“There’s a cellar. But there shouldn’t be anyone in there unless…FRICK!” Abruptly, I panic. It all comes back to me. The note I left on the door. There’s still meat in the cellar. I rush forwards, ignoring the pieces of house falling around me. Inside, it’s a mess. There’s splintered wood and collapsed bits everywhere. But I can just make out the entrance to the cellar besides where the kitchen used to be. The trapdoor has been smushed under a huge pile of rubble and part of the bathtub from upstairs sits on top. Grabbing the rim of the tub, I foolishly try to pull it off the pile, but it’s too heavy. It shifts and almost falls on my foot. “DAMNIT, Perideen move this thing! It’s too heavy! HELP ME!”

“Move.” He understands the urgency in my voice and appears beside me. Easily, his strong arms lift the tub and he sets it aside. Pointing at the rubble as the scratching gets louder and more frantic, he coughs, “Should I clear it?”

“Yes! YES! Natalia might be in there!” I hold a sleeve, trying to breathe lightly, but panic makes it difficult to control myself. “Hurry!”

*Tss Tss*

Perideen throws aside rubble at lightning speed. Within seconds, the rubble goes out the empty window frames and then the trapdoor is revealed. The scratching is audible now, nails on wood. Perideen’s sword comes out, and he reaches down, grabbing the ring to open the door, hissing as the heat singes his fingers. And then…he pulls-

*Creaaak*

The trapdoor swings up on its hinges and something small and orange flops out, gasping for breath. Perideen relaxes, pulling back his sword.

“Natalia!” I screech, hurriedly trying to pull her from the dark hole. Immediately, I notice that the ginger fur on her tail is singed. Her hands are transformed into cat paws. However, the claws are all bloody and ripped up from scratching at the trapdoor. Natalia’s ears perk up weakly as she gazes into my face with milky eyes.

“H-Help…” She says, and then Perideen helps me grab her shoulders and we try to drag her outside. She gasps, and I receive a cold shock to my stomach as I see that her left leg is twisted, bent unnaturally sideways. Frick…no, no don’t panic. How long has it been? If it’s too long, what if the magic doesn’t work? Stop, don’t think about that! Just get her out of here! “Owwsssss!”

“It’s okay! IT’S OKAY!” I try to convey calm but probably just get panic across as Perideen observes the broken leg with a frown. Natalia squirms, trying to reach her leg, shrieking. “You’re outside, it’s okay! We’re going to get that healed!”

“MYRR!” Without warning, Natalia recognizes me. Big fat tears burst out of the sides of eyes. “No…don’t look at me! DON’T LOOK!”

“W-What?” I grimace, confused. “What’s wrong? Does your leg hurt? Okay, stupid question. I’m back. I’m right here!”

“Noooo! Don’t look!” She screeches and thrashes, but abruptly drops like a stone as her broken leg hits the ground outside. Abruptly, she loses track of her thoughts and it’s like I’m not there, “Mama…it hurts!”

“Perideen what the frick is wrong with her?” I yell and the assassin gets up from his examination.

“Broken leg. Multiple fractures. Looks like something fell on her when the house went down.” He says without an ounce of emotion. “Not good, but not too bad. But that leg will be tricky to heal, I think it’s starting to heal wrong. Damn, Demi’s always did heal too fast for their own good. Why was she in your cellar-?”

“Please…help!” A small plaintive cry interrupts our discussion.

“Natalia?” We pause as we realize that the small Demi-Cat girl is trying to get our attention.

“P-Please…save…Papa! And Mama! They’re going to…hurt…!” Natalia howls as her leg twitches and touches the ground again. Leaping down, I grab her ankle and hold it in place as she bucks in pain. “C-Couldn’t…get out…need…warn…help!”

“Wait, are you saying whoever did this to you is still here?” I want to shake her, but she’s already in so much pain. “Natalia please, tell me what happened?”

“Can’t…get out…! Must…get…free…” Natalia’s eyes roll and then she goes limp. Shaking his head, Perideen scratches the back of his neck. How long was she down there for…is it too late to heal her wounds? It can’t be…if only Mark was here! Damnit this stupid Holy War!

“Perideen can you get her up? Let’s take her to town…it sounds like she’s worried about her parents” I look to him and he nods, hoisting Natalia into his arms. The small Demi-Cat twitches as her leg is moved, but doesn’t awaken. “I’ll kill them. Whoever did this, I’ll absolutely kill them. If they’re still here, they’ll regret it.” Perideen regards me from behind as we jog along the path to Sines. Though I run ahead, he doesn’t try to stop me. In silence, we go towards the smoky plume rising into the sky. And then…we find hell.

