Levi clan part 3

The following morning, Joan and Yosef discretely made their way through the bustling streets of Baalos. They were trying to make their way to the harbor, to find a ship that would take them to the lakhmid land in the south.

They walked past the temple of Xerxes. Hundreds to thousands of people had gathered around the front of the temple, in front of an altar, to which the young kids from last night had been chained. 

Next to the altar stood the tall and muscular priest of Xerxes. He was draped in his red robe, which shimmered in the early morning sun, making the golden embroideries even more pronounced. A massive statue of Xerxes loomed in the background, casting a shadow on the altar below.

"All faithful of Xerxes," the priest's voice boomed, amplified by some magical device, "gather and bear witness to the fate of traitors and heretics!"

The crowd was a mixture of emotions. Some showed clear signs of fear, glancing around nervously. Others seemed to revel in the show of dominance by the followers of Xerxes. There were those, especially the elderly, who tried to hide their tears, probably remembering better days when Arslan was worshipped.

The defiant young Sassan who had spoken back the night before spat at the feet of the priest. "Your god is false! Arslan will paint the skies with Xerxes blood!"

The priest chuckled, looking around at the gathered crowd. "You see? Even now, bound and about to meet his fate, the heretic speaks against the one true god. This is the poison we must rid our city of!"

The crowd was forced to cheer as the soldiers and armed militiamen of the priest forced them to. 

"For let this be a warning to Arslan and all the scethians, that they will die, and we shall be the ones to either raise their children, or they shall die among them," the priest yelled once more. 

Joan and Yosef continued to weave their way through the streets, trying their best not to draw any attention. The chants and cheers in favor of Xerxes grew louder, echoing across the cityscape, a grim reminder of the ruthlessness that had overtaken Baalos.

"We need a way out, and fast," whispered Joan. "Every moment we spend here puts us in greater danger."

The execution of the kids began as Yosef and Joan tried to get out, but soon commotion started. A large hail of arrows from the top of the building showered the soldiers, militiamen, and citizens alike. The priest, with his massive muscles, easily took all the arrows, as they seemed to feel only like small pinches against his large and tough muscles. 

The crowd exploded into chaos and during it, a group of hooded individuals assaulted the militiamen, broke through, and untied the children. 

As the priest stared and saw what was going on, a hooded figure came at him with an axe and cleaved to his chest. It didn't penetrate far, and the priest's facial expression didn't even flinch. He then grabbed hold of the assailant from his face, and like an apple in a compressor, crushed his head. 

The hooded figure dropped lifelessly to the ground, a puddle of blood forming around him. The priest, even with the axe embedded into his chest, seemed unfazed. He pulled it out effortlessly and wielded it with a mocking grin.

Joan and Yosef ran away, trying to reach the harbor. The city erupted into chaos as people rushed out, as the majority didn't care of no god or gods. 

As they got to the harbor, they saw all the ships ablaze. 

"All ships? Seriously?!" Yosef shouted with a hint of exasperation, his voice straddling the line between anger and desperation.

~~

Joan and Yosef returned to the tavern of the eichi. 

The tavern was still intact but the patrons were a mess. Many had injuries; others were simply trying to process the sudden turn of events. The elderly Eichi, Thyen, was trying his best to tend to the injured and keep order.

"What happened?" Joan demanded as they approached Thyen.

The elderly Eichi sighed. "When Xerxes's men took to the square, many took it as an opportunity to loot and create havoc. The hooded figures you saw? They are part of the resistance against Xerxes. They have been working silently for years. But after the public execution announcement, they had to intervene."

Yosef slumped on a nearby stool, "So, it's not just religious tyranny. There's a full-blown rebellion underway."

Thyen nodded, "And it's escalating faster than anyone anticipated."

Joan gritted her teeth, "We need to get out of Baalos. But with the ships burned, what are our options?"

"Maybe coming here was a mistake. Maybe we should just walk south? Yosef said. 

As they conversed, an eichi ran to the tavern. He was injured and looked terrified. 

"Perizad is coming to the city! He is marching with two thousand of his kind from the south!" he yelled. 

Joan and Yosef were horrid. Their route to the lakhmid's realms had been cut. 

Thyen's eyes widened in shock. "Perizad? Here?"

The injured Eichi nodded, gasping for breath. "He just burnt down the city of Gis, as they had sworn themselves to Arslan. The god Perizad now intends to flush out all Arslan followers and rebels from the city."

The eichi were all worried, but the elder. He instead just clapped his hands, stood up, and said, "All right. We have been practicing for this. Send word out to all families. Our clan is moving away."

The eichi started to prepare. Messengers were sent and people rallied. 

"You are not of our clan, but we eichi take care of ourselves," the elderly person said, "You are welcome to leave with us."

"Leave?" Joan asked.

"We are the eichi. This is not the first time in our history our people have to have left their homes because of wars and persecution it brings," he answered.