The Divine Hunter

Chapter 8 Darkness and Light

The doll's back was ripped open, like a chicken that had been gutted and gutted, and the witcher wiped it clean in the blink of an eye.

On the blanket by the bonfire, there was a large patch of colorful and rotten cloth and cotton wool.

The two searched for a while, and sure enough, there were a lot of secrets hidden in this inconspicuous pile of junk—

A pile of gray cloth strips strung with a thin thread, unfolded to reveal a large piece of charcoal gray, fuzzy and crooked handwriting.

There is no aesthetic feeling at all, this is the children's pen doodles, records.

Carl and Arkham saw the most striking name on the first cloth by the bright firelight.

"Pamela."

The name should belong to the owner of the doll, one of the little girls who died.

Pamela's doll.

Second strip of cloth.

January 1, 1254

Rebbiuda is on top, I was picked and brought in...

It was a horrible, nightmarish experience, pain, blood, tears like a dyke burst, and my head was about to explode.

Aunt Xinni smiled happily.

She praised my bravery and gave me the puppet Eudona.

I was afraid that this thing would continue and that one day I would die suddenly, and I decided to start taking notes today.

I also want to share these records with my two good sisters!

...

"What does it mean to be selected, it hurts, and it bleeds?" Arkham frowned, and the bone-chilling night wind blew up, chilling all over his body.

"Some kind of evil experiment?"

"The date is almost two years ago. Since the real Rabieda priest Xinni was mentioned, it means that Daisy hadn't entered the temple at that time." Carl used the bonfire to dry his hands that were about to freeze, and analyzed, "If the priest of the god of evil omens does not come, there will be no evil experiments in the temple."

"Is that some kind of high-level training, like we jump the club?" Arkham guessed again,

"Do you think that group of children are so weak that they seem to have undergone special training?" Carl shook his head.

"And why does Pamela feel uncomfortable, but Sister Xinni is very happy?"

The two had no clue, and changed the next cloth.

February 1

Rebioda was on top, and it came in a beautiful carriage, with a new companion, and Mammy laughed from ear to ear.

But everyone was terrified. I covered my face with Eudona and prayed not to pick me up again. Sister Celia sneaked into the kitchen to hide, only to be found tied up. eat.

...

"Is Pamela going to write? Why are so many mysteries buried?" Arkham rolled his eyes and complained, "What is it? hide."

"Currently we only know that every time it goes to the temple, it will choose an orphan," Carl mused. "What it does makes the children very scared."

The two continued to look down.

Many of the following strips are fragmentary records, with little difference, usually a date paired with Pamela's tedious schedule and wild thoughts:

For example, the sun is out today, and the mood is a little brighter.

Another two good sisters, Celia and Angulan, played skipping rope and hide-and-seek in the yard.

I had a strange dream at night.

As well as having dinner, most of the time it is potatoes, turnips, radishes and the like, and I can only eat meat once a month.

Gradually, the image of a black-haired little girl with a rag doll, bright eyes, sentimental, and strong heart became clear in the minds of the two witchers.

What bothered the two of them most was that in these records, there was no longer the prayer of "Rebbiuda is on top".

Instead, "them" is highlighted on the 1st of each month, and Pamela's description is full of fear and disgust for them.

Even later called "them" directly as fat pigs, a very insulting word.

The fat pig arrives at the temple on time on the 1st of every month and selects some children. This day is an uncompromising Good Friday for the selected children. Pamela's texts describe the discomfort and pain of everyone many times. It seems that suffered some kind of damage.

And Pamela herself is the most unlucky person selected, but fortunately she is a strong and rational girl.

ironnically.

On the 1st night of every month, orphans can enjoy the precious meat.

For them, it is no less than the grace of God.

...

"Do you see anything?"

"Well, on the 1st of every month, the fat pig arrives at the temple in a carriage, and the children can eat meat."

Arkham took a deep breath, his voice a little erratic,

"So this group of fat pigs will bring survival materials to the Lebioda Temple. That is to say, the temple can support so many mouths in the wilderness, not because the priests of Daisy said before because of the believers in the pine forest area. donations and relief.”

Carl nodded, Jun's face became serious,

"The so-called fat pig actually refers to the rich, pot-bellied people in the city! But there is no love and support for no reason. The fat pig has paid for materials and 'things' that make old mother Xinni smile, then What do the children of the temple have to pay for being selected?"

What do the rich want from the helpless orphan?

"They have neither profound knowledge nor extraordinary skills and survival skills, all they have is..."

"Don't say it! This is just a guess, there is no conclusion!"

Arkham clenched his fists quietly and retorted emotionally.

