Archive of Our Own ^beta

There is a common misconception when people think of Ray’s vocation as a God of Death. 

Do not get him wrong, he is, in fact, a God of Death who marks each tree on his mountain properly. For every mortal child born, he would find a tree and mark the end of said mortal’s lifespan. Come the time when he has to collect their souls, he hands them over to Agnes, the Goddess who guides these souls into the Lower World.

The misconception here is that people think, because of his job, he is one to be rather drab and dreary. 

For one, his mountain is often visited by many. Not the literal ones like the souls he collects, staying for a bit before they are picked up to their next destination, but he means actual visitors who come by and talk to him. 

These visitors, he already knew, with the glinting golden ship from afar and the growing flooding of the river ferrying them towards his mountain.

The mountain Gods, both Kamahalan Mandorffs, were off to visit him once more.

“Kamahalan O’Malley, how are you?” Lillith greets him, dressed in brown and green, her hair decorated with flowers. Her hand is held by her husband, dressed in similar attire, as she gets off their golden ship. She bows as Ray waves her off, “Doing well, please, there’s no need to bow.”

Wilhelm carries a sack over his shoulder, and Ray has to sigh at the sight of it. “You don’t have to give me cacao every time.” They almost spoil him with the amount they bring over. His complaints, however, were always half-hearted because the cacao they often brought was the best in the entire archipelago and made for the richest of treats. 

Lillith shrugs, “Then we wouldn’t be the most hospitable of guests, now would we?”

After some pleasantries, Lillith wanders around Ray’s mountain for a bit. Compared to hers and Wilhelm’s, his was a little colder and darker, with little vegetation other than his Woods. That doesn’t stop Lillith, however, from enjoying the sights and nodding along the perimeter. 

And in her wandering, she chanced upon a sudden large overgrowth of vines with budding white flowers scattered across the Woods.

Lillith kneels by one of the closed white buds, voice neutral. “I never took you as someone who takes care of flowers. Thought you said it was too much work on top of your duties.” 

Ray’s face is oddly hot, stating, “They just appeared one day and I didn’t have the heart to cut them down.”

Never mind the fact that Lillith was also a mountain Goddess who knows that nothing grows in one’s domain without their approval. Never mind the fact that Lillith also knew what kind of flowers were soon to blossom once more.

Never mind the fact that Ray kept them there anyway, gathered and growing for one particular reason.

Wilhelm, for the most part, has decided to guide Ray elsewhere. “How have you been?” He asks, “Met anyone interesting?”

Ray chuckles at the way Wilhelm was trying to probe him. “I meet interesting people all the time, it’s a part of my job.” And for the most part, it was true; being a Death God does take up most of his attention. 

However, that wasn’t the entire truth. 

The full truth is that he had found someone who caught his attention. Someone far, far beyond him. Where even at the peak of Ray’s mountain, he would be unable to reach him.

After all, what is the earth to the sky? What are the trees to the stars?

What is Death, in the face of the Moon?

Kamalahan Sabbadin is the God of the Moon, scintillating and bright in every way. Absolutely beautiful in his majesty, with sharp eyes and a beauty mark on his forehead. The smoke emanating from his cigar became the clouds that cradled the moon’s visage throughout the black sky. When he was done with his duties as the Guardian of the Night, he could often be seen with Kamahalan Bellini, God of the Sun, and his best friend.

Ray had long, long held certain feelings for the calculating Moon God ever since he first saw him, but he knew he had little prospects to offer, if ever he actually had it in him to push through with a courtship.

The best he could do to show his earnest and unconditional devotion was through the flowers he sourced and scattered all across his mountain. Those flowers remained dormant in the day but blossomed splendidly at night with the sweetest of scents.

Wilhelm smiles knowingly, “You know that’s not what we meant.” And oh, how wonderful that sounded. We, ours, us . 

Ray knows he can’t really have that. “Currently,” He said, checking at one of his trees, “I am simply too busy. You know how it is.”

Lillith has finally ceased her tidying around, going to settle by Wilhelm’s side as her husband sighs. “As long as you are happy.” Said the mountain God. Ray nods, hoping that that too would be enough for him. 

