Zagan & Ambrose first meeting
Jester Zagan (human disguise) & Angel Zagan (true appearance)
artfight: Ambrose, Zagan
lore (still rough)
(fantasy) medieval england. (ambrose is mid 20s, zagan is immortal)
ambrose is a servant in the castle. in his spare time he studies magic in secret as it is forbidden and punishable by death.
zagan is an angel. he finds heaven stifling and boring and often disguises himself as a human to experience life among them.
first meeting
zagan decides to pose as a travelling jester (he’s always had an eclectic flair). he performs to the royals at a banquet when ambrose is serving.
ambrose catches zagans eye, zagan recklessly performs a small miracle (changing an apple into a pear) and winks at ambrose. luckily no one else seems to notice the act. ambrose is left shocked.
after the banquet, ambrose manages to catch zagan, pulling him into an alcove by his arm. lecturing him on how dangerous and reckless what he did was. but at the same time, he wants to know more, wants to learn more about this mysterious magical jester. zagan tells him not to worry, patting him on the shoulder before walking away, winking over his shoulder. once again, ambrose is left speechless at the smug jester
over the next few weeks, they have several encounters, ambrose cant stand zagans confidence, yet longs to know more about his magic. zagan performs small tricks (miracles) for him, just to see the awe in ambrose’s eyes.
zagan has spent too long ‘fratenising’ with humans and is called back to heaven. he tells ambrose he must move on to another city. ambrose pretends not to care, but secretly has made a real friend in zagan. as a parting gift, zagan transfers a small portion (in the form of a crystal necklace?) of his powers to ambrose, leaving with a ‘good luck with your magic’
(does zagan reveal his angel form at some point?)
the fall
on returning to heaven, the powers (heavenly order protectors) seize zagan and put him on trial for performing frivolous miracles in front of humans, and for encouraging and teaching magic to a mortal (affecting the natural order). for his crimes, he is banished from heaven. the feathers are ripped from his wings and he is thrown to hell.
ambrose continues practicing magic, getting more skilled and powerful. but one day he is too careless. unaware that anyone could see him, he lights a candle with a wave of his hand. he hears a gasp and someone running away down the hall. realising what has happened, and the end he faces, he scrambles to grab anything that could help him before guards rush in and grab him. with the accusation coming from a visiting noble, there is no trial and he is sentenced to the pyre at first light.
morning comes, he didnt sleep a wink. barely reacting, he is roughly pulled out of his cell and tied to the pyre. as the heat of the fire and the smell of smoke rises, he snaps into awareness. as the fire begins to scorch his flesh, he whispers a spell he remembered reading in a last ditch effort, to at least make his death less painful.
…
he wakes to darkness, unable to move. realising he is buried, he tries to dig himself out. on reaching the surface, he finds his flesh completely burnt away on parts of his body, exposing a solid gold skeleton.
rise
over time he regains his strength and manages to re-establish himself as a wizard
zagan eventually thrives in hell, enjoying the freedom to be who he wants
reunited
ambrose working as a secret sorcerer/advisor for royalty (tudor era?). zagan, once again disguised as a human, pretending to be a visiting noble. a mirror of their first meeting, they lock eyes across the banquet hall. despite the passing of hundreds of years, and both of their appearances having changed, they recognise each other.
both finding excuses to leave the banquet, they meet in the gardens. they embrace for what feels like hours before either of them even say anything, just relishing the fact that somehow, they found each other again.
they spend the night hugging and crying and catching up on what they’ve been up to
they wake up in the garden, in their banquet attire. ambrose stirs to zagan looking at him sadly. he sits up in a panic, realising that his human glamour faded overnight, revealing his undead appearance. before he has the chance to run away, zagan grabs his wrist and tries to calm him, dropping his own disguise to reveal his demon form with grey skin, horns, wings and fangs. ambrose is startled and confused but stops trying to escape.
