In the morning, we head to the nearby town to collect some more supplies. Zona gives both of us a stern look before we enter the town. “We are only going to stop for at least an hour. Do not. I repeat do not leave the cart.” I notice James getting an angry look in his face.

“You know. If I wanted to be treated like a child, I would have stayed with my parents.” Zona shoots him a dirty look facing forward.

“There is still time for that James.” I place my hand on his arm trying to calm him down. He looks over me relaxing as we pull into the town. The town is way bigger than Hope. Since the town is so close to the lake, they have set up a sort of paradise place. Stores line the main street housing falling behind them. Toward the center of town sits a beautifully decorated town square. Lupa pulls the cart over near a few other carts. Lupa puts her hood up as she climbs out of the cart. Zona looks at us one last time glaring slightly. “Do not leave the cart. We will be right back.” She gets out of the cart following Lupa to the many stores lining the street and the town square. Once they are out of view, James looks at me.

“Want to go explore?” I make a face at him letting him know my answer already.

“Zona told us that we needed to stay in the cart.” He gets up with a shocked face. He hops out of the cart placing his hands on his face.

“Oh no. I am out of the cart. I hope Miss Fire pants doesn’t catch me.” He smirks turns away walking toward the square. I glare at him stomping my feet.

“James Young! Get back here right now!” I get off the cart trying to follow him once he gets out of the view. I make my way through the square looking for him. I notice a crowd of people toward the east side of the square. A few carts that look familiar are set up toward the side of town. I feel someone grab me on my sides causing me to jump. I turn around glaring at James. “I told you that we shouldn’t leave the cart.” He shrugs looking over to the crowd.

“I know. Want to go say hi Cameron and the gang?” I realize that the carts were from the gang. It would be nice to thank them for everything that they did. I sigh slightly walking with him over to the crowd.

“Fine. We need to go back to the cart right after this.” The closer we get to the crowd the more I notice something very wrong. The crowd isn’t enjoying what they are seeing. We make our way to the front. I stop almost getting sick to my stomach. Cameron, Elizabeth, and Hugo are lined up chained up. Lumie has a majority of his body skinned off. I gasp covering my mouth trying not to get sick. A group of black robed men stand around our group of friends. A man uncovers his hood showing the burned priest from before. He smiles closing his eyes.

“As you can see brothers and sisters, the true monsters are the mages. For I’ve seen the true light of the Brothers." Lumie starts to chuckle spitting some blood on the ground.

“Your whole order is corrupt. Your gods are nothing but weak pathetic people who are scared of true power.” The burned priest opens his eyes looking enrages. He walks over to Lumie rolling up his sleeves. His arms have strange weird symbols on them. My head gets a little fuzzy as the symbols start to make sense. They bestow a strange power of people’s bodies. I make a move trying to do anything, but James stops me. I look on horror as the priest places his hand on Lumie’s head.

“Be cleansed of your filth mage.” The symbols on his arms to glow causing Lumie to violently shake. Blood starts to pour from his mouth, ears, eyes, any place blood can pour out. The symbols on his arms glow slightly and fade as he removes his hand from his face. A black handprint reminds on Lumie’s face as Lumie slumps over to the ground. The man holds his hand up. “I am the Cleanser. All mages shall fear me.” Hugo slowly wakes up seeing Lumie’s body. He flexes looking angry. The robed men standing around beat him over the head until he is knocked out again. “Anyone caught in association with a mage will be branded a traitor to the Brothers.” The robed men brand Hugo, Elizabeth, and Cameron with red hot iron. The priest looks at the crowd smiling evilly. “Spread the word, that the Broth-” He stops looking toward me and James. “It appears that we have more mages to cleanse brothers.” A fire bolt rings from the crowd hitting the priest in the chest. The crowd runs away from the fight. I get separated from James as I get carried with the sea of people. I look over seeing Zona taking off her hat looking furious.

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“I am going to enjoy this.” The priest removes the burning robe showing off my symbols underneath the robe. The priest smiles looking beyond happy.

“The Chosen One. Zona Everlast.” Zona stops for a moment looking at the priest. A slow look of terror comes across her face.

“You.” The priest smiles walking toward Zona.

“I missed you so much. I knew the Brother’s gave me these powers to punish you for what you did all those years ago.” Zona shoots flames toward the priest as the symbols glow absorbing the flames. I look over to see James fighting the robed men trying to free Elizabeth, Hugo, and Cameron. Lupa leaps onto the square charging the priest. I finally break free from the crowd running over to help James. Out of nowhere, I get punched by a robed man in the face. I fall hitting my head on the square tile.

I look around with a ringing in my ears. I see James release Hugo as Elizabeth jumps out of their carts throwing daggers at the robed men. Lupa punches the burned priest in the stomach causing him to fly into a nearby building. The robed man who hit me tries to pick me up when my hearing returns to me. I kick and punch the man trying to get him to let me go. He stops as a dagger gets thrown impaling him in the back. I fall from his shoulder landing on my feet. I look around seeing the remaining men of the priest’s being finished off. I walk over to James as he releases Cameron. Cameron looks up at him. “Thank you for saving us.” James helps him up as Elizabeth stabs the last robed man in the heart. I look over to see Hugo picking up Lumie’s body. Hugo starts to march off away from town. Cameron looks sad as Elizabeth walks over to us.

“The Brother’s won’t let you...” We hear a loud snap as our attention is brought over to Zona and Lupa. Lupa stands behind Zona as Zona snaps her fingers causing a small explosion sending the burned preist across the square. His symbols are glowing bright blue as the priest stands up smirking evilly. “The amount of punishments you received weren’t enough.” Zona glares walking over to him. The priest attempts to grab her, but she deflects the grab punching him in the ribs. Another serious crack as the priest doubles over in pain. The priest looks up as Zona kicks the priest across the face. Something comes over Zona as she looks to be enjoying the pain, she is inflicting on him. After another kick sending blood coming from the priest, Lupa walks over grabbing ahold of her.

“That’s enough Zona.” Zona glares at Lupa trying to fight her grip.

“That man... He...” Zona stops slowly calming down. “You’re right Zona.” She looks over to Elizabeth and Cameron. “Let them finish him off.” We walk over to her as Cameron and Elizabeth look at the priest angrily. As I get to Zona, the priest coughs drawing our attention to them.

“You think you are a hero Zona. All those lives innocent lives you killed. Those children.” Zona gets ridged as he continues. “We all knew that you were going to be a killer. A monster. A mis-” Zona turns around rage filling her eyes. She charges him pressing her hand on his unburnt face.

“Let’s see how you like it.” Black flames burst from her hand covering the rest of his face. She turns around stomping away from the man. The flames continue to burn the man. We all look on in somewhat horror as the priest start to scream in pain. “We are leaving.” Lupa looks at Zona a little worried as she follows her. I look at Cameron and Elizabeth who look away from the burning priest. One by one we follow Zona. Before we can leave, Cameron pulls his cart up beside us.

“We are going to go find Hugo. If we meet up again, we will find a way to make up for you saving us.” James nods as Cameron urges his cart forward speeding down the road away from the city. Zona with a cold look on her face motions the cart leaving the town. I look back one last at the destruction we caused the town.