Liel was bored. There was no better way to put it.
She was truly, undeniably, irredeemably consumed by boredom, and despite her efforts to stave it off, the sensation nagged at her for hours on end. Especially now, as she performed her divine duties, judging those whose names had been etched in stone; their deeds laid bare upon the Acumen Tablets, by which all crimes were accounted.
Liel would not complain, however. This was her duty as a seraph of the High Heavens.
Hers was a life of servitude– she did not question this, nor did she resent her innate purpose, believing it to be good and just.
What was resented, however, were Liel’s responsibilities compared to her… lesser kin. Her brothers and sisters who did not, could not, understand the weight she carried as the Servitor of the Archon of Annihilation; Stewardess of Her Lady of Destruction.
Though it was true that seraphim lived to serve nearly all manner of divine beings, whether they be gods or archons, and regardless of their own formidable power compared to the former, it often felt as though Liel was the most competent of her siblings. Few could fathom the responsibilities she bore, after all. Fewer still would be willing to bear it for themselves.
Indeed, Liel had her… peculiar tastes and fixations, but truly, who didn’t when tasked with such unenviable duties? By no means did this detract from her overall performance. The Angel's dutiful behavior and her near-perfect reputation for completing whatever task was set before her mattered. If anything, Liel excelled because of them, and because of the burdens she carried.
Her Mistress had never had a more faithful servant, nor was it likely that any would rise again, should anything happen to the angel.
In this, Liel was absolutely confident.
But… that being said, and though she was regretful to admit it, there were times, rare though they were, when the Seraphim resented her usual perfection. Her nature as a servant sometimes clashed with her desire to be served instead.
To be pampered, from her head down to her toes… by those naturally lesser than herself, of course. Mortalkind, for starters, but Liel’s seraphim kin also fit that mark in her judgmental gaze.
Were it up to her personally, she would even take the chance to exercise her superior might, putting those gods and angels who thought themselves her equals and betters in their place. Their heads under her heel, forced to grovel as the Seraphim steadily applied more and more pressure… until they popped.
What a wonderful dream that would be… to lose the shackles of servitude, if only for a moment, so that she might truly enjoy her manic urges. For Liel, there was no greater desire.
But alas, the Heavens were not structured in such a way that would allow angelic beings like Liel to thrive in that manner. As it stood, her macabre temptations were already cause for concern, and were it not for her Mistress, the seraphim might have long since lost her wings and been cast down.
Or worse, executed.
To that end, she was eternally grateful to her Majesty. Her loyalty– forever ensured.
But be that as it may, such loyalty did not mean Liel was all too pleased with these mundane tasks of hers. The monotonous, loathsome duties that passed for judgment. Were it even possible, she’d have ignored them altogether, but her Archon had personally tasked her with this assignment.
Worded as a means of redirecting her obscene tastes, guiding the angel’s blood-hungry mind toward more delicate matters.
Liel huffed in displeasure. Stretching her luminous wings, she sank further back into her Mistress’s oversized throne, its form three sizes too large for the already massive angel.
“What I would not give to instead sentence a planet to burn…” Liel muttered as she tossed aside yet another stone tablet, the names upon its surface far too pure for her to play with. She pulled aside a strand of golden hair blocking her vision, her beautiful locks a mess thanks to the prolonged period of her task.
She’d take anything… ANYTHING… other than this!
Nearly a hundred tablets completed, their names as pure as a newborn's innocence, with well over thousands more on the way.
It. was. TORTURE!
In some small way, Liel even suspected this to be a form of punishment. For her previous actions on the planet of Vaiten, in which she had burned away both a demonic invasion and the planet’s population. An… overreaction, in hindsight, now that she had time to think about it…
But this… in her eyes… it was too cruel, even for the crimes she committed.
Reaching to her side, Liel produced yet another stone tablet, noting the names of those who faithfully served the Golden Empire. Mortals ordinarily, but sometimes even divine beings would have their signatures etched upon the immutable stone. It ensured that all beings below the Archons themselves would be accounted for, regardless of their previous standings; deity or otherwise.
Liel snorted, already done with her tiresome task. She wondered, quietly of course, whether or not she should just abandon it completely. Deal with her Mistress’s ire later, in favor of relieving herself of this wretched monotony.
A thought to ponder, and potentially regret should she choose poorly, as, before long, the Seraphim unwittingly found herself mouthing the names of those on the tablet she held, her indecisive mind beginning to wander.
“Loyal…” she muttered unconsciously, her tone tired of constantly marking down those who were faithful to their shared kingdom. “Loyal… Loyal… Painfully loyal…”
But… then it happened.
