Chapter 2: Hope

A bald man ran through the streets in a village on the border of the Seron empire; he held a cake in one hand and a black rod in the other. Daemon had arrived home before entering; Daemon paused. The sound of weeping was leaking through the door. Daemon's heart sank to his stomach.

"Who's there," Lily said anxiously.

Ahem, "Open up, Lily"

"Da-Daemon, why are you back so early." Lily wiped her face shuffled around the cabin, and opened the door.

"Happy Birthday," Daemon cheerfully put on his biggest smile.

Lily stood in front of Daemon, too stunned to speak; Lily began to sob, hugging her father.

"Hold on, Lily; I'm about to drop the cake." Daemon barely kept the cake in his grasp; his daughter continued sobbing, clinging to him. He held Lilly tight, steadily soothing her.

Inside an old log cabin were a father and daughter eating cake, laughing, and sharing stories. Time passed as the sun set and the moon rose. Daemon sat listening to his daughter. They talked about the grumpy old lady across the streets, the boys who would tease her, and the books she read. Lily spoke for hours about the books about currency and how the flow of coins worked in mysterious ways. Daemon did not understand much. Still, he sat patiently, listening to Lily. His thoughts, However, drifted. He recalled the letters he had seen; Ciara would write their daughter letters and send along books; Daemon had once peeked at a letter, unable to overcome the urge. Ciara told lily about her little brother and urged her to move to Ciel to live with her mother.

The letter increased Daemon's resentment and his sense of worthlessness, a sense of inferiority instilled into his spirit. Daemon promptly rose from his seat.

"Lily, there is some business I need to take care of." Lily looked at her father, anger in her eyes

"Are you going drinking?" Daemon moved through the cabin

"No, I will never retake a sip of liquor." Daemon grabbed a black rod

Lily hadn't noticed it before. "Huh, what's that black rod?" Daemon gave his daughter a devious grin. "It's hope'" then he quickly left the cabin.

Lily stood frozen, unable to understand her father "What the fuck?"

Daemon headed into the forest; the full moon illuminated the darkness. Earlier, Daemon hadn't the time to test the black rod; in the night, he began to break the rod. Each time a bright light flashed, lighting the surroundings. The stick continuously reformed whenever Daemon would snap it. Eventually, he began to notice that the rod would become more and more challenging to break. Initially, the rod would snap as if it were a twig, and now it required strength to break a plank. Daemon was fascinated, believing the gods had yet to abandon him. In the night Daemon stood, his eyes moved from the rod to the moon; through resistance, you find hope and reconstruct yourself.

A month had passed, and the sun hung low on the horizon, slowly rising. Daemon had not drunk since that faithful day. Instead, he began cultivating crops around the cabin. He would rise early till the fields, then head into the forest collecting herbs. Once his crops had grown, Daemon planned to sell them. Although the income may be small, Daemon has regained some of the bravado's of his youth; he is now willing to put in the effort. Daemon watered the plants as Lilly sat inside the cabin, sewing torn clothes; Lily was smiling, humming along to a melody. This past month was full of joy; her father had quit drinking, and their relationship deepened. Since he began carrying that black rod on his waist, he changed for the better. Lily would ask him from time to time about the rod, yet Daemon would only give her a grin and say it was a secret.

Daemon Walked into the Cabin. "Lily, come with me. We're heading to the market."

Lily looked at her father curiously. "What's going on? Is there something you need to buy?"

Daemon smiled. "It's a surprise."

It was early in the afternoon this morning from the border a large caravan belonging to the merchant union had arrived; Caravans would occasionally stop at the village for a few days to sell and buy goods before departing. A man with a black rod on his waist and a young woman traveled together through the town. They reached the village's center before standing at a large square that could easily fit hundreds. Merchants of all nationalities had set up their stalls and tents. Villagers moved through the court, perusing the merchandise or bartering with the merchants.

Daemon and Lily walked through the crowd browsing the products on display. Daemon looked to his side and saw Lily was no longer beside him. Daemon looked around the square and saw Lily standing still, staring; he followed her line of sight and saw a stall filled with jewelry on display. Lily was looking at a bracelet with blue crystals, each in the form of a three-pointed star. Chained together, they made a beautiful blue bracelet.

Daemon walked toward the stall; in front of him sat a tall woman, head veiled by a yellow scarf. She had light brown hair, slightly peeking through, and sharp brown eyes to match. The merchant exuded a sense of confidence and grace. "The bracelet is 150 pasa's," she said, giving Daemon a slight glance then her eyes drifted back to watching the moving crowd. Daemon, surprised, was wondering if this merchant was a mind reader.

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"Wait, Daemon; it's too expensive," Lily said, rushing toward him.

Daemon, in silence, glanced at his daughter. Mentally coming to a decision, Daemon held a determined expression. He grabbed the black rod at his waist and asked the merchant, "How much will you pay for this?"

The merchant looked at Daemon sternly; Lily covered her face in embarrassment. Before anyone spoke, Daemon quickly continued, "This is not just any rod; it is a magical rod."

The reactions only worsened; Daemon let out an embarrassed laugh. Then with resolve in his eye, he grabbed both ends of the rod and snapped it. A bright light filled the square bringing the crowd to a stop; people began staring at the stall holding all types of expressions. With sparks in her eyes, the merchant quickly asked, "What did you just do?"

Daemon then explained the rod's story, how he chanced upon it, and its abilities.

"300 Bo's," The woman said, dropping a heavy purse in front of Daemon. Excitement quickly overtook Daemon; with this many coins, he could live comfortably for years. His external expression, however, remained neutral. Merchants from other stalls began to move towards them. "If this is not enough, I can add 50 more, but that's the most I'll do." The woman said quickly.

Daemon stopped the merchant. "No, it is more than enough; however, I have one condition." The woman gave Daemon an eager look. "What is it?"

Daemon took a deep breath, got on his knees, and grabbed Lilly's hand. "Take my daughter with you and teach her your trade. She is an intelligent girl whose read books on currency since she was young" The merchant asked Lily, "what's your name?"

Lilly, flabbergasted by the situation, said, "L-Lily."

The merchant continued, "Do you know how to calculate numbers?"

Lilly replied hastily, "Yes, ma'am, I do."

"Deal," The merchant said, snatching the rod from Daemon. "My name is Evet; come find me in the market tomorrow morning."

"Yes," Lily replied in excitement.

On the walk home, Lily's expression went from excitement to gloom. "D-do you not want me around"

Daemon paused. "No, Lilly, I want you to pursue your dreams."

Lily looked at her father with worry in her eyes. "Don't look at me like that; your father is tougher than you think," Daemon laughed.

Three days had passed, and it was early in the morning. The square was full of hustle and bustle as the merchant caravan prepared to leave and head back toward the capital. Lily and Daemon walked together in silence towards the square, each holding their thoughts of the future. Once they arrived at their destination, Daemon stopped. "This is where we part."

Daemon reached into his coat and grabbed a pouch handing it to his daughter. Lily grabbed the purse. It was rather hefty; she opened it and looked inside; Lily saw the coins for which Daemon had sold the rod. "This is too much." Lily pushed the pouch back to Daemon.

"No, this is the least I can give you for all the trouble I've caused you. Besides, Inside is only 200 Bo's; I'll keep the rest, so there's no need to worry".

Lily looked at her father, tears in her eyes; she hugged him tightly. "Thank you, dad."

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