Chapter 62: Witch Trial II

On one side, holding on to shields and weapons made of silver, on the other, people clad in dark blue robes and lightly dressed with no weapons in hand. Yet, with a flick of a finger and few spells, the rage of earth, water, fire, wind, spirits, and other absurd spells came flying at them. However, all those became useless under the strength of impure silver used for their weaponry. I was standing in a daze at the drastic change of scenery, I was then pushed aside and was late to realize an attack coming from behind me.           
             "Count yourself lucky that the plan still went well this time!" Merinda scolded me briefly, before she went off to fend off a pair of guards. "Thanks" I said on reflex. I looked around the chaos, somehow feeling exasperated knowing that we probably have all the church and government forces of the town mobilized here. We're attracting way too much attention.
            That was when I realized what the 'critical part' of this plan Merlin had mentioned before was.
            Could it be, we're here as a distraction while the other group tried freeing the sorcerers imprisoned here?
            As if on cue, a massive bang took our attention away, as an explosion had cleared half the building away. Just what happened, how much mana does someone need to get that much destructive power? The owl who watched over from afar before began to fly down toward us, it made a loud hoot before it changed into a human, before my very eyes,. "I think you look cuter as an owl." I said to Merlin. He laughed at my sarcasm, "I'm glad you like my other form, though it still reminds me to get angry at you, once this is finished for acting out on your own at that time."
            "Hey, I still haven't decided to join you, so technically I'm not obliged to follow your orders."
             "Yet that is." he said. Merlin then faced toward the archbishop, he had been on his butt, looking pale from disbelief at the riot caused by so many witches appearing in town. Merlin walked leisurely toward him, everyone was so preoccupied with their own fight that even as they fought chaotically, Merlin was able to walk through them as if they never existed on his path. The Archbishop began to tremble and couldn't properly get up as he dragged himself off the stage. He could have run away sooner, but he was too afraid to look away from Merlin. He felt if he did, he would be dead without himself noticing.
            "Guards, anyone, seize that man!" his words went unnoticed, the fight between the town's people and the witches had taken their attention, unable to look away for anything else. As the Archbishop spat a few curse words, Merlin had stood just an inch away from him. The Archbishop began to empathize the feeling of a frog being trapped by the gaze of a snake preying on him. "You...you Demons! How dare you enter this city and cause havoc here, God will pay you back for your sin!"
            Merlin couldn't help but chuckle at his words knowing his life was on a thin line, "You know, funny thing is, and even as you announce us heretics who denounce God, most sorcerers are actually more religious than you think. They may have a different belief, but just like you, they believe in the existence of beings more powerful than any other and that they are watching over all of us."
            "However, I for one, do not believe in God. If you, an Archbishop, thinks that God is all righteous and loves his followers, then don't you think you wouldn't need to worry if you die? Because I'm sure God will place you close to Him" Merlin bit his finger and as he outstretched his hand, his blood sword began to form. The Archbishop screamed but his voice died in the cry of fights around him.
             "Goodbye, Archbishop Kronberg"
               As Merlin was about to deal the fatal blow, someone jumped to his side and pulled him away from the spot. He acted instinctively and changed the direction of his blow to his side.  The blow was dodged, leaving his sword struck through the wooden stage. "What are you getting in my way for Claudia?"
             Merlin looks at me, unpleased with my actions.
            "You should be thanking me instead." I pointed at the arrow that was stuck between the Archbishop's feet. Cold sweat dropped from all three of us. I glared at the spot where I sensed the sniper was and use a spell that threw the pebbles used by the angry mob before, in a speed comparable to a bullet. Just as I suspected, he was hiding in one of the tower like building next to the court building. I aimed just above him so he would back off as the window collapsed. "You should be more wary, he is the archbishop, and do you think he would go completely unguarded even with your friends keeping the other soldiers busy."
           The Archbishop stood up in daze, but then put up a smug look knowing he had someone to protect him. He began to laugh even more when a man in armor came up to his side. He was wearing a full body armor, he had the shield with Mainz insignia on one hand and a spear at the other. Worst thing about him was, it's all made of silver.
