It is a year after Xaviour has been born and he is currently being held tightly at Infernia’s bosom as she is walking with Sanguinem through the halls of the Inner Sanctum. Every so often they pass a maid working who makes sure to hurried curtsy to the two. The intoxicating smell of blood tulips in vases beside the walls and the impressive artwork pinned to the walls as silent ever watching guards.
As they have been walking, Sanguinem has been occasionally trying to put his hand on Infernia’s hip. But she has always seemed to know just before he touches her, making sure she gives him a glare. Noticing this, his hand always retreats, his eyes dart away quickly, and not daring to meet her gaze.
Infernia always smiles when Sanguinem looks away after she gives him the glare as she feels happy that her husband like’s her body and that he’s somewhat scared of her. Even though she would be called a Mortal due to no cultivation base.
For someone of Sanguinem’s Cultivation Rank and prestige it would be laughable if not insane to marry a Mortal with no Cultivation. Even if they are heaven defyingly beautiful, at best they would be turned into a concubine and have their Rank increased by pills.
However, Infernia is a cripple so she can’t cultivate at all, making her chances of becoming a concubine or worst, slave, increases.
To someone like Sanguinem, marrying someone like her would make him lose a large portion of face. It is like an Emperor marrying a crippled peasant, something that is inconceivable unless you have had the state which is called, True Love.
The only one to even come close to the love he has for her now, is their son Xaviour who has been known to be a little hellion when left unattended. Always running around since he was 6 months, scaring maids by showing up in random places and breaking (thankfully cheap) objects.
It’s only after a few hours of his little crusade against peace and quiet, that he has succumbed to it. Which is why he is being held by Infernia as the three of them walk around for some family bonding time together.
“Thank you for taking off some work honey, you’ve been awfully busy with Sect business Lately.” Infernia says quietly, which Sanguinem smiles back.
Sanguinem puffs out his chest. “I’ll always make some time to spend with you, Sweetie. Even if I need to kill a thousand men and run through the hellish sovereign of Abyssus! There is nothing that would keep me from you.” He says full of bravado, and pride, with a smirk on his lips.
Infernia snorts at his over the top reply and grows a smirk of her own. “What would you do if I just disappeared one day than? Leaving a note telling you not to try to find me?”
Sanguinem hearing that instantly stiffens up and stares at her in pure horror and sadness. “Sw-sweetie..?” He trembles, trying to understand why she would ever say that, even if it was a joke.
“Oh come on Honey! I was just asking a question, I would never do that!” She gives a warm smile and cuddles up to him with Xaviour. “I would never want to leave you and Xaviour so don’t worry…”
“Oh… Okay, sorry for.. Sorry” Sanguinem relaxes and sighs, thinking he went overboard with his actions and thinking his wife, even if it was minuscule, would leave him.
Infernia loses her smile and looks forward. “Should we continue our walk now? We still have a few more hours til we reach the bedroom.” At the end she looks back to him and whispers in his ear, making Sanguinem blush furiously.
He nods violently and starts walking quickly, to Infernia’s laughing pleasure.
Crystal started secretly teaching Xaviour how to be a honourable, courageous, and selfless knight at the age of two. You got to teach them young am I right? It is also pretty interesting that Crystal knows about Knights and Chivalry, but Xaviour as the young, and malleable child he is, is innocent to the brainwashing that is happening.
He doesn’t mind though, he enjoys the lengthy stories she tells of him of Honourable Knights, slaying Dragons, saving damsels in distress and helping the poor and needy. He showed great interest in the stories and sometimes even pretends he is a glorious Knight Hero, slaying a dragon to save Crystal, to her amusement.
Crystal has told him though that he can tell no one about these lessons or she will stop telling him the stories. When he heard he wouldn’t be able to hear those stories anymore, he quickly agreed, fear evident in his eyes.
When she wasn’t telling him stories, or giving him lessons about Knights, she would play games with him. Could be tag, puzzles or just enjoying the Central Garden in the Inner Sanctum. She spent all of her free time with Xaviour when she wasn’t cultivating. She treats him like the younger brother she never had and spoils him usually when he answers the questions she gives him correctly.
They are currently sitting down together in the Central Garden, surrounded by hundreds of rare, dangerous and beautiful plants. Xaviour sitting in Crystals lap as she gingerly strokes his hair as he giggles from the touch.
“What story should I tell you today, hmm?” Crystals murmurs to herself while she continues to caress Xaviour’s hair.
Xaviour starts shouting excitedly, “My favourite one, favourite one!” He continued to cry that out until Crystal laughed and agreed.
