Chapter 98 - Tricking Death

The captain of the lighthouse guard interposed the First Prince's route into the lighthouse, with his hand over the hilt of the sword, warning a second time,

"Even the Prince is prohibited from entering on this lighthouse. We just followed His Majesty's orders,"

Magnus snarled, drawing his sword quickly,

"You have a choice, Captain. Maybe die the day after tomorrow after seeing your wife and kids again, or die in two minutes from now."

The men around them made room, since the Prince and Duke, who also drew his sword, seemed willing to make way or die.

~ What bullies, ~ grumbled Alexander, now free again and sheltered in Alexa's hood, next to her neck.

"It's a good way to bargain without losing one's pride, in reality," Alexa pondered, following just behind Magnus as they climbed the lighthouse's spiral staircase.

Everything about the interior of the lighthouse was prosaic and orderly, until they arrived in front of the sturdy door with a small barred window. Many locks and bars kept the woman in her prison, and only a small hatch allowed food and other objects to pass through. But the bunch of keys was not far off. Alexa wondered if the one-eyed prophetess knew her freedom was just a few meters away. And if Sigrid knew they were coming today.

She got her answer as soon as Konrad deftly finished opening all the locks.

Magnus was the first to enter, followed by Alexa and Konrad, who stayed close to the door. The prophetess was sitting at the table, drinking soup,

"Strange visitors on a strange night," said the disfigured woman, turning to them. "You, young man by the door, have been guided by the heart and will hardly escape the fate you bought for yourself tonight."

Everyone looked at Konrad, who could not disguise his distress at being the pythoness' first target. Alexa then took the floor,

"Sigrid, you know who we are, don't you?"

"Do I? Perhaps. Three souls united by the ambition and pride of a man and a woman, and the whims of the gods," she coughed, and wiped her mouth with the tablecloth, getting up.

"As I said, the black dog and the white dog would eat in the same hand. But I can't see well with the eye I have left. Are you the boy or the girl? Because with my mind's eye I see both."

"Woman, I am the son of the man who holds you here. I can free you if you help us," the First Prince interrupted, and she motioned for him to shut up,

"You look like your father; you talk like your father, and act like your father. And your other side is even worse. There is nothing you can do to me. Nor is there anything you can do for them. You should just get out of the way."

Magnus went pale with hatred, and his hand went directly to the hilt of the sword, but Alexa interrupted, before it got worse,

"And what can I offer?"

"Ahh… The North Star, the Silver Bird, has a lot to offer. But I know something important for tonight, young ones. When the moon is in the sky, the moment of action will be over. And there's very little time left."

~ Ask her about the trip ~ Alexander whispered.

"The trip, Second Prince," without Alexa having to repeat aloud, the oracle replied Alexander. "Come to me, and I will tell you."

Alexander flew close to the oracle, and the woman held out her hand. Alexa noticed Magnus quite restless side glancing the woman, not trusting the witch. But Alexander landed in the one-eyed woman's hand, and she lifted the nightingale over her head, between her palms. Sigrid's body shook as she was convulsing, as she held the distressed and ruffled bird tight. Magnus was about to grab the woman when she released the bird, which flew back to Alexa,

"The vision, Second Prince… If your brother goes on this journey, the body that belongs to you will die. If he stays, and the maiden goes alone, the maiden will perish. This trip will be more difficult than you think. But if they reach their destination, they will have what they are looking for. And maybe a lot more."

Everyone looked at each other, and Alexa asked, at the same time as Magnus,

"What if none of us go?"

"So ... why would you be here?" the woman asked, turning to one and the other.

"That was also my concern, Magnus," Alexa said. "That Alexander's body would weaken, or be in danger, if we leave."

~ Is there no other way? ~asked Alexander.

"It wouldn't be the first time that a Von Wuttenfal would have borrowed time, said the woman quietly."

Alexa looked at Magnus, who in turn talked harshly to the woman,

"Sigrid, speak directly. I already realized that you can be very clear when you want to. What is the 'borrowed time' thing? What can be done? What I have to do?"

"You already borrowed your time. But that won't be enough to keep the Sleeping Prince alive. She and he," and Sigrid pointed to Alexa and the bird, "are the only ones who can decide on that. They are joined together, before they are joined to you. So, First Prince, go down with the other Von Wuttenfal. What I have to say is not for your ears."

"Haha, very funny, but I won't leave them alone with you so you can deceive them."

"Everyone here has their eyes wide open, there's no illusion, no tricks," she replied. But Alexa told the Prince.

"I want to hear what the pythoness has to say. And if you've been serious before, that you're going to set her free, do it because she has lived here for many years. Not because she will give us something in return."

"Haha, is the black dog going to hear it this time, or not?" Sigrid shriveled as he poured water from a pitcher into a basin.

"Go Magnus!" insisted Alexa.

The First Prince stared at her intently and then looked at the oracle. And he said, "I'm not going down, but I'll be outside,"

"Prepare my freedom, First Prince. I will deserve to be rewarded," Sigrid grimaced when she looked at him with her half-blind eye.

Alexa tapped her foot nervously on the floor, waiting. When the door closed, the oracle turned to her and Alexander,

"You are beautiful to see, together. The sun and the moon. It's like an eclipse."

Alexa tried to understand, but at that moment her mind was not keen for analogies and puzzles. If any, and not just the prophetess' insanity.

"Say, aunt. Say it soon. How can we borrow time for Alexander?"

"Maiden, there's still time to think, but not much. Death got a hold of him. Trick death is again what you must do."

"I can't understand. Trick Death? Nobody tricks Death."

"It's not true. Some humans trick death for some time. You should know it. And... You're so alike... Trick Death so she doesn't know who's she's embracing."

"Uh..." the seeding idea made some sense in Alexa's mind.

"AHh poor child. But of course it's not that easy. You'll need to impersonate him for Death. At the same time, you'll give him some time from your own life. That time will be taken from your lifetime, so think about it. This won't bring his soul back into his body, since the magic beverage has locked him out of it. But it will give that beautiful, young body a chance to survive the months to come."

~ Alexa, ~ her husband's voice was heard, this time so serious and tense that the Princess hardly recognized it,

~ Don't do that! ~