A Tale That Never Was [Book 1 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 21: Out of the Fire, into the Pan

Everything happened at once.

Quick-thinking Artemian launched an arrow into Beast's chest. Beast tackled Artemian into the podium. The podium itself splintered and exploded into pieces from the impact. Frollo was sent flying back into the crowd. The townsfolk, upon seeing Beast, turned and fled in terror. The guards were shocked and confused. Sinbad snapped his eyes open and with a quick swing of his arms, broke free from his bonds and immediately went and freed his captain. Mayhem was everywhere. Screams and shouts filled the air. Embers from Cindy's pyre wafted about lazily. The fire creeping up Selvina's post reached higher.

"Help!" Selvina screamed. Her toes were getting numb and cold from the flames lightly tickling them, threatening to engulf them. The rest of her body sweated profusely and burned as if already conflagrated. Her skin was tight and it squeezed her flesh in its unforgiving embrace. Selvina's face felt ready to melt off her skull. There was nothing she could do but scream. And scream she did. "HELP!"

Below her, Captain Hook and Sinbad battled the guards with ferocity and brutality but never killed any of them. Several guards lay unconscious or severely injured but none were dead. Selvina's eyes met Hook's and she saw uncertainty in them. It terrified her to know that Captain Hook did not believe he would reach her in time. If he couldn't reach her then who could? Sinbad was also nearby but was surrounded by six guards and, though he was defending well against them, there was no way for him to save Selvina. She glanced to her right, where a huge fire consumed what little was left of Cindy's post. Tears may have escaped Selvina's eyes but the heat around her evaporated them within fractions of a second.

Selvina felt the weight of guilt dragging her down toward the flames. She fought to stay upright but it was arduous and painful. Cindy hadn't lived the greatest of lives but had she been left alone her heart would still beat. Now, again, because of Selvina's intervention she had met an untimely end. Why was this happening to her? Why did everyone she tried to help die? Her knees buckled and she dipped lower for a moment. Her mind, full of questions and black clouds of guilt, cleared quickly as fire began to grab on to her clothes. Horror consumed Selvina's entire being and threw her in a panic. Thrashing and twisting her body about, she screamed as loudly as her lungs allowed. She couldn't die like this! She wouldn't!

A great roar drowned out her screaming and Selvina glanced toward it to see Beast throwing aside every soldier that charged him. Artemian was limping away in the direction of a horse while Beast stood up against dozens of soldiers, claws tearing, fists pounding, teeth ripping, and muscles bulging. Artemian's arrow still protruded from his chest but it appeared to have no effect on him.

Little hairs on Selvina's legs singed off. It was over now. She had spent all her energy in the struggle to free herself and could do nothing else. Captain Hook and Sinbad were still preoccupied, there was no sign of Jack, and all other Jolly Roger crewmembers were battling soldiers and guards of their own. There was no one left to save her.

Seconds before she was about to give into the flames, finally accepting her punishment for ruining so many lives, her bonds broke. They weren't eaten by the flames but instead snapped apart. Selvina swung her arms forward but before she could look back or leap to safety she felt a strong arm grab her waist and carry her away from the battle. Soldiers, guards, and townsfolk ran amok like stampeding cattle and she let her unknown savior take her away from it all. Three fires roared where there had once been three wooden posts with three women attached to each one. The fires had only consumed one of them and it was that one that flared the brightest.

It has more to feed on, Selvina thought darkly. Her view was soon blocked by a building's wall as she was taken into a dimly-lit alley. Her savior dropped her on the ground and took a few steps back. She glanced up at it and saw a hunched form hidden within a dark cloak. She recognized who it was immediately.