Chapter 385 How to Pick Representatives
Eris felt her heart clench in her chest as she realized that her youngest son was indeed serious about his question.
But it was so outlandish that she did not even know how to process it.
"Belloc… why would you ever think that?"
The second prince stared his mother up and down as he wrestled with his answer.
"Mother is life… ever expanding, always growing. I am rot and decay. My identity is rooted in the decimation of all that you create. Do you not detest me for this?"
As soon as Belloc saw his sixth elven mother, he knew that she had a very powerful nature divinity; and goddesses like that typically despised beings like him.
Though it wasn't as if he could blame them since he had always hated them too.
But while he did not hate Eris, he had already expected her to hate him.
But against his expectations, Belloc saw his mother smile at him in a way that she never had before.
"You really… have no idea just how much like your father you really are. He has a tendency to worry about needless things too, you know?"
Without waiting for permission, Eris lifted up the young Belloc and carried him into her arms.
"Do you know what I think? Life and decay don't need to be in opposition, and nor should you be afraid that I will detest you.
You and I are important parts of a very beautiful and necessary cycle. Nothing that I bring to life grows properly without some sort of death or rot to feed it.
You help bring balance to the world around us just as I do. You are every bit as necessary for life to flourish as the sun in the sky.
I wish more people appreciated that about you and did not see you as an 'evil' dragon."
Suddenly, Eris paused in the middle of the hall and held Belloc above her head while smiling at him proudly.
"I bet that the lands that you rot would become the most wonderful fertilizer for any of the life forms I create could ever graze upon.
And in turn, the nutrients and energy that you could absorb when they inevitably pass away is unlike anything else that you could ever experience."
Belloc seemed overjoyed by that prospect judging by the swaying of his little tail that was close to resembling a propeller.
Eris suddenly brought her forehead against Belloc's and he felt warmth overflowing.
"But our natures aside, you are my son. Though I did not carry you physically, my blood still runs through you just as Audrina's does.
And that means that I will love you always and forever, no matter what you become. There exists no force in any multiverse that is strong enough to change that."
In his entire time of existence, the death dragon had never felt so undeserving of affection before.
He did not know how long it was going to take him to get used to being born in such a open and loving family.
But for right now, he was going to have to learn to take things one step at a time.
"I understand, mother…"
"That's my baby."
The two of them traveled together to the front door of the castle and waited for their traveling partners for the day.
Eventually, Abaddon came down the stairs with Valerie on his back, and in a particularly clingy and adorable mood.
"You can walk, you know?" He asked with a laugh.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I can… but I don't want to. I have never felt so connected to you before… I never want to be separated from you for as long as I live, so keep holding me okay?"
"Of course… You should know by now that I would never let you slip awa-"
"KYAAA!! There's my baby boy!!"
Valerie practically teleported off Abaddon's back and reappeared at Eris' side before she tried to snatch Belloc from her arms.
"Come here, my baby! Come to mommy!"
"W-Wait, Val! We're bonding right now!"
"I want to bond with him too, Eris! Look at his little dumpling cheeks!"
"I-I'm not finished with him, just wait a little bit longer!"
"If I can't cuddle him I may die!"
Abaddon looked back and forth between his two wives and made a bit of an incredulous expression.
'What was all of that about never wanting to be apart from me?'
Although when he looked at his son, he had to admit that he was an absurdly cute baby.
"…I'll take him."
"H-Hey!"
"Wait, wait!"
Abaddon scooped up Belloc while oblivious to the complaining of the girls.
"We can alternate between five minute trade offs." He decided. "Does that seem like a fair deal to you both?"
Valerie and Eris looked at each other for a long time like they were having a bit of difficulty coming to an agreement.
Eventually, they nodded slowly as if the terms were acceptable.
"Alright… but why do you get the first turn?!"
"Yea!"
Abaddon smiled mischievously at the girls as he shifted hold of his son into one arm.
"Because.. neither of you are fast enough to take him from me."
After taking a single step backwards, Abaddon disappeared right before their eyes in a gust of wind.
The front doors to the castle were thrown open, and the laughter of the dragon king could be heard echoing throughout the air.
Valerie and Eris trembled angrily as they clenched their fists.
""ABADDON TATHAMET, GET BACK HERE!!""
The laughter of their husband only became louder as he plummeted through the air headfirst with his son in his arms.
Eventually, he realized that this may have been a bit of an irresponsible thing to do with a child who was only a few days old, and he prepared to slow down a bit.
"Where are we going?" Belloc suddenly asked.
"To select the representatives from among our best… this isn't scaring you, is it?"
"No. Father can go faster if he likes."
"I don't know if it would be responsible of me to-"
Valerie: "ABADDON!!!"
