Seventy-Four: Epilogue (1)

The Little White Dragon felt like she was sinking into cotton candy. Soft clouds swaddled her. What touched her skin was no longer nauseating Taint and icy rain, but warmth, plushness, a pillow of cloud. Lying on it, wrapped in downy everything, felt as clean as pulling on fresh underwear on New Year’s morning.

Lilith shut her eyes, savoring rare softness and stillness. The little dragon rolled lazily, tucked her small head under the fluff, and wiggled, rubbing against the softness.

Then the softness wrapped her face. Cotton candy turned into crisp jelly, clamping her cheeks and plugging her nose. Lilith couldn’t breathe.

With survival threatened, the Little White Dragon thrashed on instinct. She flailed her hands, grabbed something unknown, and yanked. A burst of pain shot up from her tailbone. The little dragon shrieked and woke.

“Ah!”

Lilith bolted upright, dazed, head bobbing. She was on a good-quality bed in a well-appointed room—a wealthy home’s kind of place. The curtains were drawn. The Little White Dragon couldn’t tell the time outside.

Her old clothes had been changed out, folded tidy and square, resting on the chair by the bed.

Lilith wore a white nightdress, silk of some kind. It was thin, but felt amazing—slick and soft, a cool caress.

She noticed her hand clenched around a slender white tail—her own. In that nightmare, she must’ve yanked it. The pain had snapped her awake.

Fear fluttered through her. Her tail was sensitive. Luckily she wasn’t very strong; even a full-force yank was still within what she could handle. If someone strong pulled it, she’d faint.

Like Nidhogg—the Black Dragon’s strength was absurd. If she grabbed Lilith’s tail, she’d die from the pain.

Lilith let go of her tail. She turned to get down from the bed and her left hand bumped into another forearm.

She twisted to look and saw a slender hand resting by her bedside. She glanced up. A tall black-haired girl sat elegantly in a chair, like a noble’s daughter. Lilith knew that face well.

The black twin horns on the girl’s head gave her away. Nidhogg—looking exactly the same as before.

Wait. Nidhogg?

Someone who shouldn’t be here sat at her bed. Remembering her recent, not-so-dignified tail thoughts, Lilith hugged her tail, scooted inward, and burrowed under the covers like a caterpillar.

“Y-you… why are you here?”

Lilith popped a small head out of the blankets. The white tip of her tail wagged by her cheek like foxtail grass flicked by wind.

“Weren’t you still studying in the Dragon Territory? Did Teacher Fafnir really let you out?”

“I finished my exams. The grades aren’t out yet, but Teacher Fafnir said I definitely passed. Now I’m waiting to see if I can go further. Strictly speaking, I’m a graduated adult dragon. I go where I want.” Nidhogg answered deadpan. She pulled a scale from her little bag. Power rolled off it—Fafnir’s Black Dragon force. It marked Fafnir’s recognition. One day, when Lilith dives deeper into necromancy, she’ll earn a scale like this too.

“I see. That’s basically a college graduation. So you were dragged off by Teacher Fafnir to do your defense!” Lilith nodded, even helping spin the story smoother.

“No, wait—that’s not the point!” Lilith slapped the mattress. The little dragon wriggled out of the covers, duck-sat on the soft bed, and hugged her thin tail. “Why are you suddenly here? Morris is far from the Dragon Territory. And I was in the sky when I blacked out. How’s Elasha? What about the Black Sun?”

“Slow down.” Nidhogg stopped her panic. She pressed the Little White Dragon back into that cute duck-sit, tail-hugging pose. Then the Black Dragon girl cleared her throat and answered one by one.

“I finished about half a month ago, then set off following your trail toward Spuiset. Two days back I entered Spuiset and started crossing the Endless Wasteland. Halfway through, I saw a rip tear open above Morris, and rain start pounding down. Something was wrong, so I turned into a dragon and flew over. I caught you in midair as you fainted.”

“As for the Black Sun, the Vampire said it’s been dealt with. For details, ask her. She’s busy cleaning up Morris’s mess, so you might have to wait to see her.”

“Got it. As long as it’s resolved.” Lilith let out a long breath. If the Black Sun was handled, Elasha should be fine. Now she could focus on other things—like Abaddon.

“Did you see the heart in my satchel? The one sealed in ice.” Lilith asked. “It belongs to a friend. I need to hurry and put it back in her body.”

“The little Demon in the palace, right? I already put the heart back. She woke earlier than you and is resting in the room next door. Don’t worry—she’s fine.” Nidhogg pointed toward the wall. “I know a bit about Demons, and my medicine’s not bad. She should be out of danger.”

“Good.” Lilith nodded. She glanced toward the door. “Can you step out for a bit? I want to change.”

“No.” Nidhogg said it like a hammer.

“Why?” Lilith tilted her head. Who likes watching people change?

“Just wear that little dress. Your original clothes were washed by the Black Sun and the Taint. Everything’s trashed except that glowing cloak. If Morris had a way to treat Taint, they’d have been destroyed already.” Nidhogg pointed at the pile. If you looked closely, the fabric did leak little threads of black. Dangerous.

