Taming the Dark Lord - Chapter 65
Chapter 65 – Undeniable Attraction (2)
Debra rolled her eyes in response. She turned around, and the corners of her white skirt embroidered with gold patterns brushed the overgrown weeds, walking so speedily that Amelia struggled to keep up. “I caught a small animal and roasted it. It should be done by now. Let’s go eat.”
Amelia’s smile grew wide at that as they made their way out of the forest.
Following the tracks for several days wore them down, almost made them rip their hair out of frustration, but thankfully they reached a city gate approximately about a hundred miles from where they had come from. It was a particularly small town, only consisting of thousands of residents, and a Bishop of the Light cult was stationed there, too.
Rita and the knights must have stopped there to come ask for help.
There were soldiers guarding the city gate, and civilians who were entering the city were lining up neatly outside. The ground was wet from both the recent rainfall and dung from livestock, the pungent stench instantly filling up their nostrils.
Alive and well, Amelia pushed the curtains to the side and peeked outside the carriage, muttering in satisfaction at the city before them. “We are finally here. I haven’t been able to eat well and sleep soundly for the past few days. I am exhausted!”
Debra simply ignored Amelia’s antics. She closed her eyes tiredly, and acted like she didn’t see anything.
After they showed their identification to the soldiers, they entered the city and sauntered forward. Nearing close to what looked like the city plaza, a loud clamor of noises could suddenly be heard and it grew louder as the carriage drew close.
People were shouting loudly, and they seemed to be chanting the same phrase over and over again. As Amelia listened closely, she could finally make out the words “burn them to death.” in repetition.
The three of them glanced at each other, and they immediately felt something was off. The carriage stopped and the noise became deafening as hundreds of people screamed the words chantingly, waving their hands with their fists clenched in sheer anger.
Two fire stands stood high in the middle of the plaza, and two girls were tied on its shafts. One of them had red hair, tresses flipping like a wind-blown banner while the other one had black hair, which covered her face as her head drooped to the side.
It’s them. The two accused girls.
Flames were blazing beneath their feet, crackling and hissing as it exuded a thick smoke, fogging the girls’ faces from view. A hoarse, desperate shout suddenly screeched out from the smog, “I am not a witch!”
The voice was scratchy like it’s been worn out, like the last cry of a crow before it died.
The crowd roared in response, laughing maniacally as they encircled the fire. The blazing reds reflected in their pupils as they gazed in wonder, praying their hearts out for a good harvest for the coming year and offered the witches as a sacrifice.
The atmosphere around the plaza was joyous; People gathered around and cheered happily as the firewood burned in front of them, leaving a soot of dark debris behind.
In the eyes of the onlookers, these scraps were what remained of the burned witches, and leaving it untouched on the stake wasn’t enough; they wanted it to be thrown in a huge body of water so none of their filth was left.
“What a bunch of fools.” Debra snorted, rolling her eyes in dismay. She couldn’t believe that these civilians thought that burning witches would grant them a bountiful harvest, when they could’ve just prayed to the God of Light and their prayers would surely be answered.
*
The two girls who were supposed to be burned alive stood beside them and both of them wore matching startled expressions, like they couldn’t believe that they managed to be spared at the very last second.
“It’s… it’s you.” The red-haired girl stuttered, stepping forward as she pulled Amelia’s sleeves, “Are you here to save me?”
Her voice was strained after the relentless screaming she bellowed earlier. The corners of her mouth twitched before tears started streaming down her cheeks, sobbing as she fell to the ground helplessly, like all the fight she had inside her vanished into thin air. She sobbed noisily, no longer caring how weak she looked like.
Seeing the girl bawl her eyes out gave Amelia a slight headache, her unrestrained cries resounding in her ears. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket, handed it to her and told her to wipe her tears away.
Debra huffed at the sight, clearly irritated. She crossed her arms together and asked the girl directly, “Where’s Rita?”
The red-haired girl was still crying and she couldn’t utter her words clearly from the onslaught of emotions she’s feeling. Seeing that the girl wasn’t in the best state to answer, the black-haired girl answered on her behalf, “She’s at the Church.”
The group immediately dashed towards the Church and as they pulled the Church doors open, they were greeted by the sight of Rita who was just about to head out. They squealed in surprise and Rita cried at the sight of the two Saints, tightly clinging onto Amelia as she wailed, “I’m so happy to see you alive! I thought you were dead!” She grasped her even tighter, hugging Amelia breathless.
With the strong hold she was wrapped in, the bag hung on her waist was squeezed in between them and she felt the bag flatten, her eyes growing wide at the realization.
The elf!
