Taming the Dark Lord - Chapter 38
Chapter 38 – Finding a Way Back
Inside the carriage, Debra and Rita agreed to set their strife aside and to focus on the task at hand. The three unanimously decided to start with all the civilians who came to this small town just recently.
All those who came into town within the past two or three days were required to turn themselves in for inspection. They had to fall in a line in front of the Saints so they would be checked thoroughly— if there were any dark elements residing inside their bodies.
Debra and Rita were both busy working, checking the necessary arrangements needed while Amelia sat at the end of the table, casually eating grapes without a care in the world.
The grapes in this town were plump and delicious, Amelia thought. The grapes specially given by the Church wouldn’t be able to compare. Amelia was already thinking of bringing some of it home, or to keep the seeds to plant them in her garden.
She was too engrossed, too preoccupied with the grapes. She plucked another one from the branch and wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and mindlessly sneaked it under the table, to her pocket. “Hey, do you want—”
‘Oh. Right.’
Her hand stopped when realization washed over her. She forgot that the arrogant little elf was not with her anymore. Old habits die hard, she guessed. Since she was with him through day and night for weeks, it’s completely normal for her to act the way she did. It was only muscle memory, and they only parted ways quite recently after all.
He even glared at her before leaving, and he didn’t even bother thanking Amelia after everything she’s done for him. How shameless of him, how brazen!
Even with these thoughts in mind, Amelia couldn’t help but wonder if he already found his kin. She was curious, and she was a little crestfallen thinking about the elf. She looked down, and stashed the grapes inside her mouth.
With the cavaliers securing the area, the people up for inspection lined up quietly, making sure to keep silent as to not draw attention to themselves.
Rows of people lined up. Then suddenly, a disheveled looking woman standing in the middle of the line suddenly spasmed out of nowhere. She slowly dropped to the ground, her hands and feet shaking violently as incoherent words tumbled out of her mouth.
“Hey. What’s wrong with you?” A person who seemed to be the woman’s relative crouched down, worriedly looking at the shaking woman as she grasped the latter’s shoulders. The woman broke free from the grasp, and screamed sharply. Her face etched with lunacy.
The crowd stepped back, placing a set distance away from the woman as they huddled together. The knight pushed the civilians out, and quickly pinned the woman down to suppress her aggressive movements.
“Tie her up and put a wooden stick in her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue!” Amelia exclaimed.
She frowned. It doesn’t matter if she was possessed by the devil himself or was simply harboring some strange disease, the saints would not let this go easily.
As expected, Debra came as if she was able to sense it right away. “What’s her name? Is she a local, or is she from a different town?” Debra knelt in front of the pinned woman, and pushed her eyelids up to take a closer look. “You escaped so fast, huh?” Debra sneered.
Amelia raised her eyebrows. “Is she possessed?”
“Yes, but it won’t be long.” Debra answered, and wiped her hands with a handkerchief. She didn’t want her hands to be dirtied by the possessed woman’s skin. She turned her attention towards the woman’s relative, “Come with me. I have something to ask you.”
“I’ll bring her to Church.” Amelia said. The only reason why she volunteered was simply because she wanted to go back to her place, and never come here again. She missed her comfortable bed already, wanting nothing but to plop her back against her soft sheets.
Being in this town was sucking the life out of her. The productivity was low, and almost all the civilians were poor and uneducated. Not only that, she was also bothered with how the civilians smelled. They rarely take a bath—once or twice a year at most, and the scent was horribly unpleasant.
Amelia held her breath the entire time, and when she got out, she took a deep breath of fresh air hitting her nostrils. She had the grapes bunched on her arms, and addressed the knight standing behind her. “Carry the woman into the carriage. It would be much easier than carrying her with you on horseback.”
“Yes, Chief.” The knight nodded.
The middle-aged woman was still convulsing, squirming in seizures even when her body was tied up with thick twine. Her eyes were bloodshot, trying desperately to break free from the twine that was keeping her immobile.
Several knights dressed in armor escorted her, and the civilians passing by glanced at the woman with eyes full of disgust.
*
It was a familiar scene, as if the things she experienced herself were repeated in front of her, taunting her. The woman hiding in the dark could no longer bear it. Hatred simmered through her veins as memories after memories replayed inside her mind, numbing her as she looked at the trapped woman. It was like a blast from the past, like seeing her own self, mirrored before her.
‘Damn all these dogs of the Light cult. Damn all of them.’
She clenched the long, poisoned knife tightly. Overwhelmed with loathing and detestation, she rushed out of the dark and dashed towards Amelia who was immersed in conversation.
*
Meanwhile in the forest beside town—
The dark elf walked past a tree trunk. He frowned when he saw the trunk he marked on a few moments prior, and looked at the path he emerged from blankly. It seemed like he was going in circles.
He turned around, going back to the place where he and Amelia parted ways.
