fatum n (latin)
Fate, Destiny, Lot
Plural fata death
In relation to God - speech, utterance
fatuum n. form of fatuus (latin)
Stupid, ridiculous, clueless
Tasteless, insipid
Clumsy, cumbersome
All Venelana Bael got from her father was the color of her eyes and the Power of Destruction.
Everything that could have been inherited from her parents, except for these two things, she inherited from her mother, Rasnar Barbatos. Flaxen hair, tall stature, facial features, timbre of voice.
The love for battle.
One of the fallen angel groups, which at that time had not yet flocked under the wing of Azazel, into a single Grigori faction, managed to overpower Rasnar near the end of the Great War. It probably cost them a lot.
Therefore, Venelana was not thrilled with the idea of her dear son, Sirzechs, taking advantage of the situation with the fallen half-breed in favor of filling out Rias' peerage. Of course, her son simply informed her about the future placement of this girl in their mansion, and briefly described the chain of events that had brought Baraqiel's daughter into that deplorable state.
As usual, the devils of the Gremory Pillar were just that lucky.
Everything that could be earned or obtained in this life, she took it by force all her youth. She had never just gotten anything dropped into her hands. The power of Destruction was as much a part of her being as her arms or legs, so she couldn't consider it a handout from fate. There were many ways to overcome the all-encompassing destruction, if only because this force was inherently demonic, and up to a certain level of development it was simply leveled by a fairly pure Sacred Light generated by angels or some militant saints. There is nothing to say about the bearers of Sacred Gear - before the discovery of reincarnation, the devils of the Underworld could only dream of appropriating these Biblical toys.
It would have been even more fortunate, of course, if this fallen half-breed had discovered a Sacred Gear among other things.
Venelana would definitely not be surprised.
After all, her very history of marriage to Zeoticus repeatedly confirmed the completely unrealistic level of luck that followed all the Gremory who inherited the power of their Ancestor.
After the Great War and the death of Lord Lucifer, she had absolutely no time for relationships, and she was one of her father's warriors, gaining herself a reputation and protecting the lands and the interests of the Bael Pillar.
The Vapula were allies and, from a certain point on, vassals.
And at some point, a lot of days spent talking with the quiet and thoughtful Misla Vapula, training with hellish monsters that she could subdue, visits to human cities and jokes on mortals - all of this turned into strange feelings, which at that time Venelana simply had no one to talk to about.
Venelana was the essence of battle, destruction, and, in some cases, gloating over the suffering of others when it came to the battlefield.
Other feelings were usually not that close to her, and there was simply no time to sort them out and think about them, evaluate and compare them.
Everything changed in one of those long-ago days when they got out of the Underworld again and walked through the wild jungle - Misla was always looking for new animals for her collection, and Venelana never objected if even this walk did not give any result in the end.
Venelana killed a crocodile for dinner, and they sat side by side, with great familiarity, beside the campfire. Since Misla had recently tamed an overly large black cat, it tried to squeeze in between the two devils as if it were part of the company, and not just a random animal caught during the hunt.
After a minute of sincere laughter at the sight of the offended huge cat, the women fell silent, waiting for at least an approximate readiness of the meat. But at some point, tension seemed to hang in the air, and Misla squeezed her fingers on Venelana's palm, as if deciding something for herself, nodded and brought her lover's palm to her lips. She sighed softly at the questioning look and glanced away.
"This morning, Ancestor Vapula informed me that he wants to draw up a marriage contract with your Pillar, Lana."
"I..." everything inside Venelana froze, as if it wasn't Misla's pale violet eyes that were looking at her, but the spears of Light from at least ten angels at the same time.
"I'm not saying that we have to stop, Lana," Misla clarified and brought her face closer so that small dark specks could be seen in her beautiful eyes, which, as always, changed color depending on the mood and lighting.
"What is this... Marriage contract?" Venelana squeezed out and couldn't resist pressing her lips to Misla's cheek, right under one of those expressive and warm eyes.
"The marriage contract implies the birth of a child and moving to the territory of your Pillar, nothing more," Misla shrugged and sighed again.
"When?" Venelana said with harshness in her voice, and gnashed her teeth, unable to contain her growing anger to the fullest.
"In the next couple of years."
"It's not a lot of time."
