Merciless

I prop myself against the wall and begin to catch my breath. Silence fills the space now reeking of blood.

"It appears that I miscalculated…"

My victory was assumed to be certain, but it did not appear to be the case during several periods of the fight. I took all of the necessary precautions against the trio of bandits. However, they turned out to have been less than optional. Opening the cylinder of my revolver, I stare at the second empty slot.

"I must make some adjustments."

In the past, I was unrivaled in close ranged combat. Humans on Earth had grown complacent with their firearms. True martial skills were ignored as only a finger and decent aim was all one needed to kill their enemies. In that environment, my extensive training in many forms of martial arts gave me an advantage should I break through their defensive fire.

That success cannot be translated into this world of the past. Here, every fighter will be familiar with sword or spear. This encounter showed me that even street thugs can become a serious threat when fought head on. The result was in my favour, but not without the possibility of failure and death.

As I begin cleaning off the blood from my weapons, I hear the clanking of metal greaves against stone.

"Clement!'

The young prince and a group of soldiers run through the alleyway as fast their armour will allow. Duncan still appears battered, but he didn't sustain any injuries from the vendor cart.

"Are you well!? We appear to have lost sight of the bandits—"

Duncan stops when he notices the disheveled remains of Notger, Engel, and Giso. Stepping over the bodies, I obtain the coin purse from the floor and hold it out to the soldiers.

"Consider your mission completed. I've retrieved the stolen property and defeated the thieves."

"T-This…"

The prince stares with wide eyes at the bag before scanning the entire area. Crates and barrels were destroyed during the conflict, not to mention the roof of the building. I expected to receive anger for the collateral, but the scolding never arrived.

"This is marvelous!"

At Duncan's exclamation, the guards behind him also raise their spears in cheer.

"We've been hunting these three for years! Their crimes have resulted in hundreds of gold coins in losses for our people and many soldiers were mortally wounded in combat against them. To think you not only prevented their escape, but defeated them in battle!"

Even I could tell that these bandits were strong, but I didn't realise the notoriety they carried. Getting out of there with only a cut on my arm and one bullet spent might not have been so bad after all.

Duncan snaps his fingers and the soldiers begin picking up the bodies.

"We'll carry them to the gallows and prepare for a burning. If you wish to attend, I can make time in our tour."

"A burning?"

"Your city doesn't perform burnings? After execution, we reduce the body of criminals to ash for all to see. It provides us a simple method of discarding remains while notifying other criminals of what awaits them should they continue their misdeeds."

I watch as the bandits are slung over metal shoulders. Their weapons fall to the ground in pools of blood I created. One of those weapons is the silver shortsword that had nearly struck through a steel dagger. Before I could properly appreciate the blade, a soldier moves in and scoops up the bandits' weapons. He stops before Duncan with the metal fastened within his arms.

"Your Highness, should we begin preparations?"

"What say you Clement?"

The prince looks to me as the soldiers continue into the streets. I feel a small itch against my wounded arm as my three previous adversaries disappear around the corner.

"Best not leave the bodies to rot. The smell would not be pleasant."

"I concur. Begin preparations for the burning."

At his order, we follow after the other guards and march through the streets.

You can hear the whispers of civilians along the street. Were this performed back on Earth, we would be met with shouts of horror and an immediate riot. However, there isn't any kind of shock amongst the crowd here. Viewers operating stalls and shops continue working after a quick glance. Those on their way to further destinations continue walking once they pass. Children turn and point at the carnage before continuing with their games. The questions briefly hanging in all of their heads isn't 'what', but 'who'.

This near indifference continues as the wooden platform becomes visible. We're at the southernmost wall of Melior where a wide open space opens against the towering stone. The wooden surface has a perfectly cut stone block placed just high enough for the head of a person on their knees. The use of this structure is obvious, as is the circle of ash placed immediately next to it.

The soldiers throw down the items to be burned into the pile of ash, which includes the used metal weapons. Meanwhile, Duncan approaches a soldier within a small guardpost.

"Bring out the monster."

The metal helmet disappears inside the building and the sudden ringing of a bell notifies the nearby surroundings. A crowd begins to build as Duncan steps to the edge of the execution platform.

"Let it be known on this day!"

From my position off to the side, I watch the onlookers shift between watching their prince to observing what remains of the bandits.

"Three criminals that have plagued this town for years have been exterminated! These miscreants attempted to create an unsafe Melior for us all, and many were harmed by their actions. They stole, they ran. They destroyed, they ran. They killed, they ran. But their time on the run is over!"

The prince glances in my direction, awaiting confirmation. He nods once I shake my head.

"One of your knights took to the roofs and defeated them while barely sustaining a scratch! For his efforts, and for those who were wronged, let the burning begin!"

I've performed missions in many kinds of settings, concerts being one of them. The energy coming from this nation's celebrity is unfitting of the chopping block behind him. Similarly, the cheering coming from the audience doesn't mix well with the pile of ash preparing to set ablaze once more. 

"Truly merciless…"

It seems that humans haven't changed much throughout history. Even though the setting has changed and the progression is much earlier, I feel right at home. The target of their rally may be different, but the way these people cheer for the demise of their enemies is no different from their modern counterparts. They revel in death in the same way we revel in defeat. Victory of their side takes a different form, but they look down upon those who lose all the same.

"There it is! The magma toad!"

"Get ready for a real light show!"

"This never gets old!"

Cheers ring out as a group of guards lead out a creature resembling your average toad, assuming your toads are the size of cows. Instead of slimy skin, the toad is covered in a hide of volcanic rock. It waddles towards the pile of ash with a chain around its neck.

Once in place, the floor glows a bright blue from a magic circle on the ground.

"Crimials! Let their ashes serve as your warning! Long live Melior!"

The monster opens its mouth and a burst of blue flames are launched into the pile of ash. A cylindrical pillar of intense heat rises into the sky as the bandits are almost instantly reduced to nothing. The onlookers likely don't even know the names of Giso, Engel, and Notger. Nonetheless, they cheer for the next three victims of the flame. The ritual ends almost as quickly as it begins.

Blue light glows once more when the flames die down. The barrier protecting the audience disappears without a single trace of the tremendous heat. All that remains is a larger pile of ash and the melted remains of their gear. That is, except for a single blade.

"Notger's sword…"

The only item still intact is the silver blade untarnished by the heat. The onlookers return to their daily lives while I approach the grey and black mound.

"If this world will show no mercy…"

I reach down and grab the handle of the shortsword. This weapon served its master well until his final hour.

"Then I will show none as well."

The ringing of metal echoes in my ears as I draw the blade.