Ch.40
Namjoon would be tossing and turning if his shoulder wasn't completely busted. He could hardly raise his arm. He just felt too weak. Naturally his right shoulder was sore and struggling to function like it used to. He did get stabbed there. Sort of. The whole dragon him and human him thing was still a tough one to figure out. But the reason he felt that way was because it was hard trying to get some rest when he knew all his friends were out there fighting demons!
Could he trust them?
No. No he could not. Namjoon refused to believe they were capable of defeating a fleet of demons and surviving. Yoongi could pull it off. Seeing as Yoongi was an excellent fighter and powerful, Namjoon had no fear about this specific friend. You were powerful as well and Namjoon trusted you in being successful. He just couldn't himself from losing his mind at the idea of you getting injured. You can protect yourself, sure! That will not stop Namjoon from being worried sick about you. He'd much rather have you here in the castle, safe with him. Possibly tending to him...
Anyway, his trust in the three others were low. Hoseok could build excellent weapons and use them. Was he talented with them? Not really. Namjoon had low expectations for the elf which sounded rude. It couldn't be helped in the prince's eyes. Not only that, but Jimin. He was a feisty one, yet the man is a fairy and his magic isn't anything to be afraid of. The poor guy might end up getting his wings damaged just like his best friend! At that point, what good will he be in this battle against the demons? Then Seokjin was a lost cause completely. The man barely learned how to use his legs!
"He's stressing out," Taehyung whispered to the raven that got too comfortable on the bed.
"I'm not stressing out." Namjoon sighed.
"Stressing out," Youngjo mimicked Taehyung's voice. The pixie found it humorous as he laughed while Namjoon was left disturbed. Hearing a human voice leave a bird's mouth was unsettling. He couldn't be the only one who saw it that way.
"How can you laugh at a time like this? Aren't you worried sick of what could be happening to Jimin right now?" Namjoon pressed Taehyung for answers. That managed to make the blue hair quiet. Youngjo remained a black feathered ball between them, intrigued to see where this conversation would go.
"Well, of course I'm worried about him. I just also know that Jimin will be too stubborn to die." Taehyung shrugged. He playfully tapped his toes together, looking at Namjoon as if he would understand.
"That makes no sense." Namjoon blinked. There was a beat of silence as Taehyung nodded.
"What he said." Taehyung only left the prince confused. It took him a second to realize he was talking about the raven.
"I can't hear him, Taehyung!"
"I'm sorry!!"
Right away, Namjoon felt bad for raising his voice at the little pixie. He knew Taehyung would never mock him. Already, he was looking down at his lap and wanting to turn away from Namjoon. The both of them were struggling to get comfortable due to their injuries. Namjoon sighed heavily, knowing he needed to relax and say something. Having to tolerate Youngjo's judging gaze any longer would make him lose his mind. Seriously, getting judged by a bird of all things!
"No, don't be sorry. You know how short my temper is. It is something that I am trying to work on and improve," Namjoon said in a calmer tone. Hopefully he got his sincerity across. "I apologize."
"You mean it?" Taehyung stared up at the man with big eyes. "I accept, Namjoon. I could never be upset at you for long. Not with everything you've done for me." His smile grew to see the prince's dimples appear.
"Your loyalty and company after so many years of painful solitude are not to be taken for granted." Namjoon nodded. He was content not to be left alone while the others were out. He just had to tolerate whatever Youngjo was saying when clicking his beak. "What now?"
"Oh, he's asking what made you want to change your temper. You're stubborn as a rock and think you're perfect," Taehyung explained before tensing up. "H-His words!"
"Alright, well, I might have you roasted, Youngjo." Namjoon glared at the raven. The threat did no good with how comfortable Youngjo was on the bed. "I'm changing for myself. It has taken me a long time to get here, but after disappointing someone close to me...I know I have plenty to work on. Times have changed. I cannot stay the same forever."
"...is that person (F/n)?" Taehyung asked.
"Too obvious?" Namjoon raised a brow.
