Post by gryn on Aug 4, 2019 3:43:32 GMT 1
“Self-defence is one thing, your Ladyship, but when her attacker lay already beaten to the ground a further bludgeoning to the head with a large rock was a little extreme. And this isn’t the first time she has been here. She, and her group of miscreants, frequents this courthouse for causing havoc all over Exodus. Even now, in front of the whole town she shows no remorse. She can’t even bring herself to wipe that stupid smirk off her face. We will be calling for public execution, your Ladyship. Thank you.”
“Defending yourself in this world is a must. This cruel and unforgiving land tests your wits and mettle every day. That being said, we do not condone violence against our own kind, especially murder.” Her voice was stern but her eyes soft.
“They want you to hang for this girl. However, luckily for you, we do not practice lex talionis in Forsaken law. Instead you can spend some time thinking about where it is you went wrong and how you found yourself in this mess. I sentence you to five years hard labour in the pit.” She spoke without rebuke for someone passing down judgment.
Rotten vegetables and fruit thrown at the chain gang littered the streets of Exodus contributing to the town’s already pungent odor. Onward the arsonists, con artists, pick pockets, burglars, bandits and the young murderer marched clinking their way out of town. Once clear of the towns outlying shacks they turned off the road and headed south. The girl had never seen a wasteland or a desert until now. In the same way a great mountain dwarfs us, or a raging river current confronts us with our own insignificance, looking out across the vast emptiness of the land the girl realized how tiny her and her problems were. The party reached the checkpoint for the night. No jailhouse or cells to offer shelter to the offenders for the night. A large tree had been felled and dragged here. The barren wasteland had dried the wood out long ago. One by one the guards released the gang and chained each to a metal shackle driven into the flesh of the trunk. Night fell like the drop of a curtain and with it the temperature too. No food was provided and the warmth from the guards fire hardly reached the prisoners. The girl listened to the others trading horror stories of the pit before they moved on to an escape plan.
“You’re over thinking it.” The girl interrupted.
“What would you know about it?” a Kiith snarled.
The girl’s eyes narrowed in on the Nuruk, which quieted his laugh and drew the rest of the gangs’ attention.
“I’m gonna rip this shackle outta this rotten timber and beat them all to death with it.” The girl replied.
They all shared sideways glances before bursting into laughter. The girls face grew hot and red with anger as one of the guards ordered silence. She heaved at the shackle buried in the dead wood and broke the steel bolt. She was free and with a shackle still hanging from one hand she rushed the guards. Picking up one of their swords, the element of surprise gave her the upper hand and she cut three down to one quickly. Trembling with a sword in his hand the last guard looked young and fresh into his career. A threatening draw back of the sword had the guard running for his life to the cheers of the rest of the inmates. The girl finished the remainder of the guards’ supper while the log bound lot watched on. She loaded one of the guard’s bags with all she could and began to leave. The others protested and pleaded shamelessly, but the girl only turned to them to give a smile before she took off.
Now an enemy of the Faction she had to escape. The girl ran through the night, stopping only at daybreak to eat and then continued on. Before she died, her mother had spoken of the lands to the west. Of how they were abundant, idyllic and beautiful like the people who inhabited them. She chose to take a path through a narrow canyon corridor instead of hiking over the mountain. As she neared the end of the corridor a huge Norsk warrior blocked the path. She recognized him as one of the Genocide leaders and her stomach sank.
“Hello there girlie, where are you off to in such a rush?” He queried.
The girl shrugged her shoulders trying to avoid eye contact.
“There is nothing out there for you but death.” He said.
“That’s all I’ll get if I stay here, so I’ll take my chances.” She said.
He asked her,
“What is your name youngen?”
She shrugged her shoulders again.
“OK, what do they call you then?” he persisted.
“Gryn.” She replied with hesitation.
“Kids can be cruel, can’t they?” he remarked.
She thought she saw something like empathy in his eyes but it was probably closer to pity.
“Well looking at that shackle on your arm and the fact that you’re running west means I should probably take you in.” The Norsk said.
He drew the biggest sword she’d ever seen from a sheath on his back and said,
“But where’s the fun in that?”
Gryn looked back to Forsaken lands through the narrow corridor and thought of running. But she decided to swing at the Norsk. He dodged with ease and the last thing she saw was the glare of the sun on the blade blinding her as it came down.