dysfunctional

It had taken several days for Melicinth to rouse herself from her chair. Volmat had long given up his pouting at her knee but Ormmon continued to keep vigil, the fel blue clouds beneath him roiling black and bilious as his worry and frustration grew. But finally, on the third day, the sun shone through the dusty window pane and Melicinth had risen and gone into the kitchen and began making breakfast as if nothing had happened.

The voidwalker hovered nearby, watching intently as the forsaken woman made omelets with bits of mushrooms, cheese and ham, cut up snapevine watermelon and set tall glasses of milk by each plate, all the while humming tunelessly to herself.

“Why do you look so worrisome dear?” she asked the voidwalker, patting his arm affectionately as she brushed pasted him.

Seething with anger Melicinth turned and with a harsh chopping motion of her hand banished Volmat and Ormmon to the nether. Betlia had not returned since the night the warlock and voidwalker had come home from Northrend. The succubus’ flagrant disobedience infuriated the forsaken woman so that she trembled with rage as she made her way to her workshop at the back of the cottage.

Stepping through the door Melicinth paid no mind to the piles of gems that cluttered a tabletop or the spools of copper wire, boxes of settings and ore that she used in her jewel crafting. She made her way to the back of the room, hooked a rug with boney toes and tugged it out of the way to reveal a trapdoor.

Betlia stewed in her anger at the mistress, plotting revenge for the mad woman’s cruel treatment. Finally an idea came to her and her bright blue eyes lit on the imp who bounced inanely from one foot to another, doing flips and flopping his ears as a means of entertaining himself.
 
“Volmat, want to play a game of hide and seek?” she purred.

The imp perked up and bounced excitedly, “Sure! But no hiding in the nether like last time. It took days for me to find you and Meli Colli was furious.”
 
“No, neither one of us is going to hide. This is a game for the mistress to solve. We are going to hide things from around the house so she can go search for them when she gets home. She’ll love a chance to play after being sent off to that frozen wasteland.”

She looked at the demons before her with a stern expression, “Ormmon and I are going to Northrend. The queen has requested” the word was laden with sarcasm “her subjects to do what we can in the war effort.”

Melicinth narrowed her eyes muttering, “If these duties in anyway muck up things for that fool Arthas I’m all for it.”

Betlia stamped a hooved foot on the floor, crossing her arms over her ample yet barely covered breasts and said, “You never let me go anywhere or have any fun!”

“You will stay here and look after your little brother Betlia.” Melicinth said in patient, motherly tones.
“He is not my brother!” the succubus all but screamed.

Narrowed eyes narrowed still further to mere slits as Melicinth turned a cold, hard gaze of the female demon, “Do not dare question me fel creature.

The young forsaken woman entered the cottage, her bright golden eyes scanning the shadowy interior as she took a seat at a well worn kitchen table.
 
“I’m sorry to bother you ma’am. I just have a few questions for the census.” She said.

“Not to worry, would you like some tea? I’m sure you’re thirsty after talking to everyone in town.”