“If you really want that one then fine, but I won’t be repeating it again today than!” She smirks mischievously.
“Aww… Pweasee?” Xaviour begs with his eyes moistening. At a young age he realized that he could manipulate people by doing this sort of thing, people usually cave in after him doing this and gets away with it!
“No.” Crystal states, finality in her voice.
Sadly, Crystal is not one of them.
Xaviour pouts and crosses his arms, and furrows his brows. Crystal seeing this display can only sigh and cock her head to the side.
“However… We could play a game based off of the story later..” She says quietly just enough so Xaviour can her her.
He instantly looks right up at her, all starry eyed with a huge smile on his face which would even make a grumpy Demon smile back.
“Really!? You promise!?” He says rapidly and vibrates showing his enthusiasm for something like this.
Why wouldn’t he however? Spending more time with his ‘Big Sister’ and probably being able to play as the main character of the story? Any kid his age would want to play hero! Especially how he is being brought up.
Crystal messes with Xaviour's hair and smiles before she gets up to start to play with Xaviour for a bit.
Xaviour now at the tender age of 3, is listening to Carnifix play the piano. It’s a comical sight to see someone as big and brutish as him, playing the piano like a connoisseur. Xaviour has started enjoying the musical arts ever since he heard Carnifix play for the first time.
Carnifex’s fingers glide over the keys of the piano, making a grand symphony all by himself. His fingers always moving in some way, either by pressing a key or getting to their next position just like a soldier in battle. His upright posture while playing, his graceful movements, and the pleasant string of sounds the piano is generating shows how well versed he is in playing the instrument.
After 30 minutes of Carnifex’s warm up session he stops to speak with Xaviour. He always does this when he is done a song or a warm up so he can answer the young child’s questions. Their relationship has been strong as he has been protecting him for the child’s whole life and when he found out Xaviour liked music? Carnifex couldn’t shut up about talking about the amount of songs he could play on the piano.
“Okay” Carnifex starts with his hands behind his back. “What will be the first question of the day?”
Xaviour smiles brightly and rubs his small hands together. “What did our family do before you all settled down?” This has been on Xaviour's mind for a while now. He has heard little snippets of the other Great Elders talk about the “Glory days” before they created the Sect but they wouldn’t explain further without him going up to ask them.
“What we did before we settled down, huh? Was hoping it was about the piece I just played but a easy question none the less.” Carnifex cracks his neck and knuckles before he begins again. “We were called many things but they all mean the same thing. Marauders, Bandits, Pillagers, Brigands, and Raiders. We killed people and took their stuff. Was usually nothing personal, just their bad luck of us meeting them or being in our way.”
Xaviour frowns for a moment before looking at Carnifex quizzically. “Isn’t killing people bad and hurts people's feelings?”
“Of course it’s bad and hurts people's feelings,” He snorts and then frowns himself afterwards. “But sometimes you just, Uhm… Have to do it… I don’t really think I should be having this conversation with you. Go ask your mom or dad, they’ll happily explain to you.”
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Xaviour sighs and pouts but says nothing back to Carnifex. He isn’t liking that Carnifex won’t tell him. Mainly because he has already asked questions like this to his parents and they usually brush it off, wanting to keep him innocent in this violent world.
And Carnifex doesn’t want to tell him for he fears of the wrath of both of Xaviour's parents! How are you going to explain to them that you just told their son they murdered and stole from hundreds of people without feeling bad at all! They also did way worse sometimes and there would be hell to pay if Xaviour even made a slight change in how he looks at them.
“Ahem.. Well… Any suggestions for the next song Xaviour? I’ll let you choose this time..” Carnifex smiles brightly at the boy who smiles a bit back.
“Dragonlight Sonata please, I think it’s the best one you can do. It can be so light and then so quick at times!” Xaviour says with rising anticipation and feeling a bit better.
“You got it! I think that's the best song I can play as well, you have good taste. But I am after all, educating you though…” Carnifex smiles broadly to himself, his pride swelling.
Xaviour now at the age of 4 is walking side by side with his Mother, Infernia. Still throughout his whole life he hasn’t been allowed outside the Inner Sanctum, for the fear that he could get kidnapped or hurt. His family have been very protective of him and haven't really told many people about him. But when they do, it’s about arranging potential marriages for him with the lesser sects beneath them as they do not wish to have ties with the four other Major Sects in their continent.
Xaviour is in a exquisite suit made out of bright Cherry coloured Flameshrikes’s down feathers making it extremely soft and smooth, while also making it elemental resistant to fire. He has white gloves with the Sects insignia which is a Blood Red spider with a thorax with a stinger and wings. This is the dreaded Terrorwasp.
