Upon hearing Luciliusâ icy reply, he could practically feel the chill travel through his bones but he stood his ground. He was unwilling to falter even when there was GREATNESS before him, even if he may be defied and rendered without choice. He wouldnât consciously, nor intentionally, let someone else take his place and simply for research. It would take more than simply shattering his will; yet with the way Lucilius had replied it implied that if he truly desiredâhe could do whatever he pleased. Power was dangerous and for a breath of a moment, he FELT it. It gripped his soul unlike the wintry winds outside. It was as if being plunged beneath the arctic waters, trapped beneath the thickest layers of ice, and gasping for air. Only, he didnât gasp or recoil even as his nerves tingled with apprehension. He didnât WISH to go back to where his fears had taken root but he couldnât let someone else experience the same, not if he could help it. Thereâs only a fraction of relief as he noticed the tense atmosphere gradually let up. The next words that Lucilius had to share were less of a threat but rather speculative.
In place of Decay? Is that what he called what he considered lesser beings? He tried not to let the corners of his mouth show as they twitched to frown. He almost opened his jaw to add thought to the process. Worry gathering at the thought that Lucilius was already settled with sending someone else out. However, before his jaw could part, Lucilius was speaking of yet another idea. Bait. He blinked at the idea but shifted his weight as he let it sink in. There were a few matters that came to mind, yet he hesitated to say it. If he expressed what obstacles they would face, would Lucilius double back to the previous plan? He would much rather they try something futile than throw someone into their hands. âThey wonât send their whole agencyâŠâ but he knew better. Oslyeus was certain that Lucilius wouldnât accept failure and if they were to be successful, then every aspect had to be covered. â⊠but maybe if we leave a few survivors, we could trace how they go backâif I knew where their base was located, I would have told you already. All I know is that itâs on an island and Iâm unsure if itâs the only one⊠Iâd assume they have multipleâŠâ which also meant that letting one individual get taken wouldnât be enough. âOhâbut I do know they are from the United States. I havenât had one with a different language come after me and theyâve all worn uniform from the statesâŠâ
At least that took out a good chunk of the world. He just hoped that they hadnât partnerships or something else worldwide. It wasnât as if he had the opportunity to travel much without an identification nor a clean record to slip onto the planes with. Oslyeus perked ever so subtly at the latter idea. Ears pointed up briefly before falling in a sheepish way at the sides of his cranium. The way he phrased it was somewhat embarrassing. He was only beginning to realize how Lucilius was making odd mention of his being; as if he owned him⊠then again, he supposed he wasnât exactly âfreeâ either but âprisonerâ didnât seem suitable for the luxuries he was given on the daily. â⊠I like that ideaâŠâ he murmured, â⊠and I-I can help, tooâŠâ The last thing he wanted was to merely sit by and let Lucilius handle his problems.
While the subject shifted, Oslyeus merely listened to what more details Lucilius could provide about Lucifer. What he said, however, stole the breath from his lungs. His heart quickened against his ribcage and he tried to keep a straight expression with the knowledge that was spilling before him. A God? The way he had said it was with such DISTASTE, though, and he wasnât given an answer. Why was being a god such a terrible thing? Why was it an insult? He was sure that the word expressed an indescribable status, one worthy of worship, a being that was well beyond that of any living creature⊠which didnât make sense if Lucilius created God⊠wouldnât that make Lucilius an even higher entity? His brain started to reel with the information and he couldnât form words before the other disappeared to gather some robes.
Even during his change, he didnât say anything but was merely thankful that the other had complied to giving him SOME privacy. He wanted to argue with Luciliusâ mentioning of observations and how every detail was important, but should he really be arguing with such a higher being? He unintentionally let out a groan as he waded through his thoughts. â⊠Iâd like to keep my paws,â he finally spoke after a moment of admiring the new silks that he wore. With having shed his damp âcoatâ, his skin was dry and he hadnât the chill of winter on his backside. He meandered carefully through the organized mess that decorated the room and found his way to the familiar couch. â⊠why arenât we with Lucifer destroying⊠creatures that continue to try to plague the world? I know youâre very busy but you said you could do anything⊠why not seal off the creatures for good?â He didnât fully understand any of it. They clearly all had a role but he truly believed that with Lucilius being the creator of most beings, and one that was equivalent to a god, he could very well do anythingâŠ
  His fingers tap idly against the thick journal containing Oslyeusâs information, or what he had gathered through observation thus far. There were quicker methods, of course, to obtaining more accurate and detailed conclusions from what the other might or might know about the organization pursuing him, but those extreme werenât, in Luciliusâs eyes, necessary at the moment. Should they be needed somewhere along the lines he wasnât opposed to taking far more drastic methods, but it wasnât his priority. Humans lived dreadfully short lives. To him, their existence was little more than a blink - he was by no means patient, but a year to a human was likely comparable to a minute or so for someone such as himself. They were simply incompetent creatures who continued to stick their unwelcome noses where they were better off never treading. And so, in this case, waiting was hardly waiting at all to him. He doesnât know Oslyeusâs lifespan, he hasnât gathered enough research on the other just yet to draw a concrete conclusion, but he can make an educated or assume one of the following: Oslyeusâs lifespan was comparable to a humanâs, Oslyeusâs lifespan was far lesser than his own though longer than the average humanâs, and that Oslyeus was likely, in contrast, quite young. Either of those options are fairly easy to conclude when Oslyeus still has so much fear of this group instilled into him. If he were long-lived he could simply out-last them, and continue running until the organization eventually falls apart over a matter of centuries. If he is long-lived; however, that would make him young - someone older wouldnât fret over the how soon or when. And, judging by his overall reaction to things in Canaan, he must have spent a decent amount of time with these people - even the concept of wearing silk seems unusual to him - and a âdecent amount of timeâ to humans is, well, once more, nothing to him.Â
