The Crystal Chronicles: Book 2

Bloodstained Past

Crack! The whip sliced through the air. Crack!! Crack!!! Ravenna's black hooded torturer flings a whip in the air over and over. Reveling in their job. We are in a large open arena. Its structure almost reminds me of what the Colosseum must have once looked like. Four levels of intricately carved stone bleachers create a semi-circle around a wooden stage. Ravenna's 'emperors box' sits on the top level smack in the middle of the bleachers. The other half of the circle is filled with standing bodies. Crack! Standing stiffly by Ravenna's side she must have noticed my unease.

"Artemis my child, what has you in such a mood?" Ravenna sings with a sickening smile.

"Nothing Madam Ravenna." I replied as I attempted to soften my stance, but every time the notorious punisher cracked his whip in the air my body turned to solid stone. It's becoming prepared for what's about to happen. Ravenna giggles at my response,

"That's right! This is your first time guarding me at a sentencing, isn't it?" Ravenna said excitedly as she bounced up and down on her throne like a child getting a new toy. Nodding my chin head at her, I keep my eyes trained on the crowd in front of us.

Even though I have never been to one I know what they are. The stage is where the punishments are completed. In full view. To Ravenna it's nothing more than a show. My eyes darted to the five battered bodies on the stage. The stage has ten posts set up, off to the side sit boards and shackles. Whatever is about to happen is going to be nasty. Ravenna forces her generals to come to these meetings. Probably to keep them all terrified and under her thumb since she gives them some mental control.

Since I first met Ravenna, I've known she's a sick twisted individual but the thought of what's to come makes my stomach do flips. Even though this is my first time witnessing one of Ravenna's punishments I've heard stories of the gruesome event. Ravenna uses pain and fear to keep her army in line. Unfortunately, watching someone get their back torn to shreds because they didn't follow her explicit instructions seems to be a good enough motivator to keep her people under control.

"Welcome to Judgement Day!" Ravenna's speaker yelled to the crowd. Judgement Day sounds about right. It's just the kind of title Ravenna would fall in love with, "Today we have a surprise for you!" He excitedly booms, "Instead of our normal program we've decided to give you something more eccentric. To show you all what will happen if you turn against our ruler Ravenna." The man's voice goes dark. "A general brought these traitors to us." He screamed as he pointed at the five-kneeling people with bags covering their heads on the stage. Looking at their hunched-over figures I realize they have been severely beaten before they even arrived. Dried blood and dirt clings to their torn clothes. There are large bruises and fresh cuts along their shackled wrists like they were dragged by them. "These mongrels have been attacking our food shipments and armories in an effort to build a force to bring down Ravenna." The speaker's voice filters in and out of my mind. How long is this supposed to take? "Infidels!!! They shall each get twenty slashes and then they will be crucified! To pay for their hideous sins! Unmask the traitors!" He screamed into a microphone from the middle of the punishment stage.

One by one the burlap sacks are torn from their heads. My eyes bulge as I realize they are normal humans. Beaten, broken, and defeated humans. Stiffening farther, I watch as they are strung up between two posts; the backs of their shirts torn from their bodies. I'm shocked to see that I was wrong about these people. They aren't broken, yet. They hold their heads high with a determined look on their faces that scream 'Do your worst. We won't let you win.'

The punisher looks at Ravenna and she raises her hand. Signaling him to start. Gripping my bow, he lifts the leather whip in the air. Giving me a crystal-clear view of the three pieces of leather, their tips glittering with pieces of metal and sharpened bone. The first few times a person is hit they stand tall, but their face crumbles in pain. Though no matter how strong they are as the barbaric torcher continues one by one, they eventually give in. One after the other they scream in pain and their knees buckle.