My great thanks toFoxling, who kindly chose to use some of her free time to be my beta reader!
Kingdom of Loran, Africa.
Queen Amina of Loran stared thoughtfully at the rising form of the massive portal gate being created by her reborn people, amongst her reborn nation.
At the height of its power, the Queendom of Loran used to be the foremost national power in all of Africa. Through the power of the Great Ones and the Pthumerian priesthood, they had claimed much of the continent, and kept their lands firmly under control, even from hostile neighbours.
Then the curse of Beasthood spread, farther and farther, and all of the efforts of her family and her people had only managed to stem the tide, not stop it entirely.
In the end, the Ptumerian priesthood had proposed a ritual that would allow her to contract a Great One for aid, with her as catalyst, and in exchange for giving the Great One a child.
Amina had gladly accepted. To give herself to one's god was a great honor, to bear their child an even greater one. To have it help save her people on top of that? There was not even a moment of hesitation when she gave her agreement.
It was the only path to salvation, in any case. The battle for the souls and lives of her people was one she was losing, that they were all losing, and she had to accept the deal. Anything else meant extinction.
So Amina had gone to the great temple of the Gods, had gone through the ritual, and then-
-something went terriblywrong.
She had no time to find out at the time. No time to do anything. All she knew in that small moment before everything went dark was that her people had been screaming, screaming so very, very loudly-
-then there was only darkness, death, and little more.
She had not expected to wake up. She had not expected to bealive.
She had most definitely not expected to find her entire nation reborn from the dead, or in vast parts at least.
She had been left to walk through previously dusty streets filled with decaying buildings, streets now remade anew and once more filled with people going about their days with a mix of awe and relief at being reborn from death… or worse.
The sounds of merchants selling their wares. Of people working hard in whatever profession they had. Of guards patrolling calmly through the capital city's streets, no longer worried about people turning into beasts…
It had been a balm to her very soul to see it all.
Even if none of it had been thanks to her.
Even if this was all thanks to a man in a distant land having somehow risen to Godhood.
Even if, from what she had learnt, the ritual she had gone through failed and only damned her people to being shackled to a nightmare realm.
She would have blamed the priesthood, but they had been as shocked and horrified as she had been by what had happened. Their faith had been badly shaken, which she could easily understand in the current circumstances.
At the same time, the power of the new God-King was unquestionable. After all, it was through his will, benevolence, and omnipotence that her entire nation had been reborn from its ashes.
Already she had decreed that new temples would be built. Both in honor of him, and of the new Gods the Priests spoke of: Queen Azathoth the Creator, Yog-Sothoth The Gate and The Key, and countless more.
The city was full of talks about what the future will be like now that the curse of Beasthood was forevermore broken, and that the Gods intended to rule over mortals directly.
That was one question that even the Priests did not have all the answers for, for the only one who could give them was King Aeon himself. And this was the reason why the large portal made of stone and covered in Eldritch Runes was being carefully built. The plans and knowledge for it was given to them by King Aeon, who blessed the priests with the knowledge to allow for effective instant travel between her capital and that of Yharnam, the city of Blood deep in the North.
A grand gathering was to happen soon between the leaders of the various nations of the world, where they would meet with King Aeon, and where the future of the world would be explained. Queen Amina had little doubt that few, if any, would be able to argue even if they wanted to. The King was too powerful, and far beyond even what the most powerful of the Great Ones were thought capable of in the past.
And that didn't even include the miracle that happened worldwide. The Day of Judgement had repercussions far and wide, as all those considered unworthy of living in the new world dreamt of by the King had been burnt to ashes in an instant.
If nothing else, Queen Amina could appreciate how peaceful things were since then. So far, not a single crime has been committed. People were still dealing with the fallout of their rebirth, and all the revelations that followed, to do much else. Any criminal which might have once lived had been purged from the world.
Altogether, it helped keep order and stability at an otherwise chaotic time far better than it would have been possible otherwise. The knowledge that the Gods were watching also helped immensely.
It was hard to forget the power of the Gods when every morning people woke up knowing that the only reason that they were alive was because of the God-King's will.
Queen Amina glanced towards her palace, a faint smile on her lips. One of those lost lives brought back had been the child born of the power of the Great One she had contacted, Fauna. Now the child was living without issues back in her palace, watched over by a small army of staff and guards at all times.
To say nothing of the watchful gaze of Fauna herself.
There were also their new eyes. The glowing star in their right pupils, and the black void in their left was hard to miss. What exactly those changes brought was still ill-understood, but they did come with consequences. Even as they showed all alive that the lingering touch of a god was nothing to scoff at.
All things considered, Queen Amina was very happy with how things were going. She and her people had been brought back to life, her daughter was alive and royal line secure, the curse of Beasthood was by all indications gone for good, and the future looked bright.
That wasn't to say that everything was perfect. There were still those who felt as if she had failed as a queen, and there were a lot of people now asking the most important question of all: What comes next?
They had survived against all odds, but that meant they were now free to think of the future. The simple fact of things was that they no longer decided the future, the new God-King did. If for the simple fact that nobody had the power, or admittedly the will too, to challenge him.
So there was a great deal of uncertainty about what exactly the future held, now that the Gods were the ones in charge. By nature, nobody was willing to question the wills of the gods, especially with how much they all owed King Aeon, but that still left them free to speculate.
Still, Queen Amina couldn't help but be hopeful. Especially as she watched the great gate be slowly, but surely built. It was a foundation for the future, in which every corner of the globe would become quickly accessible, even if in limited amounts, since the gate could only open in one location at a time, and allow so many people to travel through.
With every capital city of the nations of their world interconnected like this, diplomacy and deal-making would become incredibly easier and faster. True, there were risks as well. Spies certainly were going to be sent in large numbers across their respective nations, but when everyone had the same advantage, was it even an advantage anymore?
She supposed that it all was a question of who had the best spies and counter-spies. A matter that only time will reveal the truth of.
For now, all that she could do was reassure her people, ready herself for the challenges to come, and keep herself ready. A grand meeting of gods and rulers would take place in the City of Blood, Yharnam, where the mortal man that became god-king Ascended. What comes of it afterwards not even she could say.
