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ArabicArknights: The Scarlet Devil of Terra — Chapter 5
Chapter 5: A Small Bite
“If I need anything, I’ll be sure to ask for your help, Talulah.”
Alina offered a bright, thoroughly satisfied smile, clearly pleased with the arrangement.
For the next few days, Flandre Scarlet remained quietly indoors, sitting by the hearth and learning to read and write under Alina’s gentle guidance. By the time Talulah finally found a spare moment to check on her guest, she discovered the little girl was already stringing together basic sentences.
“She’s learning that fast?” Talulah asked, her draconic tail flicking in mild surprise.
“Flandre is incredibly clever.” Alina looked at the Draco with unmistakable pride. “Aside from a little trouble rolling her ‘r’s, she already understood the fundamental concepts of literacy. Picking up Ursus naturally wasn’t much trouble at all.”
Alina carefully folded a piece of woven fabric on her lap. “By the way, tomorrow I plan to take the crafts I’ve been weaving to the nearby village. I want to exchange them for some grain. Flandre hardly ever goes outside except for her morning stretches. I’d like to take her out for a walk. Is that alright?”
Talulah shifted her gaze toward the small, blonde girl. “I’ve said it before. Flandre is no different from anyone else in this camp. She can go anywhere she pleases, provided she stays out of the restricted perimeter zones.”
Alina happily scooped Flandre up into her arms. “Then little Flandre will accompany me on a trip tomorrow!”
Flandre simply nodded, leaning into the Elafia’s warm embrace.
Early the next morning, the biting Ursus wind swept through the trees as Flandre and Alina set out from the settlement. They each carried a woven bamboo basket strapped to their backs. Snow crunched softly beneath their boots.
As they handled the camp’s edge, several Infected—especially the children—waved and called out morning greetings to Alina.
Amidst the friendly faces, Flandre felt a sharp prickle of hostility. She turned her head, her crimson eyes locking onto a white-haired boy standing in the shadows of a supply tent. He glared at her with intense, venomous jealousy, looking exactly like a child who had just watched someone steal his favorite toy.
‘Mephisto… or should Flandre call you Ino for now?’
Flandre recognized the boy instantly. A villain who was both utterly hateful and deeply pathetic.
Admittedly, his past warranted sympathy. If not for the crushing external malice of this world, he might have grown up to be a celebrated singer. But past suffering was no excuse for the agony he would eventually inflict on others. He would torture his own companions, his comrades-in-arms, and the very Infected who placed their absolute faith in him.
Worse still, after Alina’s inevitable death, Talulah—once possessed by the Deathless Black Snake—would deliberately indulge this boy, feeding his inner distortion until it consumed him. The cultivation of his extreme, sadistic personality was the true root of his tragedy.
Flandre tilted her head, observing him with detached amusement. To be fair, if she had suffered his exact torment without anyone to guide her, her own outcome might not have been much better. But the moment he chose to carve his pain into the flesh of innocent people, he stepped onto a path of no return.
Fortunately, there was still time before he rotted completely. With Alina still breathing and the righteous version of Talulah standing guard, the little demon thrashing inside his heart had no outlet.
“Who is that white-haired child?” Flandre asked deliberately, waiting until the camp was entirely out of sight.
“You mean Ino?” Alina sighed softly, her breath pluming in the freezing air. “He’s a very pitiful child. Oh dear, I’ve been so focused on helping you with your letters lately that I’ve neglected him a bit. After we get back, I’ll take you to meet him and the other children. Even if you’re only spending one winter with us, I hope you can make some friends.”
Alina adjusted the straps of her basket. “Besides, practicing a language is always fastest when you talk to people.”
Knowing Flandre was still mastering Ursus, Alina spoke with exaggerated slowness, using broad hand gestures to bridge the gaps. Flandre managed to piece together about eighty percent of the meaning.
‘Make friends with other children?’ Flandre thought about it for a moment and decided not to refuse.
The two continued their trek through the frozen wilderness, Alina teaching new vocabulary with every landmark they passed. They didn’t reach the outskirts of their destination—a neutral trading village—until the sun hit its highest point in the pale sky.
Flandre stopped near a snow-dusted hill and pointed over her shoulder at the crystalline wings protruding from her back.
“Flandre won’t go in. Be careful. Flandre will wait for you here.”
Alina understood immediately. A Sarkaz Blood Fiend walking into an ordinary Ursus village would spark instant panic. She nodded, accepting the empty bamboo basket Flandre handed over and wearing it against her chest.
“Alright, I’ll go in first. If I’m lucky, I’ll buy you two pieces of candy.”
After waving goodbye, Flandre bounded lightly up the small hill. From this vantage point, her sharp vampiric vision could track every movement within the settlement.
She kept her unblinking crimson eyes locked on Alina. The Elafia moved gracefully through the muddy streets, displaying her exquisite, highly practical woven goods. They sold rapidly. In less than an hour, her entire stock was gone, replaced by heavy sacks of grain and flour.
