Chapter 10

"Wh-what is the meaning of this? What are you doing, sir?"

Jerod's voice shakes as he drags himself away from Tahl's predatory gaze.

"Ah, as you may know, we're here to aid you," Commander Tahl responded with chilling irony. The nonchalant way of how he's tracing the blade of his sword, a gesture that only deepened the unsettling feeling.

"Y-you are about to kill him! That's far from aiding!

Ysabel managed to choke out and was met with Tahl's booming laughter, a sound that seemed to claw at the very fiber of her being. The cold certainty of death settled over them, a palpable weight pressing down on their chests.

"Yes, yes, that is my intention,"

He nods with an unnerving calmness, a chilling detachment that speaks volumes about the man's character.

Jerod gasped for air, his eyes wide with a terror that bordered on paralysis. Tahl, seemingly oblivious to their fear, continued to caress the sword, his touch disturbingly gentle, his expression an impassive mask. Ysabel felt a surge of adrenaline, a desperate defiance battling the icy grip of fear. She saw it – the cruel amusement in his eyes, the perverse satisfaction he derived from their helplessness. It was a macabre game, a spectacle designed to break them.

"That soldier over there is one of our own, part of the hundreds dispatched to Ehna to scour the forest for monsters. He didn't just fail; he fled and somehow managed it back here. His actions are a disgrace for a soldier who pledges loyalty to his King."

Tahl's explanation for the impending murder was delivered with the detached tone of a storyteller recounting a tale for children. The casual cruelty of his words was almost more horrifying than the act itself.

The execution was swift and brutal. A soldier, emotionless, with no hesitation, no emotion in his movements, only chilling obedience to his commander's unspoken command, dispatched the fallen comrade with a single, precise thrust of his sword to the head. The blood blossomed on the grass, a dark stain against the vibrant green, a stark reminder of the fragility of life. Ysabel's silent scream was a testament to the horror unfolding before her.

"Don't be sad; no amount of herbs or life magic can save him from the grip of death. We simply make it quicker from his suffering. Besides, a soldier's death should be honorable, don't you agree?" His sneer was a grotesque imitation of compassion. The soldiers' synchronized chest-bumping, a ritualistic affirmation of their shared brutality, sent shivers down Ysabel's spine.

"Time is... precious, isn't it? Especially when one's options are dwindling. I wouldn't want anything to... complicate matters further."

The final act was a chilling display of calculated cruelty. Tahl, licking his lips with a predatory gleam, fished out a small dagger from his back. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed it at Jerod's feet.

"Kill the girl with you; if you do so, I might think to spare your life. How about that?" The offer was a looser bargain, a twisted perversion of mercy. The choice was stark, brutal, and utterly devoid of hope. The weight of the decision pressed down on Jerod, crushing him under the weight of his fear and the cruel reality of their situation.

The forest, once a sanctuary, had become a stage for Commander Tahl's macabre play, and he and Ysabel were the unwilling actors. Their fate hung precariously in the balance, dependent on a choice that could condemn them both to a horrifying end.

And Jerod knew it all too well.