Chapter Text
Ido Front. The final stop for many a white whistle before their first, and only delve into the sixth layer.
It was there that a White Whistle lived. Where he discovered many things, and ruined many lives.
Bondrewd the Novel, the Sovereign of Dawn. A man who many tried to kill and yet none succeeded. A man who never seemed to anger, and was filled with a genuine love for every life that he destroyed.
It was this man that Arette married. The man she loved.
After her final trip to the surface to bid her goodbyes to her family, Arette embraced her life. Granted, she had never tried to refuse it, but with things settled above things seemed more assured.
The Thousand-Man Pin made her well enough to actually go out into the Abyss for small excursions, and keep up with her increasingly curious daughter.
She might not have been able to go up, but she sure could go in a straight line, and the fifth layer was certainly flat compared to everything else.
“What if we mined through the wall and then down?” She asked Bondrewd as he chipped away at some stone to retrieve a rather large relic that the Delver’s Society was insistent on retrieving, “Hypothetically of course. Would the curse be there?”
“You ask stranger questions than Prushka.” Bondrewd said, turning to the slew of black whistles that had joined to assist in the recovery. “Surround the area and begin the extraction processes. Be on guard for Stingerheads.”
“But It’s a sound idea right?” Arette asked, resting her chin on her fist as she watched him.
Bondrewd chuckled. “I suppose if you dug down far enough away and alongside the Abyss, you could bypass the curse. But that would take centuries to dig.” he turned his helmet to her, “Use your pretty head to think of more reasonable ideas.”
The other black whistles looked from one another awkwardly, save for a familiar and friendly face. Hablog was along for the dig, and to see his old student again was pleasant. Especially to see her happy when everyone above wondered if she was even alive.
He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair as they patrolled around the edge of the dig sight. “Dare I say you made the man human again.” he teased her.
“Oh, he’as always flowery with how he talks. Love this, love that! He’s a romantic. And a poet too.” Arette pushed his hand off her head, she got enough of that from Bondrewd to last her a lifetime.
“Well I am glad he makes you happy.” Hablog laughed, “Have you thought of children?”
“I told you. We have an adopted daughter.” Arette said, stopping to see what was under the snow. It looked like a relic, but it was nothing more than a rock. A cool looking one though. The kind she would pretend was a relic as a child.
“Yes, and she sounds delightful. But I was talking about having more. One of your own.”
Arette stared at the rock, no longer looking at it. A child of her own. A child. Her’s and Bondrewd’s.
What a horrifying thought.
She looked at Hablog and smiled wearily. “I don’t think that will be possible, with my heart as it is.”
Hablog crouched next to her. “Is that all there is to it? Are you afraid of him, Arette?”
“No. No, I am not afraid of him.”
She wasn’t. She really wasn’t. What she was afraid of, however, was his ambition. A man so rational he was practically deranged. Nothing was truly safe from him, and she knew that. His love was not a barrier to the horrors he inflicted. She knew it first hand...
But at the same time, He had never harmed Prushka. Not a single hair on her head. She had been under his care for over five years and he had never used her to test anything. He had done nothing more than love and teach her. She pursed her lips. Maybe there was someone who could be exempt from his experiments.
His own children.
She allowed herself then to imagine it. It would be hard because of the curse, and her heart. But it was not impossible. She held the image of him holding a delicate infant in his arms in her mind’s eye, and she smiled. “Well… he does like children.” she said quietly.
Hablog pat her back, getting back up. “Don’t do anything like that unless you're sure you can handle it. Kids are not easy, and too many children end up parentless because of the Abyss.”
Arette was helped to her feet, and she put the rock in her coat pocket. “I think they would have a better chance than most to keep both. I can’t do anything more exciting than walk around in a straight line, and Bondrewd defies delver expectations once a month.”
He laughed, and they resumed the patrol.
The seed was planted, and when the relic was secured and Arette and Bondrewd were back at Ido Front, she bit her lip as she watched him pick Prushka up and hold her in the air. After a few moments she stepped up to him and took his coat sleeve, giving it a tug.
“A moment?”
He tilted his head at her, but turned and set Prushka back town, touching her cheek affectionately. “Go play with Gueira for a few more minutes. Papa and momma need to speak, Prushka.”
“Okay, Papa.” Prushka smiled at him and turned, skipping back down the hall, little Meinya hopping behind her.
Arette fiddled with her fingers, avoiding looking at him as she rocked back and forth on her heels. She didn’t know how to ask it. “Do you like children?” she finally asked a mirror of the one he had asked her years ago,
Bondrewd tilted his head again. “Something is on your mind, Arette. What is it? You can tell me.” he took her hands in his and gave her fingers a squeeze.
“Do you… Do you like young children?” She fumbled, “Like.. Do you like babies? Little ones. Just born ones.”
He was silent and still. Like a statue. She figured he understood what he was asking now, considering the long pause. She wished she could see his face and read his expression.
“My my my my my.” he finally said, and he had a subdued but gleeful tone to his voice, “Arette, are you asking me to have a child with you?” he cupped her face in his hand, leaning in and pressing his helmet to her head.
Arette closed her eyes. “It's a thing to think about.” she reasoned.
“It is indeed.” he nuzzled her cheek. He hummed pleasantly, taking her hands in his, “Perhaps we shall. But there are risks. You understand that, yes?”
“I mean there are always risks with pregnancy. Like-”
“Yes, all of that yes. But the strain of the curse on the fetus, the strain on your heart. You must think carefully.”
“I won't be young forever. We can’t think too long.” Arette insisted, “Lets try tonight. Its around the right time to try… I mean if you want to.”
He pulled her closer and gave her a squeeze, his helmet resting on her shoulder, and his hands gripping her hips as he nuzzled her neck. “Alright. Let me get everything sorted, and we can try in two hours.”
She got goosebumps, grinning at him as he pulled away. He wanted to get to it right away it seemed. “I'll freshen up and go look pretty for you.”
“You are always pretty to me.” He stepped away, and left her to swoon a bit in the hall.
Arette made her way to where those who resided at Ido Front liked to bathe. A converted tank that heated the water like it was a communal bath. She stopped a moment to grab Prushka around the middle, who was running after Meinya. “Hey now, where are you going in a hurry without giving your momma a hug and a kiss hello?”
Prushka giggled as Arette kissed her cheek. “Momma let me go, I gotta catch Meinya.” the girl turned around regardless when set back on her feet, kissing Arette’s cheek, then giving her a hug. ‘What were you and Papa talking about?”
“We may be planning something. We will see how it works out.” She was not sure if she should tell Prushka now, or when it happened. She guessed it was safer to not get her hopes up for a sibling until Arette was sure she was pregnant and that it was healthy.
Arette sighed as she looked at Prushka’s clothes. They were not even clothes, but the same little smock she had been wearing for five years. “How about for your tenth birthday I have your papa get you clothes? Shirts, dresses, pants, all that fun stuff.”
Prushka grinned and clapped her hands. “Can I pick the colors?”
“Of course, they are going to be your clothes.” Arette kissed the girl’s forehead, and she stood back up, “Your Papa and I will be in our room for the rest of the day, don’t bother us okay?”
Prushka pouted, but nodded. “Okay. What will you be doing?”
“We will tell you when you are older.” Arette said hurriedly. She figured Bondrewd would be better at that kind of talk anyway.
Prushka narrowed her eyes and looked like she was going to ask more questions, until Meinya cried from down the hall. Prushka grinned, remembering her previous game of chase, and ran past Arette. “Meinya! Are you ready to stop running now?”
Arette resumed her trek to the baths, cleaning up the grime she had managed to accumulate despite the little activity she did. Going out there was good exercise, and it was nice to see something more than just the base, even if that something wasn’t all that interesting. Just snow, mud, sandstone, and that one crystal formation that looked like a horse.
She sat herself on the bed once she returned to the room. She contemplated what to do. How to look. It was special, this moment, even more than the first time. Bondrewd was not a sensual man. Sex was rare even now that he ‘understood’. Once a month, twice occasionally. A low libido to be sure, but she didn’t mind. Sex wasn’t everything after all.
She racked her brain to think of anything he had ever said about her that he liked that she could show off. She remembered when once he stated he liked her breasts. He said they felt like Princess Bosoms and were fun to hold, which in turn explained why those useless soft rocks were so popular.
She guessed she would wear nothing in that case.
