Chapter nineteen

         P.O.V. change - Lidia

       As I swayed there held in John's arms, for a few minutes I forgot the world even existed, just me and him and just for a moment everything was safe, warm, and happy. But the world didn't like to be forgotten and it sent me a reminder in the form of my mother.

         "My my what do we have here?"

         John was confused by the interruption and stopped holding me close to face my mother.

         "Hello miss, do I know you?"

          "No, but you certainly seem to know my daughter a great deal. So this is the real reason you won't fulfill your duty, you refuse to do what you should do just to spend your time with a dirty man?"

           I felt so embarrassed that she was saying such things in the middle of the dance floor with everybody staring. But John handled it with surprising aplomb .

        "Miss I don't know what this is about, but you seem to be jumping to conclusions, hello my name is john I'm an enchanter and I met your daughter recently when I hired some of the kids at the orphanage "

         "Well young man , I wasn't born yesterday. I know when two people are in a relationship and take off that cowl when I'm talking to you."

        "Please mother your embarrassing me. Remember where you are, you are making a scene."

      She seemed to regain her composure , finally noticing the people staring at us. She scowled at me , turned around and briskly walked away.

    "I'm so sorry John. I didn't think she would react so badly."

       "Don't worry about it Lidia , I know all about family issues so I understand. Let's go get some more drinks, dancing has made me thirsty."

        I couldn't help but smile at his attitude, he might be the only man on earth that could cheer me up at that moment. So we went to the drinks table and just lingered there , talking about nothing in particular. That was when a servant approached us and asked us to follow him to a private room. When we arrived at what seemed to be an office, waiting for us where the lord who was standing by the fireplace , the high priestess who was sitting behind the desk sniffing a bright red flower, and the five senior priestesses including my mother where standing behind her. We were told to sit down so we did. 

        The servants poured me and john some wine , then the high priestess simply said

        "Drink."

         After we both finished dinking our wine the high priestess finally started talking.

       "Do you know anything about about flowers Mr. John , no? Well I am rather fond of flowers. For example take this pretty little thing I'm holding here. It might not seem like it but this little thing has a fearsome reputation, translated from French its name in English would be the red terror. You know why it's called that Mr John? Because it contains a potent paralyzing agent, and certain bandits in northern France discovered that if prepared properly it would be all but undetectable when drank with wine. They would pretend to be merchants with a broken down carriage and when the unwary people saved them they would share their precious cargo of wine with them, and by the time the people realize anything was wrong it would be too late, they would gut them with their eyes still open, and that's how the bodies would always be found, with their eyes staring wide in terror and helplessness. Do you know why I'm telling you this story Mr John? Its because it is already too late for you too."

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          As the high priestess spoke my body became progressively more and more numb and by the end of the story my body had stopped listening to me.

      "Tell me Mr John , was it arrogance or stupidity that made you step right underneath our noses after practicing heresy. Us ,the holy order of saint Sofia, who where especially trained to detect and eliminate any and all who practice this foul sacrilege?"

       I was petrified, John a heretic ? They must have made a mistake. It was impossible.

      "Well Mr John, if you aren't going to speak we will have to proceed to less pleasant methods to get information, less pleasant for you of course, not for me... I rather enjoy the screams of a heretic." Then she started casting an incredibly complex spell.

       That's when John suddenly got up and pointed his cane at her. The spell she was weaving disappeared like it was a bad dream. Then he said,

         "I think the word your looking for is confidence."

         "What?"

         "You asked me was it stupidity or arrogance, I think the word your looking for is confidence."

         Then john kept making her spells disappear, even when the other priestesses were aiding her it didn't seem to make a difference, but then the lord joined them and the tides turned. They started pushing him back.

          "Give it up Mr John , I might be a second class druid but my defense is unparalleled on earth. No blade or magic is passing my absolute defense."

           John didn't seem to care about the lords boasts, he took something out from his pocket and pointed it at the lord. The next moment there was a flash of light and the lord's gloating face simply disappeared , and his headless body fell down. For a moment I could see the horror on the priestesses faces when they realized what had just happened. Then john pointed the small thing at the priestesses.

             " I was going to try talking with you people, but just as you have said its already too late."

               Then one by one , he executed them.