Blame Her

Sitting in silence, Lilian watched everything ablaze in front of her turning into ash. She couldn't help but feel at her chest as the light flickered in the wintery night. No amount of magic could help this feeling, not one bit. The tears just wouldn't stop.

For a moment Lilian could hear marching in the distance and looked over to see soldiers with torches searching for something. Or rather someone. She had felt a sense of relief when she saw them, knowing someone had called for help. This meant Fredrick and the other's were probably okay.

"Find that demon girl!" One superior barked their orders at the others.

Lilian flinched as her teary eyes grew wide. They couldn't possibly be looking for her right? The guards went out further away from the manor in their search. She observed from the hill waiting to see if she could've been wrong. But she wasn't. Ms. Berry came to the leader and begged them to not harm Lilian.

"She's just a girl! A child sir! Please I know her she would never do this I swear on my life!" Ms. Berry cried.

Lilian knew she had to get out of there. They were certainly going to kill her.

Lilian couldn't believe what she was hearing. She quickly dashed into the nearest woods and was once again running in fear as she was constantly wiping tears from her eyes. Soldiers seemed to be everywhere at this point, torch after another yelling for the 'Demon Girl'. Breathing hastily, Lillian's heart beat even harder as she ran more and more. Her long hair that blended into the snowy background eventually helped her lose track of the scary people who came after her. The soldier's voices became quiet and the light from them dimmed.

Lilian was gasping for air trying to catch her lungs as the frost only just began to settle into her small body. She felt like she had run for hours. For once, she was really glad to have her freakishly-long white hair. The handheld mirror she kept with her was still intact thankfully. She stared into it's red eyes and oddly felt reassured. She kept moving and walked for a long time as the snow fell even thicker.

Eventually Lilian found a small valley whose trees hid a small cave just large enough for her body to enter. It seemed very desolate, so that meant no one should come looking this way if they wanted to harm her. She kept her mirror tight in her hand and crawled her way in.

Lilian had no idea what she was doing really, but she needed to be as safe as possible in this moment. It was dark and barely anything could be seen aside from glowing icicles coming down from the ceiling. They provided enough light and warmth to feel like a cozy hiding spot for now. The floor was odd though, it was somewhat damp. Lilian assumed it was from the snow outside, melting and coming into the cave a little.

After a while Lilian fell asleep, all that she went through that night had exhausted her and she barely got any rest.

Lilian dreamt of her powers coming to her. She dreamt of an entirely different situation. She was able to live with Fredrick, people didn't bully her anymore, and she had normal hair and eyes. The feelings flowed like honey in her mind. Honey that only stopped dripping when she felt something closing in on her.

Awakening from her happy dreams, Lilian's breath hitched at the sight above her. The icicles were coming down on her and the opening to the cave was closing. Her heart beat faster and faster and her breathing began to speed up as the betrayal and danger seeped in. There was no where else to go except further into the darkness that had no way out. She looked for the exit and took the path that lead away from the light.

Hesitating to move, her bare feet touching the slimed surface under her made her slip. Dropping the mirror, she fell into a hole of disgusting ooze that burned her body. Lilian didn't know how to swim, her hands shook violently squirming and racing for a way out. She couldn't see anything not a single light, all she could do was feel. She tried to breath, but the hot air made it impossible.

Lilian closed her eyes as her head succumbed to the burning liquid.

She took in the burning sensation.

She felt the burning of her home.

The burning in her dreams.

The burning torches of the guards that ran for her.

The burning of the flower she touched the first night she had slept in snow.

Lilian's head screamed a war of words to the thing inside of her.

'Save me!'

'I can't die here!'

'I DESERVE MY LIFE YOU COWERING GODS!'

The flower heard her call of anger, despair, and desperation. Answering with the flames of light that she ever so longed for. She reached as far as she could holding onto the red starlight.

"You have fifteen years..." the voice called.

