Rejuvenation

Chapter 22

Xola looked around at the castle around her and could only feel sorrow for Lilith and the fact that she hadn't been able to help at all. Everywhere she looked something troubled her and she couldn't stand it anymore, "This castle is just a giant wasteland with no one in it" she committed openly, "Then we must be the dead come to life shouldn't we?" Xola turned quickly and saw it was Atlas who had spoken, "Oh hi,what do you want?" she didnt have the norma malice in her voice that normally resided there, "Just walking around,I finished the garden by the way. Wasn't too hard to fix i just needed some new flowers and tools." she said softly clasping her hands together. Xola sighed, "Thats good then now we have at least a peaceful place to be." she got up and began walking around aimlessly,"What are you doing" Atlas inquired. Xola only looked at her as she lifted into the air and landed on te balcony on which Falos and Lilith had given each of their speeches, "This is where she was standing when she chose me and where she was when she accepted me."She said tears beginning to fall silently from her cheeks, "I just want her here again Atlas." Atlas was almost at the point of tears as well, "Im sorry but I told you I had no idea they were even after any of you if I would have known I would've told you guys!" Xola looked at her silently then grinned, "You can stop saying that just cause i was angry doesn;t mean you have to keepvrepeating yourself" Atlas nodded. Xola ooked over the girl and saw how she really felt, unsure. Xola could she she was toiling with alot of things in her head and so was she, "Were just a bunch of crybabies arent we?" Xola giggled. Atlas looked up and responded, "Your the one up there crying sky girl." Xola floated down fro the balcony and towards Atlas," Look I know this is mostly what your thinking about right now and I get tat but I have alot to

think about right now with the land, people,my father coming to town and whole mess of other things." Atlas looked at her wideyed, "This? What do you mean this? And why is your dad coming here?" Xola looked at her "He was coming to meet you for one and the others but now with everyone scattered all over I dont know anymore and THIS means us. I dont think we should do anything right now except look ut for this place until we hear something but until then..." she trailed off not wanting to finish, "Understood but that doesn't mean Im not having fun while Im here" she said as she walked outside as Xola followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Falos,Danae and Dorin all sat around a fire Falos had made, "Who knew a god who controls water could also make fire!" Danae joked. Falos shot her a wicked glance and she stopped lauging so loud and reduced it to a hushed whimper, "I suppose I should begin with what I first remember," he said as he slumped closer to stoke the fire, "Back then, this world was full of mystical beasts, mages, alchemist and so on. But I first remember is Lilith." He sighed in an almost melancholic way, his eyes never leaving the fire, "The first thing she said to me was that she was going to be my best friend and help me." Danae knit her eyebrows wait your very first memory is of Lilith? How is that possible?" Falos looked up and smiled slightly, "If I knew that I would tell you but sadly I dont" she nodded somberly, Dorin had gotten up and began playing with a small frog and was no longer listening, "Children are such mysterious creatures" Falos said with a slight twinkle in his eye. Danae now understood alot more about why Falos was the way he was, the detached attitude towards other people, his blank expressions and random tangents. He had no memories of a childhood,at least that he knew of, and he had never found out why, "Well have you asked Li-" she stopped herself realizing what she was about to say. The wind blew over the camp fire and washed her with warm air, then it turned icy cold after it stopped, Falos looked down again, "After she told me that I followed her for a while about five years I think before we finally settled down someplace and that when I began to ask her questions." Danae leaned forward eager to hear the story.

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Both young souls were sitting in a small tavern where they played light music and served food for cheap, "Hey" the girl that had told him her name was Lilith tappe his shoulder, "Go sit over in that booth and I will order food just try not to stare at anyone okay?" Her emerald eyes gleamed with so much caring, he nodded and walked over to the booth. Falos had never seen anyone her before, one man had a sword on his back and his right arm had a glowing orange dragon tattoo, another had dark,shady hair that was about shoulder length but super curly, "I told you not to stare," She said as she snapped her fingers, he looked at her quickly, "Sorry Lillith" he said quietly. "Oh lighten up your fine, besides if anyone here did try and do anything im sure your size alone would scare them off. Falos looked down at himself, he was wearing a dark hoodie with a mall with crescent design on the front that lilith got from an old witch in a few towns back, and black shoes with brown shorts. Then he rolled up his sleeve and examined his arm much to Liliths confusion, "You are so weird, you seriously dont remember where you came from at all?" he stopped looking at his arm and smiled at her, "Like I said before I only

remember our time together, there is nothing before that for me." she nodded and spoke, "Well I got you a steamed potato, thats all they had." she said as she plopped down next to him, clearly agitated she began to mess around with the knife on the table absentmindedly. Falos began looking arond the roo again and noticed everyone was staring at Lilith, "Hey, why are they staring at us?" Lilith froze immediately, "Falos we have to go now" she said quietly. He nodded and stood up quickly and knocked the waiter over on accident causing him to drop his food on the man behind him. The room fell deadly silent and Lilith tugged on his arm, "We have to go now!" she screamed as she lead him, by the arm, out of the tavern and into the town. He could hear a commission erupting behind them, "Damn it" Lilith cursed, "I thought we were safe here" she said as she turned a carner and was met with five men and two women with black circles under there eyes, "There you are little girl", Falos remembered he saw them at the far end of the tavern. They had been one of the groups staring. The man in the front began, "Your coming with us theres a big price on both your heads" he held out a sheet of paper and as he did Lilith face fell she had been trying to keep it from him but she had failed, "Why does it say we are wanted for burglary?" Liliths gaze was downcast, "Its a lie Falos, we need to run now!" she sounded scared. She turned but more people had circled around them, "No we cant get out" she said as one of them grabbed her and held a knife to her throat, "Lilith!" Falos screamed one of the men punched him in his stomach and he peeled over in pain, heaving. "We are gonna take you both in now, lock em up!" As he said that Falos' eyes began to glow and he quickly stood and grabbed the man and slammed him on the wall, "If i were you I would let my friend go before I kill you!" The man was terrified, "What are you? Ive never seen anyones eyes do that before!" he tried to get out of Falos's grip but it was no use and Falos began to squeeze tighter on his neck, "OK let the girl go! Let her go!" Falos let go of him and he fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air. Small raindrops began to fall as dark clouds formed overheard, "What is he doing!?" one of the woman asked the rainbegan to fall heavily now and after only a moment everything was quiet again.

Danae was staring at Falos with an almost apologetic expression, "You killed them all didnt you?" she asked. The question hit Falos like a club, he looked down, "Now you see why I never wanted to talk about my past. It has it high and low points, you may even see me in a different light afterward. Are you sure you want to hear this now?" just as she was about to answer he heard Xola in his head, "Falos we know where Lilith could be held, Atlas just thought of a plan!" her voice faded and he looked at Danae, "Hold that thought, the girls may have thought of a way to find Lilith" she nodded slowly, "Lets go" he said then he realized something was missing. "Hey, Danae could you try something for me?" she looked up confused, "Sure what?" he took a deep breath, "Could you whistle really loud?" her eyes lit up as realization set in, Dorin ran over as he heard what was said. Danae stood up gracefully and walked past Falos into a learning where the moon showed brightly and whistled. As she did Micah immediately obeyed and jumped from the river near the fire, "Guess water dragons are fast in water,

obviously, Come on lets get back before we lose our chance to find Lilith" Danae said as they all climbed on Micah as he spread his wings and soared into the sky.