Chapter 7: Hatred

A hundred views!  Many of them are probably mine, but, we all gotta start somewhere.  Sorry for the delays, but life has been...challenging, of late.  Anyway, I really like how this chapter came out.  It was originally part of a much larger chapter that was broken up for the purposes of editing.  However, I think I managed to add some good character bits and give it a heart truly its own, which increased its length a bit.  In other words, I like it.  Now, let the crapping on my dreams commence!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Chapter 7: Hatred

             A low gasp forced its way out of Mina's throat as she staggered to her feet.  In front of her, Aeon hung in midair, a trident perforating his skull.  She touched his skeletal hand, but the lich did not respond.

            "One down," a gruff voice called from the ocean.  Looking behind Aeon, Mina saw a man covered in rainbow colored scales standing waist deep in the water, scowling at her behind several rows of serrated teeth.

            The bare-chested creature had short, sea foam green hair and looked almost human, save for webbed hands and fins that ran up his elbows and down his back.  Climbing out of the ocean, Mina saw fins running down the backs of his legs as well, which ended in feet full of thick, webbed toes. 

            Strapped to his left wrist was a spiral seashell that had a tentacle sticking out of it, while a tiny pair of apocra were fashioned to coral shoulder guards.  These creature's had spiny backs, craggy bodies, a curled up tail, and long, tube-like mouths.  Finally, fashioned to the man's belt was a tentacled beast with a head shaped like an arrow.

            Mina tried to take a step back, but the two creatures on the man's shoulders spat water at her with such intensity that it bore a hole into the sand behind her.  The fourteen year old girl froze in place as the scaly man walked over to her, the gills on the sides of his neck flaring.  He took hold of the coral trident embedded in Aeon's skull and pulled it free.

            "Join your master!" he snarled, thrusting the trident at her chest.

            Mina's body tensed and she was about to fall flat against the sand, when suddenly, a skeletal hand caught it mid-stab.  “The aquillans do me a great injustice with this attack,” Aeon murmured, glaring directly at the aquillan.  There was a huge crack along the right side of his skull where the trident had pierced him with several smaller cracks splintering out from it.  Only one of his eye sockets remained intact and his jaw hung loose, barely clinging to the left side of his skull.

            Green flames filled the lich's left eye socket, while Mina thought she saw a green eye surrounded by blue skin through the ruined part of Aeon's skull.  The trident crackled in his hand and ice spread out of his bony fingers.  Traveling up the trident, it licked at the aquillan's hand and he hurriedly dropped the trident, and leapt backwards, though not before his hand and the spiral shell attached to his wrist frosted over.

            "Intruders must be eliminated!" the aquillan snarled, his pink and green eyes fixed on Aeon and Mina.  The tiny apocras on his shoulders spat concentrated blasts of water at the two, but Aeon raised his hand and a thick wall of sand rose between them to absorb the blasts.

            "I thought you were their friend!" Mina exclaimed.

            "As did I," Aeon replied.  With a wave of his hand, the wall of sand collapsed onto the beach and he folded his hands behind his back before addressing the aquillan.  "Explain yourself.  Why have you attacked us without provocation?"  His voice was calm and soft spoken, but Mina shivered at the anger she felt in his words.

            "By order of king Umizano, all intruders are to be slain on sight," the aquillan retorted.  Holding out his hand, the creature clicked his fingers out one by one and long, bluish green nails sprang out of them.  Raising his hand at Aeon, the aquillan charged the lich.

            Aeon raised two of his fingers and sand leapt off the beach, wrapping itself around the aquillan's legs.  The apocra hacked at the sand with his claw-like hand and managed to tear through it.  However before he could take another step, more tendrils burst out of the beach, wrapping around his legs and his hand.

            The aquillan's eyes widened as he fixed them on Aeon.  He struggled to break free of the sand, but could do little more than twist in his bonds.  With great effort, he pulled one of the manacles of sand up to his face and the apocra on his shoulder blew a hole through it, allowing him to pull free.  The aquillan slammed his fist into the arrow-headed apocra on his waist and a cloud of inky black mist burst out of the creature, obscuring the aquillan from sight.

            "Is he gone?" Mina mumbled.

            "No," Aeon curtly replied, reaching down to the ground and placing his hand against the sand.  Mina felt the ground underneath them quake and buckle.  A sound like water getting drained out of a pan came from inside the mist, followed by cursing and a strangled cry of terror.

            Mina could hear thrashing coming from the mist, but it soon faded into nothingness.  "Aeon... are you-?" she murmured, turning her gaze towards the lich's ruined skull.  She winced, but forced herself to not look away.  The cracked skull and his jaw, which was only connected to one side, made Mina's skin crawl but the most unsettling part of him was the green eye which appeared to exist underneath the shattered bone.  It was fixed directly on her.  “Oh, Goddess…” Mina held a hand over her mouth.

“Your concern is unwarranted,” Aeon muttered.  The fractured parts of his skull began to mend themselves.  His jaw righted itself and the deep cracks disappeared.  Ice crept out of the bone and reformed the missing parts of his skull until Aeon's head was whole again.

“Y-you're...how is that possible?!” Mina whispered, her mouth still ajar from witnessing Aeon's recovery.

“My body is directly connected to the Leyline.  I need only draw on its powers to heal myself,” Aeon said, thrusting his hand in the direction of the mist.  A strong wind erupted from his palm and dispelled the mist, revealing the aquillan, trapped in a whirlpool of quicksand that stopped just below his gills.  The man was struggling to breathe.  Floating over to the pit of quicksand, Aeon lifted his hand and the sand rose up, carrying the aquillan with it, until he and Aeon were eyelevel.

“W-wait!” Mina grabbed his hand and lowered it before glancing towards the aquillan, whose face had turned an unhealthy yellow.  “You’re not going to kill him, are you?” she cried.

Turning to look at her, Aeon let out a short sigh and said, "What would that achieve?"

"Huh?"

"People who kill without thought or consequence are pathetically short sighted," Aeon said, letting his hand fall.  The sand holding the aquillan in place collapsed, leaving the rainbow scaled man prone on the beach.  With a flick of his wrist, Aeon dragged a tiny stream of water out of the ocean and directed it into the aquillan's gills.  "Make no mistake." Aeon added.  "Sometimes death cannot be avoided.  However..."

"It's a last resort, right?" Mina said, putting a hand over her chest.  "I guess that's why father slept with a sword under his cot.  Never had to use it till that day, either..."

"Gaggh!  In...tru...ders..." the aquillan groaned, blinking his eyes rapidly.

"Shhh," Mina whispered, lifting his hand up and brushing stray grains of sand from his gills.  "We don't want to hurt you.  Just rest for now."

"Prince...Alnor!" the aquillan grunted.  He rolled out of Mina's arms, pulled a large conch shell out of a pouch on his waist, and blew into it.  A low moan seemed to echo out of the shell before it fell from his lips and he collapsed on the beach.

Feeling at his wrist, Mina closed her eyes for a moment.  "How is he?" Aeon muttered, his eyes fixed on the surface of the ocean.

"He's got a pulse," Mina said, removing her hand and flipping him onto his back.  "Seems like he just fell unconscious."

"It would be wise for us to take a step back," Aeon said, floating backwards a few paces.

"Huh?  Why?  Is something-" Mina started to say.

She was silenced when something massive rose out of the ocean, showering Mina with salty spray and drenching her completely.  Rubbing salt from her burning eyes, Mina looked up and made out the figure of a gigantic creature covered in aquamarine scales.  It did not appear to have any arms or legs, however a long dorsal fin ran down its back and it had a pair of whiskers on either side of its spear-like head as well as a frilly mane of spikes separating its head from the rest of its body.  Glancing down at her, the creature blinked at Mina with four, faceted orange eyes.

"Woah..." Mina exclaimed, wringing water from her hair.  "It...it's huge!"

"Celos," Aeon nodded to the creature, who appeared to nod back.

Slowly, the gigantic creature lowered itself back into the water until only its head was visible.  There, seated on the bridge of the massive creature’s nose, was a troupe of roughly a dozen aquillan soldiers, each bearing a trident and several apocra wrapped around their arms and legs.  Leaping onto the beach, two of the aquillans carried their fallen comrade into the water while the other ten raised their tridents at Aeon and Mina.

"Intruders!  You have trespassed into the realm of the aquillans and attacked one of our soldiers!  For this transgression, you will be summarily executed!" one of the aquillans barked at Aeon and Mina.

Jumping up, Mina darted over to Aeon, wet sand squelching in between her toes, and began to wring out her dress.  "So much for them being your friends."

"You do not seem terribly worried."

Smirking a little to herself, Mina replied, "Call it faith, if you want.  I know you can handle this."

"Do not make light of us!" the soldiers barked.  "We are here to enforce the will of King Umizano, Prince Alnor, and Princess Miriel!"  The apocras on their shoulder guards fixed their eyes on Aeon and prepared to attack.

"Stop!  All of you, stop this!" A commanding voice rang out from beneath the waves, clear as day.  The aquillans backed away from Aeon and lowered their tridents.

The water behind the aquillans foamed up again and all ten of the soldiers knelt down in a row, bowing their heads as the ocean gave way to a scaly, blue creature that had a long, stocky body with two flippers in front of it and one large tail fin behind.  It had an elongated head with several bits of tack attached to it.  Seated atop the creature was a sullen, bare-chested aquillan with his hair styled into a sea foam green mohawk.  The aquillan wore an ostentatious cloak of glowing green kelp and wielded a bejeweled trident in one hand while holding the reins of his apocra with the other.

The giant creature Aeon had called Celos bent down and opened its mouth, letting out a small whimper before stretching out its tongue and licking the aquillan.  “Hehe, it has been too long, Celos,” the aquillan laughed, his glower momentarily vanishing as he patted the beast’s massive nostril.  "Don't worry.  I have no intention of starting a fight with Aeon.  I just wish to talk with him."  Celos bobbed its head up and down happily. 