As we reach town, the first thing I notice is how normal everything seems. People are moving about, the shops are open, although no one seems to be buying anything. They all have this guilty air about them. I see Yan with his head in his hands, staring emptily at a ruby necklace. Usually, he’s always watching the streets for customers, but today, he doesn’t even notice me. Just keeps staring down into his hands. I dash over to him.

“Yan!” He finally looks up when I run into his shop. Perideen waits outside, holding Natalia’s leg in his hand so it doesn’t jostle. When he sees me, the shopkeeper flinches as I call out to him, “What happened to my house? Who did it? Are they still here?!”

“M-Myrr!” Yan seems to be avoiding meeting my eyes, “Why…it’s good to see you. I…errr…the shop is closed today. If you could just…I had nothing to do with it! I swear!”

Huh?

What’s he going on about?

“Yan, I don’t have time for games! Tell me what happened? You know something, don’t you?!” I reach over from below, and pull out my dagger. Seeing it, the shopkeeper turns white, although I don’t do anything. “Stop playing and answer the question!”

“I…hey, Kid, listen, you know you’re my best customer! I…you know…I didn’t do anything! It was Sheila! She told them where your girlfriend lived, okay! I’m sorry!” Yan cowers behind his desk, dark sweat blooming on his turban. A red rage rises in my heart as I begin to see that something is very wrong here. “It wasn’t me! I SWEAR!”

“What…the…frick…happened?” This time, I do point my dagger at him. Even if it’s a six-year-old child wielding it, Mephis’s blade is a strong incentive to obey my demands. “Stop freaking apologizing and tell me the truth!”

“I…I…the Demi-Cat’s house…she told those people where it was…” Yan repeats what he knows and I realize I’m not getting anymore out of him in this state. Turning around, I run out as he yells repeatedly to my back, “I’m sorry! We’re sorry!”

Natalia’s house…someone told whoever was coming where she lived. But why would they be looking for her house? First they burn down my house and then they go for Nadania and Pisa’s place? It doesn’t make any sense!

“Where is her house?” Perideen has been listening from outside. I check Natalia’s soot-stained face. She’s still unconscious. “Kid?”

“Follow me.” I start running, hoping that Perideen can keep up with a hurt Natalia in his arms. However, I’m not thinking well right now. Already, I’m rehearsing several spells, preparing for battle. “Faster…faster! Maybe we can still catch them!”

“I’m going…hold on!” Perideen calls out, but I pay him no heed. Can’t let them get away…can’t let them get away! “Myrr, stop! Did you hear what the shopkeeper said! Wait!”

Sorry Perideen, but I’m going to be a bit reckless here!

Ignoring him, I speed forwards with my Foresight on, winding through guilty townsfolk. Everyone who sees me has the exact same expression. Except for one person. I catch sight of a woman looking out her window. When she sees me, a cruel sneer appears on her face, but is soon covered up with blank indifference. Isn’t that Sheila, the widow? Yan said she did something…I’ll deal with you later! First let’s find out what the hell happened!

Faster…

Faster!

FASTER!

I just run and run, leaving Perideen in my dust for the first time. And then the smoke plume in the sky is before me, and Natalia’s house appears. It’s received the same treatment as mine. Timber scattered everywhere, the few possessions and cheap chairs tossed into the mud. Her house is small, so there’s a lot less to burn. The fire has already been put out, all that remains is a few smoldering burns puffing smoke into the sky. Relying on the future to protect me, I call out,

“Nadania, Pisa! Are you there?” I wait.

There’s no response.

Maybe no one’s home!

“It’s Myrr! Hello?”

Still no response.

Screw it, let’s go!

Rushing across the singed lawn, I have a dagger in one hand, and an ice crystal forming in the other. If there’s anything that isn’t a Demi-Cat in there, I’m going to attack first and ask questions later. The door is ajar. Natalia’s house was only one story to begin with. Now it’s just…rubble. Rushing inside, I prepare to unleash hell on whoever I find. Behind me, I hear Perideen yelling.

“Myrr, wait! They’re not here anymore! Don’t go inside!”

What?

I’m too late?

Are they gone already?

My rage needs somewhere to go.

I keep going into the house.

And then I freeze.

Mouth open, I can’t understand.

Why…?