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higuchimon · 4 years

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[fanfic] Call of Darkness: Chapter 6

Universe: Reversal||Series: Ere Shadows Fall Title: Call The Darkness Characters: Anisha (OC), Fallen Angel Lucifer (OC), Audhild (OC), Sanela (OC), Sophia (OC)||Ships: N/A Chapters: 6-??|||Chapter Words: 4,661||Total Words: 27,425 Genre: Drama||Rated: PG Notes: This is my reversal world. So, Juudai carries the power of the Destructive Darkness and the world consists of humans, monsters, and spirits. Every story in the Ere Shadows Fall line takes place pre-capture of Johan and Ryou. The latest will be the very beginning of Juudai’s conquest. This particular story here won’t tell everything and will feature Ocs and world building very heavily. Don’t worry, Juudai will be along in due time. He might not be very talkative when he first shows up, though. But here begins the foundation of the Reversal World and all that will come after. Special Note: The implied relationship between Lucifer and Anisha is not consensual. Lucifer isn’t a nice person. But it has a plot related purpose – and I’m sure you can guess what that is. Summary: Before Haou’s ruthless conquest, before the rebellion, before such a person as Juudai even existed, there was a time of peace and plenty – and that time ended before he was born. Because he could not be born until that time ended and the balance was no more.

Anisha knew better than to trust a single word that came out of Lucifer’s mouth. He was a Fallen Angel and if that wasn’t enough, she’d seen so much of what he’d done to Norbu. She replayed every moment of it in her mind – the way that he’d so casually torn her out of the temple, how he’d hovered over the city and brought it to ruins with spheres of pure power, of how he’d so easily wrecked every single bit of it, and clearly enjoyed each and every moment of it.

That wasn’t even going into what he’d done after that. Vivid in her memories was the sensations of the nights she’d spent with him since then. Nights she didn’t want to spend there but he knew exactly how to make her not think of anything but the passion uncoiling inside of her.

She shook her head resolutely. He’d dropped her out of the sky. He’d come within a hair’s breadth of killing her. He’d mocked her because of her desire to live.

Monsters would be ashamed of what he was. She wished there was a stronger word for what to call him. There just didn’t seem to be anything that really conveyed how much she hated him.

The little bits of what she guessed were supposed to be kindness didn’t help matters. She knew they weren’t supposed to. He fed her because he wanted her to live, not because he cared about her. Not as a person. He might possibly care about her as a possession, as a prize trophy.

So she told herself again and again – she would wait for the chance to find a knife or some other weapon and drive it into him. Maybe she could find a spell that would peel him apart, but that wouldn’t be as quick as a blade. Spells required magic and skill – spells required the gift of magic itself. She had that, though not in the same measure that so many others that she knew did.

Perhaps the High Priest could have done what she wanted to. He’d been old and tottering when the assault on the city happened, and as bit by it the defenses fell, she’d seen how he began to crumble himself, all of his weariness and age catching up to him. He’d finally requested that she do what she could to slow Lucifer down – however little that might be – and taken himself to the central room.

She’d seen him there, kneeling before the altar, a sharp knife in front of him. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time. She’d thought too much about her mission, how to cast the spells and the wards and runes that would prevent Lucifer from getting in there. Then when he came, she’d been far too busy fleeing and then being captured to think about anything else at all.

But now that she had the time to reflect, she wondered.

He knew that he wouldn’t survive if Lucifer made it into the sanctuary. Even if he did, he wouldn’t have survived what came afterward. No one could have.

Her heart spasmed softly at the thought of the old man. He’d been the closest thing to a father that she’d ever known. He’d taught her many skills over the years and instructed her in the worship of the Great Light of Creation, the antithesis of the corrupt Darkness of Destruction.

Anisha wanted to think that whenever Lucifer touched her, what happened was a crawling of her skin and the intense desire to shove him away with all of her might. She did not want to think that her entire body shuddered and yearned for him, ached to be closer to him. She hated him with every ounce of her heart – she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. And yet a part of her still demanded to stay with him.

For the chance to kill, she kept reminding herself, and no more. Nothing other than that. Never, ever, anything more than that.

Lucifer’s fingers tucked her hair behind her ears, one arm sliding to fit around her stomach. “We have a little time before my army gets here,” he murmured. “How would you like to spend it?”

Oh, she had a very good idea of what he wanted to do. She fought back the desire that welled up in her from his touch, struggling to keep herself under her own control and not his. This was his doing, in some way that she didn’t understand.