Quite out of the blue, as a matter of fact.
As Liel skimmed through the names, noting every single one of them as dreadfully innocent and full of blind faith, she saw it.
One’s whose name was nearly scratched out, their misdeeds cracking the surface of the otherwise unchanging stone.
Liel’s golden eyes lit up as she saw the signature; a dull red where once light was drawn out, scribbling the name.
Her lips curled upward into a knowing smile.
Already, the Angel could feel her tongue glide beneath her upper teeth as the thought of some excitement lifted her otherwise sullen spirits.
“Sin-ful~”
*****
Liel watched silently as the little Sinner made their way into her chambers, her gentle smile never falling as they looked up to meet her golden, gleaming eyes.
Crimson-robed, with red hair tied back into a bun. By how they carried themselves, it was clear that the robbed mortal was a servant of the Heavens. Female, from what Liel could assume past their garbs, bearing similar characteristics to those of lesser races.
Humanity, to be more precise…
That proved interesting.
Liel couldn't last recall when she'd seen a human, believing their kind to mostly be located on or around Eden… or at least some iterations of that little dirt ball of a world.
Those that haven't been destroyed by mankind's own hands, anyway, and are left to evolve or be conquered by vast, infinitely superior forces.
Liel’s smile grew wider as she raised a dagger-like nail to her cheek, softly poking at her flawless, porcelain skin.
So she had a rarity in her midst? And what was more, from their apparent shaking, said rarity was afraid. Terrified even, to be in the presence of a greater being.
That was good.
Liel loved that.
Fear made her games just that much more engaging.
Slowly the servant approached the Seraphim, cautiously making their way into a room meant for a being hundreds, upon hundreds, of times their size. From the immaculate marble pillars which lined the walls, to the beautifully designed curtains that drape gently down from them. Adorned in specks of gold, it was all so divine. Undeserving for one so small.
And in the center of it all, a bed fit for a goddess; instead occupied by a white robbed angel. A normally inspiring sight… were it not for the fact of who this angel was.
The very last ANY servant of the Heavens would dare to meet.
The woman stopped in her tracks as Liel raised a hand, motioning for them to remain where they were. In silence, the Angel studied her visitor, her… guest, taking in their features as she raised and bobbed one leg over the other.
Liel cocked her head to the side, intrigued. She had forgotten how little the children of Eden were. Nearly as small as the other mortal races underneath the Heavens’ rule, if not weaker.
They seemed so… pitiful. Almost humorously so.
In a moment of quiet desperation, the servant woman pressed her trembling hands together, her fingers entwined in silent prayer, hoping for a glimpse of mercy to ease the weight of her fear.
“Oh, most illustrious Emissary of the Archons! I beg of you, please-”
Yet she was cut off, her voice faltering as her pleas fell upon deaf ears.
Once again, Liel raised her hand, silencing the woman with a simple gesture. But this time her hand didn’t just settle to the side after. Rather, it was raised further, the dagger-like nail of the Angel’s index finger poking at her soft, colorless lips before motioning downward towards her looming feet; both bare and elegantly poised, radiating a pleasant, almost inviting warmth.
With a slow, deliberate movement, the Seraphim uncrossed her legs, extending her left foot toward the trembling servant. The shift in posture made her intentions unmistakably clear.
“Rather than waste my time talking…” Liel began, her all too characteristic grin ever present beyond the gaps between her flexing toes. “Put that mouth of yours to better use. Kiss my sole while I weigh your actions~.”
Degradation of one's worth was among one of the Seraphim’s favorite pastimes. Whether it be daemons or her fellow Heavenspawn, Liel delighted in bringing down someone so low that any sense of pride they possessed would break beneath the weight of their own uselessness. That it was a human here, being given such an order, was even more gratifying.
To those cosmic circles that cared enough to keep an eye upon the kingdom of man, their hubris was legendary.
Their pride, for one thing, and how more often than not it brought about the most insane, asinine, ludicrous of beliefs.
That they alone deserve the stars.
That they must wage war with one another to prove their worth.
It was absolutely ridiculous that a species so fragile could think so highly of itself, and while this female human in particular was innocent of the crimes of their kin, they would, unfortunately, bear the weight of those sins all the same.
The woman did not complain, however. She did not question her orders, nor did she hesitate in carrying them out.
As the tip of her tongue touched the soles of Liel’s foot, a welcoming tingle coursed throughout the Angel’s body, stretching all the way up to her wings where, for the briefest of moments, numerous sets of shining blue eyes peaked through the feathers.
Liel let out a soft, almost reluctant coo, the urge to succumb to the intoxicating sensation pulling at her like a siren’s call. She fought it back, though, her teeth sinking into the corner of her lower lip as she forced herself to refocus on the task before her.
