The Heaven’s voice went silence. Luther gazed down at the Wrath sitting inside a rusty cage. After the chaos, Luther had the sinner locked inside. The cage meant only to lock up a faithless or lowlife criminal that could barely do any threats. Bells imbued of his own miracle prayer strung around the cage. He glanced at the broken sword laid on the table, snickering at the thought of those bells would be enough. Yet, she remained quiet and still.

  “We must make haste and return to Lovidel.”

  “With that sinner? We’ll be dead if we travel with that thing.” Vincent argued back to Hartwin.

  “So we just wait here. The people have been feeling unrest knowing that a sinner is in Resville. That unrest will only bring in more enemies.”

  “That sinner could kill us the moment we let our guards down. We can’t trust a sinner who just waltz into the cage without resisting. It could be a trap to bring her to Lovidel and bring chaos inside the heart of Lumina.“

  The two knights have been going on circle about the sinner. Hartwin was right on getting the sinner to Lumina for the Valor. Still, Vincent made it also clears the sinner’s presence only bring death closer on their side. Not to mention the bad blood going on with the sinners from yesterday.

  Luther shifted his attention to the map of Erdalia. A land of four kingdoms blessed by the grace of heaven; Endellion, Thezia, Lovidel, and Asteria. Kings and queens used to rule these lands. Now they are nothing but stories from the past. Great kingdoms turned into a deserted ruin of legends. Sinners conquered and destroyed everywhere they go. They left the stolen land barren as an intimidation to the helpless. At this ruined age, only two kingdoms of old remained standing.

  Luther traced the Resville to Ashendel. The closest town near the east shore. He took a paper, and a quill placed beside him. Luther knocked on the table to get the knights’ attention.

  Ashendel is where Luminary of Justice stays. Cael is there.

  “It will take at least a week to arrive in Ashendel if the heaven watched over our journey,” Hartwin said.

  We need to end the sinner as soon as we can.

  “The journey won’t be easy.”

  If I have to go alone so it’ll be my fate.

  Hartwin slammed his hands. “You will not carry the burden alone. Dying beside a sinner is the last thing we want to happen to you.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Luther turned his gaze to the broken sword. He failed to execute the sinner with his own hands. How can he possibly protect those around him with a sinner beside him? He wished to keep them out of a cruel fate. Then, the heaven’s will was another problem he hasn’t raised to them.

  This is a safer choice for everyone. Ashendel is where the Justice lives at the moment. It is his territory and there should be no normal citizens in the area. If the sinner revealed her treachery plan, she’ll have to deal with the one who can hang her head.

  Hartwin nodded after reading. “We just need to take a few men for the journey. Leave the younger ones behind. It’ll be faster and we won’t attract too many attentions. For the sinner, we’ll have to keep it inside the cage throughout the journey. Take turns in fortify a barrier to keep her presence unknown.”

  “The journey won’t be easy and this is Ashendel that we’re heading.“ Vincent chewed his fingernails.

  Brows furrowed and lifted as a piece of information dawned on Luther’s face. Ashendel is your home.

  “Yes, Ashendel has its history with the very sinner inside the cage now.“ Visible sweats formed around the young man.

  “Is it a right choice to bring the sinner to Ashendel?“ Hartwin asked Luther.

  It took him a moment to arrange his thoughts on the plan. He raised the quill and wrote.

  Prepare for the journey.

  Something slithered out to the window. He ran to where it disappear. His eyes immediately went to the sinner inside the cage. She was still sitting inside quietly. With no roof to protect her from the sun hung above her head, her pale skin sizzled. Yet, a smile cast over her face as she took an afternoon nap under the Heaven’s gaze. Knights frowned at her. Spears readied between the fragile iron gaps of the cage.

  # # #

  The shadow returned to her side. Ethel kept her eyes shut. The trembling spears knocked on the cage. She said she’ll keep her words without harming a soul, yet her words always fell on deaf ears. The sun screamed at her face, peeling her skin again and again as it kept regenerated. It would be a nightmare to let these knights witnessed her being cooked alive without dying.

  “You heard that,” she told the butterflies inside her shadow. “Ashendel.”

  A certain scarlet butterfly flickered at the bottom. The mentioned of that name reignited its faded flame.

  “How long has it been? A sin of both mortals and mine swept that once beautiful town. I even left a part of you there. A past buried together with my first joy and sorrow.”

  The knights gasped. A butterfly red as a blood emerged from the bridge of her nose. It had only one flaring wing on its right side. It opened its only wing to cover her eye. A flightless butterfly. An incomplete shadow.

  “What name did they give to that town again?”

  “Lamifel,” One-winged butterfly answered.

  “Even the past is coming back to bite me.”

  The Luminary or better known as Luther the Luminary of Voice, observed her from the window. His glare warned her. One-winged butterfly dispersed itself into embers. Ethel shut her eyes back. This time she’ll stayed quiet until death brings her back.