The tree’s age is impossible to guess, it could be hundreds, thousands of years old. Nine grown men with arms outstretched, standing fingertip to fingertip could barely encircle the massive trunk of the ancient tree. Yet our child walks on, oblivious and unafraid beneath its black, gnarled, frozen branches. Beyond the ashbell tree, the dreaming girl finds the old well, its stone collar crumbling, its bucket, winch and roof long gone. All of the children are forbidden to play near this well. It has already claimed the lives of many of them. Once, the well was covered by an old door salvaged from the castle ruins. The door had been covered in intricate carvings, the work of a master, depicting a great hunt, men on horseback, hounds tracking and baying at the scent of a wild boar with fierce eyes and deadly tusks. But time and the elements have no appreciation for beauty. Rain, snow, and ice have rotted the wood, green summer mosses have blunted the details, and the children, those very ones forbidden to play near the well, have added their own mischief as well; for what else has as much magnetism and fascination as that which is taboo? Over the years, generations of children have worried away at the heavy, stubborn door, until at last there is a large hole through which they delight in dropping sticks, rocks, and the occasional dolly, much to the shrieking outrage of their sisters and the fury of their mothers. But our little dreamer, wandering in the fog, has never dropped anything into that old well, because she knows, as the other children do not, that something lives in that well, deep in the black bottom, cut off from sunlight and fresh air, hidden from the world. She knows because it has spoken to her, it is speaking to her even now.

“Chloe, my darling,” the sky voice whispers, “come inside, come inside! We’ll have so much fun. We can be the best of friends. And I have presents for youuuu! I have dollies and toy horseys, we can have tea and play games. You are not like the other children, Chloe, you are special, very, very special. And that is why I chose you to be my playmate. Come inside!”

Without fear, little Chloe drops her shawl to the ground and climbs up onto the well. A few loose rocks, dislodged by her tiny feet, tumble into the blackness of the well and fall for a long time before they hit the bottom. Seventy-seven heartbeats to the bottom of the well, Pollun had counted one day, and seventy seven heartbeats is a long time.

“You will catch me, won’t you?” Chloe asks sitting on the wooden door, her feet dangling in the blackness.

“Of course, darling! If I didn’t catch you, we couldn’t play. Not for long anyway, and our tea party would be ruined!”

Chloe giggles, then pushes off into the well. Just as she starts to fall, she comes fully awake and screams with fright.

Danu’s eyes popped open. He was instantly awake and alert, one hand on the sword under the bed. He did not know what sound had startled him from sleep and he lay still for a moment, straining to listen. Whatever it was, he did not hear it again, but every fiber of his being tingled with the warning of danger, and in this place, one trusted his instincts or one was dead. Minutes ticked by, but nothing happened. Danu forced himself to relax and let out the breath he’d been holding. For the first time, Danu noticed the chill in the air.

The grey light of pre-dawn was feebly filtering in through the closed slats of the shutters and barley illuminated the tiny home Danu shared with his daughter. Built on the ruins of an older structure, Danu had kept the original fireplace and reset the low stone foundation, new low wooden walls now supported a peaked thatch roof. To his left was the curtained off room for his daughter, Chloe. The two tiny bedrooms faced a small living area furnished simply with Danu’s big rocking chair and Chloe’s tiny one on a small blue and white carpet placed comfortably before the big fireplace. To the left of the fireplace was a wash stand with a chipped blue bowl. To the right, a large wooden plank affixed to the wall served as their kitchen, a small shelf above the plank held their meager stock of dishes, cooking utensils, herbs, and dry goods. A rough hewn wooden dining table and two mismatched chairs set in front of the window completed their tiny abode. The house was snug and functional, but sadly lacked a woman’s touch to make it feel cozy and welcoming. Mirra had not lived to see the house complete, she had not spent even one night in the house her husband had built for her. Five years is a long time to mourn the loss of one’s spouse, but Danu still felt the grief tearing at his breast as if she had died only yesterday. His sole comfort was their beautiful daughter, Chloe, who had her mother’s raven hair, dark violet eyes, and impertinent little mouth.

