Chapter 3- Taste of torture

The dimple on the chin,

the devil within.

~Pope Paul VI

***

Earlier, Medusa watched the scene display before her eyes. It was to no difference how they treated her when she tried to warn them. Humans are always evil, their heart is always dirty, and their minds remains unpure. Everything about them are wicked.

'You can't protect them,' Her inner soul spoke, reminding Medusa of her agonizing past, that was torturous than this. 'This is who they are, and how they will always remain. Watching me burn to death, the flames slowly turning my body to ashes that gets blown away by the breeze...' She said. 'Such a past that cannot be forgotten. A punishment to be bestowed upon offenders.'

Medusa's eyes remained fixed at the soldier and the girl. The only thought running through her mind was to kill. A certain feeling of anger that clouds her rationality, causing her react viciously.

'What is happening to me?' Medusa questioned her inner soul, as the feeling washed her body like water being splashed on a dry surface. A type of single incident that brings out an unintended consequence.

'What you feel works on how your body reacts. It's like a process,' Her inner soul explained, and Medusa's eyes color began to switch in quick motion that could not be noticeable.

'Every action has its consequence. They must pay for what they did, and i cannot it. What is left of me is my soul,' Her inner soul continued. 'Fight for us. They shall reap what they sow,' Pain and torture was human's advancement in return.

It was at that time Medusa's eyes changed from blue to black. She had allowed her inner soul take control of her body. It wasn't because of her words, but because she couldn't stop things when it begins. She couldn't control that strong urge to cause death. And her inner soul has much rationality when it comes to that control. Not that she doesn't long humans to suffer, it's the fact that this mission she is about to embark, needs low-key and less attention. Keeping her inner soul to take half control over her body, gives her enough time to tame the strong urge she's feeling. But she is about find out otherwise.

Now her eyes morphed to that of her inner soul, a restrained rage that was left loose, claimed, and it was then she made those words; 'I'm thirsty,'

Previously, as those words rang into Devin's ears, those words that sounded challenging, he slowly faced back.

Confused and curious, he asked, "What was that?" He frantically looked around, before his eyes returned to the captives on their feet, as they prepared to journey further.

"What was what?" Ariel returned rhetorically, as he fixed on his helmet, and adjusts his armor, but still laughs after he recalls the scene that just happened.

"Someone just spoke. I heard a voice," Devin responded with a twisted face. That only made the soldiers burst to laughter.

"We all spoke on our various times, Devin. We need not remind you Ariel just spoke,' Responded the youngest among the four soldiers, in a clear obvious tone.

"Don't mind Devin," Ariel responded in laughter. "Maybe he urinated his senses out too," A burst of laughter followed after Ariel's words, that even the captives fritted at their deep outburst. The fear hasn't left their body, and sure won't soon.

"Just get to your horse and let's keep moving. We should cross the boader by now," It was Xavier, known as the family man, who spoke next, and his laughter deduced.

Devin's ignored their comments and faced the slaves, "Which one of you said you were thirsty?" He demanded, his voice sending shivers down the captives spine.

They remained silent, lowering their head to the ground to avoid any eye-contact with this soldier.

"We heard nothing, Devin. Did any of you?" Ariel asked, and the rest shook their head. Xavier just laughed, shaking his head in response, before saying,

"I didn't. Except the sound of horses neighing, the leaves rustling, the birds chirping, the captives-"

"Not that kind of sound," Devin cut off with a frown. "It was a voice. And the voice was directed from here, right where the captives are,"

The soldiers scoffed at their fellow ridiculous revelation. It was because, the whole time, none heard a different voice apart from theirs. And even if one of captives spoke, it was only the girl who was urinated on, that at least talked at first and remained silent at the end.

In disbelief, "Now what? One of them got freed and voiced out to you within a blink of an eye?"

Devin ignored him, "Which one of you said you were thirsty?" He questioned again, and the slaves shook thier heads, questioning each other from behind or at front.

It was only the sound of their murmurs that spiked his frustration. "Silence!" The sound was so commanding, that they froze and kept mute instantly. Fury radiating his voice and his temper getting more intense. "If no one speaks, i will kill each one of you cold-bloodedly that not even a single strand of your hair would be left,"

His warning rang warning bell in their mind, as fear was much visible in the eyes of he captives.

