Far From The Light

<> Demiurge says "You had left Aron, after a worrying discussion and a sorcerous tome."

<> Eduardo says "Right."

<> Demiurge says "You had plans?"

<> Eduardo says "Uhm. Damn. Possibly to go visit David, or a Davidian. Eddie would try for the top. He's that kind of impulsive Zealot."

<> Demiurge says "Okay. David is based in the Caverns, under the Groves. That's where all the Davidians hang out. Underground."

<> Eduardo guesses he'll ascend, then.

<> Demiurge says "You're currently on Earth. Are you ascending to your heart, or using a Tether?"

<> Eduardo will use a tether. He'll head to the Fire one straight from Aron's.

<> Eduardo says "No point in making MORE noise than I need to, and it doesn't slow me down that much."

<> Demiurge says "Phanuel passes you through without any problems. You're free to ascend."

Eduardo ascends, appearing in the Volcano and in his angelic form.

His Heart is in its usual place, in a quiet obsidian-walled room. The familiar heat of the Volcano is comforting and strengthening.

Eduardo nods, and straightens; wings flaring darkly as he strides out of the room and towards the Volcano's exit.

The guards let him pass, recognising him as one of their own. In the distance shine the silver towers of Heaven.

Eduardo takes to the air, heading for the Grove; taking the most direct route.

He passes over the walls of Heaven, and the sentinels that patrol them, and sees the Halls of Creation and Progress, and the quieter Glade below, before he can curve down towards the mighty trees of the Groves. Michael's angels seem to be working in some sort of military operation at the moment. Teams of angels move smoothly in clearly practiced ways.

Eduardo drops somewhere where he will not be in their way, though -- given a chance -- he will look at what they are doing. Then he searches for an entry to the Caverns. Direct route. As usual.

It isn't really feasible to work out what the angels of War are doing at a moment's notice. One of the cave-mouths that lead down into the Caverns gapes before Eduardo.

Eduardo heads that way, looking for a sentry or Guard.

<> Demiurge says "Relax. There's nothing to worry about. Everything is just fine. Ignore the angels of War. :)"

<> Eduardo <-- Focussed.

Dark serpentine stairs lead downwards from the cave-mouth - it is necessary for him to make his way down perhaps a hundred yards before they open out into a wide hall, lit by glowing crystals that are scattered through the floor. A dark-furred wolf-Cherub rises from where he was lying on the ground, and paces towards Eduardo calmly.

Eduardo stalks forward, then stop; bows.

The Cherub bows its head in return, and folds its wings. "What do you seek in the Cathedral of Stone, Virtue?"

Eduardo says "An audience."

The Cherub says, "With whom?"

Eduardo says "Stone."

The Cherub says, "On what grounds?"

Eduardo draws himself up. "I fear for a Wordbound. I fear the resurrection of Magog."

Eduardo's brows drop, dark wings folding about him. "I believe that would be sufficient to speak with your Lord, or his representative."

<> Demiurge rolls the d666 and gets 5 3 CHECK: 1.

The Cherub tilts his head. "Archangels are busy people. Can you at least give me some reason why you wish to speak to him?"

<> Daimon says "At the beep, please leave a message...."

<> Demiurge says "Please press 1 if you want to help smite evil. Press 2 if you want to confess to heresy. Press 3 if you want to join the pro-Lucifer fan club..."

<> Daimon presses 3.

<> Demiurge says "Please stay where you are. A group of angels of Dominic will be coming over for psychological counselling services."

<> Torquaret inquisits Daimon.

Eduardo frowns, brows drawing together. "A prophecy of my Lady. A disease loose on Earth. A culling plague. Shattered steles." His words fall like hammers, despite the politeness of his tone.

<> Daimon woos! Psychological councilling services.

<> Torquaret says ""That's just a euphemism for "inquisition""

The Cherub tilts his head. "I will present your petition. Your name?"

Eduardo says "Edward, Virtue of Gabriel."

The Cherub nods. "Please wait here. Someone will come to inform you when the Archangel has time to speak to you."

