A Tale Of Peculiars

CHAPTER FIVE: IN A WHIRLPOOL OF DARKNESS

"DALLIONS! Dallions, the lot of you!" Mama screamed, pointing at our faces. "We found this auna running from the mountain!" She strode to Agnes who sat on a wicker chair. The latter is clearly in a distraught state. "A mumbling mess! Agatha, tell them what your daughter said. Go on."

The slender woman that sat beside Agnes looked at each and every one of us with narrowed eyes. Her purple hair would've been so majestic, flowing in nonexistent winds if not because of the situation we're in. The frown on her face lowered.

"You brought her up there," she said in a soft voice. Too soft and too calm for a woman that is clearly agitated.

'But she volunteered to go up there!'

I wanted to reason but I know I must keep my mouth shut or else the punishments will become worse than it already is. Death.

"You put her life in danger. Leaving her out by herself. She will never be the same." She rose from her seat and gently pulled Agnes up with her who followed without hesitation. They walked to the door behind us. "From this day forward, I will not allow Agnes to go near or even talk to any of the five of you. Including Felice," Agatha said and with that, left with Agnes. The sound of the door opening and closing echoed in the large room.

Felice and Nicholas lay on the beds at one side of the room, asleep. A nurse tended to the latter's wounds while a healer stood beside Felice.

"Isabel." Mama's voice sounded grim. "I had high hopes for you. Your father, your sisters, my clan. Perhaps even the entire village had high hopes for you. And this is what you do as response? What do you have to say for yourself, huh?"

"It wasn't my fault. Nicholas he—"

"Enough! You have a mind of your own, auren. And with that mind you should've been able to make a decision on your own. Just because your friends will do it, doesn't mean you should too. You don't always have to go with the flow of the river. That is wrong! You go with what you think is right. Understood?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mama. I understand."

"Good. Chief Bolton will take it from here and hopefully we can wait until tomorrow for your executions. You just broke the country's most crucial law." She stepped aside, allowing the wrinkly man to see us.

Edmund and Benedict's arms were bound behind them, and so are mine. They kept their heads down. If Benedict were to bend just a little bit forward he would topple over and fall on his face.

Every official of the village were there—from the lowest ranks of Ybaiis to the chief himself—stood in the room, looking at the group of ykarrians that are about to bring doom to their entire race. Sneers and scowls painted their faces. I could almost hear the sound of their teeth grinding against one another.

"For now," Chief Bolton broke the silence. "We wait."

Exclaims of protests rose from the audience. The chief raised his hand which silenced them at once.

"As soon as the other two recovers, we will bring them to the Capital for their execution," Chief Bolton's deep, rough voice rang in my ears. The cheers of the people in the room wasn't enough to drown it out. His words echoed around my head.

My friends and I will be taken to the very heart of the Country of Souls to be killed in front of the Queen and everyone from the Capital will watch our execution whether it'll be by hanging or beheading.

I looked at my mother who has her gaze fixated to the column in front of her. She refused to look at me. The questioning went on further. The questions remained the same for the three of us and our answers were the same.