Chapter 204: New Plan
Happy New Month Tuplipees {≥≈≤}
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Lilith paced the length of the hallway, waiting for Viktor’s arrival which, fortunately for her, didn’t take long. She gave him a small smile before they made their way to the library. They walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.
As the doors swung open and they stepped inside, their breath caught in their chests at the sight before them. Viktor moved forward while Lilith remained standing close to the door, watching him.
Viktor walked deeper into the library, circling the massive circular table to find a man, one he recognized slumped on the ground. He was lying on his back with his legs and arms sprawled out. Viktor might have thought he was dead, if not for the loud snoring echoing through the air.
"Damn... what happened to him?" he muttered under his breath as he crouched down, tapping the man’s arm. Nothing happened. "Lucian! Lucian!!" he called out, this time shaking the man’s shoulder.
Lucian jolted awake, eyes heavy with sleep. He groaned as he sat up, running his fingers through his hair.
"What happened to you? You look horrible," Viktor said.
Lucian groaned louder. "I feel horrible. My head is about to fall off," he complained.
Viktor stretched out his hand in offering, and Lucian didn’t hesitate to take it. Viktor pulled him to his feet. "If you wanted to get drunk, why didn’t you do it in your chambers?" Viktor asked.
"I just wanted a few glasses... and I was busy," Lucian replied, pointing at the numerous books scattered across the table.
"Did you find anything?"
"I... I don’t remember. I think I’ll need to rest for a few more hours before I can function properly," Lucian mumbled.
"I don’t think that’ll be possible. The witch has something important to tell us. She appeared to Lilith last night," Viktor explained.
Lucian’s eyes shifted to Lilith, who still stood by the door, a tight smile on her face. He looked away immediately, ashamed of his current state.
"When will she be here?" he asked.
"I think..."
"I’m already here."
They all turned toward the voice and saw the witch step out from behind one of the shelves, her face void of any expression. Her eyes moved lazily from the men to Lilith.
"How long have you been there?" Lucian asked.
"Why does it matter?" Salistra shot back, her gaze scanning him from head to toe, then returning to his face.
Before Lucian could respond, Viktor spoke up, "Lilith said you know how to save Hades. Let’s begin with that."
The witch smiled, but it disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. "Very well." She moved to the table, pushing the other books aside as she pulled a book from the side of her dress and placed it on the table.
The three of them stepped closer around the table.
"What is this book? I’ve never seen anything like it before," Lilith asked, curiosity and fascination gleaming in her eyes as she stared at the book with golden pages and moving letters. It was as if the book were alive.
"I stole it from my tribe a long time ago. This book belonged to the queen of my tribe. That’s all I can tell you. This book is not meant for mortals, and do not make the mistake of ever touching it, or else you’ll be doomed for eternity," Salistra warned, her eyes sweeping over the trio.
She carefully flipped through the glowing pages one by one until she stopped. This time, the words were still.
"This is the first step we must take to help the prince."
Viktor frowned, peering into the book. "What kind of language is this? I can’t read or understand a single word."
"I told you, this book is not meant for mortals. There’s no need for you to read anything. I’ll explain everything," Salistra replied. She turned to the next page.
"First, we must prevent the demon from entering the castle walls. There will be no progress if everyone here is constantly living in fear. Keeping the demon away will not only protect you, but also those who serve you."
"What about the rest of Valyron?" Lilith asked, concern deepening her voice. "If the demon can’t reach us, then he’ll turn to the innocent citizens of Valyron."
"I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about that," Salistra said solemnly. "Sacrifices must be made for the greater good, Lilith. The only way to truly save Valyron is by bringing the prince back. That must be our sole focus."
Lilith stepped back. "The sacrifices shouldn’t be the innocent. There has to be something we can do to keep them safe. You know what will happen if the demon reaches them. I can’t let that happen."
The witch sighed. "The only way to save them is by helping the prince. I..."
"You said there’s a way to keep the demon away from the castle," Lilith interrupted, her voice firm. "Why can’t we do that for all of Valyron?"
"Because you can’t," Salistra replied, "The potion that will keep the demon away requires your blood, Lilith. Do you have enough blood to cover the entire landmass of Valyron? That would be suicidal. And if you die... if you die, then everything is lost forever."
Lilith’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Her chest ached, her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard against the sadness threatening to spill from her eyes.
Salistra’s words were cruel but also true.
"She’s right," Viktor added quietly. "We must do exactly as she says and we must do it quickly. The longer we wait, the more people we’ll lose."
Lilith gave a small, reluctant nod. "Very well," she whispered, glancing between them. "When do we begin?"
"Now," Salistra answered. She pulled out a worn parchment from within the folds of her robe and laid it gently on the table. "Here’s a list of ingredients for the first potion. Each of you will retrieve what you can. Return to the crypt in thirty minutes so I can begin preparations."
"Understood," Viktor said, and Lucian echoed him. Lilith nodded, still trying to gather her thoughts as she trailed behind them.
"Strands of the prince’s hair, a piece of his clothing, salt, water, a knife, garlic, and a stone," Salistra continued. "There are more, but I will provide those myself."
"We’ll get them and meet you at the crypt," Viktor assured her, before motioning for Lilith and Lucian to follow. They stepped out into the hallway, leaving the library in heavy silence behind them.
As soon as they were out of view, Lucian spoke up, his voice low and uncertain. "Do you really think she knows what she’s doing?"
Viktor paused in his steps, "I don’t know," he admitted, exhaling slowly. "But right now, she’s the only hope we have. We don’t have the luxury of doubt. We either trust her or we lose everything."
Lucian went quiet.
Thirty minutes later, they returned to the crypt with everything she had asked them to bring. Salistra was already there, waiting for them. They all stood silently as she began making the potion in a large clay pot, whispering spells as she added the items one after the other.
Lilith had to step back from the overwhelming, nauseating smell that almost made her throw up. Although she was far enough not to pass out from the stench, she could still see into the pot as the ingredients boiled and bubbled violently.
The liquid shifted in color from brown to deep red, then to a thick black like old blood. With one final spell, everything fell still. The liquid stopped boiling, and even the air around them tensed unnaturally.
Then, within seconds, things slowly returned to normal, allowing Lilith to finally breathe properly again. She sighed in relief, watching as the witch poured the thick black liquid into a small pot.
"Pour this around the surroundings of the castle," Salistra instructed, handing the pot to Viktor, who hesitated for a moment before accepting it.
"Lilith, go with him."
Lilith glanced over at Lucian, who gave her a small, reassuring smile before she walked over to Viktor. Together, they made their way out of the crypt. Viktor held the pot with steady hands, careful not to let it tip or slip from his fingers though for some unknown reason, he felt incredibly nervous. His heart was pounding fast and hard against his chest.
"Are you okay?" Lilith asked, noticing the tension in his expression and how tightly he clutched the pot.
"Yes," he replied, chuckling lightly, "Just a little nervous, that’s all."
"I’m nervous too, if that helps. Well, more scared than nervous," Lilith admitted, glancing down at her fingers.
Viktor looked at her, his voice calm and steady. "It’s okay to be scared, Lilith. This is a very terrifying situation we all find ourselves in. But we have to stay positive, we have to believe that things will get better. We must not let our fear weigh us down."