Didn't Think This Would Ever Happen...

Chapter 7: A Crown with a Bed to Match

Sylvie was laying on her stomach in the grass, twisting some flowers together.
Lilia slowly sat down beside her, "what are we doing?"
Sylvie giggled as she kicked her legs behind her, "well, I'm making a flower crown. I don't know what you're doing!"
Lilia looked around at the grass in front of him. Then he narrowed his eyes slightly. The grass grew into flowers that Sylvie had never seen before. The flowers picked themselves and formed into a beautiful crown. "Like this?"
Sylvie was smiling brightly, "that's so pretty!"
"You can have it," the flower crown laid itself on top of her head.
She clapped excitedly, "you can have this one when I'm done with it!"
Lilia wasn't sure what he would do with it. He could preserve the flowers for some time, but all it would do would remind him of how he had to leave Sylvie.
Lilia laid his head on his arm and watched as Sylvie formed a flower crown. It was made mostly of white flowers with a few pink ones mixed in. It was cute, but rather messy.
Sylvie held it out, "ta-da!!! All done!" She put it on Lilia's head.
He smiled, "thank you."
"No need to thank me! Should we make one for Henri, too?!"
Lilia carefully stood up, speaking softly with a sly smile, "Henri is already here."
"Hm? He is?" Sylvie whispered back, getting to her feet as well.
Lilia nodded subtly, gesturing with his eyes to a certain tree, "he's tried to cover his scent with... is that honey?... He's got to know that makes him more obvious, right?"
Sylvie chuckled softly, "I'm surprised a bunch of animals haven't gone after him yet."
Lilia's smile spread into a smirk as his pupils became more round. His eyes shone for a moment and the tree Henri was hiding behind quivered. Then, a singular apple fell, hiding Henri right on the head.
He let out a loud, "ow!" And danced out of hiding, clutching his head.
Lilia laughed, putting a hand to his chest.
Sylvie called, "Henri! Honey is not a good cover up smell!"
"What?! I still smell like honey?!" Henri groaned, "darn it! I was sure I got rid of it!"
Sylvie tilted her head at him.
Henri smiled in embarrassment, "my teacher was showing me how to change water into other things... and I might have gotten honey everywhere..."
Lilia covered his mouth to keep from laughing.
Sylvie stifled her laugh, "everywhere?!"
"Yes," a new voice spoke as a woman stepped into the clearing from behind Henri. "It was quite the mess."
She held a polite disposition, but her gaze was cold. She held a walking staff in one hand and her other was concealed within her cloak. Her white cloak with charred edges.
The second Lilia heard her voice, his body tensed and all his hairs stood on end. His mouth twitched, "Henri... get away from her..."
Sylvie looked over at Lilia is concern and surprise, "what?"
Henri seemed confused. Had he heard Lilia right? He was about twenty meters away, so he couldn't be sure.
The woman stared at Lilia, unblinking. Her eyes were like frozen lakes as she refused to look away.
Lilia grabbed his arm violently, growling. He refused to feel angry. Not when Sylvie and Henri were here. He couldn't risk hurting them.
"I must say, I was surprised to find the town untouched," the woman said as she took a step forward. "It wasn't easy to follow you, but..." The hand in her cloak showed itself. As her cloak opened Sylvie and Lilia saw that her entire abdomen was bandaged and bloody.
How was she standing?! Sylvie couldn't understand what was happening. Then, her eyes widened as she saw what was in that woman's hand.
A chunk of black and pink hair.
She opened her hand and let it fall into the grass.
Henri opened his mouth but no sound came out. He took a step away from her, "what is..."
Sylvie looked at Lilia again, in fear and confusion. Lilia was clutching his right arm so tightly that his nails were digging into his skin and drawing blood. His jaw was tightly clenched and Sylvie could tell he was having a hard time restraining himself. His arms kept twitching and convulsing, flexed as if they were already tearing someone apart.
Sylvie took a step away from him, her body moving on its own.
Lilia took a deep breath, "this doesn't concern them..."
"I think it does." She began to glare, her grip on her staff tightening. "You killed countless of my colleagues, what do two more mortals matter to you?"
Lilia swallowed hard, his throat dry. He didn't know what to do. Henri wasn't a safe distance away. Even if he were, there's no telling if this woman could still hurt him.
