Leah Carstairs (Book #2)

The Church Of Talto

A/N: Guys, I know I've not updated for one million years. Oh, pls pls, save your scolding. I've only been under so much of pressure - with the school exams, and stuff. But, now the exams are over (goodbye, you b*tches), and I'm back. So I promise I'll update more frequently. Peace out. Enjoy :)

2008

Oskino led a hard life for many days. Without a change of clothes, any food to eat and a roof to live under, he obviously couldn't expect a pleasant life.

He earned his 1st meal by selling his shoes. During daytime, he sat on the streets under his hood, silently begging for alms; and during nighttime, he robbed people who were either devoid of company or too drunk to realise they were being robbed.

Oskino hated that from the wealthy, wise, powerful demon he used to be, now he was reduced to a state where he had neither money, power nor respect.

He despised how weak and useless it made him feel. And even though a part of him felt like he deserved it, for the 1st time in his entire existence, he also longed to be the Demon Oskino again.

It was notably better than being poor and powerless. From the little dollar bills Oskino collected all day and his nightly pilfering, he had just enough to buy some food. He yet didn't have a place to stay at.

Everyday, he woke up with an unsatisfied stomach and an aching memory of the uncomfortable posture he had spent the night in, perhaps in some dark corner of an alley.

He spent every day recollecting his eons of guilt and regrets; and ended each day with a brief prayer that if he weren't  fortunate enough to find a roof to live under or money for subsistent requirements, his supernatural powers might at least return.

Well, he was gradually granted his latter wish, bit by bit. Some of his powers did come back to him, but those meagre abilities hardly made a difference in his life. Oskino could do little more than glamour himself before mundanes. He was not enveloped within the various dimensions of knowledge regarding the universe's past, present and the future. He nearly never received insights or premonitions anymore. He could neither command demons and Downworlders, nor Portal himself from one place to another.

Strangely he yearned to go back to Edom - but all possible doorways he had known, let him down. Oskino couldn't materialise from place to place, or even create Portals.

He couldn't summon any demons either. And all routes to the Seelie Court, which used to be accessible by people of the Shadow World, were now magically blockaded - so as to prevent exchanges between faeries and the rest of the world.

Oskino found himself helplessly stuck in this mundane and unfamiliar place called New York.

After a few months of living a difficult, miserable and homeless city life, Oskino was fortunate enough to come across the Church of Talto one day.

He knew of the Church's connection with Lilith's infamous attempt to create demonic babies like Jonathan Morgenstern. And though, Lilith and Oskino hadn't exactly been friends since the beginning of time, he hoped the demoness would respond to his call, owing to their mutual need and desperation to regain their powers.

The Church had definitely not been used ever since Lilith's "death", Oskino observed. Everything in the interior of the church was kissed by a thick layer of dust. Cobwebs were a common sight on the roofs and pillars. There was an altar made up of stone - which contained a couple of skulls, an archaic book and a sword made up of Demon Metal. 

As Oskino walked down the aisle, a rigid angry vibration echoed throughout the room. He looked around to ensure no was present in the Church, and his gaze fell upon a pew in the front row. Unlike the other pews, a part of this pew was devoid of the ubiquitous dust.

Oskino guessed someone who had recently paid a visit to the Church of Talto must have occupied that particular spot of the pew; and he casually dismissed the matter without much thought.

However, the strangest thing happened when Oskino walked up to the altar and gently stroked one of the skulls. The skull began to throb eerily under his touch, and without warning burst into pieces. Consecutively, the other skulls too started pulsating and then randomly burst into bony particles.

Oskino instinctively stepped back from the erupting skulls, only to come in contact with a wooden pew - which combusted immediately, turning into fine ashy residue within seconds.

Very soon, nearly effortlessly, the floor too was cracking apart, turning into rubble. The walls were wailing off paintings and ornaments. The ceiling chandelier canopy began turning dangerously on its screws, and in no time, it too had landed amidst the mess with an enormous clatter.

The whole place seemed to be filled with dust, broken glass and rubble, and in the background of it all was a nearly-familiar bloodcurdling scream. Oskino ran out of the Church as fast as he could, gasping, shivering and choking from the smoke and ash.

He was clueless about exactly what had transpired back there, and about how he was now suddenly capable of involuntarily vandalising demonic Churches.

The only thing he had confirmed was that there was a certain reason that had prevented him from reaching or associating with anything demonic, in the past few months. Oskino didn't know what this reason was, but from that point, he was determined to find out. He had to reach out to his kindred.