Backwards Fairy Tale

Chapter 9: Hang him

Giritin was strung up by both of his arms for the world to see, his fingers covered in pieces of a torn sack that was once holding grain and tied tightly around his wrists for good measure.

Giritin felt sorry for the two men who were attempting to make a fool of him, they must've thought of him as just another worthless human that was easy to humiliate and slaughter in front of the townspeople of Drendecile.

He proved them wrong when the ropes on his arms burned away, along with the cloth around his fingers, and he slumped to the ground.

"You're messing with us, aren't ya?" One of them asked grabbing his cloak.

Giritin did not answer, and he allowed them to chain him up tightly around the wrists, raising him up once again for the peasants of Drendecile to see.

A few people gathered around to examine the show, and a large woman holding a young child in her fragile arms looked at Giritin with hearts in her eyes.

"How much for the bloke Therin?" She asked with a giddy smile.

"He's not for sale woman, this creature is a criminal, and I'm going to demonstrate what we do to criminals in the name of the King!"

"Therin, we can't afford to slaughter our own kind, we can hardly feed ourselves. Now put that child down now."

"Lady!" Therin yelled angrily, "Did I not just say he was a criminal? I can't let this thing run free around our children, who knows what it'll do!"

Therin's partner removed the cloak from Giritin's face, and he tied a noose around his neck, then disappeared to collect his hunting tools, and the woman came to the front of the stage to peer up at Giritin.

Her child reached its feeble hands up towards him, and Giritin opened one blue eye to witness the child. It was definitely sick, the woman didn't have the ability to feed the child enough anymore, in fact she was starving herself.

A small crackle of magic escaped his fingers and floated towards the child, stopping right in front of the woman so he could ask for permission.

"May I help him?" Giritin asked entering her mind.

The woman looked down at her baby that was barely hanging onto life, but still managed to reach towards Giritin with its remaining strength.

She nodded gratefully, and the small bubble of magic disappeared into the child's mouth. At first it went still, and his mother's face fell in sadness, but not a moment later it was giggling happily in its moms arms with pink cheeks and a full belly.

"What's his name?" Giritin asked.

"He does not have one," She admitted, "I never expected he'd live this long. Would you like to name him sir?"

Giritin smiled lightly through the weakness in his body, and the child smiled gleefully at him.

"Jiri," Giritin replied as his thoughts went to Jay's beautiful face, "If anything happens to him, you must bring him to my husband."

"Your husband?" She asked aloud, "You are married?"

"Married or not, he must die!" Therin growled, "Now take that carcass in your arms and bury it! You have no use coddling what is already lost!"

The woman did not remove her eyes from Giritin, but the thin line in her lips turned into a grimace when Jiri was brought into the picture.

"Your husband," She began politely, "What is his name?"

"Prince Jay," Giritin whispered into her thoughts, "Of.... Fairiosaaaa......."

The one eye that was opened shut tightly and his whole body went into a hibernation state. He needed to recharge.

The woman backed away from the stage and headed straight towards her old cottage that was far from there. Her baby was still smiling brightly at her and rejuvenating her weak body so that every step was powerful and firm.

As she approached the old broken down house, she knocked a secret knock, and the shabby wooden door swung open revealing a young woman in golden armor with light brown hair and glorious green eyes.

"My dear," Her mother greeted, "Your mission has finally come to light, a young man in town square is about to be hung, and he requires a knight to save him."

Her daughter's eyes lit up in excitement and she whistled for her wild horse in the woods.

"I will not let you down mother," She promised, "Finally my calling has arrived."