Rejuvenation

Chapter 23

Xola and Atlas had been in the castle all day thinking of where Lilith could have been taken. Xola continuously asked Atlas questions trying to make her reveal some hidden information or motive, she found none. After all the constant pestering Atlas grew annoyed, "Stop asking me so many questions Xola!" she shouted abruptly. Xola stepped back, "I know you want to find Lilith and even if you believe me or not, I do too. But nagging me all day isnt going to make me remember anything that we havent already figure out." Xola's grey eyes were downcast,her hair cutting her off from the horrible world around her, "I just want to find her." she looked up, there were tears in her eyes but she didnt dare let them fall. She was done crying, she needed to find Lilith. "Okay I have onoe last question" she said as she took a deep breath steadying herself. Atlas nodded, "Are there any places that you know that specifically would be able to hold someone like her? I mean you saw how she ripped up everything outside." Atlas tried to think, "The only place I can think of would be Viros home, think about it constantly being changed around like that has to do something to his body so maybe he has a place like that there?!" she beamed, "I know where it is, I sometimes reported back to him when I came back from being out on tasks." XOla looked at her awkwardly and knit her eyebrows, "Tasks?" she asked. Atlas shook her head, "Nothing important just cheking mountain ranges and such for bunkers in case certain individuals turned sour." Xola nodded but still remained tense, "Let me contact Falos then and tell him what we know!" she said as her eyes glowed and she sent out her message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lilith looked around her room trying to make out weaknesses in the foundation or cracks in the wall, but found nothing. "What is this place?" she asked quietly. All four walls of the room were sleek and had a metallic look to them almost shifting on their own while remaining still. She stood and ran her hands along the mysterious wall and it responded to her touch shifting away in the imprint of her hands. Lilith was shocked to see it and fell away upon witnessing what it had done. While falling she tripped over Blaires tail and the dragon turned his head,dragging it on the ground as he did. Lilith crawled over to his head and patted him gently, "Dont worry, we can get out of this. We just need a way outside." she said only loud enough for the dragon to hear, "He cant stop us, no matter how hard he tries." she said as she heard steps behind her and turned, Viro was standing three feet behind her,watching her, but seemed like he hadn't meant to interrupt,though needed to anyway. "You smell awful you need to clean yourself. Follow my assistant and if you try anything I will know. This entire place is made with the same substance as these walls." His eyes remained calm while also burning holes right through Lilith. She kept her gaze on him until a woman with dark brown hair walked in behind him, "This is Izca please try not to kill her." The way he said it made it sound like he expected it to happen and was already looking for a new assistant. Lilith got to her feet once more and held out her hands, "I cant clean anything with these still on," she said tugging on her chains which jangled on her wrists and made them ache. "Oh those" he said putting out a hand and snapping

the chain between each of themm immediately, "Dont ask to get the cuffs off" he stated as she noticed that there was a faint blood red light coming from them. She looked up to ask about them but he was already gone leaving her alone with the assistant Izca who surprisingly holding it together having just heard that her boss didnt care if she died or not. "Come on then" she said turning briskly and keeping a steady pace, Lilith followed closely behind, "Do you know what this place is?" No answer. "Where are you from?" No answer. "Do yo-" she stopped quickly and threw Lilith into a Dark room quickly and slammed the door behind them. Lilith fell and landed hard on her right shoulder, "What the hell is wrong with you! I as jus-" She was stopped by a hand over her mouth and Izca with a finger to her lips, "Quiet now or we both die."She said silently. Lilith was wide eyed but nodded and Izca's hand fell from her mouth, "Are you really her?" Lilith was confused by the question, "Am i really who?" Izca immediately grew angry, "Dont play dumb with me damn it I am trying to save your life now tell me who the hell you are!" She said in a loud whisper. "Are you Lilith or not because I can just take you to the shower and back to tht cell." Lilith staggered to her feet holding her shoulder and walked over to the woman, "You tell me" she said as she grabbed Izca by the head and looked into her eyes, peering into her mind. Lilith could feel she had good intentions but was still willing to keep working with Viro, in short she had lost hope. Lilith let go and Izca fell to one knee, "What did you just do to me? You shouldn't have your powers, between the knife and those cuffs you shouldn't even be able to walk very well!" Lilith looked at the girl and gave her a warm smile, "They dont call me a goddess for nothing girl. I may have been taken off guard by that knife at first but after seeing it once and wat it could do I immediately prepared my body." she stated confidently, "I mess with dangerous aspects of the world every day at home and yes while that knife can dampen my magic it cant destroy it." Then she grew somber and Izca looked at her, "Falos was hit with that blade too wasn't he?" Lilith turned away from her, "I felt it stab him and cut off some of his magic, and now i cant feel it at all because of these damned walls!" Izca immediatelly shooshed her, "Keep your voice down! Viro doesnt know this room exists because i specifically designed it to be undetectable by him, but if you keep screaming you'll alert him that its here. Okay, first things first we need to get you back where he can see you but before we do you need to feed your dragon this." She pulled out a dark orange plant and handed it to Lilith, "Viro poisoned him and has been keeping him sedated, fed him that and it hould boost his body enough to fight everything. "As for you" She pulled off a backpack that Lilith hadnt noticed before an cursed herself for missing it, "Here are some clothes and towels the shower is the door directly two doors down , go and dont let that flower be seen or it will be too late." Lilith nodded and smiled at the girl once again, "Thank you but, why are you helping me?" she asked. Izca grew angry again, "Get going damn it!" she said as she rushed her out of the room and leaving her in the shower to clean herself and process the information she had just received. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Micah landed with a loud thud and all three on his back jumped off and ran into Liliths castle frantically looking for Xola and Atlas so they could explain. "Where are they?They cant just tell us something like that and disappear!" Danae said clearly frustrated. "Hey guys calm down! We

