"Mom, it's true! I saw a demon in the forest. She has black hair!" Nes tugged at his mother's skirt, much to her annoyance.
Currently checking potatoes from a stall, his mother paid him no heed.
"She's wearing a hood and she has these blue evil eyes." He stretched his eyes open with his fingers, exaggerating it to emphasize how dire the matter was. No matter how he tried to explain, his mother didn't believe him. "She looks a lot like the woman in the forest."
His mother dropped the potatoes and pinched him in the bum. "Don't you dare say something about Desha. She's a kind woman who helped us with the cow a few days ago, you ungrateful spoiled brat. I will hear nothing more."
The man behind the stall laughed. "Aye, the forest you say? Didn't we kids warn you not to go there?"
"But a demon!"
His mother pinched him again. "Nothing about the demon!"
"No! I didn't say she's Desha! She looks like Desha but a different person!"
"Enough!"
"But mom! You gotta believe me!" His voice sounded desperate. "It's like the demon copied her!" His mother didn't believe him, still. He turned to the seller and asked, "Don't you believe me, Mister Hek?"
"The forest is a dangerous place, Nes. Best not to go there." He ruffled the kid's messy blond hair.
His mother paid for the potatoes and put them in her basket before thanking the man. She moved to the next stall without waiting for Nes.
Nes looked at the man and glanced at her mother with a pout. Why don't they believe him? He's telling the truth!
They should capture the demon before it's too late. What if the demon curses their village? What if she kidnaps one of the children and eats them? What if she eats them? They're doomed! It's because no one believed him…
As if Astrea granted his prayers, he heard loud neighs and a woman's familiar commanding voice. He turned to the flock of villagers and saw two women that stood out among the crowd. They wore a lavish royal red cloak with the academy's insignia boasted the back. His face brightened at the sight of them.
"Heloires!"
He ran to them, weaving his way through the people. "Lady Amalia! Lady Ria!" he yelled, flailing his short arms up in the air to catch their attention. "Lady Riaaaa! Lady Amaliaaa! I need to tell you something!" The noise of the crowd calling out their name drowned his voice. He jumped up and waved his hands. "Demon! I saw a demon!"
That caught their attention.
They dismounted from their horses, but before they could get near him, he felt a harsh tug by the arms. He whipped his head to see her raging mother.
"What are you doing?" She hissed. When the two students walked up to them, his mother fixed her posture and flashed them a smile. She hid his son behind her skirt. "It's nothing. You shouldn't believe him. He's begging for attention. I failed him as a mother. And kids these days have a wide imagination." She bowed. "Forgive me, my ladies."
"No! It's true! There's a demon in the forest! I saw it! I talked to it!" Nes defended his claim.
"Huh, they still call it demon here." Ria stroked her chin and looked up.
"How did you come across a letherian?" Amalia fixated her gaze on the small child; her voice was strait-laced and she did not beat around the bush. If there's one thing she learned from her previous missions, every information contributes.
Nes got taken aback. For the first time, Lady Amalia talked to him! To him! Never did the lady interact with the other kids in the village. She was straightforward; she held an air of noble and undefiable authority. She would never waste time on irrelevant matters. This was an event to boast about to his friends.
"Come on, kid. Tell us, tell us!" Ria exclaimed.
His mother shook her head. "No, no. He's talking nonsense! And- and there's no such thing-!"
Amalia raised her hand and his mother stopped. "Let him speak."
A grin broke the kid's face. He knew they're going to believe him. "I met the demon in the forest. I was lost. She was wearing a hood and we went back together."
"How did you know it was a letherian if it was wearing a hood?" Amalia pressed on.
"She revealed herself and I immediately ran back to the village. We were at the forest edge. I told everyone but no one believes in me! So please, Lady Amalia." He clung to her cloak. "If the demon lives, we're all doomed!"
"We'll keep that in mind." Amalia gave him a curt nod and his smile broadened.