Turning to Aeon, the creature stretched over the beach and took a sniff of the lich and Mina before licking them several times.  "Agh!  Hey, stop that!" Mina squealed, trying to evade the slimy tongue.  "I just wrang out my dress and...ewwww!  My hair's all sticky now!" she laughed, pulling big globs of slime from her emerald hair, which was sticking up in odd places.

Placing his fingers against his soggy robes, Aeon traced a circle in the air, and as he moved his fingers, the drool lifted from his bones and formed a small bubble in the air.  When he was completely dry, Aeon lowered his hand and the drool fell to the ground, forming a small pool in front of them.

"That's cheating," Mina scowled, flinging slobber from her dress.  "Hmmph...You seem pretty used to this."

"Indeed.  Celos grew up in Acacia," Aeon replied.  "So I am well acquainted with his...affections."

"He..." Mina glanced up at the gigantic apocra.  "Are...are you sure?  I don't think he'd fit."

"Our little leviathan was smaller back then," the aquillan with the mohawk let out a short chuckle as he unseated himself from the blue apocra he had rode in on.  "Celos has grown quite a big since then, wouldn't you say, Aeon?"

"Yes.  I can see that you are caring for him.  Echidna and Dakon will be pleased," Aeon nodded to the ostentatious looking aquillan.

"Prince Alnor, these two are intruders!  They injured one of our-"

"I heard the call," the aquillan named Alnor quickly silenced the soldiers.  "How fares the sentry?"

"He lives, but-"

"Good.  See to it he stays that way.  Now, leave us."

"But my lord, we must stay here to protect you!"

"Take a good look, men," Alnor pointed at Aeon with his trident.  "This lich holds nearly as much power as Lady Marina."

"The...The Drowned Maiden?!"

Alnor nodded.  "Yes.  Believe me, if he were here to wage war or do me harm...I would already be dead."

"Even so-"

"I shall keep Celos close," Alnor said.  "Now please...this is a matter of royal courtesy."

The soldiers bowed their heads and quietly retreated into the water, leaving only Alnor, Celos, Aeon, and Mina on the beach.

“Prince Alnor, with all due respect, you know why I am here," Aeon said, once they were alone.  "However, I have been absent from these lands for nearly a full year.  What could have happened to break our trade agreement?  It was supported by Lady Marina herself.”

With a sigh, Alnor leaned against his steed for support.  "The ocean winds blowing over the coast are foul of late, Frozen Shade," he replied.  "Father has severed all ties with the surface.  And to be frank, I support his decision.  That means we can no longer contribute our hair, scales, or blood for your experiments.  I am sorry.”

“Forget my experiments for now,” Aeon murmured.  “What has happened?”

Alnor's expression hardened and he banged the butt of his trident against the sand.  "We have tried to listen to you and Lady Marina.  To put aside war with the deep dwellers and to make peace with those on the surface.  To trade and become part of Telnumbra.  To our dismay, the council has yet to recognize this."

"I offer my apologies.  We are-"

"I shit on your apologies!" Alnor snarled.  Aeon was silent for a moment, while Mina's eyes widened.  The aquillan's scales were glowing and cast a rainbow of vibrant colors on the sand.  Putting his hand to his forehead, Alnor added, "Forgive me.  That was...uncalled for."

Celos whimpered and rubbed one of his whiskers against Alnor.  The aquillan patted the whisker and let out a sigh.  "Due to our...lack of citizenship..." he continued, "There were no repercussions for the Teythens who killed my mother."

A gasp escaped Mina's lips.  "Goddess..."

"Lady Shalna..." Aeon said, rapping his fingers against his bony chin.

"And so...we have cut our ties with the surface.  If we will not have justice, then we will not continue this...facade of courtesy.  Lady Marina still supports us, but...we want nothing to do with any of you," Alnor turned his back on Aeon and Mina.  "If you return to our territory, I shall be forced to fight you."

Silence overtook them.  Alnor seemed to be trembling, while Aeon merely floated in place.  However, Mina carefully made her way over the sand and tugged on Alnor's cloak of kelp.  The aquillan turned and glared at her.  "What do you-"

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Mina bowed her head.  “I…I know what you must be going through.  Once the shock’s worn off you feel…” Mina lowered her eyes and balled her hands into fists.  “Sad...angry...and empty.  But worst of all, you feel helpless.  I know one thing for certain, though.  Hating them won't bring her back.”

Trembling with anger, Alnor raised his trident at Mina, who stood rooted to the spot.  “Don’t speak as if you can understand, whelp!” Aeon moved in between them faster than Mina could see, but before any blows could be exchanged, a voice called out from the ocean.

“Stop this, Alnor!” the three of them and Celos looked towards the water to see a woman tentatively step out of the ocean.  Her scales seemed to glow even brighter and with more colors than Alnor’s and she was garbed in a tunic made of kelp which ended just below her waist.  The aquillan had a lithe frame and her long, sea foam green hair was tied back in a tail.  Strutting out of the water on webbed feet, she pushed her way between Alnor and Aeon and began to yell at the aquillan prince.

“Brother, this is madness!  Will you truly kill anyone who steps onto our shores?!  Even children and old friends?!”

“Stay out of this, Miriel!” Alnor grunted.  “Father and I will never trust anyone on the surface again!  Not after-” he stopped and his expression softened.

The aquillan called Miriel averted her gaze from his.  “I’m not a child, brother,” she mumbled.  “You don’t have to tiptoe around the issue.  I miss mother too…but how can you turn on your allies?!  Would you treat Lady Marina with such disrespect?!”

"I showed plenty of respect by not attacking these two where they stood!" Alnor yelled back.

"You can't fight the whole world, brother!  We should learn to forgive.  Mother always taught us to live with humility, and-"

"To the Goetian hells with your humility!" Storming over to his steed, Alnor pulled on its reins and led it back to the water.  "Begone, lich," he called back to Aeon.

Bowing her head, Mina stepped forward and addressed Miriel. “I’m sorry...we didn’t know about-”

"No..." Miriel shook her head, "I am the one who needs to apologize, little one," she sighed, bending down and putting a hand on Mina’s shoulder.  “I hope we didn’t scare you.”

“You shame us, Miriel,” Alnor spat, looking back at her from the corner of his eye.

“And you shame our mother’s memory with your disrespect!” Miriel yelled at him.

Glaring back at her, Alnor shook his head and mounted the blue scaled apocra.  “If you were not my sister, I'd slap you."

Floating over to his side, Aeon placed a hand on Alnor’s shoulder.  “I am sorry for your loss,” he murmured.  “Know that I will not trouble you for ingredients again.  Please, carry my condolences to King Umizano.”

Alnor’s expression softened and he sighed.  “Thank you…I will.  However times have changed, Frozen Shade.  No one from the surface is welcome here anymore.  The children of the ocean will handle our own affairs, since the Telnumbran Elder Council has not seen fit to grant us entry into their 'grandiose' confederation.  However, in honor of your efforts for our people, I can at least grant you one hour here to do what you must.  After that, however, you should leave and never return.”

Mina, Miriel, and Aeon watched Alnor pull on the reins of his apocra.  It waddled around and slid into the water before disappearing beneath the waves.

Tearing her gaze away from the ocean, Miriel dabbed at her eyes with one of her webbed fingers.  “Please don’t think ill of him.  I know he was rude and threatened you but-”

“I understand,” Mina said, taking Miriel's free hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “When I was younger, I lost my parents too.  So…I know what he’s feeling right now.  And I know what you’re going through too.”

Clutching tightly to her hand, Miriel solemnly gazed into Mina’s eyes and whispered, “I’m sorry…please, forgive us.”

“It’s alright,” Mina forced herself to smile and shook her head.  “Listen, I know your brother’s angry, but if you’re patient with him, he’ll work through it.  What he needs right now, though, is someone to comfort him.  Even if he says otherwise, he doesn’t want to be alone.”

“And my guess would be that you do not want to be alone either,” Aeon said as he floated past the two of them.  “Your bond may save him, if anything can, Miriel.”

“Lord Aeon…" Miriel sniffled, looking up at Aeon who patted Celos’s head affectionately.

“You have had troubled times, old friend,” Aeon sighed, the swirling green flames in his eye sockets fixed on Celos's faceted orange eyes.  “I can see you blame yourself.  Do not.  As big as you are, the ocean is infinitely bigger.  You cannot protect all the aquillans all of the time.”  Nodding, the creature licked Aeon once more before slinking into the water and waiting, eyes fixed on Miriel.

Steeling her gaze, Miriel spoke up once again.  “Aren’t you mad at all?!” she called out to Aeon.  “Aren’t you mad at how my father and brother have treated you?!  How can you be so stoic when people you’ve known all their lives, people you've protected, suddenly turn on you?!”

“What would anger get me, Miriel?” Aeon murmured, floating over to her and Mina.  “I know your lot in life is hard.  It always has been.  Why would I want to make it harder?”

Lowering her eyes, Miriel said, “Our mother spent her life trying to bring the children of the ocean closer to those who live on the surface.  And her death was a tragedy to all of us.  But father and Alnor refuse to accept it for what it really was.”

“What do you mean?” Mina mumbled.

“An accident.” Aeon stated.

Miriel nodded.  “Teythen fishermen caught her in their nets and took her to market.  She probably tried to cry for help, but the night she vanished, the ocean grew stormy, drowning out any sound save for the crashing waves of the ocean.  By the time she was discovered among their catch, she had died from suffocation.”

“Without salt water on her gills for who knows how long…” Aeon bowed his head. “She must have suffered terribly before she suffocated.”

She did,” Miriel wiped at her eyes.  “We know because they returned her body to us out of respect.”

“B-but if that’s true then none of this makes any sense!” Mina exclaimed.  “The people who did this might take from the ocean to feed themselves, but they didn’t mean to hurt her, right?!”

