April 29, 1177
"You mentioned an uncle on occasion." It was an odd way to ask about his grandparents and Severin knew it, but it was the only lead he'd ever gotten. And it did tell him something, even if not quite enough.
His mother hesitated before nodding. She knew what he was really trying to say. "I never met my father. My mother died when I was barely off her breast; her brother took me in and raised me until I was twelve or so."
"And then Remiel happened."
Another reluctant nod. "The family needed money. Remiel's price was right."
His mother hesitated before nodding. She knew what he was really trying to say. "I never met my father. My mother died when I was barely off her breast; her brother took me in and raised me until I was twelve or so."
"And then Remiel happened."
Another reluctant nod. "The family needed money. Remiel's price was right."
So his mother had been bought and paid for like a slave. A sickly fury stirred within his core, though he wasn't sure whether it was for the man who'd sold her or the man who'd bought her. Both, perhaps. "The blind boy must have a similar story."
"Probably. The girl before me did. Same with the boy before her, and so on and so forth."
So on and so forth. He wondered how far back that went. "He used you all to keep himself youthful, then."
"Among other things; he performed some experiments using leftover essence." Plucking a loose thread from the shawl around her waist, his mother sighed. "He never gave me any specifics on those."
"Mmm." As if the thought of a man harboring human vitality like a cook stored spices wasn't specific enough. "But he can't use just anyone."
"No." The closure in her voice and that shielding glaze in her eye said she was finished.
"Probably. The girl before me did. Same with the boy before her, and so on and so forth."
So on and so forth. He wondered how far back that went. "He used you all to keep himself youthful, then."
"Among other things; he performed some experiments using leftover essence." Plucking a loose thread from the shawl around her waist, his mother sighed. "He never gave me any specifics on those."
"Mmm." As if the thought of a man harboring human vitality like a cook stored spices wasn't specific enough. "But he can't use just anyone."
"No." The closure in her voice and that shielding glaze in her eye said she was finished.
Pity for her that he was not. "Remiel said his field was demonology--incubi, specifically."
His mother's skirts rustled as she kicked in irritation. "I'm not a succubus, if that's what you're asking."
"No." All that bedridden reading had told him that much already, that much and more--even if his questioning nature wouldn't let him fully believe it. Not without hearing it from her. "You're a cambion. You're technically human, but you were conceived through demonic meddling. That must result in some sort of varied vital state, giving you the sort of energy Remiel needs."
He paused, giving her a chance to protest, but she didn't take it. So much for maintaining a hopeful bit of skepticism. "You always were too clever for your own good."
"And you always were too guarded for yours." She was just on the other side of the couch, but she might as well have been across the sea. She even looked faraway. He hardly felt like he was talking to her at all. "If none of this had happened, you would've gone to your grave without telling me."
His mother sighed. "That was the plan, yes."
"I see." Good to know how trusted I am. "So... what do we do now?"
His mother's skirts rustled as she kicked in irritation. "I'm not a succubus, if that's what you're asking."
"No." All that bedridden reading had told him that much already, that much and more--even if his questioning nature wouldn't let him fully believe it. Not without hearing it from her. "You're a cambion. You're technically human, but you were conceived through demonic meddling. That must result in some sort of varied vital state, giving you the sort of energy Remiel needs."
He paused, giving her a chance to protest, but she didn't take it. So much for maintaining a hopeful bit of skepticism. "You always were too clever for your own good."
"And you always were too guarded for yours." She was just on the other side of the couch, but she might as well have been across the sea. She even looked faraway. He hardly felt like he was talking to her at all. "If none of this had happened, you would've gone to your grave without telling me."
His mother sighed. "That was the plan, yes."
"I see." Good to know how trusted I am. "So... what do we do now?"
If her hurt look was any indication, something in his tone must have stung. If it had, though, she was beyond comment. "Let's just start with getting you a little more well-rested."
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3 comments:
The crowd has spoken.
*heads back to the books*
Okay so I googled Cambion, my question is, is she the offspring of an incubi and a human or a human and a succubus? *scratches head*
Severin better find a way to deal with this, and soon, all of his children and children's children are at risk!
I'm glad Laveria is opening up, even just a little bit, I don't think this is the right time to be keeping secrets.
:)
I think there are a few different variations on the idea, but what seems to be the most common one is that a cambion is the offspring of two humans via an incubus/succubus combo. The succubus collects the sperm from the human male and passes it onto an incubus, who uses it to impregnate the human female. Odds are that Laveria's biological parents never even met (and if you look up Lucien on the family tree, you'll see that his father is in Dovia and his mother is in Brittany, meaning they almost certainly never met either).
Of course, my policy when borrowing mythos is "feel free to adjust when needed", so while I'm keeping this particular aspect, I may take liberties with others. Like, if I was aiming to adhere to the myth, I'm pretty sure Laveria would have been infertile. And I heard something about being born dead and only coming to life at seven or something like that, which, uh... yeaaah, that didn't happen XD
I'm thinking this storyline will be resolved fairly soon (and fairly anticlimactically). I'm planning a sort of "spin-off" storyline, though, and that might have to happen pretty much immediately after.
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