Chapter 54

Warning: Gore

Gorsep was standing in the middle of the square looking around and waiting.

After a moment of murmuring and quiet whispers, an older man stepped forward.

"I am the oldest of the Council here," He replied, "And who is asking?"

"Your king." Gorsep fixed his gaze on him. "I want to see all the men in this village right away."

"What happened, sir?" asked the leader of the gathered people, clearly playing for time.

"Search the houses," Gorsep shouted to his soldiers. He did not feel like talking. He would not explain anything to these traitors.

The soldiers scattered from house to house, and amidst the screams of children and the wailing of women, a dozen or so men were dragged to the square. Gorsep dismounted and looked at each of them. Some were wounded. He ordered them to show him their wounds. They were inflicted with a sword or a knife. He had the perpetrators.

"Take him," he pointed to the first one on the list. "Kwadrim, come here," he called the tall Equerd. Gorsep knew him well, he knew that Kwadrim had a sadistic disposition. He had often performed tasks in the name of his father and his - "Time to punish the traitors".

Kvadrim caught the terrified man and tied a rope around his neck, then threw him over a tree branch and pulled him up. The man, choking, grabbed the rope around his neck. After a moment, Kvadrim lowered him to the ground, then took out a curved sword, similar to the one used by the Orchads, and cut open the victim's stomach. The whole spectacle was accompanied by wailing and pleading from his loved ones, the rest of the people stood silently, as if not understanding what was happening. The man howled with pain, desperately wanting to hold back the entrails pouring out of his stomach in convulsions. Gorsep, ignoring this massacre spectacle, screamed.

"For loyalty, reward! For betrayal, death!" - The people fell silent. Only the scream of the dying man could be heard. Gorsep continued - "No one will survive in this village, if necessary I will order it to be dismantled to the last stone, but I will find what you stole. I give you one last chance, I will kill the guilty ones, but I will show mercy to their families."

There was silence, after a moment five men stepped forward. They joined the wounded standing in the middle, Gorsep counted, there were fourteen of them in total.

"A group of fifty attacked the convoy, there are cowards among you, who hide behind the backs of others. Who ordered this attack?" - he turned to the fourteen. Silence. - "Look." - Gorsep pointed at the dying man, who was no longer screaming, but was gasping for air with his blue lips and kicking with his legs, digging a small hole in the half frozen ground. - "Death awaits you, but you can choose what kind, fast or slow. I will tear strips of skin from the next ones, personally."

"We're facing starvation!"

"You've taken all our food!"

"What were we supposed to do!"

The people shouted in turns, the specter of death giving them some crazy courage.

"What do you mean by all the food?" - Gorsep asked.

"The collector takes everything and nothing is left. Only despair." - the village leader said calmly.

"I ordered half of the harvest to be left, it's Domir who's robbing you, not me." - Gorsep looked around at the gathered people - "This food was supposed to be distributed among the needy in case of hunger, to be a supply for the inhabitants of Kanror. It was my wife's gift to the new people. You didn't respect that - he added after a moment - Kwadrim do your duty."

The tall Equerd took out his sword and with one blow beheaded the rebels one by one.

"Women and children will be sold in Hiperion - no one in the crowd shouted, the entire crowd of residents held their breath - the men will be walled up alive in the temple, they will receive water. After a month, I will order the temple to be opened, whoever survives will be free. We will see if you will understand what hunger is then. Execute my order."

Amidst general shouting and crying, the Equerds began to carry out the task.

"Halot."

"Yes, my king" - the young man knelt on one knee.

"I have not forgotten the promise. Be sure of a generous reward."

"For loyalty, reward! For betrayal, death!" - the scout repeated the Equerds' cry