Despoiled Radiance Pt. 14 (Original) (Patreon)

Themes: No Sex, Exposition, Power Hungry

Word Count: 2,503

Summary: Taking a minor detour to learn all about a new angel, a new world, and the surprisingly nonviolent 'battle' between Light and Dark happening on it.

-x-X-x-  

Nathanielle frowns as she looks down at the planet below her, her arms crossed over her chest. She’s stood on the main deck of the Passion Flames, a Crown-Class Battleship designed for long-term missions and patrols. The term ‘flying fortress’ was applicable here, and the beautiful blonde angel was proud to be its Commander. Though it did mean she was dealing with the world below… unfortunately.

There were two ways to travel between worlds. Well, technically three but if you weren’t an archangel or a demon lord of considerable strength, you were essentially constrained to the two normal ways that everyone else used. Essentially, one could either form magic portals between worlds for personal use or to transport ground forces, or one could travel faster than light through the space between each world on spacecraft like the one she’s stood in now.

The first way is almost certainly easier than the second, and requires far less resources to make happen as well. But the first way is also limited in size. A cadre of angels could pass through a magical doorway, but a Crown-Class Battleship and the small army that would go with it could not. In this case, thanks to the hard work of AID, they’d known that a Crown-Class Battleship and all its presence entailed would be necessary in order to secure this world.

Out on the edge of known space, and just along the border of Dark and Light as well, this world was essentially untapped potential… or untold headache, depending on which way it ended up swinging. As was often the case, the humans on this planet had developed fairly high technological levels. Then, their world had grown old enough to draw in sufficient magical energy from the cosmos around it, that they spontaneously developed magic as well.

The apocalypse had been swift, and a hundred years after the loss of their technological civilization, the humans were just getting back to the feudal age, the majority of their advancements lost forever. Now the planet was ruled by magical warlords, as well as wizard kings and sorceress queens. In essence, it was a complete mess and Nathanielle was the one assigned to fix it.

Of course, she’d been here for years now, watching things from above and keeping track of how everything was going. As such, with the information provided by AID, the beautiful Commander had been able to catch the minor infestation of demihumans that had been trying to spread onto the planet below. No one actually knew where those pests came from, whether there was some home world for the creatures deep behind enemy lines.

But in this particular case, Nathanielle knew exactly where they’d come from. The aforementioned magical portals had allowed a blight of the buggers to sneak in, and the humans had dealt with Pig Orcs and Harpies and the like for weeks before ultimately she’d ordered her antsy warriors down to the surface to take care of the problem. 

They’d eradicated the infestation and magically smashed the gateways to nothingness… and the humans hadn’t even been grateful! The damn idiots had actually been angry! And that’s when Nathanielle had discovered the horrifying truth… there wasn’t a bunch of warring kingdoms and queendoms and countries fighting across the surface of the world.

No, it was one nation, ruled by a council of self-titled kings and queens. It was like the idiots didn’t actively understand what a monarchy truly was, because in truth, they were running the place like some bastard form of a democracy mashed together with an aristocracy. Expect none of them went by Lord or Lady, it was ALL royal terms.

It had Nathanielle’s mind spinning, but the unified world government wasn’t what made the Commander worried, no that was actually a little nice in fact. What had her worried was the fact that the Light magic wielders and the Dark magic wielders were currently ruling side by side as friendly rivals, rather than the bitter enemies they should have been!

The damn humans had done it again! She’d never seen it before with her own two eyes, but she’d definitely heard about it. Honestly, you couldn’t leave humans alone for two seconds without them mucking about with things they couldn’t possibly control. The Dark Magic users were pissy that she and her angels had killed the demihumans and destroyed the gateways. They’d apparently been interested in learning more about both.

Did they not understand the DANGER they were all in?! Nathanielle grits her teeth as she stares at the planet below, her eyes filled with righteous fury and her hands clenched into white knuckled fists. No, no of course they didn’t. She and her subordinates had been officially censured by this pathetic council of theirs, and while the Light magic users had been curious of what the angelic host had to offer, their Dark Magic counterparts were holding them back from going any further with it.

