Didn't Think This Would Ever Happen...

Chapter 5: Shenanigans and Revelations

  "You didn't sleep at all, did you?" Sylvie asked.
  Lilia smiled, "I haven't slept in many, many years."
  "Huh? Then..."
  "When I passed out? I was just in so much pain that my consciousness was... how do I explain this?... Hm, I had no control over my body, but I was sort of aware of what was happening."
  Sylvie went still. Did that mean that Lilia heard Sylvie singing to herself when she dressed his wounds?! It was a weird little habit she had developed when she first started living on her own. The quiet would be too loud and so she would sing to herself to sooth her anxiety... But it felt so dumb now that someone had heard her! She wasn't even good at singing!
  Lilia sighed, "I do rest... but it isn't the same as sleeping... I'm sure I could sleep if I tried, but I don't see much point..."
  Sylvie nodded, "well, you must have been busy since you were working for such an important family."
  Lilia moved the axe from hand to hand, "yes... but they were good to me. I've been serving the royal family for quite a few generations."
  Sylvie smiled, "you look so young! It's hard to imagine."
  The door opened and a very tired Henri stepped outside, "how are you up so early?..." He yawned into his hand.
  Lilia smiled, "your friend is quite amusing."
  "He's so easy to tease, too," Sylvie snickered.
  Lilia set the axe down into the stump again.
  Henri stifled a yawn as he approached them. He looked up at the sky, "it's starting to reach here, too, huh?..."
  "Is it bad back home?" Sylvie asked.
  Henri nodded, "you can hardly tell the time... Really makes me wonder what happened..."
  Lilia was glad he had missed whatever town Henri was from. He might have hurt someone if he hadn't... That, or he could have been further injured, himself.
  "Yeah, they say the king died out on the battlefield and only has daughters. Everyone is freaking out because we don't even know who went to war against us in the first place." Henri sighed as he scratched his head, "man, what did we even do?"
  Lilia glared up at the sky, suppressing his frown.
  Sylvie smiled nervously, "well, I'm sure it'll be resolved soon. It doesn't concern us, anyways."
  Henri nodded, "yeah. But it sure makes mother heated, haha!" He suddenly looked over at Lilia, "where are you from? I don't think I've ever seen such fancy clothes like that..."
  Lilia looked at Henri with a sly smile, "a faerie gave them to me."
  "No way! Did you and Sylvie run into the same one?!"
  Sylvie laughed, "yeah! It's quite the story!"
  Lilia chuckled, "yes, it was just the other night, too..."
  Henri messed with his hair, "if only I had come sooner!!!"
  Sylvie laughed, "who knows? Maybe they'll turn up again!"
  Lilia lightly chuckled into his hand.
  "Oh!" Henri lit up, "guess what?!"
  Sylvie gasped, "what?!"
  "I met someone just yesterday before I set out and they told me that I could learn magic!!"
  Sylvie was only able to say, "what?!"
  "Yeah! Isn't that amazing! Look look look!" Henri turned and ran over to the well. Sylvie followed at his heels.
  Lilia leaned against his new favorite tree. As he put his weight against it an apple fell. He caught it and surveyed it with an expression that was almost angry.
  Henri drew water in a bucket. "Watch this!" He pressed his hands together and stared at the water intently.
  Sylvie pursed her lips, "you just look like you really need to go to the bathroom-"
  "I'm concentrating!"
  After a few moments a small drop of water started rising above the bucket. It hovered for a moment before falling again.
  Henri exhaled loudly, "that's about all I can do right now. But it's something!"
  "Yeah! That's really cool!" Sylvie nodded, "is your teacher staying in town right now?"
  "Yup, she'll be here for a week or so, she said. I just couldn't wait to come show you! Oh! And when I told her about you she said that you sounded like someone who has a lot of magical ability!"
  "Huh?! But wouldn't I know if I had magic?!"
  Henri shrugged, "I have no clue how magic works! I mean, I didn't think I had magic!!"
  Sylvie put her hand to her chin, "hmm... I think this teacher of yours sounds pretty interesting... I'd love to meet them, but..." She looked over to Lilia, "I have a recovering guest..."
  "Recovering? Lilia seems fine?"
  Sylvie smiled, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you the state they were in two nights ago."
  "Huh? They were that badly hurt???"
  Sylvie smiled, "maybe they know a bit of magic, too."
  "Wow..." Henri took a breath in, "I keep wanting to know more about them..."
  "Then why not ask?"
  "Huh? Oh! No way! They said I had to prove I was trustworthy! I have no clue what that means! I mean, I think I'm a pretty trustworthy guy?!"
  Sylvie giggled, "I think Lilia's just trying to scare you."
  "Huh?"
  Sylvie took some water into her hands, "Lilia's really special, Henri. They've got their own way of doing things. Just go ask if you want to know them better."
  Henri seemed unreasonably nervous, "but..."
  "What? Are you scared of such an adorable face?" Sylvie teased.
  "No! I just- I don't want to seem rude. I keep mistaking them for a girl and it hurts my brain..."
  Sylvie laughed, "you're way overthinking this!"
  Henri sighed, "that's easy for you to say... you're friends with everyone."
  "Come on! Lilia isn't that scary!"
  "Yes, I don't believe I look that intimidating." Lilia agreed.
  "Wah!" Henri jumped again as Lilia appeared beside him.
  "Here," Lilia smiled, holding out an apple to him.
  Henri blinked, then took it, "Uhm, thank you?..."
  "You seem a bit too dense to use anything I say against me." Lilia looked him up and down as he folded his arms.
  "Huh???"
  "Lilia thinks you're too dumb to betray them if they tell you what they are."
  "Huh?!?!"
  Lilia smiled, "exactly. Henri, you can have the apple. I don't like it, but maybe you'll enjoy it."
  Henri suddenly felt very cold. He turned the apple around in his hands.
  Sylvie was holding in her giggles.
  There was a bite mark in the apple that was completely the wrong shape to be human. Henri quickly looked up at Lilia, dropping the apple.
  Lilia smiled wider, showing off his fangs.
  "You've got to be kidding me..." Henri's voice was hardly more than a whisper.
  "You were right to be wary of me at first, Henri." Lilia chuckled, "but I can see you have a soft spot for pretty faces."
  Henri's mouth opened and closed a few times and Sylvie could hardly hold in her laughter.
  "I'm a fae," Lilia tilted his head to the side with an innocent smile, "and I don't like apples very much."
  Henri was frozen for a long moment.
  "Uh, Henri?" Sylvie asked, her laughs suddenly gone.
  "Have I broken another human?" Lilia asked curiously.
  "Henri?" Sylvie poked him.
  Henri fell backwards, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.