[center][h1]By the Bonfire[/h1][/center]

Within the keep there was a balmy presence, it illuminated the vast hall, as it gently crackled and flickered. The Eternal Fire greeted the six champions escorting the little Homuran towards six strange seats arranged around the bright monument.

The seats were large soft plushies, shaped like white wintery owls, their wings spread out or draped across their chests like feathery blankets. The plushies were surrounded by red pillows, strewn carelessly like toys that had been long forgotten. Beside one plushie was a small table laden with two bowls that held a large egg and a dark orb. There was also a wooden staff, and a sheathed dagger.

As they stepped closer, the hard stone floor was replaced with the silken touch of a red and white carpet, intricate patterns depicting the scenery found in Kel-Phelena woven into the floor cloth beneath their feet.

“You can sit here!” Curiosity said, as she and Wanderer guided Lorelei towards the plushie beside the table. The other champions simply gathered pillows and built an improvised couch for them to use.

“Try not to overwhelm her…” Kindness quietly scolded her inquisitive sister.

After having sat down on the owl plushie and moved the wings out of the way a little bit, she looked at the others in the room, immediately looking away from each as they made eye contact with her. This went on for a little while, until she finally spoke. “W-We’re celebrating, right! Because we became f-friends. So we g-gotta say our thanks.” Lorelei smiled nervously before closing her eyes and clasping her hands.

“Thanks for n-new friends. Thanks for old friends. White, Gray, B-Black, Yellow, Red, Rober, A-Alia…” She scrunched up her face, “Night Terror, Olla, D… That’s it.” She nodded and opened her eyes and smiled. “Who d-do you carry with y-you, guys?”

The six champions had imitated her actions, and had yet to open their eyes. “Thank you, O King in Heaven, for new friends and old friends.” They said together. Then they too, opened their eyes and smiled.

“You’re the first friend we’ve made. Mother gave Viho a mission, and he had to leave before we could really talk. Fear is the only one that has spoken with him for some time.” Curiosity replied.

“Those names. Those are colors, are they not? And the others… would you tell us about them? Kindness asked, attempting to keep the pillows together lest the couch she and her sisters sat upon collapsed. Fear stood up and sat in one of the vacant plushies, simply pulling it closer.

Lorelei perked up and grinned “Y-Yep! They are c-colours. White, my b-brother, told me they chose them b-because their old names were c-cursed. Something about their p-parents leaving them b-behind. So…” The girl pursed her lips, then continued. “Gray w-was my brother’s g-girlfriend, she was really nice and w-would cook breakfast e-every day. She was c-caught by the Homura Guys. Black was his b-best friend, he liked to h-hit things and one t-time he stole a can of t-tuna, but when I f-found him eating it, he shared it w-with me. He was caught b-by the Homura Guys. Yellow and R-Red were brothers… Like you six! They l-looked the same. They had b-blonde hair, though. T-They told me they used to have a s-sister, to explain how they k-knew how to play girl g-games with me… I-I didn’t know her. They got caught by the Homura Guys too.”

“R-Rober and Alia… Old couple. W-White rescued them from drones. They stayed with u-us for a while, then l-left to look for their grandkids. I-I never met Night Terror, but White told me he brought us f-food sometimes, he was a f-friend.” Satisfied, Lorelei dared to look at the champion’s eyes to gauge their reactions.

“What do you mean by the Homura Guys?” Fear asked with a puzzled expression while her sisters seemed to still contemplate Lorelei’s words.

“The Homura Guys, t-took people and did b-bad things to them.” Lorelei shuddered. “C-Came to our house o-one time. White and everyone k-kicked them out. Then t-they attacked them when they w-went out for food. Took e-everyone but W-White. Things h-happened and they were found by H-Hunters. All dead… Even my f-friends. My old friends.”

“Why were these scum created? How did this happen? Our Maker wouldn’t let this happen, right?” Courage shouted at her sisters, after they had remained silent upon hearing the little girl’s answer.

“Is this what happened to the ones that were taken? Or the ones we left with the other gods and goddesses?” Fear questioned aloud, and felt the pain of sorrow choke her as she spoke.

