-Arc 1-

  Chapter 9

  “Rory Firmin”

  *?*?*?*

  Caelia had now taken over as leader of the search. Eris’s eyes were much more vigilant now. Though, not in search of the boy.

  She was watching Caelia, who had nearly severed Eris’s top from her lower half a few minutes ago.

  It was unfortunate that she couldn't focus on the search, but she couldn't peel her eyes from Caelia, who seemed ignorant to her near murder.

  If not protective of herself, then at least of Eitz.

  Eitz: “Miss Eris, is something troubling you? Do you smell that smell again or something?”

  Eris: “Ah— no. I’m just thinking about something…”

  Any alternative to lying was preferable, so she chose to withhold the truth. Though it was almost as bad as lying.

  Of course, she did not want to come out and say that she was watching Caelia like a hawk for any threatening movements from her.

  Caelia: “What smell?”

  Eris: “Um… well, you see…”

  Caelia: “Is there a reason that you are stalling?”

  Eris: “No— no! I’m not… It smelled kinda rotten…”

  Caelia: “A corpse?”

  The maid with silver hair never looked behind at Eris as she spoke.

  Eris: “No. No, not a corpse. Like bad breath.”

  Caelia’s indifference to her answer was like she did not even hear it. Even if that was somehow the case, Eris did not wish to repeat it to Caelia.

  She found that speaking to her felt as tedious as dusting hard-to-reach crevices, or balancing a large stack of dishes.

  Caelia suddenly took a sharp turn. Eitz seemed to be tracking the footsteps as well, and made the turn himself, so Eris trusted it.

  Eitz: “Uh-oh…”

  Eris reached out her hand, a gentle sprinkle hitting her skin. Rain was carried in the wind, spraying across her face in cold pops.

  Soon, the gentle mist became a shower. The shower became a down-pour, and immediately after, the forest trembled with torrents of glossy sheets of rain.

  Eitz: “Silver Lady, can't you make a wind umbrella or something?”

  Caelia: “It doesn't work like that. And besides, I told you to call me Caelia.”

  Eris felt her blouse become heavy and dark with rain, her hair dripping with water.

  The darkened sky rumbled angrily, and a wet chill seeped into Eris.

  Eitz: “I lost the trail. The rain washed all the tracks away.”

  Caelia: “No matter. I think I found the end of it anyway.”

  Eris and Eitz: “Huh? You did?”

  Caelia stepped down off a small ledge, descending the hill into a large valley.

  Following her, Eris felt wet earth slide beneath her feet. Howling wind threatened to force her off balance.

  Caelia led them to a precarious road which was etched into the side of a steep hill. On the other side, the hill dropped into forests far below.

  Reaching the muddy road, Caelia turned to an arched rock.

  Rather, it was a cave with a slitted opening.

  Eitz: “No way! Rory wouldn't go in there. He’s terrified of the dark and small spaces.”

  Despite that, Caelia peered into the cave.

  Caelia: “Boy? Are you in there?”

  Her harsh voice was met with silence.

  Caelia: “Child?!”

  Her raising tone was not out of concern, but of annoyance.

  Eitz poked his head into the mouth of the cavern, peering around in the pitch black darkness.

  Eitz: “Rory?”

  ???: “E-Eitz?”

  Eris’s heart skipped. A muffled child’s voice called out from the cave in response.

  Eitz: “Come out! Your dad is worried sick!”

  Rory: “No way! There are monsters! Don't you smell that?! A-And besides, how can I trust you?”

  The voice’s face was hidden, masked by the darkness. However, the fear in his voice was easily interpretable.

  Eitz: “Smell what?”

  Caelia: “Trust us?”

  She muttered that under her breath with a tangible hint of disdain.

  Rory: “It smells really, really bad! It only went away when I came in here!”

  Eris was the last to join them at the mouth of the cave.

  Eitz: “You can smell it too?”

  Rory: “Smell it too? Of course I can, it’s super strong!”

  There was a pause in the voice from the cave. Rain hammered against the forest floor, wind snapping at the trees. All three of them were sopping with rainwater.

  Caelia: “We don't want to be here all day.”

  Rory: “How can I trust you?”

  Desperate, his voice called out from the cave. It wasn't in a confronting tone. Rather he deeply wished for any reason he could grasp to trust them.

  Eitz: “It’s me, Eitz!”

  Rory: “——”

  Eitz: “Miss Eris is out here too!”

  Eris: “Um, hello Rory! It’s okay to come out!”

  Rory: “Eris? Is it really you?”

  Eris glanced at Eitz, then peering back into the blackness of the cave, she called back into it.

  Eris: “Yes, it’s me!”

  Echoing, shuffling footsteps echoed out from the cave. They approached, until a small face appeared in the dim light.

  Streaked with mud, a young boy with crimson hair shuffled out from the cave.

