“Why isn’t this damn mark fading.” said Lizzy as she drank at an alehouse. The barkeep was doing his best to remain calm while serving Lizzy her drinks. The alehouse that was suppose to be quite lively at this time of the day is instead completely empty except Lizzy and the barkeep.

“The Shadow King is dead, dead, and dead.” Lizzy grumbled while drinking the ale and pounding her fist on the bar at each ‘dead’.

The barkeep stood frozen at her words with his eyes drifting toward her bat like wings as cold sweat flowed freely down his face and dampened his shirt.

“I asked three times, and three times dead. But if he is so dead, why isn’t his mark gone? Is it gone to you? Am I the only one who can see it?” Lizzy shouted and shoved her inner wrist in the face of the barkeep. “Look do you see it?”

The barkeep nodded slowly at Lizzy.

“Argh, if he is so damn dead? What the hell am I bounded to? A freaking corpse?”

Then Lizzy thought for a moment and she shot up out of her seat. As she left 3 silver coins could be seen on the bar.

***

Celeste’s life has been better than ever ironically after escaping her duties. The very duties that once she thought gave her meaning in everything now seemed so distant and awkward. She who had once been so high up in the social hierarchy now live such an ordinary life. She woke up, dressed the kids, cook them breakfast, brew potions, cook the kids lunch, finish brewing potions, play with the kids, do household chores, cook them dinner, and then sleep. Then repeat the same cycle almost daily, sometimes exchanging wares with the peddler and very occasionally see Marcus and have some discussions.

It was a rather simple and rustic life. She enjoyed it though, it was both relaxing and she could feel love and love her children in ways she never thought possible while being in the clergy. They always preached true love could only be between man and Goddess.

Celeste did at first feel rather complicated about Marcus’ visits. She was suspicious of the man for many reasons. The fact that being resurrected was unheard of except in legends. The fact that he housed the same body as her greatest target of hatred. And the fact that Marcus seemed too nice and anyone overtly nice usually wanted something from you. Though her intuition still said Marcus wanted something from her, beyond something that was tangible.

Celeste only eased up after seeing a side of Marcus’ vulnerability. And being in his head pretty often when occasionally Marcus would ask Celeste to help him prevent his dreams from slipping back into the Shadow King’s.

When Celeste guided Marcus in these dreams she saw sides of a man that were painfully normal and at the same time exceptional. She saw his failings as a man and grew to understand him in a way that perhaps not even the closest family member or friend could. She eventually grew a sort of trust for the man’s ethics. She could see in even the most trying of the times, he only ever stepped pass his ethics when it was for the greater happiness of another and he always did so with the greatest anguish.

What Celeste couldn’t understand though was why Marcus held a deep sense of trust for her. His eyes held the same trust for her as her daughters did. And she knew it wasn’t because Marcus was naive. In his memories she could only see him with those same trusting eyes directed at two people: his father and at his best friend. She wanted to ask why the blind trust, but at the same time she couldn’t. Afraid if she made Marcus think about it, he would realize how foolish it was to trust her.

Celeste also noted that Marcus treated her daughters very kindly, but slightly awkwardly. Almost always bringing some sort of bribery, in the form of toys or food. Marcus didn’t really know how to play with the kids in their childish games. Celeste is worried that he spoils them too much and asked him to stop bring too many presents. Which, funny enough she thinks made Marcus more sad than the children.

One day Marcus was playing with hide and seek with Page and Lily and had to ask Celeste how well he should hide. This made Celeste laugh at how seriously he was taking a simple game. Celeste replied that he should hide as well as he wishes and Marcus hid in plain sight. He didn’t want the children to get lost or hurt trying to find him. Celeste had to tell Marcus to not baby her daughters, they were children they will get mildly hurt, but she has taken precautions to make sure they would always be safe. Evident by magic items that conveniently went missing from certain locations.

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Lily was especially good at hiding, during their hide and seek that day. Marcus was unable to find her without cheating. Though Marcus did find Lily always by bend the rules a little with bribery to Page with candy to inform him of Lily’s secret hiding spots. Celeste chuckled at how serious Marcus got over some of the children’s games. He would only let himself lose on purpose, never outwitted.

