White Devil

by Janina Franck

“Tsoaluo. We’ll find the others there and send them back to you for reinforcements. Ayalon and Zero, you two will have to carry the three of us. The distances we travel per day are up to your abilities. Whenever you tire out, say so and we shall take a break. It’ll be the biggest strain on the two of you and I apologize for that in advance,” Selene continued. Ayalon and Zero both shook their heads, smiling.

  Lilith was impressed with how well they all worked together and how all of them immediately accepted their orders. Only Ryo looked like he was pouting a little. But after a moment, even he shrugged and grinned again like before. And thus, the decisions had been made.

  The rest of the day, they continued to pack provisions and after that, Lilith and Amethyst spent as much time as they could with both Milly and Colm, though the bird appeared to be there merely for company, as he said his piece quite early on and then remained quietly watching from a corner of the cottage, possibly to give the three humans some time. Lilith wanted to imprint their faces in her memory, as she didn’t know for how long she would be gone. It could take weeks, even years, if Colm’s theories had been incorrect.

  At one point, Milly grabbed Lilith’s hand and asked, tears coming to her eyes, “You’ll come back soon, won’t you, Lilith? I liked having a big sister.”

  Lilith took the younger girl’s hands into her own and smiled reassuringly.

  “Of course. I will be back before you know it. After all, I could not let my little sister roam the forests by herself, could I?”

  Milly then smiled and let her eyelids drop. She was exhausted. Lilith kissed her on the forehead and made sure she was tucked in nicely, before saying good-bye to Colm. Selene had told her that they would leave with the first light, so it would be easier to do it now. This way they wouldn’t lose time in the morning.

  “You can do it,” he said, smiling reassuringly. Though Lilith wasn’t quite certain whether he was trying to reassure her or himself.

  “And you’ll be back soon. I know you’re strong. You will do it.”

  Lilith nodded and smiled.

  “Do not worry about me. I will not leave you for long.”

  “That reminds me,” Colm said, pulling out a letter from his pocket, “you should go to Taquin after Tsoaluo and visit the Great Library in Taq. Give this letter to the Guardian of the Library, she is a good friend of mine and will be a great help to you, I’m sure.”

  Lilith took the letter and nodded again.

  “We will. Thank you, Colm.”

  Then they hugged; tears welled up, but did not quite fall. After what seemed like an eternity, but also far too short, they let go and Lilith left Colm to sleep.

  *****

  Lilith was the first one waiting. She hadn’t been able to get much rest, so she had spent the night roaming around, wondering about her upcoming journey and trying to mentally prepare. She was almost more scared of her encounter with Lady Xelma than she was about the rest of the adventure. Amethyst had napped for a little while, but very soon he joined her. They didn’t speak. There was no need for words.

  Eventually, the other members of the party joined them. Few of them spoke either. Perhaps it was simply too early in the morning for many words. Joe and Zero were inseparable, whispering to one another until Selene arrived with Balthasar. Once the group had gathered, they set off. As a good-bye, Balthasar simply said, “May the winds be in your favor.”

  “And your ship sail to the stars,” Selene replied, smiling.

  Lilith supposed it was some blessing from their home. She had begun to notice differences when people spoke different languages and if she was correct, they had spoken in their own language, not the Highland dialect of Pbec.

  Maco and Selene were being carried by Ayalon while Zero, in eagle-shape, transported Lilith with Amethyst flying beside them. Lilith could see Balthasar watch after them for a while. She wondered how worried he was about Selene going on this endeavor without him. It was obvious that he harbored fatherly feelings for the girl.

  Flying was odd. Lilith could feel Zero’s muscles move beneath her and every up and down through the winds. It felt wrong, though the girl couldn’t quite determine why. It wasn’t that she was afraid of the height, despite the fact that the land rushing past beneath them, it wasn’t the speed either. But somehow Lilith couldn’t shake off the suspicion that flying should be different.

  No matter how strange it felt, Lilith couldn’t deny that she liked it. She had explored these meadows, these forests and hills many times, but from up here, they all looked different. The dragon and eagle gained height gradually. The nearby mountains weren’t that high from here, but still high enough. Colm had told Lilith that on the other side they went down a long way.

  As the sun rose and the mountains were painted in golden light, Lilith took one last look at her home. There was no telling how long she would be gone. She tried to take it all in, all of the land and the memories of the last few months that had been her entire life. Melancholy took a hold of her. She looked at her companions, her friends. These were the people she would be going on this journey with. She was thankful not to have to go by herself. And with them, she brought a little bit of home with her wherever she might go.

  Balthasar watched them go until they had vanished behind the mountains. He kept telling himself that he wasn’t worried as such, it was just that they were in an unfamiliar land and nobody knew what might be lying in wait for them. But the unsettling feeling in his stomach remained. He wished Selene had taken him along, so he could be there and ensure that nothing happened to her, but he knew the notion was ridiculous. If anyone could look after herself, it was that girl – his captain, he reminded himself. Of course she would be alright.