The Cherub pads towards a passageway leading further downwards.

Eduardo nods, and folds his arms and his wings; waiting.

<> Demiurge rolls the d666 and gets 2 1 CHECK: 3.

Time passes. Perhaps half an hour.

A Seraph emerges from the lower passageway, her scales as clear as glass, eyes like diamonds and wings like living water. The Seraph tilts her head in a ripple of movement. "Greetings. I understand that you wish to speak to our Archangel."

<> Demiurge rolls the d666 and gets 5 2 CHECK: 3.

Eduardo bows, though his eyes never leave the Seraph. "I would ask for that honour."

The Seraph blinks its uppermost pair of eyes. "It concerns some matter of plague?"

Eduardo says "It concerns several matters, a plague and the Demon Prince of Cruelty not least among them."

The Seraph's eyes all widen. "You have my full attention."

Eduardo's lips curl, the resulting expression a hard parody of a smile. "Excellent. Do you wish to talk here?"

Eduardo gestures about with his right hand.

The Seraph says, calmly, "We will not be disturbed. Continue."

Eduardo inclines his head.

Eduardo says "My Bright Lady..." as his parody of a smile slips to something burningly real "... did gift me with a prophecy. I believe the first part to be fulfilled, with the destruction of a false Heaven by Michael and my Lady."

Eduardo says "The second speaks of a cruel, culling light, of a stone being broken."

The Seraph blinks. "Your words are true. Continue."

Eduardo says "And several angels of my acquaintance -- more adept at investigation than I -- have uncovered links to the Demon Prince of Disease. A disease that seems aimed at us."

The Seraph says, in a tone of cool horror, "Do not speak the name of *that one* in these caverns." The sound seems to shimmer in the air.

Eduardo squints. "I will honour your wishes. But I believe *that one* may be waking."

Eduardo says "I wish to know if his prison is a certain place. One that I will not name. If I am wrong, I do not wish to see more. If I am right ..."

Eduardo lets his voice trail off.

The Seraeph flicks her tail, in what might be nearly nervousness. "I perceive that you do not lie. Follow me." She turns, leading the way towards the passage down.

Eduardo frowns, and stops. "You believed I would?" he part asks, part demands. "On a matter like this? To an ally of my lady?"

Eduardo's voice fairly crackles and his eyes fall little short of throwing sparks.

The Seraph continues to move, though she swivels her head back over her shoulder to regard Eduardo, serpentine. "Might you not have been deceived, Virtue? My Choir can see that also."

Eduardo squints a moment. "The words came from my Bright Lady." Again, his voice is one of comand, a whip crack. "But I concede your ... paranoia."

The Seraph makes no reply. She is at the entrance of the tunnel now, about to vanish into the darkness.

Eduardo heads after the Seraph, stride showing the angerhe grants no other outlet.

The Seraph moves ahead of him, her body and wings glistening faintly in the darkness. There is no light in this descending passageway, and the weight of stone is *heavy*, close around Eduardo, near to brushing his wings.

Eduardo grimaces, and continues, feet loud on the stone.

The Seraph abruptly spreads her wings and takes to flight, as suddenly the sense of oppression seems to weaken; there is still the total darkness, but now there is a sense of wider spaces, and a cold current in the air.

Eduardo frowns again, then curls back his lips, following the Seraph's path through the darkness.

>From far, far below comes an echoing whisper of a voice, distorted by distance. Air rushes around him like a wind tunnel, bearing the Seraph on before him, as they fly in the total darkness.

Eduardo follows, yielding nothing to the darkness. Despite the fact that the lack of light leaves him brutally uncomfortable.

<> Pat says "Set something on fire, Ed. You'll feel better."

The Seraph swings, mid-flight, and curves downwards, coming to rest on a ledge that is barely visible in the darkness, only just perceptible through her own crystal glow. It isn't clear how far back the ledge goes, or where it terminates.

<> Eduardo thinks this would be a Bad Thing (tm)

Eduardo settles as far out from the Seraph as he can see, and arranges his features; schooling the anger at the interrogation into his face as pride's mask.

