Universe: Battle Fields AU
Rating: PG13
Main Characters: Ezra and Maude
Disclaimer: I do not own the character of The Magnificent Seven. This is just for fun. This is just fiction, and I will be making no money off of this story. Also, remember that this is just fanfiction. Do not attempt any of this in real life as it will probably land you in jail.
Additional comments: Hey, I had to go back and add a little to set up my next volume The Plan of Pacis. Išll try to be straightforward about whatšs going on, but you may need a scorecard! Ha!
Ancient text in the Temple of WAERHEALL:
Af lyu suxaffafx lyuju nuju dofq xevk.
Nyuf Dof nok tjuoluv, lyu xevk weixyl.
Le kleg o noj af lyu kbq, Afwafalq vamavuv lyu nejcv afle dofq.
O vawwujufl vadufkaef wej lyeku nye neicv tyeeku le jicu Dof af lyuaj enf noq.
Lyak ak o yaklejq ewe fu nejcv ofv alk xevk.
Lyak ak lyu klejq ew Rijauc ofv alk guegcu.
Translation:
In the beginning there were many gods.
When Man was created, the gods fought.
To stop a war in the sky, Infinity divided the world into many.
A different dimension for those who would choose to rule Man in their own way.
This is a history of one world and its gods.
This is the story of Zuriel and its people.
Maude stared at the two cups before her, one blessed and the other damned. Ezra stirred restlessly beside her as she studied the cups.
"By Sluaghan, make a decision. The sun is nearly setting, Maude."
Maude swung away from the cups and raised her hand as if to silence her son with a gesture. "One of these cups is damned, you fool. Once the blessed cup is used, a ten-year must pass before other attempts it or it is instant death."
Ezra heaved his shoulders in a sigh. He knew the danger. He was not a young hothead looking for an easy way to glory. He was prepared to be the damned one if need be. Whatever Maude decided, he would still have a fifty-fifty chance of having the blessed cup.
On High, Pacis looked intently into the Mists. Ezra's face stood out in sharp relief against the jungle background of the country of Matox. Her eyes turned from Ezra to Maude and silently thanked the hardened conwoman for this chance to change Fate. Not just Ezra's Fate, but the Fate of his whole world of Zuriel.
Pacis allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. Things were going well and on time. It was funny how that ancient scroll that described the Cups and Sluaghan's Blessing just happened to fall into Maude's greedy little hands.
Footsteps behind Pacis caused her to quickly change the view in the Mists to cover her secret dealings.
"Hello, Pacis, looking at anyone in particular today? Perhaps viewing one of your many followers?"
"I hope," Pacis muttered under her breath as the Goddess of Peace greeted her little sister, Galataeh, Goddess of Luck.
Pacis just hoped that Galataeh was not here to watch her favorite 'son' today. Ezra had other business to conduct and she didn't want her little sister interfering in the process.
Galataeh looked at the wafting Mists for a moment, admiring their beauty. She finally shook her head and turned away. "I have to help Mother. She's blessing all the newlywed couples today. She wants me there to give them luck in conceiving a family." She looked back at the mists. "Don't stay here too long. The Mists are hypnotic sometimes."
Pacis smiled and nodded her head as Galataeh moved off to go meet their mother.
As soon as she was out of sight, Pacis called up the images of Maude and Ezra hoping she hadn't missing anything important.
Maude studied the cups for a long time, long enough for the sun to be gone and the first moon, Gaenna, to rise. Then, with finality, she picked up the lower cup and gripped it with both hands. "Pick up the other cup, Ezra. We shall begin."
Shaking the sleep from his legs, Ezra stood and picked up the plainer top cup. They both moved to the center of the cliff ledge, held the cups above their heads and Maude began the prayer.
"O, mighty Sluaghan, son of WAERHEALL, and Lord of the Battlefields, Patron God of the Peoples of Matox, please bless us with your great presence and bestow your eternal gift."
As her words faded, a glow began to congeal on the cliff. It soon became a huge man in battle armor and a horned helmet that had no visor. On his broad back was a giant sword with a gilded hilt. This was the mighty entity of War itself, the king of battlefields the world over.
"My name has been invoked, children of my father's thoughts. I will do as compelled and bless the holder of the cup."
And as he laid out his blessing, Maude was shocked to see the god's eyes were only on Ezra. It was well known that the holder of the damned cup was invisible to the eyes of the god of battle during the ritual. With a cry, she flung the damned cup from her and fell to the ground as if to call on the soil of Zuriel to protect herself from what might come of the curse.
Before her, Ezra grew in height and muscle. His hair grew long and chestnut in color, his arms and his legs were lined with strong sinew. A golden sword appeared on his back and armor over his newly muscled body. "Go now, son of my father's thought, go change the world." The god's eyes turned from the blessing as if to search for her, but he could not find her to lay his curse.
And with that the glow was gone, the god back to his battlefields. None had felt the fine hand of Pacis as she laid her own blessing on Ezra's heart with a soft touch during the ritual. No one needed to know.
Maude screamed in fury. The blessed cup was used and no other could control its power for another ten-year. While Ezra still gloried in the feel of his new body, she knelt by the damned cup and sunk deep into thought.
"Pick up the blessed cup again, Ezra."
He turned from his glory in shock. Once a blessing was laid, it was unheard of to call upon Sluaghan a second time before the ten-year. "Are you mad?"
She waved that away. "You are blessed, having held the blessed cup. It is empty until the ten-year is over. But this cup is still full, its curse unspoken because I flung it from me before you were blessed."
She held the full cup up and motioned to him. "Come, stand at my back and put your hands on the cup. With the blessing on you, it will make Sluaghan see me."
Once again, she called on the battle god. And once again he appeared.
"Who calls before the ten-year!?"
The god turned his eyes on the glow of Maude as she stood in his sight.
"My lord, it has been a ten-year. The man you blessed that day has done great deeds and killed many foes. He is a hero of my people, just as you meant him to be."
The god looked up at the sky, mollified. "I must have been in battle-haze to miss so many years," he murmured to himself. Maude felt Ezra move behind her and the god's eyes suddenly became sharp on her again.
"Who is with you?"
"My lord, just my handmaiden, who helps hold my hands steady on the cup as I face your mighty presence on the land. If she displeases you, I shall have her killed for you after the blessing."
The god shook his head. "No, I do not care for sacrifice on my altar. Do with her what you will, but do not kill her in my name."
The god held up a hand. "Thus I bless you: for every year that has passed since the last blessing may you be more beautiful. For every day that has passed may you be more powerful. And for every minute that has passed may you be more intelligent. Thus, I bless you, and farewell."
The glow around her intensified and Ezra staggered away and covered his eyes. When he opened them, he found her as she had begun.
She threw the cup away and stood ready for the blessing, but none came. She was no more beautiful, no more powerful and only a little more intelligent that she had started. Her lie about the ten-year had doomed her to a worthless blessing. And once blessed by Sluaghan in this place, never can you be blessed again.
And the thing that had been increased, her intelligence, only had more thoughts to prick at her at her failure and her faults. The plans that would have worked and the schemes that would have garnered a greater blessing ran through her mind with a vengeance.
She turned away with a scream of fury and stalked off, Ezra trailing along behind her.
The End
February 11, 2003
updated on 10/21/03!
Should there be a sequel? Let me know
PS: I didnšt get a lot of response to this story (uh, one e-mail), but I am doing a sequel called The Plan of Pacis. Youšll get to meet the rest of the Magnificent Seven and see what Fate (and Pacis) has in store for them!
Feedback to Author