  His green jacket was tattered and damp, and his eyes were sunken with exhaustion. His arms crossed in a guarded posture, eyes darting between the three of them, but lingering on Caelia the longest.

  Eitz, the only one able to fit into the cave, helped Rory between the thin, stone jaws and into the rain.

  Rory's eyes finally rested on Eris after bouncing back and forth.

  Rory: “Miss Eris…”

  He said it with a bit of relief, a smile creeping across his face, as if he did not believe it was her based on voice alone. Eris’s breath hitched, before remembering that the village children remembered another ‘Eris.’

  Eris: “Um… How are you?”

  She had no idea what the best words for this situation would be.

  Either way, it did not seem to matter. Eris felt a familiar sensation, though this time it was colder and wetter.

  A young boy hugging her tightly— she had felt it before. Rory was a bit taller, and the mud on him stained her uniform. Of course, she would not fuss about it.

  Eitz: “She’s feeling a bit forgetful right now. But don't worry, she’s still Eris.”

  She could do nothing but hug the boy in return, as her body was the only thing congruent with the previous ‘Eris’ whom he seemed to be attached to.

  Rory: “Forget…ful…”

  Caelia: “Now, let’s return. I do not like being wet.”

  Rory: “Wait! But what about the beast? A-and the guy?”

  —*—

  Caelia’s foot squelched in the sticky mud.

  Caelia: “What guy?”

  Rory crossed his arms, shivering in the wet cold.

  Rory: “I don't know his name…”

  His hesitation was met by Caelia's sharp glare.

  Rory: “But… he was wearing all black, and he had some kind of mask…”

  Caelia: “Where did you see him?”

  Rory: “Well, when I saw the monster, he was right there, too…”

  Eris: “What kind of monster?”

  Rory: “It looked like a huuuuge horse, or something like that. Except it was really buff and had giant horns.”

  Eris had no memory of an animal like that. ‘Monster’ seemed like an adequate name for it, even when only described with words.

  Of course, with the ‘horn’ description, she figured it was——

  Caelia: “A demon-beast… with a man.”

  Rory: “That's right. A-And, he shot at me as well!”

  Eris: “He shot at you?!”

  Rory nodded vigorously, water shaking off him.

  Rory: “With… dark magic, I think. Well, I did start running when I saw him, so maybe he thought I was suspicious. I just knew I couldn't trust him.”

  There was a pause as the group began in the direction of the town. With the downpour, returning home was the first thing on everyone’s mind. Especially Rory, who had been through a lot in the past day.

  Two pairs of feet hesitated, however.

  Eris: “That…”

  Rory: “I smell it again.”

  Immediately, Eris’s eyes met with Rory’s, and though they shared a significant difference in age, nodded with immediate understanding.

  Caelia: “You two, there is no reason to stall. I do not wish to be out in the rain.”

  Eris: “You can't smell it either, I guess, Caelia?”

  Caelia responded with a stern, yet blank glare.

  Eris: “Me and Rory have been smelling this really terrible smell. It finally went away, but it’s suddenly gotten stronger.”

  Eitz: “The bad breath smell?”

  Rory rotated around to face his friend. He was a bit taller than Eitz, and looked a bit older as well.

  Rory: “You can smell it too?”

  Eitz shook his head as rain assaulted his shoulders and hair.

  Eitz: “No, no. Miss Eris told me about it.”

  Rory nodded, a bit dejected.

  Eris: “Do you know what it is? The smell?”

  Rory: “Actually…”

  He suddenly went quiet, and his face drained of color. Predicting an impatient snap from Caelia, Eris nervously glanced in her direction. Her eyes were closed standoffishly, with her soaked arms crossed, and her head tilted the other direction.

  Rory: “I think it was… probably that beast.”

  Of course, Eris had considered this, and so she was not too surprised by the revelation. Especially considering that she had not seen the said horse beast, the emotional value and shock she could place on it was easily subdued.

  Rory: “It got super strong when it was near, so that’s my guess.”

  Caelia: “So, what you’re saying is that there is a high likelihood that a demon-beast is near, and yet, we are standing about doing nothing?”

  Though Eris often found Caelia’s tone and attitude irritating, she understood that this time, she had merit in saying this.

  Eris: “You’re right. We should probably get moving. Velna shouldn't be that far…”

  That terrible, pungent odor stung the inside of her nose angrily. She noticed Rory plugging his nose from it.

  Eitz: “I wonder why it’s just you two that can smell it.”

  Rory: “Maybe it’s because you two are sick?”

  Caelia: “I’m healthy.”

  Rory’s voice had gotten squeaky and nasally as he plugged his nose.

  Eitz: “I was feeling sick a few weeks ago, but it was just seasonal allergies…—”

  Eitz began to trail off as he spoke, his eyes fixated on the treeline. His rosy cheeks went pale, and his vibrant eyes were wide.

