In His Name

Chapter 78 - The main hall

The drop is just like Rosco remembers it to be, thrilling and a little frighting, his body rebelling against the idea of a free fall through the air even as his mind knows he is safe. He's still laughing from the surprised noise Hayden made when he pulled them both down. It was pay back for the way Hayden had pushed him the first time, and Rosco is delighted by the success of his revenge. The light from the bedroom overhead dwindles into nothing, truly incasing them in the dark of the spirit realm.

"You seem to be having more fun this time." Hayden whispers lowly in his ear, getting some revenge of his own.

Shivering against the hot puff of breath fanning over his skin, "It's just because I didn't think you could squeak like that!" Rosco shouts to be heard over the rush of the fall. The little yellow light pushes itself into the small space between them, offering just enough light for Rosco to glimpse the look of annoyance his god throws at the tiny soul.

"You're full of surprises, you can't mock me for responding accordingly," Hayden offers in his defense.

"How are you going to stop me?" Rosco asks, the dark making him bold.

"I have some ideas," Hayden almost growls in his ear, promptly chasing away all Rosco's bravado, thankful for the cover of darkness to hide what must be a telling expression. Rosco stays quiet the rest of the way down and Hayden never let him go, keeping a firm hold on his hand all the way to the bottom. This time when the disorientation of hitting the ground comes, they stay together. Rosco's feet touching down in the soft purple grass just in time to feel the heavy thump of Hayden landing beside him. The little yellow soul drifts lazily around him, just as it did while they fell, seemingly unaware or uninterested in the difference. Rosco's eyes automatically follow the light, his human instincts craving the sense of sight even here in the impossible darkness. Hayden wastes no time with sightseeing or summoning Rosco a lamp, immediately opening a door and tugging Rosco through. It's disorienting, suddenly going from the endless plains to the silverly glow of Hayden's palace, Rosco's balance is never great, but the circumstances are against him, and he trips over his own feet, stumbling into Hayden's broad back. He feels the rumble of Hayden's chuckling though his chest, his god pausing to give Rosco a chance to steady himself. When his eyes lift, he can't help the gasp that escapes him, spinning slowly to take in the room around them. Widely spaced, illuminated marble pillars reach endlessly up, where the stars can be seen glittering overhead. The marble of the walls and pillars is white with gray veins woven throughout, like whisps of smoke trapped against snow. Every pillar decorated with immaculate carvings of vines and flowers out of the same stone. A collection of candles circle each of the bases, made in thousands of different styles, every single candle sporting a flickering flame that seems to continue without consuming the wax.

"I did not show you around before," Hayden comments while he follows Rosco's amazed wanderings, "So I thought to give you a more comprehensive tour this time, instead of just the bedroom. This is the main entrance hall."

"It's amazing!" Rosco gushes, his excitement reaching a boiling point, rushing around to look at all the different kinds of candles, fingers brushing carefully over the delicate carvings of flower petals, "What are all of these candles doing here? Are these real kinds of flowers? Why are they here? Where is this view of the stars from? I've never seen constellations like these before. Is this what the temple in Ocil looked like on the inside too?" Sighing wistfully, "I wish I could have seen it before it was destroyed, I always thought it was a really scary place, I mean I was also curious then too, something about it always called to me, but I'd heard the stories of what happened to people who got too close, so I thought it was ghosts or something trying to lure me away, I guess we know why I felt that way now though, I was unconsciously looking for you," Kneeling down to get a closer look at one of the candles in a colored glass jar, "So anyway, I stayed away like everyone else and that's also kinda where my mother abandoned me, looking at it always used to remind me of that." peaking back up at Hayden through the heavy fan of his lashes, "Well, I say abandoned but that's not really what happened, Lolly tried to skirt around telling me but even before the others started making fun of me for it I'd put it together myself, everyone in Ocil knows the price of trespassing, why would she have taken me there unless she wanted me gone for good," shaking his head and dropping his gaze back to the colored glass, "Thanks again for not killing me by the way," hopping back to his feet, "I was a huge brat, I wouldn't have blamed you." Flashing his god a smile, "oh! But my point was, now that I've gotten to know you, I'm sure your temple would have been beautiful, like the mausoleums in the fancy grave-"

Hayden's hand knots itself in the back of Rosco's curls, gently cradling, and tilting his head to a better angle for receiving the kiss Hayden silences him with. Again, it isn't much, a chaste little thing, but as Hayden releases him, his knees melt like butter in the sun, dropping him against Hayden's chest, who has yet to fail to catch him. Breathless, Rosco turns his eyes up to meet his god's silently begging for more.

Self-awareness comes back to him like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head, realizing what he must look like now and what Hayden must be thinking of him. He scrambles away, putting about 6 feet between them like it's a predetermined safe distance, "What- wha-" clearing his throat, "What was that for?" Rosco asks, pointedly avoiding lifting his eyes off the ground. Hands busy righting clothes that hadn't been displaced.

Hayden hums, his eyes not wandering far from Rosco's face. His expression gives away nothing of what's going on inside his mind.

Rosco's thoughts are spinning wildly, most of them down into a gutter and them deeper into shame for going there. But thankfully his mouth has the rare, good sense to stay shut.

"The candles are the different types used all over your world to honor the dead," Hayden injects into the silence, finally interrupting Rosco's inner turmoil by answering one of Rosco's many, previous questions, "I am fond of rituals," he goes on, "and even in the absence of my following, humans continue to use candles in most of your final ceremonies." Approaching one of the pillars, "The flowers are unique," Tracing his fingers over the smooth petals, "They only exist here. My sister grew them from the stone pillars, it was a gift." His face soft with the memory, "And these stars," tearing his eyes away from the blooms to glance at the constellations above. "Are the view from the center of the galaxy, which is something I will explain to you another time," fixing his gaze back on the boy, "And it was beautiful," His tone lacing with sorrow, "My temple. It was also built of marble, but the color was inverted, the main hall looked a little like this one, but there, I had moonflowers growing on the pillars and the stars were made of inlayed jewels and crystals. It had often been said to be the most beautiful building ever constructed. And it is only one of many beautiful things I have destroyed." Catching Rosco's hand in his own, "I brought you here to tell you a story, and we should get to it before I become carried away with your beauty and decide not to risk it."