Eyes settled, scanned and sized up Kallen's figure, their gaze, like a mountain weight, pressed down on him, making him tense up.
His instinctive response, was to fight, and also to flee. He struggled to maintain his composure under the fierce scrutiny... something was definitely messing with his mind.
Despite their scrutiny, the apex lifeforms made no move towards him, which left Kallen both relieved and puzzled.
"Come!" one of them finally announced, its voice clear and resonant. The command caused the mortal souls to stir, moving toward the awaiting entities with a mix of trepidation and dread.
Kallen took a few steps forward when another apex lifeform detached from the group and approached him directly.
"Come with me," the apex lifeform said, voice smooth and commanding. Without waiting for a response, it turned and began to walk away, leaving Kallen standing in a haze of confusion.
Kallen glanced back at the other apex lifeforms, who seemed not to be paying him any attention, preoccupied with their own mortal recruits. With a sense of caution, he followed, trying to piece together what was happening, questions running through his mind.
They approached a secluded corner of the courtyard, and Kallen glanced back at the other deities, looking to make sure no other person was watching him.
He caught sight of another apex lifeform watching him intently. There was a fleeting moment of recognition in the Kallen's eyes, a sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite place. The feeling was like a half-remembered dream, just out of reach.
Before he could make sense of the situation, a sleek black cat leaped onto his head, startling him. Immediately, his already tensed form reacted instantly, his index and middle fingers moving, pointed towards whatever was on his head for the kill.
However, the feline leaped gracefully from his head, and darted across the courtyard with a nonchalant air.
"Seriously, a cat?" Kallen muttered, his forehead creasing in irritation. He looked around, searching for the apex lifeform who had been watching him, but the deity had vanished.
His frustration mounted as he scanned the crowd of apex lifeforms, each one seeming equally inscrutable and indifferent.
He sighed, giving up the search. He wasn't sure if he was just being paranoid, but the circumstances with which he died, plus this surreal situation seemed to be affecting his pdyche.
With a resigned shake of his head, Kallen turned his attention back to the mysterious apex lifeform leading him away, trying to ignore the nagging questions and the mischievous feline that had briefly stolen the spotlight.
Following, the mysterious apex lifeform, he glanced occasionally at his surroundings. He couldn't tell if the deity had noticed the little drama with the cat or if he simply chose to ignore it.
They walked in silence, heading in the same direction the cat had run. The courtyard seemed to stretch endlessly, and the further they walked, the more distant the other apex lifeforms became.
Finally, the deity stopped. They had reached a quiet, secluded area, far from the prying eyes of the others. The atmosphere was still, almost expectant, as if the very air was waiting for something to happen.
The apex lifeform turned to Kallen and spoke, his voice carrying a touch of pride.
"My name is Samaelas the creator, I am also known as Saklas, Samaklas... However, those names are but jealous creations of other apex lifeforms, envious of my marvelous essence and undeniable awesomeness.
"I am the personification of creation, and my divinity is the most potent of all..."
"More like the personification of copycat," a new voice interrupted, dripping with sarcasm.
Kallen's eyes widened as the black cat reappeared, walking with suaveness into view before it suddenly morphed into a parrot and perched itself right on top of Samaelas' head.
Kallen's eyes narrowed, somehow he didn't like that cat at all.
Too many things were happening, and although he was taking it cooly for now, his patience was running out and he was growing increasingly frustrated for some unknown reasons.
Plus... this was certainly not what he expected when he was chosen by an apex lifeform.
"He's the Demiurge," the parrot continued, its tone mocking, "the foolish and ignorant Apex."
Samaelas' expression darkened, his previous confidence replaced by anger and a touch of embarrassment.
"You minx, you dare?" he growled, his voice tinged with frustration as he flailed his hands, trying to swat the parrot away.
But the parrot was quick, deftly dodging his attempts. In his anger, Samaelas ended up smacking his own head, the force causing him to stumble slightly.
The sight was so absurd, it was rather comical. The supposedly awe-inspiring deity looked rather comical, flustered and flapping his hands at a bothersome parrot. However, the more they carried on with their shenanigans, Kallen's gaze just seemed to grow frostier.
The parrot, still perched and unbothered, tilted its head and said, "You really do make it easy, don't you?" Its tone was light, almost playful, contrasting sharply with Samaelas' growing frustration.
Slowly, Samaelas calmed himself, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He cleared his throat, coughed twice, and attempted to regain his composure. "I am Samaelas," he began, his voice now deep and authoritative, "and I am the Demiurge..."
"The Gnostic Demiurge, from gnostic mythology?" Kallen interjected.
Samaelas visibly flinched at the question, his face turning a slight shade of red as he grit his teeth. "Yes," he responded, clearly irritated by Kallen's tone.
Kallen couldn't resist poking further. "Why are you alone, then? What about the Archons?"
Before Samaelas could respond, the parrot cut in, reprimanding Kallen with a sharp tone.
"Brat! You seem to have forgotten in who's presence, you stand" it squawked, annoyance clear in its voice.
A snicker followed its words as it hopped off Samaelas' head, morphing into a large badger that towered before Kallen, its breath causing the very air to tremble.
Kallen cocked his head up a bit, looking at the badger dead in the eyes.
An illusive, flickering ember dancing within his gaze. The sight of the massive, intimidating badger before him sent a wave of primal fear through his being, as if he were a prey face-to-face with a lion in the wild. But he just looked on with a deceptive calmness.
At this point, he was simply fed up with all the wild rides, he was fed up with these apex lifeforms trying to intimidate him. He was not a patient person to begin with, and the nagging influence on his mind wasn't helping things.
Samaelas, meanwhile, tried to maintain his dignity despite the situation, though the red flush on his face betrayed his embarrassment. He shot a glance at the badger, silently fuming at the interruption.
The badger, however, seemed to take great pleasure in Kallen's displeasure, its eyes gleaming with mischievous delight. It leaned closer, its breath hot and heavy, making Kallen's non-existent knees feel weak.
"Nice to meet you?" Kallen finally said his voice a little strained, but flat. The words felt hollow, but they were all he could muster in the face of the colossal beast.
The badger rumbled a low laugh, its voice deep and resonant. "You have spirit, I'll give you that," it said, stepping back slightly, though its presence remained overwhelmingly oppressive.
Kallen forced a deep breath. Somehow the more he interacted with these beings, the greater his displeasure grew.