Chapter Text
Prologue - Venenum Planetae
His planet was poisoned.
His planet was dying.
He was at fault.
He knew that.
Black liquid was pooling at the man’s feet. Proof of the heinous deed he had just committed. It was not only a crime to his people, no, he didn’t much care for that. What worried him was that this was a crime against nature. Nature was the very thing that granted people like him what he desired. Dropping to his knees he dipped his fingers in the liquid, a wet slosh sound emanated back as he prodded at the substance. It was thick and sticky, each drop coating his fingers. Bringing his hand up to his face he swiped the tar-like substance down his cheeks creating swirls with his fingers to match his own permanent warpaint.
Muffled footsteps echoed in the man’s ear. Slowly rising to his feet he kept his eyes panned down, where the body of the old woman lay.
“You called for me, General Riddle?” The raspy voice of the blonde made his ear itch. An itch that couldn’t be scratched.
Wiping the rest of the black residue on his jacket he turned to his commander, A glint of fear shon in the man’s eye as he looked down at the body, a mistake. Quickly the man collected himself, he looked to his General, an unsettling smile quirked at the corner of his lips.
“Lucius, Please. Let us drop the formalities shall we?” A strict, brisk nod followed.
Dark eyes met grey, the general motioned with his hand down to the body of the woman, letting out a humorless laugh.
“As you can see… I have run into bit of a predicament. It seems Ms. Hepzibah couldn’t deliver what I was promised.” An eerie silence filled the air as weight of the situation became more and more evident to the man.
“Tom… What have you done?” A strangled noise threatened to escape but Lucius forced it back down his throat. “Do you not understand these things have consequences? You killed her!”
A deadly look washed over Tom’s face; venomous and deadly.
“I may have said to forget formalities here Lucius, but do not forget why it is I am in charge.” Hissing through his teeth he gripped the collar of the man’s jacket, leering at him through hooded eyes. “I know fully well that these things have consequences, look at the ground at which she lays.” Releasing his hold Tom took a step away looking down at the now indistinguishable black covered corpse.
“What have you done? What is that?” The liquid surrounding the body began to move, dripping off the body in waves it drenched the ground. Sinking deep within it, the change was beginning. The patch of grass that lay beneath what used to be Hepzibah Smith was dark and brittle, it was dying.
“You know what it is, you know the story. It will take years for the poison to take effect. Plenty of time to find another host planet.” There was silence again. Wiping the bottom of his feet on the grass he relished in the feeling. The silence. The fear.
“You have killed us all, you know that? You have killed our world Tom! There is no coming back from this! How cou-” A pained gasp came from Lucius as he clutched at his throat fighting for air. Meeting Tom’s gaze he knew then that Hepzibah hadn’t been completely useless. Blood flowed from his nostrils as he kept his left hand clenched in a tight fist, strangling the life out of Lucius without even touching him.
Relinquishing his grip, the gasping man fell to his knees struggling to inhale as much air as he could. The burn in his lungs was a lasting reminder not to mess with Tom, no matter what. Circling around the two bodies General Riddle kept his eyes panned on his commander. Pathetic he thought. Straightening his now crumpled overcoat Lucius stood, erecting himself to his full height.
“What would you like me to do Tom? How do you expect to keep this a secret? She was apart of the Elders.” A voice that once started out strong began to wane, his lungs and throat burned, but he refused to let his eyes betray that.
“I want you to bring me Commanders Nott, Parkinson, Karkaroff, and Rosier. Do so quickly and quietly.” Enunciating the last word Tom took one last look at the body of the elderly woman before he waved his hand in front of her, she was gone.
Stumbling backwards and landing on his hands Commander Malfoy looked on with wide eyes. His people were gifted, he knew that. Each one given an affinity as a gift from their planet. This however, was not an affinity, no this was much darker.
“I-I thought you said she didn’t give you what she promised?” Flexing his hand back and forth Tom feigned innocence.
“Oh what? This? Oh it was just something I picked up…” Flashing a murderous smile he made his way towards the hill that overlooked their city. He could see his people below carefree, unknowing of what was to come.
“Oh and Lucius?” Making sure to keep his back to the man as he inhaled deeply through his nose that he hadn’t bothered to wipe the blood from, he let the moment simmer.
“Do tell them not to be late… We have much to do… Do you understand?” Opening his mouth to respond Lucius watched as Tom brushed his coat back and made his way down the hill, leaving only himself alone with his thoughts and the indentation of where a certain elders body once lay.