I know why I'm stood here. My daughter... the creatures killed and ate her as part of our tithe, some pre-arranged agreement from when we thought there was worse than living under their rule. We were wrong. I knew that when I woke up to find my little girl in three pieces at my door.

I made a decision that day. I tracked the creatures by their killings. Once, the victim's family begged me not to make trouble. His father wept as I told him what I would do, as if it was wrong.

I found the first creature two nights later. I cut her head off, then sliced out her heart to be sure she could not come back. I found three more, killed each of them. Slowly weakening their numbers. I cut the heart from every one.

And now, now I have done it. I stand here over the last creature. My sword stuck through his head, his heart in my hand. But how can I be sure that he will not come back? There is only one way to be certain that this does not happen again.

It's the first time I have eaten a heart. It won't be the last.