"Bring them to the fields along with their men, and make sure they all understand that escape or struggling is punishable by death, be it lord or knight." I said coldly.
"Understood." Hardvar replied leaving silently along with Leyalt.
"What are you going to do with them?" Shion asked curiously.
"I might burn them." I replied nonchalantly as we began making our way over.
"Delightful." She replied with a smile cozzying even closer to me, I forgot this is the same girl that gave me a hug while I was bathed in the blood of her families killer, as well as the same girl who is not afraid of the sight of decapitated men or corpses.
Now that I think about it, she walked into the city with me back then and said nothing despite all the corpses and the situation, she also never complained about all the battling.
She's just.... perfect. I love her so much.
Soon we arrived at the edge of the fields were several stands had been set up from which to watch over the blessing of Veru.
Even I don't know what will happen!
"On the day of a Harvest Festival it is customary to make a wish." Shion said lightly taking a glance at me.
"A wish?" I thought.
Hum. I wish for a peaceful life then, oh and to grow old! Old people are usually really nice and laid back, hum, I also want a small cottage somewhere nice, a garden big enough to feed me and Shion and a big porch for stargazing, that's definitely what I wish for.
That totally counts as a single wish.
"What did you wish for?" Shion asked curiously seeing the smile on my face.
"I wished for a peaceful life, and an early retirement." I replied, though I didn't really wish for a retirment but that word basically encompasses what I wished for anyway, "What about you?"
"It's a secret....!" Shion replied giggling her face slightly red against the torch lights.
Reaching out I brought her in close, I couldn't stop myself, she is too much for my fragile heart.
"Really! There are people looking!" Shion whispered angrily with a big smile.
"I don't care." I replied calmly planting a kiss on her forhead.
At the head of the fields Seramia appeared summoning the powers of her blessings and sending a calming wind through the stands, the people feeling refreshed.
As though a massive burden had been released from their shoulders many of the people began to break down and cry, the calm in their souls loosening the walls of the tough wolf like apperance that the people of Durlivan noramlly portrayed.
"Under this mid-summer sky, I First Priestess of Veru declare the blessings of Veru to be forever with Durlivan and her people, let these fields flourish!" Seramia said, her dress flapping lightly in the breeze this time the crops seemed to shine lightly.
So her blessing even affects the hearts of plants?
"Let the night of the harvest festival begin!" Seramia shouted as a final breath of blessing rushing the area along with her voice.
"Prince Surnova, please wait here with me." I whispered quietly.
Glancing over he nodded gesturing for the others to enjoy themselves.
"Leyalt, have a few people follow each of the nobles in secret." I said as Leyalt appeared from the shadows of the torch light, "You know what to do."
"It will be done." He replied disappearing like a desert breeze.
"What is it? Aga?" Nova said curiously to which Hardvar appeared the prisoners in hand.
"Lord! Please save us from this savage brute!" Lord Tars yelled falling to his knees.
"Please! He has taken us prisoner for no reason!" Lord Kleiol fell to his knees next pleading desperately.
Their soldiers fell in behind their lords.
"What is the meaning of this?" Nova asked curiously, So he isin't accusing me or particularly caring, huh.
"Hardvar, explain the situation." I said lightly.
A few minutes later Nova began expelling hardly concealed waves of anger looking at the two lords, "So you planned to burn these fields? Why?"
"Please! It is a lie--" Lord Kleiol tried speaking.
"It was all his fault! He roped me into it after the incident at the estate!" Lord Tars cut him off breaking instantly after all his deeds had been exposed, no wonder he lost to his little brother with his heart of glass.
"Is that so?" I said lightly glancing over at Kleiol sword in hand.
"N-no! He was in it since before! We were contacted by the underworld guilds, they said that if we ruined your fields that they would take care of the rest and we would get rewards for helping them!" Lord Kleiol shouted, "Please spare my life! I had no choice, I cannot go againt the underworld guilds!"
"How were they going to 'take care of the rest' and what rewards were they offering?" Prince Surnova asked calmly having regained his cool, "If you answer me honestly I will let you live."
"T-they did not tell us of how they would take care of things, but I believe that they meant to kill Lord Durlivan and plunge this territory into a brutal massacre! As for the reward I was only offered connections and money!" Lord Kleiol pleaded putting his head low.
"Liar! I will not go down with you! They said they would kill the Prince and then frame Lord Durlivan! And you were offered the widowed Lady Shion as a reward! I was offered a high ranking position in the underground if I cooperated." Lord Tars cut in viciously barking at Lord Kleiol which devolved into a shouting match.
It seems theirs nothing new to hear.
"Then, I will keep my promise and not kill you." Nova said lightly, "I will turn over your punishments to Lord Durlivan, ah and as of this moment, consider yourselves stripped of your titles and priviledges."
