The Execution

“NO!” Ariya’s shrill voice could be heard all around the stage. She jumped up and down, trying to get onto the stage with her small stature. Every head in the crowd turned to look at the sudden distraction. Even Wyatt turned his attention to the small energetic voice trying to stop the execution.

Anabel rushed over to her, shoving everyone out of the way. “I’m so sorry my Lord Wyatt. My daughter here just doesn’t understand much about the evils of magic? Please forgive her for this.” She bowed deeply towards the stage, where Wyatt just laughed.

“It’s no big deal. Even in my day, the horrors of magic were not super well known. It’s normal for a girl such as her to not get the wickedness that magic causes.” He leaned down towards Ariya, speaking in a kind voice. “Back long ago, magic used to reign supreme. Everyone practiced it to their heart’s content, giving rise to great kingdoms, and terrible tragedies. People would commit terrible acts, killing thousands at a time. That’s why the great King Ariuma created Geris, a land where magic is banned. Only a small select few are allowed to practice it, dedicating their lives to protecting the kingdom. Everyone else was banned from using magic, and you know what happened? Geris became one of the powerhouses of the world.”

Ariya opened her mouth to respond, but Anabel covered it up before she could speak. “Thank you so much for your wise words to my daughter. We don’t deserve this honor, Lord Wyatt.”

He just smiled before addressing the crown. “Now then. Who’s ready to watch this execution!” An explosion of cheers erupted out of the silence. Wyatt motioned to one of the knights, who allowed someone to join them on the stage.

They were dressed in all black, robes that dragged on the ground. A long hood covered their face, allowing nothing identifiable to be seen. In their hand, covered by a black leather glove, was a long double-sided ax, at least seven feet tall with shining blades that looked to be able to cut the sky. A dark aura lingered wherever they stepped, the feeling of death. Just being in their presence would have been enough to make my skin crawl.

The royal executioner. No one knew their name, or even gender. All that was known was that whenever they appeared, fully dressed, death would follow. If they wanted two people dead, two corpses would appear soon after.

“For the crime of committing magic, a sin that could rock the kingdom of Geris to its core, you have been sentenced to death. Are there any last words? Ketan?” Wyatt gestured to the executioner to come closer.

Ketan looked up, a dazed look in his eyes. “Not really. I’m just ready to die.”

“Very well then. Executioner, you have your permission.” Wyatt stepped back as the executioner took his place. They hefted up his giant ax, aiming the hilt towards Ketan’s neck. The ax seemed to cut through space itself as it bolted towards Ketan’s head.

Two things happened then, one right after the other. A barrier of light appeared, breaking the executioner’s ax. It shined like the sun, forcing the crowd to look away. The metal blade became a shower of dust, flying in every direction. It was impossible to tell if the impact broke the ax, or magic from the barrier.

The second was a jet of boiling water sent towards Wyatt from Ariya’s hands. She stuck her hand out without warning before anyone could react, sending the boiling beam towards his head.

Wyatt easley ducked under the beam of water without a second thought. He smiled at Ariya, shaking his head slightly. “Have to do better than that, si-”

Before he could finish, a blast of pure light slammed him in the face, knocking him off his feet.

The fruit seller Anabel had noticed earlier blasted towards the stage, faster than the eye could see. He sent his fist towards the executioner, who was still staring at his ax in shock.

“Two sinners ei. You two disgust ma, on the king's death as well. Knights, please send these sinners to hell.”

Ariya immediately ran as fast as her legs could carry her, tripping over her robe into the hands of Anabel. “Im sorry Teach! I just acted without thinking.” She was past the verge of tears now, balling into Anabel’s arms.

“Its ok, my dear Ariya. Knowing you, this was going to happen someday.” she chuckled slightly, speaking in a soothing voice. Anabel knelt down, meeting Ariya at eye level. “I want to stay safe ok. When I give the signal, I want you to run away, as far away as your legs will take you. I have a friend in the kingdom of Makiga named Satana. You can find her near the capital of Kanai. If you can get to her, Geris should stop hunting for you.”

“Wait, Teach, you're making it sound like I'm not going to see you again? That's not the case right… We're going to go back, and practice magic in that little room of yours, like none of this ever happened.

