THE MALFORMED REALM

Chapter 6: No Rose Without A Thorn: Part 2

Uncertainty and suspicions grabbed at Jonathan like a stranglehold. He moved behind Anabel and the other girl, taking cautious steps unconsciously.

What was that look on her face? It did not look like she was merely sorry for her people's actions. No, there was something more to it. Was that guilt he had seen in her eyes? He could not be certain. Whatever it was, he was not getting the full picture. There was definitely a lot going on here that he was not aware of.

His steps felt heavy with each he took. He had been treading on foot for quite long now.

By the way, where was she taking him? They were moving in the opposite direction to where he had come from.

"Hey, where are we going?" He said with a bit of force to be heard. He was a few fathoms behind the two.

Anabel glanced back, but kept walking. "Towards a temple. We'd find your friends there. They are being taken to it."

Strange. Queer. Odd. Whatever did that mean? Why were they being taken to a temple? What was a temple?

He asked innocently to which the both of them stopped in their tracks. "Are you being serious, Jonathan?"

"Absolutely. We don't have anything like that in our village."

They exchanged looks. "A temple is a building made to worship the elemental Gods."

Jonathan's face underwent a change as a veil of disgust wrapped around it. Why would anybody want to worship them so extravagantly? They are devils! Devils who inflict nothing but destruction. Already submitting to them and praying for good health and good times is a pain that we must undertake to ensure our well-being. Isn't that enough? Hold on. Do they have a different ritual system here? Temple... If this is the centre of all the deific activities... then-

Jonathan gasped aloud and almost stumbled. Anabel looked back and came rushing to see if he was alright. "What happened?"

"They are being taken there to be executed?!" Jonathan shouted manically.

Anabel's face was aghast. She looked away. "But-"

"You all think we strangers are good for sacrifices don't you? We are nobodies. It's only natural you'd choose us than anybody else of your village. Now I see what that guy was talking about. The 'cheap plays' must have been acts of desperation of the ones they had captured prior to us to get away from you all. I still don't know who they referred to but, it is clear now who is-"

"Jonathan!" Anabel shouted, clasping her hands on his shoulders tightly. She was tearing up and her voice was trembling.

Jonathan stood in silence as the tears fell on his hands. He was stunned. What was happening?

She sniffed and sobbed and rubbed her eyes. Then slowly she regained her composure and looked at him in the eye. "I would never. We would never!" she screeched hurtfully. "I didn't want to tell you back there about this. It would have been so sudden and you would clearly have taken me for the enemy but, but..." she sniffed, "it seems that this is no better."

"Anabel," the other girl put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Jonathan with the same emotions and expression as Anabel, and said, "We are going there to stop that from happening. It's absolutely disgraceful and I don't know if you'd ever trust us again, but we would never let your friends die like that. Now hurry! We must save them!" She pulled them up on their feet, and started walking uphill briskly.

Jonathan was unsure what to do for a moment. But if what they said really was true, then there was no other option. He resumed walking and followed behind them.