94 The Red Hair Bow

WARNING*

Self hurt content included

EARLIER IN BRANDENBURG

Galloping on a war horse through the cobblestoned paths of Agora to Brandenburg, Vesta clicked her tongue as she ride the speed of the wind. She squinted her eyes at the sight of the thick black smoke coming from the direction of the academy that tainted the beautiful orange sky. The people gathered on the streets as they watch the horror in the skies. Paving way for the crusaders passing by, they never removed their eyes at the danger written in the clouds.

The paladin crusader is accompanied by three other crusaders with axes on their hands. Steaming in anxiousness, Vesta gritted her teeth until they reach the last narrow street out of Agora. As the paladin crusader pass through, the bells by the doors of the Agora homes started to rang. They pealed in high pitched tone that caused ringing to their ears as they instantly stopped their horses. Squealing, the horses pulled upwards as they grew agitated from the sound. As soon as the crusaders climbed down, their horses ranaway far from the loud bells' sounds. Vesta remained on her stallion as she calm her horse down.

With the bells of no clappers ringing all throughout Agora, the townspeople covered their ears as they scatter in every direction. They panicked and hurriedly made their way to their homes.

"Make sure everyone's inside!", Vesta ordered as she hopped down the horse enduring her hurting ears from the bells and soothing the horse's mane at the same time. The crusaders roamed every alley on foot, as they warn each person they find to stay inside their homes. Then, a soft swirl of the winds surrounded the alleys as the bells seemed like they were forced to stop. Catching her breath as she wet her lips, Vesta put up her labrys as she started to sense something making her feel unease. Moments later, Vesta noticed a dark figure of a little girl who was standing by ahead a steep alley, the only way out of Agora.

"Hey little girl?", one of the crusaders called. "Go home, it's not safe", she warned.

The little girl stayed still. She hid in the shadows where the crusaders fail to see a clear view of her face. One crusader made a few steps closer when Vesta noticed the indifference of the girl's aura.

"Wait", Vesta halted the crusader. "Who are you? What do you want?", she told the unfazed litte girl.

"Show yourself!", another crusader said.

"I'm here to send you a warning", the little girl stepped into the light showing her face. Barefooted and wearing a gray dress down to her ankle, she has a fair face, brown soft curly hair down to her waist with a red hair bow head band. Patches of her skin seemed dark like coal. "Listen Paladin", the little girl said. "All who share the bloodline of the warriors who murdered the soul travelers in the holy war will soon face a brutal demise.", she said with a straight face.

"What?", Vesta frowned. "Why? Who's doing this?", Vesta asked as she tightened her grip on her labrys. She knew that the bloodline she's referring is hers, Alesso's and Stellan's.

"It's a traveler", one crusader whispered to the others. "And it's turning to a mystic one", she added as they keep at a distance where they can hear the words of the young girl clearly.

"Leave Nether while you can still escape. For when the time comes, your deaths will come forth, haste", the young girl said breathlessly.

"I'm no coward.", Vesta hardened her jaw. "And why are you telling me this? Who's behind the plan you just spilled?", she asked.

"Do not trust just anyone. They hide in silk, and covered in gold.", the young girl said as she lift up a dagger and slit her so throat.

Leaving the crusaders dumbfounded, they gasped in terror as the blood of the young girl flood the cobblestone path out of Agora.

"She's a messenger.", one crusader swallowed a lump in her throat she slowly approach the body of the lifeless girl. "I'll take care of this, go to Brandenburg", she told Vesta.

The Paladin Crusader nodded in approval. "Let's hurry. Get your horses", Vesta tugged her labrys on her back and rode her stallion. Teary-eyed, she clenched her jaw as she ride over the blood of an innocent child.

LATER IN BRANDENBURG

The sun have completely disappeared from the sky when Vesta and a pair of crusaders arrived in Brandenburg. As she reach the fortress, they were granted access at the entrance and were immediately welcomed by the smell of burnt wood surrounding the academy.

The ones that have caught fire, the woodshed, the grassy areas of the quadrangle, the vines climbing the towers, and the wooden panels on the stone walls, have finally extinguished completely.

Barely, there were minimal damages except for the underground cellar that Haelan bombed to escape from. It was heavily burned that no one could go in. Above all else, not one piece of stone wall was destroyed. Jac made sure that he threw the explosives on the ground and only on the strongest pillars of the academy.

As Vesta set her foot inside the academy, she come across some scholars who were serving waters to the knights who helped control the fire. Walking through, the paladin crusader noticed a few stewards and servants who just had bruises and a few cuts from running due to panic and fear. And so, she heaved a sigh after witnessing that no one had major and serious injuries. Just when she was about to pass the great hall, she caught a glimpse of the stairway splurged with blood. As she draw near, she saw Alesso standing still at the mid-flight of the stairs observing the splashes of blood all around.

The paladin archer, who arrived earlier, have already delved throughout Brandenburg. He traced the signs, and observed for clues. Asking around for witnesses for he could hardly tell what really took place in the home of the warriors.

He was at a loss for words when he walked in the great hall to see the decapitated body of Lord Harlan by the stairway. Lord Callaghan was sitting beside his only brother grieving with no tears. He held Lord Callaghan by his shoulders to send his sympathy until the knights took away the dead's body. What Alesso couldn't believe was the smirk he saw on Lord Callghan's face as they leave the hall.

It was then that the paladin archer decided to look deeper into the situation.