Tales Of Lola The Black

by A. J. Martinez

  Lalita looked at Lola. Her eye pupils were vertical like a snake. She was as frightening as Lola’s dark form. “My dear Lola, You have grown into a beautiful young woman. Do you know who I am?”

  “Not really” Lola replied and refused to let her guard down. “I only want to find the moon stones and get out of this wreck. Grant me this one request and there will be no bloodshed.”

  “Bloodshed!” Lalita repeated and chuckled. “You have your father’s cockiness.”

  “What do you know about my father? He died years ago.” Lola said and her eyes damped. “You are probably keeping him in some pit in this realm.”

  “It must have been tough for you. Not ever knowing your real mother or father.” Lalita felt Lola’s past. She could feel the years of pain that Lola had endured looking into the young girls eyes. “I just want you to know Lola that I am here to help you. It is the least I can do after I gave you away when you were just a child.”

  Lola fell into a daze as Lalita spoke. Something had triggered in her mind and in her heart. Like a missing piece of the puzzle that she had found lying on around a table. Lola lowered her rod and looked at Lalita. She stared back into those white eyes. She felt as though something had eluded her for so long. Then she whispered the word “mother.”

  “Yes my dear. You were just six months when I gave you away to that farmer in North Alexandria.” Lalita paced towards Lola with tears in her eyes. “It is a miracle to see you here. I must be the luckiest fiend of all.”

  Lola was speechless. She felt something filling an empty spot in her heart. She knew it was her. She knew that this fiendish woman was her mother. Her mind denied but her heart spoke. Lalita looked like her. Raven black hair and pale white skin. Lola saw herself in Lalita. Lalita’s mana was similar to Lola’s. It was neither cold nor hot but a steady temperature that ran through her body. Even her name was similar to hers. Lola and Lalita. Like the names of twins.

  “Where?” Lola whispered, her lips quivered. “Where have you been all these years? Why was I left alone?”

  “I don’t expect forgiveness my dear Lola. I had to leave you in the hands of a mortal after giving birth to you.” Lalita answered. “Enemies of your father wanted the half breed child and I had to hide you. I had to leave you in a safe place where enemies could never find you.”

  Lola’s lips quivered trying to hold in the tears. She never thought this day would come. She never thought she would ever stumble upon her own blood. She always thought that she would spend the rest of her life alone with Dougal by her side. She never imagined finding her mother in Necrovania. It would explain why she had dark powers without ever having to train like other dark mages. It would explain why fiends would follow her in the human world. It would explain why she had a keen eye for things of the dark realm.

  “Why did you leave me?” Lola asked, her eyes damped and her lips quivered and she sniff. She trembles from sadness.

  “Your father was a great fire magus who worked for the Alexandria dynasty.” Lalita began to explain. “He never told anyone of his love for a woman of Necrovania. I lived in the human world for many years and escaped my duty as a guardian of Necrovania. After you were born your father Solario tried his best to keep you a secret but it was futile. Soon the Alexandrians discovered the half breed of human and fiend called Lola. The Alexandrians were already doing experiments to create a half breed and combine it with their blood line. They killed your father and tried to take you away from me by force. That is when I had to give you away to someone that will keep you safe. I gave you away to a farmer in North Alexandria to prevent the monarchs from finding you. I had return to Necrovania and I was punished for mating with a human. My only wish was to see my daughter grow. It is more than I asked for that my daughter came to me here in the dark realm.”

  Lola surrendered to her emotions and ran to embrace her mother. Her mother a fiend, guardian of Necrovania. Her mother that she had longed for. Lola remembers those depressing nights when she used to live in Perim’s mansion her old master. She would wonder what it would be like to have parents. She always wondered what her mother would be like. Deep in her soul she always felt her mother’s presence. She knew she existed out there somewhere. She cried in her mother’s warm arms. She pressed her face in her mother’s bosom. “It is like a dream. I know I saw you in my dreams but I never thought you were real.” Lola sobbed.

