Chapter 46

A/N: I just wanted to say that I’m good… Many of you guys who are new see in order the nonstop tragedies that happened, but I’m fine. I really am. I mourned, and I miss them dearly, as there are no more old people in my household, but they live on in my heart. It helps when you have supportive family and friends like yall. It may be hard to see yall’s comments sometimes since I have an Android (and my stuff didn’t transfer as well) now and I found out THAT was why my notifications suck, but I see them.

OH! And my schedule is that I start writing about 11pm/11:30pm Central on Wednesday, and I stop on Monday Morning like at 7am/8am. My day job is for the state, but tbh my schedule might change again, since it is a new year.

Grace

[Grandma.] I said getting a hug from the Moon Goddess.

She was in her true form, sporting light silver skin that had a slightly reflective sheen, and white hair… It was said that she had a different appearance for every moon phase, and her dress determined the color of moon at night…. Her hair, skin tone, and eye color changed, though the features stayed the same.

“Grace, you’re so soft.” She said hugging my neck and giving me pets… and kisses.

[Grandma….] I complained…. We ran to her realm… and there were giggles from the other wolves…. I was supposed to be intimidating… Not Cute.

[We will take our leave mistress.] said grandpa.

“Go ahead Ashital, and my sweet, yet feisty Gwenyth.” She gave them pets too… but they wagged their tails…. She did make you feel really special and loved…. Oddly enough it made me jealous and want more, but I wouldn’t say anything.

“Alright, alright…. I think I got it out my system.” She giggled. “When Aureus prayed at my altar, at first, I was going to reject his idea… but seeing as how he sits with his father and mother, I think I did the right thing.” She smiled…. Her presence was as warm as a midsummer sunset…

“That’s good.” I said following her…. This place was magical to say the least…. Her realm was silver and white. From the grass to the cobblestone paths… and the black sky above…there was a peace you got here that couldn’t be gained on even grandfather’s Repentant Layer….

Her realm had no buildings or castles… it was open forests and fields… It never rained here, yet all the water and nutrients everyone needed was around in the form of great crystalline clear, silver watered lakes… flours here were the color of all the shades she could become…

“Do you like it? Your grandfather thinks I should make a home up here, but to be honest… my home is with him.” She said happily. “He’s coming over in about 5 minutes too, so we can have a small picnic. He’s bringing roasted venison, and I have the coffee and cakes.” She smiled.

“I think I should go then.” I said not wanting to ruin their date, but I felt a small pat on my head. It made me jump.

“Good morning little one; I see you got permission.” Chuckled Grandfather. He Knew he’d startle me… He had a whole deer over his shoulder and grandma lost it.

He literally came to be a menace.

“Oh I did Not.” He complained. He was his true height, and the normal sized buck was about the size of a small faun compared to him.

The deer bleated, as if to chime in that he did.

“Oh that poor thing!” She screamed. “It’s still alive!” She reached for it. He kneeled down to hand it to her, and she took the soul out its body. The Horned One towered over everything and everyone… Afterall, despite his antics, he was the Void King… half of all reality was touched by his hands.

“I wanted it to be fresh. It wasn’t hurt.” He grumbled. He knew she was …. A little sensitive about the suffering of creatures….

“Mmhmm. For your troubles… be blessed little one.” She glared at him as she pet the deer. It turned silver, and took a few steps away from us when she let it go. His eyes were teal… his horns were solid silver, double the size of its former carcass... He bowed. Under his feet sprouted silver grass and light blue flowers...

“What did you name him?” He asked.

“…Glem, the Silver One.” She smiled. “I don’t think I’ll send it down… it’s too pretty.”

“I imagine a sterling silver furred deer would be skinned before it grew its first real rack.” He said using a claw to gut the carcass to her horror.

“Grandfather… you’re enjoying this aren’t you?” I asked.

“….no…” he summoned a grill, a table and a cleaver to chop…. He shook the skin off it with a single aggressive shake…. It looked like he was shaking a towel.

“I think I’m going to tend my garden.” She mumbled…. Looking at the special deer she made…. It stood there in disbelief that he was being cooked…. The entirety of his body fit on the grill, but it wasn’t started Just Yet.

The giant cleaver’s chop made my mouth water… I mean I was my true form here… and with grandma kind of gone, I spoke with grandpa.

It’s hard to imagine him being the King of Hell in an apron that said ‘Horny for Meat’.

“Grandpa where did you get that?” I asked.

“The forest.” He grinned. With his power, he made fire in the grill, and the sizzle was only paled in comparison to the seasonings he put on there… after all… grandpa was at least 13 or 14 feet tall…this grill was the same height as ME.

“The Apron.” I clarified. He knew what he was doing.

“I made it.” He smiled.

“…Can I have one for dad?” I asked.

