Sand & Snow: Chronicles of the Bat, #3

By Janina Franck

Sometimes gods go on holidays. Sometimes they meddle.

Lilith has taken over the role of Death, struggling to fulfil her responsibilities, while Selene travels far to help the country she has made her new home.

But no place is without dangers. A stranger appears, claiming to be Lilith's childhood friend.

What will he do when he finds out she is not the person he thinks she is?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
• Release date: Apr 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781948661348

Book preview

SAND & SNOW: Book Three of the Chronicles of the Bat Series

First Edition

Copyright © 2020 by Janina Franck

www.janinafranck.com

Published by Snowy Wings Publishing, PO Box 1035, Turner, OR 97392

www.SnowyWingsPublishing.com

Cover design: Eerilyfairdesign

https://www.eerilyfairbookcovers.com

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

ISBN (e-book): 978-1-948661-34-8

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-948661-35-5

Dear Reader,

this book in a direct continuation from the second book in the Chronicles of the Bat, White Devil.

This means that while the protagonist differs, the story continues and cannot be fully appreciated without knowledge of the previous book.

I hope you enjoy Selene’s adventure.

Thank you.

Janina Franck

NOTE

You can view and download a free map of this world at this link:

janinafranck.com/map

To Trina.

Prologue

Four-hundred and seventy-three, four-hundred and seventy-four, four-hundred and seventy-five…

Lex figured that should have been enough time. The steps in the hall that had made him hide in the broom closet had been unexpected, but they were gone now.

He was late.

If he didn’t hurry, the usual morning rush would begin, and he would have lost his chance. Yvette was waiting for him.

As fast as he could manage, Lex tiptoed through the dark halls of his childhood, past the dorms, past Miss Marycatt’s room, and out the kitchen window. He made sure to slide it back down before he disappeared into the bushes.

He crawled through the tunnel he and Yvette had forced through the hedgerows surrounding the building with their unsanctioned expeditions into the twin demon forests, Moncharo and Monacharo. These forests were the only places where he felt free and alive, perhaps because they were the only place where he didn’t have to obey rules. Nobody ever bothered him and Yvette there.

Unlike them, the people of Lencon were superstitious and avoided entering into the forests as much as possible, lest they should be cursed or taken by demons. The only parts of the woods used by humans were small slivers of trees alongside the road which separated the forests. The only road over the mountains. The rest was Lex and Yvette’s kingdom.

There you are! What took you so long?

Looking annoyed, Yvette pushed him aside to check behind him. Did anyone see you?

Lex shook his head. Come on, you know me better than that.

I guess. She shrugged, unconvinced. Then, a smile brightened her features. Let’s go then.

She took him by the hand and led him into the forest, following no path or markers. That’s what Lex loved about going into Moncharo: It was different each time. They always found something new. Sure, they had their favorite spots, but no matter how much they explored, they never finished. This was their world: green, blue, and silent.

It was never this quiet in Lencon. Even though it was only a small town, it was constantly bustling with energetic people. It had to – how else could it sustain itself? Almost closed off from Pbecrah, the only national trade the town dealt in was the military. There was a small training base near Lake Tristan south of Lencon, where soldiers from across the country were periodically sent for special training. Merchants also found their way to this part of the world on occasion, but mostly, Lencon was a forgotten place. After all, Taquin was close by and much easier to reach, so why should anyone make the effort to come here?

Halfway through climbing over a fallen tree, Yvette stopped suddenly and turned to Lex, watching him closely. I’m thinking of joining the army.

Ah. That was it. Lex had thought that something was preoccupying her lately. Plans for the future. He’d thought about those, too. Only two more years, three for him, before they had to leave the orphanage and make their own way. That didn’t leave much time.

The army?

Yeah. It’s a way out of this forsaken place and I’d get to see the capital. I really want to see the capital. Her expressive, honey-colored eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up to the sky with a smile playing on her lips. Then she shrugged. Besides, fighting – protecting – sounds a lot more interesting than hunting or shearing sheep, don’cha think? And I’m definitely never gonna be a barmaid.

She hauled herself all the way across the tree and sauntered on. Lex followed her quickly.

It does suit you, he admitted. Can I come, too?

Yvette laughed.

Of course! You didn’t think I’d go without you, did you?

Her radiant smile was contagious and his mind filled with excitement for this new plan.