She pulled her clothes off and flopped on the bed and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
She waited so long she ended up dozing, only jerking awake at the sound of a distant door closing with a loud clunk. She was still alone... Bondrewd was usually punctual, and as such, she instantly started to worry, sitting up and tucking her hair behind her ear, grabbing a dress and pulling it over her head quickly.
She poked her head out of the door, looking up and down each hall before stepping out and making her way to the areas where Bondrewd often worked. On the way there she peeked into Prushka’s room, and saw she wasn’t there either.
Maybe Pruhska had distracted him and they were playing together? She kept looking, stopping at a door. Meinya was outside it, pawing at the metal and crying.
She gave the door a twist, and pulled it open. “Prushka, are you in here?”
Sher froze, and looked at Bondrewd and Guiera who were standing over a little body on the table. Meinya rushed past her and Gueira hissed.
“Get Meinya out of here. It's going to-”
“Prushka?” she saw the head of white hair past Bondrewd’s arm. “What are you- What is going on?”
“Arette, forgive me. I would of sent someone to you but-”
“What are you doing to her?!” She lurched towards the table, but Bondrewd stepped away from it, Guiera taking his place to block her sight of Prushka.
“I have done nothing to her, Arette.” Bondrewd took hold of her arm and held her in place, “I am helping her, Arette. Please-.”
“What happened?!” Arette tried to push her way past Bondrewd, but he held her firmly in place, “What happened to Prushka? Get out of my way or I will get you out of my way!”
“Always so irrational…” Gueira mumbled, and Arette tried to lunge for him.
“That's my daughter I will be as irrational as I want!”
“Arette, calm down.” Bodrewd pushed her back again, taking her face in her hands. “Prushka had an accident. She went up stairs after Meinya, and the curse struck her.”
That did not calm her down. She started crying. She had been sitting around trying to look pretty while her daughter was suffering. She felt terrible. Like the worst mother in the world. She started slapping at his chest, suddenly overcome with anger. She remembered all the times she saw those damned stairs and told him to do something to block them off. “I told you! I told you to block those off somehow! She’s a child she isn’t always aware of her surroundings!”
He let her hit him, arms spread open. “You don’t have to worry. She will recover. She has before. Now please do not yell. We are trying to patch her up. What she needs is you to be as calm as I. Do you understand?”
Arette finally calmed down, and Bondrewd embraced her. “She has lost most of her baby teeth, and her arm is broken. Those are the most serious. We will fix her teeth for her as best as we can.” He gently led her back out of the room, Gueira handing him Meinya who was squirming and trying to get back into the room, “Now let us work. When she is all patched up, you can see her. Right now, she is a sight to see, and I don’t want to stress you out more than you are.”
He lifted his hand and set it on her breast, over her heart. “We need to keep this as healthy as possible, yes?”
Arette looked at his hand a moment, before she nodded, taking in a few shaking breaths, then coughing a few times. “Okay… Okay.”
Bondrewd moved, his helmet pressing to the side of her face, a kiss of sorts, giving her Meinya to hold. “As soon as she is ready. I will get you. First thing. I promise.”
With that he pulled away, and slipped back inside the room, the door closing behind him. He and Gueira worked carefully. Setting her arm, fixing what teeth they could with glue. He held her little hands, looking at her bloody nail beds. Such pity in his heart. He was glad he spared Arette such a sight.
Soon Prushka was as patched up as she could be, and Bondrewd took her gently in his arms, Her red eyes finally stopped looking ahead blankly, and they flicked to look at his helmet. “Pa...Pa…”
“See Gueira? She is already recovering.” Bondrewd said, opening the door. He looked up, and Arette was sitting outside the door, across the hall, leaning on the wall and sleeping. “Arette.” he called, “Arette, wake up.”
She stirred and looked up at him. “Is she okay?”
“She’s going to be fine. Come, let's put her to bed. Here, you may hold her.”
Arette stood up, taking Prushka from him and gently holding her. Prushka looked at her too, smiling with her broken teeth. “Mama…”
Bondrewd set a hand on Arette's head and she started crying. She brought Prushka to their room, and laid her gently on the mattress and propped her up. Prushka settled under the quilts, the girl smiling in a lopsided way as Meinya hopped up onto the bed and sat on the pillow by her head.
“Is she going to be okay? The last time she was hit with the curse she forgot everything from before.”
“Of course. She knows who we both are, she knows where she is. Don’t you, Prushka?” Prushka nodded at him, reaching up to rub at her cheek. She winced then, siffling.
“It hurts.” She said quietly.
Prushka soon fell asleep despite the pain, and Arette chewed on her thumb. This was a risk wasn’t it? Having a baby down here... Children didn’t always obey, or were even aware of the consequences when a rule was broken. Bondrewd had told Prushka so many times to never go up to far, and yet she had.
She looked at Bondrewd. “I need to think more… About the baby thing.”
“Of course. I understand.” He pressed his mask to her cheek and nuzzled.
Arette pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and she closed her eyes. She had been so scared he had been doing something to her. Now not only did she feel terrible about Prushka, but that as well. “I am sorry for accusing you of hurting her.”
“Do not be, you only showed how much you love her.” He moved to the bed, laying by Arette’s side and holding her close.
It seemed almost impossible to upset him.
It only took days for Prushka to be back on her feet, running around again. Arette could not believe how quickly she bounced back. She also took notice of Prushka’s change in appearance, which the girl was all too eager to point out.
“See? My hair is curly like yours now momma.” Prushka said, looking in the mirror and pointing at her hair, which was not only curled, but streaked with green as well, “It even changed color like yours.”
“You look just like me now.” Arette took Prushka’s shoulders in her hands and leaned down, kissing her cheek, making Prushka recoil away and giggle.
She hopped off the stool and rushed out into the hall, burying her face into Meinya’s fur, then rushing off again. Arette sighed, setting a hand on her hip. “Nothing slows her down.”
Gueira hummed. “She says that little thing lets her see the curse.” he said, “I worry now she will explore even more with that.”
Arette sighed. “She is her papa’s daughter.” She then looked at him, “And you say you worry, but you don’t help discourage it. It's like I have to fight against two papas.”
Gueira sighed. “She should learn all she can of this place, for her benefit. Why would I stop that?”
“See? Two against one.” She shoved him playfully, “Stop being so serious. I am teasing you.” Arette then left Gueira in the hall, jogging lightly after Prushka to at least keep an eye on her.
Prushka recovered quickly. She started to have adventures of her own around the base, and Arette and Guiera were left to follow after her. There was nothing Arette could do to stop her, and Guiera was correct, she had to learn these things. The sooner the better.
When Prushka got the cast off her arm, Arette measured her, and Prushka said exactly what she wanted to wear and in what colors. Soon she had an actual wardrobe to pick from, shirts, shorts, even a dress or two to wear.
Prushka spent her tenth birthday throwing outfits together to show off to Bondrewd and Arette. Posing for them. “I like this one. I think I look like a delver in this.” she said about a green overall dress with a white button up shirt under it, a little tie, gloves, and a shawl.
“Yes you do.” Bondrewd affirmed, clapping his hands, “You look quite lovely in green, Prushka.”
She quirtised, giggling afterwards. “I think it's my favorite color.” she said, “Do you like it, momma?”
“I love it. You look beautiful” Arette clapped too, and Prushka grinned, her cheeks getting rosey.
“I’m gonna go show Guiera and everyone else!”
“Fold up your clothes first Prushka, then you may. You need to take care of your new clothes.” Bondrewd said, and Prushka nodded.
A few days later, Arette trotted after Prushka as she rushed ahead, intending on practicing with climbing up the walls like she was scaling a cliff. So she could “get past the third layer”. Arette could not catch her breath, and her legs felt weak.
Finally she slowed to a stop and coughed a few times. Supporting herself on the wall. She looked up, Prushka coming back to grab her hand.
“Come on, you said you would show me how to tie the knots.” She tugged her arm, and Arette smiled wearily at her.
“Of course, but let's walk there. Okay? Momma doesn't feel too good.”
Prushka looked worried, nodding at her request. “I’m sorry momma. I will be slower for you.”
The symptoms were coming back, but Arette didn’t want to think about it. She had too much on her plate with Prushka. She would have to teach her so many things. All the things a girl went through when they started growing into a lady.
At least boys were not something she had to worry about.
It felt like she had only blinked and another year passed. Prushka was eleven now, and Arette could not have been more proud of her.
Arette mixed up the last of the supplies she had bought on the surface, making her one last cake for who knew how long. She mixed the eggs, sugar, baking powder, and flour together, breathing hard as she moved the whisk.
