Voidal Heart Chapter One
Here is Chapter One. Please enjoy!
@jedikitteh
Emet was trying to understand why Lahabrea had insisted on this. They had already used Mhach and its residents to bring about a calamity. What was pilfering through the remnants going to do? Sure, voidsent could be useful, but they came with many cons. The half-creatures' ravenous hunger was only one of those cons. There was also the fact that most of them had gone insane when the flood came. It was annoying to deal with at the best of times and downright irritating at the worst times.
“I know they are loathsome, just as you are, but like you, they have their uses,” Lahabrea purred as he started looking through the coffins for any voidsent that could be useful to them. All these half-beasts had their uses, though some were more useful than others. Emet was mildly aware of a familiar about. A talking cat, if he remembered correctly, though something else was nagging at him.
There was an energy here that he could not explain. Though there was no mistaking the voidsent queen, something else was more powerful. The quiet footsteps caused the Ascian to turn and look behind him. A hand raised, ready to snap fingers to obliterate whatever was there. However, as he caught the soul's brightness, his eyes widened. It could not be! Another that was unsundered like them?
Yet, even though he noted they were indeed whole, there was something very off. Their soul seemed twisted and almost mangled by dark-aspected aether. It wasn’t the same as being tempered, though, and as they drew closer, he got a glimpse of the original color in the mass of twisted aether. It caused him to back up and trip over some rubble. “It can’t be. This is impossible!”
“What are you on about?”
Emet looked up at Lahabrea as he summoned one of his familiars. It was the dragon, and his eyes widened before he scrambled to his feet. No! He knew full well that The Speaker would obliterate her before they even had a chance to see if she could be reasoned with. That was something he could not allow. “Hadianna, stay back!”
“Your daughter is dead!”
To say that he was unsurprised to hear such venom from the other was an understatement. He had lost his son when the Final Days hit. Erichthonios had gone during the first wave of creatures. Then when the sundering happened, he too was sundered with everyone else. Emet did not know how Hadi had gotten out whole, but he would find out. Right now, he just needed to keep her safe. That was the number one thing here.
What happened next was the last thing he expected. She had not been able to transform, yet here she was doing just that. White scales that shined a deep umbral purple covered her body. The lower half was that of a snake now, while her head was a mix of human and snake. There was a sword in one hand and a purple fireball in the other hand. When did she gain the ability to use magic?
“I will not go down without a fight, Uncle Lala.”
Her voice came out in a deep hiss. Emet did not remember her voice being that deep. Was it a result of the flood? There were so many questions running through his head as he watched her. His eyes darted to Lahabrea, who seemed to be hesitant to attack her now. The third seat could be fine with him, given who Hadianna was married to. Elidibus would kill him if she were hurt—somehow, he still had some memories of her left despite Zodiarks seemingly insatiable hunger. He likely wouldn’t take this well, even with her being unsundered.
“I am not a fool. Twisted though you maybe, you are still his wife.”
It was said with a deep sigh of disgust as he lowered his hands. Emet was not surprised by that reaction either, given that Lahabrea had been losing himself. He did seem to care much for anything that connected to their past. He was molding his vessels less and less as the years passed. It was as if he no longer cared for the person he had once been. As if that man was somehow weak to allow all this to happen. Never mind the fact that none of it was their fault, to begin with.
A sigh left him as he noticed a large hand coming toward him. A yipe escaped him as he was picked up and gently placed on his feet. Emet grumbled his thanks as he brushed himself off. It was undignified to be picked up like that and by his daughter too. She was also basically naked, but he wouldn’t get into that now. There were more pressing matters, like how she was not sundered like everyone else.
“Hadi-”
“Belladonna, I go by Belladonna now. Donna, Bell, or Bells is also fine.”
