Chapter Ten: The Split

The council meeting was adjourned, with the majority of members—save for one—storming out of the town hall. Montgomery, who was still seated on one of the risers, shook his head in discontent. The elders' frustrations were understandable. They waited patiently for an army—not four youngsters—and this was their first official mission given to them by the kingdom. Which made things undeniably worse. He guided the four to the door holding it open for them and pointed across to a lodge down the road before returning to his seat and drafting yet another letter to the kingdom. This time, the contents would be more grave and dire than the last.

The company left Montgomery to his own design and out of the town square for an Inn Keep, a rickety old two-story building that looked like it was about to collapse under the weight of snow. There was an older gentleman on that roof clearing off what he could with a shovel. Above the entrance, there was a sign that was partial. Only the first three letters of the inn's name were visible: Nol. He tossed snow by the shovel-full into an alleyway flaking the lodge and around it. He moved up and over the truss and flicked a cold sweat from his forehead. The man was wearing a Christmas sweater of a red-nosed reindeer, under a brown open coat where you could see his thermals and his overalls were tucked into and not over, the pair of rubber fishing boots reaching about yay high.

Lucille yelled, trying to get the gentlemen's attention. Hey, old man!

He grunted, ignoring the company unbothered by the small group presence watching over him from the opposite side of the road. For an innkeeper, he wasn’t all that inviting.

Did he just grunt at us? Delilah asked.

Lucifer shook his head and smiled. He calls him a prankster and says he always acts like this. Lucifer cuffed his hands around his mouth and yelled out Nolan's names, but to no avail. Delilah moved her cloak reaching for a leather hide bag attached to her pants. She undone the strings and poured what was in the bag into her free hand, popping the pieces of nuts and dried fruits into her mouth. Attempting to tie the bag back to the hoops, she noticed Lucille was glaring at her from the side.

Lucifer looked over to her and waited until something was said.

What? She was confused.

His stomach growled as he said to her, It's nothing. I didn’t know we still had food.

Jehovah joined the conversation, saying, I gave you all my bread yesterday. Whatever happened to the food I gave you?

Michael added his two cents in and said, It sounds like someone should’ve brought more food and water. It's important.

He sighed, saying it with heavy sarcasm. How about this? Next time, I'll put more food at the top of my list of priorities I'm already juggling. I’ll manage the food and water, navigate, and plan how we're going to find these missing girls. You guys, he pointed to the three and spoke. You three can chill back, relax, and keep telling me things I already know, capisce.

Jehovah raised his hand.

What is now?

I think you use the word capisce wrong.

He thought about it for a second, lifting his eyes toward the sky. No, he said. He thought again, less unsure than before appearing somehow baffled.

Delilah nodded her head, So? She said, Do you want some or not?

Hesitating before taking the sack from her, he said thank you before snatching it out of her hands.

Stop your yapping! The innkeeper glared down at them irritated by the debacle. He scuttled to the edge of the roof where he got off a ladder and onto a porch. He went through the back. From there, he went downstairs into the lobby, opening the exit/entrance, as the wind picked up a whistling gust carrying ice flakes zipped through hollowed-out parts of the street. He yelled out the doors, Who goes there?!

Lucifer took a step forward breaking the ice beneath his feet. It cracked thunderously as he broke through the snow and compactly formed under it.

It's’ Lucille!

Who? I don't know Lucille, now get out of here!

Lucille Morningstar?

Another gust picked up. This time louder than the one prior.

Having to raise his voice, he said, I used to live here a few years ago!

The innkeeper was confused pushing his two eyebrows together. Afraid, he closed the doors some more. Loud enough for them to hear, he said, You want to come in through the back. Is that what you just said? Are you trying to rob me?!

Lucifer made hand signs like he was playing a game of charades. He explains, No. Me. I lived here. He stopped as another tertiary gust came and went. Continuing, he quickly explains, For 5 years, I lived in room #24. He held up the numbers with his finger saying, I have two sisters, Litch and Noa. Ring any bells? They were two little girls that used to destroy everything near Joshua’s front desk.

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The old man nodded. Josh hasn’t worked here in a long time. He said it abruptly, pausing. There was a break in the wind, and he could've kept on talking but chose not to for some reason. He looked as if he saw a ghost, becoming paler and frailer than he already is.

Jehovah leaned over to Lucifer and told him, I don’t think he remembers you.

He does, trust me, he replied.

