physically shook them away. "Hey... no nevermind." She began and concluded suspiciously.
PhoenixMire

 

[PhoenixMire]

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Malri retorted. “You’re withholding something from me. You may dislike me and my kind just as much as I dislike yours, but you have to admit - the world will be thrown horribly out of balance if the humans find a way to kill the gods. Telling me what you know will only benefit both of us in the long run.”

He cocked a brow when she started to say something but stopped herself.

Tapping a finger on his chin, he smirked a little. “Tell you what. I know your kind doesn’t trust demons... and... that’s fair. But I promise you I hate you as much as you hate me. So if you tell me what you know thus far, I’ll leave.”
He raised his palms in a sort of gesture of surrender. “I’ll get out of your hair. We can do our own separate investigations, and protect our respective gods. It sounds like a win-win situation to me.”

MiraAutumn