Moon Scythe - Chapter 2
#4 of Moon Scythe Series
Caseel awoke in a groggy stupor, and immediately began to panic. He arms and legs were bound, his beak was tied shut, and he was blindfolded. He was lying on a wood floor and it was moving. I must be in a wagon, but why..... And he groaned inwardly. He remembered that night, He remembered what happened, and he knew where he was. I must be in a Magister wagon, on my way to Ellington to be killed for what I did.... I didn't know it was magic.
His arms ached, from what he assumed was from being bound; his hands ached too, The backs of them and he couldn't figure out why. My hands aren't bound... the wagon stopped moving and he could hear voices muffled by the wagon walls. He heard a door open, and a boot hit the wood on the wagon floor. "So, you're awake unlicensed. I assume you know where you are going and why. No one in Cestial is allowed to use magic unless licensed my the Magistrates." The boots came closer to Caseel's bound and gagged form. "I'm glad your father did the right thing, Magi that give the living for their sacrifice are very dangerous and very powerful, but I'm willing to bet that you have no idea what you have done and what it means for you... Well besides you being publicly hung." The gag was removed from Caseel's mouth and a water sac was pressed into his mouth. He swallowed greedily his mouth and throat feeling as if it had been gagged with cotton. The bottle was removed and the gag quickly replaced. "Enjoy your nap, I hope you have good dreams, Because when you wake up, you will be on your way to the gallows." He heard the boot steps moving away from him and began to slip off to sleep, he was out so fast he never heard the door close.
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Caseel slowly came back to himself, He could feel the wood of the wagon's floor again, feel his body stiff and tight from not moving. He was still bound, gagged, and blindfolded, but he could hear something outside the wagon. He listenedand could hear the sounds of lots of people, the muffled shouts for.....something. Shit... I'm already in Ellington they are going to kill me right now. Caseel began to panic, struggling at his bindings. The door to the wagon opened again, and with is the sounds of the crowd flooded into the wagon. "It's time my young Raven." it was the same voice as before. The boots moved around behind him and removed the bindings on his legs. "Let's go, you have to walk up the dias yourself." He was hoisted up by the arms and planted on his feet, pushed forward, the blindfold was removed, and he was blinded my the light. He was pushed forward and tripped out of the wagon, unable to stop his fall the hit the ground face first cutting his face on the stones of the street. "Get up," he was hoisted up again and got the first good look at his captor. The man was a very large tiger, heavily muscled, and very imposing. As Caseel was pushed towards the dias he noticed that the crowd couldn't see under it. He looked around at the crowd, so many faces, I guess everyone has turned out to see the entertainment.
Caseel began to panic struggling at his bindings as he was pushed ever closer to the dias. His breathing began to quicken as he was pushed up the stairs, his eyes strained from opening so wide, he looked around trying to find escape. "Don't even think about it young raven, You are to be pusnished for your crimes against our laws." The tiger pushed him hard into the hands of the the bear who would be his exicutioner.
The bear began to tie his legs together "this is so your legs won't kick around as you die." the bear smiled at Caseel, and stepped behind him to slip the noose over his head. Caseel's breathing was franking, He was starting to hyperventilate as the female parrot in green robes stepped onto the dias. If he wasn't so scared out of his mind, he would have sid she was beautiful.
"This young raven has broken our laws." The parrot waved a hand behind herself as she spoke to the crowd. "He has used magic, magic to kill, and while being unlicensed by the Magistrate!" the crowd gasped at hearing this, and began to chant for Caseel's death. "Does the convicted have anything to say for his last words?" with that the Parrot looked at Caseel and nodded, The bear removed his gag.
"I didn't know!!" He screamed as tears poored down his face. "I was trying to save..." and the gag was replaced in his mouth by the bear. Caseel screamed and struggled, tears pooring down his face, as the bag was slipped over his head.
"Unfortunately ignorance us not an excuse for taking a life. Everyone here knows that killing some one is wrong." It was the parrot speaking again. Caseel's breath was coming faster and faster, He felt like he was being suffocated by the bag. Then he was falling...
To be continued.