ARTHUR

Arthur eats his gruel in the corner of the hovel. The mother's grip tightens around the newborn as boots stomp through the rain-slicked mud, a wail pierces the silent night—raw, terrified, as if the child already knows her fate. The door creaks open, and a Magister steps inside, donning a crimson gold robe as four Enforcers loom behind him. The mother offers up the baby.

The Magister's fingers twitch as he reaches toward the child, eyes narrowing in concentration—trying to detect a pulse of magic. Rain patters against the thatched roof, masking the baby's crying, if he fails to the detect it the baby would have a chance of a normal life. "She is a Godlike." The mother lets out a strangled sob. The father hangs his head low, shoulders slumping helplessly.

Arthur gulps down his mug of ale, he had seen this before, they would surrender their child to the Chantry in blind faith. The mother clutches her baby tighter, body shaking. Her lips muttering prayers, He turns his face away, he could already see it, she would become nothing more than an empty husk just like the mother before her. It is terrible, what losing a child does to a mother.

"Even the most pious grieves, but this is the will of the Maker. You will surely be rewarded for this sacrifice." The Magister's voice is solemn, and a scoff escapes Arthur. They are ignorant of the truth but he is not, how many times, how much longer can he turn a blind eyes to such cruelty? He puts down his mug with a deliberate thud, the wooden chair scraping against the floor as he stands and the Magister turns to look at him.

"I've seen a mother raise her Godlike child in Ionia, they turned out to be just fine." 

"This is Harmonia, we live under the Maker's rule, and the Maker knows best." 

"If magic makes us divine, and being the most powerful makes one a God." Arthur's eyes glow in crimson hues, and color drains from the parents eyes as they retreat from the Magister, "Bow down to your new God." Lady Siela would rather leave everyone in ignorance, but he will not. It is past time someone puts an end to this charade, he will burn the Empire down and from its ashes will arise a new one.

Arthur snaps his fingers, fire blooming out and the first enforcer  stumbles back, shrieking and running for the rain but the fire clings to him, "A demon!" The others draw their weapons, a smirk escapes him and he draws his own blade. 

One charges forward but Arthur's blade carves through his throat, the Enforcer clutches at the gaping wound as he chokes, blood gushing between his fingers as he crumples to the ground with unanswered prayers . 

A flick of Arthur's wrist, and fire blooms from his palm. The first guard barely has time to react before the flame engulfs him. He stumbles back, shrieking, running for the rain—but the fire clings to him, refusing to be extinguished. One stumbles back, eyes wide in terror, the other continues his charge but is cut down just as swiftly. The last Enforcer regains his composure, bolting out of the door and into the pouring rain.

"Maker, give me strength to banish this evil!" The magister raises his arm, palms out, his eyes tinges in a faint hues of grey. Arthur snaps his fingers, a fire ball bursts out towards the Magister and he rushes in close behind it, the fireball explodes against the Magister's barrier, its heat licking his face. The Magister stumbles back, mouth parting in a half-formed incantation—

Too late.

Arthur's blade catches him across the eyes first, then it slices across his chest, hacking halfway through his arm, Arthur spins, swinging his blade and hacking into the the other arm, his blade biting halfway through. He drops to the ground, his leg sweeping into the ground and knocks the Magister off his feet, back crashing, head thudding against the ground. 

"Mercy!" The Magister demands, turning and crawling away from him. 

"Sinners need no mercy, nor sympathy." Arthur pierces a blade through the Magister's thigh, a cry of pain escapes him, and he pierces the blade into the other thigh and a smirk escapes him. "Where is your God now?" No longer will he turn a blind eyes to atrocity, he would not tolerate them playing God anymore, he will become God himself. He turns to face the parents, they are huddling in the corner with their newborn child.

"Why are you doing this?" The father braves out his words.

"I am saving your child."

"You've doomed us all." The father clenches his hands into fists, turning his face away in anger. "You...demon." 

"I can protect you." Arthur offers his hand but the father refuses to look at him, a demon, they are too blind to see with their own eyes. So adamant in their false beliefs, fools, all of them. "You will not fight for your lives? Your child's?" Frustration escapes his voice, Lady Siela is wrong...he can change this world. 

"Maker I beg you, protect us from this evil." His hand clenches into a fist, he cannot save someone who refuses to be saved. He reaches for his cloak, donning it against the rain as he steps outside, walking past the Enforcer's corpse that is still burning in flames. Somewhere out there, there must be others who sees through the Chantry lies, he just has to find them. People waiting to rise against the false God.