Blood of the Dragon: The Hunt

  / Chapter I /

  / Captain Theon /

  Bastion's Reach, Slummer's Height Sector:

  Beneath the looming night, the commanding officer began with a bellowing shout; "Better to get this done now, instead of dragging it out!" His voice called out to the men beneath him in their station among the merciless "Night Guard" with a boom that brought the street into further silence, a commanding tone that had been demanding a certain submission; "Hoist 'em on the tree, and hang 'em!" Had been the command that followed, a sentence that was no less direct and no less commanding, a sentence the commanding officer was handing over and onto three beaten and bloodied men that had been under the commanding officer's arrest, bound and gagged out in the street, drawing the attention of those that were once passing and causing them to begin watching with the grimmest manner of interest. Before them had been the "Night Guard" that battled men and monsters all the same through each passing night, no less savage in battle than their opponents and no less merciless, the men wearing their battle armor well decorated with medallions earned through battle and service strung across the chest, and runes written across the steel that were apparent protection against the corruption that swallowed countless before them. "There gonna be a hanging in the street, the guard catch a heretic?" Had been a muttering among some that were seeming interested in seeing the "Night Guard" putting men to death, though were less than understanding; "Been a long time since something happened out here, been even longer since a heretic had gotten caught." Had been a comment among some others that were seeming a little more than eager to continue on watching, and were possessing an expression telling about a certain thrill written across their faces, and a mouth that carried less than genuine grinning at the notion; "Hang 'em good! Had been a comment called out between some others that were stopping still, wanting to see the sentence handed down onto the three men more than continuing on passing through the street and into their own home.

  However none among the crowd were seeming to matter and none the less, the commanding officer carried on seeming as though the attention getting drawn onto them had been nothing to note, the man letting out a huff seeming to have been a mix between grimace and irritation; "There's no point in letting this scum be granted the correct rites in their passing!" He began bellowing once more, the voice having been even more commanding than the bellow that came before, and the commotion seeming to summon more and more across the street to come and merge among the crowd that was now getting bigger and bigger still; "Better off just sending them to the grave, and letting 'em become demon food!" He began commanding onto the lesser men serving beneath him in their own station, the lesser men among the "Night Guard" beginning at grabbing the three men and putting their throats under the tight embrace belonging to the rope that would soon hang them, none between them wasting a moment beneath their own commanding officer that had been sentencing the men to their death with a certain determination that more than managed to match the sternness written across his face.

  The beaten and bloodied men saw the commanding officer standing before them, a rugged and battered man that carried countless different scars that were more than telling about him having attained his station through gruelling torment and constant struggle against the harrowing monsters that came through each passing night. His commanding armor had been more decorated in contrast to the lesser men serving beneath him in their own station, the man's battle armor sitting beneath a coat sewn using better and more difficult material than a common man could ever manage to attain, an item serving as testament onto status with countless blessed medallions strung across the shoulder that were meant to bring protection and accents that carried a statement written across the chest; "Blessed shall be the man that carries the sword in righteousness." However the commanding officer seemed to have been a man that through the spanning of gruelling battle became more savage than the lesser men serving beneath him, the man's face seeming to have carried torment's haunting that more than managed at tearing out the concept of forgiveness; "Captain Theon" had been the name written across the chest surrounding his commanding and medallion strung battle armor, the station more than earned through battle and blood across "Bastion's Reach."

  But none the less there had been no difference made, and the men that were getting sentenced onto death soon began to contort and struggle across the ground beneath them, begging through the gag that had been muffling them onto no success. But the struggle and screaming continued on regardless, as the lesser men among the "Night Guard" began grabbing at them and dragging them across the stone through the street and toward the tree; "I'll be the first man admitting it, but common scum getting grabbed and hung on a tree?" Had been a comment between the lesser men, one among them that had been wearing a less decorated battle armor choosing to begin chatting onto a different one, as the lesser men continued on dragging the beaten and bloodied victims toward the tree; "Just seems to me it's been another night among the Guard." He continued, letting out a small grunt beneath the effort that came with dragging a struggling and screaming man, but other than that called out with a less than concerned tone surrounding his voice; "But on occasion--!" He continued with a different comment, before getting a sudden boot slamming into him, the struggling man that had been getting dragged hitting him during his sentence and causing a grunt more rooted in irritation than pain to come out; "You rotten bastard! You better start dragging him with some effort, because it won't be the tree that'll put him under, the little shit does that again!" He called out to an associate that had been assisting him in dragging the man toward the tree, a command to begin grabbing at him in a better manner that was soon followed without issue; "But regardless..." He soon began again, letting out a small rumble through each passing word before he carried on; "Better were we coming across a sorceress on occasion, or a demon that got summoned into the material realm with magic or something. Gettin' a little stale, putting down men without much a struggle." He began letting out with a small groan, still dragging the man that carried on struggling and screaming with all their might; "That would be something worth putting down, and 's among the threats the Guard's been trained for, too I mean."

