UNMASKED [Arthdal Chronicles FF | Tancha | ENG]

05 | The Sacred Trial

"Lock up the slaves and look for buyers" ordered Tagon to his warriors. Then he turned to Yangcha. "The witch comes with us."

The young soldier nodded and separated Tanya from the others. Mugwang joined them and took the girl roughly by the arm to walk.

"No, leave her! Leave my daughter!" shouted Tanya's father. One of the warriors hit him in the stomach to keep him quiet.

"Father!" she exclaimed with concern.

"You better walk if you don't want to end up worse than him," whispered Mugwang in Tanya's ear.

Yangcha looked at them out of the corner of his eye. "At this rate she will end up dead," he thought.

When they reached Tagon's desk, Mugwang and Yangcha left the place leaving them alone. He poured himself some liquor and drank it without looking at the girl, then sat down.

"Do you remember what I told you last night?" he asked finally. She nodded. "Perfect, then as I said, if you want to save your people you will have to help me, or else, you and all of them will be decapitated."

Tanya shuddered at the mental image that her head had created.

Tagon told her about his suspicions that The Great White Wolf and Asa Sin could be the same person, and that if it was true, then she was very important to the people of Arthdal. He also mentioned the privileges and power she would get if she accepted the deal.

When he finished speaking, Tanya looked at him with distrust. It was clear that he wasn't a good person, much less someone she could consider an ally. But on the other hand, if she didn't accept everyone would die. She promised to save her tribe and that's what she would do, so finally she said yes.

"What should I do?" she asked determinedly.

"You have to look for a very special object." She frowned. "In the Great Shrine there is a hidden bell. All you have to do is find it, simple."

Simple? How was she going to find an object she didn't know in a place she hadn't even stepped on? Tanya was discouraged. "It seems it won't be as easy as I tought."

"But... What if I fail?"

"I don't see why you wouldn't, after all, you're a descendant of Asa Sin, aren't you?"

"B-but i didn't said tha-"

He silenced her by raising his hand.

"Yangcha!" he exclaimed. The young man immediately entered the room. "Take her, in a few days there will be a sacred trial."

The soldier opened his eyes widely. "Yes... she will definitely die soon."

Tanya heard it and looked at him terrified.

❦❦❦

7 days later

The rumor that a direct descendant of Asa Sin had appeared spread quickly. Everyone was very excited and euphoric to know who was that girl. The sacred trial that was to determine this would be done that day, so everyone was gathered outside the Great Shrine, waiting impatiently for the results.

Tanya was very nervous. She didn't know if she would able to find that damn bell. She bites her nails involuntarily and touched her hair insistently. A few minutes later some priests of the Asa Clan arrived to take her to the trial.

There she stood on her knees thinking desperately what she was going to do, without hearing what the priests and Asa Ron said.

She looked around. There were many people gathered in that place, everyone was staring at her. In front of her on the other side of the water were Tagon and Taealha, whispering things to each other.