Chapter 2:The Proclamation
569 Words
The village square was a sea of gray wool and terrified faces. Torches flickered in the damp air, casting long, dancing shadows against the Iron Gate, the only thing standing between Oakhaven and the Sentient Forest. Usually, the square was loud with gossip, but tonight, the only sound was the wind whistling through the briars beyond the wall.
I stood at the back of the crowd, my skin still throbbing from Elder Thorne’s greed. My father stood a few feet away, his arms folded. He hadn't spoken to me since we left the house. He wouldn't even look at the new ink on my arm.
High on the stone dais, the three Great Elders stood like ravens. Their heavy robes were trimmed with white fur, a stark contrast to the filth I lived in every day.
"The Blight has crossed the wall," Elder Vance announced, his voice booming over the crowd. "Our wheat is ash. Our cattle are thinning. The Forest is no longer satisfied with our silence. It demands a Tithe."
A collective gasp went up. A Tithe meant a life. It hadn't been called for in fifty years.
"We have cast the stones," Vance continued, holding up a small, black velvet bag. "The spirits of the woods have spoken. They do not want a warrior. They do not want a child. They want the one who holds our burdens."
My heart stopped. It didn't just stop; it felt like it dropped into the pit of my stomach.
"Vesper," he called out. "Step forward."
The crowd parted instantly. It wasn't out of respect, it was the way a wound opens up. People practically tripped over themselves to get away from me, their eyes wide with a mix of horror and....sickeningly—relief.
I looked at my father. I waited for him to shout. I waited for him to grab my hand and tell them they couldn't have his only daughter. Instead, he let out a long, shaky breath. His shoulders, which had been tight with stress for weeks, finally relaxed.
"Go on, then," he whispered, staring at the ground. "Do your duty for once."
"Father?" My voice came out small, cracking like dry wood.
"You're a Sin-Eater, Vesper," he snapped, finally looking at me. There was no sadness in his eyes, only a cold, hard greed for his own life. "You were born to take the rot. If the Forest wants you, it’s probably because you’ve got more of it in you than the rest of us. At least this way, the garden might grow again."
The betrayal tasted worse than any sin I’d ever eaten. It was bitter and sharp, coating my tongue like lye. I realized then that I wasn't a person to them. I was a sponge they were finally ready to squeeze dry and throw away.
I walked toward the dais, every step feeling like I was walking through deep mud. The Elders looked down at me with thin, fake smiles.
"You will be prepared," Elder Vance said, his hand resting on the hilt of his ceremonial blade. "Tomorrow, at sunset, you walk through the Gate. You will appease the Lord of the Briars, and Oakhaven will be clean."
I didn't look at him. I looked past him, toward the dark, twisting canopy of the woods. The "Black Sin" over my heart gave a slow, heavy thrum. It felt like a greeting.
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