C'thelli's Demonic Orphanage (Completed and Editing)

23

"Hanley, why are you Sicilian?" The devil asked. She couldn't hide the exasperated look on her face as the lichen began to wave his hands about in stereotypical gestures.

"Irrispettoso, I am a don, and you will refer to me as such! Unless you want my associate here to introduce you to the fishes." He said with a nod towards the wraith, who floated beside the kitchen door with a look of misery upon her face.

When the teenager spoke, it was gladdening to hear that she refused to use that gratingly offensive accent, "The only fish I'm introducing is the one Feimo cooked for you. Trust me, you'll need the energy today," She said with a knowing roll of her eyes. 

With a nodded thanks, she headed into the kitchen and pulled a small cloth from a plate. The smell of freshly grilled cod and boiled cabbage and carrots filled her nose with a welcoming waft of steam. When she took an initial bite she was enamoured by the drizzle of lemon that coated the flaky texture of her meal. 

While she refused to eat meat, she was yet to abstain from fish for their habit of not bleeding as much upon death. But now, as taste exploded with a sweet tang upon her tongue, she couldn't help but reconsider her journey to vegetarianism. 

"Damn it, Feimo. You may just make me a pescatarian yet." She said with a ghost of a smile on her lips. She had to turn away from her children to hide her mirth as she took another bite with a fork. "Speaking of which, where is he, and the girls for that matter?" She added after a moment of listening to silence.

"I sent signior Feimo to Father Dominique to collect payment for our protection," The God-flower muttered whilst stroking a potted plant in his lap. What? She almost spat out her carrots at the mention of the vampire's name. Why on earth would he go to him without her?

"As for the other two, they said they were going to follow him in secret. Something about testing their magics. I swear, ever since Feimo woke up they've been acting like a sugared up... Don Hanley." Vivian said with a sideways glance towards the boy. Upon hearing his title, his wooden jaw splintered open with a snap and a dozen little chunks of bark within formed a crooked grin. 

Fighting to remain calm, she forced her voice to come out at a level tone. "Well, whatever they're up to, at least they had the common sense to not make a mess." The devil's eye cast an accusatory glare at the lichen sitting in the chair. A loud gulping sound emanated from him whilst he glanced down towards the pile of leaves and moss at his feet. With a sigh, she finished her meal and left it on the table. She'd clean it later, for a new task awaited her, "Well, boss, shall we see if they need back up?"

Beyond the confines of the orphanage upon the hill, grey clouds carried a nip in the air around the village, encasing it in an oppressive atmosphere laden with rain. Static buzzed on the tips of Feimo's pointed ears and the cocktail of cold and nerves made him shake profusely. He watched the village square gradually empty of humans longing to finish their noon shopping before the heaven's burst overhead. 

Only once the war drums of thunder pounded and the first droplets of water trickled down their heads, the vibrantly coloured stalls were abandoned by customer and trader alike, favouring shops and homes with solid roofs instead. 

"Ooh, pretty!" Ralgin lifted her hands and stuck out her tongue in a greeting to the rolling storm, much to the demon's amazement. Each droplet that splashed against his neck and back were like knives stabbing into him, twinging the nerves beneath the skin. Overwhelming, that was it. He felt precisely the same way when he fell into the pond. It was too much all at once.

Omitting the effort to look her in the face, he grabbed the angel's hand, and when he wiped his golden locks from his eyes and found the village empty, he made a beeline for the church. All the while, Ralgin cheered with glee as she floated behind him under a pink mist.