The Abandoned Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel

[tiny14xx]

Awesome nerd

Yeah, I'll post the time skip in their home

Okay.  

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Mayah Playah

An hour away from the city lied a small town. Most of the streets were dirt roads and no lights were lit, there weren't even streetlights. Further from the town was a cathedral, small but grand, covered in magnificent art and sculptures that were now left to rot. It was thought that the cathedral had been abandoned due to the monstrous raid of a creature most foul, others because the building itself was cursed. No one knows, only watch it slowly crumble from time's cruelty.

In a small house lying across the cathedral, a woman dressed fancy stood. Her dress was large and pink, with frills adorning it, and a matching mask covered her eyes and nose. She crossed her arms and tapped her heel as the ground before her trembled. What was once a terrifying occurrence for her was now nothing more than wasted time.
A purple pentagram glowed to life on the wooden floorboards, and a burst of purple smoke sprouted like a smoke bomb. It dispersed as quickly as it had appeared, and standing in its wake was a terrifying monster. I man with black horns, leathery wings, two reversed crosses over his cheeks like tear trails, and a pointed tail. He opened his eyes, the scleras black and irises white, and looked at the woman.
"You're becoming rather overbearing with these constant calls. Wouldn't you rather have my number and make this easier on the both of us, dearie?" Nikolai muttered, his voice slightly different.
The woman merely smirked. "If I did then you wouldn't come, isn't that right? At least when I call you under this you're not allowed to leave until my request is met." Her smile widened is as Nikolai frowned, knowing she had triumphed in the knowledge round. And it was true. This was an archaic form of summoning creatures, and this pentagram wasn't for show. It bound him to his summoner, refusing to let him run off and escape, just as it kept him from attacking her. He suspected that she had performed some kind of sacrifice, as the rules of the summonings were stricter than usual.
"Oh very well. What is it we're getting this time, hmm?"
"There's a cathedral just across from us. I've learned that there's something underground. Something huge. Whatever it is, it's protecting a grand treasure. That's where you come in~" she chimed while playfully tapping the Sin's chest with her fan.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




Hidden behind Nikolai was the small young boy, one hand clamped tightly over his mouth. He looked around at his new surroundings, scared. WHere were they? What was going on? He wanted to go back home to nice Mr. Leon and Reggie! He heard people speaking, peeking around Nikolai to look at the weird woman. He didn't understand what they were saying, and by the time he looked up at Nikolai he no longer cared. His hand fell to his side as he let out a frightened cry, pushing himself away and falling to the ground.
"Wh-what's going on??" he stammered, trying to crawl away from fear.

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Nikolai rolled his eyes and gently pushed the fan off him with the back of his hand. He opened his mouth to talk, but stopped as he heard a small voice and quickly turned to find a familiar little boy crawling away from him with terror on his face.
"Ray?" he breathed. "Ray, darling, what are you doing here?" Seeing the look on Ray's face, Nikolai's own softened. He turned to face the boy and crouched down to be eye level with him, holding a hand out to him. His fingers were dark, drenched in shadows that looked like ink, and longer with claw tips. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."
"A friend of yours?" the woman mused as she looked over Nikolai's shoulder to the little boy.
"He's my son," the Sin replied while keeping his eyes on Ray.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




He pressed his back against a fallen pillar, eyes on the Sin before him. The outstretched hand did not bring him any semblance of comfort, ink-stained claws only making him more scared. His lower lip trembled as tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks. "I-I-I just wa-want-wanted to s-see wh-where you were g-g-going!" he hiccuped, still too afraid to touch Nikolai's hand. He clutched his hands to his chest, sniffing as his nose became runny.
After a minute, he managed to calm himself a little, mostly because he didn't want to pee his pants in front of a stranger. Nikolai seemed to have the same personality as they guy who sat beside him and watched all those cooking shows just an hour before. Frightened but cautious, the little boy slowly placed his hand into the Sin's, fingers shaking all the while.

