DEMIGODS: The Lost Princess

Chapter 3.

Sylva's screams were shattering the whole town of Delis when Eli and her brothers arrived home from the woods. It was almost eight in the evening when they reached home.

As Echo suggested, they passed by the river to wash off first but her clothes were completely soaked; it's just impossible to wash off all the blood.

Her mother was beyond furious when she saw Eli. Her hair's still dripping wet and in total disarray and even her boots were stained by mud, blood and God knows what else. Even the beggars would look more presentable compared to her. For sure they will never hear the end of it for as long as they live.

Eli voluntarily laid herself down on the table ready to receive a beating from her mother. She got scared remembering how Echo and Rhyss limped in pain the last time when Slyva caught them betting on the race tracks few weeks back, so she just closed her eyes tightly and prayed for the Gods to have mercy on her, hoping the lashes won't leave any scar. That's the best she can hope for since there's no way her mother will let her get away with this stunt.

"Get up there and take a long bath and scrub well. I told you many times not to go hunting. It's unacceptable for a woman like you to be covered in
animal's blood like that. Why are you always disappointing us, Eli?" She looked up and saw her mother's eyes already in tears. Sylva was clutching her chest trying to control her breathing.

Her father, Antall, immediately pulled Sylva and gave her a hug to comfort her. Eli felt guilty seeing her parents' reaction.

"It's okay, Eli. Get up. You just scared your mother today. I mean look at yourself. What parent will not worry? You've really outdone yourself this time. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you've been attacked by a big wolf." Antall told her.

Echo and Rhyss were standing behind Antall both motioning Eli to shut her mouth and not say a word about the wolf they just killed in the woods. Good thing, Eli noticed and was quick to understand.

She winked at them discreetly before turning to her father. "It was just a pig, father. But it ran off before we could completely kill it. I'm very sorry."

Antall just shook his head in disbelief while still hugging Sylva. Where did they go wrong in bringing up these kids? They always end up in a mess.

"Then do what your mother tells you to do. Take a bath now. I don't want my daughter to stink like a pig."

"And for the love of God, don't go to the woods anymore. It's a very dangerous place. That goes for you Echo and Rhyss as well! You two should know better. What were you thinking dragging your little sister there? I'm warning you. If this would happen again, I'll cut off your balls. Let's see if you can still go anywhere." He turned to the boys who just bowed their heads in silence.

***

Eli still cannot believe how she got away with everything earlier. She wasn't expecting her mother to just simply weep after she showed up blood-soaked. Out of all her misbehavior, what she did earlier is the one that actually merits an extreme punishment. That she knows. Maybe because she's a girl that's why Sylva and even Antall treat her differently compared to her brothers. That's why they're more lenient, more forgiving. Both her parents haven't even laid a finger on her as far as she can remember, when in fact she's far from being a goody two shoes.

Eli's scrubbing her skin hard but the stubborn stain from that beast's blood just won't come off easily. She had no choice but to stay in the tub for a while for it to wear off on its own.

By the time Rhyss was knocking on the bathroom door telling her to hurry up and join the whole family for supper, she's dozed off already. She's had an incredibly rough day today. Sleep won her over.

A few moments after, Eli was awakened by a faint smell of smoke coming from outside the bathroom door. She quickly patted herself dry and changed into new clothes to come out and check what could be burning.

Their entire house is in flames!

She started screaming, running from room to room to look for her family, but she couldn't find them.

Then suddenly she barely remembered Rhyss' voice calling her for supper earlier, so she sprinted to the dining room. There she almost fainted upon seeing her whole family shredded into pieces!

Eli noticed her father Antall badly hurt, but still moving and breathing heavily. She ran to him and tried to help him get up but he refused. His left foot was like completely chopped off his leg. It was grotesque.

"No. I won't make it. Save yourself." Antall told her slowly.

"Who did this to you? I can't leave you here to die." She pleaded, crying.

"A pack of wolves attacked our house and burned the house down. It happened so fast. Go now, Eli. Look for your real family in Evoleurt." Antall closed his eyes and just like that he died in her arms.

"I'm so sorry, Father. I love you." What Antall just said to her doesn't make any sense at all, but she let go of Antall's hand and ran out the house to save herself from the fire.

Eli saw so many of their neighbors trying to put out the fire engulfing their entire house. Some were passing on pails of water. Mr. Kent even connected a long hose to the main water pipe by the roadside and now targeting the dining area with water where most of the flames are flaring up, but it's no use. There's no point. Her whole family is now dead.

One of their neighbors saw her and gave her a blanket. She remained standing in front of their burning house, her eyes blurred with tears. It's as good as saying she's died along with them that night: her mother Sylva, her father Antall, and her brothers Echo and Rhyss. She thought of all the things she's willing to give up just to see them alive again.

Eli's knees weakened and she instantly fell to the ground as she thought of all those wolves biting unto her family's flesh mercilessly. The feeling of anger and revenge is raging through her. She wants every wolf in the whole of Delis to suffer the same fate and die. She started cursing, screaming gibberish and shouting all her rage. Everyone who saw her that night couldn't help but sympathize. Women and young children were crying and men balled their fists also in rage. But all of them were helpless. No one can bring back the dead.

Mr. Kent felt so sorry for Eli and tried to calm her down, but she still won't stop crying. She saw the wind chime, the one which she and Rhyss made when they were nine and eight, that was hanging outside their front door, and it suddenly snapped and fell because of the fire.

Eli lost consciousness.

The next morning, people of Delis were stunned to see endless piles of wolves shredded into bones and pieces all over town. Some were found in the woods. Others were discovered by the road side and even on some of the neighborhood's gardens and backyards. Nobody could explain their sudden death, who did it, and why.