Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Death ❯ The Difference Between Azrael's and Tithonous' Monologue ( Chapter 10 )

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The Angel of Death

Chapter 10

The Difference Between Azrael's and Tithonous' Monologue

The tall dashing figure of a black cloaked man slowly transfigured to that of an old dishevelled misshapen creature. Azrael stared at his reflection on the rippling mirror-like pond. He observed the smooth morphology. Now, instead of the fine, almost girlish face of a young man, a thin bony aged face looked back at him. But the same amber eyes were there. Perhaps nearly concealed in the thick mass of skin that has grown on his face, but still the same bewitching glint.

Yes. His original body had amber eyes, too. This was the nth body he had taken possession of. And each proved to "baby killers" as Adrian termed it. Actually, he had a few female hosts as well and men had drooled over them. His original body had to tolerate females flinging themselves to his feet. But then again, who wouldn't want to marry royalty?

But that body has long ago crumbled and so many others had followed. That was the body into which he was born into this world. If his present field of pursuit prove triumphant he wouldn't have to change bodies every now and then. But he certainly won't spend the rest of eternity in this one. No he won't.

Azrael chuckled to himself again. This body was once beautiful like many others he had taken. A simple spell would do the trick to temporarily return it to its youthful glory. They've always seen him as the ravishing black-haired demigod. But they knew, they knew what the passing time has done to his most recent victim. He had only acquired it three years ago and now it's falling apart. He shook his head. It's too weak to support my illimitable prowess, he thought.

Abominable... That's what they think of me. Monstrous, yes, but I still am sheer power. Physical appearance is useless compared to the strength of my powers. My very state shows it. No body will be able to support me. No, there are some but scarce few.

No matter, the body I will use for my eternal reign would be good looking. Then maybe later I can collect bodies and have a whole wardrobe to choose from, you know just for the fun of it. Ebony would have done nicely for my first. Yes, dark beauty and irresistible wit like a raven.

Never mind. I'm paid with two new ones. It's rather hard to pick. Well, it has been so long since I had a female body. Hmm.. Flaming copper blond hair, deep fathomless blue eyes, creamy white skin. Perfect. And the height, just right not too tall, not too short. The round face, the sharp eyes, and the snub of a nose well taken from her father. But she's still a replica of her mother. Almost. But too dainty. It will be a pity to wear her out. I see a sharp-witted girl, a frank and caring creature. Probably a tad too curious and inquisitive at times. Strong willed perhaps but almost always governed by the heart. I can't believe she came from those parents, won't even hurt a fly and always wearing a smile. Maybe I'd let her live to be the first member of my collection. She's bound to be powerful as well. Ironic though that the owner of such potentially destructive power has great healing abilities as well.

The male child is perfect. Tough undaunted self-controlled, like his parents. That's what I see in the cauldron. Wild black hair. Perfect! I would wear it long like I did five thousand years ago. His eyes aren't amber though, but ruby red has long fascinated me. Tall and slim but agile and swift. Ironically, has control over two opposing forces. In my crystal spheres, I always catch a glimpse of one with looks of deep brooding sternness. But according to the stars he is actually a humorous prankster and a loving brother.

Ebony. If only I had gotten her. If only she had not slipped from my grasp. And if she won't be me, she'll still be mine. I still want her. Each of the gods in the ancient Ningen myths had consorts. She would be perfect for me. Yes, I'll make her immortal, too. A vampire witch, something that her ancestors would truly detest; the tool for my ultimate revenge. We will rule the universe together and the bloodline of Drynwyn would forever be dishonored.

Drynwyn. The bloodline had ruled Lethe for almost an eternity. The same bloodline that had destroyed my plans repeatedly, You scorn for being a crazy evil lunatic. Hah! You don't understand. You're the ones who are crazy. You'd never understand...

I have not always been like this. All great things have small beginnings. I had once been a human, too.

