Chapter 36 Strange Man
After hours of darkness, the sun slowly rose in the east, its light sweeping over the great forest and illuminating the whole of Malakh, marking the beginning of a new day.
Lyriel could not have been more relieved at the sight of dawn. She had been looking forward to the morning all night long, as was evident from her sunken eyes and the dark circles beneath them. She had not managed to get a wink of sleep after seeing those legions of evil spirits and spending the night alone in the cottage.
How could Eli be so unemotional and cruel? He had told her the previous day that he would return in the evening. Not only had he lied, but he had spent the entire night in goodness knows where. She had been frightened nearly to death by what she experienced, and when the sun finally rose, she had jumped out of bed in relief. Now she was heading to Mr. Clement’s house with her basket and the money she had forgotten to give him.
A loud knock sounded on Mr. Clement’s door. When he opened it, he found Lyriel standing there in a miserable state. Her tangled hair was scattered everywhere, and her eyes were heavy with exhaustion.
“Are you… feeling well?” he asked with concern. “You don’t have to go to the market today.”
But to Lyriel, that was very bad advice. She had waited all night so she could leave the haunted forest, and there was no way she would go back there again—unless Eli returned. And even if he did return, she would make sure they never went back to that cottage.
“Good morning, Mr. Clement,” she said dully. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Are you sure about that?” He studied the girl carefully. There was no way she was fine. She used to be bubbly and childlike, but now she looked like someone who had been struck by lightning and drained of all her energy. He doubted whether she had taken a bath or even tried to comb her hair.
Lyriel nodded and handed him the money from her previous sales.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Clement. I forgot to return your money yesterday.”
“Come inside,” he invited.
Lyriel entered his house and stood in a corner, staring at the fruits arranged on the floor. She crossed the room and placed her basket on the floor, ready to begin selecting fruits to sell.
“Don’t worry about the fruits, my dear,” Mr. Clement said, lifting her gently from the floor. He led her to the other side of the house where a long table and three wooden chairs stood—that was his dining table. “Sit down here and have breakfast with me.”
Lyriel stared at the old man in surprise. Was he offering her breakfast? She had not expected such kindness from him.
“But… the fruits…” she stammered.
“It’s alright. You can go to the market after eating.” He smiled and walked into the kitchen.
Lyriel wanted to refuse, but she was terribly hungry, tired, and exhausted. She had not even eaten dinner before going to bed the previous day. A proper meal would be more than a blessing at that moment.
A few minutes later, Mr. Clement returned, carrying two bowls of steaming meat. He placed one on the table and took the other with him, ready to eat.
“What kind of food is this?” she asked in surprise, staring wide-eyed at the bowl.
“Haven’t you tasted chicken before?” he asked, equally surprised.
“Chicken!” she said with a smile of satisfaction. Although she didn’t know exactly what it was, the aroma alone promised it would be delicious.
She dug into the food instantly, tearing at the meat in hunger. All the frustration and anger she had felt that morning suddenly disappeared. She picked up another large piece and gazed in wonder at the protruding bone.
“Hmm…how did you manage to create a food that looks so much like a bird?”
The old man laughed at her question, and Lyriel joined in his laughter.
“That is a chicken,” he said simply.
Lyriel only shrugged and continued eating.
When she was finally done, she drank a large cup of water and let out a loud belch. “Thank you, Mr. Clement. This is the best meal I’ve ever had.”
The old man nodded.
“How is Eli?” he asked. “Is he at home with you?”
Lyriel’s cheerful smile faded immediately at the mention of Eli. He was nothing but a heartless soul who had abandoned her in the middle of the forest—not once, but twice.
“He left me alone in the forest yesterday,” she said with a shrug. “He didn’t even tell me where he was going.”
Mr. Clement listened attentively while tearing into the last piece of meat. Then he dropped his empty bowl onto the table and chuckled.
“Eli is such a strange man.”
“Strange man?” Lyriel asked, tilting her head.
“Yes, a strange man. I mean, why would anyone choose to live in an abandoned cottage deep in the forest?”
“Abandoned?” Lyriel’s eyes widened in shock. “You… you mean to tell me I live in an abandoned house?”
“Don’t panic,” he chuckled. “I was a close friend of the man who used to live there. He built his cottage in the forest to avoid the villagers, who stigmatized him and called him all sorts of names because he had… a small mental problem. Even his own family abandoned him. Unfortunately, he died some time later. His body was found in the river down by the village.”
“The river?” Lyriel asked in disbelief. The story sounded very similar to the one Fabian had told her about the man who discovered the fortress of demons.
Now that she thought about it, why was everyone telling her such frightening stories about the village? She hadn’t slept all night, and now she could only wonder what she would do when the sun went down and Eli still hadn’t returned. There was no way she would ever step foot in that cottage again.
Still, she wanted to know more about Eli, and curiosity soon got the better of her.
“Why did Eli move into the cottage?” she asked, leaning closer to hear more.
“Eli…” the old man said, furrowing his brows in deep thought. “He moved into this village about three months ago.”
“Three months ago?” Lyriel asked. “Isn’t he a native of this village?”
“No,” he chuckled. “How should I put this…? He is actually a Malakhian—born and raised within the walls of the kingdom. I knew his father very well, and his mother too.”
“Where are they now?”
“They died many years ago, when Eli was still a boy,” the old man replied.
Lyriel lowered her head sadly. To think that Eli had grown up without his parents… that was cruel.
“They were killed when the Sumerians invaded the kingdom. Many were slaughtered, and the children were taken to their land as slaves. Eli was among them. The high priest led his army to recover the children. He succeeded in bringing many back to the kingdom…but Eli was among the few who were not rescued from the land of Sumer."