Chapter 3: Seabiria

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Lilith walked onto the stone path, water from the river near was on the sides, guards gave her curious looks as she passed, they couldn't recognize Lilith as she was wearing a cloth to hide her face, it was rare for her to leave the castle but when she did, it was always for business, so she never really enjoyed herself, even though they didn't know it was her but they could feel her authoritative energy.

She was on her way to tell Ophelia what happened to Adella, before she left the nixies she cast a protection barrier around the lake, she warned the rest of the guardians not to leave just as a precaution.

Lilith stopped walking as she reached the portal entrance. It was shaped like an arch that you would see at a wedding, but it duller and made of stone, the flowers around it they were dead, Lilith wondered what flowers they were before, the stairs underneath was filled with fallen petals from the dead flowers, two guards were beside until like the portal they were clean, armour as clean as could be.

Above the arch was Aquarius—yes she was named after the zodiac sign, but that was beside the point. She was one of the many portal guardians, Aquarius was in charge of the Seabiria portal. Aquarius was sitting on the arch staring down at Lilith, her blue hair was short, it was right above her shoulders, her eyes were as blue as could be, this was a normal feature for people who lived in Seabiria, along with most mermaids and mermen and her skin was dark blue. Aquarius was very tiny but all the gatekeepers were.

"What is your business here?" Aquarius asked her tone was sharp, normally Lilith would be offended but she didn't have the time to be.

"I need to see Ophelia." Lilith would have teleported there but to do that she would have needed rare artifacts, for a safe spell and travel as she was travelling through oblivion and hell if she did it wrong or did it without the artifacts, she could end up in one, and she had never met the King of Hell nor the Queen so that wasn't a risk she was willing to take and it takes a lot out of her.

"Who are you to make such demands?" Lilith removed the cloth showing her face to the guardian, a smile immediately met Aquarius's face.

"Lilith it's nice to see you again."

"Likewise, could you let me through, it's urgent." Aquarius nods, moving gracefully off the arch floating in the air, she placed her hand on Lilith's shoulder closing her eyes as she moved her other hand facing the portal.

"Portalia, Seabiria," Aquarius whispered the hand she had one Lilith's shoulder lit up, a white light, which Lilith assume was her energy, the energy went from one hand to the other, darting towards the portal.

Lilith watched as the magic transformed the arch, the flowers suddenly started blooming slowly, the fallen flowers rise going to the place they once were, water came up from the river, wrapped around the stone, making a few mermen and mermaids out of the water, Lilith smiled, suddenly the ground beneath the arch turned to water, making stairs, the water went in the arch making the portal.

Aquarius removed her hand from Lilith's shoulder. "There you go."

"Thank you, Aquarius."

"You're welcome." Lilith walked up the water stairs, her feet didn't fall through, as you would expect, she went through the portal, as she entered her outfit changed, it was a blue dress, her nails were painted blue, she then wondered if her makeup was blue, she snapped her finger making a mirror appear, her eyelids were blue, she had her crown on her head.

Lilith wondered if Aquarius did this, she didn't have time to think about it as someone cleared their throat, she turned around, it was a smiling Ophelia, she was flowing on the water as her tail was out.

"You were the last person I expected here, did they kick you out, Lilith? Or was the moonlight not enough?" Lilith smiled, shaking her head. It was day in Seabriria and night in Xiafionica, that was the name of Lilith's realm.

"This visit was sudden, Adella has passed away." Ophelia nods.

"I knew I felt a life source slip away from me, but I didn't know which, how did she die?" Ophelia was connected to each of her mermaids and mermen good and bad, if one died her power drains as does her life but not a lot as there are over millions of mermaids and mermen if they all died so does Ophelia and if she dies they die.

"I don't know, the nixies and I found her, dead, tail gone, her body clawed up." Lilith looked around the realm, many mermen and mermaids were swimming around, their skin colour varied from light blue to dark, the grass was as blue as the ocean, well the whole realm was blue. Children and adults were using their water magic to place catch or to get hydrated, that immediately made Lilith thirsty as Ophelia spoke.

"You don't think the Cerberus again?" Ophelia asked to remember their last attack. The Cerberus were a three-headed dog, that guarded the gates of the underworld.

"No, I haven't felt anything as strong from them since the last attack." Lilith could feel the underworld she could feel hell, as in when they used their power, at least when one person used their power, she could feel it, for a reason she was trying to figure out and had yet to, but she could.

"Alright wolves?"

"My people wouldn't be so sloppy, with their killings, I taught them better." Ophelia chuckles, amused.

"And you take pride in that? Maybe rogue wolves, or Lycans?" Lilith shook her head, knowing how much water affected a Lycan, the water spirits, would always try to grab or dry out the waters as there was history between them, but that was a tale for another time.

