My DA is EmeraldOverlord feel free to check that out so you can see my art on this story or just my art in general. Sorry for the lateness, like I said prior, college is a fucking bitch.
Despite his best efforts, Husk was swept away in the current. The waves had washed him far away and he struggled to remain on the surface, his breathing heavy as he fought to catch his breath every time his head was submerged in the harsh waters.
Death loomed over his shoulder and Husk could feel himself slipping away with each passing second, adrenaline being the only thing that kept him awake through the blood loss and the aching pain throughout his body…
Husk's head was stuck in a hellish whirlpool,countless incoherent thoughts swimming around frantically.
A part of him wondered if this was where it was going to end. Washed away by the waves and eventually having his husk of a body sink to the bottom once he expired, the only trace of him left being picked apart by the local ecosystem….
It was a grim fate…and Husk never felt so alone…so frightened in his entire life.
Death itself didn't scare him, but the knowledge that he was going to die alone once more shook him to the core,especially with how far he had come just for it to end like this…
To have his life slip through his fingers like passing water without any explanation or reason.
There was no one around to care for him and he doubted the others would bother to try finding what happened to his body given how turning back was seemingly a death sentence. They'd likely leave him for dead as they had with Vox and Seviathan and remark it as an unfortunate necessity…
And to die knowing that someone else was responsible for this folly…it was truly an injustice. A disgrace. A tragedy…
As Husk felt his consciousness fading, he did something he hadn't done in a long, long time…
He prayed…for salvation. Prayed for a chance to make things right again, to make up for the many errors he had made in his sinful and miserable life both on Earth and in Hell.
Say it was ironic for a sinner to pray to the one being they had forsaken, but Husk's mind was too far gone to truly care about the implications. He was on his last legs and he could feel his body wasn't going to last much longer, the adrenaline fading with each passing second…
Truth be told, Husk wasn't a religious man and he wasn't one to believe in miracles or prayers. He was skeptical of the supernatural and even now, he doubted that anyone truly listened to the prayers of those in need with the amount of awful things he had seen.
And if they did listen…they left them on stand-by…
He doubted he'd get a response to his prayer either, but he at least wanted to try before giving up. He had hit a new low point in his god-awful life and on the off-chance someone was out there pulling the strings, he wanted to at least know he was heard before he was buried and forgotten by those around him…
'If there's a higher power out there…please…just let me correct this for once…I know I fucked up in life…I made my mistakes and I won't deny that I deserve to burn…but I just want to find out what went wrong before I go..is…is that so much to ask?'
It was a minor plea…one he desperately wished could be answered…
Yet he could only feel himself slipping more and more, reaching out in vain as the waves overtook him, his vision going black as he could no longer support himself any longer….
As Husk's final thoughts slipped through his grasp, he was unaware of where his body would truly end up…
In the meantime, the church bell rang as the clock struck three, a deafening chime sounding a tad bit glum.
At the time the clock's hand landed on three, a familiar time for the rushing servants within the palace of Gluttony arose. The time for the Queen's daily serving of afternoon tea, the most important hour of the day for the Lady of Sin.
Sitting in a regal table plated with the finest riches and a divinely peaceful atmosphere with the Queen Bee herself, the humanoid Lady of Sin sitting in a poised position, a sickeningly sweet smile laced up on her ruby painted lips.
Entering the scene was a drone servant, a young man whose resemblance to the Monarch whose likeness was surely shown, sharing a similar facial structure to the Queen only differing in having a mixed complexion and golden hair.
"L-Lady Beelzebub," The servant boy stammered,"Your afternoon snack is ready just as you requested. I believe that honey-crisped biscuits go quite well with tea…"
The poor lad placed the tray down on the table, pouring the teapot into the Queen's cup along with the basket of bread, eyeing her uneasily in hopes of pleasing her.
Beelzebub clasped her hands with glee, letting out a haughty giggle as a nervous servant presented her with her afternoon snack,"You heard right, these are my favorite. And my, they sure do smell scrumptious…though whether they taste as good as they look is another thing entirely. Only one way to find out…"
The Bee Monarch daintily grasped the cup before taking a sip, only to spit out the contents of the drink mere seconds later all over the poor vassal. The servant boy gasped in shock as ice cold tea sprayed all over his uniform, crying out as the icy contents seeped its way into his clothing and stuck to his skin like a binding substance.
"Argh!"
As the servant stumbled back in pain, Beelzebub grit her teeth irritably, cold eyes glancing up at the younger man as she said in a soft yet deadly voice,"Cold tea…How disrespectful. You servants should know I despise when my tea is cold. I like my tea served fresh and hot, is that truly so much from you idiots?" She said the insult with such venom, her voice enough to pierce through the toughest of mountains.
The servant stumbled over his words as he desperately fumbled for an excuse,"I-I'm sorry, your majesty. I swear, it was an accident. I hadn't meant to let your tea get cold, I just wanted to tend to the bread and make sure it was baked properly…"
"Mhmm…" Beelzebub hummed, not truly paying any mind to his words as she nodded her head up and down,"That's what they all say…You know the excuses sound quite half-baked. They've grown rather stale and I've listened to plenty of them over the centuries and they've never satisfied me…" The Queen Bee then tilted her head to the side before tightly gripping the servant boy's collar, forcing the young man to look her in the eyes,"Do you know what I do with those who don't satisfy my very simple demands?"
