For Her, His Goddess

Far below the throne room, indeed at the base of Desmortia itself, sat the Imp, Noren. He wrung his hands as he tried to sort out the tangle of emotions that flooded through his body. Fear. Anger. Hatred. Excitement.

And guilt. So much guilt.

Sometimes it was enough to bring tears to his eyes. There was barely a day that passed when he was not overwhelmed by these feelings. But he had very few chances to show it, lest Master get angry.

Oh, Master. My Master.

What a burden he carried… Noren could feel the tears welling again. But they were not tears of sadness but of joy. The joy that he, Noren, was still alive. To exist meant that the greatest parts of Master still lived, no matter how deeply he buried them.

He had feared the worst when he saw that girl lying there, as still as death. He thought that Master had truly succumbed to evil. But upon speaking to her, it was clear that the opposite was true. Master was indeed noble and kind. He only wished to free her from her prison of fate. To give her what she needed to succeed.

Noren could feel the pain that Master preferred to ignore pierce through his chest like a white-hot knife. He clutched his ribs with both hands, waiting for the moment when Master would try to soothe his own pain by rubbing it away. But it did not come. Master was being strong. Perhaps him bringing his plans to fruition made him forget his suffering. But Noren could not forget. His life depended on not forgetting. Of making sure he never dulled his senses to the pain.

His body quivered as he curled into himself. The pain was so intense.

"Oh, my dear Noren."

He had not heard her approach. All he could see as he knelt on the rocky ground was her feet coming toward him. Her footsteps were silent and did not disturb a stone.

"You poor thing." The voice, filled with love, was soft and melodious. The hand that began to stroke his bare, twisted back was even softer.

That was not quite true. The actual hand was weightless, but he remembered the feeling when it was soft and warm. The touch brought him comfort. Even as it made the pain grow so intense, he wanted to scream.

He looked up at her smiling lips, at her pale, freckled face and fiery red hair that seemed to veil her eyes from him. At the sight of her, Noren could feel his face melt into an expression of supplication.

It's her… His Goddess.

She radiated a divine light that filled his body with strength.

But despite her lovely aura, he could not find the strength to speak. The pain seemed to tighten his throat. If he knew... If Master knew I was here. How much worse would the pain be? How angry would Master become?

"Hush now. Shh." She seemed to know exactly what he was feeling. "There is no use worrying. Just tell me what he has been doing of late."

Yes. Noren remembered why he was here in the first place. As soon as Master had left him alone when he went with the Equituum, Noren saw the opportunity to make his report. He knew she would be here. She was always there when he needed her. There was so much to tell. But he still could not speak.

"Take your time," she cooed, still stroking his back. "Only speak when you are ready." She began to hum. The melody was familiar.

Noren closed his eyes, letting the tears stream freely as he listened and remembered the song and the feelings of her touch. They remained that way for what felt like an eternity.

Eventually, the pain became bearable once more. Noren opened his eyes to again stare at her beautiful face. He took in her radiance. Seeing it again worsened the pain, but not enough to mute him.

So, he opened his mouth and explained all he had seen and heard since Master had first had the idea to open the portal to other worlds.

She listened patiently, face lined with worry. The worry grew deeper and began to mix with anger as Noren told her about the girl.

"Ooh, that man! I swear—" As soon as Noren finished his story, she stood and stared upward, hands on hips. No doubt she was looking at the summit of Desmortia where Master currently resided.

She seemed to bristle for a moment before her shoulders relaxed. Then she turned to smile down at Noren and crouched to look at his eye level. He met her gaze and saw the affection that shone in them.

How he loved those eyes—the palest of blue. The color of ice, yet so warm.

"You did a most excellent job, Noren." She clasped his face with a hand and leaned forward to press her lips to his hollow cheek. While there was no tangible sensation of the kiss, his cheek burned. "I pray for that girl…."

She trailed off as she pulled her face from his. Her eyes were once again looking toward the summit.

Then she seemed to find her voice again. "And I pray for you. That you will find yourself again."

She said that every time she was about to leave. Noren knew that it was time for him to go, too. Though he didn't want to.

He wished he could stay with her forever. But he knew he could not. He had his place by Master's side. Without him, he would be lost forever.

As he spread his wings and began to fly upward, she watched him and gave a small wave. "Thank you, Noren. Come back to me soon."

"Indeed, I will, Mistress. Indeed, I will."

It was almost impossible for him to tear his eyes away from his Goddess as he took off at full speed. But he did.

And how it pained him to do so.