I yank the rope again and finally the bucket reaches the surface spshing water back where it came from, making a gentle spshing sound as it falls to the bottom of the dark abyss. I unhook the bucket before pcing it next to the several others that I had collected today. Satisfied that I had drawn all the water we need for today, I hook them all on my arm and heave with an undylike grunt.

  Walking away from the well I run into Mr. Morgan “Oh heya young Enri! A little te to be gatherin’ water today don’t you think?” He asks. I can only scratch my head in embarrassment.

  “I got up at 7 today. Guess I was just really tired or something.” I ugh nervously. For the sake of Nemu’s dignity I’m not going to say I was woken up in the middle of the night because she was scared to go pee by herself. I know she considers herself a big girl nowadays.

  He gives me a gnce and I hide myself in an exaggerated manner to which he ughs and smiles gently. “Guess you’re becoming a woman now. I used to sleep in ‘till noon when I was a teenager.” He tells me.

  “Then an hour or two of extra rest isn’t that bad right.” I call back somewhat loudly since I passed him by this point and he doesn’t appear intent on following. He just smiles and waves back so I continue my journey back home. Just then I hear a loud commotion from the vilge entrance. I freeze in pce, thinking back on the st monster attack and take a careful peak down one of the roads leading to the entrance. Walking through said entrance and talking to the vilge chief is a very clearly noble girl.

  Her hair is curled with frigid eyes that send a shiver down my spine and fingers without a single split nail or blister. She has the arrogance and clean countenance of a noble. Strange however is the maid outfit she’s wearing which despite the treacherous road to the vilge has not a scratch or speck of dirt.

  There is a simir woman on each of her sides. A young girl with hair tied up in a pair of buns her face pcid and emotionless wearing another maid outfit with a different colouring but simir design. She seems somehow off in a way I could not pinpoint. On the other side meanwhile is a woman who could fit into any vilge with a rugged face, tanned skin and fming tangled hair. The only thing that stands out is her golden eyes. They shine in a way that doesn’t match her smile and the fact that she has a massive weapon I don’t recognise on her back and isn’t toppling over suggests she’s the guard of the party.

  I approach closer and hear them discussing. “-say you’re here to inspect the area for a noble personage?” The chief asks and I recognise the bewilderment in his voice.

  “Indeed. We cannot tell you the name of our master or the organisation to which we belong but they are interested in the area. We will be observing and asking questions.” The girl says with a voice that sounds like the popping of a bubble. She says this more as a statement than a question which I guess makes sense for a noble.

  The vilge chief hesitates only a second before leading them to his own house and speaking about the surrounding area. Still I wonder what a noble wants with this area.

  It’s on the border with monster territory, between the kingdom and the empire as well as pretty much uninhabitable from a noble’s perspective. There’s simply no trade. No noble of the kingdom would come this far out and if a merchant from the empire showed up they’d be cut down on the spot. Even the theocracy doesn’t bother to do more than cim the nds are theirs without actually trying to wage a war over it.

  ///

  The following days were odd with the presence of the clearly noble guests. They watched everything we did. Asking questions like how hard it was for us, how common it was in surrounding areas even asking about taxes and the kingdom. Some of their questions weren’t even about us but the world itself. Who doesn’t know of the dragon lords? This was more than the kingdom asked about to take those taxes let alone just randomly inspecting the area.

  Everyone had gotten used to their presence by this point though. Unfortunately today was my day to have the little one with buns in her hair watch what I’m doing. I had gathered the water this morning already. Since I woke up on time today it was currently half past 7 and I was already done with breakfast so I think I’ll use this time to fix up any tears in my clothes for the next week. Back when I was a kid my dresses looked like patchworks.

  Now that I knew how to sew and generally gathered any fabric that was torn off there were a lot less areas that contained those patches. It was still in pretty rough shape though. Still this was why I didn’t understand the nobles, there was no way to get anything here which was why we had to patch up our clothes.

  I just couldn’t see what they wanted. This girl was the worst of the lot by far though, while Lady Solution was like a typical noble and Lady Lupisregina was teasing but generally affable Lady Entoma was just weird. Her eyes didn’t follow my movements at all. I felt a gaze on my hands as I worked but her face didn’t so much as twitch and her eyes may as well have been made of gss for all they moved. It sent a shiver down my spine when she stared.

  I took a side gnce at her and noticed her looking slightly off to the side. That in itself wasn’t unusual. The fact that she stood up and immediately left the house however made me follow her movements. I stared at the needle for a moment before gently pcing my dress down on the desk.

  It’s not like this couldn’t wait for another day and I was curious what made her leave so suddenly. I followed behind her until I heard a scream. I stopped in pce, looking back at my house. I quickly rushed back inside and shouted “I heard a scream!” as I scramble towards the backyard where mum was sewing just like I was though she preferred the outside sun to the shade inside the house. Dad meanwhile was ploughing the field, a droplet of sweat falling down the side of his face.

  When they heard me they both looked at me with surprise. Then dad’s face became stern. “Where and how long ago?” He asked and before I could answer I saw something metallic glint behind him.

  “Behind you!” I scream, grabbing Nemu from mother’s p where she was asleep and waking her up. It was a little too rough but I didn’t have time to care. Mother lurched out of her chair as well grabbing Nemu’s other hand and running dragging me along with her. The moment dad turned around his hoe met solid steel and lost, snapping into two. I was gd that it did though. If the hoe hadn’t been there, he would have had a gash in his torso far too rge to recover from.

