Mirrored Shadows 2

An old friend

A strange melancholy had weaved itself into that sunny morning. The clouds built white mountains above the treetops, unbound by Earthly rules and mortal sadness.

A white carriage waited at the gates of Monika's Orphanage. Amadeus was loading it with bags, constantly looking over his shoulder to see if his wife was coming.

By the kitchen table, with the 34 chairs and 34 heads, stood Dion and the orphans, holding hands. As much as he forced himself to smile and seem positive towards them, their eyes were red from crying. Monika stood leaned against the kitchen door and observed.

...Don't miss me, for there's no place like home.

There are millions of stars, I'll return to my own.

They whispered their poem and looked at each other. Dion painfully smiled back at them.

- Every departure, no matter how long or brief, is really hard for Dion. - Lela sighed, standing next to Monika.

- He will see them again. - she replied.

- Maybe not...

- What makes you say that?

- Dion can never know when will be the last time he sees any of these kids... They are all gravely ill. They were brought here from a plagued village.

Surprised by the volume of her own gasp, Monika's eyes flew back at the image of the kitchen table and the 34 bowed heads.

- Don't let them see you crying. - Lela pat her shoulder and left.

She quickly wiped her eyes, but the tears kept rolling down her cheeks and forced her to quickly turn around and march down the hallway.

Outside, the carriage was ready to go. Amadeus spotted Monika coming his way, clearly upset, judging by the way she walked.

- Love?

- Is the carriage ready? - she asked, avoiding eye contact.

Amadeus took her by the hand and brought her close.

- What's wrong?

- Nothing...

- Monika.

Unable to hold it any longer, she started sobbing. Amadeus hugged her and gave her some time.

- Those poor kids, Amadeus... They will die soon.

- What...?

- Lela just told me...

- That's horrible... Is there anything we can do or-

- No. And Dion didn't say a word, knowing how I'd react. He kept it in all this time and he is even ready to departure and help us... Oh Amadeus, all this is such a bad idea...

Once again, the kids were lining up at the porch. The laughter was gone.

- Lela. - Dion approached her, whispering so the kids can't hear him. - All my savings, OUR savings, are you know where. Always be informed about what's going on in the world. At the first sign of taint, pack the children and leave this place. Take the money and head to the north. Is that clear?

- Dion, you will come back and then-

- We don't know when or if I will come back at all, do we? I won't rest unless you promise me that you'll do as I told you.

- I will do that, you know I will... Don't spend a minute worrying about us, okay? We'll be fine. Just bring yourself home safe.

They hugged briefly, so the kids didn't think too much of his departure. He sighed deeply before facing them, then turned around with a big smile.

- Skippers! Now I want you to listen to your aunty Lela and aunty Hilda, do we have a deal?

- Yes uncle Dion...

- Hey now, why the long faces? I left and came back before, haven't I?

Indistinct sounds and replies came from the kids.

- Will we see you again, uncle Dion? - Tom asked, looking down.

- Of course you will. What kind of a question is that?

They did not seem convinced.

- I'll tell you everything about the angels when I come back.

- You promise?

- I promise.

They all surrounded him and hugged him. After saying goodbye to each and every one of them, he hugged the old Hilda too.

- Stupid. - her lip shivered on the strict face. - Stupid, stupid, stupid.

- I love you too, Hilda.

- Go to hell! ...and come back to us. You stupid, wonderful lad.

- I will, Hilda. Keep them safe for me.

Monika and Amadeus approached to say their farewells too.

- I'm losing you again. - Lela cried. - I really hate this day.

- You are not losing me, sweetheart. - Monika said softly. - Everything will be alright. Dion, can I talk to you for a second?

- Sure.

They moved away from the porch, standing under a tree with a swing hanging from it.

- I don't want you to go.

- Excuse me?

- I know about kids' diseases. You cannot leave them, Dion.

Dion paused for a moment, wondering how she knew that. Then his eyes fell upon Lela.

- Monika, with the taint spreading, their chances for survival are as thin as they are with the disease. I have to ensure that my children are safe before the world falls apart. And if their time in that world is brief, that only makes the stakes higher. They will NOT suffer this. They will not suffer Justice's fate.

Though they were too far to be heard, everyone stood silently and stared at them.

- I... understand... - Monika sighed. - This is just so... Heartbreaking.

- It is. I am dying piece by piece every day from sadness. Sometimes, at night, I visit them in their rooms, making sure they are still breathing...

