Lilly observed her surroundings in confusion. Met with blinding light she suspected that she was somehow back on the planet's surface. But the butterfly beast before her definitely hinted at a place in the Frozen Hell.
Slowly piecing everything together, Lilly figured out that she had arrived at Mihva's home. Although Lilly was skeptical, the young butterfly had told her that her home was bright and warm.
Now that Lilly woke up in a comfortable bed, able to clearly see her surroundings, she had to put her suspicion aside.
For now, Lilly had to navigate an entirely new situation. Lightly shaking her head, she tried to regain her clarity. Despite her superficial safety, the young woman didn't dare to think that all beasts would be as welcoming as Mihva.
Therefore, Lilly waited for Loiava to speak first.
Clear, brown eyes stared at the respected healer. The brave human ignored the invisible pressure a rank seven beast naturally emitted. Loiava praised her inwardly as she mustered Lilly.
After a minute of awkward silence, the butterfly beast finally smiled slightly.
"No need to be so vigilant. I have already spoken to your mother."
Lilly's body shock heavily at those words. Their parents were the siblings' biggest secret. If even this was seen through, then what could they hide?
Loiava hadn't expected such a big reaction from Lilly. Just as she wanted to calm her down, the young girl sighed in relief. Obviously, Silvia had talked to her daughter. The young woman fell into contemplation for a few seconds before addressing Loiava:
"You need my help?"
"Yes, but you should rest for a day. You have been through some difficult situations. Let's talk about other things later."
Lilly had many doubts, but unfortunately her mouther wasn't willing to clear them. The young woman could feel she was scratching at her parents' past. But for now, she didn't have any choice but to bury her thoughts in her mind.
"Ok then I will relax for today.
Since our meeting just now was rather bumpy, let me introduce myself first. I am Lilly Rottal."
Looking at the hand Lilly reached towards her, Loiava was surprised by the young woman's strong mentality. The speed at which she had adapted to the situation was admirable. Of course, this was only possible because her mother vowed for their race.
Despite not really used to this style of greeting, Loiava grabbed Lilly's hand with a smile on her face.
"I am Loiava."
"Ohh, you are aunty Loiava? Then I assume you healed me, right? Thank you very much. My body feels amazing."
Chuckling slightly at Lilly's try to pull them closer, the respected healer waved her hand.
"Don't mention it. Mihva probably wouldn't have spoken to me ever again if I didn't help you."
"That's nice to hear. How is Mihva doing? Is she fine?"
"Her body is unharmed, but she has been down the last few days. Unfortunately, we suffered a cowardly attack the day we found you. The poor girl has never seen so much death."
Lilly sighed lightly as she listened to Loiava. Since she didn't know any of the dead, those left her rather cold, but imagining the lively Mihva with a sad face also dampened Lilly's mood. Remembering the danger they went through together, Lilly also didn't forget their third companion:
"And what about the rebel girl? Has she woken up yet?"
"No.", answered Loiava.
"Her state was rather critical. I will wake her up later, however. Maybe you and Mihva should go to see her and explain the situation. The poor girl will surely be stressed out when she wakes up surrounded by us."
Lilly nodded in acknowledgement. Since she got a clear picture of the situation, the young woman decided not to stay in bed any longer.
"Ok then. Thank you again for healing me. I would look for Mihva now."
A light chuckle escaped Loiava's mouth.
"Don't worry, you won't have to look for long. She is waiting right outside your room."
With those words the rank seven beast turned to leave.
"I will tell her to come in."
Sitting up in bed, Lilly watched as the beast gracefully glided over the wooden floor. Only now did the young woman take some time to observe her surroundings. Earlier she didn't dare to pull her attention away from Loiava. Despite her gentleness the rank seven beast put a lot of pressure on Lilly.
Taking in the natural style of the room she was in, Lilly felt her mind elevated. Clear air and wooden smell caressed her nose. Her eyes feasted on the walls in a natural wooden look and the furniture seemingly made from leaves.