"Enough of this, Devin. Our payment would be shortened if one of this captives gets missing," Simon, the fourth soldier, reprimanded, and the edge of Devin's irritation returned.

Approaching the captives and directly at the front of the girl with enticing silver blonde hair, he paused to have a better view of her. Something quipped him to the girl at his front. He felt something amiss and quite strange, especially when she kept staring at him, braver than the rest of them who couldn't dare look at him directly in the eyes.

It was as though the girl lured him to take the steps to her direction. "What is you name?" He asked, and Medusa who looked him in the eyes before, lowered her head to he ground. In Devin's eyes, she was scared to wits at his presence, but little did he know that something far dangerous than fear awaits him.

With a grimace, he snapped, "What is your name?" and she didn't respond. "Are you deaf or rather dumb? Don't you value your tongue?" Still, Medusa didn't spill out a single word. His lips curled in disdain. He did not hide the disgust as he faced her.

"Don't waste your time, Devin," Xavier prompted with a sigh. "She's one of the traded outcasts whose father begged for money in exchange of the girl," Then he laughed shortly. "She cannot speak," He said. "Just hop to your horse and let's go before sunset meets us here,"

Devin clicked his tongue at the revelation. He stared at the girl, and all of a sudden, he gripped her by her hair, such that her chin faced the hard look he gave her.

"Such beauty," He complimented, as he observed her features. "Pity this gift will be of waste before death knocks directly at your door," he said in false pity and continued, "I will favour you by just having a taste of this tempting body of yours," as his eyes trailed her lips down to her chest with a lustful gaze.

"Not now, Devin..." Sebastian, the youngest soldier said. "There's a long journey ahead of us. You have the whole time to become a pervert and will have enough money to sponsor more than one mere captive as your tool for a night, but now is not that time," He cautioned seriously, but the others laughed at his words. This boy's mouth was as sharper than a spear that could lead him taking huge steps into a quicksand.

"True," Simon laughed. "We need to cross the boarder before dawn, as you know the creatures of the night."

Devin, being ignorant, smirked and reached to touch her lips, but then, the inevitable happened.

The arm that was about to touch her suddenly caught on flames. It was burning as if someone set it on fire, but Medusa was still standing in the same position she stood, her black eyes reflected the light flames that burnt the soldier's arm.

His scream filled the forest as he scrambled back. Gasps in shock and pure horror resounded with the scream, as the guards were shocked to the core and froze. They never saw this coming, and never expected it either. Though not all knew who she was, but few had the same question running through their minds; What kind of witch was this?!

High blaze of flame reached to his upper arm and he screamed, regaining the attention of the others at trance state, as the soldiers all dismouted their horses, rushing to assist their fellow with the use of water to quench the fire.

But it was already too late. As the result of the menacing flame burnt his right arm. Even the armour he put on, was so hot that wasn't able to protect his arm from severe burn.

His eyes darkened, his body running in sheer anger as he glared at Medusa with looks enough to frighten and kill anyone this instant. But not her. It was the reverse way.

He growled, "You witch!" and attempted to pounce on Medusa, but Ariel was much faster than him and was able to predict what he was about to do, blocked his way.

"Enough of this, Devin. We can deal with this another time!" Ariel said, but that increased Devin's temper.

"That witch must die! I will kill her!" Devin persisted in rage, and Ariel were forced to push him backwards.

"What do you call this, Devin? If she can burn you, why can't she kill you?!" Ariel yelled back and Devin bustled to where he stood, as his left hand supported his injured right arm. His eyes stared hard at Ariel as if to challenge him.

"Out of my way," Devin stressed out slowly, a warning in whisper.

"And if i don't?" Ariel challenged back and Devin's eyes grew darker as he stepped much closer that left no distance between them, the tension becoming much stronger.

"Stop this madness, both of you!" Xavier demanded, and stomped to where they stood. Once he appeared at their middle, he separated them. "To your horses, now!" He commanded, not caring whether he had the lowest rank amongst them. Devin glared at Ariel with warning crystal clear in his eyes, and then settled on Medusa.