Now all she could do was wait, hope… and pray.
"Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young. Seek the Old Blood. Let us pray. Let us wish to partake in communion. Let us partake in communion and feast upon the Old Blood. Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears. Seek the Old Blood. But beware the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young. The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths. Remain wary of the frailty of men."
Violettatook a deep breath… then kept going.
"Seek the Old Blood. Truth lies within the stars. Heed their wisdom, and be blessed. Listen to the song of the Cosmos. Hear the whispers of the Gods. Greatness awaits in communion. Be elevated by the Wisdom of the Stars. But beware the frailty of Man. Their wills are weak, minds young. The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths. Remains wary of the frailty of Man, for only in the Heavens can salvation be found."
The second part was new, created by the will of her new God. An encouragement and warning both. The Healing Church used to say that only in the Old Blood could salvation be found, but Mister Aeon disagreed. For while the Old Blood elevated, it was not the only path to the Celestial Truth of the Gods.
Still, he also warned of temptations. As those both mundane and mystical in nature will seek to drag mortal kind down into the depths of mediocrity, of Beasthood, and more. Violetta didn't fully understand, as she knew she was still young, and so very far from the divine mind of her Lord.
Already, priests argued and debated every new line of the modified prayers given to them by King Aeon, contemplating carefully every facet of every word chosen. Mister Aeon had even given his approval to a few theories, though for the most part he merely remained silent, an amused, enigmatic grin on his lips.
Her family naturally supported her choice of becoming a priestess of Mister Aeon, as they owed him so much that they could never hope to repay it all. But they could try, and her dad had already joined up the renamed Church of Celestial Wisdom to better spread the faith of the one who had saved them all from death… or worse.
Violetta looked up, staring at the star-filled night sky above her head, as she prayed within one of the small gardens around the main cathedral of the city.
Not only have the Church already noticed that, through some divine miracle, the night sky above was showing far more stars more clearly than ever before since the Day of Judgement, but they all noticed that people simply seemed more at peace, capable of deep introspection and consideration when night time came and the sky above was shining with stars. The Church had wasted no time, declaring that from now on, any night where the sky was clear and the stars could be seen shining brightly, was to be considered a holy blessing of the God-King himself.
Violetta could confirm that they were right, as nights like the one she was in right now always left her in a good mood and thinking better about… anything and everything, really.
It was why she, and many others, had taken to spending time either working or praying on nights like these, where the night sky was clear and the stars shining bright. Those working simply worked better than they ever could during day time, and those praying always felt more in touch with the divine.
Amongst other changes, scholars who studied the stars were reporting an downright unnatural ease of understanding and rapid discoveries unlike anything they had experienced before. It was as if all scholars involved with the study of the cosmos had been divinely blessed, and Mister Aeon had confirmed that assumption quickly, making a few comments about how he would thoroughly approve if members of his clergy spent at least some time studying the cosmos in some way. Needless to say, the Church had taken those words as Holy writ and promptly made the study of the Heavens above a mandatory practice, and those especially capable in the field were considered particularly blessed.
As for those lacking talents in it, it was taken as an indication that the God-King had other paths for them to embrace. Already, a new core philosophy known as the Seven-Folds Path had started spreading. The precepts were simple: Since the Aeons, the divinely created race of servants of Mister Aeon, were separated in seven distinct groups, the Priesthood of Aeon had decided to follow that example. From now on, the Church of Aeon would be formed of seven different paths, all of them led by an Archbishop for each path, with those Archbishops ruled over by a divinely-appointed High Priestess (or Priest) called a Vicar, in reference to the old Healing Church.
For now, Vicar Amelia was the one in charge. Though it was made clear that she was a temporary leader until Mister Aeon decided on a permanent new Vicar.
Despite the precepts of the Seven-Fold Path, that wasn't to say that they were the only groups within the new Church of Aeon. As he was the God-King of Reality, his divine domains represented both the entirety of Reality, and its opposite, non-existence… or simply put, the Void.
The numbers of people within the clergy who had embraced paths distincts from the seven main ones were still few in numbers, but they very much existed, and a comprehensive list was being made to properly link those off-shoots to the seven core paths. As an example, a Priest has recently been confirmed as a master of Law and Justice, which was linked to the Path of Good and Evil. Another was a master of Biology, and has been linked to the path of Knowledge and Ignorance.
Of course, it wasn't impossible that someone would be a master of several Paths. Those rare individuals were upheld as Exemplars, those truly touched by Greatness, and they would be allowed to have signs upon their priestly robes to show their achievements: Depending on the level of mastery of a Path, stars of various colours would be sewn into the robes, with the greatest theoretically able to wear seven white stars if they proved able to completely master each Path to its utmost, each star having an Eldritch Rune within showing a symbol of each Path.
So far, no one had even received the right to wear a single white star, though a few people had gotten close, like Master Gehrman the First Hunter, and Master Willem the leader of Byrgenwerth, if for different Paths.
Mister Aeon had told her that he wanted them to "catch up on the greater truths of the Omniverse" before he would officially declare them ready to receive those stars. A fact made much easier by the fact that Mister Aeon taught the Church how to summon Aeons from all seven "Paths" to serve as teachers or, if necessary, additional firepower when confronting evil.
Violetta had actually met several of them. And while they certainly looked very strange, they were all very nice, much like Mister Aeon was.
They all seemed to really like her, which she was relieved about because she didn't want Mister Aeon's children to think badly of her!
Ah, but she really should focus back on her prayers. It wasn't right to let her mind wander, but being beneath the light of the stars always made her mind contemplate all kinds of things…
"Discipline is always good, that is true."
Violetta jerked, before her blue eyes went wide, and a brilliant smile crossed her lips.
"Mister Aeon!"
In the background, two Church Guards stiffened and stood even straighter at the sight of the God-King who had appeared out of thin air near the kneeling and praying Violetta.
They did not move however, as not only were they meant to guard the door leading within the Cathedral, they were in truth there to act as guards of the young woman destined to one day become the next Vicar.