His mother is wearing a elegant Crimson dress that hugs to her body showing her bountiful assets while her long flowing hair cascades down her back. Her hands bare with only nails painted a light violet and holding Xaviour's hand as they stroll through the decorated halls.
This is one of the rare times that they walk alone together through the Inner Sanctum without Sanguinem, as he is busy with speaking to some of Patriarchs or Matriarchs of Sects wanting to talk about Xaviour.
As such, Infernia has taken this as a chance to spend some one on one time with Xaviour, happily to just walk and talk with her Handsome and adorable child. It would not be wrong to say that she might enjoy spending time with him the more than anyone else, and that's saying a lot due to How Sanguinem babies and spoils him.
Xaviour is all smiles with his mother and he tightly grasps her slender fingers as they enjoy the atmosphere and some small talk. It’s only when they notice some beastmen maids and when the maids notices them that the maids stiffen up and look horrified before bowing quickly and moving far out of their way. Only after the two pass the maids, do the maids relax their posture but still look tensed at the Mistress and Young Master.
Xaviour has a sour look on his face when he saw what happened. His heart aches and feels awful as this is a normal occurrence whenever the Beastmen maids see Infernia or himself. They always act like they are cornered and that he is a Predator ready to devour them. The only maids who aren’t afraid of him seem to be the Bug type Beastmen who seem to highly respect and almost borderline worship him and the High Elf Twins who dot on him when they get the chance.
He looks up to his mother and says with a quiet voice “Why are they scared of us mommy?” He tears up a bit before he wipes his eyes. “Whenever they see us they cower away… I havn’t done anything wrong have I?”
Infernia looks down him a little pained to see him like this. “You have done nothing wrong Sweetheart, and it’s not their fault either.” She gently says and goes down to hug him tightly which he returns while sniffling into her shoulder.
“It is just who we are, they fear our blood and their instincts warn them of how dangerous we are. Never let this bother you for if they truly got to know you they would love you almost as much as me. You are perfect just the way you are.” She says with heart warming smile and kisses his forehead.
Xaviour sniffles for a bit longer, a hiccup here and there before he stops and slowly starts a small smile back at his mother. “I love you mommy… Please never leave me.” He says before he hugs her deeply again.
Unknownst to him however, Infernia has a pained expression on her face when he said that and hugged her. Her chest feeling like she was just hit by a King Rank Cultivator in the stomach, feeling you are dying inside. She hugs back tightly and when she lets go so they can continue, there is a reluctance.
It is the night before Xaviour's fifth birthday, tomorrow he will cultivate for the first time and will find out what elemental Qi he has affinities to. This is a grandiose occasion for every person, to take your first step into cultivating and to find out what kind of Qi you will wield.
Right now Xaviour is wrapped tightly in his blankets laying down in his bedroom as his father sits next to him tucking him in. It’s a pleasant atmosphere as they are both excited for what will come tomorrow. Xaviour for he wishes to become strong to protect his family and those who can’t protect themselves and Sanguinem as he can’t wait for his son to succeed.
“Dad… How did you and Mom meet?” Xaviour yawns as his eyes start to drip.
Sanguinem slightly taken back by the sudden question frowns for a second before smirking. “Ahhh, the moment when I first met your mother. It was a magnificent heroic moment for me.” He boasts, puffing out his chest.
“Back when we were a Bandit group, before you were born, we were heading through the Delraus Continent, specifically the Bloodrekne Woods, which has a famous road to travel from the Kingdom of Squarm to the Empire of Eyrim.” Sanguinem starts telling Xaviour, while also looking out into space remembering the events.
Xaviour frowns and asks his father. “I thought Bandits were bad people. They kill and steal things from people weaker than them.”
Sanguinem tenses up and looks at him shocked. “And who told you that?”
“Carnifex” Xaviour states simply and his Father’s eye twitches.
‘I’m going to kick your ass after this, Carnifex…’ Sanguinem thinks and curses Carnifex, just for simply telling Xaviour about Bandits.
Sanguinem sighs and puts up another smile, though forced. “We were good Bandits, not those bad Bandits. We took from only the wealthy and those who were violent to us first. We were honourable unlike others.”
Xaviour as naive as they come, believes his Father about being a ‘Good Bandit’. His smile and eyes twinkling shows that.
If anyone else heard Sanguinem say that they would probably cough up blood at the absurdness of that. A ‘Good Bandit’? Don’t make me laugh! He and his band were brutal and efficient, they attacked those who were unwary and left no survivors, taking everything they could get their hands on. The only reason people know how bad they were, is because they left a mark on those they killed, the Symbol of Venenosa on their forehead, or chest if their head was exploded.