“Staying right here.” She wasn’t going to mention going home. He would just bring up the point that Norbu as she’d known it didn’t exist anymore. “And watching the river.”

Lucifer chuckled and she shuddered at the feeling of his tongue caressing her ear. “I can think of something far more amusing to do with our time than that.” His arms grew tighter around her. “The river isn’t nearly as interesting as what I can do to you.”

Part of her admitted that was true. She breathed in harshly and shook her head. “I’ve never seen this river before. It’s fascinating.” It really was, but the way that he touched her began to send all of those thoughts tumbling right out of her mind.

“I can bring you back here some other time. If you earn such a boon from me, of course.” He let a small laugh echo as he nuzzled against her other ear. “Do you know how you’ll earn that from me?”

Her heart stuttered and her breath caught in her throat as his hands moved over her. “Yes.” She could guess. Given what he was doing, it wasn’t that difficult at all. Her wings buzzed faster and faster and one of his hands moved to brush against them.

“Then perhaps you should start earning my good will.”

It took a handful of days before they were ready to move on again. Food that would be suitable for the three humans and their charges needed to be gathered and stored properly in their sacks. A decision on exactly where they were going to go needed to be reached. More plans on what sort of messages could or should be sent between Opal and the rest of her people needed to be decided on. There were other dragons from farther away who needed to be consulted about what was going on and informed of the untimely passing of Queen Bijou and her children.

Audhild stood in the opening of the cave they’d kept as a home since the day they’d arrived here – one they’d been taken to after the meeting with the dragons. Outside the darkness stretched out, the sun being far below the horizon and the sky speckled with stars. She recognized a few of the constellations from her childhood, though she didn’t have a very good view of them from here.

Johan lay asleep in his cradle a short distance away. She could keep an eye on him from where she was, and she never let him get out of her sight. She hadn’t been hired as a wet-nurse and everything she knew about taking care of babies came from having three younger siblings and whatever she’d picked up since leaving the palace. So far the baby hadn’t protested in the slightest.

She truly would have listened if he had, though.

Great God Rainbow Dragon, she thought, turning her attention towards the all powerful deity of creation that she’d been taught to believe in from her earliest childhood. These children are your bloodline. Your power lives in them. Please, help us get them to safety, to where they will be allowed to grow up and return to claim what his theirs one day.

She made a note to pray something to that effect every day. She wanted the triplets to avenge what happened. She hoped she could even live long enough to see it herself. She couldn’t count on that. If the slightest hint of where they were reached the Fallen Angels, then it would become her duty to sacrifice her life for the sake of the children.

Audhild glanced towards the sleeping baby and blinked at what she saw. Or thought she saw – the faintest of images, scarcely more than a mildly filled in outline, sort of shaped like a squirrel or a house cat. She didn’t have the chance to see much more than that before whatever it was – if it even existed at all – faded away.

“What was that?” She murmured, moving over to Johan. She saw nothing there now. Johan opened his eyes and giggled, tiny fists waving. A sweet smile wreathed his face and for a few seconds, she thought that his eyes tracked something that she couldn’t see. Then he closed them again and fell right back into the very deepest of slumbers.

She’d heard tales of the power that the Rainbow Dragon possessed and the servants that it had. Different stories spoke of what form those servants took, but all the stories agreed that whatever form, the servants held great power of their own, and would guard their chosen zealously.

But from what she’d heard – Audhild wasn’t certain of what to think. She bit her lip and shook her head. This was something that she knew almost nothing about and she wasn’t going to push herself on it. Instead, she tugged a blanket over the baby and went over to settle down on the chair she’d designated as her own. A single cushion, a bit threadbare but still comfortable, rested in the chair, and she closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to rest, though. She just let her attention drift, until she heard familiar steps and opened her eyes to see Sanela standing there.

“What’s it like, taking care of Yubel?” Audhild asked. She’d wondered about that for both of them. But Sanela only shook her head.

“Like taking care of any other baby. Yubel’s – Yubel’s special.” Sanela raised one hand and dropped it again before she curled up in her own chair. “They like flying.”

Audhild stifled a laugh. “And you don’t.” None of them had missed that Sanela wanted nothing at all to do with flying. Whenever they had to go anywhere with Opal, she kept her eyes closed until they were back on the ground again.