“My mother was beloved amongst our people,” Miriel choked back a sob and put a hand over her mouth.  “My father and the others don’t care about explanations.  They only saw her dead at the hands of those on the surface.”

“What became of the fishermen?” Aeon mused.

“Because they were teythens living on the outskirts of Carmilna, Empress Austarine intervened for them.  Father threatened war if they were not brought before him, but he relented thanks to Lady Marina.  After that, though, everything changed,” Miriel sighed, balling her hand into a fist.

Turning away from Aeon and Mina, Miriel headed over to the water.  “You probably ought to steer clear of us from now on, Aeon.  I don’t want you and Alnor to-”

“We will meet again, princess,” Aeon bowed his head to her.  “In happier times, I imagine.”

A small smile flickered onto Miriel’s face.  “Ever the optimist…” she murmured before diving into the ocean and swimming out to Celos.  They dove into the frothing wake of a few particularly large waves and disappeared.

Mina and Aeon stood and watched the ocean until the sun had dipped below the horizon and dusk swept over them.  “I thought the ocean would be a paradise… a place free of the death and cruelty I’ve seen on land…but the same tragedies occur no matter where you go, huh?” Mina sighed and looked over at Aeon.  “Do you think they’ll be alright?”

“I do not know,” Aeon replied.  “However, they are not alone.  So long as they stand together, they will survive.

“I guess you’re right…” Mina lowered her eyes.  Ambling over to Aeon’s side, she plopped down on the sand and put her arms around her legs.  “So, what will you do about the supplies you came for?”

“If necessary, I can buy the materials I require in the Umbran Bazaar,” Aeon said.

“After this, I bet they’ll be expensive.  Say, how much are aquillan scales, hair, and blood worth anyway?”  Mina asked, looking up at Aeon’s stoic skull.

“Roughly one hundred gold pieces per gram,” Aeon curtly replied.

“Wha-what!?!”  Mina exclaimed, jumping to her feet.  “For that much money, my uncle could close his inn for a whole year and still feed me and Celine!  Where did you get that kind of coin?”

“I am a member of the Telnumbran Elder Council.  As such, I have wealthy allies and my services in the name of the Council do not go unrewarded,” Aeon retorted.  Looking down at Mina for a moment, the lich seemed to hear a tiny gurgle bubble forth from her stomach.

"Ehehe, sorry...I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday," Mina blushed and put her hands over her belly.

Aeon tilted his head to one side for a moment before saying, "Can you fetch some leaves and twigs from those trees?" he pointed towards the tall trees further up the shoreline.

"Ummm...sure, but why?"

"We have a little under an hour left.  It would be wise to make good use of it," Aeon said.

Mina shrugged and skipped up the shoreline, leaving her shoes back with the lich.  She found several wide leafy fronds fallen from the trees, along with a few of the hairy looking fruits, but twigs were harder to come by.  Nevertheless, she managed to find a few sticking out of the sand and gathered up an armful of leaves, twigs, and the hairy fruits before making her way back to Aeon.

To Mina's surprise, Aeon held a large bubble of water in his hand with two live fish in it.  "How did you...when did you...?" she stammered.

"It is a trick Marina showed me a long time ago," Aeon said.  "After all, if one can use magic to control water, catching a few fish should not be a problem.  Provided you know how."

"Well...what are they for?" Mina asked.

Instead of responding, Aeon put his hand against the sand.  The ground quivered and the sand collapsed down to form a tiny pit.  After taking two of the twigs from Mina, Aeon said, "Pile the twigs and leaves into that pit."

Mina did as she was bidden.  Aeon held out his hand and a plume of flame shot into the pit, but rather than burst upwards, it curled around the leaves and twigs, as if they were a bed, and formed a nice, cozy orange fire.  Sharpening the ends of the twigs, Aeon spitted the two fish with them and stuck them in the sand over the fire.

"Here," Aeon took one of the hairy fruits and held out a finger.  A tiny bit of wind seemed to gather around his fingertip, distorting the air around it.  The lich ran his finger along the edge of the fruit, then handed it back to Mina.

The fruit nearly fell apart in her hands, having been sliced all the way through with what looked like a fine blade.  A few tiny droplets of white fluid spilt out of the fruit.

"You may drink it while we wait for the fish to roast."

"Fish to..." Mina stammered.  She looked down at the fish, then up at Aeon, who had folded his hands behind his back and lowered himself to the ground. 

"Regrettably, I do not know any songs appropriate for children," he added, resting his spine against the sand.  "However, if you wish, I can tell you a story or two."

Plopping down on the sand, Mina took one of the fruit halves and downed the white fluid in a single gulp.  It was sweet, but a bit thick and Mina had to force herself not to gag.  She glanced over at the other half of the fruit.  Lapping the sweet juice off her lips, she mumbled, "Thank you, Aeon."

"Hmmm?"

"I know what you're trying to do," Mina said, wiping her mouth.  "You're trying to show me the ocean like I always dreamed...like how my parents and I were going to experience it.  But...what I can't figure out is why.  Why are you doing all this, Aeon?"

The lich looked at her for several minutes, his eyeless sockets swirling with green flame.  Eventually, he picked up one of the roasted fish and handed it to Mina.  "A long time ago...my comrades and I chased a large garm down on this very beach.  The two headed devil put up quite a battle, but we eventually brought him down," Aeon said.

"Hmm?" Mina looked from him to the roast fish before taking it and blowing on it.

"Afterwards, we were all very hungry.  So, we caught what fish we could, took some fruits, and cooked up the garm as well, having a feast and toasting our success.  However, the garm had a bounty on it.  And when we returned the bones to Carmilna to claim our reward, only a fraction of the promised payment was delivered,"  the lich went on, "And so, I took nothing for my share, offering what remained to my comrades.  For it had been my suggestion to eat the apocra."

"I...don't understand," Mina mumbled, taking a bite out of the fish.  The scales were a bit crunchy and Mina had to spit a few of them out, however once she bit through the tough exterior, the meat of the fish was soft, juicy, and had a strong salty flavor, not unlike aurox that had been cooked with shredded garlic.  Chewing thoughtfully, she looked down at the fish, then up at Aeon.  Swallowing hard, she said, "Is this because I got sick?"

"It is my penance," Aeon murmured.

"You...ya didn't have to do all this."

"I know.  However, I believed it was just.  I forced you through a nightmare.  It is only fair that I show you a dream as well."

A brief silence overtook them.  Mina munched on her fish and feasted on the juice of the hairy fruits until she had reduced one of the fishes to bones.  Laying them down on the beach, she said, "Aeon...why do we call some creatures apocra, but not fish and bugs, and other stuff?  I mean...aren't they the same?"

"Most likely," Aeon replied, "However, in my experience, no one is asked to hunt down a fish.  They are asked to hunt down apocra."

"So?"

"So, an apocra is scary.  While a fish is dinner," the lich grinned at her.

"Hehe," Mina stifled a chuckle, "That was a joke, wasn't it?  You have a sense of humor!"

"I never said I did not."

"Haha, Aeon...I don't know why I was so scared of you," Mina shook her head and bit into the second fish.

"I do."

"That's not what I meant," Mina sighed, "It just...seems so stupid now.  After all you've done..."

"You would do well to be less naive, Minava," Aeon said, looking over at her past steepled fingers.  "This could easily be a trick to win your trust.  I might want something of you."

"Ummm...do you?" Mina asked, nibbling on the fish.

"No."

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about," Mina flashed Aeon a smile and went back to her fish.

With a sigh, the lich floated off the ground and turned to face the ocean.  A crackle of lighting from some storm clouds overhead illuminated the water and Aeon began to stroke his chin.  "Hmmm..."

"What's wrong?"

Far out at sea, several bursts of flame were fired off in rapid succession, briefly illuminating the shape of a ship.  "A mage," Aeon said.

"A mage?"

"Yes.  If the situation is as bad as Miriel and Alnor claim, fishermen would need protection to make their livelihood."

The sky crackled again and a bolt of lightning revealed Celos rising out of the churning ocean, looming over the ship.  Peals of thunder burst out of the storm clouds, but they were drowned out by Celos's roar.  Huge jets of water shot out of the leviathan's mouth, knocking several men off deck before a massive shield of flames formed between Celos and the ship, blocking any further attacks.

“Aeon, you have to stop Celos!  He’ll kill those people!” Mina cried out.

“This is the aquillan's territory,” Aeon replied.  “It would be unwise for me to overstep my bounds.”

A stream of flames shot out of the ship and engulfed Celos, however the leviathan was unfazed by the assault and reared back to strike once again.  However, before he could, a huge bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, twisting and contorting until it crashed down on top of the ship.  Instead of splintering it, the thunderbolt seemed to hang over the ship, as if someone had caught it and was holding it in place.

"Goddess..." Mina stammered.

The flames in Aeon's eye sockets swirled dangerously.  "That is dangerous magic.  The mage is using flames to whip up thunderclouds and now aims to bring the full force of the storm down on Celos and the aquillans."

No sooner had Aeon said these words than the lightning bolt twisted away from the boat and struck Celos head on, briefly lighting up the water around him with electricity.  When the light died down, the clouds parted and moonlight streamed over the ship.  Celos fell backwards, a low cry escaping his lips, and crashed down into the waves.  The leviathan's body floated, prone, alongside countless others.

"Celos!" Aeon let out a low growl, but did not move.

"Oh my...we have to help him!" Mina said, starting towards the coastline, only to have Aeon catch her shoulder.

"Wait, Minava."

"Celos could be dying!  And miss Miriel and prince Alnor were with him, remember?!  They could be hurt too!"

"This is not our concern, Minava," Aeon said, his eye sockets still fixed on the ship.  "It would be wise for us to wait and observe how this plays out."

“Is that all you’re going to say?!” Mina yelled.  "Just...wait?!"

