VONTRAVIS

"Reveal yourself."

I hesitantly emerged from the branches that barely hid my spiritual form, which is a raven. And here I thought it was a great disguise, too bad.

I couldn't help but tilt my head at the blindfolded child in front of me. His voice was steady, but it wasn't very threatening. It even came across as cute, like a little kitten trying to roar. Though I did hope my entrance wasn't as awkward as this.

Hm. How do I phrase it?

My first encounter with the little prince was a tad bit intense. He was in a bloody state, barely sane, and barely functioning. After Wrath's failed attempt of leading the rest of the Heads to pressure the Lord (which I deem absurd to begin with), I called it quits and stepped in to end the meeting before her scythe cleaves our heads next. I shivered all over at the thought. Where in Wrath's head did he thought it was a great idea to provoke the Lord herself?

I knew there had to be some other way aside from groveling to the ground to kill some kid who's barely a threat to us. I, too, blame myself for placing too much trust on that warmonger musclehead.

What truly took me by surprise, however, was when the Lord ordered my audience shortly after that chaos and had briefly ordered me to accompany the prince in exile as his aid-coded-spy. It was baffling.

To put it simply, it went as this;

"Head of House Greed, I appoint you as the Prophet's aid. You shall accompany him and observe his behavior. Report his movements directly to me." That was it, then she handed me a tiny orb for communication. She didn't even bother being indirect.

Did she hear me out? No, why would she? She's the Lord.

I feel like I just got demoted by several levels overnight without even doing anything.

...which brought me back to the present. I was watching him strolling around the garden amidst the heavy snowfall when he immediately spotted me nesting in a dead tree. He has a great perception; I'll tell you that.

"Greetings, little one." I shifted to my humanoid form and bowed accordingly. He may be an exiled prince, but he's an Adonis, nonetheless.

He regarded me for a moment, unsure of how to respond. I did hear about him losing memories, but I don't think it was that simple. The Lord never moves on a whim.

He silently sat in the tuft of snow-covered grass and hugged his knees. I sat cross-legged next to him with a curious glance.

"Mister, are you powerful?"

"Quite, yes. I'm the Head of House Greed."

"Greed? Then why are you a raven?"

"And what did you think I was supposed to be?"

"I don't know. Perhaps a toad? Or a pig."

I grimaced and my hands spread wide before I knew it.

"A what?" The boy shrugged in return.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble if I'm not." I sat in a daze, now unsure of how to continue. Abyss's sake, I've never conversed with a child for centuries.

"I..." I turned to him, anticipating his hesitant words.

"I know she sent you here to watch me. You don't have to try so hard pretending to like me." hm?

"You're not as stupid as they say? But I'm not pretending."

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His little lips formed a delicate frown.

"I'm confused, not naive." I cackled. This doesn't seem too bad.

"It seems we'll be stuck with each other for a while, little one. Don't think I enjoy this, though."

"...Do I look like I have a choice?"

"Well, I guess not...did she ever visit the past few days?"

"The Lord? No, I don't think so. She just strangled me last time and left." I gulped and touched my neck. That's pretty sad, boy. And she gave birth to him too.

"I'm Vontravis. The Lord named me." The winter blew harshly, and we felt like silly snowmen sitting in the cold.

"...I'm—" Before I could hear his response completely, a more mature, soft baritone interrupted me.

"—Vis. Vis!" Little Kaisellin's image blurred before I knew it, now replaced by a fine lad so energetically bugging me. He still had the same silvery wild locks, albeit now longer and tied back in a messy high ponytail. His obsidian blindfold still looked pristine and riddled in complex runes. He was taller now, leaner, outgrowing his soft childlike features.

I sighed in exhaustion. Before I knew it, eight winters had passed since we settled in Erebus. It was beneath me, but I grew accustomed to living in a humble cabin in the high mountains and we lived off hunting stray monsters in the borders. We occasionally went down to the nearby village of local soul inhabitants to fetch supplies. We weren't subjected to restrictions, and no one knew of the prince's exile here. It barely seems like a real exile to me, but oh well. Maybe the Lord still had some mercy left in her noble heart.

"What is it, Seith?" The lad gasped. "How did you know right away?"

"The sun will set in the east if Aster suddenly comes to me all talkative and holding some...hellhound's head. Please, he detests blood." By the way, its sticky blood was dripping on the carpeted floor I scrubbed so hard to clean. Now I have to clean it again. Curse my luck.

If I'd be given a chance to list all my resentments to the Lord, I'd probably end up with quite a long roll of parchment.

First of all, I did not sign up for this shit. I silently demand what her criteria was for choosing me as an aid.

Second, she did not tell me I'd have to babysit four troublesome kids in one body, at once.

