Chapter 12: Whispers of Fate

  Time: 9:41, Day: Gibrandr, Week: 3, Month: K?rgoyde, Year: 36651

  Lilith quickly grabbed Ayanna by her collar, with one hand and threw her to the floor, Galerian pointed at her face.

  Lilith looked more like an Incubus than a Succubus, with her body builder’s physique and short black tail. Her dark red skin almost had a slight purple tint to it, and the patches of scales that adorned her forearms made her look like a force to be reckoned with. Lilith had short red hair, and vibrant red eyes to match, and now a look of disgust on her face as she pointed her claymore, Galerian, down at Ayanna's face.

  Luckily for Ayanna, Galerian’s heat was no bother to her, as the blade was inlaid with an Infernal Core, allowing it to give off searing heat that seemed to increase and decrease with Lilith's emotional state.

  “WHERE IS HE?” Lilith shouted, pricking Ayanna's nose with Galerian.

  “Where's who? Why are you being such a bitch?” Ayanna shouted up to her older sister, her hands beginning to crackle with sparks of electricity.

  “THE BEAST GOD! WE KNOW IT WAS HIM THAT KIDNAPPED YOU! MOTHER HAS PLACED A 1,000,000 LOWN BOUNTY ON HIS HEAD AND AN EXTRA 500,000 LOWN FOR ANY INFORMATION ON YOU! SO WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!” Lilith shouted, the heat from Galerian's blade becoming visible in a red and orange searing rage.

  “Enough Lil, he’s gone. We can talk now, but I'll keep them posted outside just in case.” Elstraya finally spoke, making Ayanna snap her head and focus on her.

  “What the hell is going on?” Ayanna asked, the electricity crackling more intensely from her hands.

  Elstraya moved—floated towards Ayanna and Lilith. Her long straight ebony hair dragged across the floor. She was tall—well not so much tall, as floating above the floor instead of walking on it. She had strong elven features, despite her cold violet eyes, sunken cheeks, and almost emaciated figure. Though, the most disturbing part of Elstraya was the fact that she's a Lich. Meaning, she doesn't eat, sleep, or breathe.

  Lilith sheathed Galerian on her back and offered Ayanna a hand up.

  Ayanna didn't take it.

  “Come on Ay, don't be like that. We have to play the part if we're going to help you.” Lilith said, smiling softly, a stark contrast to her expression only a few moments ago.

  “Help me?” Ayanna brought her gaze back to Lilith, tears forming in her eyes as the electricity crackling from her hands dissipated. Her wings shuddered as she took Lilith's hand.

  “Listen to all they have to say, Nephal, and do not forget to ask about your father.” The soft feminine voice echoed through Ayanna's mind, almost as if the woman speaking was smiling.

  “Help me with what?” Ayanna asked, wiping away tears and smiling at her sister, Lilith.

  “We know you escaped on your own, but since you've always been obsessed with Grim, mother believes that you somehow convinced him to rescue you from the dungeons.” Lilith smiled as she rubbed the back of her head with one hand. Elstraya couldn't help but to blush as she reached out to grab her wife's bicep.

  “She thinks I convinced him to set me free without ever actually interacting with him?” Ayanna's confusion was palpable, “How would that even work?”

  “She's losing her mind, along with her strength and essence, from overusing the Founding Stones.” Elstraya said, slowly releasing Lilith's bicep and turning her focus back to Ayanna, “It will only get worse as she continues to use them, but she is also planning something big.”

  “Big like what?” Ayanna asked, her hands on her hips.

  “We don't know, but we know it's something that's got to do with you. You are her only concern right now.” Lilith spoke softly, her voice wavering just a bit, “But we're here to protect you!” Her tone holding more conviction

  “Not just protect, but help you figure yourself out. The wolf just kept getting in the way though, and Lilith really wants to fight him again.” Elstraya said, ending with a laugh.

  “Again?” Ayanna looked at Lilith, who held a giddy smile on her face.

  “Yea, before you were born, he would come help train all those that wanted to either learn to defend themselves or wanted to become stronger. I was only a child, maybe 11 or so, but he helped me get better with Galerian and even sparred with me. I've never beaten him though, but that changes now.” Lilith grabbed Galerian's hilt, “I'm going to stomp his stupid smug face into the ground!” Lilith stomped, shaking the entire cabin.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Ok, slow down, he used to train you?” Ayanna took on a more dumbfounded look, “The same recluse that stalks the forest with a pack of big ass wolves? That Grim Kelevra? The man so infuriatingly beautiful that I—” Ayanna stopped, her eyes wide and a searing blush emanating heat from her face, neck, chest, and ears. The words had just slipped out, but she couldn't deny that she meant them.

  Lilith let go of Galerian and crossed her arms, “I'm sorry, what was that? Infuriatingly beautiful?”

  “SHUT UP! I meant infuriatingly annoying. Yea, annoying. Not beautiful. I don't want to kiss him or anything.” Ayanna put her hands on her hips and unsuccessfully forced a fake laugh, “So help? Yea, help, okay… Umm, what did you have in mind?”