Realizing he would not be able to get back to sleep, Danu rose and dressed quietly. The sword went back under the bed, out of Chloe’s reach. Today, it was Danu’s turn to join the hunting party, so he buckled on his skinning knife, checked his bow, and filled his pack with a light lunch, a skin of water, his tinder box, and extra pair of socks. He stoked the fire and set out their breakfast, then went to wake Chloe. But his daughter was gone.

Chloe’s fall was broken by a springy tangle of roots that had thrust their way between the rock walls of the well. Slowly, Chloe felt the roots bend under her weight, and she was falling agin, only to be caught up by another springy tangle and dropped again. Over and over, a fall, then a bounce, then a fall again. Chloe laughed out loud and heard her friend in the well inhale sharply.

“Oh, the laughter of children comes so seldom to my ears,” his voice was honey sweet and a little sad. “I find it quite intoxicating.”

A few more bumps, then Chloe felt strange hands lift her from the roots and set her on her feet.

“It’s very dark” whispered Chloe, “I cannot see anything.”

“Well, how silly of me! I’ve been down here in the dark for so long that I can see quite well. I had forgotten others could not. We shall require a little light then, but only a little. Too much would hurt my eyes.”

A soft white glow surrounded the tiny girl. It did not illuminate much more than herself, but still, it was comforting.

“Why, you are Shorkra, child!” the voice exclaimed in surprise. “I wonder if Urthu knows of you? I wonder how many of you he has hidden away from me? Tell me, girl, do you look like your mother or your father?”

“Papa says I look just like mummy,” she said brightly. “I have her black hair and her purple eyes and her little pink mouth and her cute little pointy ears. Papa’s hair is red and his eyes are brown, and he has round ears like everyone else, and he has a scruffy chin that scratches my cheeks when he kisses me. I don’t think mummy had scratchy hair on her face!”

“So, your father is Magnon and your mother is Shorkra , yet you bred true to your race. Interesting. Tell me about your mummy, what is she like?”

“Mummy is dead,” said Chloe sadly. “I never got to meet her. She died when I was born.”

“You killed your own mother, Chloe! Oh, how awful!”

“No! I didn’t kill her,” protested the child. “Papa says it was just a very sad thing that happens sometimes when babies are born.”

“But you did kill her, Chloe. If you hadn’t been born, she would still be alive, wouldn’t she?”

“I…. I guess so,” the tiny child said hesitantly. Then she began to cry, silent little tears of shame and heartache trickled down her plum cheeks. “I never thought of that.”

“And I’ll bet that sometimes your papa acts strange and sad when he looks at you, and sometimes he yells at you or spanks you. And sometimes the other children are mean and pick on you. And sometimes you feel sad and lonely for no reason,” said the cunning, cunning creature in the blackness. “All these things, Chloe, are because you are a murderer who killed her own mother. It is no wonder people don’t like you.”

Chloe felt her heart twist within her. Everything he said sounded so true, so sad, it made so much sense, and explained so many of the behaviors young Chloe found so confusing. She wanted to die, and though her mouth opened to cry, no sound could squeeze past the tightness in her chest.

“But Chloe, I love you,” the sad honeyed voice crooned, “I don’t care that you killed mummy, or make papa sad, or sometimes break things or don’t do your chores. I love you. No matter how bad you are, I will always love you.”

A black, twisted hand reached out of the darkness to stroke Chloe’s hair. The startled child jumped back and the hand quickly disappeared back into the dark. Chloe heard the creature moan sadly.

“Why are children so mean?” it sobbed. “I try so hard to be their friend, but they won’t let me. They all hate me, even you, Chloe, even you though I love you no matter what.” “Oh, no, no, I didn’t mean it. I don’t hate you. You surprised me, that’s all. Here, you can touch my hair. Go ahead, it’s okay.” Chloe urged, desperate not to lose the only true friend she ever had.