"Teacher... what's going on?..." Henri asked weakly as he looked between Lilia and the white cloaked woman.
"I'm finishing what I started," her eyes suddenly moved to the side, fixing on Henri. She thrust her staff at him and it transformed into a wickedly bent spear.
Before Lilia could even open his mouth, the weapon was embedded in Henri's stomach.
Henri stared down at it, "wha..."
"You said you wanted to learn magic? This is what magic does." Lighting shot through Henri and he spasmed violently.
The woman pulled her spear from her victim and he fell into the grass with a horrible sound.
Lilia's skin was crawling. He itched to tear her apart. To sink his teeth into her throat and tear her vocal chords out so he would never have to hear her voice again.
But before Lilia could do or say anything Sylvie let out a shriek. She went into shock, falling onto her knees and covering her mouth.
"Sylvie, go inside," Lilia said sternly.
She didn't hear him. Her eyes were stuck on Henri.
"Shall I release you, too?" She pointed the tip of her spear at Sylvie.
Big tears ran down Sylvie's face and hands. She was unable to do anything but shake.
"Leave her alone, she has done nothing to you!" Lilia growled.
"No."
Lilia lunged forward. He had no choice. But he wasn't fast enough.
He got shocked by the electricity on the spear. He pushed through the pain, grabbing onto the woman's shoulders. Her spear tore the side of his shirt, slicing his skin.
The woman winced under the pressure of Lilia's grip. She glowered, "kill me if you want, I'll still get my justice."
Lilia's eyes went wide and the spear vibrated violently. He smacked it away, sending it into a nearby tree, which split in half on impact.
But Lilia wasn't fast enough.
Sylvie's air was forcibly pushed out of her lungs as a hole appeared over her abdomen. Her eyes shook as she looked at Lilia, blood spilling over her lap and into the grass around her rapidly.
Lilia drove his knee into the woman's stomach. She cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground. She held herself, almost crying from the pain.
Lilia rushed to Sylvie's side, holding his breath.
Sylvie listed to the side, her eyelids heavy.
Lilia slid onto his knees in the grass, taking her hand and supporting her shoulders.
She looked up at Lilia, blood dipping out of her mouth, "we- we didn't... we didn't make Henri a crown..."
"Shhh..." Lilia pet her face, "don't say anything more..."
Sylvie began to smile, "you'll m-make one for- for him, won't you? On- on my beha-half?..."
Lilia nodded, "I promise." He squeezed her hand tightly.
She closed her eyes, tears leaking out, "I'm- I'm glad you aren't crying for me... I wouldn't want that..." She heaved a breath, sounding like she was sucking air through a sponge.
Lilia took the flower crown from Sylvie's head, "go to sleep, now, Sylvie..."
She nodded, looking past Lilia and up at the sky, "the smoke isn't as bad as yesterday..."
"Hush now..." Lilia placed his hand over her eyes, "let go..."
Sylvie nodded, "I'll miss you, Lilia..."
"Don't say that..." Lilia's voice hardly made a sound.
She was gone.
Lilia laid her down in the grass, placing the flower crown over the gaping hole in her midriff.
The flowers began to glow, their stems extending and intertwining, filling in the empty space until a lovely bush sat within Sylvie. The flowers all bloomed at once, a few popping up across Sylvie's arms, legs, and neck.
Sylvie's face was frozen with a smile on it. A few flowers sprouted in her hair, making a new crown.
Lilia felt like multiple needles were being stuck into his back.
He looked over his shoulder with a glare.
The woman could barely hold herself up to sit, her free hand outstretched towards Lilia. Shards of iron floated around her hand. She was breathing so hard she didn't have the energy to speak.
Lilia stood up slowly and turned to face her. He began walking towards her.
She smirked, then wheezed, "didn't want them to see what you really are, huh?"
"You think what you saw of me was dangerous?" Lilia smiled, "how cute." His expression grew dark and hateful.
The woman faltered.
Lilia's boots fell on the grass softly as he made his was across the clearing once again.
The wind howled, shaking the trees. The grass grew at least seven centimeters taller. Lilia's eyes were glowing bright red and the green accents on his clothes burst into angry green flames.
"You haven't seen what I can do calm," he stood over her, glaring down.
She frowned, "I already got what I wanted."
"I haven't."
