Shadow of the Abyss

His mother? The question in itself threw Altair off for an instant. His expression had not changed, but he had felt something in him weaken at the mention of his mother. It had been so long since he last saw her, much less spoken to her.

He had to change the subject. "I've heard a lot about the Saintess of Almor. The way the people sing your praises makes it sound as if this lower realm isn't enough to contain you."

The Saintess, for a moment, only stared. Those purified aqua-blue eyes twinkled with a sort of wonder that made one believe they could see through any evil. They probably could simply be based on the stories revolving around this one woman.

"I am a disciple of the Seraphim of the One." She grinned. "Your Grace, how many about the Angels do you truly understand? Do you know what a Seraphim is? Do you understand their Ranks or their purpose?"

Altair couldn't say he did. Anything revolving around the Seven Heavens was something of a mystery to him.

The Saintess appeared to sense that, for she said, " There are Three Orders to Angels. The first is the weakest, which is angels, archangels, and principalities. The Second Order consists of Powers, Virtues, and Dominions, and the last Ophanims, Cherubim, and Seraphim.

To that, Altair had to blink. "I thought Archangels were the strongest."

There was an almost childish smile on the Saintess' face that bordered on laughter as she said, " Archangel is a rather special title. In every scenario, you can ignore this title, for it's only held by a handful. You may not know this, but the Angels of Heaven gain absolute power through the Law of Concordance. Think of it as the Bible for Angels. The higher you climb into the infinite depths of the Law of Concordance, the deeper to the One you'll become, finally reaching the Rank of Seraphim. What is so special about Archangel is that they specialize in turning the Law of Concordance into a weapon in ways I cannot fathom. It's why they are called the Angels with Nine Wings when, in reality, there are only six."

That made Altair more confused. "So the Rank of Archangel can be ignored."

"Not can, but is." The saintess declared. "It's reserved for those only with the talent. But not all talents are equal; those who do become archangels don't hold the rank long, losing it to become principalities."

"So Gabriel is…"

"Is an Archangel Seraphim, the highest classification in the hierarchy, earning a place beside the Almighty. He is one of the few Seraphim who saw the power held in the Rank of Archangel, pulling that title from the bottom to the top. Do you know how he did that?"

When he didn't answer, the Saintess's smile faded. "It's due to Sin—pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. The method was discovered by the one called Mephistopheles, who, in a blinding rage, called forth the Sin of Wrath for the first time, suppressing it with the Virtue of Humility, and became the first to experience a spiritual bloom. What was once the weakest of the First Generation instantly became the strongest, nearly killing the Scribe of God, Metatron."

There was almost something of a mirthless smile on her face as she continued, " There are many in Heaven that believe that all Mephistopheles has done since he asked to Fall was to experience as much sin that is possible only to crush it beneath the Seven Virtues, pushing him to an even greater height. My Master said that is at least the biggest theory as to why he was the only Seraphim in history to ask to Fall from Heaven."

"No one knows?"

"Maybe Archangel Gabriel. He was the closest to Mephistopheles, though Lady Tenebrae and Lunafreya might also know. After all, they taught the Trickster everything he knew."

There were so many big names Altair didn't really know what to make of the conversation he was having. The Law of Concordance was not something he was familiar with, but it did clear up a few mysteries surrounding the Seven Heavens.

"You spoke of the One, the Almighty. Why do you worship a mere Seraphim when—"

Pearly laughter caught Altair off guard, so much so that he almost glared at the Saintess, almost in tears. "We do not worship any Seraphim. Instead, we worship God, the One, the Almighty. The Church of Sepith uses the Seven Seraphim as guides in its Teaching of the Law of Concordance. That's why there are Seven Guides, each representing one of the Seven Virtues. Paths to guide one into the promised land."

"It's also why I said it's not too late. Even if you've found your Sin, have you found your Virtue? The two are on the same side of a coin."
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It was then that everything clicked. Altair gave a mirthless laugh and shook his head, unsure if such a path was even open to him. At the point in which he stood, he could not even conceive of the idea of a Virtue. He had not fully embodied a Sin, as Iliana had suggested, but rather skirted its orbit, picking at various bits of knowledge like a hen pecking at corn.

If he wanted to embody a Sin, he had to be at least a Ninth Circle. As it stood, if he tried to, Soul Exhaustion might just put him into an eternal dream in which he would never wake. It was too early for him to seize any type of Sin when he could barely control his power. In the near future, perhaps, but as he stood now, he was at the zenith of what he could do as a Mortal.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"My Master asked that I inform you of the Heavens. We are, after all, not your true enemy." And her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Even when you carry such a disgusting crest on your body."

It took everything he had not to clutch the top of his arm where the Mark of Cain resided. No one had ever been able to sense it, so how could…

"My constitution is a bit special," The woman said, her tone back to a light timbre. "But enough of me, it would seem our time is up. They are coming, Child of the Second Infernal Monarch."

Altair was not phased. "I still have questions. Why did you help me? What are your relationships with Grimory and—"

"I am merely a Disciple." Altair chose to ignore the fact she had thrown out such big names already when no sane person would dare mention Mephisto so casually. "I don't have the answers, but I am sure if you seek answers, someone might tell you."

"FACE ME!!!!!!" A thunderous boom shook the Temple of Sepith, casting ripples across the calm waters. "ALTAIR BLACKWOOOD!!!!!!!"

The saintess smile never waned. "Sin is a dangerous tool, Altair Snow. If you do not want it to rule you, the Path of Virtues can be the greatest power you can have."

Altair sniffed, rounding on his heel, as he glided away without a sound. The saintess merely bowed. On his way through the threshold, a torrent of evil stained his Soul black as Sin bore through him like a maelstrom, gnawing at his humanity like a snack.

Following the path he took with Raven on his heel, he stepped out of the Temple to see several Dawnbreakers at the ready, swords and shields poised to defend their temple with everything they had.

In the skies, they stood several hundred men and women, overflowing with such killing intent a storm began to gather around Vastroph. Thunder rolled far beyond the horizon as arcs of lightning, as thick as grown men, flashed, splitting the skies, cracking like a whip.

"Kill them!" The Vale King roared. "Scull fuck them so hard their ancestors feel it!"

For once, Altair was inclined to listen. As if he were a Lord of Hate, the aura penetrated the mortal world, pressuring the world like rain lashing at the realm. His presence descended to bring dozens from the skies to their knees before him.

"Arise, my Forsaken." It was not a suggestion but a command that stretched out from Babels Tower into the Myriad Heavens.

In a splitting flash of eldritch light, Kirr, Jorm, Talia, Nia, Alyssa, Cedric, Vaiga, Hilda, and Therion appeared like shadows behind him. His Pale Knights and Swords Maids, together with his Valeguard, both stood side by side like spears over, shrouding the Heavens with Vale Qi.

Mana, that did not possess elemental properties, slowly began to feel the Taint of the Vale, granting the Elements around them Vale-like properties that never existed in the Myriad Heavens.

"Altair Blackwood Snow," A tall boorish, looking man wielding a great axe in his hand thundered. He was glaring straight at Altair, past the fleshy meat of Nox De Nier into the one who carried the Blood of a Snow. "Today is the day—

"If it can fly, it shall die," was all Altair decreed before blood stained the skies red.