Sin of Greed

CHAPTER 9

Elizabeth returned the burning hatred with the same intensity as she looked up to meet her gaze.

“Tell me…Does it feel good when you heard them scream in pain? Does it feel good when you burned and skinned them alive? Does it feel good when they begged you to spare their lives?” Merleona’s eyes are dead, killed by emotions long ago.

The beastly woman sat down to meet Elizabeth’s eye level and asked. “Or you found it more amusing when they begged for their own death?”

Elizabeth didn’t say anything, but she spit on her face to show that she didn’t care about what she’s saying.

The brute lady only wipes her saliva from her cheeks.

“Don’t you know that they’re battling their own wars and yet here you are enjoying their agony. They are merely surviving each day, while you… you have everything you need. You really are a monster.” Merleona ended the conversation with a harsh clench of her hand and chose to walk away because she doesn’t know what she might do if she looks at her face any longer.

“They deserved it! They deserved death!” The tied-up girl screamed.

Yvan slowly walked to the girl and leaned down to push aside the strands of her hair covering her face coated with blood and tears. “Why did you do it?” He asked with the warmest tone of voice, just a like a father would do when his child did something wrong.

She hardly bit Yvan’s hand drawing blood that draw yelp of pain from him, as she yelled. “Stop! I don’t need your pity!”

“…I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you! I’LL KILL YOU!” Her pain turns into hatred; she didn’t stop and continue her tantrums. Her cries and curse of despair echoed through the night.

She let her tears of anger flow. “You just called me ‘lower than swine’ but I’m still better than any of you! You self-proclaimed humans...”

“…Humans? Don’t joke with me! There are no humans left on this earth, you are all just pigs that meant to be slaughter! Yes! Just a swine like me!” Elizabeth screamed on top of her lungs; heaving.

“I once truly believe that humans are full of love.” She said under her breath. Remembering the days where her family is still alive.

She remembers the sweet giggles of her younger sisters that wakes her up every morning.

The warmth of the rays of sun seeping through the curtains of her window. With her mother smiling while preparing food for their breakfast.

But it all change when the people her parents owed money arrived.

“My family, my brother, my sisters. I don’t want anything but them! But ... They took it all! You took it all away from me!”

“…You’re just pigs under that skin! Greedy, dirty, gross creatures!”

Elizabeth’s not done yet, she let out every pain she received from the so called ‘human’.

“Because no human will rape a little girl fifty times just for fun! No human will murder someone else’s family just for fun! No human will treat someone as their slave! No human will watch a little girl being ‘toyed’ over and over by endless numbers of pigs just because it’s fun to watch!”

The scene where her mother and sisters where repeatedly raped in front of her played in her head. Her father and older brother were skinned and burned alive. Their screams resonated in her head. All those memories she tried to erase long ago has been brought up.

She let it all out. The pain, anger, sadness, and sorrow. All emotions she’s been hiding all her life.

“No human will let other humans be burned and skinned alive! NO HUMAN …” With a quiet cry she whispered. “No humans are left in this world.” Elizabeth’s remaining strength are gone.

Yvan, Merleona, and Luna only stood while Mago remained lying on his side, listening to every words Elizabeth are spewing.

Weakly, Elizabeth turned her head to meet the eyes of Merleona. “Hey, big sis… tell me who’s the real monster now? Is it me who brings judgement to other monster like me, or is it the humans who made me this way?”

Though her lips are closed, her eyes screamed all the pain she went through. With the last drop of her tears she looked at Merleona begging, “if I am a monster, then kill me too… just kill me… please.”

Luna bit her lips and clenched her fists. Contemplating the story that this kid went through is just as horrible as theirs. She didn’t deserve all these pains.

Like them, Elizabeth is just a victim of the sinful and unjust society they’re living.

But Merleona only scoffed. “Kill you? Do you think you can just easily walk away from your crimes?!” She grabbed the collar of her night gown and pulled her up until they’re face to face.

“You’re here to kill me, aren’t you?! I’m here now! Bring down my judgement! Kill me!” Elizabeth yelled but instantly went into silent whisper, “please… I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

Merleona grits her teeth. “Don’t make me laugh! After all you’ve done, I won’t let you go that easily.”

“From this day and on you will live. You will live for the sake of all the people you’ve killed. You will live carrying all their wishes, dreams, nightmares, and you will live until your last breath repenting for all your sins.” Merleona said lowly, looking deep into the little woman’s soul.

“Live? Why do you let me live?! Just kill me already!” Elizabeth yelled as Merleona dropped her harshly on the ground making her moaned in pain.

“When they begged you for their lives or even their death, did you listen to them? No, right? So why would I listen to you now?” Merleona kneeled her in the stomach knocking her out.

“What will you do with her, Mer?” Yvan asked while attending the bite wound.

Merleona only carried the unconscious woman on her arms, without looking at him she and said a few words. “Somewhere where she can repent her sin with all her life.”

Before they could leave Mago grabbed Merleona’s foot. “Wait! I….W-what…?” So much confusion is spiraling in his mind. So many questions that needed to be answered.

