What once were lit beautiful streets
now darkened coal
charred broken parts, nothing whole
the villagers did plunder and stole
All that was left
left the whole street feeling cold
Overlord no more, a man, beaten til blue black
stood crooked as he hung
from the loose rope around his neck
crows feasting on the dead man's flesh
Soldiers, Knights, mercenaries, all strung up
squirming, trying to break free
as they shivered from the cold pavement
much blood was spilled
but not many tears were shed.
Now the village was equal,
from the east to the west.
High and low, no sight of greedy merchants
not a merchant in sight
just their abandoned burnt shops
" What a dump."
Philomel finally said breaking the silence as she kicked over a burned piece of wood from the rubble.
" From the looks of it, they stole as much as they could and burnt down most. "
Amon deducted as he cradle a sleeping baby in his arms, being extremely careful with his steps.
" If I knew this was going to happen I would have brought all the supplies we needed. You should have seen this place! It has it all! From one end to the other, it was all fancy and inviting. If you were here, you would know what it feels like to be a lord or some nobleman, shopping. "
Philomel described with gestures as she spun around the ruined street.
" Well just from looking at that, I can imagine really well, what it would be like. If fact if you still have some coins on you, I could even experience it."
Amon informed with a pointing finger. Philomel turned and followed his finger just to find the potion shop standing there, in the middle of all the ash and rubble. Other than a broken signboard and ash covering the whole shop, it was perfectly fine.
" How in the world?"
Philomel wonder for a moment but then recalled what happened when Darzirak tried to enter and what Darzirak had warned her.
" Curses really don't have a limit."
She muttered to herself as she watched Dashrul wander out of his shop with a broom sweeping out, normal dust from his shop like it was just another normal day. Dashrul after doing half his work, noticed Philomel's and Amon's gaze on him.
" Oh! Hello friends! What a night, eh? Looks like fortune favored only me."
Dashrul greeted with a huge grin and a wave and he gestured to his shop.
" Need any potions, come on by! I'll be finished cleaning by noon and open then."
Dashrul informed with a voice heavy with an Eastern human accent before continuing to clean his shop by sweeping the ash off his walls with the broom. Philomel and Amon both said nothing as they awkwardly waved back, more in awe at how casual Dashrul was rather than shocked. It took them a while, to snap out of it and continue on their way, but not without looking back, and sparing many glances, at Dashrul who continued his cleaning, whistling a jolly tune.
They wandered on toward the mansion where nothing was left but ash and some resemblance to a structure of a mansion.
" Wow, they really did a number there."
Darzirak commented as he slips out from Amon's shadow and ran up toward the mansion to admire his handy work, leaving Amon shadowless.
" All because of you! Where did you come from? I didn't see you coming out of Amon's hand."
Philomel wondered out loud as she turned back to Amon.
" I'm not under curfew, I can move out of his shadow instead of his hand. It's like a front door, back door kind of thing but I can only enter through the front door. "
Darzirak explained as he used his back leg to scratch the back of his ear before stretching out his front paws and letting out a yawn.
" After what you did, you should be grateful you're not."
Philomel snapped with a frown as she turned back and made her way back to the inn.
" Hey now! You have no right to judge me for being what I am! That's racist!"
Darzirak complained with a huff as he crossed his front paws over his chest, completely unaware that Amon followed Philomel and he was being left behind while his complaint fell on deaf ears.
" Hey! Wait up!!"
Darzirak barked when he noticed and quickly ran after them. As they made their way back Philomel stopped and noticed something strange. Looking down the road she noticed one row was perfectly fine while the opposite side was destroyed. The house in that row looks less fancy than the destroyed ones but still not as shabby as the ones toward the west.
" Strange... Why wasn't this area destroyed? Why was the inn safe as well? Even though it was very close to the east side."
Philomel wondered out loud as her gaze turned toward the inn that was just a short distance away.
" Uhhh... something about because they aren't really part of the Lord's influence. They did what they did in order to survive and not because of greed. If you look carefully some of the knights and guards are still walking about, unlike the rest."
Darzirak pointed out with his paw and as Philomel looked carefully, only then did she notice these knights and everyone moving about the village was going in the same direction.
" Where are they all heading? Come on, let's check it out."
Philomel gestured for Amon to follow before taking the lead and following the villagers. As they came close to the shabby village head's residence, shouting and jeering from a crowd overpowered one voice.
Unknown 1" ARE WE, SAVAGES?! How can you make a deal with a demon in exchange for one of us?!!"
Unknown 2" We took back our village! After years of tyranny! Look at us!! What worth could we have offered if not a person?! Desperate times come for desperate needs! What's one person compared to the whole village?!"
Unknown 3" Yeahhhhhhhhh! What if the demon names the price of a knight that opposed us? Wouldn't that be a sweet deal then?!"
Unknown 4" What if the demon asks for a child??! Please think of the children!! Won't somebody please think of the children?!! "
Unknown 5" What if it asks for a young maiden?! Is it really a price we are willing to pay?!"
Unknown 6" What the hell is that demon going to do with a person anyway?!!!"
The crowd yelled back and forth at each other while upon the rooftop sat old man Percy. He held his head in his hands like the old man was regretting something. His daughter-in-law, Felicia sat next to Percy with a hand on his shoulder trying to offer some comfort. From the corner of Amon's eye, he noticed the innkeeper Mrs. Barrett and her son Joey, standing in the far corner near the back of the crowd. Amon could feel Joey's stare on his shoulder and slightly turned his body so that he could avoid making any eye contact. But even then he still could feel Joey's stare on his back.
" Must you leave a trail of chaos wherever you go?"
Amon muttered in an annoyed way as he held his forehead.
" No, I just. Don't do things for free."
Darzirak answered with a yawn before stretching bigger and bigger until he had the form of a thin tall man hunching with arms that were too long and narrow for the body. As Darzirak grew the whole crowd slowly fell silent when they noticed Darzirak. The people that were close to their group of 4 immediately backed away and made a path for Darzirak toward Percy.
" Village Head Percy, I have come for my reward."
Darzirak whispered in a rasp hollow voice that needed the wind to carry it or no one could hear him.
" Little shadow, will you come for my life and spare the rest of my village? "
Percy asked in a sorrowful tone as he stood up.
" Father-in-law! No!!"
Felicia yelled as she stood up and held Percy's shoulders as if doing so could stop him. Darzirak smiled, showing off all his spiked teeth as he sway from side to side. Doing his best to stay upright and not be blown away by the wind. Horror and terror were painted on every villager's face.
" I have made my choice. You shall give me, him."
Darzirak informed as he pointed his long finger at Joey Barrett leaning against the fence.
______________________________________________