Deliver Me Safely - Chapter One

A girl is accused of witchcraft, and a traveler by the name of Leon is determined to prove her innocence.

Deliver Me Safely

Chapter One

 

 

      Europe, 1345

      The Plague; a blight upon the Earth. A curse that killed everything in which flows the breath of life. Two years and a season had passed since the disease had arrived in Europe, starting in Sicily. Mysteriously it had spread to nearly every inch of Europe, killing millions, leaving once-crammed villages dead and desolate. There was no cure. Every day, hundreds laid on their deathbeds. In only a year half of France laid in a grave. In desperation the people began repenting; begging God for the plague’s ending. But it did not end. Villagers began rioting, and demanded the Church find a way to end the suffering. In response a girl was found near La Mans, imprisoned and charged with witchcraft. The girl was detached to reality, always staring into space inside her cell. She had confessed to a priest that she indeed brought the pestilence to Europe. And it was the Church’s plan to deliver her to a monastery away from the village, where monks would destroy her dark magic and end the plague.

 

      Laval, France, 1345

      Laval, a once green town, full of trees and flowers, is now a dark city. The Plague has swept through this city, as well as every other city it had touched.

      A man gets off his horse and ties the reins to a wooden post. He wears long, brown hair and pale-green eyes. The bottom half of his face is covered by a veil, to prevent from drawing in the toxic air. His name is Leon de Mace, and he is a young traveler. He had left his home in Paris for many reasons, but mostly so he could find different ways of living, different cultures other than his own. But seeing the villages stricken by the Plague made him question whether it had been wise to leave home. He looks around; in front of him is a narrow street with beggars on their knees and dead bodies being carried out of the city. Above there are lined slots on top of buildings where villagers are screaming, crying for help. He walks on. A voice stops him.

      “You are a brave soul to arrive here, stranger.”

      Leon looks to his right to find a man not much older than himself, with blonde hair and blue eyes, with a serious expression.

      “What happened here?” Leon asks.

      “The Black Death,” the blonde replies. “For two years it has taken many lives. It is merciless, slaying every man, woman, and child.”

      “How many have died?”

      “As many as three in four.”

Leon’s eyes widened.

      “And there is no cure?” he questions.

      “None. Even the greatest of doctors cannot formulate a solution.”

      Leon stands there, speechless. Suddenly the piercing voices of the villagers sound louder. He clenches his fists. The blonde senses his fear.

      “This Plague is a curse from Hell,” he tells Leon.

Leon looks at him, confused. He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out of it.

      “It has been created by La Sorcière Noire, the Black Witch,” the blonde continues. “She wants to destroy all mankind. She has confessed to it.”

      Leon squints his eyes as he takes in the information. A witch has brought such a terrible virus? It surely makes sense to him. He nods to the blonde man and goes on his way. He has an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He tries to keep his mind on other things, but the mental image of death crawls back again. There is picture of a girl wearing a long, black dress, her hair reaching the ground, standing in front of a burning cross. She is laughing maniacally. Around her are tens, perhaps hundreds of rotting corpses at her feet. A chill runs down his spine. There is something he feels he cannot leave undone; he must talk to the Cardinal of this city. He has to know who this “Black Witch” is.

 

      It didn’t take him long to find the front gate of the Church. A guard is standing in position at the door.

      “Who are you?” the guard asks.

      “My name is Leon de Mace,” he answers. “I must speak with the Cardinal.”

       “You cannot. The Cardinal is-” but the guard was cut off by a new voice.

       “Let him enter.”

      Leon looks to the direction of the voice and sees a man, whom he assumes to be a priest, walking their direction. The priest motions to the guard, and he steps aside.

      “The Cardinal is in here. Come.” The priest says. Leon follows him into a long hallway. Another large door opens at the end of the hall, which leads them into a grand chamber. A tall man sits in a golden cathedra.

      “Who is this man that comes with you, Etienne?” the man asks.

      “Your eminence, this man would like to speak with you,” The priest says and stands back to let Leon come forward.

      “What do they call you?” the Cardinal questions.

      “Leon de Mace,” He says quickly. “I have gotten word that a witch was found. One who has conjured up the plague.”

      “Ah, yes, the girl is imprisoned here in the Church. She is awaiting her trial.”

      “Trial?”

