Chapter 3 Aurelia’s Death

"I knew they're pilfering will get them in trouble one of these days."

"They should've just died like the rest of the others who were abandoned at birth. Why did they have to struggle so hard to survive only to end up like this?"

"The white haired girl has always creeped me out. I'm glad she has finally done something to warrant the warriors taking her."

"I heard she doesn't have a wolf yet and she's almost 18."

"It's clear she's a witch. Only people like that have eyes and hair like that. Goodness, I just got goosebumps because she looked at me!"

"I sell some very cleansing soaps. It'd cleanse out whatever spell that witch put on you with her gaze."

"How many coins is it? Sell to me."

"And me."

The crowd conversed amongst each other for a while then went back to doing their business like two teenage girls weren't being forcefully dragged out, mouths covered to muffle their screams.

It was still early in the morning and most people who walked past them on the street were either in a hurry to get to the market or too tired to pay any attention to them.

Three minutes later, the girls were shoved to the ground near the edge of a high cliff. The highest cliff in the territory.

Aurelia's body trembled from the cold then she quickly crawled to Lydia, hugging her tightly to herself.

Almost immediately, her hindsight caught a familiar blue tunic walking towards them.

The councilman looked over the cliff and clicked his tongue.

"No one who has ever fallen from this cliff survived it. Why? The cliff is not just a long way down, but directly under it is a rock in the shape of a pyramid."

"And this pyramid has a pointed tip. A sharp tip that never fails to pierce through anything that falls on it."

He took a step closer to the edge again and inhaled loudly, going silent for a few seconds before he glanced at the scared girls.

"The drop is actually so far down you can't even see the ground."

"My lord, a low born like me wouldn't dare to tell anyone a word I heard yesterday." Aurelia cried out, tears streaming down her face.

The councilman glanced ahead of him distractedly.

"So you did hear something."

Still clinging tightly to Lydia, Aurelia continued begging amidst sobs, "I promise on my life that I won't tell a soul a word I heard last night. Just let my friend and I go."

The councilman immediately laughed, turning to them properly.

"Oh, such a loyal friend. Too bad your friend isn't as loyal. All I did was offer her a hundred coins and she came up with the plan on how to catch you."

"What?" Aurelia froze, suddenly realizing she was the only one hugging Lydia.

Lydia immediately pushed her away, got on her feet and looked down at her without an iota of remorse.

"What should I have done, Aurelia? Look at them. Do you think they would've let me off if I didn't give you up?"

Aurelia's heart broke, unable to believe her ears.

"Lydia, we've been friends ever since we learnt how to talk."

Lydia scoffed, "Then you'd understand why I did it."

Aurelia forced out a bitter smile, "But I don't understand."

Lydia walked to stand beside the councilman, Aurelia's eyes following her as she continued speaking without any remorse.

"We've been friends for so long we've lived our life minding our business and wondering when we'll ever have enough to get anything we want."

"This councilman offered me a hundred coins and a job in the alpha's residence. Surely you know how big that is for someone of my background."

Aurelia's voice cracked, "Still, you sold me out."

Lydia's nose flared and she yelled angrily, "That is not the point! I'm not the one who went around listening to other people's conversations. I didn't do this to you. You did this to yourself."

Aurelia's eyes trembled at the betrayal.

"But how could you? Out of the hundreds of abandoned children, we're the few who made it to this age. And we did that by sticking together. I took you as my sister so how could you betray me!"

Lydia's eyes reddened in righteous indignation as she yelled back, "We've known each other for so long you should understand why I did this!"

"You got yourself into trouble and were going to die anyway. As someone you took to be your sister, don't you think it's only right that I benefit from your death?"

"You're going to die anywhere. So stop screaming and be happy that one of us gets to live!"

Aurelia's heart shattered even more.

This person… was this person her Lydia? The same Lydia who she went everywhere with and overcame obstacles with?

"Lydia, how could you…" She was about to say when the councilman smacked his lips impatiently, nudging his head at the warrior who quickly dragged her up.

"Enough of the talking, your voices are starting to irritate my ears. Your one and only friend has left you. Even if I were to listen to you and forgive you, how will you survive out there?"

"You heard those at the market square. They're all scared of you. I don't even blame them."

"There indeed is something about you that's making me uneasy. Maybe it's the eyes which seems to be changing colors."

"You also have no wolf and the first person I've ever seen with a white hair. Simply put, you're utterly useless."

"There's no need to keep you around. I wonder how your friend managed to stay with you for so long."

"Now then, consider this a gift from the moon goddess. She has looked down on you and seen your struggle all these years. So close your eyes and this will be all over before you know it."

"No! Wait! Spare me, my lord! Please spare…arghhh!" Aurelia's pleading was cut short by a frightened scream as the warriors hauled her off the cliff.

Seconds later, they stopped hearing her scream.

The councilman strolled to the edge of the cliff and waited, his eyes pinned down.

"What just happened here?"

Lydia's eyes shook slightly, "What? I mean, Aurelia just…"

"Aurelia? Who is that?" He interrupted, turning his attention to the warriors. "I've heard of a lot of names, but I've never heard of that. Have you?"

"No, my lord."

"Not at all."

"This is my first time hearing it."

The man turned his eyes to Lydia.

"What did Aurelia do?"

She clenched her jaw tightly as she responded, "I don't anyone by that name."