Then we should get into shape, so they can’t help but take us, he said.

Yvette nodded with glittering eyes. Let’s start with a race.

Before he could answer, she dashed away.

That’s cheating! he yelled as he stormed after her.

It can’t be cheating when there aren’t any rules! she yelled back.

They ran through the forest, jumping, dodging and crawling across and beneath anything in their way, until they reached a small clearing with a mighty redwood in the center. They fell against it and slid to the ground, laughing.

You run like a lame harpy, she giggled. He joined in.

You’ve never even seen one.

Have, too!

Oh yeah? And where would that have been?

Three months ago, when you were sick, she stuck out her tongue at him. It went to the base.

Alright, sure, whatever you say!

Laying on the ground, they looked into the sky. Days like these… Lex wished they would never end. With Yvette by his side, he could face anything. A breeze brushed over his skin and made the leaves of the tree rustle. He watched them sway gently and closed his eyes for a moment. Listening to Yvette’s peaceful breathing beside him, his heart soared like a mighty eagle. The future didn’t scare him. Not as long as she was facing it with him. He opened his eyes again and smiled into the sky.

Along with the leaves, he saw a something red in the branches, moving with the wind. He squinted to make out what it was and pointed.

What’s that?

Hm?

There, up at the top?

Yvette shielded her eyes from the sun and followed his outstretched arm.

A flower… she mumbled. No… A piece of fabric?

Lex stemmed himself up with his elbows, still frowning at the brilliant red caught in the tree.

Do you think it’s one of those neckerchiefs? The ones they use in the army?

She looked at him, excitement flooding across her expression.

Yeah, I think it is. The wind must’ve carried it here during the storm last night.

Lex grinned at her.

Betcha you can’t climb up and get it, he challenged her. She grinned back.

Just you watch.

She walked around the redwood to determine the best spot for her ascent, while Lex watched her with crossed arms. Despite her reckless nature, she climbed with caution, testing every branch and every piece of bark before she relied on it. That’s what he had always admired most about her - she seemed reckless at a glance, but she was far from careless. She was always aware of the danger in everything she did, and assessed it to take precautions if necessary, but she never backed down, no matter how bad the odds were.

When she reached the halfway point, Yvette let go with one hand to wave. Lex waved back, but he was beginning to feel queasy about the situation. The tree was extremely high. Should he really have challenged her to do this?

A breeze made him shudder. What if she slipped?

Hey, just forget about it, he shouted. It’s too high. Just come back down!

No way, she replied. She was still climbing ever higher, hopping from branch to branch now. I’m almost there!

Worried, he continued to watch his friend. After another minute, she was almost close enough to grab the red neckerchief. One arm wrapped around a branch, and standing on another, she reached out for it, but the distance was too great. She edged further, her hand still lying on the branch.

A gust of wind blew the red piece of fabric into her hand, but her expression of victory quickly turned to shock as she lost her footing.

Lex’s eyes flew wide open. He tried to shout her name, but he was no longer master of his voice.

Yvette was falling, hitting branches on her way down, but unable to hold onto any of them. Then, after a mere moment that reflected an eternity into Lex’s heart, she hit the ground with a nasty cracking sound.

He scrambled to her side, almost tripping over his own feet. Looking down at her, watching the blood spread beneath her, he dropped to his knees. Whimpering, he took her hand and searched for any sign of life in her eyes.

Yvette? he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Yvette?

She gave no reply. He closed his eyes, but he kept seeing her hit the ground over, and over. Something inside his stomach forced its way up through his mouth. It was a long time before Lex noticed that he was screaming, tears flowing incessantly across his face. At some unidentifiable point, he passed out.

When he came to again, night had fallen, and Yvette’s body was gone.

Ten Years Later

Ugh, I don’t want to anymore, this is way too much! Milly complained.

It’s important to know about these things if you want to be a good ruler, her teacher, Colm, chided her.

But all this economical stuff is so boring, Milly pouted. She twirled her pigtails around her fingers, radiating an air of misery. Can’t I go help Griffin instead?

Selene put her book aside and observed the encounter from her corner of the room. For several weeks now, Milly had been receiving lessons in everything involved in ruling the Highlands and dealing with other nations by her teacher, Colm, and Selene’s own mentor, Balthasar. The Highlands had only recently gained their independence, so having a strong and confident ruler was vital.