  However their commanding officer "Captain Theon" was soon considering the comment to have been a challenge, something that would sooner still be followed with rebellion, causing him to become more than enraged toward the lesser man beneath him; "You want something more than hanging men on account o' their damn crimes?!" His voice boomed across the surrounding street and bounced between the massive and looming stone buildings that were arranged in a manner seeming more onto some ancient stone fortress; "You're gonna be better off at remembering the "Night Guard" is gonna do whatever the "High General" needs men gettin' done, and nothin' else, got it?!" Had been the bellowing command that soon came, both the tone that had been demanding utter submission and the simmering rage sitting beneath it more than managing at stunning the crowd into a still silence, none uttering a sentence between them as the lesser men among the "Night Guard" carried on dragging the three men toward their imminent doom and putting them beneath the tree.

  But even still there had been no difference made and putting them beneath the tree did not bring about success in soothing the rage surrounding their commanding officer "Captain Theon" toward the comment about wanting to meet a sorceress or summoned demon in battle; "You'll be gettin' written up on account o' that comment, Junior Guard!" He began with a bellowing shout toward the lesser man that made the comment, the simmering rage now sitting beneath his sternness seeming to burrow into each passing sentence that came across his tongue, a more than apparent bitterness that stung with each bellow; "But that'll be something we'll handle later, since these scum come first!" Had been the bellowing shout that came to soon follow, the captain turning attention toward the beaten and bloodied men and approaching them, the simmering rage sitting beneath his expression of sternness seeming to have been battling an utter disgust toward them; "You three are among the most worthless, and stand here accused at murder!" He began at accusing them with a bellowing shout that seemed to have carried more weight than the stone buildings surrounding the street, the main intention seeming to have been putting out a last statement and accusation the crowd across the street would become supporting toward before sending them off and onto their doom; "How fortunate the Junior Guard had been tagging along and came across such maggots, on account o' him getting more than a chewin' out were the case different!" He soon called out and began turning across the stone beneath his feet, tossing out a less than genuine stare toward the lesser man among the "Night Guard."

  His constant bellowing had been seeming to bring about a certain and looming terror among the surrounding crowd that were still stunned into an utter silence, none between them beginning at muttering the smallest sentence and some among them beginning to grimace toward the commotion; "You maggots have been dragged out here on account that a woman and her son were found butchered worse than swine at slaughter in their own home!" He began bellowing out once more, casting an accusation toward the beaten and bloodied men in a commanding tone that boomed across the surrounding street once more, and had been rattling across the stone buildings that were seeming now to have been turning into less a stone fortress among the countless, and becoming more a tomb among the less fortunate; "You three had been found in possession of numerous different items that went missing from their home, a testament to having been there and gutting them at most, and robbing them following their slaughter at least!" He carried on bellowing across the street, the booming nature surrounding the accusation more than managing at burrowing the terror into the beaten and bloodied men, that soon began to contort and struggle across the ground beneath them once more. Begging through the gagging item that had been muffling once again, the men sitting beneath the tree in their begging were attempting to attain a chance at getting their case heard out among the surrounding crowd that had now been getting even bigger across the street, and in turn attain a chance at stopping their sentence among the tree from getting carried out.

