Then small steps reverberated through the room, like they had always been there, before once again disappearing as the one creating them leapt through the air.
Used to this, Bellah turned around and intercepted the small cannonball, who was quick to latch onto her tightly.
"Yes, that's me, why so excited today? Did you do something fun?" it was a bit sad to say, but Bellah, from taking the role of caretaker from the very beginning for her sisters, was very good at handling young children, which also included the one that was being called the future greatest assassin in existence, Sweet Holli, most called her little Holli and just Holli however, only Odicious and Arleqkin seemed to use that first nickname.
Bellah held the little assassin like she was a big baby, which was a term Bellah would use to describe any child that was younger than a teenager, though, Holli looked to be five or six years old at most, and she did behave like a child that age despite having been around since before Bellah had even been born.
Odicious claimed that Holli had just showed up one day in his pale garden, only discovering her existence because the baby had been crying loudly, so no one had the slightest of clues what she was, or why she seemed to grow up so slowly, even after becoming an undead and receiving great care using the empire's great an unending resources, this had not changed in the least.
But little Holli was adorable, so Bellah didn't really mind that she wasn't growing, that way she could hold the child for longer.
"Yes! I murdered filthy livings! Oh, but filthy doesn't include you, Lalah"
"I know, I know- How many did you kill? You didn't get hurt, right? They didn't hit you or anything?" the leader of the Soror sat down and put the little girl on her lap.
Sweet Holli thought a bit.
"Five! There were five of them, two were all grey and had fluffy ears, the others were just humans, I stabbed them in the neck like Uncle Odi and Arleq told me to, and I gave it a good twist to make sure they would like Uncle Loimos showed me!" it would normally be very concerning for a little child to be so proud of this, but in the empire, it was most natural, and the opposite would be strange instead.
Little Holli was a natural at taking lives, from the moment she was able to hold a dagger, it had seemed like she just knew what its purpose was, like how a baby animal might know that it needed to kill to eat, she knew that sharp, pointy stuff was meant to stab people in their bits.
"And they didn't even know I was here- I am too fast! Zoom zoom! I stabbed them all and they died before they could react! Where is Auntie Maliah? I want to tell her!" and naturally, her greatest idol was The Death Dealer.
"Miss Maliah is in the main world, remember? She can't do anything right now" Bellah patted the little murder machine on the head.
"You'll get to tell her all about it, don't worry… Did anything else happen?" asked Bellah, looking into Holli's big, round, black eyes, they were so dark that it could easily be creepy, especially coupled with the fact that the girl's skin was a ghostly white, seeming somewhat bright, as though shining a little bit, her hair was just as pitch black as her eyes, and was actually quite long as unlike herself, it grew very fast.
Though, as of right now, it had been cut shorter and tied into little twintails that fell upon her shoulders.
"A meanie tried to shoot at me with a small arrow, and… That's it! Uncle Loimos told me that I wasn't allowed to go out for too long, and that I should come back after doing something! So I came back, because I am well-behaved, and I articulate well too! And I know lots of words! And-"
"Yes, yes, I know, you are a very good girl" Bellah held Holli into a hug, really, the only thing that the leader of the Soror found sad, was that due to undeadlings growing up extremely quickly and typically lacking in all behaviours or views that could be associated with children, so Holli had no peers or friends, there were always living children being training to become soldiers, but there were very few livings that the little assassin actually liked to be around.
"Do you want to go and see my sisters as well? We are going to be doing some training"
Holli eagerly agreed, as she thought that the girls of the Soror were amongst the coolest people she knew, primarily because they were the daughters of Loimos, and Loimos was, without a doubt, the coolest person in her mind, everyone loved and respected him and everyone would always speak of how he beat the pure living's ass and is the main reason the empire was reformed to begin with, in short, he was a hero, a legend in the rot.
He had even taught her how to do a few things, though, she had to admit that she preferred hanging out with Bellah, because she liked being held and coddled, and that just wasn't something Loimos did, at best he would sometime pat her head, and even then, that wasn't much.
Loimos was the greatest person in her head, but not exactly her favourite person to be with.
In comparison, Odicious and Arleqkin treated her like she was the chosen one of the assassin world, and the Soror treated her like a little princess.
Bellah was always super nice.
Alici would allow for Holli to ride her flames.
Aegli could dish out the most diabolical of tickles with her ability.
Betil would shoot down whatever Holli threw in the air.
Alila would make her hair look cute.
Basmi was the hardest to catch at tag.
Babriel was the only one she could really train with without restraint as she was just invincible.
And Almiel would create cute and fluffy animals for Holli to play with.
So if she had nothing to do, Holli would always be with the Soror, they were like her older sisters.
"Will I be able to use soul depth manifestation too?" she asked, so far, everything she could do was due to things innate to her, the stealth, the invisibility… She had had all that from the very moment she was born, although it was definitely impressive, it felt mundane to her as it had always been here, the powers of the Soror seemed exotic and funnier to use.
"Mmh… I don't know, maybe you will be able to, you should ask our father when you can, he'll surely be able to know exactly what you can and can not do with just a glance- But focus on what you can do for now, I assure you, you will be the best assassin in the empire one day, wouldn't it be cool to be the best?"
"Yes! I'll be the very best!"
With Holli's attention successfully distracted, Bellah smiled.