The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Deleted Scenes: One (Draft 2.7)

Then the ninety-ninth. Morpheus felt a stronger sense of recognition seeing this brother; there were memories of him spending time with both Mother and their father, and his coloring was different.

"Laudanum," Morpheus said, knowing his name before he was formally given it. His hair and eyes and wings were all orangey-brown and he smelled like warm spice.

"Hello, Morpheus." Laudanum leaned forward and kissed Morpheus' cheek.

Morpheus blinked slowly as Laudanum stepped aside to greet Maya.

There were only a few more people in the room, as those who had made their formal greetings left to continue their usual duties. The vacancy made farther reaches of the chamber visible. There was a second bed draped in net, some chairs, a sarcophagus, and a pale Angel waiting near the fire place. 

Just in front of Morpheus, startling him as his vision returned to center, was a Half-Angel with amber and green coloring. Her relationship to Morpheus was difficult to translate, but he knew her name.

"Absinthe," Morpheus sighed.

"Hi!" Absinthe smiled and waved. Her particular tendril-like wing-parts bowed over her shoulders to touch Morpheus' face.

"Our mother, Metro, is here," Laudanum said, as Absinthe embraced Maya. " She cannot greet you herself." Laudanum gestured towards the netting-draped bed. Morpheus could just make out the silhouette of a reclining female.

"She's a prophetess," Maya said, also having inherited memory.

"Not always," Absinthe said, "but now."

The only one  to not yet greet Morpheus or Maya was the Angel near the fireplace. He turned from the paintings above the mantle to make his approach, wearing the black cloak of the Children of Night, robes trimmed in white fur, and ivory jewelry. He was Opium's father, Morpheus realized, making him Morpheus and Maya's grandfather.

Mother winced and Morpheus felt as if something cool had shot into his brain. The experience was new, but he knew it indicated the sensing of something, though not precisely what.

"What was that?" Morpheus asked.

"Someone's pulling," Mother said, her voice shrill.

"Mother?" Maya called.

"You felt it, Morpheus?" Grandfather Jibril asked; that was his preferred name.

"A summons?" Sleep asked from behind. "Now?" The couch's cushion moved as he shifted forward.

"I don't know." Morpheus wasn't certain whether he had sensed the summons itself or Mother's reaction to it.

"Shut up! All of you!"

There was silence as Mother walked past the chairs, where Absinthe and Laudanum sat, towards the fireplace.

"Opi," Sleep finally whispered.

"Sigh." Mother said the word. "I don't know who it is, not without scrying. But only a few should know the summons, and they wouldn't use it lightly."

"Then, My Love, you know your duty," Sleep said. He slipped between Morpheus and Maya to leave the couch.  

"It can't be right. I can't be expected to part from them so soon."

But it was. Morpheus knew that. The Children of Night must not lapse in their duties. If one faltered another must immediately take their place. 

Mother knew it, too. "This reeks!"

"Take them with you," Jibril suggested, "I can reserve my gift for now."