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  Though the begging between the men had been managing to attain no success among the surrounding crowd, and was seeming to meet nothing more than ears that cannot hear them; "But the difference between butchering 'em and robbin' 'em don't matter!" He began calling out once more, the commanding officer "Captain Theon" seeming to have been beginning to burn with a simmering rage now getting stirred beneath their ceaseless struggling and begging; "Regardless, the sentence one 'll be gettin' in return is death!" He continued on bellowing across the street in accusation, the booming tone surrounding his voice burrowing a greater terror into the men that were still contorting and struggling across the ground beneath them and now scanning across the crowd surrounding them, begging even more attempting to see one among them willing to hear them out. But there were seeming to be none among them that were willing to listen, and most between the crowd carried a face that was written with grimace surrounding the commotion and the savage bellowing among the "Night Guard." There had been some others still that were written across with an utter disgust surrounding the beaten and bloodied men, as though sitting beneath them were nothing more than rotten vermin. But even still there were some others among the surrounding crowd that carried a less than genuine smile written across their face, wanting nothing more than to witness them hanging across the branches in the tree looming above them. "You are now sentenced onto death out in the streets of "Slummer's Height" in accordance to the law!" He began bellowing once more and commanding onto the lesser men among the "Night Guard" beneath him in their station, the men bound and sitting beneath the looming tree now beginning to see that none across the street would come out and onto their rescue, and their constant struggling had been bringing about nothing at all, a great and sudden rage between them burrowing through to the surface at the notion, and soon coming to be written across their bloodied and battered face through a furrowed brow and roaring screams that were muffled out beneath the item still gagging them; "Hang 'em!" He began bellowing out one last time, a tone surrounding him that carried countless dead men on the tongue it came dripping from and came to meet success in putting the lesser men serving beneath him into action and getting the sentence carried out. The "Junior Guard" soon began grabbing the men bound and sitting beneath the looming tree across the rope wrapping about their throats and bellowing in a unison seeming to have been a matter of training between them; "Pull! Let 'em suffer the reward o' rebelling against our "Hallowed Law!" Pull!" Had been the sentence the lesser men were bellowing out, the tone surrounding them and some less than trusting expressions written across them telling about a certain terror the lesser men carried between them toward their own commanding officer.

  However the lesser men were soon seeming to struggle in getting the sentence carried out among the surrounding crowd, each between them wearing their medallion strung battle armor seeming to have been more than straining in the effort; "Damn! These bastards are heavier than I thought!" Had been one comment called out between them in a callous tone ridden with exertion, the lesser men groaning through the motion and putting in all their collective strength to see them strung across the branches in the looming tree. But regardless the lesser men soon came to meet success in their own struggle, centimeter to centimeter getting the bloodied men up and across from the ground once sitting beneath them and hanging them across the countless branches, letting them struggle in turn and sorrow against their last moments among the surrounding crowd as nothing more than a lesson to some and entertainment onto the less than genuine among the men and women. "Gettin' common scum and maggots hung across a tree or a street post never seems to be gettin' easier. Don't seem to matter how often we do it, either." Had been a sentence muttered between the lesser men in a tone that carried no concern, and had been ridden with callousness stronger still. "You're meanin' that none o' 'em seem to be getting lighter, and might well be gettin' all the fatter? That sounds about right with these three, the sodding slabs." Had been called out between the lesser men that carried on watching them struggling out their last moments among "Bastion's Reach" strung across the branches and soon getting them tied across the massive and worn out stump, letting the tree bear the burden of their mass.

  But soon there came one stone getting tossed out and across the street in a seeming rage, hitting the men strung across the looming tree more than well and true; "Hang 'em good, the scum!" Had been one comment bellowed out between the surrounding crowd, a tone ridden in a mix between rage and an utter disgust that came out a more rugged and less than mannered seeming man; "Let them suffer a time 'fore sendin' em off, death on it's own is too good a sentence!" Had been the next sentence to come bellowing out between the crowd, a more gravelling voice seeming to have been coming out a woman getting near onto great age soon grabbing a loose stone and tossing it toward them in a manner too much the same, hitting them to no error and getting out their muffled cries to hear in return. "That's a good throw, right there!" The woman carried on, letting the expression written across her become one telling about a certain smugness burrowing through her features at the notion she was assisting in putting them down. But the surrounding crowd was now beginning to grow more and more manic at seeing their sentence getting carried out and came onto bellowing countless denouncements between them, in turn grabbing and loosing stones and missiles toward the men hanging across the looming tree in greater and greater numbers still. "Don't need more scum running about Slummer's Height! Kill 'em good!" Had been one more comment called out in a seeming rage between the crowd as the men struggled on attempting to survive the sentence, their bodies getting battered with all manner of loose stones and missiles scattered across the street, each item hitting them well and leaving on them at the least a massive bruise or at most some lesser fracture in their bones that carried on until their sight began dimming onto the streets surrounding them and the blood struggled to reach their brain, letting them become still and silent across the looming branches.

