Chapter 4 – Brother And Sister (I)
After the creation of his Realm, Miquella was sitting on his Iron Throne while understanding his newest authority – Lord of the Astral World.
His new authority gave him dominion over what was real and unreal. It may seem a bit confusing when spoken of in this way, but Miquella felt that he could make something unreal, like someone's memories, become real.
If Miquella used his authorities as the Black Emperor (Chaos) and Judge (Order), he could actually give life to a being he had made real.
Miquella rose from his Iron Throne, his armor disappeared, and his classic clothes returned to cover his body: a white tunic with golden details and gold bracelets on his wrists. Although upon his hair, the crimson crown encrusted with rubies still remained.
The Lord of Order would be traveling through his Kingdom for a while, mainly to visit a certain place. He had pending matters and mysteries to solve about his origin.
Especially after he became a god of the Divine Throne, memories of another life he didn't remember began to reappear in his mind, intriguing him greatly. Did he have a third life?
His intuition told him that he would resolve some of his doubts in that place.
– Haligtree.
-
Realm of the Dead – Underworld.
Inside a room in the Greek palace of black marble, Nemesis awoke to the gentle scent of a flower that only grew in the underworld – the Black Dahlia. It was a soothing and reassuring scent, capable of calming even the most insane of souls.
Reaching out to the side, but instead of finding the comforting warmth of her empress, she found the empty space in the bed where she lay. Only the residual warmth could be found on the noble fabric, along with her intoxicating scent.
Opening her eyes, Nemesis looked to the side and found herself alone in the bed. She sat up, holding the black sheets against her body, partially covering her nudity, and looked around, searching for something.
Soon, the Embodiment of Vengeance found the Empress of the Underworld and Lady of the Dead. She was seated elegantly in a chair, sipping from a goblet of ambrosia as her silver eyes gazed at Nemesis with an intense look. There was a smirk on the Empress of the Underworld's full, red lips, lips that Nemesis couldn't stop tasting the night before.
Descending from the bed with the sheet still covering her nudity, her feet touched the cold floor as she walked towards the table, the black sheet trailing behind her on the palace floor. The pale white hair of the Personification of Vengeance starkly contrasted against the dark themes of the palace.
When Nemesis stood before Hades, the sheet covering her nudity slipped, revealing her body.
Hades bit his finger and gazed at the beautiful body before she, his eyes narrowing almost hungrily.
Nemesis smiled contentedly, feeling the warm, desire-filled gaze. She sat on Hades' lap, facing she, locking eyes with the Empress of the Underworld.
Hades' skillful hands firmly gripped her slender waist, sinking into the soft flesh.
"I missed you in these ten winters you've been away," Hades spoke, his voice, though cold and elegant, was like a melody that fully captured Nemesis' attention. She caressed Nemesis' cheek with her thumb, her touch sliding over flawless skin and descending to her lips.
Gently brushing over her lips, Hades spoke slowly, "In the cold lonely nights, I had no one to warm my bed, to release the desires of my heart."
Nemesis took the Empress's finger into her mouth, savoring it as if tasting the most delicious delicacy while seeking forgiveness in Hades' eyes.
Holding her tongue out of her mouth, Hades spoke, her voice carrying a hint of coldness. "Your gaze begs for forgiveness, but before that, you must be punished."
With her tongue held outside her mouth, Nemesis shuddered at the tone of punishment, feeling a growing wetness between her thighs.
Carrying Nemesis back to bed, she placed the embodiment of vengeance on the bed, and Hades lay atop her, another round of passion and lovemaking unfolding in the room.
Under flickering flames, two bodies entwined sensually on the bed, sighs and moans reverberating between the walls.
…
After long hours of exhausting exercise, Hades lay on the bed while Nemesis nestled in the warmth of his arms.
"Where were you in these ten winters?" Stroking her lover's sweaty back, Hades asked, her silver eyes cold and majestic as she looked at Nemesis.
Looking at Hades, the current ruler of the underworld, Nemesis did not hide and spoke as she buried her face in her empress's ample bosom.
"I apologize for not notifying you, my empress," Nemesis looked at Hades with a submissive gaze and continued, "During the feast my goddess mother hosts every five hundred years, all my brothers and sisters, including myself, were invited by my younger brother to witness the creation of his Realm."
Hades couldn't help but feel surprised; she hadn't expected Nemesis's unexpected absence to witness an event as rare as the creation of a Realm by a Primordial God.
"You are fortunate, Nemesis. How many gods would fight for such a rare opportunity," Hades spoke, her voice devoid of envy, even though such an opportunity could help her reach the Ninth of the Divine Thrones.
She didn't get to where she was today by luck; everything she achieved was based on her talent and effort.
"Who is your brother? You've never told me about him," Caressing Nemesis's soft hair, the Empress of the Underworld asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Nemesis opened her mouth but couldn't speak; her eyes showed a trace of reminiscence. Sensing this, Hades raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Nemesis sighed and snuggled into Hades's arms; their legs entwined as she whispered while her red eyes locked onto Hades's silver ones.
"My goddess mother forbade me from speaking anything about my brother."
