Chapter 9

At first look, the old man looked like a normal, kind, old man, but what didn’t let me relax was the atmosphere around the house.

When my eyes meet those of the old man, I understood.

[Hello old man, we are travelers.]

I have a reason for being here.

The old man looked at me, at the girls and again at me, then as if understanding something he started to speak with me.

[Oh, nice to meet you, ehm.. what is your name?]

[My name is Evil.]

I didn’t want to give him the name of the girls, there was a good reason for that.

[Evil, my name is Eldor, I am just an old man who chose to live alone in the forest, what can I do for you?]

“alone” eh.

His face was expressionless, a face who looked normal but gave no feeling.

What was he fearing? I think to know the answer to that question.

[We were short on water, and then we noticed your house, I want to ask you to give some water to us.]

Of course we had more than enough water, I just wanted to check something about this house.

[Yes, I can. Wait here, I’ll go and bring you some water.]

He didn’t refuse, but this was not what I wanted.

[I don’t want to trouble you more, let me do it myself.]

I want to go inside, and i’ll go.

[NO!... I-I can’t let strangers inside.]

He yelled strong enough to startle the girls, It was more than obvious that he was hiding something, the something I wanted to discover.

[Oh, I’m sorry, It was thoughtless of me. Then we’ll wait here.]

If he won’t let me inside, I’ll go in with another way.

[Then wait here, I’ll be back right away.]

As he disappeared inside the house, I turned towards the girls who still didn’t know what I want to do.

[I want to confirm something, come with me.]

Leaving them here alone was something too stupid to do.

---------------------------------------------------------------

At the back of the house was the entrance of the basement, a rusty metal door.

I tried to open it but, of course, it was locked.

I used one of my blades to cut the lock and then I opened the door.

As the door opened, we were assaulted by an incredible stink of flesh in decomposition along with a feeling of death.

Without hesitation I wanted to make the first step inside but I was stopped by a voice.

[YOU! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! DON’T YOU DARE MAKE A STEP INSIDE!]

The old man returned, with a face so distorted and filled with anger that was too ugly to see even for me, he rushed toward me with a sword.

There was no water, I already knew something like this could happen.

As I entered in his sword’s range, the old man tried to swing from my feets toward my head, he was really skilled if I have to say, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

He ignored the girls, maybe thinking they are just powerless slaves, critical mistake.

There was no reason for me to move, as the old man passed through the girls, and thinking I was his only enemy, Nari and Nele stabbed his legs from behind, with their daggers.

The old man just fell on his face, it took him just a few seconds to understand what happened.

With the sword still in his hand, he tried to swing at his back, but the girls were already a good distance away.

I kicked the grip of his sword, and it flew away together with some of his fingers.

[ARGHHH!]

He screamed in pain, trying to lift himself up with his hands, but the muscles of his legs were cut, so he couldn’t stand.

[Nice done. Nele, Nari.]

[Thank you!]

The girls did a good job, so I had to praise them.

[You will come with us, I want to see what is giving such an aura to make me come here.]

The reason I come here was because I sensed something strange from the direction of the house, it was the first time I felt something so strong and disturbing.

I took him from the clothes and I dragged him inside.

Descending the stairs made of stone, the stench of blood became stronger, but the most impressive thing was the powerful thing that is at the center of all this.

As we arrived at our destination, we were left without word, not for the gore before us, not for all those heads and corpses in decomposition and not for amount of blood that reached our knees.

We were left speechless by the thing that was eating and drinking that blood and flesh.

Something dangerous even for me.