Public executions always bring out the worst in people. Some dick always brings fruit to throw at the soon to be executed (because its not like getting hung, shot, or your head chopped off is enough, no someone has to throw garbage on you). People act like your crime is the worst thing ever even when you might not have actually done it or it was something they themselves would have done. And the smell from the unwashed peons is enough to make you wish the execution was over faster (thus hastening your own demise).
With all that in mind you can see why despite it being a nice sunny day and fairly warm I was less than happy standing on the hanging platform awaiting my short drop with a quick stop (I was glad they decided to do this on a platform, another method of hanging that is not so pleasant involves a tree, a horse, and leverage, you can probably figure that one out). To make matters worse the pompous ass in charge had decided it was neccessary to rattle off my "crimes" for all the world to hear. While it was nice to know what false charges I was accused of, it made the time I was standing on a platform hands tied behind my back and noose around my neck last a couple freaking hours (not exagerating, this guy had a speech and a routine for everything, it was less an execution and more of a political statement).
It was nice that it let me see all the dirty people in the crowd and get pelted with rotten vegetables thrown by said dirty people. I did notice something curious though, there were more shorties than I'd seen in a Ronerawth crowd in a while, everytime I'd lay eyes on one they'd nod back like in agreence to some pact I wasn't privy to. I did feel a little less afraid of trying to escape since it either implied they thought I was in a conspiracy with them and thus they'd be more likely to help me escape, or they were there to rescue me for some reason (I'd always been nice to shorties, sort of, ok not all the time, but I didn't like kick them everytime I ran across them!). For my own part in the "not wanting to be executed plan" I had already burned the rope they were holding my hands tight with and thanks to all the time the politician spent yammering on, and the fact that my rope was pretty loose around my neck allowing me to look up at it (hence the reason I said to make it tight, assholes made it loose to insure it wouldn't snap my neck but let me hang there, its the sure fire way of getting someone to do something, tell them not to do it) and thus weaken the rope more by quietly burning it (but not enough to alert the bored guards near me it had been thusly weakened). I was all set to free myself when the politician finally brought his remarks to a close.
"And so we will take from Lorentino, what he would take from us all, his life, do you have anything to say in response Trezlan?" He was wearing a white wig and some ridiculous purple outfit that even I was taken aback by.
"The Fire God looks not kindly on traitors, nor executioners who they themselves should be executed, think on that and be done with this." I don't actually believe in the Fire God (well I believe she exists as gods have been proven to, I just don't believe in the wacky religion that has sprung up around her), what I do believe though is that ignorant people get wary when someone invokes a God, especially when I was planning to free myself with fire magic (thus setting up even more waryness in my audience).
The politician left the platform, and his guards followed (because no one wants to be standing near someone about to be executed, I might do something crazy). I steadied myself for the drop (and hoped I'd weakened the rope enough so that it would simply break, and not my damn neck), I heard a lever fall and then the platform underneath me gave way. I hit the ground with an oof, and then the platform over me exploded (something I did not cause). It took me a minute to get out from under burning wooden debris (great plan by the way you dicks blow up the thing DIRECTLY ON TOP OF ME) I heard gun shots and shouts from all places, well I say heard, but really all I heard was ringing in my ears and muted sounds that sounded like gunfire and shouts. I stumbled out of the wreckage of the formerly wooden structure and a shorty in a really gaudy hat grabbed my hand.
"Come Trezlan we have to get you out of here." Seeing as I had a ringing in my ears, and had almost gotten crushed by burning debris I wasn't really up to saying no (it wasn't implausible for Ronerawth to be pulling a fast one on me and faking my escape to get me to turn on my fellow traitors, but since I didn't have any fellow traitors, it would have been ridiculously stupid to do so). The entire street formerly full of dirty people was now filling with soldiers and gun fire. I was actually surprised at how many shorties seemingly came out to save me (thus probably supporting the theory I was a traitor). I was lead into an alley where a couple horses were waiting, fancy hat and I mounted and were quickly away, well I stumbled to my horse, and he lead me away, but still the sounds of gunfire faded before the ringing in my damn ears.
We had gotten lucky that the city planned for my execution was a smaller hamlet and not the capitol, because it let us flee in the chaos and not be in a more spread out urban enviroment making that a lot harder. Fancy hat lead me to what else but a damn cave and we dismounted and walked our horses inside (because if you are hiding out, leaving your horses out in the place you were is a really bad idea). Inside the cave were other shorties, all of them armed and looking like bandits, though with less fanciful outfits than my savior in the hat.
"Welcome to my Circus Mr. Lorentino!" Fancy hat had a weird way of introducing people, but I can't blame him, I mean he literally ran a circus!
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