Amid the center of Eonroil, a light cascaded down from the heavens. It was white in color, a winged figure came down. She was met with a lot of reverence, the towns people bowed. As she came closer to landing, she noticed a few figures standing in the back, watching. "You there." She pointed and the guards around the castle pointed their spears. "Why aren't you kneeling!"
Her anger aside, she was seething and spit with each word. Veins protruded from her forehead and she was an ugly sight. The Eight people who were standing in the open were taken into custody after the guards had killed one of them. Now Seven, they were led into the castle's dungeon and stripped entirely. "Scum, daring to defy the Goddess. I would have your eyes plucked out for that gaze of contempt. Why the Goddess has chosen to show you mercy, I do not know... but you'll be hanged by tomorrow."
The Guard was gloating while he swirled his keys and started to whistle. He could be heard from a great distance in the halls, the echo traveled far in that underground space.
The Seven of them were travelers, adventurers from another town. They had only just arrived and were unaware of the customs but they had been singled out and targeted for disposal like an eyesore. As they were being chained to the walls, the smell of death had overwhelmed them. They felt dread and were about to experience one of the cruelest realities that adventurers had to face, being the suspicious outsider that gets killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
Monolithic statues surrounded the City, some of them were being worked on but the roads were well paved with cobblestone. "Get back to work!" slaves were being whipped into exhaustion when a loud roar came over the city walls. "Don't stop.. do you think its time to sleep?" The whip cracked again, "The Paularr Family has arrived, put your backs into it or I'll flay you here and now," The Whip slashed at a man's throat and he fell over, bleeding profusely. "Did I say you could lay down and die?" The Guard kicked some dirt across the wound, it slowing the bleeding a little but the rush of blood soon began to pour from the edges..
'Tsk' The Guard was furious, he raised his hand again and sent the whip at the man's genitals. "GET UP!" 'Making me look bad? I'll show you.' The whip raged and twirled, slashing out with its barbed tips.
The slave couldn't return to his feet, the wounds covered his body and he was underfed. It would have been easier to say he wasn't fed but the slaves had a way to consume the air. Everything belonged to the higher ups, even the energy in the air. If a slave was caught absorbing aura while working, they were immediately killed as thieves. The Citizens were no better off, their constant oppression was marked with incredibly low birth rates and high death tolls. Still, their control over the region grew and the population continued to explode.
"Sir. We have reports, you're promotion has come through." One of the City officials had arrived to give him the good news.
So that's what it was.' He was pleased, the Guard stood tall and proud. "Please, come tell me all about it." Passing the whip to his replacement, the guard and the official left to discuss things.
His replacement was a thin and unremarkable man. Though, when he moved there was an obvious and strange way that he stepped. It was like he was stepping through cow shit and trying to avoid getting it on his boots. They were wide and he swung his body a lot until he got into a stationary position. It was not uncommon for armor to cause problems, most of the guards who saw him walking felt some sort of empathy for the man.
He walked around a corner and vanished from sight. When he reappeared, he was on a bridge headed toward another structure. There were about fifty small rooms covered in bars down each of the hallways, prison cells designed to hold people that were awaiting their public executions.
The keys in his hands made no noise and his breathing was still but his steps still caused a lot of noise. They were the clear sound of claws striking the floor with every step. No one noticed the difference and the tunnels kept going down. Level after level was filled with prison cells until finally on the 13th floor, it led the man much further away from the other cells. A small room opened up into a cathedral like floor space, the vaulted ceiling walls were filled with the mosaics of different cultures, many of which had already been conquered.
It was empty, it usually was.
The room existed for a single guest, one that would rarely come but required complete isolation.
Looking around the room, Vector grabbed whatever he could find. There was locked door near the desk, he took the desk and then froze the hinges from the door. It fell and made a loud noise, only the prisoners heard it but not one would care or think anything of it. Secured behind the lock was the set of keys. He quietly stole them and snuck back down the hallways. The keys were magical, their creator only wanted a single device capable of opening all the doors. A Master Key, it opened all doors in the lower levels.
He kicked open a door after unlocking it, "Cheonquq? Are you in here?" None of them answered, grabbing them one by one, he asked again. "Are you Cheonquq?"
One woman stood up and tried to take his place. "I'll be Cheonquq if you want me to be, just get me out of here!"
"I don't need you, but you're free to go.. just stay behind me until its time to leave." Vector checked the cells one by one. It was a long process and he didn't have much time. He had been begged, then paid and begged again to save a certain child who'd been picked up. If the child was publicly executed, the nation would be thrown into a war. The Attendants of Mauis were adamant about killing the child for what he represented. The Kingdom of Hodda had always been somewhat aggressive but they would never murder indiscriminately, but the Paularr Family Head and City Lord of Eonroil wanted to make an example.