"You did propose to her." Taehyung's words got Youngjo to squawk loudly and flap his wings.
"She rejected my proposal!" Namjoon was about ready to kick the bird out of the room. At least he calmed down after that.
Youngjo has always been wildly protective over you, but Namjoon could have sworn the raven had tried to take a step back. Maybe it was only because of recent events that Youngjo was so sensitive when it came to you. The prince sighed, wishing you had turned Youngjo into a human before leaving. It would have been extremely helpful. Namjoon also knew he would have put Youngjo to work. Having the feathered little animal be lazy in his bed was testing his patience. He closed his eyes, reminding himself to be more patient. You wouldn't be happy with Namjoon if you harmed Youngjo anyway.
"Besides...I believe I should become a better man in general. (F/n) is suffering from her own problems and I should be able to offer support without an ounce of selfishness to it." Namjoon glanced at Youngjo. He didn't know how to feel about the raven leaning against him to cuddle. "It will be a while until (F/n) is ready to open her heart again. I will make sure to have no expectations."
"I see...I will do the same." Taehyung nodded to himself, holding his hands in tight fists. "(F/n) needs true friends right now more than anything."
"Exactly." Namjoon smiled. He hoped everything was going well wherever all of you were. He truly wished you were all successful in fighting the demons. He deeply wished for none of you to get injured. Not badly like him and Taehyung.
The prince sighed once more as he looked down, noticing Youngjo was beyond comfortable with resting on Namjoon. Amazing. He was about ready to move the bird until he noticed Taehyung staring at him like he was missing out. Seriously? For the first few seconds, Namjoon argued with himself but gave up. He couldn't deny Taehyung's puppy eyes no matter how embarrassing it was. He used his good hand to carefully pick up Taehyung and place him on his stomach next to Youngjo. Now they could all cuddle together.
For heaven's sake, when did the Prince of Concordia get so soft?
*~*
"Careful where you swing that thing." Jimin warned the merman. Everyone had decided to split up, but Jimin knew he couldn't leave Seokjin alone. No offense to Seokjin, but...there were no high hopes for him. He had a lot of energy and spirit! As for fighting skills? Jimin was surprised that you guys let Seokjin walk out with a heavy iron mace. The merman insisted on taking one of the old weapons at the castle rather than something Hoseok made. The iron ball at the end of the handle was covered in sharp spikes. That's why Jimin warned Seokjin to be careful. He couldn't go all crazy with it right now!
"It's nowhere near you." Seokjin stopped moving it. He looked over at the fairy who wore a serious expression. He couldn't help himself from leaning close to Jimin. "You haven't been cheerful lately. You used to be pretty crazy yourself too."
When people thought of Jimin, their first thought about him wasn't responsibility. The man acted out and then thought out his actions. Thinking them out was still not always guaranteed. After all, Jimin was the one rooting for Seokjin to do all kinds of stunts when Seokjin could hardly control his legs. The fun and games Jimin was known for had been dialed back significantly. To a degree, Seokjin could understand that. He just never imagined how quiet Jimin would be when it came to walking through the woods where a demon could appear any second.
They had been walking for some time now in the woods. Seokjin had been expecting to deal with them right from the start. Surprisingly enough, they haven't spotted any demons or evidence of them. Were they not searching in the right places? There was a possibility that all the demons were headed towards the village. That worried Seokjin, but at the same time, the chances of the demons or even Jungkook heading towards the castle were high. It wasn't a theory to be ignored. Though the epic battle that Seokjin was expecting wasn't happening and the guy who decided to follow him also wasn't doing much either.
"Yeah...I'm sure you can imagine why I haven't been though." Jimin ran a hand through his blue hair all the way to his blonde roots. This entire time he's been doing that out of stress. Seokjin wondered if the fairy would lose his hair doing that. Jimin sighed, his grip tightening on the swallow sword that Hoseok made for him. There were sharp blades on each side so he would have to be careful. At least Jimin trusted himself more with this than Seokjin with a giant heavy mace. "My best friend is injured all because of some bum angel. Now this guy's unleashed all his demon friends into our world and is out to get (F/n). Not really feeling the best right now."