  Elstraya smiled wide, wider than you would expect her to be capable of.

  “I'm going to properly analyze your soul and read your Essences and then we will help train you in those disciplines.” Elstraya waved her hand over empty air, and the forbidden grimoire Veyatracis appeared from a blue flame, “Just relax, Ay.”

  “How about we actually get comfortable, and stop huddling near the door, first?” Ayanna said, her blush finally receding.

  “That does sound better than just standing here.” Lilith said stretching.

  “Then come in. Well, come all the way in.” Ayanna smiled, turning around and leading them to a little sitting area she had cleaned up by the hearth. She signaled at makeshift cushions for them to sit on, as she sat down, tucking her wings close to her.

  “I bet you can't wait to say that to him.” Lilith laughed, earning a giggle and a playful arm-swat from Elstraya.

  “Anyways, let's get to it. I'm going to peer into your soul, you shouldn't feel anything.” Elstraya said, raising her left palm to face Ayanna.

  Ayanna took a deep breath, closed her eyes and relaxed as much as she could. Elstraya had said she shouldn't feel anything, but Ayanna felt like there was something probing around inside her. Ayanna's wings shuddered after a moment.

  Elstraya had her eyes closed, but was making a face like something was wrong.

  “Can you feel that?” Elstraya asked.

  “Yes, what is it?” Ayanna answered softly.

  “I don't know, but it's entangled with your Essence, so much so that I don't think there's a difference between you and it.” Elstraya said after a short pause.

  “I can feel the Lich’s Soul Magic trying to figure me out. It has been millennia since someone has touched me, please show her my gratitude.” The soft feminine voice almost sounded elated.

  Ayanna's eyes snapped open.

  “She said thank you for touching her, it's the first time anyone has in millennia.” Ayanna repeated to Elstraya.

  Elstraya’s eyes snapped open and her hand fell to her lap, disengaging the magic.

  “She?” Elstraya asked, slightly tilting her head to the side in confusion.

  “I don't know her name, but she's always been there, and probably always will be. Truth be told, she was the one that helped me escape.” Ayanna said plainly.

  “How did something attached to your soul, specifically your Essence, help you escape the Rose Capital’s dungeon?” Lilith asked, crossing her arms and giving Ayanna a stern look.

  “She told me what to do and when, and everything just kind of worked itself out.” Ayanna shrugged, her feathers audibly shifting.

  “Supposedly all Nephalem possess a fraction of Fate herself, so maybe that's what she is.” Elstraya said, after taking a pensive expression and thinking for a bit, “Either way your Soul Essences are Primal Chaos, Primal Holy, Ancient Fire. So Twilight Touch, and Embercraft are your primary disciplines.” Elstraya said with confidence, though Ayanna looks at her as if she's speaking a different language.

  “She forgets she's not talking to Dark Elves, she means Fire Magic and Blighted Radiance.” Lilith corrects Elstraya, and nudges her as she laughs.

  “Yea that, I guess,” Elstraya rolled her eyes, “Either way, Chaos, Light, and Fire Magics. Neither of us can help you with Light Magic though, you’ll have to make your way to Azielle for that.” Elstraya said calmly.

  Ayanna looked at her palms, smiling, both thrilled and terrified to finally know enough of her truth to make a move out from underneath her mother's gaze.

  “Azielle?” Ayanna asked, more repeating than anything else.

  “Yes, the country of Dharmas, and…” Elstraya looked at Lilith, Lilith nodded, “The home of your father, and the reason you have that crest on your chest and gold tips to your feathers.”

  “What?!” Ayanna exclaimed, taken back.

  “Yepp, not just a Succubus Princess, but a Dharmic one too.”

  Ayanna looked around, her hands in front of her opening and closing furiously. Not that she would ever admit it but she really wanted to hold Grim’s tail right now. This was almost too much for her.

  “You good, Ay?” Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow and looking curiously at her younger sister.

  Ayanna's mouth opened slowly, then closed abruptly. She couldn't stomach the knowledge of a family that left her to rot in Salem Kingdom's dungeon. As she did often, she closed her eyes and hummed the tune she used to hear being whistled by the only other prisoner locked in the damp dark dungeon beneath Salem Kingdom’s Rose Capital. It gave her comfort, and a surprising sense of nostalgia.

  “Maybe she already knew?” Lilith asked, hesitant to reach out to Ayanna.

  “No, I think she's just processing. We should leave her to her thoughts for the time being. I'm sure she's wondering what kind of people leave a child in a dungeon to be tortured and forced to grow up knowing their organs will one day be harvested to make someone else more powerful.” Elstraya said plainly, almost cold, though true.

  Lilith and Elstraya sat together in silence, watching, waiting.

  Ayanna opened and closed her fists, tears spilling from her closed eyes as she hummed the tune. Her wings shuddered as the weight of the information she just learned settled into her. As her mind processed the information she couldn't help but whisper the name of the Beast God for comfort.

  — The Curator’s Notes —

  your stomach the most?

  The next echo is already forming. Try not to flinch when it calls your name.