31-Day MCSM One Shot Challenge - July Edition 2018

Exile

Generated word of the day: Exile

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Jesse was happy. She had defeated Romeo, alongside Petra and Jack. She could return to her normal life. Things could settle down again. She could finally rest.

Jesse knew the future probably wouldn't be perfect. She was still hesitant over letting Petra go off adventuring alone, and the thought of accompanying her friend was still in consideration. Beacontown needed her as well, the citizens all probably shaken up and traumatized by Romeo's short time of leading. A lot of renovations awaited in the future.

Alas, the thing Jesse just wanted to do was rest. Calm down. Have a good time. Relax.

She hadn't had a proper night's sleep since the Admin's attack, always having been stressed out, weighed down by pressure, or even terrified. This was no easy journey, and it showed in everybody's eyes.

Only, Jesse's desperate wishes for some peace and quiet never came.

The moment they stepped foot into clear sight, they were surrounded.

Eyes were glaring, a look of hate on the faces of the surrounding Beacontowners. Even the citizens from champion city was there, after Romeo had ripped them from their city and exploded it.

And before Jesse knew it, they had descended on her like a pack of hungry wolves.

The person who tormented them, the person who locked them up, destroyed their builds and ruined their town.

In their eyes, that person was her.

Jesse tried to explain that it wasn't her, that she wasn't even in Beacontown when that happened. She desperately tried to beg them for forgiveness.
But the Beacontowners wanted her dead.

They attacked. Jesse ran.

Normally she wouldn't flee. Jesse never backed down from a fight, she never let fear get the best of her. But this time, things were different.

These weren't her enemies... these were her people.

Jesse's friends had tried to intervene, the Beacontowners not minding their presence at first – their hate was for Jesse, and only her.

However, the moment they were confirmed to be on the side of Jesse, on the side of the traitor, it was like a red target had been printed on their backs.

Jesse didn't know where to go, instinctively retreating back into the Order Hall. Out of every window she looked, she could see them waiting for her.

Petra was the only one who managed to get to Jesse, most of the Beacontowners not very eager to go up against the warrior. Yet, even that way, by the time Petra reached Jesse, her clothes were torn, her arms, legs and even her face covered in cuts and bruises.

"We need to leave." She had desperately said to Jesse, who were pacing up and down across the room, both her hands gripping strings of her chestnut hair.

"Those people out there want blood, Jesse, you're blood." Petra had insisted, raising her voice over the overwhelming hammering and banging on the doors.

"There's only one other option you really have left, other than death."

"And what's that?" Jesse had asked, turning around and facing Petra with bloodshot eyes.

The redhead had taken a deep breath, reaching over and touching Jesse's shoulder.

"You need to run."

And they did. Jesse had fought, not to kill, but to protect. She and Petra were physically chased out of Beacontown, the people behind them screaming in blood-lust. It was like war.