The legend of Zaphratos

Showdown with the crimson god

Many hours pass in the day and the celestials retreat into their large stone hovel feeling like safety is theirs for now at least.

Zaphratos and Asearus both hug Heldanar tight before Zaphratos puts him in his bed, Heldanar clings tight to Zaphratos trying his best not to let go causing Zaphratos to smile down at him "You need sleep Heldan" he says softly with a warm quiet voice. Heldanar slowly lets go with a sad look and begins snuggling the soft thick layer of wool on his bed becoming tired and less reluctant. Zaphratos and Asearus smile as they see him settling down and Zaphratos walks over to her at their bed and lays down with her, his side sinking lower with his heavier metal body. Both of them face each other with a smile as they take one last look around the hovel and out their open doorway before they look back at each other and close their eyes feeling happy and safe but a feeling of worry still lingers in both of the adult celestials but that can wait till morning.

A little while after the sun rises Asearus wakes and lightly shakes Zaphratos waking him up as well. A calm but serious look on her face as she yawns, he smiles lightly "Time to discuss, my love?" he says in a soft quiet, and warm tone. "Yes, my love" she replies staying in bed but sitting up for a moment to glance at Heldanar seeing he's still sleeping deeply. She lays back down with a small breath and stretches her shoulders and arms before gazing back at her husband, "that creature from yesterday must have been some kind of beast death has created" Zaphratos begins. Asearus nods thinking to herself as he speaks "If she's sending things like that we've definitely got her attention, my love, we'll need to gather the celestials sooner than I thought" he finishes, "indeed, I think we should start with flora and Faunus" she says thinking back to the last time she saw them.

Zaphratos nods as she continues "Let's head into the forest today and see if we can find them" she says slowly getting up with a longer soft yawn and walking towards Heldanar as Zaphratos slowly gets up as well watching her with a soft smile. Asearus looks down at Heldanar comfortably sleeping deeply in the thick soft wool of his smaller bed, she softly runs her hand through his mid-length light green hair with a smile before speaking softly to him "Heldanar, it's time to arise" she says. Heldanar tosses and turns in his soft wool bed making quiet sleepy noises before slowly opening his eyes and reaching his arms out towards Asearus as he sees her, Asearus smiles widely and picks him up, she then begins rubbing his back while she holds him tightly. "Good morning Heldanar," she says in a soft laughy voice as she walks towards the doorway of their large stone hovel and stops briefly to look at Zaphratos who's now standing up and follows her out with a small smile once he sees her gaze on him.

Both adult celestials walk side by side looking at the long and far-extending dirt field ahead that eventually gets grassy, they look at Henry with soft smiles while Asearus continues rubbing Heldanar's back before they turn left and head towards the forest of mostly thin trees and thick bushes.

After a few minutes, they enter the forest and begin treading through carefully looking around for any threats while they travel. As they walk through the forest Asearus and Zaphratos suddenly stop in their tracks as a somewhat loud ringing floods their ears, they both look up while Heldanar hides his face in distress the adult celestials heads are turned slightly to the right before raising higher as their eyes widen and their mouths slowly open in surprise. They see a thick tall beam of red energy shooting into the sky stopping hundreds of feet in the air before it slowly forms a dome of that red energy, "what the hell is that" Zaphratos says as their eyes narrow even Heldanar looks up in confusion.

"Must be him" Asearus says in a serious voice but filled with disdain at the word him. Zaphratos is filled with a light but growing feeling of fear as he looks up at the crimson-red sky, the celestials continue walking slower now approaching the source of the crimson-red dome. After a few minutes they stop as they see a muscular man with somewhat dark tan skin and long black hair, he's wearing thin crimson-red armor that partially covers his body but leaves many gaps. The man's gaze slowly turns till he lays his eyes upon the three celestials and a smile stretches across his face as he raises his previously lowered arms towards the three celestials, his arms and hands are palm up and he smiles wider before speaking loudly "Hello brother!" He says in a loud and excited voice before his gaze shifts to his left slightly to Asearus and Heldanar "And you brought your wife and kid?" He says in a slow but loud mocking voice " A shame I haven't met the child yet" he says before stretching his neck letting out a deep breath closing his eyes for a moment then opening them with a wide smile spreading his legs further in a confident stance then turning his gaze back to them his eyes now that glowing a light crimson red compared to its norma much darker color. "I should thank you for the gift Zaphratos," he says slowly in a happy voice "All that power, now within me", Zaphratos and Asearus raise their arms their expressions untrusting and combative as Zaphratos's palms face each other and Asearus's right hand is raised high and her left only slightly raised.