From the Witchfinder's Files, Tale I: Snake in Chains

[Knightmare27]

He walked downhill, trying his best to appear bewildered and awestruck; he had to seem like he had just had a vision, not a night of love with a snake woman. After seemingly spending hours trudging through the night, which seemed to have gotten much chillier now, finally the gate was in sight. He was planning on waiting for the dawn, which was already announcing its arrival on the eastern horizon. It would not be a long wait, but the racing thoughts in his head would make sure it would not be an easy one. Guilt at his blasphemous lie, fear of being found out and love for this unsual woman mixed in his head and kept him awake, even though he was dimly aware that he had to be dead tired.

Finally, the city gates creaked and a very sleepy guard appeared, seemingly not noticing the monk.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss sat down and leaned on a tree, waiting. She could have run now, but where to? He would be sad if she would be gone, but maybe lucky as well - he would be ridiculed, but not for long, maybe his superior would warn him not to alarm him for any dreams again. But she knew just to well that it was even riskier to try to sneak out of this country without any money or helpers. She had to play the game, until there was a better opportunety to move on.

 

[Knightmare27]

Hours later... hours full of waiting and worrying, full of desperate fibbing and at least one moment where he thought he was about to be thrown into the dungeons. Then, finally, the words he had waited for: "Bring her here. We want to inspect her in person."

Not a second later, he was on the way to her hiding place. They had been given their chance. Their only chance. Would she have kept her word? She could have walked away, one of the few people to escape from his grip, and the only one he would really miss. Or was she in love as much as he was? In that case, he could expect her to still be waiting for him. What would he do if he did not find her there? He would probably end up burned at the stake after all... and he would not even be all that unhappy about it.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss was nervous, and several times she was tempted to run away. But she had no money, and renembered what he told about the surroundings... so she was relivied to see him coming back, and coming all alone. Not with guards to capture her.

 

[Knightmare27]

She was still sitting there... with a sigh of relief, he made his way towards her. This long nightmare was about to come to an end... or really start, depending on how the day went.

"They want to examine you personally. I think you should not say anything, just refuse to speak to them as long as they are 'disrespectful' to you by doubting you. Or something like that. I will have to admit I have never thought much about how to pretend to be an angel..."

He gave an embarassed smile and a blush at that last admission; it looked almost adorable, and quite unlike the cold, piercing stare he was infamous for, which had intimidated so many into inventing all manner of crimes just to flee his grip. He was genuinely out of his depth.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss suddenly regretted that she had let herself into it. She had some really good acting skills, and she surely could put on the right mimic and movements for a divine creature, but she knew almost nothing about this weird religion. So it would be best not to really answer any of those questions, trying to convince just by her appearance.
"You better give me some hints what to say or better not to say before we are there. I can put on the right face for it, and I think I get my voice right, but that's all of it."

 

[Knightmare27]

"I think it is best if you refuse to say anything in public, but demand to speak to one or two of the higher officials in private. There, tell them you bring a judgment for mistreating a divine messenger. I think you told me that your power to turn people to stone is not lasting. Were you lying to protect yourself? If not, you should turn one of the officials to stone and storm out of the meeting, giving angry looks and not letting anyone stop you. I will pretend to run after you, but suddenly fall down when I get close - apparently struck down by your powers. When asked why you did not use these powers to free yourself before, tell them you had been sent here to test them. To see whether they had lost the ability to distinguish between demons and truly good beings. And that they have all failed the test."

It was all made up on the spot, but it could work. His reputation, and their acting skills would have to make it work.

 

[Belinda35]

"It is true, the petrification doesn't last that long, a few hours as maximun, often less then an hour. But it is risky; some people fully recover, some are are dead when they come back to flesh and bone. But if it is a divine punishment... Now I have watched priests and holy persons of several religions, so I now at least how to mimick them." She followed the monk towards the city.

 

[Knightmare27]

The guards immediately knew what he was there for, and escorted the odd couple towards the bishop's palace. He noticed them taking large safety distances, and that they all avoided the gorgon's gaze, even cringing visibly every time she looked at them. Now it all depended on how convincing they could be at acting.

