Daughter of the Hero

Chapter 7; Rescue mission

Lillian

"We don't know the layout of Areos's lair, so we can't really form a proper entrance and exit plan. You're essentially going in blind, Lilian. Are you okay with this?" Malco asked. 

I looked at Cyprus, who was biting yet another nail. "Yes." 

"Okay then. You have probably two hours before he gets back if I can distract him for long enough," Our leader said. He looked a little queasy at the mention of fighting Areos. 

I patted his hand comfortingly. "You don't have to do that. He'll most likely be at home anyway, not in the lair. I'll go at night, so I won't have to worry about getting seen in the light." 

Malco smiled at me. "No, it's okay. I want you to have your best chance at getting Conner back, and that means fighting Areos." 

"Alright...if you're sure." I didn't like the idea, but it was the most fail-safe way to make sure Areos was nowhere near his lair when I went in. 

It was still strange to me knowing the Hero of the country had a secret lair where he tortured people. How was he still considered a hero after that? He shouldn't be. 

If only the people truly knew who they worshipped. 

"Let's go over the plan one more time," Malco said. I groaned. 

We had been over the plan at least five times by now. It was simple, really. An easy plan that would be hard to screw up. 

"Okay. First, Jerard flies me to the base of the mountain. Then, I sneak into the lair, rescue Conner, and go to the pickup point for return." I said the words emotionlessly, bored of telling him the plan. 

Malco was nodding. "Good, good. And what do you do if anything goes wrong?" 

I laid my head back against the chair. "Get out of there and call you." 

"That's right. Okay, I think that's everything. Cyprus, anything to add?" Malco turned to Cyprus. 

She looked me dead in the eyes. I could see the worry in her eyes, but I couldn't tell if it was for me, or for her brother. 

"Bring him home," She said simply. 

I nodded. I would do my best. 

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Jerard stops me on my way to say goodbye to Illia. His face was solemn as he took me aside and said, "Lilian, I'm worried about Illia." 

I cocked an eyebrow as my heart started pounding inside my chest. "What for? Is she okay?" 

He nodded. "she seems fine. It's just...I don't think your being gone will effect her in the right way. She's very attached to you, and I'm worried that she'll see you leaving as you abandoning her as her father did." 

My eyebrows furrowed. He was right, in a sense. I just had to make sure Illia knew I was coming back. 

"I'll make sure she knows I'm not abandoning her," I told him. He nodded. I poked him in the cheek, smiling. "You've grown fond of her, haven't you?" 

He looked down, mumbling, "Yes." 

I laughed. "I told you you would grow to love her." 

He looked at me. "Whatever. Just make sure she knows you're not abandoning her." 

"I will." That was the last thing I ever wanted to do. 

For as long as I lived, I would never hurt her. 

I left Jerard in the hallway, walking up to Illia's door and knocking. She opened it with wide eyes. When she saw me, they sparked with joy. 

"Lily!" She shouted in a childlike manner. She threw open her door and clung to my leg. "Hi!" 

I was smiling so wide my face hurt. "Hey there. I have to talk to you. It's serious. Is that okay?" 

We were all very careful to ask her if whatever we were doing was okay with her. It was clear that in her life with Areos, she had been given no choice in anything. We didn't want to be anything like him. 

She nodded. "That's fine."

She let go of my leg and walked into her room, sitting on the bed. I went over to the weird-looking chair that she had picked out a few days ago and sat down on it, loving how she had decorated her room with nothing that matched, but everything that made it colorful. It gave the room a happy feel to it. 

Once I was seated, I looked at her. "Illia, I have something serious to tell you. I'm going away for a few days, but I'll be back soon. You won't even know I was gone." 

Illia's face turned sad. "You're leaving?" 

"I'm going to come back, love," I said gently. Tears started pooling in her eyes, making my heart clench. "It's alright." 

She jumped off the bed and ran to me, jumping into my lap and curling up into a little ball. I stroked her hair and whispered kind, gentle words to her. She looked up at me through her tears. 

"Promise you'll come back," she said in a small voice, "Promise." 

"I promise I'll come back," I said. "I would destroy the world if it meant I could come back to you, my darling." 

Illia giggled. We might just make a villain out of her yet. 

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"Are you ready?" Jerard asked me as we stood outside of the house on the porch. I took one last look at the house and smiled. 

"Yes," I said. Taking a deep breath, I felt the wind pick up around me, lifting me into the air. 

We soared through the heavens, passing birds that flew during the night. It was already dark outside, nearing midnight, and I looked down to see the town passing by below us. 

The mountain was across the town, a few miles away from our own hideout. Really, it was a bit ironic that we had been so close this entire time to find the Hero's lair. 

Finally, Jerard set me down in the forest a few feet away from the mountain's base. At the far edge of the mountain, I could see a cave where firelight danced inside of. That was the Hero's lair; it had to be. 

"Alright," I said, turning to Jerard. "I've got this from here on out. I'll call you when I'm ready for pickup." 

He nodded and flew away. 

I walked to the edge of the treeline and waited. Any minute now, the hero would get the call that Malco was wreaking havoc on the town. He would run out of there to go stop him and gain the people's love once more. 

And I would be there, ready and waiting to sneak inside and rescue Conner. 

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Special thank you to davidthehedgehog7 on TikTok for commenting on my video about this story!