The servant trembled in silent terror, the ravenous look in the monarch's eyes glistening like shimmering gold. Despite her angelic like face, her eyes held the viciousness of a demon and the hunger lingering within those delicate eyes would've made even the fiercest men's blood run cold.
"You eat them…your highness…"
"Precisely, I turn them into tasty little treaties just for me! Speaking of which, I wonder…what should I turn you into? Maybe a butterscotch pie? Hmm..no…too cliche. A glazed doughnut? A cinnamon strudel? Ooh…maybe a honey flavored cake too…My, I'm making myself salivate just thinking about it!"
Before Beelzebub could come to a decision however her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of another person entering the room, a young maiden saying,"There you are Lady Beelzebub, I've been looking all over for you."
The Queen grit her teeth, making an irritated noise from her throat,"A shame you couldn't have waited. You ruined my train of thought! I was so close to coming to a decision on what to turn this useless tool into and you squandered it."
The servant girl in question stammered, having a mixed complexion yet with different features, sporting frizzy black hair, her skin a lighter shade of brown. She bowed her head before saying,"I'm sorry to disturb you, Lady Beelzebub, but something concerning has happened that awaits your judgment."
"And what would that be?" The Queen asked impatiently, visibly displeased with having been disturbed before she had gotten a good meal to eat.
"Some other servants spotted a man's body floating in the stream through your garden."
"Did they now?" She asked in bemusement, taken by surprise at this news.
The Queen of Gluttony had an outside garden where she enjoyed the view this temporary base had to offer, having an array of aesthetically pleasing greenery.
The stream was connected to the local river nearby to let her watch nature's water flow. Sometimes you'd see fish swimming through the stream on a good day and if you were lucky, you might end up seeing a fish jumping out of the water before splashing back down into the depths.
Regardless, in all her eons of life, she had never seen any sort of person floating by the stream, let alone in her neck of the woods. It was such a strange occurrence and the Queen of Gluttony couldn't help but find her curiosity piqued at this intrusion.
"Oh really? That sounds…interesting.." She mentioned,"Tell me more…"
"I cannot, for we don't truly know anything about him. He hasn't even woken up yet and we're not certain he'll survive. He suffered grievous wounds and lost a lot of blood. I'm surprised he was even breathing with the amount of blood he lost within the water. Most would've expired without immediate medical treatment…"
"Then he truly must be something…Allow me to see him. After all, things do get a tad stale around here, I could always use a new refreshment now and again…" She admitted casually,"Lead me to him…"
Seeing no choice in the matter, the maid followed her superior's command, the other servant boy following the Queen shortly after without saying a word. He sent the other maid a look of gratitude before following suit, one that she acknowledged subtly.
The maid led them to where their new arrival had been stationed, Beelzebub's eyes wide with intrigue when she saw a middle aged man lying in bed, heavily wounded yet still breathing. He had bandages wrapped around the upper portion of his body.
His hair was matted and was predominantly black with a hint of gray hairs along with visible facial stubble. His skin was unnaturally pale and the bloodloss had clearly got him on his last legs as his breath barely audible, like a deathly whisper in the night.
"Sweet Heavens…" The servant boy hissed,"Is that man even alive?"
"Barely…" The maid replied,"He's been like this since he was found and while the nurse did all they could, his condition is still quite unstable. It's a miracle he's still breathing as he is…"
The Queen of Gluttony approached the bed where the man laid, her eyes gazing upon his body with the utmost of curiosity before saying,"Get the honey from my cabinet…"
"But why-"
"Just do it," She commanded, her voice becoming threatening,"And do make it quick…"
The servant girl rushed to retrieve the requested item and returned, handing it over to Beelzebub. Beelzebub opened the jar, taking in the sweet scent the honey gave off before taking a small spoonful and inserting it in the man's mouth.
It took a moment, but eventually, he did gradually swallow the sweet substance and after gulping it down, his eyes peaked open, the color returning to his face ever so slowly, letting out a small groan as he came around.
Husk's eyes slowly adjusted to their surroundings, his vision blurry before zooming in on the figure above him. At first, he thought perhaps he had landed in Hell again and that some unfortunate soul had come across his body as he hoarsely spoke,"God…Am in Hell again?"
Beelzebub giggled at Husk's question, her eerily sweet voice snapping Husk out of his haze within seconds,"You silly man, you're not in Hell or dead for that matter. You're very much alive, all thanks to me of course!"
"W-What?" Husk asked, still not quite recovered from his little incident. He then glanced down at his body, noticing the bandage wrapped around his chest before looking at his hands and clutching them repeatedly as his grasp on reality returned to him."I'm alive? I'm alive!" He exclaimed with great shock, for the first time in age feeling a sense of relief and a pinch of joy wash over him.
The revelation brought a rare sense of positive emotions within him and Husk felt rather happy, an emotion he hadn't felt in a long, long time…
His happiness however, was short lived at the realization he was in a foreign chamber with a bunch of strangers soon became apparent, his heart racing at the sight of unfamiliar faces around him. He backed away, quick to become defensive as he hissed,"What the? Where am I? Who are you people!?"