“You are breathing awfully hard from that.” Gueira said, “Are you feeling alright?”
“Lets see you beat this stuff then.” Arette panted, pushing the bowl over to him, “It's harder than it looks.”
Gueira took the bowl and mixed for a few moments. He chuckled softly. “It is, surprisingly.” he turned away from her as she reached for the bowl again, “However I will continue to mix. Why don’t you make sure the present is ready?”
The present was a hat to match the delving outfit that Prushka had tossed together herself, commissioned from the surface by bondrewed himself. Arette did one final check to make sure it matched the green of Prushka’s dress.
She put the cake batter in the baking pan and set it among the hot pipes to bake. It would take a good hour for it to bake in there, but that was plenty of time to set up more things.
Hours later, Prushka entered her room, grinning as Gueira and Arette surprised her.
She loved her hat, and she loved her cake. She was even happier when Bondrewed arrived. “Papa, thank you so much for the gift. I love it!” she said, spinning around and showing the hat off, “Meinya loves it too, they fit right under it perfectly!”
“I am so happy you like it.” he pet the side of her head, and took the slice of cake that Prushka offered him, “I will save this for later. Thank you my dear Prushka.”
He took Arette aside. “Guiera told me that you had trouble mixing the batter.” he set a gloved hand on her face, “Are you feeling alright?”
“It's a cake.. It's exhausting to put together. I am fine.”
“Some of the others have noted you cough and are short of breath when following Prushka around, as well.”
“Oh so all of you spy on me?”
He chuckled, and pressed his helmet to her cheek. “We do, yes.”
Arette continued on, following Prushka when she was not following her father. She was having trouble breathing even when asleep now, sometimes waking up gasping for air.
She was in the bathing area that day, washing Prushka’s hair and then dunking her under the water. Prushka popped up with a gasp, and then she laughed. “You next. I wanna wash your hair.”
“I have much more hair than you do. It needs to be washed a special way so it doesn't get badly tangled.” Arette said, getting her brush and oils ready along with the soap, “Why don’t you give Meinya a wash?”
“If I wash Meinya I can’t see the wispy stuff any more.” Prushka said, she looked past Arette and grinned. “Ah! Papa!”
Bondrewd was at the door. “Oh my… Was it bath day for the two of you? Forgive me.”
Prushka got up and stepped out, almost slipping before getting her footing back. She grabbed his hand. “No! Come on come in with us!”
“I would rather not…”
“Papa please? It's fun we can have a splash fight like they do up on the surface.”
Arette ran her comb through her hair, smiling. “Come on in. There is room you know.”
She would not deny she was looking for a chance to maybe see what he actually looked like, however he proved himself to be both stubborn and weird, as usual.
“I suppose I could.” He sighed, and stepped up to the side of the reservoir, and then stepped into the water, boots and everything else still on.
Prushka’s bit her lip, starting to giggle as Bondrewd sat himself down in the water. “Papa, you take off your clothes for baths.”
Bondrewd looked at Arette, tone pleasant as he spoke. “This is actually quite nice. Being in here for some family time.”
He lifted his hand and blocked some of the water that splashed onto him as Prushka jumped back in, now with her own clothes on. “Me too! Hehe.”
Bondrewd pet her head. “How adorable.” he said, chuckling softly.
“Well now I’m the weird one aren’t I?” Arette sighed, finishing with her hair. She scooted to the side of the reservoir, “I might as well put my dress back on and join you so I look normal.”
She got up, and her vision went spotty and her head spun. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor of the room, her head hurting as Prushka leaned over her.
“Momma, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just got… Dizzy.”
Moving to sit up made her dizzy too, and so Bondrewd scooped her up in his arms like she was a bride again. Arette rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing over his whistle as they walked down the hall.
He laid her on the bed and took her arm in his hand and he felt her pulse, He then moved down, and took her ankle into his hand, examining it carefully. He tutted quietly.
“The pin isn’t helping me any more is it?” she asked quietly.
“I am afraid not. It was always nothing more but a bandaid.” Bondrewd said, “Your heart failure is advancing. I had hoped that it would not progress, but I suppose what you have is not the same as someone who eats poorly..”
He laced his fingers together, and lowered his helmet to them, pensive and silent for a long time. Finally he raised his head, tone pleasant as he spoke. “Arette, I want to help you. However I can. Will you let me?”
She knew what his help meant. “How would you help me?”
“In my journeys I have amassed a collection of relics. One I have found I could repurpose into a heart for you.” He sat up, and looked at her, “It is only a theory. I will test it as much as I can, but you are on limited time.”
Arette wanted to live a long life. She wanted to see Prushka go to the surface. She wanted to go up again herself. But she would not be selfish. She reached out and took his knee in her hand, “Just don’t hurt anyone to do this for me. That is all I ask.”
“I promise.”
Bondrewd set to work on refining the relic. He didn’t even know how to describe it truly, as it was in all aspects, a special grade relic of great potential, even if it looked innocuous.
It was a large urn full of something like clay, that one could mold into a shape, and it came to life. Not truly alive as it did not grow, eat nor breath. But it could imitate life. If it was not fired, it could be returned to the urn and reused, but if exposed to heat and turned into pottery, it was permanent, and even when shattered whatever creature was made would continue to exist, and could be repaired.
It had been quite the find in one of his few dives into the sixth layer and something he had played with periodically. So spectacular he had never even bothered to tell the Delver’s Guild about it, much like his Gangway.
He molded it carefully into a bird, and it came to life in his hands. Chirping and flapping its little clay wings. He promptly crushed it in his palms, and it returned to lifeless clay again. The heart was alive, in the way a bacterium was. So it should work.
He molded it again, and soon he had a heart in his hands. As anatomically correct as he could make it. It sat in his palm for a few long moments, and then it beat in his hands.
He tested rapidly. Animals first. He managed to make it take the heart well and it functioned properly until the blood eroded the clay away, making the creature drop dead. It would have to be fired then to make it last long term.
Next he plucked a child from the garden. Jeru, a sweet boy who had wanted to be a farmer. Such a humble aspiration that Bondrewd had always admired. He sliced him open and replaced his heart with one that he had fired. The heart took well and the Jeru was returned to the garden for a few days, before Bondrewd dissected him again.
Jeru did not survive, and Bondrewd mourned him a moment, and marveled at the memory of Mitty, a girl truly immortal. She would have been perfect for these tests.
The flesh seemed to meld into the clay. Perfect. The integration would be seamless then. His mind raced with the ideas that the clay could pull off, but the supply was limited. For now he had to focus all of this effort onto his dear Arette.
Bondrewd had kept his promise so far. And he would continue to, but he still needed a grown adult to test on, and he had only one place to turn to.
He walked down the deeper levels, Gueira behind him as he observed several of the failed Umbra Hands, poor souls with no minds left to speak of. He often used them for his experiments, and they all had the scars to prove it.
“This one isn’t defecating itself constantly.” Gueira said motioning to one that was passing back and forth, turning valves periodically
“Perhaps, but he seems to be doing something mildly important.” Bondrewd observed.
“Yes, because it's not as…” Gueira waved his hand around vaguely, “it would be perfect to test.”
“I suppose you are correct.” Bondrewd took the plittful thing by the shoulder and led it back up into the higher levels.
As it lay on the table, Bondrewd didn't even bother with pain relief or sedation. He strapped it down, and once he was secured, Bondrewd sliced down the flesh of it’s chest, and it made no sound. It was even less reactive than sweet darling Jeru had been.
Gueira observed him a moment before speaking. “What will we do for life support?” He asked, “She is not like the children in the garden. They are sturdier now, even if not the same level as Mitty was.”
“The machines we use for the cartridge making process will work well enough.” Bondrewd said.
“It is rather crude… Perhaps we should refine them. They are meant for someone to be taken apart.”
“Well this is the perfect chance to see if they are suited for a transplant, don’t you think?” Bondrewd took a few tubes and one by one attached them to the man. "See? It works for him just fine.”
Gueira sighed and nodded. And Bondrewd chuckled. “You worry about her. And I thought you found her annoying.”
“Not annoying. Just irrational.”
“Love is irrational, and yet so very powerful.” Bondrewd set the heart into place, and tied the arteries around the valves. The heart started beating, and when he removed the clamps, blood began to pump again. “Marvelous.”
A few days later he cut the man open again, and everything seemed to be working and melding together. He was eager to move on to Arette, but he had not yet observed long term activity. The man seemed fine, as fine as a mindless creature could. He worked, he moved.