“I-It’s okay. Old b-books made by Primes s-say that we were g-given to the B-Boss. N-Not your fault he ended up b-being an asshole.” Lorelei said sweetly.

“Who is this Biboss?” Courage asked, her features darkened with rage, while Kindness placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s too late. Didn’t you hear her, Courage. Her friends are already dead.” Fear spoke from her seat, head in her hands as she tried to cope with the fact that she couldn’t protect her kin from being abused and killed by some far away evil.

“It’s our time to protect you, Lorelei. Mother will find this monster, and punish him accordingly. It may not heal the pain, but I promise you that you will reunite with your friends.” Pride said, taking advantage of her small size to share the seat with Lorelei, who immediately took the opportunity to hug her.

“What’s an asshole?” Curiosity asked nobody in particular.

“A-Apostate’s nickname for the Boss. Also I-I don’t wanna meet my old f-friends. They’re dead.” Lorelei shook her head, which also served to bury her face further in Pride’s hair. “Your hair is soft, I l-like it. D-Do you wanna eat?”

“It’s my essence, I think. Fire-touched, if that makes sense. What do you mean by eat?” Pride tilted her head in confusion, the word feeling strange on her tongue. She understood its meaning, but didn’t have any context to visualize it in her mind.

“WHAT!” Lorelei jumped up, standing on the plushie. As quickly as she could, she dug through her suit’s pockets and pulled out a somewhat misshapen cube that had been wrapped in paper. Carefully, she handed it to Pride. “W-White’s special. Lasts for m-months and tastes bland. V-Very good. Has meat and potato and corn powder. You c-can share it with everyone!”

Pride peered at the contents within the container after opening it with ease. She leaned back upon understanding what she looked at. “Lorelei, this is terrible. You shouldn’t eat this.” She said, with a look of concern for her friend, and attempting to find a way to properly dispose of the food she held.

“She said you could share it with everyone, I want to see what it is!” Curiosity interjected, while Courage went pale upon the mention of meat as a component. The other champions refrained from commenting.

“B-But… You’re not h-hungry? None of you?” Lorelei asked, sitting back down dejectedly.

“We never feel hunger.” Kindness answered. “Hmm… not in that way, at least. How to explain it… well, we only need to sustain the fire within us. Our Maker and the Eternal Fire offer such sustenance.” The quiet champion explained, gesturing to the blazing bonfire behind them.

“How did you survive for so long eating this?” Curiosity asked as she examined White’s Special with Wanderer looking over her shoulder to see as well. 

“We ate that and a-anything else we could find. R-Rats, insects, one time I ate a b-bad plant and White yelled at me. Also cans. I w-wish I could eat heat like you. I wouldn’t be s-so small.” Lorelei said, looking at Pride out of the corner of her eye.

“You should have eaten your fig,” Apostate’s voice came from the threshold, one hand resting on the hilt of his blade, while the other held the spear of Homura upright. 

The champions were startled into silence by the god’s sudden arrival, and all of them turned to look his way with mixed expressions. Courage seemed annoyed, while Kindness and Fear had questions in their eyes as they looked at the bloodied god and the golden spear he had.

Curiosity took startlement to the extreme, and did a double-take before laughing nervously, as Wanderer nodded in greetings. Pride remained seated, while holding onto Lorelei.

“Did you discuss what you wanted with Mother?” The small champion asked.

“I did,” the god answered before venturing further into the room. Without another word he approached one of the plush owl seats and sat in it, the soft material squishing under the weight of the tall man. Apostate’s eye fell on the orb set at the center of the table and then at Pride.

“You’ve been doing well then?” He asked, only to look over his shoulder at the threshold expectantly. 

“We’ve been fortunate, being able to reunite and be together like this. A lot has happened since you left, it seems. For us, and for others.” Pride answered, and her sisters all relaxed nearby.

“What did you and Mother talk about?” Curiosity asked after passing the can of food to Fear and Kindness so that they could look at it. The inquisitive also pointed to Daybringer, wordlessly questioning why it was in the God of Defiance’s grasp.

