(Untitled)

[faceofjustice]

At the appointed hour, the Keep’s doorways would reveal only alien black halls to Anna and Kevas. Beyond the threshold, the Headsman waited, his axe is at the ready. They were dangerous, this pair, and he would strike at the smallest sign of resistance. It would end it all far more quickly

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[drinkuntilidie]

Unfortunately for Kevas the closest limb to the Headsman this time was his head, but it it would seem that the creature had some sort of mercy to it. Instead of dashing Kevas' brains onto the scaffolding, it smashed his shoulder with its axe. The sound Kevas made was an odd mixture of a grunt and a gurgle.

Whether he knew the punishment was over or not, Kevas slumped forward on the wheel as much as he could. The pain he felt was excruciating. Never had his body been so broken before.

[stillseecracks]

As he saw Kevas tortured and heard his cries, Xanth very nearly left the green, but courage born of spite filled him and he remained.

Some time after the punishment ended, Xanth hopped the fence and strode across the green. He stopped in front of the wheel and stared at Kevas's bloody, broken figure, arms folded across his chest. A twinge of sympathy tugged at him, but it was overwhelmed by contempt.

"Y-You-- you killed her," he said.

[drinkuntilidie]

As Kevas hung there he spent most of his time trying not to pass out from the pain. He would persevere through this because he had to, or at least in his mind he did. When he heard Xhanth, Kevas slowly lifted his head to look at him. He seemed familiar. Maybe he was another one from the Elegante. It was hard to think through all the pain.

"I did." He didn't know what else to say to the kid. Maybe he wanted an excuse or an explanation why Kevas did it, but Kevas didn't have one which made it all the worse.

[stillseecracks]

"I-Is that-- i-is that all y-you can s-say!?" Xanth threw his hands in the air and then, when they dropped to his sides, curled them into fists. "Wh-what-- what could sh-she p-p--- possibly do t-to-- to deserve that!?"

[drinkuntilidie]

"Would it mattah what I said? Notin' would change. I made horrible mistake and now I gotta leave wid what I did," Kevas said as he looked back at Xhan unflinching. He knew what he did was horrible and he also knew that no matter what he said it wouldn't change what this kid felt right now.

"Notin'. Notin' at all." Kevas killed his little sister, or at least another version of her and that was close enough for him. What if it had actually been his Vie? Would that have changed anything or would he still have shoved her over that edge?

[stillseecracks]

"D--Damn right you-- you do."

Xanth's fists shook at his sides. The urge to hit Kevas was almost overwhelming; every little voice in Xanth's ear screamed he killed Vie, he should hurt more. But the man had just been tortured, and still he had yet to be released from his bonds.

Was Xanth that cruel? No.

(Not yet.)

"F-Fuck you." He spat at Kevas's feet, then started off.

Maybe the quintain he and Ironhide constructed was still intact.