I'm Not a Threat

"Fiend!"

"Face judgment for the victims you've made here!"

"I've never hurt anyone here! This is my house I'm telling you! There are no victims...!"

Sofia shouted back as she clacked the rarely used lock on the firm door, glancing out the thin, stained glass window to its side, and watching the mob of accusing strangers who'd arrived there.

They were happy enough to come knock at my door a second ago... Why have they turned so hostile...? Is it simply because of my appearance... again...?

"Quit terrorising this neighbourhood!"

"Come out here and submit this instant!"

"No... please leave me be! I live here - honestly!"

"We won't let you terrorise another family!"

"We'll put a stop to your murdering ways!"

They shouted loudly, as they hung about her closed door brandishing their blades.

"I've never harmed anyone... can you even hear me?"

She lowered her voice, since they weren't listening to her at all apparently.

"Don't try to run, you cruel demon!"

"You're evilness will end here!"

Their shouting stopped then, but Sofia could still hear them clearly.

"What do we do?"

"Storm in there?"

"No that's way too dangerous..."

The gruff and biggest man amongst them then suggested.

"We could trap it then - in the house?"

"Good idea..."

"Better go round back, make sure she doesn't flee into the forest."

"No, um please you don't need to - I'm not going..."

She trailed off remembering there was something private out in the backyard.

They're currently... they'll see...!

"Please - there is no need for you to..."

The lead man with the sword made a dash for the side of the house.

"We'll cut it off - hurry!"

Sofia made her own hasty dash through the house, clattering a few things along the way, before she burst out the back door and went - for the washing line.

I have to get these in before they see any of my...!

An armful of nearly dried clothes later, the sword carrying man leapt cleanly over the small back gate, and nearly slipped on the grass as he took in the sight before him.

"No!"

Sofia shrieked in a panic, as she plucked the last delicates off the line, before rushing back inside, and promptly bolting the back door shut too.

He saw... my underwear! And those were the worst things he could have seen too...! I should have grabbed them first... but...

The door pounded as he tried the handle, while Sofia scurried away and dropped the almost dried washing across the floor.

"Please go away - I'm not threatening anyone."

But she still received no reply, as another companion joined the first in her backyard.

"Good work brother - it's trapped now..."

But I'm the one who's locked the doors...

"What should we do now, I hear that once cornered they get incredibly dangerous."

Sofia peered around the edge of the sitting room's wall, looking out the barred window to see a lady had joined the other one, wearing similar black clothing, with thick hide and the occasional small metal plate as added protection.

"Should we be doing this - I mean it didn't attack us..."

"Don't tell me you're going soft on it, because it's a girl Oni?"

"Well she was attractive..."

Sofia timidly watched on as they argued amongst themselves.

"I wouldn't say that Raf... they're cruel and dangerous creatures!"

"I don't know though..."

The young man didn't seem so sure about Sofia anymore, as he caught sight of her watching on from behind the windows - while the other clearly was.

"I say we burn the place down to make sure we're rid of it!"

"Please don't... this was my parents house that they -ah!"

The woman kicked a small pebble from the garden path at the window, cracking it just below Sofia's line of sight, and making her quickly scramble further away, backward into the room to duck behind the nearby seat.

"Go away! Don't damage my home - you bandits!"

"We are not bandits..."

One finally responded back to her words.

"You attack me in my home for no reason, and threaten to burn it down - it sure sounds like bandit behaviour!"

She shouted at them while huddling behind the chair, not game to look around it again.

Suddenly another small noise sounded near them, before Sofia heard a familiar voice.

"You there - lay down your arms!"

The farm owner from next door commanded from a little distance away.

"Sir understand-"

"Put them down, or the next won't miss."

Luke too... has he come to rescue me again...?!

Luke growled from afar, but not within sight from the window, that Sofia peered through once again.

She saw the two strangers clatter their blades on the small stone path, just near an arrow that now stuck in the ground among the newly planted beans.

"You are making a terrible mistake here..."

The angered lady said as they backed up a few steps, while Sofia heard the sounds of two more people approaching her back door.

"Sofia, you alright in there?"

It was Joe, Luke's father, who sounded quite distressed.

"Yes I'm okay, thank-you both for coming!"

He sounded relieved then.

"We'll take care of these bandits for you, just stay in there..."

"We're not bandits - we're trainee Knights."

The male one proclaimed with annoyance.

"Good story, now on the ground with you both."

Sofia watched on, stepping nearer the window again, before seeing that they neared the little patch of darker leafed plants.

"Please do watch out for the herbs... yes those there... thank-you."

The unknown man took note and kept off the garden bed for her.

Joe bound their hands quickly and left them by the plant bed, before Sofia tentatively opened the back door and cautiously exited to find Luke with a bow in his hands near the opposite hedge.

"Thank-you so much guys... but how'd you know I was in trouble?"

"We can see your house from ours remember..."

Joe reminded Sofia as he carefully scooped the bound pair up before him, who didn't resist or complain.

"Let's get these two out of here..."

He led them toward the backdoor, as Luke closely watched on and got nearer too.

"Uh - one moment please."

Sofia charged back inside to quickly kick her clothes from sight, before letting the four through, before she stopped them again.

"Uh wait... there are many more out the front!"

She paused at the front door, as she was about to unlock it.

"I'm sure Lily has that covered..."

Sure enough Lily; Luke's mother - who was apparently a world famous hunting specialist, had almost single headedly roped up the remaining group that had attracted their attention by Sofia's front entrance, and now stood guard over them with her eldest son Dan.

"Oh..."

"They didn't harm you deary?"

Lily rushed over to check on the resident.

"I'll string 'em all up if they did...!"

"No I'm good."

Sofia looked at the collection of people all bound up together, who seemed more wary of Lilly than her now.

I heard Lily was extra ordinary, but all seven have been subdued in a mere instant... A good reminder to never get on her bad side...

"I'm sure glad you're fine girl."

Most of them watched on silently as Sofia interacted normally with the locals, who'd rushed to her aid, while a couple hung their heads low, even after Luke's older sister, Jenny, returned - having rushed off to tell the local police force in town, and now with some deputies, who would probably cart them away.

However it wasn't all settled with that, as the leading man gave them a small check, and then turned back to Sofia.

"Miss Greenstone, I'm afraid you'll have to come with us too... so we can sort this out..."

"Um... okay."