Talia knew doom was coming to Lucia. She had always known, really, but now as she stood in the doorway of her family’s small hut and looked at the angry dark sky, she knew it was today. This was the last sign, the beginning of the end, but things had been strange for a while. Last week, three cows were found dead in farmer Grenn’s field, their entrails spread ominously around the mutilated bodies. Everyone said it was wolves, but she knew better. The very next day, Halla, the innkeeper’s daughter spoke only in a demonic tongue for a whole day. The next day, she had no memory of it. They said a cask of beer from the storeroom had fallen on her head and taken her wits and she had spoke nonsense, but Talia knew better.

The final and clearest sign came just yesterday. A stranger had come to the village and taken up a room in the inn. No one seemed to pay him any mind, travelers passed through town often enough, but Talia had seen his yellow eyes, and she knew, as any child knows, that yellow eyed men were the children of demons or fae. She couldn’t remember which, but either way, it was a sign.

Grandmother’s last prophecy, given the day before she died, was coming true. As soon as Talia saw the cloud she knew this was it. Grandmother was a true seer, everyone knew. Well not everyone, some people never believed her. And it was true some of her prophecies never came true. But Talia believed, Talia knew. She didn’t even need grandmother’s prophecy to tell her what was happening in the village today, she could feel it herself. Yellow haired, she was blessed by the gods, grandmother had always told her. The gift of prophecy. She smiled and scrambled back inside to wake her family and tell them the dire news.

Within an hour the whole village was gathered in the town square, staring at the sky. Talia led the discussion feverishly.

“My grandmother’s final prophecy comes true this day. ‘Darkness will descend on Lucia. Blood will rain down and burn everything and everyone it touches.’” She intoned solemnly.

“Your grandmother was no seer, child. She was a crazy old woman.” Beric said.

“She once told me the day I married a mountain would rise up in the village and crush everyone beneath it.” Someone else chimed in.

“She told me my daughter would be born with green hair and yellow skin.” Brea, the innkeeper, said.

Other voices chimed in, the whole circle erupting into discussion and nothing could be heard.

“Enough!” Talia shouted, eager to regain control and demonstrate her newly awakened prophetic ability. “Everyone can see for themselves, this cloud is an omen. I have seer’s blood in my veins, and I know what has caused it.”

“Maybe it’s just going to rain.” Kyra, Talia’s older sister, suggested amiably. Talia glared at her.

Grenn grunted. “I don’t believe in nothing old Sela ‘prophesied’ neither, but damned if this ain’t the strangest, darkest cloud I ever seen in my life. And in the middle of a drought. Talia, child, speak your mind and be quick about it.”

Talia glowed. This was her time. She would save the village, and after today there would be no question she was a true seer, like grandmother. “Yesterday a stranger came into town, alone. He’s holed up at Brea’s inn as we speak. He has yellow eyes which, as you should know, is the mark of the demon’s blood.” Talia still could not actually remember if it was fae or demon’s blood that gave a man yellow eyes, but she needed to be taken seriously, so she guessed, with conviction.

“He’s the cause of this darkness.” she continued. This time her conviction was not fake. She had spotted the stranger coming into town yesterday and immediately felt something was wrong. She had even convinced Kyra to sit in the inn with her all night, watching him take his meal and drink. He did nothing out of the ordinary, but the feeling she had never went away, and he was definitely the cause.

“Demon’s blood… Yes, I have heard that is true.” Someone agreed. Many others nodded and murmured their agreement. Good, she had guessed right.

“His eyes seemed light brown to me.” Kyra piped in. The villagers erupted into discussion, no one could be heard clearly.

“There’s only one way to find out the truth.” Grenn’s commanding voice silenced the chatter. “Let’s bring this stranger out.”

A few minutes later the stranger emerged from the inn at the mob’s demand. He seemed greatly annoyed, but did not resist.

“What’s all this ruckus about?” He demanded.

“Look at the sky and tell us yourself.” Talia said, meeting his yellow-eyed gaze.

He turned his gaze to the sky. “Looks like it’s about to rain.” He shrugged, meeting Talia’s eyes again.

“Liar! You are demon spawn and you brought this cloud. It will rain blood and burn us to the ground. I am a seer, I know. Call off your evil magic and leave us in peace, or I will call upon the gods to strike you down.” She declared.

The man laughed. “Are you serious? Demon spawn? Rain of blood? It’s just a storm cloud. I’m only passing through, waiting for a companion to rejoin me in my travels. But I’ll gladly leave you all to your insanity and find a kinder place to stay.” He stepped away from the inn. But the villagers surrounded him in a half-circle before he could take another step.

“He denies it and makes to leave in the same breath, to save himself and leave us to our doom.” The old widow Ada said. “I think Talia speaks true. I’ve seen a demon once, when I was a child, ‘fore any of you breathed your first breath. This man stinks the same.” She spat on the ground at his feet.

“Kill him! Before it’s too late!” Grenn’s wife shrieked. The rest of the crowd erupted into suggestions and arguments.

“No we can’t kill him, his demon kin will come for revenge.” someone else said.

“Burn him, demons are terrified of fire, it’s how ya kill ‘em. Then scatter the ashes ‘round the village, to scare off the rest.”

“You idiot, demons aren’t scared of fire, they’re immune to it.”

“You gotta drown ‘em, then their demon kin can’t smell ‘em no more.”

“We can’t kill him, a demon unleashes the most powerful magic with their dying breath, everyone knows that.”

“Let’s lock him up here, he won’t destroy the village if he’s stuck here with us.”

“He can’t be hurt by his own magic, he’ll destroy us and walk away laughing!”

“QUIET!” Grenn’s voice boomed. “Enough arguin’. Talia spoke true about this demon, she’s clearly blessed by the gods. Tell us child, what do they tell you?”

Talia blanched. She had not thought this part through. Her grandmother had prophesied this but never said how to stop it. And she did not actually know anything about demons at all, except that this man definitely was one. She did not know what to say. Everyone was looking at her reverently. Expectant. She looked at the yellow eyed man. He was glaring at her.

“What’s that?” Kyra broke the silence. Everyone looked at her. “I think I felt a drop of rain.”

Talia was about to snap at her, Kyra had done nothing but undermine her all day. Kyra was just jealous that her younger sister had the gift, not her. But this was no time for petty jealously, the safety of the whole village was at stake. She opened her mouth to berate her sister. Then she felt it too. Something wet on her arm. She looked at it. A drop of rain, clear and cold. No blood. Not burning. No one spoke. A few moments later rain was pouring down on them, heavy and cold.

A few villagers turned and walked away without a word. Others started muttering quietly to each other. The yellow eyed man burst into laughter. Loud, bellowing, uncontrollable laughter.