Aeon fixed his gaze on Mina, but said nothing.  Even the flames in his eye sockets had died out.  It felt to her as though she truly were looking at nothing more than a corpse.  Cold, unfeeling, and empty.

Stamping her feet in the sand, a single tear fell down Mina’s cheek.  “I…we can’t just leave them to die like that..."

"Minava..."

Wiping tears from her eyes, Mina called out, "I'm going to help!  If we can do something then, just leaving them to die is...is...is as bad as if we killed them ourselves!" her cheeks flushed for a moment before adding, “And if their lives are so damned worthless to you...then you should have let me die as well!”

Turning and running towards the ocean, Mina began to wade into the violent waters.  "Minava!" Aeon's voice called out to her over the waves.

"My uncle taught me to swim in a pond outside of Gesthal, remember?" she said, "I can make it!"

Leaping headlong into the waves, Mina walked as far as her feet would carry her on the ocean bottom then paddled her way towards the ship.  Minutes ticked by slowly and her arms began to burn, however Mina continued paddling and seemed to be drawing near to the ship.  However, her muscles suddenly cramped and her belly let out a baleful gurgle.  Flailing her arms and legs about, Mina struggled to keep her head above water.

The ocean waves crashed over Mina and after swallowing two mouthfuls of salt water, she began to sink.  Her head fell beneath the waves and her eyes burned as ocean water poured over them.  “Am I going to die here?” she tried to mumble, but her words were nothing more than bubbles which floated to the surface and abandoned her.

Just before she closed her eyes, a strong, bony hand pulled her out of the water and onto something cold, but solid.  "You have a reckless streak, Minava.  It is unwise to be so brash."  Looking up, she saw Aeon floating in front of her, while beneath her, a walkway made of ice extended from the shore to their present position.

Furiously sucking in fresh air, Mina looked up at Aeon.  “I-blech…I thought this wasn’t any of your business,” she sputtered, coughing up seawater.

"This land is protected by Marina, the Drowned Maiden," Aeon murmured.  "It would be bad form to take justice into my own hands."

Reaching down, the lich lifted Mina off of the walkway and propped her up on his shoulder.  Blue flames billowed out of his cloak and engulfed Mina, drying her clothes without burning her.  "However, I have waited and she has not intervened.  It would appear that Marina is absent.  As such, I shall act in her stead."

A strangled laugh escaped Mina’s lips and she coughed up a little more water. “Thank you,” Mina whispered, a smile crossing her lips.  She held onto Aeon tightly as he floated towards the ship, a sheet of ice forming on the water around them as he did.

Chapter 6: Choice

Due to me being sick and overworked, this chapter was delayed immensely and I had to revise and re-write certain sections a number of times just to get it to the point where I thought I could put it out for others to look at it...not that many will.  Anyway, I'm going through some tough times right now.  I feel about as burnt out, worn out, and stressed out as anyone probably can, so I'm taking a short break from writing.  I should be back in a week or so.  Expect Chapter 7 or at least some kind of update in about two weeks.  I hope you can enjoy this chapter.  It's a little heavy.

Chapter 6: Choice

            Nerise bowled Daryl over and the purple haired girl let out a short grunt.  The sleep faded from her eyes and a scowl started to form on Daryl's face, but as the little girl hugged her and rubbed her face against Daryl’s cheek, she couldn't help but smile.  “Come on, get off me, Nerise!” She laughed.  "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

“Huh?” Nerise raised her head and gave Daryl a confused look.  “I'm hugging you,” she said matter-of-factly.  “I missed all of you,” she nodded to Mina and Celine, shaking with excitement.  "Haha, it’s been years since I had friends my own age to play with!”

“Looks like she’s a keeper, eh, princess?” Celine snickered, helping Daryl and Nerise to their feet.  While she was lending the two girls a hand, the undead apocra sauntered over to her and began to lick Celine with all three of its tongues.  “Gah!  Stop it!  That’s gross!” Celine giggled, losing her balance and toppling over from the tongues' assault.

“Awwww, Cere likes you,” Nerise squealed.  "That's adorable!  Usually, Cere's wary of newcomers."

“Celi’s always been good with apocra,” Mina whispered to Nerise, "Even undead ones."

"H-hey, cut that out!  You're gettin my dress all soggy!" Celine called, trying to squirm away from apocra's tongues.

“Okay, Cere, that’s enough.  Let her up,” Nerise grunted, running over to the apocra and pulling Celine away from him.  When the undead beast began slobbering all over her as well, Nerise took out her toy scepter and gently bopped the apocra on each of its three noses.  “No!  Bad boy!  Heel!”  A piteous whimper rose in each of the apocra’s throats and it slowly backed away before falling flat to the ground. “There.  Now that’s a good boy,” Nerise mumbled, patting the creature’s skeletal paw.

A gasp escaped Mina’s lips as the pain in her extremities intensified and her heart began to throb violently.  When her friends turned to look at her, Mina let out a nervous chuckle and nudged Daryl in the side.  “S-So much for the big bad necromancer, huh?”

“Would you shut up?!” Daryl averted her eyes from Nerise as color rose to her cheeks.  “When we saw her in the forest, all I was paying attention to were the undead.  How was I supposed to know she was so…so..."

“Cute?” Celine snorted, wiping excess drool from her dress.

“Hey!" Nerise exclaimed, "Will you come over to my house for a snack?!” her eyes lit up and she stifled a fit of giggles.  "I made some cakes before I went to bed."

Mina’s stomach let out a low gurgle, but she put her hand over it and cleared her throat.  “A-actually…I need to see Aeon.  Is he here?” Mina’s body trembled as she spoke.

“Huh?” Nerise tilted her head then nodded.  “Oh, right!  For the treatment!  Yeah he’s here.  Hop on,” she patted Cere’s back before hopping onto the undead apocra, “We’ll take you there.”

The trio examined the apocra for a moment, holding their noses as the stench of decay wafted over them.  Mina and Celine wrinkled their noses but quickly got behind Nerise, smiling as best they could despite the smell.  Daryl joined them a moment later, holding her hand over her mouth.

“Uggh!  How can you stand that stink?!”

“Hmm?” Nerise sniffed the air, while Cere whimpered and drooped all six of its ears.  “What do you mean?  I don’t smell anything.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Daryl sighed.  “Just…get going, will you?”

“Okay!” Nerise smiled and patted Cere’s neck.  The apocra bobbed its heads up and down before taking off towards Aeon's crystalline tower at a leisurely pace.

As they passed by the edge of the forest, Celine said, “Hey, Nerise.  It just occurred to me that you seem a little young to be a lich's servant.  What gives?  Are you an orphan, or-”

“No, I had a mommy.  But she didn’t love me like Aeon,” Nerise lowered her eyes.  “I...don’t like to think about what happened before he saved me.”

“Oh!” Celine's eyes widened and she rubbed the backs of her ears.  “Umm, sorry, I...er...”

“It’s okay,” Nerise flashed her an innocent smile before scratching her chin, “But do I really look that young?  Hmm…I guess I age gracefully,” she laughed.

Another wave of pain came over Mina and she suppressed a cry.  Looking over at the smiling face of Nerise, she couldn’t help but smile in return, though it was a little half hearted.  “So, how old are you, Nerise?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“About two hundred and ninety two…give or take,” Nerise shrugged.

“C’mon…if that were true, we’d all be pushing four hundred,” Celine said.

“Hehe, you’re funny,” Nerise giggled.

“Goddess…” Daryl sighed.  “She’s being serious, vagabond.  Though don’t ask me how that’s possible.”

“Y-you’re kidding…” Celine grunted.

“It doesn’t seem that weird, considering everything else that’s happened this week,” Mina said.  “If you’re that old, how long have you been with…with Aeon?”

“For as long as I’ve been happy!” Nerise replied.  “He and Weissy taught me everything I know about everything.”

“Weissy?” the three girls muttered in unison.

“Sure!  He was my first real friend.  OH!  Look, look!  We’re here!” she called when Cere slowed to a halt and hugged the ground so the four of them could get off.

Jaunting over to the door, Nerise raised her scepter to knock, but before she could, the door was pulled open by Vincent.  The teythen's pale skin almost glowed in the darkness, outlined by a silken red undershirt and black trousers.  Rubbing his eyes, he pulled at tangles of his hair underneath the white bandana he always wore and a small patch fell out of the bandana and covered his left eye.

Allowing a yawn to escape his pallid lips, Vincent glowered at the four girls.  “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Night…time?” Nerise mumbled.

“Hehe,” Vincent cracked a smile and knelt down next to Nerise.  “I suppose that is technically correct,” he ruffled Nerise’s hair.  Vincent's nose twitched a frown crossed his lips.  Turning to Mina, he seemed to see right through her and she shuddered. “I believe I know why you're here.”

“How did you know we were coming?” Celine narrowed her eyes at him.  “Were you watching us?”

“In a manner of speaking.  I am Aeon’s retainer, after all.  It is my duty to know what goes in within and without the walls of Acacia,” he said, brushing back his hair to reveal that he was missing his left eye.  The girls gasped as something behind them let out a shrill squeal.  Mina and the others turned and saw a small rodent with leathery wings fly into Vincent’s left eye socket and transform into his crimson eye.

“Show off!” Nerise giggled, hugging Vincent’s leg when he stood up.  “You’re only being all mysterious cause our new friends came back to visit!”

To Mina’s surprise, color rose to Vincent’s cheeks and he stammered, “N-no, that is not true, Nerise.  It is my duty, to...ugh," he groaned, "Why are you even up?  It's quite late.”

“I...had a bad dream,” Nerise pouted her lips at the teythen.

“You are a big girl, Nerise,” Vincent sighed.  “Besides, unlike Aeon, I do require sleep at some point.  I can't check up on you every time you want a playmate at midnight.”

Feeling her legs begin to give out, Mina took a deep breath and stepped forward, trying to hold herself steady as she did.  “Umm-”

“Nerise, perhaps you should give our guests a tour of Acacia.  I can guide Mina to Aeon,” Vincent quickly cut her off.