  Once, a long time ago, he had promised her father – his best friend – that he would always look out for her, and she had become a daughter to him over the past sixteen years. So he knew that she made decisions based on logic and research. It made more sense for him to stay here than to tag along. Here, he was useful. Someone needed to look after the Bat and be in charge of the situation. Especially now that their host was weakened.

  Their host. Colm.

  Balthasar wasn’t sure what to make of him. They seemed to have similar ideas about certain things, and both of them cared deeply for their girls, but there were also fundamental differences.

  Selene seemed to have decided to adopt him and Lilith into their crew, her family of sorts. She trusted them. Of course, Selene was the best judge of character, considering her ability, and if these two were really as pure as she said, well, then they really were genuine about everything they said and did, and could be confided in.

  With a sigh, he eventually returned to the cottage where the little girl, Milly, was still asleep and Colm was reading a book.

  “Ye coulda said bye,” Balthasar commented as he entered. Colm looked up at the other man.

  “Yes. But it was better this way. We said our goodbyes yesterday. And what about you? You looked like you wanted nothing more than to go with your girl.”

  “I did. But she gave me a job, ‘n’ dat’s what I’m gonna do.”

  “They’re strong, our girls, aren’t they,” Colm sighed. Balthasar nodded.

  “Much stronger than we are,” he agreed.

  They grinned at each other, but after a moment, Balthasar scratched his head.

  “But ye have sumthin’ else planned for here, haven’t ye. Sumthin ye dinnae tell yer girl.”

  Colm nodded, glancing over to Milly, who was still sleeping.

  “I don’t think I’m the only one who does,” he mumbled, concern darkening his features.

  Balthasar felt the need to ask, but he got the impression that perhaps this was not the right time for it. It was too early in the morning, too soon after their girls had left, for conspiracy theories and discussions of impending doom.

  After a short while, Joe came in to take a look at Colm and Milly. By then, the girl had woken up and ye
lped disappointedly about Lilith having already left. According to Joe, she was perfectly healthy again and ready to return home. But Colm asked her to stay. He explained that it would be safer if she stayed around him, and with the bribe of getting to learn a lot more about magic, she enthusiastically squeaked her agreement. Balthasar found himself trying to remember if Selene had ever been this excitable and naïve.

  When she had been around Milly’s age, Selene’s parents had been killed in front of her, and she had taken their place, kept the group together and became their captain as a nine-year old. She had been surrounded by death and danger all her life, and so she had never been given the opportunity to be a girl like this one. To be just a child – excited about pointless things, simply because she felt like it. Selene hadn’t been so easily distracted or able to fool around, because lives had been at stake. Nevertheless, Milly also carried the same potential for leadership, Balthasar could tell. She was smart, decisive and charismatic. If she had grown up under different circumstances, Balthasar was almost sure she could have turned out to be like his Selene.

  While Colm and Joe discussed the spell which had previously attacked them, and its effects on the human body, Balthasar went outside and sat beside a grumpy Ryo.

  “Ye cannae go on evr’y adventure, ye know”

  “I know, but I just feel so useless not doing anything while everyone else has a task. And only because of this stupid thing.”

  Ryo clacked his wooden leg on the ground, wincing at the impact. Balthasar patted him on the shoulder.

  “Dun worry boy, I think Selene left ye here for a reas’n. ‘N’ dat guy’s prob’ly gonna tell us t’night.”

  *****

  Indeed, he did. Colm asked everyone who was still around to gather in the cottage. It had become a semi-regular occurrence. He poured everyone some tea and handed out small snacks, before he eventually addressed the issue.

  “There is something we need to do. Phyenor probably didn’t realize it at the time, but her attack on her own country has weakened it more than anything else could have. She now has no magical support left. Other countries will have noticed this, too.”

  He pulled out a map and pointed to a valley in a mountain range in between the countries marked as Pbecrah and Quintz.

  “These are the Highlands. We have been passed between the hands of Pbecrah and Quintz for as long as anyone can remember. Both of them want to own the region, neither of them know what to do with us. And now with this development… I am positive that Quintz will have noticed the shift of power Phyenor has caused. So far, they have only kept the truce because of Pbecrah’s superior magical front. Now that it’s gone, they will try to invade again. But because of the riots in Pbecrah, the military won’t be able to come to our aid. At least, not in time. When they do finally arrive, it will be a warzone up here and it will destroy any possibility of us having a peaceful life. I can’t let that happen. So we need to prepare the people here. We need to train them and explain the possible outcomes to them. We need to defend our land from Quintz, as well as Pbecrah.”

  Balthasar began to chuckle.

  “Ye’re sayin’ ye wanna make th’Highlands independent.”

  Colm nodded.

  “We have to. Our leader has acted against the people of her own country. While she is my friend and I love her dearly, I cannot let these good, honest people suffer the consequences of her foolishness. They deserve better. Over the past centuries, no government has really taken an interest in these people, so they’ve been left to their own devices. It’s time that there is a leader who cares about the Highlands. Someone who has lived here and knows the people. But to get that, we need to fight for our independence first. And for that we need to prepare the people and hope that Lilith and your crew come back with the Hellfire Naginata in time.”

  Everyone in the room was grinning with anticipation. Milly watched the men, wide-eyed. Then, she too, grinned and said, “You will be a fantastic leader, Master Colm!”