  Eris: “Eitz? Is everything alright?”

  Eitz: “Ah…”

  He only responded with a sharp breath, shaking his head slowly.

  The other three followed his gaze into the treeline, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  Caelia: “If you see something, child, then say it.”

  Eitz: “Ghost…”

  Eris: “A ghost?”

  Rory: “——!?”

  Caelia: “Do not fool around. I’m not in the mood.”

  Eitz again shook his head, pointing his small finger towards the hill which they had descended off to get to the cave.

  Eitz: “I saw it… it was white, and… it was huge…”

  Rory: “That’s… what I saw!”

  Caelia released a sigh, and extended out her two fingers towards the trees. As she did so, a backblast of wind, only a gentle breeze which was barely noticeable in the already powerful storm, brushed against the three behind her. However, being fired from her fingers, a significant blast of wind, invisible to the eye yet warping the world around it, sliced through the forest. Clumps of trees were severed from their trunks, and toppled over.

  Eitz: “That was impressive, Miss Caelia, but it already disappeared!”

  Caelia: “Then, I suppose we’re being stalked.”

  Eris, Eitz & Rory: “Stalked?”

  Caelia: “Natural to my luck, though still surprising, settlers of a village surrounded by a demon-beast-infested forest are not aware of the common behaviors of demon-beasts.”

  Eris: “Caelia…”

  She held her tongue, so that she did not say something brash which would provoke Caelia and cause an argument at a time where far more important things were at hand.

  Eitz: “Can't you just tell us what you mean?”

  The words which left Eitz were almost exactly what Eris was planning to say.

  The real reason, despite her justifying it with placation in her mind, was that she did not have the willpower to challenge her.

  Eitz, in that regard, and many others, was admirable to her.

  Caelia: “Very well. Demon-beasts are attracted to victims which their instincts tell them will pose enough of a threat to them. They stalk their target which meets that criteria, until they think they’ve found the opportune time to attack.”

  Rory: “Actually, I think my mother told me something like that…”

  Eris: “So, if we stay alert, they won't attack?”

  Caelia’s eyes snapped to Eris, and she sharply shook her head.

  Caelia: “It has nothing to do with our alertness. In fact, the criteria which a demon-beast determines the opportune time to strike is still unknown.”

  Eitz: “Either way, if it stalks us, won't we lead it back to the village?”

  Rory: “The village guards would definitely be a scary opponent to them, wouldn't it?”

  Caelia crossed her arms, keeping only one eye open.

  Caelia: “Please refrain from considering me an expert on demon-beasts. I am no such thing.”

  Eitz & Rory: “Sorry—”

  Caelia: “That being said, I do believe we should not attract demon-beasts to the village. It is our duty, after all, to keep the village safe, Eris.”

  Of course by ‘our,’ Caelia meant the maids, but in this context specifically her and Eris. However, why she had to be specifically mentioned, she didn't know.

  Eris: “Eh— I don't really get it, but are you implying you want me to do something specific?”

  Caelia: “I wouldn't send children into battle. However, the two of us are fit to do so.”

  —*—

  ???: “Rory, don't talk to strangers!”

  The young boy, his crimson hair swaying, was yanked along by the firm hand of a woman.

  The woman had jet black hair, draping loosely over her back. Her eyes were the same inky color, as well as the curved horns on her head, though she often wore a veil or hood to cover them.

  Rory: “But mother, he’s selling sweets!”

  Black-haired Woman: “Didn't I tell you people like that are untrustworthy? They could have poisoned it, or they might want to take you.”

  Rory held his tongue. He was accustomed to this kind of rhetoric from his mother, who ingrained this way of thinking into him since before he could walk.

  Still, he could get distracted from paranoia at interesting things which stifled that sense.

  Rory: “You’re right, mother. I’m sorry.”

  He said that with a thin smile, so that his mother would relax and she could breathe normally.

  Another point that deeply concerned his mother was his magic. Sharing the silver rune with many of his ancestors, it was almost a matter of course that he would inherit it.

  However, for reasons untold, his mother deeply mistrusted the use of magic and runes. His father too, though much bolder than his mother, had apprehensions about Rory using his magic.

  He had attempted to train himself a bit by using his powers for cleaning and cutting, which he figured would be okay if done in moderation.

  However, when he tried to use it—

  His mother had to be pulled away from him by his father, and eventually she was the one sobbing. His mother’s punishment style made sure that he would not risk himself again by using magic.

  He was never allowed to play with the village children for most of his life.

  Rory’s mother restricted him from leaving the house alone, interacting with others without supervision, and even looking out the window.

  As a toddler, his young mind could not comprehend the reason, and so, restless as a child would be, grew frustrated and caused much grief in his mother.

  But as he grew old enough to show compassion to others, he understood that his mother knew best, and wanted the best for him, so even though it was difficult, he obeyed her whims.

