God Rising: Battle of Atela

A guard took off the brown sac placed over her head and her knees hit the ground with thud. The impacts of being unconscious left her sight hazy but in a few seconds, she could see what was unfolding in front of her.

The girl's upturned eyes ping-ponged to every detail in the large red hall she was dumped in by her captors. The guards gagged her mouth with a dirty cloth, and they bound her hands to her back.

Her cloak was taken from her, and her sword was seized. She wished she could run away, but two guards stood beside her, huge blades In their grasp, prepared to dice her without reconsidering.

She anchored her gaze on the present scene being caused by a beastman and a pregnant human woman. The servants ushered them to a visible point below a podium, and the guards forced them to get on their knees.

The vacant chair made of gold was in the middle of the podium, giving more prominence to whoever would seat there. Once the oil lamps cast the broad shadow of mythical being wearing a rich-finished robe of blue, everyone in the hall bowed until he sat, and gave them permission to stop.

On his throne, his fiery eyes scanned the faces around, then he snapped his fingers for the mini court trials to start.

A one-eyed wolfman dressed in a shade of purple, and silver stepped forwards with a parchment in his hands "Tonight, we shall decide the faith of the slave Alyosha, and her cllient, Ered Helmund." Whispers swept the room, but it ceased once the demigod banged the arm of his chair.

The wolfman continued to read out the information about the case. "Alyosha, a twenty-one-year-old brothel worker claims the one who got her pregnant is Ered Helmund, understudy at the Magic system foundation." He pulled out a coin from his pocket and called out the respective sides.

"Alyosha, head, and Ered, Tail" He flipped the coin, and everyone sat tight in anticipation and anxiousness for who would speak first.

"Head!"

Alyosha's face beamed with hope. If she was to die, she wanted to die with the man answerable for the taboo in her womb.

"My Lord..." Her voice came out as a horrendous croak as a result of her thirst, but once she cleared it, her voice was lovely enough to be heard.

"My Lord, Ered Helmund is the father of my unborn child." She pointed at him, and he slapped her hand away.

"You wretched slave!"

He cussed, wanting to pounce and reap her to shreds, but the swords close by would cut him in no time. He didn't have an option but to stay in place because the demigod had not given him permission to move.

Her amber hooded eyes narrowed in disgust and she turned her concentration back to the demigod who was tired of settling kiddies quarrels.

"I am his private bed slave. He leased me for a quarter of a year. He doesn't take precautions whenever he lays down with me. He releases whenever, and wherever he feels like. Now, I am pregnant and he doesn't want to accept the fact he's the father."

"Tails!"

"My Lord, don't listen to her. You know how most of these human bed slaves are. They don't leave their legs closed for a minute. Just because I rented her doesn't mean others couldn't use her. She speaks nothing but lies. I am not the father of her child. I am wild, yes, but I could never be so careless to get a human pregnant. A human bed slave to be exact," He cocked his head to the side and spat at the lowlife filth amid wealthy beastmen and a few of her kind.

Tears ran down the woman's blanched cheeks that had lost its rosiness in the course of being a slave. The scenario that planted a seed inside her replayed in her mind. She could never forget their conversation that day.

~

"Sir, you released in me twice!" She exclaimed, and the drunk beastman waved off her words with "Don't worry. If you get pregnant. I'll help you hide."

~

She slapped herself repeatedly for her mistake. She should've listened to the advice of her friend that was once pregnant with a taboo. She wished she drank the potion that would erase its existence in the blink of an eye, but guilt pulled on her heartstrings. She didn't fancy the idea of killing a life, but now, she's full of regrets.

"Believe me. He's the one that got me pregnant!" Alyosha didn't know how else she could make the demigod that would proclaim the last judgement believe her.

"My Lord!" Ered spoke up, "I know how to settle this. Permission to move Sir!" The demigod took his time to grant the permission, and in a few minutes, Ered was standing on his feet. He moved to the corner of the room where a spiked mace was in the possession of a porcelain structure.

Ered reached out for the weapon, grasped it and with a perfect circular motion hurled it towards Alyosha. The mace hit the lady's face with such brutality that the effect created a dull snapping sound.

Alyosha's rough and loud scream pierced Artemis's eardrums, and dread picked up dominance over her.

A spike entered through the eye socket, and with a pull, Alyosha's eye was gone. Her socket was coppery red, pooling with blood, and already darkening. She was hit again, and her blood smeared on the floor.

Ered felt thrilled as he took a gander at the livid face of the lady. Blood streamed out of his poor victim's head. Her beautiful face was now frozen, eyes open, mouth slack, as she fell backwards with her lone eye staring blankly.

Her murderer turned to face the demigod, spots of Alyosha's blood speckled on his face. He was indifferent to the fact that the body of an innocent woman was at his feet and the weapon that killed her was in his very hands.

"My Lord! She is dead. There is no need for me to face harsh punishment for the taboo she was carrying. I am innocent! She no longer lives. She deserved what she got!"

"Very well, then."

Alyosha's friends trembled. They huddled close, eyes teary at the misfortune of their friend. They knew she was innocent, but they were too afraid to speak against the notorious Ered.

The demigod glanced down at the body as if it were a rug out of place.

"Someone called the maids to clean this place."

"Yes, my Lord" One of the feline servants bowed before taking off to call the cleaners.

The demigod's aide moved close to him "My Lord, taboo cases are becoming rampant. I suggest the womb of all bed slaves should be removed by the witch doctor."

The demigod approved. "You can deal with the rest."

His aide bowed, "Truly, my Lord."

The Barrister announced the next issue that was recently brought to his notice "Area C guards caught a trespasser from earth who disguised as a beastman at noon trying to escape the slave district. What's odd is that, the assumed 'he' had the ability to fake ears, and once he was knocked out, his aura was all over the place."

The watchmen propelled Artemis, and the Demigod tried to remember where he'd seen the face.

Artemis gulped, she was shivering. There was no way she could take them all on. She could only dream of defeating the threatening demigod with her lacking skills, and strength.

There were no fair trials for humans and Alyosha was a scapegoat for her to know that.

"The trial starts now!"