Selene had felt Milly was far too young to take on such a level of responsibility, until Balthasar had pointed out to her, that she herself had been of similar age when she became captain of the most infamous pirate crew in their homeland, quite literally following the footsteps of a legend.

Selene and her crew had arrived in the Highlands a few months ago and had pledged themselves to the people in it. Now they led the military force of the country. It was crazy and stupid, but somehow, it worked.

Her homeland Jianlah was completely cut off from all communication with the outside world due to its unusual geography, being located on top of a gigantic pillar from which water incessantly fell, higher than birds or dragons could fly. Therefore, she knew very little about the rest of the world and had decided to broaden her horizons by sitting in on Milly’s lessons.

Fine, we’ll continue tomorrow. This afternoon, we’ll work a little on your weather spells, so you can show them off to Lilith when she gets back, Colm gave in.

Milly’s face lit up. She loved doing magic more than anything, aside from perhaps hanging around Lilith.

Lilith? When’s she coming home? You know? Oh, I know you know! When is it? Tonight? Tomorrow? Tell me, tell me!

Milly’s excited squealing hurt Selene’s ears and she had to keep herself from covering them with her hands. She couldn’t risk missing Colm’s reply. If Lilith was coming home for even an hour, she wanted to know. But instead of giving an answer, he only smiled knowingly. Selene hated that smile. He put it on whenever he was refusing to share information. There was no way of getting anything out of him that he didn’t choose to share. Annoyed, she left Milly to her futile endeavor, and went outside.

Wind tore at her clothing, and she had to squint to keep the rain from getting in her eyes. No one else was around. She expected most of her companions to be somewhere in Trenil, possibly drinking and playing cards, although Balthasar and Zero had mentioned something about a camouflage exercise with the recruits. For a moment, she contemplated scouting the area to seek them out, but then decided to go to the Bat instead.

She took the path that led her to the site where they had crash-landed at the end of Amber. Along the way she glanced toward Myara Hill, the fields around it no more than tainted earth. The lost harvest was the only visible trace the battle for the Highlands had left. Selene reminded herself of the lost lives whenever she walked this way. Every victory came at a price.

After only a short walk, she reached a small meadow where a black ship was elevated from the ground by a wooden construction. Three people were working at the rear of the ship. She was still too far away to see their faces, but nonetheless Selene could already identify them by the appearances of their souls – just a little upside from the curse passed down through her family. She stopped for a moment to take in the sight of her ship. The general structure had been changed a little by their shipwright Griffin, who constantly made adjustments to the ship to allow it to maneuver better in the air, while still functioning in water. For example, the ship now possessed two retractable side-arms with dagger boards – retractable keels – and extra sails that could be adjusted to the direction of the wind.

Selene! One of the figures by the rear of the ship waved to her – a quite innocent soul, Griffin. She set herself back in motion and walked over. The troll Maco and the small blue manlike creature with shark teeth they knew as the Klabautermann, a ship’s kobold, were working on the rudder, while Griffin gave them instructions and fine-tuned things. They stopped what they were doing when they noticed her approaching. Griffin beamed at her.

This is the last piece, he babbled, gesturing at the rudder. I adjusted the length and the shape, so it should work with the air currents if we also adjust the sails, and use the propellers on the right side, so we’ll be able to maneuver even when we’re airborne!

Selene never quite knew how to deal with his onslaught of enthusiasm. But then, she had never quite worked out how his brain functioned in the first place. She gave him a curt nod and scrutinized the structure he had thought up, but she didn’t know enough about the mechanics and ship building to comment on it.

You’re sure it’ll work? she asked instead.

Griffin nodded and proceeded to point at his drawings laid out on a small table and explain what should happen and why and how the wind should move similar to water in streams and… Selene stopped listening and raised her hand to make him stop. She had only understood about half of what he said anyway.

Alright, I get it. When will she be ready?

She gently touched the hull of the Bat. She missed sailing with her. The Bat had been her home since she had been a little girl; it felt strange not to wake up on her every morning. Griffin squinted at his notes and his brow furrowed. It was clear that he was calculating something, but the Klabautermann was faster.

Two weeksss sssshould do it, he said grinning. There’ssss not much left to do.

Selene nodded and couldn’t suppress a little smile. Two weeks. That wasn’t too long.