Lilian's eyes opened up from a nightmare. 'Fifteen years?' She thought. Her body laid sprawled out outside of the cave she was just in. Blood and acidic fluid that spilled out upon her exit trailed behind her. 'What was that?' she questioned. Lilian sighed with relief grateful to be alive holding the mirror that was tightly clenched in her small hand.

Lilian laid on her her back and took a deep breath to process.

'That must have been a Terra beast...' she thought.

It would explain the desolation of the valley, someone must have found it one way or another and warned others not to come here. It's called an Icy Infernal, and it's only found in the cold lands of Orelonde. It's a rare magic beast kept warm from its magical bones, it ate living things like a Venus flytrap. Lilian shuttered, realizing she should've paid more attention to her lessons at the manor.

Lilian got up from her little resting spot and looked down at herself to check if she was covered in the acid or mot. Only she was surprised to see herself unaffected as if someone had blow-dry her in a second flat. Some parts of her body were still flushed red from the fluid but other than that she was fine.

Lilian then remembered she had no where to go, her house was in embers and the guards were looking for her. Who knows what they would do to her once they caught her. When she was about to look for a direction to head to, the sun peered through the icicle forest and pierced her eyes. She squinted for a moment and remembered something Fredrick always told her.

~~~~

"Whenever you're lost or in doubt, remember Lilian, always walk towards the sun. Because I'll always be there, waiting for you." Fredrick warmly smiled.

"What do you mean Fredrick? You can't actually live on the sun." Lilian remarked.

"Yeah I will. The castle is that way. One day, I'll be strong enough to take us there and defeat our tyrant! But for now, I have to train..."

~~~~

Thinking back on that moment Lilian's hope came rushing into her. An entrancing idea came to her mind and her feet begged to follow it.

"Don't worry Fredrick. I'll meet you there..." she whispered.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

After walking many miles on foot, Lilian finally made it to a nearby town. A thick stone surrounded it but she managed to fine a small hole and checked before crawling through. Unable to feel her feet anymore from all the walking in icy snow, she sat down in a nearby alleyway to hide from the bustling streets and catch her breath. She could see the fog from her mouth, yet she didn't feel cold. All she had on was her night gown and the mirror in her hand.

Snow...

What a weird thing snow is. If only it could put fires out like rain could.

Lilian's mind was trying to distract itself when she heard a sudden loudness. From the dimly lit alleyway she saw some drunkards walking blissfully by, very intoxicated. The smell almost made her puke. Lilian decided it not be best to stick around and began to walk down the alley away from them to avoid any attention. It got darker the further she went and just about another yard away was another alleyway heading horizontally behind the buildings. Everything seemed tall and dark, the wood and stone that decorated the small town looked almost one in the same. If it were someone else walking down this alley, they wouldn't be able to see or go as far as Lilian decided. After reaching the mid end of the alley, Lilian sat down, this time further away from the noise.

She remembers Fredrick teaching her about strangers, especially drunk ones. And she was a girl, so she especially shouldn't be around people like that. She missed Fredrick badly, if Fredrick was even here right now she would've felt like she could do almost anything. He gave her the motivation she needed for holding on. If it wasn't for him in the first place, she wouldn't have cared if she had magic or not to please the rest of the world. There wouldn't have been much reason to be around anyway, what would have awaited her?

It was becoming early morning and Lilian realized she hadn't slept yet, and she hasn't even bothered to look around the town in fear of the guards. Realizing this, she felt tired, but where was she going to sleep? She had nothing with her, not a coin to spare...

Her handheld mirror?

Looking into it and staring at her eyes for a moment, She realized she wouldn't be able to part with the mirror anyway. It held the key to her identity, proof of who she was. "Why me? Of all people in the world?" She thought out loud.

Eventually when Lilian finally became too tired to think, she put herself into a cradle position and slept. Hours passed and the noise was restless. Lilian couldn't help but dream about the fire. The burning, the screaming. If only she could go back and save someone, anyone.

CRASH*

Lilian gasped awake at the sound of some tin crashing around. Lilian's red eyes stared at the scene, adrenaline running and ready to bolt. In a mere second of time Lilian jumped to her feet, there she saw a ginger tail flipping about. It walked slowly, it's presence grinning with pride at the gamey mice they'd caught. It's master would surely be happy with the catch it made this time, the cat seemed.

