Clarissa Beheads The Villainess

[28] Into The Fire

"27 dead..." Vixen adds to the growing number on a sheet of paper with shaky penmanship. Men outside prepare a fire, and Vixen watches another deceased body get dragged out of the dungeon.

Every second here feels awful to him. From the top of the spiral stairs leading to the now spitefully haunted place one can already hear the wailing of agony, nobles that have never felt such pain in their lives. And those that never imagined pain so wicked.

Every day he watches as their skin rot, wondering when he's next.

"I'm sorry for making you do this." The duke stands beside him, also watching the surreal horror. "I heard it's even worst in the capital's center. People are dying like flies."

"We need to leave the Golden kingdom, Orias. All of us."

"And go where? The Silver kingdom's Queen sees anyone who isn't her people as unsightly. The Bronze kingdom has shit stained streets."

"We will die here if we do nothing. The bronze kingdom is our best bet, King Bronze is generous."

"But is he generous enough to accept a group of foreigners possibly carrying a mysterious disease?"

The two turn their heads to the figure of the blue haired man walking down the spiral stairs with Clarissa and Katherine. Katherine trembled, eyes widening at the sight of every body that moved inhumanely like dying worms. "I didn't know it was this bad..."

She never dared to come down here and see the ill.

"Then what do you say we do, Astaroth?" The duke asks.

Astaroth's eyes narrow at the bodies, he appears reluctant to speak. "I think you know what I have in mind."

"Vixen won't agree to that."

"Look at them." His eyes shoot to Vixen. "They are in pain and we are letting them suffer for nothing. No kingdom will take us in, we are just risking our lives everyday, risking the lives of the others here."

"The Astaroth I once knew would never take the pathetic route." Vixen's face is filled with fury, holding back the urge to punch his comrade.

"Because that Astaroth didn't have anyone to care about as much as he does now. If you won't do it then I'm leaving the Golden Kingdom with Clarissa."

Clarissa looks at him with dull surprise, the most expression she's shown since the engagement party. Leave with Astaroth? But I'm not done with the Princess.

Those thoughts lingered. Maybe it is for the better that she moves on from her grudge, or at least set it aside for now. Slaying Freya is getting her nowhere.

"Wait a moment, calm down you two. No one is going to go their separate ways just yet. Katherine, love, what do you think we should do?"

"Burn them all..." She replies without hesitation, and the three men look at her in shock. Katherine, after seeing this today, knows she will be having nightmares of her own flesh rotting for the rest of her life. She winces at the sight of the ill vomit the color of coffee grounds.

"If my lady agrees so, then we shall."

"Orias think about what you're doing."

"Ask the rest of our people here, they will say the same. Leaders don't always get to be the good guys, Vixen." The duke looks almost annoyed. "None of us here want this to be our resolution."

"You can find another way."

"I order you to burn the ill. I will later inform everyone in the castle that none shall leave and none shall be allowed into my castle till this curse disappears from the Golden Kingdom."

"I refuse to burn them."

"Then I will just ask another man."

"You will have nightmares about them for all eternity."

"I most definitely will. We all will." All but Vixen leave the basement. The man is left to throw his fists at the wall, wishing he had the power to do more.

"Don't blame yourself." The only one who has the strength to converse among the ill, a young adolescent girl speaks. "My name is Effrey."

"Effrey. I'm sorry you had to listen to our conversation, I won't let you die, I promise."

She shakes her head. "It's ok. The others are going through unimaginable pain, I don't think they can even think anymore." Effrey pulls her sleeve up with one hand to reveal the entirety of her other arm rotting, spreading to her chest. "The pain from this alone makes it impossible for me to sleep, sometimes it feels like it'll just fall off. I can't imagine how the others feel."

"By tomorrow I'll be just like them." She continues while Vixen just listens with sorrow written all over his face. "Please don't be sad..."

Effrey tries to stand but winces in pain, she lies back in the makeshift bed that was just a cloth, dusty pillow and thin blanket.

"What's your favorite food Effrey? I can make it for you, I'm a good cook."

"Really? I like apple pie!"

"A classic." Vixen smiles back, his mood lifted. Instead of seeing a sick child, he sees a happy girl. A face he's been longing to see down in this hell hole. "Wait for me, I'll be back as soon as I can with your fresh out of the oven apple pie." He hurries up the stairs and into the kitchen to prepare Effrey's special pie.

---

Three hours pass, the sun is beginning to set and the apple pie is ready. The smell carried down to the basement as he approached, excited to see the look on her face.

But Effrey is no longer there. Thinking too much about the pie, he doesn't notice the absence of groans until he's reached the floor. No one in sight. "So soon!?"

Vixen runs to the courtyard, still careful not to drop the pie. There, he finds a large fire. Almost everyone from the castle stood still, some crying, some shaking. Vixen could clearly hear Effrey's screams.

He drops the pie and attempts to run into the fire to look for her, quickly tackled to the ground by concerned men.

"Vixen what are you doing!?"

"Why did you throw her into the fire!? She could still talk! She could still move! She was still happy... I was going to give her a pie while she could still eat." He starts to cry, struggling even harder to get out of their hold. "Effrey!"

He swore just then, that he heard her thanking him for the pie. And he never heard her screams again. Except for when he slept.