by V. A. Lewis
Fria blinked, and barely stopped herself from shouting at the man. Additional request? After you tried to protect the Fiend?! The red haired woman did not even try to hide her animosity. But Walden ignored it.
"Thank you, Sir Saint. Madam Inquisitor, I have requested on behalf of the village for one of our children to be taken along with you on your return trip to Xanderia. He is a bright young boy—"
"Return to Xanderia?!" Fria interrupted the man and looked at the Saint. "But we haven’t completed our mission!"
Saint Theron shook his head apologetically.
"I’m sorry, Fria. But I will not continue this mission alone. You have read the reports yourself. These Devil worshippers we were investigating are as big of a threat as the Dark Crusaders, and have the potential to be more dangerous than the Shadow Evangelium once was. Tracking them down with just the two of us is not an option."
Fria just stared at the Saint she so admired blankly. He ignored the look she gave him and gestured to Walden. "Please, let us hear him out."
"...yes sir," Fria said begrudgingly. With that, the Saint nodded to Walden and he continued.
"Thank you, Madam Inquisitor. Our village is humble and small, but every decade or so, we produce a child who is too big for this tiny place. When that happens, we usually pool in our resources and send the child to the Capital of our nation, Remheart, to be educated."
The Inquisitor nodded her head and then finished his thought for him.
"But now you have got the opportunity to send this kid to the Capital of the Holy Xan Empire for free, is that it?"
"We are willing to pay for his education and the trip there, of course."
The young woman folded her arms.
"If you can afford it, why have you never done it before? Why can’t you just do it yourselves?"
"Xanderia is far and foreign to us. If we send a child alone to some place so distant, who knows what could happen and whether not the child could even secure a better education. But with your help we believe these would not be a problem. And this child in particular is more talented than any—" The middle aged man gently coughed. "Than any other boy I have ever seen in my life. He’s only 11 years old and he already knows how to work basic mana tools."
Fria had to raise her eyebrows at that. That was talented. Fria only learned how to use mana tools when she was 12, and she was considered a genius even at Xander’s Academy. But this boy learned it a year before she did, without any formal training. She sighed.
"And you’re ok with bringing this boy with us, Saint Theron?"
"I think it would help make amends. And it isn’t good to waste young talent."
"Fine. If Saint Theron approves of this, I have no other choice but to agree as well. Where is this boy?"
Fria looked at Walden expectantly. The man bowed his head. "Our village will forever be in your debt. If you will follow me I will lead you to the child’s house."
The two outsiders followed the villager to a house near the outskirts of Villamcreek. There, he knocked on the door and a brown haired woman answered the door.
"Mr Walden? And who are these people?"
"Good afternoon Mrs Natalie. This is Saint Theron and the Inquisitor Fria, may we come in?"
The woman gasped and quickly bowed her head. "Oh— of course! I’m sorry for my rudeness, Sir Saint, Madam Inquisitor. Please come in!"
Saint Theron smiled charmingly at the woman.
"It is no problem at all. We weren’t dressed in uniform so it is not surprising for you not to recognize us."
The woman blushed and Fria caught herself from scowling. Natalie led the three visitors to a table and offered them some drinks. After serving them some drinks, the woman brought a gruff man over.
"Sir Saint, Madam Inquisitor, Walden, may I ask what this is about?" the brown haired man named Benedict asked.
Walden explained to them, and their jaws dropped.
"Send him to Xanderia? That’s so far away! But..." Natalie looked conflicted. She turned to her husband, but he was more resolute.
"It is far, but it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think we should accept it."
Saint Theron reassured the couple.
"There is no need to worry. We promise we will take care of your son."
"Thank you, Sir Saint. We shall bring him out now."
Natalie got up and walked away for a bit. She soon came back with a young boy who looked like he inherited only the good traits from his parents. The boy paused when he saw the visitors.
"Mom? Dad? What’s going on?"
Walden smiled at the boy and began to explain what was going on. All along, Fria noticed the boys’ parents nodding happily, but the boy just froze and stared at her and the Saint. The Saint must have noticed it too because he exchanged a glance with Fria.
Walden finished his explanation, and Natalie bent down and smiled at the boy. "Aren’t you excited, sweetie? You’ll get to study at Xanderia’s renowned academy! Oh you must be so—"
The woman got no further as the boy shouted.
"No!"
Everyone in the room froze. The boy’s mother looked back at the Saint and the Inquisitor, and spoke hurriedly.
"What’s wrong sweetie? I know it’s sudden, but it’s for the best. You’re so gifted and amazing and if you go with them they’ll be able to bring out the best in you! It’s an opportunity not everyone gets, you understand that right, honey?"
Natalie tried to coax her son, but the boy was shaking. He looked up at his mother and pointed at the Fria and the Saint, and shouted with fury.
"No! They killed— they murdered Ms Aria! Melas’ mom! And now she’s missing now too! What if— what if she’s dead?!"
Adrian glared at Fria and Theron. Tears were streaming out of his face, and his entire body was trembling. "You’re— you’re evil! I will not go with you!"