***

Selene saw her before anyone else did. Lilith’s pure soul shone brighter than anything. It wasn’t as bright as it had been when they had first met, but even so it was purer than a human soul could possibly achieve.

The rest of her companions hadn’t noticed the arrival yet. They continued eating, dinking and chatting. Only Colm looked up at the sight of his daughter and smiled at her. Selene stood up and walked over to her friend. While she was certain that Lilith was definitely there, in the room with them, she appeared vaguely transparent, and her expression was vacant.

Lil, she said.

Lilith looked up and met her gaze. Instantly her face became more vivid.

Selene, she smiled. It is good to see you.

Are you alright?

Lilith nodded. Yes. It is just that I am split into three parts, so focusing is difficult.

Lilith!

The others had now also noticed her presence and rushed over, Milly ahead of anyone else. Everyone hugged her and asked how she had been. Lilith had spent the past several weeks training with the Enforcer of the Separation of Soul and Body, otherwise known as Death. She had made a pact with her, to prevent Colm’s demise, so now she was training to take over for a while, guiding the souls of the departed to where they belonged, and becoming the personification of death.

Selene stepped back a few paces while Milly bombarded Lilith with questions. A voice in the back of her head insisted that she ought to take Lilith aside to have a proper conversation, but she silenced it. There would be time later. It was best to give her some space for now until the excitement died down.

Of course, no one cares that I’m here, too, a voice grumbled quietly to Selene’s right. She glanced at the raven sitting on the bookshelf, feathers ruffled and a displeased glint in his eye.

Probably because you keep insulting everyone whenever you’re around, she suggested. The raven turned its head to look at her. Good to see you, Amethyst.

Yeah, right, the raven replied. He ruffled his feathers some more and looked back at Lilith. I don’t know why she’s having such difficulty with this exercise anyway. It couldn’t be easier.

What exactly is the exercise?

Splitting. Taking over for Death means she’ll have to be in a lot of places at once, so she needs to practice. At the moment she’s only in four: Here, the Enforcer’s Realm, Taquin, and she was just called to somewhere off the continent. I’m there, too, of course. But she’s having real trouble staying focused on all the different places at the same time.

I see, Selene said.

It was impressive. Selene couldn’t imagine being in several places at once. The only thing that might possibly even come close was having to think about several things at the same time, especially in times of duress.

Lilith was ushered to the table where a cup of tea and a pint of beer were put in front of her almost instantly. Several people were talking to her simultaneously, and she had trouble replying to them all. There were some instances in which she seemed to entirely lose her train of thought and forget mid-sentence what she had been talking about. Selene watched from a spot in the corner as the party grew livelier and conversations turned more general and jolly as the intake of alcohol increased, and Amethyst made his presence known more violently.

Eventually, she left the cottage to get some fresh air. Even out here she could hear the excited chatter. It was cold, and the sky was covered in clouds. She shuddered. She wasn’t used to temperatures like this. Jianlah had always been relatively warm, even during Tempest. Here, Tempest seemed to announce the cold. For about a week now, there had been frost every morning. Selene had experienced this before, but only a handful of times and it never persisted. Here in the Highlands, the cold weather just got worse. The air almost burned in her lungs as she breathed in.

Standing outside proved to be less pleasant than the thought had initially seemed, but Selene wasn’t quite ready to mingle again. She decided to take a little walk to warm up.

Without conscious thought, her steps led her to the Bat. She could barely make out the black ship in the darkness, but she could feel her presence. Soon they would be able to go on new adventures together; soon they could set sail again and Selene would roam the deck at night like she used to do.

Two weeks.

In two weeks was also the day Lilith would be taking over for the Enforcer. Selene worried about how it might change things. She wanted to invite Lilith to the renewed Bat’s maiden voyage, but she wasn’t sure if that was even possible. She’d never had problems with death; it had been a constant companion in her life. But Selene had never expected to become friends with Death.

Angrily, Selene shook her head to get rid of these thoughts. Philosophizing and wondering was a waste of time. The only way to achieve something was to make it happen, and Selene did not consider herself the type of person to idly linger until things just occurred by themselves.