A few routine words of greeting, and there they were. The bishop and some other high officials stared right at them (none of them seemed to deem it necessary to avert their gazes) and looked extremely unfriendly. His heart beating loudly, he explained the situation again and then turned to his companion, giving her the cue to play her role.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss knew that the impression she had to give had to be based on appearance and acting, and not on convincing arguments.
So she stould straight and proud, her face cold, with some arogance in it, her eyes not dodging. She often had to play tough when she was on her own and had to intimidate her surrounding to be safe. She had seen all kind of priest and holy people, and those who claimed, rightfully or not, to be possessed by divine spirit.
So she did not spoke, but just stared back, as waiting for an answer by them.

 

[Knightmare27]

The staring seemed to work, as he noticed some of the old men pushing their chairs back a little. Into the uneasy silence, he decided to throw his own contribution to their deception: He suddenly dropped to the floor and writhed around in pain - fortunately, his profession had given him more than enough opportunities to witness agony, and so his acting was quite convincing (he hoped). If everything went right, she would take this as a cue to lay down some "divine punishment" on the officials. She was good at thinking on her feet, so she would probably know how to react...

In order to give her a hint and help the deception, he started begging some unseen entity for mercy, pretending with all his might that he was being punished for laying his hands on a sacred being. Begging for mercy... another thing he had observed so many times. It felt strange to be doing it himself this time, but he even managed to bring real tears to his eyes. No one had to know that they were tears of fear: Fear that their ploy would fail, but especially fear that she would just flee.

 

[Belinda35]

"Get up. Aou have felt the wrath of the divine for doing a messenger wrong. You will recieve mercy if you will follow your punishments that will be revealed as soon all the guilty ones have come to their minds."
She turned back to the others. "He has done me and the great one who sent me wrong, but there can be mercy. Anyone, who has wrong in his heart, will be punished. "
She looked back at the other men.
"Is here anyone, not to ask for forgiveniss for the wrong that was comitted against me?"

 

[Knightmare27]

The men did not know what to make of this sudden display, but the writhing monk's tearful pleas eventually made them mumble a few hasty apologies before withdrawing as far towards the back wall as they could. The oldest of the men was the first to regain his ability to speak: "We... we ask forgiveness for what we did to you. Please leave us and punish us no more."

The other men could only nod, obviously much too scared to speak, move or even breathe.

 

[Belinda35]

"I will leave when I find that you are sincer in your apologies. Until then I stay and will inspect you. Anyone who wrongs me will be turned to stone by the wrath of the great one. I demand that I can move freely around and no one will deny me entrance or support." She looked around, and then back to her former tormentor.
"He did me most wrong of you all, so I demand that he will be my personal servant as long as I do stay here."

 

[Knightmare27]

He winced at her sudden idea. "Personal servant"? She was clearly taking too much pleasure in this. The sudden ability to take revenge had to have been too tempting. A curious mix of fear and...curiosity? - developed as he contemplated what this turn of fate meant. Was she going to pay back all he had done to her? The thought made him almost throw up in terror. His throat tightened as he remembered the pain he had inflicted on her. Was it time to pay all of it back?

Only years of experience at presenting a tough, controlled surface kept him from openly showing signs of all these thoughts. He remained entirely impassive as the old men granted his former prisoner's request. The tables had truly turned now. Outside, he was calm. Inside, he was quietly praying. He had shown her no mercy. Would she show him any? She was no monster - unlike him - but she had a very righteous grudge against him, and had just now been handed the power to inflict terrible vengeance. And the day had started so well...

 

[Belinda35]

"Very well. I will inspect your village after dinner. You will tell the people in the village to treat me with all respect. Later I will respect the village and the people." She looked over to Medardus; it was impossible to tell what she felt from her face and voice.
"Come with me."

