The Pursuit Of Genesis

10 : The Mountain people

"What are the odds of winning this. . . War?" Lucifer had asked this question to Astharoth, some days before their move for the uprising.

That time was of the afternoon and after many days, if not weeks, the sun had shown its face in their 'Hall of Fallen'. Astharoth stood in front of a window, glancing outside at the small dew drops on the leaves of the trees outside, exposing himself to the warm sun rays, while Lucifer waited for his response.

Astharoth glanced at him, "Not much, in fact." he answered. "With Valefor gone and him being the source of Ranks' strength possession. It might be hard for ranks to stand against the higher Eva elites. There are still hopes from the army of humanoids, I would summon. That was the army of my Nation, and the only undefeated army in DeSadia."

"So you're sending the ranks to die?"

"Before Valefor was gone, he once said, it's not dead when it's done to achieve a higher purpose. It's a sacrifice." Astharoth said. "Valefor always longed for a world where his people would live freely and should not fear and hide from humans. And, I could see him striving for that every single day. I promised him I would show him that world, but fate had other plans.

"After Valefor was gone," Astharoth said. "Something was triggered in the minds of all the ranks. They were willing to choose a war, which we tried to avoid for so long, as a way to bring freedom to their people. Even if it cost their lives, to show Valefor that the world he once dreamed is real and the DeSadians live freely on the surface again, without any fear."

"If so, why do you and Aligos refuse to participate in the war? Those are not sacrifices if the war will be lost," Lucifer said. "Even after they die, things won't change. Humans will still continue to suppress our people even after the war. A fight won't change their thoughts."

Astharoth smiled and glanced back outside the window. "I and Aligos have our own different reasons. And, the war is but a distraction, brother," He said. "The war, even if it's won, won't bring much change. Humans from other nations will still be a problem for us. But, the new beginning, the Genesis, is the way to rewrite things again."

"Without the divine energies?" Lucifer gave a questioning look. "Do you wish to make the same mistake that humans did those years ago, and initiate another collision?"

Astharoth stood quiet for a moment, observing how the water drops slid down the leaves of the trees and fell on the small blades of grass on the ground, while Lucifer waited for his response.

"Decades ago," Astharoth said. "I encountered a person in the denser areas of the cursed belt. A silver-white-haired person, with an aura purer than divines, a true creation of purity."

"Silver-white hair?" Lucifer realised. "A vessel?"

Astharoth nodded. "He was bleeding to death and his life force was constantly depleting. I rescued him, took him to the world tree we once witnessed beyond that illusion, and used the natural energies to fix the flow of his life force. He truly was a kind soul and wanted to help everyone who was kind to him, but this cruel world was not kind to him.

"Valefor, later, took him in. Made him one of us and gave him someone to call his own. The smile on his face and the kindness in his heart was something one would envy for. But, on the other hand, after what humans treated him like, all he wished was to use this process of Genesis to erase these filthy emotions from the slate of the human mind. He wished to create a reality where there's less pain, and more understanding. Where people can understand life the way it is and not the way it is represented by others."

Lucifer stood quiet.

"We had different goals," Astharoth said. "But our paths are aligned. And, I'm sure, William, the fourth son, will not find him unless the third son wants, nor will he join the war.