Ascension

Chapter 2

Finally fixed the formatting issues. Please enjoy! 

Written in Zhongtan Furongguo International Youth Hostel, Changsha, China.

This would not be here without your loyal support. Thank you one and all who have helped me in this incredible journey.

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It is not the power that one wields that corrupts the soul, it is how one chooses to use that power that leads to Ascension or Dissension.

With power comes burden, those that embrace it have Ascended to the Heavens, eternal beings of Duty, Honour and Faith. Those that have shirked this burden for the sake of Vanity Have Descended to Hell, forever bound in Wrath, Sloth and Greed.

-Excerpt from the Hunter's Handbook-

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Before we get back to the story, let me say something. Mortals are always drawn to the dark and mysterious. Don't believe me?

Ever seen that self-involved prick at school? You know the one, the moron who was 'deep' and 'thoughtful', but in truth he was a dickhead who brooded over being born? Noticed how girls flocked to him to 'fix' him or some such girly bullshit?

Yeah, let's not get to harsh on the lot, because there's a reason for all this, and it's for that reason that this tale exists.

Ya see, Demons aren't the 'all big and bad' kind you see in movies. Like humans, Demons were a complex bunch. After losing the Celestial War, it was rather obvious that they'd not go along along with what the Angels decreed.

And here's the thing, so listen closely now cos I'm only saying this shit once, so pay attention. Demon's lost the war in Heaven, we know that... but what was the war for?

Angels will say the war was over purification of their ranks and sundering the unfaithful. Ask the Demons, and they'd say that it was about changing the rules that 'he who shall not be named' put in place that were unfair.

The truth of the matter, was that it's about power and control. Both Angels and Demons get their power from humans, their actions, their faith, their beliefs. Angels were content to leave the humans, sustaining themselves off what humanity naturally gave, Demons wanted to push for more. Demons believed themselves superior to the Mortals, they refused to content themselves with the scraps offered up by as piece meal and instead wanted to take what they saw as rightfully theirs.

When those two sides clashed, we got the Heavenly war that ended with a Demonic loss. Since then, the world has been in a fairly easy state.

In the beginning of life, man couldn't explain what he was, where he came from and the other big questions of the cosmos, and instead put their belief and faith in those greater than themselves. They gave their faith to the gods, and that faith, that devotion, was what the Angels used to keep the Demons at bay.

The status quo didn't change for millennia, empires rose and fell and man became the dominant species of the globe, yet they still held their gods in lofty esteem. Nothing much changed for the greater part of history, that was, until recently.

*I know, drama right?*

As religion began to fade throughout the world, science rose to dominance, replacing blind faith with curiosity, intrigue and exploration. Soon the map ran out of grey areas left uncharted on the map and with the fading of religion throughout the world, the power that the Angels held over it began to weaken.

As the barriers frayed at the edges, it allowed the odd Demon to slip through. After so many millennia without any Demonic influence, the effect of ones reaching the Mortal plain was pronounced. The sharp rise of their influence toppled empires and sowed the seeds of discord across the land. the Demon ascension came at a price, a double edged sword if you will, and the Demons learnt a lesson from it. With such a big shove, humanity flocked back to its faith for guidance, asking and praying to the unknown gods for aid. And in doing so sealed the boundaries the Demons had exploited, returning them to whence they came.