The Shadow of the Accursed Executioner

Chapter 17: Drowning Beneath the Shallow

His white and tall stallion of steel paddings and of silver etchings, had continued to trot over along onto a pool of stretched blood, as the horseshoes off his mighty stallion had continued to trail along of blood throughout from between in plots of still eyes and of exposed vital innards, residing over the square. For which yet along had there to be of many axes and blades resided about, and along many lodged into the bodies of sentries and pillagers, and, with along there be as well then, were the appearance of a crow, perched upon, to the ends of a halberd's shaft, that had leaned on out onto an angle by an impaled hit into the backside of a pillager's corpse by the bladed end of its pole. As for yet had along now had that crow had flew away then, with an eager hop off the halberd before the white stallion's seamless approach beside it, as King Rhentehl had pay near none to the attention of the fallen, but instead, he so stoically, to have pass on through, between into the sights of the dead, with along mounds of elderly men and women, and of unknown children, for which their bodies were carved up beyond to the sights of any to know of whom, no more.
As steadily now had his horse had begun to trot up to the sight of the fallen afflicted. But yet had along now had his horse had begun to brace up in fear with its neck raised high and with a shyness of back-steps, as his horse had backed away now without even a hoof no further, toward the afflicted bear.
"...Aggru." He commanded, calling out to his horse, its seeming name, as Rhentehl had continued to stare with a resilient gaze toward the beast, examining the possessed corpse of the protruding black stems, and of along partial formings of human claw-like hands at the ends of its forelegs, as his horse had continued to remain in its place, with only but a lowly shiver in its place.
Yet, then eventually now had King Rhentehl had turn away from the sight of the afflicted being. And with yet he along too...Aggru, were to seemingly, feel back at ease once more, as he had trotted away from the sight of the afflicted bear now, and with he, King Rhentehl, now beginning to approach toward Ayu and myself and, Floria carrying father in her arms, still as well.
Then trotting to the side with a slow gait. Then gradually now to confront us along from the side, then steadily now to come to a sudden halt as he had stopped beside Ayu, as he had glared into our faces with an imposing presence, like a straight, silver face, casting over upon of a somewhat unimpressive gloom from within his dim-blue eyes, now, as he were to peer off into a sight with strictly eyes and Aggru to remain idle with lowly, passive eyes.
"A second wave is approaching." He informed, strongly and adamantly toward Ayu, as he continues to stare off with a peer, and now resting his gauntlet-plated hands upon Aggru's saddle. "It will be the final wave." He stated, he said, with his tone, dutiful, so.
Then Rhentehl had turned his head as he had placed his eyes upon Ayu with only but a glare. For he had looked down at Ayu as if Floria and myself (and father), were never to be seen beside them, as if King Rhentehl had etched of not even a glance upon us, but instead, we, were like unseeable spirits, but not, but be only of such insignificance between a prince and a king, whom were responsible for the leading of our peace.
"And I can see that you have brought riddance to this abysmal creature... which now resides here before us..." He said, his tone hard, yet brimming orderly. "However... Now, you shall give me an explanation, in exchange for this...unsatisfactory safeguarding." He said.
And now Ayu's face had turned pale. Yet, paler beyond than even beyond of his complexion of whiteness, in response to his father's unimpressive gaze, from what he had said.
"I...were to report to the front-lines of the siege, as you had requested, father... By a message relayed to me by the black sentries...whom...had seemed to have known exactly where I was from within my own home, and...during such a precise time, as well..." He had spoke, implying with brief remark, yet bearing the expression of service toward his own father, to uphold. "...As, for firstly, I had routed for multiple shield-wall formations, with each to have guarded the main squares, nearest to the sectors before the King's Court. And whilst they were greatly protected, we had surprise garrisons awaited nearby to their positions from within the main streets and with crossbowmen above. All whilst then I had devised of a plan with the black sentries...for I, to then expose to their most powerful enemy...which...was that monster behind you, of course. By leaping across the many buildings and cottages then to have fought against numerous devils along the way..." He said, expressing. "As I had loomed over the creature, then to have hopped onto its oblivious head, as whilst the black sentries had eventually aligned their bolts then, for they...to then impale into the beast's body. Piercing into its black heart, then... then, for this monster to have fallen. Now defeated..." He concluded.
