1 Chapter 1 - HERETIC

Heretics, that's what we are called, and 'Damn Heretic' was what my mom used to call me. Now, she doesn't even call me anything. Not like she could even if she wanted too, especially not now, after all, the mother of a heretic… must be one as well.

I saw her burn just yesterday, but I can't but wonder, why she was screaming? The fire was beautiful after all, she should have laugh out of joy! Anyway, it doesn't matter that much. After all, I will know why she was screaming tomorrow! I am so excited! It will soon be our turn to be reduce to ash! The guard even told me they will prepare the brightest flame to burn me! If I were to know this from the start, I wouldn't have waited so long to tell other people that I am a heretic! 

Well, I suppose one of the disadvantages of this is that they put me in a very ugly room. The room is not bright at all, and there's nothing I can burn down there, not even the other heretics that are there with me. 

At least the other heretic is fun, especially this kid with no eye, he has a very beautiful voice. The others also thinks like me, except this girl, who doesn't seem to notice his voice. I was starting to think she doesn't even hear it. So I questioned her and I discovered that she indeed doesn't hear anything! She lack the sense of hearing. In fact, she's not the only one here that lacks something, well, more like two things, because all of us lack a name, heretics doesn't deserve one anyway. But in my great gentleness, I decide to give them one anyway. There's Jolly Voice, who doesn't have any vision. Then there's Air-Headed, the girl who has no hearing. Then we have Bread Muncher who can't even speak. Then, we have Sulking Kid, who doesn't have any sense of smell, and also seem to have no sense of respect. And the best for last, me, Handsome Fire, who only lacks the sense of touch. 

Apparently, the reason were even branded as heretic is because of this, because we refused to accept the grace of the god by rejecting one of our senses. I don't remember when I refused my sense of touch, but it must be true, after all, that's what they say to us before throwing us in this disgusting room. But they were merciful, they said that if we get sacrificed, the god will forgive us! How gentle of them, the gods really are magnanimous persons! 

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

I hear footsteps; it must mean that the guards are here to take us! Aaaaaaah, it's finally our time to get sacrificed! Quick, quick, I need to wake up everybody else! ''Everybody! Everybody! Wake up! We will finally be forgiven for our sin''

''Urgh, couldn't they just do it here, I really don't want to move'' responded the sulking kid while waking up grumpily. 

''If we want the god to forgive us, we must show them our enthusiasm!'' I respond while gently kicking the deaf girl so she could wake up.

''Waaaaaa! What happened!? What happened!?'' She says while waking up in shock!

''We're finally going to be burned alive!'' I responded to her. But she only looked at me with confusion. ''Oh, sorry.'' I pointed to the flame of the torch that was our dim source of light, then, I pointed at myself and then imitate a flame burning something. 

''Ooooh! We're finally gonna be forgiven for our sin!'' She responded with a beaming smile! 

''Yes, we are'' I respond with an even bigger smile. 

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* The footsteps were getting closer and closer, until I could finally see the guards, and the guard was looking at me too! But… why does he look sad? Isn't it supposed to be a happy day? 

''*sigh* …they're still children, even younger than my dear daughter, and they're already heretic, what a disgrace for our great nation.'' the guard whispered.

I wonder what he means by that? Is he jealous that his daughter still hasn't been burned? I decided to reassure him, we can't have a sad guy for such a good day after all.

''Don't worry sir, you too will one day burn like us.'' 

He just looked at me the same way my mother looked at me, weird. I even made sure to give him my most beautiful smile; what a killjoy. 

*Cling* *Clang* 

''Follow me'' the guard says while opening the door. *Bang*

I looked to my left just to see pretty voice hitting himself on the cell. ''Ow, that hurt'' 

''What does it mean to be hurt?'' I asked confused 

''It's the punishment that you receive when you do a bad thing'' Responded the sulking boy. 

''Oh, then it must mean I never did a bad thing, because I was never hurt in my life!'' I responded with vigor while doing a pose. 

*Clap* *clap* *clap* 

''Hooray, hooray!'' exclaimed the deaf girl with happiness! She probably doesn't understand what happened, she just wishes to be included! 

''I SAID FOLLOW ME!'' The guard screamed. 

''SHUT UP!'' Shouted the gloomy kid to the guard. 

''YOU LITTLE FUCKER! '' 

The guard threw him violently against the wall and started to beat him up. Turning my eye from the show, I found Bread Muncher trying to hide himself in the corner; he even closed his eyes so that we can't see him, too bad I'm not blind! 

But… what is he hiding from? I decided to go see him. ''Hey, what are you doing in the corner?'' I questioned him. 

He put his finger in front of his mouth, surely trying to shush me, but absolutely no sound came from his mouth, not even the sound of his breath. I don't know why, but he seemed even sadder than before when he realized that no sound came out.

''…are you too exited to move?'' I asked him. 

He looked at me before slowly nodding his head. 

''…are you perhaps sad that we wouldn't see each other again??'' This time, he nodded his head. I was thinking how to reassure him that burning alive is way better than having friend when suddenly Air-Headed girl approached us. 

''Is he sad?'' She asked me. 

