The Elf and Her Dragon Mate

XIV. Tears to a New Beginning

"I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then."
♧♡♤Alice in Wonderland ♤♤♧

Lillyanna found herself more often than not, having a look of tenderness while fighting tears. Her hometown had changed so much. Of course, that was to be expected. Humans prospered at an almost alarming rate and so did supernaturals.

The human world paralleled with the supernatural and many times the supernatural towns were simply veiled from the peering eyes of humans, just like the village that she had grown up in. Once she passed through the veil, the smell of home overtook her senses. It had been so long since she had been here and even longer for her to even consider stepping foot in the town that she had destroyed in her rage.

Fresh air, baked bread, icy wind blowing through her hair and passing her long ears, making a soft whistling sound as it passed. Her eyes wandered, looking for at least one familiar face, though she knew if she even found anyone still here, she would go through hell and high water to avoid them.

"Elizaveta! Is that you?" A voice called out. Lillyanna tensed. Only someone who knew the old her would call her by her birth given name. Lillyanna turned and meet her eyes with a pair of green eyes that had age lines surrounding them. But Agafya looked like she had not aged but a few years since her departure.

The one thing that had changed was the little boy by her side. Lillyanna's smile was once again bittersweet. Her heart clutched in that painful way that had her throat forming a painful lump that seemed impossible to swallow down. She wasn't a jealous person by nature but all she wanted was to have a child of her own to hold again.

Datrax was all grown up and though she would never forget that day that she saw a beautiful blue-haired baby sitting in a box, crying his little heart out, she wanted that again. She remembered how sweet he was when he curled into her neck the sweet smell of baby milk occasionally brushing her nose. She wanted a child who had glistening golden eyes like... she gritted her teeth and forced all other thoughts of him out.

"Hello, Agafya. You look well. Who is this?" She asked and stepped forward. Agafya instantly took a big step back pulling her son behind her.

"Do not try to use pleasantries on me Elizaveta. What are you doing here? After what you did you should know that you will never be allowed back in this town, no matter who your parents were or who you should be rightfully."

The lump appeared again, this time ten times more painful. It seems that she was still not forgiven of her transgressions. Agafya's form blurred and Lillyanna could just barely hear the sound of her teeth grinding as she fought off the incoming tears. Bile tried forcing it's way to her throat and she had to clear her throat several times before it was gone.

"Agafya... I know what I did wasn't... wasn't right but I was young. There was no way that I was going to let those vile creatures take over our home. I lost everyone close to me. We all have our demons... but mine was let out that day."

"I know that lots of homes were destroyed in the process but I know for a fact that I didn't kill anyone on our side. Some that were injured were my fault but Agafya... it was war. That's what happens in war. That was centuries ago and... I promised myself that I would never revert back to that me." She finished, slightly breathless.

Agafya laughed. "You may not have hurt that many people physically. But you sure have hurt a ton of people mentally and emotionally. We are barely hanging on. Elizaveta... have you even looked around you?"

Lillyanna was startled by her question but decided to look around. On the surface, things look fine... at least from far away. But on closer inspection, the buildings were chipping away, several homeless people sat, huddled in the alley for warm and even children were digging through the garbage of the bread store. Her town had deteriorated fast in her absence. What once was a lively and prosperous village was now sad, grey and bleak. It seemed as if all life had been sucked out of the people and the town itself.

Agafya watched as her bright blue eyes dulled and became flat. Her strong and proud stance slumped and Lillyanna wondered how things became like this.

"So no. We are not upset that you lost control. We are upset that you left us in the hands of a tyrant that won't even show his face. Nobody knows who he is and nobody knows what he looks like but everyone knows that they have suffered because of him. We elves know that we have to pay extra money to set aside to go to the community for improvement but that little bit of extra money became whole weeks payment and none of it went to the village. It has all been hoarded and used to rebuild the castle on the hill. You left us when we needed you the most and never once came back to check on your birth place and that's what hurt the most."

"Agafya... I'm so-"

"No Elizaveta. Nothing you can say will ever make me forgive you. Our village to pride in the fact that we never let one of our own people go a night hungry. But now we can't even have enough hope to make sure that we don't go hungry. We have to turn our heads the other way so that we can tend to ourselves and our children. I would have loved my son to grow up in the time we did but now that is not possible."

"No... there is nothing that you can say that will make me change my mind. Your actions will now have to speak for you. Goodbye Elizaveta and may the next time we meet, I see you on the throne and not some faceless oppressor."

She spun around taking her young son with her, leaving a faint smell of honeysuckle behind. Lillyanna smiled faintly. She now knew that she was not completely alone. Someone was there for her despite how her words sounded. She would find this man and make him pay.

She walked down to the temple, a sacred place of worship for all of the great and powerful elven gods. She was sad to see that the temple was no longer in the shape that it used to be. It had a grimy look to it, weeds were overgrown, and vines had overtaken the building. But it was still beautiful in its own way.

If you truly believe and stopped for just one moment you would be able to feel the slight vibrations of power flowing through the earth. She entered and saw a woman kneeling, her long black hair spread across the floor, praying. Lillyanna looked at the statues that she was praying to and cringed. It was Balor(pronounced Bal-er) the one-eyed god of death and Carman the goddess of evil magic. They were not pleasant.

They were beautiful in that terrifying kind of way and every time she came in she always felt the eyes of the statues staring her down as if it could strip her if her clothes and any kind of dignity she had left. It was not a sexual kind of feeling either. It was slimy and sent jolts of terror down her spine. Why this woman was praying to those two of all gods she did not want to know.

Lillyanna stepped in front of Mabd(pronounced Mayv)  one if her personal favorites and the warrior goddess. She then sent a quick prayer to her and to Armid(pronounced Air-mich) the goddess of healing and medicine. She had a feeling that war would happen soon and she wanted them on her side to aid her. She then turned to leave until she made eye contact with the woman on the floor.

The woman stared at her, eyes wide and glassy. Lillyanna's heart came to a complete stop. Soon it sped up and she began to hyperventilate. How was this possible. This woman should not be her. She should be six feet underground.

Hot burning tears made their way down her cheeks and she let out a single strangled cry if shock as she fell to her knees, the sound of her knees making contact with the marble floor echoed through the room. But the pain could not seem to register.

"How-how....I... you-"

"Yes, it is me Elizaveta. It is truly me." Her soft musical voice said as a tear escaped.

The sob of joy and pain slipped past her lips and she raced over to her and gathered her up into a bone crushing hug. The two of them sobbed in earnest as they made up for lost centuries.

"Sestra....Anastasia... my sestra." Sobs echoed throughout the room, the feeling of relief and happiness filled the room with a just a hint of murderous euphoria. 

Anastasia ironically enough means resurrection

Elizaveta means The promise of God

Agafya means good hearted

Thoughts???

The Elven gods are really more of the Irish folklore or the gods that they would had or possibly still do. Does anyone know??