Benedict stood up and looked as if he was about to yell at his son, but before anyone could say anything, the boy turned and ran out of the house.
Immediately after Adrian left, his parents began profusely apologizing to the Saint and Fria. Fria was as expected, furious about it, however the Saint not only looked strangely bothered by it, he also seemed a little… morose. As if he actually took what the boy said to heart.
Regardless, they reassured Walden and the couple that they were leaving in two days, and if Adrian changed his mind before then, they would bring him with them. Then they left the house and the Saint left Fria to her own devices.
Fria wandered the village for a bit and soon found herself outside of Villamcreek. She was not sure why she left, only that she heard that the Fiend lived in a ramshackle hut outside of the village, so she went there.
The red haired woman found herself standing in front of a cabin a bit aways from the village. She stared at its properly kept garden for a moment, before walking up to the front door. The wooden door creaked open and she stepped in.
The interior was… a house. There was a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a living room. It was not anything fancy, but it looked nice and homely. There were jars of plants and other liquids arranged in a neat row on some shelves, and some books in another.
Fria paused, and a thought finally crossed her mind. Was this really a victory? She had lost all her friends, and lost their only lead on the Cult for… this.
To kill a woman who was living a secluded life in some rural village. A woman living in a normal house, just trying to make a living. Fria sighed and sat down on a chair and laid her head on the table.
Fria sat there for a while and just felt depressed. She only moved when she heard a sound from the kitchen. She warily got up, and slowly approached whatever it was. She slowly peered over the kitchen table, and saw a young boy.
Not just any young boy. It was the boy that ran away earlier. Adrian. He was curled up in a ball and quietly crying.
"Leave me alone."
His voice was hoarse but soft. He looked up and glared at the Inquisitor with defia
nce.
"You— you’re a murderer."
Fria almost wanted to snap back at the boy, but stopped herself. He was a child, and she was an adult. Getting angry would not achieve anything. So she looked back at him, and spoke as kindly as she could.
"Why am I a murderer?"
"What do you mean— you killed Melas’ mother!"
The young woman nodded thoughtfully. She met his glare with cool eyes. "By Melas’ mother, do you mean the Fiend?"
"She is not the Fiend! I don’t even know who that is! She— she’s Ms Aria, and she’s a kind woman who saved my life. She never did anything wrong. You killed her, and now Melas is gone too..."
The boy choked on his words. He buried his face on his hands as tears streamed down his cheeks. Fria just stared at him.
"So, is killing wrong?"
"Of course it is!"
Adrian snapped back. He was furious, but Fria did not back down. She continued, and spoke slowly this time.
"Well, the Fi— this Ms Aria killed my friends. Does that make her a murderer too?"
Her voice was quiet. Solemn. But Adrian just looked up and glared. "You attacked her first!"
Fria nodded her head, and continued.
"Not just them. She was a part of the Shadow Evangelium. They were the cause of millions of deaths. And this Ms Aria herself was responsible for at least tens of thousands."
Yes, that was what Fria almost forgot. The Fiend got her name for her ruthlessness. Her cruelty. Not just in battle, not just against soldiers, but against civilians too. The Fiend took part in the Xantioch massacre, where an entire city was burned down to the ground and all its citizens killed.
Fria’s friends were not the first one to be killed by the Fiend. But they were the last. And that— even if it pained her to admit it— was a good thing. Fria met Adrian’s gaze, and the boy looked incredulous.
"...you’re lying."
Fria shook her head and shrugged.
"You don’t have to believe me. But these are the things we learned in the academy. Not just in the Holy Xan Empire, but here in the Rem Republic, the Puer Kingdom, even the Free Cities teach it. It’s in all the history books, you know?"
Fria looked down at Adrian, and the boy’s eyes were wide in disbelief. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was struggling. So Fria just continued.
"You say she wasn’t wrong for killing my friends because we attacked her first. But we attacked her because she’s killed so many people. Because she was a danger, even if she wasn’t doing anything bad at that moment. So are we— am I really the bad guy here? Do you still think I’m evil?"
The Inquisitor looked at the boy expectantly. But Adrian could not meet her gaze. He looked away and spoke hesitantly.
"...yes."
The young woman looked at the boy, and sighed.
"Then I guess I’m evil then. But you can’t just claim someone is evil without knowing anything at all. So come with us to Xanderia, and you can learn anything you want. Maybe you will even learn to become strong enough to do something about it." The young woman half turned and shrugged. "Or just stay here and do nothing. Remain in this tiny village and remain ignorant and helpless to all the injustices of this world. It’s your choice."
The young boy looked up at Fria, and they locked eyes for a moment. Just a moment. Then the Inquisitor walked away, leaving Adrian by himself.
It was morning when Saint Theron and Fria were about to leave Villamcreek two days later. Even though they killed the village’s Herbalist. Even though they destroyed a few homes. The villagers all gathered to bid farewell to their visitors.
Because they were from the Church. An Inquisitor and an actual Saint. This might be the only time they ever got to meet an Inquisitor, let alone a Saint. Plus their Herbalist was actually evil, and they got quite a lot of gold from them. So when these prominent and rich visitors were about to leave, the entire village gathered to say goodbye.
