Neubril buzzed with excitement as the Pito’s ship, the planet Pit, returned to their home. They had brought Une to many universes and Neubril wanted to see her mother enjoy the fruit of their labor. The Pito and the Descendant had worked hard across the multiverse to find universes that were ripe for the picking. Neubril had been tasked with finding worlds where the Descendent could spread the white webbing that was an extension of Une’s being, and she used the Pito to test the might of the beings of the universe. If the Black Pito were met with resistance in their attempts to raze the sentience of a universe, then the Descendent assessed if their presence could swing things favorably, or if they should abandon the endeavor altogether. Une’s plans to expand into other universes required Neubril to be very selective about the universes they chose to attack. Une gained strength with each new existence she blighted, so they would take their time and pick off the weak ones first before challenging bigger opponents to the spread of Une.
The planet Pit traveled to a section of space that contained the planet formerly known as Earth, that has been Une for so long that its history no longer matters. As they approached Une, Neubril left the outshell of Pit and flew to the surface of the planet that was like a giant ball of silks floating space with billions of strands of silk that spread out into the cosmos. Nuebril hovered over the surface of Une and she felt the hum of life of the entire planet.
“You seem very healthy mother,” Nuebril said aloud. “We have returned home to share in the joy of watching you feed on such substantial meals. Your strength is our happiness.”
“You flatter me, child,” Une spoke in a voice that defied the void and logic. “You are so pretty, your horns are like the deadly thorns of a precious flower. You Descendant are my jewels, and you, Neubril, are a treasure among treasures. Your success has been most fortunate for our plans, and I am stronger because of you. I reward you with the gift of pain, that you may never forget the cost of failing me.”
Neubril ‘s white form was wrapped in nearby silks and just as soon as she was completely wrapped, the silks retreated, leaving thousands of gashes across Nuebril ‘s form, exposing the pink flesh underneath the white outside, and dripping blood. Neubril had been effectively flayed and she screamed out in agony as she tumbled toward the surface of Une for a moment.
“Thank you mother,” Neubril struggled to say between shouts of pain as she floated above the surface of Une. “This unspeakable pain is truly a gift.”
“Thank you for coming to me, Neubril. Return to your ship. When you have healed, I will reward you again before you depart to continue your mission. Even though I am still draining universes, I can still remember the pain of hunger and it scares me. I do not want to feel it again.”
“And you never will,” Neubril said confidently as she waited for Pit to collect her.
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