Freya watched the specter as it stood unmoving in the Court of the Elders, the ones that saw and contributed to the shaping of the universe.
She looked around at the mala'chim, the holy ones often referred to as angels, the shedim, the messengers of hell widely known as demons, and lastly, the gods, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Celtic - evolved supernatural beings that were and are revered by mortals. They all made up the Court, they all had a say in the affairs of the mortals and the Shaded beings of the Other World.
And yet, in all their power and wisdom, Freya, Norse goddess of love, beauty and magic, had never seen the Court so conflicted.
You see, some of the Elders had chosen it to be a gift, but it seemed others thought.... differently.
"All this began with mercy, give it again and you are sure to regret it," said Artemis, Greek goddess of the moon and hunt.
"Nonsense, I see no reason why the Nightshades should be punished when they have made a substantial sacrifice for the fate of the realms," said Ares, Greek god of war.
"Ares is right, there is no need for such cruelty," said Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun.
"I disagree," said Zeus, Greek god of the sky and leader of the Olympians. "The Nightshades were sent to find Lucifer and banish him back to his Hell, instead they gave him aid, they deliberately disobeyed direct orders from this Court and I believe such unruly behavior must be reprimanded, which is why I propose a curse."
The Court shivered with gasps of surprise and agreement.
Freya shot Zeus a warning glance, curses were no ordinary matter, they could scar the child for life, making him a Shaded being from birth.
"Cursing him is a harsh verdict Zeus," said Angel Zamariel, one of the mala'chim, cautiously.
"Harsh is such a strong word", said Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy, "I would say he is being aggressively reasonable, the Nightshades broke the Lex by aiding the Forsaken one, cursing them is the most logical option."
"Of course you think so, you are your father's daughter after all," said Thoth, Egyptian god of knowledge, distastefully. "There is no denying that the Nightshades made a mistake, but they have paid for it, cursing the child would be an unjust act, it is punishment without reason."
"It is a signal to the rest of the Shemer that we must never be defied!" boomed Zeus.
Gods of all factions roared in agreement, raising fisted hands and stomping booted feet. The shedim kept silent, they had little say in the affairs of the Court, at times they were mere spectators, and the mala'chim, though powerful, were not allowed to speak unless instructed by their Father, only when the issues concerned the safety and protection of mortals did they intervene. Freya watched on as well, keeping quiet and observing.
A goddess she may have been but it was not her place to address them.
It was her husband's.
"Enough!"
Freya smiled at the sound of Odin's voice. She turned to her husband, his one good eye burned with rage. He looked like a fierce ruler, and at times he was, but she knew him better than anyone. Even now she could see the dense cloak covering his utter confusion.
For the first time in millennia, Odin didn't know what to do.
"We apologize King Odin," started Zeus. "We did not mean to be so...."
"Foolish?" said Odin.
Freya stifled a laugh and caught the faint spark of lightning over Zeus's arms. He irritated her, and not because of his pomposity but because he coveted her husband's place as King of the Court and pretended to be his loyal servant. She didn't think much of it though.
Zeus wouldn't dare to try anything.
He was weak.
"It seems the gods have forgotten who they are", said Odin, "Though I am not surprised, we never have been the most intellectual of the Court, mala'chim what do you propose?"
"You know our stand Odin, you know we say nothing unless the Father instructs us," said the Angel Uriel.
Odin gritted his teeth but nodded, then faced the specter. Freya saw the deep sense of concern Odin had for it, the silent urge to try and give it a destiny worth something, but how would he do that without causing dissatisfaction among the gods.
"I have come to a decision," He said.
The Elders held their breath, waiting in anticipation for their King's decree.
"He will be made a Phantom," said Odin.
The Court rippled with murmurs and protests, even Freya was shocked, he couldn't possibly be serious, could he?
"Are you sure Odin?" whispered Freya.
Odin didn't look at her. Neither did he answer.
"A Phantom is an unwise decision!" snapped Athena.
"Hold your tongue goddess!" hissed Freya in protest.
"King Odin, please you must reconsider," said Ra.
"There is no need for petition, Ra, I have made my decision, I have decreed him to be a Phantom and a Phantom he will be, a Phantom of both blessings and curses."
"But there has never been such a thing!" Zeus blurted.
"Then it will be the first." Odin said.
Freya stared at her husband in unbelief. She couldn't understand why he was doing this, why such a bizarre decision?
He turned to her, as if sensing her distress, and the look in his eyes only said one thing.
Trust me.
"The ritual will begin immediately, four candidates must volunteer, or they will be chosen by Fate itself - Two of the pantheons, one of the mala'chim, and one of the shedim."
No one moved, no one said a word, and just when Odin was ready to call upon Fate Athena stepped forward.
"I will curse," she said, her cloak of owl feathers shimmering as she stepped forward.
"So will I," said Michael, the archangel.
It seemed the Father had spoken.
"That leaves two more," Odin said.
"I will bless," Thoth said.
"And though it is uncommon for the damned to issue blessings I will do the same," said Asmodeus, magnus shedim of lust.
"Excellent, then let the ritual begin."
The four stepped forward, each one as beautiful as the last, and they gathered around the specter. It had no form yet, it was nothing but pure essence, pure energy, the threads of its destiny still clustered with the others, the canvas of its life still blank, and they were about to ruin it all.
Freya wished she didn't have to watch.