"Time for what?" Misla put her hand on Venelana's cheek and continued. "I'd rather be with you like this than nothing, Lana. You are the strongest in controlling the Power of Destruction, after Ancestor Bael himself, everyone admits that. And we don't have a potential husband in mind to do that somehow..."
"I don't need a husband!" Venelana growled, which startled the big cat that had settled down at their feet. "One of my older brother's wives is already pregnant, the other has just given birth, and two ancillae are expecting children. And I have five older brothers! Two younger ones! There's also a whole legion of half-bloods, half of whom can't even squeeze out a drop of Destruction, so they don't count. I will serve my Pillar in the War much better!"
"I want children, Lana," Misla whispered and kissed Venelana's palm again.
She could barely contain her Power, only because it could hurt. Although she was in pain right now, too. The thought flashed-and then disappeared-that it would be possible to hurt in return.
"I get it," Venelana muttered tiredly and, abruptly turning her wrist to the side, opened Misla's lips for their usual kiss.
The next day, Venelana decided to ask her father for advice.
Deep down, Venelana hoped that there was some way to give Misla what she wanted - a child - without sharing her with someone else.
The father, as always silent and calm, but at the same time causing irresistible fear with all his disparate strength, answered her short question with no less short answer, not really including any explanations.
"Gremory. Take the note to Runeas."
After that, he wrote something on the parchment, imbued it with his magic, not destruction, but simply so that the Ancestor of the other Pillar would not think that this was a hoax. This was a common practice instead of using the Pillar seal if laziness prevailed and the control over magic was excellent. Someone less skillful would have made the parchment smolder with an overabundance of energy.
This was the starting point for her visit to the Gremory Pillar.
The last time Venelana saw Runeas Gremory, she was extremely sleepy, hugging a massive camel by the neck, and it was during the lifetime of Lord Lucifer. She accepted the note, read it immediately and told her to settle down, because lunch was expected in half an hour. Then she joyfully skipped somewhere, somewhat resembling a naive child.
And already this absence of hers served the beginning of communication with the most persistent man of her life, who at the same time managed, in all the hundred years of unsuccessful attempts at courtship, never to overdo it or try to make her feel inferior.
Venelana knew for sure that she had come to Runeas for a completely different purpose - she needed something, magic, alchemy, anything that could help her with Misla Vapula.
But Zeoticus often mentioned that he fell in love with her at first sight and hoped that it would ever be mutual.
Venelana always rolled her eyes and brushed it off, but deep down she knew perfectly well that if she had received an answer to her question from Runeas, and if this answer could've really helped her, then Zeoticus would never have become her husband. He hadn't changed much, but there were more objects of his passion than she alone, like many devil. The best thing to do in this situation was to somehow limit and control him so that he wouldn't bring any assassins home. Once was enough, to be honest.
Venelana and Misla have restored their former, extremely close, relationship in the last century. A barely smoldering ember of their former passion ignited into a roaring bonfire. Peacetime and a more or less undisturbed life gave two women a chance to see each other almost each week and fill in the gaps in knowledge about each other's lives. It took them the first year just to bring each other up to speed. But for the most part, they just enjoyed themselves and thought about the outside world as little as possible. Dates on Earth continued as if they had never stopped, but now there were more cities and civilizations to visit.
And then Misla got pregnant with Sairaorg, and this changed their relationship once again, but Venelana could not say that it was for the worse. Yes, she felt a burning jealousy in the first moments after the happily beaming Misla told her about this, but then she just hugged her lover and stroked her back all the time, while Misla emotionally cried into her shoulder and squeezed her waist until it hurt, pleasantly.
It was her first and only child.
Venelana didn't want to ruin this moment.
Their meetings became rare because of her pregnancy - the idiot brother decided that the future heir needed additional protection. Which eventually resulted in excessive security measures and an almost complete lack of sex.
The next time Misla cried on her shoulder was when it was confirmed that baby Sai did not carry a spark of the Power of Destruction.
The idiot brother stopped worrying about the heir's safety, and Venelana decided to try and take matters into her own hands when it became clear that being in Bael Castle was definitely unsafe for the mother and son.
After the failure and the meeting with Misla, who tried to calm her down the whole visit and convince her that even such a way out - moving closer to the wild lands is much better than the alternative, because there are lots of monsters, so favored by Misla. And they will help with the protection of both her and Sairaorg. But Venelana's insides were still seething with rage at her helplessness when she came back home, and Zeoticus was always greedy for this dominant state of hers.
