Dawn rose with such brilliance gold, yet all manner of men were cold. Shivering in their booths outside homes, all chatting about the stolen night. A night no one can retell, no one can recall. Sleepiness still hung in the air as well as their hunger from a missed dinner. Theories, rumors, suspension how they twirled from the mouth of men they sprung. Dancing throughout a kingdom, growing with each worry and fear within hearts.
Crowds gathered in front of temples offering repentance and asking for blessing along with forgiveness. Some crowed in front of the palace with theories of the neighboring kingdom putting a curse upon this kingdom as a form of revenge for their past offense. Some even crowed around doomsday fanatics, listening to their crazed warped thoughts. Everyone looking or demanding for answering in one way or another. All except one shadow that avoided all the crowded streets and keeping to the alleyways and shadows.
Philomel huffed out an annoyed sigh as she did her best to search for nearby wells through the crowds. Hidden under her cloak was Little One being carried comfortably to the point he was just a silent moment away from sleep.
" There. Towards the north. There's a well there. Amon must have gone to that one."
She whispered to herself being careful not to wake Little One if he managed to finally fall asleep. With some difficulty she managed to head down that less crowded road that runs a row of houses away from the crowded market. A place bursting with activity, thanks to many random people standing on boxes or crates to offer their theory of the missing night occurrence. It didn't take long for Philomel to find the overturned bucket near a death end.
" This looks like the bucket, Amon took but where is he?"
She wondered as she scanned the area before examining the bucket. Black slime was found under the bucket and the spilled water cause it to be a wet slick mess that half hung over a drain.
" Mud? It's a little frozen... Half frozen black mud?"
She guessed as she touched it, silvering at it's intense cold feeling against her skin. Soft cracks of thin ice emanated along with a clink of a potion bottom hitting the ground. She instantly recognized the bottle as the mana potion Darzirak stole from the rich man's basement.
" Darzirak?! Hey! You okay? Talk to me."
Philomel urged as she pulled and stretched Darzirak's body, looking for his face as well as taking him out of the drain.
" Darzirak?! Come on demon talk to me here."
She shook the goo up high before noticing people looking her way with a judgemental expression. A blush found it's way to her face as she quickly gathered Darzirak's body into the bucket along with the potion and quickly headed back to the inn.
" If Darzirak is out for the count then most likely Amon faced something dangerous. I must hurry and help Darzirak, only he knows where to look for Amon or at least who took him."
Philomel reasoned to herself as she dashed back to the inn. As soon as she closed her room door behind her, she laid a sleeping Little One onto the bed, making sure he was comfortable and pulled a blanket over him.
" That's one troublemaker asleep but he probably would have been helpful for this situation. He loved nothing more than to pull on every part of Darzirak."
Philomel commented as she placed the bucket and the mana potion on the table. With much effort she pulled at Darzirak, walking backwards until half of him was still in the bucket while the other half was being held up in the air. Using her hair tie, she tied one end of Darzirak onto the door knob and started looking top and underneath for Darzirak's mouth and eyes.
" No matter what shape he turns into, his face always remain."
She recalled as she dragged but after but if Darzirak out, searching for his face but unfortunately couldn't find it even after searching every inch.
" Hmm... I would rather do this and see your reaction to know if you're waking up but since your face disappeared... I guess you're screams is a good indicator too. Hopefully it doesn't wake Little One up."
Philomel awkwardly admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck. She prayed in her heart that Darzirak would forgive her before holding a part of him over a burning candle. To Philomel's surprise there was no reaction.
" I know he has some heat resistant but he should at least feel a prick or something."
She grumble and started to step all over Darzirak, there was no response.
" Doesn't that hurt? He would always yelp when someone stepped on his tail."
She started to worry.
" Shadows of night, where dreamers lay, my mind is active, without a guide, give me what I desperately need and I'll give you my mind for a day. I'll dream your dreams, Darzirak if you just wake the freaking hell up and stop scaring me!"
Philomel desperately shook Darzirak, finally feeling like she had no other choice. She pulled out her dagger and slide it across Darzirak parting him into two but still there was no response. That instant whatever little calm demeanor she had left disappeared as she started to panic.
"There's no way for a demon to die right?? "
She questioned as she shook the demon again.
" He doesn't have a face... He always had a face... And he's weirdly freezing cold... He was always a cold to the touch but never like this. "
Philomel paced around the demon as she panicked. Just then the curtains danced letting in sunlight that reflected against the potion bottle causing a shimmer that caught her eye.
" Mana! That it! He probably wasn't able to drink the potion in time that's why he's like this!"
Philomel concluded as she grabbed the potion and turned back at the demon just to realize that he didn't have a mouth she could pour it into.
" His mouth is probably hidden within his body. If only I could get to it..."
She mused before looking at the empty milk bottle. The curtains sway against the wind before slowly returning to a halt as Philomel grabbed the milk bottle and started shoving Darzirak into it. It took much effort and a thin stick but she managed to fill half the bottle with Darzirak's whole body. Emptying the mana potion into the milk bottle, she stirred with the thin stick. Mixing the pure black Darzirak with the dark blue potion to the point it became a black berry color. Screwing back on the bottle cap of the milk bottle, she began to shake the bottle up as if she was mixing a cocktail. The mixture began to bubble up and foam a little.
" That must be his breath. I better leave the cap open for him to breath and get out once he's feeling better. Hopefully the mana can help glue him back together."
Philomel decided as she pop off the cap, placed the bottle into the bucket and dusted her hands. Feeling satisfied with her action.
" But this wouldn't be able to help Amon in time."
She realised that 20 minutes had already gone by trying to revive the demon.
" What should I do? I can I do? How do I find him?"
She questioned as she paced before noticing something yellow glowing through the cloth of her satchel.
"What the?"
She curiosity and cautiously took a step towards her satchel and opened it just to find the glow coming from Amon's mother's ring.
" That's it! Amon's family heirloom! It must have slipped off my finger when I went to take the milk. With this I can find him with ease!"
Philomel enthusiastically held the ring up, kissing it before slipping it onto her finger.
" Thank goodness I never sold it that time Amon was deadly sick!"
She thanked the twin gods of causality as she started putting on her theif... I mean scavenger hood and doing an inventory check while gearing up for a stealth rescue mission. Just as she was about to head out the door only did Little One's sleeping face draw her attention.
" Oh, wait ... What about Little One? I can't leave him here without supervision. Leaving him with someone else could be dangerous as well if they find out he is a light elf. Bringing him along might be a terrible idea as well... unless... "
Philomel entertained the idea for a long time weighing the pros and cons of the plan.
" This is probably the worst idea I ever had... But it's the only option that has the least risk since I'll be there."
Philomel stressed as she held her head in her hands and kept racking her brain for a better plan. Unfortunately for her, her options were limited and she probably would never forgive herself if she left Little One behind and something bad happened to him.
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