The moonlight illuminated his livid face, and he faintly realized some dirty and unbearable possibilities. After all, although he was young, in Lambert's daily boasting, he ignorantly learned that some things did not belong to him. At this age, it is difficult to say something that makes adolescent boys and girls blush red.

"How could the priest of Rabiuda, in front of the sacred temple and his own beliefs, do such absurd, shameless, and animal-worse behavior!"

"Then keep watching."

...

May 4, 1265

A beautiful lady visited the temple with two men as strong as a stone, and stayed there for a long time, often whispering in the room with the old mammy all night long.

I later found out that the lady's name was Daisy. She was soft-spoken, with a mother's kind eyes and smile. She always cared and took care of everyone. We all liked her. It would be great if Mammy Xinni was like her.

...

"It seems that the priests of the God of Bad Omens did not lie in their mouths." Karl held his chin in his right hand. "They did come to the temple more than half a year ago."

"Yeah." Arkham inexplicably added a hint of impossible expectation, hoping that things would turn around and the fat pig who hated and hated disappeared from Pamela's cloth strips.

Priests of the god of bad omens will lend a helping hand to orphans, proving like witchers that they are not as evil as legend has it.

He couldn't wait to find the next strip of cloth.

...

June 1, 1265

I don't know what happened today. When the fat pig left, he took the old mama and got into the carriage.

Lady Daisy, Uncle Bruzzi and Uncle Tino publicly announced that from now on, the Temple of Rabiunda would be managed by them.

Everyone was so happy, my tears soaked Odora's clothes.

Long live Lady Daisy!

She cares about everyone like a mother, sure, and won't let those fat pigs spoil us again.

I have a hunch that Lady Daisy will be our patron saint!

...

The word waste basically confirms the reality that Arkham is unwilling to face.

Arkham's heart trembled, he sucked in cold air, and slammed his fist on the ground,

"Bastard! Xinni is a beast!"

Orphaned children, abandoned by their families, hurt by fat pigs, and used by temple priests as tools to earn money.

The cloth strip remembers such an understatement, how much torture Pamela has endured before she becomes numb.

"She went into the city with the fat pig in a carriage, and she didn't die?" Carl's face was cold, which was completely contrary to their previous guess.

"What is her purpose in going to the city?"

The ominous feeling in their hearts grew stronger.

...

June 3, 1265

Madam Daisy forcibly interrupted her morning prayers to the Prophet Rabbiuda, as we could have wished.

Praying to the prophet is useless, no matter how devout, it never protects everyone.

But I didn't expect that Ms. Daisy started teaching people some strange things, often mentioning pain, bad luck, and the net.

I was most impressed with one of the sayings - Feeling pain, enduring pain and being sane is a talent, persevere and it will blossom and bear fruit in the web of destiny.

I felt darkness, darkness, and dead silence, and everyone was a little scared, and they didn't communicate much all day.

...

June 15

The two uncles banged on the statue of the prophet on time every night, not knowing what they were doing. And their eyes became terrifying, like the hungry dogs guarding the home.

Ms. Daisy taught everyone a complete set of prayers again - the great weavers rule death and doom, we call your honorable name, black Greba, Zoran Ach Tete, implore you to open up endless Person, accepting the Son of Pain (stretched out)...

She asked us to pray this over the statue of the prophet.

It didn't take long for me to be in a bad mood. I was often dizzy and had frequent hallucinations. A terrible spider called my name in the hallucination.

There is also a black tattoo on the wrist for no reason.

I asked quietly, and this tattoo appeared on Sister Celia and Angulan, as well as everyone else.

I feel more and more that something is wrong.

But it's barely bearable, and I'm sure everything will get better.

As long as Lady Daisy protects us from the persecution of fat pigs.

...

"What is Daisy going to do to these children?" Arkham asked in a manic tone, his chest heaving, he got up and walked out of the bowl-shaped rock that sheltered everything from the wind and rain. gas,

"Be quiet mate, anger and tantrums don't help. I guess she's using some kind of mental hypnosis and brainwashing to lure orphans into the omen religion." Carl recalled the scene when they were kicked out of the temple, "Obviously, It has been very effective.”

...

July 1

This time has passed like a nightmare. Several friends have become unknown to me. They are more timid and sensitive than before. They are often startled, have frequent visions in front of their eyes, and obey Daisy's words. .

I realized that the strange knowledge she poured out deeply transformed and affected everyone.

I feel less and less like myself.

What's even more terrifying is that it turns out that all good expectations are extravagant hopes, and Ms. Daisy punctured the bubble of our dreams with her own hands.

Today, several horse-drawn carriages came from the city, and a dozen "fat pigs" got off the carriages, which had never been so many before.

The way they looked at everyone was as naked and disgusting as ever.

Was Ms. Daisy's previous tenderness and kindness a disguise?

