“Every year, we have been blessed by bountiful harvest that would fill out coffers with gold and our bellies with food and wine!” the Village Chief began his speech as he addressed the villagers for the Harvest Festival.
“More than 30 years ago, I have prayed and prayed, alone on the forest, begging the goddess of the earth to aid us,” Felipe continued, “and soon enough she has heard our calls and gave us a bountiful harvest. And so we celebrate this Festival every year to honor the goddess of the earth and her blessing!”
The village chief paused and looked around, there seems to be less and less females, they need to invite more from other villages and towns. He looked at his daughter and then continued, “We have spared no expense for this joyous event. We also welcome our valued guests – the nobles and merchants – who supported us through thick and thin. And so, without further ado. Let us all have a great festival!”
The crowd cheered and Felipe smiled. He looked towards his council members and signaled for them to follow him in their meeting chamber. They understood and followed. The rest of the people were busy going merry, clueless about what is going on under their feet and what the festival really is about.
“This is our first festival without Jessica, right?” Irene said as she took a bite of her meat skewer, “I’m kind of sad.”
“Who would have thought that she would elope with her lover?” Grace continued, “Isn’t it kind of romantic?”
“Maybe, but it’s kind of mysterious, though,” Amanda said, “I mean. They never really had the reason to elope, both of their parents approve of their relationships. Besides, I know Jessica and she is not someone who would actually leave without telling us.”
“Maybe she just felt shy?” Irene suggested, “She always trying to keep it cool you know. I am sure I could not actually tell it to you guys straight if I ever did elope with someone.”
“Yeah. I think she left us with clues, remember what we talked about before she left last year?” Grace added, “And Ai, it’s not like you would find anyone to elope with soon.”
“Shut up! I’ll show you. I’ll meet someone from the capital tonight and she will ask for my hand,” Irene said with conviction, “It will be love at first sight, I tell you. He will be head over heels for me.”
“I'm sure the person who will fall for you at first sight will be some barbarian because of the way you devour your food, is what Jessica would say but she is not here,” Amanda added.
“Please don’t say that,” Irene said, “it’s sounds so creepy and real when you say it. At least I could laugh it off if it was Jessica.”
“I know! It seems like Amanda’s words has its power,” Grace added, “maybe it’s because you are a descendant of the great mage that accompanied the hero?”
“There you go again with your fantasies, Grace,” Amanda retorted. It might be true that she is a direct descendant of the Great Mage but the gods have long taken magic away from Earth and it has already been more than 500 years ago.
“I still wonder why Grace is so popular when she is such an airhead,” Irene said in discernment, “her head is only filled with flowers and honey, it is such a mystery.”
“Well, Grace awakens the guys’ protective instinct,” Amanda said, “they like someone that they can protect and take care of.”
“Then what about you?” Irene directed her inquiry towards Amanda, “why are you so popular? You are even more popular than Grace!”
“Well, maybe because I am smart? And I am the daughter of the Village Chief. That alone gives them a shot at being the next one.” Amanda explained with a cool tone.
“Guh! You would really refuse to admit that you are pretty, huh?” Irene snorted, “Guys do not like smart and haughty girls, you know. You’d be too much to handle and I don’t think any guy from this village would be able to. But, well, you have a point about your father being the chief.”
“And what was that about me being the chief?” a voice suddenly answered from their back. Irene cursed and Grace shrieked. The three of them abruptly turned around to see the village chief alongside a strange young man.
“I’m sorry for startling you. Good evening girls,” Felipe grinned at the girls as he got closer, “are you enjoying the festival?”
“Oh! Good evening chief,” Irene and Grace said, bowing and regaining composure, “We miss Jessica but we are having fun nonetheless.” Grace continued.
“Stop creeping from behind like that, father,” Amanda reprimanded, “What do you want?”
“I'm sorry, dear” Felipe apologized, still grinning, “But I have come here to get you. There is someone who wants to be introduce to you.” Felipe said looking at the young man who was with him.
“Oh, you lucky bitch! He is too handsome!” Irene half whispered, elbowing Amanda at her sides.
“Stop that! He said he just wants to talk,” Amanda said and turned to his father, “Can’t we do the introductions here?”
“Oh, come on dear, surely you know that this place is not fit for a formal conversation,” Felipe said, motioning to the crowd.
“Tch! I understand,” Amanda said in frustration, then turned towards her friends, “I’ll be back. This won’t take long.”
“Oh, please take you time!” Irene said. This is not the first time that Amanda was introduced to someone and she would refuse them all the time. She would later say that the guy was either too stupid or too overbearing for her taste.