His happy mood didn't last long by the yank on his arm. His mother glared at him. "You're butcher to me later."
He gulped.
"Gather the others. We'll scout the forest. There should be a woman living alone in a small house. We'll ask her if she saw anything odd as of late. If not, we'll cover more ground." Amalia swiftly turned to their horses. As she fixed her saddle, her fingers stopped midway from the reigns and she held her breath for mere seconds.
She felt it.
Amalia turned to her companion to see her pause. Ria's marmalade eyes directed towards the forest before meeting hers. She felt it as well.
The faint tremor below their feet confirmed their assumption.
One thing passed to mind. "Kuhra."
~~
"They're after me," Desha spoke.
The ground shook.
"There isn't much time. Hurry! Go!" She dragged her out of the door. The ground shook once more, followed by another bellow.
"No! I'm staying here with you!" Adeleine clutched her mother's sleeves, tears spilling the corner of her eyes. "I don't want to go."
"You can't do anything. You'll only die! Don't be stubborn, Adel. Now go!" Desha's blue eyes used to gaze at her softly, now it's glaring at her. "Don't make me force you."
Adeleine shook her head and pleaded, clutching at her mother's hem tightly yet so hopeless. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she begged her to stop but, Desha's decision was absolute. She cannot let her daughter be in the crossfire. She'd rather die by herself than watch her daughter be drenched in blood due to her sins.
She held out her hand and called, "Marga!"
A small hurricane formed from the leaves. Brown feathery wings spanned out as the wind burst in all directions, blowing hair out of Adeleine's face. She turned to the spirit beast in surprise and fear—surprise that her mother summoned Marga and fear that she'll be forcefully whisked away.
Marga had an owl for her head, a long neck and body, four talons, and her tail ended pointy with feathers span out to control her direction. The owl's large eyes stared at Adeleine, looping her neck as she stretched, not breaking eye contact.
"You see that image in your pendant." Desha held her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Find that person. They'll take care of you." She gave her a gentle squeeze—a silent message of good luck and as a plea. Adeleine was her last precious jewel. She wanted her to survive. She would do anything for her daughter.
Adeleine took a step back and held her mother's arm tighter. She shook her. "Mother, you can't do this!"
But her words fell deaf in Desha's ears. "Marga, take her and escape. Don't let her near."
Marga's body slithered like a snake and Adeleine found herself encaged in her talons. With one great flap, they took off.
"Mother, no!" she screamed, thrashed. But Desha only stood there. Adeleine saw a glimpse of her mother's lips curving up to an assured smile, but she could see in her eyes apprehension.
Desha was not confident. This was no ordinary monster. To think it's here; they want her dead.
She took a deep breath. It won't be an easy task. She never fought this alone and it had been decades since she allowed herself to experience once again these dangerous activities.
The ground had another tremor.
There's no time to think. She gripped the hilt, before positioning it comfortably with her breathing.
She'll finish this.
~~
"Let go of me!" Adeleine thrashed around, prying Marga's claws off.
'Child, stop. Art thou hath no intelligence?' Moon interjected. 'I can feel we're high up. If you get dropped, you'll splatter like paint.'
"But Mother!" She looked back; the figure of her mother slowly faded into the distance while their house was nothing but a mere miniature.
Not far from their home, she saw a dark beast higher than the forest canopy. Their fur dyed obsidian black; their face covered with a horse's bone skull with two protruding horns right at the eye sockets. It opened its jaw wide to let out an earth-shaken scream.
The creature held its snout up in the air, familiarizing its surroundings with scent. It turned towards them. Adeleine's stomach recoiled as terror took hold of her body when it charged at them at full speed.
"It's coming for us! It's coming!" she frantically kicked the air, wriggling her way out. A shriek tore her throat as she closed her eyes shut.
She heard a heavy vibration and peeked to see the creature thrown to the side. Its heavy body skidded, uprooting large trees, clearing a small part of the forest. Desha employed a strong gust of wind to knock it down. But, as predicted, it had little effect on the beast other than to throw it off balance.