Apostate leaned back, letting the spear rest in the crook of his shoulder. He frowned in thought for a moment. “Ask your mother, if she feels you should know, she’ll tell you.” 

“The Divine and their secrets, am I right?” Courage chuckled, and simply shrugged at Curiosity who’s curiosity would not be sated.

“I’m uncertain whether this form is more preferable than your previous form.” Pride commented, before shaking her head upon recalling the perturbing memory of a Homura without any eyes. “No, this one is better than the last.” She said.

“Is Lorelei your champion?” Kindness inquired, as she passed the can of food to Courage, then looked at Apostate with an almost perfect replication of the impassive visage of Homura herself.

Studying Kindness’ features with a tired eye, Apostate shook his head. “No, Lorelei is not my champion.” 

He looked over to the small girl and gave her a confident grin, which Lorelei responded to with a small smile of her own, before perking up.

“Champion? W-What’s that? Heard it a l-lot today.”

“We were created by our Maker to be her hands that reach across the world. We act in her stead when she is far, and follow her commands with complete obedience. That is what it means to be a Champion of Honor.” Kindness answered, her voice was monotonous, but emotion flickered like a cold fire burning in her eyes while Lorelei stared with her mouth slightly agape.

“Waaow…”

“That’s just the Kindness way of saying that we help Mother out.” Curiosity added with a grin. “We’re also granted strength and knowledge as well!”

“You-re so c-cool! What knowledge?” 


“Memories, and feelings. We were born knowing three different languages, and our bodies would just move on their own. Then there are our names. Each of them showed us something deep within. Like looking at something far away, but familiar to you, if that makes sense.” Pride answered, while Kindness and Fear looked between each other, having another silent conversation between themselves.
 
“They also mastered the dead-pan.” Apostate glanced at Curiosity. “Well, most of them.”

“Most of us were granted strength. Little Pride has trouble lifting only one of us.” Courage quipped, teasing the small champion with a playful grin.

“H-Hey! Pride is gonna g-grow! And she will be s-stronger than even me.” Lorelei nodded to herself, then nodded at Pride. “Right?”

“Yes, I will. I’ll also drop my…” The small champion did not finish her sentence going suddenly still, until she gestured to Courage with her hands moving quickly in little angry motions.

“Ya, ya. What’s with that thing anyway?” Courage pointed to the orb that rested upon the table. She looked to Apostate for an answer.

“Hm?” Apostate perked a brow and looked over at the smoky glass ball. He held out a hand and the ball began to rattle in its bowl. A second longer and it suddenly snapped from its place and zipped right into the gods grasp. He looked it over. “You want to know the secret of the glass ball?”

“YEAH!” Lorelei suddenly shouted then shrunk back down, a blush covering her bronzed skin. “Sorry. Loud.”

Apostate cracked a small smile and then tossed it at Courage. With the enhanced agility of a champion, her arms were a blur as she caught the heavy orb sailing through the air towards her. She almost stumbled backwards, but regained her balance quickly.

“Why is this thing always being used as a weapon?” The brash champion complained.

“Maybe that’s what it is,” Apostate answered cryptically before shaking his head. “There are two more of them, you know. One to the Northwest and one to the Southwest. Combined with this one, you get a nice little triangle…” 

He trailed off and then leaned in, motioning for everyone else to mimic him as he arced over the table, a conspirator’s look in his eye.

The six champions seemed bewildered by his actions, and remained where they were. “Are you alright, your grace?” Kindness asked with a hint of concern. Wanderer was the first to realize what was happening, and joined him. She began her rubbing hands together in preparation for some nefarious plot, making Lorelei giggle before joining in.

“What is happening?” Courage asked, still confused.

“The secret of the b-balls is about to be shared!” Whispered Lorelei loudly.

Courage looked at the orb in her hands, then shook her head with mirth. “Fine. I’m in.” Then the brash champion joined them as well.

“And you can’t tell anyone, ever?” Apostate pointed a finger. “Do you understand? This is a secret between us.”

Both Courage and Wanderer nodded. The other champions were more reluctant, but agreed as well. All, aside from Pride.