The creature reached out and stroked her hair. It’s hand was as black as the darkness around her, scaly like a chicken’s foot, the knuckles round and swollen, the fingers strangely long and bone thin, the fingernails pointed, yellowed, and cracked. It caressed the child’s glossy black hair gently, tentatively. Chloe trembled under it’s touch, but bravely put her own milk white hand over his and felt the roughness of the skin.

“Why do you think children hate you?” Chloe asked.

“Because I am ugly,” the creature sighed. “They look at me and run away, or throw rocks at me, or make fun of me, just because I am ugly. So, I hide down here in the dark and I listen to them play up there, in the sunlight and I wish I could be their friend.”

“I don’t care if you are ugly,” Chloe bragged. “I will be your friend. Why don’t you come into the light so I can see you? Maybe you are not as ugly as you think. Sometimes Pollie says I’m ugly, but papa says she’s just jealous cause I have such pretty hair. Maybe it’s like that with you. Maybe those kids are just jealous.”

“No, Chloe, Pollie says you are ugly because you are a murderer, and that is true. Children seldom lie. They say I am ugly because I am. I am too ugly to have even one friend.”

“Well, I am your friend now,” insisted Chloe, “and Polly can jump in the lake if she says you’re ugly. Come on, let me see you. I don’t like talking to the dark.”

Slowly, the light grew, and brave little Chloe shook with the effort of not crying out in fear, for the creature was indeed the ugliest thing she had ever seen, he was the stuff of nightmares. But Chloe stood still and willed herself to not be afraid.

“What…. what is your name?” she asked with only the slightest quaver in her voice.

“I am called Levillum,” the creature whispered. “Please don’t be afraid of me, Chloe, my only friend. I will not hurt you.”

The creature sat on the hard stone floor, blackened hands grasping swollen knees as it rocked back and forth with worry. It’s head was lowered, it’s face averted in shame. Even sitting, the creature was taller than Chloe’s papa was when standing.

“Stand up and look at me, so I can see you,” Chloe said, emboldened by the beast’s timidity.

Slowly, the creature stood and faced the little girl. It was easily twice the height of her father, black and scaly from its horned head to its clawed toes. Giant ram’s horns curled around its cheeks, red eyes with yellow slitted pupils regarded Chloe warily as he bit his thick, purple lips. Pointed ears protruded between the curl of its horn, ears that moved forward and back like an anxious dog. It had no hair, its only clothing a thin, tattered rag around its loins. The creature was emaciated and Chloe could see his ribs starkly outlined on his chest. Chloe let out a long breath and swallowed her fear.

Bravely, she said, “Well, I am not afraid of you and you are not too very ugly.”

Levillum smiled and laughed. “Brave little Chloe! I knew we would be the best of friends!” he crowed.

“What are those things, though?” Chloe pointed behind the creature.

“They are my bonds, Chloe, that keep me imprisoned in this place. They are the roots of the ashbell tree up above. For hundreds of years, they have kept me tethered here. See how the roots grow into my back, into my arms and legs, under my skin? They are my bonds as well as my source of food and water… and pain. They are long enough for me to move about this room, but no further. In the spring and summer, when the ashbell is in leaf, the roots carry sustenance to me. I am large and powerful. But in the fall, I feel the nourishment weaken, and in winter, when the tree sleeps, I starve and become the wretched beast you see before you.”

“No food? Nothing for the entire winter?” Chloe was aghast.

“Well, occasionally, some little tidbit does fall into the well, rather like you did, and then I do get to eat. But not much, not nearly enough,” Levillum aid wistfully.

“Well, I could bring you food sometimes,” Chloe offered brightly. “We don’t have much, but I’m sure papa would let me bring you some. We all have to work together to survive in this world,” Chloe parroted her father,” and giving help when someone needs it means they might help you when you need it.”

“Could you bring me Pollie?” Levillum grinned and licked his pointed teeth. “No, no, I was just teasing,” he laughed.

“How did you get stuck down hear?” asked Chloe, secretly wishing Levillum wouldn’t grin like that.