  Colm shook his head and smiled.

  “I’m no leader. I’m the wrong person for the job. But I do have someone in mind.”

  The little girl begged to know who, but Colm refused to answer her.

  “It’s not yet time to tell,” he said. “There are many other things to take care of first.”

  The next day, they all separated, traveling to the different villages across the Highlands to gather the people, and make them aware of the possible danger and what precautions they should take. Colm assured everyone that there was no proof of imminent danger, but it was always better to be prepared. The Highlanders listened to him, agreeing with his ideology, and applauding his foresight and wisdom, Balthasar noticed.

  They were on their way home for the night when it happened.

  Both Milly and Colm were suddenly engulfed in a purple light. Milly began to choke and fell to the ground, cringing and crying. Colm was doing a little better, his eyes twitching, pouring sweat, his entire body tensed. Balthasar was with them, watching the spectacle, but he had no idea what to do. He got the impression that there was nothing he could do. After all, he’d seen this happen to Colm before, but this time there was also the kid, and Lilith wasn’t around to save her.

  She wouldn’t survive this time.

  Balthasar knelt next to the trembling girl and took her in his arms. It was the only thing he could think of doing; giving the poor thing some comfort in her last moments. Her eyes were wide open, unfocused, tears constantly streaming forth. Her breathing came in short, rapid bursts and after a moment, it stopped.

  But then, Colm reached out his hand to them, a green light pushing aside the purple, extending toward Milly. As soon as the green light touched her purple glow, the shine vanished and was replaced by a viridian, pulsing aura. Balthasar watched open-mouthed.

  The flow of green light from Colm’s hand ceased and he dropped to his knees. The attack continued, though it did not seem to be affecting Milly anymore. She was lying still and unconscious in Balthasar’s arms, breathing calmly, while Colm continued to battle the powerful magic. Bending over, his fists clenched, sweat still streaming from his entire body. Colm’s breathing echoed that of Milly from a few moments before. Balthasar couldn’t even begin to imagine how much force and will it must take the other man to withstand it as much as he could.

  After an eternity of helplessness, the purple glow vanished. Balthasar was relieved for a moment, as Colm was still kneeling and breathing, even though his gaze remained glassy. Then the blue eyes fell on Balthasar, locking him in place, sealing a pact.

  “Look after her.”

  Then he fell forward, his eyes open and no longer twitching, his chest not moving. When Balthasar checked, Colm no longer had a pulse.

  Lilith still felt strange having left Colm and Milly behind. It had been a whole day already and she had lost all appetite, despite having been hungry the entire time they had been traveling. They were currently camping in a forest beside a lake that Amethyst had called Monara Lake. It was pretty, with crystal clear water and a wide waterfall coming down from a ledge straight out of the mountain. Plenty of fish jumped joyfully out of the water in the evening sun.

  According to the map, and what they had seen from the air, they should be almost right outside Tsoaluo, though now the mountainous parts of the journey were behind them.

  The main reason why they had decided to camp out for the night was that none of them really knew the city and whether or not the recent tension had dissipated yet. Selene had suggested to wait until they could get a proper look the next day.

  The Highlands really had been much higher up compared to the rest of the country than Lilith had expected. It had taken them until an hour before sundown to get from the mountains to down here without losing their provisions.

  To relieve Ayalon and Zero, many breaks had been taken. Those two had fallen asleep beside the fire Selene had made almost instantly after they had gulped down some dried mea
t and had drunken some water.

  Meanwhile, Selene was carving some wood with her knife and Maco sat there, staring into the flames. Lilith sat down by the water, watching the tiny, glittering waves and letting her mind wander. Amethyst kept her company.

  “Worried about tomorrow?” he asked. Lilith nodded.

  “I do not know what to do. I feel strange. I am not even hungry anymore, it is odd,” she admitted.

  The raven eyed her quietly for a moment. Then he sighed.

  “You’re not just worried about tomorrow,” he recognized. “You also miss those stupid humans.”

  Lilith took a pebble and threw it into the lake.

  “Yes,” she muttered.

  “Don’t worry! I’m sure they’re fine. I mean, they’re incompetent, sure, but they can survive a couple of days without us!”

  Death had been waiting already. She had come for the girl, but she stayed for the man. Together they stood in eternal darkness, a sub-realm, a place where there was no time and no geography.

  The pale, dark-haired man with navy eyes smiled at her.

  “Hello, old friend.”

  You look well. I had not expected to see you again so soon.

  “I hadn’t either. But it was inevitable,” he sighed, still smiling.

  She shook her head.

  It was not your time just yet. It was hers.

  “I know. But she is still needed. Her life has just begun; I can’t let it end yet.”

  You are needed as well.

  Colm shrugged.

  “I think they can manage without me. Especially now they have the pirates. I told them what to do, I’ve done my part.”

  You have not done all you could. And you want to see her again, the girl you dubbed Lilith, do you not?

  He laughed.

  “Of course I want to see her again. But I am dead now, and there is nothing I can do about it. Speaking of which, isn’t it about time you do your job, Enforcer?”