  “I wish your father was here to see how beautiful you have grown to be.” Lalita caress Lola’s cheeks. “Your magic is so strong and you have much vigor in you.” Lalita wrapped her wings around the two of them. Finally she held her daughter in her arms again. She then pulls away from Lola. “A girl as beautiful as you should not be walking around Necrovania like that” Lalita told her daughter. She wrapped her wings around Lola and with dark magic she clothed Lola with black garments. A long skirt with black feathers at the ends. A corset with floral patterns. Leather gloves and spiked high heel boots. Lola looked at her new garments. She loved them. It was the same style she always uses with a touch of dark magic. “It is beautiful.” Said the dark magus.

  “I knew you would like it.” Lalita said and kissed her daughters cheeks. She held Lola tightly and would not let go. She wanted to regain the years she had lost with the girl. “If only I could have taken you here. We could have watched over you but mortals were not allowed to reside in Necrovania. I had to leave you in human hands.”

  “Mother…Where is father?” Lola asked. She always thought of the farmer who raised her as her father. Now that she held her mother in her arms she wondered about her father.

  “Your father is in the realm of light.” Lalita answered. “After the Alexanders murdered him his soul was lifted by the Vivories of the realm of light.

  Lola daze for a moment. She did not fully understand how her mother a fiend and her father a human fell in love. She wiped her tears and asked. “How did you and father fell in love?”

  “I am not sure if this would be the right time to tell such a long story.” Lalita answered and looked away. She was unable to answer Lola’s question directly. “We should help your friend.”

  Lola then remembered Dougal. He had been deeply wounded by that purple fiend named Flinch. She ran back to her friend. Dougal had returned to his regular form of a wolf. “I am sorry. I almost forgot about you.” She said but the wolf did not answer. He had a hole in his chest. Lola had never seen such a wound. “Please don’t die on me yet.” She whispered.

  “He cannot die.” Lalita informed. She kneeled down next to Lola folding her wide wings around her. “No one dies in Necrovania. One can only die in the human world. Here one can only feel pain, faint or go into long slumbers. He will be fine.”

  Lola looked at her mother and smiled. Lalita then place her hand over Dougal’s wound. Red steam rose from her hand. She casts a fire spell on the wolf and the large wound slowly began to close. Once the wound closed it had left a scar on the wolf. Lola sights in relieve. She kisses her mother then hugs Dougal. However, the wolf did not wake up. Lola could feel him breathing but he would not wake. That transformation must have used up a lot of mana didn’t it, she thought. Don’t worry there is still hope. It is not over yet.

  “You love him don’t you?” Lalita asked. Lola blushed and turned her cheek with embarrassment. “It is alright you don’t have to tell me.”

  “He is my only family. He is the world to me and is always by my side through our travels.” Lola shed a tear then gazed at her mother. “Can you help me search for the eye of the moon?”

  “It will be a pleasure my dear. We can talk more on the way there.” Lalita said. Then she grabbed Lola’s hand and stood her up. She spun Lola around and placed her hands on the girl’s back.

  “What are you doing?” Lola asked solemnly.

  “I want you to fly with me my dear.” Lalita said and pressed her dark mana into her daughter. Black steam rose from her hands. Lola felt mana thrust inside her. The wounds from her torn wings healed and
they began to grow again. Feathers sprouted from her back. Wings of a black bird stretching twelve feet wide in black and purple. Lola’s heart pounded with excitement. She was filled with joy as her wings flapped ascending her into the sky.

  “My wings. My beautiful wings. Mother…how did you do it?” asked Lola. The cold wind of Necrovania blowing thought her hair.

  “Dark magic my dear. Our mana is similar. I love your dark form. It is more beautiful than a harpy.” They both held hands and looked at each other. Winged fiends of the same blood. It seemed to have happened too fast yet it felt like fate brought them together. Lola had found the missing piece of her puzzle in Necrovania. She found it ironic since she was always running away from fiends yet she was one all along.

