Ever since Theocydes had been kicked out of the Shield and Stave, he’d found himself unwelcome in most of the Ventra Expanse. Because of this, he had been wandering back into the Kinigian Wilderness, Theocydes’s old hunting grounds, mostly doing solo Corruption purges there while he waited around for his friends to finish up any casual time they had in the bars and pubs. These days, he barely actually saw Vekeus or Kesistatir and only really joined them if they needed him. This did bother Theocydes a little, but he’d been a lone wolf Voidborn for most of his existence, even when he was part of the Goldblessed Voidborn cult, so Theocydes normally just focused on other things.
However, Vekeus and Kesistatir had come to Theocydes with a problem. Staton, the Newling Voidborn that had hitch-hiked around with them, was seemingly in pain, and since Vekeus and Kesistatir weren’t normal Voidborns, they didn’t really know how to deal with the poor thing. So they had arranged to meet up in the Pink Paradise, the only Life Oasis in the Kinigian Wilderness (and currently the only place that wasn’t Savepoint that allowed Voidborns) so Theocydes could inspect Staton and work out what was going on.
As soon as Vekeus and Kesistatir landed though, Vekeus started acting oddly. He delicately handed Staton to Theocydes, turned back into his mortal form then wandered off, saying he had sensed something, but didn’t elaborate. Kesistatir was unamused by this.
“Between him and Staton, things do not seem right!” Kesistatir hissed.
“Well, we both know Vekeus has a history with this sector, one he is still unravelling…” Theocydes replied. “Anyway, I will take Staton somewhere quiet and talk to him.”
“May I come along?” Kesistatir changed his tone. “I think I can see why Vekeus is acting oddly. I am picking up “wife of Stolen Prince” scents around here.”
Theocydes shrugged, then turned to Staton. “Little one, do you mind if Kesistatir comes along with us while we talk?”
Staton shook himself, signalling he was fine with it. Satisfied, Theocydes walked off, with the others in tow. The three of them made their way not to the main building but to a white bench on a side path within the floral mini-jungle, away from the commotion at the oasis proper. There seemed to be some Time Drake and Life Goddess visitors currently, and Theocydes knew to stay away.
Once they reached the bench, Theocydes sat down and delicately placed Staton on his knee.
“So, Staton, tell me, what’s bothering you?”
Staton didn’t answer at first. He buzzed a few times, then clicked a little. Eventually, Staton managed a single word, laced with an underlying static as the baby Voidborn started to process language on his own. “Pain.”
“You are in pain?”
A nod.
“How can I help that pain?”
Staton didn’t answer immediately. “Not know.”
“Are you scared?”
“Yes.”
Theocydes patted Staton gently. “You do not need to be scared. Yes, what you are going through is strange and confusing and painful, but it is completely natural and normal. Do you understand what is happening?”
Staton hesitated, then shook himself down.
“No?”
“No.”
“You are slowly changing from Newling into Youngling. You’re in pain because your body is starting to harden and crystallise, so you turn into your more adult form. During this time, you need to think about a few things, mostly about how you want yourself to look when you fully form. While you will initially crystallise in a certain shape, you will also innately learn how shapeshift, how to change your body to how you imagine yourself to be.”
“Pain.”
Theocydes nodded. “It hurts. I know. I did the same thing when I changed from Newling to Youngling. It hurt me a lot, and I was mostly on my own when it happened. We will stay by your side while you change.”
“No.”
Theocydes paused, not expecting Staton’s answer. Kesistatir, who had mostly just been listening in, seemed annoyed by this.
“You do not want us to be by your side while you crystallise?”
“Alone.”
“Being alone while you crystallise is dangerous. Things can hurt you, things can get into you while you change!” Kesistatir snapped. “We want to help you and look after you, but you are pushing us away, Staton!”
“Yes.”
Theocydes eyed Kesistatir. Kesistatir eyed Theocydes back.
“We are allies, we work together and protect each other. I am the eldest of us, and the most knowledgable. Staton NEEDS us to be close to him, to monitor him as he changes.”
“Normally, I’d agree, but when it comes to crystallising, you don’t know the best because you crystallised the moment you pulled yourself from the Eternal Darkness and never had a true Newling stage. I have. And if Staton doesn’t want us around while he changes form, then that is up to him.”
“It is DANGEROUS though!”
Theocydes shrugged. “I crystallised alone and I was fine.”
“You were bound to the Goldblessed and then bound to a Life Goddess, a lower Mother from the Golden Paradise, which you brutally murdered. You were not fine in the slightest.”
“Eh, that all happened after-”
“I am not letting Staton crystallise alone. I am putting my- HEY!”
Angered by the conversation, Staton rose into the air and darted off, out of the reach of the elder Voidborns, ignoring Kesistatir’s anger.
But he didn’t race off to find Vekeus, nor did he stay on the Life Oasis. The Newling immediately flew off into the void, his near-massless body allowing Staton to travel at insanely fast speeds and, before long, Staton found himself in the middle of nowhere. All around him was darkness. Darkness that Staton spun around in, looking for… Staton wasn’t really sure. But as Staton spun around some more, he started to feel a little heavy, emotionally and physically. Staton didn’t mean to be angry, he just didn’t like how Kesistatir was trying to control him. He didn’t want to be influenced by the Stolen Prince.
“Maybe… Maybe should not have…”
Staton sighed to himself. He also realised he was a little lost. He sighed again, then started to make his way back in the direction that he assumed was the Life Oasis he had just left. He quickened his pace though, because he could feel his body starting to get heavier.
Eventually, he found something that looked like the Life Oasis. There was water, there were flowers, there were places to rest. Staton found one of those resting places at a familiar white bench with a Voidborn scent to it, then twisted round a few times, before sticking himself to the underside of the bench, hiding himself away.
Staton winced in pain, then put himself to sleep, allowing his body to slowly crystallise, creating a new, physical form for himself.