The witch
814 Words
"Burn the witch! Burn the daughter of the devil!" the crowd repeats. Some of them throwing stones or rotten fruits at the defenseless young woman tied in the center of the main square.
She is bleeding, naked, ashamed, and enraged, but her eyes show no fear. She is brave and proud. She feels pity for in the eyes of those who are condemning her to death she can see a deep and primitive fear. Ignorance.
One of the stones flies towards her pretty face, she sees it coming. It comes to hurt, to break, to destroy. She closes her eyes accepting her fate. The projectile hits, but there is no pain, and there is no wound. Something, a black shade has deflected it.
"Why would you stay here to be killed?" the masculine voice asks.
He is wearing dark crimson armor, a kite shield on the left, and a sword in his right hand.
Arrows rain over him, but the shield and the armor make their job, protecting him, and her. He has no problem cutting the ties and the chains. His weapon is magical, she thinks.
"Stop or they are going to-"
"They already did it," he replies. "Why would they spare them?"
"No… No!" she lets out, tears rolling in her beautiful blue eyes. An arrow hits the crimson helmet and bounces towards her, but he protects her again. He returns his blade to the scabbard, puts the shield on his back, and lifts her in one arm.
How can you see anything with that helmet on? she thinks.
"Oh, God!" she screams, embracing him with all her strength as he starts running.
No human can run this fast, and he is doing it in heavy armor. They leave behind the guards and the inquisitors in ten seconds. Somehow, he has rescued her.
Still running, lifts the visor of his helmet and takes a deep breath of air. He is young, older than she, but not too much. A knight in armor has saved her. How cliche that could be? Only that it never truly happens so it was not cliche, right? No knight would ever come to save a witch.
He runs through expensive houses and confused people from the center of the town and in a few minutes he reaches the borders of the town, dark alleys even during the day receive them, and finally, breathing heavily he puts her down and allows himself to take a break.
"Who are you?" is the first she can say.
"I... hate heavy armor…" he replies, recovering his breath.
"My name is Leon, Leon Draco," he introduces himself. "It's my greatest honor to meet you, Lara Landstar, daughter of Touma and Louise..."
"Leon," she pronounces, accepting the rotten red hood he offers to cover her nudity. "You are Leon the pirate, Leon the killer of children, the coward, the desecrator, and one of the seven holy knights of Titania."
He sighs.
"What a reputation, isn't it?" he shrugs.
"Lord Davis Montgomery is in the city, he came to make sure my trial was fair," Lara says and adds: "Despite him not being there when the trial began he will come after you."
"I know, I know…" he says, tired, and raises his voice. "Roger, come here!"
A big black steed enters the alley.
"You can find clothes and boots in the saddlebags, use them, Lara," Leon says. "We will meet again in two days. Roger knows where. Trust him."
"What?" she replies.
"You said that Davis was here, Lara," he says.
"Lord Davis for you, traitor!" a powerful voice interrupts from the other side of the alley.
"It's nice to see you," Leon answers, closing his visor.
"I see you got rid of your sacred armor as you got rid of all that we taught you," Davis, in full plate silver armor, says. Four knights are with him, two holding crossbows, and the others shields and swords.
Leon lifts her again as if she was as light as a feather and puts her on the horse.
"No, no no," one of the crossbow knights says and shoots, but his projectile never hits the woman, Leon prevents it.
"To try to kill a defenseless young woman who could be your daughter… very brave, oh holy knight!" Leon reprimands with irony.
"Let her go," Davis replies. "It's him who we want, his w***e can leave for now. We will meet her later."
"A very brave and noble declaration, oh holy knight," Leon responds.
"I'm not his w***e!" Lara replies, offended, but Leon slaps the horse and the noble beast starts running, it leaves the knights behind in seconds. The last thing Lara can see is Leon and Davis exchanging sword blows.
Why? Why are you saving me? she thinks. Why do you risk your life because of a witch?
- Writer