“You… you… oh, forgive me…” Though the woman was small, her skill was undeniable. With practiced precision, she knew exactly where to focus her attention beneath Liel’s foot, drawing out the reactions that confirmed her success. The angel’s resolve wavered, but she fought against the rising wave of desire, acutely aware of the limited time she had here.
“You… have been found guilty of… of crimes against the Heavens…” Liel stammered, her voice faltering as she struggled to regain control. She bit her lip harder, a thin trail of golden blood slipping down her chin. “Crimes… against your deity, little one… how… how… ohhh dear… how do you plead…?”
At once, the service against Liel’s skin came to a stop, allowing the angel to think more clearly. A regret, in truth, as she was enjoying the pleasure often reserved only for deities and archons.
Liel moved her foot aside, her gaze shifting to the trembling figure before her. The servant was shaking once more, clearly in fear. Whether it was a continuation of the terror they’d felt before or something new, the angel couldn’t tell. She wasn’t even sure if the trembling had persisted throughout the treatment.
And, in truth, Liel did not care.
What did catch her attention though was the Servant's current reaction to the Seraphim’s accusation. They were sweating. Tensing up… taking a cautionary step back, for fear of the answer they might produce.
“Well?” Liel pushed further, mindlessly clutching and popping her toes only a few inches away from the human woman's body. An unconscious promise of what will happen should they test her patience.
The woman swallowed, painfully, as if the act of speaking brought suffering. “I… I… I'm…”
Liel chuckled. The woman's hesitation was palpable.
“‘I… I… I…’”, The Angel parroted, her smile stretching further. “You're what? Out with it now. Speak. While you still have the ability to do so.”
“I'm… I'm…”, the Woman's nerves had completely unraveled. Fear gripped at her heart with an iron hold and would not let go. Every word she spoke– no matter how carefully chosen– could bring her closer to disaster. But reason was a luxury she no longer had. Clear thought had become a distant, fading dream. In a panic, the woman fell to her knees, her forehead pressed against the floor… her body a speck when compared to the shadow of Liel’s all-powerful sole.
“I'm sorry!” She finally shouted, the mania at last breaking through. Whatever composure the Woman had clung to had melted away, the knowledge of who she was standing before, as well as the concern of their Judge’s history, inspiring blind urgency in her actions. “My deity, my former lord, they were the one to damn my name!”
As though Liel wasn't already aware of that. It only made sense that a deity would mark down the name of their servant upon the Acumen Tablets. They were among the few beings with the authority to do so, after all. It wasn't a matter of who damned the human, but rather why. That, right now, was the concern.
Stretching her foot further forward, the Angel spread her toes apart. In an instant, they wrapped around the woman’s waist, the grip both gentle and expertly firm. The slightest increase in pressure would be enough to snap her spine in an instant.
“And what was their reason?” Liel questioned, her tone demanding.
The woman grimaced, her face clouded with uncertainty. “I… I’m unsure…” she admitted, her voice shaky. “I believed… hoped… that I had served my lord faithfully. I thought I was summoned here for wronging them… Though I know not how…”
Liel’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Despite the human's claims, doubt remained. It was to be expected. She was not omniscient, and while the Acumen Tablets revealed much, certain information could be… conveniently omitted.
Raising her foot, the Seraphim drew a few soft gasps from Her prey, the dizzying height of their ascent further undermining their already frayed nerves.
“W-wait, your Luminosity!” the woman pleaded.
Liel did not listen.
“If you’re unsure as to why…” the Angel began, her voice low and measured. Slowly, she parted her toes again, the movement threatening to drop the tiny Sinner she held so effortlessly in her grasp. “Then I’d recommend you start guessing.”
The woman clutched at the massive digits, feeling them widen, her waist slipping further through the expanding gap. A moment ago, escape would have seemed a miracle. Now, with no more illusions of survival at this height, the reality was clear.
“That is, unless you’re capable of sprouting a set of wings like my own,” Liel cruelly joked. Further driving home her point, the malicious Angel spread out said wings, the eyes within peeking out once more. “Though, I highly doubt so from an ape such as yourself~.”
There were no more delusions of mercy. The human knew well enough that Liel would not let her go– at least until they heard whatever it was they wanted. But the cruelty of the request came in the knowledge that the woman knew nothing of why her God had abandoned her. For all her life she had served them faithfully– happily –never questioning as to why they were born into that position.
Much like the Seraphims themselves, the woman was content with the role she existed for. She'd never asked for any other.
But be that as it may, for all her efforts and loyalty, she was now here.
