As soon as Ziz stepped out of the column of golden fire, Yemaja began rubbing her hands together like a famous old rapper who, ironically, was also associated with birds.
The golden phoenix was more than a head taller than her in this form; appearing to be around 6'3. (They had shrunk themselves when they came to earth so that they wouldn't stand out.)
Ziz had pale skin twinged with a light golden complexion.
He appeared to be an Asian man in his early to mid twenties with a rather radiant demeanor.
His long golden hair was tied behind his head in a single braid that came all the way to the floor.
Contrary to his phoenix form, his eyes were a bright green color like grass on a summer day. But those precious gems sat behind a pair of circular gold-rimmed sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.
A tattoo of a phoenix sat on the right side of his neck. For clothes he wore an oversized yellow-golden cardigan with a pair of tan pants and sandals.
Apophis didn't quite like the face his sister Yemaja was making, so he gave her a very stern and dire warning.
'Don't even think about it.'
Naturally, his rebellious younger sister didn't take too kindly to his repeated interference.
'I'm an adult and I can do what I want! Stop policing me all the damn time!'
Yemaya heard their entire argument on accident and felt like she had to step in here before things got even more out of hand.
'I don't think you guys need to bicker about this at all... It's kind of unnecessary for this particular situation.'
Before either of them could ask what she meant, Ziz suddenly came very close and completely invaded their personal space.
He peered at Apophis and Yemaya over his sunglasses with a calculating gaze that seemed to like what he'd found.
"You both pass. The honor of being my consorts is yours if you wish to have it. But then again, why wouldn't you?"
The siblings' faces soured.
Yemaja liked pretty men, but she
only
liked pretty men who didn't know that they were pretty.
Like her mentor big sister Thea; she preferred to be the aggressor who played with her mates like they putty in her hand.
Anything else had a small tendency to make her... just a little bit upset.
-
One bruised jaw and a pair of broken glasses later, Ziz was sitting cross legged on the ground while wearing an ugly scowl.
"Both of you are completely off your rockers... You should be honored that a being as grand and beautiful as myself even bothered to spare you a second glance..!"
Yemaya was finally remembering why she never bothered to made the trip up here. Aside from the fact that she liked being a shut-in.
Ziz wasn't a bad person by mortal or supernatural standards, but could be a bit... much.
Birds of all different types are known to act with great bravado and in uniquely grandiose manners in order to attract mates- a trait that is inherited directly from Ziz.
He is literally the entire reason for the term peacocking.
Earth's mythological history is decorated to the maximum with stories of beautiful individuals whose attractiveness is matched only by their ego.
But Ziz is at least sixty times more insufferable than every single one of them put together.
"Perhaps not by blood or name, but we are still family nonetheless. Do you think I would have come all the way back to this miserable smelly planet if I didn't care about you and Behemoth like you were my own siblings?"
"...Why did you come back for us? I mean me I understand, but her?"
Yemaya rolled her eyes and chose to only address the first part of the phoenix's concerns.
"My sister and I had a vision last night. You and Behemoth will fall if I leave you be. I've come to make sure that doesn't ever happen."
Now, Ziz looked like he was finally paying attention.
"Is this about those human hunter families? You truly had a vision of them killing me?"
"You
know
about them already..?" Yemaya was seriously resisting the urge to crack her knuckles over his head.
"Well, yea." Ziz pointed to his entire underground network of birds who came to tell him things.
"So you knew about them the whole time and you just decided not to do anything?"
"...I sense that if I answer that you're going to get upset."
"ZIZ!"
"Fine, yes! I didn't think it was actually possible for them to pose any sort of harm. They're just humans!"
Yemaya was unable to restrain her anger so she wrapped Ziz' braid around his neck and pulled it like she was trying to start up a lawn mower.
Apophis had to step in and pull his adorable younger sister away before she ended up murdering the friend who she had come to save.
"Let's just ease up on all of this for now. We've got your friend so now let's try to find the other one before... b-before..."
All of the sudden, Apophis began to feel undeniably woozy.
His head felt like it was splitting in two and there was nothing he could do about it.
Yemaya and Yemaja knew that there was a problem instantly. But when they saw a line of blood run down his nose, they all but fell into a state of panic.
It only got worse when they watched him suddenly collapse.
""BROTHER!!""
The twins caught Apophis before his back could hit the clouds. Exclusive content from m,v lemp,yr
Even though Mateo was also worried, he was much more clear headed than the girls. "Help him get back to the plane, we can lay him down!"
However, Mateo had to take a pause too when he felt a chill suddenly run down his spine.
"Boss, incoming at 6 o'clock!!"
Mateo turned around and his face hardened.
Rapidly approaching them were another squad of jets bearing familiar insignia.
And one man was flying among them without falling behind at all.
But the problem was that the amount of energy Mateo could feel coming from him was too much for a normal person.
Which could only mean one thing: His adversary was being possessed by a god.