“I’m not meant to fly,” Sanela declared grimly. She turned to the table between them, where the map they’d used to decide on where they were going to take the triplets still rested. One hand moved to the representation of the country in one of the farthest south corners. “Are we certain this is the best place?”

“I don’t think we have many other options.” Audhild leaned forward to examine the map again. “It’s very far from here and there aren’t any allies of the Fallen Angels in the area. Every realm there is either unallied to anyone up here or they’re allied to Queen Celestia, Queen Bijou’s foster sister.”

Sanela nodded, though she didn’t quite look convinced. “I wish we could go there. It might be safer. it’s across the ocean and very well protected from the Fallen Angels.”

“Maybe. But they are also very close to Brron’s territory and he is allied to the Fallen Angels,” Sophia pointed out, joining them. “If we went there and word spread, then Lucifer and his ilk would show up and I know we don’t want to bring that sort of danger anywhere else we go.”

All three of them were agreed on that. Audhild turned to where the children slept and watched for a few moments. Once again she caught a glimpse of that faded, almost not there creature, and decided not to say anything. If it was what she thought it was, then it meant no harm. And if it wasn’t - well, if the other two couldn’t see it, then what could they do about it? If it were even really there.

Besides, it kept Johan entertained, even if it wasn’t anything other than light on dust. She’d learned very fast that an entertained baby was a quiet baby.

By the time the army caught up with them, Lucifer enjoyed himself to the hilt and he made certain that his concubine did as well. He did have a great deal of experience in doing that and it gave him something to do while waiting.

His brothers could have caught up quickly, but when they didn’t, he suspected that they knew what he intended to do and made certain to give him privacy. If he’d wanted any of them to join in, he would have told them to come along.

As it was, he was quite sated and pleased when they arrived, and ready to move on once more if they wanted to keep on the way home. He had Anisha’s arms caught around his waist once more and kept one arm around her. When the others came into sight, he spread his wings and they rose into the air once more.

“All’s going well,” Asmodeus reported with a tilt of his wings for a salute. “No problems at all.” His lips twitched. “Though a couple of the generals have been getting a bit tipsy on some of their wine whenever we stop for a break.”

Lucifer waved one hand. “As long as they keep it out of combat, I don’t care.” He would be the last person to punish a servant for indulging themselves, as long as they kept it more or less reasonable. “Camp here tonight, you think?”

Asmodeus checked out the area as the army continued to pour over the river. “Probably a good idea. We’ve covered a lot of territory today. The rest will be good for everyone.”

“Very well. Have my tent set up and a good meal waiting for us as soon as possible. We had a snack earlier but I want something more than fish.” He considered for a few seconds. “I want a good steak,” he decided, “and all the trimmings. But not the Kuragari wine, not tonight.”

Asmodeus nodded; he would send the request to Lucifer’s personal cooks who rode in the baggage wagons. His tent would be the first set up, so that if any issues arose that he would need to deal with, he had somewhere to deal with them from. After his, then his brothers, and after them, the generals and officers, then spellcasters and healers, leaving the lowest ranking soldiers and the servants for last. It was a method that worked for them for a very long time.

Lucifer ran his fingers through Anisha’s hair. “Are you ready to rest for a while, my pretty one?”

“Don’t call me that,” she growled. “And don’t you ever stop?”

“There are times. Besides, the ground is quite hard around here. I think I’d rather spend some time with you in my soft bed.” He headed back to the ground, his arm tightening around her as he settled down once more, then slid her cuffed wrists from around him. She could not have done this; that was what kept her bound to him. But he made the rules on certain points. “And I’m sure that you feel the same way.”

“No!” She tried to pull herself away from him. Lucifer wasn't going to allow that, of course, and held her close against him. She kept on struggling, until he reached out, rested one finger against her forehead, and whispered a word that sent her collapsing into his arms, sound asleep.

Asmodeus rolled his eyes. “You’re having too much fun with her. I’d almost be jealous. I’m sure Zerato is.”

“I’ll have some fun with him later. He’s always enjoyed it when Desire and I played with him.” Lucifer scooped Anisha up into his arms. “Have him attend me later.”

That got a nod from Asmodeus as Lucifer carried his plaything over to a wide strip of moss and settled her down there. Lucifer thought more of his own comfort than anything else, of course. That was what made him what he was. One of the many things, at least.