“Now, that is a long story, child. Above us once stood Harpertas Castle…”

“Oh, yes! We live right by it! Well, what’s left of it anyway, there’s not really much left, but papa says it must have been a huge castle. We live in a house by the castle, but some people try to live in the castle, but not many ’cause it is falling apart. Papa says the castle is really, really old.”

“And it is old,” said Levillum. “It was old before the war, and it is even older now.”

“Were you at the war?” asked Chloe as she looked around for someplace to sit. Levillum sat on the cold stone floor and motioned Chloe to him. She hesitated a moment, then climbed into the creatures lap. Its scaled hide was not much warmer than the cold stone floor.

“Yes, Chloe, I was in the war. I was a General, THE General, to be more precise. I commanded the armies of nine nations, and what a glorious war it was! Nine nations fought against nine nations. We drove our enemies before us and slew them by the thousands, tens of thousands. We were strong, and we were winning, and my Ferguhl fought more gloriously than all the rest. And we chased the Shorkra and their allies to the very castle above us. We were sure of victory.”

“But what happened then? What went wrong?” Chloe asked excitedly.

“Well, in another battle, far from here, the mages and alchemists got carried away. And both sides, mine and theirs, engaged in such a battle that it destroyed the very ground they stood upon and shattered part of the world. They broke the barrier between the Gulf of Duende and the Alcullis Sea. And as the salt water of the Gulf flooded into the fresh water of the Alcullis, it killed all the creatures living in the Sea. It must have been an amazing sight and I wish I could have seen it. Well, anyway, Urthu was very, very angry. And he sent the Obsidian Flight to put an end to the war.”

“The angels?! They came here? You saw them?” this was by far the best story Chloe had ever heard. “Then what happened?”

“They ended it,” Levillum said bitterly. “They slew the armies I had spent years building. None could stand before them. Most of my remaining armies threw down their weapons and fled, but not my Ferguhl. They stayed and fought. We had the last of the Shorkra pinned down in Harpertas Castle, and my Ferguhl were hungry for their brothers’ blood. A few more days were all we needed to stamp the last of them out of existence. But even so, we had not the time. Two of the Obsidian FLight came to Harpertas Castle and pledged for the Shorkra, thinking that their presence would be enough to save Meldusi’s people. But they were wrong, and we fought on. Until the Obsidians fought their way across the battlefield to confront me themselves. Knowing I had my God’s blessing, I did not fear them, for Norsuku is every bit as powerful as Urthu. I was certain Norsuku would send me aid. But He did not.”

“And you got mad at him, right?”

“He is my King, child, my God. What right have I to be mad at HIm? He sees the future, possibilities I could never guess at. If He lends or withholds aid, it is to a greater purpose and therefore just. Who am I to question my Lord? Besides, His punishments for dissent can be most unpleasant.”

“But everyone knows Norsuku is evil and bad,” Chloe said with conviction. “You should just let Urthu be your God. Everybody knows He will always help you when you need it.”

“Is that so? Well, perhaps you will find that is not quite the case as you grow older. Besides, evil is in the eye of the beholder, Chloe. It is not as easy to judge as you think. Take you, for example, you murdered your own mother, child. Doesn’t that make you evil? Do you feel evil? You don’t yet do you? Even though everyone else, even your own father, knows you are a killer and, therefore, evil, you don’t feel it, do you? And what right do they have to call you, me or even Norsuku evil? They don’t know what it is like to be us. And besides, maybe we think that what they do, how they live, is evil and bad. Does that make us wrong?”

“Ummm, I guess not. I’m not really sure. It’s all turned around in my head,” said the five year old. “Can you just tell the rest of your story?”

