Daughters Of Hera

Chapter 17-Goner

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The wind swooshed and breezed past her, as she went. Leaves stuck on branches, held by simple green stalks, slapped on her face rudely, but their strength didn't match the will of the archer who was determined to save her loved one.

The black soot still spread out in the evening sky, raining and falling in no sequence at all. Small flying bugs tempered and buzzed, some splattering on her face, as she signaled them away with her hands deliberately, her feet was swift, her eyes gazed ahead.

Soon the village was a glimpse away, but contrary to her thoughts something quaint, or not so rather crazy was what she saw.

The village wasn't on fire, not by the looks of it, no fiery flames enveloped any of the huts, although the village was empty except for one villager she enquired from.

A lanky awkward teenager, who wore a cascading gray gown; with a flowery inscription on it's breast area, which looked like it had seen better days, even as she glides with it like royalty.

Her face was young and not at all interesting, but she she eased herself with an atmosphere of authority to no one in particular.

The teenager pointed out that it was time for the annual sacrifice, which was held to appease the goddesses. She said surely everyone was gathered near the village's boundary. No, not where the mass grave was dug, but a santuary near to it anyway, then she gestured towards where she described.

Feeling a deep sense of relief for the trouble that she imagined, which was averted by truth.

Chilton skipped to the sanctuary grounds, where she thought, a sacrifice of a domestic animal would be burnt to the goddesses, although it was not what she'd envision, as a solution for an endangerment from undead attackers, the people absolutely loved their customs, and she wasn't going to judge, just like her elder sister always advised her not to.

On getting there, a gathering came into view, the villagers were standing in a full un-neat circle, drum beats where heard basking in the background.

Some danced to it's barbaric rhythm, while others looked on to the bed of fire they encircled, that roared flames on a large bundle of sticks, tall enough to the height of an average human.

There was screaming of excitement, at first that was what she thought they were.

Suddenly, after listening closely, the screaming transformed to wailing, Chilton saw some figures struggling to break free, on the wooden bundle, where the fire roared on, there was a bunch of hot coal underneath them, sparks popped and snapped then disappeared.

Chilton went nearer to inspect, the figures weren't domestic animals one bit, but human beings bondaged on the bundle of fire, struggling and burning noisily.

It was frightening to look at, their fleshes were charred and crisped, while some melted into the fire that enveloped their bodies, smoke and soot danced above them.

Chilton's breathing became shallow, she couldn't pump out air from her lungs effortlessly anymore, a stifling fright rummaged through her body, that she was almost crippled by it.

The figures or rather humans burning in the fiery bundle of sticks, wailed and grimaced in pain, some of their faces was melted off, some had died already and didn't make any movement. 

They were all boys, that did Chilton notice as she screamed in irritation, bringing the attention of everyone present.

She didn't just scream in fear, but in recognition too, she knew one of the face that dissolved in the blue and red flames.