24 The Village

"Myla." Myla looks up at me still crying a little. "Let's go to your village."

"Un." She stands up and walks towards my back. It seems she expects a piggyback ride again. Okay I don't mind. At least for now I don't have to tell her of the villagers deaths. As I pick her up she holds onto me tightly and stuffs her face into my right shoulder. I can feel warm wetness there. It seems she is still crying. This is a lot for a 8 year old to take in afterall. She is strong mentally though considering after she stopped after only three hours and thought about others.

I use my tail and launch myself off the ground and spot the village to my 8' o'clock. I extend my tail and launch myself in that direction. Myla takes her head off my shoulder and just observes quietly. I land on a branch and jump onto the next. At a fast speed. It seems I have gotten used to this way of traveling.

After an hour of travel I reach the edge of the village and the end of the forest. I use my tail to gently land on the floor. I look towards my back, "Myla do you want to walk?" She shakes her head no. Well nothing I can do about that. I start walking towards the village only to notice that the villagers are busy rebuilding their homes. It seems the tremors from her revival reached the village. As I walk up to the villagers I see only a few adults and many kids under the age of 16. It seems most of the villagers went to revolt against the Ork Demons. It seems they were expecting a win considering that the remaining villagers haven't evacuated. That or they are idiots.

When I get to close proximity I see a Brown haired Adult taking authority and telling everyone what to do. It seems he is the village chief and most likely Myla's father. After walking into the village all the villagers stop what they are doing and run toward Myla's father and grab pitchforks and other miscellaneous weapons like hoes and… is that a rock?

Only Myla's father draws a sword and points it at me. There are around 20 adults left and all the kids above the age of ten are holding weapons trembling in fear. The rest of the kids have disappeared somewhere. It seems they haven't noticed Myla on my back. I stop and turn slightly to have them notice Myla on my back. Why hasn't Myla said anything. I look back and see she is dead asleep. Wha?! I guess all this stress was relieved when she say the village and her father causing her to knock out on my back.

As they notice the unconscious Myla on my back the villagers and the acting chief or Myla's father get tense. Especially Myla's father as he starts trembling. "Why is a Horned Lord here? Who are you aligned to? Why do you have Myla!? She's been missing for an entire day! Her mother is worried sick and out looking for her! Why is she unconscious?! What do you want?! Please don't hurt her!" I still look like a child too I am only 8 and short but I am still treated like this. I guess appearances don't matter much in this world. As I observe him going through a plethora of questions and shift in attitude I wait until he is done. "So you are Myla's father?" It seems he is bewildered by my complete ignoration of his questions and by my very question. He still responds quickly, "Yes, I am Mylas father. Acting Chief of Greenwood Village, Theodore Kasa. Why do you have my daughter?"

"I found her out in the woods at night. I saved her from a giant pack of wolves. We need to talk, in private." I can see him visibly look relieved when I said I saved his daughter. I guess he assumed by saving his daughter I am on their side. Which is good for me but isn't this acting chief a little too trusting? I barely said a few words and he already let down his guard. The whole saved her from a giant pack of wolves isn't a lie either considering if I didn't run into her that pack would have for sure.

"Okay odd looking horned lord. We can speak in my tent over her." He points at a villager and tells him to send a message to his wife to come back and that Myla has returned safely. Like a perfect peach.

Is that code for something? Why did he make it so obvious?

He tells everyone to continue working and everyone trust him and they all get busy rebuilding their homes. As I watch all these children keep themselves busy I am reminded that a lot of these children are now orphans. I am sorry children but I have accidently left you all parentless. I am going to donate some money. That's all I can give them and this village for now.

We head inside the tent I place Myla down on mat and sit one the other right next to her. There are mats on either end of a short table. Myla looks at his daughter and then looks at me. "May I enquire your name Odd looking Horned Lord?" That's the second time I've been called an odd looking Horned Lord. It must be because they have only seen the Ork Demons with horns. "I am Sentan Michael Zavron."

"I owe you a thank you for saving my daughter." Theodore bows deeply to where his head almost touches the table from where he is sitting.

"It wasn't a issue as I was passing by. You are very trusting Theo." I say while looking at him in his eyes. He looks a little shocked and the regains calm. "You have my daughter and I have no reason for you to lie to me." Now it's my turn to be shocked, what a simple and naive train of thought. I sigh internally. "That's true."

Acting Chief Theodore nods and then responds with, "I assume you didn't need to talk to me about this in private?"

"I need to speak to you about your revolution with the Horned Lords at the Tribute platform." Now shock is clearly visible on his face and I can see him tense up. "About what exactly?'

"You succeeded in your revolution." I can see him release some tension "But, at the cost of everyone that went there." Now he trembles and I see his eyes tear up and redden. I can tell how much he is fighting it. He lets out a word with a struggle, "They were all killed by the Ork Demons or as you call them the horned lords. The chief was the first to be killed." Since there are fall guys there is no need for unnecessary trouble.

Now Acting Chief Theodore stands up, "Thats impossible! The Chief is a Peak Mortal Divine Combatant! How could she have been the first to die?" She was? Fuck my senses on sensing other combatants is also weak I didn't even notice. I need to work on this aspect too. Good to know. "She was surprise attacked." I see him calm down. "Damn it mother! After we finally got strong enough to resist them you go and die. Mother." I see a visible tear go down his face and his fluctuation from anger to sadness at the loss of his mother.

After a very long moment of silence Acting chief Theodore ask me, "If you know who died first did you watch them all die before you acted?" Woah, fine line. Fine line! I need to speak carefully or my lie will undo itself. I did not expect this. "No I acted as quickly as I could and failed to kill them all before the villagers were massacred. Acting Chief Theodore contemplates for a little.

"You said they were wiped out at the tribute platform I am assuming their headquarters is still intact and they will be coming for revenge soon. We need to evacuate the village." Oh, so they were expecting victory and that's why they didn't evacuate before. "No need to evacuate, as I failed to save them I will go and wipe out their headquarters." This time Acting Chief Theodore looks at me strangely. "I did kill them all even though I failed to save the villagers after all."

Acting Chief Theodore looks at me and says, "Okay I'll be leaving our fate in your hands." I reach out my hand to shake his.

Just then a feel a sharp cold dagger on my throat and I freeze. What the fuck?!