Before the sun set all the way, casting pleasing night over the land, Lucifer’s tent had been raised, and he settled himself inside, tucking Anisha into the bed and going to his dining chamber. More and more his thoughts turned towards his home castle and what it would be like to be home again. Going out on campaign wearied him, but now that they were heading back, his energy grew greater with each breath.

Something wasn’t quite the same about matters this time, though. His thoughts didn’t just focus around the pleasures of home – few of which he missed now. His enchanted tent kept him warm, dry, and supplied with whatever else he wanted, exactly like his castle at home. It wasn’t as big as his castle, of course, but even he had to accept some sacrifices when out in the field. He didn’t have all of his servants and slaves here either. Nor did he have every single entertainment available to him.

But those weren’t what he thought about the most. When he wasn’t distracting himself with sex or the details of marching and guiding the army, the awareness of the Darkness rose up in his thoughts relentlessly.

It wasn’t just the thought of returning home. The Darkness wanted him back. It wanted to talk to him.

He would never, so long as he lived, forget what happened that first time that he’d ever heard the voice of the Darkness of Destruction.

He’d scarcely bee fifteen, just old enough to go on flights of his own. His father, the leader of the Fallen Angels at the time, cautioned him that he should never go too far from their settlement alone. In those days, his realm hadn’t been the sprawling beauty that it was when he conquered Bijou. Then it was merely fifty or so homes where the Fallen Angels and those who served them in whatever capacity lived in a river valley.

Even then, Lucifer wanted more. He knew that he’d be the leader of the Angels one day. But he wanted more – he wanted all of the world. Or he wanted as much of it as he could manage and he wanted it in any way that he could get it.

But right now, he didn’t know how he would get it. Or could get it. He barely understood what he wanted, save in the formless nebula of want.

He wandered out farther and farther from the settlement. He didn’t know where he was going most of the time and he cared even less. He just wanted to be away from them all. His father wanted him to learn his lessons, to learn magic and to fight, to meet with the children of other leaders and perhaps form alliances with them. He’d even indicated that it wasn’t completely ruled out for Lucifer to make an alliance marriage with someone.

One day he flew far enough that he couldn’t see the river anymore, let alone any of their homes, and he came to a rise of mountains. He’d heard tales about dragons that lived in mountains, and it was half in search of them that he wandered around there, wondering what he would say to one if he met it.

Lucifer. Fallen Angel. You carry my blood.

Lucifer’s head whirled around at once, wings spread wide, searching whoever had dared to speak inside of his head. Never before had he felt anything like that.

“Who are you? Where are you?”

Come this way.

At those words, Lucifer knew exactly where to go. Half-scrambling and half using his wings to go over rougher territory, he made his way to a small cave high in the mountains. Not even the roughest of trails led there and at first he wasn’t certain if he could make it. But then he stood on the smallest of ledges on the outside of it and stared into the half-hidden hole.

There wasn’t anything inside of there. At least, what he saw was nothing but darkness. He stared at it, worrying at his lip.

“Where are you? Are you in there?” He wasn’t sure who would be sitting around inside of a dark hole. Why would they? Maybe a shadow mage of some kind? He’d heard of those, though he hadn’t ever yet met one. His father promised to introduce him to some one day, claiming that they often allied to the Fallen Angels.

I am. You see me, Lucifer. As I see you. Reach your hand inside.

Lucifer hesitated for a few moments. He’d seldom done what anyone but his father wanted him to. He was, after all, the son of the leader. He was a prince. He could follow his own decisions and not have to be told what to do – except by his father.

I can change that. I can make certain that you take no one else’s orders. A soft ripple of a noise that was vaguely like an emotion at the same time. Except for mine. But I believe you and I want the same things. We want to rule. We want to destroy. We want it all to be ours. And now a breath of something that wasn’t hesitance, but more like a pause for effect. We want the Creation and the Hope to be no more.

Lucifer swallowed. Never had he so much as breathed a word of that to his father or to anyone else in all of his people. “How did you know that?”

Because you are of my blood. You are not me - not like my incarnation would be. But you carry my blood. You can be – you will be – of great use to me. Reach your hand inside to me.

Lucifer steeled himself. This probably wouldn’t end well – maybe not for other people. He would find that out. He reached his hand inside, trying to imagine what else could happen. A hand would touch back? A tongue? Something he couldn’t even imagine?

That last came the closest. As his hand entered, darkness fell all around him. It had been far closer to noon than it was to sunset, but he could see nothing anywhere, no matter how hard he tried. There wasn’t even a single star, let alone the silver sphere of the moon.