Likely forgotten.
Tossed aside.
Left in the uncaring shadow of one of the Heavens' most feared executioners.
There was no greater humiliation that one who lived to serve could suffer.
“I don't know, I swear!” The poor little Human shouted desperately. “Please, believe me! All my life, I lived for the Heavens! I am loyal! FAITHFUL!”
Liel’s weighed the human’s words, determining for herself their worth. Painfully, the seconds passed on by as the human woman tried to keep herself from falling, their Angelic judge, and potentially executioner, never giving them the courtesy of preventing the potential disaster. Instead, they were silent, their smile softening to a near-faultless line.
Then, to the Woman's surprise, she was gently lowered to the floor, the grip upon her waist remaining, but the threat of a lethal fall fading.
With a chuckle, Liel raised a hand to her cheek, resting her head upon it.
“You're name, Little One,” She asked. “I don't believe I've received it. At least… not from your shrill tongue~.”
The Woman choked back a sob, relief flooding her body. Softly, she muttered. “Megara, you're Luminosity… a Child and Servant of the Impersiable Hearth.”
Just as detailed by the Acumen Tablets.
Liel’s foot swayed as she looked down upon the human, having arrived at her verdict.
“Well, Megara, you are fortunate,” the Angel revealed, much to the delight of her guest. “For I believe you. You have indeed been misjudged...”
Tears welled up and flowed freely from the Human's eyes. They crashed down atop the Seraphim’s flawless skin, where Megara planted more kisses in absolute reverence.
“Thank you!” She rejoiced. “A thousand times, thank you! For your leniency, in your name, will my prayers always-”
But she had misread the mercy granted.
In her haste, Megara had forgotten the very nature of the Angel before her, the whispers of cruelty that trailed Liel’s name. And in the very next moment, just as the woman's praises had barely left her lips, Liel’s toes came crashing down onto the cold floor, sealing her fate.
Beneath the unstoppable, incomprehensible weight, Megara’s lower half was crushed in an instant.
The poor woman screamed, only once, before the rest of her body was just as quickly steamrolled, a crimson red trail littered with bones and viscera left behind to immortalize their brief glee.
Liel did not stop at the hastily carried out execution, though. She ground her foot back and forth, eliciting whatever pops she could from the mangled corpse before, at last, becoming satisfied.
The Angel sighed, content with her judgment. There was no other conclusion she would have arrived at. “As a reward for your honesty, you will no longer suffer beneath the rule of such pathetic deities.”
In Megara's demise, Liel had offered them her greatest, and often only, form of mercy. A swift death, as opposed to the prolonged suffering she typically preferred to inflict.
A gift, in truth, as she would even vouch for the woman to be reincarnated… in time, and were she to remember.
And hopefully, under the rule of a lord that wasn't as loathsome as their previous.
Still, the matter of Megara’s confusion over her punishment lingered in Liel’s mind. The woman had seemed loyal enough. Obedient, if not outright cowardly.
Obedient, if not outright cowardly.
No, Liel suspected there was more at play, and the odds were that the reasoning behind the Human's damnation was far more petty than she cared to think about.
But the Angel had a high going on, as well as an intrigue that couldn't be put to rest so easily.
“Well, if sweet little Megara didn’t know what she’d done wrong…” Liel muttered to herself, her manic joy never fading. “Then there’s only one course of action left.”
A quick visit to the Human's deity. To hear the words of damnation from their lips.
“Perhaps then I'll have a clearer picture.”
*****
“Damn you!” Ludelia roared, the light surrounding her body growing brighter and brighter as she uselessly tried to summon her divine might. “Lowly slave! Release me this instant!”
The low-born goddess kicked and screamed, thrashing with all her might as she dangled between Liel’s fingers, the Angel beaming as she toyed with the oh-so-powerful god.
Or rather, goddess, now that she saw them for herself.
A deity of the hearth: of fire, warmth, and all things preserving. As loosely explained by Megara– an immortal flame, so easily extinguished.
Such a goddess was meant to be kind and inviting. Liel’s certainly seen plenty of deities who ruled similar portfolios and exercised a warm nature. It wasn’t as difficult as some might believe.
Ludelia, on the other hand… did not care enough to try. Though Liel did not know them until this forced meeting, already she had an idea of just how this goddess operated.
They cursed and insulted. Threatened and belittled. Broke down their followers, right down to their cores, until only their lord and lady was all they could think about. The comfort they experienced, the warmth of a gentle portfolio, brought about by a cruel misuse of their divinity.
And to an extent… Liel was impressed. To think, they’d remain as revered as they were despite their nature. It was almost inspiring for one such as the Seraphim, knowing well the temptations she held in her heart.
