"The Hunt for Lilia 3" - Arailt POV

"This is the letter Lilia supposedly sent to her parents from the capital city of Weria." Beanne's finger was tracing around the elegant triangular-shaped letters, written in a deep sea blue ink, which even after so long still appeared as if taken straight from the depths of the sea.

"As you can see, at first glance, all letters look the same. They are just triangles. But it is really the number of triangles that determines the letter you see, based on their number in the alphabet...I made you a little table with the alphabet and corresponding numbers."

She indeed has, and she was quite diligent. For a little girl, she made a fine teacher, seemingly trying to get us somewhat invested in reading...The table resembled a list, explaining the corresponding letters to the numbers of triangles they had. A relatively obscure system for someone from 21st-century Earth, but I got the gist of it. A was one triangle. B was two triangles. C was three triangles, and so on. They kept adding them to the right, until they became too long. From what I have observed, around every fifth letter, they would flip the triangle. One flipped triangle meant "E", and then, for example, "F" was a flipped triangle with one added regular triangle. This process continued until they added three more, at which point they added another new flipped triangle.

So, for example, the letter "Z" was "five upside-down triangles." In comparison, the letter "Y" was four upside-down triangles with four regular triangles.

Like I said, obscure, but I was quickly getting the hang of it thanks to the table.

"Nah, brother, this is mental...why is reading like math?" Erop wailed, seemingly trying to make some sense of it. "And why is it that letters are triangles and numbers are circles. Who made this system up, bruv? Mental...I do know numbers from the inn though...Dad says it's important to know how to count money..."

Beanne rolled her eyes, her slim finger moving around the paper. "Well, how would you know if someone says something bad about your parents' inn in a letter or a book if you can't read it?"

Erop's face turned into a smug smirk.

"Why, my mom will read it, and then we will whoop his ass."

I laughed a bit, mainly because his accent was so thick, which made Erop laugh too. 

"Nah, this bruv gets it. Reading is awful, man. But hey, for Lilia, I'll try, man. What can you do?"

Indeed, he was right about that.

Beanne kept quiet, looking at me intently.

"Arailt, try it. Read the letter."

Has she already figured out I know how to? She is certainly observant. And she is highly suspicious of me.

"Are you mental? We barely started. He can't read the whole thing..."

Erop said teasingly, while I coughed a bit.

Beanne kept staring at me intently, and then she grabbed the letter and put it straight before my face, seemingly not being open to any debate.

"Alright...ehm..." I said nervously.

Should I pretend I can't do it? Or not? Beanne might figure me out. And that's not a good start to any companionship. I will just read it. Well, here goes nothing.

"Dear Mother and Father,

I have travelled to the great city of Weria, seeking to pray at the bottom of the Heroes Statue.

Do not look for me, for the path is perilous, and the city is under siege. The Six Gods' Army has penetrated the eastern border, bringing slaughter and despair. I have been told that there are people in need in the city. This is not a time to be sitting idly in a chair. This is a time to act.

This is my own, personal decision.

But fear not, for Weria is strong, and she will rise again.

Yours faithfully,

Lilia"

I stopped reading, and Beanne put the paper down.

"Aw man, well not I look like an idiot, don't I..." Erop murmured.

"Anything...peculiar about it?" Beanne asked almost coyly, as if she already knew the answer, yet was waiting for me to speak. I constantly felt as if she analyzed my moves, not that I could move a lot. She was so scrutinous. It was almost as if she was suspicious of me kidnapping her.

"A lot, actually...for starters, how did a blind woman write?"

I asked the most obvious question, with Beanne shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh yeah! Now that's insane, ain't it? So who wrote it?"

Beanne was quick to dismiss that: "That's not so strange. There are writers in the city who can write a letter for you for a coin. The ink used in the letter is also used in Weria...It's blue, all official documents are in blue letters..."

I tilted my head down. All official documents are in blue? Well, doesn't that significantly narrow who could have written this? If we analyze everyone's writing...or better yet, discover who could have the ink in town...that can't be a lot of people, can't it? Mayor, Preacher...Who else...