It was a massive haul, enough to pack both baskets to the brim. Watching Alina trudge toward the village gates with visible effort, Flandre lightly bit her lower lip.
Just then, three thuggish men detached themselves from the shadows of a tavern, their eyes fixed greedily on Alina’s loaded baskets. They began trailing her, keeping a careful distance.
‘Seeking death.’
A flash of pure, predatory killing intent ignited in Flandre’s eyes.
Shortly after Alina left the village limits, Flandre dropped soundlessly from the branches of a towering pine tree, landing perfectly beside her.
“Oh my.” Alina smiled, gently chiding her. “A girl should be more ladylike. You shouldn’t climb so high.”
“Mm-hmm. Flandre will be careful.” She fell into step beside Alina. “Let’s go quickly!”
Flandre cast a brief, sidelong glance over her shoulder. They were still too close to the village. If the men screamed now, it might draw the attention of the locals. The thugs seemed to realize this too; they merely shadowed them, waiting for deeper isolation.
“Alright. By the way, Flandre, look what I have!”
Alina reached into her heavy coat and produced two brightly wrapped pieces of candy, holding them out like prized treasures.
“Candy!” Flandre tilted her head.
As a vampire, processed sugar offered her zero nutritional value. To her palate, the sweetness was incredibly faint, almost like chewing on wax. But seeing the sheer, playful joy radiating from Alina’s exhausted face, Flandre carefully accepted the sweets and tucked them into her pocket.
They walked for another ten minutes. The tree line grew thicker, the shadows longer. The men behind them tightened their formation.
Alina suddenly paused, her deer ears twitching as she looked back down the empty, winding trail. “Was there some noise just now?”
Flandre shook her head, her expression a mask of absolute innocence. “It might be a small animal passing by. Winter is coming. Animals have to eat their fill before the snow gets too deep, otherwise they won’t survive.”
“Is that so? But I clearly heard a cry.” Alina craned her neck, scanning the dense brush. There was nothing but the howling wind.
“Maybe it was a wild beast.” Flandre tugged gently at Alina’s sleeve. “Sister Alina, we should go, or we won’t get back to the village by nightfall.”
Because Flandre spoke in broken, halting Ursus, Alina automatically overlooked the slight stiffness in her tone.
“True. Let’s hurry back. The road becomes treacherous in the dark.” Alina turned forward, gently pulling Flandre along the path.
A few minutes earlier.
The three thugs crouched in the brush, watching their target.
“There’s a kid with that woman.”
“What about the kid?”
“I mean, why didn’t she take the kid into the village? Could she be…”
“Shh, do you want to die?” the lead thug hissed, slapping his companion’s arm. “As long as that woman isn’t an Infected, it’s fine. We’ll just smash their heads, snatch the grain, and leave. Those two backpacks are enough to last us most of the winter.”
The leader knew exactly what his subordinate was thinking—follow the woman back to an Infected settlement, then run to the Ursus Patrol to collect a massive bounty. But rumors whispered of a heavily armed Infected camp nearby, backed by rogue military deserters.
Reporting an Infected settlement paid well, but a man had to be alive to spend the coin. The leader’s plan was simpler: rob the woman blind, then anonymously tip off the Ursus Patrol about her direction. Let the military do the bleeding. Once the Patrol wiped out the camp, the thugs could scavenge whatever valuables were left behind in the ashes.
It was a flawless, risk-free plan.
They drew their rusted blades and stepped out from the brush, ready to strike.
Suddenly, the air shimmered. Three identical, blonde little girls materialized directly in their path, blocking the road.
“Damn, what is this?!”
The thugs stumbled backward, their boots slipping in the snow as they stared at the impossible sight. Three identical Flandre Scarlets stared back, their heads tilted at the exact same angle.
“B-Boss…” one of the men stammered, his weapon trembling as he pointed a shaking finger. “L-Look at her back… those are bat wings…”
“We’ve been discovered!”
“How unlucky!”
“Flandre will kill you now!”
“Then Alina will be safe!”
The three Flandres spoke in eerie, overlapping unison, their voices echoing like a fractured music box.
Before the men could even scream, the girls pounced.
“Ah—!”
The leader managed a single, wet gasp before Flandre’s small hand crushed his throat, shattering his windpipe. The brief, aborted scream was the exact noise that caught Alina’s attention down the road.
Fortunately, the original Flandre walking beside Alina easily distracted her, preventing her from turning back to investigate.
Deep in the brush, the three clones moved with terrifying, kinetic speed. Fangs sank into jugulars. Blood flowed like hot wine into waiting throats. The feeding was absolute and instantaneous.
‘Almost ruined everything. Such annoying fellows.’
The original Flandre breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she led Alina further away.