“If this secret poses a threat to Keltra or its people, then I will reveal it.” The small champion announced, staring with defiance at Apostate. Apostate stared back, a smile on his face. Not wanting to be left behind after looking at both Pride and Apostate, Lorelei nodded vigorously.

Apostate crossed his arms. “I don’t know, you sound a little too easy to peel apart and reveal the secret. Perhaps it would be safer if you didn’t know, in case someone were to attempt to blackmail it out of you… hmm…”

“Hmph, Heralds of Honor, should this secret be considered a threat to Keltra, then you are ordered to share it with your Maker and I.” Pride said again, and her five sisters looked conflicted upon hearing those words.

Apostate swiped a hand in the air, as if closing the case. “It won’t come to that, let me make it all make sense. Are you all prepared for the secret?”

“Go, go!” Lorelei repeated, bouncing a little on her plushie seat and leaning forward on her hands.

Apostate’s eye flashed a stormy grey, and as it did, the eyes of his conspirators pulsed the same, and for a brief moment, so did the ball. The god cracked a smirk and leaned back, clearly proud of himself.  

“Now don’t tell anyone, and never say it outloud.”

Lorelei sat back, letting herself sink back into the plushie. “Ok. T-That felt weird.”

“Necessary precaution.” Apostate held up his hand. A thought clearly crossed Apostate, his face becoming thoughtful and serious. Slowly he stood up, hefting Daybreaker upright once again. 

“I think I’ll go check in on Homura,” he mentioned simply, but didn’t quite leave just yet..

The champions contemplated what they had learned, and Courage was the first to voice aloud her thoughts. “That’s not dangerous, ya?”

“Did you hit your head with that thing? It’ll be dangerous in the future. I don’t like being involved in the petty games the Divine play between themselves. We should tell Mother.” Pride countered, letting out a small sigh of frustration as she did so often when Courage was involved.

“That was awfully quick,” Apostate commented. “Don’t do anything rash, now.” He looked over at the threshold. “I’m trusting you with this.” 

He began his walk out, his boots matching the soft tap of the spear as he walked out.

“Come on, it will be fun!” Courage continued, “Besides, we were also told to do whatever the other gods and goddesses say, so let’s not do anything rash, ya.”

“Fine! It shall remain here, and its purpose kept a secret for now.” Pride said, after relenting to her brash sister’s goading words. “How annoying…” The small champion mumbled to herself.

“Are you alright?” Kindness asked Lorelei, noticing the girl had retreated into the plushie after the experience of having a god insert knowledge directly in their minds.

“Yep!” Lorelei responded and yawned, the light of the flames in the center of the hall reflecting off her eyes. “T-Tired. Small. I w-wanna be big like you. Maybe then I would understand more. Also I-I’m icky. Sorry.” She blushed. “Y-You’re all so much more c-cleaner than me. I-I’m just a Homuran. I shouldn’t be t-treated this well. Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You’re more than just a Homuran, you’re our guest. You’ve been treated poorly by one who should’ve known better, and that’s tainted your view of yourself. Do not be ashamed, we think you’re wonderful the way you are. If you’re tired, would you like to rest?” Pride said, her voice returning to its more gentle dulcet tone.

Lorelei was silent for a while, “I-I think you’re all really nice too.” After another moment, she continued, “Is there a river here? I-I gotta clean my body and suit and visor.”

“There’s the sea… but I think it’d be better if we asked our Mother to help us.” Curiosity suggested, gesturing to the exit.

“I’ll go ask her!” Courage volunteered, and dashed out the doorway before any of her sisters could intervene.

“Nng, nyo!! I d-don’t want Homura to know I get dirty…” Lorelei groaned, pulling her hoodie down over her burning face.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Mother is much more likely to get mad at us if we don't do anything. She wants to help us, but I think she is too focused on nonsensical things to just say what she wants to say. You’ll find that the Divine can be just as childish as any mortal.” Pride explained, and attempted to soothe the anxious girl by massaging her shoulders.

Lorelei yelped as Pride immediately found a knot in her shoulders, “Ow! Don’t stop!” 

