58 Spawn of the Devil

MEANWHILE

Sitting on straight-back wooden chairs in a refrectorey table, Atrius and Jacomus waited as Freya took Haelan away for a private conversation. Just in time, Lady Emilia and a servant returned with a pewter of water and three silver tin cups. The servant shakily placed them on the table and immediately left. Lady Emilia was about to leave as well when Atrius called her name all of a sudden.

"Lady Emilia", Atrius called. "Who's this Agalea?", he asked with prying eyes.

"Agalea?", Lady Emilia turned with creased brows. "She brings nothing but problems. She's a menace, and a spawn of the devil", she said as she gritted her teeth.

"That's too much for hatred", Atrius told Lady Emilia with noticeable anger.

"Hate? You think that's hate?", Lady Emilia walked over and leaned her hands on the table. "That's fear speaking. Ever since that girl arrived in this inn, I never felt safer. She sends off a devilish vibe that sends all my hair raising. I'd say Agalea is more dangerous than all the men who kept coming back looking for her", Lady Emilia stood back up and shivered as she wrap her arms around her. "Even mentioning her name send shivers down my spine", she said hastily.

"How can you tell? And who exactly is this girl?", Jacomus couldn't believe that a servant would frighten Lady Emilia this much, when Lady Emilia herself seems to be scarier.

"She's an orphan, and was sold here as a servant. I don't know what she gave to Lady Freya and Sir Tobias. But, they see her as a nice girl, when they never saw what she's like when the evening comes.", Lady Emilia said.

"What happens with Agalea at night?", Atrius asked.

"Every night, I would catch her kneeling down in the servants quarters mumbling words that I cannot fathom. All the other servants who bear witness of what I saw could only keep themselves distant, and quiet. Only the new ones like Clemen managed to give her kindness she doesn't deserve. But for us who exactly knew her, we were very afraid", Lady Emilia answered. "One night, while she's on her nightly ritual, I saw the real definition of fear. As I took a clearer look on what she's doing, it was then I realized she's holding one of the inn's housecats. I cannot forget the look in her dark eyes when she snapped its neck like a twig. When she saw me, she attacked me. Good thing I was able to reach a knife and was able to stop her as I slice off her right ear.", Lady Emilia exhaled sharply with a proud smirk.

Jacomus and Atrius looked at each other slowly, before they averted their gaze on Lady Emilia who seemed too pleased that she hurt someone. "That was bold", Jacomus said.

"She's a wicked child!", Lady Emilia slammed her hands on the table that startled the two grown men. "There are times that she act like she's lost, that she forget everything that happened. And then, there are times that she's back to her usual self. She scribbled demonic circles on our walls that we keep finding anywhere. There are moments that when she come back home, I'd find her right ear completely intact. The color of her eyes change from dark to light gray. Only the devil can do that", Lady Emilia said as she placed her hands together.

"Where is Agalea now?", Atrius asked.

"She just left, and never came back. She brought nothing with her. Surprisingly, when she left… someone who have a striking resemblance with Agalea arrived", Lady Emilia rolled her eyes up implying that Haelan was the one who arrived when Agalea disappeared.

"Do you mind if I look around?", Atrius said as he stood up.

"I don't mind at all", Lady Emilia said as she swiftly left the two men.

Jacomus followed Atrius who was grazing the walls and checking the furniture. "What do you think?", Jacomus asked.

"I think, that the lady is nuts", Atrius replied as he stare at the circles that were carved on the walls Lady Emilia was talking about.

Meanwhile, while Haelan is calming Freya down on a sedan chair with moss green velvet covers, she started to sense danger when she felt three people with obscure aura nearby. She looked to her side and creased her brows as she feel their vibe coming in. "They're here", she whispered.

Three cloaked men arrived and entered the inn. They immediately sat down on the wooden chairs near the kitchen. One of them was big as a mountain, while the other two were tall with average built. They never said a word, or bothered to remove their cloaks to have their faces seen. Atrius and Jacomus returned to their seats at once, and stayed on alert as they keep their eyes on the suspicious guests.

"Good evening, what can I get you?", Lady Emilia went out of the kitchen door and approached the newly arrived guests.

"We are looking for Agalea", one said as he kept his hood covering his face.

"There's no Agalea here", thinking they are also men from Brandenburg, Lady Emilia pouted and decided to walk away.

One of the tall men with an average built stood up and violently grabbed Lady Emilia by her arm. "Tell me, while I'm still being nice", he said in an angry tone. Jacomus and Atrius stood up to interfere but Haelan was already there near the frightened lady.

"The lady said, she's no longer here", Haelan calmly said as she face the cloaked man taller than her. The three men didn't moved an inch at her presence. Haelan thought that they do not personally know who they really come for, for they do not recognize Agalea's face.

"Tell us where she is, and no one gets hurt", the man said as he tighten his grip on Lady Emilia's arm. He completely ignored Haelan as the latter called the wind that violently blew through the open windows. Unbothered, the other two men stayed silent and unmoved on their seats.

"She's not here!! Maybe she's dead!!", Lady Emilia yelled as she violently moved her arm side to side trying to loosen the man's tight grip on her.

The man then held Lady Emilia's face with his other hand and squeezed it firmly. "She's not dead. We can feel her presence exuding in this place", the man said as he shove Lady Emilia towards Haelan forcefully.

From intense fear, tears started to roll on Lady Emilia's cheeks as she held her arm close to her chest. She could barely bring herself up that she breathe rapidly in panic as she couldn't exactly feel her trembling knees. "Are you okay?", Haelan asked as she held Lady Emilia's arm.

Unexpectedly, Lady Emilia pushed Haelan away as she sweat profusely. "It's.. it's him! Agalea is in him!!! The devil is hiding under his skin!!", Lady Emilia pointed her finger at Haelan as she went completely berserk. She repeatedly pointed at Haelan saying Agalea is within her. "Wait and see!! Agalea is in this man!", Lady Emilia shouted as she kneel down while Haelan could only anxiously watch.