Chapter 20: It seems to be inside that thing
The King? Eve wondered as a pair of sparkling golden eyes flashed in her mind. How could that be? The king in the north..That was when she realized it. She had often heard of rumors- stories that were told by the rare trader that passed by their village of the kingdom of the south.
Some said that there were monsters among the people there while the others argued that there were no humans at all among them. But everyone seemed to agree on the fact that the walls of the southern kingdom were impenetrable and that the king was an ambitious man, expanding his territory steadily.
But St Yvon was quite far from the borders of the Southern Kingdom, falling in a territory that was claimed by none of the four kingdoms. Since most people once had belonged to the Northern Kingdom, the villagers themselves considered their run-down village as its part. What she couldn't understand though was why soldiers from the South, if at all they were from there would come all the way to a shabby place like theirs.
"Interesting." The man's silken voice cut through her thoughts. Eve caught a ghost of a smile on his lips before he turned away from her. "So Emilya, what were you saying?" He asked, raising his brows ever so slightly.
Emilya looked between her master and Eve with a slight frown. "I think we've found it." She said, stepping aside. The group of women parted midway along with the soldiers as she did. Emilya pointed a flawlessly beautiful hand towards the gap. "But..." She trailed off hesitantly, her eyes locking on something that seemed to displease her.
"What is it?" The man asked, narrowing his eyes in the same direction.
Soon, the bleating noise of an animal filled the air. The crowd suddenly fell silent as they all watched a soldier carry a cow with his bare hands with ease. Eve's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar bovine. Without thinking much about the consequences, she dashed forward. The soldier set the animal down with unnatural ease in front of an awestruck village.
"Rosie!" Eve exclaimed, wrapping her hands around her old cow.
She was confused. Why would they bring her Rosie here? She was sure that the giant wolves preferred human flesh to animals. It was evident from the one of those beasts had flashed past a frightened cow that had set itself loose from the tailor's backyard. The creature had ignored it and had gone straight towards the tailor himself, biting his head off in one move.
She hoped that her Rosie wasn't going to be food for the soldiers. She had treasured the cow all these years, keeping her safe even when the bovine had stopped giving milk and had become a burden according to her stepmother. Eve held on to her pet's neck tightly, closing her eyes to the world around her.
"This must be a nightmare." She whispered, leaning her head against the animal's fleshy neck. "Wake up, Eve."
But the cold wind that drifted past her told her of the horrifying reality that she was now stuck in. Except for Rosie's silent moans and heavy breathing, the night was blanketed with an anxious silence, as if waiting for the first needle to drop.
Eve hated the situation. Rosie was all she had left from her childhood. From the day her mother went missing, presumed dead by the entire village, the bovine was her only confidante all these years, patiently listening without making even the tiniest of sounds as she had poured her heart out on many occasions.
She felt more connected to the animal than any human being cowering in the crowd, their fear, and curiosity pushing them into silence. She could hear her own heart thumping against her chest rapidly, its pace increasing as her fears grew. She found herself holding her breath as she waited for whatever it was the innkeeper had to say.
"It seems to be inside that thing." She heard Emilya's voice loud and clear, the woman's silvery head bobbing towards the two of them in her peripheral vision.
It? What it? What was inside Rosie? Eve raised her head, looking into her pet's eyes, searching for an answer frantically. The cow shifted its weight again and again nervously, staring back at her with a confused expression. It glanced now and again fearfully at the wolf that stood behind the man, only a few inches from them. But the beast's eyes were focused on the human clinging to the animal rather than the herbivore itself.
Eve shivered in fright, quickly turning away from the wolf and its master. But in the next moment, she felt a gust of wind swipe past her. Startled, she stepped back, only to find an irritated Ivan right next to her. Her jaw slackened in horror. Only a second ago was he standing next to his master. What kind of monster was this man before her? She wondered, her heart clenching in horror.
"Step aside, girl," He said, narrowing his eyes at her.
They flashed yellow once again. This time, she was able to see it more clearly. It looked almost too similar- no it was the eyes of a predator, she thought, her eyes widening at the realization. Ivan stepped towards her, his patience running out at her slow response. Eve shook her head, gathering all her courage as she held her position determinedly.
"No! You can't harm her." She said, spreading her arms protectively around her pet. Her voice rose as her eyes filled with tears. "She's all that I have left!" She screamed helplessly.
Ivan glanced at his master, waiting for the command. But instead, came a question from behind her.
"She's yours?" The man with silvery blonde hair asked, drawing her attention back to him.
The tone of his voice told her that she now had his full attention. What she didn't realize was that she had unknowingly broken a wall that night- a wall that would have kept out the monsters forever.