"You were wreckless." He replied orderly, retaining his unimpressed gaze upon Ayu. "For so you had instead failed upon making use of your superior talents across the battlefield. And had instead letted the slaughter of many able-bodied people." He stated, his tone near-questioning, yet brimming with certainty. "For even if half the realm's buildings were to have been crushed by this beast, it would have been nothing as to the coming decline that you have only now just caused." He said. "...As now we must rebirth, and reteach...another many lottings of people. As rather you seem to have a talent in discarding many lives very quickly." He said, expressive, and expectant of our outcomes of this night. Which now his white horse were to slowly gait forward.
"Lives provide power." He asserted. "They provide...possibility." He added.
Trotting away now with Aggru yet, for only for a moment, as he had stopped before the black sentries guarding the street, and with he, too, sided by to the mounds of dead over the square.
For King Rhentehl had then faced between the black sentries and Ayu beside me, now, to then retain his place like he were to make an announcement to his men.
"People of the realm!" He said. "Descendants...to the followers of King Aragenn!" He announced proudly. "Twenty-seventh ruler! Founder of the realm, to the Andswall Royal Family! ... Tonight! The world once more has been torched! ...Has been raided! ...Has been pillaged! ...Has been...raped!" He implied. "Has been...mutilated." He said. Devoid of emotion were his expression, of even of the barest of vague hope, yet, but, he, retaining his blue eyes upon the black sentries, but, so to find that vague hope within them. "Ruined!" He continued. "Our people... Torn by these mindless and unruly devils beyond the wall, and by these malevolent, unknown creatures they tame!" He said.
As now he had paused his speech, and his mind, but only for a mindful to mourn, hiddenly, I had wondered.
To remain in silence, he had. But now to gaze off into a sight, he had.
"I know..." He spoke. He continued. "I know...of the grievances, that some of you will soon come to atone to." He said. As now Aggru would begin to move forward, toward the black sentries, and now King Rhentehl to be aligned upon to the rows of his black guards, as now he peers down at his men with an unchanged, stoic expression, from within his dim-blue eyes. "And so, I commiserate. To those who stand before me. Set aside your services for a time, and seek... For loved ones... That whom may have fallen to these devils, from beyond where I loom..." He said, insisting to his men, almost sounding, as it be like an order.
Yet, however, the black sentries from within their orderly rows had remain in their places. Remaining and remaining till eventually now a sentry from within the second row to have looked to the sides from beneath his bowl helmet and mail-covered face. Then now as another sentry from the latter rows of the formation had begun to move, to pass on out from between the rows, and now along for another sentry to have left his formation, beside him. Then another, and another, leaving, until more than beyond half the sentries to have went on over toward to the mounds of the dead onto the square, they, eagerly, then to search on through from along beyond the mutilated bodies of sentries and pillagers, and along then to see to the dead of severed children's heads and limbs and innards, till the bodies of various aged elderly men and women, into pieces, too.
And with now King Rhentehl to have remain in his place, watching down toward, at the remaining black sentries, with his samely, stoic gaze as they had continued to remain in their places, from their vacated formations across the lanes.
"I...have witnessed my family vacate into the King's Court, your grace." Spoke a sentry from a vague, departed middle lane-
"ARGH!! ...Aaaah...! .........Ughhh...! Ugh...! Urrr-hurrrr-urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh...!"
Now a sentry would continue to weep in horror from his place over the mutilated bodies of low. With his crying so profound, echoing throughout the square, and with his weeping so hideous, be torturous of pain. With the sentry to have dropped to his knees as well, and he be grasping to the cheeks of a little girl's head. As for he had held it so precious-like from his padded hands as he had continued to weep in distraught into its gaze of half-closed eyes of gold hair and stains of blood.
"Sophinie... So-phi-nieeee..."
He continued. Brokenly, with the rest of the sentries to now witness to the harrowing loss of his seeming daughter from their presences around the square.
