Dozens of people gathered at the execution ground. It was like every single resident living across the five districts of Mediva had come. The news of the fire that had destroyed District 5, the capture of the culprit, and the Pope himself coming to pass judgment had travelled faster than the speed of light.
Never before had the people gathered like this, not even during the grand celebration of Liberation.
The execution ground, near the West gate, the shortest route to Mediva main entrance and the connecting route to District 4, was filled with people beyond capacity. There the gallows stood high, it was made with heavy timbers. Above the gallows, an elevated stage where the judges pass down judgement over the condemned.
The murmurs of the relentless crowd buzzed like a million hives of bees, cathedral guards and hunters stood round the crowd, hands on the hilts of their swords.
The leaders of the five districts of Mediva— the council of Elders, also known as the judges, had arrived and taken their seats upon the stage. They sat in silence, awaiting the arrival of the man everybody was there to see.
" People of Mediva, the Pope". A loud voice pierced through the noisy crowd.
Instantly, a heavy silent hung in the air
From the door that connected the stage to the stone passageway, Pope Julius emerged. With two cathedral guards beside him, he walked slowly, with dignified grace. His white robe shone faintly in the sunlight. He moved with the presence of command and reverence. The Elders rose respectfully as he passed.
He then walked and faced the sea of curious crowds. Then he spoke, his voice rang out loud and clear despite his age
" For years now, we have lived in peace within the walls, it is the church that protects the peace of Mediva with its holy laws."
The crowd listen
" We suffered dark years… but God, in his mercy, delivered us from the hands of evil"
In the crowd, Sade was with Helga, she stood silently. Her sharp eyes flicked from face to face, her instinct was tingling.
" Something doesn't seem right", Sade whispered to the woman beside her.
" What is not right?", the woman asked nervously.
" I don't know… but I can feel it", Sade said, scanning the people around them.
Sade leaned closer and whispered something to the woman's ear, the woman nodded and began to move inside the crowd carefully towards the gallows. Sade glazed at Helga who was beside her and then turned her attention back to the Pope's speech.
"Even after the hundred years of war", Pope Julius continued, his voice growing louder. " We still fought demons within the walls and in the forest of shadows… and yet God granted us victory, but now the peace we enjoyed is now threatened!".
His final word rang like a hammer blown across a field.
Murmurs began again, but this time it was thicker.
General Boyce sat on a nearby watchtower close to the execution ground, watching everything below. He remembered Archbishop Salas words from earlier about a storm coming, still lingers in his mind. He wants to see the storm and this high position is a perfect place to see everything.
" Anyone that threatens the peace of this land, defies the church, and no one shall defy the church". Pope Julius's voice grew sharper.
He lifted his hand, and with a dramatic sweep, he pointed at the entrance to the gallows from below.
" Now see for yourselves, those that threatened the peace of Mediva, those that threatened the peace of the church!".
The crowd began to murmur. The door cracked open, cathedral guards marched out, dragging four women in chains. The women were—
Sade and Helga froze in shock, some women looked at each other with both fear and surprise in their eyes. All Around, gasps spread through the crowd.
" Now things are getting interesting". Boyce smirked, seated at the high watchtower.
Edward and Klah were in the crowd too, from their reaction, they knew those faces, everyone does.
The gallows stood high enough that even a child could see what was going on from below. All eyes were locked on the four women.
The four women chained in the gallows were: Beatrix, Eliana, Susuri, the three women with hooded cloak who had approached the cathedral wooden gate earlier during the protest. But the most shocking was the fourth.
Arora the fire witch.
The sight of her sent shockwaves through the crowd. She was a wanted criminal, and was declared missing a few years ago.
The four women were Daemirans. Daemiran are born from ancient pact between humans and demons. A powerful sorceress bound fragments of demon spiritual essence with a human soul, forming the first Daemiran, Evarith, during the Hundred years of war between humans and demons. These Daemirans embodied the strength of demons, they possessed abilities.
The ability Arora possessed was the ability to manipulate fire; she burnt down a noble family and their home in District 2, nine years ago. She had been declared missing, many thought dead. Behold, here she was chained in the gallows for execution.
The Pope silenced the noisy crowd with a simple gesture. His voice ran out again
" Evil can not hide from God, evil can not stay long in the light".
From his seat, Archbishop Salas smiled, his eyes filled with satisfaction, he was enjoying every bit of what was happening as if this moment had been planned long ago.
" Daemirans as we know… are demons", the Pope declared.
The crowd erupted, fear, anger, confusion. Different emotions boiled over. The murmuring became a tempest.
General Boyce chuckled under his breath, the storm had come.
Arora struggled to lift her head. Her tired eyes slowly glazed at Beatrix who was also kneeling beside her, chained to the gallows thick timber. The four women were chained in a kneeling position with their hands up in the air. Beatrix turned and looked at Arora, the two women locked gaze for a few seconds,
" Long Time no see, Arora", Beatrix said with a soft, tender smile.
Arora couldn't look at her again, she bent her head down in shame.
"I am sorry, I didn't __", the words hardly came out of Arora's mouth before Beatrix interrupted
" It's okay, I know", still smiling.
Arora tried as hard as she could to smile back,fighting a river of tears in her eyes.
EARLIER, DURING THE PROTESTS.
In a chamber adorned with paintings of saints, a cathedral guard ran to Archbishop Salas office.
" Father Salas, we have visitors", he hesitated. " It's uhhmm… its Beatrix and two others"
Archbishop Salas turned slowly, his face lightening up with a smile.
" Keep them in the hall", he ordered. " I will be there shortly".
The three women waited silently in the hall. Footsteps echoed and Salas appeared, his sandals whispering against the marble floor as he approached.
He stopped before the women, studying their faces.
" Do you know what the church says about the likes of you?", he asked the women.
" I'm sure you are going to tell us". Beatrix replied, pulling the hood from her head.
" That you are of the devil. And the devil has no place in the church or anywhere near it", he said, calmly, circling them like a wolf.
Eliana, one of the three, glared at him with hatred in her eyes.
" Long Time no see, Salas". Susuri said, smiling. Her voice was dry and amused.
Susuri, a short old woman with wrinkles. She was the oldest Daemiran in all of Mediva.
" Well…well, look who we have here… I see", Salas then stopped moving. " I wonder what brought you here". He turned and looked at Beatrix.
" Where is she?"Beatrix's face hardened.
Salas ignored Beatrix's question. He kept quiet for a little while, then
"She?", he asked, " you mean the fire witch?", he smirked
" What game are you playing Salas?", Susuri asked, her patience snapped
Beatrix just stood there looking at the Archbishop
The Archbishop's smiled widened cruelly
" She is a murderer! she burnt down over twenty two innocent souls in District 2 and now over four thousand people!!... And you expect me to welcome you with open arms?!"
The three women stood quietly, swallowing the accusations.
Beatrix had a lot of questions in her head, the District 2 incident happened nine years ago, after that , Arora disappeared. Where was she the whole time?, and when did the church capture her without anybody knowing?.
Something is wrong, she thought,
" Today… you are all about to witness a storm. A new world", Archbishop Salas said in a deep, ominous tone.
It became clear to Susuri, they had walked into a trap. Before they could react–
" Seize them". Salas barked an order.
Cathedral guards led by General Boyce came from every corner of the hall.
Eliana tried to use her ability, Beatrix held her hand to stop her. She tried to resist but–
" Eliana!… Don't!", Susuri shouted.
The cathedral guards pinned the three women down and chained them.