  On his tenth birthday, his father, from whom he inherited his red hair, pulled his mother aside into another room. The house was empty aside from them. No guests had ever entered the house other than the shop on the lower floor, and he had no siblings.

  Rory couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he heard a hushed conversation which quickly evolved into a shouting-argument between his parents.

  After hugging his knees by the door of the room, they eventually returned.

  His father looked disheveled and exhausted. His mother, looking pale with tears across her face, gave him a faint smile.

  Mother: “Would you like to play with the other children?”

  Rory of course had not an idea of why his mother had a radical and instantaneous change of mindset, but regardless, he undertook it with vigour.

  As one of his presents that year, he was able to make his first friends. Though his mother still did not trust the school enough to enroll him.

  He found that playing with other children his age fulfilled a hole in his heart which had not been plugged since then.

  He also found that, naturally, since he had little experience interacting with others aside from his parents, he did not exactly ‘fit in’ with the others.

  Oftentimes, he found himself in a damp, pitch black space.

  This was because he was terrified of the dark, like most things. His mother had instilled that fear into him.

  Mother: “Don't trust anything. Don't trust anyone. There is always a reason to fear them, but not everything has a reason to not.”

  To a child, that was sound logic.

  The cold, damp, dark spaces which he could not escape put pressure on his chest and it felt like he could not breathe.

  His heart betrayed him, racing so fast it would ache and he couldn’t hear over the pounding of its drum.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  His muscles tensed, body full of adrenaline, and the entire thing was a loop which caused more stress.

  ???: “Have you manned up yet? Are you still scared?”

  There was muffled snickering behind the locked door.

  Rory tried to breathe, but dust invaded his lungs.

  The door of the old, haunted house was blocked by at least three other children on the other side. Undoubtedly, Rory was trapped and at the mercy of their generosity.

  Rory: “P-p, lease…”

  He tried to stammer out, but his heart pounded into his throat.

  A loud rattle reverberated from down the pitch black hall, followed by what Rory could only interpret as a ghastly howl.

  The houses were rumored to be haunted. Among darkness, which always remained his number one fear as it could hide any other danger amongst it, ghosts were his second.

  It was perhaps a silly thing to be scared of ghosts. After all, their existence was ambiguous. However, the thought of their existence plagued many of his thoughts when alone.

  ???: “You still sound scared!”

  ???: “He’s crying, I can hear it!”

  It’s true that tears streaked his face, as they often did. It would be impossible not to. He could only think of the darkness he was swallowed in, the unknown supernatural horrors that stalked him.

  The children who mocked him were ones that he once considered friends. But, like always, his mother’s wisdom proved correct.

  Mother: “Don't trust anything. Don't trust anyone. There is always a reason to fear them, but not everything has a reason to not.”

  More tears streaked his face. The guilt of not obeying his mother— not understanding her warnings, growing frustrated when she warned him of this very situation.

  If Eitz was here, maybe he would have pushed the bullies away, stood up to them like a hero, or whatever he would do.

  No—

  He couldn't rely on Eitz, either.

  He couldn't trust anyone.

  ???: “What are you children doing? Open this door!”

  A young woman’s voice suddenly snapped him from his spiraling panic.

  There was a rustle outside, and the children who blocked the door murmured.

  ???: “Who are you?”

  ???: “I knew it… I should have known this had bad intentions…”

  As if directing that anger inwards, that voice grew sadder.

  ???: “Get out of here, lady!”

  Suddenly, there was a scream outside. Of course, not one of murder or violence, but one of sheer terror.

  ???: “Pl-please, let me go!”

  ???: “Get out of here.”

  Even over the throbbing of his racing heart, Rory could hear the footsteps of the children running away.

  ???: “Are you alright in there? Is someone there?”

  Rory swallowed hard, holding his breath.

  If he made his presence known, there was a high likelihood that something terrible might happen to him.

  However, if he didn't, there was also a chance that he would be locked in here permanently, since the door would never open.

  Of course the fear took him over again, and his body began to shake violently.

  As hot tears streaked his face, the muffled voice outside grew distant. Thoughts raced through his mind, debating what to do, but his body never put any idea to action.

  ???: “It’s okay, you can trust me.”

  Rory: “——”

  The other side of the door spoke that, and for a moment it was like his heart stopped.

  ???: “I know it might not be easy, but trust me. I’m going to open the door now, okay?”

  Rory: “Wait!”

  Being locked in that terrifying black room, possibly haunted by the supernatural, he pressed his hands against the door to hold it shut himself.

  The voice outside, a gentle voice of a young woman, did not soothe him. After all, untrustworthy opponents presented themselves in all shapes, including young women.

  It was better to maintain the status-quo, rather than be thrust into the dangerous unknown.

  Rory: “Please, don't!”

  The voice outside remained silent for a moment.

