Elalios wanted what he saw to be a dream. His life plans didn’t prepare him to be involved in successive turmoils. As it was with the demons, seeing Earl Gideon made him feel a crushing in his stomach.

Elalios tried getting in to inform Kael about the situation, but the Earl already spotted him. He desired to run away, but he knew that there’s no escaping the Earl.

“Elalios”, the Earl called.

The one called kneeled to the Earl. “Your lordship”

“Did you find Kael?”

Hearing the name, Elalios felt heavy, the air weighing down on him.

The people of the village circled around the Earl, and greeted him. The villagers’ greetings calmed the Earl’s rash conduct, which relieved Elalios for a moment.

“Let’s not talk here”

“Then,”, Elalios sneaked a glance at the village’s house of worship, then looked to the farthest hut he could see. “Let’s go there, my lord”

Elalios led the way to the hut he pointed at. He glances behind him from time to time, making sure that the people he wanted to follow him, did follow him away from Kael. They arrived to their destination without much problems.

Inside the hut, the Earl was invited to sit first before anyone could sit. He ordered the old man living in the hut to go outside for a while. The people that remained inside were the servants along with the Earl.

Earl Gideon wasted no time. “Now, answer my question”, he said, looking at Elalios.

Elalios looked at Seqina who in turn nodded at him. He realized that the Earl knew that Kael was in the village, as he said it to Seqina.

“My lord,”, Elalios paused, trying to look for the right words to say. “Kael wasn’t here anymore”

Elalios kept his head down, afraid to see the face of the Earl. He waited for a response, droplets of sweat started forming on his temples.

“Seqina said Kael was here”, the Earl said after a brief silence.

“Kael was not here anymore, my lord”, Elalios said.

“Are you sure?”

“I couldn’t find him anywhere”, Elalios replied.

The Earl looked at Elalios who refused to look at him eye to eye. He sighed. He was relieved, but confused seeing Elalios’s unusual behavior.

“Is he safe?”, the Earl said.

Elalios was stunned, hearing the question. The tone of the Earl seemed assured that he knew where Kael was. He knew that if he continued the facade, the Earl will not be amused.

“Y.. yes, my lord”

Seqina and Cadell was surprised, but the Earl didn’t seem mad at Elalios.

“My lord, if I may”, Cadell said.

The Earl raised his right hand, stopping Cadell from speaking further.

“Why are you hiding him?”, the Earl asked.

Elalios remain agitated. He wasn’t sure what to say to the Earl. But then, he remembered their encounter with the demons. He collected his mind, and tried voicing what he saw as his way of regaining the trust of the Earl.

“The demons.. they were trying to get Kael”

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“Did they hurt him?”, the Earl asked, his tone became terrifying once again.

“I didn’t let them, my lord”

Elalios hoped for the best by then. He felt that he was not convincing enough, and he was ready to jump outside the hut.

“I see, thank you”

Elalios was surprised. The Earl was acting unusual, but Earl Gideon’s words gave him his much needed relief. Hearing those words, he felt guilty that he’s hiding so much information that he knew the Earl would want to know.

“It’s my duty as your servant”, Elalios said.

For a moment, Elalios thought he was safe from further inquiries, but the Earl didn’t let him rest.

“Let me see Kael”

‘No’

Elalios almost blurted out his thought, but he managed to control his tongue. His mind was moving quickly, trying to come up with a decent reason to reject the Earl’s request. He saw only the demons, but he was having some trouble involving the malevolent beings to his excuse.

But then, at the back of his mind, he heard a familiar voice.

“What’s going on?”

Elalios jolted from his position. The voice was of Kael’s, too vivid to be his imagination.

“Elalios? Can you hear me?”, Kael stated.

“I.. I can”

The Earl and the servants looked at him confused.

“What do you mean?”, the Earl asked after Elalios’s out of the ordinary response.

Elalios couldn’t respond to the Earl’s question.

“If you can hear me, talk to me with your mind”

Elalios was distracted by Kael’s voice that it irritated the Earl.

“Elalios”

“Yes my lord, I apologize”, Elalios bowed towards the Earl.

“Answer my question”, the Earl said. “Don’t make me wait”

Elalios tried focusing on the Earl, trying to ignore Kael’s voice.

‘Why am I hearing Kael’s voice in my head?’, Elalios thought.

“It’s too early, my lord”, Elalios said, still a little bit distracted. “I apologize, your lordship can’t meet Kael for now”

“Why?”

“Because.. the demons..”, Elalios’s mind was working overtime.

The Earl waited for the answer.

“The demons.. they can.. control humans.. yes, my lord”, Elalios said.

‘Why did I say that?’

“They..”, Elalios was reminded of Osbert. “They controlled Osbert to attack us”

‘Please, let me get through this’

The Earl was silent after Elalios’s statement. He looked at Cadell, which nodded at him.

“You don’t trust us”, the Earl stated.

“My lord, that’s no–“

“I understand”

The Earl liked Elalios’s cautiousness to which Elalios was relieved, but also surprised. At that moment, Elalios’s mental burden was lifted completely.

“Where is Kael?”, the Earl said. “You can trust me with just that can you?”

Elalios couldn’t refuse. “He’s in the village’s house of worship”

The Earl did a single nod. “Then, protect him Elalios”, the Earl declared. “I will allow no one to enter the house of worship except you”

“As you wish, my lord”, Elalios bowed.

“We will hunt the demons”

The Earl looked at Cadell and Seqina. The two servants bowed to the Earl.

“Seqina, assist Elalios. Stay here until my return”

“Yes, my lord”

After their discussion, the Earl went to the hut where Kael was in. He took a peek inside, and then, announced his departure. For the moment, the Earl ceased to be a worry for Elalios and Kael.