Vekeus glanced at his reflection in the window as he landed his ship in the parking area of Savepoint, the base for a terrifying sect of Decay Lords. Okay, maybe not terrifying, but Vekeus was a Voidborn, and the Thantir were behind the extinction of most of the local Voidborn Cults. But also, one of the Thantir was from the same universe Vekeus was from. Really, Vekeus didn’t want to be here, but Theocydes had requested he “check in” with the Decay Lord sect, because they had a Newling Voidborn with them now, and Theocydes had bought and set up some Voidborn tech for the Newling to use.
The engines shut off, the ship fell silent and Vekeus found himself still looking at his reflection. The Thantir knew him, he’d been here before, but Vekeus decided it was probably better to remain in his Voidborn form rather than his old, mortal Threan-type shape.
Taking a deep breath, despite not needing one, Vekeus shut everything down, grabbed the package he was there to deliver, then teleported out of his ship, hoping that Shatterblade, a very deadly former Phantai soldier, wasn’t on patrol again. Thankfully, Shatterblade wasn’t around, but instead, there was a new guard wandering around.
“Oh.”
“Uh…”
“Um…”
“Hi?”
The Decay Lord Vekeus was looking at was… well, it was hard to explain. He hadn’t been around the last time Vekeus visited Savepoint. Somehow, standing before Vekeus was a being that Vekeus shared blood with.
“Well… uh… Theocydes didn’t tell me you were… here…”
Arkay tilted his head to one side, looking Vekeus up and down. “Huh. Litvir didn’t tell me you were… uh…”
Vekeus tutted, then turned back into his old Threan-type self. Arkay did the same, dismissing the black, inky smoke that ran up his body and smoothing out his natural armour plating.
“So, uh… I… I was aware you were out there… Didn’t think you were completely a Voidborn now, Veekay…” Arkay stuttered.
“I call myself Vekeus these days. I… I thought you were trapped inside a universe or something… or dead. One of the two. Also, you have the same weird scent that winged standard-type Retha guy does. You also smell of grass.”
Arkay shrugged. “I’m a former god of death and decay, I get that grass smell comment a lot… So… uh… how are you? Where have you been and all that? And also, what’s in that box you’re holding?”
Before Vekeus could say anything, a very grumpy, green, furry being with raptor talons and horns teleported next to Arkay, having sensed Vekeus’s presence.
“Arkay, why does this Voidborn look like you but red and silver?” Phovoula snarled. “Also, he looks like… a Skyavok…”
“It’s… complicated. Phovoula, this is Vekeus, he’s my half-brother. Vekeus, my furry Ksithan friend here is Phovoula.”
Vekeus put his hand out. “Pleasure to meet you, Phovoula. Theocydes sent me here to give you some bits and pieces, to help you settle down as a Decay Lord. He… didn’t tell me that you were a Adogtic female Newling though.”
“Fucking Death Wolves, please don’t tell me you’re another Voidborn suddenly interested in what’s in my pants…” Phovoula very suddenly paused. “Hang on, if you are Arkay’s half-brother… And Arkay is essentially a proto-Skyavok… YOU’RE female too!”
Vekeus also paused. “You know what? You’re actually completely right about that. Technically, I’m intersex but when I became a Voidborn proper, I kinda… uh… well… you don’t need to know…” After another pause, Vekeus turned his attention back to the box, and handed it to Phovoula. “This is from Theocydes. A communicator and a tablet, both set up to work on Kenomilia and ready for you to properly claim your territory.”
“My… territory?”
Vekeus nodded. “Every Voidborn holds their own territory, and we tend to respect them, whether we’re culted, adogtic or partnered. This place, the Athata Rift, used to belong to a cult, but now it’s fair game.”
“Do you have territory?” Phovoula asked.
“Yep. I got my own place in the Ventra Expanse. You though, because you’re a Newling, I’d recommend just sort of claiming this floating island as yours for now, until you’re strong enough to take on non-tradition-following Voidborns.”
“Hang on,” Arkay butted in. “Things have been quiet so far, but am I going to have ANOTHER stream of asshole Voidborns coming along wanting to break stuff?”
“What do… what do you mean by that?”
