Redacted
Abominations
Since I'm revamping this story, decided to delete the last few chapters here since some of the chapters I've decided to split and it's easier to delete the last few chapters and update accordingly.
Edited: 1/21/2024
Knight stared at his tray, contemplating the queasy sensation in his stomach or the hunger that gnawed at him. Finally, after the echoes of what happened during the ritual rang in his mind, Knight pushed his food towards Hush. The latter paused in her eating and her yellow eyes looked at him with concern.
It had only been a few hours since the failed Harmonization and Knight still found himself lingering back to that moment, the look of horror and fear in Ianos' eyes as he struggled against an unknown assailant. Knight felt sick afterwards, recalling the way Ianos begged for mercy. He wasn't sure if he would be able to rid himself of that memory.
Nonetheless, when Hush showed signs of discomfort, Knight took it upon himself to bring her to the Mess Hall, an experience helping him remember that food always helps with the child Guardian's nerves. Although, it does little if Knight isn't himself eating; he saw the way Hush had left her spoon dipped in the contents of her tray, watching him intently while as he pushed his away. He couldn't help but wonder if companionship was another reason Hush always wanted to eat. An excuse to bring everyone together.
Thus, Knight decided to take up his spoon, dip it into a bowl upon his tray and take a sip of the soup that they were given; it was warm and went down smooth. The Revenants maybe assholes, but they know how to cook. Taking another sip of his soup, Knight watched from the corner of his optics as Hush nodded and then ate. Although, he can still see her looking at him.
That is when he decided to rest his elbow on the table before propping his forehead into his hand and sighed, wishing more than anything at that moment for Nine to be awake. At this time, despite his stoniness, Nine usually has the best advice for situations like this. Traveler, the older Exo might even make a good suggestion on how to continue with the Harmonization without the aid of the Wizards. But just as it was the past few days, when Knight reached out to the Phoenix Exo, he still felt Nine at rest, quiet and sleeping peacefully in the back of his mind. Knight knows he should be grateful that Nine is still alive, especially after much exertion of his light but, his head felt empty, lonely without his presence.
"I miss him too." Knight heard Day whisper, feeling his Ghost press against the crook of his neck as they continued, "But don't worry. He will be back. He always comes back."
Opting to say nothing, Knight simply lifted his face away from his hand, forcing himself to focus on Hush who sat across the table in front of him; although seemingly unsettling sight for those outside of their circle, Knight just found it easier to focus on the child Guardian than the suspicious stares he received from the Revenants around them. He cannot help but feel like their stares were more consistent now after the failed ritual. Although it also made Knight wonder if the Revenants ever headed to their own quarters, if at least a moment so that he and the others could gain a moment of privacy.
Knight sighed and rubbed at his optics with the palm of his hand, ignoring the confused look he received from Hush.
The team have retreated to the Medical Ward; they have nowhere else to go after all, and it made Knight wonder if they were going to get accommodations anytime soon, especially when Akiva came back – red around the eyes – before falling face first into a bed before anyone could ask. Perhaps they could ask the Preceptor? He seems to be the only Revenant willing to listen to reason.
Pondering upon that, Knight then spotted movement from the corner of his optics; someone had taken a seat next to him. Keeping his attention forward, Knight saw a pair of heavyset arms fold onto the table, and Akiva was the first that came to mind. Thus, he turned, preparing to ask of Ianos' condition.
But partway turned, Knight came to a sudden halt.
His optics settled onto the hem of a cloak, the cloth the color of cream and the hands were way too dark to be Akiva's. That caused Knight to go stock still, flicking his optics towards Hush; the last thing he wanted was to interact with anyone within the Revenants, not after just discovering their allegiance with the Hive. Although he doesn't remember being their prisoner, Nine definitely did; Knight remembers Nine's fear whenever the walking husks were mentioned.
Keeping his optics on Hush, Knight watched as Hush glanced up, spoon in her mouth, only to see her luminescent eyes grow wide. This was soon followed by a sputter, her spoon falling to the table with a clatter and her soup falling from her lips as she coughed and hacked.
Although nervous, this prompted Knight to be curious and thus, his mind telling him to be daring, he turned. And his jaw dropped.
