" Do I look like I'm kidding? I told you to get it. So where is it, Philomel?"
He demands as his eyes slowly started glowing red. Philomel backed away just for her back to immediately hit the wall behind her. Reminding her she was already cornered.
" What you ask for is impossible and useless."
Philomel snapped back at him, trying to be brave even though her voice trembled, and her heart banged against her ribcage. She pushed herself against the wall trying to hide the fact her knees were giving way under her. She may be very good with a short blade but even she knew it was hopeless against his demon form.
" Useless? *Laughs* Useless you say?!"
Asclepius snickered as he reveals his fangs, silently threatening to rip her throat out.
" *Sighs* I can't believe I have to explain my glorious plan to save the village to a simpleton like you... With the High Priestess Haldir's seal, I'll be able to forge an authentic will. Stating that we dark elves, no longer anger the goddess and we'll be able to live amongst the light elves' lands like an equal."
He casually explained as he sharpen his claws against the wall right next to her head. Philomel tries to calm her breath and tries to summon her inner demon. But unfortunately for her, her bloodline was more elf than demon and such a transformation didn't come as easily for her.
" There's no way the high priestess would stand for that!"
She blurted out, hoping that would keep the conversation going and buy her some more time.
" Of course, she wouldn't but then again she can't do anything about it once she's dead. It is her death will that we'll be forging. "
Asclepius snicked and his two lackeys instantly started roaring with laughter behind him.
Philomel's eyes widen finally realizing what such a thing would bring about.
"His plan would work alright, but only until the light elves find out he was behind the death of the High Priestess and if by then the whole village were living among the light elves..... the easier it is to purge them all....."
She gasp at the realization but Asclepius interpreted this gasp in a much different way from hers. He lets out a hearty laugh.
" Shocked at my utter genius, huh? Mel."
He whispers her nickname in a deep tone against her ear. She winches against it as her sight becomes blurry with tears. He was too close and the thought of his touch made her wanna cry from discomfort. The thought of his rough gross tongue licking her ear made her wanna scream and run away.
Suddenly a hand grabbed Asclepius's collar, dragging him off her so fast. That Philomel thought he had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Asclepius was sent crashing upon the craven wall, his body shook in pain at such an impact. But since he was in his demon form, he barely felt it. He snaps at the towering figure, snarling at him. Just to have a huge clawed hand wrap around his neck, picking him up a couple of feet from the ground before smashing him against the wall again.
" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER?!"
The towering figure roared as his eyes glowed such a dark blue. His voice boomed and echoed throughout the entire cavern. Everyone in the whole village had shivers sent down their spines. His heavy tone was so fearsome that it made the beast within every villager panic and even made every child or baby within the village, cry. Blood immediately drained from Asclepius's face as he found himself trapped within the elder man's eyes.
"His eyes... His deep dark blue eyes. Swirling white that makes me feel like I'm being sucked into a whirlpool towards the deep black darkness."
Asclepius thought as he silently choked as if water were filling his lungs, making it harder to breathe as he could feel the elder man's shadow spread before him. Clawing his legs and chest, pulling him down into the depths of the ocean. He didn't know why but he felt the pupil of the elder man's eyes was the man's own shadow trying to swallow the boy whole.
"It's as if the shadows of death live within his eyes!!"
Asclepius's inner demon yelped as it quickly hid deeper within Asclepius. Abandoning his master to fend against the elder demon by himself.
" If you're the reason my daughter next came home last night. I promise you."
Anubis growls with a low tone and then lets out the breath of his inner demon into the lad's ear just like the boy did to his daughter. The boy's eyes slowly turn white as he gasp even harder for breath and his body began vigorously shaking like he was having a seizure.
Philomel fell to her knees as she breaks down, bawling into her hands. Her father immediately turns to look at her and when he did. Asclepius's lackeys shoved the elder man to the side, grab Asclepius by the arms, and drag him away as fast as they could.
" Ah, crap..."
Anubis mutters, finally noticing his inner demon was the cause of his daughter's breakdown. He quickly took in deep breaths trying to cage his inner demon deep within himself. As soon as he felt like his eyes weren't glowing, he kneels down before his daughter, reaching out to her. Philomel immediately flinched as she press herself further into the wall.
" Hey, hey, it's alright. It's me, Mel."
He softly calls out to her with arms wide open but made no attempt to move closer to her. It took a while for Philomel to remember her father wasn't that fearsome demon and luckily for Anubis. She remembered it as soon as she saw her father's worrying face.
" Oh, Daddy!"
Philomel cried just before she dove right into his arms, sobbing against his chest. Anubis envelops his little Mel in a warm tight embrace as he soothingly rubs her back.
" It's alright, daddy's here. Daddy's here."
He says in a reassuring way as he snuggles his cheek against his daughter's head in a loving way. Philomel snuggles against her father, his soft familiar scent of mint brought her much comfort.
" Mel, Mel."
Her father calls out in a silly way.
" Mel, Mel. Won't you come out from your hiding place?
Sunshine wants to say hi to that cubby face."
Her father sang a very old song that instantly reminded Philomel of when she was younger playing hide and seeks with her father. Where he would always try to cheat by signing this song, each line would be a more tempting offer than the last. Making the game a challenge of resolve rather than seeking and hiding.