She glanced up. "At least, they are safe."
"MOTHER!"
Trees ran past below in a frenzy as they flew above the forest. Each movement created a tremor felt through the area. Each shake thrummed along with her racing heartbeat, acting like a beat of a drum towards to imminent catalyst. Her thoughts were all over the place.
What if the enemy is too strong? What if Desha does not make it? How can her mother defeat that sort of monster? Its size was titanic that it could easily crush her with a swat of its hand like a rolled newspaper to a fly. How can she be sure her mother is safe?
She was too preoccupied with her worries until Marga dropped her off the ground and she rolled over the leaves. She grunted at the impact and rubbed her shoulders. "Dammit, it hurts. Drop me softly next time, will you?" she glared at the owl who flopped down in front of her.
Marga tilted her head in response. "Hoot?"
"Where in nirvana did you drop me off?" Looking around her new environment, she pulled herself up and dusted her clothes.
Trapped between the corner of a cliff and Marga—she had nowhere to run.
The ground trembled and she lost her balance. "Woah."
Oh dear Astrea. She peered down below. Is the cliff stable? She hoped it is.
Birds flew in the opposite direction, cawing in distress that caught her attention. Her mother, the monster!
She stood up and glared at Marga who curled her body to watch the girl. She would have to get past the spirit beast first.
Adeleine didn't break eye contact as she threaded the edge to escape her cornered spot. Marga slowly blinked. She bolted as soon as she got past the beast but before she could enter the trees, she was seized by Marga's long extendible neck encircling around her body.
Marga stood up on all fours.
Adeleine tried to wriggle her way out. "What are you going to do, huh? Hang me off the cliff so I wouldn't escape?"
Marga blinked. Adeleine saw contemplation flash in the owl's eyes and for a second, she regretted running her mouth off.
Marga walked over the edge and Adeleine's stomach lurched to her throat as she saw her hair dangling from the dangerous height. Pebbles bounced off the sides and fell down the soil. She was light-headed knowing how far down is the ground. With each shake, her vision blurred; she felt as though she was going to fall.
A shudder ran down her spine.
"Hold on, hold on! I was just kidding! I didn't mean it literally. I still want to live- urmphg!" Her food went back up. She held it down, her face tinged with green. The fact that she was dizzy from being hang upside-down didn't help. Closing her eyes, she stabilized her breaths.
The vibrations stopped.
She felt the harsh wind in her hair and gravity took hold of her body. Goosebumps stroke her skin as she fell. She stopped falling, however. Taking the courage to peek, the ground was inches close to her face.
"Oh, damned Luna," she puffed.
Marga dropped her this time and her face met the floor. "Oomph."
The owl beast landed in front of her. Marga had no intention of blocking her path nor keeping her here. She craned her neck down and their forehead touched for a few seconds before she pulled away. The beast spread her wings; she ran and with one great flap, she took off. Adeleine stared at the beast's figure in the sky at the distance, dumbfounded.
"Wait! Aren't you going to take me back?!" she yelled but Marga was too far away. "Where are you going?! Come back!" She ran after her on the ground. The canopy made it hard for her to keep track of the owl.
"Wait-!" She tripped on a jutted root and her body tumbled down the slope.
She hissed, pushing herself up. It didn't hurt that much anyway; she's fine. Unfortunately, she lost sight of Marga. "Dammit." She slammed her fist on the dirt.
Why did she leave? Is there something wrong? What about her mother?
"Mother!" she remembered.
She hastily ran back to their home. They didn't fly that far. She was still familiar with this part of the forest.
The quakes did stop. The battle, now ended. Uneasiness pooled in the pits of her stomach. She ran as fast as she could as if her lungs were being squeezed out and her heart was about to explode. She didn't slow down—she even sped more.