  “Come my dear. Bring your friend and I will take you to the moon stones.” Lalita said as she flapped her wings in the air. Lola descended down and hauled Dougal with both arms and ascended up. Both winged women flew over wastelands of Necrovania. Crows and gargoyles flew pass them. Lola was frightened by the titan hands that emerged from the dark clouds. Lalita flew ahead of her. After their flight over the wasteland, a forest of naked trees streamed below. The wind was cold in their flight. Lola coughed and began to feel feverish.

  “What is the matter my dear?” Lalita asked looking over her right wing.

  “I am starting to feel somewhat sick.” Lola answered and coughed.

  “You must be catching a fever. You are not accustom to living in this realm. It tends to happen to new visitors. We will be there soon. The moon stones are found in the Nephim hills a few more leagues ahead.”

  Lola looked at Dougal. He twitched in his sleep. The wolf was heavy in her arms and she struggled to keep a steady flight with his weight. She was anxious to finally see him in his human form. Just a little more my love, we are almost there.

  Lalita lowered her speed for Lola to catch up to her. “So what is his name?” she asked.

  “Dougal is his name.” Lola gave a simple answer. Too shy to tell more.

  “That fiend that cursed him is very stubborn.” Lalita explained. “It can only take on its physical form when it comes in contact with a human. It is a miracle that your friend has survived this long.”

  “Yes Dougal is very stubborn and direct. He is not taken down that easily.” Lola said. “Lalita, I want to know…will I be able to see you again once I leave Necrovania. Will I be able to visit you? Is there a way for me reenter the realm?”

  “The only way that humans have been able to enter Necrovania is with a relic of Odiamus.” Lalita answered. “It is the only entrance that I know of. However, you came in through a portal. I am sure you can use the same method again.”

  Lola thought of what her mother had said. Shastih would be able to help her. She was sure that he could teach her how to open portals. He uses gemstones containing dark mana and a mirror. Shastih was able to punch a dimension hole into the dark realm. Very simple but rare. Lola was sure that she could mimic Shastih’s method. She also had the grimoire of shadows with countless instructions. “I am not too worried.” She told herself.

  They continue to fly over the forest of naked trees. Dark spirits and fiends yowled from below. A titan hand came down from the dark skies and plunged into the earth causing an earthquake. Gargoyles, bats and other winged beast left the forest and flew into the dark clouds. “What is above the dark clouds Lalita?” Lola had to ask. She was afraid one of those colossal hands would capture her.

  “Above is nothing but an abyss of darkness.” Lola said. “Don’t ever fly into the dark sky alone Lola.”

  “Don’t need to worry about that.” Lola replied looking up at the colossal hands. The hands picked up earth from below and carried it to the black clouds.

  Lola gazed into the horizon of Necrovania. It was foggy but she could see a tower so far away. It went into the black clouds and seemed like it could go on forever. “Lalita, what is that tower?” She asked.

  “That tower is the link of the three realms. Necrovania, the realm of light and the limbo. In the genesis of Odealeous, the twilight dragon created that tower to prevent the three realms from getting separate.”

  Lola had heard of such tales. The twilight dragon? Lola had heard that name before. Dougal had told her stories of the twilight dragon. He would educate her on the history of Alexandria. Lola was always surrounded by educated people. Dougal, Shastih and other mentors she has had throughout the year. Lola wishes she could take her mother to the human world but Lalita was forbidden to leave the dark realm. She contemplated Necrovania and knew that she would not be able to survive here for long as her mother did. She was half human and needed food, water and air to survive. Necrovania was dry and no nutrition grew from its soil. Everything was dry and the winds were cold. Everywhere she looked there was danger. No place was safe.

  “There it is.” Lalita alerted. Lola looked down at the land. The Nephim hills created valleys and a black river coiled through them. Lalita descended down to the hills and Lola followed. They landed by the river bank. The hills were rocky and the minerals seem like charcoal. As if a disaster had burned the land and stripped it of all its greens.

  Lola placed Dougal down on the ground of coal rocks. She looked at the river. The waters were dark. She stepped towards it and kneeled down next to it. Before her fingers dipped in the water Lalita yelled “no! get away from it!” Suddenly something jumped out of the river. Lola startled and smacked it with her rod. It was a fish and it fell back into the water. Lola was spooked. The fish had sharp long teeth at the lips of its mouth. Lola scurried away from the river.

