Ker had made herself at home in the Hollow. He regretted the day her name left his lips. She'd made sure to keep him preoccupied enough that he didn't have time to watch over Iris. The sisters were of great concern.
" Tell me what you want from me," He finally decided to just ask.
Ker sighed, bored as ever with her chin propped in the palm of her hand watching over the eternal flames of the Hollow.
" When the time comes, I will need your help to lock my daughters once more. She might not know this, but my daughters are getting stronger each time she unleashes them upon those she sees fit. There is a balance. You cannot take without giving something in return and my friend, my daughter's hunger knows no bounds," Ker leaned back in his throne, crossing a leg over the other.
" What do you need from me?" He asked once more since she had a habit of going around in circles when she spoke. The sisters were dreadful and it went on and on for ages. Now, he was bored hearing of it for the nth time.
" You, or better said the power which you wield among other things. But you are the lock to seal them within the valley once more. You'll have to understand that once we begin there is no stopping or going back, " Of course...And he would be the one to pay that price.
" What do I get in return for all my troubles? Seven Seas is not my concern. The Hollow is. And your daughters won't be able to enter the Hollow," Unless they were something similar to Ker then they shouldn't have any trouble getting inside the Hollow. Disrupting a delicate balance.
Ker hummed, " They are my daughters after all. They will find a way. Just as I did, " She retorted, arrogance etched on her expression. He hated the gods for even creating such awful things.
" You still haven't told me what do I get for my troubles?" He hated asking the same question twice. The woman was driving him up the wall.
" Your dearly beloved once she passes into thereafter, " It was a decent trade. He doubted that he would be able to summon Hem. And even if he did, the odds were slimmer than he was.
" Get whatever cursed things you need and come find me once you're done," He almost barked at her. Nobos had made himself scarce and never returned since her arrival. And the soul collectors avoided entering his Palace out of fear of her.
" I'm not in a rush. We still have time to get to know each other. The void is well, you know the void. Whatever soul creeps in gets sucked into eternal nothing. So you'll have to forgive my reluctance to leave," Fantastic. Now, he was stuck with Ker for only the gods knew how long.
Lazily she pushed herself off his throne and slithered her way to him, " In the meantime, we could get to know each other better," She cooed, smiling at him. If he didn't know any better, he would think that she was trying to seduce him. But he knew better.
" There is nothing to know. This is all that I am and have to offer," He grumbled, displeased with the fact that she was touching him, in places that she shouldn't.
" I can break the bond that tethers you to her," She hummed in his ear, shoving her tongue in it. Interesting.
His bond with Iris was permanent. Something that couldn't be broken.
" How would you even do that?" He pulled away, not fond of the tongue stuck in his ear.
Smirking she turned around, dragging him by his cloak to the table in the middle of the room.
Tapping the book that he'd spent a stupid amount of time reading, " It's in here," She cooed, and sat on the edge of the table. He'd read that book. There wasn't anything useful to him or to Iris in there.
" I read the book. There is nothing in there that mentions a way or a spell on how to break the bond between Iris and me," He said with all the certainty that he could muster.
" Oh, but it is," She chortled, " You just have to look at the bigger picture," Bigger picture. He'd read the book, line after line and half of the time made no sense. He'd used Iris's blood to uncover its secrets. But what if that was just a small part of the bigger picture?
" I see. Now, if I would be interested in breaking the bond with my wife then that would be crucial information. But since I'm not then it's rather useless and you are wasting your breath.," He plopped himself on the seat as she leafed through the pages of the book.
" Not even if she has found another, " His hand waved at the wall and the sight he was greeted with was rather displeasing.
Iris kissing the northerner on the steps of Ironstone. She had found another man to warm her bed and keep the loneliness at bay.
" So what?" He barked as he waved his hand at the wall, unable to watch her in another man's arms.
" Nothing," Ker shrugged as she jumped off the table, " I just thought you should know," She added in mirth as she sauntered towards the cliff where he'd spent most of his time watching over his domain.
No, he didn't want to know. Ignorance is bliss. Didn't she hear?