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Dec. 22nd, 2010 01:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexanderwhiteReally, it was adding insult to injury that Raphael had decided to chain him to a rock on the tide line of the sea, thought Asmodeus. A little heavy handed, but he expected nothing less from the young God's children. It wasn't that he felt he didn't deserve it, he considered, it was that it was a little overkill. And to smear fish intestines onto him, make him smell awful? What was that, even?
Asmodeus leaned against the rock, which was hot from the sun beating down on it, and stretched out, letting his skin go golden brown with the sun, and let his red hair go a more vibrant copper. His beard had started to grow in, and it was already long enough where the bristles on his upper lip curled around it. His hair tangled and floated with the slight breeze, and he closed his eyes. The woman was worth the stench of the sea and the fish organs that he'd washed off, although the scent lingered. His scalp had healed from where Raphael had grabbed him by the hair and dragged him across the desert to this rock. Bah.
There was a glimmer on the horizon and it hit Asmodey's face, and he squinted back from it, his nose wrinkling as he grumbled. It was probably some passing caravan in the distance. He opened his eyes and sat up from his sprawl, shading his eyes as he looked to see what it was. Well, whatever it was, it was headed his direction. He sat up, twisting his shackled wrists down under him so his arms were in front of him, and he rested his chin on his knee as he waited for the shimmering thing to get close enough to flag down.
To his surprise, he could make out who it was, crossing the long way around the sea, towards him. The angel's hair was tied back in a slim of leather, and he was wearing a linen tunic, keeping himself shielded from the desert sun. What had been glinting was the young being's scroll case, which had a metal clasp. Asmodey immediately recognized Raziel, despite the fact that the archangel had changed somewhat since the last time he'd seen him. "Hello!" He called out once Raziel was in range to hear him. "Raziel! Over here!" He saw the angel's head snap up and face him, and then his body turned, and he diverted from his path to the rock outcropping. Good, he'd heard him and was heading his direction.
"Who is it? Who calls me?" Raziel shouted back to the demon, as he walked the waterline.
"Astarte's brother, Asmodey! Raziel, boy, you've no idea how fortunate I am to see you!" It was only once Raziel was at the base of the rock that Asmodeus noticed that the angel was blind.
"It's a bit of a climb, friend, I can't come down to you," Asmodeus explained, shaking his shackles, the chain clanking against the stone.
It got Raziel's brows to raise and his eyes to widen. "Who chained you to a rock, and why? What trouble have you gotten in now, Asmodeus?"
"Funny thing you should ask. I fell in love, but apparently, your brother Raphael had a dissenting opinion on my choice to love a princess. He dragged me across two kingdoms to chain me here." He sat back down as Raziel inched his way up the stone, knowing it might take a while.
"Sounds like Raphael. You have my apologies on his behalf. He believes that love is a sanctuary for the good alone. Augh, and what is that smell?"
"Don't ask." Asmodey sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Smells like fish intestines," Raziel pointed out.
"So it does. Look, can we not talk about the fish? Pay attention and get up here." Asmodeus muttered, and once Raziel was close enough, he took the fallen angel's hand and pulled him up, the shackles tugging at his wrists, cutting deep enough where blood made his grip slip slightly.
Raziel, however, had already found steady footing and was busy running his clawed hands over the chains and cuffs of the shackles. "If you were chained here by him, you would have easily gotten free, unless he put a spell on these chains."
"Clever boy. Yes, he invoked Marduk's name to keep me here. My lord may be dead, but his name still carries power." Asmodeus took a seat once more as Raziel went to work, and in short time, the chains were dispelled. Asmodeus rubbed his wrists, feeling his blood return to his hands. "What in the light's name are you doing out here, anyway? Walking alone in the desert. You're far away from Eden, lad."
"I'm on my way to Olympus," Raziel started, but was cut off.
"The mountain?"
