LETHYFEROUS
4. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MEN

Years passed, Fleur never expected if he could get through all the difficulties alone. He sighed, then occasionally glanced towards the back of the house. Something took away his mind.

I don't know how many men came to the cottage and wanted to rape her. They're hurt, yeah, really hurt. However, Fleur did not expect the men to come to him just to get rid of their lust.

“How many? 50 people?” the red-haired girl.

Fleur took a sip of saliva, walking towards the back of the house. He examined a furnace filled with medicinal herbs. Although he had never met many people, but many ordered concoction medicine from him.

The name is indeed quite popular, considering Hera—sang mother—was formerly a medicine compounder as well.

“It's almost mature.” The girl tasted a little of the potion. “Och, bitter!”

Fleur sighed and immediately raised the small furnace, then placed it on the table. Autumn wind blows her red hair. Very contrasted with the color of his skin as white as porcelain.

The girl looked out of the kitchen, finding a field that looked like a quarry. She's speechless. It was there that Fleur buried the ashes of his gangsters all this time without anyone knowing.

Fleur turned around to take care of the potion. Suddenly, someone surprised him. A stocky woman who was Fleur's neighbor ran away in a hurry to get to the back door of the girl's cottage.

“Fleur! Fleur!” shouts ganged.

The girl looked over, then approached the kitchen door. “What's up?” tanyakanya.

“You don't know yet? People are looking for you!” knock the woman.

Fleur's forehead shriveled. “For what? Do they want to order medicine or someone gets hurt?” He is still inocent as usual.

The woman breathed a heavy sigh. To him, Fleur was not a threat and was just an ordinary neighbor as he was also unaware of the men's ash tragedy. He clasped Fleur's hands together instantly. “There are rumors circulating,” he said. “Many men have disappeared in recent years and people are looking for you because they think you are the cause of the disappearance of the men!”

Fleur's eyes blocked out a flash. “Hah? Meaning?”

“Fleur, listen to me, you are still beautiful at your current age. And people know about your popularity among the nobles,” said the fat lady. “So they thought you were the one who wiped out the men. Never mind, why are you so innocent anyway?”

The woman snorted. After all, Fleur might not know about the gossip that was circulating because the girl had never met a lot of people at all. However, in fact, he as Fleur's neighbor also knew that there were many people who came to the girl's house to ask for treatment and all the patients were men.

“A-I ... what should I do?” Fleur asked and now he looked confused.

“Kabur.”

Netra Green Fleur. “Kabur?”

The fat lady nodded. “Go, Fleur,” the door even with a full face of grief. “Oh, I'm serious, if you're not here, I'll lose a neighbor later.”

Fleur was starting to get into a dilemma. How could he leave the cottage that had been his refuge? Where is he? The cottage was a silent witness since her mother was expelled from the village for her work as a witch.

“Fleur.” The woman called until the red-haired girl in front of her turned her head. “Let me deceive the people. You, go for a while,” he said. “I promise I'll help you.”

***

I promise I'll help you.

Fleur sighing. He remembered the words of his neighbor. The woman had been really nice to him all this time, but Fleur felt that it wasn't enough and now owed her a debt of gratitude.

There was faintly heard a simple cry from a distance. Fleur stopped and looked over for a moment. He was quite far away, about 100 meters from his cottage this time because he fled through the forest behind his house. However, the voices of the people made his ears noisy. Fleur continued his journey.

“What should I do after this?” panicked muttering. “I have to escape to where?”

Fleur is an adult. However, he had never known about the outside world all this time. Moreover, now he only brought potluck. Suddenly being a nomad was not his dream since childhood. Fleur just wants to live happily, even without Selena's curse.

Someone screamed and unraveled Fleur's daydream. The girl immediately sped up the pace, walking through the dense forest that was rarely touched by humans. However, it seemed like people did not trust the thick-set lady of Fleur's neighbor earlier. They spread out and now found the figure they were looking for.

“Hei! Don't run!”

“Pursue him!”

“Burn him to ashes!”

The screams echoed in the depths of the forest, leaving Fleur even more terrified. To the extent that he was unaware that his feet were tripping over the roots of the tree that were sticking out to the ground.

BRUK!!!

“Argh ...” Fleur was grimacing, but the citizens' cries were still trailing his ears.

He hurried up. However, he had not had time to run, an arrow whizzed and almost hit his neck. Fleur glared as the arrow stuck into the tree trunk in front of him. He turned his head, finding a man leading with a bow and arrow in hand.

“A-I'm not the person you're looking for,” said the girl shuddered.

The man who carried the bow took a few steps forward. “If you are not the one we are looking for, why did you run away from us?” tanyanya firmly.

Fleur gulped. Actually, she ran away in fear, ‘kan?

“Jawab!” exclaimed the man to the point of making the red-haired girl in front of him flinch.

Fleur was unable to answer. However, he was also guilty of hiding the ashes of the men who died in his home. However, it was also because he was scared to death.

“If you do not want to answer ...” The man raised his bow and pulled his arrow. “Prepare to die.”

“Kill him!” sahut the citizens.

“Women witch looks like she'll only threaten us all!” the other timpal.

Fleur glaring. He's inching backwards. His one hand reached into the bag, grabbing his magic wand trembling. The movement of the man in front of him was met with calls from the citizens standing behind him. They all lit torches and prepared to capture Fleur under any circumstances.

“Please ... I did nothing,” Fleur whispered.

The faces of the people looked intimidating to the girl. They really already hated Fleur without finding out why.

“Please ... I ...”

The man carrying the bow quickly released his arrow towards Fleur, followed by the citizens who threw the girl haphazardly. Fleur looked down in fear. The shadow if he was burned to ashes flashed tightly in his mind. However, half his fear disappeared when a shadow figure stood in front of him.

Fleur opened the gaps on both hands that covered his head. He even forgot to use his magic wand because he was already frightened. The figure standing in front of him seemed to be protecting Fleur. The arrow that was darting towards him earlier was now grasped by the densely hairy figure and stood upright.

A blue-eyed Lycan stared fiercely at the citizens.

His breath looked rough. He squeezed the arrow in his hand until it broke into pieces. Then, the Lycan roared loudly, splitting the silence of the forest.

Fleur riveted. The howl of Lycan seemed to make the forest back as quiet as it came from. However, not for the people who were chasing Fleur earlier.

“Only one?” The bow-carrying man looked not frightened at all. He returned to taking up arms. “Who is afraid?”

***