Chapter 52: Rescue mission
"Today, we have identified the source."
Thorin pointed his thick finger dramatically at the bound girl. "Dear villagers of Oakwood, this is the source. This cursed being....!" he spat the word. "was found collapsed near the Whisperwood two days ago, bearing these unholy marks! The Crimson Creep lives in her! She is the vessel of the curse that plagues us!"
A murmur of fear and anger rippled through the crowd. Some pointed, others recoiled.
"The Whisperwood! That place has always been ill-omened!" an old woman cried out.
"Her father’s missing, isn’t he?" another man shouted. "Probably dabbled in dark things and brought this upon us, then fled, leaving her to carry the taint!"
A third elder, his face wizened and stern, stepped forward slightly. "I saw her father, Thorin. He looked shifty. Always heading into those woods. He’s the one who brought this evil, and she is his seed!"
The accusations flew, each one adding to the girl’s terror. She shook her head, tears streaming. "No! Papa wouldn’t... we were just looking for herbs to eat! And then, a wave of red mist came onto us, and I fainted. My father has been missing since. Boo hoo.... papa"
Chief Thorin silenced the crowd with another raised hand. "The council of elders has convened! We have consulted the old ways, the sacred texts passed down from our forefathers!" His voice grew louder, more fervent. "They speak of such blights, of concentrated evil that takes root in the weak or the tainted! And the texts are clear on the remedy!"
He looked around at the assembled elders, who stood near the podium, their faces grim and resolved. "Elders of Oakhaven! We have discussed. We have prayed. What say you? What is the will of Oakhaven to protect itself?"
One by one, the elders spoke, their voices heavy with conviction.
"The blight spreads too fast! We must act decisively!"