But the goddess of the Hearth had made an error. The very last any would care to make.
They had sullied the Heavens’ order. And worse still, they had tampered with the Archon of Annihilations Tablets. Their verdicts.
Ludelia was petty to a fault, despite her status as a goddess of lesser importance, when compared to other greater deities; even behaving as though she belonged in a position higher than what she was owed.
A spoiled brat, if ever there’s been one.
…a single drop of wine. From a bottle much too large for poor Megara to lift by herself. That was the cause behind the Goddess’s decision. The reason why her loyal servant was sentenced to death. One drop, upon a mountain range of fabric, easily washed away by the very hands that had caused the mess. And yet the fact that it had happened was apparently damning enough.
Such reasoning was… idiotic, as well as a clear indicator of just how far the lesser divinity of the Heavens had fallen. A waste of both Liel’s time, as well as the extinguished life of a perfectly good handmaiden.
…the Heavens had no use for such a hopeless deity.
“I will have your head upon a silver platter, Wretch!” Ludelia screamed, her veins bulging through her neck. “Archons be damned, you will not see the light of another day!”
Such hubris. Such… arrogance.
So much so that, in her anger, Ludelia overlooked a crucial piece of information. Something that might have spared her from the consequences of underestimating the servile seraphim who helped to manage the Golden Kingdom.
That, though they waited on their superiors, hands, and feet, they were by no means weaker. In fact, aside from the archons themselves, many were stronger than the very deities they served. So that they may more properly serve.
And Liel, in particular, was bound to one of the most fearsome Archons of all.
Unlike the little goddess she dangled in front of her, Liel had a far greater right to power. A truth many in the Heavens would do well to remember, should they ever wish to incur the wrath of either her or the Archon she served.
Alas, that truth was lost on Ludelia… though, even had she known, it would have made little difference.
Lowering the Lady of the Hearth, Liel brought the fuming goddess closer, pressing their body against the soft embrace of her lips. “W-what are you doing…!?!” Ludelia stammered, caught off guard by the Angel’s audacious, almost intimate gesture.
It wasn’t until Liel parted her lips, however, that true panic and fear set in: far more potent than anything her former servant had felt.
Ludelia’s thrashing grew fiercer, more desperate. She tried again to focus on the divine light that marked her as a goddess, hoping to summon some shred of power to rid herself of this tormentor. But once more, nothing came. The power she had once wielded with ease was locked away; sealed by the very angel who now toyed with her.
“W-wait!” the pitiable goddess pleaded. A moment too late though, as in the next was her upper half thrust between the Seraphim’s lips.
She kicked her legs, hoping and praying to force her way out.
Ludelia clawed and pushed away at the tongue which poked and prodded at her face.
She begged, she threatened, and at one point she even attempted to bargain with the Angel, promising gifts that even their Mistress could not grant.
But Liel only smiled, the desperation of the struggling goddess proving to be the sweetest of all treats. Their arrogance was quick to fade when faced with a power they couldn’t hope to challenge. And that realization struck the latter to the very heart of their being.
At this moment, she was a snack. And the reality of that was much more gratifying than the rarity that was a single human.
The Goddess of the Hearth was never even allowed the opportunity to plead her case. Nor was she given the chance to make peace with her end. She died a coward the moment Liel’s teeth came together, separating their legs from their torso: cutting their body in two, at the spine, in an explosion of golden ichor that painted the Angel’s lips.
Liel’s jaws quickly got to work, grinding the Goddess’s upper half between her teeth as she pulled free their limp legs; the viscera tearing away with a wet snap. Held between her fingers, the Seraphim pondered over whether she should help herself to the rest, or keep the remains as something of a keepsake.
It has been so long, after all, since Liel’s last kept for herself a souvenir.
In the end, the Angel simply decided to toss the dead Goddess’s legs over her shoulder, her interest quickly waning, and the continuation of her previous task calling to her once again. Ludelia’s divine portfolio, as well as her quarter and duties, would be inherited by another, in time. Hopefully, the sight of what remained of the new god’s predecessor would inspire them to heed the Heavens’ strict set of rules.
Ludelia tampered with the Archon of Annihilation’s Acumen Tablets. How and why was of a later concern. More hands were still at work to reach such objects of importance, yet for now, the main perpetrator had been dealt with; their scapegoat avenged.
And as for Liel herself, she felt reinvigorated. No longer was she hounded by the looming sense of boredom that came with her seemingly mundane task. For, if she could have such fun with those trying to tamper with her work, then what else laid in wait, begging to be corrected within those old stones she was to scour through?
Liel did not know… though she was eager to find out.