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Eff it, I'll use this pic for demon Nikki AND dragon guy

Nikolai was beginning to think Ray would never accept him and would need to be sent to another home out of sheer trauma when he felt the small hand in his. He smiled softly at the boy's courage and gently curled his fingers over his, getting him to stand beside him as he looked at the woman. "He must have gotten close when you summoned me. Whatever you've brought me here for, it's far too dangerous for him. Let me take him back, dearie," he insisted.
Masquerade considered it for a moment, tapping her fan against her chin thoughtfully. "I cooould... but you'll just escape and avoid getting summoned again, wouldn't you?" She opened her fan and tilted her head to hide her smile, although her giggle gave her away. "Just leave him here.
"He has to stay close to me because of the summon!" Nikolai hissed.
Masquerade shrugged. "You'll just have to be careful then," she giggled.
Nikolai grit his teeth. He wanted to hurt her, to the very least knock her out so he could escape. He's been under her contract for two weeks now, forcing him to do whatever her bidding was. It was only to retrieve items and cash for her, to be an accomplice, basically, but to endanger Ray? He could feel those invisible chains binding him to Masquerade, reminding him that he couldn't do anything against her.
"Fine," he growled then crouched down to look at Ray again. "Ray, dearie, you need to stay close to me at all times, okay? I'll explain everything after this. Now get on my back."

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




Standing beside Nikolai, Ray wiped away his tears and tried to determine what was going on. As a child, he didn't really understand. Of course, looking back years later as an adult he would, but tonight, he was still scared and very confused. It seemed to him that Nikolai had a special magic and this weird pink lady was using it for stuff. It must've been dangerous if Nikolai was this upset about her not letting him go home. Wait, if she was worried about that, couldn't she just release Nikolai then summon him back again? Eh, whatever.
When he was addressed, Ray's eyes upturned to the Sin. He nodded, then moved to get onto Nikolai's back, arms holding on tightly. "Where are we going?" he asked very quietly, voice small and fragile.

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"A church, I believe," Nikolai answered as he walked outside of the house, looking over to see the decrepit church from a distance. He could already feel the sting of holiness. However, that church was long abandoned, and he was quite powerful, he would overpower that easily.
One hand keeping hold of Ray's leg, the other was held out and sent several purple snakes into the cathedral, looking in different directions. By the time they had reached the church, Nikolai knew where to go, and it was a long distance. He briefly glanced at his son then at the church. His wings stretched out and flapped once, the strength lifting them off the ground. With another flap he shot through the church at blinding speed, everything blurring besides them as they passed. They darted into the old building, his snakes opening doors so he wouldn't have to crash into them with Ray on his back, and descended a cellar a snake found hidden in an old room. It went lower underground for what felt like ages, getting darker and darker.
Nikolai stopped, slowly descending to the floor as his wings blew the dust out of the area. Fire wasn't an ability of his, but he did carry a lighter with him for occasions just like this. A snake brought him a torch he lit on fire, illuminating a dank, stone room.
As he suspected, the area was a labyrinth, with hallways leading into more and more hallways. Nikolai sighed. This would take ages. Fortunately, the next room he entered seem to be the treasure room. It was illuminated with many torches, the room big enough to rival a football field.
"If you were treasure, darling, where would you be?" Nikolai asked Ray over his shoulder as he walked around. He could sense a large presence. It must be waiting for the treasure to be touched, wherever it could be...

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




Oh, a church? Ray didn't like churches. They were where those mean nuns and priests all lived. There were so many orphanages, why did he get sent to the one with freaking evil nuns? He sighed a little, holding on to Nikolai as they wandered the church. He almost didn't notice the wings, although he soon had to because they took up space on Nikolai's back. Blinking in confusion, he quickly decided to simply ignore all surprising things until they returned home and merely held on.
The flying ride was more fun than he thought it would be, giggling a little as they sped through the building. When they stopped, his hair was a mess,
lifted up and sticking out, but he didn't care. With a smile on his face, he looked around the room. "Huh. Well, Aysun's computer game hid the secret jewels in the most obvious place because it's so obvious, no one would ever bother to look there," he pointed out, tapping his chin.

