Calvary

Chapter 4: A Damaged Village & A Hidden Party

It was just an average day in the village. Kids are begging on the road for food. Fights are breaking out and so on. The Mon village has never been a peaceful place. We are always in debt to the Pangs and we were forced onto the land that has terrible soil for farming. It's hard for anyone to get their hands on food. I always try to stay positive but when you see fellow villagers being beaten and starved everyday you start to lose hope. I continue down the path looking on the right of me a little run down tavern. When I begin to pass it I hear loud yells coming from inside.
"What do you mean I can't come back?! I paid for the drinks!", a loud masculine voice yells from inside.
Loud stomps begin to come toward the entrance. Panicked I quickly turned into a fox and scurried down the path as fast as I could. After what seems like forever I arrive in front of Matried's tent. I take a deep breath before going in; sometimes you just don't know what you are getting yourself into when talking to her. I swing open the flap of the tent to see Matried analyzing a map covered with darts on certain places. She looks at me with dead stare,"What do you want?".
I nervously gulp,"T-there is a trading market tonight, y-you know we um could get a f-few drinks and trade...stuff".
"You want to go to the hidden party tonight don't you?", she groaned.
"Maybe...", I tried to cover up.
"Mia for the love of stars I don't want to come."
"Come on you have been in this tent for days now; you need to live a little.", I whined.
"I am trying to do something worthy of my time, not to spend it at some drunken gathering!", she snapped.
"Cmon it will be fun, maybe you can find some mons who are interested in trading", I try to sound convincing.
"Fine, but only because I have finished my work for today.", she moaned.
I smile and dash toward her chest and start digging through it.
"What do you think you are doing?", she growled folding her arms.
"You have been wearing that same outfit for days now, try something else for once.", I said continuing to dig through her chest of stolen jackets and boots.
"I think I look fine, thank you," she replied folding up her map.
"Just try it", I said holding up a white blouse and long black skirt.
"I got that from a ship wreck, it just landed on the shore.", she tried to change the subject.
"Is that a yes", I interrupted.
"You speak like a child; fine.", she gave in.
~*POV Change: Matried*~
It was a few hours and Mia was still getting ready.
"Mia if you actually wanna go to this event you better hurry—", I couldn't even finish my sentence before she bursted of the tent.
"Ready!" She cheered flaunting her outfit.
She over did it; wearing a navy blue cotton dress with a white ribbon tied tightly around her waist.
"You look nice", I complemented as she fiddled with her flower covered braid.
"Thanks, hurry up we gotta go!", she yelled in excitement yanking my arm leading me into the forest. Before we knew it we were arriving at a little clearing in the forest decorated with with strings of candles and colorful flowers. A band of run down guitars and fiddles play an upbeat tune being drowned out by drunken mons dancing and singing. Mia runs to join the crowd and leaving me sitting next to the entrance. I sit down on a log and listen to the faint music. Mia is drinking and dancing along with a group of nymphs and a group of large centaurs are drinking heavily in the opposite corner. I sit alone bored and annoyed from the loud yelling until I feel a strong tap on my shoulder. I look behind me to see a familiar face.
"Enjoying the party?", Angelina jokes playfully nudging my arm.
"Shouldn't you be serving the Pangs party?", I joke back.
Angelina is a fairy, she has been working undercover as a maid for the Pangean royal family.
"I don't have to spend all of my time as a spy for you", she laughs plopping down next to me.
"Ha ha what a jokester you are", I roll my eyes.
"Anyways I have to tell you something quickly", she says with a tense look in her eyes.
"I'm listening..", I worry.
"So in the castle I overheard a conversation__", she didn't get to finish due to a loud bang interrupted her and the rest of the party goers. A large group of men in white and gold uniforms holding fire arms rush in. It's  the Pangean soldiers. The whole party is frozen in fear. Just as it looks like one of them is about to yell Angelina grabs my hand and darts into the sky. She shows no thought almost as if it was in her instincts. When we are above the trees I begin to hear gunshots and screams; I need to go back.
"What was that!", I yell struggling to get out of her firm grasp.
She doesn't respond back keeping her blank glance on the starry night sky. I look down at clearing. The nymphs are climbing trees some covering their wounds with leaves. Centaurs are dashing through the forest causing the branches of the trees to shake. Some of the fairies are following Angelina; one holding a petite young girl clearly wounded and in pain.
I hear loud screams and cries echoing around the forest. I see birds flapping their wings as hard as they can which are I can only hope to be shapeshifters. I look at the birds with panic hoping one of them might be Mia. These are the beings I try to protect and provide for. I am disgusted and ashamed to be one of the cruelest and blood thirsty beings alive; a Pangean.