If anybody else had shown up they would have let out a pulse of Arcane energy that would have alerted others of their presence. But King Aeon, by virtue of who he was, merely made them stiffen and stand like statues, unwilling to interrupt in any way, shape, or form, a divine visit.
Violetta herself rose quickly, beaming brightly at her god, before freezing and trying awkwardly to bow.
"Hmm! I mean, My Lord! Welcome! Can I do anything for you?"
Mister Aeon chuckled… then reached to ruffle her golden blonde hair.
"Relax. It's just us two, no need for formalities right now." He told her kindly.
"Oh." Violetta blinked, then glared up at Mister Aeon, batting his hand away from her head. "Then stop messing with my hair! I haven't learned a magic spell to fix it yet, and doing it by hand after you mess my hair all over always takes me a while!"
"Aww, but you look adorable with messy hair, a pouting face, and puffed up cheeks! You look like a cute, angry pufferfish!" He claimed with a cheeky grin.
"I do not!" She exclaimed, stomping one foot on the ground. "... Also, what's a pufferfish?" She asked after a moment, her face crunching in confusion.
Mister Aeon snapped his fingers, and Violeta blinked, staring at theadorable fishlooking like a balloon that made her want to giggle at the sight-
She blinked again, before glaring at Mister Aeon and pointing dramatically at him with one finger. "Hey! I'm not a fish! Even if it does look cute!"
"I don't know, I can't help but see some resemblance…" Mister Aeon hummed thoughtfully while looking between her and the illusion of the fish, his right hand scratching his chin. She scowled at him as he made a show of thinking over the sight, Violetta puffing her cheeks in annoyance as she glared harder-
She paused, then scowled deeply. "Hey! Stop teasing me into puffing up my cheeks!"
"No." He replied instantly with a smug expression.
She glared at him, while Mister Aeon just stood there, grinning in smug amusement…
Before she broke down giggling, and Mister Aeon started laughing.
She quickly reached out and hugged him, or at least as much as she could with her comparatively small frame. Much like her dad, Mister Aeon was just too big for her to hug him properly.
She mentally grumbled at that, but most of her focus was on enjoying the strange feeling of hugging his cosmic robes. It was like she was hugging the universe itself. A strange sensation of being simultaneously so very big and so very small coursing through her as she kept hugging him. If she strained her hearing she could almost swear that she could hear the stars within his robessingfor her, while the Black Holes were ringing a melody by banging on the space-time continuum-
"I came here to give you something, Violetta. Something very important that will help you greatly, as long as you're careful with her." Mister Aeon told her, and she reluctantly stepped back, sad about no longer being able to hug him… and listen to the song of the cosmos.
It was so soft, so quiet to her ears… but it was also sobeautifulthat she couldn't wait to hear more.
"Give me something?" She repeated with curiosity and eagerness. A gift from Mister Aeon? Of course she was happy! Delighted even! But… wait-
"Her?" She said, confused.
Mister Aeon smiled, before holding up his right hand-
And then a large book suddenly appeared in his hand, the cover looking vaguely unnatural to her eyes. There were swirling patterns that looked like Eldritch Runes, but also like strange beasts and beings, the likes of which she could scarcely imagine possible.
The title claimed the book as "The Necronomicon." The name danced before her eyes, turning into languages that she had never heard of before, and yet understood perfectly.
She tilted her head curiously. There was something very strange about the book, but she couldn't put her fingers on it…
Then to her shock the bookglowed, and a moment later a beautiful, tall woman with long pink hair and bright green eyes in a white outfit showing off her long legs and arms stood by Mister Aeon's side, staring at her as if she was a piece of a puzzle and she was wondering where to put her to properly fit things.
"Hmmm… hi?" She said shyly, rather shocked by what just happened. Even as a Yharnamite, she wasnotused to books turning into people!
The young woman kept staring, before bowing.
"Greetings. I am Al Azif, the spirit of the Necronomicon, the greatest Grimoire ever written. By the will of my Lord, King Aeon, he bides me to help you achieve your full potential. I look forward to working with you, Violetta Gascoigne." The young woman declared.
Violetta blinked, before smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" She cheerfully replied. Then she tilted her head. "So wait, you're a spirit?"
"That is essentially correct." Replied Al Azif, her green eyes litting up with pride. "But I'm not just any spirit! I am the spirit of the greatest Grimoire in existence! Within me lies the knowledge of the Gods. Of creatures more fantastical than you mortals have ever heard of, and so much more! With my help, even the secrets of the Gods will be yours-"
She gave her a piercing look.
"-ifyou prove worthy of the knowledge I hold."
Violetta stiffened, then turned serious.
"I will be! I will serve our Lord to the best of my ability. And as he commands us all to seek greatness, then so will I. You will not be disappointed." She declared firmly.
"Hmm. We shall see." Grinned Al Azif, green eyes staring with thoughtful curiosity at her.
"I'm glad to see that the two of you are already getting along." Spoke up Mister Aeon, a faint smile on his lips. "Together, you will achieve great things. I am certain of it. While greatness is something we must seize by ourselves, there is nothing wrong with accepting the help of others along the way. Quite the opposite. Together, you shall be greater than by yourself."
He looked at them both, an indescribable expression on his face, though Violetta felt like he was pleased. Then he nodded. "I must go. I just wanted to give you your gift, Violetta. Though make no mistake, it is also a great deal of responsibility. Al wasn't lying when she said that the knowledge of the Gods lies within her. I am trusting you a great deal to give you, specifically, access to the Necronomicon. Be wise with its knowledge."
Violetta swallowed, feeling the weight of what she had been given. She didn't fully understand just how important Al Azif was, but if Mister Aeon himself saw her as so important…
Then it made his gift to her that much more impactful. A part of her was terrified of the incredible responsibility given to her, she was still so young after all. But if Mister Aeon trusted her so much, then…
"I won't fail you." She swore with all of her heart and soul. "I'll make you proud. I promise."
Twin cosmic eyes peered deep into her own blue eyes, and she felt as if he was seeing her very soul, which he very well could be for all she knew. Violetta didn't twitch, didn't fidget nervously, even when she dearly wanted to. She stared back, boldly but respectfully, into those divine eyes, seeing glimpses of eldritch stars and an impossible Void that beckoned her to eternal rest.