Back in the snow, the clones licked their lips. These men were just idle village drunks. If they vanished for a month, no one would bat an eye. The three Flandres worked quickly, using their immense physical strength to bury the completely drained, mummified corpses deep beneath the frozen earth. They kicked fresh snow over the disturbed ground, erasing the brief massacre.
By the time anyone realized these men were missing, the winter storms would have wiped away every trace. Finding them would be harder than reaching the heavens.
An hour later, Flandre and Alina approached the Reunion camp, looking perfectly calm.
Talulah stood in the middle of the main road, waiting for them. Seeing their approaching figures, the Draco hurried over.
“So much!” Talulah looked at the bulging baskets in astonishment, immediately reaching out to take the heavy load from Alina’s chest.
Alina playfully batted her hand away. “Why take mine? Flandre is so young and walked so far with me. You should take hers first!”
Hearing this, Talulah looked down at the little vampire. The Draco’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly. Flandre didn’t look tired at all. In fact, she looked incredibly refreshed. Her pale cheeks were flushed with a healthy, rosy color, and she carried an obvious aura of deep, physical satisfaction—exactly like a predator that had just eaten its fill.
Sensing the questioning gaze, Flandre blinked innocently and offered a bright smile.
“Help Sister Alina take hers. Flandre is strong. This little bit of stuff is no problem. Besides, all the heavy rice and flour are in Sister’s basket.”
Flandre’s broken Ursus broke the tension. Talulah sighed, shifting her attention back to the Elafia.
“Look at you, your complexion is terrible. Just give me this basket first. Tomorrow, I’ll build you a small handcart. You can push the goods instead of exhausting yourself like this.”
Realizing her own arms were trembling from the strain, Alina finally relented and let Talulah take the harness.
“Hiss, so heavy!” Talulah adjusted the straps, her shoulders dropping slightly under the sudden weight. Despite her concern, a genuine smile touched her lips. “It seems today’s harvest was incredible.”
“Mm-hmm. The village was holding a market today, so things sold very well,” Alina explained, stretching her aching back. “The prices were cheaper than usual, so we bought extra. Here, have some candy!”
Alina pulled the last piece of candy from her pocket and pressed it into Talulah’s palm.
Talulah’s smile softened. “Save it for the children. Winter is coming soon. One more piece of candy means a little more energy for everyone.”
As the trio walked into the camp, the surrounding Infected stared at the massive haul with wide, hopeful eyes. There were very few non-Infected in the Reunion Movement. Their survival relied heavily on pooling their handcrafted goods, sending Alina out to trade, and praying she brought back enough to keep them alive.
The sheer weight of the basket Talulah carried meant only one thing: tonight, everyone would have a full meal.
Later that evening, inside the warmth of their cabin, Talulah quietly interrogated Alina about the journey.
“So, except for the time you were inside the village and she waited outside, she was within your sight the entire way there and back?”
Recalling Flandre’s flushed state, Talulah’s draconic instincts screamed that something was off. The girl had openly admitted that she required blood to sustain her life. Her radiant, satisfied appearance strongly suggested she had secured a ‘meal’ on the road.
But Alina shook her head firmly. She insisted that Flandre hadn’t looked like that when they first left the village; her color had only returned during the long walk back.
“The child just got hot from walking. Don’t overthink it, Talulah.” Alina frowned, looking at her friend with mild scolding. “Flandre is such a good child. She shouldn’t be subjected to this kind of groundless suspicion.”
Talulah rubbed the back of her neck, letting out a defeated sigh. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just too concerned about your safety.” She pressed her hands together in a gesture of sincere apology.
“Then I’ll temporarily forgive you.” Alina’s gentle smile returned.
In the adjacent room, Flandre Scarlet lay comfortably on her bed. She patted her slightly rounded belly and let out a quiet, deeply satisfied burp.
The next morning, Alina kept her promise, leading Flandre to a large, repurposed storage house. Inside, dozens of Infected children were running around, playing games to stay warm.
When Alina walked in, the children swarmed her, chattering excitedly about everything she had missed over the past few days.
“Alright, everyone, settle down,” Alina laughed, gently parting the sea of kids. “I’ve brought a new friend to meet you. This is Flandre Scarlet. Our little Flandre.”
She placed a reassuring hand on Flandre’s shoulder. “Although she is a Blood Fiend, she is a very good child. No one needs to be afraid of her.”
Unlike the adults of Terra, who turned pale and reached for their weapons at the mere mention of a Blood Fiend, the children merely stared in awe. They had heard the terrifying bedtime stories, but newborn calves do not fear tigers. Their sheer curiosity completely eclipsed their fear.
“What are those shiny things hanging on your wings? They’re so pretty!” a little Perro girl gasped, reaching out.
“Fufu…” a young boy mumbled, struggling with the foreign pronunciation. “Your name is so hard to say. Can we just call you Fufu?”