Sensing his panic, Beelzebub's amusement grew, finding the mortal's struggle quite funny as she giggled once more,"My, my, you're quite a paranoid man, aren't you?" She then cupped Husk's face playfully, ignoring the flinching motion the mortal man made beneath her gasp.
Husk grit his teeth upon being touched without consent. Despite his throat being sore, he gained the courage to speak,"Let me go, lady…"
"Just 'lady'? How rude…. That's no way to treat your savior," She chided, wagging her finger in front of his face,"Especially considering who I am…"
"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Husk asked flatly.
Beelzebub looked offended, letting out exaggerated gasps,"You don't know who I am? Have you been living under a rock for several centuries? How can you not know who I am? How can a mortal not recognize this beautiful face?" She said this while proudly displaying her features, fluffing up her curly hair daintily.
Husk sweat trickled down his face at the display of arrogance as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he merely asked,"Sorry but I nearly died of blood loss and I think my memory is a tad foggy from that. Can't recall a lot of things at the moment and I'd appreciate you clearing things up for me…"
"Hmph, figures your memories gone rather poor with the condition we found you in. No matter, I'll have you know that I'm none other than Queen Beelzebub, Ruler of Gluttony! Now with introductions out of the way, who might you be, sugar? I haven't seen a man like you before…"
Husk's heart threatened to burst out of his rib cage at this information, his eyes widening upon realizing just where exactly he was. It hit him like a truck and truly, the only things Husk could think was this-
'Just my fucking luck…The second I think I'm in the clear, I just happen to run into another Deadly Bastard. The only difference is it's not the clown bastard I'm stuck with,but the honey bee queen herself…'
Husk wasn't sure how he had even survived his ordeal, but he figured whatever mystical force listened to his prayers had a twisted sense of humor having the Demon Queen of Gluttony save him after he had spent all this time scheming against and running from her cohorts.
Life truly had a strange way of inflicting fortune and misfortune unto him at the exact same time and Husk wasn't sure whether to curse it or be grateful to even be alive at this point and time…
He decided to take the happy medium, opting to be grateful for his survival yet not all too keen on being within the confines of Beelzebub's adobe.
Before he could truly ponder his circumstances further, he was suddenly snapped back to reality upon Beelzebub snapping her fingers in front of his face, her commanding voice breaking his trance,"Yoohoo! You there,sweetie? Don't tell me you spaced out on me already!" She pouted, placing her hand over her hips with great exaggeration in her posture,"That's rather rude you know! That's hardly any way to acknowledge your savior!"
Husk made a face, in his haze he had neglected to acknowledge Beelzebub herself until now. And god, was she quick to anger, her mood seemed to swing from sickeningly sweet to furious woman-child within the snap of a finger.
She was volatile, lacking the patience that the Jester Lord he had the misfortune of interacting with in the past had. He'd have to tread carefully as one wrong word could possibly spell his doom in the presence of someone so mentally unhinged.
Thinking fast, he mumbled out an apology,"Sorry, still a little dazed.."
"Figures, you've lost a lotta blood from what I hear. You should consider yourself lucky you were alive when we found ya!" She remarked,"Had it been a second longer you would've been deader than a roasted turkey served on a platter…"
Husk narrowed his eyes at the rather in depth description, not all too fond of his grim demise being compared to the slaughter of an animal, hitting far too close to home after an event that had just transpired.
Nevertheless, he knew better than to say anything snarky. Even with her honey-sweet smile, he could just sense the unhinged nature within her batted eyes and the phrase,'don't mess with crazy' rang true within his mind.
"By the way sweetie pie, mind doing me a favor and tell me your name? It's not fair if I only have to introduce myself, don't you think?" She said in a sultry yet sugary voice.
Husk's throat went dry, uncertainty weighing within his mind. He truly didn't wish to inform her of his true identity,fearing she might figure out who he was. However, not giving her an answer was likely not an option either, so he reluctantly surrendered his name to her, albeit his mortal one instead of his Sinner nickname.
"Hunter…" He muttered,"My name is Hunter…"
"Hunter hm? What an exquisite name…" She remarked with intrigue on the tip of her tongue, never taking her eyes off of him.
He couldn't truthfully understand her fascination with his name of all things, had she never heard of a name like Henry or was his origins making him appealing to her? Either way, her newfound captivation with him wasn't something he was fond of and he hoped it would dissipate quickly.
The Queen of Gluttony traced her finger around Husk's collar, refusing to break eye contact as she spoke,"You seem lost, sweetpea. You must be if your body wound up going down stream."
"What's it to you?" He asked gruffly, moving away ever so slightly to avoid her touch, though it seemed Beelzebub only moved closer despite this. The Queen of Gluttony wasn't one to mind mortal's personal space, much to Husk's chagrin as she continued to touch him without his consent.
"Everything," She retorted, batting her eyes at him suggestively,"After all, this is my domain, you are in my territory. Not only that, but I saved your life! Don't you think I deserve a reward for that at least?"
"I uh…appreciate being a saved lady, but I really don't have anything to offer you," Husk admitted, hoping that she would take the hint and back off.