He searched repeatedly for the boy but couldn't find him. One of the cells near the front of the line, almost at the entrance to the whole building held a prisoner that shared his cell with Cheonquq. "They've taken him, its starting now. They want to make an example of him to generations of Hodda sympathizers. I've heard their plan is to castrate, hang, then behead him." The prisoner said as much while Vector tore the chains from the wall.
"All of you, disappear once we get clear of the building. I'm going to save Cheonquq, do not get in my way and don't get caught." Vector's hands trembled, he had gone through a lot of effort to gain access to the inner portions of the castle. If the Great Guests or commanders of the Eonroil forces found Vector at all, he would be hunted without end. The fact that the boy was no longer in the dungeon should have obvious to him but he had missed it. On his way down he had scanned over the cells to search for any child, he had kept his mouth shut and missed his chance.
At the Exit, Vector passed lots of dirty rag cloaks to the group and reminded them to scatter. More than twenty people had been freed, he didn't care if they were innocent or not but Cheonquq wasn't among them. "Go." He opened the door and turned the corner, a group of guards was walking away. Jumping, he landed behind them and walked in their formation.
The group of guards was heading to the execution grounds.
There was no choice, no other path he could take. Vector would have to expose himself, which was more than he was originally willing to do, if the boy was executed, especially in Eonroil, then Hodda would go directly to war. Cheonquq was from the Hirraday Royal Family, as they frog marched him out of the dungeon, all sort of garbage was thrown out. Encouraged by the City Officials to drive morale up for the executions.
"My Citizens, Quiet Yourselves." The Winged Woman caught everyone's attention and the crowd stood silent. "The Royal Families are not exempt from the laws of Gods. If you dare to step in the way of one, kick yourself in the ass, you deserve what's coming. Boy, your family dared tread upon my kingdom when you are unwelcome. For that, curse your ancestors for giving birth to your parents." She turned away from the boy, dragging her fingernails across his face. "In this World, you should know your place. My Citizens, witness the only fate that exists for those who stand against us. Our borders are marked by the edge of the Sky."
The paraded around the stage with the child, her hand was gripping the collar that was clasped around his neck. He choked and jerked with every yank from her hands, the metal around his neck was cutting in and dark red bruising began to bleed. "I have come today to give you all, my citizens, a show of force." She turned the boy and kicked him down to the ground with her foot on his chest. "To violate the Kingdom or its lands, you will be put to death."
Cheonquq was dragged across the ground and the chain holding his collar was hoisted into the air. As his feet began to dangle she motioned for the executioner to stop. "Do you admit your crimes!?" She kicked the child in the balls. "Admit it before your God and Everyone that is here, then I will give you a quick death. Defy me again, and I will make you watch as the life slips from all those who came before you.. then your body will adorn the walls of this castle for all to see.."
The boy spit out blood, the collar was cutting into his chin. He couldn't speak even if he wanted to, which, he didn't. The collar was wide enough to keep Cheonquq breathing but eventually, his neck would snap.
When the young prince didn't answer, Ancestor Mauis kicked at his body into a light and gentle swing. He made choking noises during his struggle and spit at her face.
"Very well. Get the rest." She moved her hand in a hurried gesture and guards rushed to grab more prisoners, those that had come along with the Prince on his journey of discovery.
They were knelt down in front of the swinging prince, all of their faces were twisted in abject horror. The circumstances that had brought them to their deaths were well beyond their control and unavoidable. The Prince just happened to exist within their borders, trade was the central argument for Eonroil to dislike Hodda and he was just a ripe piece of low hanging fruit, they couldn't help but jump to the chance.
In the moment as the executioner sneered in joy, the clouds overhead began to assemble. There was a disturbance, energy was growing in its eye and it the crowd which was originally cheering at the event looked up with open mouths.
Small flakes began to fall, snow. It brought along a cool wind that crept up everyone's backside, they were all dressed lightly. It wasn't until the snow began to build up along the stage that she shouted. "We have an intruder!" Mauis sounded excited.
The group that was about to be executed looked up, the snow was falling on everyone besides them. Frost began to accumulate and the citizens who were watching and cheering on for the death of the prince began to freeze and shatter. Screams came too late for their escape, most of them were rooted to the pavement.
Mauis tore her feet from the Ice and a bronze light swallowed her wings, she was radiating sunlight. "The Sun still shines at Night!" She shouted, then, Mauis flew up to find the source of the storm overhead.