The Bishop

"Bishop Alruca! With all due respect, you should refrain from that sort of dark joke, sir!" Yelled the guard on the bishop's left side.

"Eeehh...." The bishop frowned in disappointment like a child.

The guards seemed to be familiar with the antics of the bishop. They were seen to be putting their hand on their face as a sign of disenchantment. One of the village kids made eye contact with one of the guards, and he only replied with a smile and head shake.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood!" The old Alruca defended his joke.

"Do you think the mood is getting lighter here?!" The bearded middle-aged guard pointed his hand towards the villager.

In front of the bishop were some scenery of parents who were seen to be hugging their children, scared they were, while some fell and sat on the ground out of dismay. The bishop realised his wrongdoing and apologised.

"I'm sorry everyone!" The bishop bowed.

The villagers were still confused. They were glancing at each other. But, seeing the high-ranking officials bowing to commoners, somewhat relieved their worry a little bit.

"Bwuahahaha! Funny joke old man!" Melissa laughed out loud.

All the attention was then directed toward the cheerful Melissa. Thanks to her, the overall mood lightened a little bit.

The villagers started to get up and gathered again after attempting to flee from the square. Some of the guards can be seen to be holding their laughter from Melissa's antics. The people have regained their composure.

The bishop took a long deep breath and calmed down after causing a kerfuffle.

"Shall we begin the ceremony?" The bishop said calmly.

"All of you who wished to be appraised, line up on the left side of the bishop and wait until we call you to step forward and approach the bishop!" Announced the guard who warned bishop Alurca earlier.

The villagers gathered and formed a line obediently. One of the guards stood at the beginning of the line.

The appraisal ceremony is a ceremony where one can find out about their potential in magical ability. The bishops, blessed by holy magic, are believed to be the only ones who can conduct appraisal magic.

Adults and children alike were waiting in anticipation. One by one, they were called. Once the guard shouted "Next!", the creaking sound of the wooden stage then followed as a consequence of the villagers' steps and excitement.

They then compliantly kneeled in front of the bishop when they were called to the stand. Then the bishop shall put his hand forward and chant the magic scripture.

"O.. God who gives blessing to this child, what kind of gifts have you bestowed upon this mortal!"

A circle of glowing foreign runes suddenly appear. The bishop then told what he saw to the villager.

"Son, you are blessed with red magic. Fire, lighting, and whatever things that create heat, by the blessing of the God, you shall be authorized to wield them," He said elegantly.

"Wow!" Olaf's eyes twinkled.

"What do you want to be when you grow up, son?" The bishop wondered.

"I want to succeed in my father's blacksmith workshop." Replied the youngster who managed to get ahead of his younger brother and friends.

"Well that's wonderful isn't it!" The bishop replied with a warm and gentle smile.

One by one, the villagers were summoned to kneel and appraised.

"Next!" Shouted the guard.

Most of their face was adorned with a smile after they step down from the wooden stage, while some left with a bit of dissatisfaction.

"Aren't you excited Merlin?!" Melissa looked behind her. Her eyes were glistening like a starry night, unable to conceal her anticipation.

"Y..ye..yeah..." Merlin replied with a level of nervousness and doubt.

Though the bishop and the guards behaved nicely, the overall atmosphere still does not sit well with the instinct of the countryside farmboy.

As Merlin was pondering about his future career, he kept moving forward, and forward, and forward. Drowning in his cognizance, the guard's shouts kept getting louder and louder.

"Next!" The guard yelled so loud that it broke Merlin's absentmindedness.

Without his realisation, he was already at the front of the line. Melissa, who was in front of him, now kneeled in front of the bishop.

As per usual, the bishop summoned his magic and appraised the person in front of him.

"You, daughter of God, are blessed with white magic. Healing, wellness, vigour, shall you chant that unto others, you may receive the favour of the God," The bishop spoke.

"Woah!" Melissa looked at the bishop's eye in amazement. She felt thankful.

The bishop replied with a smile. Melissa walked off the stage while being a bit jumpy, and her grinning face was seen by all.

"Next!" The guard yelled, signalling that it was Merlin's turn to step forward.

Merlin immediately walked toward the bishop and quickly kneeled.

The bishop put his hand forwards and chanted his spell.

"You...." The bishop spoke in disbelief. "How can this be...!" He uttered under his breath.

Merlin looked up at him and he saw the bishop confused and bewildered. Merlin couldn't utter a single word to ask as his head was filled with anxiety and anticipation.

A very long quiet pause was then followed by a deep exhale from the bishop.

"I'm sorry, son." He spoke in a very apologetic way.

Merlin's eyes widened to the possibility that his worst fear might come through. That...

"You are not blessed with magic." said the bishop with a saddened tone.

Merlin directed his head to the wooden floor. His heart started to beat fast. His chest was tightened.

He, who was often told about the legend of wizards past, was amazed by their prowess. Aspired to be one, he often daydreamed about acting as a grand wizard during his free time.

But now, his dream shattered into sands that were worth less than the dirt that he now stood on.

"I'm very sorry." Alruca tried to console the young boy. He used one of his hands to cover his saddened expression, while he used the other to tap the boy's shoulder.

Merlin smiled in despair.

Stillness then follow ensued. Some villagers were confused and muttering with one another, wondering about what might happen on the front stage.

Then, with the clapping of horses' hooves, a group of outsiders bestowed new instruments to the orchestra of villagers' murmur. The people on the square were turning their heads.

"Bandit! Bandit!" One man yelled.

The villagers started to panic. People started to grab their loved ones and ran towards their own houses to shelter themselves from the attack. The guards were readying to combat, while some of them stood near the bishop to protect them.

One by one, the bandit group started their onslaught. Men, women, children. Without any care for common sympathy, they thrust their weapon like a farmer's hand harvesting a ripe fruit, that is a mortal's soul.

Fighting occurred between the knights and the bandits. Weapons were directed at each other's necks, and magics were thrown toward one another. Knights, bandits, people. The sound of dead bodies hitting the ground had become a common occurrence in that village.

If a body of a man were to be a raindrop, then the whole village would be suffering from heavy rainfall.

Merlin was still kneeling frozen in the stand.

Melissa, worried while standing under the shade of a house, tried to warn Merlin to get to a safe place.

"Merli...."

Her dialogue was interrupted. A sharp axe managed to go through her skull smoothly. Melissa's face was chopped in half before she could finish her sentence. A bandit was already standing behind her. Some bandits were already inside people's houses, ready to loot them. Blood was pouring to the ground.

The boy turned his gaze. His eyes widen. Shock! His breath was heavy. His arms and legs turned weak, as fragile as a brittle glass.

The cheerful body of his long friend, was now lifeless.

The atmosphere of ominous blood has clouded the air. Like prey being faced with the immense bloodlust of a predator, Merlin felt fear.