Part 1
1944
My beloved Trisha,
It's December in 1944… I'm afraid I don't know what day it is… they blur together. I sit in my hiding place and can only wait for my informant to show up. I really hope he doesn't have anything that requires my attention.
Nice guy. Yes, regrettably a bit curious too. Part of the job, I guess.
Sometimes I wish you were with me and yet I'm glad you're not. We really need to get here when you are back and the war is over… both should be soon. At least I hope so…
Rilliana looked up from her book. It had already been snowing for a few days, turning the mountains of southern Germany into picturesque paintings. Rilliana had never dreamed that she would end up on another continent, but here she was in the heart of Europe. The elf had taken up her quarters in a hidden cave, far from civilization. She could hide her long ears with her hair, but she wasn't eager to blow her cover only because her hair slipped. She rubbed her arms across her chest to counteract the cold a bit, because she didn't want to start a fire. She felt cold as hell, Celine's magical latex suit or not. The elf listened up when she heard snow crunching. She flipped her journal closed and tucked it into her cloak as she watched the surrounding brush from a crack in the rock.
Only one person. That could be him, but what if it wasn't? Thinking, she pulled her bow from her shoulder and applied an arrow.
"Ziemlich kalt in der Stadt," someone said in German. It was her contact, and Rilliana lowered her bow again.
"Im Wald ist es auch nicht besser," she replied to the watchword without an accent, and came crawling out of her hiding place. In front of her stood a man, in his late twenties. He had short brown hair and kind blue eyes. He wore the clothes of a German soldier.
"Thomas," she greeted him softly and embraced her ally. He returned the embrace and pressed Rilliana against him. He had long since become accustomed to the woman's strange costume.
"Rilliana, how have you been?" he asked, following her into the crevice.
"Could be better, I miss my home, my friends…"
"Don't we all? I suppose you miss your handsome husband, too, the one you've been hiding from me?"
Rilliana shook her head.
"That's right," she said with a smile, offering him a seat on a log.
"Is he fighting for the Allies right now?"
Rilliana took a deep breath. She had already noticed that he was surprisingly interested in her love life.
"Can we talk about something else? Were you able to find out anything?"
"Mh sure… um I've actually been able to find out quite a bit. Here," he said, pulling a map out of his jacket and immediately spreading it out on the floor, "I've been keeping my eyes and ears open for the past few weeks and was able to hear," he pointed to a factory on the map, "rumors of a new wonder weapon here."
"Is nothing, just another tank that won't move from the spot," Rilliana muttered, rubbing her eyes.
"Then here we would have…"
"It's a trap for spies. There's nothing there."
"Oh, um… what do you need me for, anyway?" he asked, tapping the map, "I'm beginning to think you just want me here so you can be in good company."
Rilliana shook her head.
"Thomas, I told you, I'm taken. Do you have something else? Anything?"
Thomas looked a little crushed.
"Nah, just another rumor about a splinter group of the research department," he said, and was about to roll up the map when Rilliana grabbed his arm.
"What kind of rumor?" she asked, and he rolled his eyes.
"Really nothing wild, the Fuhrer is clutching at any chance to turn the war around," he said indignantly, freeing himself from her grip before placing the map back on the floor.
"Here in the castle. They want to use science to create magic or vice versa. Wasn't really listening, was bullshit if you ask me." He looked up from the map and saw Rilliana's face. She looked very serious and bit her knuckle thoughtfully.
"Are you serious? You're worried about wizards, but not about the tank?" he asked.
"There are far more dangerous things in this world than steel. I have to go. Thanks for your help." said Rilliana and stood up. She turned to leave when she felt her journal slip out of her cloak and land on the cave floor. It flipped open and Rilliana froze to ice when she saw the page that was open. It was about spells, which Rilliana found useful but not important for the elf to know by heart. She quickly bent down to pick it up, but Thomas was faster and snatched the book away from her.
"Oh I didn't know you wrote diaries," he muttered as he flipped through it with interest.
"Hey, that's not…"
"You believe in that stuff too? I wouldn't have guessed you were crazy Rilliana." he laughed, briefly showing a few incantations she had written down. Rilliana snatched at the book, but he deftly dodged it and kept flipping the pages.
