[sub][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJv-j1usoI]Theme[/url][/sub]

[i][color=gray]I hear them over and over, the curses, the dread, the fear in my name. Cecilia the Devouring One they call me, mistaking me for that [b]Beast[/b]. I've heard them for so long that it's but a breath away to ignore them, pretend they are the background noise to this sea of nothingness. Don't I deserve this though? Am I not the one in her self-righteousness, her arrogance, feeling as if I were invincible just because I was a god, that was the reason for all of this? I could've seen it, but instead I let my nativity get the best of me and doomed my people to fall. How stupid...

I go over my mistake again and again, trying to find a way that I could've fixed it or avoided and there are hundreds of ways - but it doesn't matter. I am forgotten, lost in the void of all forgotten deities. I cannot die, but I no longer hold any power.. only the capacity to think, to ponder, to wallow in my guilt. Why didn't the others spread my heroic tale? Did they not see? Are they all really that greedy? Was there not one noble god among them?

... w-wait. I.. this.. I haven't felt this in ages. Someone is praying - to me? That isn't enough, but.. someone actually gives me offerings?[/color][/i]
[hr]
Just as Anela turned to scoff at the newcomer, there was a sudden burst of wind that rushed through the shrine, forcing the door to creek and bang against the outside. Leaves and dust swirled around the two in a dance that could only be described as calming and soothing, the air becoming heavy with the scent of a fresh rainstorm, despite the sky's protest that there were no clouds. If it were magic, neither of them could feel it's energies - no, this was something different, other-worldly in nature, but inspiring in it's own way. Slowly, the dust, the leaves, and wind died down until the shrine was quiet once more.

However the play did not stop there. The scent of rain water still cloaked the shrine as the light started to dim into almost pitch blackness, then without warning, the light became so bright as to becoming blinding - though it did not blind. As the white flash drifted away, both women were presented with a scene that was familiar yet vastly different. The solid stone floor almost shined, free of dirt or grime, the chairs that had previously been broken and rotted were repaired once more, tables placed upright as if brand new, giving off the feel that the shrine had only been just built moments ago. The cloths hanging seemed clean and soft and candles were lit, giving off a gentle warmth, making one question how this could ever be the shrine of someone so evil.

Most importantly however, they both realized something. [i]They were not alone.[/i] In the middle of the room stood a woman, clad in a mixture of cloth and silver chainmail, holding a runic blade in her hands. In many ways, this made her appear as a soldier, but upon closer inspection even the cloths had a unique elegance to them from an age gone by. The layers were folded to flatter her form and yet the chain mesh provided protection and mobility in ways that spoke to a skilled swordsman, but even the armor had a pleasant shine to it. Beyond this though, it was obvious that there was an almost otherworldly glow about her that was less [i]seen[/i] and more so [i]felt,[/i] radiating an aura of fierce compassion. It was then that they both noticed her staring right at them.

[b][color=fd0347]"The one who prayed to me.."[/color][/b] The woman paused, but her voice was filled with a subtle yet musical echo. [b][color=fd0347]"I did not imagine the first request being that of a bed."[/color][/b] Causally, but with what seemed like the strength of a dozen giants, she thrust the tip of her blade into the stone floor, sealing it in place. She then leaned on her hip, gently placing her palm against it, studying the two in a few moments of silence. [b][color=fd0347]"Regardless of why - I am thankful. No one has prayed for centuries.."[/color][/b]

Her eyes then met Kali's own for a moment and Cecilia smiled softly. [b][color=fd0347]"Nor has anyone given me offerings in those times."[/color][/b] The goddess looked down at her hand, flexing her fingers into a fist and then back to an open palm. [b][color=fd0347]".. however, you may be disappointed."[/color][/b] Her eyes wandered back up to the pair, her smile having faded. [b][color=fd0347]"I am the patron of noble warriors - not a love goddess."[/color][/b] At that, she simply went silent, allowing the mortals to respond to her, lowering her free hand to sit at her side as she watched them with an unusual intensity, her piercing green eyes never leaving them.