Fic: 'The Pride of Your Power'
Title: 'The Pride of Your Power'
Characters: Azza, Elua.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None, before both trilogies.
Summary: 'Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.'
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am merely a humble beggar, sampling from the table of Jacqueline Carey, who must dwell with the angels she writes about. I gain no profit from this work beyond the joy I had in writing it.
Notes: Will be posted on Fanfiction.net under my username Meneldur and on Elua's Children and Eglantine House here on LiveJournal.
I wanted to feel out the motives of some of the angels following Elua, especially the lesser-known ones, whose reasons are not expounded on. So I started with Azza, and wrote this up. I apologize if it seems unwieldy, but I wanted to keep a somewhat biblical/chronicle style in this story. I hope I've succeeded in that. The sources for the verses used are Leviticus 26:19 ('The Pride of Your Power'), Proverbs, 6:16-17 ('Six things the Lord hates…') and Exodus 23:20-21 ('I send an angel…for my Name). Of course, all capitalized 'He' refer to the Lord.
Lastly, I realize the ending note may be somewhat controversial. I wasn’t to clarify that these are simply my personal feeling, based on my reading of Barquiel, Ysandre and Sidonie in characters. I can't help but see a great fierceness and pride within them, and had to find a source for it scions of Naamah.
Of course, feedback is always solicited and appreciated.
And when Azza came before Elua after they had left Persis, he did not come in supplication or aid, but rather in great pride and anger. And when he stood there before him, Elua asked: "What would you have of me, my lord Azza? For I have not the power or greatness of my grandfather to offer to you."
And Azza answered: "It may be so, but I have never needed any such things. For myself, I am prideful; but that does not come from any things which have been given to me in gift, but rather from my strength and power, with which I was created; and indeed, was it not the Lord himself who created me thus? Nonetheless, He does not accept it; and He said to me that of the six things He hates, the first is 'a proud gaze'. But if I am proud, is it not my right, with the power he has given me? For who else has commanded the least of the Hosts of the Lord? And where are those who would challenge my gaze, which has led the people of the Earth to explore it? Was it not I of whom He said 'Behold, I send an Angel before thee… to bring thee into the place which I have prepared'? The Lord himself is prideful beyond measure, and well justified in it is he; but if so, why should not I, who (if not the greatest) am certainly not the least of his servants be so as well? He Himself said of me 'for My name is in him'."
Then Elua looked on Azza in compassion; for he saw great pride, and a wish to become more and greater; and he knew that Azza had not known Love from the Lord, and was saddened by this. So he accepted him for his companion, and knew him that night, learning from him the great strength of will and ambition that came from power.
And when they reached the fertile land where they settled, that which would be called Terre d'Ange, Azza took the northern coast for his domain, for he could see from it the White Cliffs of Dobria in Alba; and these were a constant goad for him and his scions that there was yet more of the Earth to be discovered and a constant beacon for those who would navigate. And he took for a consort a proud woman with a great mane of golden hair, so that all called them Lion and Lioness, for their hair and pride; and by that name were their foremost scions known: Trevalion, 'of the lion'.
In yet other versions of these scrolls, there is an addendum at this part:
It was said that many of Naamah's scions, who lived to the south, greatly admired the pride of Azza and his scions, and would take them for lovers and consorts. And Azza was pleased by their praise, and granted them his grace, giving unto them the pride and fierceness of lions. And he called the one who praised him most L'Enve - that is, 'to praise, to beautify', in the language of the Lord, that which became Habiru. And by that name he and all of his descendants, Naamah's scions, were known.
Characters: Azza, Elua.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None, before both trilogies.
Summary: 'Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.'
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am merely a humble beggar, sampling from the table of Jacqueline Carey, who must dwell with the angels she writes about. I gain no profit from this work beyond the joy I had in writing it.
Notes: Will be posted on Fanfiction.net under my username Meneldur and on Elua's Children and Eglantine House here on LiveJournal.
I wanted to feel out the motives of some of the angels following Elua, especially the lesser-known ones, whose reasons are not expounded on. So I started with Azza, and wrote this up. I apologize if it seems unwieldy, but I wanted to keep a somewhat biblical/chronicle style in this story. I hope I've succeeded in that. The sources for the verses used are Leviticus 26:19 ('The Pride of Your Power'), Proverbs, 6:16-17 ('Six things the Lord hates…') and Exodus 23:20-21 ('I send an angel…for my Name). Of course, all capitalized 'He' refer to the Lord.
Lastly, I realize the ending note may be somewhat controversial. I wasn’t to clarify that these are simply my personal feeling, based on my reading of Barquiel, Ysandre and Sidonie in characters. I can't help but see a great fierceness and pride within them, and had to find a source for it scions of Naamah.
Of course, feedback is always solicited and appreciated.
And when Azza came before Elua after they had left Persis, he did not come in supplication or aid, but rather in great pride and anger. And when he stood there before him, Elua asked: "What would you have of me, my lord Azza? For I have not the power or greatness of my grandfather to offer to you."
And Azza answered: "It may be so, but I have never needed any such things. For myself, I am prideful; but that does not come from any things which have been given to me in gift, but rather from my strength and power, with which I was created; and indeed, was it not the Lord himself who created me thus? Nonetheless, He does not accept it; and He said to me that of the six things He hates, the first is 'a proud gaze'. But if I am proud, is it not my right, with the power he has given me? For who else has commanded the least of the Hosts of the Lord? And where are those who would challenge my gaze, which has led the people of the Earth to explore it? Was it not I of whom He said 'Behold, I send an Angel before thee… to bring thee into the place which I have prepared'? The Lord himself is prideful beyond measure, and well justified in it is he; but if so, why should not I, who (if not the greatest) am certainly not the least of his servants be so as well? He Himself said of me 'for My name is in him'."
Then Elua looked on Azza in compassion; for he saw great pride, and a wish to become more and greater; and he knew that Azza had not known Love from the Lord, and was saddened by this. So he accepted him for his companion, and knew him that night, learning from him the great strength of will and ambition that came from power.
And when they reached the fertile land where they settled, that which would be called Terre d'Ange, Azza took the northern coast for his domain, for he could see from it the White Cliffs of Dobria in Alba; and these were a constant goad for him and his scions that there was yet more of the Earth to be discovered and a constant beacon for those who would navigate. And he took for a consort a proud woman with a great mane of golden hair, so that all called them Lion and Lioness, for their hair and pride; and by that name were their foremost scions known: Trevalion, 'of the lion'.
In yet other versions of these scrolls, there is an addendum at this part:
It was said that many of Naamah's scions, who lived to the south, greatly admired the pride of Azza and his scions, and would take them for lovers and consorts. And Azza was pleased by their praise, and granted them his grace, giving unto them the pride and fierceness of lions. And he called the one who praised him most L'Enve - that is, 'to praise, to beautify', in the language of the Lord, that which became Habiru. And by that name he and all of his descendants, Naamah's scions, were known.