"Who is Trisha?" he asked suddenly, and Rilliana blushed.
"My… my girlfriend," she whispered and Thomas drew his eyebrows together.
"You're one of those?" he asked, slightly disgusted, "So, you're not only crazy, but also sick? No wonder you weren't interested in me."
Rilliana took a deep breath.
"Thomas, I'm neither one thing nor the other. I just love women and whether you believe me or not, magic exists, I'm living proof that it does. The only reason I'm here is to prevent this war from being influenced by magic," said Rilliana, desperately, casting a spell that snatched the book from Thomas' hands and sent it flying into her own. She tucked it deep into her pocket, brushed her hair aside and showed him her pointed ears. He now looked at her with a disgusted expression.
"I um should go," Rilliana muttered and squeezed through the gap, followed closely by Thomas. She felt her cloak being grabbed from behind and turned around. She tried to swat his hand away, but suddenly saw a club flying towards her face and it hit her in the head. Rilliana fell from the blow, collapsing instantly in the snow.
"If there really is magic, then maybe Germany has a chance after all," he whispered. A smile played around his lips as he saw the motionless figure of the elf before him.
"Why always the head," Rilliana muttered as she woke up with her skull throbbing. She raised her hand to her temple and it rustled loudly. She opened her eyes and shook her head as she saw the heavy chains locked around her wrists and ankles. Rilliana clicked her tongue in annoyance as the iron interfered with her magic. She drew her power from nature, but too much iron prevented the connection she needed to cast. The chains led into holes in the wall behind her. Rilliana suspected that they could be pulled tighter to restrict her movement. For now, the chains only ensured that she could not step onto the bars of her prison cell. She looked around her cell. It was made of old gray stone and extended only a few paces in each direction. Rilliana was lying on a pile of straw, which provided little protection from the hard floor. She scanned her own body, but the suit seemed to have protected her. However, some of her equipment and weapons were missing, such as Trisha's dagger and her journal. The elf looked up as someone cleared his throat. A man in a white coat stood behind the bars, staring intently at her.
"Sprichst du unsere Sprache?" he asked loudly and clearly in German. Rilliana sat up and ignored him. They had left her the suit, or had failed in cutting it from her body. As long as she wore it, she had a chance to get out of here.
"Do you speak English?" the man asked again.
Thomas didn't tell him I was fluent in both? Rilliana wondered, tilting her head. The man seemed to be gradually losing his patience and stomped his foot.
"French, Spanish, Italian?" he asked angrily, but Rilliana continued to keep her lips sealed. He clicked his tongue.
"We'll get you to talk. Sooner or later. That fellow had no idea what you were, but I do. You're descended from an ancient race, aren't you? You might be able to use magic too?" he asked and Rilliana's eyebrows twitched when she heard the word magic.
"Mmm, so you do understand me? Good, that makes some things easier. During my research for the Fuehrer, I came across a text or two. They told of wizards who could rain down fireballs on armies and summon beings from another world. I tell you, I'm this close to a breakthrough to call this power my own," the scientist said, holding up his fingers to show how close he was, "The last thing I was missing, I think, was you and your journal. A real stroke of luck that the boy brought you here. Too bad he was a traitor." He sat up and turned to go.
"Don't get too comfortable. As soon as I figure out how to cut your costume off, I will drill every probe we have into your body. It's really a fascinating material. It's like it's a living organism that heals itself and protects its wearer."
He walked out of her sight and disappeared down a flight of stairs behind a heavy door.
After the researchers tried again to cut Rilliana's suit to connect their probes and apparatus to her skin, they finally gave up. They gave her something to eat every day, not much of course. Just enough to keep her from starving. It made Rilliana reminisce about her days as a street kid, when she had to live from hand to mouth. At least here the food was regular. From time to time the scientist came down. He introduced himself as Doctor Grudlich as he tried to connect with her. A ploy to interrogate her about her diary, but Rilliana continued to be silent as a grave, which infuriated him.
"'Tell me, by all means, what this is all about!" demanded Doctor Grudlich, pointing to a page where she had written down a letter to Trisha in Elvish, simply so as not to get out of practice. She just smiled and leaned against the wall. As she watched him get angrier and angrier.