      “She is to be taken to a monastery outside this city, Bonarame. There are monks there who will destroy the witch’s magic and bring an end to this epidemic.”

Leon lies in thought again.

      “You have something to say?” the Cardinal utters.

Leon takes a deep breath.

      “Yes. I would like to offer my services to you,” he puts forth. “I wish to deliver the girl to Bonarame.”

The room goes silent. The Cardinal studies Leon intently. He ponders the idea of Leon delivering the witch.

      “What do you have to offer?” the Cardinal says at last.

      “Not much. At most my strength and my word.”

      “Can you wield a sword?”

      “I’ve been taught, yes.”

Another moment of silence. Then the Cardinal nods.

      “Very well, Leon de Mace. You will deliver the witch,” Then he turns to Etienne.

      “Etienne, my most loyal priest, will join you. Also, one of my soldiers, Valere, will assist you if it is needed. Where is Valere?”

A bearded man steps forward.

      “Here, you eminence.”

      “Perfect.”

Leon nods to himself.

      “I will prepare to leave tomorrow at noontime. But first, is it acceptable if I see the witch?”

The Cardinal bobs his head, and motions to Etienne. Etienne heads for the door, Valere following after him.

      “Come with me.” Etienne proclaims.

      Leon shows a faint sign of nervousness as he is lead down a flight of stairs to the dungeon. The room is barely lit by a few torch lights. Etienne pauses next to the first cell. Leon peers in. A girl is lying on the ground, asleep. She wears a ragged dress that seems to be too small for her. Her long hair is littered all over the ground. Leon studies her.

      “This is the Black Witch?” he asks, somewhat doubtful.

      “Oui, yes,” Etienne replies.

      Then the girl sits up. She is facing the wall in front of her. Leon makes a noise to catch her attention. She whips around to face him. Her eyes are fearful and sad. A trail of tears runs down her cheeks. She backs away, but the shackle on her ankle prevents her from going very far. Etienne glares at the girl. She hugs her legs. Leon glances at Valere, then at Etienne. He doesn’t seem to understand something.

      “This girl cannot be a witch,” he says. “She is but a mere peasant, look at her. She’s dressed in rags.”

      “Do not let her appearance deceive you,” Etienne asserts.

       “She has already confessed that she is one,” Valere adds.

       Leon isn’t convinced at all. Words aren’t always the truth. As he knew it, the Church was highly persuasive; the girl probably had no choice but to confess to witchcraft. The girl stares at Leon. She leans forward, as if she means to speak. Her lips move, seemingly incoherent to Valere and Etienne, but Leon recognizes she is trying to tell him something. He reads her lips carefully.

       “He is evil.”

Leon turns away.

      He? Who is evil? Leon wonders to himself.

Again, he glances at Etienne.

      The priest? He asks his conscience.

    “I’ve seen enough.” he says out loud.

      Before leaving, Leon takes one last look at the girl. She glances down at the ground. He watches as she reaches her hand up to her face, and to him it seems she is wiping her tears away. His gaze softens, sympathetically.

 

      The three make it back to the outside.

      “I have to prepare,” Valere says to Leon. “I will be waiting for you tomorrow.”

With that, he left for another hallway.

      “Let me show you to your room,” Etienne declares, starting into a room.

      Leon tags after the priest. There is a bed in the middle of the room, neatly made up. Two square windows stand at the top of the walls, opposite to each other. Wooden cabinets line the sides of the room. Leon looks around.

“We hope this will suffice,” Etienne calls behind him.

“Yes,” Leon replies.

      Then Etienne quietly leaves the room. There are a few bureaus and chairs scattered around. Two windows line the east and west walls. He inspects the bed, throws back the sheets. He analyzes the light outside; the blue sky was turning an orange-pink. With a sigh, he gets in the bed. He stares up at the ceiling. The thought of the girl fills his mind. There was no possible way that this peasant girl can be a witch, nonetheless the one responsible of bringing the plague. He had seen her eyes, they had been scared. And she had been weeping. She had even told him that someone was evil. Someone so pitiful surely couldn’t harm a soul. But something else strikes his thoughts; never in his life had he seen anyone so beautiful. He smiles while thinking about her features. As he continues to ponder her, he slowly drifts to sleep.

Author's Note

Ignore grammar problems, what can I do better on, is dialogue okey