"What is this mention of the Six God's Army? Who are they...I am unfamiliar..." I murmur, trying to get Beanne's attention. Her gaze quickly turned to me, tilting her head back and playing with her hair. "Well...back in the Hero's age, Six Demons ruled this land, constantly fighting each other and bringing pain and suffering. But the Hero fought them all, so they had to unite together...and even then they lost," she smiled coyly.

"It is said that the place where they fought became a desert since then...But from that desert, the remnants of their forces gather and attack us...It's funny, isn't it? Both the demons and the Hero are dead...yet their successors fight on."

And it seems that the Demons are winning... Is that why this village is so peaceful? Are they heading straight for the capital city instead? From a military standpoint, not that I know anything about it, that seems logical. I also gathered that Weria is a port, since it's under a blockade.

"Well, anyways...the language is weird...isn't it? Was Lilia that unfamiliar with her parents? It seems very formal..." I said, trying to make sense of it... Although this is a medieval society, letters can still be formal...

"That could be the writer's decision, no...what concerns me is this..."

Her finger pointed at the words: "She will rise again", at the very end of the letter.

"This...This phrase is ominous, to put it mildly. Do you know that the worshippers of the Grand Witch use this phrase? Pa told me...She will rise again. It could be a coincidence...But I doubt it..."

Of course, Beanne is from the Preacher's family. And she is a something of a Witch herself...clearly...although maybe she doesn't know it?

"But couldn't it be just referring to the people of the city or something?" Erop asked with surprise, seemingly trying to make some sense of it.

"Maybe, but that's not what Pa thinks...I also know from Pa..." Beanne's tone turned conspicuous, and she leaned in. "That this land has a history of Witch worship...Apparently, they burned some people here before either of us was born...As there was a free, undomesticated Witch, that gathered followers in the woods..."

God, doesn't he mean Canalyse? The mill is located near the woods...And the town's people hated her. But no one was burned...I know how she died...

Suddenly, the doors to my room opened wide with a loud thud. It was my mother, Anasa, who entered almost like a scared cat. She was moving close to the walls, saying nothing, while she picked up the dishes from the porridge with her hands, almost as if she wanted to take them away, and then put them back down again.

"Ehm...Lady Zolid..." Erop looked at her, while her eyes darted around the room in an unnatural, terrified manner, which could only be described as that of an animal in a frenzy.

"Someone is outside in the snowstorm...Someone is outside in the snowstorm..." she whispered, shutting the wooden covers of the window and then going back and locking the door.

"It's him...it must be him...what should I do..."

Beanne moved from the chair, as did Erop. Erop, to his credit, readied his bow and said: "Leave it to me, you fine lass!"

That's my mother, asshole.

Both parties understand that some threat is present. I turned my head around, once again feeling the tight grip of my powerlessness.

"Erop, don't be silly...if it's really him, we don't stand a chance...who is it...by the great Hero...I have noticed him standing there for ten minutes straight, in the blizzard...just watching the mill...that's no ordinary man..."

Beanne grabbed her hand. "How did he look? Describe him to me!" she ordered like an Inquisitor herself.

"Well, he was cloaked...and tall...so tall...like a tower...with red, piercing eyes...like a demon...Those I could see...that hungry...lustful stare..."

Tall as a tower?

BANG

A loud thud shook the mill as the main door to the common area seemed to explode. I felt the ground vibrating. 

"Hide! Hide!" whispered Anasa. "Hide in the box! Or under the bed!" she gestured to the box near the wall, where we kept most of our clothing. 

"Take Arailt with you!"

But neither Beanne nor Erop moved. I'll give them credit where it's due. Those were some courageous kids.

A chilly breeze filled the air, like the shadow hand of a great evil. The cyan mushrooms, I believe they are called the Hand, erupt around the door like the wood is fertile soil for them, and it's just after a rain. The coldness, the gripping coldness, was ever present. It attacked my nose, my mouth, my skin, like it was trying to choke me.

Once again, I was powerless, unable to do anything.

"She will rise again..." 

It was merely a whisper, a winter's breeze, as if an old man was whispering behind the door.

But then that whisper turned to a scream.

"SHE WILL RISE AGAIN!"