Death is My Friend

The Raid of Her Home

The light dimmed gently against the small town of Wulvarian. The townsfolk had already packed up their little stands and shops, prepared to head home for the night. It had been a very long day for everyone, but no day is longer for a person than it is for orphans. They spend their days working for coin or scraps. Among these orphans is Lille, a 17 year old girl who has lived in dirt, dust, and tears. She's been the oldest of the kids. The one to care for the others, the one to keep the orphanage clean, and the one to cook as much food as she can for the occupants; including the caretaker.

Today was the hardest for Lille. She had been working at a pub for some money, which was honestly the best job she could get. The owner was tough on her, but he was rather generous. But on this day, she was behind on her work. She wasn't feeling her best, and for some reason, she had an odd paranoia that something bad would happen. Because of her constant glances, she's received a few kicks to the gut for it. Lille managed to get by with even a small handful of copper coins.

She hurried down to the market just as the other merchants and sellers were cleaning up. She burst into the door and panted heavily. "Ma'am!! Please let me buy food for my family!" She gasps out, holding up her hand that held the coins within her sweaty palm.

The woman clicked her tongue as she set her broom aside. "Lille, sweetheart.. I can't keep doing this.. I see you as a child of my own, however, I am but an old woman.. You must hurry. If anyone sees you shopping in my store, they'll grow furious!"

Lille nodded her head quickly. "Yes ma'am!! I only need some carrots and spices!" She says, rushing around to find what she needed, and as many as she could, throwing in an apple or two before hurrying to the woman. "Hopefully this is enough! Here!" She says, handing her every last coin she had.

The woman's eyes softened with pity before pinching her cheek. "You go ahead with those coins. It's the least I can do for you."

Lille smiled brightly as she hugged the old woman, stuffing her coins in her pocket and racing to the orphanage, her broken down shoes pinching and scratching at her frail feet. She threw herself through the front doors, which nearly burst off its hinges, and into the kitchen, filling pots with water and starting the fire.

Finally, the moon had risen high into the sky. His lunar grace lighting the stars and hushing the day away. Lille thought herself as nocturnal, for she always stood awake by her open window, peering at the man in the moon and telling him of her day. Tears would always fill her eyes when she saw the moon. She thought of him as her friend.

"She truly is a sweet old woman. I wish the best for her..." She says as she picks the dried mud off her toes. All she hears is silence when she was hushed, feeling as though something went wrong. She looked up at the moon to see him covered by a dark cloud. "Huh? But the sky is clear..." She mumbled to herself as she looked down at the tree line, seeing many fires spreading through the trees.

Her heart dropped as she stared at the fire, hearing footsteps of steel being multiplying by the second. "What the..." She whispers.

Through the flames came dozens of men, all wearing steel armor and large hats that pointed to the sky. Their eyes glowed red, stating demise as you peer at the color. They seemed like demons from Hell, swords in hand as though prepared for their use.

"Wake up!!" Lille screamed out, running through the halls of the orphanage. "We're being attacked!!"

The caretaker of the orphanage stormed out of her room and grabbed Lille's arm. "What are you spouting about, girl!?" She hissed, her hair in curlers with her eye mask over her forehead. "Th-There's men with swords and red eyes!! Tens of dozens!! Th-They set the forest on fire!!" She cried through bubbled, teary eyes.

The woman rushed to the window and shrieked. "I must go! Demons!! They've come for me!!" She cried, rushing to her room. Lille was shocked for a moment at her reaction before bolting for the bedrooms. "Get up! We have to hurry!" She says, shaking the kids awake. They all listened to her, leaping from their beds and rushing for the doors.

"Run to the fields!! Find the lake and hide as best you can!" Lille orders as they all ran out, only for the demons to block their paths. The largest if the group lifted his blade and sliced through a boy's skull. Lille stood horrified, her hands over her mouth before she could let out a sob.

She spun around and rushed over to the caretaker's room, seeing as though she had fled from the window. She looked down to see the woman dead on the ground, her blue eyes wide and lifeless. She must've fallen from the window, unable to hold her things as well as herself. The girl shook her head as she lifted the rug on the floor, opening a trapdoor by it's string and climbing in. She shut the door and waited till the cracks of the door were covered by the rug.

Lille whispered to herself, attempting to calm her sobs and focus on surviving. She wanted to speak to the moon. She wanted to see light's day. Her heart slowed as she found her smile, the screams and cries faint. "I can do this.." She whispers quietly, looking around the dark space.

As she searched for a light, she heard several heavy footsteps come overhead. "Any superstites reliquit?" One asks, his voice deep and demonic, a hiss in his words. "No. Et quidem non in hoc aedificium. Debere nos festina. Magister non esse beatus si non sit multam enim." Another says, their voices similar in tongue, but different in tone. With that, they left, growls emitting from their footsteps as they echoed farther away.

She grabbed a lamp and found what felt to be matches. She struck a match and lit up the lamp, smiling as she saw her surroundings.

"Ah!! That filthy woman!! She's been storing all kinds of feasts in here!!!" Lille yelled, her face fuming red with frustration. She huffed and grabbed only a few things, stuffing them into a bag along with parchment, pencils, a water flask, and a map. "Surely I can find refuge somewhere..." She sighs, waiting until the sounds outside died off.

The chirps of crickets filled Lille's ears, waking her from her slumber. She had fallen asleep as she waited, her eyes strained and weak. She looked at the lamp to see only a third of it gone. "It must've been a few hours.." She says, standing up and walking to the trapdoor, slowly opening it. She poked her head out and looked around for a moment. It was quiet, except for the crickets and the crackling of fires. She grabbed her little knapsack and slung it over her shoulder, crawling out of the small, confined room.

Lille shut the door and slowly made her way into the hall, peering out of the window to see bodies piled and littered over the streets. "Oh no.." She whispers, covering her mouth.

To see all of those she's lived with, cared for, and worked for bloodied and dead had torn her heart to shreds. Tears filled her eyes once again as she covered her face.

"Ab infernis, quod irrumabo... What's this?" Asks a breathy voice. It sent chills down Lille's spine as she suddenly felt a gust of cold wind hover behind her. "How aren't you dead?" 

//Latin to English Translation: "Any survivors left?"

"No. No one in this building. We must make haste. The Master won't be too happy if we are to be late."

"By the Hells, what the fuck?"//

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