            Not pure silver though, that would be a waste, they're mixed with other metals so even though it may have sounded unimpressive. It was actually harder to deal with materials made of mixed metals that included silver in it. Silver itself could become a great strength for sorcerers because of the high amount of mana it contained, but impure silver actually makes it harder for sorcerers to use and instead disturbed the mana flow around it.
            "Don't let your guard down, I'm sure he has other comrades, but seeing how he isn't worried despite only having one bodyguard coming for him means he has the strength to back up his confidence."
             "So it seems, isn't that interesting?" Merlin brandished his sword, the red blade gave him an ominous feeling as he backed it up with a penetrating look from his eyes that observed every muscle of his opponent. The guard must have felt the pressure as he changed his stance, ready to strike with his spear. "Listen Claudia," whispered Merlin, "on my signal, you will do as I say."
            Seeing the seriousness of the situation, I gulped down nervously and nodded at his words. "Good, then get ready" I channeled my mana throughout my body, ready to utter any spell as fast as I could to support him. "Get set" me and Merlin began to have a staring contest with the armored man, our time felt slower as the tension rose from each other’s slight movements which could trigger one of us to act. I prepared my heart for the signal as I waited, time felt so long that my finger started to itch. Finally, Merlin call out his signal in a voice that everyone could hear.
            "RETREAT!"
            The mana I prepared flowed uncontrollably, that a messed up spell came out, exploding the whole stage along and pushing me and Merlin away from it. I looked at him with disbelief, he raised all that tension and his making us retreat! Can't you try making the mood right for that?
            In the end, each of us triggered the bracelet that took us to each our escape point. I did the same. I did the same but I looked back at the woman being tied to the stake with her husband at his side, wiping away her tears and untying the ropes. Then, that same armor guard came toward them, he went up from the side and just when I was strike by a bad feeling, he lifted his spear aiming at the woman.
            "Claudia, what are you-" Merlin couldn't finish his words because just as he activates his bracelet and saw me running back as he was teleported. I wasn't thinking straight when I ran toward their side. I knew I wouldn't make it just by running so with the hopes of making it in time, I took whatever tools I had with me, put some mana into it, and threw it as hard as I can.
             The 'tool' I threw turned out to be my broom, it was enlarged because of the mana it had absorbed and it hit the side of the sword, and had accidentally cut away the rope that tied the woman's hand. I felt it was a stupid thing to do that I threw one of my escaping tools away but I couldn't think much at the moment. "What are you doing? You should know by now she's not a witch, she's just brainwash so she's innocent!" exclaimed the mayor as he put the woman in his arm, comforting her. Behind his armor mask, the man spoke to him, "Her mind has been contaminated with the witch's spell, who knows what she might do in the future and there's no telling that the spell has wear off. For the crime of getting tangled with witchcraft she will be executed." Again he tried lifting his spear at her. The sight of the spear about to take an innocent life in front of me drew out memories, the past yet painful memories that I didn't want to happen again.
             "I WON'T LET YOU!"I screamed out, and succumbed to my own emotion, I didn't care what I had to do. A few of the guards took action knowing I was the only witch left in this place, I started to put a wall between me and the couple. Rather than stopping me, I stole one of the guard's sword and jumped high and far enough for me to go between them and parry the guard's attack. "....impressive, not only could you parry my attacks, but you have the skill as well." he softly said under his breath. We back away for a few steps, our weapons still pointed at each other. "She's not a witch, nor is she being brainwash, she's just force to lie so she could escape from being tortured by that man!" I pointed toward the Archbishop with a blatant disgust when I did. The guard was silent, she thought he had made him hesitate, but instead he responded, "Why are you stating the obvious?"
            "Huh, you knew...she's not a witch?"
            "If she was then she would be chained rather than being tied up."
            I was unsure what to say, he knew...they all knew...yet they kept torturing the innocent until they confessed to being a witch, making them up as monsters as you people laugh and trample on us! My sword was clenched tighter, while things became worse, as I was surrounded from near and far by the guards. I have no intention of backing away, not when my blood boils for them. "You think you could play with other people's lives, I'll make you suffer how they have!"
             "Try it if you can little girl, your powers are useless against us, and you're outnumbered!"
             A smirk came across my face as he said that, you don't know what I'm capable of.