Viewer Discretion is advised that this story contains graphical violence and sexual tensions.
The Public Execution
"Kneel before me as I ascend the throne of supremacy. All who stand in my way will fall!"
In a dimly lit hall of the Blackthorn Manor, Lord Blackthorn proclaimed to his disciples. Kneeling next to him was a trembling old man with his hands bound. A small army of hooded men stood before them, their eyes wide with fear and respect. They watched silently as their Lord commanded their attention.
"My Loyal disciples, the time of reckoning is here." Blackthorn's voice echoed in the chamber.
An ominous hum surrounded him. It was from the staff that he always carried with him. Nobody knew what the staff was, but they knew their Lord had invented it.
"Humans are weak. Even in peace, they find excuses to pillage, harm, and hate. They divide themselves among their chosen leaders, leaders who are easily corrupted. This world is what it is because humans are what they are — chess pieces waiting to be played."
Lord Blackthorn paused to let his followers take in what he had said.
"To you, my loyal followers, I offer grandeur—the power over the weak and the honor to serve me. With your obedience and their blood, we shall bring everlasting peace to this world."
The crowd erupted, cheering. Lord Blackthorn looked at his followers with a sinister smile. The promise of power and fear had corrupted their morals. They were blind to see that they too were mere pawns. Each one of them was disposable and replaceable.
Lord Blackthorn's followers had witnessed the Sable Nullifier perform extraordinary acts. They would have been a fool not to fear him. There was no point resisting Lord Blackthorn's will, not when he had the Sable Nullifier by his side.
"Witness the might of the Sable Nullifier!" Blackthorn thundered, thrusting his staff toward the sky. It was crafted with a black alloy, its surface gleaming with a dark, otherworldly glow. A glowing orb, pulsating with an eerie light, served as its head. Its body was etched with intricate runes and symbols.
"This guarantees my dominance. With its power, we shall extinguish any feeble sparks that dare to defy my vision."
The disciples watched in awe. He was about to showcase the power of the Sable Nullifier. It had become his routine, and it never stopped amazing them.
He pointed at the kneeling old man, "This fool believed he could assassinate me!" He then made a subtle gesture with his palm.
Lady Blackthorn emerged from the shadows on cue. Her black dress was iridescent from the glow emitted from the Sable nullifier. The thin veil which was draped over her shoulder flowed as she walked. Lady Blackthorn, a woman of mystery and power, was not just a companion to Lord Blackthorn. Some thought she was his sister. Others thought she was his lover. But one thing was clear: she was critical of him, she advised him, and she was the whisper in his ear.
Lady Blackthorn kneeled next to the old man with a polite smile. "Stand up straight, dear. There's no dignity in kneeling." But her actions contradict her gentle words. She grabbed his crotch and squeezed it hard before standing up. The man howled in pain, compelled to rise with her.
She then circled her victim and loosened the ropes that bound his wrist. After freeing him, she walked back to her Lord's side. She was as calm and poised as a princess as she stood beside her Lord.
Lord Blackthorn then dipped his hands into the folds of his robe and pulled out a gun. "The fool thought he could kill me with this." The statement dripped with mockery as he handed the weapon to the shivering man. "Well, go on then..." he taunted.
The man did not react. He did not dare try to kill the Blackthorns before his followers.
"TAKE IT!" Blackthorn yelled as his irritation grew at the man's hesitation.
The old man trembled with fear as he took the weapon from Blackthorn's palm.
"Do you need an invitation now? Go on… fulfill your dreams. Be the man who stopped our Lord." Lady Blackthorn taunted, but the man continued to hesitate. "Looks like you're not even worthy of..."
A loud BANG echoed through the room before Lady Blackthorn could finish her taunt.
The gun had been fired. The Sable Nullifier emitted a bright flash as the Bullet neared its target. The Bullet struck an invisible barrier inches from the Blackthorns and disintegrated.
Startled, the man started firing a barrage of bullets at the Blackthorns until his gun was empty. But to his surprise, the Sable Nullifier had protected its masters with efficiency.
"Well, now it's my turn." Lord Blackthorn said with a sinister smile, "Do you want to live or die?"
"I… I want to live."
Lady Blackthorn frowned when the man chose to live. She looked at her Lord, and unspoken words were exchanged between them. Her frown spread to Lord Blackthorn's face as he pointed the Sable Nullifier at the trembling old man. The Sable Nullifier unleashed its bright green energy on the man. As the ray faded away, the man began to choke; his eyes turned red, and painful boils erupted on his skin.
As the man screamed, a faint red glow started to pulse on the ring that Lady Blackthorn wore. Gradually, the pulse intensified in frequency and brightness until it became a steady, radiant glow. Overwhelmed by the intense pain, the man finally succumbed, falling unconscious.
"Your suffering is your own doing. You will now die a slow, painful death filled with suffering." Lady Blackthorn Murmured as she closed her eyes for the next few moments. She meditated, and the glow in her ring started to fade slowly. Lord Blackthorn looked at the unconscious man with sadness in his eyes.
The Sable Nullifier was the physical manifestation of Lord Blackthorn's ambition. Each demonstration made his followers believe that no one could stop the Blackthorns.
While the superstitious believed that the Sable Nullifier was filled with dark magic, others thought that it was proof of Lord Blackthorn's ingenuity. They have never heard of a weapon like it before.
