Scorpio rolled his shoulders as he followed Ophiuchus down a long hallway. He wasn't sure how long it had been since his true life had been revealed to him, but every time the Sign tried to think about it, his head started to throb.
Instead, he decided to distract himself with his new sister. She had been talking, laughing, telling stories about their childhood days ever since they left the library. Her head was held higher, and even from behind her, Scorpio could see a special gleam in her fanged smile. "It took many Mortal days to get those mud stains out of you and Lady Cecilia's garments! My were the maids full of rage!" After that particular story, she covered her mouth as her laugh filled the halls.
Scorpio couldn't help himself, he laughed with her. Despite his confusion, his comfort with his sister returned to a familiar warmth, as if he had known her all this time. Still, hearing his mother's name had pierced him like poking an open would, and it made him quiet down. Most of Ophi's stories involved her, and every time Scorpio heard Cecilia, it made him internally shiver.
Ophiuchus stopped walking upon the silence and turned to face him. "You have silenced your giggles. For why, brother?" Scorpio looked away, and Ophi cupped his cheek with a soft, scaly hand. "No longer do we hold secrets. You may speak as you wish, and I will reply."
Scorpio sighed, holding her hand against his face. "I..." He started. "What happened to our mother? I thought..." Ophi started to look red, thick, and blurry. "I thought she'd be here, you know? Maybe I had too much hope..."
"Ah, you still hold pain for her loss..." Ophi pulled him in, and he hugged her with a tight grip. "Forgive me, brother. I should be more aware of your heart."
He smiled in his shoulder, getting up with a slow, shaky breath. "It's okay. I'll be fine... but I need to know. In... in the Mortal Realm... she was killed."
Ophi nodded once. "The same happened in your life here. You found her in a dungeon... as nothing but ashes. The Cursed Realm wept that day. Though she was not Queen, she was of worth for the King." As she spoke, she turned and continued to walk, wiping her own eyes. Scorpio took an extra step to walk beside her now. "The next Mortal day, I will take you to her maddening place. Would that soften your heart, brother?"
"I... I think so." Scorpio hoped a maddening place would be something he would recognize, but the thought of properly mourning his mother made him smile. Back on Earth, Scorpio could hardly visit her grave due to all of his school activities - after hours included. "Thank you."
"It is no trouble, brother." Ophi smiled up at him. "As your elder, it is my duty to keep your heart full, as I've stated before."
"I don't think you'll let me forget."
"I will not."
They passed a portrait again, and this time, Scorpio stopped in front of it. It looked to be old, considering how small the Sign looked in his father's lap. Ophi was standing beside them, in front of the Queen. No one was smiling. Seeing the Queen's nasty scowl, pointed ears, and striking lightning eyes made a cold chill creep down Scorpio's spine. "Too bad Dad got stuck with that bitch, right?" He retorted with a lazy thumb pointing to the portrait.
Scorpio didn't expect his sister to let out a stiff huff. "I am aware that you are mindless at this time, so I will not let my rage control me. However," Her tone hardened, and Scorpio swore her snake eyes started to glow. "I will only remind you this once, brother. The Queen is my mother. Keep from spoiling her name in your mouth."
Scorpio's jaw dropped. "What?! But you kept-"
"-calling you brother, because you are my brother. But only through the King. He needed an heir for his throne, so he chose his finest succubus to bear his fruit. Have you noticed I do not crave intercourse as you do?" Scorpio didn't reply, but his stomach growled yet again. "Exactly. We are of similar origin, but not of same origin."
Scorpio opened his mouth to continue the conversation, but Ophiuchus stopped him with her own exclamation. "We have arrived, brother. Enter the dining hall!"
The doors thrust open to reveal a wide, high-ceiling room. The western wall was nothing but windows, displaying nothing but the same bleak mahogany sky, and inky hills. A glass table was the centerpiece, where three people already sat. The King waved at his children with a chest full of pride. Embarrassed, Scorpio barely matched half of his father's energy with his own wave. Beside the King sat the Queen.
Scorpio gasped when he finally noticed her. She was the same as his memory/nightmare... pointed nails and wicked eyes. Her gaze met his own, and the Sign faltered, taking a step back. Like a ghost, he felt her touch dig into his flesh underneath his clothes. He resisted Ophiuchus' pull to the table, but slowly walked when she started to say, "My Queen... may you lower your gaze? You are making the Prince uncomfortable."