3,500 years had elapsed since the start of the rise of the Mesopotamian civilization. By now the people of Sumer had adapted the lifestyle called "civilized".

I had belonged to the greatest clan of our time. Even more powerful than the barbaric nomadic tribes terrorizing the villages. It was several generations ago when my ancestors settled down in this rich fertile land now called the Fertile Crescent. We were in the desert and we owned the biggest most valuable oases in the land. Water, fed by the great twin rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, sustain our crops and the wine from our vineyards were rivaled by none in its rich outstanding flavor.

Water is precious; even more than our prized wine. This has been one of the root causes of tribal war. A great many armies have then attempted to snatch away our land but none succeeded. We became the most feared settlement in all Sumer. Little by little, our people grew in solidarity and we became a tiny but sturdy kingdom.

I was the crown prince of that nation they came to call Yalith. I can still recall with some measure of nostalgia the lavish life I had then lived. Ahh! I still feel the soft silk brushing against my skin. Yes, even at that primitive time we had established contact with the Middle Kingdom, which is quite contrary to the information given in those Ningen history books. And the perfume, I still smell the sweet odor tickling my nose tantalizingly. The numerous slaves, ready to my disposal; the exquisite cuisine enough to satisfy the most picky belly; the excellent art, craft and architecture of matchless perfection, and scientific knowledge that can confound the modern world. Now, all of them are things of the past.

The glory and splendor of Yalith, however, did not last long. Everything has to halt to an end someday and as always there is something else greater and more powerful. And it all started with a simple squabble with the neighboring land. All because of my big mouth.

Even then my wisdom was beyond my years and even so with those of normal mortals. Because of that, Yalith became a giant in the scientific, artistic, mathematical, economical and military aspects. And as expected, so was our pride and confidence.

The queen of Haega, was a very vain person indeed. Hn, I still remember that scornful painted face. It was the one thing that blotted the beauty of that warm evening on that banquet they held, the banquet to announce my betrothal to their Princess Annah. I, on the other hand, was a snob who had never learned to hold my tongue, having been raised and spoilt, having been granted every whim and fancy.

Annah. Annah of the golden locks, whose hair was the beam of the sun spun into the finest thread of gold. The sun apparently had a lot of its rays to spare and her wonderful, lustrous waves went past her ankles. I remember, I had always adored pressing it against my face. And I can still smell the sweet herbs and aloes that stuck to it. It was so soft that she had used it to wipe the tears and blood off my face during the last moment of our togetherness..

My Annah, whose deep brown eyes bored straight to my heart. I still remember those diamonds shinning with tears as they tore her from my arms. It was the same ones that melted my cold heart, the ones which succeeded in teaching my harsh uncaring soul of compassion and love.

That wistful smile. Every time I close my eyes, I see it. During her tranquil thoughtful moments, her whole being emanated melancholy; the eyes, the hesitant smile, everything. I can describe my fair lady at those times as the sunset. Nay, her beauty rivals that of the dusk as the sun bids farewell to the retiring earth. Nature surely knows how to procure spectacular ends. Even in her death, she lost not her enchanting aura. Even more so, as she was still fair even as a cold, lifeless bust of marble.

Then suddenly... laughter. The merry pealing of little crystal bells still rings in my ears. And every hint of somberness immediately drops from her. The gentle passive face suddenly brightens up to such great intensity like the sun as it burst through the darkened grey clouds. It's enough to shame the goddess of dawn, Eos.

And it isn't a wonder that my beloved Annah is the most coveted woman in the land. Tidings which tell of this stately deity reached even the far east and many a king or prince sought her hand in marriage. She was in fact her people's most prized possession. And no matter how hard she denied it then, it's true that she had been ill used to have control over larger more powerful kingdoms.

But then she wouldn't be enough reason for a territory of our might to even trifle with that minute piece of land in our border. Why, I had been so shocked and displeased when my father and his court disapproved of my plans to conquer this unseeming blot on the skirts of our empire. And I was surprised that my father agreed to attend that meeting with their rulers. I had to come along with him and my reward had been great then for that was when I had first met her.

