Noir Et Blanc Knight (Tale of Plague: innocence)/(DISCONTINUED)

The Strangers

Recap: Amicia, Sylvia and their younger brother Hugo, lost their entire family during an attack by the Inquisition. Both girls barely know Hugo, who grew up cut off from the world because of a mysterious illness. They must now take him to see Laurentius, the doctor treating him since a young age...

Sylvia's P.O.V

Darkness, cold and the quiet chorus of birds singing....

Not what I expected when I jumped into the river and blacked out from the impact with the cold liquid. Even now i can feel it soaking into my clothes.

Opening my eyes, I look up  to see half of my body in the bank of the river and my upper body softly grasping onto the damp earth. Next to me, Hugo, who looks damp, starts getting up from the ground, his shoes struggling through the water's confinement as I pull back onto my knees before standing up, eyes catching Amicia's red over-shirt as she staggered up, being the only one out of the three of us to land on the ground.''The village must be further on. Someone there must be able to help us find Laurentius'' She gasped as I walked up next to her, watching as Amicia breathe heavily as she leaned against a tree in front of us.

''Hugo?....Hugo?!'' She called out, looking straight past me from the tree. Despite getting up from the ground, Hugo knelt, his arms encasing him with his head down, only lifting his head as Amicia pushed herself of the tree and walked towards him.''Mummy won't be happy....When she finds out I fell in the water'' Hugo said innocently. A small grave look fell over Amicia's face as she turned away from Hugo, silently watching the auburn leaves rustle to the ominous wind.

''Well.... Let's not mention it when we see her alright? Come on, first we have to get dry'' Amicia persuaded him, gently grabbing his small hand and pulling him next to her as she started to walk past me.''Amicia, wait up!'' I called out to them as i ran towards the two, falling behind them.

''Amicia... Why did they want to capture us?'' Hugo asked as we walked alongside the river.''I don't know... I don't want to think about it right now'' Amicia said grimly as we tread upon the fallen leaves and crusty pale grass.''We'll ask Laurentius to take us to see mummy and daddy'' Hugo said as we fastened our pace.''Yes.. of course'' Amica agreed hesitantly as the river path opened to a small area desolated with empty stalls and fabric laced with dirt and grime.''Where is everyone?'' I asked myself as we went around the empty area, leading ourselves to a entrance made of stone leading to cluster of houses and more empty stalls.'

'The river must have launched us near a village when we were swept away'' I thought as I looked through each stall before coming upon a box apples.''Ooh, apples'' Hugo gasped as he ran next to me.''Hugo, not now!'' Amicia scolded him.''But--'' ''don't touch them! They're all rotten'' Amicia warned him.''But i'm hungry'' Hugo whimpered.''How can you think of food right now'' Amicia snapped, grabbing Hugo's hand, diverting him from being at the stall any longer, leading us through the village entrance.

''Smoke....There must be a lot of people'' Amicia said as grey burning fog floated around us as we traveled deeper inwards. It was only when we turned the corner that Amicia and I spotted a woman peeking out from one of the marked houses.''Excuse me! Please wait! Madame!'' I called out, only for the woman's face to turn ghost white before quickly closing the door.''What's the matter with them?!'' Amicia asked me with fright.''They looked scared....'' Hugo trailed off as doors slammed shut as we went deeper into the village.''I don't believe it!''.''They're hiding'' both Amicia and Hugo said.''Anyone there!?'' I called out.

''There's nothing for you here! Clear off!'' A faint male voice called out from one of the houses surrounding us.''What has got into you all!'' I shouted out as Hugo buried himself into Amicia's side.''I don't like this place'' he whimpered as we quickly hurried into another area and away from the homes of angry villagers.

''Oh look. Someone 's drawn something on the door'' Hugo pointed out, letting go of Amicia's hand and running towards a door, a white 'x' painted over.''Come back here! That means there are sick people in these houses! Don't touch anything!'' Amicia shouted as i walked towards Hugo and grasped his hand.''Just stay close to us Hugo, avoid the houses that have that white symbol on them, okay?'' I asked him.''Oh, they're ......not allowed.... to go outside?'' Hugo asked me as I steered him away from the door.''It's more serious than that! it means we could catch their illness, stop running around!'' Amicia told him.''Alright, sorry'' Hugo apologized softly. 

Passing through the infected houses and hearing only the caws of ravens as they flew above us, I spotted a tree, apples stuck to its oak, bendy branches.''Sylvia, we don't have time!'' Amicia said as she noticed me walking towards the tree.''Hugo's hungry and hasn't had food and so am I'' I said, walking until I was under the first branches.''Amicia..Do the apples belong to everyone?'' I hear Hugo ask while cutting down three apples from the branch.

''With things as they are at the moment...I suppose so'' Amicia gave in as I rubbed the apples on my sleeves before giving two of the apples to both Amicia and Hugo, saving the last for myself. ''Oh! Thank you!'' Hugo gleefully said, quickly biting into the juicy red fruit. I bit into mine and dug out chunks of the juicy morsel into my mouth, savoring the sweet and refreshing taste.

After finishing our apples, Amicia took Hugo's hand once again as we continued our walk.''The village is contaminated. That's why everyone's hiding'' Amicia mused as more doors appeared with the same white symbol around us. A faint smell entered my nose, a small cloud of smoke floating into the air along with the cries of people.''I can smell something cooking! Is it a fair?'' Hugo said as the cries became louder.''It doesn't sound like a fair...'' I mused, quickly putting myself i front of the duo.''We must be careful, it , might be the soldiers from the house!'' I warned them as we approached the corner. The smell of something ghastly flooding my sense of smell and the cries turning higher as we turned.

Cries of anger and madness jumped around the square as villagers chucked flint and wood at the standing in the middle, flames eating up anything that it touched leaving only a few remains behind.

Attached to the wood standing upwards, charred bodies of both men and women were tied with ivory chains, flesh burnt to black as their face showed neither fear or anger...

But the despair that was still lingering on them...