“Staton, stop it.”
“Bzzt!”
“No, Theocydes isn’t coming with us!”
“Pzzzt!”
“We told you why!” Vekeus tutted as he turned to Kesistatir, as he, the former Stolen Prince and the tiny glowing sprite parked their ships and headed to a familiar pub. “Uncle, can you deal with my fucking dad please, Staton’s not listening to me!”
The sprite seemed to get angry at Vekeus’s statement and buzzed around his head. Vekeus responded by clapping his hands around Staton, briefly squishing him before letting go.
“Staton, what have I bloody told you! If you are annoyed at someone, you don’t annoy them back!”
“Bzzbzzzt”!
“Well, tough shit, you ARE my dad, reincarnated. We’ve explained this to you before. And I’ve explained multiple times why Theocydes isn’t allowed at this pub any more!”
Staton clicked and flickered a few times, then darted off through the double doors into the Shield and Stave pub. But it buzzed around the main room a few times before landing on the bar, in front of the two owners.
“Hello, little guy!” Vick beamed. “You want your normal glass of water?”
The sprite hesitated, then shook from side.
“You don’t want water?”
More shaking.
“What do you want then?”
Staton fluttered around, then landed on a keg filled with wine, what Kesistatir normally drank.
“Sorry, kiddo, I don’t think you’re old enough to have wine. You’re a baby. Wine is an adult drink…” Vick glanced to his side, where Letharus was standing. “This thing is a baby, right?”
Letharus shrugged. “I guess.”
“Do you not know?”
“Staton is the only baby Voidborn I have met. But I assume it cannot have wine.”
Vekeus and Kesistatir had finally made their way into the bar. Unlike Staton, they needed to lock their ships, and Kesistatir didn’t like walking through walls, he considered it both rude and beneath him.
“Good day, Decayons!” Kesistatir waved as he spotted Staton and made his way over to the main bar. “I see you have already found Staton. Can you give him his normal glass of water, please?”
Vick nodded, then placed a glass of water on the side. But this seemed to anger Staton, and, despite being somewhat non-corporeal, Staton knocked the glass over.
“Oh dear, someone is in a very bad mood…” Letharus muttered as he grabbed some kitchen roll and quickly mopped all the water up. “Maybe Staton would like some lemonade instead?”
“No, no, Staton was naughty. Staton needs to go into the naughty box!” Kesistatir tutted as Vekeus grabbed hold of Staton. The ancient Voidborn summoned a glass box, took Staton out of Vekeus’s hands then placed Staton inside it. He then sealed the box shut with a gold swirl. Staton was clearly furious about all of this and began bashing into the side of the glass.
“Is… is he alright?” Letharus asked. “The little sprite seems very angry and upset about something. But I… I admittedly do not want to use my telepathy to see what is bothering him.”
“Why not?” Kesistatir tutted some more as Vick handed him and Vekeus their normal order. “Would help us greatly. The last few days, Staton has been incredibly belligerent and he is simply not listening to us.”
“How old is he?” Vick asked. “He might just be acting out because he’s a teenager. Teenagers and younglings in general sometimes get angry and erratic because they’re learning how to be more individual.”
Vekeus glanced at Kesistatir, then shrugged. “Honestly, got no idea. But he IS really young. Especially since-”
“Seeopisteps!” Kesistatir suddenly hissed.
“What? Oh… Oh I see…” Vekeus paused, then altered the subject a little. “I suppose maybe Staton’s getting growing pains? He’s a Newling. But unlike Phovoula, Staton here doesn’t have a physical shape yet.”
“I have not actually met Phovoula!” Kesistatir tutted as he sipped his drink, ignoring how Staton was bashing against the glass of his prison cell. “She is like you, yes? Always has had a physical form, and is a hybrid.”
“Actually, I think she’s more of a Voidborn than I am. I’m a hybrid because of… because of my father, who was a Stolen Prince. Phovoula was made intentionally into a Voidborn by being cut off from the Life Goddesses of her universe and being born from a mortal mother physically outside her universe. But Theocydes said that, when she first connected to the Eternal Darkness, she suffered through a painful transformation where she grew our standard metal plating, and the Thantir’s Life Goddess helped her through that.”
“Maybe Staton will have the same thing happen to them?” Letharus suggested. “I assume, at some point, Staton will crystallise and form a solid form, yes?”
Kesistatir grunted then nodded. “That is true, but Staton is far too young to be able to create a form for himself yet.”
“How long does it normally take?” Vekeus asked.
“You are a Voidborn, why are you asking?” Letharus also asked.
“I’ve always had a physical form. I hatched from an egg, inside a universe. Staton is a classic Voidborn who pulled himself out of the Eternal Darkness, same way Theocydes did.”
“But… not Kesistatir?” Vick was confused now.
“Like the other Princes, I was pulled out from the Eternal Darknesses from inside the Great Golden Lord, technically making me his child.”
Vick glanced at Letharus. Letharus shrugged. While he did understand more about Voidborns than most, the Golden Doom and the cults that it formed were a bit above Letharus’s knowledge.
“Fair enough. Would you like another glass of water for Staton?” Vick asked. “Yes, he was naughty, but he might want a drink.”
“We don’t actually need to drink. We just do so for our own amusement…” Kesistatir paused, then glanced at the box Staton was trapped inside. Staton was throwing himself quite violently at the glass walls. All of a sudden, Staton passed through the cell walls, and, realising that he was suddenly free, the golden sprite darted off outside.
“Well, piss. Sorry!” Vekeus exclaimed. He also darted off, chasing after the little sprite.
Thankfully, Vekeus was very quick on his feet and managed to grab hold of Staton before he got too far. Staton buzzed erratically while Vekeus held on to him, but Vekeus decided to release his grip slightly, and pat Staton on the head.
“Come on, little guy, what’s wrong?”
“Bzzt…” Staton flickered.
“You’re in pain?”
“Pzzt.”
“Well, alright. Let’s take you back to Theocydes, he’ll look after you for a bit. Alright?”
Staton shivered slightly, then relented.
“Good boy. Come on, let’s get you sorted out.”