Comforting Corruption

Chapter One

The Heavens were perfect. A home for the gods and whispered about through generations of humanity. The streets were made of gold and the wine was sweet. No mortal man could ever see the world above - They would not understand its divinity.

Miguel was a golden god and a steadfast friend of the creatures below. From his celestial abode, he watched the beings below with wonder and awe. They were truly extraordinary.

The age of the Jaugar was coming soon. What seemed like lifetimes, to the mortals, ago, Miguel had visited the planet, accompanied by a very close friend - by a lover. Humanity had just begun and he'd wanted to help them - To start them on their way. Miguel, pure of heart and the kindest of all the god, gave the people El Dorado - In the hope that they would one day be as close to the divine as the men of Earth could be.

But the other gods were angry with him. They locked him within Heaven, keeping him from teaching the people below. They tortured his beloved humans with disease and poverty. However, none of them could touch El Dorado, as only a god's other half could ever revoke their gift - And his darker lover would never dream of such a thing... However much he despised the monkeys below. Miguel was reprimanded, beaten and alienated. Of course, his other half tried to protect him - to hold off the others - but even with all his power, he could only do so much. The golden god was distanced from his people and his priests were forced to address his dark half. In the age of the jaguar, he would be released - To see just what his gift had done to the creatures he loved. They thought it would be a far superior punishment than any other - To have to strike down the abominations when they disappointed him. Miguel doubted that day would come.

And the year of the jaguar was about to begin - He would be allowed to leave the Heavens, once again. To walk among his people. He had intended to go alone, but Tulio would not hear of it.

"You aren't going by yourself," the shadow god hissed, his arms crossed, "This entire adventure is stupid. Let us just stay in the Heavens, Miguel. You don't really want to go down there."

"But I do!" Miguel insisted, "Tulio! Can't you see? These are my people! I want to know what they thought of my gift! I want to know their names and their stories! I want to run with their children in games of ball. I never got to before the others..." Miguel trailed off, noticing the snarl starting to form on his face, warning the blonde against continuing that sentence.

"You don't know what's become of them since then, Miguel," Tulio sighed, rubbing his temple. He needed to make the other understand. Their disgusting nature would crush him. Even his priest, the most holy and dedicated of his people was corrupt and cruel. Tulio couldn't imagine letting him walk into that kind of pain - No matter how much he wished to go.

"You don't know that!" Miguel insisted, "Hearing this from a man who thinks the gods so superior, of course he'd say that! If you would just-"

"No," Tulio denied, his patience wearing thin.

"But Tulio-!" Miguel pleaded. He'd have just left, already, if he didn't know that the shadow I'd could summon his home with the flick of a wrist and then proceed to yell at him, which was far from pleasant. Not that Tulio would evr lay his hand on him, of course, but none the less."

"NO!" He snapped, Miguel cowering a bit at the anger in his tone, "You are not returning to the Earth! You're staying here! Forever! End of discussion! Do you understand?" Miguel's face fell and he stared back at the blue eyes of the other god, tears pricking at his eyes.

"Yes," he looked at the ground, sniffling.

"Oh, come on... Miguel, please don't cry," Tulio's anger left him and he stepped forward, placing a palm against the other's cheek and making him look back up.

"I'm not," Miguel insisted, rubbing his arm across his face to try and get rid of the evidence, "Really... I'm fine."

"I just don't want you to be disappointed," Tulio tried to explain himself.

"You're probably right," Miguel whimpered, taking a disheartened glance at the ground. Tulio growled, hating to see his lover like this.

"Fine," he hissed, narrowing his eyes, "You can go... But I'm coming with you! There is absolutely no way you're running off on your own to some foreign place with a bunch of animals as your company."

"Really?" Miguel looked up, hopefully.

"Really," came the reply.

"Oh, thank you, Tulio!" Miguel exclaimed, launching himself into his partners arms, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret it, I promise!"

Tulio smiled just a tiny bit at Miguel's sudden joy, any sign that'd he'd been upset earlier pretty much disappeared.

He just hoped this decision would not backfire on him.