"I can tell. You're not even making jokes." Seokjin frowned. He thought if Jimin was following him then maybe he would get some entertainment.
"No jokes, but I am more than ready to punch Jungkook's face in." Jimin moved his wings slightly. He felt fired up from the thought. Meanwhile Seokjin just moved the fins on the side of his head to copy Jimin.
"Yes...although I'm not as furious as you," Seokjin admitted. This stunned Jimin and the merman figured it would. The look Jimin was giving really didn't help him in sorting out his emotions.
"What? What do you mean?" Jimin furrowed his brows.
"I just don't know what exactly to feel...it's hard to describe it. I'm not happy with what he did to Taehyung and what he's doing. But I also don't feel the need to hurt Jungkook with brute force." Seokjin stared down at his iron mace. "You know I haven't had much interactions with others until just recently. I'm still learning social cues and trying to figure out how to interact with people, but...it's strange."
"I'll say." Jimin scoffed. "All kinds of fairies and pixies hated me, but I hated them just as much! Maybe even more. I don't stand for injustice of any kind. No way am I tolerating it. Not for myself or anyone."
"Which is something I really respect." Seokjin got Jimin to pause. The fairy glanced back at the merman who kept a small smile on his face. "Lots of humans killed my kind. Hunted them for sport and there was nothing I could do. I was just a child. Looking back on it, I'm not as upset. Only curious as to why. I feel the same towards Jungkook. Why? I want to ask him that."
"...He probably has some lame reason." Jimin shrugged. He refused to let himself feel any sympathy for Jungkook. Angel, demon—whatever he is—Jimin needed the chaos to stop. Jungkook proceeded to make things so much worse. It wouldn't be easy or even possible for Jimin to sit down with the man and ask him what this was all for. There was no excuse for all this suffering that he was putting so many innocent people through.
"I can't get over certain moments with him though. I really thought we were friends...it felt real." Seokjin could feel his shoulders sink. He's experienced such intense loneliness before in the past. It was maddening how isolating it was. Ever since his world increased to outside the lake, he's gained so much more. Finally, Seokjin had gained friends and memories he wanted to hold onto forever. Yet losing a friend like this...he wasn't sure if the betrayal stung more or not. Which one was supposed to hurt more? He didn't know how to feel. He was experiencing it all for the first time. For that, Jimin patted Seokjin's back with a soft sigh.
"Don't take it to heart. He fooled all of us." Jimin pursed his lips.
Jungkook was a touchy subject. Seokjin knew if he talked about him any more that Jimin would lose it. The fairy looked ready to fight to begin with. The two continued to walk through the forest, pushing away any bushes that stretched out too much. Things got quiet between them after their discussion. The thing was it was too quiet. Seokjin found it peaceful as he walked through the forest while Jimin found it odd. He stopped walking to take a look around with narrowed eyes. They were being watched. Jimin held out his sword as slender beams of light wrapped themselves around the metal for protection.
"Heads up. We got eyes on us." Jimin planted his feet on the ground. Unfamiliar sounds rapidly passed by his ears, causing Jimin to feel paranoid. The demons were toying with him.
"Show yourselves!" Seokjin spun in a circle with his mace. Jimin had to take a few steps away again from the merman. What was he doing!?
"Seokjin!" Jimin huffed just as a demon decided to stop hiding. It came out screeching bloody murder. It was moving so fast that Jimin could barely see it. With the blink of an eye, Jimin froze to see the demon collide with the mace Seokjin was spinning around with. The merman's attack shocked the demon before Seokjin let go of the weapon to thrust his hand out. A swirl of light burst out, burning the demon until it was down in its solid form. Seokjin smirked as he took a glance over at Jimin. The fairy had his mouth open in amazement. "What the..."
"Being able to use my legs makes things a lot easier." Seokjin winked. "You should see me in the water."