 

[Knightmare27]

He followed her - why did he follow her? It was mad. She was in total control of him now and seemed to be a third, again entirely different woman. She seemed confident and in control, neither the sweet lovebird nor the whimpering prisoner. Had it all just been an act so she could enact her revenge? A terrible thought, and yet it seemed more and more possible. Why was he following her? Probably because of the guilt he still felt over doing all those things to her. Whether she loved him or not, he did love her. And she deserved to have some payback for what she had been through.

 

[Belinda35]

"First I will inspect your personal rooms, I like to know if your life is true and ascetic as it should be. After that, I like to inspect the village." She stopped and waited for him to lead her to his private rooms.

 

[Knightmare27]

His private room? Was she going to...? In any case, he followed the order immediately, curious about what she was planning. It was indeed as ascetic as prescribed for a monk - his time with the girls in the dungeon (which seemed to have come to an end) was his only indulgence - it merely held a simple bed, a table, a small altar and a chair. A small niche held his only other belongings - mainly a spare robe, a small luxury he had granted himself so he could always appear as impressive and intimidating as possible. He stood in the middle of the room and waited for what would happen next.

 

[Belinda35]

She looked around.
"At least your room looks like it should." she said loudly in a cold voice, so that everybody outside would be able to hear.
She stood with her back to him and took his hand and pressed it onto her breast.
"We will inspect the village next." she said in a somehow arrogant tone, while she rubbed and squeezed her own breast with his hand, but took it off again before her nibble was hard. So she moved to the door, ready to be let through the village.

 

[Knightmare27]

He let her use his hand to pleasure herself - this was clearly what it was. He was being used, and she was enjoying every minute of this. Shouldn't he protest? He had likely been duped by a demon into becoming her slave, or worse. No - he was still looking for the woman he had come to love underneath her new regal demeanor. She had to be there somewhere. Or was she such a good actress that she had just pretended? It was not out of the question for a demon...

Confusion, horror and a certain morbid curiosity as to what she was up to caused him to appear almost in a trance as he absent-mindedly complied and led her on the tour.

 

[Belinda35]

"I'll need a place to stay. Some where I will have some more privacy..." she said softer.
"I am sure you can do something about that."
She walked out. Being blindfolded for the horrible days, she hadn't seen any of the spectators. And pain and fear kept her from recalling the voiices she heard. But some she would renember some villagers, and not only by voice.

 

[Knightmare27]

Her softer voice made him hope that she had not just pretended. Acting haughty seemed to just come naturally to this woman - at least when she was not naked and begging for her life.

"A place to stay? Certainly", he answered after a short pause. He was not very certain, actually. She had been declared a holy being, of course, but who would want to give her shelter? She had demonstrated the terrible punishments she could hand out - word of that had certainly gotten around by that point - so finding her a room in the town was out of the question.

"You will have to ask my superiors about a place where you can stay. They will not dare refuse a request from you. Just make...make sure it is close to me."

As always when he said something romantic, he sounded incredibly awkward, as if something was forcing him to violate his very nature.

 

[Belinda35]

"I can do that. And surely they will also allow you to move over there, as kind of your punishment..."
As they arrived in the streets of the village, she had another idea, also curious how the villagers would react on her reappearance.
"Of course, some citizens might volunteer to offer me a place if you lead me there. I recall a heavy, horny man for example, whom I met while I was fixed in the pillories."

 

[Knightmare27]

"The vice-mayor? Well... we can try. He will be afraid of you, I would wager. More than afraid, even. It could work."

Word travelled fast. With any luck, the man would already be terrified and praying to be spared from retribution for what had to be to him one of the worst sins he could have committed. He was not a very moral man, but anyone would be terrified of the gorgon in her present state. Curious as to what more surprises this day might hold, he started leading her to her rapist's house. It was easy to find, and terrified silence answered their arrival. Eventually, a servant opened the door. Even she was visibly pale; evidently, she had heard of the return of the one her master had wronged, and averted her eyes.

"Go get me the master of this house. He has sinned gravely, and he will now be offered an opportunity to redeem himself. Just this one. Hurry!"

He sounded surprisingly authoritative for a man who had just been made the slave of a demon girl, and was still afraid of whatever revenge she would take later.