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"Obvious, hmm?" Nikolai muttered. He stopped at the center of the large, stone structure, where afternoon sunlight shined down. He glanced up to see a hole in the ceiling of the large room, designed for aesthetics, with its light shining down on two stone hands. There were two towering statues facing each other at both ends of the room, facing each other and holding their hands out, palms facing the sunlight. Both were men- angels, in fact. One held a spear while the other, a staff. They had to be five stories high. In each opened hand a rod stuck out of the center of the palm, and on those rods a chain was tightly wound around. Hanging between them, in the dead center of the sunlight, was a box. That was treasure if he had ever seen it.
Flying up, Nikolai stopped just in front of the box. It was surprisingly small, but had intricate designs on them. He could sense intense holy power from it. He reached out and grabbed it, instantly recoiling his hand with a hiss. His hand was practically sizzling from whatever protected it. Inhaling deeply, Nikolai sliced the chains with his claws and bumped the box so that it flew into Ray's hands.
"Hang on to that with your life, dearie. And don't touch me with it," the Sin instructed his son.
The room rumbled as the treasure was removed, the chains whipping about wildly as they returned to the hands they once belonged to. The rods lowered back into the stone hands, and once safely tucked away, the statues themselves rumbled. Ah, thought Nikolai. So this was where the source of that energy was from.
Both of the statues' eyes glowed a vibrant blue, and with surprisingly swift movement, the first statue lunged its great spear towards the intruder. Nikolai flew higher, dodging the attack and any debris that flew with it. He looked over his shoulder to see the second statue swing the staff down at him like a hammer. He dodged easily. One hand firmly grasped Ray's leg to keep him from falling, and with the wave of the other, a large, purple snake roared into existence and coiled around the spear statue. It sank its fangs into the statue, but the guardian didn't react, not even to slow down. Nikolai cursed under his breath. Those were statues, they didn't have any bodily functions for him to force stop. That was a problem, considering that's his only method of attacking. Deciding to take the coward's way out, Nikolai readied himself to fly out of the hole in the ceiling, but that had been planned out. The sunlight still shined, but now there was a large cover preventing his escape. It bore a proud cross, and the Sin knew he wouldn't be able to barge his way through.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




Perhaps it was because his new daddy was a demon, but Ray felt very uncomfortable around the statues. They were too big and too creepy, and he was grateful that they were probably gonna leave soon. Handed the box, he looked it carefully over. It was intricately carved, a real work of art, but he didn't understand why Nikolai couldn't touch it. Nonetheless, he removed his thin jacket and wrapped it around the small box, covering it and holding it.
Just then, the world began to rumble. It was quiet at first, then suddenly was overwhelmingly loud. Frightened, Ray clung tight to Nikolai, eyes wide and confused. What was this? Suddenly the statues came to life and started to attack them both. It was too late to regret being curious, Ray ironically noted as they jolted into the air. Caught by his thoughts, he almost let go of the Sin, saved mostly by the hand on his leg. He cried out in fear, eyes jetting around for an escape. When he lived at the orphanage, they always looked for an escape route. Maybe he could use those skills to help?
No wait, that's a dumb idea, he thought just as Nikolai realized that hole in the ceiling was no way out. "Are we gonna die?" he asked quietly.

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As the two statues starting making their way towards the two, Nikolai looked around. He noted every route, every item, every nook and cranny. He sighed through his nose then looked over his shoulder at Ray. "No, dearie." He paused as he saw a ledge near them. He floated towards it and set Ray on it, silently apologizing for leaving him so high up. If Ray reached up, he could probably touch the ceiling. "Whatever you do, don't move," the Sin instructed. With his hands free, he shot towards the statues, claws extended. He was practically invisible with his speed, the only sign that he was still there being the sparks of his claws against the stone that spiraled up one statue's arm. The statue stumbled, but didn't stop. It didn't seem to take that much damage, either. Wait, it wasn't stopping moving. Nikolai stopped in his movement to see the two guardians advancing towards Ray. Why? Suddenly, the Sin knew. They were after the box! Nikolai looked between the two. They were hard to hit with that stone body, and he couldn't keep running around dodging them, either. He needed something heavier... He thought fast, faster than his desperate race against the statues to his son. And he got an idea.
"Change of plans, darling," Nikolai breathed, grabbing Ray and holding him against his chest as he dodged the incoming strikes. The good thing about these giants was that they were slow. Nikolai stopped in the air, making sure to be right between them. He looked between the two, watching them ready another strike. His heart was beating fast, but he forced himself to calm down. Can't let nerves affect him right now. Both statues lifted their weapons, taking aim at the thief. Any second now... There! As the guardians lunged their weapons, Nikolai flew so high that he nearly hit the ceiling. The statues' weapons had too much momentum to stop, and with no trespasser to hit they kept going forward, slamming into the opposite giant. Their weapons, large and strong, made a definitely stronger impact than Nikolai's claws. They broke the stone, even caused the staff wielder's leg to break and send him to his knees. It was a successful strike, but they weren't done. Even with their damaged bodies and the gaping holes in their chests, the two looked up at the box.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




