After losing sight of Rafael, Cenric turned and headed toward the outskirts of the village. These traitors always create problems, he thought, his mind stewing over the situation.
He passed through the village's plantations and entered the forest, following a narrow path toward his destination.
He never let go of that book. It must contain all the ideas and inventions he's introduced to me. It must be! Cenric's instincts were correct. After three minutes of walking, he arrived at his target.
Before him, about 20 meters away on a slight slope next to a small cave in the hill, stood the strange machine. It was something out of a dream, made of metal, with the most shocking feature being a dome of crystal glass—just one entire piece. The sight was otherworldly.
What if... they are right? No one could make something like this, so what if it's something from heaven? A chariot from hell, maybe? Cenric's thoughts spun as he stared at the time machine in awe.
After nearly a minute of being lost in his thoughts, he snapped back to reality and approached the machine. His eyes scanned the interior through the glass, but he didn't see the book at first glance. "I can't believe he lied, even when his life was at risk!"
The door was closed, and Cenric couldn't see a way to open it. How did he close it last time? He searched around the machine, finding nothing.
He crouched down to look under it, still nothing. But as he rose from his crouched position, he saw it—thanks to the angle, the book was visible under the chair. "Found it! But now how do I open this?"
Suddenly, a stupefied and distant voice interrupted him. "What is this?!"
Cenric quickly turned around to see a man in a brown robe and a little girl beside him. It was the cleric.
"I told you! That is the wagon of that Devil!" the girl exclaimed, pointing at the machine.
The cleric, who had previously dismissed the girl's claims, was now staring in disbelief. "What in the name of the Lord is that?! Knight Cenric, so you knew about something like this and didn't warn us?!" His voice was filled with shock, but he didn't dare take a step forward.
Cenric's mind went blank when he recognized who it was. "Wait, it's not what—"
Could he even come up with a plausible excuse? If he claimed he had only discovered it today, the village guards would expose his lies under interrogation. But if he admitted to knowing about it before they arrived, he might be convicted of crimes and face death.
"Not what? You mean to say that you didn't know about that... diabolical... thing?" the cleric struggled to find the words to describe what he was seeing.
"He spoke with the Devil several times! Everyone saw that. I bet he got corrupted by him!" the girl, Maria, daughter of the farmer Eadgar—the first man to encounter Rafael—was now spewing whatever fanatical thoughts came to her mind.
"Liar! You're spreading lies about your chief and a knight! For your actions, you'll be flogged ten times!" Cenric's anger flared, overriding his reasoning as he decided to punish the commoner.
"Preposterous! I, a representative of the Church, release her from all punishment and order you to drop any weapons you have and surrender in the name of God!" The cleric waved his arms, his voice rising in authority.
"You're all traitors! You're colluding with the enemy! Who do you think you are, speaking in His name?!" Cenric's patience had run out. His facade of tolerance shattered under the weight of his predicament, and he decided to end this confrontation with force.
Each word he shouted was punctuated by a step toward them. Cenric pulled a dagger from his waist.
The girl clutched the cleric's hand in fear.
"Run!" the cleric shouted with a voice now filled with fear as they both turned around and sprinted back toward the village.
The sound of Cenric's footsteps, getting closer, filled them with dread.
"You monster! Stop now and surrender, and you may live!" the cleric cried, desperately trying to save his life. But the pounding footsteps only grew louder.
She's slowing me down! The girl, still holding the cleric's hand, was now a burden due to her young age. With a quick glance back, he saw Cenric, dagger in hand, his face twisted in madness, just meters away.
Instinctively—or perhaps deliberately—the cleric released the girl's hand and ran faster than he ever had in his life. "Nooo, waait!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
He didn't look back, but after three seconds, he heard a scream of agony and the sound of something hitting the ground. The steps were still getting closer. Oh God, please cast your light upon me! You're eternal, we are your children... he prayed in his mind. Soon, he saw the edge of the trees, and beyond that, the open field and the village.
Yes, I'm almo— His thoughts were cut short by the sound of Cenric's heavy breathing, just a meter behind him.
Rafael, already mounted on the horse, took the reins. He had never learned how to ride, only knowing what he had seen in movies, series, and games. "Tell Cenric I'm grateful," he said.
"Tch, if it weren't for him..." Amis mumbled, thinking it was impossible for Rafael to hear him.
"What do you mean by that?" Rafael asked sharply. Thanks to his excellent hearing, he had caught what Amis said, surprising him. How? Amis wondered.
"Forget it. Open the door," Rafael demanded. Getting out of the village was his top priority. Who knew if delaying for just a few minutes would cost him his chance to escape?
With a grunt, Amis walked to the large door in the center of the stable and began to open it. But then he stopped. Outside, noises could be heard—distant shouts, people running, and then, screams.
"What the... What's happening?" Rafael asked, as the noise grew louder. Amis stepped outside without answering and closed the door behind him. You motherfucker! Rafael thought as he jumped down from the horse and rushed to open the door. Something is drawing their attention. This is the best moment for me!
He opened the door to see commoners running with their children back to their homes. Amis was standing a few meters away, arms raised, while a soldier pointed a spear at him. Amid all the chaos, Rafael managed to hear what the soldier was shouting, almost as loudly as the surrounding noise.
"That man is a lunatic! He killed someone in front of everyone!"