A voice shudders in the darkness around him, rumbling in his bones, ribs and spine and skull, making the feathers of his wings ripple. "Eduardo."

Eduardo twitches, wings flaring. He hazards a guess. "Stone," he says, and bows.

The Seraph bows her head, folding her wings around her like a cloak.

The voice rumbles, "Virtue of Fire. You would seek words with me."

<> Pat says "Hey Ed. Dare you to call him an honorless twit."

<> Pat says "He won't hit first. :)"

<> Demiurge says "Pat, I'm not sure that's a very Elohite of Judgement thing to suggest. ;)"

<> Pat is objectively curious as to the result.

<> Eduardo laughs!

Eduardo steps away from the edge of the ledge. "I would, Stone. My thanks for the audience."

<> Pat says "Which is more important to David? His personal honour, or the principles of his Word? Inquisiting minds want to know!"

David's voice says, simply, "Speak."

Eduardo says "My Lady, your ally, gifted me with a Prophecy. The first part has been fulfilled."

Eduardo says "The second speaks of a cruel light, a culling light. Of a stone, breaking."

Eduardo says "I fear two things."

David says, "What do you fear?"

Eduardo straightens. "That Magog is to be freed. That his last plan as your Angel will see fruition, with the aid of the Demon Prince of Disease. And that one of your own has trod where I have, and that you do not know of this already."

<> PrincessBeth says "That's 3 or 4, Eddie, not 2."

There is a long, deep shudder in the air, like some distant earthquake in the walls of this cavern.

David's voice, like the shifting of continents, demands, "Name me his name."

Eduardo keeps his own voice quiet, polite, despite the fire. "Mordecai. Angel of Hardship."

<> Eduardo can't count. :)

<> Eduardo just burns demons.

<> PrincessBeth says "2 demons, 4 demons, who cares, burn 'em all?"

<> Pat says "Works for me."

<> Eduardo says "Yup!"

The air in the cavern is very still for long, trembling minutes.

<> Daimon says "This is why I don't kill. I don't need to. We have Eddie."

Eduardo says "I followed his trail in my own search. In my own research into this."

Eduardo speaks into the silence, his voice bright even in the oppressive blackness.

<> Pat says "Eddie won't be around forever. Eventually, Gabriel will be brough to Dominic, and Eddie will probably do something brave and terribly stupid like defend her."

Eduardo says "I fear that he is the stone that will break."

<> Eduardo says "Yup."

<> Eduardo says "Come on! I'm accusing a WORDBOUND to his OWN ARCHANGEL."

<> Pat gives Eddie a Judgment Cookie.

David's voice says, finally, "And what of a stele?"

Eduardo says "One has been broken. I have friends in search of another."

Eduardo says "I fear that that is the prison of Magog. And that is the second possibility of a stone being broken."

David's voice contains the patience of aeons of stone. "Where is this stele?"

Eduardo says "Paris," and then draws himself up. "My Bright Lady tasked me to prevent this breaking. I would take any aid from you I can.""

Eduardo says "Is that his prison?"

Eduardo says "I wish only to know that."

The air stirs through the cavern, whispering with a shock as though mighty wings were spread, as David rumbles, "No."

<> Demiurge says "This, of course, explains why David showed up in Paris. :)"

Eduardo breathes, and relaxes. "Then I believe that Mordecai may be close to Falling."

<> Pat says "Man. Eddie gets many Judgment Cookies."

<> Eduardo knows this not. And thusly trusts David not to lie to him.

<> Eduardo wants, OOCly, the word of Zeal, see. This is not Judgement. It's Zealousness.

<> Daimon just kinda likes the cookies.

<> Eduardo is a damn psychopath.

<> arcangel says "No, Eddie is a *blessed* psychopath."

<> Eduardo *laughs*

The air shakes as though it had been *struck*, and abruptly an Elohite is hanging in the air, suspended, with shackles of light around his wrists. He looks around him in shock, eyes wide and dark as onyx.

The Seraph besides Eduardo makes a small sound, like crystal out of tune, then lowers her head again.

