⚖ LILLITH & ALBIS ⚖

Lilith's eyes fluttered open for the first time. It was strange. She felt nothing and everything all at once. She knew everything but had experienced nothing.

A voice in her head: "Lilith, my child. Come to me."

She sat up only to discover she was on a large comfortable bed. It was soft with silky sheets. She shifted her feet to the ground, the cool marble felt nice.

Nice, that was strange, how did she even know what nice was?

She stood up and felt wobbly on her legs. Her first steps felt odd and she struggled. She fell down many times before she was able to walk with confidence. She knew how to do it, but she had never done it before.

"Lilith." She struggled but made it to the doorway. The smooth marble archway helped support her as she leaned against it. Resting.

"Lilith." She stood on her new legs once more and continued.

When she came around the corner she saw a very large, very purple dragon's head filling the expansive cavern. She gasped in surprise. The dragon was beautiful. Lilith could only see her snout. The rest of her was hidden behind the wall of the cave.

A single dragon scale was far larger than her. She felt like a grain of sand standing before this grand beast.

"Who are you?"

"My child, I am time. I am life. I am death. I am the very air you breathe."

"What am I then?"

"You are my creation. My joy."

"What is my purpose, and does that make you my mother?"

"I created you to bring balance to all that has passed through life, and now lies dead."

"Hmm," Lilith became lost in thought. She wasn't sure what to think of this information. "So, I am to go around killing things?"

"No child, you are not a 'murderer,' you do not kill things. You keep the balance with the living. My creations can not 'live' if they can not 'die.' I have created you so that the creatures Albis creates, can also die."

Lilith thought about this for a long time. "Am I to live alone? And just bring death? If I am to understand death, I must understand life. Can I not live and manage those that die?"

A soft puff of smoke flowed from the large dragon's nostrils. "You make a valid point, my child. Death can bring life or as it were, new life is born from death." Chronos went quiet for a moment. "You speak with wisdom, my child. I shall grant you what you seek. If you exit this cave structure, you shall find Albis. He will show you what it means to live. Thus, the first balance shall be made."

"May I call you mother?"

"No, child. I am not your mother, I am your creator. I am known as Chronos to all."

Lilith followed the long white marble hall until it turned into stairs leading out into bright light. The more she walked, the easier it became. When she reached the stairs, she saw she could either go up toward the light, or down below. It was much darker down there. She chose to go toward the light.

Her eyes have never seen such brightness. It took a moment for them to adjust. When they did, she saw a humanoid form not far from the entrance. He had digi-jointed legs as she did. White wings folded upon his back. Long silver hair reached just below his shoulders. His back was facing her. The ground under his feet was lush and green. He was tending the growing flowers.

She stumbled on the last step and fell to her knee. He turned around at the sound. He had a smile on his face that was warm and inviting.

"Be careful, that last step got me, too," he walked toward her and held out his hand. She allowed him to help her stand. She faltered and he grabbed hold of her before she could fall again.

"Albis?"

"Yes."

"Chronos said you could teach me what it means to live."

"That is because I can," he smirked.

"We shall see about that. How good of a teacher can you be? I mean, I learn quickly, but I kinda doubt you could teach me about life." A smirk came over Lilith's face as she gave him a challenging glare.

"I have been waiting for you to wake, and I welcome your challenge," He kissed her forehead and stepped back.

An unusual sensation she did not understand coursed through her at his touch.

"Mmm, alright, what is it you were doing with those flowers? Were you talking to plants?"

"Yes, I always talk to plants."

"That is just silly. What would be the purpose? They cannot hear you."

"Oh, I know that, but who else was I to talk to? You were still asleep."

"At least you didn't say it makes them grow better," she walked over to one of his flowers. She bent down and picked one. It withered and died in her hand. She turned to him and saw that where she had stepped also killed the grass.

"I… I killed your creations. I am sorry."

He only smiled and went to where she had walked. With a wave of his hand above each of her footfalls, the grass had regrown.

"I think I am incapable of making anything grow," tears came to her eyes. "I… I think this will be harder than you think."

He walked over to an orange grove of daisies. He picked one and came back over to her. He opened her hand and placed the flower in her palm. It began to wither. He put one hand on top of the flower and the other under her hand.

"Ssshh, calm your thoughts. Do not think about it dying. Think about living and growing."

