When I opened my eyes again, the world had transformed. The previous white and yellowish landscape was now much darker, in shades of gray. A mountain range loomed on the distant horizon.
Several wooden houses covered by snow were in front of me. Cold wind brushed past me, stinging my face like needles. An unfamiliar scent assaulted my nose, making me frown in confusion.
I looked down and shook my head, but noticed that my clothes were… different. I had some sort of white pelt draped over me, my pants and boots were made of leather, and I carried a pouch on my waist and a large sack on my right hand. Something that I couldn't see covered the top of my head.
I dropped the sack and looked at my hands. They were the same as before. My breath… although it created fog, was apparently normal. I could move normally, as well. So far, not ten seconds have passed.
"Hey! Cockalorum! Keep walking!" Someone called out.
I looked at the source of the voice, and saw someone walking down a humid dirt road. From the voice, I knew it was a young woman. She wore a big coat as well, but hers was strangely out of place in this monotone world. It was a light pink color.
Confused and without any other leads, I decided to follow her.
I found myself almost answering her back out of habit.
'Wait, what habit?'
Before I knew it, I resumed walking.
'I should stick with her for now,' I thought, realizing I wouldn't last long in this cold environment without assistance.
It was no problem catching up with her, so I silently walked. Soon after, I heard shouts from up ahead. We walked into a clearing, or something that looked like a town square, where a group of people stood with their backs to us. They surrounded the center of the plaza, where a strange wooden structure was built, and a fire was lit.
Those people wore much thinner clothes than mine, to the point where I wondered how they didn't freeze to death yet. As we got closer, I finally distinguished their words:
"Hang her!!"
I halted.
"Burn her!!"
"Sacrifice!!!"
"Demon!!"
"Oh evil creature! Return to the depths of the underworld where ye have come from…"
"Out of the way!" Pink girl demanded.
The nearest villagers glanced at the young woman, then at me, and then opened the way for us. Pink girl continued walking, and since I wanted to know what was happening, I kept close. Meanwhile, the curses continued.
At last I could see the situation. There was a woman tied to a wooden post. She looked terrified, and I felt a surge of anger within myself. It seemed like misinformation was driving these people to take violent action against an innocent person. The victim in question looked frightened to the point of being mute, she surely couldn't have hurt a fly!
"Ohh! If it isn't Lady Medea! Have you come to watch, as well?"
I looked to my left to see a man wearing thick, dark leather clothing. Since he was covered from top to bottom on that, it looked kind of like a uniform of sorts. The spiked mace hanging off his waist looked quite threatening. The silence created by his words told me he was among the decision-makers here.
Pink girl, or Lady Medea, gave one last glance to the tied woman, then turned to face the man.
"How do you know it's only her?" She didn't sound pleased.
The man answered while scratching his finely-styled beard:
"Oh, that. Of course, it's because we have a testimony. Mr. Kruger, would you please repeat your-"
"No." Medea interrupted. "I want to know how you know she is the only one."
He looked at the crowd before commencing.
"She-"
"Are you questioning the Divine Seer!?!" An old man yelled.
I looked at him, his presence much weaker than leather man. He was clearly a priest of sorts, as he had a chain and a cross on his hand. He had been the one 'singing' prayers earlier.
"I merely asked a question, priest." She hissed back.
I looked back at the tied woman, who had begun crying silently at some point.
As the tense conversation unfolded, I felt the need to take deep breaths to stay composed. The situation was becoming more mysterious and complicated by the moment.
I pondered what was going on. First, that strange place, with the strange voice saying 'Path of Enlightenment' or something. And now, this medieval-looking, witch-burning village in the middle of the mountains.
'I'm afraid this isn't something as simple as a kidnapping or hallucination…"
"...I don't care. Do whatever you want."
It seemed like their conversation had reached an end, so Medea went to stand beside the other villagers, carefully distancing herself from leather man and co.
She glared at me as if saying to follow her, and so I did after one last glance at the tied woman. Only after I reached her side that the curses and prayers resumed. And they kept for a while.
I looked up. It seemed like it was still early morning.
The day had just begun.