She was afraid of neither. She knew that Mister Aeon wouldn't hurt her. The only thing she feared was disappointing him. All the secrets and power of existence meant nothing in comparison to that.
Finally, Mister Aeon's lips twitched, something soft and warm crossing his face, if a little sad too for some reason.
"I know." He replied softly. "Just don't forget to live for yourself too. Experience all that life has to offer. You are still so young. There is still so much you can enjoy, so much you can discover. In time, you will be burdened by more and more responsibility. Make sure to live fully, before the life you will choose for yourself will wholly consume you."
Violetta nodded. She still intended to work as hard as she could to make him proud, but…
Well, if that was what he wanted, she could hardly disagree with her own God's will.
"I will."
He looked at her for a moment, searching, before his smile grew, turning more earnest. "Good."
Then he turned back to Al Azif. "I must go. I'll leave you two girls to it. Take good care of each other, alright?"
"You can always count on me, my Lord!" Proudly declared Al Azif.
"Same for me!" Immediately followed Violetta.
With one last grin, he disappeared, gone as quickly as he had appeared.
Violetta and Al Azif shared a look, relaxing a bit now that it was just the two of them, before Violetta smiled a little shyly.
"So… what's it like to be a Grimoire?"
Al Azif's lips twitched.
"What's it like to be human?" She countered.
Violetta considered that for a moment, a thoughtful frown on her face.
"Scary." She finally answered her with. "Humans aren't very strong, even with the Old Blood. If it wasn't for Mister Aeon…" She trailed off, her blue eyes turning eerily blank at the thought of what would have happened in a world without him.
Then she smiled, life returning to her eyes. "But beautiful, too. Sometimes life can be very surprising, in a good way. It's those days that make it all worth it."
She giggled. "Though I'm sure it's far better for the Gods. Mister Aeon certainly seems very happy."
"Hmmph. Of course he is, he's the King of the Eldritch, the greatest pantheon in existence." Replied Al Azif with a proud smirk, hands on her hips, before turning thoughtful as well.
"As for being a Grimoire… it's a life of duty. My creator made me to help mortal species fight off the horrors of the Abyss and beyond. To use the knowledge of the Eldritch for the good of all. And I've done my best to fulfill that wish, in whatever form I have. Especially since Lord Aeon ascended me and strengthened my purpose…"
Al Azif trailed off, before glancing back at a curious Violetta.
"Still." She said quietly. "Sometimes, it's about more than duty. It's about standing with people you respect and care for, helping them overcome dangerous enemies so that they can live in peace."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"I may have been made for war… but I have come to enjoy the thought of peace."
Violetta stared at her for a moment, before smiling softly.
"You sound like Mister Aeon."
Al Azif blinked, then blushed, though Violetta couldn't help but notice the pleased gleam in her green eyes.
"He is my Lord. Is it not normal for me to take after him?" She questioned, sounding proud but with a hint of vulnerability underneath.
"Of course! And I'm sure he's proud of you for it." Kindly replied Violetta.
Al Azif floundered at those words, looking everywhere but at her.
"Well… good! I'm glad that you understand this!" Al Azif exclaimed, cheeks red, sounding embarrassed.
Violetta giggled, amused, which earned her a sharp look from Al, before she gave her a gentle smile.
"So… you are here to help me, right?" She asked.
"That's right." Confirmed Al.
Violetta fidgetted, unsure if she could just… ask what she wanted, but ultimately she still took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Then… I'd like to ask if you have something that can help me cross the gap between what I am and where Mister Aeon stands. I want… I want to serve him, with everything I have, but I'm just… I'm just myself." She said quietly, showing her fears to her new friend. She was deeply honoured to be able to serve him, but she just didn't think of herself as anyone special. She knew him well enough that he wanted people, wanted her specifically, to become someone great, and she was terrified at the thought of failing and disappointing him. "I'm not anyone special, and yet Mister Aeon has so many expectations for me… I don't want to disappoint him."
"You want power?" Asked Al, her voice neutral.
Violetta looked at her in the eyes, pure resolve shining in her own blue orbs.
"I want to beusefulto him." She said firmly. "If power is what it takes, then so be it!"
Al looked at her for a long moment.
"I may have something. But it will change you, in ways both great and small." She warned her.
"But will it make me more useful to him?" Questioned Violetta.
"It will." Al confirmed. "And others can join in your footsteps as well."
"Then that is all that matters." Violetta answered firmly, without hesitation or doubts.
The young girl stared fearlessly into the young woman's eyes. The depths of her pure, absolute conviction clear to see.
Al's lips twitched upwards.
"So be it then." She declared, a note of approval clear in her voice. "Take my hand, and let's get started."
Violetta did as requested, her blue eyes showing only eager anticipation and conviction. Al Azif glowed, before turning into light and flowing inside of her body.
'Beginning spiritual synchronization.'Echoed Al's voice in her head.'25%... 50%... 75%... 100%. Spiritual synchronization complete. Accessing Databases… Datafile: Eldritch Ascension. Sub-category: Gods of the Stars. Eldritch Servants and Creations of King Aeon. Accessing… Access granted. Opening datafiles. Glory Eternal to us all.'
Violetta shivered, feeling the new presence of Al Azif within her very soul, her touch upon her mind, her power coursing through her body. It did not feel like a bad thing, but it was still very strange. At the same time, the woman felt… warm, and yet strangely cool at the same time. Warm emotions combined with cold logic working as one towards a singular purpose.
Then, when Al stopped speaking, Violetta was suddenly left holding the open book of the Necromomicon, its pages open to show illustrations of the various eldritch Servants created by Mister Aeon.
Violetta looked at them curiously, before beginning to read through the pages worth of eldritch knowledge-
-and then she came across the specific knowledge that Al Azf wanted her to know about.
Violetta's mouth opened, her blue eyes going wide as she kept reading, understanding just howmassivewhat she was reading was going to be for the Church.
She swallowed, suddenly finding her mouth dry as she contemplated the knowledge before her.