The look on Lilian's face became nonchalant again and she let out a fresh sigh of relief when she saw the feline walking about with a fresh catch in it's mouth. When she looked up she noticed the sun was overhead and it was probably noon time. Lilian decided to go around town for a bit, the first thing she needed was a disguise. Those guards were certainly still looking for her no doubt.

And most importantly if not the most important question was...

who started...

that damn fire?

Lilian had to know. There was no way she would let the person who did it off the hook if she found out that Fredrick or any one of her family harmed. If her family is dead, Be the culprit tortured and enslaved Lilian thought.

Before walking into the bustling streets away from the alley Lilian gathered herself, she hadn't been out and about like this. Who knows what could happen.

Lilian grasped the mirror tightly to her chest and began to walk past the white roofed houses. The smoke coming out of chimneys and people with coats walking by. Normal hair, Normal eyes, blending in together. She felt like a sore thumb. Not even thinking about it anymore she bolted into the closest shop near her.

She faced the door and looked outside the window. "Whew...I'm inside." she sighed.

"Hey there kiddo!" a booming voice said behind her.

"Eep!" Lilian couldn't help sounding like a mouse.

"My, what are you doing out here in just a gown? Are you sure you're not lost or something?"

Lilian turned around to see a curious store clerk. Surprisingly enough, no one else was in the store, just the clerk. He had a weird top-hat none the less, and a wide grin. Lilian stopped and noticed a silver ring on his finger that glowed like Fredrick's eyes. The man looked strange, very strange. His hair was a light brown tucked behind his ears with a small braid coming down to the right of his face with a monocle. His eyes differentiated in color from yellow to blue. His Clothes were very colorful and decked in chessboard decor here and there. But he didn't look gross by any means.

Glancing at the shop Lilian noticed that the man sold an array of very well-crafted toys and clothes for children. A changing room could be seen for kids to show their new clothes to their parent's and a couple of mannequins stood close by ready to be decorated. It was very colorful and things shined everywhere.

After taking it all in from a glance she responded best she could.

"I am..." She mumbled. This time she held onto the mirror tighter. She looked around at the shop again and realized something...

"I am looking for a disguise Mr..." Lilian waited for a name.

"The names Genie Goldman. or as some call me Mr. Goldman. What's a girl like you looking for a disguise? Your quite odd you know, I could just turn you into the authorities..." Mr. Goldman said.

"Please not the guards! I have to find my brother. I promise I'll go to them I just need to find my brother first." Lilian's face began to contort slightly, she didn't realize what she had walked herself into.

"I see... Well, I'll lend you a disguise, but it will cost you. What about that mirror in your hand there?" Mr. Goldman noticed her clinging onto it like a treasure. Certainly it was something that could be of use to him.

Lilian shuffled a bit, "I don't think... that I can give it to you sir."

Mr. Goldman thought for a while. He wanted to help her, but he couldn't just give her anything for free.

"How about this then... I can give you a disguise; but in return I'll take information. Tell me your backstory." Mr. Goldman said. The disguise was in a potion. It gave Lilian short dark brown hair and brown eyes. Not only that, but he threw in a discrete outfit with it aswell that would blend well with the shadows. Lilian hadn't tried the elixir but seeing as how he threw in the outfit she thought him to be honest.

Lilian looked at the store clerk in front of her and gave a deep thinking look. Her expression changing ever so slightly at the question. 'My backstory?' she thought. It was an odd question and Lilian wasn't sure how to answer or where to start and if she would even be able to tell him. Noticing her hesitance Mr. Goldman spoke once again, "If you can't tell me its okay. If you need to take your time I'll wait. But I can only give this to you if you can tell me." He spoke with understanding and waited on Lilian for a good several seconds. It was when he was about to leave the counter did Lilian speak.

"I suppose... I'll start with my very first home..." Lilian began.