Chapter 23 #3
Another two paladins were bleeding, swatting away five of the skeletons. The paladins must have used up all of their prayers if they fought that limply.
I drew my sword and was about to decapitate everyone within a 60 ft radius, but a moment of clarity reached me.
“Stop!” I commanded my people. They froze instantly.
I wrapped the survivors–all human–in silk, binding their arms to their sides and smashing them to the ground.
Three women and two men from the original ambush lived. I counted 12 corpses, but 3 of them were townspeople who had been killed in chaos.
“Abby and Cici, good work. Now heal any wounded innocents, and then make sure none of my attackers slipped away on me.”
They dipped their heads and went to work following my commands.
I looked down at the nearest paladin–a man with a long mustache and defiant brown eyes. I recognized the style of fabric beneath his platemail, an airy and light white linen that contrasted against his well-baked tan skin.
This piece of shit was from Minsic.
“What does Lord Ulric have on you that would make you do his dirty work?” I asked.
The paladin spat. “I did it gladly, fiend.”
Fuck! He admitted it already? I expected at least four rounds of torture, and he caved immediately. That wouldn’t do.
I cut off his right hand.
No, that didn’t feel the same at all. That was disappointing.
I stomped his head, collapsing it like a watermelon. The next nearest paladin was the other male. I cocked my leg back like I was a schoolboy playing a game and kicked his head across the park.
Good-aligned levels increased by 21.
Good-aligned levels increased by 20.
The three lady paladins still alive were in various stages of acceptance. One wept quietly. One had a blank, empty expression. And the last stared at me as if the Goddess herself would come to her rescue if only she hated me enough.
“I’m willing to bargain,” I said, squatting next to them. “I’m a practical kind of person.”
“Fuck off,” the angry one said.
“Does she speak for all of you?” I asked the other two. They didn’t speak, only stared wide-eyed.
“That’s it? I would let you go for the right trade. I’m a fan of information most of all, but your man over there already gave up your sponsor, so that takes the easiest offer off the table. Maybe you can think of something else?”
“We’re not giving you anything,” the same paladin hissed. “Just kill us and get it over with.”
Seeing and hearing this exchange, Abby giggled, and Cici smiled so wide she was on the verge of drooling.
“By entering Sanctuary South, you agreed to our laws,” I explained. “I made sure those laws couldn’t be missed, and our guards remind every traveler to follow them. And you still didn’t read them.”
I clucked my tongue.
She sprayed spit at me, and the other two paladins worked up the courage to start shouting curses.
I wrapped all their mouths with Silkmancer, which made me realize that none of them were wearing silk anything.
I wondered if that was part of their preparation, making sure no one wore silk, especially the women.
It could also have been simple coincidence.
“For minor crimes, like petty theft or vandalism, banishment is the consequence. Disturbing the peace, insulting the sacredness of a neutral zone, and killing innocent people? These are not minor crimes, ladies. Anything that’s not a minor crime is subject to one of two punishments: death or public service.
My choice. Your third option is to swear a soul contract to me. ”
The angry one tried to speak. Her tone had the lilt of a question, so I lowered the silk from her mouth.
“Death or public service? You mean that?”
I turned to Abby. “That’s what’s written in our laws for all to see, right?”
“Yes, Master.”
I turned back to the paladin. “See? It’s true.”
“Public service.” The other two paladins nodded.
“Good choice. Abby, Cici, please take these women to the Stocks of Glory.”
“Stocks? What do you mean by stocks? You said public service.”
I smiled. “I did. In Sanctuary South, prisoners become what could be called ‘free to use.’ The Stocks of Glory are in an open square. Citizens–only citizens, not visitors, that’s important to remember–may use you as they see fit for the next 7 days.
You’re all pretty cute, fit too. You’ll be popular, I think.
Oh! More exciting for you, nearly half of our citizens are demons.
You’ll get to experience a range of genitalia and love-making techniques. ”
“I change my mind,” the weepy one said. “I want death.”
“No take-backs," I replied, shaking my head. “When your 7 days are up, we’ll talk again and decide what the next steps should look like.”
I nodded to Abby and Cici. They picked up the women and carried them away. I opted to leave the angry one’s mouth uncovered so she could yell to her heart’s content. That would save me the trouble of making sure the city knew what happened here today.
I had a reputation to uphold. No one could get away with violating the neutral zone.
Similarly, no one could get away with sending assassins after me.
It was time to pay Lord Ulric another visit.