Levillum sighed. “So the Obsidian Flight, who you think is good and fair, fought me in battle, two against one. And with their magic, they caught me and imprisoned me within the ashbell tree. But, I was too strong for them, and they could not hold me there without destroying themselves in the process. So, they summoned the Shorkra mages from the castle and worked a great magic against me. But, even so, their losses were greater than mine. The two Obsidians drained the life force from all of the mages and added it to their own magic. Yes, that means they killed all those people. To keep me sealed inside the tree, they were forced to hold on to me and to do so, they imprisoned themselves in trees of their own, an oak and a maple. Our roots have grown intertwined, and they continue to hold me in this place.
“But, here’s the best part. Once the Obsidians sacrificed themselves and all of the mages, the Shorkra in the castle could no longer defend themselves. My Ferguhl slaughtered them all.” Levillum looked critically at Chloe. “Well, evidently they missed a few.
“So, thus is was that Harpertas Castle and the last of the Shorkra people were destroyed. And I have been imprisoned here ever since. For hundreds of years, anchored to that damned ashbell tree, watched over by the two archangels, and unable to break free. But, can you keep a secret, Chloe, a secret between friends?”

“Of course,” Chloe said excitedly. “A secret just between you and me!”

“Well, here it is… The angels have fallen asleep! They have become such a part of their trees that they no longer think or watch. I have tested the bonds, and they are weakening. Soon, I will be free! Free to go back to my Ferguhl, my children. And when I do, Chloe, I think I will take you with me. Oh, they will just eat you up there! The last little Shorkra, my friend, daughter of one who struggled to get away, finally, she has come home to us, her brothers and sisters, and my King! It will be glorious!”

“And my papa could come, too!” Chloe bounced up and down, caught up in the excitement.

“Sure, sure, poppet. If he wants to,” Levillum said cooly. “Although he may just be glad to see you go, put an end to the constant reminder of your mother and, well, you know…. her death.”

“Oh,” Chloe stilled, “I had forgotten that.”

Her brown furrowed and her bottom lip quivered. He might not want me, she thought and she knew a sense of desolation that no child should know.

Levillum smiled. “It is almost time for you to go, Chloe. But I have had so much fun with you.”

Chloe nodded silently, unable to shake the sadness and sense of loss. Levillum twirled a lock of her shiny hair around his boney, black finger, He breathed deeply the scent of her hair and held her close to himself.

“Chloe, I would like to give you a gift, a present, before you go. Would you like that?”

Chloe nodded, her spirits lifting a little.

“Now, if I give you a gift, will you give me one as well? After all, that’s what friends do, they give each other presents to show their love. Would you give me a gift, too?”

Chloe had no idea what she could give the creature in the well, but she could figure that out later. At the moment, her child’s thoughts went no farther than getting a present for herself.

“Do you want my present, Chloe? Do you accept it willingly and gladly?”

“Oh, yes!” Chloe said, “Gladly!”

“Watch now,” said Levillum. “Here is your gift.”

Chloe sat in his cold, hard lap and watched him stretch out his right hand before her. He pointed his index finger at the wall and it began to grow longer. Chloe’s attention was riveted on that digit, growing longer, tapered, thinner, thin and sharp as a sewing needle. Levillum held his finger up, the sharp point gleamed. He twisted and thrust, jabbing the needle-like appendage into Chloe’s chest. It plunged in deeply, angled slightly upwards behind her tiny breast bone. She felt searing pain all the way up into her throat and choked on a scream. Levillum twisted his finger and snapped off the needle, leaving it lodged in Chloe’s chest. She gagged on the pressure in her throat.

“Now, I will always be a part of you, I will always be with you,” Levillum kissed her sweet hair. “Where ever you go, I’ll be with you. I will never leave you. I will never forget you. And when I am strong enough, I will find you and we will go home together.”

Levillum turned Chloe to face him. He looked deeply into her wide, frightened, beautiful violet eyes. He thought he could lose himself in her gaze, the terror was so sweet.

“It is time for you to give me your gift now, Chloe. And I accept it, willingly and gladly, and you will always be a part of me, and you will never, ever forget me.”

The thorny pain in her chest and throat were forgotten, replaced by pain everywhere. Chloe screamed and screamed while the demon took his gift. ………