There was always room for error. And of course, Arette could simply not be strong enough to handle the stress of the surgery. But she would only get worse. There was no other choice. They did it now, or never.
Arette agreed. She was not sure how one could replace a heart. She had never heard of anything like that before. She was not optimistic, nor pessimistic. She looked at Prushka as the girl sat by the bed, drawing her. She smiled and called to her. “Prushka.”
“Yes, momma?”
“Your father is going to be performing surgery on me. Hopefully, once I recover, the three of us will go up, together, and see the dawn.” Arette held out her hand to Prushka, and the girl took it, holding her mother’s hand to her face and she grinned.
“You will make it momma. Don’t worry. We will see it.”
Arette gave her hand a squeeze. “And don’t be sad for long if I don’t make it. I will be at the bottom of the Abyss. If you work hard, you could be just as skilled as your father, and you can come and see me down there.”
Prushka frowned a little. “How can you be down there, if you die?”
Arette rolled over, taking a cloth and coughing into it for a few seconds before finally stopping. She smiled at Prushka. “They say, when you die in the Abyss, you return to it, as a spirit. So if I do die, I will be a part of the Abyss.”
“You are not gonna die momma. Not yet.” Prushka hopped onto the bed, Meinya crawling out from under her hat to lay next to Arette’s feet.
The day came quickly. Arette sat in the bedroom, only in a robe as Bondrewd told her each and every step of the surgery he would be performing.
She looked up from her twisting hands when he kneeled in front of her, and watched as he plucked his whistle from its place on his scarf
He gently set the whistle into her hands, and then closed her fingers over it, making her grasp it tightly. He held her hands in his own, and lowered his helmet to them. Arette didn’t understand. Was he praying?
“Your hands are so warm.” he said quietly.
“Bondrewd, what are you doing?” Arette asked curiously, and he pulled away.
“Perhaps one day I will tell you.”
“Ugh. You and your secrets. How many do you have?”
“More than you could imagine… Now then, let's prepare everything. Let me pin your hair up for you.”
Arette looked at her hands as he styled her hair so it wouldn’t get in the way. “When I recover, lets try the baby thing again. Do you still want to?”
“Of course I want to. I do love children. I always wanted more.”
Arette’s stomach twisted. If he always wanted more why didn’t he actually adopt all those children he brought down? Why just send them to the garden? She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, holding it, and letting it out.
Bondrewd finished, his hands lingering on her shoulders and neck. “I love you.” he said, looking up as Gueira stepped in.
“The room is ready.” he said, and Bondrewd nodded.
It was a room she had never seen before. Cases lined the walls and hooks hung from the ceiling. It felt off. Weird. Almost like it was cursed. She sat quietly as everyone quietly did final preparations.
She looked at the wall. An illustration of a person hung up on it. It looked like it was a diagram on how to take them apart. One of the Umbra Hand took her chair and turned it so she was no longer looking at it.
“Everything is ready, Arette.” Bondrewd said pleasantly as an Umbra Hand helped him dress for the surgery, “Get on.”
“Get on.” Guiera mirrored robotically.
“Get on.” Another man said.
“Get on.”
‘Yes, get on.”
All of them motioned to the table in perfect sync. She got goosebumps from the odd behavior. Slowly she stood up, slowly getting on with some help from Guiera.
“Lay down and relax. When you wake up, everything will be fine.” Bondrewd assured
“It will be fine.”
“Yes, perfectly fine.” Guiera said, and Arette looked at him
“You are terrifying me. I hope you know that.” Arette grumbled, laying back on the table.
Guiera said absolutely nothing at all, slowly starting to strap her arm down. Bondirewd set a hand on her forehead, petting it gently.
Arette closed her eyes, and did her best not to panic. Bondrewd comforting her was helping a little. She opened them when he removed his hand, and she watched as he got the needle to sedate her.
“I will see you when you wake up, my dearest.” Bondrewd said, and he slipped the needle into her skin.
With Arette under he transferred the job of sedation to another Umbra Hand. He knew where everything was, where everyone ewas. He was in complete control of the room. He smeared iodine onto his gloves. “Prepare the machine. We need to hook it up to her and support her vitals so we can replace her heart.”
“Prepare.”
“Yes, prepare.”
Needles into her arms, her central line… The tube into her throat so she could continue to breathe even though her chest would be open. Yes, perfect. Marvelous. He turned to the table beside him, the clay heart beating on it. He had painstakingly sculpted it for days, making it perfect for her.
Once he was sure everything was in place, he took the scalpel, and cut. Through the skin, the thin layer of fat.
He lost himself into the work, seeing every angle of what he was doing. Knowing just where to cut, knowing when to give more blood, when to make an Umbra Hand tie off a blood vessel that was in the way.
Slow, painstaking work. For he was doing something he had never done before. A transplant with an artificial organ. Unheard of in the world of science. A true first.
He pulled her ribcage appart with a crack, and it was then that the machine started to blip erratically. He jolted from his concentration, looking up at it.
Her pressure was dropping.
No no no no. How could her pressure be dropping before he even… Why? Everything was going perfectly. He looked down at the floor, blood pooling at his feet and flowing off the table. Why was she bleeding so badly? He looked up at the Umbra Hand who was supposed to be replacing her blood, and he was slowly hooking it up to her lines.
Then he looked to the one who was supposed to be tying off blood vessels. He was slowly cauterizing and tying them off. This was supposed to be done quickly, yet delicately. This was not the time for a slow steady hand!
He was being too slow. They all were too slow.
His control slipped, the other Umbra Hands returning to awareness. A slight panic ran over the men but Gueira, ever loyal and calm, stepped forward to assist.
“Sir? Are you alright?
Bondrewd, pushed her lung aside, grabbing hold of the spasming heart, squeezing it rhythmically. “Come now, my dear. You can’t go like this.” he said, his tone deceptively pleasant.
“Bondrewd, what do you need me to do?”
“The foxglove extract, Gueira. Put it in her drip. Now. And you, stop that bleeding. That was your job.”
‘Y-yes sir.”
Gueira did as he requested, and Bondrewd kept squeezing her heart, which was ineffectually twitching in his grasp. “Please, you need to stay with me so I can put in the artifact.” His other hand moved and rested on her forehead, “Give her more blood, Gueira. She looks palid.”
An Umbra Hand by the machine monitoring Arette’s vitals spoke. “Sir, you need to remove your hand. The electrical signals are failing. She’s beyond help.”
Bondrewd let the heart go and watched as it did little more than twitch. He looked at her face, then to the machine. Indeed, all signals were bordering on dying, most worryingly so activity from her brain. His hand returned to keep squeezing her heart rhythmically as he tried to also get everything ready to tie off the arteries that lead to and from her heart. “I could-”
“She’s been like this for who knows how long. The brain is dying. Even if you get it in and pumping for her. There is no guarantee that she will have enough cognitive function to be herself. Let her die.”
“Shut up you idiot.” Guiera snapped, his calm demeanor vanishing, “That is the mistress of Ido Front you are talking about. Not some orphan from the surface.”
“Now who is the irrational one, Gueira?”
Bondrewd felt her heart fail in his hands. He let it go, and began tying off the arteries quickly, he set the new heart in her chest, crudely gluing the arteries to it, making sure to not miss anything. It was in, securely. He allowed her blood to flow through it again, and soon it was beating for her.
He looked up at the machine. Her heart was strongly beating...
But her brain was inactive.
The momentary thrill of success vanished. He had taken too long to decide what to do.
They all stared at the machine. Arette’s heart was beating, but she was gone. Brain dead.
“Ah… How unfortunate.” Bondrewd said quietly. He looked back down at her, “You didn’t even get to try it out… After I worked so hard to make it for you. Oh my poor dear.”
He took her head in his hands, and pressed his helm to her forehead. “This is my fault.”
“Sir-”
“You are all too slow when I control so many. I wanted to be in complete control. I wanted to be sure there could be no mistakes. But that was in itself my mistake.” he ran his thumb over Arette’s cheek, smearing blood on it.
Guiera spoke quietly, his hands clasped together tightly, and head down, “How should we proceed, sir?”
Bondrewd sighed, standing up straight. “Close her up and remove the thousand-man pin. Then clean her and put her in her sleeping gown all pretty in our bed. Prushka should see her before we cremate her.”
They nodded, and began. Bondrewd cleaned himself off, throwing away the gloves and surgery gown. It really was disappointing. Once he was satisfied with his cleaning, he made his way out of the room. Prushka was asleep with pillows by the door, and Bondrewd sighed.