When Venelana found out that because of one night, for the first time in the last few years, that's for sure, spent in the arms of Zeoticus, they would have another child, the first thing she did was burst out laughing at the absurdity.
That's really the Gremory luck in everything, no other way.
***
Venelana barely restrained herself from simply demolishing a wall after Rias's completely illogical actions had led to the collapse of Sirzechs's plans and an undeniable weakening of Rias's future position.
Despite the obvious benefits, her daughter had chosen to do it her own way, and according to Agrippa's report, she had simply circumvented his authority and outmanoeuvred him.
Such opportunities did not fall from the sky every day — or even every year!
A future Queen or Bishop piece had been within Rias's grasp — yet her daughter still chose to act in the most capricious manner, thereby nullifying all the potential plans Venelana had already made.
Sirzechs was far from pleased with losing control of the situation, and Venelana suspected he had some far‑reaching plans in mind. She fully understood his eternal desire to control everything, but it was precisely this habit that led Grayfia to constantly complain about his overwhelming workload, his perpetually cluttered desk, and his inability to properly delegate tasks to anyone beyond his own pieces or the other Satans.
When her daughter asked to see the contract with the Phenex, Venelana briefly thought the girl had discovered something new for herself, the conceptuality of the Power of Destruction.
Although Venelana did not adverise it, she had on numerous occasions throughout her long life extricated herself from contractual obligations simply by conceptually erasing them from reality.
However, Venelana had seen how the constant presence of opposition had affected both her powers and those of her firstborn, and how the newer, pampered generations were losing power and influence — like the previous two generations of the former Pillar Abaddon, or the parents of the latest child of Vepar Pillar. And it was still considered the Pillar only due to their vassalage to King Bael and their initial involvement in currently thriving businesses.
Therefore, releasing Rias from pressure too early would not merely hinder her development — it would very likely turn her into a replica of either her father, her grandmother, or both.
While Zeoticus's favourite pastime was having sex with the harem of constantly rotating members, interrupted only by parties and family trips, his mother's - was sleeping excessively and reading all sorts of books.
It was clear that they were far from their Progenitor Runeas — she could disappear for years at a time, which was attributed to her special power of Luck.
Venelana's genuine bewilderment at such unpredictable power did not prevent her from seeing the results.
Sirzechs had enjoyed his extraordinary luck throughout the civil war.
On numerous occasions, she herself had received unexpected assistance from her husband in whatever endeavour she was pursuing, to which he would respond that sometimes he asked himself how he could make his wife happier. Yes, he would sometimes follow this up by grinning foolishly and attempting to make advances towards her. But more often than not, he would either save her from killing a business partner in a fit of rage — which would have ruined everything she had achieved thus far — or inform her of some piece of information she otherwise would not have known, which he had happened to come across through his many friends or their subordinates.
Of course, when she recalled such instances and how he often kept her happiness in mind, a certain warmth would begin to glow deep within her — the same warmth that had ultimately led her to consider his proposal of marriage.
Over the hundred years following Misla's move to Bael Castle as someone else's wife, relations with Misla had grown increasingly strained due to the jealousy and greed inherent in any demon, and even more pronounced among those who were in love. Her idea of giving Misla what she wanted had failed, as Runeas Gremory had once again entered what seemed to be either hibernation or a trance — no one could say for certain, as she simply disappeared without leaving any additional information.
Venelana was no fool; she understood that this would end with her brother's murder.
And since killing kin was not actually practised within the Bael Pillar — despite the utmost encouragement of competition and rivalry — she had no choice but to try and avoid his company as much and as often as possible, especially when in the company of Misla.
And then, after numerous confrontations and light interactions with Zeoticus, his proposal of marriage — on equal terms and with full access to the resources of the Gremory Pillar — had at some point become a lifeline. Everything changed when she caught herself thinking that her anger had begun to extend not only to her half-brother, but also to someone who had always inspired only love, desire, and understanding.
She then asked Zeoticus what exactly had prompted him to propose at that particular moment, and he explained, albeit vaguely, that if a Gremory has a certain desire, then everything in his actions will aid in fulfilling that desire to the greatest extent possible.