After some more pleasantries exchanged, both mountain gods board their boat once more. The rippling tides of the rivers rise again as the golden boat prepares to leave. “We’ll be back to visit soon, alright?” Lillith waves, “Don’t be a stranger.”

Ray only waves back as they move further and further away, glinting in the sun’s rays before disappearing with the mist. 

“Was it those two again?” Asked a voice that would’ve startled Ray if he didn’t know who it already was. He turns around to see Agnes, in deep blue, already prepared to take the ferry over the next batch of souls. Ray shrugs lightly, “As per usual.”

With a wave of his hand, he hands over a sack made of intricate netting. Inside the sack were sparkling orbs of light, iridescent and clinking like glass whenever they brushed against each other. 

“Here is today’s batch,” Ray says as Agnes carries them to her boat. In the next moment, she lets go of the opening of the sack, the orbs flying and solidifying to humanesque forms. They mostly stood docile, quiet, unmoving in their seats. 

Agnes looks over to Ray once more, curious, “Are you ready for tonight’s feast?”

Ray lets out a chuckle, “I must pay obeisance anyway.” Even if the sudden onslaught of gods would be something Ray was not always too fond of. He once commented on it to Kamahalan Lawrence, one of the High Gods whose domain powers the shamans of the archipelago. 

“A pretty vision of Hell.” Ray told him, then as Kamalahan Lawrence amusedly teases back, “Don’t be blasphemous, Ray, Hell is your domain.”

Agnes raises an eyebrow, “And no new news? Nothing the dead have told you?” 

When you’re a fellow God of Death, you’re bound to pick up on the whispers of the dead always at the corner of your ear. Looking around a bit, Ray moves closer to Agnes, “Well, I’ve heard something about Kamahalan Lawrence, actually, and the new crowning of the Supreme...”

The night was beautiful, with the stars dancing above them, but by goodness, the Heavens were crowded .

Ray is not claustrophobic, but he does miss the quiet of his mountain. He also does his best to avoid the stares sent his way, especially with the dark purples and blacks he wears as a God of Death and Fate. Really, all this fuss is a bit exaggerated.

Agnes is also a Goddess of Death and Fate, but she doesn’t…

…no, actually, now that he thinks of it, everyone remains afraid of her regardless. 

Typically, she too would be present, yet she said that someone needed to secure the entrances to the Lower World before coming up to the Heavens. So far, the only acquaintances Ray saw were Lillith and Wilhelm, waving at him before they continued their conversation with some of the other diwatas around.

His eyes, as per usual, trail after the bright aura emanating from Kamahalan Sabbadin. He was situated in a balcony above most of them, once again accompanied by his friend Kamalahan Bellini. Ray continues to stare at the blues of Kamahalan Sabbadin’s clothes, positively drinking in the sight of someone so beloved.

Kamahalan Sabbadin, however, is quick to notice, and the moment he turns his head to stare back, Ray already looks away in a snap. A flush overtakes his cheeks at his own boldness. Internally, he shames himself for his audacity. After all, there’s no way for Kamahalan Sabbadin to notice him in a crowd of people, even if said crowd has been rather avoidant of him.

One of the few who was undeterred by this was Kamahalan Lawrence. 

The moment Kamahalan Lawrence spots Ray, he passes through the crowd and carefully grabs Ray’s arm. “Welcome, Ray.” He says, smiling softly. “Thank you for joining us.” 

And of course, who else would be beside Kamahalan Lawrence if not the newly-crowned Supreme God,  Kamahalan Inocencio. Ray does his customary bow, “Kamahalan Benitez, well met.”

The Supreme God is kind, already gesturing for him to rise. “Please, it’s alright. Any friend of Thomas is a friend of mine.”

 Ray still keeps a respectful head down, already aware of who he is dealing with.

Kamahalan Inocencio was a secret for most of his existence before his ascension as the new Supreme God. One of the things Ray found out from the whispers of the dead was that he was a unique individual; as compared to someone like Ray or Kamahalan Lawrence, he had a womb like a woman. Despite such a thing, his peculiarity granted him the divine mandate of his predecessor, regardless, allowing him to embody both a masculine and feminine Supreme.