*~*
Yoongi ran from tree to tree. He didn't want to get caught by other creatures. His focus was on demons which he had already successfully killed three. Only one of them put up a small fight and it was nothing in Yoongi's eyes. As a vampire, he was the second most powerful when it came to creatures of the dark. The only real issue was that he couldn't use light magic. He just wasn't capable of it. Instead, he had to hope the demons were in their solid form and then attack them with no mercy. It could get gruesome with how aggressive Yoongi was, but he did what needed to be done. The demons needed to be taken out to begin with. They will be shown no mercy.
It would be a different story when it came to Jungkook. As tempting as it was to break all the bones in that man's body, Yoongi knew to hold back. He was set on capturing the man then letting you and Namjoon decide his fate. Maybe they can even use Jungkook as a hostage. It all depends on how much the demon king loves his son. Yoongi wasn't expecting a ton of love though. He'll just have to see and wait. Jungkook won't show himself that easily. No, he's most likely instructing a good amount of demons to attack certain areas to get to the palace. Maybe they're specifically searching for you. It made Yoongi curse under his breath, hating how worried he was for you. You were so stubborn to go wandering on your own.
When did he get so protective of his friends? When did he even get friends? It baffled the vampire at times. He used to be alone, never sticking to one place on the island for long. He was just doing anything he could to survive. Then you showed up. A confusing little human and one with magical abilities. You still intrigue Yoongi even though you've kicked him in an area that shall not be named. To be fair, he felt he deserved that for all the teasing he did. It wasn't fair to you, but...Yoongi did care for you. Did he want you to know that? No. The fact that he hasn't disappeared should be enough. He could very easily escape and never see any of you again. He'll outlive you all as he has done with so many others!
But...it pissed him off how much he knew his heart would ache and miss you all. How did he allow himself to get so attached?
"Lonely?" A voice spoke out to Yoongi.
"Sh*t." Yoongi snapped himself out of his thoughts. He shouldn't have wandered around mindlessly. He narrowed his eyes, trying his best to spot wherever the demon could be.
Depending on the demon, they liked to torture first or go straight for the kill. Yoongi needed to keep his eyes peeled open. This is exactly why he should have gone with you to make sure that you stayed safe. Going alone is too dangerous when there is way more demons than you guys at the moment. Yoongi gritted his teeth as he continued to move around in a slow circle. Where was that demon? Whatever game it wanted to play, Yoongi wasn't interested. He was ready to kill this demon and move on to the next one. Things just played out a little differently with this one.
Yoongi hadn't even realized the demon was hiding in his shadow. It decided to be sneaky when crawling closer to the vampire. Anyone could tell he would be hard to kill without proper planning and strength. The shadow remained hidden until Yoongi was focused on the trees ahead of him before springing up and wrapping itself around Yoongi's form. Right away, the black haired man felt the ground get pulled from under him. He fell onto the hard ground with a grunt and growled to see the long thick tendril that kept him wrapped up.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Yoongi's pupils thinned. His strength was testing the tendril, but the demon was a lot stronger than he anticipated. He could see some of it from where he laid. The demon was large with its mouth being most of its body. It was wide open and looked like a dark abyss as it tugged his body over.
"No use fighting, Vampire." The demon chuckled.
"B*stard!" Yoongi huffed. The more he struggled, the tighter the demon's grip became. It was slowly getting harder to breathe.
"Don't even think about becoming a bat." The demon's tendril stretched into a thinner point to wrap around Yoongi's neck. It wasted no time trying to choke Yoongi to make the capture a lot easier. Yoongi's face was turning red as his entire body tensed up. He didn't want to lose consciousness, but he knew he couldn't fight it forever. It was getting harder to think with the lack of oxygen in his brain. His body was less than foot away from the demon's mouth when an arrow was shot. Suddenly, the tendrils loosened their grip on Yoongi. His vision was slightly blurry as he noticed another arrow get shot. It was on fire and the demon didn't appreciate the light that came from it.