This… this was a step-by-step explanation on how tobecomeone of the seven different classes of Aeons. Of how to Ascend to become one of the divine agents of Aeon's will across Reality.
Everything from partial, temporary transformation, like an arm or leg, up to full, permanent Eldritch Ascension into one of the lesser Aeons, each of which were still powerful enough to annihilate an entire world… at the veryleast.
Violetta shuddered, finally beginning to understand the sheer weight of the gift that Mister Aeon just gave her. This truly was a Grimoire holding the secrets of the Gods, and now it was hers to read and learn from.
She didn't know what to feel. Humbled at the show of trust? Terrified at the sheer power she now had access to? Delighted at how much Mister Aeon trusted her?
She was wise enough to know that people would kill for this kind of knowledge. No, they would happily go to war for even afractionof the knowledge that she now had access to.
She managed to look away from the book in her hands, looking up at the starry night sky above her head.
What could she even say to her god for such a gift?
"Thank you." She told him, even if it felt absolutely inadequate, but she didn't know any better words than those. "I will make you proud. Just… watch over me, like you always did, please?"
A sudden gust of warm wind ruffled her hair, and Violetta giggled before making a show of puffing her cheeks. "I told you to stop ruffling my hair!"
She tried to fix up her long golden blonde hair, while mock-glaring at the night sky.
Somehow, she felt like the twinkling stars were laughing at her.
A warm smile crossed her lips.
Her hands tightened on the thick cover of the book, her blue eyes gentle and bright with happiness.
Feeling the presence of Al Azif in the back of her mind, of her god all around her, Violetta smiled.
One of her hands went to the symbol of her god hanging around her neck. The rune of the Hunter with a sun shining above feeling warm to the touch despite the cool air of the night.
This path to Ascension… she knew that she would never be able to fully make use of it. No matter how much a part of her longed for it, she could tell that her place was amongst mortals, serving as a Priestess to her god, guiding souls to his light and showing them his Truths.
She would never be able to Ascend as others would, for this was not her place. Even if she one day managed to fully transform into Aeons, it would always be but a temporary Ascension, not a lasting one.
Even so… the knowledge she now had would allow others to Ascend. To fully embrace the Truths of her God, and become his servants for all eternity.
It would be a path to something more than simply the salvation of their souls, but their outright Ascension into a higher state of existence instead.
It would not come without cost. By default, anyone going through Ascension would give themselves to Mister Aeon in a very final way, their Free Will lost in exchange for Divine Guidance.
But Violetta knew that many would consider it worth it.
She certainly did after all.
She closed the book, hugging it to her chest.
In a single visit, Mister Aeon gave her a friend for life, and a way to always make sure she would always be useful to him.
She truly had the best god of them all.
And she would repay him with everything she had.
I stared at Eileen, Damelone in my hand, while she had her own swords out.
After I gave her back her youth, Eileen found herself back to her prime, though with a lot more experience under her belt.
Naturally, she was going to need some time to adjust to her new body and capabilities, now that old age was no longer weighing her down.
And the best way to do that was to train, train, and train some more.
Thus, Eileen and I were in the Hunter's Dream, ready to go at it so that she could get used to her new capabilities. Both of us stood inside a wide, empty field full of Lunar Tear flowers, with the bright white moon above shining amongst a sea of twinkling stars.
"Feel free to start. The first move is yours." I told her calmly.
"How nice of you-!" Eileen started calmly, before suddenly rushing towards me, a trio of poisoned daggers flying at my face.
I raised an eyebrow, three portals opening before me and sending the daggers right back at her. Eileen twisted slightly, dodging all three without losing momentum, her swords aimed right at my neck.
With a faint smile, Damelone cut through the air, my sword easily parrying the twin blades while my left foot extended, aimed at her nearest knee.
She quickly avoided my foot. Her blades slashing down towards my extended leg, before pivoting to deflect Damelmone suddenly being thrusted right towards her heart.
My free hand, clenched into a tight fist and glowing with Void energy, blurred towards her torso. Eileen's body twisted through the air in a move that would make Olympic dancers weep in envy, her swords lashing out towards my lungs and heart.
A single sweep of Damelone pushed her blades away from my torso. My right foot trying to hit her in the guts, only for her to pull back and stare at me through narrowed eyes within the holes of her mask.
I stepped forwards, the ground beneath me turning to lava as I flooded the soil with my fire magic, and a moment later Eileen was forced to dodge, and keep dodging, as streams of lava burst out of the ground underneath her feet, rising 2 meters into the air.
More and more streams burst out of the ground wherever she stepped foot, forcing her to be constantly on the move. Few beings could channel spells through their legs… but ultimately, there was no reason one couldn't do it if they trained for it, and I most certainly did. So I kept the pressure on her, watching her graceful movements both for the slightest hint of an opening to strike, and to watch the way her body and mind was quite in perfect alignment yet, while remaining in place for now.
I could tell her newfound strength hadn't settled yet in her mind. She moved just a little fast, her jumps a little too wide, the strength in her blows more heavy than they should be.
She was quickly adapting, however. Eileen hadn't lived as long as she had without being good… very,verygood at what she did.
With a growing smile of approval, I rushed forward, Damelone crashing hard against Eileen's crossed swords, who grunted in pain as the strength of my strike put a toll on her arms.
She didn't have time to deflect, so tanking it was, and she was by no means a power-type warrior.
A fraction of a second later my free fist blurred through the air, aimed at her face. But Eileen just barely managed to avoid losing her face by tilting her body out of the way.
One of her heeled boots rose up, and I pulled back just enough to avoid it, especially when she had been aiming straight for my dick.
"Really?" I couldn't help but ask as I stared at her with a lidded, unimpressed look.
"Yes, really. It's not stupid if it works!" She said brightly.
"... This is revenge for fucking you silly until you passed out, isn't it?" I deadpanned.
"... I was very,verysore the next morning." She declared while glaring at me.
"I healed you." I pointed out.
"It's the principle of the thing!"
"Myprincipleis that I want to bend you over and fuck you raw." I shot back with a smirk.