“It is too late anyway. Courage cannot be stopped once she has a plan, and our Maker has been listening in on our conversation this entire time, I imagine.” Kindness added, emotion still exempt from her voice.

“What? So she- S-She knows…”  Lorelei sighed, “Kindness why a-are you talking like that? Are you okay?”

Kindness tilted her head at the question. “I am fine. This is how I have spoken since I was born. Is there an issue?” But before Lorelei could reply, Fear interjected. “You could smile more often.” Then Curiosity chimed in as well. “And you had such a beautiful laugh!” She said while Wanderer nodded in agreement.

“I understand. L-Life is tough. White told me that the c-cure for sadness is a big meal. I will p-prepare a big meal for you Kindness. N-No meat, right?” Lorelei asked, hopping off the plushie and walking up to Kindness.

“We do not eat… You do not need to make something for me. Your smile is the only cure I need for my sadness.” Kindness said, leaning close to the girl, and offering a small smile. It seemed only a facsimile of an actual smile, but the reticent champion’s words were tinged with truth and echoed with faint power.

Lorelei in turn pursed her lips, “Humm… Okay. Okay.”

“You will find that there is no need to consume the beauty all around you, child. The Eternal Fire sustains life, much like the presence of the Divine, and wards the faithful from the vile touch of hunger.” Homura’s voice echoed with far more power in the vast halls, resonating with both the light and darkness.

She stepped into the hall followed by Courage and Apostate, approaching them with otherworldly grace, and shimmering with heavenly radiance.

“Oh! Uh, umm… Hi! I-It’s not making me feel full… The Fire. How d-do I feed off of it?” Lorelei asked, turning towards Homura but not daring to look at her, instead she looked at the ground as usual and twiddled her thumbs as she waited for a reply.

“You must cleanse yourself of death. All of the life you have consumed has become lost, and has forgotten its purpose. I will teach you a ritual to purify yourself, child, and then you will know how to sustain yourself.” Homura answered, until Kindness stepped between the goddess and Lorelei.

“Let her make the choice for herself. She is not your servant, nor is she bound to Keltra like we are. What if she should want to leave?”

Apostate raised a brow and Homura came to a halt before Kindness, and spoke softly. “She will not be hurt, and is welcome to leave whenever she wishes. Besides, while the fire is small now, perhaps it will one day spread its warmth across the world. I presume this is the influence of Apostate compelling you to stand against me.”

“No, this is me. I would rather you stop pretending that you have all of the answers. We were fortunate that Courage and Fear were able to return. If you make a mistake, and harm her, know that I will not follow you any longer.” Both the goddess and her champion stood still and stared at each other. Of her six champions, Kindness was too much like her, that when they stood beside each other, it was nigh impossible to differentiate them. Only divinity and mortality separated them.

Apostate spoke up, “Homura wouldn’t hurt Lorelei,” he looked at the Goddess intently, “wouldn’t you? You’d let her live as she wanted, and be there for when she needs someone, yeah?”

Lorelei meekly pulled on Kindness’ clothes, “I-It’s okay. L-Life is tough. Bosses have it tough. I-I remember my brother c-crying himself to sleep at night every night after w-we lost the others… The morning after, h-he would always pretend everything was o-okay even when it wasn’t. He d-did it for me. And now he’s dead. And I w-wish I had talked to him more. I-It’s okay, Kindness.” 

Wordlessly, Kindness stepped aside, her gaze wandering between Lorelei and Kindness. Courage came forward, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. It doesn’t even hurt, ya.”

Homura knelt beside the little girl, and smiled. “You will awaken feeling reborn, but your past will remain with you forever. I will not stop you if you seek to return to your old ways. Now sleep.” And the hand of the goddess gently touched the head of the child, sending her into the world of dreams.

“Hmm… I wonder why our siblings choose such an inefficient method of sustaining the fire of life within their creations? I can only presume it was hubris, or cowardice. Brother, our aspects are very similar. Do you know the truth that is the ultimate act of both Honor and Defiance?” The red goddess asked.