She is even more hateful than the old mama. She not only tortures our bodies, but also affects everyone's spirits with strange things.

I'm not afraid of torture, I'm just afraid that I can't see hope, I've reached my limit, and I'll collapse if I continue like this.

I've had enough, Angulan and Sister Celia are right, why should we swallow our voices? !

...

July 15

Fuck the pain, the big knitter, the black gryba!

Angula, Celia, my Pamela, and my dear Odona, no cowards, cowards, and cowards!

We decided we were going to sneak away together, risking everything, just after everyone went to bed tonight.

We sharpened our stolen dinner knives and stabbed anyone who stopped them.

In two days, we should go somewhere else, either the hometown of Sister Angulan, a nice place with sandy beaches and sun and picturesque scenery, or as Sister Celia mentioned, it has a dazzling array of shops. and big cities with giant ports.

The three of us worked hard to earn a living.

I can't wait to start a new life.

Rebbiunda, I pray to you one last time, bless us, for the sake of our past piety.

Rebbiuda, open your eyes and bless us!

...

There was a long silence, the wind stopped for a while, and even the horse stopped chewing, and two shadows were drawn down by the firelight for a long time.

"Rebbiuda is not trustworthy, and the god of bad omens is not the savior!"

Cal clenched his fists as he stared into the dark night, a pent-up anger and a deep sense of powerlessness enveloped his body.

The three girls who were repeatedly ravaged by fate were just wiped out by the cold reality.

"No wonder..." Arkham lowered his head and whispered,

"Why?"

"When An Gulan saw this puppet, she would show such a guilty and sad expression. It turned out that she also fled together at that time. It turned out that she saw the two good sisters with her own eyes..."

The mournful voice choked, turned angry again,

"How can three little girls with no power to bind chickens are the opponents of the cursed with copper skin and iron bones. How can they beat it? Where can they escape?"

"Death is the punishment for running away," Carr said.

Pamela, Celia, and Eudona, the doll who wrote their secrets, are buried forever in the cellar.

"Among the three, only An Gulan survived. It's a pity that Pamela and Celia were turned into demon spirits and couldn't escape from the temple."

"Have you forgotten," Arkham said softly, turning to stare at the black cloth covering the two skeletons, "We've taken them away from that horrible cage, but it's not enough, they haven't been purified."

"Don't be impulsive, buddy! This is not something we can contend with." Carl's expression froze, and he reminded, "You must not act rashly, you must ask for support!"

"What's the date today?"

"Dec 31, '65."

"Look, tomorrow is a special date." Arkham said solemnly, "If you go to the city to move rescue soldiers first, the fat pig has already arrived at the temple in the time it takes."

"This means that An Gulan and the others will be tortured again."

"But--"

"What are you trying to say?" Arkham interrupted him, and his amber pupils ignited. "One more time, one less time, it makes no difference to them. They are used to it anyway?!"

Carl's words were choked in his throat.

"It's not the same, I already know this ugly fact, heinous evil!" Arkham squeezed the Griffin badge and said without retort, "It's right in front of me, I can't just sit back and ignore it."

He looked at the road from which he came, the direction of the temple, the vast night sky, his eyes as sharp as griffins, uncompromising,

"Look, An Gulan and the group of children are there, on the edge of a bottomless cliff, they need someone to pull them."

"I will tell them with actions that this world not only has abandoned their relatives, vicious and greedy priests, perverted fat pigs, evil gods who play with people's hearts, but also some warm things."

as we have experienced.

With his back to Carl, he waved his hand dashingly,

"Of course, you can leave now and go back to Ron Essett to help you. I can totally understand that."

"Or, draw the sword behind you and read the inscription on it."

Inscription.

Carl looked startled.

When a group of apprentices heard the stories of Arzu and the four great masters, they asked for a motto on a whim, while the teacher was drunk.

He has not paid much attention to it, but today, at this moment, when reason and emotions are struggling, they have to re-examine.

He couldn't help but draw his sword.

Swah——

A silver lightning flashed across the night sky, and the moonlight like water fell on the blade that cut iron like mud, reflecting the cloud pattern of flowing clouds and water, and the line of shining, wavy inscriptions——

"Hold the sword in your heart..."

Carl looked solemn and read it out,

"Cut the world's evil!"

Hold the sword of righteousness in your heart and slay the evil in the world!

The sound is like a torrent, and the night is gloomy.

...

hum-

The blade as thin as a cicada's wing slid through the air, making a crisp clanging sound.

Arkham held the hilt in his right hand, brushed the inscription on the sword with his left, and read out his motto,

"The sword is not easy to come out, and the glory will return!"

Moonlight and firelight reflect his proud face,

"I don't have the ambition to save the people like Master Arzu, but my honor is at hand!"