The Veritas Chapter 12; Ophiuchus, The Angel King

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The Aries trekked on, its hoofbeats pounding at the ground where the sporadic burning vegetation bloomed under its thunderous footsteps. With its majestic beard fluttering about its hairy bodice, the hairs of its body that trailed in the wind were emblazed by friction of the growing momentum of its velocity. As it were, the Aries indeed intended to ram the borders and break through them all simultaneously to both get inside and draw what was inside out whilst also allowing passage for the rest of the Zodiac as they would all come in their respective appointed times. Each knew their own jurisdiction over which Fallen Angel by common collective conscious knowledge.

"Hold On Tight," it bleated out once more, bracing for exponential acceleration and impact, which would also not cease the motion of the Aries toward its predetermined location. Under its feet, whatever would be trampled was burnt up by the fiery blooms. Up above, its shaggy coat sparked alight as its burning beard, leaving streaking trails of ember like the hairs of its body streaming from it as it continued gathering speed. It was in the likeness of a giant meteor coming from the deepest reaches of space that had been traveling for a great distance at a high speed, as if debris from a planetary explosion. The flames would help burn away the surface before the horns touched the barrier's surface, eroding it with the emanations of the heat. As it went on, flickering distortions wafted all about the form of the oncoming titanic spirit, visible now that it neared. With the strength of the impulses of its heart, the Aries drew forth the power from its burning blood to strike the barrier between Hell and Purgatory, which were both below the pinnacle of the mountain, and also at a different figurative 'base' of a mountain -- the pinnacle height, itself. "Go, Now!" The Aries commanded, halting not but a moment as it continued on toward where it were to roam. It could not turn from what it needed to do as a Primordial for any cause, as is what it meant for many Primordials due to priority alone.

The sound of the Aries' voice was like that of a war cry and a trumpet blast, which was the blowing of the horn. Its call resonated a great distance, which also summoned the rest of the Zodiac from wherever they were. Some already made their place on the Veritas; others were still Spirits that were coagulated into different forms throughout the universes wherever their presence was most prominent. Each would come to their place as they were summoned in the order that they would. Some would come out of priority to deal with the Fallen Angel group that was under them, influenced by their sign; others would come in an order that was natural that did not get in the way of the others as they moved -- as they had many a time over the course of the eons. It seemed as though their fighting and the depths of Tartarus would never end for them, but now they -- or, Aries, at the very least -- could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Up above, at the head of Aries -- which could not be seen from the ground where its feet walked -- its old, wise eyes peered over the vast expanse of the clouds; its mighty antlers churning the wafting vapors nearby as its head turned. It was searching out the point above the layers of the heavens for where the Throne of the Pinnacle was, where the last image had been set up and had recently become a False Idol, as it was. What was once the tip and top of the pyramid -- which was also a pyramid of its own -- was now a vacant and empty space that was designated for the one the eye on the pyramid was looking for as a tower over the earth. Now that it was torn down from where it was and the surface layer that once harbored it was clear, the Tyranophant, who had been named as 'Ophiuchus' could take the place of the placeholder for the 'Ophiuchus' when his appointed time in the Zodiac came. Of course, that one was carried upon the back of Aries, the first of the Zodiac, who rushed to bring him to his place that Order would be over the entire mountain and the Zodiac could rest as well.

"We're Almost There!" The Aries cried to the Tyranophant of the Veritas, "When We Reach The Location, The Area Must Be Cleansed And Consecrated." The influence of the SIN that had been polluting the entirety of the mountain also reached the surface layer -- essentially; 'the sins reached high heaven.' Therefore, before the new Ruler could be installed in his place on his Throne, the Altar, as it was called, had to be purged. That meant that it would need to be submerged into Purgatory and dipped into Hell from that point down. The Tyranophant's feet should have hovered over the surface of the Altar like the pyramid before it hovered over the base. "You Know What You Must Do After This, I Trust." His hope was in the youth, for there was potential in him.

The Aries overheard the young master muttering to himself words of what seemed to be reflection or deep pensive thought. Its ear that was nearest to the set of antlers where he sat swiveled toward the Tyranophant's direction and remained alert as they approached the altar. "Very Well," the reverberant bleat of the ancient spake out to the young master, "Your Time Is Come!"