“I have a strange feeling in my heart, that even if I did, you’d correct me with a different answer.” Apostate pinched his chin in thought.
“Perhaps. Hmm… feel free to correct me if you think I am wrong then. I believe the answer is being alive. The King in Heaven bid us create life, but why? My understanding of Honor tells me that this world gave us only two choices. Accept that we have been imprisoned, or accept death and fade into nothingness. I cannot accept either of those choices, so I defy them. Honor is the means with which I defy both nihilism and annihilation. That is what I believe.” Homura said.

A deep rumble came from Apostate before he closed his eye in silence. “All life is a rebellion against entropy.”

The goddess smiled while her hand began to shimmer and she removed Lorelei’s stained outfit, setting free her short, disheveled dark brown hair as well as the pair of small triangular ears on top of her head, both of which were laying completely flat at the moment. Without the hoodie covering her face, it was also clear that there were several natural markings of a darker skin tone along her face which extended down her neck and onto her shoulders, and a (relatively) long cat-like tail sprouted from the bottom of her spine and was currently wrapped around her waist. Everything about her body was natural, with the exception of the near-invisible strings of characters that had been inscribed into her skin over her wrists and above the base of her tail.

“Hmm... Astus has a sense of humor, it seems. Rebellion… Rebellion. Every devil needs a proper name. I think mine shall be The Red Angel of Rebellion. What do you think, brother?” The light from Homura’s hand washed over Lorelei, seeping into her skin and illuminating her veins.

Apostate gave Homura an amused look before letting loose a chorus of chuckles. He squinted at her, still bemused, and shook his head. “You’re quite the rebel now, are you?”

“I am what I am. I will fight against death and despair until I have achieved victory. That is my purpose. That is my first law that I uphold, and only the King in Heaven supersedes it.” Homura answered, and her champions gathered around to watch as she performed the ritual to cleanse Lorelei of the death that was within her.

“Well, I’ll have to remember that the next time you decide to throw a rule book at me.” Apostate crossed his arms and muttered, “rebel by law...” 

He cocked his head, still clearly talking to himself and gave nothing in particular a satisfied shrug. “Well it’s a start.”

Time passed while Homura continued the spell, and her champions remained silent. When the ritual was complete, the goddess altered the nearby pillows into blankets and covered the sleeping girl.

“I shall cleanse her attire, and rid myself of pollution outside. You six watch over her for now. I will return, and when she awakens, we shall deliver our gifts to Apostate, as promised.” Homura proclaimed, and then set out from the keep into the darkness of night.
The six champions looked between themselves and then at Lorelei. In their eyes burned the fierce fires of devotion, a desire to protect and comfort that which they saw.

“You won’t suffer again. Not as long as we can do anything about it.” Pride promised, and her sisters nodded in agreement.

“We should make her something, like a gift.” Fear suggested, and once again, all of the champions nodded in agreement. “I have an idea.” The anxious champion added, and explained the thought to her sisters. All of them ascertained that the idea was good, and began to work on it immediately.

“Ah, she’s so cute!” Curiosity chimed while she worked, watching as Wanderer stroked the soft furry ears of the sleeping girl.

Apostate shook his head. “I’ll leave you to your…” He couldn’t think of the right word and groaned in silence for a moment. Instead of figuring it out, the god slowly left the room.

[hider=Summary]-The champions of Homura lead Lorelei into the keep where they take her to their spot beside the Eternal Fire to have a relaxed conversation.

-The champions learn about the horrid state of things in Astalon, and Lorelei learns that the champions do not eat food.

-Apostate makes an appearance, and does Apostate things.

-Courage almost dies again.

-Secrets are shared, but kept safe.

-Homura does some laundry.

-Lorelei goes to sleep, and the champions make her a gift.[/hider]
[hider=Vigor]Apostate spends 0 Vigor.

Homura spends 0 Vigor.

Courage, Kindness, Fear, Curiosity, Wanderer, and Pride gain 2 Spirit.

Courage, Kindness, Fear, Curiosity, Wanderer, and Pride each spend 1 Spirit to forge an artifact: Lorelei’s Outfit (it cleans itself)[/hider]