Of course, this was not to be, as the woman was quite stubborn,"Surely you can offer Momma some sugar, can't you? It's been a while since I've had a concubine and you seem like you'd be delightful to have in bed. I could just eat you up~" The Queen said this while licking her lips ever so slowly.
Husk narrowed his eyes, uncertainty and a hint of fear developing in his eyes at the flirtatious gleam in the woman's eyes.
It was abundantly clear the woman was trying to get into his pants and had it been any other woman, he might've considered it since he hadn't had sex a while.
But Beelzebub? The Queen of Gluttony and a Fellow Deadly Sin? Absolutely not. The Deadly Sins had been a big pain in his ass ever since he fell down here and he wasn't interested in sticking his dick in one.
Besides, that sentence she said earlier…it didn't just sound like a flirtatious pick-up line, no, it sounded literal.
Maybe it was his paranoia talking, but he didn't want to take any chances with her. The woman was not to be underestimated and caution was likely the only thing that'd keep him alive while he was here.
"No thanks," He informed, shutting her down before she could get any other ideas.
She seemed shocked by his abrupt rejection, as if she wasn't used to being no whenever pursuing her advances.
"No? What do you mean, no?"
"Do I need to spell it out for you, your highness?" He growled out those words, barely able to hide the disdain in his voice,"I'm not interested. If you're looking for a concubine you're barking up the wrong tree because I'm not your guy for that sort of thing."
The Queen of Gluttony stared at him for the longest time before huffing,"You know many men would kill to be in your position."
"Well I'm not them," He admitted truthfully,"So what now?"
Beelzebub fell silent for a moment, as if debating her next move. She hadn't planned for rejection so that meant she had to adjust the situation from a new angle.
"Now ain't you just a peach," She huffed,"To think you'd reject me…You must be part of a special batch of men aren't you?"
"You could say that…" Husk mumbled,"Anyhow, I'd really like to get going and-"
"Going where exactly? You don't appear from here and I doubt you live nearby…"
Husk grit his teeth, she was right and as much as he hated admitting it, he didn't exactly have an array of places to go to in this situation."Why do you care?" He asked.
"I care because it's not every day you just have a mortal's body float downstream. You're quite the delicacy and it'd be foolish to just let slip through my fingers you know. Even if you don't wanna be my little concubine, I'm certain I can put you to use somehow…Ooh! I know just the thing! Ya see, I'm always in need of helping hands and sometimes my servants can a little…incompetent as of late," She said this while glaring at the servant boy who flinched under her cruel gaze before perking up once more,"Which is why I'd love to have you on board."
"I ain't much of a chef," The Former Cat Demon admitted.
He wasn't one to cook, often hanging around bars for the cheap grub they had on sale.
Whatever his nose managed to pass as edible and not drugged was considered fit to be consumed.
Wasn't healthy by any metric of the means but Husk had long since stopped caring about whether something was healthy for him since downing multiple bottles of booze daily back in the underworld.
After all, his liver had already since given out at that point in his life.
Besides, what was the point in caring about one's health when the only means of truly dying was the yearly Exterminators who only came down once a year to eliminate any unfortunate demons who happened to stay out past curfew?
"Oh don't worry, I'm certain my other servants can help you become a 'seasoned' chef so to speak!" She informed with utmost glee,"Ain't that right?"
The servants nodded their heads frantically, the girl saying the words,"Y-Yes Lady Beelzebub."
"See? You've got yourself some cooking companions on your side!"
Husk made a face,"Are you certain you want me in the kitchen, lady? I don't exactly look like a chef do I?"
"Nothing a grooming and a new set of clothing can't fix," Beelzebub remarked before zapping a set of fresh clothes onto Husk's nude body.
His hair had become neatly groomed and he wore a black-yellow servant attire along with some brown and white in-between.
He tugged on his sleeve, feeling the frills at the end of the cuff, cringing at the array of colors in his uniform. Not only that, but the suit was rather restrictive and stuffy to move around in.
The extravagant style wasn't his style and truth be told, Husk would've preferred something a little less tacky as he looked like a bumble-bee.
Regardless, as much as he didn't fancy Beelzebub's taste in attire, he was grateful for a fresh set of clothes over his back since his other ones were ruined. Better tacky clothing than bloodied garb after all.
Beelzebub then motioned to the other servants and spoke in a faux-friendly tone with a hint of malice within,"You two, go get Henry adjusted to his living situation and show him around the kitchen, will you?"
Despite framing it as a request, it was very much a command. The servants nodded once more and were quick to lead Husk away to the kitchen.
The silence in the air was suffocating and while Husk wasn't exactly a talker, he found himself a tad unnerved how the two servants around him didn't speak a word after Beelzebub dismissed them.
Husk was brought forth to a magnificent kitchen that was currently occupied by dozens of other people hard at work, either preparing meals, washing dishes or gathering ingredients of some kind.
"What is this place?"
"The royal kitchen," The male servant retorted with a sarcastic quip,"What else?"
"I know that…" Husk grumbled,"I was just wondering why there are so many people here.."
The female servant said,"Lady Beelzebub requires large portions of food to be made for her throughout the day and in order to satisfy her demands, our entire team has to cook for her in a timely manner."
Husk blanked,"You're telling me she eats EVERYTHING you people cook for her?"
He knew she was the Lady of Gluttony but god…he didn't think someone would be able to eat so much.
