146 The Creature (1/2)

Meld beckoned the knights over to the living room where she directed them to carry Chevrette's daughter over to a comfortably cushioned chair. When the knights gently guided the nobleman's daughter to the chair, she detached from them and moved by herself, straightening the blood encrusted hem of her skirt as much as she could before sitting in the chair.

Meld and Sylvie both took a second to analyze the girl, picking up every possible detail they could off of a single cursory glance short enough to keep the girl as comfortable as possible. She appeared in her mid-teens and was slight of body, on the thin side despite her dress shrouding her figure. Her complexion belonged to that of nobility with healthy and well-maintained skin that remained unscarred, indicating she herself had not suffered any significant harm.

There was blood on her, but it only lined the bottom of her white dress, as if she had been holding onto something leaking blood, and aside from that, there were no signs of carnage upon her.

Hopefully, that meant she was in good condition to tell of what had transpired, though of course, there was the worry that her father's death was weighing heavily on her and making her unstable. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her lip still quivered in tension.

”Ella, was it?” said Meld as she remembered all the files she had read up on the existing nobility in the duchy. She knelt before Ella and smiled. ”How are you feeling, my dear? Are you alright? Do you need healing?”

Ella shook her head. Her hands were wrung together nervously, the palms slick with sweat, and her eyes were wide with fear, but it was lingering fear meaning whatever it was that had scared her had passed.

Meld continued. ”I know so much has happened to you, and I do not wish to push you. If you so wish, we will have you transferred immediately over to a secure safe haven where you may rest. However, if you feel you have strength enough, would you mind answering a few questions of ours?”

Ella drew her hands close to her stomach and took in a deep breath. ”I can answer,” she said.

”Are you certain?” said Sylvie. ”I know you have lost a loved one. Take the time to be alone if you desire it.”

Ella shook her head. ”Father…would want me to be strong,” she said with halting voice.

”Very well, dear,” said Meld. ”But if at any time you feel overwhelmed, do not feel it wrong to excuse yourself.”

Ella nodded meekly.

”Then Ella, can you tell us what happened?” said Meld broadly.

”I was having dinner with father,” said Ella. ”And then, and then, I…do not know. Something happened. I saw blood, and father took me to the vault, a woman chased us, and then father himself…,”

She looked down at the blood rimmed edges of her dress and bit her lip, trying to keep herself calm.

Meld reached out and put her hand over Ella's. ”I understand. It happened quick, too quick for you to know. It must have been horrible, like the world itself had turned upside down in but a manner of seconds.”

Ella nodded weakly. Meld gently squeezed Ella's hands before speaking, ”But in the end, you are alive, my dear. That must mean something. What is this about a woman?”

”I cannot be sure,” said Ella. ”I scarcely looked back. Father would not have let me either. He pushed me forwards, and all I could hear was this horrible squishing sound and water dripping on the floor.”

”Did someone come to save you, then?” said Sylvie.

Ella shivered, as if remembering something terrible, and nodded.

”Who was it?” said Sylvie hopefully. With worry, she asked further, ”Was he injured by any chance? Did any harm come to him?”

Ella shook her head several times. ”No, nothing could have injured it. It had such a terrible force about it. It was…it was like death itself.”

This time, Azhar perked up. Thunderstrike spoke up. ”This is nonsense. The girl hallucinates from terror. I tell you now that it is the vengeful beastwomen and their foul magics that are behind this.”

The roof rumbled. The echo shivered down the building until the floor itself started to shake.

”An earthquake?” remarked one of the knights of Lys nearby.

Meld, her perception sharp, had followed the path of the rumble and understood what was coming. ”Knights, take cover underneath anything you can find!”

Meld immediately reached over and took Ella in her arms, hunching over the girl to protect her.

Thunderstrike cocked his head in wonder as he stayed afloat with arms crossed as always, but Sylvie was attentive and grabbed Azhar, taking both them under a table.