There were things that proved how cruel the Sethes Council was. Most of the previous experiences were things I ignored since I was under the belief it was for the greater good.
But now I knew better.
And their next decision in matters of cruelty was to set Nierhæ up for slaughter while I was forced to watch a screen from my cell. I had been tied to a chair, my head bound so I could only look forward.
It wasn't hard to spot her on the broadcast. Not when they dressed her in black and gold, in comparisons to everyone's pale clothes to give the idea of purity in their society. A black blindfold sat over her eyes; gold flecks covered the material in a decorative display.
"Here we have the Heretic of Sælonis, finally brought to us to pay for her sins. To stand against the Council is to stand against Sethes. To stand against Sethes is to stand for chaos in our galaxy. Only through the leadership of our most holy Council may we be redeemed." A man said as Nierhæ was tied to a stake, her hands above her head, her feet balanced on a small platform made of wood. "Here she will burn, and her ashes will return her power to the natural place it belongs."
To think I believed this shit.
To think I stood for it.
How many people had burned because of me? How many Heretics had I taken part in capturing for Sethes to kill them? How many rebels had I sentenced to hanging because I fulfilled their bounties? How many...
It wasn't my fault.
It was Sethes.
It was their Council.
It was Sethes.
It was the people who had lied about everything so they could gain power.
It was Sethes.
"Do you have any last words, Vosiuth?"
The camera zoomed in on Nierhæ's face, still half covered by the blindfold. "Yes, I do." Her pale lips moved slowly, taking the time to pronounce every single sound so her words were as clear as possible. "Vosiuth is not my name. I am Nierhæ of Sælonis. My home was torn to pieces by the order of your Council."
The corners of her lips curled in anger. "Your Council ordered the slaughter of my people." She lifted her head to face the sky. "My parents, my family, my friends... all killed by your hands. Your Council ordered me dead and had me chased across the entire galaxy to stop me from ever avenging my people!"
A murmur filled the crowd. One of interest. And disgust.
"But it's not just mine, is it?" She asked, levelling her head again as a gold glow surrounded her body. "You all watched as planets were destroyed. Every one of you let billions of people be slaughtered... and for what?" She visibly shook as the golden glow brightened. "So your Council of Heretics could control the galaxy?"
A silence fell over the crowd as the executioner tried to drop a lit flame torch onto the wood beneath Nierhæ to stop her from talking. But her hair whipped around her in a gust of wind so strong that it blew out the fire.
"Your Council are liars!" She shouted. "They're like me! Chosen by the Aura! And yet they use what they have been given to kill and steal! To manipulate and destroy!"
The wind picked up, and the glow surrounding her brightened.
"But no more..." The ground rumbled. "Your Council wanted me to die so I couldn't fulfill their fears. They tried to kill me, so I couldn't touch foot to their planet and blow it to pieces like they did my home—like they did Mertonis, the home of Cædir, the Fifth Heir."
The ground rumbled again.
"You want my last words?" She asked as the bonds tying her hands to the stake glowed. "Then heed them. Your Council won't harm anyone, not anymore. You're too late to stop me from destroying this planet..." she ripped her hands free as if nothing but a single thread had tied her to the stake, instead of thick rope.
"And my final words?"
She stepped off the platform, and her feet hit the bare dirt. As they did, the ground rumbled again, and I smirked as screams filled the air.
"I only have one, really."
She somehow turned directly to the camera, the blindfold still on her face to show how connected she was to the Aura.
"Run."
*20,000 word mark*
YOU ARE READING
The Heretic of Sælonis ||A Sci-Fi Romance Novella||
Science Fiction"And what will you do if you have to destroy an entire planet to end this war? Are you really willing to become a monster?" Nierhæ turned towards me, a sombre look on her face. She already had an answer to my question, and it was one I wouldn't like...
