Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 142: Liliyana - The Devil Fae Giant

The children of fae, there were but a handful, and the devil child Liliyana was amongst those very few. Her body chained by rune-carved shackles, sheʼd been imprisoned by the Lamias for as long as she could remember.

ʼHow many days has it been?ʼ She wondered, her eyes fluttering open. Looking around the moss-laden cell made especially for her, she shut her eyes once more and attempted to free herself from her binds.

”Get these off!” Yet no matter how much she struggled, or how much she tried to shrink back to her original size, the runes around her wrists neutralized her attempts. Struggling more and more, trying to free herself just as she did every morning, the only thing she managed to accomplish was to tire her own body. ”T-these snakes…I just wa-wanna go, why have they imprisoned me?!”

Having been in the prison as long as she could remember, sheʼd forgotten everything about the outside. Her name was the only thing keeping her sane, and well…a playful wisp that tried to cheer her up like always. Like a ball of cotton with a bulb inside, the jingling wisp brushed against Liliyanaʼs gray skin.

”What?” She asked, shoving away the ball of fluff with a jerk from her head.

But instead of getting mad and retreating into nothing, the fae spirit spun around Liliyanaʼs body and playfully chimed some more. The wisp being her only friend, Liliyana didnʼt want it to go away, yet the frustration of being bound inside the cell was getting to her more and more with each passing day.

”Iʼm sorry, Will-O…I–” Taking a deep breath, closed her glowing sapphire eyes. ”I wasnʼt thinking straight, I-I just wanna go, I wanna leave this place.”

Tearing up again, she felt Will-O brushing against her freckled cheeks. Slowly opening her eyes to look at the wisp, her horns scratch against the walls, making her grit her teeth from the screeching sound.

”I wish I could just cut them off, they make so much noise and I can hear it echoing in my ear too,” raising her head off the wall, Liliyana made sure to keep her horns from rubbing against the walls.

”Oi!” A sudden voice calling from the cell next to hers froze Liliyana for a moment. ”What are you doing in there? Rubbing glass against your teeth or something!”

The male voice was no stranger, it was another prisoner just like her, although heʼd been there far longer than she had. To her surprise, however, even though the man was a human and the prisoners werenʼt given any food, heʼd been just as energetic as the day she first met him.

It made her wonder how long she could last herself, as she had no clue how long her species could survive without sustenance.

”I didnʼt mean to do it!” Liliyana complained back and the wisp tried to calm her by brushing its soft body against her cheeks again.

”Alrighty sweetheart no need to shout,” the man replied, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.

Clueless about social cues, Liliyana didnʼt pick up on his tone and instead assumed that he was apologizing for shouting at her. Feeling somewhat guilty about lashing out, her lips parted in apology but her words were quickly cut off by the manʼs sudden whistling.

”Can you check on him, Will-O?” Not sure if he was losing his mind, Liliyana urged her only family to check on the man. However, reluctant to leave her side, Will-O didnʼt move an inch away from her. Feeling a quiver from the wispʼs body against her cheek, Liliyana frowned as she looked at it in confusion. ”Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Moving around Liliyanaʼs body, the Wisp slipped inside her leather top that was barely held by one crossed strap. Sinking deep into her cleavage, the whisp remained hidden as if it was afraid of the man.

ʼWhatʼs wrong?ʼ Reaching out to it with her finger, Liliyana caressed her familiar gently on the top.

”Say, Liliyana…Are you tired?” The manʼs voice echoed through the cell, and following right after was the sound of shattering chains.

”What?” Having not heard him properly the first time, she was beyond confused as to what was happening.

”Are you tired? Cause Iʼm leaving, feels like this place is about to go down soon,” the manʼs words made no sense, after all, how could he escape if he was tied up just like her?

”How are you gonna esc–” Before she could finish speaking, the sound of approaching steps echoed in the corridor that lined the cells. And the next thing she knew, the door flung open but nobody stepped inside her cell.

”Meet you soon, or at least I hope I do,” it was the manʼs voice again, but this time instead from the side it was coming from the front.

”How did you free yourself?! And where are you going?!” Freaking out at the possibility of her own escape, words flooded off of her tongue.

”Where, huh?” The sound of pacing steps was accompanied by casual humming. ”Well seems like the gods are cooking some shit again, and while I donʼt hold that against you, I do need to make sure they donʼt cross another line.”

Heaving a sigh, the same man walked over to her cell. His face still enshrouded in the dark, Liliyan couldnʼt make out any of his facial features, but his body was as shriveled up as an old man waiting to die.

”I…I donʼt understand,” having no clue what he was talking about, the devil fae child was as baffled as she could be.

”I know, and itʼs not your fault the gods treat us like toys,” turning around, he whispered but a handful of words before disappearing from the prison. ”But sometimes, it takes a human to remind them that thereʼs consequences for their actions. Stay safe, your saviors will be here soon, treat them kindly and theyʼll do the same.”

Parting with those words, the man whose face still remained a mystery; left for the kingdom not far from there. He had churches to visit and questions to ask, for theyʼd broken his spree of boredom which had lasted since the last holy war.