And with now King Rhentehl beginning to trot back along from between our presences over the cobblestone and plots of dead, and with he, Rhentehl, completely undaunted by the black sentry's continuous weeps of agony over the square, he, to seem so uncharitable and hollow beneath, for a man's loss.
"You all see before me of our hurting defeat." He said bitterly, continuing his speech. "The brought of tarnish reigned upon to us by these devils." He added. "As...for I had hoped for this longing pursuit to come all to an end before my final days in this world." He said.
"..."
"To eradicate...! Each and every devil beyond the wall!" He roared plainly. "To then be no more of a world of raids to oppose against our higher world of rule...by these unruly. But only...for the Knights of the Realm to continue on with their arduous efforts...to wipe away at the entirety of their existence." He said, sounding so monotoned, he had. "However... But for whenever will that day shall come...when I am to die...will it be that my firstborn, shall become our next ruler of the realm...the next king." He said.
He declared.
As which then King Rhentehl had then turned his eyes toward Ayu with a mutual glare.
But then he had turned away after a brief stare with subtle bitterness to his eyes.
"But you see..." He continued, now implying, with a tone of displeasure, and now Ayu to step forward, and to confront his father with a slow gait. "You see... my son. He too, wishes for a world of peace. A realm of endearment, and... adoration... Attachment... Tranquillity..." He said, continuing, yet to have paused his speech, seemingly for a moment, and to think. "...Alliance." He then said. He thought, with a grizzling growl now to etch his tone, a cruel, deepened, grumbling tone now which had sounded like he were near-possessed.
All, from the mere mentioning of this said, 'alliance', I thought. As now Ayu had appeared beside his father, and with his eyes beneath his hair and to express of an unpleased mouth, almost, as if he were about to break.
"Alliance..." He repeated, darkly expressing. "For you, cannot merge with unreason. You, cannot merge, with the minds of the refusals. As they, are only but a retained corruption of our former-selves, but we, no more, but be only as the ascension of our existence. Our home. The Capital of the Realm." He said, sternly expressing. "For no more, that we are they...to scrimmage mindlessly amongst ourselves since King Aragenn's founding of the village, to then rule as one."
"..."
"For my son...truly he wishes to instead merge the realm with the devils beyond." He said, admitting over the square. Admitting over Ayu and I and, Floria, father, and all the black sentries. "For this, is what my son truly intends for." He continued, voicing his speech over the public square in concern. "For he, will cause nothing but endless conflicts, until... must we all, to then weep before our very own heads." He said, and now trotting away on his white horse with a slow gait.
"...Father..."
Then calling out to him, for Ayu had replied softly in his place, and now King Rhentehl to have pass beside him without even a glance.
"Perhaps, even if you were to wipe away all the pillagers...how then, will the remainder of the world see us in such light?" He asked. "Because eventually... for eventually, somebody's curiosities of the outside world, will bring them to care for their ways...one day." He said.
For Ayu's response were enough to bring his father to a gradual halt, yet. As now he would continue to stare toward at the main street, from where the rescue carriage had awaited and with along the black sentries now to return from the square, now, as King Rhentehl had then looked toward Ayu from the side-pauldron, over his silver armour.
"Well? Will you as well then, not refuse to escort even the last remaining survivors of this night?" He implied, questioning Ayu, belittling him in tone.
Yet for Floria and myself had already approached beside Ayu, and I to have taken father off her burden, and I, to have gladly accepted father back into my arms once more. As now we had headed for the carriage, we had went, grimly trotting beside Ayu and with Floria to my opposing shoulder, yet. But, however then, as now she had begun to lift her pace for the carriage now instead, and to walk off like she were ashamed with her arms lightly folded across like she were cold or to seem a little down.
"...How are you coping?" Spoke Ayu, softly and queerly, as he had placed his hand over my shoulder. "Oh, woman troubles?" He smirked.
"No." Replying in dread. "She... was never truly herself... Never, this whole time..." I said.
"Hmmm?"
"She... was the assassin, Ayu..." I said, confessing with a near-whisper, then my voice returning. "However... for a good cause. A cause, for a betterment, like yours..." I added, confessing warmly.