Ray's small hands tried to hold on to Nikolai when he was placed on the ledge, fear of heights turning him into stone. He bit his lip, nodding when instructed to not move, and clutched the box with his eyes tightly shut. The darkness was scary too, but not so much as the height was. As the boy struggled to be brave, he started to feel the ledge he was on vibrate, then shake. He opened his eyes with a gasp, one hand grabbing the closest thing it could, the remains of a pedestal where a gargoyle had once rested. His sight immediately beheld both of the huge statues coming towards him. He whimpered, tears resurfacing. Oh God, he was going to die. This is how it ends. He's going to die this way. He never got to experience anything! He never fell in love, never kicked a goal, never learned how to spell hippopotamus. He couldn't die like this!!
Fortunately, Nikolai was a step ahead. When Ray was grabbed, his free hand clutched Nikolai's shirt. He buried his face into the Sin's chest until they stopped moving. He slowly looked up, spying the evil statues coming ever closer. Before he could scream, Nikolai's trick worked. A hit! A hit! They weren't gonna die! Oh wait, the thing didn't go down. Crap. "M-Mr. Nikolai," he whispered, still holding on tight to the box.

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The longer these two statues didn't go down, the angrier Nikolai became. That was good. If he was angrier, he was stronger. It wasn't magic, just a fact.
The wings flapped less frequently, making them sink slowly towards the ground. He looked at the ground, then up at the ceiling. This was a good distance. "Ray," he said quietly as he grabbed the back of the boy's shirt. "Know that I'm doing this to protect you. That in mind, don't tell your father about this." It looked like the flick of the wrist, it was barely noticeable, but Ray was missing in a second. He was thrown high into the air, almost within touching range of the ceiling. That would give him several seconds. Nikolai zoomed towards the crippled statue, or more to the staff that had slipped out of his grasp and was now propped against a crumbling pillar. He grabbed the handle, and with a loud grunt, he managed to move the enormous weapon. It resisted at first, then swung forward, knocking down the pillar. Ah, this hurt, the Sin noted. His muscles were tense from this enormous weight, he could feel them tearing just by lifting this stupid thing. This wouldn't be good for his back, either, and his nails were breaking from trying to keep a grip on the stone.
Roaring out another battle cry, Nikolai swung the spear like a bat at the statue's head. It worked, the head broke in half from the hit, and the guardian fell limp against the floor. Keeping his momentum, the demon did a 360 and swung the staff upward, making the hole in the chest even bigger and making the statue stumble back until he hit the wall. Nikolai swung the staff downwards, delivering a final blow on the golem. He dropped the weapon and breathed heavily as he watched the beast fall against the ground, making sure it didn't budge. Once he was sure, he flew towards the center of the room and caught Ray before he could make friends with the floor.
"There. See? I told you it would be fine, hmm?" he smiled.

 

[Mayah Playah]

Ray Court




The boy blinked as he was held up, looking around them. Was he going to be put on the ground? He could see how safe that would be, what with two giant statues trying to kill them. Of course, that wasn't what was going to happen. He looked to Nikolai just in time to be thrown high into the air. It was like all of his worst nightmares rolled into one. When he looked down, it was like all the contents of his stomach were going to rise up. He screamed loudly as he began to plummet to the ground, arms flailing and tears streaming from his face and into the air. God, he was going to die! What the actual heck was he dragged into when he got adopted?! Fortunately for Ray and his pants, he was caught just in time.
He was still, however, trembling when Nikolai held him in his arms. He clutched the box to his chest, eyes as large as saucers with trauma flashing through them. "D-did I d-d-die?" he whispered, shaking much like an excitable chihuahua.

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