Luna knows what he meant by those words. His eyes are enough for her to know that he needs answer. For she once like that too.

Without hesitation Luna answered him. “This is what they do.” Mago turns his head to looked at her with his eyes showing confusion, fear, and pain.

“The ruler and other higher ups are killing weeds or the non-magic citizens just to gain everything they want. Everyone who knows what’s happening above will be killed and no one tries to resist because everyone who did… they will not be able to see the sunrise of the next day.” Luna explained.

Mago can’t believe every word she said. It all seems surreal.

Luna continues as she saw that he’s still confused. “Fifteen years ago, on the land of boonies, numerous herds of goblins and ogres attacked.”

Mago’s eyes widen as he remembered all the gruesome things he saw.

‘Blood everywhere.’

‘Screams of pain from the mutilated persons.’

‘Wails of grief.’

‘Sounds of sorrow.’

‘Smell of death itself.’

Luna’s next words brought him up in the reality, “the government did that.”

“H-how! Those goblins and only knows how to destroy and kill, nothing more! They don’t even know how to communicate!” Mago interjected.

“Yes, Goblins and ogres knows nothing but to destroy, with their narrow minds they can’t enter this kingdom because it is heavily protected by an invisible force. But what if you knew that the government weakened the protection of this kingdom and lure the goblins to destroy a part of it?” Luna asked him.

“Why… did they do such horrible thing? At that time, so many people have died. My gran-gran… the villagers… everyone…” Mago’s pain wells up on his eyes as he loosened his grip on Merleona’s foot.

“So, you’re one of the survivors huh…” Luna was cut off when Mago intervene.

The only word that Mago said before breaking into muffled sobs. “WHY?!”

Luna furrowed her eyebrows as she felt the cracks in his heart and voice with his outburst but nonetheless, she answered him shortly. “The more people die, the less mouth to feed. And the more they gain.”

Mago asked himself if this kingdom is worth dying for. “Is this the kingdom I really wanted to protect since I was a kid?”

“Magic knight? Haha… I was truly pathetic.” He added.

“You wanted to be a magic knight? Then chase your dream kid, but be a good one though.” Yvan said as he walked up to Mago and help him up.

Yvan wrapped Mago’s arm around his shoulder to make his stand steady, but he almost dropped him when he said. “Take me with you.”

“Woah! Brat! ... Are you kidding?! You have a good life ahead of you! Don’t waste your life trying be fugitives like us!” Yvan lectured Mago for the sudden decision.

And he added how Mago will never be safe if he’s with them. “We are being hunted all over the kingdom! There’s no place where you can be safe if you are near us! You still have your family!”

“I don’t want to be safe! What I want is a place where my family can be safe…” He smiled weakly as he remembered the smiles of his family. The way her mother’s hair sways along the peaceful wind. The moment he wiped his father’s sweat as they went to the woods and hunt.

And his mind lingers to the memories he shared with his grandfather. The sweetest memories they both shared. “…Where there’s no people needed to die because of someone else’s greediness…”

Yvan gaped his mouth but instantly close it and hit Mago on top of his head hard enough to leave a bump. “Are you mad?! This isn’t some joke! You’re risking your life if you come with us!”

Merleona walked up to Luna and said, “Luna, will please hold this girl for me for a second?”

Luna only nodded though she’s in utter confuse.

As soon as the beastly woman handed the girl she turned around and walked towards Mago and Yvan, they wonder why Merleona is walking towards them with her head hanging low.

When she stops in front of them, she put her hand on Mago’s shoulder. Though they can’t see her eyes, she gave it a light squeeze before giving him a sucker punch on his stomach.

“AACCK!!!” Mago spits some of his saliva due to the intense power of her punch.

Yvan was beyond surprise when he saw what she did. “Ahh! Merleona, what have you done!!!” Assisting the almost passed out Mago.

Merleona didn’t spare Yvan a glance. “When you go with us, you’re going to suffer more than that, are you up for it?!”

“Yes!” He yelled.

She threw another punch and ask him again. “You weak piece of s**t! you think you can stand against the powerful knights of the kingdom?!”

But Mago yelled another loud yet slurred ‘yes’.

“M-Merleona! Please take it easy! You’re going to k-kill him before he could even join our g-group.” Scared Luna tried to stop her but she then figured it out that if Mago surrenders with this kind of torment he’s not fit to fight much deadlier enemies in the near future.

Merleona give him another series of punches mostly on his face and abdomen, with the same question over and over to shake his determination and to know that he’s not just all talk, but Mago is more than willing to risk his life.

For the last time she asked. “Now! Are you up for it?!” She’s breathing irregularly, tired from punching Mago.

Mago couldn’t answer immediately due to bloods oozing from his nose and coughing. But when he did, his words made their mouths agape in awe. “I don’t want trouble, but there’s a saying my gran-gran always told me, ‘if you want change, then you have to be more than willing to invite chaos.’”

He mustered before completely passing out on the arms of Yvan.

All of them are silent of a moment until they simultaneously said with a small smile.

“Welcome… to the New Dawn Liberation Front.”