“No fair!  I wanna see him too!” Nerise puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.

“Let me ask you again.  Do you have any idea what time it is, Neri?” Vincent patted her on the head.

“Oh.  Oh!  OH!” Nerise exclaimed, giggling to herself.  “Okay.  I understand.  Say hi to Kina for me!”

“Ummm…what?” Daryl raised an eyebrow at the pair.

“Nothing,” Vincent replied, blushing slightly.

Taking Mina’s hand, Celine squeezed it tightly.  “Hey…would it be alright if I went with Mina?  I…I’m worried.  She’s been-”

“It would be wisest if you went with Nerise,” Vincent interjected.  “I will look after-”

“She’s my sister,” Celine said adamantly.

“Celi…” Mina’s heartbeat quickened and she struggled to stay on her feet.  “You don’t need to worry about me.”  Trying to make her voice sound stern, Mina added, “I mean, I’m not a baby!  Go on and see Acacia with Nerise.  And try not to fight with Daryl,” she sighed.  "Remember, we're guests here."

“But-”

“It’s settled then!” Nerise grabbed Celine and Daryl by the hand and pulled them back over to Cere.  “We’ll be back to pick you up by morning, okay?  Have fun!” she waved at Mina and Vincent from the back of the apocra while it trotted off into the forest.

Putting his arm around her shoulder, Vincent quickly ushered Mina inside and shut the doors.  The walls of the crystalline citadel glittered with an otherworldly light, which rose and fell like snow on a crisp winter morning.  However, this time it was not empty.  A long, rectangular, dining table made of glass filled the hall, with enough chairs on either side of it to accommodate at least ten people.

“It’s alright now,” Vincent said, “You can collapse if you need to.”

No sooner had had he spoken than Mina’s legs gave out and she dropped to the floor, panting and wheezing.  Holding her hand over her heart, the fourteen year old girl furiously tried to slow its rapid thumping.  Vincent carefully scooped her up and deposited her in one of the glass chairs, which was decorated with black cushions on the seats and backs.

Raising her chin with his hand, Vincent gazed into Mina’s eyes.  “You’ve gotten much thinner.”  The only answer Mina could give was a curt nod.  “Rest for a moment and catch your breath  Would you like some water?”

"Y-yes, please," Mina croaked.

Vincent nodded and closed his eyes.  His skin seemed to ripple and undulate underneath his undershirt.  A head covered in shaggy black fur, with an elongated muzzle and bright red eyes, forced its way out of the teythen's shoulder.  Large paws on the ends of long, sinewy legs emerged from around the head and pulled the creature out, leaving a small hole in Vincent's shoulder.  It landed on four legs and circled around Vincent for a moment, shaking its fur and swishing its bushy black tail back and forth.

A nod from the teythen sent the creature racing out of the hall.  It turned and headed in the direction Mina had come from after meeting Raschid before disappearing from sight.  The creature reappeared less than a minute later with a decanter clenched between its jaws.

Taking the decanter, Vincent held it to Mina’s lips and she drank thirstily, spilling a little water down her cheek as she did.  When she had finished, Vincent laid the decanter down and the creature leapt into his shoulder, dissolving into his skin and filling the hole.

“Th-thank you,” Mina coughed, wiping her lips.  “But…how did you know?”

“Your blood has a sickly scent to it,” Vincent replied, taking a seat next to her.  “and it was clear to me from your body language that you were hiding it from your friends.”

“I...wanted to come at night so they wouldn’t find out how bad it was getting,” Mina muttered, reaching for the decanter.  Vincent nudged it in her direction and she took another long drink.  “I didn't think it would get this bad in only four days..."

“Aeon expected you to return sooner,” Vincent said with a far off look in his eyes.

“Is…is he still going to treat me?” Mina squeaked.

“Of course,” Vincent nodded, “But he was…concerned for you.”  A shudder ran through Mina’s body and though Vincent saw it, he said nothing.  “We should get going.  I am unsure of how long the treatment will take.”

“R-right…” Mina stammered.  She jumped out of the chair and nearly lost her balance when her feet touched the floor, but managed to keep from toppling over.  Vincent put his hand on her shoulder to steady her and offered a reassuring smile.

“You do not need to be afraid.”

“I can’t help it.  In my head, I know that...that he saved me,” Mina shuddered as they took their first step up the stairwell, “But my heart won’t stop pounding!  I keep thinking about…about…” she glanced up at Vincent, whose face had become a mask of worry.  “N-no, it's nothing.  I’m sorry.  He’s your lord, so I…I shouldn’t say such things.” 

Vincent did not reply.  Lowering his eyes, he carefully stamped his foot down twice.  The staircase shuddered for a moment before an audible click reached Mina's ears.  There was a low rumble underneath them and the staircase began to ascend, carrying them up the long and winding path to the top of the tower.

Several minutes passed without either of them speaking a word.  The only sound that accompanied their climb was clinking and whirring underneath the staircase as they were carried upwards.  Finally, Mina let out a sigh and asked, “Can you tell me how this is possible?  Is it magic, or…it’s been driving me crazy since I first got here!”

A wry smile came to Vincent’s lips and he allowed a tiny chuckle to escape his throat.  “It's neeg machinery, designed by Yuka and Merkel.  An invention of theirs dubbed, the escalator.”

“Neeg machinery, huh…” Mina mused, kneeling down and watching as the stairs continued moving towards the top of the spire with the two of them on top of it.  “Wait, who’s Merkel?  I don’t think I met him the last time I was here.”

“Not surprising,” Vincent shook his head and sighed.  “He is rather…temperamental.  Yuka’s uncle prefers to stay in his tower and work on his inventions to almost anything else.  He seldom ever comes down to meets our guests."

“Yuka has an uncle?”

“Yes.  He's a brilliant inventor to be sure, but quite rude and very irritable,” Vincent replied.  “However, one cannot fault his ethics.  Devices like this were created to help people.  His escalator and elevator were created for those too weak or sickly to climb a traditional stairwell.”

“He sounds like a nice man,” Mina said.

“He isn’t,” Vincent smirked and the two of them shared a chuckle. 

The escalator deposited them in the middle of the circular walkway that spanned the perimeter of the tower's top floor.  Mina started towards the wooden doors of Aeon’s laboratory but Vincent grabbed her shoulder and shook his head.  Guiding her over to the door of solid ice opposite the laboratory, Vincent pressed his hand against the ice and pushed forward.  The ice retreated a few paces before parting completely, opening the way for the two of them.

“So this is Aeon's room, huh? Mina murmured, glancing about when they entered a spacious room with high ceilings.

A large carpet with a mural of countless people of all races standing around a black crystal covered much of the floor.  The room’s back and right walls were filled to the brim with arcane tomes, while a stately marble fireplace occupied the center of the left wall.  A rusted broadsword was laid out on top of the fireplace in a position of respect, while a podium with a locket on display rested in the far left corner.  A king sized bed, richly decorated with red velvet sheets and blankets was next to the fireplace.  The center of the room was occupied by a large, cushioned armchair opposite a sofa, with a low table in between them.  The back wall had a pair of glass doors which opened up to an outside balcony.  Through the doors, Mina could see a pair of silhouettes embracing.  One looked like a normal man, while the other appeared to be a curvaceous woman with demonic wings and a tail.

Mina started towards the glass doors, but stopped when Vincent grabbed her shoulder.  The teythen shook his head before guiding Mina over to the sofa, where he and Mina took a seat.  "It would be...unwise to disturb them," he muttered, blushing slightly.

Looking from the glass doors to Vincent, Mina said, “Is that…Aeon and Miss Kinana?”

“They should be done soon,” Vincent said, averting his eyes from the door.  He pulled a small flask out of his undershirt and took a long draught.

Minutes ticked by slowly and Mina began to shiver.  Glancing behind her, Mina noticed that the ice door had reformed, barring any warmth from entering the room.  Her breath turned to mist before her eyes and the balcony's glass doors began to frost over.  Turning her head, she saw that Vincent seemed relatively unbothered by the frigid air, however he furrowed his brow when he saw her trembling.

"There are logs in the fireplace and flint next to Aeon's old sword.  If you are cold, I am certain Aeon will not mind."

Nodding gratefully, Mina jumped off the sofa and scrambled over to the fireplace.  There was a large chunk of flint in front of the rusted sword and a matching piece of steel next to it.  Quickly grabbing them, Mina knelt down next to the fire and scrapped the chunk of flint against the steel.  Sparks leapt off the steel onto the logs, but they refused to light. 

"Dammit!" Mina groaned when she saw frost caked onto the wood.  With a sigh, she returned the flint and steel to the top of the fireplace and rubbed her shoulders with her hands.  While she was rubbing herself to stay warm, Mina took a step back and nearly tripped over the edge of the carpet.  Though she managed to retain her footing, Mina stumbled over to the podium and grabbed it to brace herself.

"Didn't work, huh?" Vincent sighed.  "Well, Aeon usually lights the fire with magic, so..." his words trailed off and Mina noticed that his tranquil red eyes had widened significantly.  Glancing over her shoulder, Mina saw the locket on the podium and turned towards it. "Mina, come back and wait with me," Vincent called, patting the seat next to him.  "It won't be much longer."

"S-sure," Mina said, her teeth chattering.  She turned around to return to the sofa, however stopped when she saw something golden sticking out of the locket.

"Mina, don't!" Vincent called out, already halfway across the room when he saw her hand reach for the tiny hunk of metal.  However, both he and Mina froze in place when a raspy voice called out from beyond the glass doors.

“I wouldn’t…”

Mina slowly turned her head towards the balcony doors.  The silhouette in the doorway no longer belonged to a man.  Instead, the outline of a cloaked figure floated several feet off the ground with the woman's arms wrapped around his neck.  Pushing the doors open, Aeon glided into the room with his hands folded behind his back.  Kinana followed after him, dressed in a black leather outfit that accentuated her curves.  The succubus’s eyes lit up when she saw Mina.