Annah's parents offered her to me in marriage. I wanted her all right but even my tantrums wouldn't have gotten her had my people disagreed with Haega's wishes. I certainly didn't understand then why my people and even my father feared that little state of Haega that they allowed my being affianced to her despite their knowing that our union would mean possible usurpation of Yalithian sovereignty by the aliens. They were hospitable, hardworking, good-natured, helpful, tolerant, fair, just, you name it. They were a friendly meek people who had the tendency to be submissive. And if it comes to war, we can crush 'em like ants.

The reason for this caution is that it is nursed among my people and numerous others that the race of Haega was not a typical one. They say enchantresses' and wizards' blood run through them. That they are not originally of this world. Powerful beings who can manipulate mortals. People who are not to be reckoned with.

I didn't believe any of it. Didn't they realize that our marriage would also mean the domination of Yalith over Haega? But it really didn't matter to me. I was sick with love. We both were and we didn't care about our status and position in our society.

But I've always hated her mother. That accursed Tiglah is the cause of all trouble. She was determined to ruin everything and she got the chance when I unthinkingly called her an ugly vain slut. Well, she managed to twist the tale around a great number of times and her damn fibbing caused a war. The Haegans after all were a proud people, too, and they would not tolerate their queen and princess being dishonored.

War broke out speedily. Our generals returned Haega's challenge without batting an eyelash. Somehow, Annah and I found ourselves trapped between two warring nations, our people, and apparently, we were the immediate cause. We did our best to stop the hostilities and in the process we got ourselves killed but at least we were in each other's arms.

That's false however since I managed to survive. Even if I didn't, this was not like Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Haega accused us of being responsible for their princess's death and they fought as fiercely as ever. Of course, my people also worshipped me as a god and they were keen on avenging the attempt on my life. With our massive armies, the war would surely be one sided.

Well, it was one sided. One of the armies was practically crushed like ants. In fact, that whole civilization was actually wiped out. And we were not the favored ones.

The key to our powers was the solidarity of our blood lines. To defeat our Myrmidon army, that was the string to pluck. Family disputes erupted. Political and military rivalries surfaced. Civil war broke out and if that wasn't enough, there was drought, famine, earthquakes, tornadoes and various other natural calamities. We made use of our great scientific progress to destroy ourselves and we succeeded. The next thing I knew, I was the only one left standing on the once lush land of Yalith.

I remember. The sinking sun, red and weary, looked tearfully on the body-strewn and war ravaged earth. The gallons of spilled blood somehow managed to seep through the water table and it was contaminated. Our oases shone iron red and all vegetation choked on the thick fluid. But I still had lived through and witnessed my people's extinction.

Witches. Those Haegans were indeed a race of weird witches. They were descended from a nobleman kicked out of Lethe. He practiced black magic and that is forbidden in that place. Somehow, he and his followers were able to assimilate themselves among those people. Perhaps they slowly adapted to the humanistic "values". And because of my folly, they resorted to the use of their vindictive magic. But they failed. I, who they sought, lived through the holocaust they had set upon my people. And now, the tables have turned.

I wasn't simply born with extraordinary wisdom. True intuition was something else I failed to develop. But during my wanderings, I had stumbled upon a ten thousand year old spell that enabled me to do so and to think, had I found it earlier, I would have succeeded in saving Yalith and perhaps that silly multination Ningenkai is now a part of the great state Yalith.

It was easy enough to learn their craft. They obtained their paranormal powers through their ancestry, I worked for it. With my amazing ability to absorb all forms of knowledge, I was able to become a master magician, better than their major wizards and warlocks. And it all happened in a space of sixty seconds! As expected, Death soon knocked on the doors of Haega.

