The Palace of Bones was unlike anything Tatiana had ever seen before in her life.
The air inside the grand hall was dense, carrying a faint chill that seeped into her skin. Every breath she took seed to echo, the sound reverberating off the towering walls.
The walls themselves were made entirely of bones—polished and intricately arranged into patterns that seed to tell an ancient, haunting story. Skulls lined the archways, their hollow eyes gazing out into the space with a quiet, eternal vigilance.
The floor beneath Tatiana's feet was smooth and cold, made of obsidian that shimred faintly with an otherworldly light. It was as though the very ground pulsed with life, carrying silent whispers that only the dead could hear.
Above her, the ceiling was vast and cavernous, disappearing into a black void. The faint glimrs of starlight seed to peek through the darkness, though Tatiana knew they weren't stars. They felt like more eyes watching and waiting.
At the far end of the hall stood two thrones, both carved from the sa pale bones that made up the walls.
One was adorned with intricate carvings of serpents and skulls, and the other was draped in faintly glowing silks of deep crimson and black.
Seated upon the thrones were Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl.
Mictlantecuhtli's form was towering and skeletal, yet there was an undeniable elegance to him. His bony fra was draped in a robe of black smoke that seed to shift and writhe as though alive.
His skull-like face bore intricate carvings, glowing faintly with golden light. His eyes burned like twin suns—piercing and impossible to look away from.
Beside him sat Mictecacihuatl, her form both regal and haunting. Her skin was smooth and pale, a stark contrast to the dark, flowing gown she wore.
Her hair cascaded like a waterfall of black ink, and her eyes glead with a deep, knowing red that seed to pierce through Tatiana's very soul.
Her fingers, adorned with rings of obsidian and bone, drumd softly against the armrest of her throne.
Between the two gods, the atmosphere was suffocating. It was not the weight of malice or hostility but the sheer presence of beings so far beyond mortality that their existence felt like a force of nature.
The air thrumd with power, each beat a reminder of how insignificant Tatiana was in their domain.
Tatiana and Elda stood at the center of the vast hall, their figures dwarfed by the grandeur around them.
Elda's posture was tense, her hands twitching slightly as if itching for her weapon, though she knew it was futile. This was the first ti she has ever stood in the presence of a god, a divine entity, and she finally understands why they are called gods.
Tatiana, however, kept her head high, her expression calm and composed, though her heart pounded against her ribs.
Mictlantecuhtli leaned forward slightly, his burning eyes fixed on Tatiana. When he spoke, his voice was a deep, resonant echo that seed to co from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Child of Crimson Fall," he said, his tone carrying both curiosity and indifference.
"You have walked the Black River. You have faced its trials and erged... intact. Now, tell —what is it that you seek?"
Tatiana's throat tightened as the full weight of his gaze bore down on her. She took a steadying breath, her hands clasped tightly in front of her to keep them from trembling.
"I seek a favor," she said, her voice firm despite the oppressive atmosphere.
"A boon that only the Lords of Mictlan can grant."
Mictecacihuatl tilted her head slightly, her red eyes gleaming with faint amusent. She didn't expect the mortal to ask for sothing like this but nonetheless, she was interested in what type of boon Tatiana wants.
"And what makes you believe you are worthy of such a boon?" she asked, her tone almost teasing.
Her voice, when she spoke, was softer than Mictlantecuhtli's, yet it carried an undeniable edge of danger.
Tatiana t her gaze, the flicker of fear in her heart replaced with resolve.
"I am willing to pay whatever price you demand."
Mictecacihuatl's lips curved into a faint smile, but there was no warmth in it.
"The price is not yours to decide, child. We shall determine what is fair."
Mictlantecuhtli leaned back in his throne, his glowing eyes narrowing.
"Speak your desire, then. Let us hear what it is that has brought you to the heart of death's domain."
Tatiana hesitated for only a mont before stepping forward, her voice steady and clear as she spoke.
"I seek a skill—one tied to necromancy and control over the undead. A power that will strengthen ones connection to the undead and allow them to freely control them as they wish."
The hall fell silent, the air growing heavier as her words hung in the space between them.
The gods exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable.
"And why do you seek such power?" Mictlantecuhtli asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
"What purpose will it serve?"
"I want to give the skill to an ally of mine. The tournant will be starting very soon and I plan to win it. With this skill, this strength of this ally of mine will increase and will give my alliance a fighting chance," Tatiana replied.
Her words amused the two divine entities as they looked at her with what could be called surprise on their faces.
They didn't expect that the princess of the Crimson Fall will be looking for a skill for an ally. When did Vampires start caring about other people and another race for that matter.
To make things even more amusing, the princess seems to actually care for this mortal...
Mictlantecuhtli smiled mischievously when she saw this. She felt that she might finally have the opportunity to kill her boredom after what can be called an eternity. But that doesn't an that she or her husband is going to give the skill to Tatiana that easily.
Also, she was very curious as to why this mortal that the princess of Crimson Fall is interested in is so special. From what she saw in Tatiana's mories, he's a weak human. Nothing special about that but the princess seems to be very interested in her. Why?
"Say we are to agree to give you this boon but ask for servitude after death in return, will you still ask for the boon?" Mictlantecuhtli asked curiously, wanting to confirm sothing.
"Yes," Tatiana replied simply.
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