“You came!” she cried, skipping over to Mina and hugging her.  “I was worried…” Kinana added, gingerly stroking Mina’s hair.

“Give her space, Kinana,” Aeon murmured, taking a seat in the cushioned arm chair, “This is undoubtedly unsettling for her.” 

Kinana pouted her lips at Mina, but reluctantly pulled away.  She brushed her hand against Vincent's face.  Though color rose to his cheeks, the teythen's face appeared to be carved of stone.  He put his hand on Mina's shoulder and gently guided her back to the sofa.  Kinana took a seat on the arm of Aeon’s chair, leaning her head against his hooded skull while Vincent and Mina stopped in front of the sofa.

“Please,” Aeon nodded to Mina, “Be seated.”

Mina’s heart pounded in her ears and her body trembled at the sight of Aeon, however she did as she was bidden and took a seat next to Vincent, who gave her hand a reassuring pat.  “Aeon, it is quite cold in here,” Vincent said, “Perhaps-”

“Of course,” Aeon nodded, "Forgive my rudeness."  He held out his hand towards the fireplace and a tongue of flame burst out of his palm.  It curled around the logs in the fireplace and soon the logs were ablaze, engulfing the entire room in a gentle glow.

Warm air wafted over Mina's skin and she let out a sigh of relief.  "Th-thank you," she said, swallowing hard.

 “You are here for the remainder of your treatment,” Aeon stated, rather than asked.  Mina opened her mouth to speak, but could only nod numbly at the sight of the lich.  “Very well.  Then we should begin.  You may leave us, Vincent.”

“I think Mina would be more comfortable if I stayed,” the teythen replied, nodding in Mina’s direction.  Though Vincent's hand was like a chunk of ice against her fingers, Mina squeezed it and gave him a grateful smile.

“Perhaps,” Aeon said, “However, before we can begin I must speak with her about a personal matter.”

“I...I don't know what you're talking about,” Mina stammered.  “I thought you were going to-” she tried to get up, but nearly fell forward onto the table in between her and Aeon.  Vincent caught her and laid her down on the sofa.

“Mina, you shouldn't get too excited.  Your body is…”

“Yes.  It has weakened significantly,” Aeon interjected.  “You have felt pressure on your chest and pain in your extremities, correct?”

“Y-Yes,” Mina spat out, averting her eyes from the lich.  “Please…I just want to get this over with!  My friends are worried and I…look, can we just get started?  I'll need to be home by morning.”

“I understand,” Aeon said.  “It is possible to finish before morning, if you are ready.”

“I…I’m ready,” Mina stammered.

“Are you indeed?” Aeon rested his bony chin on his knuckles.  “For this surgery to succeed, you will need to trust me.  And I sense that you do not.”

“You can hardly blame her,” Kinana frowned at Aeon.  “You scare her.  And with good reason.”

“She’s right,” Vincent nodded, “Though we know better, at first glance you are..." he stopped and cleared his throat.  "Quite fearsome."

"Understandable.  However, it is for that very reason that I must speak with her alone," Aeon said.  "This surgery cannot proceed if she does not trust me.

Slowly rising from her spot on the sofa, Mina held her chest and grimaced at Aeon.  “I came here for the surgery like you told me to!  What more can I do?!” Mina shouted, leaning against Vincent for support.  “Do you want me to beg?!  Is that it?!”

“Mina, Aeon’s not like-” Vincent started to say.

“Why do you fear me, Minava?” Aeon mused, green flames springing to life in his eye sockets.  “What have I done to earn your scorn?”

“You’re a lich,” Mina spat, feeling her heartbeat quicken as she spoke.  “Your kind are the vilest, most evil creatures on Serano.”

"Are we indeed?" Shaking his head, Aeon sighed.  “Minava, a lich is no more wicked or virtuous than anyone else.”

Lowering her eyes, Mina hung her head and sniffed back a tear.  “Tell that to my parents.”

The flames in Aeon's eyes flickered brilliantly at Mina and her gaze was drawn back to them.  “I am not the Molten Zombie,” he said, his voice remaining calm and steady.  “I am not the one who killed your parents.”

Mina’s mouth dropped open and she fell silent for a moment, glaring at Aeon.  “H-how…how do you-” she stuttered, looking from Aeon to Kinana, who averted her gaze from the fourteen year old girl.  Her breathing quickened and Mina began to hyperventilate.

“Mina!” Vincent grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.  “Mina, you have to calm down!”

“Move!” Kinana grunted, floating over to Mina and sticking her tail into the girl’s neck.  Mina felt warm fluid flow into her veins.  Her heartbeat slowed and she managed to gain control of her breathing, but Mina’s eyes were still wide and fixed on Aeon.

An awkward silence overtook the room, broken only by the steady flow of fluid into Mina’s neck and the crackling of logs in the hearth.  After several minutes had passed, Mina turned towards Vincent and said, “Vincent…can you please leave us?”

“Mina, that’s not a good idea right-”

“I’ll play by your rules,” Mina stammered, looking back at Aeon, “So…tell me what you know.”

“Maybe we should just go through with the treatment,” Kinana mumbled, glancing over at Aeon.  “She’s not doing well.”

“Please…tell me what you know!” Mina growled.  “I…I don’t even know why my parents were killed!  What was Agni looking for?!  Why didn’t the Telnumbrans punish him?!  Why did his forces attack Gesthal?!”

Vincent got to his feet and looked from Kinana to Aeon.  The lich and the teythen exchanged a curt nod before Vincent turned back to Mina.  “No matter what happens, remember…Aeon is not your enemy,” Vincent said.  “He will not hurt you.”  He lingered for a moment to glare at Aeon before his body dispersed into a swarm of black winged beasts and fluttered out of the open balcony window.

Sitting Mina against one of the sofa’s cushions, Kinana took a seat next to her and held the girl’s hand while she addressed Aeon.  “There.  He's gone," Mina snorted. "Now-”

“I know less than you think,” Aeon muttered.  “I do not know why Agni killed your parents.  Or even why he is attacking your hometown.”

Mina’s wide eyed stare narrowed into a venomous scowl.  “Then…then why did you say you did?!  Why did you trick me like-”

“I do not know everything, Minava,” Aeon said, “But I do know you.”

“Wh-what?”

“In order to purge you of the soul satchern, I had to sift through every bit of your soul.  I know all that you know.  I know all that you are,” Aeon slowly spelled out.

Silence once again filled the room.  Mina's mouth hung open and she glared at Aeon in some feeble hope that the lich might burst into flames if her stare lingered long enough.  Stumbling to her feet, Mina pulled Kinana's tail from her neck and trembled with rage.

“How…how dare you?!” Mina screamed.  “You…you can’t even begin to understand what I’ve been through, yet you have the gall to ask me to trust you simply because you glanced into my heart?!  How would you like it if I-?"

“I am sorry,” Aeon bowed his head, instantly silencing Mina.  “I know I had no right to.  However, I could not simply let you die.”

The energy born of her anger fled Mina's body and she fell back onto the sofa, slumping against one of its cushions.  “If you know all that I am…then you know why I fear you.  Why’d you even bother asking…?” she stammered, a tear dribbling down her cheek.

“It is because I do know you, child,” Aeon replied.  “And it is not in your nature to hate a person because of the actions of another.  Since our last encounter, I had hoped you would take my advice and choose for yourself whether or not I was the same as Agni.”

Lowering her eyes, Mina mumbled, “I wouldn’t be here if I thought you were the same as that…that monster,” she gritted her teeth and spat out the last word.  “But how can I trust you?  You’ve invaded my most private thoughts!  You’ve threatened promises from me!  You’ve-”

“Saved your life,” Kinana added, a touch of bitterness in her voice.  Though she patted Mina's hand, the succubus averted her gaze from Mina.

“I have been honest with you, Minava,” Aeon said.  “I had hoped that would be enough.”

“I…” Mina stammered, wiping tears out of her eyes.  “Just get on with the treatment?!  I…I can’t be sick!  I don’t want to be a burden anymore...not ever again!”

Interlocking his bony hands, Aeon leaned back in his chair and glared at Mina from behind steepled fingers.  "The only one who sees you as a burden, Minava, is you."

"That's a lie," Mina sniffled, "I couldn't even come here tonight without Celi and Daryl tagging along.  I didn't want them to worry, but-"

"It is only natural to worry about those you hold dear," Aeon said.  "If the roles were reversed, you would have done exactly as Celine did."

"Well, sure, but-"

"And the furthest thought from your mind would be that she was a burden."

Biting her lip, Mina lowered her eyes and nodded.  "You're right...you really do know me," she added bitterly.

"Minava," Aeon said, floating out of his chair, "It is only natural for friends to help one another.  You need not do everything on your own."

 “He's right, Mina.  You don’t have to deal with this alone,” Kinana whispered, putting her hand on Mina’s shoulder.  “Let us help you."

Placing her fingers over Kinana's, Mina leaned against the succubus for support.  "Thank you, Miss Kinana." 

Turning her gaze towards the lich, Mina wanted to shudder at the sight of his ivory skull, the green flames flickering violently in his eye sockets.  However, she forced herself to gaze directly into his eye sockets.  "You're right, Aeon.  It's natural for friends to help each other.  But you're not my friend.  I fear you...I...I hate you..." she bit her lip, but continued.  "So why...why did you save me?"

"Hmm?" Aeon crossed his arms and scratched his chin, the flames in his eye sockets dancing with something akin to amusement.  "What does it matter?  It will not change your circumstances."

"You said you'd be honest with me.  Even if it doesn't change things, I...I need to know."

The lich nodded.  "Very well.  If it will set your mind at ease, know that I saved you for two reasons, Minava.  The first is that I have a mission to accomplish here.  And if you were to be hurt or go missing, it would complicate that mission.  Possibly even revealing my presence to the villagers.  That must be avoided at all costs."

