She Topples Giants by Morgan Stang

Author:Morgan Stang [Stang, Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-21T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 65

Samantha watched as organized death was carried out down in the square below.

There was only one pillory that had been brought out, and that was secured directly in the center of the raised stage. Blixen was placed in it, pushed onto her knees, head and hands stuck into the holes carved out in the bottom brace, the top closed over and locked. It was only then that the sack was removed from her head. Samantha couldn't quite make out the face far across the square, but she imagined it to be either one of rage, or agony.

While the mobs of commoners pillaged their own town, the armed militia and guardsmen went to work rounding up every noble family they could, along with any merchant family that had refused to aid the revolution. They came with arms tied behind their backs, marched in small groups to line up in the street, held secured by sword and spear point. A few sprang desperate resistances, or chanced an escape, running haphazardly down the street, and those were promptly run through and killed.

When the sun hit the horizon, the pyres had finished being assembled. There were wails as it began, individual nobles pulled from their families, brought forth and tied to one of dozens of stakes. Each pyre of wood had several spots available, and when they were all filled, men with torches set the piles of wood ablaze.

Samantha was thankful that this revolution wasn't as refined as it could be. When the victims were tied up high in the center of it all, they breathed in the smoke and fumes from the fire itself, which caused them to lose consciousness before the burn of the flames reached them. Most of them, at least. In other lands, Samantha had personally once witnessed men that were more competent at executions burn people in a pyre, men who had wanted to make sure that the living condemned felt every flick of the flames. The method involved starting the fire first, while the prisoners were tied to poles or ladders away from it. Then, once the fire was good and lit, the prisoners were carried to the fire, and slowly lowered forward via chains fastened at the top of the pole or ladder. The end result was similar to a hog being roasted over an open flame, slowly cooking.

And so she was thankful that was not the case now, that the majority of the nobles and merchants let their heads fall in slumber before their skin began to melt. But still, there were some, perhaps those with more hardy lungs, who were quite awake and aware as the heat burned them alive.

The screams of the living were somehow worse. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons. They all watched on as their relatives and friends were executed in front of them, knowing they would be next. Even children were not spared, despite mothers falling to their knees, pleading, begging, praying for them to be let go, promising hidden riches in exchange for their child's life.

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