The old man took a step outside, squinting; it was hard to see who was actually front and center. Lucifer turned to the others, telling them, See, I told you. He sees me now, and he knows exactly who I am. Don't doubt me, capisce.

Jehovah informed his friend, Your boots are untied... Looking down, he thanked him for that.

Re-tying his combat boots, he explained, If I double knot the tie, I can't take off my boots. But if I do it the regular, old-fashioned way, it comes undone. It’s a never-ending cycle.

He was getting up and glancing at where Nolan was, in the middle of the road, when a gust so strong almost blew him north.

It’s okay! We'll go to you. Stay put.

As short as he was, he trudged against 3 feet of snow and harsh winds. He took a short breather on the road to regain his stamina. He started right back up again soon after.

Michael said, taking a shot in the dark, Maybe he’s gone senile in the last few years since you’ve seen him.

Senile? Harsh coming from you, Jehovah said.

Wait now, Lucifer said, Michael might be onto something. He's kind of creeping me out too, but he remembers me at the very least.

They all questionably stared at the innkeeper until he finally raised his shaking hand, using his index finger to point. He said one single word: You.

Lucifer smirked, took a step forward, and chuckled out, I'm glad you're not senile.

Huh, who are you? I was talking to him.

Michael put his hand on his chest and said, Me?

No, him.

Delilah replied. Me?

Are you a man, Delilah? Lucifer asked, concerned.

No.

Then stop talking.

The old man’s eyes widened. Jehovah, you're back, and so soon. His jaw stuttered, and he began to tremble with a sudden surge of delight. How can I be so rude? Please come in. It’s too cold out here for a king. He snickered out of pure excitement, saying to his majesty, The elders’ mentioned soldiers were coming. I never would've believed they were talking about you.

Thank you.

Oh, yes, sir.

They entered the building, with Nolan holding the door open for three of them. Lucifer was the last to reach the door before it shut. He knocked and asked to be let in, but Nolan, in the lobby, was showing them where they'd be staying.

You know what? I’ll go around the back, he said from the door.

No one heard him, so he went to the alley, took a sharp left, and went up a flight of wooden stairs ridden with three inches of snow. He almost slipped again, grabbing onto the guardrail made of 2x4s. The railing was poorly built, and the nails connected to the posts of the stair were slipping, causing it to be rickety. Getting on the porch, he opens the door to the back. Downstairs, where they were before, they were still there.

Nolan turned around to lead the group upstairs to the master bedrooms and was startled to see another young man going in the opposite direction, down the flight of steps.

Nolan’s shoulders nearly jumped to the top of his head. He was so scared. He said, Who are you?

Coming from the floor above, he sighed, saying, I'm with them. We just talked out front earlier... I've known since I was a kid. Old man, I went to your granddaughter's birthday party with her friend, Noa. Well, she's my sister. She used to laugh all the time about you two having similar names, she has a ton of personality.

I don’t know who you are.

Lucifer threw his arms up, rolling his eyes.

Whatever.

I do remember the little girl you're talking about. Black hair like yours is a little ray of sunshine.

Lucille snapped his finger, pointing towards him, and said, Yep, that’s the one.

She destroyed my wife's urn.

Lucifer turned around for his so-called friends to help, but there wasn't any. He looked back at Nolan, shaking his head, and said, The urn, right. He cleared his throat and finished the question. This might be silly to ask, but were your wife's ashes, perhaps? You know. In it?

The innkeeper on tenterhooks said yes.

Lucille talked about his past to the entire room. I wasn’t there that day, he explained. She replaced the old one, didn’t she?

No. She didn’t replace it.

Oh, you know what? I'll pay for the

Nolan stopped the boy, saying, She put it back together somehow. With super glue, I think it was called. It’s missing a small piece, but she did it. You know what? I think I do remember you now.He scratched at his chin, and the other was still quiet. You’re the girl's brother, Lucille.

Yep, that’s me. His eyebrow twitched and he jokingly said, Not like this has been discussed before or anything.

You’re the Diarchangel’s apprentice, aren't you. Nolan the innkeeper asked, Whatever happened to him? He was sad to inform the older one he had died with his head veering off to the corners of the room. Oh, my lord. Nolan looked to Jehovah who was behind him apologizing, No offense, my lord.

Jehovah tipped his head and replied, None taken.

No one told me he died, he said, The last time I saw him was around six years ago. He gave me was a box to give to you. Told me to wait for you, gave me a thousand gold coin and left. I never seen you, him, or that little girl ever again.