Carmine

Valor rolled up the sleeves of the wet-stained shirt they gave him. It was loose and it recoiled back some distance along his wrist. This was much to his frustrated groans that emphasized his annoyance.

"Leave it be, Valor," I said.

He stared at me with a face of scratches and cuts. His dirty blond hair was heavily unkempt with tufts of it knotted at the sides. I wished I could have ordered the heads of these Eathen Soldiers, but I restrained the urge to cause trouble.

There were a lot of them standing around us. Their eyes never left our minute actions.

"The dagger," Valor said as he held out his hand. I shifted my hand and handed it to him.

"Ah."

Valor turned his head to the priest and he definitely was one based on that pristine attire. His piercing eyes glared at the dagger in Valor's hand.

Valor cut into the wrist of his fabric.

"What is that?" the man asked in a deep voice for such a slim straight-faced man. Yodan moved to the side behind him.

Valor froze his cutting. "A weapon, used to kill things."

The man narrowed his eyes and his face twisted into a horrible scowl. "This weak blood is what you seek as help?!" the priest exclaimed, pointing at Valor, but looking at Yodan. Yodan stared at the dagger, but his eyes shifted to smile at me.

"I never said he would help. I have not even asked him." Yodan turned and produced a parchment from his side. He said to this assumed priest, "Bishop Kello, can we discuss what is going on in the Kerimon district and then decide what to do first?"

Oh, he was higher than any priest.

Bishop Kello snorted and muttered incoherently as he moved wide of Valor. I was not sure if Valor was used to this, but he did not react at all.

Valor avoided staring directly at him. Then they came in, six of them.

Judgments.

These were the warriors trained to fight demons and witches.

Heavily suited up, from head to toe, they were saddled in armor. Their tall bows and spears thudded against their armor. How did they wear all of that?

Even now they walked slowly, the clanks of their boots echoing. My teeth crackled into each other with each step.

"Alright, we have a curse spreading in the district, yes?" Yodan said.

One of the soldiers stepped forward. "Yes, plants die at its touch. The whole district is covered in a dark fog. Anyone who goes in. We hear screams. We never s-see them again." He looked firm in the face, but the terror in his voice echoed.

Witchcraft, it was a hated and despised thing. Even saying witchcraft from our lips was enough to give you bad luck.

Valor and I were against the wall, The Bishop stared at me. Valor looked up at the roof of the room with his arms crossed.

"How many men are down there?" Yodan asked.

"Just a few, helping with the evacuations," one soldier replied.

"Any person found the witch?" Yodan asked.

"No."

"Are we trying to find the witch?"

The soldiers shifted around nervously.

Yodan was surprisingly calm and leveled. I, like everyone else, was scared.

"You know about this?" Yodan asked me.

I shook my head. "No. I know nothing. I want to go home."

"Yet these things follow you," Bishop Kello interjected.

My fist clenched tight in risen frustration. "And that's my fault? I barely escaped a witch's little pet days before! That's my fault? I mean. You men in armor. You kill witches, right? Kill it, him, her. Your task is to protect me, so do it."

None of the judgments reacted to my words.

Bishop Kello's face became long as he looked up. "A champion, yes?"

I fidgeted.

Valor's eyes widened momentarily then they returned to its stilted gaze.

My tongue never needed to raise, for my silence told him everything.

Kello reinforced his question. "You escaped a witch's champion, yes?"

"Yes, Valor, could not kill him. It is likely he is still chasing me."

"Or he let it live." We all turned to the Bishop after he said that.

I was not going to let this man influence any bad will against Valor. "Valor has already been searched, he has no tattoos, no articles of witchcraft. He is clean. His only crime is that he is not like us. But this is not Tiam, this is Eathen."

Valor giggled, but quickly restrained it.

"Don't say that so forthrightly. We still have his brethren raiding our other cities along the Prisiace Ridge," Yodan interjected.

"I don't consider idiots, brethren," Valor retorted.

The Bishop grunted and looked away. "Either way we need to evacuate that part of the city, the Justice have been called, they will end this plague for us."

"When, six weeks from now?" Valor asked.

I waved my hands. "Hold on, aren't they judgments?"

Yodan said, "In training. They aren't fully-fledged."

Valor replied, "That makes it worse."

Bishop Kello said, "You think I do not see right through your act! I know you are one of them. No normal man can survive a witch and her toys."

"Toys?" Valor said, with a snide smile.

"You unholy cretin!" Kello shouted.

"Kill me then," Valor replied.

Thud!

"Ahhhrrgh!" I let out.

A spear soared and missed Valor's head. Valor had ducked. He looked wild-eyed at the Bishop's guard who threw that. My fingers gripped the wall tightly, while my heart pushed hard to ram out of my chest.