“I don’t see why not. I’ll make one for all of them.” He smiled. “Your Real question seen by me. Ask Grace.” He said shaking his head, flipping the meat… it was ready on one side already…

“…I know what reinstating my sibling bond would do… but … I miss things the way they were.” I said somberly.

“I will not, nor will I interfere. Nor will Any below me.” He said sternly. “This is Hard to watch… it hurts me you know… I made you three.” He sighed. “This is the hard part of creating no one talks about, when it all goes to shit.” He smiled.

“Why do you smile?” I asked shifting. Black Roman robes appeared on me.

“Because it is rewarding when I get what I want.” He said making a black blanket appear. The ground was set in seconds…. The deceased wolves around us looked hungry, but his glare kept them away. He put all the food he’d prepared before he came on the blanket too… and there were 4 plates on the blanket… but I knew the extra plate was for any more family.

“… I miss them though.” I mumbled.

“I know. I see all three of your tears… But it Must be done. I will Not have you trio feeling attraction for each others’ mates.” He said shaking his head. “And I will not have you all compromise for your siblings’ sakes, forced to live stagnant lives for the happiness of the others.” He said snapping his fingers.

Apythmenos the Bottomless One… the Pit given form kneeled… He alerted instincts, even in the presence of the King of Night….. He was…. He had perfectly straight white hair and pink eyes like an albino. His horns were light, almost golden brown elk horns, and his smile looked welcoming…

“Sit my Herald. Your reward for your overtime.” He said firmly. “I would bring Norinamu too, but he chose a spa day with me.”

I’d never met him… but he shook my wrist.

“Master can I be a familiar?” He asked.

“No.” he said firmly. “…. Maybe. I don’t like that Grace died so Easily despite my blessing… it angers me that you Have to be in flesh.” He said sitting cross legged on the blanket.

The Pit given form stood by his master’s side. The Pit was where evil souls were thrown, too terrible to Ever reform and be reborn… it was a place in hell on the last layer, as big around as the entire city of New Apple, and it had not end. He however, according to Aunt Heidi, was just as big around, and 20 times as long….. He has the ability to become as strong as he needs to be, meaning anything short of his Master would not defeat him.

“I’m back.” Said grandma. She had tea.

They kissed, and she sat in grandpa’s lap… They looked really cute together… the King of Hell, bold intimidating… and grandmother…. The little Moon Goddess he fell in love with…. It made me happy that they could be together. I know they saw each other every day… I know they never wanted to be apart….

“I missed you.” He said petting her hair.

“I missed not having to console crying deer.” She joked.

“…Sorry…” He mumbled.

“It’s alright… I bet he tastes delicious.” She said sheepishly.

We dug in. I started with the sides. He made yams, rice, black beams, tortillas, shredded cheese, and venison… Stuff from hell had an odd color though. The rice was black, the yams were reddish purple, the black beans were void black, but the venison was from Urth.

“Awe Damn I got sauce on my shirt… Can I have a new one?” Apythmenos asked nicely.

“…You did that because you don’t Like what I made you.” Grandpa said like a chastising father.

“Master It’s Itchy!” he whined like a pup.

“Oh my fucking- Fine, I’ll let you buy you a uniform, but it won’t withstand your shifting nor your job.” He warned. “You’ll spend your paycheck in HellMart buying cheap t-shirts instead of Awesome Robes made by your god.”

Grandpa sounded offended…

That realization made Apythmenos get a napkin. “Why isn’t it itchy anymore?” He asked.

Grandfather sighed. “You never complained about the itch. I don’t Like just Doing things. Closed mouths don’t get fed.” He growled. “Nobody ever tells me anything, they just endure whatever it is I put on them.” He grumbled.

“……can I get one of those robes that shift with me?” I asked as sweetly as I could. “I’ll be Grateful.” I said leaning on him and did my best puppy pout. He patted my hair…. I was about the size of a small child compared to him.

“When I collect you. Stop trying to be slick.” He said, using the mortal phrase.

I made a venison taco and added the gray guacamole…. Just…. I don’t know if I wanted to go home it tasted so good.

Grandma shoved a cake in grandpa’s mouth. “I made this!” She smiled excitedly.

He choked.

“It’s… so good… Grace have some.” He said cutting a piece and I see why he almost died…. It was frosting covered burned confection. It looked like I could turn it into a Scrub Poppi pad for the kitchen.

I crunched on it, taking a sip of the wonderful tea she made…. That part was good… but not good enough to take the taste of burned sugar out my mouth.

“Mmm…” I smiled. “What flavor is this supposed to be?” I asked, realizing I wasn’t supposed to say that part… .Thankfully she didn’t catch on, but the Horned One’s glare…. It told me that if I made her cry, I’d be in Trouble.

“Lemon with buttercream.” She looked So proud, I couldn’t hurt her feelings, but before she could take a bite, he used magic to make it taste good… the second bite I didn’t have to endure, it did taste like lemon.