The sun was at its highest point, rising to greet the carriage that moved through the iron gate, making its way between the linden trees. Crying kids ran behind it, shouting Dion's and Monika's names, and when the gate closed behind them, the children hugged the iron bars.

- Goodbye, my dear angels... - a tear finally broke free from Dion's eye, as he looked back at them, until the orphanage became a dot in his eyes, and a memory in his heart.

***

The white carriage hopped across a rocky path. Everybody in it was silent. Monika napped on Amadeus's chest, with his arm wrapped around her, and the other one holding Bruno. Dion stared through the window. Houses, residences, the grey human world, everything looked like it was passing him by, and he was the one standing still.

- How long do mortals live? - Amadeus interrupted his thoughts.

Dion turned to catch him staring down at Monika and Bruno.

- Uh... Depends. Seventy, eighty? Some live beyond hundred. Why?

The demon's eyes restlessly moved over his family.

- That's very little time.

- I think that's quite enough.

- Not when you're immortal, and your loved ones are not.

Dion remained quiet. That was very true.

- Tell me about that necklace you're wearing, Dion. It looks like a vial?

- Oh. - he took it into his hand. - It is a vial of goddess Alzhara. It's believed that if you put something of great meaning to you in it, it will guide you. But it's an awfully small thing to put the orphans in.

- Interesting. I didn't take you for a religious type.

- It's a sentiment, rather than faith. My mother gave it to me. She was the religious one... I find gods too passive to care whether they exist or not.

The carriage pulled over.

- We have arrived.

Monika opened her eyes and looked outside.

- Daddy, are we there yet? - Bruno asked, rubbing his eyes.

- We are, son.

A grassy meadow stretched as far as the eye could see, only blocked by what looked like an abandoned cathedral. Several tents shivered in the wind in front of it, several kilometers off the road.

Amadeus blocked the sun with his hand, looking into the distance. There, he could see the shimmering surface of the veil that led into the next Plane, the Dreaming.

- So this is where the veil of the human world is located.

- Yes. - Dion confirmed. - And those tents belong to the queen's battalion. I hope they let us through.

- What are they doing here anyway?

Dion paid the lackey and the carriage turned around and left. They went onward through the meadow, advancing towards the camp.

The soldiers turned to them, glancing at them suspiciously.

- I don't want any battles here. - Monika whispered. - Alright?

- Alright.

A soldier came out of one of the tents. The sun reflected on his silver armor and Monika couldn't help but wonder how hot it must be inside of it.

- State your business. - he groaned tiredly.

- We seek the passage through the veil. - Monika said.

- The passage is closed by the queen's order.

- And why is that?

- That is confidential. - he glanced at Amadeus with suspicion and astonishment in equal measure.

- Is it because of the taint? - Dion asked.

The soldier squinted at him.

- How do you know about the taint? The news from Hell was carried strictly to her Majesty only.

- Not strictly enough, clearly.

- Turn away now, I've got nothing else to say to you. Don't make us arrest you.

His hand suggestively touched the hilt of the sword on his belt.

- Now what? - Dion turned to the others.

-That cathedral. - Monika pointed. - It must be where the entrance through the Veil is.

- You'd think that the Sacred Three would at least provide us with a passage between the Plains. - Amadeus ranted.

- Are you people deaf? - the soldier interrupted. - Leave. Now.

- Muriel, what is going on out there? - a deep, vibrant call came from one of the tents.

- Nothing of importance, sir. - the soldier's voice turned from arrogant to squeaky. - I'll deal with them.

- So your name is Muriel. - Monika grinned.

- It's French!

- No it's not.

A mountain of a man emerged from the tent. His muscles seemed to be barely squeezed into the armor that he wore.

- ... Aaron?

He paused upon hearing the voice and looked at her. They could see the roughness of his face dropping its guard down, softening, becoming almost child-like.

- ...Monika...? Is that you?

- Aaron!

His eyes kept bouncing off of each one of them, but kept coming back to Monika.

- How is this possible... I thought you are...?

- We are back.

- By O'gobla's crotch, haha! I can't believe it! Come 'ere, give me a big one! - he opened his arms for a hug, but Amadeus instinctively took her hand. - Amadeus.

- Aaron. - the demon arched his eyebrow.

- Look at you guarding our girl hahaha! Afraid I'll try and steal her?

- I'm afraid you'll break her in half, you giant anvil.