The entire village, except for one boy.
The red haired woman sighed as she scanned the sea of faces and did not see Adrian. She saw his parents approach. But no brown haired child.
And Fria thought what she said actually got to him. It was too bad.
She turned to the approaching couple and smiled as Saint Theron started speaking with them.
"Has Adrian changed his mind?"
"No— not yet. We tried to find him again this morning, but he still hasn’t returned home. We don’t know where he is… could you please just wait a little longer?"
Saint Theron shook his head apologetically, and even Fria had to agree. She glanced at the horses, packed with equipment and ready to go. There were seven of them, and only two riders. The two horses being used had to be tied to the other five, which would dramatically slow down travelling speed.
It would take at least half a week to even get to the nearest city with a train station. And then they had to switch trains to reach a dock city, and then take a flying ship to—
Fria shook her head at the thought. It would take around a month and a half before they returned to their continent of Soli. They could not waste too much time in this village. They were just about to leave when someone pushed through the crowd of villagers.
"Wait!" Walden shouted as he waded his way through the small crowd.
Everyone stared at him as he finally pushed his way out of the crowd. He was followed by a young boy. Adrian. His parents rushed forward to meet him.
"Adrian, sweetie, are you ok? We were worried—"
"Where were you Adrian?! You didn’t come home for two—"
Walden cut them off and pointed at the boy.
"Adrian has something important he wants to say."
Adrian looked up at the middle aged man, and nodded his head. Adrian then turned to his parents.
"Mom. Dad. I’m sorry for worrying you. But I needed some time by myself to think. I know you guys care a lot for me, and you only want what is best for me. That is why I decided… I will be going to Xanderia."
The young boy’s parents blinked and looked at each other for a moment.
Natalie then turned back to her son, smiled, and hugged him. "Then go, Adrian. We love you so much. You worried us, you know? So don’t make us worry and write to us."
"I’m sorry for being mad at you, Adrian. Be good, ok? We love you, you know." Benedict placed a hand on his son's head, and gently kissed him in the forehead.
The young boy nodded, and began exchanging heartfelt goodbyes with others in the village. Fria looked at Walden, and he shrugged.
"I didn’t do anything. He was already like this when I found him."
Finally, after saying his goodbyes with everyone in the village and his parents, again. Adrian walked up to Fria and the Saint. Theron looked like he was about to say something to the boy, but Adrian just ignored him.
Adrian walked straight up to Fria, but never once looked her in the eyes. The young woman offered a hand to the boy, and he took it and saddled up behind her. Theron looked at Fria, and she just shrugged.
"Let’s go."
The Saint nodded, and they left. The horses trotted away from the village, and Adrian turned and waved until Villamcreek vanished from sight. Fria remained quiet the entire time, and only after an hour did Adrian speak.
"I still think you guys are evil."
His voice was soft, almost a whisper. It was meant only for Fria. And only Fria heard it. Theron did not even turn his head. Fria simply nodded.
"Then be good. Become strong and be the good that this world so desperately needs. Learn about the evils of this world, and become strong enough to do something about it."
"Shut up! I already know that." Adrian snapped back at her. "You don’t have to tell me what to do, I already figured it out myself."
Fria snorted.
"Ok, genius."
And she was only being half sarcastic when she said that
Part Two: Escape
Escape
Chap
ter 11: Free Lands
It was a beautiful day. The glittering rays of the sun shone lightly on my face as the gentle rocking of the wagon woke me up. My vision cleared as I blinked a few times and stared out in between the drapes, catching a glimpse of the verdant green landscape spreading out into the distance.
A voice broke my stupor, as I rubbed at my eyes.
"Hey, you."
A man who looked to be around his late forties spoke out. He had brown hair and blue eyes, a five o’clock shadow covering his chin. He smiled gently at me and continued.
"You’re finally awake. We were—"
I inhaled deeply, and just barely stopped myself from shouting. So instead, I screamed internally. Oh my God, am I in Skyrim now? Is that what this is?! You’ve GOT to be kidding me!
I sighed and looked down, catching a glimpse of silver. I stared at the piece of metal that was on my hands and feet, and really really really hoped I wasn’t in Skyrim. A pair of manacles shackled my hands and bound my feet; it stretched down a row of feet, binding me with the dozen other people in the wagon.
"Wha…?" I breathed the word, confused at what was going on.
I looked up and finally took in what the people riding with me looked like. Everyone— including the man that I was still ignoring— were dressed in ragged garbs, covered in grime and dirt. Finally, I stopped zoning out and turned to the still speaking man.
"So we just crossed the border—"
"What’s going on?" I brusquely interrupted him. "Why are we chained up?"
"Slaves. We are being sold as slaves."
…
Why? Why?! WHY?!! I’m being sold as a SLAVE?! But— what— why?!
How did I become a slave? I really did not know. I do not even remember how I got here. Last thing I remembered was… my mom.
My heart sank as I remembered what happened before I blacked out. My mother was killed. The Inquisitors— the Holy Xan Empire— they killed her.