His daughter was adorable, and so much like her mother despite them not being related at all. He kneeled down, and set his hand on her head, rubbing his fingers through her curled hair a moment before he picked her up and carried her to her room, Meinya hopping behind him.
He set his hand on her cheek. “Prushka. Wake up.”
She stirred a moment, before her eyes opened. “Papa?” She sat up suddenly, looking up at him, “Is the operation over? Can I see momma?”
“Prushka, I am sorry-”
Her smile fell, and she shook her head, her face scrunching up. “No!” she yelled, shaking her head harder.
“Yes, I am afraid-.”
“She promised we would go up together! She promised papa!” Prushka wailed loudly, “Momma! No!”
She threw herself onto the bed, screaming and frightening Meinya, who fled to the corner of the bed and shook. Bondrewd said nothing, as there was nothing to say.
She calmed down eventually, enough that she was just sniffling. She was laying face first in her sheets, and Meinya slowly returned to her to sit her back. Bondrewd turned as the door opened, Gueira sticking his head in. “She is ready.”
“Come Prushka. Let’s see momma one final time.”
“No. No, I don’t wanna see her!” Prushka snapped, thrashing on the bed. Bondrewd ignored her, and picked her up, and she continued to protest, until she broke down crying again
In their bed, Arette was slightly propped up, hands folded in her lap and her curled hair loose along the pillow. She was almost otherworldly in her beauty at that moment, her skin was rosy still, and she looked like she was only sleeping.
Yet her chest did not rise in fall with the breath of life.
After some coaxing, Prushka finally looked, her breath shaky as she whimpered. She smiled a little, wiping her eyes.. “She looks pretty.” She managed to say.
Bondrewd set her on the bed. “Yes. There is beauty in suffering, in death. Just as there is in joy and life. Now say goodbye. Take as long as you need.”
Prushka crawled up to kneel besides Arette, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Goodbye momma.” She then laid down next to her, face buried into her side. Bondrewd allowed her to remain as long as she wanted, gazing at Arette.
He lingered in the room after Guiera took Prushka away. He reached up, and took his helmet in his hands, and pulled it off. He then bent down, and pressed his lips to her forehead. She smelled like alcohol and blood.
He had never once kissed her. But he would spare her one, perhaps several, as a farewell gift for her return to the Abyss.
Soon he had shed his gloves and coat, sleaves rolled up as he scooped her into his arms. She was still mobile, and her skin just vagly warm. He suppoorted her head, leaning her on him, gripping her hand in his. The first time he touched her with his bare hands, and she was gone. Unable to feel him in turn. Bondrewd was not one to feel regret. Everything he did he did with purpose. But this, this truely was something he regretted.
He ran his fingers over the freckles on her shoulder, counting them until the lingering warmth left her. Five hundred and thirty two in total. On her shoulders, arms, and face.
He finally set her back down. Her body now stiff, even though under his fingers he could feel her pulse. Even with the heart still beating, her body was going to decay. He could not hold her forever, much to his sorrow. It was time to let her go.
Arette was cremated. The heart survived the process, and he placed it in a wooden box to keep. After that, with her ashes, Bondrewed went to the altar of the absolute boundary. He gripped his whistle in his hands tightly, and then rubbed. The machine activated, and slowly began to drop. As it fell below the ocean, Bondrewd kneeled and lit a few sticks of incense. His poster matched his mood, downcast and melancholy.
When the descent stopped, he stepped out into the sixth layer, and opened the box. “Here… Let me help you get a little closer to the bottom my dear.” He tossed the contents into the air, and it drifted away on some unfelt breeze.
He gazed down into the darkness of the Abyss for a long while before sighing. “I am afraid I have too much to do, to join you down there yet. But perhaps one day I will take my final dive.”
He stepped back into the elevator, and it rose. His backpack hissed and then shot out a cartridge. He was silent for a long time before his dower posture became more upright again. “My my my my. This whole depressing business has proven to be incredibly beneficial in the long run.”
He went to Prushka’s room, setting himself on the side of the bed. Prushka rolled over and rubbed her eyes, red and swollen. She was still crying it seemed. “Prushka, lets talk for a little bit.”
Prushka sniffed and nodded.
“The stages of grief are long ones.” he said quietly, “But I ask you to not be angry, do not hate your momma, not even for a second, for not making it.”
He rubbed her head, and she grabbed his wrist, pressing her face into his palm. “I promise, Papa. I won’t ever hate Momma.”
She looked up at him then. “You won’t leave me will you?”
“Never. I will always be by your side, my little Prushka.”
Weeks went by. Prushka could see the effect this loss had on everyone. There was a melancholy among the Umbra Hands. Even those her mother had not known well.
Everyone but papa.
Bondrewd went on like it was not sad at all. And when people were talking about Arette, they grew silent when he came near. It upset her. She didn’t understand, and it only made her cry more than she had been.
She finished her paper flower, spinning it between her fingers a moment, before looking at Guiera as he leaned against the wall, watching her. “Guiera… Does Papa miss momma like I do? Is he sad?”
He jerked his head in her direction. “What?”
“He doesn’t cry. Or get sad… Everyone else is sad.”
Gueira shifted. “Trust me he is sad. I feel it. We all do.”
“You feel it?” Prushka turned to face him fully. “How do you all feel it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Call it an inside intuition.”
Gueira moved from the wall, crouching in front of her. “Prushka… Your papa is…” he paused a moment, trying to find the words, “He feels things differently than you do. It’s hard to explain. But he’s done things, been through things. And it makes him feel things and show them very differently.”
“Why doesn't anyone talk about her around him?”
Guiera looked at her for a long moment. “Because he blames himself.”
Prushka looked back down at the paper flower. Papa blamed himself for momma dying? He must have felt really terrible then. Maybe he thought she hated him because of that. Prushka’s eyes started getting wet, and she sniffed, wiping her eyes. She smiled a little as Gueira put his large hand on her head, pushing her hat down over her eyes.
She stood up and gave Gueira a hug. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
She headed to Bondrewd’s study, pushing the door open after a moment of struggle turning the handle. “Papa, I made something for you!”
Bondrewd looked over his shoulder at her. “Oh? What is it?” he turned in his chair and Prushka ran to him, hugging him tightly. He pet her head, chuckling softly.
“Here, I made you a flower!” She pulled away and held it up to him, “It won't ever wilt!”
“Oh how talented you are. You know, I have a vase in my room. I think it will go wonderfully there. Come with me.” he got up, and Prushka took his hand in hers.
He let her hand go to open the door, pushing it open. “You know, you can make more, and make a whole arrangement. I think…”
He stopped half way into the room. Just looking at the bed.
Prushka blinked, and looked at it. Her momma’s quilts were the only thing of note. She looked up at him, and she understood. Seeing them made him sad.
Prushka gave his hand a squeeze, resting her forehead on his knuckles. “Papa…. Can I sleep in here with you tonight?” she asked.
Normally he would have chided her for being too old. But this time, he didn’t say anything like that. “Of course.”
Prushka curled against his chest that night. And behind her, she put a pillow so that as she dozed off, with the smell of her mother still lingering on the bedding, Prushka could have sworn her momma was with them.
Prushka grew into a young lady, as her Papa said. She went on even more adventures, discovered her own things. She missed her momma every day, and for two years, she tossed eternal fortunes into the sea of corpses for her so she could enjoy them down at the bottom of the Abyss.
She was fourteen when her Papa came to her, and told her guests were coming. That one of them was the daughter of a white whistle like her. Prushka cleaned a room for them, and greeted them.
Riko, Reg, and Nanachi. New people. Children like her. She was nervous, but excited.
“Blegh… it tastes like a wall.” Riko mumbled as she chewed the ration and Prushka giggled. Her momma always said the same thing.
“I can bring you honey. It makes it taste a little better.”
“You have honey down here?” Reg asked.
“Papa says it keeps really well and never goes bad. So he keeps some down here. For ‘nostalgia’ he says. I don’t know what that means though.” Prushka leaned in closer to Riko, “So, what does your name mean, Riko?”
Riko paused in her eating and looked up. “Huh? Well, I don't know. I never thought about it.”
“Well my name is Prushka, It means flower of dawn. My papa named me that. Have you guys ever seen a dawn?”
“Uh, Prushka,” Reg started, “Have you never been to the surface?”
“No, I was born down here.” Her face suddenly got hot. Was it weird that she had never seen a dawn?! “But don’t think I don’t know what dawn is. It's… It's when the lights turn on!”