   He sighs, lifting his fingers from the notebook to massage his temples where he can feel a budding headache begin to nip at him from the time he had spent out in the cold. Had Lucifer or Belial been present, the trek wouldnât have been needed, unfortunately, the lesser archangels werenât nearly as intelligent and seemed incapable of putting two and two together when it came to Oslyeus vanishing and a massive mutt appearing. âYes. Doing so would be incredibly foolish of them. While I doubt their brains are capable of processing information at more than a snailâs pace, I imagine, for humans, they must believe themsleves clever.â Heâs never had much interest in landdwellers, though that should hardly come as a surprise given how little he cares for Astrals, his own species, as a whole. Of course, every organism has value within the universe, if only at the most fundamental level, and he does study them, humans have never caught his interest for more than a few, fleeting seconds. Though Lucifer appeared rather fond of them, and did enjoy watching them from time to time when he was able to - only then did Lucilius ever truly humor them as something other than weak, ugly insects. âIâve concluded as much,â he adds on simply. If the other had known, he would have been informed. Oslyeusâs was honest regarding what he did and did not know. âShould it result in that, I am willing to spare a fair few in order to accomplish our end goal, though I expect those survivors to pay me handsomely for my mercy at a later date.â Thereâs a small upturn of his lips that is nothing akin to a smile, and terribly cruel. Whatever plans he has in store of them is clearly something unpleasant. âRegardless, limiting it to such a small area does lessen the amount of resources needed to pursue them should they choose to find their way here.â Â
  His hand lowers to rest on his desk, his skin still feels a chill from the frigid wind outside, but itâs easily ignored. âAssuming your âhelpingâ doesnât hinder my results, otherwise, the subtleties within your dreams are enough assistance to make such action worthwhile on their own.â While he might harbor an interest in dismantling this group for their arrogance, and useless practices, heâs hardly dismissed or forgotten about the reason he wanted to keep Oslyeus here in the first place. Those dreams have yet to yield concrete results, nor can he verify, at the moment, whether or not the one appearing in the otherâs dreams is himself or Lucifer. Another detail thatâs important to him. Even if he doesnât believe Luciferâs destruction to be possible, Lucifer remains his most perfect creation, and should something threaten to stand in the way of that, he has no qualms about using violence to subdue it. A creator, after all, has an inherit desire to protect their creations - even the lesser archangels that he viewed at little more than worms to be used as he pleased. But that was for him - if others dare toyed with them in the same manner he would sooner slice their fingers from their wandering hands than allow them to make a mockery of his design.Â
    âThen I suggest you behave yourself.â He only turns in his chair to face Oslyeus once more after he hears the other plop back down on the couch he spends quite a bit of his time in whenever heâs toiling away at something, and the other is in his office with him. The groan hadnât been lost on him, but he doesnât make mention of it. âI created Lucifer with the purpose of governing evolution, he maintains balance within this world,â he begins, rather matter of factly. âIt is not by my order, my will, or even the will of nature itself that he engages in that war, but rather of his own free will. Do you understand the meaning of my words?â He sneers, a sharp look cast at the icy window above his desk. âOf his own free will he has chosen to actively defend humanity from a beast they would be incapable of defending themselves from otherwise. I see little point in doing battle with them. Whether humanity lives or perishes is of no consequence to me. Therefore, what these creatures do also harbors little meaning to me as they are not a threat to myself or to my creations. Lucifer; however, appears to have a soft spot for them.âÂ
   He canât imagine why, but studying humans does fall within Luicferâs purpose - they are, after all, a result of evolution so thereâs no need to stop him from observing them either. Still, he pinches the bridge of his nose in disgust. âLucifer is wasting his time and energy fighting a senseless war for inane creatures who will never be aware of the extent heâs gone through to defend them. I have asked him to leave it be, but he insists itâs within his duty to do so.â That headache is coming on stronger now, and his brows crinkle visibly. âRegardless, sealing off the creatures is doable to a certain extent - they have already, largely, been sealed off, but as a result of mankindâs continued negligence they continue to find holes in the boundary between worlds, and continue to slip through. So while these holes are patched, more will appear - so long as humanity continues to exist. Eradicating humanity would be the quickest way to ensure more holes do not appear, but as I explained, Lucifer has a soft spot for them. Regardless, our help isnât needed. Those holes are still small and far between at the moment. Assisting him would prove to be a hindrance when he would exercise more energy protecting those went along with them than he would simply slaying the beasts on his own. That should answer your question. All of them, on the matter.â It was clearly a sour topic for him. He intended to dethrone and destroy God, the world would fall, and humanity would be lost then - why not simply speed up the process and be done with them now? Because Luciferâs heart is too kind for his own good and Lucilius, often, sincerely wished it werenât, but he supposes, as well, that Lucifer would not be Lucifer without his gentleness.    Â
