02-16-2015, 01:27 AM
Cosette Leroux had always attended church regularly. This was not out of any interest in the priest's sermons--indeed, she had always found them rather dull. Ever since the Church of Sanctity had emerged, they had become even worse: galling theology, a mockery of the Elimine religion. That, she could tolerate, even offering up a weekly prayer for her mother's health. This, on the other hand...
However, today was different. Instead of the usual tepid preaching about how the Church of Sanctity stood for the innocent, to protect the world against the evils of something that Cosette had never paid enough attention to to notice, there was a young woman making a dramatic statement. And what's more, people were listening. Sure, some of them were listening in a clearly hostile manner, attempting to shout her down, but others were equally outspoken in her defense.
Then the young woman--Renata--drew her sword, and all hell broke loose.
Cosette made up her mind in an instant. If there was a blow to be struck against the Empire here, then she would gladly do so. Bowing and scraping and bending the knee to the Empire would accomplish nothing for her family. If she wanted to better their lot in life, to free her father and help her mother, to support her younger siblings' future, then something had to be done. Someone has to be the hero. It's like that in all the stories. Maybe I've read too many books, but at least I don't seem to be alone in that.
As a town guardsman passed her, she leapt to her feet and landed a swift elbow to the side of his head. He swayed groggily for a moment before falling to the ground. Cosette caught his spear before it fell and brought the weapon around in an arc, sweeping with the blunt end rather than the point to discourage the villagers from getting any closer. "Come now, surely you have better things to do than hang around here? Sermon's over, everyone. Go home! May the St. Elimine of your choice bless you... though one is certainly fake, just as the nice girl said."
The "fake" comment seemed to have touched a few nerves, and a burly villager rushed forward, red-faced, with his fists raised. Cosette thwacked him sharply on the head with the spearbutt, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he fell to the floor, unconscious. Cosette gave her best smile, one practiced in a dozen towns and villages whenever she was trying hard to sell something. "Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time?"
However, today was different. Instead of the usual tepid preaching about how the Church of Sanctity stood for the innocent, to protect the world against the evils of something that Cosette had never paid enough attention to to notice, there was a young woman making a dramatic statement. And what's more, people were listening. Sure, some of them were listening in a clearly hostile manner, attempting to shout her down, but others were equally outspoken in her defense.
Then the young woman--Renata--drew her sword, and all hell broke loose.
Cosette made up her mind in an instant. If there was a blow to be struck against the Empire here, then she would gladly do so. Bowing and scraping and bending the knee to the Empire would accomplish nothing for her family. If she wanted to better their lot in life, to free her father and help her mother, to support her younger siblings' future, then something had to be done. Someone has to be the hero. It's like that in all the stories. Maybe I've read too many books, but at least I don't seem to be alone in that.
As a town guardsman passed her, she leapt to her feet and landed a swift elbow to the side of his head. He swayed groggily for a moment before falling to the ground. Cosette caught his spear before it fell and brought the weapon around in an arc, sweeping with the blunt end rather than the point to discourage the villagers from getting any closer. "Come now, surely you have better things to do than hang around here? Sermon's over, everyone. Go home! May the St. Elimine of your choice bless you... though one is certainly fake, just as the nice girl said."
The "fake" comment seemed to have touched a few nerves, and a burly villager rushed forward, red-faced, with his fists raised. Cosette thwacked him sharply on the head with the spearbutt, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he fell to the floor, unconscious. Cosette gave her best smile, one practiced in a dozen towns and villages whenever she was trying hard to sell something. "Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time?"
Where... where did I go wrong?