Ray already prepared one of his gifts, a sapling from one of his trees, not tied to human life this time but rather a strong tree that would grow with Kamahalan Inocencio’s energy and could act as a power reserve if ever he needed one.

However, just as he was about to pass over the sapling, the ground shook.

That doesn’t normally happen. Especially not in the skyworld they’re located in.

The chatter around them suddenly stops, not a sound is heard as everyone looks around at the potential signs of threat. 

The threat comes in the form of a large serpent-like dragon shooting up into the sky, its roars loud and its scales dark like an abyss. The wings behind the dragon flap menacingly as someone cries, “The Bakunawa!”

Ray’s eyes widen as more and more whispers grow around him. “Why is it out now?! ” “It’s enormous, how can we fight it?!” “Where is the Sea God?!”

To that, Ray knew the answer to: Kamalahan Wozniak, God of the Sea, was currently incapacitated and had been off-duty ever since the last Supreme God had passed on. That, in combination with having all of the Gods conveniently in one place, made for a good hunting ground for the dreadful creature.

Kamahalan Inocencio raises his hands, hot white energy emanating from them, only for Kamahalan Lawrence to hold him back. “Wait!” He says, “You don’t have your ceremonial weapons! We cannot risk you going!” Ray curses to himself at the reminder; none of the Gods do since it would be rude to bring them in during a celebratory feast. More importantly, Kamahalan Inocencio would be vulnerable to attack.

They had just lost the last Supreme; they can’t afford to lose the new one just yet.

The Bakunawa’s fangs are drawn as it lets out another roar before diving into one of the balconies. 

It is there that Ray remembers the whispers of sunken sailors; the Bakunawa was a Moon-eater. 

Kamahalan Bellini had his hand on Kamahalan Sabbadin’s arm in one moment, but by the next, fog covered his eyes as Kamahalan Sabbadin purposely pulled his arm away. As the smoke clears, the Bakunawa shoots itself skyward with Kamahalan Sabbadin holding onto its horned snout, barely escaping from being devoured.

“SABBADIN!” Kamahalan Bellini screamed, jumping upwards to where the serpent-like dragon howled at the sky. 

Ray joined him discreetly, the darkness of his clothes shielding him from the Bakunawa’s view. While he didn’t have his staff with him as well, he wasn’t too defenseless. With the stars around them, he gathers some that were close to dying. He specialized in the souls of humans, but he was still able to sense which of the stars were at the end of their lifespan. 

Meanwhile, someone beneath them had flown upward for Kamahalan Bellini, holding him by the waist and rerouting his course. Turning around with little care, Kamahalan was about to let out a defiant cry, only to realize who exactly came after him.

“TEDESCO,” said the Sun God, “LET ME GO!”

“ Tanga ka ba ?!” Kamahalan Tedesco, another God of War, shot back, “You cannot fight the Bakunawa on your own, weaponless! I’m doing you a favor!”

The pair falls back to the Heavens, despite Kamahalan Bellini’s protests. “And leave Giulio alone?! No, RELEASE ME!” He shouts, his voice fading bit by bit due to the distance. Ray pays them little mind as he continues to collect from the stars, and once he’s collected all that he can, he blows into them.

With the breath of Death among the dying stars, their deterioration speeds up quickly. Ray feels the stars in his hands prickling with heat, and with a well-timed throw, he slings it upward towards one of the wings of the Bakunawa. 

As expected, the stars explode in a cascade of chain reactions, hitting its other wing, its back, and its curling tail.

The Bakunawa lets out a shriek of pain as Kamahalan Sabbadin is thrown upwards. As if expecting this, the Moon God whispers a few words before Ray sees him shadowed by the moon’s silhouette. 

Ray is hit by the sheer brilliance of it; Kamahalan Sabbadin had planned for this. 

Using the moon’s rays, a small cannon called a lantaka is hefted on his shoulder, pointing downwards into the maw of the beast. The moon behind Kamahalan Sabbadin is blinding in its brilliance as the cannon lets out a large energy blast into the Bakunawa’s mouth. The dragon lets out another awful noise before retreating, slithering in the air, and plummeting back into the depths of the sea.

