AN:

Today two chapters. Here is the first one, a journey to the past.

Many thanks to my great beta reader Verlor (id: 11113787).


Chapter 15 – Snippets of the Past

The demon felt the familiar pull. It had been a long time since the last summoning, even though it was hard to say exactly how much time had passed.

What form should it be this time? On the spur of the moment, the demon chose the semblance of a tall, black-haired woman who had last spread fear and terror in ancient Babylon. Only the eyes never changed, becoming only redder the more blood the demon shed.

That the blood would flow freely, the woman thought when she appeared in the pentagram, smiling wickedly.


"What do you want from me, human?"

The young, dark-haired man didn't seem to be afraid. Motionless, he returned her look. How interesting.

"Are you the demon they call Lilith?" A brief glitter in his eyes. So familiar to the demon, but something about this man was different.

"I've had so many names. Lilith, Samael, Asasel, Matruda, Asmodaios, Asura and so many more. All wrong. And forgotten, lost in the unstoppable flow of time. But I remain as I have been since the beginning of this world, for I am the last of my kind. So I ask again, what do you want from me, human?"

"Your past deeds are infamous, and I am in need of them." A slight smile crept onto the man's face. Nothing new for the demon.

"Are you aware of what you are stepping into?"

The man's determined gaze revealed everything she needed to know. Eagerly, she licked her lips.


Once again, she became the bane of humanity.

A huge shroud lay over the land.


The blood was flowing around her feet. What an exhilarating feeling!

"You really seem to enjoy that."

She turned to her master, who looked at the battlefield impassively.

"What is more exciting than the eternal conflict between Life and Death? And today was a day of Death."

She bent down to taste the fruit of their victory. It was delicious.

The man turned away.


The people in front of her fell like corn under the farmer's scythe.

Their cries of death were her breath of life.

Their blood shed her elixir.

Laughter shook her body.


"What's the name of this land where you seem to have so many enemies?"

"Rus."

"Oh, that's why this place seems so unknown to me. I've never been in a land called 'Rus'."


She delighted in their fear when they saw her.

The fools still tried to fight.

Moments later, they were all dead.


"Do you never feel bad about what you do?"

"Why should I? I'm just doing what you tell me. You humans don't need a reason to be cruel."

"But you even like it."

"That's how I was created."

"There is no such thing like preordained destiny."


He was covered in blood.

"We won."

"Only today."

Still, he smiled.


"You like it too."

"No, but it is necessary."

"Keep telling yourself that."


"Spare the slaves."

"Why?"

"Because I command you to."


She felt his eyes. When she looked up, he quickly turned his gaze. She smiled at him.


"Why are you giving me this?"

She looked at the wooden stick in her hand. Her master used a similar one.

"So you can use it. The wand offers you new … and more elegant ways to be useful to me."

"What do you not like about my previous means?"

"You kill too many of my own men. And you're always full of blood."

"Why do you mind?"

"It stains your beauty."


She hurled colorful flashes at her victims. That was fun.

And it could actually be combined with her powers. Who would have thought? Humans were really fascinating creatures.


She grinned at her master. "You were right, you can use this stick in so many ways. Maybe I did you humans injustice."

Her master ignored her.

"Aren't you afraid that I could use this stick against you?"

Her master looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "No, you can't oppose me. My magic prevents that."

"Indeed, I have to serve you."

"But you cannot tell me that you aren't having fun."

"I am. But that's exactly why you should be afraid that one day I might be your doom."


"No!"

She looked at her master in surprise, but cut off the red flash. "What?"

"I forbid you to use this spell. Just kill him."

For a moment, it was as if she could see a painful glimmer in her master's eyes.


"Did you like that, my master?" she said seductively as she lay naked on the bed.

Valeydor scowled as he dressed again. He didn't like it when she called him master.

She started laughing.

A bird fell dead from the tree outside the window.


"I didn't know you could speak the language of my little sisters and brothers."

"Old family ability - wait! Your little sisters and brothers?"

"Of course. The language of snakes is not that dissimilar to that of demons. The primal snake was even one of us. You know, the one with the apple."

"I thought it was just a story."

"My dear Valeydor, the whole world is made of stories."

"Tell me."

"Why?"

"Knowledge is power ... and I like your voice."


"Do you miss your family?"

Valeydor paused. "Maybe my sisters."