"Lady Beelzebub's urge to feed never truly ends," The maiden continued as she grabbed a broom to sweep,"No matter how much you give her, she'll always end up asking for more. It's quite troubling as you can imagine but we make do regardless of our circumstances."
"What's even the point?" Husk asked,"I doubt she requires sustenance to eat. Is all this dining just for her pleasure and nothing else?"
"You could say that," The male servant said, folding his arms over his chest,"She doesn't require food to survive yet she insists on having it anyway. Not only that, but she has quite high expectations and we must fulfill them if we value our own lives…"
"So…how exactly should I prepare myself for working here?"
"Communication is key, everyone here works like a cog in a machine. If one piece falls apart, the rest is certain to go…" The maiden informed me in a sweet voice.
"Of course considering you're not like us, that just means we'll have to keep an extra eye on you to ensure you don't screw up and make the rest of us look bad," The servant boy muttered, though it was still within Husk's hearing range.
Husk being Husk, retorted with a gruff insult,"What crawled up your ass and died, dickhead?"
"Watch your language. Just because Beelzebub let you in our ranks doesn't mean we are friends and I most certainly tolerate you jeopardizing myself or the rest of us so I suggest you stay in your lane and we'll stay in ours, got it?"
Husk frowned,"I was literally just trying to help…"
"If you want to be of 'help' I suggest you go and gather some materials from the gardens if you want to be somewhat useful. Here's the list of items I expect you to nab and you best be back before it gets dark."
The servant boy said this while shoving a list of goods into Husk's hands, much to his displeasure as he started,"And just what makes you think I'm going to do-What the?" His face fell upon seeing that the man had vanished, teleporting into thin air it seemed. He twisted his head side to side in hopes of finding him to no avail,"The hell that bastard ran off to? The nerve to just shove my dirty work and leave!"
"Don't be so harsh on him, Flan's always been a tad…rough around the edges. I promise he gets better with time…" The maiden was comforted by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"His name is Flan?" Husk asked, expecting it to be some kind of joke on the woman's part.
"Indeed it is. And for the record, my name is Tea and it's 'rice' to meet you, Henry…"
Husk paused for a moment before slapping his forehead,"You did not just say that…"
"Was it bad?" She asked wearily,"Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood…"
Husk shrugged his shoulders, he usually despised puns but he couldn't bother to get angry at Tea. Unlike her male counterpart, she seemed much sweeter and he didn't want to crush her heart.
"I've heard worse…" He mumbled out in response.
"Aw shucks, you're so sweet, Henry. I'm so glad someone finds my puns bearable…"
Suddenly another servant shouted,"TEA! GET TO BACK TO SWEEPING!"
"Eep! I'm on it!" She shouted,"I uh…better get back to work. You should probably get to your duties before you get in trouble too…"
Husk nodded his head in agreement before asking,"Yeah, I'll be heading out to the garden…"
He took a turn to head right only for Tea to shout,"Henry, wait!"
"What?"
"The garden is that way!" She said while pointing to the right corridor.
Oh…awkward…
"I uh…totally knew that…" Husk quickly corrected himself from the embarrassing error before heading the right way.
"He's a strange man…but he does seem kind." Tea said to herself as she swept away the dust that had gotten into the nooks and crannies of the kitchen,"Hopefully he'll last longer than the other men in Lady Beelzebub's service…"
She said the last part wistfully to herself, merely closing her half-lidded eyes as she hoped for the best of what was to come.
Husk was no stranger to physical labor, it was sort of expected from the men of his time period. Still, that didn't mean he appreciated being someone's gatherer and being stuck doing chores was a great way to bore a man to death.
The royal gardens had an array of goods and crops, it was quite a tedious job and Husk wiped the sweat from his brow from having to walk in the blazing heat harvesting the desirables.
"I'm too old for this fucking shit…" He grumbled under his breath.
He then watched as the other servants worked in the heat and noticed none of them appeared to be suffering, at least not physically. They seemed unbothered by the heat and picked the crops without batting an eye.
It was just him and even despite being around all these people, he felt rather alone, a black sheep among the herd.
He didn't belong here…he belonged with his allies…
And his were in grave danger as we speak…
After all, it was only a matter of time before that…the thing adorning Helsa's visage grew comfortable enough to blindside the entire group and it clearly held no qualms disposing of those who dared to stand in the way of that goal given it had disposed of him the second he threatened to expose their cover.
He wasn't sure what that monster was, and in all honesty, he didn't care.
All he knew was that it had to be stopped before the others befell a similar fate, and that's not even taking into account that the real Helsa and Vox might've fallen victim to this as well. He couldn't afford not to care anymore and if he wanted to get to the bottom of this, he had to act fast before it was too late.
Husk's eyes darted around his surroundings, the other servants were too busy collecting goods to truly pay him any mind.
He then looked at the wheat-field in front of him.
It'd buy him good cover and he figured he already collected enough wheat for the day and ideally,he'd slip back into Beelzebub's territory once he got the answers he was looking for.
Abandoning his post, Husk slipped into the field, shuffling through the array of yellows flaunting themselves into his vision as he did so. He ignored the smell of a fresh harvest and pursued a way out.