"Yes, the mountain, I intend to speak--"
"The Greeks are idiots, I have no idea why you want to speak to them, my friend." Asmodeus shook his head and patted the angel on the back. "I'm guessing my dear sister had a hand in this decision of yours. Listen. You are blind, clearly you have no company but your own thoughts, let me walk with you a ways. I was planning on making my way back up to Babylon, once I got free, anyway. It would do neither of us any good to be alone in the desert. I know this area very well, I made my way through this land in a military campaign a hundred years ago. We can take to following the river, it leads north, and then verges west from there, and we can part ways, and you can follow the river into the kingdom of Ashur." He smiled and took Raziel by the hand, leading him down the rock and to solid ground once more. "I owe you for this, by the way."
"I'm sure you do." Raziel murmured, and reclaimed his hand before following Asmodey's lead.
It had been two weeks since they set out from the sea, and Asmodeus had decided to stop at a freshwater pool near a waterfall to wash himself off. He'd been gathering flowers for two days prior, and Raziel had asked why, and it was obvious now their reason.
"I had to get the scent of fish off me. I was starting to go mad with the smell. Come in!" called the demon from the water, "It's fine water, it will take the dust out of your hair, and the dust off your skin. You'll feel like a new man."
"I can will the dust and sand away," Raziel said, doing so as he sat on the bank, writing in his scroll with one of his own quills. "Would you hurry? I feel anxious to start again."
"The mountain won't run off just for an hour or two of leisure, Raziel. Are all your kind as high strung as you and Raphael? Impatient beings." muttered Asmodey, grinding the rose petals and rubbing his shoulders with them, pleased at the scent. His hair swirled around him. "Have you got a blade?"
"I do," Raziel said, summoning one up in his free hand, holding it out without facing the water, and Asmodey swam to the bank, taking it from the angel. "Why?"
"Shaving." And with that, Asmodey started scraping the blade against his jaw, taking off the beard. "Really, put the scroll down, lad, and come into the water. It's not too deep, I can stand and it's only to my chest. You're taller than I am, there's nothing to fear." He shook his head and went back to shaving.
"I suppose there's nothing I can say to stop your nagging," Raziel said, setting the scroll aside. He slipped his feet into the pool, and then slid down into the water, taking off the tunic by way of simply willing it to the bank, near his bloody quill and scroll. "It is rather nice," he conceded, turning his head so his ear was facing Asmodey.
"See, boy? Your apprehension is unfounded." He finished, rinsing off the blade before tossing it over to rest beside the rest of Raziel's belongings. He watched as the fallen angel summoned up a small, fragile looking container. "What's that?" He asked, swimming closer.
"Oil of jasmine. I believe your damned fish smell clung to me, too." Raziel grumbled, pouring some oil over his chest and onto his hair, scrubbing it in. "I got it when a caravan passed my way. They bartered."
"And what did you give to them? You travel extremely light." chuckled Asmodey, who took the stoppered bottle, taking a smell and squinting. Amazing, what humans could accomplish. He inspected the bottle.
"Things they wanted."
"Oh? And what sort of things are those?" Asmodeus shrugged and handed the bottle back, before Raziel made it disappear.
"That bottle was traded for a blessing," Raziel shrugged, scrubbing his hair and washing off the oil by sinking into the water.
"You barter small," the redhead chuckled, "and you cannot reach your own back. Let me help."
"And you are shameless. Do you never let up on your flirtations? Astarte is right, you would make any excuse to find lust." Raziel scolded, shaking his head as he headed back up to the bank.
"Lust finds me!" Asmodeus laughed as he watched the nude angel start washing the tunic in the same oil. "It would do your kind some good to know it. It would dislodge the stick up your proverbial ass about so much."
"I'm not interested. If it is natural to me, it will come to me in time without your help, Ambassador." Raziel brushed it aside once more, willing the water from the tunic, before pulling it back on, before tugging his belt around him, and slid his scroll into it. "It's time for you to come out of the water, we've only got four hours of light, and I'd rather not waste them."
"Fine. But if you ever desire to experience lust, young one, let it be me to introduce you to it." Asmodey pulled himself out of the water and summoned a clean outfit onto himself.
"I'll keep it in mind," Raziel murmured, letting the subject drop.
