The soft sand cradled Asmoday as he basked under the artificial light of his personal garden. The false sunlight warmed the terrarium nicely. A western diamondback slithered over his exposed chest on her way to her den. A small bell rang in the distance, and the snake hurried on her way. Sitting up and stretching, Asmoday cursed under his breath before he left his garden and returned to his suite. Unsurprised to find Stolas ringing his doorbell, Asmoday invited the Crown Prince into his living room. “So?” Stolas got right to the point as he sat in a cushioned armchair.

  “We will not be able to track Damien.”

  Stolas looked exhausted and worn down. Running himself ragged since the intruder escaped, he looked like he had not slept in days. “Well, if you think of anything, let me know. I’m running out of ideas.”

  Asmoday sighed, staring longingly through his patio door, yearning for the almost forgotten days when he could bask in the desert sun, undisturbed. “Have you talked to Phoradendron?”

  “Why should I ask him for help?” Stolas asked hotly before sinking back into the soft armchair. He wiped his face and combed back his hair while growling in frustration.

  “ I thought he would be gone for good, not having appeared for millennia after the Fall of Eden and the Tree debacle.” Asmoday paused to think.

  Unsure what Asmoday was referencing, Stolas pressed for details. “That was a bit before my time. Was he involved in the fall? I thought he just stole the trees.” he rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake.

  “Ha, all propaganda, my dear brother. Hang tight," Asmoday slipped into the kitchen and poured a strong cup of coffee for his youngest brother. "You look like you need it," he said, handing Stolas the mug.

  "Now, where to begin. Phoradendron created the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life and gifted them to Eden. When the creator forbade Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of knowledge, Phoradendron got angry. Livid about how Lilith had been treated, I talked Adam and Eve into eating the fruit anyway. Their creator got mad, kicked them out, and took both Knowledge and Life. Later, when Fotiá wanted to make Azura immortal, Phoradendron broke into the Heavenly Realm, taking back Knowledge and Life. That brought about the Heavenly War; Now no primordial can interfere with the life of any being other than a fellow primordial, or they will go to Ethera indefinitely."

  "But then how can he interfere with Keshiema's destiny?" he shouted, more confused than ever.

  'Not the sharpest, are you, Alex?' Asmoday kept the thought to himself. "You will need to talk to your mother. I learned long ago not to doubt her."

  ***

  Dásos wandered through the campus aimlessly. Passing demons carefully avoided eye contact while giving him a wide berth of space. With his strength slowly returning, he felt less vulnerable. His stomach rumbled, reminding him he needed food. ‘I’ve been eating mortal food for days. I need to get some real nutrition.’ The thought of food tempted him to try teleporting. 'I need to build up my strength. Need to communicate with Keshiema.' Frustration seeped in, giving rise to a bad mood. 'What the hell did I get myself into?' Carefully making sure no one followed him, he made his way to the forest at the edge of the campus.

  A large Griffin guarded the entrance to the sacred lands. With the head of a lioness, the tail of a dragon, the wings of a Phoenix, and the horns of a ram, the sight of her deterred almost everyone. Any poor soul who attempted to find another way in would be consumed by madness and starve in the harsh, unforgiving woods. Without the Griffin's permission, even the proper entrance proved fatal; The venom of her bite paralyzing without dulling pain, her claws tearing through skin like paper. Starvation was a much more preferable option to being torn to shreds, or worse, eaten alive.

  Dásos casually strolled up to the large beast. “Dásos, you are walking today?” The Griffin cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Ashkey, you know I no longer wish others to use that title.”

  Her pupils constricted and her yellow eyes brightened. “You’ve made an exception recently.”

  “Don’t do that!” He growled, clutching his temple and wincing from the invasion.

  “Are you no longer a Primordial?” Sitting down, Ashkey cleaned her paws, her tail flicking from side to side. She was still on high alert.

  “That’s not something I can change.” He crossed his arms.

