novus au

Ch 1

A soft growl filled the air as Rin burst through the door. In a rage he ripped the doors off their hinges, they fell to the floor with a deafening clatter. The building cried and groaned under the waves of anger and magic Rin compressed it with. No one was to escape from him or his disappointment. They could run and hide but he would find them.

"your Highness we didn't get any notification of your arrival!" The workers scattered amongst the building shook with fear, as the manager spoke up.

"I made it that way on purpose, I have recently been informed that this facility has been practicing outside of my law," Rin snarls bitterly.

"Your holiness we would never undermine your authority in such a way," The manger meeped in panic

"Do you honestly believe you can lie to me? Show me all of your test subjects," Rin demanded sharply, making the manger fall silent.

With a faint nod, the manager staggered over to the microphone. They reached over and began their announcement. The small device creaked under the fearful grasp of the beholder. The laws of the land were simple and easy to follow. Rin was especially easy on the laws surrounding medical procedures and testing, it has to be a test to benefit humanity as a whole, and all test subjects have to volunteer. Children below age 17 in their own right cannot volunteer. There should be no misunderstanding.

For years Rin has trusted this facility in the hands of the goddess.

It truly is amazing to see how quickly an anonymous tip can ruin years of trust. A simple betrayal can wipe away years of progress, they weren't equaled to Rin, they were below him, this was his world and his rules, if they couldn't respect that then they were free to leave at any point.

Funny how years ago Rin would bow to them and listen to anything they told him with open ears... But now they had gone too far, Rin held everyone to the standard that you could follow his laws. They were simple and easy. No room for misinterpretation.

Guilt and fear hung in the manger's voice as they spoke. "Bring all volunteers to the parlor."

The announcement clicked off and the workers all held their heads low in shame and fear. Rin's head shook softly and with a snap, he had replaced the worker at the microphone.

"Bring all test subjects out now, this is a command from your god," Rin snarled quickly losing his temper. He had no patience for those who lied to him and broke his trust. Those who ignored and took advantage of the laws he put in place, were going to be punished. Rin didn't like punishing the humans, he always hated having to be mean, but this was for all of their safety.

He knew this was for the better... Besides this would teach them not to trust the goddess's word over his.

"Right this way your highness," stuttered the director who had arrived to aid Rin in his inspection. He knew Rin would find it... of course, he would. Rin was a god, after all, it was not easy to hide things from gods.

Rin nodded and walked alongside the quivering human. Over thousands of years: building, reforming, and studying magic, Rin had become the strongest being in the universe. Yet, apparently, the goddess found it smart to defy him? Or so he had heard.

The pair quickly approached a large rusted metal door that had been worn with time and heavily compressed with the magic seals. The same seals that once suppressed Rin were freshly applied around this cell.

She glumped softly and stepped out of the way for Rin. She wasn't trying to hide it, she was coming forward with it. Rin sighed softly knowing what laid behind this door would upset him. The metal creaked open and light fell upon a small skinny figure. His pale skin shimmered in the light and it made his soft blonde hair glow, his dull green eyes floated over to Rin and he froze, the god's aura was intoxicating and overwhelming, it was stronger than anything he had felt before. It made the blonde shiver with fear.

"I am not here to hurt you, I just want to help,"

Rin's silky soft voice brought comfort to the frighting being. He looked so frail and small, he was starved for sure, Rin was confident that there was much more than just physical scars on the being. The overwhelming scents of blood, excrements, and rot fled from the cell and polluted the fresh air of the facility making Rin gag and gasp for clean air. Such putrid scents didn't seem to affect the frail being.

Gaining his composure Rin spoke again. "How long have you been here?"

"Don't know?" The being replied in craking, broken speech.

"When did you first come here?" Rin asked carefully stepping closer.

"Never come here.... Always be here,"

The word slid through Rin as a sharp pain filled his head, the things he had seen, the memories of the past world... this wasn't supposed to happen again, not to anyone or anything.

"Can I pick you up?"

"Hold me?" The words sounded happy but his eyes were riddled with fear... maybe that is how you look at everyone after you have been hurt enough.

Biting his lip Rin brought his mind back to the situation at hand. "Yes. Can I hold you?"

The soft nod gave Rin the consent he needed to sweep the small figure up and cover him with his midnight cape. Rin stepped out of the rusted cell and looked around at the workers scattered across the room. Disgust and fury is all he had to offer them, so he greeted all of them with a sneer.

"Shiro, Shura. Take care of them," Rin ordered sharply as the beings appeared in a flash of light.

"In what way your highness?"

"In what every way you please I don't care. Just get rid of them,"

The world morphed around Rin as he arrived back at his temple. He wasted no time as he raced through the tall marble halls, soon he arrived at his lavish bathroom. The soft rose-scented steam whirled around Rin, as he placed he being in his arms into his bath.

The water covered every inch of his skin below his neck.

"Warm," He announced softly, making his feelings known.

"What?" Rin questioned, that was the first time he has been addressed so casually in years.

"Warm," He repeated moving his arms around in the water. It brought a smile to Rin's face.

"Yes, the water is warm do you like it?" Rin chuckles happily standing up.

The being nodded softly.

"So do you have a name?"

"My number?"

"Yes, what do others call you?"

"9,"

Rin froze when he heard the number... 9? That was his name? How long had this been going on, how long did Rin let this go on... He was being treated like a human, he wasn't even being treated as a test subject! He was just an object. A damn number.

Rin's claws tore through the delicate fabric of his robes as he snarled furiously, catching a glimpse of the fear written across the boy's face was enough to calm him.

"I am giving you a proper name... how about Reficul?" Rin spoke happily soothing the boy.

The boy smiled gleefully, a name? A proper name? He had been given a name. He nodded happily accepted the name quickly.

"Good, now I suppose I should start teaching you how to speak more fluently... I should also get you to your proper weight... I will get Shura to find the files on you to see how you are so we can get you caught up on everything," Rin mutters to himself before his gaze slides over to Reficul. "And maybe if you work hard enough and have build skill quickly you can get into my academy,"

Reficul beamed happily and nodded. He was going to work hard and get in! He was going to impress his savior!