Chapter 3: Prologue - Execution

"Burn them all!"

"Kill the heretics!"

"Let them burn!"

Hearing those shouts, one might think that it was some anonymous crowd ushering in the tragedy of others. But the reality was far worse, showcasing the true face of humanity to the people strapped to the stakes.

"Silence!"

A domineering shout of the fat inquisitor instantly managed to put order back into the crowd. In the end, pacifying fearful village folk was far easier than doing the same to the prideful citizens or merchants, not to speak about nobles!

But it also revealed how quick those people were to change their allegiances. Who cared about their friends, brothers, fathers or mothers being executed, if there was a free show to enjoy?

"Today, we have gathered to release those poor heretic souls, back into the mercy of the holy dragon fire!"

With the head inquisitor amongst those who came to visit this place starting his lecture, Fen looked around this entire place, as if only now he could free his mind from thinking about the past few hours.

Due to the hunt prolonging into the late-night hours, by the time he was brought back to the village, the execution stage has yet to be prepared. And as in some kind of elaborate psychological torture, he had to watch how the wooden planks were slowly turning into a simple elevated platform, on which five stakes was mounted.

Outside of binding him in the corner of the village's square, he was generally left alone. Yet watching how people he considered to be his friends, neighbours and almost a part of a distant family bringing materials for the spot he would be executed at, managed to break the last shred of sanity that lingered in his soul.

'To think that I could fall even lower after discarding Galia like that…'

Thinking to himself, Fen could only shake his head slightly, with all the other types of movements being strictly restricted by the metal chains that bound him to the stake. Yet, no matter how long and diligently he looked through the crowd of familiar faces, there was no sign of the two people closest to him anywhere!

"Master… I'm sorry."

Ignoring the ongoing inquisitor's preaching, Fen turned his head to his left, only to nearly instantly return his eyes back to their previous position. Looking at this man who could as well be his father, now brutally beaten up to the point of nearly losing his consciousness…

"Don't let them make you assume the blame. It's those fuckers who are the true heretics out here."

To the young man's surprise, rather than lamenting over his fate, rather than complaining about how he was about to be burned alive despite being innocent, Beyar had a strangely calm look in his eyes. He looked as if he made peace with what was about to happen, with only a single, vengeful regret still keeping him from just dying of old age at this point.

"What do you mean?" Fen asked before a domineering voice once again was directed at the row of stakes.

"SILENCE!"

Clearly infuriated by how they interrupted his preaching, the fat inquisitor turned around while unleashing a thin tongue of fire from his palm. Using this newly found weapon like a whip, he lashed it horizontally at the stakes, instantly creating a glaring wound on the chests of the two chatting men.

"Anyway, going back to the topic. Today, we will grace our imperial dragon's glory, by letting him purify the souls of those who refused to accept his grace!"

Catching those words only due to the sudden interruption of the real talk he had, Fen turned around his head once again. But rather than spotting an opportune moment to ask one again, a sad truth was revealed to his eyes.

With his life already nearing its end ever since Fen was accepted as a wandering orphan in the village, this brutal whiplash was the straw that broke the camel's back. Or rather, it was the final push that was required for this old man to breathe his last!

But rather than being filled with anguish or regret, Beyar's expression only oozed a relief! It was as if being finally freed from the mortal realm was not something he feared, but something he looked forward to!

"Goodbye, master. We will meet soon."

Lowering his head for as much as his chains allowed, Fen paid the respect to this fatherly figure of his, a bit happy that his master managed to avoid the painful death from the flames.

But as his eyes scanned the rest of the convicts stripped to their birthday suits and strapped to the stakes, the young man realised that he didn't really know the rest of the victims. One of the farmers, a housewife of the recently deceased blacksmith, the village beauty recently betrothed to a travelling merchant. Even though he interacted with them a few times in the past, they didn't belong to the people Fen would actually keep in touch with on a regular basis.

'Claiming the richest of the place, I see…'

As much as church would deny it, it was common knowledge that when execution spots had to be filled, it just so happened that those who had some wealth to their name and no backers to protect them, would often find themselves bound by the inquisitorial chains.

But as the inquisitor's lecture started coming to an end, something Fen could deduce from the changing tone of the fatso's voice, a small commotion appeared near the end of the crowd.

Raising his eyes towards the source of turmoil, Fen's eyes finally found the one face he was worried to see on the stake by his side.

Galia.

Despite several bruises on her face and her exposed arms, the seemed to be generally okay. That is, as long as one were to ignore endless grief and longing oozing from her expression! In fact, she looked that she would ignore everything and run towards the stage, to at least say her goodbyes, if not for the arm that held her by her shoulders.

And needless to say, it was this traitorous bastard that pretended to be Fen's friend, that was now holding her close to his chest as if they decided to get fucking married a few moments ago!

Fe still had some doubts about the legitimacy of the inquisitor's claims. That is, before seeing the poorly hidden expression of satisfaction and fulfilment deep in Basil's eyes! There was no way he could keep innocently believing in his childhood friend's innocence once he saw it!

"And now, without further ado, let's begin the holy draconic ritual!"

With a single swipe of his hand, the Inquisitor created a huge flame on top of his palm. But rather than igniting all of the stakes in one go, he approached the leftmost of the stakes. Every step of his was marked with the pained creaking of the wooden planks, along with the terrified screams of all three of the random victims of his sadism.

Touch.

As soon as Inquisitor's palm, covered in what looked like a fireball, touched the straws at the bottom of the stakes, the entire construction instantly erupted in flames. Contrary to Fen's expectations, agonic screams of the young girl who was lucky enough to die first didn't last long.

But before she could even scream her last, the fatso already moved to the next stage, putting an end to the unlucky farmer. Seeing that there was not much time left, Fen once again directed his sight towards that traitorous friend of his.

Yet, as his sight had to wander on the nearby faces before he could locate that bastard, his vision inevitably connected with Galia's eyes. In this slight moment, he could remember all the great time they had together, caring for their younger siblings in the orphanage. For a moment, he could even see that awkward time when he attempted to push their relationship forward, only to decide together that they were not made for each other right at the last moment.

But seeing all the pain in her eyes didn't bring him relief. It only served to fan the flames of Fen's fury instead! Even though they were never meant to be together, it didn't change the fact that anyone who dared to make his foster sister make an expression like this, deserved to die!

'Here you are…'

Prompted by the screams of the now burning farmer, Fen finally forced his eyes to move a bit to the side, finally gazing down the satisfied eyes of Basil.

'To think that I saved your life…'

Rather than getting angry for his own sake, Fen just couldn't bear the thought that for some unknown reason, Basil condemned their master to such a pitiful death and made Galia's face cover in tears!

"Tsk…" The sound of inquisitor's tongue clicking along with a burst of heat from his side announced that the time he had was now over. In the very next moment, Fen's vision turned red, as the flames covered his body as well.

Yet, strangely enough, he felt no pain at all!

While he could use his own fire and let it spread freely on his skin, from how the blade of fire created by that inquisitor managed to burn him, Fen assumed that this would be the case right now!

But for an unknown reason, rather than his mind being torn apart by the agony, all he could feel was a pleasant warmth!

Regretfully, despite the lack of pain, even with his vision blocked by the fire, Fen could still see his body melting down under the relentless onslaught of the flames. In one moment, he finally felt the mental pain of forfeiting his life in this world. But in the very next one, he didn't feel anything at all.