12-20-2016, 08:07 AM
Melissa knelt down, the stone statue of the Blessed lady (As she had named it) stood imposingly before her, her arms crossed in front of her plain tunic.
Melissa had never heard the identity of the statue, or the woman who was represented within it, but it's marble face, it's calm, soothing expression, the Statue of one who must have loved and adored all things - Even though danger often dwelt within the pale moors for those who traveled alone, Melissa had come to this place for three years now without incident. She smiled, clasping the silver pendant to her breast. The hole in the stone ceiling above bathed the blessed lady in the silvery glow of the moon, and though everything around her was wreathed in the inky darkness of the pale moors, she felt at peace in this place, looking up at the soft, polished cheekbones of the woman.
Melissa thought a prime ought to have created this statue here, sometimes, simply due to how perfect it was. From the long, flowing dress, to the olive branch she held in her hands, everything about this statue was completely perfect - not off by the slightest detail. Other times, though, Melissa was certain that the reason it was perfect was due to the dedication that went into creating it - that the perfection lay within the dedication of it's craftsman. Surely, they'd been struck by the vision of a goddess, and crafted her within the moors, a light within such perpetual darkness.
Laying the flowers next to the blessed lady's feet, Melissa started to stand... only to hear footsteps behind her.
"oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone else knew about this place...." Melissa stated suddenly, hurrying to her feet as she tried to wipe the dust from her plain dress. "I just..."
"no, by all means, it's alright. Sit. I wouldn't want to interrupt someone in the middle of their devotion." A distorted voice replied.
"I... very well, then." Melissa stated with a slight shiver. She had been meaning to get up, but to be able to devote herself to the lady with someone else, perhaps? That might be a special thing.
"actually..." the voice said after a few moments. "Would you like to know the real story behind this statue?"
Melissa swallowed, trying to contain her excitement. Surely, this woman had to be joking... but if she wasn't, if this mystery could finally be solved for Melissa... The idea appealed to her better than any words could express. "I... Please. I wish... I wish to know more about her."
She thought she heard a satisfied "hm" behind her, before the woman - or what sounded like a woman, at least - continued. "There's no need to beg. I'd be delighted to tell you the tale."
Melissa looked up at the statue of the blessed lady, fighting the urge to look back at whoever was speaking. In this moment of truth, she would give her moment of devotion, praying to the blessed lady.
"Once, there was a goddess, on a planet far, far removed from the Omniverse. Far from a goddess of love, or war, she was a simpler goddess. One of craftsmanship. She gave so much to the people under her - knowledge that helped the humans there build a culture, a civilization. Yet, she was always ignored. Except for one man."
"That one man has long since lost his name, but he was devoted - just as you are now - for his goddess. Of course, instead of flowers, he brought his craft, day after day. Toy horses, wooden tables smaller than a finger, a blanket made from the finest fabrics. Every day, he sought to impress her. Every work, he attempted to outdo himself. In the end, though, he felt unfulfilled each time. He was missing something."
"Eventually, he figured it out. he knelt under the statue of the goddess, and he beseeched her - 'oh, goddess, I have erred so much. I sought to impress you, with these gifts, and I put my soul into them. Yet, I did not work for your sake, but my own. My gifts were tainted with Avarice, as I tried to compete with the divine, and so they all fell short of your glory. Yet, in truth, all I wanted was to honor your teachings, and show my own love for you.'"
The woman stopped for a moment, at that point, and Melissa thought she heard the lady behind her moving something, before continuing.
"The goddess was moved by his comments, by his affection, and so she struck him. lightning coursed through his body, and the old man who had spent seventy years crafting things for his goddess lay dead. Yet, his spirit lived on, and she took his hand, leading him to a dance through the stars. A beautiful dance which he conducted with her for seven hundred years. Until a prime brought him here, that is. In his sorrow, he created this temple, and this statue, as a way of honoring her lost love."
Melissa smiled at that. "So she was really a goddess! I - I knew it, all this time..." She stated with a happy face. "Why are you telling me all this?" She suddenly asked.