"Why?" Kissing Nemesis's shoulder, Hades asked, her red lips parting and closing, leaving marks on the flawless skin of the embodiment of Vengeance.
"My goddess mother is overprotective when it comes to my little brother." Nemesis pondered carefully before continuing: "At just a thousand years old, he has already become a Divine Throne."
She would certainly be punished if her goddess mother found out she was speaking of Miquella to other gods, but it was Hades who was asking, and Nemesis couldn't refuse her request. Hades was her empress, to whom she had submitted and become a subordinate goddess.
This made Hades widen her eyes. A thousand years? How long had it taken herself to reach the Divine Throne? Hades did the math, and a number popped into her mind: twenty-five thousand years. That was the time she needed to reach the stages of the Divine Throne. Still, she was praised by Cronos himself as one of the fastest deities to reach this stage.
But, comparing her talent with that of Nemesis's younger brother...
Hades interrupted her thoughts, not wanting to embarrass herself by comparing herself to the child of two primordial gods from the first generation.
"Is he interesting?" Hades lay on her side, resting her head on her hand, her silver eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"Yes, you won't find another divine being more interesting than Miquella," Nemesis replied with a gentle smile. Memories of Miquella doing countless extraordinary things passed through her mind. "From the moment he was born, he trains incessantly, be it day or night, always striving to become better."
Nemesis's words made Hades form a good impression of this primordial god she had never met. The simple fact that he trained so much was already a good sign to Hades because even if Nemesis's brother had great talent, it would mean nothing if he didn't work hard to become stronger.
Showing that they were somewhat similar in this regard made Hades want to meet Nemesis's brother.
Then, Nemesis's smile faded, remembering the burden that Miquella carried.
"What's wrong?" Seeing the concern on her lover's face, Hades asked, furrowing her brow.
"I remembered the burden that Miquella carries," Nemesis replied, her voice slightly lower than usual.
"We all have responsibilities, Nemesis. That is our fate." Though she didn't know what Nemesis's brother's burden was, Hades could still understand, as she carried a similar burden on her shoulders.
Seeing Hades act this way, Nemesis almost saw Miquella's reflection overlapping with Hades's figure. With lips curved into a smile, she whispered to herself, "You two are really alike."
Hades didn't quite catch Nemesis's words and proposed, "Introduce me to your brother. I'm curious about him."
Nemesis looked surprised at Hades. As far as she knew, her empress didn't like to waste time on trivial things like getting to know other gods, especially as she was too busy managing the Underworld.
As if remembering something, Hades sat up in bed and asked, "By the way, what did your goddess mother say about Charon, Thanatos, and Hypnos?"
Unlike the domains of her brothers Poseidon and Zeus, the Underworld couldn't exactly be called a populous place. The number of gods in the Underworld was so tiny that they could be counted on one hand, making the task of recruiting gods for her court extremely difficult.
Currently, she only had Nemesis and Hecate as members of her court, a lamentable and unsustainable quantity to manage the entire Underworld. The workload was so immense that Hades had to use her divine power to transport the souls of the dead, judge the souls, and manage the entire Underworld, all by herself.
Hades was like a workaholic; she hadn't stopped working for a single moment in these thousand years since she won in the Titanomachy. Sometimes she thought that if she lost the war, she wouldn't have to work so hard!
"She didn't object," Nemesis lay on her stomach in bed and moved her legs up and down. "But you still have to win them over on your own."
Hades sighed in relief, as long as the Eternal Night wasn't against it, everything else was easy. She didn't believe that with the benefits she was offering, she wouldn't be able to win over the three children of the primordial goddess of the night.
Getting out of bed, Hades dressed and tied her hair into a ponytail.
Seeing this, Nemesis didn't move and lazily spoke with her head on the pillows. "Let's stay in bed all day~"
"No." Hades refused without hesitation. "We have work, so lift that lovely butt of yours and let's get to work."
Nemesis let out a frustrated groan and reluctantly got out of bed, preparing to start working.
-
Nation of Disorder.
Miquella stood in a seemingly endless wheat field, his golden hair fluttering in the breeze of his realm, a relaxed smile timidly appearing on his lips.
"Let's go, my steed." Touching the head of his mount, Miquella pointed to the north.
Miquella's mount bore characteristics of both a bull and a goat, forming a furry hybrid with horns, capable of jumping high and falling from great heights without harm.
Mounted on his Behemoth, as he called his bull-goat hybrid, Miquella rode through the Intermediary Lands, appreciating all that these lands had of both beauty and peril, even though they were empty at the moment.
As he traversed the familiar landscapes of the Intermediary Lands, more and more memories resurfaced in his mind: memories of long hours studying under a tree. By his side, there was always someone, his other half, his reason to continue deciphering ancient tomes and primordial runes.
Honestly, Miquella had already surmised something from these fragments of memories. In his other life, he was Miquella Haligtree, twin brother of Malenia and son of Queen Merika, The Eternal, and her consort king, Radagon.
This made him understand why the Nation of Disorder took the form of the Intermediary Lands. The Nation of Disorder was merely reflecting what he most wanted to see in his subconscious, or rather, someone.