One day Celeste found a note delivered by a crow that Marcus would be away for a while and when she informed the children. Page threw a tantrum, she refused to help with the chores and eat her food. Celeste never had to dealt with a tantrum before, her children had always been exceptionally well behave and she was slightly distraught. She admits that she might have lost her anger a little when she sent Page directly to bed hungry and didn’t compromise. Celeste did, however also, pretend not to see Page sneakily eat some jerky in the middle of the night. As their cold war continued with both Celeste and Page being too prideful, like mother like daughter. Celeste eventually had to cave and apologized to Page for not communicating better and that Uncle Marcus will be allowed to bring back toys next time he returned. They both cried tearful apologies and had a family hug. Lily was also emotional and cried happy tears that everyone was getting along again.

The days turned into weeks. Occasional letters would make their way to the window and Celeste would write replies. She and Marcus shared pleasantries, debates, and chitchat mostly. Marcus did communicate openly with Celeste that he was in a dangerous predicament and couldn’t come for a while, but promise to return when it is safe for the sake of the children. He made sure to send amulets for Page and Lily to keep their demonic nature at bay until he returned, to which Celeste trusted Marcus enough to allow the children to wear.

Celeste grew anxious knowing about Marcus’ dangers, taking extra time to think and worry before sleeping with a potion aiding her. Marcus didn’t want to be specific about the type of danger, but Celeste could make educated guesses.

On a cold morning a gentle knock was heard at the door. Celeste thinking it was Marcus opened the door to strangers. Three rough looking men with axes worn on their belts. One of them was wearing a old helmet, clearly the leader of the group.

“Hello miss, is your husband home?” The man wearing a helmet asked while wrinkling his nose at the smell of herbs brewing.

Celeste closed the door a little and move her hands to her dagger out of sight of the three men and calmly replied “I am not married good gentleman.”

“Oh.” The helmet man smiled and peaked into the room. “Are those your daughters I see.”

“Yes they are.” Celeste says with a fake smile as she held her dagger.

The helmet man stepped closer to the door. Celeste can now smell blood on them and noticed amateurish attempts at hiding their poorly cleaned bloodstains clothes. The use of dirt and berries barely covering the stains.

“We are weary travellers and hope to have respite here. Could we come in for some water and spare food?” The helmet man already started to push the door with one his hands as one of his men started circling the house.

“Sure. Let me just clean up the room a little and I’ll let you good gentlemen in.” Celeste smiled coldly.

The helmet man waited until his lackey finished circling around the house and nod to him. Then he smiled at Celeste. “Of course, we’ll wait for a brief moment.”

Celeste closed the door and locked it, before going to her children.

“Do remember when we played the quiet game a long time ago?”

Both children nodded at her mother with a worried look on their faces.

“Lets play that again.” Celeste said while leading the children to the corner of the house away from the windows and door.

The two children plug their ears and closed their eyes tight.

Celeste unsheathed her dagger and her eyes glowed a faint white. She then rolled up her tunic into her belt. She took a few breaths then calmly approached the door while hiding the dagger behind her arm. She opened door slowly. The man with the helmet smiled and started to walk in.

In mid-step before the man could blink Celeste thrust the dagger directly into the helmet man’s eye and into his brain. The man fell forward and before he hit the ground Celeste quickly stepped past the dead man and charged toward the second man. The second man had no time to react before Celeste’s dagger again went inside an eye socket and straight into the brain. The third man now reacted.

“Fucking bitch!” The third man screamed and started to flee knowing that he wasn’t her match.

Celeste leaped after him and landed directly on top of the man with her legs around his neck and they both slammed forward into the ground. Celeste then twisted the mans body to facing toward the sky as the man shrieked in horror.

“Mercy! Merc — “ The man tried to plea with a choked out voice, but Celeste simply thrust her upper body forward and shoved the dagger into the mans eye. The angle wasn’t perfect and the man didn’t met his death instantly and screamed louder. Celeste simply re-adjusted ignoring the screams and this time through the other eye socket successfully found her mark. Blood seeped out of the mans eye sockets staining Celeste’s tunic.

Celeste stood up and wiped her hands and dagger on the clean parts of the third dead man’s clothes.

“Darn. My favourite tunic is ruined.” Celeste frowned while looking at the bloodstains on her green tunic.