"Aren't you interested in what happened to the old man?" the voice asked instead, and for some reason Melissa felt her spine shudder in response to the question. As though her body was telling her not to move. something in her body told her she might be in danger, and she had no idea what to do about it. So instead of thinking about it...
"Yes, by all means, I'd love to hear it." She squeaked.
"For a long time, he worked hard, keeping this place maintained, but then Diablos minions attacked, and the temple was left in ruins. Bitter at the works of Omni destroying all he once held dear, he went on a pilgrimage to the mountains, to find a place of peace. He planned on staying there for the rest of his life, but eventually, he realized - his crafts, his knowledge, should be passed on. His were not the pragmatic crafts, but the moors already had those. What it lacked was the soul, the art. to bring back the people's vitality. In that, he knew he could help. So he came down here, this morning, ready to do so in the best way possible, by restoring his work..."
Melissa heard the sound of a plate shattering next to her, and she jumped as she looked over. Was this woman throwing ceramics at her? Had she just been listening to the ravings of a crazy woman? But as Melissa turned to see what had been thrown....
Teeth. Bone.
A human jaw.
"Oh, you've gone and interrupted my story old man. hold onto your things better."
Melissa didn't want to turn around.
But Melissa had to, Melissa needed to see it. Needed to see the corpse she knew sat behind her, the insane woman next to it. She knew this story, and...
Dear god.
Melissa turned around to see... something. A large nose, watery eyes, and a large, broom-handle mustache of grey were the only human features left on a round, misshapen mess of tentacles, claws, and a misshapen beak. It looked at her with permanent terror and despair etched into it's eyes, and Melissa had to struggle not to vomit.
The person next to the creature, though... It could be called a woman. It had wings of pale bone, and carapace where skin should be, and nails that looked more like lion claws, but it still retained the basic bodily shape of a woman. There was no terror or fear in her eyes, but instead the waiting, patient smile of a cat playing with it's food.
Melissa swallowed deeply, as she looked around for a way out of the temple. Hoping to distract the mutated woman in front of her, she managed a nervous smile as she said, what she assumed was asked by a lot by people in their final moments. “W-w-w-well that’s a r-really nice story, m-m-miss… b-b-but what was the point?”
The woman - no, the demon in front of her smiled, sitting down in a casual position as she answered. “Point? I guess there wasn’t one. Though it’s a bit of a lucky break for you. I didn’t have a story to distract myself with, while I was in the Chrysalis.”
Melissa backed away, bumping her head on the statue behind her, as her feet slipped out from under her, her hands desperately pawing their way away from the woman as her legs turned to jelly from fear. “P-please, I have…”
Melissa’s final words were cut off as sudden pressure cut off the feelign in her shoulder, and she was dragged at blidning speed from the temple, kicking and screaming the whole way.
In the temple, Kerrigan smiled. “Who’d have thought deities really existed in other universes?” She asked the twitching, convulsing abomination next to her. “Really, old man, you’ve given me a lot to think about. It’s a shame, really. I’m sure Darkshire would have loved hearing all about it. Your art and hope. Sadly, that’s just not the attitude I’m doing for. You understand, right?” Kerrigan asked with a grin.
The creature that used to be Elias Decorvin, former lover of the goddess Shalia, merely twitched and gurgled in response, a boil bursting from it’s misshapen, carapace-covered back.
Kerrigan’s smile widened. “Right.”
Her smile faltered slightly as she heard the sound of padded feet behind her.
“Well, I suppose I should thank you for waiting until the fun was over to approach me, werewolf. I don’t really like being followed, though, so if you’d explain yourself to me, I’d be rather happy to hear a good reason not to feed you to my hive cluster.”
A gruff laugh followed. “My lord has a proposition. Something tells me you’ll be interested, witch.”
the Zerg leader just turned around with a grin. “That’s ‘Queen Witch of the Universe’ to you.” She stated, surprised and impressed with the backbone on this one.
