Lilith was in a dry region.
The land, sandy and cracked, stretched as far as the eye could see. There were no trees. No shade. Only the sun punishing relentlessly and a silence that weighed like a slab.
She was sitting on the ground.
Between her legs, she had dug a small hole with her hands. There, planted like a miracle, a daisy grew. A single green stem. A few white petals. Tiny and fragile in the midst of the arid immensity.
Lilith looked at it with melancholy.
She took some small, dry sticks from the ground and placed them around the flower like a barrier. An imperfect circle.
She felt as alone as the flower.
A moment passed. Then she stood up.
She spread her wings and took to the air again.
---
Above, endless precarious nature stretched out.
Plains. Hills. Distant forests. Everything looked the same from the heights. There was no trace of people anywhere. No roads. No smoke. No houses.
The sun began to intensify. Its rays struck her wings, her face, her arms. The heat overwhelmed her. Fatigue began to weigh on her shoulders.
Then she saw it.
A road.
Thin as a scar, it snaked between the plains. And what seemed to be a farm. Wooden buildings. Corrals. Stables.
The road passed right through the middle of it.
Lilith descended far away. Far enough not to be seen from the air. She walked to the farm along the road.
---
At the entrance, there was a booth.
A gatekeeper dozed in his seat, leaning back, legs stretched out on an improvised table, a wide-brimmed hat covering his face. He snored softly.
Lilith walked past.
Her feet barely made a sound on the dry earth. But something betrayed her presence. Perhaps a shadow. Perhaps the crunch of a stone.
The gatekeeper woke up.
He jumped to his feet, his hat falling to the ground, his eyes still clouded with sleep.
"Hey!"
Lilith stopped.
"Where...? How...? Where did you come from?"
She looked at him without expression.
"I got lost," she said. "They attacked my carriage and... I just want to go home."
The gatekeeper composed himself. Straightened his back. A smile began to form on his lips.
"I see. But you see, you won't get anywhere like this. We can help you," the smile widened. "But it won't be free."
Lilith looked at him for a moment.
"No," she said. "Then I'll just leave."
She kept walking further in.
"What?!" the man angered instantly. "Stop!"
He went after her. Grabbed her arm. His fingers squeezed her skin.
"Let go of me!" Lilith demanded.
"No! If you're not going to give anything, you can't pass. Leave now!"
They struggled. Lilith resisted, but the man was strong. He pulled her back. She lost her balance.
She fell to the ground.
She lifted her head. Her hair dragged in the dirt, filling with dust and sand. She pushed it away from her face with a slow gesture.
"How persistent you are."
She got up. Brushed off her dress. What was once blue was now pale. What was once elegant was now full of scratches, dirty, torn.
She turned around. Went back past the entrance.
But she didn't leave.
She started circling the farm.
The man followed her.
"Why are you coming now?" Lilith asked him without looking.
"I'll watch to make sure you leave," he replied, arms crossed.
She kept walking. The edge of the farm was a wooden fence, high but not insurmountable. The terrain around was arid, barren.
"You won't get far," the man said, walking beside her. "You'll die much sooner. From sheer exhaustion."
She kept walking.
"Where do you intend to go?"
Lilith stopped. Looked at him.
"If you want to know that, you have to pay me."
The man clenched his jaw.
"Don't throw my words back at me," he muttered. "Damn you. I'm wasting my time. I'm leaving."
He turned and walked away, muttering insults under his breath.
Lilith continued on her way.
---
She reached the other side of the farm.
The road reappeared, continuing its course on the other side of the buildings. And there, again, a booth.
This gatekeeper was different. Bigger. More corpulent. He slept on the table, his head resting on crossed arms, his snores deep and constant.
Lilith approached.
She touched his arm.
The man woke with a start. He lifted his head, eyes wide open, seeing the girl in front of him.
"Wh-what?" he said, unsure if he was still asleep. "Who are you?"
"I wanted to buy a horse."
"You?"
He looked her up and down. Her torn clothes. Her disheveled, dirty hair. Her arms covered in dirt. Her tired face.
"I don't think so. You can't pay for it."
"The other gatekeeper told me to come here. That you would help me buy one. He was short, with a wide hat. And very stubborn."
The man blinked.
"Oh. Yes. Mauro," he nodded. "I understand. Who it was."
He got up from the table. Stretched his arms.
"Alright. Come."
They walked to a stable. It was modest. Old wood. The thatched roof had a few holes where light came through.
Inside, the horses were confined in their stalls. They grazed on the grass they'd been given, small green portions amidst the dryness.
"I have some good ones," the man said, pointing. "This one is for work. This one for transport. This one is old, but still has a year of service left, maybe two."
He turned to her.
"So. Which one do you choose? And how will you pay?"
Lilith looked at the old horse.
The animal watched her with dull eyes, ribs showing under its skin, mane unkempt.
"The payment," she said. "Here it is."
She placed her hand on her chest.
A small lump began to pulse under her skin. It moved. Rose up her throat. Up her neck.
The man's eyes opened wide. Then his mouth. Paralyzed, he didn't make a sound.
From Lilith's mouth, a serpent began to emerge.
Black. Long. Gleaming like obsidian. On its forehead, a brand-like rune glowed with its own light. It uncoiled slowly, sliding over her lips, falling into her outstretched hand.
Lilith smiled.
"Here it is."
She offered the serpent.
The animal lunged.
Straight at the man.
He shouted. Struck the creature in the air with his forearm. The serpent fell to the ground, but twisted and attacked again. It coiled around his ankle. Bit the fabric of his pants.
The man jumped. Tried to stomp it, but it dodged. He ran to one side. The serpent followed.
Lilith just laughed.
She flung the stable door wide open. The old horse lifted its head. She took it by the halter and led it out of the stall. Mounted it with a swift movement.
Behind her, the man finally managed to restrain the serpent. He used his cloak as a shield, wrapped it up, pressed it against the ground with both hands. The creature thrashed, struggled, tried to escape.
Lilith rode up to him. The old horse walked slowly, but steadily.
"I'll take this one," she said, looking at the animal. "An exchange of creatures."
She spurred it on.
She galloped out of the farm.
Dust rose behind her. The man shouted something, but the words were lost in the wind.
The serpent kept fighting beneath the cloak.