Cast In The Name Of God, Ye Not Guilty

Euphemia had taken well to feeding the birds.

After Finch had impressed upon her that being good to the birds on the island was Very Important Business, the girl found time at least once a day to go and feed them. She didn't think she enjoyed it, exactly, but the simplicity of the act was calming, and she found when things were particularly hectic or confusing, it helped her collect her thoughts. Today she was in the park, watching the snow fall around her and tossing the kibble (that she had bought specifically for this purpose) to the birds that had come to meet her today, watching impassively as they fed.

"Oh, look, its the creep."

Euphemia blinked, her moment of quiet interrupted. She turned to the source of the voice and found three girls she recognised from the academy staring back at her. They all had small horns poking out of their foreheads, and tails extending behind them, obvious signs that they were demons. One of them, a particularly tall girl, the leader of the group, sneered at Euphemia.

"Whatcha doin' creep? Making friends with the birds because no one else will?"

The three laughed amongst themselves, while Euphemia simply cocked her head and blankly stared back. She'd been on the island for a couple months now, she was beginning to grow used to being around unholy creatures like demons, things she'd normally kill on sight, but she still held a level of mistrust towards them. So she kept her distance from the girls.

"No, I have friends who are not birds." She stated simply, not quite understanding rhetorical questions. "There is no reason not to be friendly towards the birds. Is there something unusual about my behaviour?"

The girls laughed again in response. "Jeez, you got brain damage or something girl? Everything you do is weird. You'd be better off staying in your room all day, stop creeping people out by standing around."

Euphemia was aware that she was far from normal, but even she wasn't naive enough to take their words at face value. She turned away from the demons, returning her attention to the birds, scattering some more feed for them to eat. The lead girl frowned at this, storming over to Euphemia and grabbing her by the shoulder, letting her fingers dig into her skin under her clothes.

"Hey, I'm still talking to yo-"

Before she was able to finish her sentence, Euphemia suddenly spun, facing her directly, and grabbed her wrist. The girl screamed, eyes going wide as she howled in pain, falling to her knees. Euphemia started down at her with impassive eyes, feeling the magic drain from the demon, slowly chipping away at her soul.

The birds all flew away as soon as her shrieking shattered the quiet of the park.

She was interrupted before she was able to do any lasting damage, as the other two girls grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away. The taller girl shrugged them off, before rising back to her feet, a mix of fear and anger clear on her face.

"What the fuck was that!?" She shouted. "What the fuck did you do to me you freak!?"

Euphemia just calmly looked back, her expression unchanged.

"Do not touch me with your profane hands, demon." She said with a flat tone. "Leave me alone at once, or I shall be far less merciful."

The girls looked shocked at that, before the same look of rage quickly returned.

"You think you can just threaten me with that shit and get away with it!?" A ball of dark fire appeared in her hand, while the other two girls started to circle, baring their fangs. "Who the fuck do you think you are, you freak!"

Euphemia briefly closed her eyes, before reaching into her pocket, pulling the hilt of her sword out and activating it, causing the glowing blade of light to emerge, making the girls all jump back in surprise. She stared at all of them, already planning her attack in her mind.

The situation had escalated rapidly, and Euphemia's training was already kicking in.

@Kada

As soon as he spoke, four intense pairs of eyes snapped towards Cavalier. The group of demons appeared to recognise the knight in shining armour right away, while the girl with the sword just looked upon him impassively.

The demon girl was the first to speak, pointing an accusatory finger at Euphemia.

"This crazy bitch tried to kill me!" She shouted, lips pulled into a snarl. "She doesn't need to be talked to, she deserves to be locked up on the islets with the rest of the freaks!"

Euphemia, on the other hand, appeared completely devoid of emotion, her body in what was clearly a trained stance, her sharp eyes watching for any sign of movement, the blade of her weapon held between her and the other group of girls. Much like Cavalier, she was ready to spring into action at a moments notice.

"These three chose to accost me while I was feeding the birds." She explained, tone flat, no sign of duress or anger in her voice. "When this one laid her hands upon me, I simply acted in my defence."

"Defence my ass!" The demon girl snapped back. "I don't know what that shit you did to me was, but whatever freak-ass powers you used could have killed me!"

One of the demon groupies, a smaller girl who seemed less angry and more panicked by the growing conflict, shot a nervous look towards Cavalier.

There's a long, pregnant pause, both parties saying nothing, silently glaring past Bertrand.

The demon girls are the first to break the silence, the tall one letting the ball of flame in her hand dissipate, standing up straight, leaving only her intense stare.

"Nah, this bitch isn't worth it. You better watch yourself, freak."

After one last sneer, she turned to walk away, the rest of her group quickly following after her. Even after they turned to walk Euphemia kept on her guard, keeping the sword brandished. Once they were far enough away, she finally deactivated it, the light disappearing back into its hilt. She stood back up straight, crossing her hands in front of her, the weapon hidden behind her arm.

"I apologise." She said with a polite bow of her head to Bertrand. "I did not wish for anyone else to endanger themselves."

She blinked, head tilted to the side at the offered cape. She did feel cold, enough to where it would be considered uncomfortable by most, but with the way her body functioned she didn't think it could really cause any problems. Regardless, she took the cape and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Mr Nash, I am Euphemia Dvorak, it is a pleasure to meet you." She said, with her usual monotone voice, speaking with the deferential manner she showed most adults on the island. "I do appreciate your concern, but there is no need for it. I am unharmed, and if the conflict had escalated further, I am sure I would have been able to handle them. I have slain many of their kind."

She nodded, seemingly completely unaware of the gravity of her statement.

Euphemia blinked again, blankly returning Bertrand's stare.

"Mr Nash, please be assured, I am fully aware of the laws of the island and I have no intention of breaking any of them. However, there are many dangerous, unholy beings amongst the island's populace. Should they attempt to cause harm, I am obligated to defend myself or any others at risk."

Her voice didn't carry any of the righteous zeal one might associate with a warrior wielding a holy blade, none of the contempt that her words should carry. She made her declaration with an impartial tone, simply stating it like was a simple fact.

"Such beings are driven by dark, destructive impulses. I have been told that I do not need to consider them all threats while I am on the island, but constant vigilance should be maintained."