“It will be sad next year, don’t you think?” Grace said as Amanda left with her father and the gentleman.
“O won’t be too sure about it,” Irene said, “I mean, that isn’t the first guy that was introduced to Amanda. Besides, he may be handsome and is within my strike zone. But I think he is too dumb for Amanda’s taste.”
“Yeah, you have a point,” Grace agreed, surmising, “He won’t be able to handle Amanda.”
“Forget about handling her, Amanda will just devour him outright,” Irene commented.
“I know right?” Grace replied and they both laughed. None of them knew that the next harvest festival will actually see only the two of them.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
“Please come inside and feel comfortable,” Felipe said towards the gentleman as the entered the receiving area of their house, “Would you like some liquor?” Felipe asked the man.
“Yes. I would love to,” the gentleman answered. He knows that the liquor from this village is very popular in town and even in the capital.
“Please bring us the wine and prepare tea for Amanda,” Felipe ordered towards the maid with a meaningful look.
“Right away,” the maid bowed and looked apologetic. Amanda understood why the maid looked this way. Every person in their household love her and they treat her as their own child. Seeing Felipe trying to marry her off to some stranger leaves a bad taste in their mouths but they could only swallow this bitter pill.
“Please pardon my daughter,” Felipe addressed the stranger, “She is haughty and straightforward but she is actually kind. She is just sometimes smart for her own good.” Felipe looked longingly towards her daughter. There was a hint of sadness on his eyes that was not there previously. Amanda started to think that there is something strange.
“Can we just get this over with?” Amanda said impatiently, “my friends are waiting for me and the night has just started.”
“Come now child, at least let us wait for the beverages to be served,” Felipe tried to calm his daughter down. And just like a practiced choreography, the maid came in with a food trolley with two trays on top. The wine and glasses on one tray and a teapot with a tea cup on another.
“Ah! Here it is,” Felipe said, feeling relieved that the beverages actually arrived in time. “Once again, I gladly welcome you into my humble abode, Count Streagan. This here is my daughter, Amanda. I am sure you have heard that this is not the first time that was introduced to someone. But please treat her well anyway.” Felipe looked at Amanda, waiting for a response, then clearing his throat.
“Right. I am Amanda, the village chief’s daughter. I hate stupid people and those who cannot live without their parent’s influence.” Amanda said coldly. The Count was taken aback. It was the first time in his life that a girl did not swoon upon meeting him. In fact, she is even trying to push him away.
“Amanda!” Felipe reprimanded her.
“No, please. It is quite alright,” The count said, “I find her amusing. Let us drink to loosen up the mood.” The Count raised his now filled wine glass and Felipe followed suit, still looking apologetic. Amanda half raised a tea cup and drank from it even before the Count has lowered his. Amanda filled her cup right away to avoid having to talk and so the conversation between his father and the count droned on. Amanda suddenly felt dizzy a few minutes in. She tried to smell the tea cup but there was no trace of alcohol. She thought maybe she was so tired but she did not actually did anything the while day. Soon enough, she suddenly feel unconscious.
It took some time for Amanda’s eyes to adjust to the dim lighting inside the palace. She looked around as soon as she was able to see clearly and realized that the whole place is lit up by candle chandeliers from the ceiling and flaming torches on the walls. The interior was vast. It was only the first floor but it seemed like it was the whole building already. The walls are made of stone and Amanda could see that some areas are darker. They seemed to be scorched. The floor that they were stopping on was covered by a thick carpet all over and only a small portion near the walls are exposed.Despite the interior’s rustic and dinky look, there was no sign of disorder nor of form of dirt or slime. The places looks well cleaned and well maintained. It is quite obvious that someone is living in this place and that the maids are doing their jobs well. Amanda could not help but commend them for that, no matter what kind of god-forsaken creatures they may be. When she loo
“Jessica?!” Amanda exclaimed as she recognized her friend’s face. At least this person looks like Jessica, the shape of her face, the color of her eyes, even the voice. But this person is more beautiful, utterly so. Her beauty is just like the lamias’. She was Jessica made eerily beautiful. Even her pimple marks were gone.“You know my name? Do I know you?” the girl who looked like Jessica answered.“It’s me, Amanda!” Amanda replied. She felt lonely that her friend did not recognize her, but a year is not really a long time. Something must have happened to her friend.“Oh! Amanda! The village chief’s daughter!” Jessica exclaimed in recognition, “you have grown so much. How did you do that! We just saw each other yesterday, playing by the riverbank and now you are like a lady!” Jessica sounded happy, but her eyes were blank and glassy. Amanda knew that something was up, she knew h