As Ayu had now pondered down at the cobblestones. As which then he had released his hand off my shoulder now, and to have rested it onto the pommel of his pointed blade, now. And with he, then to see, to Floria, now to enter into the carriage.
"Hm." He acknowledged, replying with a short hum of relief. "This is good, then." He said, accepting of the assassin, the black sun.
Then we had walked together in silence, stepping along behind King Rhentehl, and with the breeze of this dark night to have continued on within a fester of wine-blood and along calm embers, yet. Now then as Ayu had now stopped to a halt. Then now to have looked into my eyes, he had, from the punishment of his face, that were bruised and bloodied, pale.
"...Ghen." He spoke, calling out to me now, sincerely. "I... must tell you now, for what is to happen next. ...For what I... shall come to face..." He said. "All...whilst you will depart for the King's Court." He said, confessing to me, wishful for me.
Foretelling to me, he had seemed.
"..."
"My father... will order me to remain here." He said. "To keep me here, and have me fend off against the remaining pillagers..." He said, admitting to me.
But, to keep him here, I thought, but truly, but to dread this, only. For as for I had feel of an impending concern now rushing through me, I thought, now eating away at me. Growing, and growing, concerned, I had grew. For which now my mind were to have blankly gone by the fear that is nothing...
Nothing, to be done, or to help-there, be no other way, but for Ayu, but to remain within the square and to fend off against the remaining Pillagers, truly, yet only.
"Please, Ayu..." I urged. "Tell your father," (I thought, for perhaps, could we all just retreat away into the King's Court instead, I had hoped.) I continued. "...maybe-"
"Do not interfere, or even begin to convince my father of another way." He said. Had he interrupted me with a playful scolding. "Or perhaps, then, shall the power of the crown lie better within your own hands, instead?" He added, thought within question, he had asked.
As now for the black sentries had then all but had return to along their formations then, and with they now to await for the king's orders, (and as well, I, to have gently placed father onto the cobblestones for a moment).
"...For this, is the only way, Ghen..." He continued, with braveness, be admitting his tone. "We...must reserve the very little that we shall have, for after this very night's loss..." He said, insisting. "Now go." He ordered queerly. "Or, for have you not forgotten? That I must protect your dream and to retain your wish-Oh?!"
But then he had moaned queer. With delight, it, be, so sudden.
An absolute queer, he were, this moment now be.
For which I had brought my mouth into his lips and to have placed my hands against the cheek-guards of his helmet. As now we had smooched in admiration and, I, to have held our long kiss through an unlit placement of dark, beside the square.
Then now to release my kiss, with his eyes seemingly still remained to the alert of that kiss that I had only now just made, like he had saw to the witnessing of a vision from within his blankly expression. As now I had said. "You...cannot falter... You... will not..."
I had said, spoken like it were a dreadful foreseeing upon him, as his face went still, by the reliance of my faith upon him, perhaps.
"..."
As now I had placed my hands onto the pauldrons of his armour, and now to speak into his ear.
"Or... ...I, will hate you." I said. Admitting, to him, I had swore to him, unbending, to promise him with a stern, low voice.
To hate him, to be the man, if only, he was yet to be, truly, no king. To hate him, so that he were to truly fear for his very own life, but only, for this very next battle, to not lose his desire, for this true, long peace, but be the purest-pure as a dream, from that very true wish, it, be, for a fight, for that very true dream, I had thought.
Thought...from within a realm of our own endless battles...
And now stepping away and, to look away, too. Heading for that carriage now and with father scooped up into my arms once more.
Now the black sentries, the company, had begun to depart for the King's Court, but except for the carriage, King Rhentehl and of along three sentries yet to remain, as one had overlooked to the horses and with the others to have escorted me into the carriage with father by their willingness to help, (though, I had to have explained to the sentries of father's damaged mind and the result of his unmoving body). So they had placed him gently onto the seat of the carriage now and to have kept him up in place, and with Floria to have remain with her head a little down from the opposing side of the carriage.
As now for the carriage had begun to move by the hauling of a sudden pull, and gradually speeding up now, as I had watched from within the darkness of the carriage, and trotting then were the horses at an orderly pace through along the main street, as now they had headed for the inner-walls of the realm, the King's Court.