Chat Noir X Reader: The Muse

Chapter 19: Village on the Hill

At first there was just darkness. The same void you remembered so well from your own nightmare. You walked with caution, afraid of the horrors that could appear your way.

You wandered without direction until a manor appeared in the horizon on top of a hill, and grass covered the ground. The dark gave way to a sky tainted in orange with dark pink clouds. The new source of light reflected on Chat's baton in your hand, catching your attention, but when you looked at the weapon, it wasn't a baton anymore. You were holding a long sword.

Your eyes widened as you looked at it closely, noticing a green jewel on the adorned hilt. And tied around your hips was a scabbard for the sword. You touched it in awe, as you couldn't be any more confused.

The sound of something collapsing made you look up to the hill. Could it be Chat?

You made haste to the manor as fast as you could with your hurting feet, but as you approached, you realized it wasn't a simple manor. It was made of stone, and it seemed to be straight from the Middle Ages. Some rocks fell from the side, making a loud noise. You got closer and saw some walls had collapsed, letting you see the damage. Half of the house was burned, the stones black as coal and still emitting the heat from the fire. All the objects inside were destroyed.

Making sure Chat wasn't in there, you went forward, following a path. At the side of the burned down manor was a cemetery full of vines. The sight of it made a chill go down your spine. You made the mistake of looking at the first tombstone and saw your name carved in the stone. Next to the name was written in rough letters, 'another victim of the beast'.

Gulping down the bad feeling that wanted to take control of you, you kept going, walking faster. You didn't know how much time you had until midnight.

Houses began to appear. They were simpler than the manor, and soon you found yourself in a medieval village. The silence was perturbing. There was not a single soul on the streets. As you walked you wondered what did this have to do with Chat's nightmares. Why were they set in the Middle Ages?

You heard exalted voices close by, and cautiously followed them until you were in a square that seemed to be the center of the village. An angry mob of about thirty people was around a wooden platform, screaming insults in a strange English accent.

Chat was in the middle, tied to a pole. Around his feet were many logs of wood, piled up like a bonfire. He had his head down, and some of his golden locks were stained with blood. You tightened your hold on the sword. What had they done to him?

You noticed he was wearing medieval clothes, black leather with green details, but the mask and the cat ears were almost the same. His jerkin and pants were torn in many places. Worry began to settle in your heart, but his chest heaved and you breathed in relief. He was still alive.

The people around the platform stopped screaming all at the same time, making it possible for you to distinguish what they were saying, but you didn't like it any bit.

"Burn the witch!" A woman shouted as she carried a child in her arms.

A man dressed in fine clothes joined his voice with hers. "Murderer!"

"Let's kill the beast once and for all!" A tall man raised a torch and the crowd cheered. Your eyes widened in horror when you realized what they were about to do.

They were going to burn Chat alive. You had to do something, and quick.

Looking around frantically, you saw a tavern had small beer barrels on display by your right. After sheathing the sword, you ran, ignoring the discomfort in your feet. You grabbed two open barrels full of liquid and went in the tall man's direction. Gathering your force, you threw one barrel at him, drenching him and the torch, which went out.