The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 101: Call for help

Chapter 101: Call for help

Some time after Hex left the castle with the baron and Oron.

Gorge’s barely audible murmurs went unnoticed at first. He didn’t know who or why whispered continuously in his head.

Help me!

’Who are you?’ Gorge’s inner voice screamed at the whispers, which seemed to come from everywhere.

She will kill me!

’Who? Why will she kill you?’ Gorge cried out. He felt as if he was going insane.

Using divine powers is taboo but the act of taboo births a Taboo!

’What?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!’ Gorge wailed in agony. He felt as if his mind was being split into two.

The pain of it caused his body to jerk loudly. The sound finally caught the attention of his parents.

"What’s wrong Gorgie? Old man, what’s happening to him?" Aunt Jute held her son and looked worriedly at her husband. Old George stood helplessly, clueless about what to do.

"Stop talking. Please stop talking. Just tell me how to save you."

Suddenly they heard Gorge mumble. The old couple didn’t know what their son meant with his mumblings. In the slums, such symptoms were seen as madness. People were left alone for a week and if they continued to exhibit the same symptoms, the Temple was contacted to purify the soul.

"Old man, get a clerk, quickly!" Aunt Jute pleaded to her husband. Old George nodded and ran out of the door. In his distress, he didn’t notice the person coming his way and nearly crashed into her.

"What’s the hurry? Did something happen?" Hestia asked hurriedly, stopping George from apologizing. In a glance, she noticed the distress he was in.

"M-my son is going mad. He needs to be purified!" Old George stammered, worriedly. He was about to storm off but was stopped by the green-haired Knight.

"Hold on. Let me see him first." Hestia was familiar with the customs of the slums. It was effective to some extent but she knew it was not something a priest was required for. The damp and dark crevices of the mountains housed a lot of viruses and bacteria. Some resulted in such symptoms. As a Knight with healing abilities, she believed she could provide a remedy too.

She dragged the old man who was in despair, back into the room. Aunt Jute wanted to protest but Hestia held her hand up, asking her to remain silent.

She lowered herself and put her ear near Gorge, listening to his mumblings.

"Help him."

"She will kill him."

"She is taking him there."

Hestia frowned. Unlike the old couple, she was more experienced with hallucinations, psychotic episodes, and brain-eating organisms. Gorge was coherent and there were no other signs on his body.

She put her palm on Gorge’s hand and activated her mark. A soft glowing green light spread out, covering his entire head. The gentle light calmed Gorge a bit.

"Where are they going?" Hestia asked, hoping to get some landmarks. It would help her narrow down her search. Her rich experience with higher-stage events made her put more weight on Gorge’s subconscious mutterings.

"She brought him through steel doors."

Hestia jerked her head when she heard the phrase coming from Gorge’s mouth. It made her think about the entrance of the southern tower, the place they were supposedly guarding by staying back in the castle.

’The boy is from the slums. He hasn’t seen the tower ever. Perhaps something is truly beckoning him.’ Hestia stood up and was about to sound the alarm. But at the last moment, she hesitated.

’What if it’s just my interpretation of the mindless mumblings of a lunatic? Or worse, what if it’s something the Dawnbringers have brainwashed him to think, causing us to undo the seal around the tower in the absence of the baron?’

Hestia was torn between the two plausible options. In the end, she decided to check first. She believed that she could call for help if the situation required it.

"You guys keep an eye on him. Don’t let anyone else in, understood?" She turned to Gorge’s parents and instructed in a stern voice. Neither understood why she was acting like this but seeing their son’s improved state, they decided to trust the Knight lady.

Hestia hurried through the corridors. She was familiar with all the passages on the ground floor. She bypassed a few long-winded paths and arrived quickly in front of the southern tower.

The door was closed. But just as she was about to breathe in relief, her eyes fell on a figure in front of the massive doors. The person was crouched, concealed partially by the shadows.

Hestia hesitated but started to walk toward the figure. Despite the warm evening breeze, she felt a cold shiver run through her back when she neared the person. She knew she had to sound the alarm but the brown-haired figure seemed familiar. Suddenly, realization struck her.

"Alice?!"

For a moment she forgot her worries and was shocked by the young woman’s presence. ’Isn’t she supposed to be in bed? Has she recovered? But why is she here?’

A series of questions popped into Hestia’s mind, one after another. Hestia had always felt a bit troubled by the fate of those who had fallen under her lead. Seeing Alice here, made her forget her precautions. She grabbed the woman’s shoulder.

"Aah!"

Hestia shrieked involuntarily when her hand touched Alice. She withdrew it immediately. Her skin was burning and the pain seemed to have seeped into her soul. It was as if she had come in contact with something she wasn’t supposed to.

At the same moment, Alice turned to face her. Hestia’s eyes widened in shock. The young woman in front of her looked at her with eyes that shone with golden light. Her clothes were in tatters. Through the tears in the clothes, part of her body was visible. She looked to have lost a ton of weight. Her thin skin hung loosely. Her body was filled with golden veins.

"HEL..."

Bam!

Hestia’s shout to seek help was interrupted by a sudden push by Alice. The push seemed to have cost her nothing but send Hestia flying. She landed and rolled a few times before regaining control over herself.

Despite the gut-wrenching pain, she hurried to stand up but Alice was already on top of her. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. A golden mist sprayed on Hestia’s face.

The mist burnt her face. Hestia struggled to free herself. She activated the mark on her hand in an attempt to summon the vines and plants. But no matter how hard she tried, the green light didn’t connect with the nature around her. It was as if someone had severed the connection between the two.

Rumble!

Just as she started to feel despair, a thundering roar echoed, followed by a lightning-fast strike. The strike was sudden and out of nowhere. It pushed Alice off Hestia, who seized the chance and got up on her feet.

"You all right?" Althea asked, keeping her eyes on Alice.

"Could have been better," Hestia said solemnly, as they watched Alice fly up and hover in front of them. She grabbed a small canister from her pouch and threw it in the air. Althea struck it immediately, causing a loud explosion in the air.

"Help will arrive in a minute," Hestia said. "But I don’t know whether we can survive a minute."

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