Something else came with that spell, a curse. A curse that would give me eternal life. But using such magic would cancel out the some effects of the first. So when I used it, my sponge-like abilities to seep up knowledge has been reduced drastically, though better still than its original state, but all the knowledge and wisdom I gained nonetheless remained.

A vampire. I had turned myself into one of the bloodsuckers. I still remember the transition. It was a chilly night in the dark shadows of the jungle, the translucent leaves gently filtered in the rays from the full moon. But the moonlight was not the same ivory white. It was red, bloody red, the red of rust. The whole forest was flooded crimson and it was as if even the stars themselves were stained with blood.

And I have always treasured the memories! With the sound of fresh, elastic skin tearing, my dripping fangs close upon the young tender flesh. The sharp metallic odor of iron surged around us as the thick sticky liquid pooled in my mouth. It was delicious, luscious. I must admit it was fairly different from what I expected, she being that foul mouthed bitch that she was. From then forth I was no longer a normal human being. But then again, was I ever?

I sucked out every last drop of blood from her body. I chose her, dragging her from the sanctuary of their fortress, because it was she responsible for the death of my Annah. It was she who had brought about the destruction and waste of her own daughter as well as my people and they will be avenged. But then she, Tiglah, triumphed in the end. Her blood, her very blood, was bound by strong bonds of magic. Yes, I was indeed given everlasting life but not eternal youth. I was to spend the next billion years trapped in a rotting corpse. I thought, all the better. So that I could waste away to nothingness and yet forever exist hounded by memoirs of the pain and suffering of our doomed love affair. Serves me right. I was the principle cause of her and Yalith's undoing.

But then, they knew I wanted to live, I wanted to stamp out the very roots of that accursed Haegan dynasty. And the humans. Were it not for their egoistic, narcissistic nature, I would have lived a productive life with my beloved instead of spending the rest of eternity alone, with the cold and emptiness eating away at my very soul! I was determined to make them suffer, and pay for their faults. I am a jealous person and I was a human and so shared their selfishness. I did not want other people to enjoy things I did not. So in the end, even in their death and annihilation, the witches had the last laugh. Or so they thought.

Their petty spells had indeed caused me the trouble of ceaselessly searching for the right vessel but they have unburdened me greatly by unwittingly removing some of the shortcomings of being a vampire. They had prevented my turning into a full-blown bloodsucker meaning my blood contained normal levels of salt. I was insensitive to the sun unlike my colleagues and I wasn't required to consume gallons of blood to survive. Take that, my superhuman strength, unusual wisdom and intuition, witchcraft, a considerable amount of stolen ki's and I am a god.

Look at me. You witches stir in the mud and muck of your graves and look at me. I had out lived you all. Even you, Ygg, you traitorous python. You thought you could still away the mother, huh? And you Aldrich and Psyche, don't worry about your beloved children, they'll be well ministered to. Haega, I'm sorry I won't die to share to you my most cherished thoughts. Ahh! Me lapping the lush, iron rich red flowing like a fountain from the smooth silky neck! And your wonderful tortured screams and entreaties as I slowly incinerated you, charring you to the bone.

Strange that all this is all coming back now of all nights at the eve of my victory. I haven't thought of this since then. The sands of time had scoured away these ghastly memories long ago and had numbed the pain. Now, this thoughts mean nothing to me but a mere trifle nightmare. A dream of a world that at one time existed but is now buried in heaps of hatred and aversion. And I don't have to think of it again ever. Soon, all of it will be forgotten in the void of my spirit.

Just a little while longer and the other half of the spell would be completed. Everything should be perfect; the environment should be definitely alike as in the first casting or all will be lost. When the time is ripe, I will merge with the child and the most powerful being will be born to dominate this universe. Soon. I'll just give Ebony time to catch up in our little game so that we can have a little spice in my triumph. Then my hand will close upon the mother, the child. And then, god-hood. Soon...soon.... (EDITING: I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaacccckkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!! 110500)
4th ed. 111201 19:50:46