“Fufufu~ My daughter is so cute.”
Bekka’s eyes widened and she ignored all of the pain her body was in to put some distance between her and her attacker.
“Y-you.. what did you just say?”
The tall demonic woman rose from the ground and gave Bekka an apologetic look.
“Is my daughter still delirious? I admit I kicked you a bit harder than I should have but I was just really annoyed to see you use that man’s power.” The woman said flatly.
“Stop talking like you know me! Who are you!?” Bekka tried to put on her best tough act but it was difficult.
The woman in front of her just handed her her ass on a silver platter and she didn’t look any worse for wear.
Meanwhile Bekka was still struggling to stay upright.
The woman smiled and formally introduced herself.
“I am Karliah. The Sarra-Tahazu of the sixth abyss king.” She said proudly.
“The.. what?”
Karliah shook her head. “It is not the time for you to know such things, my daughter. All you need to know for now is that you are indeed my child.”
“I have…no… mother..”
She wasn’t paying attention before, but now she could feel it.
There was some strange connection between her and this woman that was frighteningly familiar.
It could only be described as.. familial.
“Hm? Seems like you figured it out yourself.” Karlaih said cheekily.
“I-I don’t understand.” Bekka muttered in disbelief. “Why did you attack me?”
“I had to test you to see if you inherited anything from me other than my breasts.” She said as she pointed to her own extremely large chest. “My king has allowed me to watch you briefly but I wasn’t able to see your full capabilities.”
Bekka’s world was spinning.
The woman in front of her was actually her mother who had been missing for as long as she’d been born.
Her father rarely talked about her, only occasionally alluding to her immense battle prowess and talent as a warrior.
In the entire brief time they were together, he was only ever able to beat her once.
Now that she’d felt her mother’s power firsthand, she could not fathom how her father could have possibly won against her.
This woman gave her nearly the same feeling that she gained from being around Audrina.
Only her mother seemed to be much more powerful.
“W-What happened to you? What is going on?!” Bekka cried.
Karliah nodded, understanding her daughters curiosity and held out her hand. “Come with me, there is much to discuss.”
Bekka hesitated before timidly taking her mother’s hand.
She decided there was no use in being afraid.
If this woman was going to kill her there would be absolutely nothing she could do to stop it.
It would make no difference whether she was holding the woman’s hand or trailing ten feet behind her.
“What is this place?” Bekka asked as she was led through the halls of the ancient and dreary castle.
“This is Tehom, but those above call it the abyss.” Karliah said proudly.
“The abyss…” Bekka muttered.
“This place is very old and very special.” Karliah explained. “While there are multiple worlds and realities, there is only a single abyss that lies underneath each one of them.”
“Why is that?”
“Because this place is the only thing that cannot be affected by the creator. Our home is made from the ruined flesh that was left behind when the great evil beast was sealed away.”
“This is not my home.” Bekka said sternly as she pulled away from her mother.
“I came here because I was told you could help me gain the void element. Nothing else matters to me.”
Karliah did not seem bothered by this and instead beckoned for her daughter to continue following her.
“I cannot teach you the void element.”
Bekka’s heart dropped and she stared at the woman in front of her in horror. “You lie-“
“I cannot teach you but I’ve been given special permission from the one I serve to take you to someone who can.”
Karliah continued walking and Bekka followed behind warily.
After walking for a long time, Bekka finally asked the question that had plagued her mind throughout all of her childhood.
“Why did you leave?”
“Hm?” Karliah faced her daughter with a look of disbelief. “I hated your father, isn’t that obvious?”
“…”
“…”
“WHAT?!” Bekka cried.
Karliah sighed before explaining.
” Before you were born I was dispatched into Dola by my king to handle some.. sensitive matters.”
“It was at that time that I met your father and he declared his intention to wed me and make me his woman. I would never allow a man like that to shackle me so I knocked him around a bit.” She explained flatly. “However, it appeared as though his pride was hurt and he continued to challenge me.”
“Because of what I am, I had to leave behind 65% of my power here when I traveled to your world. As a result, your father was able to catch up to my power in the few weeks I was there and eventually, he defeated me.” Karliah said in a somewhat embarrassed tone.
“I still refused to wed him however I did offer to bear him a child. He seemed overjoyed with the idea of our powerful union taking shape in you so he did not object.”
