Demon and the Hero

Applause rang through the room at the close of the performance. The actors bowed one last time before the curtain closed, blocking the stage.

“That was amazing!” Lilac’s hands burned from clapping too hard, but that was no reason to stop. It was the first play she had seen, but she already decided she loved them. The actors made it feel real.

Lilac was tuned in the entire duration of the performance, as if blinking would cause her to miss the most important moment. It was a feeling similar to when she was engrossed in a good book with an equally good romance. During the part where the knight almost died protecting the fairy princess, she almost cried. Watching the sweet love blossom between the two characters filled Lilac with glee.

“What did you think?” She turned to Alan expectantly.

His shoulders shrugged up. “It was good.”

“Right? I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on these plays for all these years! Human entertainment really is something else!” She squealed in delight.

“Human entertainment…?” Alan furrowed his brow, confused by the wording.

Her body suddenly froze as if an invisible switch had been flipped. “I meant we are great at coming up with ways to entertain ourselves.” The cover-up was a quick thought and frankly not the best, but she hoped it would put any suspicions the hero may have at ease.

“I guess that’s true,” he replied while pushing himself to his feet. “It was a pleasant surprise seeing you here,” he turned his back to her and put up a hand as goodbye. “I’ll be going now.”

“Wait!” Lilac jumped up and reached after him as his legs began to move.

Alan halted and glanced over his shoulder. “Yes?”

An invisible wave passed through her, turning her nerves into a chaotic array of timidity. Her body retreated into itself and her eyes refused to meet his ice cool gaze. “Would you like to leave with us…?”

His eyes shifted to Emmalyn and Vance who were talking amongst themselves, discussing their thoughts of what they had just experienced. Emmalyn was laughing, her whole self exuding light. “Are you heading back to the academy?”

“That’s the plan,” Lilac confirmed.

“Then I suppose I’ll wait for your group. I’m heading back, too,” he said, crossing his arms in front of him.

The answer brought a grin to Lilac’s face. “Great!”

Vance joined Lilac and Alan in standing and helped Emmalyn to her feet. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Alan.” He smiled, showing the white of his teeth.

“Same here. I didn’t take you for the type to enjoy plays.”

Emmalyn leaned over to poke her head around Vance’s large, muscular frame. “I invited him and Lilac to come with me today. It’s been a lot of fun!”

“I’m glad I came,” Vance said. “This has been good.”

“What brings you to the theatre, Sir Hero? Are you a theatre connoisseur?” Emmalyn inquired.

“Definitely not. I just thought it’d be a good change of pace,” came his response. “That’s all.”

“Oh, really?” Emmalyn disappeared behind Vance again. “And here I was, thinking I found another enjoyer of the performing arts! I suppose this means I’ll have to convert you to the way of the theatre,” she chuckled.

Alan shook his head at turtle speed. “I’d like to see you try…”

Emmalyn’s head popped up from behind Vance’s shoulder. “Challenge accepted!”

“Heh, that’s what you think,” Alan responded.

“I’m putting my money on Alan for this one,” Vance said, folding his arms and nodding to himself.

Lilac’s playful self launched into action. “How much?”

“Wha–huh?” His arms fell back to his side, too startled to retain their pose.

“How much money are you betting?” Lilac repeated with a smirk.

“Um… Five silver coins?”

“Deal.” Lilac grabbed his hand with both of her own and shook it like an actor a little too enthusiastic about her first role. “Pleasure doing business with you, my friend.”

“Aaaaanyway,” Alan started, “is it time to go?”

Most of the audience had already cleared out of the room, leaving behind only a few stragglers that were busy chatting amongst themselves, just as Lilac’s group was. Bright flames danced above the mounted torches, keeping the room bright while a gentle wind kept the heat away from the guests.

“I’m ready,” Vance said. “Is everyone else?”

Emmalyn and Lilac both voiced their agreement, setting the four students on their rather short journey back to the academy. Alan marched quietly by himself a few paces in front of the rest of the group, while Emmalyn walked to the beat of her hum.

“By the way, what’s that song you keep humming?” Vance asked her. “I notice it’s the same one you were humming before we got to the theatre.”

She paused her hum. “It’s a song my mother would sing me when I was little. Whenever I was scared or sad, she would sing this tune until I calmed down. Now, whenever I hum this song, it makes me think of happiness!” She stretched her arms toward the sky while wearing a large smile.

Lilac zoomed forward until she was walking next to Alan. “Is something the matter?”

Alan glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s just… You’re walking up here all by yourself, staring at the ground... Doesn’t that usually mean you’re sad?” Lilac gave herself a mental pat on the back for remembering something Jharis had taught her.

“I’m not sad,” he said, hammering a nail through Lilac’s pride.

The metaphorical nail nearly brought Lilac to her knees. “Really? Then… why are you distancing yourself from the others?”

“I’m not a great conversationalist. I’d rather spend time alone with my thoughts.”

“Oh… Did I make you uncomfortable today?” Lilac asked.

Alan shook his head. “No, not at all. Please, don’t let that worry you.”

His kindness brought her a smile. “You’ve got the heart of a hero, you know?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re kindhearted, of course,” she giggled. “You were concerned over me worrying about making you comfortable. Only someone with a pure heart would feel that way.”

Alan glanced away in a flash, using the bustling market as an excuse to break eye contact. “I don’t think that’s true,” he mumbled.

“It is!” Lilac exclaimed. “I don’t know you super well, but I already know you’re a nice person. The fact that you’re denying it supports that.”

“Thanks,” he muttered after a long pause. “You’re pretty nice, yourself.”

The compliment was met with a red flush of her cheeks and a skipped heartbeat. “T-that’s not… um… Thank you.”

In the distance, the tall building of the girls’ dormitory poked its head out from behind the smaller buildings that were closer to Lilac and her group. Until they reached the academy gates, it felt as if Lilac’s heart was being gently squeezed by the hand of affection. Without her to lead the conversation, silence walked the space between them.

White stone pillars marked the academy’s gate just up ahead. Calmly waiting in front of the gate was the familiar elegant form of Ella.

Lilac’s heart sank like a stone thrown at full force into a lake. Ella was the last person she wanted to see when walking side by side with Alan.

“Alan, what a coincidence!” Ella stepped toward the hero. “I was on my way out to go shopping for ritual ingredients,” she said. “Would you like to accompany me?”

“Ella,” he said her name in surprise. “I’m actually a little hungry right now, but if you’re willing to wait a bit, I can join you.”

“I can do that,” she dipped her head. “In fact, I can join you for lunch if you don’t mind.” Ella’s eyes flicked over to Lilac and flashed a warning.

“That’s fine,” he permitted. “Lilac, what are you going to do?”

“Me?” Lilac met Ella’s gaze again and shrunk beneath the calm yet threatening daggers aimed at her. “I think I’ll head back to my room. It was nice running into you today,” she waved goodbye to Alan and hurried off toward her temporary home to escape Ella’s judgement, hoping for another chance encounter with the hero on a later day.