𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
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Act 2 Chapter 31 ALEXANDER
When a group of huntresses returned to camp early one afternoon dragging the corpse of a gnarled wild boar, I had no idea what to expect. I still didn't especially when I was tasked with helping Adelié prepare it for eating. All I knew was that although I didn't mind human bodies, something about the body of a dead animal made me sorrowful. They were inherently innocent.
Adelié's dark eyes met mine over the carcass. "We will begin by skinning the boar, as the blood has drained a sufficient amount. You have a good idea of how to skin an animal, correct?"
I debated this. "I skinned a Navrikan man alive once. I assume it's relatively similar."
Instead of scrunching her nose and flinching at my harsh admission, she made the first cut. "What did he do to invoke your wrath?"
"The bastard was a slaver." I failed to tell her that I wasn't paid for the job; I did it of my own accord.
Making a humming sound of acknowledgment in the back of her throat, Adelié said, "How'd you do it? Humans can be so unfortunately squirmy when you try such things. Not as docile as our friend here." With that, she smoothed the hair on the boar's deceased chin.
I shrugged, mirroring her cutting motions. No blood welled when my knife cut through the thick, wire-haired skin. It felt wrong. "My mind and body are strong from years of training. Holding him down was easy. Getting him there was harder." I tricked him into locking the door of his own cage, having manipulated him into letting a mistake slip, a twining thread to lead the authorities to his illegal dealings. Fearing the authorities beating down his door to drag him away from his home as his victims were, he barricaded himself inside the house. With me hiding inside, knives ready.
"I can only imagine how strong you must be to cut a man into pieces as he watches on in horror."
"I must say, you're taking this much better than I expected."
"What did you expect?"
"Some gagging. Maybe retching. Pleas for me to stop giving such graphic descriptions."
"No," she said, shooting me a small smile with her knife raised. "The world is too graphic for me to shy from such things." Slicing downward, she took off a great chunk of something fleshy, moving deeper than the thick layer of skin.
"Are you sure you're not traumatized? Not even a little?"
A chuckle. "I'm sure. You must think me to be terribly principled if you thought I wouldn't agree with your actions. Well, the end result, at least. Skinning is a bit violent for my personal taste," she admitted with a tilt of her head.
"Principled isn't the word I would use. Innocent, rather. Or kind or peaceful."
"I am kind and peaceful. Though it's not the reason for those things, the Gods would frown upon me if I believed myself better than anyone else."
