“Our kingdom of Novus has many enemies. Other powers in the east and west eye our territory greedily. Bandits roam the mountains to the south like kings. In the north, marauders pillage our lands like madmen. However, none of them carry the same level of threat as the Demonkin.”

“I know of them,” I said, closing my eyes. I knew them all too well. Flashes of blood and mountains of corpses fill my mind. The stench of rot. Exhaustion. Death.

“Your brother’s stories no doubt,” continued my mother, “However, the Demonkin are not stories. They are monsters with an insatiable hatred of humanity. They have existed for as long as anyone can remember. In the past thirty years, the number of Demonkin has skyrocketed. Even a small town like this is not safe from their threat…” mother rested a hand on my shoulder. “Just remember, if you ever see a creature with glowing red eyes, run. Run as fast as you can.”

“No need to worry though. With your mother and me here, nothing can threaten this town,” my father said, thumping his chest proudly, “But enough talk of that. I am starving, and I bet you are too. Let’s get some food and get you back home. Tomorrow we can sneak out again and see more of the town… with your mother’s permission of course.”

Mother scowled at my father. Each parent took one of my hands as they led me back towards the center of town. They only let go once we reached a large building, crowded with people. The noisy din had a sign over the door of a plate heaped full of food.

Inside was a dim room packed full of people. Smells of roasted meat, steamed vegetables, and countless spices filled the room. The cacophony of voices dimed for only a moment before resuming even louder than before.

From one of the nearby tables, I heard the phrase “eyes of the undead” whispered between two patrons. I had no doubt that soon the whole town would hear the rumor.

My father frowned but did not say anything as he led us through the crowd towards a reserved table in the corner of the room. A plump woman brought us drinks, nervously glancing towards me.

Over the loud din, I heard the shout of one man trying to get everyone’s attention. The crowd grew quiet as he climbed on a chair.

“Everyone, I would like to take a moment to congratulate lord and lady Ventus for the recovery of their child. Little Wren has been sick for a long time, and as her doctor, I did everything I could to save her. Through a miracle, she developed an innate talent and recovered for the better. Now, some of you may have noticed the color of her eyes. I assure you, as a certified royal physician, that this is simply a side effect of her awakening. Now, with that out of the way. Everyone with me, congratulations Wren on your recovery.”

““Congratulations!”” shouted the cacophony of voices followed by a multitude of cheers. I doubted everyone believed him, but at least it would dispel some of the peoples’ worries.

The doctor climbed down from his chair and walked over to our table.

“Thank you for that, Doctor Fraus.” Said my father, handing the man a drink.

“It will not stop the rumors completely, but it will help” Replied the doctor. “A few people are convinced that you committed some dark ritual to bring your daughter back to life as an undead.”

“Let them talk. Time will show the truth.”

“It always does.” Said the doctor. “Now that Wren has recovered, I will soon be returning to the capital. I would like to give Wren a checkup a few more times over the next week before that.”

“Of course, We appreciate all you have done for us doctor. If not for you, Wren might not have survived long enough to awaken her talent.”

'I still don’t like him'