Philomel couldn't help but giggle at the song.
" Dad! I'm way too old for that."
She grinned as she playfully pushed her father's shoulder.
" Oh! You finally came out at the first line. I must have broken a world record or something."
He said with a chuckle.
" There's no record for that."
She rebutted as she wiped her tears from her face.
" Maybe not for you but definitely for me."
Anubis slowly stood up, helped his daughter to her feet as well, and dusted the sand off her dress. Philomel snuffles as she smooths out her hair with her hands. Anubis picks up her sack before standing to his full height.
" Ah, wait."
He exclamations as he reaches out to his back pocket pulls out a handkerchief and hands it to his daughter. Philomel takes it and wipes where she cried on her father's shirt.
" I gave it to you, for you to use. What are you doing, wiping me for?"
He questioned with a confused face.
" I know, so I'm going to use it as much as I can."
She replied as she wiped her hands and face, then blew her nose. Philomel adjusted her waist amour with her free hand as she handed the handkerchief back to her father.
" Uhhhhhh.... you keep it. "
He muttered, trying to hide the fact he didn't want to put that in his pocket. Without another word, Philomel tucks it into her pocket and slowly starts walking towards the main cavern. Her father silently follows behind her, dreading the fact that he has to ask a question he never hopes to have to ask. Racking his brain, for a more tactful way of asking, even though he really didn't want to know the answer. But if it did happen, then as a father, it's only right to beat the crap out of the person who did it to her.
In fact, he wanted to.
" Mel...."
" Hmm?"
Anubis opens his mouth but immediately closes it. Letting a long awkward silence take place. Well awkward for Anubis, his daughter was feeling pretty great.
" Yes, Daddy?"
She chimed, breaking the long silence as she glanced sideways to look at him.
" That boy..... he and his friends.... didn't do anything weird .... to you... all night long... right?"
Anubis could feel his heart stop beating, just dying from the anticipation and the awkwardness of having to ask this.
" What? Of course not. I was locked down at Luxtorious, the whole night. I came home just 20 minutes ago."
Anubis lets out a long sigh of relief, thanking every and anything that his daughter wasn't raped. He sighs so much that he felt lightheaded and dizzy. While in his mind all his thoughts and emotions were partying nonstop. He even walked with a little spring in his step, so glad he was there at the right time. It took his mind a long time to realize what his daughter had said. And when it did a million questions popped into his head.
" Lockdown? What happened? Why would a whole kingdom go into lockdown?"
" Something has happened....."
Philomel trailed off, unsure if she should tell her father what happened.
" I'll have to inform the council about this. I think it best that you hear it from them if they decide to share with the whole village, of course."
" That big huh? Whatever you think it's best, Mel. For now, best wash up. If you meet the council looking like that, it would be terribly disrespectful. You know how the elders are. And since you are home, no harm in having lunch, right? Your mother has been cooking like crazy."
Her father suggested as he place an arm around his daughter's shoulder. Philomel nodded with a smile, grateful to finally be home after such an eventful night and morning.
*tinkling*
The sound of her father's keys rings throughout the air as he fishes them out of his pocket and unlocks the wooden door of their home.
*Creak*
The door creaks as Anubis opens it wide for his daughter. They were immediately greeted by a round dining table filled with piping hot food and the lady of the smaller cavern, placing a pot of hot soup on the table. She instantly smiles as soon as her eyes lay upon her husband and daughter.
" Look who I found while I was getting thread."
He chimed as he nodded towards his daughter who stood a quarter of his total height shorter than him.
" Hi Mom, I'm home."
" Mel! Where have you been?! I was worried sick!"
Asteria exclaimed as she ran and embraced her child so tightly, that it squeeze the breath out of Philomel. Philomel's gaze turns to her father, silently pleading to save her from her mother's crushing hug. Anubis places her sack in her right hand, pats her head, and strolls toward his workbench which was just in the other room. He passed his wife's loom and his work mannequin. Taking a seat on his chair in front of a desk filled with clothing designs, cloth, and needles. Pulling open his desk drawer, he places a blue thread into a basket filled with the exact same one.
He finally lets out a yawn, he had been holding back, the whole night and morning. Turns out, Anubis has been wandering around every inch of Crimtroy looking for Philomel under the excuse of running out of blue thread.
" I was stuck in Luxtorious because of a lockdown but I'm fine. Look, my Commander gave me, my cut for my scavenger hunt."
Philomel shook the bag hoping it would catch her interest. Luckily for her, it did.
" All this for us! My! Your commander is a very sweet man always been giving the best of the picks and the most! You must have done a wonderful job! My baby Mal, such a wonderful girl."
Asteria cups Philomel's face with both hands as she places her forehead against her daughter's. Philomel could only stare back at her mother in surprise and slightly confused. For her mother didn't even glance at the supplies in her hand. Her mother lovingly stares into her daughter's eyes as her hands reach out for the pointed tips of her daughter's ears. Rubbing both tips tenderly between fingertips. An elf gesture to tell another elf, that they accept them for who they are and that they are proud of them. It was a gesture her mother often did but it never failed to warm Philomel's heart.
For it always reminded her, that no matter where she was or what she did, her mother loves her.
______________________________________________