I nodded to her. ''Ooh, don't be sad, here, let me give you a hug. Hugs have the power to make every bad thought disappear!'' she hugged him firmly, and it seemed to work; his pale skin is starting to redden, especially on his face. But I didn't know that a hug possessed such power… maybe because it won't work on me…I wonder what it feel like?

''GET YOUR ASS HERE RIGHT NOW! Or maybe you want to be transported like this stupid brat?'' He said that to us while holding the bloody body of Sulking Kid, but even in such a position, Sulking still showed a dirty smug on his face. Oh, I get it! He must have wanted the guard to transport him to the sacrificial ground, how lazy can he possibly be?! We all picked ourselves up and started to follow the guard. 

Air-Headed girl was holding the hand of Bread Munching, he seemed really content with this arrangement! As we followed him, the room started to get clearer until we reached the brightest flame of existence! The sun! Ah… my if only I could have been to burn by it, how formidable would it have been… but a filthy heretic such as me doesn't deserve such an honor. I'm already lucky enough to have the opportunity to be forgiven by the god, I can't ask for more, can I? 

My thought was suddenly interrupted when I started to grow in size. It took me some time to understand that I didn't suddenly grow, but that someone now held me. The one who had sized me was a white knight, all in white… 

''Disgusting…'' I spoke. 

I couldn't say more before I was thrown against the wall. Why did he do that? Is he stupid? Why take me if you only want to throw me right after? 

''How dare you mock our great armor! This is the symbol of our allegiance to the god! Calling it disgusting is the same thing as insulting the god themselves!'' Screamed the stupid knight. 

''But it is ugly. There is no color at all on it, no beauty! Is that what the god call beautiful? I was expecting something better from them.''

'' You damn heretic!'' He suddenly threw his fist at me, and he threw another one. I still don't understand the point of it, apparently, it helps calming ourselves, but I still don't see the interest in it. I was starting to think to distract myself with other thoughts more interesting, for example, if the fire that will burn me will be red or orange, but then, he suddenly stopped punching me. Oh, that was quicker than usual. 

''Right… you heretics have given up your precious sense of touch given by our great lord Orion! The ruler of heat and pain! By casting away your pain, you cast away your true lord! You shouldn't even be allowed to be forgiven, you're lucky that the god even give you the opportunity to please him'' The guard said that while looking at me. I couldn't see his face, but he seemed furious. They always seemed furious… I wouldn't even know other emotions existed if it weren't for my fellow heretics… 

''But…why…what did I do?''

Well, no need to think about it! I'm going to be burned first, then think about it later! That seems like a good plan! The knight decided to hold me again and to transport me. He was leading us to the central platform of this kingdom; that's where we will be sacrificed. There I could see a lot of people of different races; they were all looking at us, how pleasant. They must want to see the fire too. I will try my best to burn the most I can so that I don't waste their time. I could hear them calling us heretic and all that stuff, that mean they must be very excited. Don't they worry, I'm as excited as them! 

The knight has laid me on a block of marble, and then I suddenly couldn't move. I couldn't even move my neck. Bummer, I was at least hoping that I could look at my friend burning with me. At least I can still hear the joy of the… hey! Where did the happy shout goes!? 

'' My dear citizens, it is with profound happiness that I present myself in front of you once again, and it is with even more joy that I will present these new to you.'' Said a strange voice. '' I know that most of you were terrified of the news of the monster attacking our neighborhood island, but rest assured, our glorious crusaders were able to massacre them to the very last. Now the land of Astelga is safe once! We were still not capable of detecting the reason why they all suddenly appeared, but it's nothing more than a question of time before we discover the reason and end this folly!''

''WOOOO!'' ''LANCELOT!'' ''LANCELOT!'' ''LONG LIVE KING LANCELOT!!!'' ''GLORY TO THE KING!'' ''YESSSS!'' ''YOU CAN HAVE MY KID!'' ''LANCELOT'' ''LANCELOT'' ''LANCELOT'' ''BURN THESE HERETICS!'' ''LANCELOT'' 

''Hahaha, it always warms my heart to hear you, my dear citizens. But I cannot say the same thing for when I look at these filthy heretics!'' He shouted angrily! ''I claim victory against the monster, but there is no denying that without the help of the Great God, defeat would have been the only result against this vile best. So let's thank them, by sacrificing these viler beast!'' 

Finally, I was getting tired of waiting! I don't know who this guy is, but he sure is annoying. Couldn't he just have burned me before wasting his breath? 

''In the name of Adam, may He bless us with His light!'' 

The king started to chant. 

''In the name of Atlantique, may He serve justice to the heretic!'' 

Is it me, or is the Sun starting to glow? 

''In the name of Daulatpur, may He free them from their sin!'' 

It's not me, it is really starting to glow. 

''In the name of Orion, may He give them pain for their crime!'' 

Oh, it has stopped glowing. 

''In the name of Kepler, may He use their ache to sustain the soil!''

No, it hasn't stopped glowing; in fact, the light was in fact approaching us, one ray for each of us… 

''…''

Approaching me… the Sun was approaching me… to burn me… 

''In the name of all that is Great! May you accept these sacrifices!'' 

How lucky I am…

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!*