  ???: “I know it might be scary, but if you trust yourself, you can let others help you!”

  Rory didn't understand that logic at all. It had nothing to do with him. He was the victim here, and trusting himself was not the issue.

  ???: “Trust yourself to make the decision, so that you can get help.”

  That was what he told himself, at least.

  Rory: “Hu~”

  He let out a small breath. Immediately, he felt his heart skip. His body moved on its own. He didn't tell himself to do so, but his body did it anyway, and he didn't stop his hand from moving away, allowing the voice on the other side to open the door.

  Bathed in sunlight from behind, illuminated like a religious oil painting, a figure stood before him.

  Clothed in a large dress, with frills around her limbs, white hair cascaded down her body. Her warm crimson eyes met his.

  Her hand extended out to the young boy, as his tears began to flow even harder.

  Rory: “Who… are you?”

  ???: “I’m Eris. Just Eris. Nothing fancy like having a last name.”

  Rory: “E…ris…”

  Eris: “If you can trust me enough, I’d like to ask yours.”

  Rory stared back at this strange woman, dressed like a servant, undecipherable in intentions.

  Rory: “I don't know if I can…”

  At this point, trust was not something he could throw around, even if he wished he could.

  Eris: “That’s unfortunate… I’d really like to know, but it’s your decision.”

  He truly wished he could.

  Rory: “——”

  But unfortunately, he was too scared. His legs were still shaking and his eyes were still watering, and the woman in front of him was probably still an enemy.

  Eris: “It’s okay to be scared. If you want to run away, then you should trust your decision to do that.”

  For some reason, he felt he could trust that statement— so, his shaky legs began to move, past the woman in black and white frilly dress, and towards the direction of home.

  Rory: “I-I’m… Rory Firmin!”

  He shouted as he sprinted down the street.

  —*—

  Eris: “I’m not sure I really like the scary way you put it- ‘battle.’”

  Caelia: “Have the children you accumulated at your hip begun to infect your mind?”

  Eris: “Huh?”

  Caelia: “Such a childish way of putting it.”

  Eris: “——”

  Caelia: “Even though children are present, it is still a battle. It is as I said previously, we cannot risk leading this demon-beast who is stalking us back to the village.”

  The rain continued to pour, soaking through their clothes and hair. Truthfully, in the cold and wet, all Eris wanted to do was take a warm bath.

  Of course, bathing was a time when she could be left alone in her head, which was often a torturous time for her.

  Remaining active, even in uncomfortable circumstances like this, were the only ways she could fend that off. So in a way, she dreaded what she desired most.

  Additionally, she felt that staying out in the rain could be a way to build discipline and character, which is never something to reject.

  Eitz: “Then, what are we doing? I’m soaked and I want to go home!”

  Caelia: “It is as if you have no survival instincts, child.”

  Eitz: “Of course, I’m not scared!”

  Caelia: “It would be ideal if the beast would strike now, and get it over with. Even I cannot deny my discomfort.”

  Rory: “W-What?!”

  Rory’s fist clenched into Eris’s skirt, to the point where rain water oozed out of it. Eris could do nothing but pat his head.

  Caelia: “Can't one of you make yourselves useful and sniff the beast out?”

  Both Rory and Eris found themselves filling their lungs with damp air, attempting to find the scent.

  The scent was present, but—

  Rory: “I can't tell where it’s coming from.”

  Eris: “Yeah, that’s right… I can smell it, but the rain is making it hard to tell where the source is.”

  Caelia placed her hand over her forehead, sighing into it.

  Eris leaned down to the pink haired boy, who was looking vigilant and mature despite his age.

  Eris: “Have you seen it since then, Eitz?”

  Eitz: “I haven't…”

  Mud and rocks, agitated by the storm, began to tumble down the side of the hill, over the road, and down off the steep drop below.

  Rory: “I really don't like this road.”

  Caelia: “Yet you chose it as your hiding spot.”

  Eris clenched her teeth until she could hear the blood flow through her head. It was a disturbing thought, but the image of pushing Caelia off the edge slipped into her mind.

  She shook her head and disregarded the thought.

  Eitz: “Miss Eris, you’re shaking your head pretty violently! Don't slip.”

  Eris: “Ah, uh… thanks for your concern. You’re right, I’m not being very careful.”

  Eitz’s face, dripping with rain water, contorted gently into a smile, small dimples on his cheek.

  Eris felt her own face reciprocate the gesture, and she found herself smiling.

  A larger rock suddenly hit the mud, and the road which was perched on the side of a hill suddenly gave out in a certain spot.

  The spot was right beneath the feet of a maid, who despite the rain, her hair flowed like sparkling strands of silver.

  Eris: “Caelia?!”

  Caelia: “——”

  Wordlessly, the road collapsing under her, she fell into free fall down the hill, tumbling against the steep earth.