Eventually, Husk managed to slip out of the field and (begrudgingly) hopped over the wooden fence that was seemingly keeping the woodland creatures from helping themselves from the harvest.
Once he caught his breath(his old bones weren't used to doing athletics at his age), he managed to catch sight of large lavish palaces and castles along with several soldiers walking by.
Husk wasn't going to lie, he felt rather apprehensive seeing those guards prancing around the place. However when none seemed to acknowledge his existence, he relaxed ever so slightly.
It seemed Beelzebub's garb was 'protecting' him so to speak. As far as the common soldiers were concerned, he was just a servant running errands for his 'Master' and so long as none bothered to ask what exactly he was doing here, he was 'safe'.
'Phew…thank god these people don't ask questions…'
Relieved, Husk moved forward, examining the area for a better look around the perimeter. It'd get important to have an idea of this place's layout before he made any plans of escape after all.
As Husk was surveying the zone, his heart leaped into his throat when he caught sight of Belphegor talking to a masked figure. The sight of the mad scientist nearly sent Husk into cardiac arrest, bile rising up in this throat.
He could tell they were talking, but he didn't dare get too close, fearing the bastard might notice and demand his capture.
Despite his fear, the Gambler felt a tinge of curiosity prod his side. It was a risky maneuver, but he figured if he got close enough while still keeping his distance, he might learn something of value that would aid his quest.
Husk eased closer, not enough to where it was obvious he was trying to eavesdrop on them, but just enough to where he'd be able to get a good idea of what they were saying, all while still trying to feign the act pretending to look elsewhere for something.
The voices were muffled and he could only pick up certain words.
"How….longer until…we strike?" The masked figure asked. The voice was raspy, feral even and vaguely familiar to a certain extent, though he wasn't sure where.
"Patience….I promise…they will not know what hit them…" Belphegor responded confidently as he put his hand on the man's shoulder
The masked figure's voice became angrier,"I know….it's just that pretentious smirk of that traitorous beast….How I've longed to bleed him dry and watch as she cries…"
There was a sadistic growl in that tone and Husk wasn't going to lie he felt his blood running cold hearing those words.
"Good things come to those who wait. For now…keep an eye on them until further notice…"
"Fair enough…" There was a pause before the masked man said,"How is she doing?"
"Your…is alright…She's still coming to terms with the changes in her body. She's not as…proficient with her abilities and it's a work in progress…but other than that, she's faring well in my laboratory…"
The notion of someone being held captive only furthered Husk's curiosity about the situation.
Wanting to get to the bottom of this, Husk decided to leave the scene before they noticed his presence.
As Husk slipped away, the Seviathan, who was occupying his clone turned his head. He narrowed his eyes beneath his mask, picking up an subtle yet all too familiar scent in the air. Belphegor frowned,"Something wrong, nephew?"
"I swore I smelled a familiar scent of blood in the air…"
"Nephew, have you neglected to feed yourself again?" Belphegor scolded,"Your blood thirst is likely feeding your paranoia. Haven't I told you to always sustain yourself in blood? You won't survive without it and your stability will become worse if you don't keep yourself in check."
Seviathan let out an irritated growl under his mask,"But Master-"
"No but's, Seviathan. I'm not trying to mean but I do believe your blood thirst is causing your mind to become hazy. Your potential will only be hindered if you are not kept up in top-top shape which is why I'm ordering you to go back to your body and fetch a meal to eat…"
The Prince narrowed his eyes under the mask for the longest time, irritation lingering within.
It felt patronizing to have his own Master, the one who helped him realize his potential and ignore his advice, as if he did not respect his opinions….
Perhaps it was Seviathan's bloodlust talking, because…a sick, twisted part of Seviathan's corrupt soul did wonder what bathing in Belphegor's blood would be like. How rich it would taste as he licked it off of his mangled body.
Or engorging his heart until it collapsed and ripping it out of his chest cavity before crushing it in his palms. The pain would make his blood taste better surely, not as though the fucker could die. He could live through just about anything so long as his veins were nicked with a Holy Blade…
The thought sounded…quite refreshing…The pain would no doubt make it taste better and he could drag it out for as long as he desired so long as he didn't inflict anything fatal…
Seviathan only snapped out of his thoughts when Belphegor asked if he was alright, having clutched his head as the visions flooded his mind.
"I am alright, Master…" He replied in a monotone voice,"I shall get going as you requested…"
Seviathan took his leave, leaving his thoughts to fester within his mind, shoving the darker thoughts into the back of his head for safe-keeping.
Truth be told, he respected Belphegor, he had made him who he was after all when the others abandoned him, but he did find himself irritated at times with his attitude and his darker fantasies sometimes wished to do…something more to remind him that he was more than just his minion….
No matter, he decided to follow his instruction, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. After all, the army was following their trail and soon enough, an ambush would be coordinated.
And once he got that chance…heads would roll…and his bloodlust for vengeance would be satiated, one way or another…
Finding Belphegor's laboratory was the easy part.
Belphegor wasn't exactly hiding his HQ and the way the building had been built screamed 'Supervillain Laboratory'.
Didn't help that Belphegor seemed to leave the door unlocked,granting Husk easy access to the inside.
