[Chapter 08] - Hooded - Part 2
Year 952, day 262, Elfen territory , Forest of the border town with Mercy , 08h.
.
.
Nine men, dressed in black hoods and cloaks, wake up around a recently extinguished fire. The first to get up, with a red stripe on the edge of the hood, says:
— Wake up! Time to work.
The second hooded one to wake up also has a red stripe on the edge of the hood. When she gets up, she moves her hands and manipulates the water inside the bucket near the fire, dividing it into small portions and throwing it in the face of everyone who is still lying down.
— Get up! — Says the woman.
— Yes, Mrs. Alice! — Answer some of the men.
Later in the day, the three hooded with red bands talk. The most muscular, with green eyes, says:
— Rayrin , I know that you are new and just arrived, already being appointed as captain, but rest assured that I know the pressure you are. I just ask you not to do shit. Be quiet and do what we say.
Stammering, he replies:
— Okay, you can leave it, Mr. Zack.
"Why is the strongest a coward right away ... " , thinks Alice.
.
.
.
.
Year 952, day 262, Elfen territory , Village on the border with Mercy , 10h.
.
.
A humble gentleman with green eyes, a neighbor of the Nevin family , watches from the window of his house on the third floor, the arrival of the squad of nine people in the village. Luckily, they pass by the house of the siblings without realizing it, since it is the first house in the village, if it comes from the forest. As the mysterious group leaves that street, the humble man leaves his home and runs into the forest.
The squad disperses, each member in a part of the village, secretly looking for someone with the children's descriptions.
.
.
.
.
Year 952, day 262, Elfen territory , Forest of the border town with Mercy , 11h.
.
.
An hour after the squad arrives, someone knocks on the wooden door. Upon opening the door, the strong forest breeze invades the house.
The humble lord, tired and panting, exclaims:
— People ... Strange people ... They arrived in the village ... Nine ...
Startled, Roldi holds the man's hand, saying:
— Calm down, Mr. Revin . Breathe. What were they like?
The man rests his hands on his knee and says breathlessly:
— There were nine men in black, hooded ... Three of them with a red detail. You couldn't see the faces.
Roldi puts his hand on Revin's shoulder , while his skin is red and thick veins are jumping all over his body, at the same time as his skin hardens.
— Revin , rest at my house. Need to go. On the way back I'll pay you the gold coin.
.
.
.
.
Year 952, day 262, Elfen territory , Town on the border with Mercy , 11am.
.
.
Someone knocks on the wooden door, while Laruel and Bend prepare lunch for the children who are napping before lunch. The woman runs to answer, opens the door and says:
— Hello!
She comes across three people. Rayrin , the youngest, widens his eyes, staring at Laruel .
The mother suspects them and asks with a frightened look:
— Who are you -
Before he could finish, the frightened Rayrin held out his palms and, from them, a flare of fire emanates towards Laruel . Zack strikes his companion with a strong umbrella , throwing him on the wall and causing him to stop. But there is nothing else to do, the strong fire completely covers the woman's body, dying instantly without even screaming.
The husband, still in the kitchen, is frightened by the light coming from the entrance to his house, but even so, he goes towards the light, slowly.
— Damn Rayrin ! — Alice holds the newbie by the collar. — What did you do, you fucking kid!
Zack takes his hand to the face and says:
— For that I didn't expect to, Rayrin . Blurred with fear, kid? — Laughing, he continues. — Well, now we have nothing to do. At least we can take the money and say we bought them! — He opens his arms and exclaims to the rest of the group, who are outside the house, watching. — Let's see the bright side! Extra money for everyone!
Furious, Alice punches Rayrin in the stomach with a punch, while saying:
— Let's get this over with.
Hearing Zack's speech, Laruel's husband runs through the room to see what's going on. When he turns at the corner of the entrance, he encounters the three people at the door and just in front of them, a human being lying on the floor, with his head leaning against the wall; burning, unrecognizable, with the clothes and skin totally melted.
Bend spends a few seconds staring at the body, then a few seconds staring at the three people, totally paralyzed and with panicked eyes. Zack looks at him, laughing, with the body hardened and thin veins protruding through the body. Rayrin lowers his head, bowing. Alice looks into the man's eyes and says:
— My bad.
Hearing these words, Bend is overcome by hatred and leaps screaming to attack the woman, but he is hit by Zack, with a strong punch in the face, popping his nose and throwing him away, leaving him passed out between the entrance of the house and the living room.
— Ah! I hate getting my hands dirty! — He says as he shakes his arm and wipes his hands on the wall. — Rayrin , take advantage of the fact that you've already burned one and burn the other too, please.
He again stretches out the palm of his hands and sets fire to the man passed out on the floor. The three enter the house, dodging the two bodies on the way.
With the noise generated by the confusion, Whiger wakes up, sleepy. Without haste, he walks slowly, to see what is happening. When he leaves the room, he is faced with a strong and tall man, with short dark blond hair, like his. Startled, he asks:
— What are you doing here?
Before the man could answer, Whiger looks to the side and notices a man lying on the floor, burned. Even without being able to recognize the appearance, the boy understands that that person is his father. Instantly he turns his nails into claws and jumps on top of the mysterious fortifier in front of him. Zack just holds the boy's arms and throws him away, hitting him hard on the wall.
— Hey! You troglodyte! — Alice says, punching her partner in the back. — Don't hurt the kids too much!
— Calm down, the kid is strong. Anything, Artur is a doctor. Minor injuries will not be a problem.
— In case something happens, I'll finish you off!
— Ui, ui, ui! — He shakes his hands. — A thousand pardons, I'll be more careful.
With Whiger's impact on the bedroom wall, Kalui wakes up and shakes Kahyu .
— Hey! Kahyu ! I think they broke into the house! Please wake up!
The girl wakes up frightened, fully awake. The two run into the room and see Whiger passed out near the wall and the three hooded, with a light of fire coming from the entrance, without noticing Bend's flaming body.
Kalui takes her friend's hand and runs to the kitchen, which is at the back of the house. He opens the wooden window and realizes that the house is surrounded by hooded men. Kahyu doesn't speak or cry, she just curls up in the corner of the kitchen, terrified.
— Kahyu ! Kahyu ! — He rocks it in despair. — Please help me! I also don't know what to do!