Chapter 5: Crime and Punishment (2)

"No, Head Priest," Volfram interrupted and pushed the priest away. "Your education wasn't lacking, especially not for him! There's only one explanation for taking away the god's eyes! He is trying to be a Devil worshipper!!"

Another set of gasps and screams rang out at Volfram's words. The colossal general grabbed Claude by his collar and lifted him.

"You bastard! For all the trust! Our gods give you a second life and you do this!?"

"I-I truly didn't—Ahk!"

Claude slammed against the ground as Volfram's fist landed on his jaws. He slid back from the impact and rolled on the ground before falling limp. Blood trickled down from his ruptured lip and streaked over his immediately swollen cheeks.

Claude coughed and tried to push himself up. He took the support of the ground, but his hands were kicked away, and fell back down.

"Devon!" Erika screamed.

The Bruno child with tanned skin, Devon, shook his head from side to side. "How much more are you going shame us? In front of our benefactors, Claude?"

Claude looked at his classmate with eyes dyed the color of disbelief.

"Just stay down."

Strength seemed to leave Claude with his every breath as he sunk back down, unable to believe what was happening.

At that moment, the Head Priest spoke out again.

"Claude Almstedt, and his pawn!" the Head-Priest then swung his hand again as his finger landed on the one person looking away from the entire scene. "YOU! Elric—No, Mr. Elric Wald!"

The order of respect was flawed.

Elric's head creaked as he turned to face the Head Priest. "I-I D-O-N-T K-N-O-W W-H—"

"You liar! Playing ignorant?! Even after two of the sisters saw you standing suspiciously outside the statue room!?"

Elric's jaw dropped to the ground. His ninja! It had failed! He couldn't hide his presence!

The students again stepped back and looked at Elric. Some in confusion and others in disbelief… and confusion. Devon grabbed Elric's hands and pinned him to the ground, next to Claude.

Elric sighed and decided to accept his fate.

He knew about the broken statue.

He saw it all transpire. It was all the fault of one derpy dog that Elric had to sneak away and ended up breaking the statue. He was kind, though, he didn't want the dog to suffer, so he took it upon himself to hide the statue, one part in the room right next to the statue room, and another in a carriage he thought would be going out of the temple.

Elric didn't know how Claude's hair got on it, though. He had dropped the statue once more in the training grounds, and had taken the remaining small bits of dust and spread them in a random room among where his classmates were given board. The locked rooms had been used in other places, so it was easy sneaking around.

He may be condemned here. But the dog that barked and ultimately caused the breaking of the statue, at least the dog was safe. Elric could rest in peace knowing that.

The head priest clicked his tongue and looked at the two with enraged eyes. "Heretics," he muttered, his voice cracking. "What you've done is heresy. Destroying the god stone statue…"

He stopped to take in a deep breath, and then another.

"But you reincarnators were brought here by the gods. A punishment of lifelong torture… we can't give you that. So disappear. Disappear from our sights and never show yourselves again."

Everyone in the courtyard nodded at the priest's words, some templars spat at the two, and others cursed, complaining about the punishment. The other students of class 2-1 could only gulp and watch.

Claude was about to speak out, but a foot slammed on the back of his head and pushed his face to the ground. "Just accept your punishment, traitor," Devon said. "Don't make things any more difficult for us."

"Head Priest," General Volfram stepped forward and said. His voice carried a tone of respect and understanding toward the priest that was nowhere to be seen two weeks back, or even two days back. "Let us, the knights from the Empire take care of these rats,"

"General, they are still children of the gods. How can we kill them?"

"Don't worry," the General shook his head. "I'll make sure they repent."

***

The clip-clops of horseshoes merged with the rattle of the wooden wheels as the hinges of a black carriage squeaked over the scruffy forest path. The bulging roots and the haphazard rocks came under the wheels over and over as the horse-drawn carriage passed through a sea of trees.

Black reins tied to the bit whipped the horses to a sudden stop and their neighing filled the silent forest.

With a thud, the gate of the carriage snapped open.

"Huut!"

Two more thuds rang out and a small cloud of dust rose in the air. Two children tied up with rope were thrown out of the carriage and sent flying face-first on the forest grounds.

An auburn-headed androgynous beauty, and a handsome red-haired child, both wriggled around in a futile attempt to break free from their ties.

"We will kill you if you show us your faces again, though, you'll never get out of the Mystic forest, fucking heretics." With those words, the doors of the carriage shut again. "Let's go! Hiya!"

"W-wait! Wait! You can't leave us in a forest like this! Wait!" The red-haired boy screamed at the fading carriage. "At least free us! What if something attacks!!"

"Yeah!" the other child chimed in. "At least give us a bed!!"