The Knights of St. Harfeld

12- Cave of Horror

Nanginginig pa rin si Fenris nang umalis sila sa lugar na 'yun. Her mind was flooded with questions but she didn't know where to start.

Reid turn the heat on. "You should remove your cloak. I have a jacket here somewhere. Use it," seryosong sabi nito pero umiling lang ang dalaga.

Her cloak was the only thing that held her together right now. Kapag tinanggal n'ya iyun, baka bumigay siya at tuluyang mag-breakdown kaya hindi niya sinunod ang utos nito.

"What do you want to know?" maya-maya ay tanong ni Reid. Pansin din niyang tuluyan na silang lumabas ng bayan. They were going to one of the provinces.

Fenris swallowed the lump in her throat and hugged herself. "Who are those people?"

Reid's jaw clenched. "They're homeless people," mahina nitong sagot.

Literal na nalaglag ang panga ni Fenris sa narinig. "Homeless? How?"

Nobody was homeless in Narguille. Kahit ang mga Lower Class ay may mga trabaho at bahay provided by the Church or the government, or whatever since both were governed by the same man- the Grand Knight.

"Did you really think that everyone can afford to pay the offering to the Church?"

"May hindi afford ang offering?"

Napailing si Reid. "Even Lower Class families pay offering. Those who can't pay can't be Lower Class. So, they're lower than Lower Class."

"So, they're driven out of their homes and just let them die there?" hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala sa nalaman. She didn't even know this exists. "Alam ba ito ng Grand Knight."

Isang pagak na tawa ang pinakawalan ng lalaki. "Of course, alam n'ya. Kaming dalawa lang ang nakakaalam sa bagay na 'to. Now, you. So, promise me, you won't tell anyone. Not even your bestfriend."

"Both of you are hiding this from everyone? Bakit hindi gumagawa ng ingay ang mga homeless? Why don't they go to Saas and be seen and heard? Why don't they complain?"

"To keep the peace and order of the continent, the Grand Knight has to compromise. Iyung mga nagtangkang lumabas, well, we silence them."

Silence them. Meaning, kill them. Iyun ba?

"You have to understand, this is for our own good."

"How about them? How about their good?" she made sure to emphasize the last word.

Hindi nakasagot si Reid.

"That's what I thought. You and the Grand Knight abandoned them because they don't have money to pay the Church," ang sikip-sikip ng dibdib niya.

Bakit ganito?

"You have to understand. The Grand Knight didn't just start this. This was handed to him by the previous Grand Knights. We merely continue the tradition," habang sinasabi iyun ay kita ang galit sa mukha ni Reid. Panay ang pag-igting ng panga nito kaya kumunot ang noo ni Fenris.

"Wait a minute..." aniya saka tiningnang mabuti ang Knight.

Reid's lips pursed.

"You don't like this either," bulalas ni Fenris.

"Sinong matinong tao ang gusto sa ganitong sitwasyon?" sagot nito. "I want to do something about it but my hands are tied. This is tradition. I am protecting our tradition."

Hindi alam ni Fenris kung ano ang isasagot. The Order had a very dark secret and she couldn't do anything about it? Not even the people who lead them?

"Ano'ng gagawin natin sa tatlong kinuha natin?"

Hindi sumagot si Reid. Tiim-bagang lang itong nakatingin sa daan. The rain almost made it impossible to see the road-it was so heavy that they could barely hear each other.