Shadow Dagger

Falsely Accused?

            The cloth that covered the wagon fluttered in the wind, revealing three men huddled together. A light rain found its way into the wagon as lightning split the sky, a few miles from where the men huddled for shelter and warmth. The men had mud smeared across their faces and arms. Sandals laced loosely to their feet were the only forms of clothing the men wore.

            The wagon bumped its way over boulders and sink holes along the now muddy road. A village loomed in the distance as the wagon crept towards it. Two men on horseback pulled the rickety wagon. Iron armor covered the two men with one of them had interlaced chain mail around his torso. Both men had their visors down on their helmets.

            As the three n***d men shivered as the rain dripped down their bodies. One of the men made his way to the back of the wagon and sat with his head between his knees. He was skinny, they were all skinny, but he had definition of muscle that once toned his body. His black hair lay matted against his forehead as rain water trickled through it. The man’s light green eyes almost lit up the fading daylight around them.

            “Where is this damned wagon headed?” the green-eyed man asked looking through a loose board that revealed the muddy path below them. The other men looked blankly at him as again his deep voice filled the air. “Why are slave herders taking us to a beaten down village?” Now the village loomed only a few hundred yards away.

            “Hahaha.” Both men threw up laughter into the air. It was the older man who spoke first¸ “My son, that is Bloodsoak Village.” His balding head glistened as water bounced off.

            “I do not understand. Why are we headed there?” The light eyed man asked now standing up. His toned figure loomed over the two meek figures huddled before him.

            “My lad we are wanted murderers, it’s the only place left for us.” This time it was the middle-aged man who spoke. He was missing his left eye but didn’t bother covering it up.

            The green-eyed man wanted to ask the two men what murders they committed but didn’t get his chance as the wagon came to any abrupt halt sending the man head first into the other two men. He rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up with his hands as he saw the reason the wagon stopped.

            Six heavily armored guards blocked the road in front of the village gate. As the light eyed man regained his composure, he overheard the guards in heated discussion with the two slave herders on horseback.

            “You don’t even deserve to wear the king’s armor you sorry excuse for a human being.” One of the guards scolded at the herders.

            “I got you your shipment like I said I would.” The chain mail wearing herder lashed back.

            “Where is the rest of the shipment? The orders said five murderers. You better not try anything funny Rosalo.” The guard withdrew his sword with such force it startled the other five guards.

            The slave herder sat firm on his horse staring the guard down. “I have no problem dropping these murderers where you stand and hope they strike you down without mercy, Panor.” A slight smile escaped the corners of his mouth.

            “I will wipe that smile off your crooked face Rosalo. You know damn well you are just as scared of these murderers as the rest of society. That’s the only reason you asked for that armor, you filthy bast-“

            “Let us complete this transaction already Panor.” Rosalo’s smiling faded. “We both have lives to live.”

            Panor knew his words stung Rosalo but he decided to say no more and made his way to the wagon to examine the murderers. “So, we have Arthur Ramsay, wanted for three murders of his neighbor Dire May, his wife Sereh Ramsay, and his kid, Cim Ramsay.” The middle age man just sat on the hard floor boards staring into the darkening sky, his face blank of emotion. “Sounds like an affair gone wrong. Ha-ha.” Panor chuckled as he moved to the old man.

            “Robert Chullen wanted for the murder of a Holy guard. You will be the first to die, old man.” Panor spat at the old man who just continued to shake with both fear and cold.

            “Finally we have Tripit Lirik wanted for the murder of his mother and father, Ghand and Furn Lirik. All your punishments will be death by beheading. Bring them through Rosalo.” Panor turned on his heel and led the wagon through the village gate.

            Tripit Lirik was back on his feet as he screamed towards the guards, hoping someone would listen as the wagon thudded through the village courtyard. “You have the wrong person! I am innocent! I am only sixteen years of age!”

            Rosalo’s companion snapped back towards the young man. “That is plenty old enough to kill. Now shut up!”

            “I..I..shou…” words were choking Tripit as tears overwhelmed him and he was left alone in his thoughts.

            Bloodsoak Village was a series of homes encompassed by cobblestone roads. A graveyard was the center courtyard as a shadow was cast by a gothic style cathedral. Villagers flooded the streets awaiting the murderers with jeers and curses.

            The weekly executions brought huge profit to the village as people from all over Anla would travel to see what has become a sport. The executions never lasted long. No more than a few minutes but it was the blood spilled and the fact that murderers could no longer hunt for new victims that lured people from all over.

            “You scumbags deserve death.”

            “Daddy what is going on?”

            “Off with your head.”

            One after another the jeers and insults were directed towards the murderers, but Tripit heard none of it as the tears swelled up in his eyes and thoughts overwhelmed his head.

            This must be a mistake. I didn’t kill anybody. I couldn’t have. Tripit looked down at his hands as dried blood caked his palms and fingers. Now he second guessed himself as the wagon came to a bumpy halt.

            The wagon halted near a platform that led to a rope with a noose at one end of the rope. On the other side of the platform was an executioner’s block. It was a makeshift piece of board with an indentation that was supposed to be used for a person’s neck, but it hadn’t been used in some time as the wood started to rot and collapse.

