Soon, my child, soon.

The strange voice cooed in her mind. The only thing that still anchored her mind in her tortured body. That sweet, sweet voice and pain. Pain of her dying body.

After what they’ve done to her, Lae knew it was but a miracle her body still clung to life. Or perhaps a curse cast by the head priestess herself as a way of punishment?

After whole three weeks without food and hardly any water, they dragged her out of her cell and brought her to the deepest dungeon where temple inquisitors under the guide of the head priestess herself, tried her for the crimes she committed. Or so they said.

They accused her of many vile wrongdoings, some of which so dark that Lae would put a blade to her own throat rather than think of committing such blasphemous deeds.

Yet the matron was so sure of her judgment.

It started with fifty lashings to motivate Lae’s tongue and help her confess her sin. Oh, how much help her conscience needed to realize that sin. Her back had to accept one hundred lashes for the lowly apprentice to understand her wrongdoings. She broke the temple laws, went to the poor, and provided treatment without accepting compensation. Her sin if any was that it took her so long gather courage fur such reckless disobedience. How many more people would she save if only she had gone to provide help when first signs of plague befall their city.

Such sin she confessed, and her confession earned her one hundred more lashes, turning her back into raw meat as if a pulp straight from butchery.

Since the whip brought no results, they moved on to her nails. Removing those brough no change in her confession. Lae had no idea from whence such strength of her conviction came but she refused to acknowledge the blasphemy ascribed her even when the inquisitors brought burning iron to her eyes.

In her heart she prayed. She felt in her soul she was not guilty of any crimes they accused her of and believed her goddess would become her shield and her salvation.

She did not stop praying when they broke her bones.

She did not stop believing when they branded her skin.

She did not stop refusing blessing people when they tossed stones at her nude body hanging in the market.

She did not confess to crimes she had not commit even when they pulled her tongue out.

Soon! Do not give in! Persist a little more! Soon, my little child!

The gentle and sweet voice, her only remaining strength in her torment, begged her with increasing sadness.

Tied to a wooden stake, Lae’s broken body hung limp in her bonds, knowing that soon may not come soon enough.

She did not blame anyone when they pour oil over her body and gathered around her hay, brushwood and old planks to fuel the pyre.

She could no longer see the torch, but her mutilated ears could still pick up its crackling.

Lae could also hear the roaring voice of head priestess that standing beside her, read out all the sins the apprentice committed. All so evil that only this horrible death could erase her blame.

And death would seal her fate but… the flames. The flames would not take. No matter how many times the executioner tried to light her pyre, the flame would not take, and the torch would burn out. They even pushed the torch against her bare and oiled body, but the flame did not take, and the torch fizzled out.

“There must be something wrong with the oil you used you idiots! Bring a different one!”

The holy matron roared, trying to light yet another torch while the shaken crowd whispered of strange miracles.

“Well, I’ve seen enough. Cut her off. Kill anyone that tries to stop you.”

Annoyed male voice Ordered from among the paralyzed crowd. Hearing him and his imperious tone, people dispersed, making way for his servants.

“Who do you think you are to interfere with the holy judgment?!”

The head priestess raged from beside the pyre. Lae could imagine the crone frothing from her mouth as strange hands came and with one swift cut freed her from her bonds. Soon after, her broken body changed hands and the smell of sweaty, unwashed male filled her nostrils. She was brought to the one that…

[*DING!*]

The one holding her cussed under his breath, blaspheming to all that existed. Whatever caused his reaction, that chime had something to do with it.

She felt the man’s arms tighten around her and once more his voice beamed from his chest.

“If it is judgment, you seek then hear this! You and the fake whore you worship shall be judged and due punishment for your sins will come to you in due time!”

When he spoke, a thunder roared and a lightning cut through clear blue sky.

Whoever that man was, he spoke with enough conviction to move even Lae’s heart. Also, she pressed her face against his chest, somehow her body hurt less when she did that.

Rest child. Everything will be fine now.

The voice once more came to her to calm her mind. Hearing that, Lae let out a long and tired sigh. For now, she would believe that.

***

[*DING!*]

[You have successfully used the skill Harbinger of Doom! Due to the substantial number of involved individuals, it will take forty-nine hours for the skill to take effect. You best leave the area.]

[*DING!*]

[Lae, the exiled apprentice of Aidane has offered her life to you.]

[*DING!*]

[Lae (Body & Soul) has become your permanent property. ]

[*DING!*]

[WARNING! One of your slaves is in critical condition and may die soon if she does not receive proper treatment!]

Gritting his teeth, Joe mumbled under his breath as they run through the sprawling back alleys, trying to avoid the temple guards. He did the next best thing he could and put the unconscious woman into storage to free his hands. Moments later he did the same with freeloader and the rasping saintness then using the momentary pause, he also stored the remaining two furballs.

Alone, Joe run into another deserted alley where he managed to unequip and store his armor. Dressed in a smelly potato sack, he summoned himself a walking stick and a beggar’s bowl before turning the next corner where his face ate a fireball.

***

“I got him!”

“Like fuck you did. You roasted some random trash. This ain’t the guy.”

“How the hell do you know? You weren’t there when they attacked her holiness.”

“Then where are the women? Where’s the girl he kidnapped? And, oh gods… look the guy’s wearing a potato sack and stinks like a public latrine.”

“Well… “

With his hair and skin charred, the mage wasn’t so sure anymore. Was his victim the one he saw at the plaza or not?

“Whatever, its still suspicious he even got here. Beggars are not allowed into this part of the city. We have to bring him in anyways.”

And it sounded as a better alternative to chasing some wacko that dared to oppose her holiness.

“You better pray he hasn’t caught the plague.”

That gave the two guards a momentary pause.

“Looks clean to me. We might even get some coin for this one. I think the alchemist guild was looking for test subjects.”

“Again? What the hell do they do to those people? They burn through them so fast.”

“Don’t know, don’t care…”