Dimitri was in awe. The woman in front of him is the most beautiful yet. Her skin was so fair that it looked like the petals of a flower that Dimitri only say in the forest when he was young. Her outfit matched her perfectly that she seemed to radiate as the lights fall on her face. Even though she was dressed and made up the same way the previous sacrifices were, and even if she just stood there at the entrance and stared at him, he can’t help but feel his beast blood boil.Something about this woman is calling out to him at the primal level. It bellows within him. It is something that he has never felt before and something that he could never feel again. He tried to shake it off but he gets entranced every time he looks at the woman now standing before him. Dimitri knew then that something was going to happen, he is not sure yet, but it is bound to be something.There was something off about the woman, though. All through the years, the women who were pre
The sound of the slammed door echoed within the room and through the hallway. There was a long silence that follows and it lasted for what seemed like hours. Dimitri stood there in disbelief – he has never been this insulted before. He was never challenge in all his life and the first time he did, it was by a human girl no less. She was nothing but a sacrifice, abandoned and betrayed by her people, and yet she still had the guts to actually show that sort of attitude to Dimitri. He was fuming, he was frozen with rage.“Are you sure about that?” was a question that followed after the steward, Alex, cleared his throat to break the eternal silence.“Sure about what?” Dimitri asked, his mind still seems to be off somewhere; he is clearly yet to recover from that.“Are you sure about not doing the ritual tonight?” Alex continued, “I mean, I get that you are furious after what that woman did, but shouldn’t we conti
The new clan chief looked at his family longingly as his wife and newborn son are slumbering. It is still quite early but they went on a trip earlier and both of them were exhausted from the hiking and the running around. His smile was suddenly replaced by a frown after he realized that his family could be living in a better place. The human’s attack on their settlements when he was young still seems fresh in his memories.After knowing about the secret in the forest, the werebeasts were attacked and displaced by humans so that they can claim the source of power. The women and children were evacuated and the new clan leader, who was still a child back then, had no choice but to leave his father and the village that he grew up in. it was true for the other children as well. That night, every child in the village lost a parent to the humans.It was unfortunate, but at least their race lives on with them, the new generation. And so a new but smaller village was erec
Alex still could find comfort in Dmitri’s decision. After all, he has known the Demon King since they were children. He was practically Dimitri’s caretaker growing up. Especially after his mother succumbed to a curse that took almost half of their people – the exact same curse that they are trying to prevent by performing the blessing ritual every year. And Dimitri has decided to call the ritual off for a mere sacrifice. But if Alex is being honest, he does understand why Dimitri would feel that way; Dimitri is, after all, still a male and the new sacrifice is definitely attractive.Fearing for the future of their people, Alex went to the only place where he could find comfort and solace; the one chamber in the castle that is hardly visited by anyone, even the current Demon King – the Chamber of Dedication. It is a chamber far detached from the main keep, towards the back of the castle. At one look it could be mistaken for a shabby shed, but no one wou
Amanda is still quite a bit dazed as she followed the Lamia Maid who prepared last night through the winding halls of the keep. Just last night, she was order to stay inside her room and never to go out. Even her breakfast was brought to her earlier. It seems like the Lord of the place was too angry with her that he does not want to see her face any time soon.Then just shortly after lunch, she was startled when the door to her room suddenly swung open and it revealed the full figure of the Lamia maid.“Prepare yourself,” The Maid announced without even bothering to excuse herself. “You will be taken somewhere else.”Amanda silently complied. There wasn’t much to prepare anyway, so they went on their way as soon as she was mentally ready; except that she actually is not. She thought that her time was finally up, that the Lord of the castle has finally decided what to do with her, and by the looks of the halls that they are passing t
“What the hell are you doing here?” Dimitri’s face had a mix of shock and anger as he saw Amanda by the door. It was 3 in the morning and he is about to get some sleep after a long night, and suddenly his door opens to reveal this feisty woman, wearing nothing but her night gown.“Who the hell told you to come here?!” Dimitri asked without moving from where he was standing on.“I- I was-” Amanda looked for the right words to say. She started to feel the warmth on her face and her ears from the embarrassment, “The Maid told me that you asked for me! She even took me here!”“What maid? I don’t see anyone besides you,” Dimitri replied, looking behind Amanda and seeing nothing but an empty hall.“She left as soon as we arrived!” Amanda replies, realizing how she sounds and finally understanding why the Maid just left without announcing their arrival, she know something was of,