  He kicks the metal man in the torso but he barely staggers while dad takes several steps backward. It’s enough for him to escape though. He runs in our direction and the metal man can’t keep up, weighed down by that heavy metal armour.

  We don’t question our fortune and immediately run for the vilge exit. Mum takes us between the buildings and areas covered by shadow. Another scream rings out closer to our location and mum changes the direction we’re going, circling around the area the noise comes from. Dad keeps gncing behind us but pushes us up when we trip over our own feet. As we emerge from the area between the mayor’s house and the treasury we come face to face with more of the metal men. Now that I look closer their knights.

  Swords are strapped to their waists and a crest is embzoned on their shields and breastptes. A proud griffon. The crest of the Baharuth empire and the moment they spot us all of them turn as one with swords drawn.

  As I see the glint of steel I suddenly feel the air rush from my lungs as I sm forcefully into the wall of the mayor’s house. I cling to Nemu’s hand like a lifeline as I try to regain my breath. Looking forward mum’s outstretched hand she used to push me is waving in the direction of the treasury. I look to the side and see the pnk that we used to use as kids to hide in the treasury. I can barely fit any more so I shove Nemu in first her small frame easily slipping through before my chest is compressed against my body as I crouch down and bite my lip trying to repress any sort of noise. Or tears.

  Climbing over the stacks of hay and lifting Nemu up behind me we make it to the other side of the treasury where a small compartment for quickly depositing items is located. We can barely fit in there together. As we do I barge my shoulder into the wooden panel and it tips but just returns to it’s pce.

  “Huh? Did you hear that, I think someone’s hiding in the treasury.” I hear one of the knights say and I do my all not to scream. Frantically I bash against the panel making it tip but once again returning to it’s previous pce. With a small impact. “You’re right. I think I heard a bang, boys we got a runner!” Shouts another of the knights and I muster all my weight smming against the wooden panel with such force that it shatters. A hot pain radiates from my arm but I don’t have time to worry about that.

  Grabbing Nemu’s hand again with my good arm I yank her out of the escape route I created and sprint dragging her along behind me. “Hey this hatch is broken. They’re leaving through the east gate, after them!” I hear in the distance.

  I try to increase my pace but the burning in my arm, a new ache in my shoulder and the wheezing breaths coming from my lungs become more apparent the faster I go. It’s not like we’ll be safe even if we escape. The forest is full of monsters and humans are just food to most of the creatures there especially children like Nemu. But… I draw blood from my lip. It’s better than being helplessly cut down with a scream as all anyone will ever remember you by.

  I see trees in the distance and let out a sigh of relief. Far too soon. A moment ter a white hot pain carves itself into my back and I fall over. I cover Nemu, accidentally crushing her underneath me. I don’t care though, I can’t let her get hurt like this. I can’t think straight.

  “Tch. Little rabbit, did you really think we weren’t guarding the exits. This isn’t a game of tag you know.” Says a disgusting voice from above me as I feel the spittle enter my wound from his mouth. It hurts. But I have to do something. But it hurts. But this man is evil, he should be punished. I should punish him. You’ll die. He is evil. Leave everyone you’ll make it alone. Protect Nemu. I will stop them.

  I drag my body to it’s feet and swing my body from left to right using the momentum to sm my fist into his jaw. Or the helmet covering it. A dull ringing sound reverberates and I feel something crack but I don’t care I continue swaying, trying to use all I can. Just then air leaves my lungs again. This time it’s not out of care as I feel the bootprint forming a bruise on my stomach.

  “You little.” He growls in that disgusting voice and I see a hazy silver object. Guess that’s all I got huh? Which is when an airy voice appears right in my ear with a tone like a girl at a ball and the world goes dark.

  “My, I do love watching a girl who struggles for her family. It’s so fun to see the despair of losing everyone they love, sad that I have to actually be the knight in shining armour this time.” It says in an eerily cheery tone. Something appears from the darkness in front of me, a face that I can’t quite make out yet. Despite that when she mutters it comes from the direction of the knight instead. “Oops better get back in character again before he follows me through the gate.” Which is when I gnce at night herself and lose my mind.

  A dark abyss in the sockets where eyes should be located suck in my soul. Her hair almost blends with the night she had summoned upon us. My only glimpses were like streaks of starlight but they could not draw my eye for I could not avert my gaze. The longer I stare the less I can think. Even the fangs she reveals in her smile, the sparkling jewels on the fanning skirt of her dress or the dazzling earrings like condensed droplets of shadow could not re-orient my mind.

  I… I had seen something I shouldn’t. This was wrong. It shouldn’t exist. It cannot exist. I scratch my eyes, trying to dig them out of their sockets but it’s not enough. The memory still lingers. As I try to dig further she grabs my wrists with what seemed like gentle grace but felt like an iron vice. Then her gentle whisper comes from behind me. “Ah I forgot people could actually be affected by madness from a simple aura. Most of the people I know have immunity you see. I say it’s better to let you carry on as if you saw nothing, for both our sakes. I hope this works as I think. Control mind.” She mutters and I bnk out.

  Iassus-Rudera