THE SORCERER KING

MAEVE'S POINT OF VIEW

They were not going to be saved. It was not like Maeve had not considered this outcome, but the reality of it was still biting. She had ventured to Rhywle to do justice, not to be put down like some common criminal. Yet life cared not and threw this path at her. It had done it when she had been forced to flee her home and build a new name without anything. It had been a rough few years before she had met Vasin, and he had taken pity on her. In a way that had been both a blessing and a curse. Life was more comfortable to maintain, but it would be harder for her to move on and do what was needed. While working at The Oak, she sometimes wondered if it might be worth it to give up her quest for justice and just live out her life as a commoner. She would not have to face the risks, the fact her journey might simply be in vain anyway, and all she would achieve was an early grave. She had been close to abandoning her duty, but then Tallin had swooped in. The woman had reminded her of why her quest was so important. They had spent nights talking in the woods, discussing the injustices of this society led by the soulless. How they were ignorant of the truth of the world, and should therefore not be the ones leading. If anything, they were a group of blind people leading more blind people, killing those few who could see who could indeed lead. Her brother was both blind and jealous, and that was why he resented his mother and her for having a vision. She would pity him for his soulless nature if he had not been so petty, but that was all in the past. She had tried to bring him to justice but had fallen short in her plan. She had no idea who had betrayed her, but if her soul ever got the chance, then she would seek out her revenge. Not that there was much hope for that, the soulless would never be reborn like her, so most likely she would never be able to fulfill her revenge. Nor would she ever be able to bring her brother to justice. The only small favor she had earned was that perhaps one day, the mother and her soul would be able to cross paths again. In a life where a useless soulless spare like her brother would never exist, and it would just be them. For once able to live happy lives free from soulless' pettiness and anger. Maeve kept these thoughts in mind as she and Avis were brought out in front of the crowd. It was a graceless group of animals, shouting and screaming for blood, for their fake pointless justice. Justice meant nothing if one did not have the soul to carry it out. Without a soul, there was no true person, just a poor imitation. Killing a soulless might be cruel in the same way that putting down an animal might be evil. Killing a person with a soul, on the other hand, was murder pure and simple. Of course, a soulless society did not understand this, how could they? They were all blind, and that was why their justice was simply a blind man's twisted idea of the real thing. Maeve kept staring right ahead as she was led to the chopping block, ignoring the harsh pushes as she was forced down on it. This was it. It seemed like her mother might never receive justice for her murder. Maeve closed her eyes, no reason to look at those cruel soulless animals. At least she could find solace in the fact that she would live on, something they would not.

...

Nothing happened. Maeve slowly opened her eyes, glancing around in confusion. The crowd had been demanding their heads, she wondered why it had not gone silent. The restraints made it hard to get a good look, but out in the distance, she spotted a sizeable serpent-like shadow inching closer at a rapid speed. The serpent emerged in the square as the soulless starred on in fear. She had never seen anything like it, the creature was two floors tall with blackened scales, and as it got closer, she spotted what appeared to be passengers on its back. It seemed like justice was not completely dead after all. She watched in glee as the soulless stood frozen in the square seemly aware of their impending doom yet unable to do anything to prevent it.