The Prison

Clack! Clack!

The cold iron chains scraped against the bluestone floor, ringing out sharply.

With Special Handcuffs on both wrists, Evan slowly entered a cell in the Court of Justice.

"What a young brat!"

"Heh heh!"

"I bet he won't last a day in here!"

"Give him to me! Give him to me!"

One filthy Black Hand after another reached through the iron bars as the prisoners all cackled together.

Even though he had been mentally prepared for this, Evan couldn't help trembling at the sight.

"Hey! Kid, what did you do?"

A prisoner asked with a wink and a nudge.

"I did nothing wrong. I'm a Holy Warrior of Our God!"

Evan shouted back.

"A Holy Warrior... heh heh..."

One of the black-robed Clerics escorting him suddenly sneered. "You think being a Holy Warrior is anything special? Let me tell you, the Court of Justice has tried more than a dozen Holy Warriors, and even more priests! The people locked up in here might be just like you."

"What?"

Everything Evan had heard and seen before had been the bright side of the church. Now, suddenly confronted with the darkness inside the Court of Justice, he felt something strike at his heart. "Our God..."

"The gods are great. They don't have the time to concern themselves with what happens in the mortal world..."

A Cleric beside him laughed as if it were nothing. "In fact, some Holy Warriors and priests still had Divine Grace when they were led to the stake. They were still Our Lord's priests and Holy Warriors. So what? They were secretly executed all the same."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a tight grip around his wrist.

Evan had seized it, his eyes seeming to burn with flame. "You twist the teachings