"We'll be in a village by nightfall, and in two days, we'll be in my lord's empire. You can get directions to the mountain from there." Asmodey said, tying his hair back into a low tail, winding it around and setting back on the path. Well, it was worth the try.
Asmodeus leaned against the rock, which was hot from the sun beating down on it, and stretched out, letting his skin go golden brown with the sun, and let his red hair go a more vibrant copper. His beard had started to grow in, and it was already long enough where the bristles on his upper lip curled around it. His hair tangled and floated with the slight breeze, and he closed his eyes. The woman was worth the stench of the sea and the fish organs that he'd washed off, although the scent lingered. His scalp had healed from where Raphael had grabbed him by the hair and dragged him across the desert to this rock. Bah.
There was a glimmer on the horizon and it hit Asmodey's face, and he squinted back from it, his nose wrinkling as he grumbled. It was probably some passing caravan in the distance. He opened his eyes and sat up from his sprawl, shading his eyes as he looked to see what it was. Well, whatever it was, it was headed his direction. He sat up, twisting his shackled wrists down under him so his arms were in front of him, and he rested his chin on his knee as he waited for the shimmering thing to get close enough to flag down.
To his surprise, he could make out who it was, crossing the long way around the sea, towards him. The angel's hair was tied back in a slim of leather, and he was wearing a linen tunic, keeping himself shielded from the desert sun. What had been glinting was the young being's scroll case, which had a metal clasp. Asmodey immediately recognized Raziel, despite the fact that the archangel had changed somewhat since the last time he'd seen him. "Hello!" He called out once Raziel was in range to hear him. "Raziel! Over here!" He saw the angel's head snap up and face him, and then his body turned, and he diverted from his path to the rock outcropping. Good, he'd heard him and was heading his direction.
"Who is it? Who calls me?" Raziel shouted back to the demon, as he walked the waterline.
"Astarte's brother, Asmodey! Raziel, boy, you've no idea how fortunate I am to see you!" It was only once Raziel was at the base of the rock that Asmodeus noticed that the angel was blind.
"It's a bit of a climb, friend, I can't come down to you," Asmodeus explained, shaking his shackles, the chain clanking against the stone.
It got Raziel's brows to raise and his eyes to widen. "Who chained you to a rock, and why? What trouble have you gotten in now, Asmodeus?"
"Funny thing you should ask. I fell in love, but apparently, your brother Raphael had a dissenting opinion on my choice to love a princess. He dragged me across two kingdoms to chain me here." He sat back down as Raziel inched his way up the stone, knowing it might take a while.
"Sounds like Raphael. You have my apologies on his behalf. He believes that love is a sanctuary for the good alone. Augh, and what is that smell?"
"Don't ask." Asmodey sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Smells like fish intestines," Raziel pointed out.
"So it does. Look, can we not talk about the fish? Pay attention and get up here." Asmodeus muttered, and once Raziel was close enough, he took the fallen angel's hand and pulled him up, the shackles tugging at his wrists, cutting deep enough where blood made his grip slip slightly.
Raziel, however, had already found steady footing and was busy running his clawed hands over the chains and cuffs of the shackles. "If you were chained here by him, you would have easily gotten free, unless he put a spell on these chains."
"Clever boy. Yes, he invoked Marduk's name to keep me here. My lord may be dead, but his name still carries power." Asmodeus took a seat once more as Raziel went to work, and in short time, the chains were dispelled. Asmodeus rubbed his wrists, feeling his blood return to his hands. "What in the light's name are you doing out here, anyway? Walking alone in the desert. You're far away from Eden, lad."
"I'm on my way to Olympus," Raziel started, but was cut off.
"The mountain?"
"Yes, the mountain, I intend to speak--"
"The Greeks are idiots, I have no idea why you want to speak to them, my friend." Asmodeus shook his head and patted the angel on the back. "I'm guessing my dear sister had a hand in this decision of yours. Listen. You are blind, clearly you have no company but your own thoughts, let me walk with you a ways. I was planning on making my way back up to Babylon, once I got free, anyway. It would do neither of us any good to be alone in the desert. I know this area very well, I made my way through this land in a military campaign a hundred years ago. We can take to following the river, it leads north, and then verges west from there, and we can part ways, and you can follow the river into the kingdom of Ashur." He smiled and took Raziel by the hand, leading him down the rock and to solid ground once more. "I owe you for this, by the way."