"Don't make another move." Hoseok stepped closer. His eyes remained locked on the demon that hissed at him. The elf didn't budge though, not with Yoongi down on the ground. It took Yoongi a couple seconds to push himself up and get behind Hoseok. He coughed a few times, yet he wanted to ignore the slight burning inside of him.
"I thought you elves didn't do light," Yoongi muttered.
"We don't." Hoseok twisted the arrow. "Jimin gave me a pouch of light dust before we split off. I've been using it on the arrows."
"Well, look at you." Yoongi grinned as he cracked his neck. "Thanks for coming last minute. I can handle the rest."
Hoseok raised a brow at this just as the arrow shot without warning. It surprised Hoseok and he was ready to scold himself for glancing at Yoongi. He was only in shock, but Yoongi used it to his advantage. The arrow entered the demon's mouth to the creature's dismay. It was already weakened from the two prior hits and now Yoongi charged at it in full speed. Hoseok wasn't prepared for the sheer force that came from Yoongi's attack.
Now that the demon was solid, Yoongi took his chance to pound his fist into the demon to back it up against a tree. Right when he got the demon where he wanted, Yoongi punctured the demon with his hands and ripped it in half. Loud screeches escaped the demon in protest. It startled so many of the wildlife and Hoseok knew he wanted this over with. The elf walked up to the demon to throw some of the light dust created by Jimin. It shriveled the demon up and silenced it as Yoongi continued to rip it apart like it was nothing. Soon enough, the demon was returning back into its weak shadow form and dissipating into thin air.
"Finally." Yoongi let out a heavy breath.
"You're violent." Hoseok pointed out, getting a simple shrug from the vampire.
"And you're a lot smarter than I thought. I was wondering how you would be able to defend yourself against the demons." Yoongi brought a hand up to his neck. He gently touched it, frowning at how sensitive his skin was.
"I am smart. I'm literally the smartest one in the castle." Hoseok shook his bow for emphasis. So many of his creations helped the others and Yoongi was surprised?
"Debatable." Yoongi sighed. It instantly clicked with Hoseok that Yoongi thought he was the most intelligent. Hoseok sighed himself, not wanting to argue about it when bigger things were going on. At the same time...
"Don't get too cocky. I'm the one that saved you because going by yourself is dangerous." Hoseok put an arrow away.
"I should be saying that to you." Yoongi glared at the elf, but not for long. "And (F/n)..."
"Worried?" Hoseok tilted his head. Seeing how flustered Yoongi could get was pretty entertaining. It was no secret that all the creatures in the castle found you to be quite the beauty. Hell, even the cold prince proposed to you! "Out of all of us, I believe she's the one who is most capable of taking care of herself."
"But—"
"She is. Don't question me on it." Hoseok held up his finger way too close to Yoongi's face. It was immediately shoved away by the grumpy vampire. He didn't want to be patronized, but Hoseok just laughed it off as he walked away. Where was he going? Yoongi furrowed his brows, frustrated as he trailed behind Hoseok. It's not that he didn't want to risk being alone. No, he just knew that Hoseok was bound to need his assistance. There's safety in numbers after all.
*~*
The others may be trying to kill as many demons as they could. There was no set goal for them. As for you, your goal was to find Jungkook. There was so much that you wanted to scream at him. But as angry as you were, you knew that you needed to listen to Namjoon's words. Never should you let anger consume you the way it did with him. You could see the toll it took on the prince and the way it still affected him. Naturally, he didn't want you to suffer from it too.
Besides, you knew you would be no worse than a demon if you gave up your morals to kill Jungkook. Deep breaths and rational thinking would do you some good. Of course, you haven't fully figured out what exactly you had to say to him. There really hasn't been the time for it either. As soon as you got back from the demon realm, you had to find out what you missed and inform everybody of what you knew after tending to the prince. Then training to fight and actually leaving the castle to kill the demons. So far, you've been doing just fine on your own.