            A group of three men stood circled around the platform as they watched a woman carry a man whose neck was snapped from his body. His eyes stared blankly into the world as the rest of his body lay limp-death by hanging.

            The woman threw the dead body on top of a pile of other dead bodies. She was emotionless as she paced around the wagon glaring at the three murderers. “This is the third batch today. Damn murderers are never going to quit.”

            She made her way to the group of three men as Rosalo and his companion stepped down from their horses and made their way to the back of the wagon where they unlatched the back hatch and it solidly fell to the ground, causing dust to fly into the still air.

            One by one the captured murderers shuffled their way out of the wagon. The stifled wind caused their nude bodies to sweat as they remained shackled by their ankles together.

            The woman grabbed each of the men by their hair and dragged them until they fell to the ground. Even then the woman kept dragging causing the three murderers to spit out dust from their mouths.

 “You coward, what gives you the right to do this to us?” Tripit spat as more dust filled his mouth and nose.

            “Reyno give him your special treatment,” the woman laughed as she dropped the captured murderers face first onto the dusty trail.

            The man named Reyno wore black fingerless leather gloves and seemed more scared than excited that he was being called upon. He stood over the three men laying n***d on the ground, blood and dust caked their bodies.

            Reyno pulled out a long leather whip from his belt, his scarred face turning into a crooked smile. He let the whip dance in the sky as it let out a loud c***k followed by screams as the whip landed on the backs of the three men. Blood immediately dripped down the gash as more cracks filled the air followed by more screams.

            The crowd that had gathered before was now encircled around the three murderers as the woman pushed her way through the crowd as the villagers gasped at the men’s pain. The woman watched from the back of the crowd as the minutes slipped away.

            Blood poured out of each of the men as they lay face down in the dirt. The crowd grew quiet as the cracking of the whip stopped as sweat poured down Reyno’s face. A smile crossed his face as he made eye contact with the woman in the back of the crowd.

             A small grunt escaped the lips of Robert Chullen as he struggled to his feet. His entire body shaking as his feet and hands slipped on the blood-soaked dirt. Reyno’s smile faded as he looked down to find Tripit halfway to his feet.

            A couple men from the crowd were busy throwing the other two murderers into the pile of corpses. Reyno quickly drew his whip and a loud c***k filled the air as Tripit thudded to the ground. Reyno circled the whip into the air again ready to make it fall upon Tripit’s bare back.

“Stop!” The woman rushed through the crowd again. “No more Reyno, you had enough fun for one day. You killed the other two.”

            The woman pulled Tripit up by his hair as she began to drag him towards the executioner’s block. “We will end this quickly murderer.” She flung him onto the block and secured his hands into the indents that filled the wood as his head sunk into the head rest.

            Reyno walked up to the executioner’s block with an axe in his hands as he struggled to pick it up over his head. He teetered as he brought the axe down. Reyno missed Tripit’s head as the axe thudded into the ground.

“You fool can’t even swing an axe. Hurry up and kill him before I kill you,” the woman hissed.

            Reyno took his stance again and again brought the axe over his head, this time he didn’t teeter as he tightened his grip. He brought the axe down as a loud c***k filled the air. Lightning struck Reyno dead as the axe fell from his hands and sliced his head open before getting lodged in his skull. His lifeless body fell into the muddy ground.

            The crowd scattered into their homes as they pushed and shoved their way over each other. The woman regained her composure as she reached for the axe and proceeded to chop off Tripit’s head but as she lifted the axe lightning struck the axe from her hand.

            Darkness started to fall over the city as rain pummeled the dusty clay brick that layered the walkways within the village. Fog engulfed the village as village folk continued to flee into their homes. Shrieks and screams filled the air as lights circled and closed in on the village. From amongst the foggy chaos men, women and children were sucked into the sky with their last remaining sounds being screams of horror. The stone walls that encompassed the cathedral cracked and the gothic towers slowly crumbled as a brigade of soldiers appeared out of the sky and pressured themselves upon the village.

            Fire arrows swirled around bombarding catapults of fire balls causing houses and stables to burn. Robed figures led the charge against the city, each one carried a glowing orb around their necks.

            Tripit found himself paralyzed by shock and fear as he watched the death that surrounded him. That lightning bolt that had struck the woman had struck his shackles as well and he escaped them amidst the chaos and knew he had to escape the village. The woman who had so enjoyed killing and torturing him, he found her charred body not far from where the pile of dead bodies were.

            Lightning crackled from the sky as the earth shook. Flood waters cascaded over the helpless village as village folk were flattened by horses, soldier’s swords and Nature’s angry wrath. Within minutes the village was left in shambles. Hundreds dead. The robed figures and their army coming in silence but leaving behind a deadly trail of destruction.

            Eyes blazing, one of them pointed into the darkness, a ball of lightning released from his hand as he launched it into the darkness, letting his cohorts know the work was done. They left as silently and as quickly as they had come.

            Tripit, breathless and panting, crawled his way out of the village as he watched the destruction and devastation behind him. He had crawled over piles of dead bodies. Their eyes stared blankly at him as he used their lifeless bodies as leverage to move across the muddy ground. He had no idea where he was, but he slithered his way through the open Wastelands.