The laboratory was quite large and Husk was scouring the was about how you'd expect a mad scientist's lab to look, research papers strewn about the place with test tubes and all other sorts of eerie things scattered about…
Husk did peer at a few papers, straining his eyes as he struggled to read Belphegor's files.
"Bunch of chicken scratch…" He mumbled under his breath. Husk had seen his fair bit of messy handwriting but this took the cake of godawful. The letters were practically kissing one another and it seemed that Belphegor's personal writing was incomprehensible gibberish.
About the few things he could make out was that one of the files was titled,'Patient #666170.' Most of the handwriting was illegible, but there were a few detailed sketches, the latest one including a lot of…blood for whatever reason and there was a section mentioning the word 'basement'.
"Basement eh? Better go check that out…" He quickly dropped the papers and examined the laboratory for any sign of a stairway.
To Husk's relief, he managed to locate one, the atmosphere eerie.
Despite this, Husk ventured onward despite his apprehensiveness and walked down the step slowly, cringing at each creak it made.
When Husk made it down, his jaw dropped when he saw Helsa sitting in a large chamber with a sheet of glass granting him access to seeing her.
She was just…sitting there and had been for quite some time from the looks of things. The Princess was laying down on her bed, holding a book out over her head with disinterest lingering within her eyes.
Only for her to pause, sniffing the air for a split second as she caught a whiff of his blood and glanced up in his direction.
There was a moment of silence as both peered at each other, neither breaking eye contact until Husk made the first move to communicate,"Helsa,is that you?"
"The one and only…"
"Can't say I've been happier to see you…" He admitted.
"You know…I can't say I expected anyone to come rescue me. Though judging your expression, it seems you discovering me was just a lucky coincidence if anything…"
"Believe me, I'm just as shocked to see you as you are me…" Husk stated,"Though I must ask, Helsa, how long have you been down here?"
"I can't recall," The Princess of Envy signed back to him,"Forgive me but my memory is a tad hazy. The days pass by rather slowly and without a calendar to track time, I cannot remember the exact amount of time I've been here. No doubt it's been weeks though…"
Husk frowned, narrowing his eyes at this information before prying the Ice Princess for more questions on her living situation,"So you haven't been let outside at all, huh?"
"What do you think?" Helsa retorted back with her one hand and despite not being able to physically speak, Husk could practically sense the woman's irritation at what was no about an obvious question,"Sorry if I haven't walked outside in a couple weeks and Belphegor only lets me walk around his laboratory under his supervision. Other than that, I remain in this chamber until he decides to put me to further use."
"What has he been doing to you?"
"Nothing much…well if you discount this that is…" Helsa then turned her body over and rose upwards, revealing where her arm had once been.
Husk winced, it wasn't the first time he had seen an amputee, not by a long shot, by seeing Helsa's arm being gone sent unwanted memories into his head.
"Holy shit…did he remove that?"
"No…the ritual did…"
"The what? What ritual are you talking about?"
"The ritual is centered around Blood Magic. Since Ice and Water are similar elements, I was able to learn the dark art, costing me a limb in the process as you can see…"
That…didn't sound good whatsoever.
Only then had another realization hit Husk, a question that had been bothering him for all too long desiring to be answered,"Uh…Helsa…I need to ask you something because something really isn't adding up…"
"Go on. Ask away, not like I'm going anywhere…"
"If you were here this entire time, missing a limb no less…Who the hell was the person who looked like you that stabbed me?"
Helsa's expression fell before gritting her teeth,"God dammit, Seviathan. I knew he'd pull something like this…"
"Seviathan? He's alive!?"
"Believe me, I was just as surprised as you were when I found out he was alive…" She admitted.
"How is that possible? I thought we lost him back at Belphegor's laboratory…"
"We did lose him…just not the way we thought we did. You remember how Angel was all too happy to be rid of Seviathan? Yeah, there was a reason for that. He tossed him overboard, not even to save his skin or anything, just to get rid of him. And he lied about not seeing him to our faces knowing no one would've been able to prove him wrong…"
"Well clearly that didn't work…"
"Because Angel didn't consider the factor of Belphegor keeping Seviathan alive. He thought he'd just get rid of Seviathan once he dumped him. But he thought wrong, because while I don't know the exact details, what I do know is that Seviathan was furious over getting betrayed and Belphegor struck a deal with him to grant him power in exchange for aiding his pursuit of vengeance. And remember how Blood Magic always has a cost? Well, Seviathan traded away not just his mental sanity, but his face as well."
Husk flinched, recalling the sea of jaws of the person he now knew was Seviathan had. It looked so unnatural, so terrifying and he wasn't going to lie, it was a frightening sight to him even despite all his years.
"And then what?"
"After that, they formed a plan. They were going to capture us, but first, they needed a way to keep an eye on the rest of you. So what better way than infiltrating from within? Unbeknownst to anyone else, Seviathan had been stalking us from afar and captured me when I was alone and returned me to their camp and to avoid attracting ire, Seviathan copied my appearance to draw off suspicion until the time was right."
"And the reason he was able to imitate your form?"
"Blood Magic grants that ability, besides, we are twins, we share blood so it's only reasonable that Seviathan can take my form at will…He can even imitate my voice if he wishes. It's quite unsettling if you can't tell and I'm still not over it…"
"Could you do that?"