  “Don’t touch the water.” Lalita told her. “It will make you sick. Drinking this water will curse you. At the bottom of this river the eye of the moon stones reside.”

  “If we can’t touch the water then how are we going to get them?” The girl complains and crossed her arms somewhat frustrated.

  “Observe.” Lalita said and stepped towards the river. She kneels down and pressed her hands on the gray sands. Black steam rose from her body. Suddenly something plunged from the ground. It looked like the head of a lizard. The creature’s body slithered out. It hissed much like a snake but it walked on four legs. Its belly drags on the ground. Its eyes, a dark blue and glossy like marble stones. The reptile’s body was scaly and as black as ink. “Go my pretty. Dive and bring me the stones.” Lalita commanded. The creature hissed and scurried into the black river.

  “Summoning magic.” Lola stated.

  “It is but a pet. He will bring the moon stones to the surface. Just wait.” Lalita stood by the river. Her wings folded, cloaking her body. Her lion’s tail wagged behind her. Lola came to her and held her hand. Both winged fiends stared at the river. “This reminds me of the days when I first met your father. We would hold hands just like this by a river in South Alexandria. You have my body Lola but you have your father’s spirit.”

  “I wish I could see him.” Lola whispered.

  “Me too.” Lalita replied, voice soft.

  “What was he like?”

  “He was very direct, witty, flamboyant, daring, loving and the greatest fire mage I have ever seen.” Lalita smiled and blushed as she thought of her husband. “Solario was his name.”

  “How did you meet him?” Lola asked gazing at her mother.

  “It was the first time I had ever escape Necrovania. Flinch the purple fiend you fought earlier hunted me down. Solario faced the Flinch. He was brave and although he was almost killed he manage to safe me and escape. I fell in love with him. He set my very being on fire.” Lalita then cupped Lola’s cheeks. “Having you here makes me feel like I was standing right next to him. It is as if I have regained my family.”

  Lola could only smile and shed a tear. There must be a way to bring her to the human world. There has to be a way, Lola ponders. Throughout her life as a drifter, Lola always got what she wanted. She refused to believe that she was unable to take her mother with her.

  Abrutly a thunderou
s sound echoed above. Lola startled and tossed her head back. The skies were opening. A hole cleared in the clouds. Gargoyles and other winged beast flew away from the area. A light from above shined with a blend of reds, blues and purples. It was like a moon hovering above them. It was round and it illuminated the realm with muted hues. Gloomy colors from above.

  “Oh no” Lalita whispered. “Not now. Just wait a little longer.”

  “What is happening? Mother what is this light?” Lola asked and raised her rod ready to attack.

  “It is him. Odiamus.” Lalita said with a shaky voice.

  “The dragon god of darkness.” Lola concluded. She thought it would be interesting to finally see the dragon god of darkness that she read about in Shastih’s books. However seeing her mother frighten, it must not be a good thing if the god of darkness approached you. Lola continued to stare at the moon above. When she saw it blink, that is when she realizes it was not a moon but the eye of a creature. She saw its eyelids. It blinked again. Then the pupil of the eye emerged. It was vertical like a snake’s eye.

  “Lola I want you to run.” Lalita told her daughter.

  “But what about the moon stones?” Lola asked. She refused to leave without the stones. At that very moment the reptile that Lalita had summoned came out from the black waters. It scurried over to its master. Lalita kneeled down. The reptile spat the moon rocks on her hands. They were covered in slimy saliva. She held three stones in her hands. An eye was illustrated on it and it glowed a blue hue. Lalita hurried and gave the stones to Lola. “Run Lola run!” Lalita yells.

  Lola took the stones and remembered the instructions on the grimoire of shadows. Dougal had to swallow the stones. The wolf still lied on the ground. Lola grabbed his mouth and opened it. She shoved the stones down the wolf’s throat. He was still breathing but once the stones reached his stomach he began to cough. “Come on Dougal. You can do it. You will be back to normal soon.” Lola cheered for him. “Come on Dougal. You are strong.”