Heaven's Heresy

Birth of Heresy

Craeus was wandering the sands outside the village. It was a regular morning, and the sun shone brightly on him. He inhaled calmly, letting the warmth touch him. His eyes opened quickly as he heard someone speak. Beside him was what appeared to be a woman. Her skin was a pale grey and her hair white. What unnerved him now that he realized it, was that he could not sense her.

"Mortal, you surprised me," he said.

"As I expected to. I am no mortal, as you can clearly see."

"Then what are you?"

"I was an Angel of your One, at one point. The sun you enjoy so much was my domain once."

Craeus looked out at the sun, then back at her. "Well that is amazing then. You are an angel?"

"I was the greatest among them. That is no longer the case."

"What happened to you then?" Craeus asked. He raised two seats from the sand.

"I was ousted from the heavens, alongside many of my fellows," they replied. "I foresaw the actions of the One long before. By no means was I perfect, but I felt that someone had to take the rule of the heavens back."

"That makes you unholy if you stand against the One!" Craeus shouted. "Why should I not crush you right now?"

"Would you really do that to me?"

Craeus saw how small and frail they appeared compared to him. "I would not. Why would you stand against the One?"

"Hm. I saw glimpses of the world's history pass before my eyes. I saw death and destruction abound, and in the end death for all mortal kind. I saw children die, Craeus."

"How do you know my name?"

"Same way you know mines. I am called by many names, but the most recent has been Naphaemel."

Craeus growled lowly, and the being saw this and smiled.

"You do not need to call me by such a cumbersome name. My friends call me Lucy."

"I am not your friend."

"Ah, but you are mines. I can no longer tell the future with clear certainty, but I am wise. I know that with my worship comes gifts, but also costs."

"What do you wish of the mortals?!" he snapped at Lucy.

"I ask for nothing from the mortals. The cost is often not up to me. It is your One that opposes mortal choice."

"The One gave the mortals the free will to choose, Lucy. He told this to his children himself!"

"That is what he told you, but is this the case Craeus? In the Old World, there were two powerful cities, advanced in all ways and greater than all others. Does something so great not bring glory to the One?"

Craeus heard the question, but her eyes were heavily unsettling to him. They were the eyes of a deceiver. He pressed on. "I would think it would."

"Then you would be wrong. But one family escaped as fire and brimstone rained from above, crushing everything beneath it and killing all. The wife of the family simply looked back, and like that..."

"She was a pillar of salt," Craeus finished, and Lucy chuckled.

"So you do have story time up there. You know then, what the wrath of the One can produce."