  It was silent for a moment, sparing the sound of violent rain. Caelia did not scream as she fell, and Eris, nor the two boys, had words for the moment.

  Suddenly, Eris felt her feet move without consent, and she was brought to the crumbling edge of the road. There was a streak down the earth where Caelia had slid.

  She lowered herself so that her hands braced against the mud, her feet beginning to dangle off the edge.

  Eitz: “Miss Eris, what are you doing?!”

  Thunder crashed ahead, trees swaying violently amongst the storm.

  Eris: “I’m going to get Caelia!”

  Eitz: “What? How are you planning on doing that?”

  Eris: “I don't know, but there's no way I’m just going to do nothing about it!”

  Eitz: “——”

  His face lit up subtly, rain pouring off of his chin.

  Rory: “No!”

  Eris: “——”

  Rory: “You can't do anything! She already fell!”

  Eris: “She isn't dead, so—”

  Rory: “Even so, you can't go!”

  Eitz: “I agree!”

  Eris, clutching the edge and preparing to dive into the sea of trees and sliding mud, began to shiver.

  Eris: “I… have to.”

  Her throat tightened up. Indeed, she did not want to go.

  She was terrified. There were many factors; the demon-beast, the storm, the suspicious ‘man’ Rory mentioned, and unfamiliar terrain. But even so, she could not stand by and do nothing.

  She did not trust herself to do anything but act now.

  Rory: “I don't want to be left alone!”

  Again, her throat trembled. Her vocal chords locking up, she swallowed hard to reset them.

  Eitz: “——”

  Eris: “I—”

  Rory: “I’m scared, and I don't want you to leave!”

  She felt a swell of anger inside her. It was not— definitely not towards Rory. She did not know if it was towards Caelia, or herself, or the world. But it was anger that swirled in her head and yanked at her chest.

  Eitz: “Miss Eris…”

  Eris: “But—”

  Eitz: “I'm scared too!”

  —*—

  Eitz: “I'm scared, and you should really stay!”

  Eris: “——”

  Eitz: “But— but not because I’m scared. Because we need you!”

  Rory vigorously nodded with that, rain flying from his hair.

  Eitz: “We can't fight the demon-beast ourselves! And you…”

  Eris: “But I can't fight it either! I’m weak! So I have to do something…”

  She knew it was stupid. She knew at that point that she was being stupid and she could not dive in after Caelia so recklessly.

  Rory: “But I trust you!”

  Eris felt a swell in her stomach, so much that it hurt. She placed her forehead into the mud, and let out a strained moan.

  It was not difficult to pull herself up from the mud and back onto her feet. For an average human, it would have required decent upper body strength. But Eris did not even know it was something that would be strenuous.

  Still, despite the ease, Rory and Eitz helped her back to her feet.

  She was not sure what the reason for their trust in Eris was, but now was not the time to dwell on something like that.

  There was a time to be philosophical, and there was a time to be opportunistic.

  Eris brushed the mud off her hands and off her skirt, but streaks of dirt were still stained in the white.

  Eris: “I don't think killing is ideal, but we don't have a choice when we’re up against a demon-beast, it seems.”

  The boys’ grim faces— not dissimilar to the ones of the maids on her first day, suddenly lit up, in two different ways.

  Eitz: “Killing a demon-beast will definitely kickstart my heroic journey.”

  Rory: “We’re actually going to fight it?!”

  Rory’s terrified expression tugged at Eris, but again, this was a time to be opportunistic.

  Eris: “Don't worry, I won't put you in danger.”

  Still, there was the matter of how she actually was planning on killing the thing.

  Perhaps she should return to the manor and enlist the help of ‘one of the most splendid fire-casters of the nation.’ But the truth was that she was lost, and had no idea how to get there. She also did not want to risk the beast surviving and knowing the location of the manor.

  Eris did know that, at least by what Aqua had stated to her, she possessed at least somewhat above average strength. But would it be enough to simply punch the beast to death?

  Even if she could, using her fists to end the life of a living creature— her conscience might prevent that.

  The fact of the matter was that she was going to go in blind, and rely on luck and her strength which she did not know the extent of.

  It was not something she wished to do, especially with two young children under her protection.

  Could she really be trusted as the authority in this situation?

  Eitz: “Miss Eris, you always make a really scary looking face when you’re thinking hard about something…”

  Eris gathered her breath and her thoughts as Eitz grounded her to reality.

  Eris: “Oh, do I? Sorry…”

  Eitz: “There is nothing wrong with being a little serious.”

  Giving Eitz a faint smile, she took the two boys’ hands in her own, and ascended the hill to their right, which was comparatively gradual compared to the sharp drop to their left.

  Immediately feeling much safer now that they were not on a precarious road on a cliff side, she took in a big whiff of the air. Of course, the terrible smell was still there, but she still could not track it down based on the scent alone.

