The Red Rose

Chapter XVIII

After several days of rest, Juanpi informed me that he and his family had finally returned to Vienna and that he was going to accept his old job back. I was getting ready to return to Chiloé, as Millaray's grandmother, the Machi, had asked me to visit her regarding the Trauco and his death. I was still thinking about the whole thing that was spinning in my head, about the vampires massacred in the desert, and the cult of the famous "Dragon".

"Could Juanpi be right? Could it be that many characters and supernatural beings that seemed like stories were nothing more than historical stories hidden under the cloak of fiction? I mean, we got angels, vampires and monsters. Perhaps humans who were aware of the supernatural world under our noses were subtly communicating within these stories."

The small boat sailed through the Chacao Channel, and we arrived at the island. There, I could see the Machi, Millaray:

"Good morning, mijo. I'm eager to hear the good news, I had a lot of faith in you, I knew you could do it." The Machi said.

"I just did what I had to do," I replied, simply shrugging my shoulders.

While trying to keep a low profile, I was aware that the Trauco issue was something that had to be done, no matter what, since. How could I not take responsibility after seeing Millaray in the condition I rescued that girl? It was clear to me that after seeing the conditions in which I rescued that girl, my duty was to help in any way I could.

I was really curious about what the Machi was going to tell me, I could feel that she was hiding a lot of information that I was not aware of, and I was really eager, after reading her message, to see what surprises awaited me. My life, especially since the discovery of my abilities, was always full of new things and crazy things that appeared from time to time.

"Come mijo, come with us. The Ngen has contacted me, and I have something that you may be very interested in," she said, in a tone that caused me some anxiety.

As we walked, Millaray took my arm and, looking into my eyes, said:

"I can't thank you enough for saving me. Not only me, but all the other girls too. You are a really noble and brave boy, not everyone dares to face a creature as horrible and repulsive as the Trauco."

And as she looked at me, clinging to my arm, I could see out of the corner of my eye how her eyes were subtly shining, which made me quite uncomfortable. There I realized that despite my experiences with Laura and Carmilla, I still didn't seem to fully get used to the attention I received, especially from women.

You might say that I'm an idiot and I should feel flattered, even privileged. Others wouldn't understand why I don't enjoy the advantage and possibility of the "experiences" I can get from this "attention", but my father always stressed to me, something that sank in deeply especially after being with Carmilla. The danger of the vices of a life focused on external pleasure, the banal, and the sensory. If having fun could be tempting for some, we must always keep in mind that being able to do something does not always mean that we should do it.

We walked to the Machi's house and after entering her cozy living room, she slowly moved towards what looked like a shelf, while Millaray slowly released my arm, seeing my obvious discomfort at the moment.

"You have received a very interesting package, from a very, very far away land," said the Machi, who seemed very proud of it.

Then she added: "The spirits have spoken. With the Trauco fallen, all the girls have been freed and there will be no descendants of such a horrific creature, but your journey is just beginning, mijo. Now go home, you have a gift waiting for you... But first you must eat something!"

I looked at both of them, frowning. Millaray rolled her eyes and with a smile said:

"Seer things... You know..."