Unexpected encounter

They were all dressed in black, their clothes were apparently made of animal skin, and their whitish faces became opalescent in the infamous darkness.

They saw me and looked at me with their foul eyes that contained nothing in their pupils but the worship

of evil. Their leader, whom I guessed by his taller build, his presence, the heavy metal necklace hung around his neck and the grey cloak engraved with macabre spells, stepped forward and then, wrapping himself in a blackish and disturbing magical aura, raised his head heavy with self-importance, and breathed in the air with a sinister sound. But I understood in an inexplicable way that it was me that he was sniffing. And this became incontrovertibly obvious when, still staring at me with his ignoble gaze, he smiled an anticipated and almost mad smile.

- Ah, he said, almost suffocating from my smell and the bestial and incoherent pleasure he got from it. That smell, that intoxicating scent. I would never have imagined to discover it. And even less here.

I shook my head, totally lost, and refused to answer.

- You have it, you mortal, so give it to me. Give yourself to me, so I can take it all.

"Never," I thought. It didn't matter what it was, whether it was of real great value to the point of giving him this delirious and unthinkable excitement, for I didn't know, but what I did know, was that I would never resign myself to giving it to him with consent, and myself even less. Nothing could be worse. But I was wrong. For from all sides came other devourers. No doubt they too were attracted by my fragrance, which I really did not know existed but which seemed to plunge them into a kind of uncontrollable madness.

This time, I had my doubts about being able to get out of it. I was alone against an army of devourers who coveted my scent and I don't know what other part of me. I felt my breath catch in my chest, fear numbing every fiber of my body and a certain resignation weighing on me with all its horror.

But when those sickening monsters charged at me, I had no time to think and ran like I never had before. Not since that distant twilight.

I also felt Seiran's magical protection gradually diminish and soon fade away completely. But what hurt the most was not the loss of all magic, but the vision of the emperor captured by these monsters, the unspeakable torture they would inflict on him with unspeakable pleasure and cruelty, before stripping him of his magic, and killing him, and of course the intolerable pain that would be mine if that actually happened. The anger that will flow from my veins and that with safety, ease, will carry my mind into the purest madness. Even deeper and darker than the one that dominated my sickening pursuers. I thought confusedly that it was preferable that this hatred which risked to inhabit me all never came out, I had the inconceivable and almost hilarious feeling that it would be more to their disadvantage than mine, but of course, it would be totally false. But I would never forgive them for this act.

By the greatest of luck, by running as fast as I did, I was able to lose them for a short time. I took an alley that led me to a stone staircase, and then I entered the first house that I thought good enough not to arouse any suspicion. I stormed in and locked the door. I leaned against it, trying to catch my breath, which stabilized fairly quickly thanks to its magic, which had not yet run out.

But I didn't have time to relax because I soon felt another presence in the room. But it was not evil, at least, that's what I deduced. But this did not prevent me from awakening my fear. This other one must have been watching me from his well-established hiding place. I swallowed, not knowing how to react. Then I raised my face defiantly, and asked gently but firmly who was in the same room as me, to keep me company. And with my greatest relief, only a timid noise answered me.

- The girl of this house. Who is there?

- Don't be afraid," she said reassuringly, "I don't want to hurt you, I'm here to help you.

A short silence followed my words, then my hostess decided to trust my voice.

It was then that I saw a blonde head emerge from the corner of the table behind which she was hiding. She emerged from behind this piece of furniture and on all fours joined me. She was beautiful, with those cobalt eyes, and her white dress without sleeve, of a deceptive simplicity, its flowery motives decorated with the same shade, black sandals completed this harmonious set but so incongruous in this city lost forever in the mists of the darkness.

- I... My name is Yriane, she said shyly.

I smiled at her in a friendly way and we hugged each other tightly. Affection here became so simple and flowed without awkwardness in such situations. It was as natural as the mortal fear that fought it.

- Nice to meet you Yriane, my name is Dania, I am your friend.

She nodded her head. She still wanted to say something but I immediately ordered her to be silent when I heard footsteps outside that I could easily guess were theirs, heavy, crumpling, their skin clothes emitting those unbearable noises, and their fetid breathing that lifted my heart when they sniffed through the windows and the gaps in the doors in order to flush out my scent. We could only breathe properly when they moved away from our home. After fighting our fear, we were able to resume our conversation.

- Tell me Yriane, are there still survivors somewhere or you are the only one?