“I spent a LOT of time killing asshole Voidborns that kept on breaking into the last universe I was trapped in. Thankfully, Kenon’s presence alone was enough to protect Kinisis’s old universe, but we still occasionally got assholes trying to break in.”
Vekeus hesitated a little, then handed the box of stuff to the baby Voidborn. “Um… Phovoula, it’s been an honour, and I think you’re going to be a great Voidborn when you grow up, but I kinda need to have a chat with my brother here.”
“That’s fine. I’m just glad you’re not interested in me. Every other Voidborn who passes by…” Phovos shuddered, then shook her head. “There’s manuals and stuff in here, right?”
“Yeah. Can you read Kenosomilia?”
“Mostly, yes.”
Vekeus patted Phovoula on the shoulder. “Wonderful. If you have any troubles, Arkay here knows our language, you can ask him.”
“You can ask Elkay too!” Arkay added.
Phovoula shrugged, then wandered off to play with her new toys. Vekeus glanced at Arkay again.
“That weird winged Standard-type also-”
“He’s a Rethavok, not a Retha.”
“Looks like-”
“I know…” Arkay sighed. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here, if I’m honest. Litvir told me you are a Voidborn completely now and… well… I’ve… killed a fuck-ton of Voidborns.”
Vekeus wasn’t bothered. They headed over to a quiet space at the canteen. “I know. But I also know that you killed them because they were violent first. Especially those bastard Children of Ahkron. I’m aware that I… kinda instinctively hated you and you hated me back, but… well, I understand. I’m not angry. And it’s nice to see you again.”
“I tried to kill you-”
“Yep. Already chatted about that with Kaytee. The whole looping universe thing. I’m not bothered, I got out in the end. Sure, I’m a Voidborn but I make the most of it now.”
“About that…” Arkay looked Vekeus up and down. “Don’t other Voidborns know you’re a hybrid?”
“Turns out, Kenon was a Stolen Prince and his genetics are so strong that they drown out mum’s genetics completely.”
Arkay rolled his eyes. “Still don’t understand why he gaslit me into thinking I was his son when you were literally out there, alive and actually a Voidborn.”
“I’ll be blunt, I only found out I wasn’t a pure Voidborn like 12 evs ago.”
“Oh.”
Both Arkay and Vekeus fell silent. But the silence was brief as someone teleported next to them, bringing with them three bowls of ice cream.
“Hey! Veekay! You didn’t tell me you were coming!” Kaytee beamed. “How’s the Corruption Purging?”
Vekeus went back to smiling. “Pretty good, actually. How are you, mate?”
“I’m alright, actually! We all are! And it’s been fun training these new Decaylings.”
“Yeah… I was going to ask, Arkay, one of your Decaylings totally looks a bit like our mum but with only yellow plating. Also, you somehow got a second Time Drake?”
“I… wish you didn’t say that…” Arkay frowned. “But yeah, he has the same damn name as well. Kaytee and I made a deal that we wouldn’t talk about it. And yes, Thassalin is a Time Drake who doesn’t want to do universal work any more.”
“Why is he pink?” Vekeus asked.
“No idea.”
“Oh. Fair enough…” Vekeus shrugged.
Arkay sighed again. “I’ll be honest, it’s nice seeing you again, brother.”
“It’s good to see you too, Arkay. But… I wonder if our other brothers are still alive?”
Vekeus glanced at both Arkay and Kaytee to see their reactions. But both of them just frowned.
“I doubt it. They were part-Time Drake…” Kaytee eventually tutted. “Even if they were alive, they’d be long, long gone by now.”
“How comes?”
“There’s almost no Time Drakes in this entire eniapent.”
Vekeus joined in on the frowning, then stood up. As he did so, he turned back into his Voidborn self. “Well… at least I found you two. I ought to get going though. I have work to do. Corruption doesn’t purge itself, you know. Also, I need to tell Theocydes off for tricking me into seeing you again.”
Arkay climbed to his feet as well, then hugged Vekeus tightly. As he did so, his old death god features returned.
“Stay safe, alright?”
“Will do, big brother.” Vekeus smiled beneath his metal plating. “See you soon…”