Kamahalan Sabbadin lets out heavy breaths, the lantaka starting to fade as Ray flies higher to offer his arm. His timing was impeccable because in the next moment, Kamahalan Sabbadin almost collapsed. The Moon God lays his head on Ray’s shoulder. For a while, they remain stationary in the sky, quiet and solemn as Kamahalan takes a few more moments to collect himself.

“ You.” He exhales, “I know you. ”

Ray’s mouth is dry at their distance, with his arm supporting his fellow God’s weight. “Kamahalan Sabbadin—”

“You’re the one with the flowers.”

Ray stops cold. He hadn’t expected Kamahalan Sabbadin to notice them at all. 

Tentative, soft, he asks, “Y-you see them?” He feels Kamahalan Sabbadin nod once. Despite himself, Ray could see him smile even. “Every night.” He replies with a shrug. “Odd place for you to put them on your mountain, Kamahalan O’Malley.”

And it was odd to foster life on the mountain of Death. He wonders if Kamahalan Sabbadin was insulted by it. His face must show his anxiousness because Kamahalan Sabbadin snickers. “I didn’t say I hate them. I enjoyed them. Whenever I passed by, I always liked looking at them.”

Something in Ray’s chest relaxes yet tightens at the same time. Kamahalan Sabbadin always had that effect on him. 

Kamahalan Sabbadin raises his head, meeting Ray’s eyes. “I told Aldo about them. He said he hasn’t seen them during his rounds.” 

There is a question posed in his gaze, and Ray is fearful of what, exactly, that question was. However, he is someone who does enjoy informing others of his own findings, even if it comes at his expense.

“They’re known as night-blooming jasmines.” Ray says, still supporting Kamahalan Sabbadin in their careful descent, “Blooming only at night and having a sweet fragrance. Just don’t eat them, they’re poisonous.” Kamahalan Sabbadin snorts. “Night-blooming, huh? One could almost say you were trying to catch my eye.”

‘Always.’ Thought Ray as he shook his head out of his internal stupor. Instead, he focuses on Kamahalan Sabbadin’s state, “Are you alright? The Bakunawa didn’t hurt you or…”

His fellow God rolls his eyes. “Please, I knew in advance it wouldn’t work. I just needed it high enough to avoid any casualty.” Ray already knew as much, having seen him get out of Kamahalan Bellini’s grip on purpose. Still, something was nagging at his brain, something begging to be asked.

“How did you know that it would work?”

Kamahalan Sabbadin shrugs, his shoulder bumping against Ray’s. “The Bakunawa attacked off-season.” He answers simply. “An eclipse hasn’t been allotted yet for this year’s calendar, which means that it would be considerably weaker than normal. Aldo, being of Sun and War, can only do so much when he’s weaponless at nighttime. And since it’s night…”

Ray finishes the statement for him.“...you had the upper hand anyway.”

He is treated to a hand by his nape, Kamahalan Sabbadin’s fingers threading his hair. “Good boy.” He praises.

Ray almost combusts at the spot if not for the fact they could finally see everyone else beneath them, breathing sighs of relief to see that Kamahalan Sabbadin was still in one piece. 

There was hesitance in letting go once their feet touched the ground, Ray wanting to revel in holding Kamahalan Sabbadin a little longer, but eventually, he had to. The pair separate as Ray, in a final shot at bravery, says, “You may call me Ray, I don’t mind.”

A mischievous twinkle colors Kamahalan Sabbadin’s eyes as he smirks a bit. “Call me yours instead.”

A protest immediately escapes Ray, “K-kamahalan!”

“What,” said the Moon God, “you think I didn’t see you staring at me earlier. Or every night?”

Before Ray could disappear and retreat into his mountain forever, Kamahalan Sabbadin grabs his hand. He is careful when he presses a soft kiss at the back of it. “You may call me Giu as well. It’s nice to finally meet you, Ray.”

Ray could die in his gaze. “And I as well.”