"Not your father?" Her fingers stroked the scars on his body.

"Do you really have to ask that?"

"I guess not." She would kill him.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you miss your family?"

"I have no family."

"The others of your kind."

"I've told you before. I am the last of my kind."

"I thought you demons are immortal?"

"That only makes it even sadder."

She flinched when he suddenly put his arms around her. This was not to satisfy his lust. Stupid man!

But why did it feel pleasant, asked part of her soul.


A long spear flew towards him. He didn't see it.

An unknown feeling seized her.


"Why did you save me?"

"I can't resist your orders."

"But I never ordered you to do so."

"Yes, you did."

A lie, but what was the truth?


"Look at all these hopeful faces! You freed them, you gave them hope!"

Why did he tell her that?


"I've never met a man like you before."


"What is your true form?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"So I can see it."

"Don't you like this form?"

"On the contrary, but I would also like to see you as you really are."

"This form is no more true or false than any other form that I have taken over the millennia."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have no true form. Or I forgot what it looked like."


"What is your real name?"

"Can you not already guess the answer?"

"I'd like to call you by your name."

"You don't like Lilith anymore?"

"We both know that's not you."

"Then just call me whatever you want. Names are meaningless."

"I don't think so. How about ... Valeydis?"

It was now up to the demon to stare at the man in surprise. "But that ... that's your name!"

"I know."


A strange warmth spread inside her.


"I love you."


"I needed time to deal with my feelings, but I know it now. I am no longer afraid of the truth. I love you too."


"Face it! A demon and a human? That was a foolish idea right from the start! I will always be your slave. Set me free and I will go back where I belong."

"I will find a way!"

"You're a fool, Valeydor Slytherin."


"Would you give up all of your previous existence, your powers, your immortality, if I had found a way so we could be together?"

Silence. Eye contact. Pounding heart.

Strange, she had no heart.

"Yes."


"To bind two lives, another life has to be sacrificed."

"There shouldn't be a lack of potential candidates, right?"


The golden spear protruded from the man's chest. Blood dripped onto the ground. He was dead.

Valeydis felt a heart beating in her chest; felt the warm blood in her veins. Her connection to the underworld was cut.

She not only felt her own heart. Two hearts pounded in her chest. Her heart and Valeydor's heart, they were the same.

Two souls, two lives, inseparable.

They no longer needed to voice their thoughts.

"It's like I'm the same as you now."

"Right."

"What are we?"

"We are neither demon nor human, but something in between. Do you regret it?"

"No."


"Getting married means that two people who love each other promise to be together forever."


"Give me your hand and open your mind to me."

"Why?"

"I have an idea."

Valeydor did as he was told. Their bodies, minds and souls merged.

She raised her wand and pointed it at the target. She felt the familiar power flowing through her; felt the heat spreading from her heart. Her new body alone was too weak and unable to speak the language of her kind. Her husband, however, knew the language of her little brothers and sisters. That had to be enough.

She heard her two voices hissing the command and then she saw a huge breach in the wall in front of them.

Their soldiers cheered and stormed forward.

Valeydor smiled at her. They had been able to achieve this only together. A single human soul couldn't have done that.

They rushed into battle without letting go of the other's hand.


"Valeydor, I'm pregnant."

A laugh of joy resounded in a world of misery.


"This will be the decisive battle. All forces are gathered."

"Not all forces..."


She stroked her round belly with concern. Her husband in front of her gasped with exertion, covered in blood.

"We lost."

It wasn't a question. She saw the truth in his eyes.

"Yes."

"I should have fought with you."

"No. If something had happened to you..."

He didn't have to finish the sentence.

"And now?"

"Let's flee."

"Where?"


"She isn't human!" Salazar Slytherin's face was an image of pure loathing. Valeydis returned his disgusted look with sheer hatred.

"Neither am I, father," Valeydor replied. "She is my wife. And soon mother of my child. You will accept them!"

"So that's what you've been doing all this time. No wonder you're crawling back like a mangy dog. You abandoned your foolish dreams in the end, as I always knew. You've been pathetic -"

"Your words no longer have power over me, father. If you want a duel, just say it. But then it will be a fight to the death."

"Just stay away from my students!"


"Are you disappointed?"

She knew he knew what she meant. It was about his sisters.

"No, they only do what is best for them."


A cave, deep underground. Their haven until their child was born. Here they would be undisturbed by the construction works on the surface.