"I'm sure you do." Raziel murmured, and reclaimed his hand before following Asmodey's lead.
It had been two weeks since they set out from the sea, and Asmodeus had decided to stop at a freshwater pool near a waterfall to wash himself off. He'd been gathering flowers for two days prior, and Raziel had asked why, and it was obvious now their reason.
"I had to get the scent of fish off me. I was starting to go mad with the smell. Come in!" called the demon from the water, "It's fine water, it will take the dust out of your hair, and the dust off your skin. You'll feel like a new man."
"I can will the dust and sand away," Raziel said, doing so as he sat on the bank, writing in his scroll with one of his own quills. "Would you hurry? I feel anxious to start again."
"The mountain won't run off just for an hour or two of leisure, Raziel. Are all your kind as high strung as you and Raphael? Impatient beings." muttered Asmodey, grinding the rose petals and rubbing his shoulders with them, pleased at the scent. His hair swirled around him. "Have you got a blade?"
"I do," Raziel said, summoning one up in his free hand, holding it out without facing the water, and Asmodey swam to the bank, taking it from the angel. "Why?"
"Shaving." And with that, Asmodey started scraping the blade against his jaw, taking off the beard. "Really, put the scroll down, lad, and come into the water. It's not too deep, I can stand and it's only to my chest. You're taller than I am, there's nothing to fear." He shook his head and went back to shaving.
"I suppose there's nothing I can say to stop your nagging," Raziel said, setting the scroll aside. He slipped his feet into the pool, and then slid down into the water, taking off the tunic by way of simply willing it to the bank, near his bloody quill and scroll. "It is rather nice," he conceded, turning his head so his ear was facing Asmodey.
"See, boy? Your apprehension is unfounded." He finished, rinsing off the blade before tossing it over to rest beside the rest of Raziel's belongings. He watched as the fallen angel summoned up a small, fragile looking container. "What's that?" He asked, swimming closer.
"Oil of jasmine. I believe your damned fish smell clung to me, too." Raziel grumbled, pouring some oil over his chest and onto his hair, scrubbing it in. "I got it when a caravan passed my way. They bartered."
"And what did you give to them? You travel extremely light." chuckled Asmodey, who took the stoppered bottle, taking a smell and squinting. Amazing, what humans could accomplish. He inspected the bottle.
"Things they wanted."
"Oh? And what sort of things are those?" Asmodeus shrugged and handed the bottle back, before Raziel made it disappear.
"That bottle was traded for a blessing," Raziel shrugged, scrubbing his hair and washing off the oil by sinking into the water.
"You barter small," the redhead chuckled, "and you cannot reach your own back. Let me help."
"And you are shameless. Do you never let up on your flirtations? Astarte is right, you would make any excuse to find lust." Raziel scolded, shaking his head as he headed back up to the bank.
"Lust finds me!" Asmodeus laughed as he watched the nude angel start washing the tunic in the same oil. "It would do your kind some good to know it. It would dislodge the stick up your proverbial ass about so much."
"I'm not interested. If it is natural to me, it will come to me in time without your help, Ambassador." Raziel brushed it aside once more, willing the water from the tunic, before pulling it back on, before tugging his belt around him, and slid his scroll into it. "It's time for you to come out of the water, we've only got four hours of light, and I'd rather not waste them."
"Fine. But if you ever desire to experience lust, young one, let it be me to introduce you to it." Asmodey pulled himself out of the water and summoned a clean outfit onto himself.
"I'll keep it in mind," Raziel murmured, letting the subject drop.
"We'll be in a village by nightfall, and in two days, we'll be in my lord's empire. You can get directions to the mountain from there." Asmodey said, tying his hair back into a low tail, winding it around and setting back on the path. Well, it was worth the try.
