That Lucky Jerk (On Hold)

Chapter 4: Execution

"Well, now I've gone and done it." Eric sighed as he attempted to stretch his neck through the stockade. "Not even five chapters in and I'm already lined up for execution..."

"Shut up!" The executioner yelled at him before he drug another pair of prisoners up the stone steps that led out of the dungeon and towards the balcony where they would be publicly executed for whichever crimes they'd committed. In Eric's case, it was for the fact that he'd been stealing from people for his entire life. Well... such a thing would normally not warrant being executed, but the person whom Eric had stolen from the most was the king, and apparently the man didn't like him very much for it. But still, even despite where he was and what was happening, he wasn't worried.

"Hi there, I'm Eric! What's your name?" Eric asked towards to small beastman cat girl who was locked up beside him. Though the only way that he could tell that she was a beastman was the fact that she had two black cat ears sticking out of the top of her head as she looked completely human otherwise. However, such a thing normally wouldn't have caught his attention and the only reason that he'd called out to her now was because she was just a kid. And just why was a kid about to be executed?

"Die." The girl snapped and glared at him as soon as he spoke to her.

"Hello Die, it's a pleasure to meet you." Eric replied happily. "Do you come here often?"

"People only come here once. Then they don't go anywhere anymore." The girl sighed at him before replying in monotone.

"So what did you do?" Eric asked.

"I ran away." Die answered, and Eric lost his smile when he finally noticed the chain tattoo around her neck.

"A life slave? Why the heck would anyone put that on a kid?!" Eric asked in shock, knowing that a life slave was normally a punishment for someone who did something that most people considered either heresy or treason. After all, slavery was normally illegal in the Kingdom of Losh, and only life slaves were allowed seeing as the were basically life sentences for crimes. And for it to be put on a ten-year-old or possibly younger kid like her... Just what did she do?

"Because I killed my parents." She answered without changing her expression at all, making Eric now wonder just who her parents were and what they did to her in order for her to turn out like this. After all, he had pretty bad parents himself but he certainly didn't kill them... Or at least he wasn't going to unless he found them by chance on their island someday.

"So you're being executed for running away from your master, huh?" Eric asked.

"My previous master, yes." Die answered. "Though he cancelled his contract with me when he sentenced me to execution. So now, I'm a free slave that anyone can claim at any time... not that I'll be living for that long."

"Well that works out then." Eric started smiling again. "When we get out of here, I'll be your new master. I'll treat you well, I promise!"

"Die!" Die snapped at him again, though that was before she casted her head down. "It's pointless anyway. No one ever escapes when they're waiting for execution. There are too many guards."

"If I get us out of here, will you accept me as your master?" Eric persisted, causing the girl to look at him curiously.

"Do you have a plan?" Die asked.

"Nope! No plan at all!" Eric laughed in reply. "But I've come to learn that good things happen if you just wait!"

"You're a fool..." Die gave him a disgusted look before sighing to herself. "But if you can somehow help me escape, then I would be forced to serve you seeing as you're the one that wants me. That, and I have no wish to die. Not yet, anyway."