Lesser Bloom

Favored Soul

The battlefield became deadly quite, the ones who survived left leaving the horrors and destruction of the night behind. The soldiers set the ground on fire to make sure every single remain of the undead army gets destroyed along with their creator.

Velsharoon watched this pathetic attempt through his crystal ball and spotted the little silver lining in the mist of blood, and smoke. Her hand trembled as she clenched the medal in her neck and mumbled something, that was even too soft to his immortal ears. He couldn't hear a word but shortly after the girl's whispers the old Elf from the House Aerindel appeared next to the girl. He scooped her up and left the battlefield with the soon to be dead little lady in his arms. Velsharoon leaned closer to the crystal with a smile spread across his face and chuckled.

- She's something different... Finally some entertainment! Let's give her one more shot. - he said and moved his bone fingers above the crystal ball.

Out of the ground where Lirael's body laid not long ago grew out slowly a sprout, reaching towards the ashy and dark sky. Feeding itself from the light of the fire surrounding it. Soon the whole ground was covered in ashes and only one single rose bloomed in the middle of death. A rare, dark crimson flower that usually grows only under a full moon. The bloodrose bloomed as a symbolic representation of Velsharoon's dominion over death and his sinister, blooming presence among the living, marking the girl once known as Lirael Aerindel as one of his favored souls.

The scent of burning fire and medical herbs filled my nose. I couldn't move nor open my eyes despite all my attempts. A hand touched my arm and someone said something, but I couldn't understand it. Days passed like this, while my savior fed me gently and bandaged my wounds. I wanted to let them know that I didn't deserve their care, but had no strength to detest. After what I could tell were probably two weeks, I finally managed to open my eyes. Looking around the small cottage house I saw a familiar figure leaning above a huge pot on the fire and twirling the food in it. The scent of the mushroom stew made me hungry and my stomach grumbled. He turned around and I swear he looked older than the last time I saw him. Eldrin hurried to me with tears in his eyes and a relieved smile on his face.

- Welcome back! - he said but I couldn't speak yet. From my expression he understood what I wanted to know and lifted up his own medal. It was now black.

- You called for me child. - Eldrin said and I remembered... I remembered holding the moon pendant and whispering our secret words "In umbra, lux." I remembered of the fire and the dead...those countless lost lives and tears burned my eyes, blurring my just recovered vision. Eldrin grabbed a clean cloth and wiped them off.

- I don't know what happened exactly, but from what Pip could tell us I tried to put the picture together. Can't wait to hear the full story from you my dear. - he said softly and I grabbed his tunic. With my lips I formed the word "Pip?" and Eldrin's smile faded.

- I did what I could my dear... But my hands were tied. He unfortunately passed away not long ago, infections took him. - Pip was gone... Just like Phill, and Leon and everyone else. Eldrin patted my head and whispered.

- I'm sorry, I know you two were close friends. Now try to rest a bit more. You need to recover before leaving. - I wanted to ask more questions but my eyelids betrayed me and I couldn't fight against Eldrin's Sleep spell. I fall into a deep sleep and only the old Elf knows when I woke up again. Once I regained my senses for good, Eldrin told me what they heard from the Captains and Pip.

- They said you raised the dead and went after them. Lirael, you are accused with using necromancy, there's a bounty on your head my dear. The smartest thing you can do is to disappear.

- Wait a minute... I didn't do it, it was...- I started but had to stop my own defense.

- It was me. - Eldrin instead of pulling away hugged me and whispered.

- I'm sure it happened for a reason. I know you Lirael, you are not vile, nor evil. But you have to run child. I used the unicorn horn you got from Torvald to save your life, but we have to do something with your appearance. - without letting me say a single word, Eldrin stood up and walked to my old herbalist bag. He leaned down and picked out Silhouette's mane that was gifted to me when we held his burial. He walked back to my bed.

- Close your eyes, child. - he murmured, his voice a low rumble of centuries-old power.

-This is no mere illusion. The hair weaves it into flesh and form. I drew a steadying breath and obeyed. Eldrin raised his fingertips first, touching gently to the center of my forehead. A warm tingling spread outward, like sunlight blooming beneath my skin. The air around us hummed with magic as iridescent sparks danced, swirling in lazy spirals. I have opened my eyes and Elrdin smiled. Next, he twined the unicorn hair between his fingers and brushed it across my cheeks, my eyelids, and through the lengths of my hair. Where it touched, my features began to shift—subtly at first, then with graceful certainty. When the last spark faded and Eldrin lowered his hands I have opened my eyes. Eldrin gave me a mirror. I was still myself at the core... yet unmistakably changed—more radiant, more mysterious, veiled in the subtle majesty of unicorn magic. A soft gasp escaped my lips as I touched touched my new face.

- It is done. Eldrin said with a quiet smile. - The horn gave the shape; the hair bound it true. Walk unseen, or shine as you will.

I've stared at my own reflection. Someone completely different yet oddly familiar stared back at me. Like this version of myself was the real me. My skin turned into a gently tanned, goldish color. My once flawless skin now was full of dozens of small moles and my face was covered with freckles around the cheeks and nose. My eyes shone like the setting sun, with a golden color darkening towards the iris. Where the unicorn hair touched, my features shifted —subtly at first, then with graceful certainty. My hair transformed from its familiar shade of silver into flowing waves of dark black like Silhouette's hair used to be, threaded with faint rainbow glimmers leaving the very end of my hair with a faint silver shine as a reminder of who I used to be. I dropped the mirror to the bed and hugged Eldrin, whom held me thigh like this was the last time we will ever see each other again.

- Now, you need a new identity. - he said. I smiled at him and said.

- Please give me a new name. - Eldrin got flustered for the first time since I've known him and shook his head, but I grabbed his wrinkled hands and insisted.

- You were always more of a father to me than the one whom I could thank my life for. You saved me and gave me another chance for life, there's no one whom deserves bestowing a new name to me. - Eldrin smiled and squeezed my hands.

- I'm honored, in this case... - he released my hands and reached for his potion bag. Grabbed a moon petal essence and dropped a few droplets on top of my head.

- Your name from today, is Lunyxelle Circe Silverthorn. - I gasped hearing the second name my late mother gave me and Eldrin laughed at my baffled expression.

- I know more about you than you could ever imagine my child! - I laughed with him and Eldrin gave me a bag with some gold coins, supplies, an extra set of clothes, and old tent, some firewood and some food provisions. He looked out of the window and the sun was setting behind the forest, the silence between us became heavy. I didn't want to leave, he didn't want to let me go, but we both knew this was the only chance for me.

- It is time my child. Remember - he held my face in his hands. - In umbra... Lux. - I cired and kissed his wrinkly hands.

- Before I leave, help me with one last thing. - I said and Eldrin's eyebrows run to the middle of his forehead.

- Aren't you a bit greedy? - I chuckled.

- Maybe...- Eldrin smiled and we walked to the battlefield where the bloodrose grew. Eldrin explained to me its meaning and looking at the flower, I felt the power bestowed upon me, still dormant. I clenched my hands, my old power was overdrawn, I was more like a human now than the famous half-elf healer I used to be not long ago. With Eldrin's help we rose a tombstone behind the bloodrose. I kneeled down and engraved the name given me by my mother and birthfather. Once ready, I adjusted the backpack and gave a last hug to Eldrin. He kept waving till I could see his figure and soon the nights swallowed me. That was the death and funeral of Lirael Aerindel and the birth of Lunyxelle.