“That's a strange way of putting it.” Reg chuckled.
“My momma said it that way. She said day was the lights on and night the lights off.” Prushka said, fiddling with her fingers. “She told me a lot about the surface. The ocean and stuff. Is it… Is it true?”
“Is what true?” Riko asked.
“Well… She said the ocean is salty. Is that true?”
“Yeah, it's super salty. If you drink it it actually kills you.” Riko said, grinning.
“Hmm. Doesn't sound so interesting, compared to the one down here.”
Nanachi looked at her from the bed. “You have a mother?” they asked darkly.
“Well yeah, doesn't everyone have one?” Prushka asked, turning and stepping up to nanachi, who leaned away from her, “You have one right?”
“I guess… I did once.” Nanachi grumbled, looking quite disgruntled for some reason.
Prushka instantly assumed nanachi’s mother was dead, and she did her best to sympathize. “My momma is gone too. She died when I was almost twelve.”
“Was your mom a black whistle?” Riko asked,
“Mhm. She got it so she could stay down here with papa and me. Before that she was a moon whistle. Papa brought her down to save her when she got sick. And she never left.”
Nanachi mumbled darkly. Reg looked at them before looking back at Prushka. “Uh, what happened to your mother?”
“She had a bad heart. That wasn’t always true, but when she was brought down here, what made her sick hurt it a lot. It gave her heart failure. Papa gave her an artifact that made her strong again, but eventually it stopped beating properly despite that. He did all he could. He even made her a new heart and tried to put it in her chest, but it wasn’t enough.”
She reached into her hat, and pulled out the photograph from inside, Meinya making a slight fuss at being bothered.
“Here, this is all of us. We took this before she went up one last time to see grandma.” Prushka smiled as Riko took the photo to look at it, “Your momma was Lyza right?”
“Yeah. We are going down to find her at the bottom of the Abyss.” Riko said, “She made it at least into the seventh layer, so she could be there.”
Prushka remembered what her mother had said. That those who died in the Abyss returned as a part of it. She fiddled with her fingers a moment, before looking up at Riko. “My momma said when people die, they come back as spirits in the Abyss. Do you think she is there too?”
“She might be, it is true that people like to think you become a part of the Abyss when you die. So, she could be there. You never know! Water flows up in the second layer so why couldn’t there be spirits?”
“What? Water flows up in the second layer? There isn’t anything like that down here!” Prushka paused a moment, trying to think of more things to talk about, “Hey, have you ever had cake, Riko? It's good food, you know?”
“Oh yeah, sometimes Laffi would give me some when I went to her shop.” Riko said, and Prushka gasped,
“Laffi? My momma knew Laffi I think! She got all the things for my birthday cake from her. Do you know Hablog? He taught my momma delving.”
The two girls squealed and Reg looked at Nanachi, grinning. “Well those two seem to be getting along.”
“Yeah I guess.” Nanachi grumbled.
Prushka eventually bid them a good rest and left. She ran up to Gueira, and smiled up at him. “They are nice I think, Gueira. I like Riko a lot.”
Gueira was silent for a moment before he seemed to change a little, his posture more familiar. “Oh you do?” he asked, “That is good. Are you already friends with her?”
Prushka looked to the side, scratching her lip. “I like to think so. We laughed a lot, and she told me about a lot of things. She mentioned a fish she ate before she came here. I want to try it out sometime. Can I?”
“Yes, that sounds like a fast friend. And absolutely. I get sick of those rations. Some good food would be nice for a change.” He sighed heavily, “I miss those cakes your mother made.”
“Maybe I can make you a cake, Gueira.” Prushka said, smiling at him, and he set his hand on her head, Meinya squeaking from under it.
Prushka yawned, and Gueira nodded down the hall. “Go to bed, you worked hard today.”
“Ehehe. Okay. Goodnight Gueira.” She turned and ran down the hall back to her room, and Gueira turned, and slowly continued on his way.
To say Bondrewd was excited by his guests was an understatement. There were only a few things that truly excited him at the thought of studying them. The Abyss itself, the embodiment of value in the sixth layer who he had seen only at a distance, and of course, one of the artificial beings of the Abyss.
And to have Nanachi back… It was quite an exciting time.
Bondrewd walked down the hall, head tilting as the door to the room Prushka put them in opened. Nanachi stepped out, and glowered at him.
“Nanachi, I see you are awake. Why don’t you take a walk with me?”
Nanachi kept glowering at him, but they nodded. Bondrewd led them to the room lined with lights, and he ran his fingers over Mitty’s light.
“I didn’t expect you to be a family man.” Nanachi finally said as they sat, head downcast, “A wife and daughter…”
“Arette came to me while you were still helping me with the experiments.” Bondrewd explained, eager to tell Nanachi about his wife, “I met her in the fourth layer. She was fighting an Orb Piercer and doing quite well against it. It was her very first trip into the fourth layer. I was so impressed with her skill level. Just a moon whistle and she held her own long enough to escape. You left before she was well enough to meet you sadly. I think you would have liked her.”
Nanachi looked at him, looking unimpressed. “And your daughter? When did you and your wife have her?”
“Ah, Prushka came to us before Arette and I were married. She is not mine by blood, but she is mine. Adorable isn’t she?
“So you had a wife but no children of your own? Figures I guess.”
“We discussed it. It was a hope. But it never came to pass.” Nanachi was not wrong of course. He could not have a child of his own flesh and blood any more. But there was more to family than blood, and he was sure to explain that as he gazed upon the lights of the children in the garden. “Is what they call family restricted merely to those related by blood? I do not believe that to be so. Families are built by strangers who cross paths and come together. Having souls that love each other is what makes people family. Blood just helps in that regard.”
He looked at them. “Love, it's a matter of love, Nanachi.”
Nanachi made an adorable aghast expression. “Love? You got some nerve to spew such grand concepts from such a narrow opening. What do you even know about love?”
“Your verbal barbs are always so unique and precious.” he touched their soft face and they flinched, “Arette would have liked you, Nanachi. She liked to quip at me too. Though she was not as creative as you are.”
Nanachi’s face scrunched up. “Oh and what did she call you?”
“Weird, annoying… Embarassing was my favorite one.”
“Ugh.” Nanachi rolled their eyes and looked away from him. “Embarrassing is right.”
“She was altruistic too. You know, her heart only got as bad as it did because she insisted I test something on her instead of one of the children. I was so moved by the action.” Bondrewd pet Nanachi’s soft cheek a moment before he pulled away, “Now then, to business. The preparations are almost complete. So I ask you Nanachi, please come back and join me. There are so many things I would like for you to see.”
Nanach looked down, sulking almost and looking terribly conflicted. After a long moment of looking to the side, they spoke. “Naaaaa… Listen, Bondrewd....” they paused again, expression now almost fond. He wondered what they could be thinking of.
“... Fine. I will join you again.”
“That is positively delightful to hear.” he kneeled down and touched their soft fluffy arms, “Nanachi, You are something special you know that, right?”
Nanachi looked up at him. “I do have conditions though. My two friends, Riko and Reg. Please don’t hurt them. And help them get down to the sixth layer too.”
Oh dear. Well that was an unfortunate request. He had already broken it quite thoroughly with the ‘boy’. “Uh oh. I may have done something regrettable. You see, that boy-type robot is an unprecedented specimen. I may have already-”
Nanachi rushed past him, and Bondrewd turned to watch them run away on all fours. Oh he had no idea they ran like that. How cute. He got back up onto his feet, and made his way to them. Already aware of what was happening.
Prushka saw all of that. Oh dear. Poor girl. Bido fell into place beside him as he made his way to the docks, Prushka turning to him.
“Papa! Is it true, did you order Guiera and the others to hurt Reg?” She grabbed his coat and looked up at him, “Papa-”
He set his hand on her head. “Prushka. You will soon be a full grown lady. Use your own eyes and ears and assess the situation.”
She looked away from him, upset. “Papa. Guiera was being so weird. Is he okay?”
“Yes, he is fine. I will be sure I reprimand him for acting out of turn.” he turned to Bido, “Bido will watch you. He can be trusted. I must go retrieve our guests and try to salvage the situation. Understand?”
She nodded, stepping away from him nervously as Gueira and the others joined them on the docks. “Gueira please don’t hurt Reg more. Please?”
Gueira did not reply, and merely got the boat ready. Bondrewd set his hand back on her head. “I think he’s ashamed of his actions. It will be alright. I promise.”
