Toxic Sardonia

Prologue: You Left Us to Become Us

Vilumenta,

I have this passion project. I have a dream of creating this world for others to rebel within. There’s this goal I’ve set myself to that will tear me limb from limb in the most loving way. Those I intend to create for will have to bite the hand that feeds them. I want to be ripped apart, and be distortedly sewn back together. We were offered damnation and I intend to be the one who holds it. I may never be full, but that is exactly what I want. This may be a nightmare to you, but this is my dream. Don’t look for me. I’ll be back, better than ever.

Illora Vein, Heiress to the Empire

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“I remember the letter… I would’ve sacrificed so much to have her back... And this is what I get in return.” The strange young woman lay hunched on the floor, desperately holding the sizable hole in her midsection together; marinating in her own dark, bubbling blood. Her breath hitched as she coughed up more of the murky liquid. “Bitch.” Another shallow, laborious breath. “Ferox! I’m o-” her throat felt as though it was tearing with the volume.

Loud, fast boot-steps rang through the halls as a tall figure approached. “Villumenta!” Ferox came into view and slid on the floor, stopping right beside her. “Where is she?! What happened?! Oh, gods!” Their eyes scanned Vilumentas form while they looked around for any possible threat before getting closer to her and gently touching the wound. “Minty… Where did she go?” Her blue to green ombre hair shifted out of her face as she snapped her head in their direction

“It doesn’t matter. She isn’t gonna let you get close.” The feeling of Ferox’s hand against her wound made the pain disperse into near nothingness. “Not after this.” Her virulent purple eyes scanned and met with their slaughterous crimson ones.

Ferox’s thick brows furrowed, “It doesn’t matter? Minty. You could have died! It matters to me! What am I supposed to do if you’re not around? I’d have to die, myself! Don’t you dare say it doesn’t matter.” They took a deep breath, realizing that they were yelling. “Aren’t you angry?”

“Enraged, actually.” Vilumenta tried to sit up, but only succeeded in tearing the wound more and letting out a cry of paint. Inky black tears trained down her cheeks. “How- How could she do this to us! She knew what would happen if made a fucking deal! But NO!” She punched the ground, effectively cracking the concrete. “I would’ve done anything for her! We were her friends! Her family!” Her knuckles drained blood onto the broken concrete as she continued to punch it, relentlessly. Ferox grabbed her hand and held it against their chest. 

“Vilumenta…”

“I- Ferox… What am I supposed to do?”

They gently put her hand down and placed their palms against her face, wiping sable tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry Minty, but there’s nothing we can do.” Ferox ran their long fingers through her short pinstrait hair as they shifted to pull her into their chest while they leaned back against the wall. “I… Hmm, how do I put this?” They contemplated a response carefully, while humming lightly into Vilumenta’s hair, gently rubbing one of her short, dark grey horns with their nose. “Okay, so. We did the same thing. We both at one point were on the verge of death and had two options. Die or make a deal to become a terrifying immortal being with horns, eldritch power and shit and have our souls never fully belong to us anymore. But, you had nothing and no one left 350 years ago, and you sure as hell weren’t gonna let your father get away with leaving you for dead. You’re literally too stubborn to die. Whereas, 570 years ago, I was a warrior and couldn’t afford to stay dead. I’m too determined to let anything, including death, get in my way.” They paused to make sure Vilumenta was still properly conscious. “But, Illora wasn’t dead or going to die. She wasn’t in immediate peril. Illora was safe. She didn’t make the deal out of desperation. She did it because she wanted to.”

Vilumenta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned her head and buried her face in Ferox’s long untamable deep red locks. “Why would she want this? The only thing that makes it worthwhile is having you and the other demons in my life. That and the ultimate power.” She seemed shocked at her words. “But, that’s beside the point! She knew better! We taught her better! Since the day we met, we took care of her, because that damn empress can’t be bothered to do shit! We warned her, and she goes and does this anyway! Not even a word! A fucking letter! The hell?!”

Ferox hummed and gave Vilumenta a look as though she already knew the answer. “You just said it.” The shorter of the two looked away and absentmindedly rested her hand on her slowly closing wound, already healed by two inches. “And it’s happening right now.” She continued to stare and the suddenly very interesting, bloodstained marble pillar. “Minty!”

“I know! I just… We practically raised her. To think she’d do this to herself kills me.” Vilumenta pulled her gaze from the pillar and looked her partner in the eye with such burning emotion. “She wanted to be an immortal being. She…” Her long, elf-like ears drooped hopelessly low. “She wanted to be like her family.”

“Exactly.” They hooked a finger under her chin and gently  pushed her gaze back to them. “But, she hurt you. She doesn’t know how to handle all this power, and we don’t know what she gave up for this. We need to find her. Soon.” Ferox never means to speak in a harsh tone with Vilumenta, but it’s their natural tone. Vilumenta knows this, but they still feel bad about it. “Minty?”

Her interest peaked. “Hmm?”

“I love you. And we will find her. And when we do, we’ll do our best to either make her reclaim humanity, or teach her how to be a demon without disemboweling everyone when she waves.”

“It was one time!” Vilumenta painlessly pushed against Ferox’s chest.

“You did it nine times!”

“Maybe I was just having fun and wanted to bathe in the blood of useless peasants who really have nothing better going for them!”

Ferox’s cheeks flushed and their long curving horns itched. “Gods, I love you.”

“I love you too. My dumb Ibex.”

“Silly Sparkemuffin.”

“Peacock. Spider. You ass.”

...

“You like my ass.”