At first glance, the person next to him seemed human; tan skin with locks of dark hair cascading down their back, and green eyes that twinkled with amusement. However, Knight then noticed the pale ridges around the person's neck and arms, seemingly wrapping around the top of his hands and sliding down into the arms of their coat.
And the ridges resemble too much like the dried carapace upon a Hive's body.
"Finally got your attention?"
Knight's uneasiness grew, especially when the person in front of him smiled, showing off jagged teeth and he spotted the subtle glow in their eyes - the same sickly green glow that all Hive.
Knight wheezed.
The smile upon the person's face faded, "Wait, hold on. Take deep breaths." Concern settled into their Hive-like eyes; that was both strange and wrong to Knight, "Look, if it helps you feel any better, I am not here to harm you or anyone of your team."
Despite himself, Knight wheezed once more before taking in a deep rasping breath, "I may have never personally faced the Hive, but I have read upon them enough to know what their eyes look like that." He took in another deep breath, "And I am not sure if I can safely trust you if your eyes look like that."
The look of hurt that flashed over the stranger's eyes made Knight realize what he had just said was rude and, Traveler, it made him feel guilty. He should not be feeling guilty towards someone that looks like they are from the Hive, especially since the 'man' before him was part of a sect that worked alongside Darkness Worshippers.
"I understand." The stranger apologized, "It must be difficult to look at me and not see the Hive."
"You think?" Knight managed to rasp out, "Tell me, is this another ritual you Revenants partake in?" He gestured vaguely at the stranger, "Is partnering with the Hive not enough for you all? That you want to look like them now?"
No sooner had he spoken when he saw the stranger give him a look, one eyebrow raised before finally, understanding settled into his eyes.
"Oh, you must be mistaken." The Stranger said, "I was born this way."
A pause.
"What?" Day broke the silence, voicing their shock as Knight found himself scooting away from the stranger, "what do you mean born? Are the Revenants creating Hybrids now?"
That is when Knight saw the Stranger's eyes grow wide before he leaned back his head and laughed. This made Knight shrink down in his seat, especially when he felt the surrounding eyes turn towards them.
"Again, you are mistaken." The Stranger smiled at him, "The Revenants are not creating hybrids." He mused, "More like procreating."
Another pause.
"What?" Knight said.
He leaned back when the Stranger propped an elbow onto the table and settle his chin into his hand. There was a grin upon his tan face.
"If you want a hint, my mother is Vultosa, the Oracle you saw during the ritual." He said.
Another pause.
"What?"
There is a blink from the stranger, a brief stare before he smiled again, "My apologies, how about we start over so we can get this all sorted?" He then held out a hand, allowing Knight to spot the familiar Hive claws overlapping the Stranger's fingers.
"Greetings, friends of the Preceptor." The Stranger started, "I am Odorata the Initiate, spawn of Loretta and Vultosa the Eldest."
Xxxxx
"Alright, I'll bite. Why in the Traveler is this hall dark?"
Day's question prompted a laugh from Odorata, prompting Knight to give the Knight hybrid a way look.
"Although many of us are capable of walking in the light, our race is naturally comfortable in the dark." Odorata answered as he shrugged, "Not to mention it feels refreshing."
Knight blinked at him, "What?"
That is when Odorata gestured vaguely with his hands, "When my people and I are in the darkness it feels like – what you Guardians call – taking a warm bath?" Even he sounded unsure, "Very relaxing for the muscle and for aching those, especially those who are older in years."
Nodding mutely at the information, Knight then felt a grip tighten around his wrist, prompting him to look down to his side, and his optics locked onto fearful yellow. Comforting Hush with a gentle squeeze of his own, Knight then turned his optics back to Odorata's back, hearing the latter continue to talk, as if revealing his origins and leading Knight and Hush down a dark tunnel wasn't something unusual.
Knight just could not understand how in the Traveler they got in here in the first place. Not long after Odorata revealed his status as a spawn between a Revenant and a Hive Wizard, he then cheerfully asked if Knight and Hush wanted to meet his siblings and grabbed their wrists and lead them out of the room without waiting for an answer. He only let go when Knight promised that he and Hush weren't going to run.
Of course, if Knight was able to, he would have snatched Hush and run but, the way Odorata's eyes beamed when he spoke about his siblings and the way his hands were tight but gentle around their wrists before he let go made him think.
