Undead Fate

Chapter Ten

THE SECRET GARDEN

I sent Medea off to her village in her horse. Lacking anything else to do, I decided to roam around the town for a little longer. As expected, the view never ceased to amaze me. Of course, the glittering eyes of the people as I pass by never ceased to bother me either.

Eventually, the great temples and shrines were replaced by smaller structures. There were also several stands and kiosks that vend various merchandises arranged in an array. On the center was a grand fountain of white glimmering stones and clear water. Surrounding it were commoners doing their own business. I looked around the area that was bustling with commerce and activities. Then I realized I somehow arrived in the town market.

Maybe I should buy souvenirs, I thought to myself. But I knew it was a silly thought. I didn't even know if I could take anything home with me apart from the things I had brought here from my world. But who was I kidding? I didn't even know when I could go home, or if I could for that matter.

I mentally slapped myself as I shook my head away with my negative thoughts. I reprimanded myself not to think pessimistically. It would do nothing else but drag my mood down.

I had just walked to the nearest stall when I heard a commotion by the fountain. There were shouts of anger and distress and I found myself walking to their direction.

This is why you always get in trouble; you're too nosy for your own good! A voice in my head exclaimed.

When I was only a few meters I started hearing coherent words from the angry voices.

"Get him away from this place!"

"That boy is cursed!"

"He is a threat to the peace of our town!"

The outraged cries of the mob were all too familiar that for a second I thought I was back to the wooden post to be burned to death. I pretended that it didn't get to me, but the incensed twisted expressions of the people and their fervent desire of publicly executing me still haunted my dreams.

I had managed to act normal in front of Medea—even Prince Heracles. But in front of a maddened throng like this, my knees started to wobble and my insides started to twist. My know-it-all mind was screaming at me to get away, but my muscles were stiff and my feet were rooted in place.

A woman in front of me turned her head, probably wondering why the person behind her wasn't acting hostile enough. Her jaw dropped as she instantly recognized me.

She saw you! Run away or they'll want you burnt on a stake again!

For once, I wanted to listen to that voice. But I couldn't move, I was too scared to move. Gradually, people started to turn to my direction until I was the star of their attention.

"It's her," the people started to murmur, "the daughter of Apollo."

Then, like the parting of the Red Sea, the crowd shifted until there was a path that led to the center. There I found a ragged woman protectively wrapping a toddler in her arms. The child was sobbing uncontrollably while the mother bowed her head down with her shoulders quivering in fear.

The crowd was looking expectantly at me as if testing me. They were wondering what I would do, condemn the child or bless him? I didn't know. All I knew was that I wanted to go back to my cabin right about now.

I waited for the voice in my head to speak in its I-told-you-so tone. But it never came. I was alone in this one.

I forced myself to walk ahead. As soon as I got into the center, the gap the crowd had made earlier closed, trapping me inside. Now there was no turning back.