She burst through the small clearing. Surrounding trees uncharacteristically bent with cracked cut trunks. They cleared a few spaces more by scratching a large portion of the topsoil. But what stood out was their humble abode in shambles, all aftermath of the battle.
She cupped her hands around her mouth and scratched her voice with a desperate scream. "Mother!" A lump stuck in her throat as she called again, "Mother!"
Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?
She whipped her head, almost cracking her neck from frantically searching her, ignoring the catastrophe. She couldn't find her. She bit back a sob from despair creeping into her thoughts. No! She has no time for this; she should find her mother.
"MOTHER!" She found her languid under a nearby tree. Her back leaning on the trunk; her head drooped to the side; the sword resting on her lap tainted with thick black liquid while her fingers loosely grasped the hilt.
Dread pooled Adeleins's stomach with nauseating thoughts of seeing her state. She shook her lightly.
"Mother?" Desha didn't respond.
Her heart drummed loudly in her chest, every beat was like a time-clock ticking away, counting the passing seconds as she waited for her mother to open her eyes.
"Mother?" She shook her again. Desha's body limply went along with the force. "Mother?"
Her head swarmed with thoughts, at the same time, she felt like she couldn't think of anything.
"Mother?" She tapped her cheeks. She waited, biting her lips hard; her hand forming to fist, her nails impaling her palms, almost drawing blood. "Mother, this isn't funny."
She choked back the ever-growing lump in her throat that made it hard for her to form words. Her hands felt cold. But when she touched her mother's hand—it was colder. Her face drained pale.
No…it was only due to nervousness, right? Like effects of the battle. It's not like she's…
Desha told her she'll follow after. She told her. Adeleine wanted to cling onto that last shred of hope. False hope.
Adeleine reached to brush a fringe of hair on her mother's face. Her skin was ghost white compared to the usual lively bright color she has when she smiles.
Then, Adeleine noticed… Desha wasn't breathing.
Dug. Dug. Dug.
She could hear it; the sound of her own heart overtaking her senses. She couldn't think of anything.
No… no, no, no! This isn't true. She brought her hand to her mouth, disbelief written on her face.
'-del! Adel! It's fine.' Moon's voice faded back after the ringing in her ears died down. It snapped her out of such horrid thoughts. 'Calm down. Take a deep breath.'
Adeleine gasped and stared at the floor. Her arms supported herself as her legs numbed.
'Calm down.'
Who could have done this? Why would they do it? Her mother is a kind person. She didn't deserve any of it.
"Mother." She clasped Desha's hand and brought it to her cheeks, despite being drenched in blood. She didn't care any of that—all she cared about was her mother.
Her eyes searched her mother's face for any sign, any sign at all, any movement—but there was none.
Desha's arm dropped limply by her side when it slipped past Adeleine's grasp.
No heartbeat. No breathing. No…life… no…
"No, no, no, NO!" She pulled her hair in frustration as she screamed. Her breaths were ragged after. Her dark locks fell, casting a shadow on her face.
Dark clouds rolled in the sky, devoid of any light. Silence... It was all she heard after the undulate of ominous wind in the trees.
Please let it rain, she begged the sky. She didn't want to cry.
She already shed them before but, it didn't convince her mother. There's no use of it now. Her tears wouldn't bring her mother back to life.
She sat there, waiting. She waited for the sky to grant her wishes but, it seems that the universe wanted to watch her suffer.
A drop rolled down her cheeks but, it wasn't from the sky. It was her own.
She looked up and saw the gray clouds sit there seamlessly. She scrunched her face to stop herself from falling apart. "Why?" She asked above. It was the only time she asked for something so badly but they stood there and mocked her.
What felt like hours of cursing the world was only minutes. Adeleine felt like a fool talking to an inanimate object. She stood up, brushing her nose with her sleeves and wiping the stray tears. She peered down at her mother. Tears welled up.
She threw herself and enveloped her with a hug. No warmth like she used to feel it.