Bondrewd got onto the boat with the others. He turned to look at Guiera, who was unresponsive due to him controlling him. It was the same for all of them. “I am afraid my old friend that we soon must say goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” Guiera said quietly, and the others mirrored his words.
They followed the children’s footsteps. The stingerhead hive was coming into view. They were hiding in there? He supposed that was as suitable as anything. In fact it could assure a major step in his plans, but it was very dangerous.
“Nanachi, please. There is no need to sulk” Bondrewd assured as he approached them and the mechanical child… Reg he believed he called himself, “I heard from Prushka, your friend is a very important doll to you, yes? I can not return him to his original condition, but I can repair him. Now then, let us all head back together.”
Nanachi looked up at him impassively. “One, he’s not a doll. Two, That is not going to happen. I will not let you go back.”
There was a click above him, and Bondrewd looked up to see the girl, Lyza’s daughter above him. Riko, he believed. She gripped a pickaxe in her hands tighter, and glared down at him before swinging and exploding the sandstone.
“That belongs to the sovereign of annihilation.” he observed, before looking back down at Nanachi with urgency, “It’s dangerous. You should evacuate Nanachi.”
Reg lifted his arm and shot it to the roof of the cave, grabbing a hold of the rocky surface. Nanachi snorted at him. “You know what, you shouldn’t just stare at holes. You really ought to look down at your feet a bit more.”
Reg lifted Nanachi up into the ceiling, to a hole that led outside. The ground rumbled at Bondrewd's feet, and he felt a thrill. They had planned this from the beginning hadn’t they? What clever dear children. He was impressed indeed at their nerve and resolve.
He stood calmly as his men were torn apart, Gueira’s flesh melting from the venom. It was a necessary loss. Guiera was close to Prushka, and for her to be complete, he had to die. They all did. He had known this the moment Arette had died. Her death worked in the grand scheme of things. As unfortunate as it had been, in the end it was a blessing.
He lifted his arms and bent them, and activated the sparagmos, cutting through the stingerheads easily, he stepped out of the hive, and called to the children. He knew they were fine, but he still worried.
“Children. What has come over you? Why are you hiding in such a place?”
Prushka watched from afar, hands over her mouth as her face scrunched up. Where was Gueira? Why did he not come out with papa? Was he-?
Bido set his hand on her head and Prushka could only watch as Riko and her friends hurt her Papa, cursing him, crushing him. He had promised. He had promised! She ran from Bido and down to her Papa. He couldn’t be. He had promised her!
“Papa?”
“Prushka, wait-” Riko called to her, but Prushka kept moving towards him, his flesh bulging from between his scarf and helmet, the purple glow from his helmet dark.
“Papa, answer me.” She took his helm into her hands and leaned over him, sobbing, “Papa, please wake up. You promised. You promised me. Don’t leave me like momma did. Please Papa.”
She sobbed loudly into her hands. Momma, Guiera, and now Papa too. How could Riko’s friend be so cruel? “Papa, Papa I can’t lose you too.”
Bido stepped up behind her and set his hand on her head again, before he kneeled down. Slowly he took off Bondrewd’s whistle, pausing for a long moment, before he grabbed Papa’s helmet and pulled it off. His flesh sloughed out, bloody and horrifying, and Prushka watched as Bido removed his own helmet and whistle, putting both on.
His coat ripped, the cotton stuffing and ripped fabric falling to the ground, and below, her Papa stood. His tail waving behind him.
The joy was overwhelming, so much so she did not even question how Bido had become her papa. “Papa!”
Bondrewd turned to her, holding out his hands to her. “Papa is here, Prushka.”
Prushka stood and ran to him, her face burying in his coat. “Papa, you came back!”
“Of course I did. I promised you didn’t I?” he picked her up, and Prushka held his helmet in her hands, pressing her face to the metal, “I won’t be going anywhere. As long as I have your love, I am immortal.”
Everything after that went dark.
She was cold when she woke up, unable to move, the feeling of something soft crossing on her skin. She looked up at her Papa, and after a moment of struggle she spoke.
“Papa.... I want to go with you and Riko… Down there.”
Bondrewd stopped, looking at Prushka. “Down where?”
“Riko said what momma did… That you go to the bottom of the Abyss when you die… Is she… Is momma down there Papa?” She reached her hand up, “Papa… I want to go down there… And get her. I want to see the dawn with you and her.”
It hurt. What papa was doing hurt. But she would do anything for him. Even this.
Bondrewd took her hand gently in his. “Let’s have an adventure then, Prushka. We will go down, and we will see your mother again. Together. And then, when we come back up, the dawn will be waiting, and we all will be together, forever.”
Prushka smiled at him, and Bondrewd began the process.
It hurt. They took her arms, her legs, things she didn’t know the same of. It hurt so badly, and she was so scared, and yet at the same time, so happy. She remembered Gueira, her momma, the good food her momma made. She remembered being under the blankets, and her momma speaking to papa.
“If something happens to this girl, I will kill you”
Momma… Don’t hate Papa. It's okay. I want this. I want this I promise. It hurts but it's for him So don’t hate him, Momma.
She could feel her Papa’s feelings through it all. Feel that her pain gave him strength.
Papa. I’m here. I’m with you. No matter how dark the night is. We can overcome it together.
But at the same time she could not help but think of Riko. Of the things they talked about, the things they shared. The feelings she felt, some of them new.
And so she made a single request. Selfish perhaps, but she made it any way.
Please papa. I have just one thing to ask of you. Just one thing.
I want you to make peace with Riko and her friends.
You don’t have to fight.
“Reg, Riko! Do it now!”
I mean after all, we are going to go on an adventure together!
Togher on an adventure to find Riko’s momma at the very bottom of the Abyss…
And mine.
Nanachi rushed to Reg, putting their hands over his stomach. “Don’t you dare die on me, Reg” They snapped, looking at him.
Reg groaned, flinching in pain. “Nanachi-”
“Don’t try to talk. I am going to fix you no matter what it takes.” Reg proceeded to grab their arm and pulled them to lay over him, his nose buried in their fur, “Naaaaa, hey!”
“Thanks… I feel calmer now. Take care… of Riko.” Reg slipped into unconsciousness, and Nanachi glanced over to Riko, who was clutching the cartridge and sobbing.
“Nanachi…”
They froze, and stood up with a jolt. They stared at the upper half of Bondrewd, eyes narrowing a moment before they cautiously approached him. Was the bastard still alive?”
Bondrewd lifted his head to look at them, and Nanachi figured as much. He was too stubborn to just grant them the pleasure of dying immediately. “You surprised me. You managed to get the severed arm functioning. You used all your strength, all your wits. You all took action… Truly moving. Utterly marvelous.”
Nanachi clenched their fists. “That's enough of your blabbering. It doesn't look like you have anyone else to help you either. Which means you no longer have any Umbra Hand’s to fight us.”
“Gyarike is still in the fourth layer, yes.” Bondrewd affirmed, still sounding so pleasant, like he wasn’t even in pain.
Nanachi frowned. “I said be quiet. Nothing is going to stop us from leaving, or destroying everything here, including the zoaholic. Your evil asparations end right here.”
“Oh, heavens no. Your prayers, your ardent desire to choose your own paths and push forward. They have surpassed even my own.” His voice wavered a moment, like he was finally feeling the pain, “Although it is regrettable that this body has been destroyed, crossing paths and getting to clash with you, was an unparalleled joy.”
God just how much air did this guy have left?
“The fact you all will continue on beyond this place, is now my new aspiration.”
Nothing seemed to faze him at all. Nothing made him angry, sad, or even regret. Nanachi lowered their head. “I see it’s pointless to say anything to you. You're sick.” They looked up at him again, “And you are unbelievably pathetic.”
They paused a moment. “You know, it's funny. I long dreamed of the day we would kill each other and-”
They froze as Bondrewd lifted his clawed hand to their face, holding their cheek. “Ah, Nanachi. It pleases me that things didn’t turn out that way.”
How could he…? Nanachi started sniffling, but they held back their tears. This man would never make them cry again.
“Come now, raised your head up high.” Nanachi looked at him, and he continued, “May your journey overflow with both curses, and blessings.”
Nanachi took his wrist into their hand, for a moment holding it closer to their cheek. He was so very soft like they were... They pulled his hand off their face then, looking definitely down at him. “You can shut up now.”
Bondrewd did not shut up. “You are… adorable.” He let out a weary laugh then. “You know… My wife told me… she told me...”