"How?" He asked.
Odorata looked at him, blinking, "How what?"
"How were you born?" Knight clarified, "How were you and your siblings were born?"
Odorata hummed, "Well, when a Wizards likes a Revenant very much – "
"You know what I mean!"
Knight reeled at his own words, optics growing wide as he looked at Odorata, expecting his smile to be gone and to be replaced with the snarl of the Hive. Instead, to his surprise, he heard the Hive spawn laugh, as if his words were nothing more than a joke.
"I jest, friends of the Preceptor." Odorata beamed at him again, "It is not everyday we get visitors from the City." He then shrugged, "Alive at least."
A chill ran down the length of Knight's back.
"I heard." He managed out; he was glad that Crystalline finally, finally lit up her light, allowing Day to do the same; this allowed him to have a clear view of the Hall; the end still looked dark, "I guess you Revenants are very territorial?"
Another hum from Odorata, "I suppose so, if I were to take my spawn mother's stories seriously." He chuckled, "But she is called 'The Eldest" for a reason."
Hearing this, Knight found another question slipping from his lips, "Then, your other parent, Loretta?" Odorata nodded, "That sounds a lot like a woman's name, if I'm not mistaken."
The Hive spawn beamed at him.
"That is because she is!" Knight sputtered at the nonchalance in Odorata's voice, "Guardians tend to forget that Hive are sequential hermaphrodites." He grinned, "Wizards included."
"Then." Knight started, "That makes Loretta your mother and Vultosa your…"
"Father?" Odorata finished, "You can say that." Knight struggled to take in this information, "My mother prefers, well, mother, so I call her thus, and call the other my spawn mother."
"I…" Although in disbelief, Knight found himself storing the information into his memory, pondering if it's something that the Crytparchs back at the Tower would be interested in learning; they tend to want anything when it comes to research.
"Wait." Knight realized something, "Then, can you…"
He couldn't finish, shifting awkwardly on the back of his feet as he continued to follow Odorata. Knight watched Odorata looked over his shoulder and flashed him a sad smile.
"Despite my want of being able to, I cannot switch my current sex." And then, he pouted, disappointment clear in his green eyes, "It would help with the spawn rate of my siblings if I was capable." Then, Odorata sighed, "That is the downside of being only half of my spawn mother's blood."
Taking note of hybrids unable to change their genders, Knight then decided to ask, "If it alright for me to ask, Wizards are not the only occupants who live here?"
"From my spawn mother's sect? Of course not!" The gleam in Odorata's eyes returned, "We have the entire caste here. The Knights, the thralls, the acolytes." He grinned at him, "You name it, we have them." Then, there was a quick pause, "With the exception of Ogres. We have no room for them here."
Thinking back to the giant monstrous Hive and comparing them to the size of the Revenant base, Knight can only imagine. Deciding not to comment, Knight simply nodded and then paused when the group came to a doorway, and he looked on when Odorata disappeared within.
"Crystalline." He called out, flicking his optics towards the violet Ghost, "Is it safe to follow him?"
That is when Crystalline turned, and the top of her shell raised.
"Odorata?" She said, "He can be a bit eccentric, but I can say with confidence that he really does not mean any harm." Then, Knight saw her smile, "So there is no need to worthy, if Odorata says he wants to show you his siblings, that is exactly what he is doing."
Scrutinizing her words, Knight then felt a gentle squeeze against his wrist, and he looked down to see Hush looking up at him. He can see wariness in her yellow eyes. Thus, he flashed her a soft smile.
"You heard Crystalline." He said, "We're safe, he is not going to hurt us."
Despite this, he heard Hush let out a breath before she pressed into his side, prompting Knight to take in a deep inhale before taking a step through the doorway. The instant his optics settled into the room, he froze, terror sinking into his core.
There were cribs, over a hundred of them placed in the room and within each one, was a worm.
A Hive Worm.
Hundreds of squirming, wiggling worms screeching quietly through the dark nursey within in their cribs.
And in the middle of it all was Odorata, the latter leaning over one of them cribs before scooping one of the wiggling abominations into his arms.
"This is Beluria." Odorata grinned, his sharp fangs glinting in the dark as he held up the worm, "and she is the youngest of the current spawn."