"I…I don't know. I'm not as experienced as him, much to Belphegor's frustration. He's tried getting me to match my brother's skill to no avail. Not that I want to. I really don't want to use this power…I don't want to lose control over myself like my brother has. The longer Seviathan used it, the more mentally unhinged he became and I don't fancy following his footsteps."
Husk couldn't truly blame Helsa for thinking that. He pressed his hand up against the glass, tempted to try and break it only for Helsa to say,
"Don't bother. Belphegor safety proved it with magic. I've seen him carry a key around when he doesn't feel like disabling the magic but I doubt he just has a thing lying around for anyone to just pick up…"
The Former Cat Demon groaned,"Figures. Always one to go over-top, isn't he? No matter, I'm gonna find a way to get you out of this, Helsa."
"That sounds like a heavy promise. Are you certain you'll be able to fulfill it?"
"Either I do or I try. I at least want to try and make things right while I'm still kicking. Besides, if you're still here…perhaps that means we can save Vox as well…"
Helsa deflated at Vox's mention, already aware he had been captured at this point.
"I take it Seviathan was the reason he was captured, huh?" Husk sighed, Helsa's silent speaking volumes,"Listen, I can't promise things will work out, but I'll be damned before I just give up without a fight. We can't let these Deadly Freaks get away with what they did, all of them…"
"Even Seviathan?"
"He's on their side, Helsa. What happened to him was tragic but taking it out on the rest of us when we had no part in what Angel did ain't right. Especially since he went as far as to try and kill me merely for finding out his true appearance. He's a monster and he needs to be stopped before he hurts more people."
"You don't think I know that? I know my brother's a depraved monster. That doesn't mean I wish for him to die despite everything he's done. I know it sounds cliche but he's really the only family I have, Husk. Not that you'd understand, but despite the terror and horror of his appearance, a tiny part of myself was happy he was alive, even though I could hardly recognize him…"
The Gambler stared at the Princess with pity, she didn't look graceful or dignified and even without hearing her voice, he could tell she was sorrowful and even guilty, as though she could've done something to prevent Seviathan from becoming this twisted, bloodthirsty creature hellbent on destruction of all those who stand in his way.
"I do understand, actually. I know losing someone is hard, the fear of losing them even more so. But Seviathan needs to be stopped, one way or another…"
Before Helsa could truly respond to Husk's sentence, the two of them heard footsteps coming downstairs and Belphegor's voice echoed from the top of the steps,"Helsa, I'm hearing noises down there. Are you alright?"
Alarmed by his sudden arrival, both Demons quickly realized their time to talk was up.
'Shit! Better get outta here before he notices!' Husk quickly teleported, vanishing into the air before he could be discovered.
When Belphegor reached the downstairs step, Helsa was seen reading a book with her remaining arm.
The Lord of Sloth raised an eyebrow, scratching his head as he looked around,"Strange…I swore I heard noises down here…Helsa, were you doing anything that could cause noise?"
Helsa shook her head and held up her book to prove it.
Belphegor sighed,"Must've been the wind…I did leave the door open and it messed up some of my files on the desk. I'll have to work on not being so clumsy…" He then glanced up at Helsa before saying,"Speaking of my files, why don't we try advancing your performance in Blood Magic?"
Helsa resisted the urge to groan as Belphegor unlocked the door to her cell and beckoned her outside, her feet dragging against the floor as the amputee Princess moved forward, her only solace was that someone was invested in her rescue…
When Husk teleported back to Beelzebub's palace, he manifested his being into thin air, relief flooding into his veins as he narrowly escaped being caught once more. The Former Sinner wiped the sweat trail from his forehead,"Phew…that was a close one…"
His relief was short lived because Flan suddenly stormed towards him with a furious look on his face,"Henry, where have you been!? You're not supposed to leave your post!"
Husk rolled his eyes as he retorted in a non-apologetic manner,"Well sorry, I needed a break…"
It was a lie, but he figured the excuse was better than admitting to what he had been truly doing.
Flan grit his teeth,"Rest? No one 'rests' around here, Hunter. We all have to work to earn our keep and you're no exception just because you're not one of us…"
"Just what the hell are you since you think you're so special?" Husk asked, though Flan seemed not to deem him worthy, merely scoffing as he said,
"Doesn't matter. Just know that our kind works as a hive-mind, we are aware of all things around this place at all times so don't think you're slick. I will not allow you to jeopardize our livelihoods just because you are human."
Husk narrowed his eyes,"Is that a threat?"
"A promise…" He said while shoving Husk aside,"I will not hesitate to report you to Lady Beelzebub and you won't be lucky in having her change her mind about having you for dinner if it means protecting the hive…"
"Whatever. Just get out of my face…"
When Flan left, Husk took a deep breath. He was going to have to be careful if he was going to get out of this alive. He still had many enemies here and too few allies. Until he could think of a way out, he best lay low until further notice…
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Enigmus-288: To be fair, by the time Mammon saw Seviathan again, he was already the way he is now and it's not like he could just ask to borrow Helsa since Belphegor already called dibs on custody over her and told her 'other' parents to go fuck off when they tried taking her. Belphegor gives no fucks about threats and while he may be lazy, he's still no slouch...