Book 2: Seven Demon's Hearts

Episode 50: Origins (iv)

Episode 50: O r i g i n s  ( i v )

"Damien! Damien!" Natella ran down the stairs, out of breath. Her eyes were still red and puffy from mourning her parents all night, but she was riled up by another issue that she came across this morning.

The boy, consoling a few of the anxious people hanging down in the large guest room quickly turned his head at her with concern.

"Natella?" He excused himself and quickly met her by the bottom of the steps. The girl nearly tripped on the last step, but he carefully caught her hands, steadying her down.

"Oh, Damien! I don't know what I should do." She panicked, looking around them. "I carelessly sent Marissa at dawn to the village to fetch fresh warm milk for Markis but it is already so late into the morning time. She has not returned yet!"

"Calm down now, Natella." His eyes blinked, flustered by the girl's emotional response. Natella was never one to really cry in front of others. Even as a child, when she would fall and hurt herself she would wait until she got home to burst into tears. Seeing her cry several times in the past day, and now looking at her tearing eyes again, Damien was afraid she would damage her health.

"Damien!" She cried, impatiently shaking her head and squeezing his hands back. "I cannot stand it! I cannot stand it if I caused something to happen to Marissa."

"Natella!" He roughly called her out, grabbing her closer by the arms until she was forced to look up at him. "Listen to me very well," she looked back at his vengeance-filled wide eyes as he emphasized the words between his clenched teeth. "You have done absolutely nothing wrong. None of us have. Do not ever blame yourself for the actions of that cursed animal, Tariff. Marissa might be lost since she isn't familiar with the path to my house. Or maybe there is not any milk around and she has gone somewhere further than where she usually goes. Marissa will be okay."

Her trembling lips pressed down and she nodded while trying to push her tears back. She would rather believe him than assume the worse after all. "Can we still go?" She pleaded out softly.

"Go?" His eyes widened.

"Please. I just want to make sure. I want to visit the town and see if Marissa's passed by the farms at least."

"Natella," Damien lowered his voice, taking a quick glance around him before he tugged her over under the staircases. "I have not told anyone, but Tariff has convinced the town that everyone here is a criminal. I should have mentioned it earlier to stop anyone from going out. It'd be too dangerous now."

"You cannot expect me to sit still and do nothing!" She hissed back. "Damien, I'll lose my mind. You know how much Marissa means to me. She's been with me since I was a child and she took care of all my needs! I cannot abandon her, especially not after what you have just told me."

With a hesitant gaze, Damien gulped down a nervous lump before speaking up. "Alright, fine. But just this once. No one else is allowed to leave the mansion until we figure out what we must do. And we have to hurry before the meeting occurs among the family leaders. We must take on the role of our parents now."

"Thank you." She breathed out with relief. "Let's go!" Damien quickly held onto her before she ran off.

"We need to get capes first, follow me."

*****

The stench of rotten meat filled the popular square center of the market. Flies buzzed around and people held their breaths as they looked up at the displayed corpses. Each ominously holding their decapitated heads in a similar signature.