  However none the less it was not enough to have been stopping the countless among the surrounding crowd that were still tossing their loose stones and missiles toward the carcasses now soon to be rotting on the looming tree; "Rotten scum! Burn in hell and torment!" The men and women between them carried on bellowing countless denouncing cries, seeming to have been in some utter rage and battering their carcasses to the moment their massive and browning bruising seen across them burst open, letting the blood flow out and onto the ground sitting beneath them. But soon there came a booming voice tearing through the street, a strong and commanding tone that was more than managing at stunning most across the massive crowd into an utter silence once more; "You lot better cease in tossing stones!" Had been the bellowing shout that came out "Captain Theon" among the "Night Guard." His voice meeting success in stopping most tossing stones and battering the carcasses more, some men and women between them less than willing to give their submission and carried on lobbing stones none the less, in turn drawing onto them his attention; "You better cease that now, or there'll be more than rotten scum o' this breed strung on the tree! Being the one getting accused o' sedition carries a permanent price!" Had been the sentence getting bellowed out, a tone ridden in aggression that came with a less than genuine warning seeming to dare the rotten souls still lobbing their stones to continue on; "There's room enough on a tree this big." He carried on seeming to warn the countless across the surrounding crowd in a less than genuine manner, soon coming to meet success in setting the last between them into an utter stillness that carried the submission sought.

  His less than genuine warning and seeming aggression written across him beneath a furrowed brow and challenging stare was more than managing at burrowing a certain terror into the surrounding crowd, and was soon seeing that none between the countless rose to challenge him in turn; "Better not toss another I guess, bit o' fun ain't worth getting the noose." Had been one comment muttered between some in the massive crowd across the street, a concerning tone ridden with a small tremble surrounding it. "Don't see the point in gettin' strung with maggots o' that sort, wanna breath m' last with better men, like me mates." Had been the next comment muttered between them in a more sneering and dismissing tone that soon came to getting cut out beneath "Captain Theon" through a bellowing shout rattling across the street and stunning the them into an utter silence more; "You better let this been seen, that 'ere an' now the hallowed law has been carried out, 'n this hour an' on this night!" His voice came boom across the massive crowd in the street, soon drawing a sword more massive still decorated in countless runes and one statement written across in gold; "This here be the sword that warrants strength in righteousness, to stand against the darkness." He began steering the sword toward the carcasses strung across the tree, drawing the crowd's attention to them and then carried on shouting; "You better take a good and long look at 'em, and see the reward that comes with murder!" He went on commanding the countless across the street, the carcasses swinging between the branches now nothing more than the center to his own lesson; "You heard them accused that it was robbing and murder that earned them death! This much is true!" He carried on shouting; "But know their true crime had been one much worse, a robbing that was rooted in rumor to claim a “Heretic's Mark” that would have allowed them to bond with demons, the creatures we face in battle again and again!" He continued on detailing them through a bellowing shout and soon turning the massive, rune-written sword toward the countless among the surrounding crowd. Strutting across the stone beneath him, worn out and near shattered through time that now had been turned into the stage to see the sentence carried out, scanning across them and seeing both the terror and the submission between them onto his office; "Begone now and allow 'ese maggots to begin rottin' an' become feed as carrion, as the demons 'ese maggots sought to gain control over will use their souls as feed, their sentence carried out with no warding to protect 'em in death!" He began bellowing out once more in the blood written lesson, a command out and onto the surrounding crowd in the street that none between them were hesitating and were soon following; "Begone now and let this lesson ring true, that now and fo'ever there'll never be a crime that receives no punishment! Your debt onto men and the Church o' the Hallowed Lord will be paid in labor, blood or coin! Begone!" He carried on bellowing out one last time onto the crowd sitting in the street, soon setting them in motion to begin strutting out and toward their own homes beneath the looming night, witnessing that justice had been done in "Bastion's Reach."