The Insurgency

Chapter 3

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Gasps filled the atmosphere. Delilah's eyes widened in surprise at the Seer's words. Before she could overcome this shock, however, another wave of shock rippled through her being as two royal guards just appeared out of nowhere and taking hold of Jessie's forearms started to drag her towards the dais.

"Jessie!" she heard Mrs Morkel shout for her daughter, but was held back by another guard.

Delilah clutched Timothy tighter, and with frightened eyes, searched for Mr Morkel, only finding him being restrained by another guard.

It was an utter chaos around her, young girls were being captured and dragged away by the armoured men.

"What is happening, Deli?" she heard a small voice near her ear. Moving her head, she looked down at a frenzied looking Timothy looking here and there.

"Nothing. Nothing. It's okay. I am here. Nothing will happen to you." she whispered in his hair, making him nuzzle his face in the crook of her neck.

Her eyes move towards the Seer, who was seeing this with an unemotional face. Then her eyes fell upon the shaking figure of Jessie who was being taken to the dais. Their eyes met and Jessie cried, "Help! Please help! Delilah! Mother! Father! Please! Help me!"

This proved to be Delilah's breaking point. The stupor she was in up until now shattered and without thinking much, she shouted, "Wait!"

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she rushed towards the dais, only to stopped by another soldier.

"Stop there, filth! You are not supposed to go there!" he stopped in mid-sentence and looked down at the trembling figure of Timothy, "Only pure women are allowed up there."

Delilah stood there shocked and insulted for a minute before she understood that it was Timothy clutching to her that made them believe that she was his mother.

"Calm down everyone." she finally heard the Seer speak with a cool demeanour, but no one obliged.

"Please, calm down." as he requested, the situation became more chaotic.

"Silence!" this time the Seer roared in anger, quietening the crowd. Softening his voice, he again urged, "Silence, please."

"They would not be sacrificed if that is what the chaos is about." the Seer made it clear, before continuing, "But the Gods want them to serve them, to submit to him."

This calmed the crowd, but murmurs and sobs were still audible.

Delilah looked at Jessie with a tear stricken face, her mind unable to comprehend what was exactly going on. What submission and what service.

"This night ends here. These young maiden women are now here to serve the Lord almighty above. They are chosen to do this, I can see-" he paused and touched a blonde strand of Jessie's hair. Jessie flinched away, though the Seer continued, almost dazed, "-they are for him to submit to. They now no longer belong to any father, any mother, any brother or any sister. They belong to the Gods. They will stay with the Gods."

Breaking out of his stupor, he turned towards the terrified crowd with determination written boldly across his face, "I hereby declare them as the maids of the Lord!"

Cries and sobs erupted out from the crowd as well as the trembling girls standing on the dais.

Delilah shivered in her spot. She knew exactly what it meant to be a maid of the Lord. It was something which she had heard about but never got to see it herself, until now.