Maria Selwyn woke up suddenly, her eyes shooting up as she brutally left the merciful blackness that was a dreamless sleep.
She reached for the box of matches next to her, and, her hands shaking, lit a match. The tiny, insignificant light born at the tip of the match reassured her. A small, timid smile crept on her face as she remembered the brightest moments of her life; her time within the ranks of the order of the Benevolent Heart, the pride she felt when she saw peace and order being brought back to a once troubled estate by the Sisters of Silence.
She was taken out of her fond memories as the flame from the match reached her fingertips. She cursed as she dropped the match and crushed it under her large boot. Picking up another match, she lit it, before proceeding to light the uncountable candles present in her room, changing the matches when they were consumed entirely.
Once she was done, the Vestal turned to the person sleeping in her bed. The dim light provided by the candles shimmered on the woman's short, red hairs. Approaching the sleeping Hellion, Maria turned her head lightly to see her face. Courcy whimpered in her sleep, hugging a pillow for comfort.
A day ago...
"There she is! Purge the unclean!"
Courcy felt an invisible hand grasp her heart as the ridiculous hope of escaping she held in herself fade in an instant as she reached a Y-shaped intersection; from behind her, the supplications of the infuriated mob of townfolks let her imagine the fate she would suffer if they managed to get their hands on her; one of the paths offered to her, who seemed to get to less inhabited places of the Hamlet, was blocked by a Crusader, the one who shouted, pointing a gauntled finger at her, holding his sword in the other hand. She turned to the dark alley, her last option, only to see a Bounty Hunter emerge from there.
Truly, she was dead already. A grim knowledge that hit her like a violent wave; she would die here. But she was determined not to go out without a fight. The Hellion tightened her grip on her glaive and clenched her teeth, as her end approached, unavoidable.
Or so she thought.
A flash of light blinded her along with the Crusader, the Bounty Hunter, and the upcoming crowd. Screams of hatred and bloodthirst changed into confusion, panick, and fear. Nobody could see were they were going, pushing each other around without knowing where they stood. The Crusader shouted at the "dirty peasants" to get away from his "holy person" and let him continue his "sacred duty". His threats and curses fell on deaf ears, as the horde of townfolks was scared, foncused, deorganized. The constant flow of this tide of flesh unknowingly carried the Crusader away from his prey, and anniliathed the Bounty Hunter's opportunity to strike Courcy, as he was the less affected by the sudden flash of light; he was stepped on by the tide of confused flesh, crushed by the pressure of a hundred feet.
The Hellion then felt someone grab her. Her first reaction was to thrash around wildly, swinging her blade. The person holding her did not let her go; pulling her in an unknown direction, apparently away from the terror of the crowd. The person that held her, even if she had to maintain a firm grip on her to prevent the storming tide of the Hamlet's inhabitants to pull them apart, was aparently trying to be as gentle as possible. Courcy could barely walk; she was exhausted.
She did not realize she fell unconscious until she woke up in a warm bed. Her eyes suddenly shot open, and her first reaction was to panick. Where was she? What happenned? The redhead tried to move into a sitting position, but as she was about to do so, an agonizing pain engulfed her leg, making her cry out in pain. It felt like her flesh had been punctured violently.
When the pain finally settled down a few minutes later, the adventurer took a peek at her injured limb, still panting from the terrible feeling of agony. Her leg was bandaged and locked in a splint. It wasn't hard to understand what happenned; the Bounty Hunter probably hit her with his hook before the crowd overwhelmed them, but in the adrenaline of the moment, she did not felt it. Looking around the room, she noticed the place did not have any window, and was filled with candles, along with a couple paintings, and some medical supplies.
It took her a moment to realise that the room was inhabited; what she thought was a statue of some sort of saint was in fact a young woman, dressed like a Vestal, apparently scared by her outburst of pain. Her features, barely visible due to the hood she wore and the dim light the room was basking in, seemed soft, even through her face showed a few minor cuts.
After a moment of awkward silence, the servant of the Light spoke up.
"How are you feeling, Courcy?"
For her, answering that question was tricky. Her mind and body were still numb, and the Vestal might use that to question her without as much resistance as if she was in a more healthy condition. Ever-alert Courcy frowned, but answered none the less.
"I'm feeling like total shit. Who the hell are you, and why am I here? What happenned?"
The other woman threw her hood back, revealing herself completely; she had glimmering blue eyes, long, blonde hair, and an angelic face, even if she had been mark by the violence of this place; a vertical scar ran up from her forehead to the beginning of her cheek, and a few cuts were visible here and there.
"It's me, Courcy. Maria. I used to be a sister hospitaller when we first met, if that's what confuses you. But I embrace the path of the Vestal."
The Helion felt sorrow crushing her as she remembered. Yes, she knew the shy and gentle girl... she met her right before going in the dungeon where Baignard died.
The thought of her lost love made her want to cry and wrap herself in foetal position. But as she started to move, she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Looking up at Maria, she read... compassion, and sympathy. She understood. As much as she wanted to shove her away, and tell her to leave, she appreciated the help this Vestal was giving her. It also hit her, how the look in her eyes changed; she could stil read gentleness, feel like that girl was caring, but she also felt like the horrors of the Darkest Estate finally claimed her innocence.
"Why did you save me?" repeaded Courcy as she laid back against the pillow.
The Vestal blushed slightly at the comment, and, to the Hellion's surprise, smiled lightly. "Because I can help you, Courcy..."