It was ridiculous. Worst of all, the leader of this council, elected by a popular majority of humans wielding both Light and Dark magic, was in fact herself a Dark Magic user! The Dark Queen Morgainna they called her, and Nathanielle had had to suffer the insult in stoic silence as this ‘elected’ Queen had exiled the angels from the planet.

It was disgusting. Humans truly were a despicable species, in the end. They couldn’t be trusted with anything, not even their own safety. Luckily, not all was lost.

“Commander!”

Nathanielle grins and looks over her shoulder at the subordinate angel who’s approached. The other salutes crisply and Nathanielle returns it with a nod, sliding her hands smoothly behind her back and letting her rage melt away from her face as she smiles.

“Good news?”

“Yes Commander! She’s here.”

Finally. Nathanielle whirls away from the observation deck completely, her smile turning into a wide, wicked grin.

“Excellent. Have her escorted to the meeting room, and make sure refreshments are waiting for us.”

There was only one human on the world below that has a lick of sense in her, or so it seemed. And now she was on the Passion Flames, ready and waiting to meet with Nathanielle. This was good. This was very good. Eyes drifting shut for a second and nostrils flaring, the angelic Commander smiles as she walks off the bridge at a fast, solid pace.

They were going to save the world below, and cleanse it of these dark magic users who dared to seize control, who dared to poke their heads up out of the sand rather than remain beneath the ground like they scum they were. And if all went according to plan, she’d have this world under control even before the reinforcements and resupply that she’d requested in her last report arrived. Then, they’d have to consider promoting her in rank. And the higher the rank she ascended to, the better her chances of joining the very few who were able to become archangels through merit, rather than through birth.

Oh yes, Commander Nathanielle had ambitions. And she was going to see them accomplished, one way or another.

-x-X-x-

The Holy Queen Serenity wasn’t quite as serene as her name suggested. She blamed her mother, it wasn’t like she wanted to be named something as asinine as Serenity. But in truth, she was a bit… hot-headed. It wasn’t her fault! That damnable Morgainna and her smug face and all of her followers… where did they get off, voting HER as head of the council instead of Serenity?!

It was obvious that Light Magic was stronger than Dark! Actual fucking ANGELS had come down from on high to smite the monsters that had plagued their lands, and somehow that wasn’t a sign to everyone else that they were meant to follow and worship the light? That they were meant to make the Holy Queen their leader, rather than that damnable bitch, Morgainna?!

Harrumphing, Serenity leans forward and grabs a cookie from the tray in front of her, chomping down even as she keeps her other arm crossed over her chest and her frown on her face. Still, she supposes she can’t be too upset now. She’s managed to attain an audience with the leader of the angels, as well as safe passage up to their ship.

Now here she sits, in a nice room with a wonderful view of her world below. It’s honestly kind of wondrous, and Serenity is definitely impressed… it’s just, the amazing view is slightly overshadowed by the sorry state of things down below. Even her own fellow Light Rulers had turned on her! They’d sided with Morgainna and her cohort in censuring the angels for doing their damn duty and killing monsters!

Honestly, it wasn’t like the damnable things were humans! The pig faces and the wings and all that bullshit was a dead giveaway there. No, the angels shouldn’t have been exiled, but Serenity was going to make things right. She was confident that the leader of the light beings would give her the power and authority she needed to defeat Morgainna once and for all. She’d get the votes, she’d become the Council’s leader, and she’d bring the angels back down to their world to show them exactly what they needed to know.

Swallowing the last of the cookie, Serenity lets a smile spread across her face… and that’s when the door slides open and the Angelic Commander steps inside, her armor and her posture certainly imposing. Still, she is a Holy Queen… standing up, Serenity laces her fingers together before herself and inclines her head respectfully.