Aries, the First of the Zodiac, halted before the great Altar that once held the supreme authority over the entirety of the mountain and the life upon it. Raising a single hoof upward after becoming stationary, it would step atop the surface of the circumcised platform where the former pyramid head once was set up. At that moment, it looked as though the Aries had fallen into a deep meditation, the hair upon its back flaring up into the sky as the great ancient drew strength from his solemn prayers. The light of the body of the spirit given flesh illuminated the sky like the light of the sun, Aries' form returning to an astral state immediately as the hoofprint were consecrated where it trod. The altar, which was made of every material that was of lesser value than gold, was stamped firmly into the ground and crushed completely underfoot into the earth, like the stomping of a glass at a ceremony. The entire idol was firmly trampled down into the depths of the bottomless pit, right at the surface of the boundary between it and the underground -- all that rested below the Lake of Fire.

"Happy Birthday, Ophiuchus."

Its long neck nearly fell weightless at the sudden sentiment; its lids would lay as low upon its eyes. Aries bowed its head and lowered the Lord down unto the full surface of the Earth, where he would be able to choose where he would set himself up from the Clean Land. "You May Call Upon The Aid Of The Others Of The Zodiac As Well At Any Time Once They Have Been Enthroned Where They Would Be." Aries was aware already that there were some that already were interacting actively with the young master whilst he grew the Veritas up from the ground, and they gave him their blessings. Yet, there were others that had not yet come unto what was to them supposed to be a Promised Land. Whilst the Zodiac came into alignment in both Sun and Moon, all that could be done was to wait for the others to come as they may, since Aries already summoned them. "Whichever Will Come Will Come," Aries went on, keeping his head extended downward close to the ground unto the Tyranophant had gotten off of the antlers, "But Come As They May, Whichever Of The Fallen Angels Of Their Ilk Spawn, They Must Be Dealt With." This much was left up to the one who was supposed to be able to take on any and every form and also release something that finds and counteracts whatever would come up, unlike any of the other Zodiac Spirits. There was a hint of interest in Aries' keen old eyes, and he said, "I Trust You Will Do Great Things With This Land." This was the blessing of the Aries, which was bestowed unto the Tyranophant through his Pumpkinhead, which was the presence most intimately affiliated with the Aries as a Zodiac sign.

The great one's neck lifted from the earth with tufts of hairline embers sifting from its burning astral aura, its voice resounding, "I Am Returning To My Rightful Place." The face of the Spirit of the Aries, as luminescent as the boldness of the sun, rose into the sky beyond the clouds, saying, "My Blessing Is Left To You In Your Fruit." The fruit of the Veritas was blessed by the Aries during their first encounter, and instead of it burning up, it instead grew brighter and more fruitful. Its light touched the face of the Aries once its head was risen up to its natural height, and he once again oversaw the land -- beard swaying. "Mmm..." The clouds were still thick due to what the Tyranophant commanded earlier, but there were clearings where one overhead could see the different points from above. It did not take long for the Sacred Beast to pinpoint the place where its Fallen Angel degenerate, Azazel, were spawning. They were like sheep in a field, yet also like bulls in a pin. There were things that each of the Zodiac Spirits had to face as Primordials in their offspring and influences that glared them in the face and stirred their memories of the transgressions of the past in living flesh. Sometimes, the sight was too great even unto a Primordial, and, as it were, the offspring would be actively sacrificed -- which is what Aries knew it had to do in order to truly Atone and set the bar for Atonement in the other Signs.

"Do Your Best And You Shall Not Fail," Aries added whilst concentrating a great deal on the next location, gathering a multitude of energy all throughout the fullness of its form. With a powerful turn, the cloven hooves pressed down deeply into the ground and the great beast thrust itself from the surface of the earth and over toward the part of the mountain where the Fallen Angels 'Azazel' were located. As it arced through the sky, the clouds in its path parted, leaving rays of sunshine beaming down from the heavens. Though the land was still 'Hell' and 'Purgatory,' as a clean land, nothing looked any different from paradise. Yet, where it was still unclean, there was still life brewing that was unholy. "Draw The Spirit I Have Chosen, Myself, Unto Me When I Land," Aries commanded soon after gliding off through the sky. This Zodiac Spirit had a special connection with the particular Spirit, 'Pumpkinhead', which it had been using and also would continue to use for advancing its own agenda, which would once again align with all the rest of the Zodiac instead of against any of them.

All such further coordination was verily left up to the Tyranophant after that -- the new Ophiuchus; Angel King.