Another gruff laugh was the werewolf’s response.
Melissa had never heard the identity of the statue, or the woman who was represented within it, but it's marble face, it's calm, soothing expression, the Statue of one who must have loved and adored all things - Even though danger often dwelt within the pale moors for those who traveled alone, Melissa had come to this place for three years now without incident. She smiled, clasping the silver pendant to her breast. The hole in the stone ceiling above bathed the blessed lady in the silvery glow of the moon, and though everything around her was wreathed in the inky darkness of the pale moors, she felt at peace in this place, looking up at the soft, polished cheekbones of the woman.
Melissa thought a prime ought to have created this statue here, sometimes, simply due to how perfect it was. From the long, flowing dress, to the olive branch she held in her hands, everything about this statue was completely perfect - not off by the slightest detail. Other times, though, Melissa was certain that the reason it was perfect was due to the dedication that went into creating it - that the perfection lay within the dedication of it's craftsman. Surely, they'd been struck by the vision of a goddess, and crafted her within the moors, a light within such perpetual darkness.
Laying the flowers next to the blessed lady's feet, Melissa started to stand... only to hear footsteps behind her.
"oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone else knew about this place...." Melissa stated suddenly, hurrying to her feet as she tried to wipe the dust from her plain dress. "I just..."
"no, by all means, it's alright. Sit. I wouldn't want to interrupt someone in the middle of their devotion." A distorted voice replied.
"I... very well, then." Melissa stated with a slight shiver. She had been meaning to get up, but to be able to devote herself to the lady with someone else, perhaps? That might be a special thing.
"actually..." the voice said after a few moments. "Would you like to know the real story behind this statue?"
Melissa swallowed, trying to contain her excitement. Surely, this woman had to be joking... but if she wasn't, if this mystery could finally be solved for Melissa... The idea appealed to her better than any words could express. "I... Please. I wish... I wish to know more about her."
She thought she heard a satisfied "hm" behind her, before the woman - or what sounded like a woman, at least - continued. "There's no need to beg. I'd be delighted to tell you the tale."
Melissa looked up at the statue of the blessed lady, fighting the urge to look back at whoever was speaking. In this moment of truth, she would give her moment of devotion, praying to the blessed lady.
"Once, there was a goddess, on a planet far, far removed from the Omniverse. Far from a goddess of love, or war, she was a simpler goddess. One of craftsmanship. She gave so much to the people under her - knowledge that helped the humans there build a culture, a civilization. Yet, she was always ignored. Except for one man."
"That one man has long since lost his name, but he was devoted - just as you are now - for his goddess. Of course, instead of flowers, he brought his craft, day after day. Toy horses, wooden tables smaller than a finger, a blanket made from the finest fabrics. Every day, he sought to impress her. Every work, he attempted to outdo himself. In the end, though, he felt unfulfilled each time. He was missing something."
"Eventually, he figured it out. he knelt under the statue of the goddess, and he beseeched her - 'oh, goddess, I have erred so much. I sought to impress you, with these gifts, and I put my soul into them. Yet, I did not work for your sake, but my own. My gifts were tainted with Avarice, as I tried to compete with the divine, and so they all fell short of your glory. Yet, in truth, all I wanted was to honor your teachings, and show my own love for you.'"
The woman stopped for a moment, at that point, and Melissa thought she heard the lady behind her moving something, before continuing.
"The goddess was moved by his comments, by his affection, and so she struck him. lightning coursed through his body, and the old man who had spent seventy years crafting things for his goddess lay dead. Yet, his spirit lived on, and she took his hand, leading him to a dance through the stars. A beautiful dance which he conducted with her for seven hundred years. Until a prime brought him here, that is. In his sorrow, he created this temple, and this statue, as a way of honoring her lost love."
Melissa smiled at that. "So she was really a goddess! I - I knew it, all this time..." She stated with a happy face. "Why are you telling me all this?" She suddenly asked.