Eris: "Give us that baby back!!"
Valerie and Eris were also doing free falls in the sky, and were quickly catching up with him.
He couldn't have that.
"… Change of plans, son. Hang on tight and try not to lose your breakfast, alright?"
"Got it-"
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
-
In the pristine and new colosseum of Sheol, a group of some of the most well known faces in the land were assembled.
These individuals were not members of the royal family, but they were nearly as influential.
Erica Vermillion, the former phoenix queen turned unrequited love of the dragon god.
Darius Gazel, former dwarven king and bane to bars and brothels everywhere.
Livyatan and Belphegor Morningstar, children to the original fallen one and former sins that once ruled the demon races of Dola.
Kirina Bloodflame, the mother to the seventh goddess Seras and the prior leader of the Vampire Lords of Upyr.
And Asmodeus Draven, father of the black dragon himself and the self proclaimed 'original sex symbol'.
These six had been called here in the middle of the day by their ruler mere moments ago and were now patiently awaiting his arrival.
Although… 'patiently' was a bit of a stretch for some of them.
"This brat only grows more and more authoritarian with every rotation of the sun… Does he know nothing about how rude it is to interrupt someone's plans…?" Belphegor grumbled.
At his side, Darius gave him a hard shove.
"Shove off, you lazy twit! You had fuck all else to do but sleep your immortal life away!"
"I should spend my existence as you do? Plowing whores and inebriating myself beyond comprehension?"
"Yes! Like a man!" Darius said firmly.
"You are so god damned stupid that it is no longer funny."
"And you're uglier now than when you wore a deer skull you lanky piece of-"
"How long do the two of you intend to prolong this needless debate?" Livyatan asked as she rolled her eyes.
"Let them keep this up all day if they like. This is the only thing that is keeping me from going mad with boredom." Kirina said sleepily.
Somehow, Erica ended up beside Asmodeus who was still staring up into the sky.
"Any reason why you are so uncharacteristically quiet today? I've never known you to draw so little attention to yourself in a setting before."
Asmodeus barely smiled, his eyes never leaving the castle above.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I suppose I'm just not up to it today. If the reason we've been called here is what I think it is… I can not afford to be light hearted for even a moment."
Erica had never seen her old friend this serious before.
As she folded her arms across her large chest; determined to hear more.
"And… what exactly do you think is-"
"He's coming."
Asmodeus wasn't the only one who noticed the incoming prescence from above, nor the loud and joyous laughter that came with it.
However, they were admittedly very taken aback by what sounded afterwards.
"Abaddon!!"
"Stop running and give us our baby back!"
"Hahaha! But you two are so cute that I cannot help but want to tease you just a bit more!"
""We'll remember this when we catch you!!""
"I would expect nothing less from my loves!"
A loud sonic boom echoed across the sky above as Abaddon increased his flight speed once again.
Just before his feet touched the ground, he slowed his descent to a complete stop before allowing himself to fall.
Once their ruler was in front of them, everyone could see the reason why he was being chased so fervently by two of his wives.
Clinging rather tightly to his neck was a small child no older than one with dark grey hair and empty black eyes.
As if they were all sharing one brain cell, they all had the same thought at once.
"""""Awwwww….""""""
Abaddon smiled and introduced the child in his arms proudly to those who did not know him.
"Ah, this is my son, Belloc. Say hello."
Perhaps because he was a rather standoffish individual, Belloc only waved his hand a single time instead of making some overly chatty introduction.
If anyone had a problem with that, they certainly didn't say anything.
Whoosh!
Valerie and Eris showed up beside Abaddon a mere second later, and immediately snatched up the young prince like he was goods on sale.
Abaddon wanted to complain, but for right now he was going to need his hands free anyway.
Although… he was still noticeably downcast now that his son had been taken.
"Right then… a few of you already know, but we have our first war coming in exactly eight days from now. And for this one, I'm afraid I won't be allowed to participate."
Those who were new to this information couldn't believe what they were hearing, and the apprehension that they felt about this new conflict took a large jump.
Without a doubt, Abaddon was the greatest strength of the transcendent dragons, and just him being there represented a significant challenge to their enemies and a sure victory for their soldiers.
"Since I'm not allowed to participate, I am relegated to selecting representatives instead. That's where all of you come in."
Abaddon tied up his hair as he stretched his body that was already rather loose from a day and a half of sex.
"I need to know if I can trust you all to bring us victory. To ensure that, I need to know clearly which among you are the most suited for the responsibility."
It didn't take a genius to understand what Abaddon was saying, but they still couldn't believe it.
Right here, right now, he was unanimously challenging all six of them to open combat.