The light coming from the window illuminated her cold face as she stood before the boy, her empty eyes studying his changed appearance. He had something new in his eyes as they were shining brighter than yesterday.
A knot formed in Silistra's throat and for a brief moment pity washed over her face before she pulled herself together, her lips slowly as sound escaped from them. They formed a dreadful sentence.
The little light that had formed in Beleth's eyes vanished, devoured by overwhelming fear and panic.
"In five days, you will be executed."
***********************************************
Silistra closed the door and joined Erden and Conrad in the guard's station, a small enclosed space with another door leading outside.
A thin spiral of flames had formed in the place of Erden's severed leg, it supported his balance just enough for him to step between Silistra and Conrad with his hand on his sword, his eyes full of resolve.
Conrad on the other end stood before the two, his fists clenched, fury burning in his eyes. A man turned towering beast, prepared to fight.
Silistra just looked at him and tried to walk past both her friends, before being stopped by Conrad's extended arm. "Tell me what you said to him!" The man said his voice barely contained his rage.
The woman looked down before turning to him, "I told him everything that needed to be told."
The towering figure swung his arm as Erden rushed at him with his sword half drawn, that action turned unnecessary as Conrad aimed his rage at the wall behind him, cracking it. The man averted his gaze, unable to look at her, "Have you no heart woman !?"
A vein popped on Silistra's forehead, "What can be told about you then?" She said as she stepped up to him. "You knew this was going to be the eventual outcome of this mess." She stared at him with ragefilled eyes. "It would have been more cruel to keep in the dark about his fate."
" It is just cruel and unnecessary. He is no more than a child!"
"No more than a "child" ?" Her eye began twitching. "He is absolutely more than just a child!" She got up in his face even more and poked her index finger in his chest. "You cannot tell me that you did not feel it. In that thing there is something that fundamentally terrifies us, something our very nature is repulsed of."
"And that justifies him being murdered?" Conrad yelled back at her.
"And what do you suggest we do instead?" She waved her hand angrily, "Study him? Try to understand what he is? That would be like playing with fire!"
"That is exactly what we should do!"
"And what if someone dies whilst we try to reach an understanding with him. You might have not been affected by that fear, but I have." She began gasping for air, her voice cracking. "After taking off his shackles he could have killed me if he so desired and I would have been powerless to do anything. What if he kills even by accident, what would you say to the family of the dead."
Conrad gritted his teeth and looked away. Silistra lost her balance through heavy breathing and continued, "And if he kills you? What should I say to your family as I return your body."
"I would not be able to look neither my wife nor my son in the eyes if I allowed you to kill him." Conrad said, his voice low.
Erden stepped up and placed a hand on Silistra's shoulder, "Silistra is right, he is something too unknown to us. The danger of his existence far outweighs any moral dilemma. Not to mention that the affected by the massacre deserve some form of solace. Thus, the decision is final.
Beleth will be executed as a monster"