Chapter V

And so, Clairra visits the old mage in his humble home. She enters from the open door without knocking for she knows the mage is aware of her presence. There was no living room or any chair. She was directed to a messy room of books lying everywhere and the old mage sitting in the air, holding one in his hands.

“There is no way to get to the Sage unless he wants to see you, my dear priestess,” the old mage, Heije bluntly told her. He was not even looking at her.

“How important is this Sage? Why can’t I get to him?”

“Let me see,” he closes his book and with his wrinkly face looked at her, “he can easily turn the emperor of the North against you.”

“Fair enough.” Clairra clears her throat. “I am certain you know what troubles we have here on our land, old mage. You know very well that the demons are attacking us. I have to do some--”

“It’s always you that has to do something, my dear priestess,” the old mage interrupted her, “Why not the generals? Why have not the elders that live on top of that sacred tower? Why must it always be you?”

“Simple. I am the priestess of the land and I need to protect innocent people. They look up to me and it crushes my soul when an innocent one dies.”

“The men in this land are capable of protecting the weaker humans, my priestess. You need not of the Sage.”

“I do! The Demon Lord had come close to the tower and I shot a sacred arrow and it didn’t get any closer to him! It lost its glow!”

“It appears to me that you want the Demon Lord dead.” The old mage raised a brow at her, making her forehead crease. “Isn’t it what you want, my priestess?”

For a moment, Clairra fell silent. It does sound like killing the Demon Lord is equal to the rest of the world's peace. 

“Once the King dies, the followers will stay in the shadow, barely stepping in the light again.”

“Wrong,” the old mage disagrees, his chuckle echoing. “You are so young, my priestess. They are demons. Once the Demon King dies, a new one will arise. They are not far from humans. Even us humans have voids in us.”

“If I cannot kill the Demon King then I should make him my puppet to control the good and the bad. I am sure his followers will follow him and I will control him.”

“Clever but he is not dumb, my priestess.”

“That is why I need to find the Sage!” Her voice getting a little high. When she noticed it, she looked away. “Please, old mage. I need to protect our people!”

The old mage had no choice and released a sharp breath. He finally stood straight and looks at Clairra defeatedly. 

“The Sage bargains. He is wise and you are not welcome which you will explain yourself when you meet him. His conditions are pricey. You have been warned.”

“Th-Thank you! I will be careful and I promise I will re--”

With just the wave of the mage’s hand, Clairra was already in a hall with a ceiling so high and pillars surrounding her. It was dim in there and it smells of dust. She was not finished talking yet the mage had teleported her somewhere. This could be the Sage’s home.

“Hello? My apologies to have barged into your home! I am in need of you--”

“Who dares disturb the silence of my tower?” The loud scream of a man echoed in the hall had Clairre covered her ears. “Leave before I annihilate you!”

“I am the High Priestess of the East and I demand you to help me, Sage of no name! I will not leave unless--”

“Priestess from the East?” 

Now the voice was calm and it was coming from-- Clairre turned and saw someone with white long hair. He has some kind of light ball in his hand and his eyes had no iris nor pupil at all. 

“Ye-Yes. Are you the… Sage?”

“Why are you here, priestess? Who told you to come to my tower?”

“No one! I seek help from the old mage in our land and I was not wrong to ask him.”

“And you think I will help you as the old mage did?”

Clairra could not read the Sage. He has no look on his eyes and his ever-so-pale face has no expression to show. Does he even see her?

“I want to bargain,” she answered. That’s when she saw a glimpse of reaction. It was for a split second but it was enough to give her the audacity to try. 

“What do you have for me, priestess?”

She has nothing to offer him. 

“What do you want, Sage?” She turns it around,

“That’s a tricky question. I do not want anything, priestess but your life would be something I could grasp.”

“My life?” Her brows immediately knitted together. This is suicide! “How am I going to protect my people when I am gone?”

“That is for you to make amends for, priestess.” The Sage took a step closer to Clairra and they stared at each other’s eyes. “You want to control the Demon King and I have the perfect spell for you. Chain him with a kiss, be his bride and you will be a Queen that he follows.”

“What? That’s ridiculous! Kiss a demon and marry him? Have you gone mad, Sage? Is this what you mean that it will cost my life?!”

“Now, now, don’t be so mad, my dear priestess. This isn’t what you predicted but this is what it is.” An evil grin plastered in the Sage’s mouth. “What would it be, priestess? The death of many or the death of you?”

When Clairra could not answer, she was teleported back to the messy room of the old mage. The old mage, Heije closes his book and look at Clairra.

“So? How was it?”

“He told me to come back when I have an answer.”

In her tower, Clairra prayed at her altar and seek guidance from the highest gods. She asked for guidance but like before, it showed her a different person from a different world.

“Why do you keep showing me this? What am I supposed to do with her?!”

She sat down on a chair and massage her temples. To chain the Demon King with a kiss? That is hard enough to do, what else to marry him? But who will he marry if she bargains with her life?

Serra recalled the lady in the Holy water. She rushed towards it, and her eyes grew. A soul from a different time that wants to die! I can switch us! But the questions remained in her. If they switch souls… this lady could attempt to die again. If only this lady’s soul she can go and bargain but it needs to be hers. 

“Can this really work?” she asked herself. "What if she messes up like I will?"

With thoughts clouding inside of Clairra's mind, she could not sleep at all. Her days were outnumbered by the days the lady from the other era is counting her hours. She has to move but how? How is she supposed to kiss that demon? 

Back in her spot where the pollen of the flowers glows, she picks one and sighed heavily. She pretended these flowers were dandelions and wished it was a little bit easy for her. Why was she forced to be a sacrifice? Why did her parents sacrifice her?

It wasn’t so long until Clairra realized somebody else’s presence and she turned to the same tree the Demon King was. She glared that way until those crimson eyes appeared.

“And once again you are here!” she hissed.

“Not bad.” She hears him say. “Last time you were busy adoring the flowers and I indulged with my time of peace.”

“Why do you visit once more, Demon King?”

“The moon shines the brightest in this spot. That’s why the moon flowers stay bloom.”

In a blink of an eye, the demon was already standing in front of Clairra. The unprecedented speed he has, made the glowing pollen sway in front of them. When it cleared they came eye to eye.

Clairra has never seen someone as charming as the Demon Lord. But it was not the case. She inhales deeply and calmed herself. Either way, she was going to die. 

“Meet me here tomorrow, same time, demon. I have something for you.”

“I do not trust humans.”

“And I do not trust demons,” she fires back at him. His jaw tightened for a moment. “Do we have an agreement?” she added.

The demon looked away and back at her.  "Tomorrow then, human."