"What are you doing?" asked Valeydor.

Valeydis smiled to herself as she continued to write in the book.

"Maybe I have become more human than I thought. I am vain and would like to leave something to posterity."

"And what do you want to leave?"

"My magic. Our magic. The magic we created together."

"May I see?"

He stood next to her. She pressed her head to his side and happily stroked her round belly.


Screams. Pain.

No healer had wanted to help her.

Valeydor bent over, comforting and encouraging her.

She would get through this. For her family. This weak human body would not bring her to her knees.


"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." Her fingers slid gently over the baby's round face in her arms. "We created her, Valeydor! Despite all our sins, we were able to create something so beautiful, so perfect..."

"What do we want to call her?"

She smiled. "Cera."

Valeydor put his arms around her and their baby. "I like the name. My daughter Cera. Thank you, Valeydis!"

"Oh, Valeydor."


"What was it this time?"

"He once again demanded that I kill you both. He called you hideous creatures."

"Could he become a danger?"

"I don't know, but we're safe down here."


"She grew up so fast, didn't she?" Valeydis asked wistfully as they watched their daughter play with the snakes. Cera simply loved the animals of the forest.

"Like any other child, Valeydis," her husband replied as he tightened his grip on her. "She is only six. We have many more years with her before she is tired of us and wishes to seek her own path, find her own place in the world."

"Have we already found our place in the world?"

"I don't know. But I have to protect my sisters. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes, but I hope it won't put my own family in danger."

"I will never allow that."

The sun started to set. They should return home soon, but the two parents wanted to give their daughter a little more fun and joy.


"Where's Cera?"

"Outside. She's visiting her friends."

"She knows that she can't marry a snake, right?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Just look at who I married."

"Idiot."


Horrific pain. Everything around her turned black. She collapsed.

Valeydor was immediately by her side.


She regained consciousness, but felt incredibly tired and exhausted. She was dripping with sweat.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know ... I've never been like that before."


A feeling of horrible emptiness. A light of life, extinguished forever.

"Valeydis, what's wrong?"

"Cera ... I don't feel her anymore!"


She only made it a few meters before collapsing on the floor.

"Valeydor, let me go! I will kill them all! I will destroy this world! Crush his statue, slay his basilisk, tear down his castle. Once again I will become -"

"Don't you understand what's going on here?! You're dying!"


They had their arms wrapped around each other.

"Valeydor, you're freezing cold..."

"Our souls are bound, Valeydis. If you die, I will die too."

"But ... he's your father?!"

"I don't think he knew that."


"Do you regret it?"

"Loving you? No. I felt alive. And I was happy. Thank you, for everything."


"Valeydis?"

The voice, just a whisper. Everything else exceeded his remaining strength. It was coming to an end, they both knew that.

"Yes?"

"I'm dying now, Valeydis." Every word, a struggle. "I will use my last strength to ensure that nobody can ever get to us."

"Even in your death, you still have to make plans."

"I failed, Valeydis."

"We both failed."

"Our daughter…"

"We will avenge her."

"I love you, Valeydis."

"And I love you, my master."

"I'll wait for you on the other side..."


He was dead.

It felt like she was hugging an ice block, but she couldn't let him go.

Hot tears wet her cheeks.


She hadn't had the heart to tell him the truth.

She was so human now that she could die, but not enough for Death to accept her soul. Only an eternal void would wait for her. And they would never see each other again.


If only she had never become so human. Then she wouldn't have to feel this pain now. Valeydor ... Cera ...


She was glad to have found love. Still, she wanted so much to see them again ... she didn't want to vanish forever...


One last tear slid down her cheek.


Blackness. Was Death waiting for her here? They hadn't faced each other for so long...


The tear fell.

When it hit the stone floor, it became a shining flame from which a bird rose.


A phoenix, born from the regret and despair of Valeydis, the demon of hatred and bane of humanity who had learned to love.


Fawkes had only one goal. He would find and kill Salazar Slytherin.


He screamed in pain as he burst into flames.


Fawkes bounced off the force field. He couldn't go back.

A horrible sadness seized him.

He began to sing, just for himself.


The demon's heart was still beating.


Next chapter: Daphne's Gratitude

Preview:

He looked at the tombstone in front of him and felt a warm tear run down his cheek. He had so much to say to his parents, but where should he start?