"What were you doing anyway? It's rare to ever see you sleep." Seith chimed.

"Because I wasn't sleeping. I was reading my old records."

"Those Requiems?"

"Yes."

"Who does that anyway? You're weird."

"Everyone else does. You're just jealous you can't open yours." I retorted.

He grumbled and trudged away, tossing the hellhound's head to the sink and flopping lazily to his bed.

I could never get used to his changes in behavior. Mind you, it gave me mini heart attacks when I first learned of his peculiar condition, and I had to undergo a lot of trials and errors to recognize each 'fragment', as Aster calls it, easily.

I'd love to slap the past me who thought this was going to be easy. Like hell it was.

I glanced back at the records' date, then shifted my gaze to Seith, who was wiping his sword diligently.

I sighed inwardly. Out of all the fragments, which were pretty tame and quiet, he's the only wild one. He's sticking out like a wrong puzzle piece.

"Is it still noisy inside there, Seith?"

"Sometimes." He paused for a moment before continuing.

"They never run out of things to say but speak so little, if you get what I mean. These frustrating bunch." Then, he formed a chagrined smile.

"Are you going to tell her this too?"

I didn't answer right away. I leaned back to my chair and stared outside the window. There wasn't anything special to see, but my mind would linger in its view from time to time.

"Of course. It's what I'm here for." A brief silence ensued between the two of us, and I couldn't help but adjust my silver monocle.

"Ah. I nearly forgot to mention. Rigel contacted me a while ago when you were out."

"And? What did mother dearest want this time?" Mother dearest...

"Didn't elaborate much, but I can tell it's bigger than the last ones." He sighed heavily.

"I'd rather not."

"You'll have to. Kaisellin had a peculiar sense of self-preservation." Upon mentioning the core psyche's name, I can tell his gaze bore onto me, even behind that sickening blindfold.

He sheathed his sword, roughly made of cold steel commonly found in Abyss.

"So where's the letter?"

"I told you, she didn't elaborate."

"Then how am I supposed to know?"

"She ordered you to return to the palace at once."

"What?!" I couldn't hear it, but I'll bet my jewels all the fragments shouted in unison. Just as I thought of it, Seith immediately covered his ears and slammed his head onto the pillow. He immediately recovered and faced me, his wild locks covering his face.

"But it's been eight years! That's it, I'm out. He'll deal with it for all I care!" He immediately flopped onto the bed again, passing out. A softer, quieter sigh emerged from his mouth—and I knew immediately.

My tame little Aster was back.

♦️♦️♦️

ASTER

Trudging along the palace's hallway, which seemed so wide and spacious, brought me back to the first time I came to be. It's also my first memory of the Lord, and it's something I'd wish not to recall. Vontravis's footsteps echoed behind me.

He's the Lord's person—I've known that since our first meeting, but it strangely felt comforting for someone to be physically present, by my side, even though his loyalty isn't. I guess I seem a bit too lonely.

[Lonely, my ass. There're probably thousands of us here.]

[Heh, just let the poor boy be a bit dramatic.]

[It's unfair, he doesn't recognize our existence just because he's the largest fragment.]

Ignoring their banters, I beheld the huge door in front of me, its intricate brass carvings and gilded details had me thinking of the costs it took to craft such extravagance. But that's not the problem. I clenched the hem of my clothes tight. I must face her again. We must. Only under her tutelage will we be able to survive.

The door slowly opened, and there she was.

"It's been a while, my Nightling. You've grown taller."

I bowed my head and didn't answer her.

I swallowed my frown and kept my expression blank. With how attentive Vontravis is to details, I'll bet she can even count how many hair strands I have. Surely, she should know how tall I've grown over the years.

Why is everyone in this court pretending so hard? It almost feels like a circus and I'm the entertainer in the middle.

"It hasn't been long since the Lord has sent me to eliminate stray draconic captives. Is this another one of that sort?"

[Your speech is a bit rude Aster. A bit too militaristic, tone it down and sugarcoat it at least.]

'I know, Raden, but I can't help it.'

"It's different, dear. A little unique, and a little longer to complete than usual. Why? You don't like it anymore?"

"..."

"I guess you're not amused..." She flashed a coy smile and eyed me up and down.

"...A shame, you barely inherited my features."

I'm thankful I didn't.

"Please tell me what I'm here for. It's unlike you to request my presence."

[I said tone it down, Abyss's sake. You want to be strangled again? Cause we don't!]

"You're oddly impatient." Her hand ushered me to come closer to her, and I obeyed.

"What I'm about to tell you concerns the Three Sovereigns. No matter what, this matter must not leave the palace walls. I assume you understand what this means?" I nodded slowly, feeling the gravity of the situation from her voice.