Lilia seized her neck squeezing as he lifted her up, "you don't deserve to die, but I'll do you this one favor." He held out his hand.
The spear freed itself from the tree and flew into his grasp.
"How about I show you what being stabbed through the gut feels like, since you seem to love doing that to everyone?"
She writhed in his grip, hardly conscious anymore. "Curse you... I curse you..."
"Do your worst. There's almost nothing I haven't been cursed with yet." He held her higher.
"You'll never love anyone again..." she spoke as if there were acid on her tongue.
Lilia drove the spear into her stomach, then let her go.
He stared down at her crumpled form. He watched her die. He didn't move. Didn't say a word. Just watched.
Then, he turned on his heels and walked over or where Henri lay. He knelt down beside his corpse, using his free hand to conjure another flower crown. This one he made of one large yellow flower, surrounding it with small orange ones.
He gently placed the crown over Henri's face, closing his eyes in the process.
Lilia stood, looking back at the little cottage. He felt... odd...
He wasn't angry. He had satisfied his vengeance. But he felt like there was a hole inside him.
He felt empty. He had lost so many people, it almost felt normal. He hated that he didn't feel upset...
He hoped he wouldn't remember this moment for a long time.
But there was something else that needed to be taken care of.

There was a lot of whispering. Everyone gave him strange looks and side glances. They were suspicious and afraid of him.
... as they should be.
Lilia was holding his side as he approached the small house he had been directed to.
He closed his eyes tightly before knocking.
The door was opened slowly, a little old woman peeking her head out. She smiled, "you smell special! Come in! Come in! Let Auntie Candy get you some tea!"
Lilia couldn't make himself speak. This woman had the same carefree and innocent spirit as Henri.
"Don't be a slowpoke!" She reached around to grab Lilia's hand and pull him inside.
She was blind?...
"Mmm," she wiggled her nose, "I guess your kind might not like tea. Either way!" She pranced into the kitchen, "you just make yourself at home!"
Lilia looked around. It was such a cozy little house. Everything was spotlessly clean. Lilia wondered how she did it.
"That's a nasty stinky curse you got!" She bumbled back in with a tray of tea. She set it down on the small table with a smile.
How had she made tea so quickly?...
"I recommend seeing someone and getting it removed," she laughed to herself in a very creepy way.
"How do you..."
"An old woman never reveals her secrets!" She said quickly.
"But... you can't see..."
"But I can smell ya."
"..." Lilia felt rather intimidated.
"Have some tea." She insisted.
Lilia took a cup, "thank you... but I have to tell you-"
"Oh, spare me!" She scoffed, "I already know! I'm the most beautiful maiden and you've come for my hand! But I must deny you! I'm a faithful woman, I'll have you know!"
Lilia blinked, "ma'am..."
"I'm joking," she frowned, "no one knows how to take a joke these days!" She sighed as she sipped her tea, "I know what you're here for..."
"I'm sorry..." Lilia stared down into his tea. He couldn't look at her.
"Don't be... He was a sweet boy, but he was sick. His time was close... probably only a month from now..."
"Sick?" Lilia repeated quietly.
Auntie Candy, as she had called herself, nodded, "Henri always went runnin' around in muddy puddles... caught himself a cold recently. I managed to get rid of the symptoms, but you can never get rid of... fate..." she heaved a tired sigh.
"Speaking of fate," she perked up, "you've got a lot ahead of you! I'm telling you, go get that curse undone!"
"The caster is dead," Lilia looked up, "... what are you?... Why do you know so much?..."
"Didn't I tell you?! I'll never snitch!!" She folded her arms vehemently.
Lilia stared at Auntie Candy, "ma'am... "
"Okay, maybe I am a bit odd..." she spoke slowly, "but an old woman like me only finds joy in confusing others. Won't you let me have this?"
Lilia nodded slowly, "okay..."
"Really, now, drink your tea." She smiled.
Lilia lifted the cup to his lips and took a tentative sip. He blinked, it tasted... good. Anything that wasn't flesh tasted bland and flavorless to him. "How..."
Auntie Candy giggled, "you're welcome. Drink your tea and run along home. Auntie Candy has some cleaning to do..."
Lilia furrowed his brow, "but everything is sparkling already?"
"Okay, maybe Auntie Candy has some crying to do, as well..." she admitted.