Illara
Tribune
As they were marched shamefully through the city street, the early morning throngs of people going about their business all bearing witness to the two naked women being marched off for crucifixion, Nihlufar felt like she would swoon from it all. The brutal death sentence, being stripped naked and overpowered easily by soldiers, now paraded naked through the streets. The sudden shock of it all was overwhelming. And then there was the horror of crucifixion!
Nihlufar had never seen a person crucified. It was considered barbaric in her homeland, and forbidden under their laws. She had read accounts of it though. The nailing. The suffering.
This. Cannot. Be happening! She thought bitterly, tears forming in her eyes. A trio of men dressed as sellswords turned and laid eyes on their procession, and one of the men pointed to the slave girl and said something that made his mates chuckle. Nihlufar was too far to hear what they said, but her eyes glanced over the man’s sword and she suddenly thought of Ulmann!
She imagined him seeing her like this, and the shame of her forced nudity hit her all over again, but then…
Wait! She thought! I hope Ulmann sees me! He surely must be looking for me! Inquiring as to me! If he sees them marching me, nude and bound to wood, he will slay this guards with honor and fury! He could easily slay these guards! He could rescue me!
For the first time since the priestess sentenced her to death two dozen horrifying minutes ago, Nihlufar felt a shred of hope! She began scanning the people gawking at her and the slave girl, craning her neck painfully to try to lock eyes with her valiant protector. If she saw Ulmann, she would scream his name and she knew he would rescue her.
But…
She never saw him. His stern brow, his keen brown eyes, his impeccably maintained leather tunic and longsword. She never laid eyes on him. And they had been marching through the city for a long time now.
“Don’t fall behind, cunt!” One of the guards in the escort slapped her ass from behind and she staggered in surprise but then realized that the chain linking her to the steadily marching slave girl was growing taut.
Nihlufar gasped for air as she quickened her pace, staggering underneath her burdensome crossbeam.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. She thought desperately, her sudden rekindled hope dwindling painfully. Where is he!? Where are you Ulmann!? I need you! Oh no! Please!
Nihlufar looked up from the backside of the slave girl, her pale skin glistening with sweat, and saw a small watchtower not far from them, in the direction they were marching.
She had seen that tower before, on her second day in the city, when a scholar from the institute was giving her and Ulmann a tour.
The scholar had said that it led to the Great South Road (her and Ulmann had come in from the northwest). She remembered with a pang of horror that the scholar had mentioned that the road was lined with crosses adorned with dead or dying criminals who had been sentenced to crucifixion, in a show of force of The Sacred Realm’s commitment to the Gods’ Edicts.
Nihlufar gasped in terror. But the forced march continued…
Nihlufar had never seen a person crucified. It was considered barbaric in her homeland, and forbidden under their laws. She had read accounts of it though. The nailing. The suffering.
This. Cannot. Be happening! She thought bitterly, tears forming in her eyes. A trio of men dressed as sellswords turned and laid eyes on their procession, and one of the men pointed to the slave girl and said something that made his mates chuckle. Nihlufar was too far to hear what they said, but her eyes glanced over the man’s sword and she suddenly thought of Ulmann!
She imagined him seeing her like this, and the shame of her forced nudity hit her all over again, but then…
Wait! She thought! I hope Ulmann sees me! He surely must be looking for me! Inquiring as to me! If he sees them marching me, nude and bound to wood, he will slay this guards with honor and fury! He could easily slay these guards! He could rescue me!
For the first time since the priestess sentenced her to death two dozen horrifying minutes ago, Nihlufar felt a shred of hope! She began scanning the people gawking at her and the slave girl, craning her neck painfully to try to lock eyes with her valiant protector. If she saw Ulmann, she would scream his name and she knew he would rescue her.
But…
She never saw him. His stern brow, his keen brown eyes, his impeccably maintained leather tunic and longsword. She never laid eyes on him. And they had been marching through the city for a long time now.
“Don’t fall behind, cunt!” One of the guards in the escort slapped her ass from behind and she staggered in surprise but then realized that the chain linking her to the steadily marching slave girl was growing taut.
Nihlufar gasped for air as she quickened her pace, staggering underneath her burdensome crossbeam.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. She thought desperately, her sudden rekindled hope dwindling painfully. Where is he!? Where are you Ulmann!? I need you! Oh no! Please!
Nihlufar looked up from the backside of the slave girl, her pale skin glistening with sweat, and saw a small watchtower not far from them, in the direction they were marching.
She had seen that tower before, on her second day in the city, when a scholar from the institute was giving her and Ulmann a tour.
The scholar had said that it led to the Great South Road (her and Ulmann had come in from the northwest). She remembered with a pang of horror that the scholar had mentioned that the road was lined with crosses adorned with dead or dying criminals who had been sentenced to crucifixion, in a show of force of The Sacred Realm’s commitment to the Gods’ Edicts.
Nihlufar gasped in terror. But the forced march continued…