Chapter 32: End of a Story...
In the dimly lit meeting room, where the King and Queen of the Spade Horus held their rare and momentous councils with elders and subordinates, a rare and grave occasion was unfolding.
This occasion was an execution.
"Kimara Darkdawn, slave of Kithara Darkdawn and loyal servant of the Spade Horus, you are responsible for the disgrace brought upon our family's name." One of the elders, dressed in a white fur coat and long white robes, his long grey beard and bald head bearing testament to his wisdom, spoke with a voice heavy with authority.
"By raising Ruthar Hellborn, the disowned descendant and destined slave to Rotexa, you have nurtured a shame upon the name of Spade Horus."
"Never before has a member of the Spade Horus family fled from a duel. Worse still, he staged an atrocity by slaughtering all the slaves in your castle, hiring mercenaries only to kill them with our help, and then fleeing like a coward."
"Even speaking of it disgusts me. By the jurisdiction of Section 2456 of the Spade, which states, 'Until the coward is found and executed, you shall lose one part of your body after another until you die,' you shall be punished accordingly. Do you have any objections, Kimara Darkdawn?"
Kimara, who had been keeping her head bowed, lifted it to stare at the elder with a gaze filled with resentment.
The elders, subordinates, the royal family, and even Gandara supported her execution.
Gandara of all people testified against her, shattering her heart like fragile glass.
'I cannot do anything but accept the punishment, but I swear, Ruthar Hellborn, you will pay with your life for taking Hendricks, Gandara, my life, and my honor by fleeing... I should have known never to trust you.'
She nodded slightly before lowering her head once more.
She was entirely broken, bleeding from countless wounds after a day-long whipping. Her hair was matted and disheveled, and she was shackled to the ground, unable to move.
A truly shameful and excruciating punishment.
"Look up, Kimara Darkdawn. We will start with your eyes!" the elder commanded, ordering a subordinate at the table with red hair and a beard. He was the only one dressed in fine armor, the commander of the king's army.
He drew the dagger from his waist and approached Kimara with a disturbing eagerness.
Obediently, she raised her head, not to accept her punishment, but to etch the face of her executioner into her memory, for this would be the last time she used her eyes.
The commander grasped her throat, squeezing tightly as he drew back his dagger and plunged it into her left eye socket with great force.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! RAHHHGAAHHH!" Her screams echoed as the executioner tightened his grip, choking her while he withdrew the dagger.
The pain was unbearable, even for her. Kimara strained against her shackles, attempting to break free, but each time she stopped herself, knowing it was against the law.
So, she restrained herself and sat in agony.
The executioner did not stop at one eye. He took the dagger and plunged it into her other eye socket, blinding her completely.
The shock of blindness, combined with the searing pain and the warmth of her own blood drenching her naked body, forced an ear-piercing shriek from Kimara as she writhed in the executioner's grip and her restraints.
Gandara, standing before Kithara's throne, covered her eyes and turned away from the horrifying sight.
As she did so, a hand roughly pulled her hands down, forcing her to witness the scene once more.
"You close your eyes, and I'll ensure you endure ten times the punishment!" Kithara declared, instilling fear that made Gandara stare while she trembled deeply.
"This is the best part after all; the beauty and story of Kimara end here..." Kithara grinned malevolently.
"The scholar is next."