She needed to speak with Colm about the choice of destination and what route their voyage should follow. They needed a goal, somewhere they could land and restock if necessary. Plus, as they were now seen as the Highlands’ official military force, they needed to ensure that it wouldn’t be considered an act of aggression, so Selene probably needed to get Milly’s go-ahead as well. She also had to deliberate which of her crewmembers to bring along, as she couldn’t leave the Highlands defenseless. It would make sense to bring someone who had joined her last adventure, the search for Lilith’s Hellfire Naginata, because they knew a little more of this world first-hand. But Selene didn’t want to exclude the others, since they had just as much right to get to know and see other places. Perhaps she ought to hold off on making any decisions until-

Selene stopped mid-thought as something tiny and white danced in front of her eyes and landed on her nose. She wiped it off and realized it had become water. There were more white dots around her now. They sauntered downward from the sky like ash, swaying from side to side like Ryo after he had drunken all night. Selene held out her hand in front of her, but all the white dots turned to water as soon as they touched her skin.

It is called snow.

Selene turned around. Behind her stood Lilith, her beautiful white bat-wings spread wide, and her dark face looking up into the sky. The little white things she called snow stuck to her black hair and glittered like stardust in the dim light Selene’s lamp provided.

Pretty, is it not? Death showed me, at the peak of the Morr-Velam mountains. It is frozen water and each flake is unique in design. No two are alike. Just like people.

Lilith smiled.

Just like people, Selene repeated. Then she shook her head. No. People aren’t this beautiful.

Lilith laughed.

I missed you, she said, smiling sweetly.

How long will you be here?

Until the Soul Festival in two weeks, if everything goes right. After that, I will be everywhere I am needed.

I’m surprised Milly let you out of her sight so soon. Selene gave a meaningful nudge in the direction of Violet Cottage.

Usually the little girl clung to Lilith like a barnacle to a ship.

She is asleep. I promised I would still be here when she wakes up.

Selene nodded. They stood together in silence for several minutes, watching the snow fall. Then, Selene turned to her friend to speak, but could not get out the words. Lilith was staring vacantly into empty space and Selene was certain that she was more transparent than before.

Lilith? she asked tentatively but got no response.

Lil, she tried again with more urgency. She moved to grab her friend by the shoulder, but her hand phased right through Lilith’s body. Angry and confused, Selene stepped back. She remembered what Amethyst had told her earlier. Was this a side effect?

Lil! she called once more, but instead of responding, her friend vanished entirely for a moment, only to reappear a few meters to Selene’s right. There was no translucence about Lilith as she jogged back to Selene with an apologetic expression.

I am truly sorry about that, she said. I lost focus because of something that happened on an island to the east. Taquin is also requiring a lot of my attention. I do have to practice more.

Selene felt herself relax. For a moment she hadn’t been sure if Lilith would return.

Let’s go back, she suggested. Colm might worry.

***

That’s a great idea, said Colm after Selene had put forward her plan for the Bat’s second maiden voyage to him the next day. And I do have a place in mind. Lady Catarina has asked me to send her a written account of the independence war and our constitution, so she may add them to the archives. Having you deliver them would make it official business and could not possibly considered an act of aggression.

Lady Catarina, the librarian? Selene frowned. She remembered the dwarf well from their previous encounter a few months ago. Lady Catarina was an eccentric woman, yet undoubtedly wise and clever. Her being close friends with Colm only strengthened that impression. On top of that, she was the poster image of everything Selene considered girlish, with her grace, elegance, ruffles and bows. Her soul was not without shadows, but they were the right amount to prove her a cunning, yet benevolent person. She would show her enemies no mercy, but she was not malicious.

Do you have a team in mind? Colm interrupted Selene’s thoughts.

I discussed it with Balthasar this morning. Feel free to tell me if you would prefer any of them to remain here.

Let’s hear your set up then. Colm smiled.

I plan on taking Griffin, the Klabautermann and Ference. I’m not quite sure whether to take Ryo or Maco yet, but one of them should stay here to help. Balthasar wants to stay here to keep training the new recruits, and Joe should continue teaching Milly about conventional medicines and anatomy. Zero will obviously want to stay with Joe, since they’ll be getting married soon.

Colm listened pensively and nodded.

Lilith might join you for some of your journey as well, he noted. If her situation allows it.

I thought she might. Could you help us with supplies and preparations?

Consider it done, Colm laughed. You know I like to be involved in everything. But I have to say, I’m surprised to hear you want to take Robert Ference. I didn’t get the impression that you liked having him around.

Selene grimaced.

"I don’t. He’s a double-edged blade. He