“He was unimpressive at best.” The demoness shuddered as she remembered the unpleasant and short night she’d spent with Canis. “I stayed by his side for a few months until you were born at which point I left.”
“When I returned, I pleaded with my king to keep an eye on you and monitor your growth.” Karliah suddenly puffed out her chest and said with pride, “Because I am his greatest warrior, I was granted certain privileges and my request was accepted.”
“Why did you not take me with you?” Bekka suddenly asked as she tried to suppress her anger.
All she was hearing was that her mother abandoned her and that she never even wanted her in the first place.
If she wanted to be told something like that, she could’ve just gone to visit her father.
Karliah seemed to sense Bekka’s anger and turned around and shook her head.
“You would not have survived as a child down here. However harsh you believed your upbringing to be, It would have been incomparable to the suffering that would’ve awaited you in Tehom.”
The abyss is a lawless space.
Here the abyss walkers fight tooth and nail for domination and survival every day of their lives.
A child, much less one who was afraid to kill, would not have survived even a single day.
And even with all of her mother’s power and influence, she could have done little to protect her.
In the abyss, every creature must stand on their own.
The women had wandered deep into the castle before they arrived in a huge room with a large green stone in the center of it.
“Steel your heart for what lies inside, my daughter.” Karliah warned.
Bekka was briefly confused before her mother suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside.
Inside was a world of complete and utter torture.
Embedded into the ceiling, walls and the floors were various beings.
They were all being pierced eternally by bright green shards of rock the same color as the one they’d just walked through.
Bekka was used to gore, however the screams coming from these beings was unlike anything she’d ever heard.
It was abundantly clear that they were undergoing the worst suffering imaginable.
“What.. is this place?” Bekka asked in horror.
Karliah debated on how she should answer that.
“This is where your handsome husband will end up should he fail the tests.”
Bekka’s head snapped towards her mother and her dread only multiplied. “What do you mean?! What tests!?”
Karliah shook her head.
Her daughter truly did not know anything.
But that was not her fault.
“Walk with me. I’ll explain on the way.” Karliah said.
Bekka obliged and tried her best to listen to her mother as the screams of those surrounding her filled her ears.
“In Tehom, there is only one supreme ruler and god to us. The ones you see around you are those that started upon the path of becoming Uma-Sarru, yet failed all the same.”
She turned around briefly to stare at her daughter. “And now your husband is undergoing the same trial. Should he emerge victorious, he will be crowned our new king.”
“Our god.”Karlaih said with a smile.
To think her daughter had actually married someone who was actually being considered as a potential ruler.
Such a thing was already a great honor.
Bekka was trying to stay calm and believe in her husband, however the thousands upon thousands of beings screaming in her ear made it difficult not to be at least a bit concerned.
If her husband failed his task this was the future that awaited him.
Endless suffering the likes of which were completely unimaginable.
“What is this test?” She suddenly asked.
Karliah smirked.
“Within two years, your husband must gain the approval of all five abyss kings that came before, in addition to the current one. When that is completed, he must come here within three months and challenge him in single combat.”
“And what is the current king like?” Bekka asked warily.
Karliah smirked.
“Who is the most powerful man you can imagine?” Karliah suddenly asked.
Bekka hardly had to consider her answer.
“Dragon King Helios “
Her mother had to suppress the urge to snort. “That golden lizard would have his wings pulled from his back before he even knew what happened.”
Bekka’s orange eyes widened.
She had never heard anyone in her life speak of Helios like he was something insignificant.
And yet her mother was chuckling as if the idea of Bekka finding him strong was the greatest joke she’d heard in several millennia.
It was enough to make her head spin.
Bekka prepared to ask more questions when her mother finally stopped walking. “Alright, looks like we’ve arrived.”
In front of the ancient woman was a black skinned man, screaming like all the rest.
Karliah waived her hand and the man’s torture finally ceased and he was freed from his place in the wall.
Bekka tried to get a good look at the man in front of her.
He was unbelievably skinny, and his long dark hair was matted and unkempt.
The man shakily looked up into the eyes of his guests and revealed a pair of violet eyes that screamed out thankfulness for this moment of sweet relief.
‘Don’t tell me…’ Bekka had a creeping realization.
Karliah turned around to face her daughter proudly.
“My daughter, this is Dagon. He’ll be teaching you how to use the void element.”𝚟𝒩xt.𝕔𝔬𝐌