Three months after the events of Elena’s report, within the darkness of her phylactery…

In here, it was cold, and dark. It was and had been, for centuries on end, Elena’s little slice of paradise – a place where her blood was shadow. And her true self, formless and free.

“Elena… are you there?”

And in this unfathomable darkness, she could feel something warm pressing itself gently upon her very soul. It carried with it, a lady’s voice that was both beautiful and gentle.

“It’s me, Claire. I know it might sound weird, but you’ve… reappeared under the sheets of this bed! You look like you’re asleep, and I don’t know if you can hear me, but…”

It was, indeed, so beautiful. In this sunless world of hers, it felt very much like the warmth of the morning sun upon her skin. Like something from the outside world of the living – so tender, so gentle, so soft, and so familiar.

“I… I hope I’m not disturbing you! Her Excellency says I shouldn’t, but I…”

Familiar, indeed. And even in this deathlike dream, she knew what her consciousness to sense this warmth meant. That death, and reconstitution, were but two words and two truths that kept her going and going, for centuries on end.

“I want to thank you, for what you’ve done for Anna. I’m still confused about what you did for her, but whatever it was… she’s asleep now. Like you, in a way!”

Truly, was it time to reawaken to the world of Melodia? In truth, in her heart of hearts, a part of her wished to remain here, in this formless darkness. She did, after all, have quite a liking for this little place within her phylactery. And for all the power she had over the secrets of magic, this evil immortality, like all things, had its price to pay.

“I still think about it now, of what will become of Anna. They say I won’t get to see her in a long time, after what has happened. Cecelia too, after she turned herself in. To think she was one of them! I… I wish I knew what to do, I…”

Even now, within the darkness, she could still recall with such lucidity, the truth of death and the horror of reconstitution. That her vessel of flesh, born from magic, would always return. And yet, it would make her remember every death, whether she liked it or not.

“But… nevermind that! You saved me. I’d be dead, if it weren’t for you. If you can hear me, I want to repay you. I’m used to hardship, I… I can do anything for you.”

And yet, as much as she fancied herself a little more rest, as much as she would have loved for this to go on a little longer, it was time to open her eyes. Everyone, especially someone so gentle and warm, was waiting for her.

“Yes, I can. Without you, my life would have been forfeit. Now, it’s yours. And if the day comes when you don’t want me, I… I’ll just kill myself, and it’ll be as though you never saved me.”

Truly, and forevermore. For better or worse, such as it could ever be.

 

---

 

Later, within Elena’s bedroom…

When Elena opened her eyes, she found herself naked, tucked comfortably beneath the sheets of her feathered bed. Her room, and everything around her, had remained the way she had ever known it to be. And yet, amidst it all, she could feel something warm upon her left hand.

“You’re awake!” Claire exclaimed, smiling sheepishly when Elena noticed her presence. “I, um, didn’t expect that you…”

“Well, gotta wake up sometime, no?” Elena said in reply, smiling warmly as she looked at Claire, eyeing the red and saffron colours of her cleric robes. “Oh, and I heard everything you said! You’re welcome, by the way.”

Claire blushed a bright red, and her gaze fell towards the floor around the chair she sat upon. As Elena watched it happen, she too, felt herself blush a sickly green. And as it happened, she pulled her hand away from Claire’s, if only to slip it back into the sanctuary of her sheets.

“You heard all that I said, right?” Claire asked, choosing her words carefully as she continued to avert Elena’s gaze. “That means you heard the other bit… about being your servant?”

Leaning back upon her pillow, Elena nodded.

“Yup, I…”

“Ah, you’re awake at last. Hooray!”

Elena looked towards the door, where the high-pitched voice that carried itself with a most familiar fiendish cackle, had come from. There, dressed in black, with a jewelled pipe in hand and her petite frame leaning lazily against the doorframe, was a petite and pink-haired Beholder that she knew all too well.

“Your Excellency!” Claire exclaimed. “You’re just in time! Elena, she just woke up, and…”

“And I’d like to speak to my Vizier, privately!” Nhaka squealed in reply, smiling fiendishly at both Elena and Claire. “If, of course, you don’t mind!”

“Um, I…”

When Nhaka replied with nothing more than a smile and nod, Claire’s nervousness turned into a frown. She got up from her chair and bowed dutifully. First to Elena, and then to Nhaka, before closing the door on her way out.

“Hey now, that’s not very nice of you,” Elena chided, crossing her arms as she watched her mistress sit herself down upon the chair that belonged to Claire. “We were having a moment together, y’know?”

“I know, right? Truly, that was so romantic!” Nhaka exclaimed, swooning playfully at her Vizier as her crystalline eyestalks twitched mischievously. “Alas, though! I too, vie for your affections as well!”

Elena rolled her eyes. Nhaka, on the other hand, giggled like a little girl.

“Seriously, my Lady?”

“Well…” Nhaka stated playfully, as the gaze of her eyes and eyestalks came to rest upon the sheets covering Elena’s naked body. “You’re the only one for me, Elena! Just like in the stories and legends that the mortals speak of. A loyal knight, and her beloved Lady!”

“Right…”

“Right indeed, my little pet! Anyway, now that you’re awake and reconstituted, I’m here to debrief you on a job well done!”

“Can’t we do this someplace else, my Lady? I’m not even…”

“I know, right? That’s what makes it even better!”

“Wait, though…” Elena said, as her eyes darted between the sheets covering her body and the many eyes of her mistress. “Before we get into that. How long, this time? Me being dead, I mean.”

“Three months,” Nhaka stated grimly. “Almost four, if we’re rounding up!”