"I'm sorry," Adeleine mumbled in her ear, despite knowing she couldn't hear it.
You'll only die. Those words echoed in her mind. Like an arrow straight to her chest, it made her realize how useless she was as it wounded her pride. Despair gnawed like salt on that open wound when it took her mother's life as a price.
As much as it hurts, she separated herself from her mother. She dug a hole under the tree where her mother took her last breath using the shovel they previously borrowed from Mister Hek. She carefully placed her inside it and returned the soil.
She stood there, wiping the sweat off her brow. In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the sword her mother used covered in filth and dried blood.
Adeleine read stories of heroes who die in battles. In her heart, her mother is one of them. They met a tragic end. They say they died for a cause, they died protecting their land, their home, what they love. Foolish thoughts.
She picked it up and laid it down across her grave like how she read it in those books—to honor them.
When she saw the smile that graced her mother's lips even at her last seconds, she can't help but harbor bitter resentment at her mother's stupid choices. Did she not regret it even at the thought of death? Did she think of her daughter?
She died protecting her. Yes but she left!
"How selfish can you be, Mother?" she wanted to scream, she wanted to curse the beings up there but, it ended being a whisper of defeat. "Are you happy that you left me here alone?"
But even with a bitter heart, she sang her mother a lament. The melody was to guide the souls of the people who relieved themselves of earthly shackles, or that was what the people believe. They travel in the MoonRiver, reliving the memories they have of their present, towards to SunLake where they are reborn. It was old and passed down to the new generation to perform.
She recalled her mother telling tales of it so clearly. When the time comes, she'd like to hear her daughter's voice last as her time comes up. Unfortunately, fate has a way of toying with mortals.
She didn't think it would be so soon. Unfortunately as well, that her mother didn't hear her voice last as she wished. This is life…and life favors no mortal.
"Not even a goodbye…"
A few moments of silence passed. 'Are you alright?' Moon finally spoke.
"Oh, sure I am. Mother just passed away." She sarcastically replied sniffling. She nearly forgot Moon's existence in her head.
Moon was silent once again. 'My condolences, child.'
"Hey, have you ever lost someone? What did you do?" she quietly asked.
Moon pondered. Familiarity struck her, almost faint but, it was there; an ache she couldn't fathom. 'This one not knowest…' How odd, Moon thought.
Silence settled once again.
'What shall you do next?'
"Find the person Mother said is in the picture."
'What picture?'
"It's in the pendant." Adeleine pulled the chain out under her clothes. It's surprising the turquoise didn't fall from all the chaos she put up through a while ago. She was sure she would lose it somewhere in the woods when Marga hung her upside-down.
Speaking of Marga, Adeleine realized, she's now gone. The owl bid her goodbye. She finished her contract with Desha and the bond was severe. The moment a spirit contracted with a human, they are bound to serve their contractors until the end of their human's lifespan in an exchange for a physical body so that they would live longer.
Marga is now a free beast.
"The picture must be in here somewhere." She flipped the pendant, searching for the said image. She saw none, however. The pendant might have been a folded piece with the image inside but no—only a simple pendant with nothing to hide. She squinted as she held it close to her face.
The gem had a solid color so it was hard to see. Dark streaks flowed around the rock's surface, but she saw a faint silhouette inside.
The clouds parted the skies and light shone on the gem she held. A pair of majestic wings spread from an eagle holding a shield with its talons. Her brows furrowed.
This isn't a portrait of a person, it's an emblem. How in Adhelis Empire is she supposed to find that specific person she was looking for?
"Let's hope this emblem is well-known or we'll have a hard time looking for them." She squeezed the necklace in her hand and tucked it again under her dress.
"Check over there!" A commanding voice yelled in the distance.
Adeleine jolted at the sudden intrusion. Out of habit, she reached for her hood and threw it over her head, hiding her black hair from plain view. She turned, attempting to leave only to meet a sword threateningly pointed at her neck.