  “Are you not still the Guardian of Earth and Knowledge?”

  “I would not abandon my role, I think you know that.”

  “If you are still all of those things, then you are still Dásos.”

  “I need food, Ashkey. May I enter?”

  Ashkey stepped aside, letting Dásos pass. “It is your forest, Dásos, you need not ask.”

  After walking for several miles, Dásos entered the clearing containing the giant oak tree. Lifting his hand, he beckoned to the tree. “I’m really not up for a climb today. Do you mind?” With loud snaps and groans like cracking, a large bough lowered towards him. Taking a handful of acorns, Dásos thanked the tree. “At ease, my friend.”

  He turned around too quickly, and his world spun. Stopping to regain his balance, he waited for the dizziness to subside. Sitting down on the fallen tree at the edge of the creek, he set the acorns next to him. “You know better than to go this long without eating.” He chided himself.

  Without taking off the cap, Dásos popped the first acorn into his mouth. His razor-sharp teeth slid through the shell with ease. The bitter meat filled his heart with a forlorn joy. Pushing back memories too painful to think about, he swallowed the bittersweet nut. “I think fruit sounds nice.” As he took another acorn, it transformed into a large peach.

  Already more energized, Dásos closed his eyes and concentrated on finding his little sparrow. The image came through blurry and the sounds full of static, but for the first time since she left, he saw her in his mind's eye. She rode on a demonic horse, with the Impure clinging on behind her, looking severely worse for wear. His brow furrowed as he tried to pinpoint her location. He tried to reach out to the trees for more information, but nearly fainted for his effort. Doubling over, he struggled to keep his stomach down. "fuuuck, that was a bad idea."

  ***

  The trail looked familiar, and a sickening knot formed in the pit of Keshiema's stomach. When they came across a creek, only a half mile from the village's main road, she froze. She knew this place. The bridge crossing the creek was new, giving her hope she might be mistaken. As she directed Starlight up the steep hill, that hope quickly faded.

  "What's wrong?" Cresil asked as she tensed up.

  Swallowing back the bile, she took a deep, steadying breath. "Nothing, we're almost there." He was barely awake; this was no time to put more stress on him. Tightening her grip on the reins, she forced herself to keep her eyes on the trail, trying to convince herself she was wrong.

  As they climbed the hill, it finally came into view: a peach house with a red tile roof. Even with the stucco crumbling and the vegetation overgrown, there was no mistaking it. This was her childhood home. The very house where her family was murdered in front of her.

  At the top of the hill, with a full view of the old house, her mind raced. Her heart pumped rapidly, and her vision blurred. 'No!' she told herself. 'Not now, Cresil needs me, Damien needs me. I can't fall apart right now...' It did her no good. Her breaths came in rapid, short bursts as images of that night bombarded her. She cried out, pleading with someone to save her sisters, save her family, and begging not to be left alone.

  She slipped, almost falling off the saddle. Somehow, in his semi-conscious state, Cresil managed to keep her on the horse. He leaned forward, pinning her against the saddle. "Run, Starlight, find someone!" he yelled through gritted teeth. Starlight bolted, galloping as fast as she could down the gravel road. Once on the main road, she followed the pavement towards an old bridge. Once there, she made a fuss, neighing loudly and drumming on the bridge's wooden planks with her hooves.

  A group of villagers rushed in from up the road to investigate the commotion. Two Impure-Daemons led the brigade of villagers, and upon seeing Cresil about to fall from the excited horse, rushed in to help.

  Starlight calmed when the demons approached her, letting them take Cresil from her back. They only saw Keshiema as she fell from the horse and landed on the deck with a thud.

  Keshiema looked up to see the sign above her that read "Shadow Lake." Rolling over, she heaved over the side of the bridge. Catfish rushed to the surface, attacking the partially digested chunks of nutrition bar. The scene caused keshiema to vomit again. When nothing remained, she closed her eyes and passed out, with her final thought being 'Welcome home, Keshiema.'