The pressure on Mina's heart momentarily increased and she let out a soft gasp.  Clutching her hand to her chest, she nodded.  "Makes sense..." she croaked.  "What's the other reason?"

"The other reason..." Aeon paused for a moment and turned his skull to face the podium in the corner which held the metal locket.  " When I was...much younger, I was saved by a young woman," Aeon said, returning his gaze to Mina.  "When I asked her why she would save a stranger, she replied 'You don't need a reason to protect someone.  In this world, every life is precious.'  That is the other reason I saved you."

"Are...are you serious?" Mina stammered, staring at the lich with her eyebrows raised.

"You do not have to believe me," Aeon said, "However, I have been honest with you.  I have put my trust in you," the lich held out his hand in Mina's direction,  "Will you do the same for me?"

Mina glared at the hand for a moment.  Looking down at her own hand, she curled and uncurled her fingers.  Tentatively, she reached out and took hold of Aeon's hand.  “I…I can’t promise I won’t be scared…or angry…” she said, shivering from the clamminess of Aeon's bones. “But…I’ll try and have faith in you.”

Aeon gripped Mina's hand tightly, the green flames in his eye sockets staring into her own eyes.  When she began to shiver from his clammy touch, he finally, released her and said, “Then we may begin.” Turning to Kinana, Aeon gave her a curt nod.

“Breathe slowly,” Kinana cooed in her ear.  The succubus's tail pierced Mina's neck once again.  Warm fluid poured into her and her vision began to blur.  Her legs gave out and she fell into Aeon’s arms.

“Would you prefer to sleep through this treatment, as you did for the last?” he asked.  Mina shook her head slowly.  “As you wish,” Aeon said, gingerly placing her on the table in between the sofa and the armchair.  “Kinana,” he looked back at the succubus.

Reluctantly climbing to her feet, Kinana knelt down next to Mina’s head and whispered in her ear, “Just relax and enjoy this.  It won’t hurt.  I promise.”

Mina couldn’t keep herself from trembling as Kinana opened her mouth and pressed her lips against Mina’s.  Her body began to buck uncontrollably, but Kinana grabbed her hands and closed her eyes, holding Mina down, against the table.  Mina began to breathe in and out of her nose rapidly.  The scent of Kinana's violet hair, which fell over her face, mingled with her sweat to form an intoxicating aroma, which made Mina's head swim with pleasure.  Slowly, her eyes began to roll backwards as the pressure on her heart eased up.  Color rushed to her face as she felt Kinana’s tongue slither down her throat.

Looking up, she saw Aeon stoically watching their embrace, his hands calmly folded behind his back.  Feeling Kinana’s tongue pulling on something near her stomach, Mina’s throat bulged out and she had to resist the urge to vomit.  Planting her hands on the edges of the table, Kinana pushed herself up, pulling a long, silvery wisp out of Mina’s mouth as she did so.  Her tongue coiled around the wisp and held it in place, while Mina collapsed on the table, unable to move.

Mina saw Aeon move towards her.  He slipped his hands into the wisp as if it were no thicker than water and felt around within it.  When Aeon pulled his hand out for the first time, Mina’s body bucked in pain.  It felt to her as if her body was on fire and sweat blossomed on her skin.  She resisted the urge to cry out.

Focusing her gaze on Aeon, she saw the lich drop something green into a tray of ice which rose out of the floor.  He continued sifting through the silvery wisp, pulling out globs of green slime from time to time.  Mina’s body bucked and tingled each time he did.  No matter what happened, however, Mina refused to close her eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity, Aeon finally nodded to Kinana and her tongue slowly unwound from the silvery wisp.  Lowering it back into Mina's mouth, Kinana only let go after it was all the way inside.  Afterwards, the succubus fell backwards into Aeon’s waiting arms.

“You did well, Kinana,” Aeon whispered, stroking her cheek with his bony hand.

Swallowing hard, Mina forced the wisp back down her gullet.  When she had swallowed it completely, she gulped in air through her mouth and lay back on the table, unable to move.  Shifting her gaze to the right, she saw Kinana cradled in Aeon’s arms.  Though her body was covered in sweat and she was panting hard, she looked perfectly content within the lich’s bony embrace.

“It was more difficult for her since you wished to remain awake,” Aeon murmured, as if he could read her mind.  “She had to exert more energy to keep your body from suffering undue stress.”

“I’m…ugh…sorry,” Mina grunted, slowly sitting up. 

Her joints were stiff and creaked as she moved, however the pain which had coursed through them a few hours before had disappeared entirely.  Putting her hand to her chest, Mina could also feel the pressure on her heart letting up.

“Feeling better?” Kinana panted, as Aeon carried her over to his armchair and took a seat, still holding the succubus in his arms. 

Blushing slightly, Mina lowered her eyes and nodded.  “Th-that’s it then?  I won’t get any weaker, right?” she asked, taking a seat on the sofa.

“No, you will not,” Aeon replied, “However, soul satchern can exact a heavy toll on its host and leave side effects not readily apparent following treatment.  It would be wise to speak with a physician after a month's time has passed, just to be safe.”

“G-great…just great…” Mina sighed, putting a hand over her face and wiping sweat off her forehead.  Taking a deep breath, Mina rubbed her eyes for a moment and leaned back against the sofa.  A slurping noise caught her attention and she pulled her hand away from her face.  Across from her, Kinana was kissing the side of Aeon's head.  Her long tongue slithered over the cold bone and twisted into his eye socket.  Blushing deeply, Mina held her hand over her mouth and let out a short gasp.

The succubus looked over at her and let out a short laugh.  “Haha, I suppose we can’t start from where we left off while she’s here, can we?” Kinana said, snuggling closer to Aeon.

“I suppose not.  It would be best if you returned to Goetia anyway.  Strong as you are, your body has been through quite a lot,” Aeon replied, reaching out his hand and gingerly brushing hair out of Kinana's face with his long bony fingers.  "I am certain you could use the rest."

“Y-you don’t have to stop on my account,” Mina stammered, averting her eyes from the pair.  “I…I should get going,” she got to her feet and stumbled past the two lovers, but stopped in her tracks when she felt Kinana’s tail wrap itself around her waist.

Pulling her tongue out of Aeon's skull, Kinana floated over to Mina, and knelt down behind her.  “You won't be back after today, will you?" she mumbled, wrapping her arms around Mina’s shoulders.  "Even though we only knew each other for a short time, I’ll miss you, little Mina."

“Me too, Miss Kinana,” Mina mumbled, her shoulders drooping.  “You’ve been…very kind to me.”

“So…does this mean we’re friends?” Kinana nuzzled her cheek against Mina’s.

A smile slowly crept onto Mina’s lips and she stifled a giggle.  Kinana’s hair had fallen over her face and was tickling Mina’s cheek.  “Of…of course we are,” Mina said, turning around and hugging Kinana.

Rising from his seat, Aeon put his hand on Kinana’s shoulder.  The succubus gave him a mournful look, but released Mina and sighed.  “Try not to be so cold to her,” Kinana murmured, leaning against Aeon’s ribcage.  “She’s a lady, after all.”  Aeon nodded and embraced Kinana.  When they broke from their embrace a circle of light containing a heart shaped emblem within a pentagram appeared at Kinana’s feet.  Folding her wings around her body, Kinana sank into the circle and disappeared.

An uneasy silence filled the room.  Though the fire crackled in its hearth, Mina felt cold and uneasy.  Aeon floated in front of her as stoic as ever, his hands calmly folded behind his back and his eye sockets filled to the brim with green flames.  It seemed as if he was waiting on something.

“Th-thank you” Mina said, trying hard to quiet her beating heart.  Aeon did not speak.  He merely inclined his head to acknowledge that he’d heard her.  “I…I should go.”

“Do you want to see the ocean, Minava Gren?”

Mina’s heart skipped a beat.  “Wh-what?”

“I have business in the bay of Bendak this night.  It is on the far side of Telnumbra and connects to the ocean.  If you wish, you may accompany me there.”

Looking up at the skeletal figure who floated before her, Mina could only respond with silence.  She narrowed her eyes and tried to decipher a motive. However, Aeon's bones were as stoic and immovable as stone.  A minute passed with neither of them saying a word.  Finally, Mina opened her mouth, but the only thing that came out was a strangled, “What?”

“I shall not ask again,” Aeon said.  “You may join your friends in touring Acacia or you may join me.  I care not which you choose.”

“Wh-why do you need to go?” Mina’s lips trembled as she spoke.

“I require reagents for my experiments.  You know the ones.”

A shudder ran through Mina’s body at the memory of the clay woman on Aeon’s work table and the hag submersed in the soul satchern.

“You need not fear.  I will protect you,” Aeon said, drawing near to Mina and placing his hand on her shoulder.  “I give you my word.”

For a moment, Mina’s trembling ceased and she gazed into the green flames which flickered in Aeon’s eye sockets.  Slowly, her head fell forward, then backwards, then forwards again and Mina realized she was nodding.  Clearing her throat, she added, “Back by morning.  I have to be-”

“You will be.” Aeon held out a bony hand in Mina’s direction.  “However, you must trust me.”

“I…I trust you,” Mina said, taking his hand.

A flicker of a smile came over Aeon’s lipless mouth.  “Hmmm...I believe you do."

Holding the palm of his free hand down, Aeon's eye sockets blazed with green fire and blue light radiated out of his hand.  A circle made of blue light formed underneath them with a six sided star appearing in the center.  The mystic circle grew larger and larger until it nearly filled Aeon’s whole room and as it grew larger, runes Mina could not read began to fill themselves in around the edge of the circle.  When the circle was large enough for Mina and Aeon to stand in the center of the star, walls of light rose out of the edges of the circle, forming a giant cerulean tunnel around them.  The ceiling disappeared from sight and all Mina could see was another circle far above her. 

