The Coven of the Black Rose

Chapter Sixteen: Their Grief

The siblings were very stunned, with their eyes filled by terror and bafflement as they stared on all the warlocks' and witches' corpse scattered on the pavement. The moon was gleaming high in the middle of the night sky along with the clouds that drifted apart. The wind has suddenly turned calm. Ahead them was their way, leading straight to the Central temple. Its spires were seen above, the exterior was much similar with the temple in Western Eclus, only that it was bigger. They didn't notice that earlier as the chaotic the pavement caught their attention first. Some of the houses were damaged with small traces of emerald flames while few of the lantern posts laid down on the ground. Surprisingly, there was no one out there. No knights standing nor patrolling, even sorcerers. It was all silent, as if the bloodshed here happened a while ago. There were no lights on the windows of all the houses around, only the two front windows of the temple have. Though they cannot see its interior from afar. Tessa held Tasra's arm. Her fingers were too cold and shaking. "What... what happened to them?"
He cannot respond to her and just shook his head in distress. "Aunt Floressa and Ronan." He faced her. "We must find them. They must managed to escape." Tasra glanced around and desperately looking everywhere as he thought on where else could they hide and escape. He has hope that they were still alive, just like what happened in Trisida's conquest back then.
Tessa pulled away and scanned their surroundings. Pretty sure, she has the same thoughts as his. They walked forward as quiet as they could because the king's people might sense them. The siblings avoided stepping on the corpses, of course. Tasra stopped for a moment and took a closer look to one of the witches on his right. He recognized her familiar face as she was one of Floressa's most trusted people in the coven.
He gasped in surprise and stepped backwards. Blood dripped from a slash on her neck. Beside her was a body of armored knight. A blood-stained sword was dropped nearby his arms. The siblings went ahead. After moment of scanning their surroundings, they found no one else alive. Tasra was familiar with Ronan's and Floressa's body shapes, yet they haven't spotted any corpse that was identical to them. Maybe they're alive and made their own way out of here, Tasra thought. Even so, everything was just disappointing. Perhaps his suspicion was right. King Luison would never want to have an agreement with the coven. He was, probably the one who initiated this bloodshed. It would be absurd if it happened the other way around. Ronan nor Floressa would never try to attack Forgonians first.
"What if they didn't survive..." Tessa said, trying to stop her tears from falling.
His heart was prickled by fear upon hearing his sister's words. But he kept his hope alive and shook his head. "We'll find out. I know they should have another plan if things went rough like this." Both of them walked and walked, until they reached the front of the temple. From inside, they heard murmurings. He and Tessa peeked from a window. Tasra knew what every temple's interior looks like. Temples were built by Forgonians as a sacred worship place for the god of light. Its inside was spacious. Majority of its space were congested by columns and rows of pews. On the center, an unrolled carpet leads to a statue of light god. Sculpted from stone, the figure was a standing man, wearing an iron helm and an armor with a cape draped on his back. He was holding an axe with his right arm stretched, while an opened book on the other hand. The statue was facing forward and has other angel statues on each side, similar with the ones that the light sorcerers used earlier. The angels were facing the light god's figure. Before the altar was a table and a seat where priests and priestesses sit. More windows were on the walls. The place was lighted by two chandelier of shining, mystical crystals. There was a balcony behind the wall of the altar and angel statues. Yet when Tasra and Tessa peeked, everything was a havoc, too. All the pews were pushed aside on the walls, some were broken and burnt with either orange or emerald flames. The altar of the god remained neat and untouched, so were the angels and the chandeliers. Tasra's heartbeat froze. Few feet before the table was an enormous bonfire. Peering through the hearth were figures of bodies, hems of their black cloak draped on the floor. Dozens of light sorcerers gathered before it. He already knew what happened. He wanted to burst out his anger as his gaze was locked on the raging blaze that devoured the bodies of his kind.
Luison stood on the balcony, in his usual silver armor and white cape with his crown on his head. He held a sword that was illuminating white. Suddenly, it dimmed, and the golden material of its blade was seen. He sheathed it back to his scabbard on his iron leggings. The king pulled a scroll and unrolled it. After scanning, he bursted out a laugh that echoed throughout the entire temple. "This is ridiculous. Who else thought that I will let everything to be settled with a piece of paper? You warlocks and witches deserve no freedom, even it costs an expansion of our power." He crumpled the scroll and threw it to the bonfire. It was easily swallowed by flames and it turned into ashes. "No words could stop the victorious alliance of Forgon and light sorcerers. Coven of the Black Rose? Ha! Ridiculous."
Tasra scanned keenly the bonfire, but he can barely see their bodies. He knew it was their kind. By seeing that Luison had the scroll, it means that Ronan...was dead. Probably, so was Floressa. Tasra fell on his knees. Tessa gave him a hug as both of them cried together as soft as they could.
"We should get out of here, right now." She whispered in her muffled voice.
Tasra has no other words to say. What they saw was enough. He stood and both of them turned away from the temple.
"What will we do now?" Tessa muttered. "Many of us has been slain."
Tasra sniffed and shrugged. His mind drizzled in affliction. "Maybe we should just go back to our stronghold."
Tessa nodded and they both went ahead. The street was still dark and silent until they heard the door of the temple creaked open. Glancing behind them were four knights and a sorcerer.
"Looks like we left someone alive. Our king wouldn't be impressed with us." The sorcerer spoke. He raised his staff, the knights unsheathed their swords. "Boys, we got a work to finish."