were in my room when you guys landed it took us a bit to get here sorry!" Xola shouted from the far end of Liliths hall. She ran up to her mento and friend and hugged him heavily causing him to stagger, "Its okay Xola I'm fine and healed up for now." He stated while patting her head. She stopped when she realized something, "Why dont you have much magic Falos? Before you left you still had alot more than this." Xola asked eyeing him worriedly, "Its a long story but to make it short I gave them most of my magic", gesturing to Danae and Dorin, "And they kept m safe this whole time while I was wounded and recovering." Atlas mouth hung open, "You can share your magic? Why not just do that to get a new ruler instead of the stupid trias you put us through?!" Falos looked at her and laughed heartily, "Do I look like im in my previous deific form?" He looked downand his shirt was of course not swirling, which saddened him a bit, "But they on the other hand,"pointing back at the pair,"Are incredible Show her" Dorin stepped forward and grabbed her arm and they dissipated into ash and were swept away, "Whats Happening!?" She tried to focus but there was nothing but darkness around her, then it all broke away and she was with Dorin holding his small hand in hers, his eyes glowing purple and his hair looking as if he was submerged in the ocean as it flowed. Xola looked at Falos completely at a loss for words, "In the two weeks that we have been gone we went to see an old friend of mine who was willing to help us and even train them a bit whale I was recovering from this." He lifted his shirt and showed his scar that ran now instead of from near his left pec to his left hip, the scar now ran from around his mid stomach downward, "What did that" he sighed seriously, "A blade that was able to put me out of commission for two weeks and Viro has had her all this time! Who knows what's happened by now!" Xola slapped him hard across the face stunning everyone in the room and causing Dorin to drop her hand, "Dont you dare say you think shes dead! She cant be!" She sobbed tears falling, the anguish of the past two weeks flooding out," Lilith was your best friend have a little more faith than that! If this were you she would have assured everyone that you were okay! We have to find her so I can tell her everything. Thats another reason I was so excited to come back," Xola fell to her knees, "I wanted all of you to meet my Family when they get here in two weeks but with Lilith gone I dont know what to do now." She was fully crying now, Falos,having recovered from the slap, stroked her back lightly, "You said you family will be here in exactly two weeks so that gives us one weeks to get Lilith back!" Atlas stopped and put a hand on his shoulder, "Why only one week? Xola just said we have two." Everyone but Dorin started at her, including Xola who gave a weary answer, "You seriously think with My family coming here Lilith wouldnt want there to be a huge party? Hell she woud kill all of us herself before Viro even could if she didnt get to plan that party!" They all laughed at Xola's joke, she felt warm and happy again as she wiped away her tears and fell into Falos's arms smiling in her sleep, "She hasnt slept at all has she?" Atlas walked over and put a hand on her forehead, "No, at least not much and when she did occasionally get some sleep I would watch her because she would wake up with nightmares screaming about Lilith." Falos brushed her hair out of her face with the back of his hand, "Come on, we need to get her to her room and then you can fill the rest of us in on the plan you two thought of." They all nodded and followed closely as Falos gently picked up the girls body and carried her to her bed, where he layed her and puled

the covers to her chin, "When she wake up I want us to be ready to go and find Lilith," He looked down to Dorin, "Hey Do you mind if I borrow that magic from you for a bit?" Dorin giggled loudly causing Xola to stir, "Its yours anyway, find Lilith please, Falos" Dorin placed his hand on Falos's chest and the were immediately enveloped in a blinding light that soon turned deep blue as Falos's eyes did the same as he landed quickly and rolled to catch Dorin before he too fell unconscious, "He will be out for some time as well, by the time he wakes we should have Lilith. Danae please go into town and find a shop with a green jeweled door there will be a woman working there named Wren. Tell her what has happened and that we need her to watch over Dorin when we leave. Atlas you come with me, Im going to at least teach you how to defend yourself in a fight so be ready!" She nodded quickly, "I'll do anything to bring Lilith back and help Xola." Falos smiled, "Go now I will meet both of you back here in an hour." He whistled and Micah flew up to the window and he hopped on with Dorin cradled in his arm and took one last look at the three women left in the room, I know we can get her back, he thought before flying off to take Dorin back to his castle.