"I curse you with knowledge and the wisdom to apply it," said Athena, her hand outstretched. "But you will have no understanding, you will know how and never understand why."
There was a flash in the specter, like lightning bursting across a mortal sky.
"I curse you with power and the body to contain it," Michael said. "But you will have no control, you will be as a giant amongst men."
Another flash.
"I bless you with deeper sight and the magic of glyphs," said Thoth, his hand also outstretched. "You will be a forger of symbols, you will be a master of all arts."
And another.
Asmodeus stepped forward and bent down, placing a finger over the specter.
"And I bless you..."
"Azazel stop."
The Court instantly exploded in a fit of murmurs.
Freya was so engrossed in the ceremony that she didn't notice who had appeared, she raised her eyes and as soon as they landed on the intruder she felt anger well up inside of her.
There he was, like a nightmare come to life, standing as a mortal stands, with both his hands in his pockets, was Lucifer.
Freya had never seen him that way but she could tell that he'd indeed been the most beautiful archangel, then when he walked in Heaven as the Father's righthand.
But that had been then.
Whatever beauty he showed now as he stood before them was all an illusion.
Everything Lucifer presented as beautiful was ugly and evil underneath all the supposed light.
His skin though fair was too bright, his eyes a gold too startling, his hair and wings a shade of white that was too white to be considered beautiful. He wore a black suit, imitating the mortals he envied, and he had a smile on his face as he looked at the specter, a smile that resembled the sharp edge of a blade concealed.
He diverted his eyes for a second and caught her glaring at him, and winked in her direction.
She felt Odin stiffen by her side.
"I was expecting a warmer welcome than this...silence," Lucifer said.
Zeus replied by sending arcs of lightning sailing through the air. Freya watched the bolts of energy pass right through Lucifer.
He laughed, and it was beautiful.
"Oh Zeus, impulsive as always, did you really think I was here, come on, even you are smarter than that." Zeus growled angrily but it only made Lucifer happier. "Don't worry, corporally, I'm back in my hell where the Nightshades left me, I'm only manifesting myself to make sure the child receives a substantial gift before his beginning," said Lucifer.
"You are the reason why this is happening in the first place," Odin boomed. "You have no right to be here Lucifer and you are not entitled to give that child anything."
"I mean all that is obvious," Lucifer chuckled. "But you see my dear Odin I am bound by the Old Laws, the Law of Debt in particular, as you know the Nightshades helped me, and so, by Law, I owe them."
"You can repay your debt any other way - "
"But I choose this way," Lucifer said, "Now if you don't mind I would like you to not get in my way or you will face the consequences."
Without further confirmation he stepped forward and Asmodeus moved aside without hesitation.
Freya noticed that none of the other chosen were making any moves, not even Michael.
"What are you all doing?!, Michael!"
Michael turned to face Freya, resolve written all over his face.
"He has the others under his control, and as for me, the Father has not spoken." said Michael.
Freya clenched her jaws and fists and simply watched as Lucifer stared down at the specter, watching it as if it were a holy thing.
"Wisdom without understanding, power without control, the magic of glyphs and deeper sight, gifts and curses that grant overwhelming strength and ability, gifts and curses that would kill you before your life even began, all because your parents chose to help me."
He began to draw his mark.
"I wonder what my blessing will be, ahhh, yes, yes, perfect." He said as he completed his mark.
He looked at Odin, mockery in the upward turn of his lips.
"I bless you with mastery and the mind to manipulate," He said, his mark shining with black fire. "You will be a king of the mind, you will be one who thinks and causes men to tremble."
"No" Freya whispered.
Lucifer sighed in satisfaction and took a look at the rest of the Court.
"Well, that's that, " He said with a smirk. "Don't be strangers okay?, I get lonely."
He snapped his fingers and then he was gone.
Thoth and Athena fell to their knees panting.
"King Odin", started Thoth, "I do not know, I do not understan - "
"There is no need for explanation, "Odin said. "Lucifer is older and more powerful than any of you, you didn't stand a chance," .
Odin glared at Michael who met his gaze with equal ferocity. The mala'chim were the oldest of the Court but they obeyed one king and one king only, their own.
"You could have done something," said Odin.
"It was not His will, but I do not expect you to understand," Michael said, as he and the Host vanished in wisps of golden fire.
"What do we do about the child?" asked Athena as soon as they disappeared.
Freya saw Odin's jaw clench, what could they do now, what was Lucifer's plan?
"We wait, and we watch, the ritual has been completed, the mark has been placed and therefore there's nothing more we can do," said Odin.
"But King Odin...." started Zeus.
Odin thrust his spear and it hit Zeus in his arm, he stretched out his hand and the spear flew back into his grasp, ichor - the blood of the gods - spilt from the wound and Zeus fell to his knees holding his arm against himself and breathing heavily.
"I will hear nothing more of this matter, is that clear Zeus?" said Odin.
Zeus glared at Odin but nodded his head.
"This Court is dismissed," said Odin.
He struck his spear and the rest of the Court vanished, their whispers of disapproval floating in the air as they left.
"Odin, my love," said Freya.
Odin looked at her, his eye pleading. Freya nodded in understanding and stayed with her husband.
She stared at the shining specter and hoped with all her heart that what just happened would not backfire in the future, for the sake of their immortality, and the fate of the universe.