  Eris: “Rory, you can't track it with your nose either, can you?”

  Rory shook his head without saying anything.

  Eris: “Eitz, it goes without saying, but keep your eyes peeled.”

  Eitz: “We are hunting something that is hunting us! I really feel like an important hero.”

  The rain did not relent, and the wind only seemed to intensify.

  Of course Eris’s mind continued to be distracted by worry for Caelia. But being soaking wet and cold somehow grounded her in the task.

  Eris looked down at her hand. Soaking with rain water and streaked with mud, she wondered to herself.

  Could she really kill a demon-beast with just her hands?

  She had no real idea of what a demon-beast would be like, especially not the specific one that was hunting them.

  But judging by its footprints, it was an animal much larger than herself.

  Her nose suddenly started to burn with a scent which she has begun to grow familiar with.

  With a tug on her sleeve, the confirmation that Rory also received an intense signal from his nose proved it was not just her imagination.

  Eris: “I think it's close now.”

  Rory: “I want to run. I want to run. I want to run.”

  She wanted to run. She wanted to run away too. Eris took a deep breath, understanding that this was probably the time that she was going to die.

  She had lived a short life in the body of another, comparing herself to her, and ultimately realizing that she could not compare and fell completely short.

  She agonized over it, and lived in self-loathing until she died, bringing down those she was tasked with protecting.

  She was helpless, and could do nothing.

  She wished that those thoughts would motivate her to do better and win, but they only served to make her despair, and make her want to run more.

  But—

  It was true that she was not dead yet, and Eitz and Rory were also still alive.

  She had yet to see the beast in person, so she still might have a chance.

  Eitz: “I see it.”

  —*—

  Emerging from the treeline, Eris witnessed her opponent for the first time.

  A beast, as tall as a house and as white as a pristine uniform, emerged from between too giant trees.

  Dripping with rain, velvety skin over a lean, impossibly muscular body. Its legs slender, wrapped with bulging muscle, ending with sharp hooves at the end.

  On its long, white head, were two curled horns, curling into a sharp point. Its nostrils flared as steam jetted from them.

  A mane of long, shaggy hair trailing off its thick neck to its shoulders, which were mazes of muscle.

  A horse only in basic appearance, a demon-beast in everything else.

  Rory: “I want to run, I want to run, I want to run away. I want to run.”

  The boy was hyperventilating now, but his legs would not let him move. Paralyzing fear which Eris was also familiar with.

  Indeed, she was the same. Her body iced over, blood static in her veins, and her mind captured with dread.

  Eitz, too, despite his dream of being a hero, was just a boy. And no boy could be expected to be brave in the presence of such a monster.

  What was there to do?

  It was not like Eris to swallow her fear and charge head on at the enemy.

  In fact, she had never had a true, physical enemy before. She was used to fighting herself in her head, but her fists were untrained.

  Would lifting strength really translate into fighting power anyway?

  Suddenly, the beast’s massive legs began to move. No thoughts entered her mind, but her body moved regardless, and both Eitz and Rory were yanked along by Eris.

  Both still overcome by fear, only Eitz was able to say words other than ‘I want to run.’

  Eitz: “It’s catching up! It’s catching up!”

  The shadow of the massive beast was growing longer, closer, indeed.

  Looking up, and seeing the white silhouette almost over her now, Eris began to feel lightheaded.

  She wasn't going to pass out— it was a sensation born of adrenaline.

  She would not, in normal circumstances, even consider this, but she suddenly pushed the children out of her hands into the mud. They rolled across the ground, only coming to a stop many meters away from where Eris and the beast were.

  She let her legs suddenly relax, and the beast which was running at full speed to catch her was suddenly above her without even noticing that Eris had slowed.

  Reeling back her fist, she braced her hand.

  She felt her knuckles make contact with the powerful legs of the demon-beast, and a second later, there was a violent roar that shook the forest. It reverberated in her chest and her brain, and her lightheadedness grew to a new strength.

  The beast stumbled, crashing into a tree. A powerful snap told her that the tree had come apart.

  Looking up, she saw the monster she had punched slowly get up from a mess of a shattered tree.

  Eris: “I’m here! I’m right here!”

  She only started shouting because she noticed its glazed black eyes briefly rested on where the two boys were.

  As the demon-beast gained its footing, it pawed the mud with its hind leg. Appearing uninjured, it braced itself to run.

  It huffed moist air, steam curling out of its nose. Its massive tail swinging back and forth. Its horns, wet from rain, caught glistening light like a sword under the sun.

  As the beast prepared, a thought came to Eris. About Rory—

  Eris: “Haaah~...”

  She let out a long sigh as it began to run at her.

  The Maids of

  Count Schwartzhardt's Manor

  Rory gasped for air. After being thrown like that, it was only natural that the wind would be knocked out of him. It seemed that Eitz shared that same fate.