"Lux trabem." You stopped where you were. You didn't have to see them for you to know they were present. There was something about demons that you could just sense. Light beams formed around you in a circle. They rapidly spun in place, growing brighter and hotter as you waited for the demon to leap out. And when it did, you held your hand out with confidence. The beams shot out to pierce through the shadow. The demon tried to be quick with its movement only to have its body ripped apart and eaten by light. It burned as you continued walking.
Compared to the others, you felt you were more equipped to kill demons on your own. Especially now with how upset you were with them, but that's a different story. The point is...you had your reasons for telling everyone to split up on their own. A risky move for them, not so much for you. Though you knew if you traveled with the group or had a partner by your side that they would prevent you from heading to the village. They would have something to say and you knew it wouldn't be anything good. An entire village that betrayed you. The people you cared for were better off without you, yet...you found yourself walking to the village anyway.
By the time your feet were back on the familiar cobblestone, you were in disbelief. Obviously, demons had been roaming the island and were loose like wild animals. It's just that you never imagined seeing the place looking like a ghost town. Not a single person in sight. The once bright and lively village you knew had faded into a grey dismal sight. There were no sounds of life reaching your ears even as you walked further inside. The stands where the market was were all abandoned. Supplies had fallen onto the ground without a care. There was a rush to hide and it struck a chord with you. Somehow you found yourself walking up to the council building.
You knew what would happen if you knock on the door. It was no secret. They all wanted you dead after everything you've 'done'. Then the people who were on your side couldn't let anyone know. Though you doubted many people were on your side. The windows were boarded shut for protection along with so many other tactics. White rice was spread around the ground mixed with baby powder. Who knows what else they did to hide from demons? Sighing, you raised your fist to knock as hard as you could on the door. You wanted them to hear you. Three loud knocks and no one opened to no surprise.
"It's (F/n) Caeton! I've come out from hiding with a message!" You hoped you were loud enough for them to hear. All you expected was their silence due to the circumstances. "As you know, demons have come to the island to harm anyone who gets in their way. That's why I and others have gathered to kill off as many demons as we can. We're planning to find the source which is the prince of the demons. I'm the one he's looking for. There's still a lot I don't know, but I want all of you to know that I plan to protect Concordia to the best of my abilities. That is all." You nodded to yourself, hoping that was a good message. You couldn't stick around wondering what they thought.
Turning around to walk away, you heard angry whispers. The door behind you quickly opened and closed, causing you to look over your shoulder. Nothing prepared you to see Miss Arla standing in front of you after what felt so long. She stared down at you as if she couldn't believe her eyes either. Unable to control yourself, you ran straight towards her out of pure instinct. Miss Arla almost stumbled back from impact. She didn't know what to say at first. She just looked down as you hugged her tightly, trying your hardest to deny the stinging feeling in your eyes. Despite all the emotions and questions you had, you were relieved to see her.
"(F/n)..." Miss Arla delicately brought her hands to your face. She made you look up at her as she inspected you, wanting to make sure that you were okay and without a scratch. "Where were you?"
"It's a long story." You swallowed the lump in your throat. "B-But I can fix it, okay? I'm going to fix it with the friends I told you about...it's just complicated."
"(F/n), the rest of the villagers didn't even want me coming out to speak with you. Their view of you is still the same. Nothing has changed even with the demons." Miss Arla sighed. That didn't shock you one bit. You pulled away from the hug to collect yourself.
"I had a feeling, but I meant what I said. I will cleanse the island of demons and do what I can." You balled your hands into fists. "...I'm only guilty of magic and even then, I'm going to use it to save us. I can do it."
"It's a dangerous game you're playing, (F/n)." Miss Arla put her hands on your shoulders. She gripped them tightly, desperately telling you with her eyes to stop. "Demons are the cruelest form of a creature. They are the furthest from the light. They will stop at no end to see you take your last breath if that is what they're after."
"I know."
"(F/n)!!" Miss Arla shook you. She allowed her panic to slip into her voice and it was close to breaking you. A part of you was mad at yourself for making her worry so much. She was trying her hardest to keep everyone calm inside, yet she felt herself crack in front of you. You couldn't imagine how overwhelming this had to be for her. "It's far too dangerous. Whatever idea you have with these friends of yours, it cannot go any longer."