Lilith was both a wolf and a Lycan she had the choice to chose which one she wanted to be. "Lycans and the water spirits remember, could you maybe talk to them Mara needs to take breaks and drink water sometimes but they're always drying out the lakes or trying to pull her in." Mara was her wolf and Lycan.

"I'll see if I can try, back to the matter at hand, so rogue wolves are our main suspect?" Lilith nods.

"But how did they get past the barriers and guards?"

"Maybe, someone on the inside?"

"Maybe, are you going to be at the meeting, we could bring this up?" Ophelia nods but says.

"I am, but I would never expect you to go to something that concerns wolves out of your region." Lilith smiles.

"I'm only doing this for the benefit of my subjects—with that being said, I have to go."

"Goodbye, Lilith." 

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2 weeks later.

Lilith was currently getting ready for the ball, pinning up her black curls, she closed her eyes, letting go of the pins. Instead of falling, they moved around her hair plopping itself where required.

Lou kaous eiloavio

Lilith smiled as she understood what the voice had just said. You look beautiful.

She was still a little curious as to who it was as she couldn't sense the magic type or anything, but she learned to live with the fact that it would take her a while to figure out who it was, but it wasn't so bad as he kept feeding her compliments. Lilith and Mara had been learning Crelaxos over the past two weeks, Lilith had completely forgotten to visit Darci but she knew she would see her at the ball.

Crelaxos was the ancient language in the forbidden realm but as the humans called it hell.

The sound of whispers caused her eyes to open, she saw a little messenger fairy.

"Hello, there little one, what's your name?" The messenger fairy bowed her head, making her pink hair fall against her cheeks.

Fairies were sweet little creatures that helped, Goddess and Gods, there was a fairy for everything.

A messenger fairy is used by the royal families, the fairy could also make portals to make travelling easier.

"My name is Beatrice, Queen Lilith, I'm here to escort you to the ball and I have a message for you from Councillor Aaron; since the God Nicholas has invited everyone to his daughter's crowning ball, the meeting will be held there."

"Very well, I just need to add one more thing." She looked at her head from the mirror and her crown appeared and she took up her gift for the young goddess, Victoria.

"This way my Lady." The fairy stretched her little hands out, making a gold portal appear.

Lilith stepped through, her ears went deff for a second before she arrived at her destination.

Every eye was on her, mostly the wolves, they bowed showing their respects. The ballroom was beautiful, the theme was gold and red, she watched as many people danced, ate and chat, she saw Darci's people who's skin colour were purple, Ophelia's there's were blue and—

Before she could finish looking around, Nicholas and his wife Mariana interrupted her.

"Lilith, I didn't think you would make it." She sent them a smile.

"I couldn't decline your invitation, that would very rude of me, and I bought a present for your daughter."

"You've declined the last 10 but who's counting?" Nicholas joking making them laugh.

"You know I'm a very business, but I promise to make an effort to come to another one of your events."

"I'm holding you to that promise." Lilith chuckles.

"Beatrice, please put Lilith's gift with the others." The small fairy nodded using her magic, she took Lilith's gift from her hands.

"It was nice meeting you, my lady." Lilith gave her a soft smile.

"It was nice meeting you too, Beatrice." She watched as Beatrice flew away into the crowd.

Lilith turned back to Nicholas and Mariana with a faint smile.

"How about we introduce you to some of the guests, preferably the males, dear you wouldn't mind if I left for a moment would you?" Mariana asked her husband.

"As much as I want you to stay, you can go." He kissed her cheek, making her smile, showing her deep dimples.

"Lilith." He said with a slight nod, before walking away.

"Let—" Before Mariana could finish her sentence she was interrupted by a familiar person.

"Goddess Lilith, it's been a while." Turning around she saw Antonia. She as one of Lilith's friend ok her only one, they knew each other from a young age.

"Why so formal Antonia?" That's when Lilith looked over to her side, only to see Antonia's parents.

"Goddess Lilith, you look stunning." Antonia's mother said, with a smile, Lilith knew was fake, Lilith didn't really like Antonio's parents and she made it clear, but they kept it friendly for important events.

"Thank you, Beta Cindy, but if you will excuse me, Lady Mariana was about to introduce me to some of the guests," Lilith said to Antonia's mother but once again she stopped her. Lilith kept in an annoyed sigh.

"You wouldn't mind if my daughter, Antonia went with you, Lady Mariana." She shook her head.

"No, Beta William. It would be a pleasure."

"Great, excuse us." William and his wife walked off. Antonio turned to Mariana.

"Let me introduce myself." Antonia started. "My name is Antonia Grace, it's nice to meet you..." She trailed off as if asking for her name.

"Mariana, Mariana Elfsteel." Antonia's face lit up with realisation.

"This is your daughter's party. I'm sorry I should have known I was you—" she waved her hand dismissively.

"It's ok, now ladies, how about I introduce you to some of the guests."

"Where should we start?" Antonia asked.

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Thanks for reading