"If you don't tell me something I want to know, I'm going to find this Trisha and make her life a living hell!" he suddenly threatened and for the first time Rilliana opened her mouth. Only to yawn.
"I mean it."
Rilliana rolled her eyes and started talking for the first time since she had been taken captive.
"She's out of your reach, so stop throwing empty threats at me."
"Once we win this war…"
"You won't, even if you had my magic," Rilliana said boredly, folding her arms behind her head. The chains still locked on her hands and feet clinked softly. Grudlich's left eyebrow twitched. Rilliana had already noticed that this was the sign that he was about to yell at her. The highlight of her day. To her disappointment, he took a deep breath.
"We'll see about that," he muttered, pulling out a key, handcuffs and a metal collar. The restraints looked so old that Rilliana thought he had stolen them from a museum. Doctor Grudlich opened her cell and Rilliana began to smile.
"Oh, do we dare enter the lioness's den?" asked Rilliana, clenching her hands into fists. The doctor hesitated only a moment before turning a wheel that was outside Rilliana's cell.
"Coward," she muttered in amusement as the chains disappeared into the wall and her hands and feet were pulled toward it. Only when she was pressed against the stone with her limbs spread did he enter her cell.
"I liked you better when you kept your mouth shut," he said.
"That's why I started talking."
"Pretty loud mouth for… whatever you are," he said, fastening the collar around Rilliana's neck. Grudlich walked backward out of the cell, pulling on Rilliana's neck as he did so. He released Rilliana's limbs from the wall again, but she had to walk forward to lessen the pull on her neck. He tied the necklace to the bars and Rilliana's hands were pulled back painfully.
"Oh, does that hurt?" he whispered in Rilliana's ear as he saw her strained face.
"Fuck you," Rilliana growled back. He bent down to untie her feet. Next, the doctor cuffed one of the handcuffs around Rilliana's arm, and only then did he free the chain that pulled her back. He did the same with her other arm and ultimately pulled her out of the cell.
He pulled her all the way through the castle to a heavy door. He pushed it open with a flourish and led Rilliana into the great hall. Rilliana first looked less than impressed at the electrical equipment operated by dozens of scientists, and was about to make a snide comment when she saw a metallic ring above her. It took up the entire hall ceiling and was decorated with magical runes. Rilliana's breath caught as she recognized the writing. She had read about them in Celine's books and they were used to summon beings from another world. She had never tried it herself, as her magic wasn't particularly suited for it, plus she wasn't tired of living.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" murmured Doctor Grudlich, who also looked up, "With the help of the portal, I will change the war in our favor."
"You are insane," Rilliana muttered, catching a contemptuous look from Grudlich.
"The enemy is at our gates and you ask if I am insane?" asked Grudlich, pulling her chain rudely, "I will single-handedly win this war and usher in a new era!"
He shoved her into the center of the hall and chained her into a summoning circle. Her knees settled ungently on the smooth stone and her hands were outstretched and chained to her left and right. As he worked, Rilliana studied the circle and had to gulp. If she understood correctly, he was trying to use her magic despite the incompatibility and force it into the rune ring. He seemed to notice her stressed face.
"Oh, has your courage deserted you? Have you suddenly turned quite pale?" he asked with amusement.
"If you knew what you were doing, you'd look the same! Let go of this madness before it's too late!"
He just chuckled and turned his back on her.
"Gentlemen, start the engines, today we write history!" he exclaimed, raising his right arm. Cheers went up and Rilliana would have liked to throw up.
Unsuccessfully, Rilliana pulled on the chains while a loud buzzing resounded in the hall. More and more power was being supplied to the machines, funneling it high up to the ring.
"Come on," Rilliana muttered irritably as it began to crackle above her as electricity flowed through the ring and it began to spin. Dust trickled from the ceiling and the entire castle began to shake. The circle by which Rilliana sat flickered briefly.
It… it really works? Rilliana thought, and the scientists erupted in more cheers as their summoner's circle began to glow green. At the same time, Rilliana felt her magical power wane as it was forcibly sucked out of her body. A veil formed around her and grew upward toward the ceiling. It spread and enveloped the ring until it was hidden by blue lightning and green mist. Rilliana contorted herself to look up and watch the gruesome spectacle. A crack sounded, causing the castle to tremble. A red haze had formed in the ring above them. It was streaked with black streaks that slowly came off and wafted to the ground.