“Alright.” Lilith obeyed. “But could you get me some shoes?”

She pointed at her bare feet, soft and snowy, tender enough to drip water. She didn’t want to step on the floor barefoot.

“Here.”

Nidhogg bent down and pulled a pair of slippers from under the bed. Lilith steadied herself on the Black Dragon’s arm and slipped into the plush cotton.

She wiggled her toes in the loose, warm slippers. The soft weave brushed her soles with a faint rustle. It felt wonderful.

“Let’s go see Abaddon first.”

After playing with the slippers for a moment, Lilith remembered Nidhogg was watching. Her cheeks flushed pink. Flustered, she said, “She took a terrible wound. Even if Demons are tough, I’m scared something might go wrong.”

That part was true. Abaddon had lost her heart. Even with Eve’s heart placed back inside, it didn’t guarantee her body would recover right away.

“It’s fine. She’s next door. I’ll take you.” Nidhogg steadied Lilith’s arm. The little dragon’s legs were wobbly from lying too long. “Don’t rush. You were out for most of the day. If you hop up, you’ll trip.”

“Understood.” Lilith steadied her grip on Nidhogg as the Black Dragon guided her to the next room.

When Lilith entered, Abaddon lay in bed, manipulating a small pocket of void before her. The little Demon heard the door and jerked her head up. Seeing Lilith, she widened her eyes. Color returned to her ash-pale cheeks. She tried to sit, excited, but her body was too weak. She obediently lay back.

“Lilith! You’re okay!”

“You’re the one I worried about. When Eve showed up, she almost scared me to death.” Lilith came to Abaddon’s side. After a moment, the Little White Dragon could walk without Nidhogg’s support. She sat at Abaddon’s bedside. “How do you feel? Anything particularly wrong?”

“No. Just regular weakness. I am Abaddon, my lady. A wound like that won’t topple me. I—cough, cough!” The little Demon lifted her chest with pride—about equal to Lilith’s—and then broke into coughing.

“Don’t talk so loud.” Lilith stroked her back, gentle and patient, until the choking eased. “You just recovered. Your body’s frail. Move smaller. Don’t go bursting around like before.”

“Understood.” Abaddon wiped the droplet at her lip and nodded meekly.

“Then, our great Lord Abaddon,” Lilith switched to her worshipful tone, using the title Abaddon liked best, “what will you do once you recover? Return to that pocket world, or go back to the Demon Realm?”

“Uuuh… that is a good question.” Abaddon frowned, thinking hard, troubled by where to go next. “Lord Satan probably won’t let me leave that space. But I don’t want to stay there. I don’t want to go back to the Demon Realm either. Everyone there is boring. The outside’s so much more fun…”

The more she spoke, the sadder she got. The Demon wilted like a plucked leaf. Her head drooped. One finger traced circles on the blanket.

“Lilith, can I go with you?” Abaddon suddenly lifted her head. Her eyes lit up. She stared at the Little White Dragon with hopeful intensity. “I won’t mess around. I won’t cause you trouble. I can cover my own costs. Just let me follow you. Please?”

“Hold on—that’s a jump! Why suddenly tag along with me?” Lilith threw up a hand to block Abaddon’s face from bumping into hers. She wrestled the demon like a puppy trying to nuzzle. “I’m traveling to temper myself. If you come with me, you’ll suffer.”

“It’s fine. I am Abaddon. A bit of hardship is nothing! And I’m strong. I’ll help you loads. So let me come. Please!” Abaddon slipped free, hugged Lilith’s arm, and rubbed her soft cheek against the little dragon’s forearm, mumbling through the nuzzle.

“Alright, alright. Let go first. Let go, okay?” Lilith pried her arm free, sighed like a survivor, and then helplessly agreed. “You can come with me. But first you have to get your strength back. Got it?”

“Mm-hm!”

Abaddon nodded hard, a drumbeat in a quiet room. The Demon girl looked all meek and neat, yet Lilith felt her future dim, a sky smeared in ash.

The Little White Dragon sighed again; her breath floated like winter mist. She rose and drifted toward the door.

“Rest for now,” she said. “I’ll go talk with Elasha. Once your strength knits back like silk in a few days, we’ll head out.”

“Mm, I understand. I’ll get better as fast as I can,” Abaddon replied, her voice sparking like flint.

“Kids,” Lilith sighed again, closing the door; the latch clicked like a shell sealing.

“Quit sighing; you’re still a young dragon yourself.” Nidhogg had been waiting by the door, a dark pillar in the frame. When the Little White Dragon drifted out with a weary breath, the Black Dragon stepped beside her and ruffled Lilith’s white hair like frost threads.

“I’m not like her. And don’t touch my head.” Lilith slipped free of Nidhogg’s hand. She tilted her head like a white bird flicking its crest and moved on, steps clean as spring rain. “I’m going to find Elasha. She’ll make time for me. I put in plenty against the Black Sun; she must have a lot to tell me.”

“So?” Nidhogg followed, his steps a shadow at her heels.

“So I’m going to ask her exactly what happened after I blacked out.” Lilith shook her head like water off a feather and headed out into the daylight.