“Oh Ariya. I think we both know that can’t happen now. I haven't told you this, but Wyatt over there is one of the strongest magic users in the kingdom. Me and that fruit seller combined don't stand a chance. All I can do for you is give you a chance to escape.”

She stood up again, rubbing Ariya’s head. Then she was gone, running towards the deadly fight.

Ariya could only watch in horror as Teach joined the fray, too terrified to move, to speak, to do anything.

“Hey, looks like you could use some help.” Anabel bashed a row of knights with ten thousand volts. The smell of burnt flesh rose from the knights armor, their souls gone from the prissions of metal.

“Huh. yeah.” He said nothing more as a sword of light formed in his palm. Armor and flesh cut the same to the light, no solid material made a difference.

The knights' numbers dwindles fast, no one even skilled enough to come close. The knights were strong, trained to the peak of swordsmanship. This was magic however. A single well made spell could do the damage of a hundred men. No one could come unprepared and live.

The fruit seller punched the last knight in the head, decapitating them cleanly. A single blast of light freeing Ketan later, he looked around, then started to trudge off the stage.

“Wait!” Anabel chased after him frantically, panting when he finally turned around. His brown eyes seemed to physically beat Anabel, staring with an unfiltered wrath.

“What.”

Anabel caught her breath and leaned into his ear, wistering something that only he could hear.

“Hmmmm…” He seemed to withdraw in thought, hand on his chin. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. I wouldn't have said so otherwise.”

“Very well. Goodbye Anabel.” The fruit seller jumped off the stage, soaring through the air on a pair of shining wings.

Anabel looked towards the stage entrance, where Wyatt was watching, leaning against one of the walls. “Don't have any more knights to hide behind?”

“Yall sinners are loud. Is it too much to ask for y'all to just hide in yall’s hole and die? Would make my job way easier.”

“We’d love to say the same to you. All we want is a return to magic in the world. Nothing more, nothing less.” Anabel leaned down to Ketan, who was still petrified on the stage and whispered something in his ear. A few seconds later, he scurried off the stade.

Wyatt just watched him, not batting an eye. “You know you’re just delaying the inevitable, right sinner?”

“It’s Anabel.”

“Well, Anabel? I’m still looking for an answer. All this acting, playing with focus you don’t understand. Don’t you understand that nothing changes in the end?”

She frowned. “Are… are you still talking about the escapees?”

He burst out in laughter. “The escapees? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you think that’s all there is to this? The escapees… oh the humanity HAHAHAHAHA!”

“Inazuma” a solid beam of electricity blasted from Anabel’s fingers, gunning for Wyatt’s head.

“Woooooo feisty.” he slightly leaned to the left as the beam destroyed the wall behind Wyatt. “Nanagi”

A series of bubbles appeared around Wyatt, circling faster and faster. They grew in size, slowly covering Wyatt into the bubbles. Despite that, his voice was still loud in clear. “I’m sorry but… wait.”

Wyatt’s bubble settled down, becoming a watery orb and then a perfect unmoving spere “Whose there? What’s your identification number?”

“What are you talking about? There’s no one here but us.” Anabel leaped back towards the edge of the stage, looking at her surroundings “Are you trying to deceive me? Can't win without cheap tricks?”

What he was talking about I cou… ooh. Blue fireworks appeared in the sky. They stayed aflame, twisting through the air before splitting apart into glowing lines of firework explosions. They started to combine, forming a glowing line in the sky that looped in a circle over and over before exploding into a great blue cat.”

“Ah, it’s you. I’ll carry on then.” the bubble began to shake and boil like a ticking time bomb. “Same question I asked Ketan, Anabel. Do you have any last words?”

“Please. I should be asking you the same question. Zapuiegizo” A sparking speak appeared in her hands, made entirely of electricity. It crackled and popped, burning anything is sparks could reach.

Anabel turned towards the now empty courtyard, where Ariya stood alone. “Goodbye, my dear Ariya.”

The ground shook and lightning flashed as the two spells clashed. Nearby objects became dust and atoms. The shockwave alone could wipe out an army.

Ariya could see the blast coming towards her, faster than she could think. She felt arms wrap themselves around her waist and carry her into the air away from the blast. That didn’t matter to her. All Ariya could think about was Teach’s smile as she got absorbed by the blast.