The Von Chronicles: Forbidden

Chapter 20-Pyres

As what remained of our army rushed into the village, people swarmed out of their homes and stood in awe. Some stood just inside their doorways, while others stepped towards us carefully. I held Amphillis' body tightly in my arms as I walked forwards to the village center. I could see my mother running to meet me as I walked. She stopped in her tracks as she stared at who I carried. My mother stood very still as I went up to her. She reached out her arms and I placed Amphillis' body into her grasp. She collapsed onto the ground as soon as her grip on Amphillis was firm and wailed loudly as she pulled the girl's body into her own. My mother called out Amphillis' name three times before her voice broke into harsh sobs. Just then, my father appeared through thin air. He slowly went behind my mother, but he made no move to touch her, no move to console her. He only looked at my mother, whose cries for Amphillis' grew louder and louder as each minute passed. As my father looked upon my mother, my eyes stared daggers at him.

"There are more in the field," My voice came out darkly as I stared at my father, "all dead."

"How can you be sure?" Woodrow's voice shook.

"The wounded are before you. We brought them with us. All others are dead, and those who weren't dead when we left are surely dead now." I grimly spoke as I glared at him.

"You lie! Von's do not die so simply." He exclaimed abruptly.

My rage and frustration boiled over as I grabbed Woodrow and thrust him to his knees, "Look!" I dared him. "You see that?" I yelled as I gestured to my mother cradling Amphillis, "If all was as you said, that girl would be alive! You have no idea how many people died on that battlefield with the idea that they would heal and live and be happy!"

"B-but, they should have healed..."Woodrow croaked.

"Well they didn't heal! I argued, "They laid on that field and bled out and succumbed to wounds which could have been mended."

"We-We thought..." he began.

"You thought wrong!" I shouted in his ear, "Even the gifts which have been blessed upon us by the Great Gods have limits!"

"Please," Woodrow begged, "I'm sorry, we were wrong. Just-Just don't kill me, I have a family."

"Why the hell would I kill you?" I questioned him as I pulled him to his feet and looked into his eyes, "You have to live with the very fact that you, YOU sent so many women and children to die without any hope of rescue," I bellowed before shoving him to the ground.

Woodrow appeared too afraid to move from his position on the ground as he stared up to me with wet eyes. His wife, Anya-Anne, ran to his side and pulled him up with all of her strength as the man seemed frozen in fear. My eyes peered to some of the people who were standing in their doorways or those who stood some meters from the soldiers. Their faces were filled with a mixture of shock and fear at the words I had said and the actions they had witnessed. My eyes shot towards my father, and it filled me with a new anger to see no remorse in his eyes; not even a feeling he had done wrong. I turned around slightly and saw Elscenon's begin to file into the village.

"Cristiana!" I shouted, grabbing her attention, "take some of those Elcseonon's and gather the dead. Use a wagon if you can." I ordered.

Cristiana looked at me for a moment and began to open her mouth in protest. I shot her a look and waved my hand at her, causing her to close her mouth and hurry away. She went to a line of soldiers and took three of them with her as they disappeared beyond the gates of the village. My mother's cries persisted throughout the village as she still clutched onto Amphillis' body. My father made no move to part her from the girl's small body, so I decided to try. I lowered myself onto my knees as I spoke to my mother.