“Damn…”

Elena frowned. Her energies, combined with the Ecclesiarch’s sorcery, had revitalised Anna’s Bloodstone. Giving one life, for another, as per the eldritch rite that could make such false life a reality. And a Lich’s ‘life’ was, most thankfully enough, very expendable.

“But, let’s not dwell upon that, though!” Nhaka squealed excitedly. “You did very well back there, my pet! Iris has naught but praise for your conduct and quick thinking, my dear!”

“Really?” Elena asked, raising a brow at her mistress’s words. “You’d think that she’d be mad that something like this happened within her city.”

“Iris likes to look on the bright side of things, no?”

“Such as, dare I ask?”

“Hmm… for one, this incident let her find out that a good number of her Lightsworn were compromised by Izoria Vhal! Most of them died by Anna’s hand, and of those that remain, she’s dealt with them since!”

“Speaking of Anna…” Elena remarked, as she leaned back further upon her pillow. “Claire told me that, well, she’s asleep. After all this… what’s gonna happen to her?”

“What can I say about that, Elena?” Nhaka answered, with so much good cheer that her Vizier’s frown deepened. “She’s… still alive! And she’s Hellbourne, artificial or not.”

“And she said… something about Terask Dagon?”

“Yes, indeed!” Nhaka said, looking quietly upon Elena’s frown with all of her eyes. “For quite some time, I’ve been getting reports from our spies about his experiments with his mortal supplicants. This confirms it, that he’s trying to break the Black Legion’s monopoly on the Hellbourne, to raise an army of his own....”

“Well then, are we gonna do anything about it?” Elena demanded. “He may be an Archon, but we can’t just let him…”

“In due time, my dear,” Nhaka answered, her words both grim and sombre. “I understand that he has his family feuds, and his ambitions. But for him to do something like this, outside of his own dominion… it can’t be left unanswered. Mark my words, there’ll be a reckoning. And if this is what he wants, I’ll gladly oblige him.”

She then smiled with so much good cheer, that Elena’s frown deepened.

“For now, though? You’ve served me well!”

“I should’ve braved the barrier,” Elena stated, closing her eyes as she spoke. “Should’ve gone in there, and stopped ‘em. Maybe, none of this would’ve happened, if I…”

“Perhaps? Who knows?” Nhaka answered, smiling cheerfully. “You chose to save Claire, didn’t you? We can’t have everything we want. Always choices to be made, I’m afraid!”

“Just saying, is all…”

“Well… what’s done, is done! Speaking of which…”

And with that, Nhaka got up from her seat. She turned towards the door, and smiled.

“You can come in now, Claire! You don’t have to press your ear against the door!”

“Ah!”

The door of Elena’s bedroom creaked open.

“Sorry!” Claire exclaimed, with a sheepish smile. “I was curious, and I…”

“No worries!” Nhaka exclaimed in reply, as Claire walked into the room. “I’ll be honest, it’s also a favourite pastime of mine to eavesdrop on others!”

“Um, I…”

“Anyway…” Nhaka whispered, ignoring Claire in favour of leaning in close towards Elena, such that she could whisper directly into her Vizier’s ear. “Iris and I, we’ve done our part for you! Try not to blush so much when you talk to her, okay? You can thank us later!”

“Wait, what?”

Elena sprang upright from her pillow. Before she could say anything else, her mistress had already left the room. And when Claire sat by her side, once more, she found herself sinking back into the softness of her pillow. She could not see her own reflection at this very moment, but she suspected herself to be very, very green in the veins.

“Elena?” Claire asked, smiling nervously as she spoke. “About what we were talking about, just now…”

“Did the Ecclesiarch and my mistress put you up to this?” Elena demanded. “I don’t know what they’ve told ya, but…”

Claire recoiled slightly at the outburst. Soon enough, however, when she noticed the sickly green blushed upon Elena’s face, she smiled and covered her mouth.

“What’s so funny, huh?” Elena demanded, once more. “I’m trying to be serious here, y’know?”

“Sorry!” Claire exclaimed, as her cheeks blushed a bright red. “Her Excellency’s right, you know? You’re very adorable, when you blush like that…”

“You’re blushing as well, y’know? You’re covering that mouth of yours right now, but don’t think for a second that I’m not sharp enough to notice!”

“Yes…” Claire said, smiling as she looked away. “I am.”

“Right. Anyhow…” Elena stated, clearing her throat with a breathless cough. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but about your request… you shouldn’t say something like that!”

“Why not?”

“Because… well, if you want to serve me, the life you know will be over. You won’t be able to work with Heretic, or live in the Upper City with Anna.”

“I know that, Elena!” Claire exclaimed. “And you’re right, by the way. Her Excellency and Her Grace, did put me up to this.”

“Knew it…”

“But it’s not just them, Elena. I too, want to fight alongside you! I’m sure there are others out there that need help just like Anna and I did, and I want to help them as well! I don’t know what Anna wants when she awakens, but I speak for myself, as will she.”

“But tell me, Claire,” Elena said, as they looked each other in the eye. “About that last bit you told me while I was asleep… are you for real?”

Wordlessly, Claire reached for Elena’s left hand. She placed her own hand upon the Beholder’s Mark, and nodded.

“Right, then,” Elena announced, allowing herself a grin when what felt like a weight upon her chest, vanished. “You work for me, starting right now.”

“Really?” Claire exclaimed, as she nearly leapt out from her chair. “Thank you! I promise I’ll work hard!”

“You most definitely will. And to start, I’d like some coffee. Black.”

“Right away!”

When her newfound servant left the room, Elena reclined against her pillow and sighed. She looked across her surroundings, towards her desk and the wall where the poster of Claire de la Lune who was once the Elician Jewel of Heretic, gazed lovingly at her.

And in turn, she smiled as well.