"Malenia..." A murmur escaped Miquella's lips as he remembered his twin sister's face. "I will fulfill my promise, sister." His golden eyes gleamed with unwavering determination.
...
Consecrated Snowfield.
Ignoring the fierce blizzard beating against his face, Miquella found himself walking through that frozen desert. He could feel Haligtree nearby. Suffused with his empyrean blood, he felt it pulsating, almost as if it had a heart. But his shouldn't be possible, as he was in another world and possibly in another universe. However, there he was, sensing Haligtree.
"May the night and darkness aid me." Miquella murmured, looking towards the small town not too far away.
– Ordina, Liturgical Town.
And rising majestically into the skies, a vast and misshapen tree with pale branches and golden leaves. The leaves seemed to glow with ethereal lights against the pristine snow, creating a beautiful sight.
– Haligtree!
Taking a deep breath, Miquella pressed on.
Ignoring the deserted and lifeless town, Miquella delved even deeper, his footsteps echoing solely in the small settlement.
As he walked towards Haligtree, some assumptions arose as to why the real Haligtree was before him and not just a simple manifestation like the entire scenery of the Intermediary Lands made by the Nation of Disorder.
His most likely assumption was that somehow, the Nation of Disorder appeared in the Elden Ring Universe and chose him as its owner. After his death, the Nation of Disorder saved his soul and continued to exist with him. Even after death and reincarnation, up to this life, where he managed to see and manifest the Nation of Disorder.
As to why and how, Miquella had no idea.
At this moment, following the Almighty Path would be very useful; the Sea of Chaos would surely have answers to countless questions of his as the physical representation of Omniscience and Omnipotence.
…
Unaware of how far he had walked, Miquella found himself inside Haligtree. Enormous roots surrounded the environment, and a sea of white lilies graced the space with a gentle aroma. Golden particles floated in the air along with other black particles.
From the golden particles, Miquella felt his old magical power, entirely different from the divine power he possessed in this life. The black particles indicated that his sister's cursed blood had infected Haligtree, withering the future Erdtree he wished to create.
But, looking at the sturdy branches and vitality of Haligtree, Miquella supposed that the tree before him was the same as before he sealed himself within the cocoon. If everything went as in the game, shortly after, he would be abducted by Mohg, the Blood Lord, and his sister would be brought to Haligtree, ruining his decades-long plan.
Then, Miquella's gaze fell upon her. His lips trembled, and he approached her with somewhat unsteady steps. Sitting in a decrepit chair, the same one he used for reading, she slept peacefully, as if she would never wake again, her clothes torn, nothing resembling the noble fabric from before.
One of the prosthetics he had made was not in the right place; instead of being in place of her arm, it was lying on the floor, along with her sister's sword and helmet.
As he reached her side, he extended his hand and gently moved the crimson hair aside, revealing his sister's face. Beneath the white skin, black stripes pulsated as if they had a life of their own, spreading like a deadly infection.
The Scarlet Rot Curse.
While he was cursed with eternal youth, his sister's curse was even more cruel, consuming her flesh and rotting her blood; it was a vile curse that nothing could survive for long if touched by it.
As an Empyrean, Malenia managed to survive, but at the cost of slowly having her flesh consumed.
His sister had only one intact limb; all the other three limbs had been replaced by prosthetics or at least partially so.
Taking a deep breath, Miquella forced himself to calm down and prevent excitement from shining in his eyes. But it was hard, especially now that he finally remembered everything and had found his twin sister again.
Miquella looked at his still-sleeping sister and began to think about how to remove the curse and restore Malenia's body.
After pondering for a while, he reached a simple and straightforward conclusion.
Miquella was cruel to himself. His hand sank into his own chest, and he pulled out one of his ribs, which came out of his body with a disgusting sound.
Looking at his rib stained with golden ichor, he held it for a moment, his face expressionless. The pain meant nothing to him, not when he could save his sister.
After ripping out his own rib, Miquella took his sister's body and laid her on the sea of white lilies, stripping her completely. With a calm look, he opened his sister's chest, removed the same bone, and exchanged it for his divine rib.
After that, he made Malenia drink large amounts of his golden blood.
Miquella wanted to complete his sister's apotheosis, transforming her completely into a goddess. This was not particularly complicated, considering that Malenia was already a demigoddess. The only difference between a demigod and a god was the authority that the god possessed, something that Malenia did not yet have.
Miquella only needed to provide energy (blood), and Malenia's own body would do the rest, condensing the authority and successfully transforming Malenia into a goddess. A step that many mortals in the future failed to achieve; the few who did, like Chiron and Dionysus, became examples of this.
Miquella's tense face relaxed as he saw the divine aura begin to emanate from his sister. The black stripes that once ran all over her skin had faded and completely disappeared.
The aura of the Legendary Thrones spread around, announcing the birth of a new god.
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Author's thoughts: This fic will not be a harem, but I am undecided about the female protagonist, Gaia or the Female Version of Hades. I am leaning more towards Hades; I think they would make a good couple.
I hope you like the chapter. :D
All photos in the auxiliary chapter.
Next Chapter: Chapter 5 – Brother And Sister (II)