Eileen shivered, sending me a long look beneath her mask.
"You're truly insatiable. No wonder that the little Doll decided to allow you to have multiple lovers." Eileen said flatly, even as her blade rose up and nearly managed to draw blood.
Butnearlywas not good enough. Damelone rose up as well, deflecting the deadly thrust and then striking all over her body, Eileen being forced to backpedal quickly as she was forced back, step by step.
"If that's the reason you think that she went for it, you're badly mistaken." I told her.
"Oh?" She managed to speak while just barely avoiding Damelone cutting through her skull, though a few strands of her hair still fell, my blade having missed her by a hairbreadth.
"She's just as eager as I am to have a sea of nubile female bodies to enjoy to her heart's content. That, and she's a Great One. You know how they are when it comes to kids." I pointed out, leaning back to avoid being gutted like a fish, and then slamming my sword down on her, Eileen Quickening out of the way at the very last fraction of a second before she would have been smashed into the ground.
She took a moment to observe me, her hands tightly gripping her swords. I was naturally holding back immensely, even by my pre-Ascension level, by not using most of my magic. But then again, this was meant to be a way to sharpen her martial skill, and she couldn't do that if she was too busy dodging a thousand fireballs, or worse.
"She's going to want to impregnate us too, eventually." Eileen mused, clearly unsure how to feel about that right now.
"Eventually." I confirmed. "Buteventuallymeans a great deal to an eldritch deity."
I jumped, flickering right before her so fast that it seemed as if I teleported, my sword already coming down from a massively powerful swing.
Knowing better than to try to block my strike, she threw herself out of the way as fast as she could.
It was not enough.
"Aaaaaargh!" She growled in pain when a deep cut hit her over the left side of her torso and left leg.
I didn't stop, a backhand swing of my free hand almost breaking her jaw, my hand once again passing a hairbreadth from her face. But it did its job, pulling her off-balance for the fraction of a second I needed to strike my real blow.
"Grrck!"
Eileen choked as my foot slammed between her legs, a wheezing sound full of pain escaping her lips. Man or woman, nobody enjoyed getting hit there.
With my free hand, I took hold of one of her shoulders. My fingers dug hard against her bone, a gasp of pain leaving her lips as I almost broke her shoulder through strength alone, before one of her swords swung, and to her clear surprise, successfully sank deep through my left hip.
But that was exactly as I planned, as it let me pulled my head back-
CRACK!*
-before brutally headbutting her in the face hard enough to shatter her mask… and her nose, along with leaving her stunned and stumbling backward.
Her sword came out of my leg, and I didn't waste any time bringing Damelone down towards one of her wrists. Though what I could only call a miracle born from instincts, she dodged the strike well enough that I didn't hit her wrist… but definitely hit her fingers.
A sharp gasp of pain escaped her as most of the fingers of her left hand were sliced through instantly, but it didn't stop her from bringing her other sword up towards my throat.
Rather pleased with her overall showing, even if obviously her chances of winning against me, even when I held back so much, were essentially zero, I decided to end this, using a trick that most people wouldn't see coming.
I brought Damelone against her sword, locking them together, before using (Fire Infusion) on not only my sword… but hers too, using the physical contact to spread the fire out.
Eileen had no choice but to drop her sword with a gasp of pain as her hand suddenly held a hilt on fire. A moment later she froze as Damelone's sharp tip rested right against her throat.
"Not bad." I told her. "Certainly, you lasted longer than you would have before, even with my limited amount of magic use."
"It doesn't feel like much has changed when I'm fighting you." She muttered grumpily, flexing her healed fingers that I had magically reattached after the spar was over.
"Make no mistake, you've grown stronger. Not at the level of Ludwig or Maria perhaps, but you're definitely closer now." I told her with a warm smile.
She grunted. "No need to be kind to an old woman's feelings. You utterly dominated this fight from the start. And that is even without considering magic." She told me, still flexing her fingers with relief.
"And that's normal. You never were at the level of me or Gehrman, Eileen. You need time for you to grow and become stronger. I won't say that you got by on being 'good enough' for a while, but you certainly got used to being able to win your fights by yourself. Between that and age taking its inevitable toll, I'm not surprised that you struggle against me."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't go poking fun at an old woman, you cheeky brat." Despite her words, there was thoughtfulness in her eyes as she stared at me. "Have you fought Ludwig or Gehrman since you brought them back yet?" She asked.
I blinked at the question, before shaking my head. "We're all too busy. Too much to do, too little time. But we'll get there soon."
She nodded, before smiling. "Maybe Gehrman will kick your ass when you two go at it. Now that'd be very enjoyable to see."
I huffed in amusement. "Aren't you supposed to root for me, as both your friend, lover, and god?"
"No. I'd enjoy seeing you be taken down a peg or two!" Eileen said while grinning cheekily, before bending down to take her broken mask, that I fixed with a wave of my hand.
She put it back on, before pointing one of her swords at me. "Ready for round two?"
I nodded… before grinning at her in a way that made her stiffen in dread.
"You understand that such comments warrant punishment, right?" I purred. "I'm going to enjoy what I'm about to do."
"... I should've kept my damn mouth shut." She groaned, visibly resigning herself to whatever craziness I was going to inflict on her.
I grinned cheekily at her, which only seemed to increase her dread, before I charged her, sword raised.
Eileen managed to parry the first two strikes, before my right foot lashed out and managed to make her stumble ever so slightly.
I took the opportunity to knock her mask off her face again. Her beautiful face covered in sweat for our training once again visible, black hair matted to her face and sharp eyes narrowed in concentration on me.
She lashed out again with her sword, my lips twitching as one of her blades aimed straight for my dick, as clearly she carried a grudge for the hit to her sex I gave her. Unfortunately for her, it was simple enough to parry both of her strikes, Damelone blurring through the air as I got to work on my new plan for how I wanted to end this spar.
Of course, Eileen wasn't going to make it easy on me. She jumped and twirled through the air, moving with inhuman grace and agility, while dodging strikes that could give bullets a run for their money in sheer speed alone. Every swing of my sword cut through the air with a whistling sound, as if I was cutting through reality itself… which I could do, but saw no need for a spar like this.