That was when she understood that this power — Luck — did not alter reality around itself in the same conceptual way that the Power of Destruction did. It relied on what was happening around, but did not create opportunities. That would have been quite odd and frightening, indeed.
That was why, even when Venelana with some disappointment placed the completely intact contract back into the safe, she did not even consider the possibility that Rias had truly accepted this state of affairs.
This slight pressure on her, as Venelana saw it, needed to continue, for one could not simply escape this contract — its destruction would have consequences for the pillar, and someone would still have to confront or otherwise put the Phenex in their place.
And if Rias were to somehow destroy this contract with her power, thereby erasing it and its obligations from reality, Venelana was prepared to take on that responsibility. After all, the child was not yet ready, although her control over the Power of Destruction was impressive, whereas the Bael heir Magdaran still required the Seal of Bael to create what Rias could do with a snap of her fingers. And her knowledge of magic and the Upper World was quite good; she was interested in many things and could quite easily enter into contracts without the need for constantly erasing mortals' memories.
Venelana was generally proud of Rias's growth, although there was still room for improvement in her daughter's practical thinking.
When the birthday arrived, Venelana suspected that the celebration might end, like any gathering of more than one demon, in a fight and possible murder. She always kept this in mind at such festivities, so as to be able to get away from drama in time.
But she certainly did not suspect, that she herself would be the one on the verge of committing that murder.
The crimson veil lifted slightly from her eyes when she felt familiar hands on her shoulder and neck beneath her hair, and instead of some blurry shape, she now saw Misla's face before her.
To her right, Zeoticus stood half‑crouched, palms outstretched before him, his suit covered in scorch marks and dirt.
To her left, Sairaorg sat on the ground, looking at her with a mixture of horror and awe. His hair was unevenly burnt, but someone had already extinguished him — Lilitifa Vepar was supporting him from behind, so it was most likely her, since their clan always had both appearances and powers similar to those upper-world creatures — mermaids.
"Breathe, one‑two, dear, come on," Misla said quietly, catching her gaze and trying to calm her. "We need him to find out what happened to daughter. Can't kill him."
Venelana's gaze shifted over Misla's shoulder and met the icy eyes of Serafall. She had completely encased the little bastard in her ice, save for his head, which prevented him from moving but did not stop him from continuing… to exist…
"No, look at me! Look at me!" Misla raised her voice. "Calm down. Lana, please. We need to find daughter. That's more important."
"That's… more important," Venelana nodded, as if mesmerised by her eyes, which had once again changed colour, becoming slightly darker.
"I want to kill him too," Misla murmured, stroking Venelana's cheek with one palm. "He dared to touch the children. Sairaorg too."
"Sairaorg too… And you expect me to let him… exist?"
"Information is more important."
Serafall pointedly cleared her throat, inserting herself into the dialogue and clearly trying to pick up the shattered expectations from the floor — this was evident from her clearly surprised expression.
"If you've already resolved your urge to murder juvenile idiots here, then I'm ready to provide this idiot for interrogation," she said, turning halfway to address the burning head of the young Phenex, who was clearly straining but unable to melt the Satan's magical ice. "If this… Raiser doesn't think to try and fly away from his problems, then I'll even stop freezing him."
"Moms," Sairaorg exhaled, getting to his feet, swaying slightly, and taking a couple of steps towards the women. "Before he set me on fire… ugh… Rias protected me with a shield of her Destruction. And then she swatted something away, as if… Then she agreed aloud and… Disappeared. The shield disappeared with her. Apparently, someone saw the result and reported… to you…"
"Let me go! I was just protecting my future bride from this talentless envious wretch!" Raiser started to protest. "He was fighting with her before I intervened!"
"That's how we communicate! It's called friendship! And we haven't seen each other for half a year!" Sairaorg jerked and clenched his fist. "You, chicken-ass-brain!"
"Don't repeat that nonsense after her! What kind of friendship is that?!" the now-freed-from-ice and regenerating fool roared back. "Who makes friends like that?! She's a girl!"
"Be happy," Venelana said calmly but loudly, as Misla decided to embrace her, preventing her from moving towards the fool while filled with dangerous intentions once again. "You survived against me for five seconds, and you were rescued in time. Not everyone manages that."
The Phenex flinched and looked at the mother of his "future bride".
A second later, the Phenex couldn't hold it in and swallowed, his newly regrown palms trembling in an obvious spasm.