  He clutched his stomach, which ached as he tried to gather his breath. Like most things, getting the wind knocked out of him caused him to panic. Though, this was something that caused panic in most people.

  Finally able to breathe, he glanced along the treeline. He desperately wanted to run. So badly he wanted to do that.

  But where would he go? He had gotten lost getting to the cave, and he still did not know how to get home now.

  Eris.

  Rory suddenly spun around. She was facing down that terrifying monster, even as it charged her down. Running at her like an angry bull, Rory slammed his eyes shut. He did not want to witness her being crushed or devoured.

  It felt like an hour, but tentatively, he opened them. Eris was not a pile of red gore under the beast’s hoof. Rather, she was running around. Not away, but around it.

  He shook Eitz, who was slowly sitting up.

  Rory: “Eitz! Eitz, what do we do?!”

  Eitz: “Rory…”

  He was still in a bit of a daze, staring through Rory. It was true that even Rory still had sparkles in the corner of his vision.

  Rory: “Eitz, let's run. Please, let's run away!”

  Eitz slowly looked over at Eris battling the monster. It was not like they were trading blows, but Eris was still the one running around it and distracting it.

  How she planned on killing it, though…

  Eitz: “Rory, don't you have a rune?”

  He looked down at his wrist. Of course, the faint silver glow stared back at him. Faintly pulsing in dimness, he started shaking his head as he watched it.

  Rory: “I——”

  His throat caught, thinking of his mother’s punishment. Then her apology as she wrapped her arms around his bloody body, her tears stinging his wounds.

  Rory: “I can't…”

  Eitz: “It’s not about being scared anymore! If you don't—”

  Rory: “——”

  Tears began to fall around Rory’s eyes, mixing with the mud and rainwater.

  Eitz: “Eris… me, you… then our village…”

  Rory: “No…”

  Eitz: “It will kill us all!”

  Rory: “No, no… no… no…”

  He was shaking his head rapidly, as hot tears filled his eyes and ran down his cheeks.

  No, he was scared.

  No, he did not want them to die.

  No, his mother told him not to.

  No, he did not want to die.

  Rory: “No…”

  No, he did not trust himself to do it.

  After all, when he tried to use it, he only hurt more people. It was not even about the punishment. It was——

  Eitz: “Rory, please!”

  Eitz's voice was breaking now, too. They were both crying. Eitz’s voice was desperate, primal, for he did not want anyone to die either. His own life was at stake as well.

  Rory: “I… —can't!”

  There was a loud roar, as the demon-beast suddenly swept its head.

  A white blur smashed into Eris, and for a moment, Rory was confident that she was going to be impaled on the beast’s deadly horns.

  Mercifully, she was only struck by its blunt head, and was sent flying. She hit the mud, but he lost sight of her as Eitz shook his shoulders.

  Eitz: “Rory!”

  He could not. He could not do it. Even though he wanted to, he could not.

  He wanted to, but he did not want to.

  Eris: “Rory!”

  Now both of the children’s attention was on Eris, who was pulling herself off the mud. Clutching her side, she stumbled to her feet.

  The demon-beast was now locking eyes with Rory, but even so, he could not look away from Eris.

  Eris: “Use your magic!”

  Rory felt tears pour down his face, washed away by the heavy rain. He wanted to stop crying.

  He was so pathetic, crying.

  He was the only one who could save them, but he was crying.

  He was scared, and he was a liability. But worse, he was a pathetic coward.

  Rory: “I… can't…”

  He choked out.

  The beast began to stomp its feet, preparing itself to charge.

  Eris: “This is something that’s worth using magic for!”

  The beast lowered its head like a bull preparing to charge, but still, Rory could not move.

  He could not breathe, and he could not cast his magic.

  He could not even run.

  He could only cry.

  Eitz: “Rory!”

  Eris: “I need you! We need you! Think about your village!”

  Of course, he was thinking about them. His mother, his father. Eitz next to him, and Eris too.

  The demon-beast began to charge, its massive hooves slamming into the earth, sending vibrations which rattled him.

  But his hand would not move. He could not get the magic to move.

  Eris: “I trust you!”

  Rory: “——”

  The tears seemed to freeze static in his eyes.

  The beast grew closer. Only a few more seconds. That was all he had left before it crushed him.

  Rory: “Trust, me…”

  Eris: “I trust you! I need you! We need you!”

  Rory: “I——”

  Eris: “So, trust yourself!”

  Rory: “——”

  The demon-beast, a powerful white creature— a terrible, horrible interpretation of a horse, clad in muscle and white velvet;

  Suddenly exploded— bursting into a bright crimson, as an incision blew apart its chest. A thunderous crash reverberated amongst the trees, but it was not the storm.

  The demon-beast collapsed onto the forest floor, crimson blood flowing into watery, brown dirt.