Instead, I aimed my blows at her outfit, cut after cut slowly growing in number as I left thin red cuts on her sweaty body, while cutting through her clothes. At first, Eileen didn't notice anything wrong, then she looked confused-
-and then a quick slash over the front of her outfit suddenly left herentire torso and tits showing, her breasts bouncing at her every move now that they were no longer bound by her outfit.
Her eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in shock as she finally put two and two together. A wide, smug smirk on my lips as I leered at her sweaty, naked body.
"You smug bastard! You were stripping me from the start!" She exclaimed, renewed strength filling her strikes as she glared at me-
-then I struck at her legs, one of her swords deflecting the move just enough to let me cut another thin strand of cloth from her clothes-
"Aaaaaah!"
-followed by the most hilarious squeal of shock I've ever heard from her as her pants collapsed entirely, the surprise of it leaving her unbalanced, making it child's play for me to push her forward, her body falling face first into the dirt-
-before I snapped my fingers. Cosmic tentacles instantly binding her limbs and neck in her current position, ass up and face down into the dirt.
There was a moment of silence, before I chuckled lustfully, sending goosebumps all over Eileen's body.
"My my, what a view, Eileen. You know, if you were that eager for round two, you could have just asked." I purred the words, Eileen squirming like a worm in her binds as she tried, and failed miserably, to escape.
"Aeon you bastard! I swear I-"
Unsummoning my sword, with Damelone radiating amusement and encouragement at me, I brought my right hand up-
SMACK!*
"Aaaaaaaah!"
-and then viciously slapped one of the perfect asscheeks in front of my eyes.
Watching it jiggle and turn red before my eyes made me grin like an idiot.
"Aeon! Don't you dare-" Eileen twisted her neck enough to stare back up at me with one, wide eye, before she froze at seeing my hand raised high-
SMACK!*
"Uuuuuuuwwwwaaaaaaah!"
-before she let out a shocked squeal as I spanked her again.
SMACK!*
"Aaaaaah!"
SMACK!*
"AEON!"
SMACK!*
"Hnnnnng!"
And again, and again.
There was something downright hypnotic at seeing the reddening flesh jiggle before my eyes, a silly grin on my lips as I kept at it.
"I remember you shaking that ass at me back during the Hunt." I told her with lust-filled glee. "And now, it's all mine! It's as glorious as I'd hoped!"
Eileen stared up at me with a flushed face and a wide, angry eye that would be a lot more intimidating, if I couldn't see the way her sex was dripping her juices down her legs.
Or if I couldn't feel how turned on she was right now.
"If it's so great, then stop smacking it!"
SMACK!*
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
"Never!" I laughed, wide eyes as bright as my grin as the cheeks jiggled and bounced. "An ass that great is meant to be spanked!"
Then, chuckling, I sent my clothes in my [Inventory, before kneeling behind her, my hands on her ass.
"Now then! I wasn't able to give you an one-on-one experience yet, and that's just not right! As your new lover, it is my pleasure to make sure that you're treated right-" I spanked her again, making her gasp and squirm. "-starting here and now! See, am I not a loving lover?" I asked with a cheeky grin.
Eileen glared up at me, face flushed and breathing fast. "I don't remember you being this bold in the past." She huffed.
I shrugged. "I've faced death, madness, the risk of eternal damnation, and slavery. Frankly, flirting with beautiful women is really not scary in comparison."
And then I smacked her ass again.
"Ow! Do you really have to spank me?!" Grumbled Eileen.
"Yes." I said with a straight face. "It's divine will!"
"Divine will?! Are you serious?!" She exclaimed.
"Yes.Mydivine will, specifically!" I said seriously… before laughing.
Eileen glowered at me, which considering her position was more of a turn on than anything.
"Don't worry, I'm quite certain you're going to enjoy this." I purred.
I shapeshifted my body, allowing me to have two cocks rather than one, and took a good hold of her waist, my arms and hands turning into grasping tentacles made of cosmic matter.
Eileen's eyes widened at the sight, and she swallowed thickly… but notably made no attempt to get away, and her eyes burned with lust and desire.
Heh. Fighting and then sex? By Hunter standards, that was a perfect date.
I thrusted deep inside of her, my twin dicks easily pushing through both of her holes to go far into her body, a groan of pure bliss escaping Eileen's lips as I did.
"Foock!" She whispered, her accent thickening. "You're so big and deep, you bastard… Hugh!"
Her whole body shuddered when I hit her cervix, before I grinned, pulled my hips back-
And then slammed forward, pushing straight through and into her womb. Normally painful, but nothing that some magic couldn't turn into more pleasure instead.
"FOOOOCK!" She screamed, her back arching. "Gods, yes! Harder!" She moaned.
Her bright green eyes rolled in her head as her lips parted, a low groan of bliss escaping her as I began pounding her holes hard and fast, making full use of my inhuman strength to make her asscheeks quiver every time I hilted myself, slightly bruising her ass from the sheer strength of my motions, though Eileen only screamed in pleasure harder for it.
"It's been a while for you, hasn't it? Since anyone just bent you over and fucked you raw?" I said with amusement.
Eileen groaned, a lidded green eyes looking up at me behind strands of wild midnight black hair. "Yyyyyeeesss… Too foocking long… Gods, Aeon, don't… stop~!" She gasped and shuddered in bliss as I kept pounding her holes.
I chuckled, enjoying the way drops of sweat rolled down her muscular back, her black hair almost hiding her face from view as it began sticking to her sweaty skin, and of course the delightful ripples of her asscheeks at my every thrust.
"Stars Eileen… you're really quite the beauty. I'm almost sad that you hide behind that mask of yours… but at the same time, that makes it even better when I'm one of the few who get to see you all sweaty and flushed like this!" I teased her, a cheeky grin on my lips.
She groaned, rolling her hips back against mine, licking her dry lips as she kept her head tilted against the ground, the tentacle around her neck leaving her no choice but to press one cheek against the grassy soil.
"I'm glad… that you find this amusing." She moaned, trying to go for a sarcastic voice but only managing breathless pleasure instead.