"We can't just sit around and do nothing." You had to stick to your goal. It hurt your mom deeply and it pained you to look in her eyes. "I apologize for not being a better...person. But I will keep my promise of saving Concordia."
"...and you're set on this?" Miss Arla questioned. She let go of you, knowing she couldn't stop you if you were truly determined. It's not like she had any right to lecture you on knowing magic. All she could do was stare at you with sad eyes as you nodded silently. With nothing else to say, Miss Arla took a deep breath and looked away from you. "Very well. I will relay your message to the others and reason with them. Maybe this can change their perception of you."
"I won't count on it, but I appreciate all that you do for me." You looked down at your shoes. You couldn't bring yourself to look at Miss Arla when you said that. You even turned around to run off like a little kid.
Miss Arla stared at your form with gentle eyes, surprised at first from how sudden that was. It didn't take her long to smile and feel warmth. How she missed you dearly. She felt relieved you were all in one piece and hoped you would remain safe during your goal. She stayed watching you until you disappeared into the forest. There was no rush for Miss Arla. She put a spell on the council building long ago that kept most dark creatures away as it drained their energy. It wouldn't stop them completely from coming if they really wanted to, but it worked. With one deep breath, Miss Arla turned around to enter the building once more.
"What were you thinking!?"
"What did she say!?"
"What did you tell her?"
"I know the two of you are in cahoots!"
"We want her dead!!"
"ENOUGH!!" Arla yelled as loud as she could. The entire room went silence once more from her anger. Usually, Arla was much more put together and never unleashed many of her true emotions on the public. It was just now that she demanded space to breathe. She wanted room to speak since she felt like one of the few with a logical mind. She knew the most out of all of them while they were all letting their exhaustion, hunger, and paranoia get to them. How did they think she felt? She felt all those things and more at once! Yet she had to be in charge of them on top of all that. Arla gave a stern look to the room. "We are not in a place where we can put (F/n) on trial or anything of the sort!"
People kept silent to Arla's satisfaction. They stayed huddled together, either listening to Arla loyally or stuck in their own thoughts. It didn't matter to Arla. In the end, she knew what she wanted and there was only one way for them at this point if they wanted to survive.
"(F/n) pleads not guilty for the death of Florian. However, she is guilty of participating in witchcraft. She is well aware of the village views of her, but she is stuck in something far bigger than what we can imagine," Arla stated. She didn't dare look at Florian's family for her own sanity. "(F/n) made a promise out there that she will cleanse Concordia of demons with a group of creatures she's become friends with."
"What!?"
"We're relying on a witch and creatures!?"
"This is madness!!"
"It's our only option! We ourselves can do nothing against the demons! Not even our little tricks outside of the council building offer full protection!" Arla huffed at those so quick to complain. "Unless you have any better ideas, then please speak up. Otherwise, I have put (F/n) on the task of protecting us. She may be able to redeem herself if she follows through."
Murmurs scattered around the council building. Arla didn't bother to stick around any longer for further questions. Everyone would just have to wait and see like herself. The tall woman walked past everyone seeking her attention as they spoke over each other. Arla made her way to the back room once again while the rest of the council members focused on calming down the public. They themselves were confused and doing their best with what they had. Nothing would be the same in the village because of this. It was a change no one was ready for.
Most of all, one Agatha was truly against. She sat at a slight distance away from her family and everybody else. She didn't want to deal with her parents nor her annoying sister. Their parents were currently upset with both of them. Aletta for being friends with a witch, yet they were still worrying about her. Are you okay, Aletta? Don't cry, Honey. We won't let anyone hurt you. It all made Agatha boil knowing her parents were upset with her with no sympathy. Why didn't they love her too? Then next thing she knows, you're getting the same treatment from the head of the council. You! The witch of all people!
Life wasn't fair...not one bit. Agatha tightly hugged her knees to her chest, quietly listening to the demon that hung heavily on her body. She won't let you get away with this.