"Please! Wait!" They screamed pleadingly.
Without any noble priviledge or lands this would be a simple execution, im sure that's what they are thinking....
"I want to burn Kleiol." Shion suddenly said causing Hardvars eyes to widen but only for an instant as he grabbed a nearby torch.
"Then, I will burn Tars." I said lightly taking a torch passed by Leyalt.
... they are right to think so.
"M-my lord, w-we were only following orders with our families at risk, please, let us go." A guard waddled forward on his knee's, the twenty odd men around him looking hopeful pressing their heads to the ground.
"Leyalt, Hardvar, take these men and set up some stakes with their help at either side of the entrance of the city gate facing Kendogan and Rekarsus." I said calmly hitting both men with the pommel of my sword, "Take these two away, they are to be burned tomorrow in the early morning, spread the word that for the crime of conspiring with underground guilds against Durlivan these two will be burned at the stake, tonight they sleep in the main city square."
"By your will." Several voices appeared from all around.
"You're a kind one, Boss." Hardvar said smilingly, "It is much too good a fate for these two arsonists."
"T-then?" The guard asked.
"You and the other men will be used as laborers for these very fields you attempted to burn, I will send people to fetch your families and have them move into Durlivan under my protection." I replied leaving for the city.
The rest of the night went loudly, the city boisterous with word spreading like wildfire of the blessing they all felt at the festival finally killing off any skeptics or prejudiced none believers from the time of the religious purge causing Seramia's popularity to skyrocket and with it the Veru's popularity.
At the same time word of Kleiol and Tars involvement with the underground guilds spread about, the people spitting on them in the city square throwing things and completely humiliating them, along with the information my own popularity rose as well as the one who discovered their plot and took them down, though that's not exactly right, it was just a hunch I had that made me spread out Marcus' unit after getting paranoid seeing so many guards.
Shion too seems to have gotten a new reputation, with the former prisoners becoming citizens spreading word of her actions of delivering food to them as well as praying for them and comforting those in pain.
Now it is time for the burning.
Just outside the city gate facing the two great empires Shion and I stand holding hands with torches in our off hands.
Seramia is infront wielding her staff, "Today, these two who have sinned against the people of Durlivan are sentenced to death by burning, our Champion Agashi Durlivan and his wife Lady Shion Dra will carry out these executions."
"For the crime of conspiring with underground guilds to bring calamity to Durlivan, I, Prince Surnova Carrien name these two traitors to the crown and strip them of their titles, I will bear witness to the carrying out of this punishment." Prince Surnova said evenly sitting not far away surrounded by nobles with pale faces, "From this point onward, any found to be colluding with underground guilds willingly will be burned at the stake."
Gesturing towards us Prince Surnova took a sip of his tea his eyes cold.
"In this land, once riddled with banditry and slave mongerers, I swore to you all that any who tried to harm Durlivan would be killed! I swore to rid this place of the underground guilds! Today, I reaffirm this conviction!" I shouted raising my torch.
"Never again will Dra suffer from the calamity known as the underground guilds!" Shion raised her torch as well.
"Let it be known that I, Trigo Rafulnas, will as well commit myself to ridding this land of those scum!" Trigo stepped forward speaking up.
"I, Warren Locost will also swear upon my life to never deal with these sorts of scum!" Warren's childish voice exploded into the surroundings, a voice befitting of a hunter.
"I, Irea Luncar, too swear!"
"I, Getta Otol too swear!"
Like this a wave of nobles came forward swearing their lives, though several looked uncomfortable while doing so.
Glaring at Tars I smiled dropping the torch, at the same time as Shion.
Standing to the side Seramia said a few words, her blessing had evolved after these months making her capable of not only taking away the pain of the soul, but also amplifying it, after all, Veru is originally a deity of the battlefield and keeper of souls, she can take away as easily as she can give.
Kleiol and Tars screamed of their innocence but no one would listen nor care.
"You are a monster.... Aga...shi ....Durlivan.....! the rumors.... we..re...true a...nd I curse you t...o for...ever be known as.... a demon! Never will anyone call you a .....hero! For as long as you live you will be a demon!" Tars screamed with his last dying words.
"Shion Dra.... these lands will be plunged into..... a conflict unlike ... any other! You will all suffer and.... I curse you to live! You will watch your beloved lands burn and those you care for... will all die in your arms!" Kleiol too spat out his dying curses.
The fires burned long after they had stopped moving, long after their bodies had been charred and turned to charcoal.
The people stood watching until those very fires that so tenaciously devoured their bodies too died.
"Let it be known, Durlivan will not hope for a draw, nor will she yield, it is victory or death against these underground guilds." I said in a calm tone pervading the surroundings, I've said this before and im sure I'll say it again.