But now he knew exactly who �� or what – it was there that surrounded him now. It was the Darkness of Destruction itself. He’d heard a few tales. Most of the Fallen Angels didn’t like to talk about it, especially not to him. But he knew enough. He knew that the Darkness wanted him and that he would do whatever that it wanted, because as nothing else ever had, it understood him.

“What do you want me to do?” Lucifer murmured, accepting this with all of his heart. He could feel the power coursing through his veins as nothing else ever had. “Can I have more? Please?”

He thought it laughed at him. He wasn’t sure if it was a mocking laugh or not. But it was still a laugh.

No. This is all that you can carry. But I will need an incarnation. You are one of those few left of my bloodline. You will provide this for me.

Lucifer shivered, folding his wings about himself. “I don’t know how. And I thought your bloodline was destroyed.” That was one tale that everyone would be willing to speak of while he was around. The tale of the old Kuragari empire, how it has risen to great power with the force of the incarnate Destructive Darkness, and how Creation and Hope banded together to overthrow it in the old days, slaughtering all of the bloodline that they could find.

Four generations before my incarnation of that time, there were twins born. One stayed to rule Kuragari. One set off into the world, amusing themselves wherever they pleased, and with whomsoever they pleased. You are descended from that one. Therefore, you carry my blood. Another noise that was something of a laugh. No bloodline can truly be destroyed. We are too widespread. Though I have plans to change that.

Lucifer nodded. He wasn’t sure if he could breathe or what he breathed, except the endless Darkness all around him.

We have a great deal to do. I want you to bring your people – our people – here. Build a temple to me here. On this very spot.

But Lucifer frowned at that. “My lather won’t want to leave where we are. He says it’s a good place.”

Your father isn’t going to make the decisions anymore. Go to him. Tell him what I have told you. When he answers – then you will know what to do.

Between one blink and the next, Lucifer found himself seated outside of the cave again. The sun dipped onto the far side now, not dark just yet, but far closer than it had been when he’d first heard the Darkness’s voice. Lucifer stared at it before he turned his back on the sun and to the cave of darkness.

Go. I will be with you.

He stood up, resting one hand on the lip of the cave before he spread his wings wide and took off, hurtling his way back to the settlement. He’d never felt so full of energy in his entire life. Every sweep of his wings took him closer back home – or was that away from his new home? That took some time for him to figure out.

When he landed outside of the hut that he shared with his family, he found himself wondering why they had to live in such a small place. They needed more room – their family wasn’t small. But his father still seemed to think this was big enough for everyone.

He hadn’t even had time to pull his wings in and enter before his father emerged. “You’re late,” his father declared the moment their eyes met. “You should have been home hours ago.”

Lucifer paid no attention. “I found us a new place to live,” he said, unable to stop the wide grin spilling over his features. “It’s up in the mountains – and we’re gong to erect a temple to the Darkness of Destruction there. It’s called to me. It wants me.”

His father stared at him. Never before had Lucifer seen such fear in someone's eyes – let alone his own father’s. “No. This is our home. If we go anywhere else, then we are not going to the mountains. We’re staying as far from there as we can.”

Lucifer shook his head. The idea of doing otherwise simply didn’t occur to him. He wanted to go back right now but he knew he couldn’t. He had to do what the Darkness wanted – he wanted to do what it wanted. “We’re going, father. We can go be cause you agreed – or because you don't.”

The words fell from him without thought. His father started to raise one hand. “No! All that does is cause pain. It destroys everything that it touches. It’s foul and it’s wrong. You know that. I know that you do. If it’s talked to you-”

“It has. And I know.” Lucifer smiled. He knew now what the Darkness meant. He accepted it with every bit of himself. “And I don’t care.”

His hand moved forward, quick as a thought. Held between his fingers was a shard of shadow, a blade could not be seen or felt by anyone unless he chose it to be, and it slammed between his father’s ribs. The older angel’s eyes widened in shock and his lips formed the syllables of Lucifer's name before the life faded from his eyes and he fell backwards.

And from that moment on, Lucifer ruled over the Fallen Angels.

To Be Continued

Notes: October 26, 2022: The story’s on hiatus until I finish it.

#fanfic #higuchimon writes #ygo gx #fallen angel lucifer #chapters: call the darkness #series: ere the darkness falls #au: reversal

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