Rise of the Arockalypse (Second Lordi Saga - Story 3)

Chapter 19 - Faith and Redemption

_"I was there too, when it happened..." the man shouted. "I saw my wife and my daughter being slaughtered before my eyes by these fucking abominations! It's because of them, these fucking monsters, it's all their fault! It's them who attract misfortune and death upon our world!"

Every word he uttered was filled with fierce hatred and sadness and his gaze indicated that what he had seen had clearly affected him psychologically. Other people in the crowd started to agree with him, however, they too were judging Sarah with their eyes and gradually starting to approach and surround her. Emily's parents stepped in to protect the frightened girl.

_"Stop, don't do that! She's only a child!" Emily's mother said firmly.

_"A human who dares to say that monsters are her friends, after all they have done, does not deserve to live!" the stranger hissed possessed by anger.

_"Do you hear what you're saying? Are you crazy or what?" Emily's father said.

But the man remained deaf to these words and tightening his grip on his penknife, prepared to attack. But as he raised his arm, a female ghostly form materialized behind him and grabbed his wrist firmly, locking it effortlessly and startling him.

_"Awa!" exclaimed Sarah, reassured.

The Countess Awa had just appeared before the eyes of the whole crowd, who, surprised, stood back. The stranger with the penknife stood paralyzed with fear seeing the Countess right behind him and screamed in pain when she squeezed his wrist so hard that he dropped his knife which fell to the ground. Awa looked at him with great severity.

_"If you dare to touch this child, you will have to answer for it in front of me, is that clear?" she said firmly.

The man, in pain, nodded in understanding and Awa let him go, then was joined by Sarah. Awa smiled at the girl as if she were her child and hugged her gently. Further back, Emily's parents recognized the countess as one of their daughter's allies and friends, having already seen her several times. However, the meeting was cut short as army soldiers arrived, alerted by the shouting and commotion and raised their weapons towards Awa.

_"Alert! A monster has entered the camp!"

_"Prepare to shoot!"

But suddenly, a swarm of black and green flies appeared, coming to regroup beside Awa and to the terror of the humans around formed a solid body. Mana, once fully formed in his body, looked around and harshly judged the soldiers for their behavior towards them. Fortunately, an agent of the SRDO who had recognized the two monsters intervened quickly and lowered the weapons of the soldiers.

_"Don't shoot, they are with us!" explained the agent.

_"Agent Nills." Mana said recognizing him too. "Thanks for your intervention."

Other members of the SRDO came running, all of them knowing of the alliance between their organization and the monsters, and ordered that their place be cleared, although a certain hostility still reigned in the eyes and minds of many civilians and military. Mana motioned to Awa that he would stay here and make sure nothing happened while she and Sarah went to talk quietly together in one of the SRDO tents they had been loaned. The countess was reassured to see that Sarah, despite the painful loss of her father Ben, had managed not to sink into despair although the sadness and pain of this loss was still present on her face, which was not amazing. Ben had died in such a brutal, sudden and unnatural way and inside without showing it Awa still blamed herself for not having been able to do anything to save him. It was the kind of wound that would never fully heal but that you had to learn to live with.

Once inside the tent, with an SRDO guard remaining outside to prevent anyone from entering, Awa and Sarah sat down in chairs around a small table.

_"How are you feeling, Sarah?" asked the countess, her hand coming to rest on the girl's.