It made him almost seem normal. Him waxing poetic about his wife as he was dying. Nanachi humored him. “What? What did she tell you?”
He inhaled a deep shaky breath. “She told me she would kill me if harm ever came to Prushka.” Bondrewd let out a wheezy chuckle, “I wish to thank you… You enacted her will for her… It was indeed… Marvelous. But how I would have loved for it... to have been her whip to slice me in half.”
His voice got breathy, and Nanachi figured he was finally dying. “She was… so skilled… with… it.”
His head fell back then, and his arm went limp in their hand. Nanachi gripped the arm tightly a moment before letting it drop. They felt bad just for a second, but remembered he was probably still alive, in a new body.
Bastard could not even grant his dead wife’s desire.
Nanachi wrapped Reg up, and sat back as he woke up after a few pats from their hand. the boy sat up with a jolt. “I took a peek. Everything seems to be uninjured.” they said, “And judging by how you are acting, you probably will be fine.”
Reg looked at Bondrewd’s remains. “Is he dead?”
“We won, yes. But there are a few of the Umbra Hand still around so he probably body snatched one of them already. But none of them are strong enough to stop us…” Nanachi looked back at the base wearily, We should probably destroy the Zoaholic before that one we met in the fourth layer-”
Riko suddenly wailed, and Nanachi and Reg looked at her.
“It's not fair!” She sobbed as she clutched the cartridge to her chest, getting up onto her knees after a few more deep breaths and shuffling to Reg, “Reg, your tummies h-hurt!”
“I’m going to be alright Riko.” Reg assured her, and Riko sat back down, looking at the cartridge.
“Prushka feels so warm.” she pet the cartridge, “Maybe we could help her. She has a pulse and-.”
The cartridge bubbled, and Riko panicked. “I-I’m sorry is that painful, would this be better?”
She tilted it back on its side, and Prushka’s remains began to leak out. Riko panicked more, trying to stop it. “No! No Prushka I’m sorry please! You want to see the dawn remember? You want to go find your mom like I do!”
It would not stop and soon it slowed, the pulse she once felt was gone. Riko started to sob heavily, leaning over the case and hugging it tightly. Meinya made a little sound, and there was a clunk. Riko looked up, and saw something had fallen out of the case.
“What is that?” Nanachi asked.
Riko picked it up. It was a white stone, shaped like a heart. As she held it, she felt something come from it. Something familiar. Her eyes widened. “Prushka, is that you?”
“Seriously, you think she-?”
Riko sniffed. “Well yeah… What else could it be? It's just so strange.” She held it closer, and rubbed it, and a sound emitted from it.
Reg shuddered and held his stomach. “My belly feels hot.”
It had to be one. A life reverberating stone.
Nanachi made a harness for the stone, for Prushka to sit safely in. Riko had done it. She was a white whistle. It didn’t feel all too great though.
It felt terrible.
They went back into the base to look for the Zoaholic. There was no sign of the Umbra Hands, and so they felt safe enough to split up to cover more ground and find it. Meinya sat on her shoulder, focused on the whistle. Riko wondered if Meinya could feel what she could feel.
She found the store room for delving supplies, and she guessed it would be a good idea to take them to restock, and get some easy food for at least a week or maybe more.
Riko rummaged through the supplies, Going to a crate filled with type four rations, hopping a few times until she could get her hands in deep enough to grab a large handful of them. She was about to fall in, when a hand grabbed her jacket and pulled her back.
She turned around as soon as she was set back on her feet, and looked up at the Umbra Hand that stood before her. “If you touch me again I’ll… I’ll kick you.” she sniffled.
The man kneeled before her and he held out his hand to her, and she stared at it incredulously. “What? What do you want?”
“Let me see her.”
It was Bondrewd's voice. He had a lot of guts to approach her so brazenly after he had been so soundly defeated. She opened her mouth, ready to scream for the others, until she felt something from the stone hanging from her neck.
She could almost hear Prushka’s voice.
Papa!
She sniffled, and after a few moments, she took the life reverberating stone off from around her neck and set it in Bondrewd’s hand. She watched as he clasped it between both of his hands, and held it to his chest. She could just barely tell that Prushka was happy, even more so when he pet the stone gently.
“She likes it when you pet her.” Riko wiped her nose on her sleeve. Even now Prushka seemed to love him, after everything he did. She didn’t understand.
“Yes, she always did.” He lifted one hand, and Riko shied away from him, “Thank you, Riko.”
Riko flinched as he set his hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair. “Why are you thanking me?”
“You were such a good friend to her, that she thought of you, and became this. Thanks to you, Prushka can get her wish.”
“What wish?” Riko was starting to cry again, her glasses fogging up. Bondrewd moved his hand and used a finger to wipe a tear away.
“She wished to go on an adventure with you, and with me. To the very bottom of the Abyss. She wanted-”
“She wanted to find her mother.” Riko said, breaking down more and her shoulders shaking with her attempts to suppress her sobbing..
“Yes. You knew her for such a short time, yet at the end of it all, in all her pain, she loved you as much as she loved me. You are truly marvelous, Riko. Just like your mother.” he held Prushka back out to her, and Riko took the stone, sobbing, “Thank you for making it so my precious daughter could go on her adventure.”
Riko held Prushka to her chest and she wailed. Why did it have to be like this? They could have all gone down together. Prushka alive, Bondrewd helping them. More friends to have. And yet that wasn’t what happened at all. She buried her face into his shoulder as Bondrewd wrapped his arms around her and held her gently, his hand petting her hair.
She could feel it, faintly, how much Prushka loved him.
He pulled away and gave her a final pat on her head as he stood up. “Look after Riko and Prushka, Meinya.”
Meinya stretched its wings as it stood up from where it was sitting on the crate. “Myaaa.”
Bondrewd then turned and began to walk away from her. Riko took a few sharp breaths through her sobbing, doing her best to get a good breath in. “Prushka loves you. She still loves you.”
“And I love her too. May she have many wonderful adventures with you, Riko.”
He finally left, and Riko fell to her knees and cried.
After a few minutes, Nanachi poked their head into the room. “Naaaaa. You're crying again.” They walked up to her, scratching their cheek. “Come on, we need you to help us find the Zoaholic.”
Riko shook her head. She couldn’t. She couldn’t kill him. Not when Prushka loved him so much. He was horrible, irredeemable, and yet Prushka loved him unconditionally.
And Riko knew, she just knew, that Bondrewd loved her too. None of it made sense, but she couldn’t do any more harm here. “Oh Nanachi… He-He- Was here and he spoke to me and- and he-”
Riko wailed loudly, and Nanachi set their hand on her head, sighing. “He got to you, huh? He got me feeling bad for him too, talking about his wife.” They gave her head a light smack, and it didn’t hurt at all, “Fine, we won’t destroy it if that’s what you want.”
“Thank you, Nanachi.”
“Riko are you okay? I could hear you crying from three levels down.” Reg poked his head in.
“She’s fine. Reg, help me get all these things in the pack. We gotta go.” Nanachi helped Riko stand up, and Riko bent over to pick up the rations, still sobbing. Meinya hopped onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
She hiccuped, and took off her glasses to wipe her eyes. She followed the others outside to take a look over everything they managed to get. As Nanachi examined reg, Riko openied a ration and took a bite. It somehow was even more bland then before due to her stuffy nose. She cracked a smile, tears still flowing down her cheeks.
“Crying and eating. You’re quite the multitasker, Riko.” Nanachi teased.
Reg looked back to Ido Front, face concerned for a moment “Hey, Nanachi.”
Nanachi looked to where Reg was staring, and there Bondrewd stood with what remained of his Umbra Hands, his battered nearly destroyed helmet on his head. A single eye was exposed, and looking upon them with a gentle gaze.
Nanachi grumbled. “Damn him… I should have smashed that mask into a thousand pieces.”
“Are you okay?” Reg asked, looking at them.
“We’ve come to an understanding of sorts.” They trailed off and looked at Riko, “Besides, I’m going to respect our team leader’s will.”
Riko set her hand on Prushka, looking up at the altar. This was it, wasn’t it? There was no coming back after this. She looked down at the stone in her hand, giving it a squeeze. This had started with the intent on finding her mother, and now it was more than that. It was the adventures she had with Reg and Nanachi, the discovery of the unknown, and now hopefully doing what Prushka wished for.
She smiled, turning to look at Bondrewd for a moment, then looking at Reg and Nanachi.
“Come on guys. It's time to go on our next adventure!”