“Commander, thank you for arranging this meeting.”

There’s a pause, and then the angel strides forward.

“You are welcome. You are the Holy Queen Serenity, yes? As far as I remember, you were the only one to speak in our defense at that farce of a trial thrown by your council.”

Serenity shudders in memory. Not just because the Council had been stupid enough to throw out the ANGELS that had come to their doorstep, but also because she’d made a fairly massive misstep by taking their side that day, and it’d cost her much of her political clout. In truth, Serenity was here because she had no other options left to her. She doesn’t say as much though.

“Of course. The way they treated you, after you and your kind saved us from the encroaching monster horde… it was intolerable. I want to apologize on their behalf, and tell you that not all of us are like that. Unfortunately, we are currently led by that… woman. I’m sure you know who I speak of.”

The Angelic Commander nods.

“Indeed I do. This Dark Queen and many of her followers… they practice dark magic openly? Truly, this is not a tenable situation. How could such corrupt individuals be allowed to gain power within your Council?”

Serenity presses her lips together. In truth, she doesn’t actually have much issue with dark magic. Light, Dark… it can all be used to harm and to help in different ways. Hell, Morgainna is known for using her dark magic to mend wounds. But it’s clear to the Holy Queen that this angel doesn’t see it that way. She doesn’t know much about the monsters or the angels, or where it all came from… but she knows enough to know that the Commander can help her, if she plays along.

“Why, through trickery and underhandedness of course. It’s honestly awful, the way they’ve usurped power using their vile, despicable shadow magics. That’s why I’ve come to you now Commander. Even those who use the Light as I do, are taken in or outright afraid of what the Dark Queen and her followers are capable of. Only through you, can we show the people of my world what the Light is truly capable of.”

The angel’s lips stretch into a wide, open grin as she places her hands on the table in front of her.

“You took the words right out of my mouth your majesty. You’re exactly right of course. Your world must know how to combat the dark. We cannot always be there to extinguish the threats to your existence. Utilizing dark magic is what attracted those monsters in the first place, and there is much worse than them waiting to be invited into your world. You must nip this problem in the bud now.”

Pushing back off the table, the Commander walks to the other side of the room. Serenity’s eyes follow her, and after a moment, her hand slips out to grab another cookie as the angel fidgets with some box over against the wall. She’s finished off this cookie as well by the time that the Commander returns to her with a handful of scrolls. She tosses them on the table and Serenity reacts quickly, gathering them up so none can roll off onto the ground.

“You will take these scrolls back to your people. Disseminate them among those of your kind who have not turned away from the Light. It will explain to them the dangers of the Dark, as well as how to utilize the magic I am about to teach you, so that you can in turn teach them.”

Serenity’s eyes widen in delight and her hands leave the scrolls as she looks up at the Angelic Commander with badly concealed glee. This is what she’d come for after all, personal power, knowledge, things that would allow her to have authority back on the world below.

“Yes… yes, teach me all you can. I am eager to learn. What can you show me, that will in turn help me to defeat our shared foe?”

The blonde angel grins wickedly.

“We have been fighting the Darkness for longer than humans have lived on your world Queen Serenity. We know how to combat dark magic. We’ve perfected spells that will make even the strongest dark magics useless against your might. All you have to do is open your mind to the possibilities, and be willing to learn all I have to show you.”

She was. Oh she was so ready. Eyes wide and smile even wider, the Holy Queen nods her head up and down rapidly.

“I’m ready Commander. I’m ready! Teach me everything!”

And like that, Serenity allowed herself to be forced into the angels’ weapon. She was happy to be it, happy to be empowered to do their bidding. So long as it ended up with that bitch Morgainne in chains and her seated at the head of the council, Serenity would do anything, become anyone she needed to become. She would learn what the angels had to teach her, and she would take it back to her people. Light Magic would flourish on her world, and the dark would be pushed back.

And most important of all, SHE would reign supreme in the name of the Light, when all was said and done.