DISGUISE AND DOOM

"Let go of me!" Mohieazttha's voice broke through the cacophony of Nyeren's and Leomere's screams.

Despite being in that irreversible state. Joz could tell it was her. MOHIEAZTTHA. Her voice is one he could recognize even on his death bed. YES! Just like dark brown velvet.

Her voice had pain and anguish in it but yet the sweetest voice he had ever heard.

Joz immediately released Parele and let him fall hard to the ground. He shook his head vigorously to fully come out of that state. Then rushed out eager to see what was happening outside. Lustros followed suit.

"This man before you is a traitor!" Hogalbar spat out pointing at mohieazttha who was locked up in chains like a prisoner.

Joz looked at the poor girl felt sorry for her.

"She was probably caught in an attempt to escape."

The royal camp's atmosphere was filled with murmurs from the confused men.

"Silence!" Hogalbar yelled. "This lowlife creature standing before you is a woman disguised as a man."

The men gasped looking at each other in shock.

"She was sent by clippers pond to become one of us and ruin us from within! This is TREASON. Clippers pond is asking for war!!"

"Kill her!"

"She's a witch!"

"Burn her alive!"

"Feed her to the dogs!"

Mohieazttha wished the ground would open up and swallow her. She wished she turned to dust or just vaporise. She was suffocating, she looked at everyone of them with anger and hatred - looking from one face to another and just wishing she would disappear.

Regret filled her mind.

She missed her mother and father. She missed her dog "izttha." She missed her beloved brother chi - her heart yearned for him.

Thoughts of chi flooded her mind and she smiled. She no longer had regrets. All she ever did was for him and no one else.

The guards cleared the way for Zagaroth. He looked down at mohieazttha with disgust written on his face.

"Rip the beard off this horrible woman's face! And take that headress off!!" He ordered.

Her eyes widened.

Two guards mercilessly ripped the beard off.

It sting! Mohieazttha shut her eyes in pain. Greovoir ivy was a very strong glue. Her headress was removed.

Her pretty face turned red.

Mohieazttha had a bubbly rough outlook, but her glossy skin clearly showed she was from an elegant family. Her thick curly hair tumbled down her back. Her head was so full that the men wondered how all that managed to fit in one headress. She blinked her large almond shaped eyes. They had some sparkle in them. Her thick eyebrows was the icing on the cake.

The men fed their eyes on her beauty for a while.

"Poor thing...what a waste." A sigh slipped through Zagaroth's lips.

"You have committed a treacherous sin. You shall now bear it's consequences. Her crime is equivalent to conspiring against the king. Here is your punishment." Zagaroth opened his palm and hogalbar placed a scroll in it.

"Mohieazttha daughter of Elias." He read. "You have committed treason against the kingdom. You're hereby sentenced to - YO 'OUE YU'AI.(YHÀKADÉI DIALECT).

Some of the men's eyes widened with fright. They actually felt bad for her - YES all of them. Including those that referred to her as a witch. While others kept asking what the word meant. Obviously those that weren't from YHÀKADÉI.

Parele arrived at the scene with no physical scratch or flaw. After all, he was a gibber. A unique one at that. He had really started mastering his healing powers. Parele could conjure magic spells that hasten wound healing so much that to an hour or two. But it only worked for small cuts and scratches, and sometimes it didn't work at all. He had to resort to his mystical herbs to get the work done.

Parele, Leomere and Nyeren arrived at the heat of the action. The word Zagaroth mentioned was unknown to them too

Zagaroth gave the scroll to hogalbar. "Interpret."

After which he left with some royal guards.

"This traitor..." Hogalbar began. "YO 'OUE YU'AI - She will be locked up in the dungeon for three days - offered nothing but torture and warm water. Beheaded in front of the commoners on the fourth and her body fed to the castle dogs on the fifth!"

Mohieazttha froze - she was in another world, completely withdrawn from reality. She couldn't feel her spine. Mohieazttha stopped reacting. Either she didn't believe her ears or she just gave up on life.

She couldn't stand on her feet, the guards beside her had to give her support.

The atmosphere was dead silent. The men stood with eyes wide open, too afraid to say a word.

That was too much, if they wanted her dead why go through the long process?

The contestants wondered if it was all just Zagaroth's schemes? Or an order from the king.

At times the commoners wondered if the king was just a puppet with Zagaroth pulling the strings or did their humble king have a change of heart?? Everything good died along with queen Roselle.

Having innocent men face trollins was one thing but this...too far

"Lock her up in the dungeon!" Hogalbar ordered.

"The contest will resume after the five days treatment."

Joz's heart sunk. Fangs were known to be heartless but his heart actually broke for her. He felt a mixture of sadness and guilt. He didn't like what he was feeling. He had the same feeling that day - The day he betrayed chi. Joz wanted it to stop so badly. He hated the fact that he wasn't like the other fangs. He had no place in the world - too soft to be a red hair and too cruel to fit in with the rest of the people...

Later that day, Joz's mind was flooded with thoughts of mohieazttha and chi. He felt bad for them.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Leomere.

"Are you having thoughts of the accused?" He asked. Joz nodded.

Leomere sighed. "I don't think the king knows about all this."

"He doesn't...he doesn't..."