The School of Bermuda - Volume 1 - The hunter's daughter

-22-

Lili, always on the ground, backed up as far as she could to get away from the motionless animal. After a short moment, the beast moved away from her before turning around quickly and fleeing. The girl breathed a sigh of relief, although she didn't really understand the carnivore's behavior.

"And if you came to sit instead of standing there?"

Lili jumped and turned around. Behind her, sitting on a log, in front of a campfire, was an adult man with strangely gray skin and scarlet red hair. Between his lips, she could discern perfectly sharp fangs.

In the flame's glow, he was sewing. The child approached the stranger cautiously, who had scared away one of the fiercest creatures in existence.

"Don't worry," he continued in a soft voice, "we are in the middle of the night, so I won't harm you."

Lili remembered the explanations in her book about the bubak, this human-like being that devoured people during the day and helped them at night. He looked up from his work to look at the student.

"You seem to have gone through tough trials," he murmured softly. "Rest. You just need to leave before daybreak."

The girl finally let herself fall next to the fire, watching the bubak work silently.

Finally, she decided to explain why she was here. The discovery of the terrible secret the professor was hiding and the spell he had cast on her.

"But," Lili hesitated, "I don't know why, but creatures are attracted to the smell of my blood..."

"Yes, I can sense it too. You're lucky to have met me at night."

"Is it beyond your control?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

The man stood up, placing his creation on Lili's shoulders. It was a beautiful white hood, embroidered with magnificent golden thread designs, which, if she had stood up at that moment, would have fallen to her calves.

"Do you want to give it to me?" the girl exclaimed. "But... it's too beautiful for me..."

"I touched it, this cape will hide your scent with mine until the creatures realize it's just a decoy. Please, it's a gift. Try to leave the forest before daybreak and without getting caught by a chimera. You should find the centaurs, they will help you."

"Thank you, Mr. Bubak."

The man allowed himself to smile at this name, returning to sit down and taking another piece of fabric. Lili watched him for a while before getting up, saying goodbye, and heading back into the dark woods.

This time, no creature approached her. She felt a little safer. However, Lili had no idea where the centaurs were. She continued walking, sometimes turning without knowing where, and suddenly she fell into a basin filled with water.

"Just my luck," she muttered angrily.

She quickly got out, grumbling incomprehensible swear words and chattering her teeth. She looked around, rubbing her arms, noticing that she had arrived in a swamp... and murky waters, faces that seemed human, were watching her.

Their skin was blue-gray, and their eyes completely black. Gills were carved into their necks, and their hair was nothing but algae. Without really knowing why, Lili immediately knew that they were not good creatures, but when she tried to leave, a hand suddenly reached out to grab her wrist.

"Let go of me!" the girl screamed. "Mr. Bubak, help!"

The marine humanoid was pulling her towards the water with a carnivorous smile. Compared to the child, he had monstrous strength, but she struggled as much as she could.