"Aren't you interested in what happened to the old man?" the voice asked instead, and for some reason Melissa felt her spine shudder in response to the question. As though her body was telling her not to move. something in her body told her she might be in danger, and she had no idea what to do about it. So instead of thinking about it...
"Yes, by all means, I'd love to hear it." She squeaked.
"For a long time, he worked hard, keeping this place maintained, but then Diablos minions attacked, and the temple was left in ruins. Bitter at the works of Omni destroying all he once held dear, he went on a pilgrimage to the mountains, to find a place of peace. He planned on staying there for the rest of his life, but eventually, he realized - his crafts, his knowledge, should be passed on. His were not the pragmatic crafts, but the moors already had those. What it lacked was the soul, the art. to bring back the people's vitality. In that, he knew he could help. So he came down here, this morning, ready to do so in the best way possible, by restoring his work..."
Melissa heard the sound of a plate shattering next to her, and she jumped as she looked over. Was this woman throwing ceramics at her? Had she just been listening to the ravings of a crazy woman? But as Melissa turned to see what had been thrown....
Teeth. Bone.
A human jaw.
"Oh, you've gone and interrupted my story old man. hold onto your things better."
Melissa didn't want to turn around.
But Melissa had to, Melissa needed to see it. Needed to see the corpse she knew sat behind her, the insane woman next to it. She knew this story, and...
Dear god.
Melissa turned around to see... something. A large nose, watery eyes, and a large, broom-handle mustache of grey were the only human features left on a round, misshapen mess of tentacles, claws, and a misshapen beak. It looked at her with permanent terror and despair etched into it's eyes, and Melissa had to struggle not to vomit.
The person next to the creature, though... It could be called a woman. It had wings of pale bone, and carapace where skin should be, and nails that looked more like lion claws, but it still retained the basic bodily shape of a woman. There was no terror or fear in her eyes, but instead the waiting, patient smile of a cat playing with it's food.
Melissa swallowed deeply, as she looked around for a way out of the temple. Hoping to distract the mutated woman in front of her, she managed a nervous smile as she said, what she assumed was asked by a lot by people in their final moments. “W-w-w-well that’s a r-really nice story, m-m-miss… b-b-but what was the point?”
The woman - no, the demon in front of her smiled, sitting down in a casual position as she answered. “Point? I guess there wasn’t one. Though it’s a bit of a lucky break for you. I didn’t have a story to distract myself with, while I was in the Chrysalis.”
Melissa backed away, bumping her head on the statue behind her, as her feet slipped out from under her, her hands desperately pawing their way away from the woman as her legs turned to jelly from fear. “P-please, I have…”
Melissa’s final words were cut off as sudden pressure cut off the feelign in her shoulder, and she was dragged at blidning speed from the temple, kicking and screaming the whole way.
In the temple, Kerrigan smiled. “Who’d have thought deities really existed in other universes?” She asked the twitching, convulsing abomination next to her. “Really, old man, you’ve given me a lot to think about. It’s a shame, really. I’m sure Darkshire would have loved hearing all about it. Your art and hope. Sadly, that’s just not the attitude I’m doing for. You understand, right?” Kerrigan asked with a grin.
The creature that used to be Elias Decorvin, former lover of the goddess Shalia, merely twitched and gurgled in response, a boil bursting from it’s misshapen, carapace-covered back.
Kerrigan’s smile widened. “Right.”
Her smile faltered slightly as she heard the sound of padded feet behind her.
“Well, I suppose I should thank you for waiting until the fun was over to approach me, werewolf. I don’t really like being followed, though, so if you’d explain yourself to me, I’d be rather happy to hear a good reason not to feed you to my hive cluster.”
A gruff laugh followed. “My lord has a proposition. Something tells me you’ll be interested, witch.”
the Zerg leader just turned around with a grin. “That’s ‘Queen Witch of the Universe’ to you.” She stated, surprised and impressed with the backbone on this one.
Another gruff laugh was the werewolf’s response.