Hollow takes care of their siblings as they rest during their travels.
The world beyond Hallownest was nothing like their own, yet in spite of its differences, there were similarities here and there that reminded them of home.
Chapter 1
[Set in a post-canon AU where Hornet, Ghost, and Hollow travel beyond Hallownest to distant lands and unknown territories—though there's the occasional story of the siblings back in Hallownest to deal with matters regarding domestic life (ranging from mundane to chaotic) to the intricacies of reviving a dying kingdom (and whether or not it should be revived in the first place).]
“Little sister.” They tapped her face. “Hornet, it’s almost midday.”
No response except for a snore she would later vehemently deny.
Hollow tried again, shaking her shoulders a little more. “Ghost has been using your needle without permission again.”
Silence.
“They plan to light it on fire.”
Still silence.
“They’ve run off to join the Grimm Troupe.”
Chapter 2
[Set in a post-canon AU where Hornet, Ghost, and Hollow travel beyond Hallownest to distant lands and unknown territories—though there's the occasional story of the siblings back in Hallownest to deal with matters regarding domestic life (ranging from mundane to chaotic) to the intricacies of reviving a dying kingdom (and whether or not it should be revived in the first place).]
As a thank you gift and (late) celebration of "You can be king again" reaching 1k kudos, this beloved fic now has a cover made by yours truly.
(Just to reassure any readers out there, yes, this fic remains alive and kicking lol. Though right now, I'm currently focused on finishing Gloria Regali's newest chap because that one has been gathering dust for 5 months oof).
The Hierarchy of Hell and Ring of Pride from Gloria Regali, the first part to the House of the Damned AU that currently centers around the existence of Colburn Morningstar, the eldest son to Lucifer and Lilith Morningstar and the older brother to Charlotte "Charlie" Morningstar.
Additional notes:
At this current point of the story, all the Overlords of the Pentagram are Hellborn, though certain Sinners already exist like Zestial.
The Ring of Pride is actually composed of more than the two cities shown above (cities that are mostly dominated by a single species like Imp City in Helluva Boss). The Pandemonium and the Pentagram are simply two of its most significant locations in the Ring.
The Hellborn Overlords can be as strong as members of the nobility (that's why they're sandwiched between the Noble and the Common) but their power and influence is strictly limited to the Pentagram. They can build connections beyond Pride, but compared to families like the Goetia who are much more well-established and their influence more widespread, they often end up paling in comparison.
Anyone can become an Overlord. Be it the most prestigious member of the nobility, or the lowest creature of the common Hellborn.
A brief introduction to the protagonist of my beloved (dreaded) OC fic: Gloria Regali
Synopsis:
"You’re not supposed to be born.”
In the Seven Rings of Hell, a son is begotten to two of the most despised beings in all of creation. Colburn Morningstar is deemed to be the luckiest and unluckiest child in the universe, and yet his life as the Prince of Hell has turned out to be rather quiet and boring. His father was usually away, his mother often sick from an unknown illness despite her being the most powerful demon in all of Hell, leaving little Colburn to be accompanied by all sorts of members of his strange family—and a few unlikely friends.
From his "relatives" who were more or less eldritch nightmares from a world that no longer exists, a lonely ghost who dwells among the dead at the unnamed graveyard, a foreign visitor who appears in his dreams and sometimes looks at Colburn as if he had slaughtered his entire bloodline, to a peculiar servant who never shows his face and goes by the name of "Cain".
Lilith kept her head down, focused on counting the few meager coins left in her pouch. The food she bought for their travels would last them another fortnight, the water they didn’t have to worry for there was still some left from the swamp, shelter would likely cost the most, but she had learned that nature would provide them protection if she looked hard enough. Interestingly, the ferryman was the least of her worries. The strange creature only needing a single copper coin… and one that was dipped in the blood of an angel.
“It would be a mercy.”
He agreed that he would give his blood, but Lilith didn’t. Couldn’t. The word ‘hurt’ was not enough to describe his body. The Fall had changed them both, but it changed him for the worst, for he had protected her with the wings that had once allowed him to soar above the known skies of his homeland. For nine days and nights, they fell and fell, and together, they burned and burned… only it was he who bore the brunt of the destruction.
“He is dead already.”
Through the mysterious power that allowed her to join their minds and speak to each other, he had convinced her that the process would not be as dangerous as she believed. All they needed was a few drops of blood from a small cut of his flesh. He was weaker than he had ever been, but he had enough strength to heal a tiny wound—or at least, he had promised her so.
“People like him. They are not meant to survive here.”
“Neither am I.” Lilith said, her words sounding calmer than she felt. It was not the first time someone told her that her friend was better off dead. It certainly wasn’t going to be the last time either. Outlanders did not belong here. The things that made up their bodies could not adapt to the nature of this world. There were other—foreign—creatures who tried, but not a single one of them could last for long. All of it was like forcing a fish to live on land.
Or a bird to live underground.
But what am I then? She thought. Why have I healed? Why have I gotten better but Lucifer is… Lucifer is…
“It will only be a matter of time.”
Lilith could not stop the bite in her tone, “That time will not be today.”
The merchant only hummed. A deep, gravely sound that seemed to rumble in his throat. He was a giant of a creature, his neck bent so low to keep the roof from breaking any further. His little place was once part of a great fortress that stretched miles and miles into the sky, monstrous towers that went on forever where another world seemed to exist right up above. Whether it was a place for giants or a place for those blessed with wings, one thing for certain was that they were people who dreamed of reaching beyond all of what they knew.
“They were punished,” a vagrant, much like them, had said, “for their hubris.”
She suspected she already knew the answer. She asked them anyway.
“Who punished them?”
The vagrant didn’t reply, merely casting a certain look upon Lilith’s companion, and remained silent.