I had been holding in that scream for a long while. A soft safe bed to sleep in was my dream now. Because my stress level got my body bleeding sweat instead of the blood I would bleed soon enough.

A soldier jumped into the way.

"Stop this, we have enough problems as it is!" he shouted.

"Kello control your men, you should not let a Lady scream. A Lady should not see such disgraceful displays," Yodan said, he grabbed the spear, "Who are you really Valor?"

He ripped out the spear.

Valor looked up at Yodan as he raised.

"Someone you need I guess. I cannot say."

"If we torture you, can you say it? When we evacuate I will be taking you personally to the Wallow's Tears. I am sure you know too much." Bishop Kello's smirk grew.

Valor did not answer. I patted my hand into the palm of the other. This was not good. I needed to get out of here. Plus, I did not want them to take Valor.

"Please," Yodan said, with his arms up.

"Maybe Valor can help, right?" I said. The men looked at and through me, but it didn't hurt me. Valor looked at me with a frown. Trust me a little, assassin of mine. "He said to me that he knocked the Champion out. So, he luckily beat him, granted he almost died trying—"

Valor was giving me an annoyed stare. Was I saying too much? Right, Bishop Kello, so I cleared my throat. "He got a bad injury. I am sure his jailers saw it."

Yodan looked at the two soldiers. They nodded in affirmation.

To Valor, Yodan asked. "Can you stop this threat?"

"No, the last time I tried, he almost killed me." He looked at me with a pronounced frown then rolled his eyes. "But, there might be a way, if you guys help me."

"Yodan, do not trust this fool! We should evacuate now!" Kello said.

"I have innocent people dying and the curse is spreading fast. We will evacuate, but we must try and stop this evil. The lord left his land in my care. I have to try my best to reclaim it from the devils."

Kello nodded toward his men. Two of them stepped forward.

"Let us come with you. Fighting the demons and witches are what we live for." The one who said that was the one who threw the spear, fantastic. Valor sighed as Yodan nodded and motioned to one of his captains.

"Gather fifty men, we will—"

"Only ten people," Valor said as he stepped forward. "I do not need numbers I need your best men. All working together, all doing their job expertly. If he sees too many people, he will get too excited. We will be dead if he gets excited. The men of Elam are arrogant. We will use that to our advantage. I just ask a few requests, your best sharpshooter, I need my axe back, musothin powder, and rocks. And rope, a lot of rope."

Yodan nodded his head. "Alright, I am coming, Shua, Lake come too. Barkley go to the stock shed and get the rope, ask Aria for the Irish Palm. Xallion?"

It was the same spear thrower of Kello. Xallion slid out a skin bag and threw it at Valor's feet. Valor raised an eyebrow at him. Xallion gestured at the bag. "There it is. The evil substance of musothin. I am sure you know how to use it."

"I don't use it for that judge," Valor retorted.

***

The air choked me, but the urge to cough, I fought. I moved forward unsure of myself and uncomfortable with my situation. Red brick buildings, of two floors, a yellow half spiral roof hugged the top. The windows mostly white painted showed nothing in this dim ominous purple glow.

These would be beautiful colorful sights if not covered in this darkness. All the life was overpowered in this place.

The corners of each turn were swept in shadows and the distance down each path held doom. I wanted to escape, but my legs shook with the reliance of a frightened child. A dead body was next to us as we came into the clearing.

A woman dangled off the edge of a statue. Her arm was around it. A huge gash across her face, I saw no nose, eyes were gone. All I saw was a black spot with blood leaking out into drips. A red thick pool hung under her lowered head and free arm.

Everyone looked at it and tried not to look at it.

"You sure we should have her here, bodyguard?" Xallion asked.

"I have a name, you, I am starting to think you don't like me," Valor said, with a shrug.

Xallion said nothing, but I could have sworn I heard a low growl.

"I told you already, if we want to get rid of this guy we need bait. Carmine has volunteered for the role."

I actually did not, but since this was my idea he said I might as well help. That and he did not want me out of his sight. I was not sure of the best option. At this point, I just wanted to live and I would do anything to achieve that. Going through all of those mishaps; I could tell partially that I was getting in tune with my primal nature.

Like how I could tell he was close. No, I knew he was close.

"Hey, you hear that?" One soldier asked.

Yodan came by my side and motioned at Valor. "You need to hide," He unsheathed his sword.

Valor nodded then jumped to the right. His old lady's present was drawn. He gave Xallion one look, so Xallion wasted no time sliding out his spear.

"To your positions, he cometh! The snake is here!" Xallion shouted.