Turning her gaze towards Aeon, she saw his body being slowly pulled apart, bit by bit, with the pieces traveling up through the tunnel, as if they were caught up in a colossal whirlwind.  Looking down, Mina saw that she too was being unwound.  A sense of nausea and light headedness overcame her as, in the blink of an eye, she was pulled apart, shot through the tunnel of blue light, then pieced back together.

Mina’s legs wobbled and she fell to the ground, pressing her hands against a stone floor and panting hard.  Sweat had formed on her face and she held a hand over her mouth, gulping back a wave of vomit.

Facing Aeon, Mina narrowed her eyes and gasped “What was-?!”

“A teleportation spell,” Aeon quickly cut her off.

Grunting and holding her sides, Mina stumbled to her feet and glared at the lich, any trace of fear vanishing from her eyes.  “You should have warned me!”

“My apologies,” Aeon bowed his head before calmly folding his hands behind his back.

“Eh?  Whassat?” a crotchety voice came to Mina’s ears.  Glancing up to see who it belonged to, she noticed that she and Aeon were no longer in his private chambers.  They were on top of what appeared to be a metal structure that supported a giant crystalline flower in full bloom, with a section of the roof pulled back to reveal the stars.  Beneath her feet was a stone platform that had a large blue glyph of a six sided star inside a circle etched into the center of it.

“Merkel, I have need of your services,” Aeon called out.

“Dammit, if it ain’t one ting it’s another…” a short stubby man garbed in a white coat that was far too long for him with a leather apron on underneath ambled into sight.  His warty green skin indicated to Mina that he was a neeg, however she wrinkled her nose at the sight of him.  Two yellowed tusks jutting up from the bottom of his mouth, which was full of blackish-yellow teeth.  Wrinkles lined the neeg's face and his wiry white hair stood on end, framed only by a pair of red tinted goggles strapped to his forehead. 

The stench of the neeg almost made Mina gag.  He smelled as if his entire body had been rubbed down with a hunk of rotten meat that had been cooked until it was burnt.  However, the creature Aeon had called Merkel took no notice of her disgust.  Putting a gnarled finger into one of his pointed ears, the stubby little man pulled out a clump of earwax and flicked it aside before sauntering over to Aeon and staring up at him contemptuously.

“Thought ya’d be busy plantin that frozen sord ah yurs in the Gotan hoar,” he spat.  “Whya botherin me?”

“I require transportation for two to the Bay of Bendak, Merkel” Aeon calmly replied.

“Merkel?” Mina raised an eyebrow when she saw the grotesque figure turn to face her.

“A girl?  Tchh…ya jus keep pickin younger an younger pets, doncha?” the green man snorted.  “Fine, whatever…beats stickin with that idjit niece ah mine.  She actually wanted me ta meet some new pals ah hers,” Merkel spat.  "Can ya imagine...?"

“You’ve gotta see this,” a voice far below Mina called. 

Looking down from the edge of the stone platform, Mina saw that it was suspended in the air, supported by a metal frame that was connected to the walls of what appeared to be a tower made of giant stone bricks with metal bands running up and down the interior.  Below her, the tower was full of spinning gears and grinding machinery, with platforms and walkways sticking out at odd angles.  One platform in particular was rising at a steady pace towards the stone slab she was standing on.

Mina suppressed a gasp when she spied Yuka, Nerise, Celine, and Daryl standing on the rising platform.  Nerise and Yuka were chatting like old friends while Daryl had taken an interest in their surroundings.  Celine, however had her arms crossed and was glancing about uneasily.

“Your friends approach.” Aeon’s voice snapped her back to reality.  “This is your last chance.  Will you come with me or would you rather stay with them?”  Spinning around, Mina saw Aeon hovering over the blue glyph in the center of the stone platform. 

Merkel was tapping his foot impatiently off to the side, next to a console which connected to the metal structure holding up the flower.  “We ain’t got all day, ya idjit girl!” The ugly little man spat.

Looking from her friends to Aeon, Mina took a deep breath and ran over to the lich’s side.  “Let’s go!  Just don’t tell-”

“Yah, yah, whatever,” Merkel snorted pulling a big lever on the console.

The ground beneath Mina began to radiate with blue light and another tunnel formed above her.  Scrunching her eyes shut, she leaned against Aeon for support.  The lich placed a hand on her shoulder and steadied her as a wave of nausea overcame Mina before vanishing almost as quickly as it had appeared.  Her feet sank into soft dirt and a thousand alien smells invaded her nostrils.  Tentatively, Mina opened her eyes.

It was light out and Mina had to blink to adjust to the sudden brightness.  When she could see clearly, she saw that her feet had been almost totally swallowed up by warm sand and that small, spiny bushes dotted the landscape around her.  In the distance, she could see tall trees that were completely leafless, save for wide fronds on the top, under which hairy fruits grew.  A noise beyond the trees caught her attention.  It sounded like an apocra snoring in a gentle rhythm.

“This way,” Aeon said, floating forward.

“W-wait!” Mina grabbed his hand.  “Can’t you hear that?  There’s something large up ahead!”

“Indeed…” Aeon’s voice contained the shadow of a chuckle, “There is.”

Mina kept a few feet behind Aeon, but followed him towards the sound nonetheless.  Though she walked carefully, the sand threatened to engulf her shoes with each step she took and eventually, she pulled them off and carried them in her hands, letting the hot grains of sand spill through her toes.  When they passed the trees, Mina froze in place and her mouth dropped open.

Before her lay an endless pool of water that undulated as if it were alive.  Waves bore down on the shore with frothy white tops that crashed into the sand, only to be pulled back out seconds later.  Looking all around, Mina saw that the water contoured to the shape of the land and stretched so far into the distance that it seemed to fuse with the horizon.  It almost appeared to swallow up the sun, which sat on the edge of the sky, painting the heavens a deep orange and making the water look like a sea of molten fire.

Her shoes fell from her limp hands as Mina staggered forward.  She dropped to her knees amidst the shallow waves that crashed against the shore.  Digging her hands into the wet sand, she let it squelch through her fingers in clumps before scooping up more.  Thrusting her hands into the lukewarm water, Mina sniffed them and recoiled at the briny smell.

“This is…” she stammered.

“The ocean.” Aeon finished her sentence for her as he floated over the sandy dunes to join her.

“G-goddess…” Mina whispered, holding a hand over her mouth and fighting back tears.  “It’s…it’s even more beautiful than father said.” 

Wiping away her tears, Mina smiled and a cry of joy burst from her throat.  Kicking up a cloud of sand, she began to take the dry and wet sand a build a tiny castle from it.  Until a wave washed over her, transforming her castle into a misshapen mound of sand.  Despite her clothes being soggy and her hair caked with sand and spray, Mina laughed heartily, drinking in the sight of the beach, the trees, and the ocean, which seemed to sprawl on forever.  She ran headlong into the surf with joyous abandon, playing in the sand and the waves until her dress was soaked through.

After an hour, Mina retreated from the tide to a small sand dune and watched the water lap at the shore before it was pulled out once again.  Though the sun was setting in this tiny bay, it's rays were warm and she was not cold, despite her wet clothing.  However, when she looked around for Aeon, she noticed that the lich not moved an inch since she had begun her play.  His eyeless sockets were fixed on the distant horizon.

Feeling the elation in her heart slowly fade, Mina called out to him.  “Aeon!  Is it okay to just sit and wait here?  I thought you came here for something!”

Turning to face her, Aeon floated over to Mina’s side, as another wave licked at the bottom of his black cloak.  “One does not call on the Aquillans.  One waits for them.”

“Aquillans?  Do they live here?  Are they apocra?  Are they nice?” Mina asked, her enthusiasm fast returning.  To her dismay, her inquiries were met with nothing more than a single nod from the lich.

Sighing to herself, Mina kicked her feet about absentmindedly.  Running her fingers through her emerald hair, she said, “You know…my mother said that on a sunny day, the ocean would look a dark shade of green.  Not as pretty as my hair, but…” her voice trailed off and she fixed her eyes on Aeon.  “But…you know all that, don’t you?  You know my parents planned to take me here for my seventh birthday.  That we were going to have a small bonfire here with the other caravaners.  We were going to roast fish, tell stories, sing songs, and sleep under the stars.  I wonder what they would say if they saw me sitting here with a lich.”

“They would smile,” Aeon said, his icy voice cutting through the sound of a large breaker hitting the beach.  “Your parents hated no one.  To them, all were merely travelers on the road of life.  I imagine we would get on splendidly.”

Mina stifled a chuckle.  “That sounds like them, alright.  You…you know them as well as I do, don’t you?”  A frown crossed Mina’s lips and she held her head in her hands.  “You know everything about me…but I know nothing about you.  Aeon…why did you bring me with you?”

Aeon glanced back at her, his eye sockets swirling with green fire, but his mouth did not move.  Only silence greeted Mina’s inquiry.

“It’s not that I’m ungrateful…this is…it’s like a dream,” she said, climbing to her feet despite the sand’s attempts to make her fall backwards.  “But…after everything I said to you...I can't help but wonder."

“Simple,” Aeon replied, “I-” he stopped mid sentence and glanced back at the water.  A patch of bubbles had formed near the shore.

Mina let out a squeak of surprise when Aeon flew over to her side and threw her behind the dune.  Before she lost sight of Aeon, however, Mina saw a tentacle burst out of the water and grab him by the wrist.

Climbing over the sand dune, Mina had to suppress a gasp of horror when she saw several highly concentrated blasts of water shoot out of the ocean and pierce through Aeons's ribcage.

“Aeon!  Oh, goddess, are you alright?!” Mina cried, running over to his side.

“Get back!” he hissed, his eyeless sockets swirling with green flames.  The lich pushed her down onto the sand just before a trident crashed through his skull.

No…” Mina screamed.  Scooting away from the lich’s shattered body, Mina began to tremble and her eyes widened.  “AEON!”