The Lilliad chapter 24

“I, for one, am very interested in an explanation of that ominous and informative statement.” Elathor called, obviously attempting to wriggle out of captivity. “Would you care to clarify…” they looked at the monster “my friend???”

The monster looked at Elathor, and then shifted to sit down. The clacking sound of its interlocking scales echoed around the room, and something about the sound made Lilli not want to move.

An instinctual freeze response had seized all of her muscles, leaving her stiff and terrified. She stared at the immense pincer resting close to her face. It was… very sharp.

“Very well. If you are what you say you are, you need to know.” It looked over all of them. Dozens of eyes swept over Lilli, leaving her feeling exposed. “And if you are not, it will not matter.”

‘Very reassuring.’ Lilli tried not to grimace. ‘Especially that now it’s stopped moving, I can see how many deadly limbs and teeth it has. I’m literally just a pile of soft meat next to this thing.’

“Stop making that face, Lilli.” Elathor chided. They adjusted again, but then seemed to settle for just making a little more room to be comfortable. They folded their hands in front of them. “Our friend is being helpful.”

“The creatures came from Ulante.” The scorpion-like monster said, sounding sad. “Where they came from before that, I do not know. Ulante was once a thriving port city, importing finery for our city and others all over the continent. But our relations were not good. They thought of us as backwards desert dwellers, and of my Queen as a foul sorceress for saving magical creatures such as myself.”

“Why did they come to Ulante?” Lilli asked, curious.

The monster sighed. “Why do monsters do anything? To feed on the helpless.” It chittered again, mandibles clacking.

Lilli reconsidered something. “What may we call you?” She bowed low. “I am sorry for not asking earlier.”

“You continue to be the only one with manners, it seems.” The monst- no- creature said with a note of condescension. “The name I was given by my Queen is Arelt.” It shifted, and raised its head with a proud mien. “It means blessing, in our language.”

“Given?” Lilli asked. All names were given, but it was a slightly odd thing to say. Unless that was something that they had said here?

“Yes.” Arelt did not elaborate further.

A quiet and melancholy feeling fell over the room. They breathed in quietly.

The only sound Lilli could hear was the soft rustle of sand still falling off of columns and buildings all around.

Ser Alcuin tried to say something again, but their mouth was blocked off.

“My Queen sacrificed everything to stop those monsters.” Arelt said, after a moment. “When we knew we would fall, she ordered us to encase the city in the sand and swallow the oasis whole.”

“With people still alive.” Igni grunted.

Arelt turned its body to look at Igni, and neither moved. “They would have died regardless.” He said. “Crushing the beasts with the desert was the only way to ensure that they would not spread to yet another city.”

“The King in Ulante sought to end his problem with the creatures by dumping the infected in the desert.” Arelt went on, disinterested in their revulsion and fear. “And used magic to lead the ktharyis here, in the hopes of saving his own city. He attempted to sacrifice our people for his own, and failed. No one could hope to escape.”

Lorit gasped, but Shale just sat down on a fallen pillar and started looking around at the painted reliefs on what remained of the walls.

‘Thanks, all. I appreciate that I have to keep talking to the giant magical creature named Blessing by myself. He’s not absolutely terrifying or anything.’

“That’s horrifying.” Benk said. “Did he think that they would stop once they were full or something.”

Lilli suddenly felt immensely grateful for Benk’s existence.

Arelt looked at him. “I do not know what he thought. The ktharyis hordes tore him to bits. But they had found us already, and our fate was sealed. My only consolation in this city of bones and sand is that Ulante is a smoking ruin.”

“It’s actually a bustling metropolis. It’s rather famous for its drunken parties” Elathor said, obviously not reading the overall tone of the room. “But I take your meaning.”

Lilli winced hard.

‘I take it back, I wish no one else would try to talk in this conversation.’

Benk sighed loudly. Lilli was less than surprised about either of those things.

Arelt sent a tail smashing into the hardened goop, and Elathor fell to the floor.

“Then I have no consolation.” Arelt said unhappily. “Thank you for bestowing information I neither needed nor wanted to cast further shadow over my solitude.”

Elathor coughed, sending bits of sand and dried goop all over. “You are very welcome.”

Arelt released Ser Alcuin, Lorit, and Benk with a significant increase in gentleness, setting them down on the ground with his tail.

“Follow me.” Arelt said, stretching his body under the plated exoskeleton. Then dove down through a hole in the ground, pincers chittering in the dark below.

Elathor fell in behind Lilli as they walked to the hole. She tried to avoid the jutting rocks and shifting sands, aware that while they weren’t deadly, they were still dangerous.

‘Maybe not if you’re a giant scorpion monster. I suspect being so big has its benefits.’ She delicately picked her way yet around another hole in the floor. She still couldn’t see what was below them.

“Is it just me, or is Arelt rather rude?” Elathor sounded offended. “I was only providing information.” They crossed their arms across their torso, and stopped walking. “Lilli?”

Lilli looked at them. They were obviously deadly serious, gesturing at her. They were waiting for her to support their opinion.

The silence between them stretched and distorted.

‘I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer-’

Igni walked in front of them, shoving Elathor lightly out of the way.

“No, you’re rude. But we have to go follow him.” Lorit walked past them fast, sword already sheathed. “I don’t want to make him mad.”

Ser Alcuin said nothing, but followed Lorit to the edge. Benk cracked his neck.

Elathor peered into the hole, idly scratching at their chin with their long talons. No one moved.

“This is very slow and boring. Let’s go.” Igni said, before walking directly into the pit and falling into inky blackness.

They all just blinked and waited.

They didn’t hear a thump, which was not as reassuring as one might have thought. Igni would thump into most things. Were they still falling?

Silence was their answer.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Lilli said, eyeing her friends of convenience, who all showed little interest in jumping in first. “Hope we don’t die.”

Benk sighed. “We all hope that.”

She jumped.