Sorcerer

In the middle of the square is a man, a frail-looking one, tied into some sort of a wooden pole. Both his arms and legs were bound. Surrounding him were chopped woods and straws — ready to be lit on fire.

"Burn him!"

"Kill him! He does not deserve to live," some of the people watching shouted.

The man seemed to be saying something but it was drowned by the cries of the people.

I looked around me — a little confused about what the heck was happening. Well, clearly there was a man about to be burned alive in front of me no doubt about that. But why? Why isn't there anyone concerned at all? If anything, they were looking forward to this poor man being burned alive. As though this type of thing happens all the time.

I searched and searched, but nothing. There was only excitement, anger, disgust, and repulsion. Why? This was totally different from what I thought they were.

There's Mr. Mason who would always greet me whenever he sees me. My impression of him was that of a happy-go-lucky guy next door. But what the heck? From what I am seeing now, he has got this maniacal look on his face mixed with some anger. Totally different from the guy I always see drinking by the store near the apartment.

There's also Madam Helen, a mother of eight who also happened to live near the apartment. I often see her gossiping first thing in the morning along with the other women in the neighborhood. I never liked her, not even a little. The way she would crane her almost non-existent neck spying on her neighbors just doesn't sit right with me. But now it's too much. I'm afraid I might never see them the same way after witnessing this.

I returned my gaze to the man in front — doing a puny attempt to free himself.

"I'm innocent," he cried at the top of his lungs. Some veins can be seen protruding at the side of his neck.

"Silence!" shouts the man who just walked in. He was wearing a dark robe over a white shirt. On his left chest was an embroidered logo of the Lumor Kingdom. The Lumorian eagle wearing a crown displaying its talons. Following him was a burly man, not too tall, holding a torch.

"But I told you, I'm innocent!"

"Be silent, you minion of the evil one." The crowd simultaneously gasped as soon as he mentioned the words 'evil one'. "You were caught in the act doing sorcery. You're clearly planning something wicked in the city. Now confess at once, what was it? What was it that you're planning to do?"

"Like I told you, I'm innocent!" The man protested. His voice was now coarse from all the shouting.

"Enough! The more you deny it, the more you're proving yourself guilty. You're caught in the act, there's no denying that. There were also a lot of witnesses. Now is the time for you to confess. Who are you in cahoots with? Depending on your answer, your death might be less painful."

"THERE'S NO ONE! An—"

"So you admit you're indeed a minion of the evil one and is acting alone."

"That's not true!"

"Silence!"

Murmurs started to erupt from the crowd. Some are starting to doubt if the man in question was indeed a minion of the evil one or was just poorly accused.

Some were speculating what might have become of the city had the man wasn't caught. But amongst all that, there was one thing the majority wanted — to burn him.

While all that was happening, I was racking my brain. The man was so familiar. I am certain that I have seen him somewhere. But where was it? And then it hit me. The frail-looking man puking at the corner at the Hankala Inn last night.

"Burn him."

The people roared as soon as he said that.

"Let him speak, good sir." But it soon died down when a deep voice suddenly emerges from the crowd. A man wearing a dark cloak slowly walked towards the front. His hood was pulled over his head that we cannot make up what he looked like. But his lanky figure was evident even under the oversize cloak.

"Who are you and why do you interrupt the punishment of this sorcerer?"

"But he said he was not."

"You're clearly not listening. He was caught in the act. That's all the evidence we needed."

"But are you sure you weren't mistaken? Are you certain that what he was doing at that moment was indeed an act of sorcery?" he reasoned out.

"Foolish! What do you think of us? Unless... you're an accomplice." The man wearing the dark robe said in a suspecting tone.

"There's only one way to find out. Everyone, seize him!" he ordered.

But the next moment that we went to look at the hooded man, he was gone.