She glanced at the King - who was promptly glaring at her - and looked the other way, sipping from her cup as if she didn't almost make Scorpio piss his pants. He sat beside his sister, who picked up her fork and ate as if nothing was amiss.
"Have you had a pleasant time with your sister, my son?" The King asked, leaning a bit into the table.
Scorpio nodded once, after taking a deep breath. "I did. Ophi said she was going to show me around tomorrow."
"An excellent idea! You must become accustomed to your home. You will be permitted to explore after you have completed your studies and training. Cetus will be your shield while you are out."
For the first time, Scorpio watched Ophiuchus' mood sour. He frowned when she huffed. "Cetus is not needed, my King. He would get in the way, as he always does."
"He will protect you," The Queen spoke up, glaring at her daughter. "I do not wish for you to be out with that bastard without supervision."
That bitch... Scorpio grit his teeth. Ophi didn't protest this time. and simply went back to her dinner. Scorpio knew better than to battle the cranky Queen now; the Sign knew a better time would present itself sooner than later.
Instead, the man beside Ophiuchus spoke up, wearing a sly grin. Ophi glared at him when he opened his mouth, his voice smooth and deep like velvet. "Oh, dear princess, why do you wish for me to avoid you?"
"Because you give me worse chills than the legends of Kybele." She snapped, before turning to Scorpio. Her tone was like night and day. "Do you remember Cetus?"
The name wasn't familiar, nor was the man beside her. Scorpio pointed to him. "That's him?"
"Yes."
"Nope."
"Good. He is of no importance." She took another bite of some meat Scorpio recognized, and the Sign didn't need to look up to know that the man was gazing at him as if Scorpio were no more than an insect.
"Noted..." Scorpio cleared his throat in an attempt to ease the thick tension. He went to pick up his fork and realized his plate was bare.
The Demon King noticed before Scorpio spoke up. "I have observed that you are still quite uncomfortable with your new feeding practices... So I did not think that you would wish to feed with the rest of us present."
Wait... "I would... feed in front of you?!"
"Of course. It is merely how you ate, nothing more."
"Can't I just have what the rest of you are eating?"
"By Erebus, no," Cetus spoke up again with a knowing smirk. Scorpio narrowed his eyes at the mam. Cetus obviously looked bigger than the Sign, and possibly even bigger than their father. His skin matched the Queen's, being the only light and peachy-toned people Scorpio had seen. The clothes he wore were quite similar to Scorpio's; the only thing that was missing was the crown. "You are an incubus, so therefore you shall eat incubus food. The dear princess would rather die than consume intercourse, and you will not be caught doing the same in reverse."
"Thank you Cetus," Ophi mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Your input is greatly appreciated."
"It is no trouble, my lady."
Dinner grew silent, everyone returning to their meals without much else to include. Scorpio released a held breath, welcoming the silence. He hadn't had that much time to process all that's happened, nor anytime to think about how it made him feel. He just wished Virgo was there, she'd know what to say, or figure out just thing Scorpio would need to ease him. I just need to stay for a week... then I can go back.
"I have finished," The Queen announced, standing to her feet. Not once did she take her eyes off of Scorpio. Now, he got a good look at her features. Her eyes were a vivid, nasty purple, and her ears were pointed. She didn't look anything like the other demons Scorpio had seen. Her elegant violet dress shone much like the stones on Scorpio's uniform.
"Excuse her..." The Demon King said as he watched her leave. "She does not enjoy your presence as the rest of us do."
"That's alright..." Scorpio said with a raised hand. "I know she doesn't like me."
"In time, she will understand your purpose. Until then, do well to stay out of her way. I cannot control her when her emotions rule her."
"I understand... Thanks, Your Majesty."
"Please, regard me as your father." The King told him with a smile. Scorpio didn't have the heart to refuse his positivity, so he smiled back. The Demon King's plate was clear, and he stood with a sigh. "I too have finished. Can you enter your room without assistance?"
"Yeah... Can I call it a... night? Is it nighttime?"
"In your Mortal hours, yes. Your Hot Star has fallen for the time being. If you wish, I will get you a Mortal time-teller when you wake. Rest well, my son."