- Hahaha nothing's changed! And look who else is here! Bookworm! How are you, mate? And Bruno! Boy am I glad to see you so... you know... normal.

- I'm melting in the sun. - Dion ranted. - Goddamn it Aaron, take us to your tent already!

- Right, right away. But first. - he closed them all into one massive hug.

- Ouch. That was surreal.

They followed him through the camp between the tents. His soldiers were too bothered by the sun to even look at them.

- What are you and your men doing here, Aaron?

- The queen ordered us to protect the veil. - he explained. - Everyone wants to pass these days, and I'm the only one she trusts to not let just anyone through. But we got a bigger problem now.

He opened the tent for them, letting them in.

They found themselves in a tight space, full of weapons and sleeping bags. A big war table occupied most of the room. Many maps were spread all over it.

Aaron reached into a hole in the ground underneath the rug and pulled out a bottle of wine. He filled cups and offered them. To their delight, it was cold and refreshing.

- I will check if we have juice for this little rascal. - he ruffled Bruno's curls.

- Just water, sir.

- Well, aren't you proper?

- You've advanced quite nicely in your career. - Amadeus noticed, looking around the tent. - One might even call you successful.

- Advanced? I've always been the captain of the guard. That is, until those damn demons enslaved me. No offense.

- None taken. - Amadeus sipped his wine indifferently.

- The difference now is, I don't seek wars as I used to. I keep my crazy blood in check. I love to fight when I know I'm on the right side. And now I'm here... I knew Defiler might come back, but this is not how I imagined to greet that day. Stuck as security.

- It's a noble profession. - Monika glanced at the maps, noticing one of Hell. - You wouldn't want to be close if the taint comes around, trust me on that. We were there when it happened... - she looked at Bruno while he was examining a shield and continued quietly. - There was so much death... The taint turns people into something hideous. Only a madman would choose that kind of war...

- Sadly, that war has come to our doorstep already...

- What? - Dion got up. - The taint is in the human world too?

- I'm afraid so. That abandoned cathedral outside? There is a tainted man inside. A demon. Our scouts saw him not more than an hour ago. We were just about to go in and investigate, make sure there weren't more of them.

- This is horrible! - Dion said, thinking about his orphans. - We have to deal with it before they spread it!

- We will. You can come with us, if you'd like. It will be like in the old days. - he smirked and gently nudged Monika with his elbow.

- That is not happening. - Amadeus said jealously. - We have more pressing matters to attend to, don't we?

- We are sent to deal with the taint. - Dion looked at him in confusion, only to read on his face that it's not the mission that bothers Amadeus, as he glanced at Aaron staring down at Monika. - I mean... We have to make sure that the scenario from Hell doesn't happen in the human world, before we leave it behind.

- Well... What about Bruno?

- You can stay here with him. - Aaron teased.

Amadeus squinted at him, murmuring to himself something that sounded like ''you'd want that, wouldn't you?''

- I can stay with him. - Dion offered.

- No, we need you.

Aaron leaned outside of the tent.

- Muriel! - he called.

The soldier came running in.

- Yes, captain?

- The boy can stay with Muriel, Monika. I have complete trust in him.

Muriel proudly raised his chest, feeling important.

- What do you say, sweetie? - Monika asked Bruno.

- I guess that's okay, mom. If he promise he'll be less grumpy than he was outside.

- Oh I... - his eyes wandered to confused Aaron. - I most certainly shall, young gentleman.

- You better be, Muriel. - Amadeus pat the soldier's shoulder and left the tent.

- Be good, son.

Dion reached into his bag and pulled out a blowing horn.

- Here, this is for you, my little friend. Before I forget to give it to you.

- What is that, uncle Dion? - the boy examined the horn.

- It's called Hilfehorn. I made it specially for you. When you blow in it, the person you think about will hear it, no matter how far. That way we can always know if you're in trouble and rush to you.

- That's awesome! Thank you, uncle Dion!

- You're welcome, buddy. Keep it close!

- Aye, aye, captain!

Outside, the moment Aaron called, the soldiers got up like one and lined up.

- Okay listen up people. - he started walking among them. - We'll do this the way we planned. No heroes. No contact with the tainted unless I command otherwise. We will split into two parties. Devon, you will lead the second party. If you find anything, you come back to report it to me.

- As you command, sire.

- The rest, follow me and my companions. You will listen to them just as you would listen to me. Except the demon.

- f**k you.

- Alright people, let's move.