After the glow in Lady Blackthorn's ring was completely unlit, she fluttered her eyes open. Lady Blackthorn leaned on her Lord to whisper again, an act that had become a ritual between the two. Lord Blackthorn nodded to what she had to say and turned to face his followers. He took a moment to find the words to tell them.
"I have a more important target in mind. There is a family that dares to stand against me. They sow the seeds of rebellion against me. They pathetically beg and cry for others to join their cause to rise against me." He looked at the unconscious old man lying on the ground, "They feel sorry for such weaklings."
He took a deep breath, addressing his followers again. "Disciples of the Blackthorns, prove your worth. Eliminate any who may stand in my way. You shall ravage their lands as I rise to my destiny. Let the land itself warn those who dare to oppose me."
#
Soon after Lord Blackthorn's address, the Disciples manned their vehicles. They wildly shot bullets into the air, sending ominous echoes through the darkness. The deafening sound of gunfire erupted into the night sky, a symphony of death.
Lord and Lady Blackthorn mounted a dark steed with Lady Blackthorn seated behind him.
Lady Blackthorn liked the proximity with her Lord. She smiled and let her right arm wrap around his waist, allowing her palm to rest over his groin area. She leaned forward, letting her breast press gently against his back. Their bodies moved in with the horse's rhythmic gallop.
In her left hand, she held the Sable Nullifier. She reveled in the profound trust he placed in her, a trust forged with years of shared childhood. Together, they led the procession at a staggering speed. His army followed—a legion ready to carry out their master's will.
Lord Blackthorn assessed the village from afar as their destination came into view. The night hung heavy over the village. The residents were lost in a peaceful slumber, oblivious to the looming danger. Families nestled together, seeking warmth and security in each other's embrace. Innocent children dreamt beautiful dreams.
"My Lord, You should command your legion to be quiet, else we may not find our target" Lady Blackthorn advised.
Lord Blackthorn nodded and raised his hand to signal his legion to be quiet. The abrupt cessation of gunfire was replaced by deafening silence. The tires rolling on the ground seemed louder than the engine pulling the vehicles.
"Let them sleep for a little while longer. Ignorance will make their awakening all the more exquisite."
Lord Blackthorn's silent commands led the cloud of death into the village. They strolled right into the middle of the village with no resistance.
As Lady and Lord Blackthorn dismounted their steed, the village square became the center stage for the impending tragedy. Lady Blackthorn handed him the Sable Nullifier and pointed to a house adjacent to the square.
With his weapon in hand, Lord Blackthorn walked towards the house his lady had pointed to. He tapped on the door with the sable nullifier. The locking mechanism disintegrated with its touch. He then pushed it open and disappeared into the house.
Moments later, a couple of flashes and a scream pierced the stillness. Lady Blackthorn and the disciples watched as Lord Blackthorn emerged from the entrance, dragging a man behind him.
A frantic woman pleaded for her husband's release, "Please, let him go! I beg you!"
Both the man and the woman were bleeding; the man was more injured than his wife. Many parts of his body were burnt off. The stench of his burning flesh filled the air. He could barely stand in his injured state, let alone fight.
"Why are you doing this? Let him go!"
Without a word, Lord Blackthorn raised the Sable Nullifier, its ominous glow silencing the woman permanently.
Lady Blackthorn smiled as the woman crumpled to the floor dead. She walked up to her dead body and caressed her with motherly care, "Shh… you are at peace now."
The man screamed in agony as Lord Blackthorn silenced his wife.
Lady Blackthorn's ring started to pulse again as if it was feeding from the man's pain.
The man's desperate scream pierced the night, waking up the neighbors. Blackthorn unleashed the Sable Nullifier's energy on the nearby houses. The ground beneath the houses trembled and gave way. The houses collapse inward, burying the occupants alive.
All this commotion was beginning to wake the entire village. Lord Black frowned as he unleashed his legion on the remaining houses. His legion descended upon the villagers, and every few seconds, cries of pain and pleas filled the air.
The man, seeing innocent people harmed, begged with all the might he could muster, "Stop! We are peaceful… stop!"
Lady Blackthorn stepped forward with her calm, eerie demeanor. She knelt beside the man with a friendly warmth and wiped his tears. She whispered softly, her voice filled with a cruel kindness, "Oh, sweetheart, Don't cry. You wanted to conspire with the Eldren Council, right?"
The man fell Silent," How did you.. know? I… I didn't tell anyone."
"You must understand," she said, her voice soothing yet sinister, "your family and friends suffer because of you. This suffering is of your own making."
With that, Lord Blackthorn raised his dreaded weapon once more that night, and the man lay dead next to his wife.
The once-tranquil night was transformed into a symphony of terror. The village air, which once had a tinge of rose and daisy, now stank of blood, burning flesh, and burnt ashes.
Lady and Lord Blackthorn mounted their steed and headed back home. They left their forces to purge the rest of the peaceful village. As they galloped, the plight of those pathetic weaklings seemed to stir memories within Lord Blackthorn.
Lady Blackthorn, attuned to her Lord, quickly picked up the weakness in his heart. "Adam, Are you OK?" Lady Blackthorn asked. It had been years since Lady Blackthorn had used his first name, and it felt foreign to her tongue and his ears.