Emet blinked at her as he watched her return to her normal form. He supposed normal was subjective, given that she now had horns, wings, and strange eyes. That she had decided to change her name did bother him slightly. Her mother had been insistent about naming her after him, and now she didn’t want to be known by that name. Was it because she felt abandoned? That certainly wasn’t his intention or her husband's. They had not known she was whole. Elidibus and himself had been looking for a sundered piece rather than a complete soul.
“Belladonna.” Emet repeated back to her and nodded. He had no right to tell her that she could not change her name. If it did not feel right, she had every right to change it to something she identified with. “Are there any other changes I should be aware of? Pronouns?”
“No, just my name.”
Emet nodded at the soft and appreciative smile she gave him. Even with most of her eyes now black, the iris’ were still the same pale green as her mother's. The glow was also still there too. A sign that she was indeed still whole. “Alright, that is good to know.”
“Are you done yet, Selch?”
The growl came from Lahabrea and caused Emet to turn his attention to the other. It looked like The Speaker was getting impatient. One side of his mouth shifted up in annoyance as he regarded the other man. Could Lahabrea, for once, not be an absolute dick? Was that really too much to ask for? Perhaps it would be better to get away from him. “Why don’t you continue as you were while I speak with my daughter?”
Eyes rolled as Lahabrea grunted before walking off. Good, now he and Ha- Emet took a deep breath as he internally corrected himself. Yeah, that was gonna take a bit to get used to. Now he had Belladonna, and he could continue speaking in peace. There was much for them to talk about. Where to start, though? Perhaps it was best to let her ask questions first. “Is there anything you wish to know?”
“Have you found any of Themis’ shards?”
“Elidibus is still whole.” Emet stated and paused. How was he supposed to tell her he was a completely different person now? The soft but confident man she had fallen for and married was gone. Did he even remember his name? Zodiark kept chipping away at the memories, the things that made Elidibus Themis. There was so little left of Themis now. Only a few memories of her were left to remind him of who he had once been. “He is very different now.”
He watched as her face went from happy surprise to uncertainty. It wasn’t something he enjoyed watching either. Emet could only guess at what must have been going through her head. His guesses weren’t on the positive side of things either. How did you deal with something like this? It also worried him as she would have to face Elidibus sooner rather than later. It wasn’t like he could really hide her from him, and he didn’t want to. She was their best chance of him recovering at least some margin of his true self again.
“Belladonna, I know this is a lot to take in.” Emet stated as he looked at her. His eyes were soft as he looked at her. Despite the changes that marked her as a voidsent now, she still looked like herself for the most part. “You are at the moment all he remembers of before; even then, it is only pieces. Zodiark has been feeding on his memories, and I fear you're the only tie he has left to who he was before.”
A nod was less than he expected, but he did not miss the determination in her eyes. She had already made her choice, and Emet knew it was right. His daughter had never been one to give up on those she cared for. She was loyal to a fault regarding those she considered hers. It was something she came by honestly as both himself and her mother had been like that. He was still like that to an extent.
“Chin up, Little One.” Emet stated as he reached out his hand, cupping her face. He ensured the claw-like additions on three fingers didn’t scratch her. She had always been his little soldier, and now she could use magic without the help of foci. It was something they could all be happy about. One perk out of the sea of cons that her being twisted like this came with. “You two have always been able to take on the world together. I doubt that is going to change anytime soon.”
“Thank you, Daddy. Can you take me to see him?”
“Yes, and I shall.” Emet nodded as he quickly closed his eyes and located Elidibus. He was in The Wanderer’s Palace. Great, they would have to deal with the Nymians. Or at least what remained of them. This was gonna be a doozy, but at least there weren’t many people around there. Sometimes it was hard to tell when Elidibus would go off the deep end. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was usually something personal, and this was very personal. “I hope you are prepared for this.”
“I am as ready as I will ever be.”
It was a rueful response, and yet it caused him to smile. Humor in the face of darkness and sorrow, yes, that did fit the bill. Emet offered her his hand as he opened a portal to the location. “Also, stay away from the green creatures. They will stab you.”
“Green Creatures?”
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