She closed her eyes and did her best to follow his instructions.

"Now open your eyes."

When she opened her eyes she saw the flower had flourished in her hand and a root system had begun to grow.

When he had removed his hands though, the flower began to wilt. She frowned. "I can't do this."

Without a word, he pressed his lips to hers. She became lost in him, in life, and the feeling of being alive. She returned his kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. Her lips tingled with pleasure.

He pulled away and smiled, "focus on life. Focus on balance."

She looked down at the flower in her hand. It flourished. He stepped back and this time it did not die. He smiled, "see, you can be taught."

She giggled, "the flower is not dying."

He led her to a platform that had a large dish floating a foot above it. The platform was somewhat large and square. There were three steps up one side that led to the dish.

The shallow dish itself was as wide as it was long with rounded corners and sides. It was made of cold onyx and had a myriad glow emanating from within it. A fog percolated from inside and overflowed its sides. The dish rose as he approached and stopped when it reached the height of his waist.

"What is this? I don't understand."

"This is magic. It is the past, the present, and the future. One of the first things we must realize is that everything has opposites. And energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Only converted to other things."

"Mmm. I understand that, but everything dies. So what is the point?"

He smirked, "come with me, I shall show you. Think about what you want to create. And imagine it standing before you. Until now, I could only create flowers." His draconian yellow eyes flashed.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to the dish. He stood behind her and ran his hands down the length of her arms. She could feel his hot breath in her ear.

"Once you have the image in your mind, we will both put our hands inside the dish. Are you ready?"

"I think so."

"Here goes," he linked his fingers with hers and together they placed their hands inside the dish.

They both cried out at the euphoria that surged through their bodies. She could feel Albis as though he were an extension of her own flesh. It brought an excitement she never knew was possible.

She could hear his thoughts in her head. The rush of power that came over her was immense and it was almost too great for her to control.

Ssshh, concentrate.

His thoughts were hers. She worked on slowing her breathing and he guided her hands. Together, they worked to mold the magic as one. They folded and molded the magic together until he closed her hands around it and pulled their hands out. He raised her hands to her lips. His hot breath in her ear brought an excitement coursing through her.

"Take a deep breath and blow the magic toward the other side of the dish."

She did as he told her.

"Now open your eyes."

She opened her eyes to see a small spotted lizard lying on the ground. She was confused. That is not what she had imagined in her head.

"I don't understand."

"It is not as you imagined, is it?"

"Well, no. I wanted to create a dragon."

"I know, but this is ok. A dragon is very large, and this is only our first try. Now, it is still lifeless until it receives its first touch from you."

"Like what, a kiss, or something?"

"Exactly."

He released his hold on her, and they walked around to the other side of the dish. He knelt before the lizard. She placed a hand on his shoulder and used him to help herself kneel beside him.

"Now, I know it sounds a bit funny, but the words you need to say are 'I give you life,' and then kiss it."

"What will that do?"

He smiled, "that will give it life, of course."

She giggled, "of course." She looked at the lizard and did as he told her. When she gave it a kiss, instead of bringing life to the creature, it lit it on fire and it burned to ash. The ashes blew away in the breeze.

His brow furrowed, "interesting."

"It's gone. What did I do wrong?" Tears welled up in her eyes and her face went flush. She turned her head to see him looking at her.

"Ssshh, it's ok," He reached his hand to her face and brushed away the tears with his thumb that had started to fall. He pulled her in close to him. "We will just have to try again. Are you ready?"

"I can't, it will just die all over again," her tears turned to sobs. The harder she cried, the tighter he held her.

After 2,500 years of creating children through the Bucklah, Lilith came to Albis feeling empty.

"Albis, would it be bad if I … if I wanted… to feel life grow inside me?"

He smirked, "No, but there is really only one way we can do that."

She smiled, "thank you for not laughing at me."

He touched her cheek, "You complete me, my love. Now let me complete you."

He took her to their room. "You know I love you, right? I know I don't say it a lot. But I want to give you a child that is yours. A creation that is us."

He kissed her softly and ripples of pleasure coursed through her. Her heart rate spiked. "I will make you enjoy living and being alive," he moaned as he slid himself deep inside her.

Her moan could be heard throughout all time and it rippled through space.

Chronos smiled. She was complete now. Because her daughter was complete.