A smile formed on Lilly's face as soon as she noticed the door opening. Loiava left with a happy laughter as Mihva impatiently squeezed past the older beast.
Noticing her new friend's excitement, Lilly couldn't help but feel delighted as well. With their combined efforts they had made it out of the Frozen Hell, now gathering again at this bright and warm place.
Suddenly Lilly's body stiffened. The cute butterfly beast dashed towards her. With a loud cry it jumped into her arms, almost pressing the air from Lilly's lungs.
"I missed you, Lilly!", exclaimed Mihva as she embraced the human.
Not expecting Mihva to be this enthusiastic, Lilly was first hesitant. But soon she carefully caressed the beast's gorgeous wings.
"It's great to see you again."
"Great, great!", sighed Mihva, happily rubbing her cheeks against Lilly's shoulder.
Only after noticing her friend's fur tickling on her skin did Lilly realize that her clothes had changed. Peeking past Mihva's body she noticed that she wore a simple dress, seemingly also made from some leaves.
Even her boots were missing, slightly starting the young woman. Her body shouldn't be strong enough yet to endure the power of gravity. It seemed the beasts' small world somehow offset even the planet's gravity.
As Mihva slowly pulled back her embrace, she noticed Lilly's strange look. She happily asked:
"Lilly, Lilly. Do you like your dress? I made it personally!"
Looking into Mihva's big, round eyes how could Lilly say anything other than praises?
"Of course I like it. It's gorgeous and light! And smells great."
"Gorgeous, gorgeous!"
After Lilly's response the young beast was beaming with happiness. It swayed on the spot, smiling from ear to ear.
Not wanting to ruin Mihva's mood, Lilly didn't ask for her old equipment. She could imagine that the armor suitable for apprentices would be badly damaged after enduring her deliberate freezing.
After Mihva had let go of her, Lilly was finally ready to stand up again. She moved her limbs carefully, still feeling stiff after a few days of lying in bed, before pushing off from the comfortable mattress.
Feeling the warm wooden floor under her feet, Lilly sighed in fascination. It was really hard to believe that this beautiful place was located withing the Frozen Hell. It was the exact opposite of what one would expect.
Mihva eyed her friend happily.
"Lilly, Lilly. How are you feeling?"
"I'm still a bit stiff but otherwise I'm feeling perfectly fine. Your auntie's healing magic is really impressive."
"Aunty, aunty. Mom always says it is rare for beasts to specialize in healing. But whenever our race produces a healer, they are the best of the best!"
"Hmm Mihva do you think… your aunty might teach me a bit?"
Mihva's eyes rolled left and right. She wanted to help her friend, but also didn't want to make her too much hope.
"Teach, teach. I don't really know. Since we evolved from beasts, our race similarly relies on our bloodline. Thus, I don't know how much aunty can really teach you. Magic is something we instinctively wield."
Faced with so much new information, Lilly couldn't hold back her thirst for knowledge. Her eyes shining brightly, she began to interrogate Mihva.
"You evolved from beasts? What does this mean? What is the difference between beasts and races?"
"I… I don't know.", answered Mihva slightly intimidated.
"It just happened… I guess? Mom always told me that we as an intelligent race are really young. We evolved from a beast race called the Four Element Butterfly."
"And what is your race called now?"
"Race, race. Now we are called the Two Sovering Butterfly. Since our bloodline mutated and now is geared towards life and death magic. We hold the potential to govern over life and death. But we don't have anyone this strong yet."
With every word Mihva said, Lilly continued to grow more eager. She wanted to soak up all the knowledge, and magic was her new favorite subject.
"That's why you were able to use death magic against those eel beasts, right? It would be great if I could learn this too."
Finally, Mihva's eyes lit up. She grew confident again as she offered her friend:
"Learn, learn! I can bring you to a place where you can learn life and death magic! You will definitely love it!"
A wide smile on her face, Lilly took Mihva's hand. Not minding the furry feeling, she stepped forward, urging joyfully:
"Then what are we waiting for then? Let's check on the rebel girl before you show me around!"