Eduardo remains unbowed.

The Elohite cries out, as though he had been speaking before and now merely continued it, "My lord, no! I did what must be done! I am a Power, I *know* it!"

<> Pat says "The word /I/ should not be in our vocabulary, punk!"

Eduardo turns to face the Elohite, but does not speak; instead letting his eyes alone search the darkness for the source of David's voice.

<> Eduardo was REALLY HOPING he was right about this. Else he was in SO MUCH SHIT.

<> Eduardo says "Not that this worried me IC."

David's voice carries like the weight of falling rocks, inexorable, irreversible. "You stand accused of betrayal, Mordecai. You have betrayed your charges, and betrayed your brothers, and betrayed me. How do you plead?"

<> Pat gives David a Judgment Cookie.

Eduardo winces, just fractionally, though his face remains schooled.

Mordecai's eyes fix on Eduardo, and anger flashes in them briefly. "Fool. You have undone what should have been completed. Eduardo of Fire. You will not be forgotten."

<> Daimon says "Pat, will you stop handing out all our cookies?"

<> Daimon goes and bakes some more.

Eduardo says "I have done as my Lady bade me, Power."

<> Pat says "No way! Spread the Judgment!"

Eduardo says "And I have left it to YOUR Lord. I have no wish to be forgotten."

Eduardo's lips curve once more, though there is no humour in the resulting parody.

The Elohite raises his head defiantly, turning to the darkness. "Then I have nothing more to say. What I did was to cull the weak and strengthen the strong. This, I believed, was our task. I have no more to say."

Eduardo's hands curl, eyes flaring bright and voice cracking out. "And I call that cruelty."

<> Pat makes notes. "Pride, betrayal, stubborn adherence to a subjective opinion. You're going down, jerky."

<> Eduardo starts to wonder what David would do if Eddie Smited the Angel.

David rumbles, the voice echoing between the walls of the cavern till it builds to rolling thunder, "You are thus answered."

Darkness seems to close around Mordecai in a silent explosion, flaring in briefly. There might have been a muffled cry - then there is nothing.

<> Demiurge renders the question academic.

Eduardo starts to raise his hands, aiming them at Mordecai. Then the other is gone, and he returns to searching the darkness for the unseen source of David's voice. "Stone. If I may offer another suggestion."

David's voice, still patient, echoes. "I am listening."

Eduardo nods. "I have no wish to know where Cruelty lies imprisoned. But I would ask you check well his seals. I am of Fire. We have no more wish than you to see his return." His voice is level, all arrogance and pride leeched from the plain words.

<> Eduardo says "POP goes the wordbound."

David's voice, perhaps gentler now, but with an absolute steadiness to it, rumbles, "It will be done."

Eduardo says "Thank you."

The Seraph still perches where she is, head bowed. There might be the shadow of a fiery tear on her face.

David rumbles, "Your goodwill is appreciated. Stone knows Fire as Fire knows Stone. Depart in passion."

Eduardo's lips curve again, and he nods. "Guard well, Stone. If I can aid you in this, call on me."

There is a shuddering sound, and a ray of light falls into the darkness of the cavern - not illuminating it, but revealing the opening of a passage over to the north.

<> Demiurge says "And is Eduardo going to try and see what else is in the cavern, given this little flicker of light? :)"

<> Pat says "Magog's prison is...RIGHT HERE!"

<> Pat makes Ed roll for SAN loss.

Eduardo nods once to the Seraph, then launches into the air, towards the light. Away from the dark; eyes searching what of the cavern he can see.

As he reaches the passage entrance, glancing once more behind him, it seems that the ledge on which the Seraph still perches has certain lines similar to a hand, perhaps...

<> Pat says "Those aren't stalactites...."

The well-lit passage curves upwards, and is wide enough to walk or fly.

Eduardo shivers, involuntarily, and follows the passage from the darkness, from the giant.

Within perhaps a couple of minutes, the passageway opens onto the open air - on a hilltop overlooking the Groves.

---

Fiat Justitia