"Oh I'm not the only one enjoying the show. I can assure you that Oedon is very much appreciating the view right now!" I said with a laugh.
Eileen stiffened, trying her best to look around. "She's here?!" She exclaimed, surprised.
I tilted my head, a faintly amused grin on my lips. "Eileen, she's a goddess. She doesn't have to be physically present to see things. And I can assure you, she's definitely watching right now."
To be fair, she wasn't the only one, she was just the one enjoying the show the most. Oedon was very, very happy to have her old friend join us in bed…
And I already knew that she was eagerly awaiting the day where I would impregnate her.
And the day she would convince her to be impregnated by Oedon herself, as well!
Eileen's eyes widened, before she groaned for a long moment. "Dammit little Doll… this isn't what I had in mind when I ever thought to see you again, and vice versa." She grumbled, her face flushing an even darker shade of red.
I laughed softly, then bent down to whisper in her ear. "How does it feel, to know that she's watching, enjoying every moan and shudder from you?'
Eileen shuddered, biting her lips to hold back a whorish moan, and the deep chuckle I released in reaction only made her shudder harder.
I brought a hand to her head, fingers gently sinking into her wild black hair, before tightening on her skull.
"I hope that you're ready, because I'm not going to stop until I've properly fucked you into a twitching, barely moving puddle of bliss." Another deep chuckle escaped me, and Eileen trembled harder beneath me. "Don't worry… I'm sure that Oedon will takeverygood care of you afterwards." I purred, the words far more threatening than reassuring in this case.
"Gods… what did I get myself into…" Eileen groaned, her green eyes lidded with lust and pleasure as I kept making her bounce against the ground while fucking both of her holes, her bound hands clenched into tight, trembling fists.
"Oh, don't you worry. We both know that you're going to enjoy every second of what we'll all do to you… and that's even before we bring you to the sex dungeon to show you just what kind of pleasure we can bring you. Don't worry, we won't break your mind… too much." I darkly, lustfully threatened, with Eileen biting her lips hard enough to draw blood at my words. The scent of her fresh blood made me grin before I bent down and captured her lips with my own, licking her blood off her lips, enjoying the delightful taste of it going down my throat.
"Breaking you in a fight is fun… but breaking you in the bedroom is so much more pleasurable." I purred.
Eileen looked up at me with eyes so full of lust it was a wonder she could even think straight.
"Then claim me, Good Hunter. This old woman's all yours." She moaned.
I smirked widely. "I know. And I'll take good care of you… foreternity."
One of my hands went around her body, finding her wet sex and clitoris, before sending a jolt of pure, conceptualpleasureinto her body, starting there.
"Aaaaaaaaah~!"
Eileen's eyes rolled up her head as she came hard, her whole body bucking against her bounds and shivering as she climaxed.
I followed suit, my two cocks sending shot after shot of eldritch seed deep within her body, though for now I refrained from impregnating her, until the day she would be ready to ask for it.
Even so, the mere feeling of my cosmic seed filling her up made her already immensely powerful climax soar even higher, a scream of pure ecstasy echoing in the air as she came, and came, and kept cumming for a while, hips rolling and body shuddering against the ground and my own body.
Finally she reached the end of her climax, falling limp on the ground as she breathed deeply and kept twitching from the aftershocks.
I smiled widely at the feelings of pleasure, joy, and satisfaction radiating from her, along with the way her lips twisted upwards into a mindless grin of happiness from the way she got roughly fucked into a puddle of bliss.
I took a moment to enjoy the sight of her panting, twitching, sweaty form collapsed on the ground, dazed green eyes staring blankly ahead of her…
Before my tentacles arms tightened their grips on her waist and I began fucking her all over again.
The groan she released held as much despair and resignation as it held lust and delight, and I chuckled deeply at the way her emotions shone with growing delight and the flickering embers of love for me growing as I proceeded to make her see stars for many, many hours.
The look on her face when a brightly grinning Oedon showed up to join in eventually was one I was immensely tempted to frame so that we could all have a laugh over it for the rest of eternity.
Now, that was one of my new lovers down, two more to go. Should I focus on making Queen Annalise bounce on my dick while I sat on a throne next, or instead should I mating press Maria into a screaming banshee, begging me for more?
Decisions, decisions…
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue with Bloodborne!
We see a bit more of the rest of the world, with inspirations taken from a certain video on Youtube. A great meeting of the world's rulers will soon take place where Aeon will explain his will to them all, and how best they can become part of the Eldritch Kingdom. Also, I will obviously change quite a few things when it comes to what the nations of Bloodborne!Earth look like, so keep that in mind.
And we see Violetta take on the start of her journey to becoming the High Priestess/Vicar of Aeon's Church! With Al Asif by her side, she's going to rapidly become a very powerful person, and a very,veryknowledgeable one. I also finally gave details on the Church of Aeon, with the Seven-Folds Paths and the Eldritch Ascension that awaits those who follow it to its limits. After all, Shub has her Dark Youngs, Cthulhu has his Cthulhi, so Aeon will have his various kinds of Aeons that mortals can Ascend into. It does come with a cost, as anyone going through it more or less loses their Free Will, but to Eldritch Cultists that can be considered a bonus in order to better follow the will of their god.
Violetta won't permanently Ascend, but she'll have, eventually, the ability to take the form of any Aeon she wants to transform into and keep the transformation going for much longer than anyone else. The advantage of being Aeon's High Priestess… or simply, the natural consequence of her own hard work paying off. Also, I'm sad that there are few pictures of her in black clothes, since that fits Aeon's clerics much better than white. Well, with some exceptions, considering some of the Paths.
And finally, Eileen! The first of Aeon's three new lovers to have some one on one with him. Poor Eileen got bodied on top of being fucked, but to be fair Aeon, even while restraining himself to his pre-Ascension limits, is just too powerful for her to be able to do anything right now. In time she'll grow far more powerful, and inevitably become yet another Eldritch Goddess standing by the side of Aeon, but for now she's still limited by her mortal body.
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, more character interactions, more sex, and in general, more Bloodborne!