The siblings faced them. Tasra had enough. If he fights them, he might hint his presence to all people inside the temple. He knew he had no choice but he cannot hold on his anger anymore. When he opened his palm and was about to whisper an incantation, a swift shot of searing arrow flew from behind him that hit the sorcerer's chest. He dropped his staff and stumbled. Tasra looked behind and saw a man in blue cloak who held a crossbow. Beside him was a knight who held a torch. The man in blue cloak loaded his crossbow with a searing arrow. He aimed it and shot at the sorcerer once more. The sorcerer howled in pain and can barely speak as he laid himself helplessly on the ground. "Traitor..." His eyes have closed in unconsciousness. One of the knights knelt down to the sorcerer upon examining his pulse.  "Hey, wake up!"
"Who are you?" Another knight interrogated.
Finally, he unveiled his face. The knights took step backs, their faces were brushed by confusion.
"This can't be you! How can you turn against us?" The other knight said as he pointed his sword at him.
Tasra recognized the old bearded man as he saw his portrait when they visited Floressa the other day. Behind him, a dozen of knights and watchers in their leather vest and hat marched in. Crossbow hung around their body along with quiver-filled arrows on their back.  
"Let them go. They're innocents and peacefully living in our country." Segarum, the head councilman of Western Eclus, said.
"But you can't do this! We won't tolerate this treachery any longer!"
"Don't you know that the king is just inside the temple. Maybe you wanted to hear your punishments directly from him." The other knight added.
Without hesitation, Tasra and Tessa walked towards the head councilman's forces.
"We, as rulers of the state, should protect our people at all costs and not to jeopardize them any further." Segraum said sternly and glanced at the watchers, who already loaded their crossbows. He gave them a nod and they let their arrows flew towards the knight's helm. Their armor can protect them from a single shot, but not from multiple ones. Several arrows impaled their faces and body, causing them to fell on the ground.
"Apologies for we are late." Segraum faced Tasra. "Floressa asked for my help since she told me that they would have an assembly with Luison."
Tasra was surprised. "You're aware that she's a witch?"
He nodded. "She and both of you. She told me about this years ago, don't worry." He glanced around and disappointment took over his expression. "Where are they? Looks like Floressa is right about her speculation. I should've come earlier."
Tasra and Tessa didn't reply. They closed their eyes and bowed their heads. He already understood what it was.
"Gods..." Segraum gasped and shook his head. "I...I am really sorry we arrived late. She told me that it will begin at around midnight. We should be here to aid them if the Forgonians will..." he didn't finish his sentence and wiped his teary eyes.
"Yes, we also thought the same as you. We've been invaded by sorcerers in our farmland. Fortunately, we survived. Perhaps Luison planned to kill them ahead midnight."
Segraum heaved a sigh. "Do you have anywhere else to stay? You may come with us." Behind him, two dozens of horsemen strode towards them. They held a torch with their swords sealed in their scabbard on their belt.
Tasra replied. "Yes. We can settle inside our stronghold. We're safe there."
Segraum thought of retreating his people since they came late. They all mounted on the horses and went away before Luison and more of his people came out of the temple. On their way, they met no Forgonians. Neither of the patrolling knights mind about Segraum and his people. The blow of the wind was chill and uncomfortable. It makes them feel uneasy especially after what happened that night, freezing cold as the tragic itself. After several minutes of traveling back to their farmland, Tasra and Tessa mounted off the horse.
"Are you sure that you're safe here?" Segarum wasn't look convinced after seeing their farmland.
Tasra bowed to him. "Yes, thank you, sire Segarum."
"Okay, just approach me when needed. I am certain that Luison will look after me, soon enough."
"Yes. Take care."   
Segraum kicked his horse and it neighed before it ran. All the horsemen followed him and left the siblings before the obstructed fence gate of their farmland. Nothing much have changed out there. The siblings directly went to the cabin and saw Asha, who was in deep slumber. They didn't bother her and instead proceeded down in their stronghold.
Tasra, as one of the remaining coven heads called all the remaining warlocks and witches. They all gathered in the cemetery, in the place where they grieve for the loss of their kind. It was not much far from their assembly hall and was only few turns to reach its door. As they opened, it was a very huge space, similarly with how spacious the Black Garden was. Inside was lighted by green-blazing torches, hung on the walls. The ground was made in black soil, too. There were countless, tall tombstones with multiple names written in it. Before each were candles. Some were still lighted and melted while mostly were dead. Few dead trees scattered around. The ceiling was a dome with torches and cobwebs on it.
Tasra nodded to the warlock and witches who brought candles. At once, they went to the tombstones and knelt to place and light the new candles they brought. The melancholic silence has boomed again, just like every time they were in cemetery. From then, everything that their coven has was under his and Tessa's hand. It was found that only the siblings were the remaining coven heads alive. He has the power to decide but he never wanted it. He didn't even know what to do at that very moment aside from initiating the ritual. He was never ready for it and for everything else.
"Everything is so sudden." Tessa whispered, her blank stare locked on the tombstones.
"Yeah, I just don't know what to do now." Tasra replied. "I can't even let go upon aunt's and Ronan's loss." The two of them were like parents since the demise of Murray and Bryllda. Floressa and Ronan were cousins, but they just knew each other more when they took responsibility for Tessa and Tasra.  Ronan had his own family yet her wife died in sickness as well as his child. From then, he went back to the coven's stronghold more often and gave his full attention to fulfill his responsibilities there. He was treated by anyone as their mentor since he knew many things and was a great teacher for studying sorceries.
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A symbol was written in a book, that Tasra can't even pronounce correctly.