With his hands behind his back, Scorpio's father strode out of the dining hall. Scorpio watched him, in complete awe of his grace. Ophiuchus and Cetus seemed to pay no mind, continuing their dinner.
"Are you sure you are able to retreat to your quarters on your own?" Ophi asked him, grabbing Scorpio's attention again. Her head tilted to the side as she questioned him. "I have doubts that you will be able to ask a herald for assistance. They are unable to speak the Mortal language, as it is certain that you hold little knowledge of the Cursed language."
"It'll be alright," Scorpio assured his sister, getting up from the table.
He left the room without incident, but he heard Cetus mumble, "Some Prince..." Scorpio didn't turn back to reply. I'll make an example out of him soon.
Scorpio took his time walking down the hall. It was nice to be with Ophiuchus, but he craved solitude. He stayed at a slow pace, rubbing his arms as his cape flowing behind him. "This isn't so bad," He said to himself, his smile growing as more maids passed by him. He remembered to bow to them, and his heart warmed at their smiles and giggles.
One maid, small with red ringlets, said, "Take your left, Mighty Prince. Your room will be at the end of the hall."
That wasn't English... "Thank you..." He replied with another crooked bow. How the fuck do I know the Cursed Language?! The maid bounced away with her basket of laundry in the opposite direction, leaving Scorpio alone. He picked up the pace, suddenly eager to get some rest.
He took the turn as instructed, and gasped, the wall taking him by surprise. He didn't notice the mural before, but it covered the entire stretch of the wall. On in was a red sky streaked with black. Bright orange flames stuck out at random places as Scorpio's gaze went down. Toward the bottom lay a sea of bodies, black, crushed, and hardly recognized.
The more Scorpio looked, the further he felt himself back away. His eyes met the centerpiece. A crooked man looked to be screaming in the center, his naked body surrounded by flames. "What the hell..." Scorpio whispered, pressing himself against the opposite wall.
"My son?" The Demon King's voice made Scorpio flinch against the wall. He came close to his son and rest a strong hand on Scorpio's shoulder. "So you have seen a misery wall... fear not. They only represent actions of the past."
"What... what is it?" Scorpio asked his father. "I don't understand it... but I don't like it."
"I am glad you do not. This is a reflection of a tragic day, many timelines ago. We were at peace when those blasphemers dropped their Soul Stealer upon our lands..." Scorpio licked his lips when he saw his father lower his head. "For 100 Mortal years... he ravaged our people. We were sent to the Void in droves, unable to keep conjuring at the rate of his massacre. It was a time of sorrow and hysteria."
"How did you... survive?" Another question left Scorpio's heart.
"I was not in existence during that timeline. Nor were any of my ancestors. That was thousands of timelines ago. Their anguish was extinguished eventually when the blasphemers erased that timeline with a reset."
"So... they all died?"
"In your Mortal words, yes." Scorpio swallowed, his throat growing dry. "It is a common experience that we will vanquish together, my son. We are not the only Realm to be wronged and erased with time."
Scorpio looked back at the mural, at the Divine monster at the center. "Did he ever come back?"
"Over the timelines, yes. But his acts of rage do not deter us any longer. I have learned much from the past worlds of the Cursed, and while you are here, you will learn, too. But... for now, you must rest."
"Yeah... thank you."
"There is no need for gratitude. It is my duty as a father to cast shadows for my offspring." Scorpio didn't quite understand what that meant, but his father's smile reassured him anyway. He guided the Sign to the end of the hallway and kissed his forehead. "You are my joy, my son," He whispered before he walked away, pride in every step.
Scorpio waited until the Demon King turned the corner before he entered his room. He held his breath, hoping there wasn't a naked woman waiting for him. He peeled his eyes open and slumped against the door when no one was on his bed. He drifted to it, utterly spent, and flopped onto the soft material.
After he grabbed a pillow, Scorpio drifed into a restless slumber, the eyes of the god from the mural haunting any dream he'd hope to have.
•••
Wow, that took forever! I am sorry about the long wait, I've had some serious burnout. But hopefully this gets me back on track. I love this story, and want to finish it off strong! I actually like the way it turned out!
Do you trust the Demon King? Will Scorpio stay safe in his home? Who is the Soul Stealer? Only one way to find out!
Stay Starry! 🌟