Sweet Waters Throne

148 Chapter 14CHAPTER 148

Then the criminals were divided, ten were placed on Aurora’s side and the other ten to Artemis’s side. Their faces showed extreme fear, none of them was ready to burn to flames because they knew how horrible that sort of death was. Most of the men during this time would rather be beheaded by a sword because they considered that an act of true honor, but only knights and nobles were given such honorable deaths ─ not murderers and rapists.

The royal announcer spoke loudly of the crimes these criminals committed, one by one. Most of them had killed over fifty innocent people by slaughtering them like chickens, three of them raped a two year old girl and then slit her throat as her father watched, well let’s say this case of raping an infant made the crowd angry and they threw things at them. Most of the people threw rotten tomatoes, cabbages, onions and those who didn’t have any of those things took heavy stones and threw them at the criminals.

As the announcement continued, the dragons were getting ready to roast these outlaws to ashes. “I stand before you good citizens of Blackmount. From here now, the King has made a decision to burn every outlaw who have committed unspeakable crimes to his people. The dragons will devour them afterwards as a lesson to others who will be unjust to anyone” the royal announcer finished and closed the piece of paper he was holding, then he stepped back.

There was an erupt of cheers and celebrations from the good folks who desperately wanted the criminals to burn. They shouted “Burn them!” and others kept on going “Let the dragons eat them alive, murderers” and they went on to throw the rotten tomatoes to the criminals’ faces. It seemed everyone had their own ideas as to how should the criminals be punished.

Artemis was the first one to lead Artodo so close to the first ten of the murderers in such a way when Artodo screamed on their faces, they had to look away because they thought that was the end. But Artemis took his time, he spoke to them “I, Artemis Arteides, first of my name. King of Maldonia and Lord of Ten Cities, Slayer of the Elves and Protector of The Realm, hereby sentences you all to die” he said loudly ─ everyone at the arena heard him and they cheered again.

Then it was just a matter of time, Artodo was ready to make his first kill and he was eager for it. When Artemis ordered him by saying the word “Incendio” Artodo didn’t need seconds or minutes to reconsider, he opened his huge mouth and flames came right out it. Huge and scary flames, mixture of red and orange, even from a far people could tell the flames were deadly just by the way the criminals wept loudly and screamed.

Artodo didn’t let them wander for long from where they had fallen, he picked them one by one and ate them right away whilst they still burned. The good folks cheered even more, Artemis thought mayhaps this would have terrified them but it was completely the opposite. It actually excited them and they kept on cheering, none of them believed what they saw, especially when the dragon ate the criminals once it burned them and seemed so satisfied with the burned meat.

After they had witnessed the fate of their fellows, now the ten criminals who stood close to Vizoro began to get even more scared. There was no worse death in the history of deaths than being burned alive, it’s an honor when you are bind to a pyre but during that time the soul had already left the body. When you are still alive, it’s the most painful death.

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But there was nowhere for the criminals to run or hide, they were manacled and it was impossible to escape. They only pleaded for mercy from the Queen, Aurora. “Please forgive us Your Grace. Forgive us” they shouted with their hands upwards.

“Did you forgive the ones you murdered?” Aurora asked them “Or the two year old whom you raped and then murdered her mercilessly?” this was a completely new Aurora, she didn’t show her pretty face nor felt any remorse for the criminals. Her eyes had turned reddish, she was boiling wuth anger inside her and without needing any more words Aurora screamed at Vizoro “Incendio” and from there none of the criminals survived.

The flames which came out of Vizoro’s mouth were way brighter and hotter than Artodo’s, even Artemis himself saw it. That’s because she-dragons tend to be fiercer than male dragons, angrier and they barely show any mercy to their victims. This rage and fire was transferred from Vizoro to Aurora, that’s why she showed no mercy to the criminals and even when they kept on burning, Vizoro didn’t stop pouring her hot flames.

The criminals turned to ashes, and still Vizoro kept on pouring the flames. Aurora was worried now and she turned to Artemis “She won’t stop” she expressed her worries to him while she tried to hang on to the saddle. Artemis replied “Make her stop! Tell her to stop” and that’s because now Vizoro was actually burning the walls of the arena which were made of stones. The stones barely catch flames but the dragon flames turned them black, everyone was now scared and shocked at the same time.

Aurora decided to make a decision and she screamed “Valar Vizoro, Valar. Obey me…” the last word came out in Low Moor. Then as if she had snapped once, Vizoro suddenly stopped pouring the flames and started to run and in few minutes she was up high above the skies of Blackmount. Artemis was stunned at how hot the flames of Vizoro were, and her rage which couldn’t be controlled.

Now the cheers and praises from the people stopped and they grew concerned. Some of the people who were close to the wall which was burned by Vizoro felt the heat of the flames up close and they ran away. Chaos started and people raced out of the arena in a hurry, they were scared what if the dragon turns back and burn everyone. Or maybe the dragon which the King was still mounting erupts in flames and the King somehow fails to control it.

The main stage where the lords and nobles stood was calm, they weren’t scared and that’s because Lord Balrus assured them nothing wrong will happen. Artemis decided to leave the arena on his dragon back, he told Artodo “Valar” and from then he was up high the skies of his city. This somehow calmed the chaos inside the arena, all the dragons were gone now and the folks thought it was a relief.

One of the people who witnessed this chaotic moment was Isabella, and she had once warned Lord Balrus about it. She had expressed her concerns to him and asked what if the King and Queen lose their way and control over the dragons. Today she had seen Aurora losing it and it was in front of over one hundred thousand people. The dragon could have stopped after she had burned the criminals to ashes, but she kept on going and burned the wall to black.

Isabella rushed to Lord Balrus before he could leave. It wasn’t easy overcoming the masses, but somehow she managed it. Lord Balrus was about to get inside his carriage when she called out “Balrus, wait for me” and when Lord Balrus turned back, he saw Isabella coming right to him. Lord Angun was standing close to him, and he was stunned to see Lord Balrus being called by a courtesan.

“Is she coming right at us?” asked Lord Angun.

“I think so…”

“And I thought your cock was cut off” Angun made a slight joke then he laughed. Balrus ignored him because he knew it was a joke.

Isabella arrived where Lord Balrus and Lord Angun were, then she paid attention to Balrus “You saw it didn’t you? She lost control of the dragon” Isabella was breathing heavily and she was trying to catch her composure.

Then it was Lord Angun who intervened “Aren’t you a whore in one of the brothels?” this wasn’t necessary but yet again he was the Hand of the King, and it was his job to protect both the King and Queen from slanders and accusations.

Lord Balrus stopped his friend “That won’t be necessary Angun” he said.

“Just wondering, a whore who only knows how to ride cocks is out here speaking ill of the Queen who mounts a dragon. The fiercest and most powerful dragon, you should be ashamed” Angun took another way and walked to a carriage of his own, with his own servants.

Then it was just Balrus and Isabella who remained behind. Lord Balrus ordered her to get inside the carriage so they may talk about it more on their way home. Isabella was concerned about the safety of the people first, and the flames which she saw today were huge and scary. Even Lord Balrus himself was scared for a minute when Vizoro was devouring the criminals and then she burned the wall of the arena.