"We've done it, gentlemen! A gateway to another dimension! Now we can't fail…" shouted Grudlich but fell silent when he suddenly saw legs emerging from the red veil. Rilliana saw them too and pulled on her chains with new zeal, she had to get out of here as soon as possible. She felt a tremendous amount of magic emanating from above that seemed to crush her. A woman floated out of the ring with unnaturally white skin. Her long black hair seemed like an unnatural contrast to it. Her body was covered by a dark red, tight-fitting gown. Her bright blue eyes stared darkly down at the people. The scientists began to whisper until Grudlich took the word and called up.
"Demoness! Follow my command and destroy the enemies that threaten my land!", but the demoness did not answer and clicked her tongue in disinterest. She flew back upstairs as if she didn't want to spend another second in that place, until Grudlich threw at her head, "I told you something, bitch! Listen to my command!"
The demoness stopped and Rilliana cursed inwardly.
How stupid can you be? She asked herself.
The demoness looked down at the scientists and raised her right hand. Her sleeve slid down, exposing a burn scar that covered her entire arm.
"You mortals haven't had a lesson from us in a long time. Time to make up for it! I, Lilith, Queen of the Succubi, will take you on! An incredible honor for you!" Her voice thundered throughout the hall again and a red ball formed in her hand. The scientists turned pale when they heard her voice, and some of them wanted to flee the hall through the door. The demoness let her hand dart toward the door, and the ball flew in that direction. A bang sounded as it hit one of the scientists right in the back and exploded in a huge inferno. Screams were heard throughout the hall as the fire spread unnaturally fast, turning anyone it touched to ash within seconds. Flames flew in Rilliana's direction and landed on the chains, which instantly melted under the heat. Quick as a flash, she rolled to the side before another flame landed where she had just been kneeling. She ran away from the flames and jumped behind a machine before another explosion rocked the hall. Her fingers slid across the floor and touched a paper clip that had fallen. With trembling hands, Rilliana scraped it off the ground and bent the clip to release her bonds. With a heavy "klonk" they fell to the floor and Rilliana looked out from behind the machine, the demoness had probably had enough of a romp and looked smiling at the ashes spread before her. She nodded in satisfaction and flew back up through the portal before it began to crack. Rilliana breathed a calming sigh and lowered herself to the ground. That had been close, too close. She opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of Doctor Grudlich. He had Trisha's dagger in his hand and its tip was pointing at Rilliana.
"You! This is all your fault. Because of you, the German…" Rilliana had heard enough and cast her now finally free magic again, using it to throw the doctor against a nearby wall. Trisha's dagger and her journal landed on the floor beside him as he collapsed unconscious. The elf quickly picked up both and looked toward the door. The fire continued to spread, blocking her exit. There was another crack at the ceiling, and Rilliana looked up. She snapped her eyes open as the ring came crashing down, still spinning around itself. The elf cast the same spell, again on a near window, which shattered into a thousand pieces, and ran towards it. She jumped out at the last moment, as the ring crashed to the floor behind her, spreading a fire-wave throughout the room, so hot that the stone of the castle began to melt. Rilliana herself fell a short distance and landed in a trench in the castle that was freezing cold, but fortunately not yet frozen. She swam ashore as the castle collapsed behind her in a huge column of flame.
Rilliana arrived at her hiding place shivering. She went to her map of Germany and marked the castle on it. She took a few steps back to get a full look at it. There were more crosses scattered all over it, and each of them had a story of its own. Some of them, she hoped, forgotten. Her eyes continued to wander to her bed. She walked over to it and lay down within it. Rilliana pulled two pictures from its depths. One showed her, Trisha, Celine and Terra arm in arm, while the other showed a picture of her new friends, Phaelyn and Ifry.
I wonder if Ifry knew the demoness who almost killed me just now? Rilliana pondered and shook her head.
"Doesn't matter… the main thing is that I'll see you all again soon…" she murmured and closed her eyes.