But sadly no one was there to call out his bullshit so Xaviour ate it up, seeing his father in a new light. Just a slightly brighter light.
“Back to the story! We were going through the area, minding our own business as one does, not wishing to start trouble as it can lead to horrible things. Remember, every action has a reaction Xaviour, even if it doesn’t look like it, the reaction could be delayed.” Sanguinem tells Xaviour who nods vigorously.
“There was 25 of us back then, instead of the 10 we have now. We were having fun, talking, and jesting to each as we went until he heard someone calling for help. As the Good bandits that we were, we only had good intentions to go and help those that were in trouble.” He grins to himself and strokes his chin.
Xaviour looks at him in awe and asks, “Was it Mom who was calling for help?”
Sanguinem shakes his head for a negative and says “No, but she was there! She and a family of three were surrounded by the Bad Bandits. She was so gorgeous back then… Not like she isn’t gorgeous now! She still looks as beautiful then!” He laughs nervously after saying that, hoping she wasn’t nearby to hear that slip up.
He starts to mellow down afterwards with a small smile on his face. “I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her after I saw her. My heart melted as I looked into her ruby coloured eyes, even from a distance, looking into her eyes made me feel like my soul was being sucked away to be a gift to her.”
“After getting snapped out of my trance by Maleficus, I gave orders immediately to subjugate those dastardly Bandits! How dare they do attack some defenseless travelers!” He sneered. “How low must you be to do something like that!”
Another line that if anyone heard him say that besides Xaviour would vomit out blood at the bullshit and hypocrisy of that statement.
“We easily gotten rid of the bandits, as they were just at the Cultivator Rank, nothing that dangerous considering we were Emperor Ranked back then.” He puffs out his chest about him being such a high ranked back then.
Xaviour makes some “Ooos’ and ‘Ahhhs’ further boosting Sanguinem’s ego and confidence. How nice it is to have your son admire and respect you. Something Sanguinem never gave to his father as a child.
“The travelers thanked us gratefully and even offered us some of their cargo to repay us, but I declined as we did it out of the kindness of our heart. How could we take their stuff right after almost getting robbed, even if it was offered to us!” Sanguinem says with a broad smile.
“You did it to make yourself look better in front of mom didn’t you.” Xaviour says which makes his father freeze as if he looked at an Angry Medusa.
“I-I-I don’t k-know what you mean X-Xaviour, It was o-out of the K-kindness of out of my h-heart, I swear!” Sanguinem stutters with his smile and the corners of his mouth twitching.
“But aunty Rose said that Men will only do something like that in front of the Women they like to make themselves look good.” Xaviour says inquisitively, his eyes narrowing at his father.
Sanguinem’s smile breaks and he sighs, looking a bit disappointed. “Yeah.. We didn’t take the award because I wanted to look better in your Mother’s eyes…”
“Was that also the reason why you even helped in the first place as well?”
“...Yes… Do you think less of your Father now Xaviour..?” Sanguinem a little heart broken that his son found him out and also afraid that he will be disappointing his son. One of his Greatest fears, to be something like his Father and for his son not being able to look up to him.
His heart pulsates furiously as if he is in a life or death situation, his arms weak, palms sweaty, feeling a bit of bile in rising as he anticipates what his son will say.
“Nu huh, you still saved people's lives, and while you were doing it to gain something, it was for love! Plus.. If you didn’t do that I might not be born.” Xaviour shakes his head and responds. “I’m really happy I have such a cool and somewhat Heroic dad!”
Sanguinem hearing that can’t contain himself, in an instant he is hugging his son tightly, his eyes tearing up a bit and he guffaws at Xaviour response! His fears to be unwarranted and to know his son loves him or at least thinks himself to ‘cool’ and ‘heroic’ feels him joy and pride [Not like he needed anymore of that though].
“Ehhh! Y-your crushing me dad!” Xaviour barely squeaks out as his body is being constricted.
“Shit! Sorry son! Haha, I just got to excited there..” Sanguinem says and gets go. “Didn’t mean to hurt you, it’s just good to know your not mad or disappointed with me.” He smiles wryly.
Xaviour snorts after he regains his breath. “I would never be disappointed with you! I will always love you!” Xaviour gives a bright smile while Sanguinem gives one back.
“Amazing to hear that! Can’t believe I ever thought anything less..” Sanguinem mutters under his breath. “Well It’s getting late and you need to be rested for tomorrow. Good night, son… I love you..” Sanguinem says scratching his head and leaves.
“Love you to, dad!” Is the response Sanguinem hears before he closes his son’s door.