{Cinder | Near 6,000 BCE}
Once the conduit pulled us through—a terrible and uncomfortable experience akin to turning inside-out—we spilled onto Cinder’s red soil.
Seething with his rage, Nox closed his eyes and simply flexed a fist.
He killed all our men.
Just disintegrated them. Then he let loose the most chilling bout of laughter I’d ever heard. Baying at heartache once the fight against it proved futile.
I stayed by my King’s side. Even after we returned to the Castle, discovered Imminent’s calling card in our windows, and he killed everyone inside save myself. With the same flex of his fist that Umbra abused in his rule.
[SS]: “How did that work again?”
Control of the nanites descended from your blood. I never drank from Umbra or Nox, nor anyone who did.
[SS]: “What about Colita?”
Good question. I forget to account for her because I honestly could care less, but she evacuated from Earth with her personal guard to Cinder months before the Vacating. They confiscated all of Xelan’s research within our grasp. During the official eviction, they were raiding his old lab in Umbra’s Spire.
Heh. It’s funny. I never thought of it as a narrow escape for her. But that’s all right. Tormenting her was plenty entertaining. It helped me endure the coming millennia.
In her raid of Xelan’s work, we found old schematics we’d come to hallow. Weapons, machinery, and genetically modified creatures.
“Well done, Colita. We toast in your honor tonight,” Nox praised her fairly as he unrolled a scroll of designs. “These will be most useful.”
Not exactly eager to draw attention to Ementa, I secreted the sample of Vittle supplements back to Cinder. Now seemed like a good time. I could make Nox happy and steal Colita’s spotlight. Win-win. “Your majesty, I discovered this hidden among Xelan’s belongings. These documents imply it substitutes as Vittle crop.”
Nox gripped my shoulder in an uncommon display of affection. “This… I have no words. We can elevate them all to servant caste with this. Have our scientists analyze it. See if they can replicate it—Are those exact instructions for accomplishing such a feat? Yes? Good.”
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Colita sneered at me over our King’s shoulder since he turned his back on her.
I smirked at her briefly, out of Nox’s sight. For him, I returned to the professional facade. “I will see they receive it right away, sire.” I owed Ementa some thanks. This was the most elation I’d seen from Nox in decades. Hell—Centuries.
Pissing Colita off only iced the cake.
Our King turned his back on us both as he unrolled the thickest schematic scroll of all. Lines formed a rectangular prism and piping connected the device to a vat. My eyes took it in, but my mind struggled to puzzle it together.
Blood.
Siphoning.
A person as its heart.
Eyes flickering in Atramentous mirrors, Nox gazed hungrily at the device. “This was a complex meant to power a sphere on Earth with Icarean blood, but if we reconfigured the design and channeled it to the conduit, we could open it and maintain it manually.”
Colita gasped, her flat chest heaving. “The Pretiosum Cruor, but proportioned to contain the blood and the donor.”
“Celindria.” I, too, marveled at it. “Her blood controls the conduit now, and this will unlock it for us—”
Nox smirked. “With her inside.” He turned to me. “Tell me you can add a personal touch. I want it to hurt. And you, Colita, decorate it with your delicate hand. I want a pretty prison so we can admire the insanity within. Our enemy; our salvation.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Pain. I could do pain.
Colita curtsied deeply. “Glass and gold, sire.”
I tilted my head approvingly at her. And she offered a winning smile.
We went to work for thousands of years. I created the exsanguination mechanism, and I’m not sorry. Celindria deserved to suffer. I hate that Rayne ever knew of its existence. I think I first regretted her fate when she came to the fortress to negotiate with Nox. So spirited and brave. Smart. An intergalactic leader in her youth, and I knew what we’d condemned her to.
For that, I am ashamed.
At the time, I was just relieved to see Nox functioning.
[SS]: The way he’s talking about Nox… I have a feeling where this is headed. “How bad did he get?”
Sometimes, I went looking for him to discuss something—anything. Eventually, I learned where to find him. Every time. He spent days in the pit staring at what we eventually named the Martyr Complex.
“Sire?”
No response.
I dared to walk further onto the ramp and approach his side. Carefully, in his view, I asked louder, “Your majesty? King Nox?”
His eyes stayed locked on the device. They flickered in and out of Atramentous. I assessed his gloved hand. How close it came to making a fist and killing half the castle. I fucking hated—
“She will suffer.”
I almost startled. His voice was so… empty. But trying my best, I offered, “Yes, your majesty. Every hour, she will know the meaning of pain.”
Nox nodded slowly. “You are a brilliant General. I look forward to our next invasion with you at my side. We will make up for lost time in her blood.”
“Of course, sire.”
He gripped the hilt of his sword until the leather of his gloves creaked. “I can wait. I will stoke this fire until she lies within. Only then will I know peace.”
[SS]: “Nox really went insane? He sorta glossed over it in his Verse.”
Inconsolable.
And there’s more to come, amos. So much more.