Chapter 136: Forward
Chapter 136: Forward
Chapter 136 - Forward
The smell of blood wafted over her, Valela stood on the elevated platform, unblinking. Down below, the judge read the list of crimes of the next convict in a loud, cold voice. Pirating, pillaging, murder, and two dozen minor offenses.
The sentence was always the same: death. For once Val had no objection to the justice of the Republic.
Public executions werent common, no more than once or twice a year, but she had seen her fair share. Her presence was meant to be a bridge between the Republic and the islanders, and her father brought her to witness since she was six.
Some begged and cried, others waited their turn in silence, having accepted their fate. The executioner carried out the sentence with the same efficiency for all of them, waving the two-handed greatsword like a feather. The gleaming milky metal cut through each neck in a single, elegant slash. Drops of blood slid off the blade like water on a waxed canvas.
Val thought the executioner was a man due to his height, though he might as well have been a tall and muscled woman. He donned a plain white robe that covered him from head to toe, a pristine mask with no holes hid even his eyes.
The justice of the Seven Moons didnt have a face, it just executed the will of the gods with swift efficiency. Each strike hit the exact same spot in an indifferent arc.
Cheers rose from the crowd as heads rolled to the ground. She stood in an honored position on the dais with her father, on the right of the governors family. An unusually high number of councilors had come to witness, some forced to take a seat below the platform.
The left side was almost as crowded with senior officials, though most were watching with stony and bored expressions.
Val dared a glance over her shoulder. Lady Cressida sat beside her husband with an icy smile, wearing a dark blue dress like a moonless night to represent her mourning for the victims. She was certainly sorry and angry, probably not over the dead.
Valela had often suspected the woman planted her people to influence the mood of the crowd. This time the cheers were probably genuine. Everyone had heard of the heinous crimes that had happened in Sylspring, and of the prompt, firm response of the Republic.
What most didnt know was the extent of those crimes. Three hundred seventy-three dead, almost a thousand injured and tens of gold mesars in damage, maybe more. The inspectors were still assessing the destruction to property and infrastructure. Part of the loot had been recovered with the captured ships, but nothing could bring the dead back.
Adrian flashed a smile at her, his hazel eyes brightening up from the highest step of the dais. He was about to whisper a word when his mother glanced at him. His expression became impassive in less than a blink. Val turned before Lady Cressida could meet her eyes.
Since the boy got his profession, he had begun to casually appear wherever she was, eager to show off his new capabilities. Her father told her to lead him on enough to keep him interested. No more than that. She could find a better marriage prospect on the mainland.
He was more bearable than his older brother, no doubt. Emanuel thought anyone not from the mainland was beneath him, even though he probably barely remembered it himself.
Just one more year.
As soon as she got a profession, she would be off. With a letter of recommendation from her teacher, Lady Gelia, she had a good chance of landing in one of the academies in Meria.
A small commotion woke her from her considerations. A convict tried to break loose. With enchanted chains on both hands and feet, he didnt get a step before two enforcers grabbed him and forced his neck on the block for the executioner. His screams were cut short with another elegant slash.
It surprised her how Lady Cressida had allowed them such an easy end. One word to the judge could have easily convinced him to apply a harsher execution or never reach the trial in the first place.
The woman never showed emotion in public without a purpose, but Val remembered her storming through the town hall the night the news reached them. Simmering with rage, like the sea before the storm. How shed deal with the culprits through gritted teeth.
Cressida had given orders to every officer in sight. And they had scrambled to obey, no matter if they outranked her. It was no mystery who truly held the power among the upper brass, but usually, her words came through her husband.
Her fury wasnt for the dead. Sylspring had been one of the jewels of the archipelago, second only to Higharbor. The damage to future earnings could be even higher, worse yet if the voices spread.
The islands had little to offer. Peace and safety had always been two shining pillars holding up everything else. If they fell, it risked bringing down everything else with them.
With the captains already slain in the raid, catching the fleeting vessels had gone smoothly. Everyone who talked about the accident also talked about how promptly the Republic had dealt with it. An isolated accident that would never be repeated.
They couldnt contain the news, but they could spin it in a less damaging way. The last pieces clicked into place.
Todays display was meant to show the governor had everything firmly in hand. The pirates were just common criminals and were dealt with as such. Treating them any differently would give them importance. Show that this wasnt just a routine execution to make an example.
After the last head rolled, the governor stood up to give a brief speech about justice, so did her father and a slew of other councilors who didnt have the gift of brevity.
Pirates in the archipelago
People would have laughed in your face just for mentioning the possibility. Everyone knew there had never been pirates in the Shallow Sea, the simple idea was close to a contradiction.
Could it only be a single unfortunate coincidence as the Republic was so eager to proclaim?
Dont be a fool.
On that her father was right: an uncomfortable truth never vanished just because you didnt like it. The archipelago was changing and burying her head in the sand wouldnt make it any less true. It would only stop her from seeing the dangers and preparing.
The only way to not get swallowed was to ride the wave. If it wasnt a knife deep in her stomach or a pirate raid, it would be something else.
That was the consequence of the choice her father made more than ten years ago. His support to the newly instated governor in exchange for the promise to give an islander the spot when the time to step down would come.
It wasnt as brilliant a plan as she thought as a child. They would never succeed without Cressida's help and resources, which the woman never missed to remind. To be named governor, even of an annexed, marginal territory like the archipelago, there were several conditions to satisfy.
The endorsement of the previous governor would go a long way, that wasnt the main reason why they needed their help, though. The higher someone climbed the more restrictions the Republic put. To be considered for the role, the man or woman needed the necessary power.
She needed to step completely into Green, in both race and profession. An idea as absurd as pirates in a place where Yellow was considered the absolute peak. A chasm that had never been crossed by any native in oral or written memory.
That was the reason for all her fathers sacrifices, and her duty.
~~~
Five ships bearing the Republics hawk had moored at the dock in Sylspring. Before anyone could understand what was going on, crews of workers had swept through the town, repairing buildings and cleaning debris where there wasnt enough to rebuild.
As fast as they came, they were gone, leaving behind a pristine town, that only lacked the people to fill it.
Announcements resounded loud through the streets, for any who might have missed it letters were delivered to every house. The governor saw their suffering and wanted to extend his generosity to rebuild what was lost. The fleeting pirates had been arrested and put to trial. Justice had been made, as seven heads displayed in the main square showed.
Boon:None
Skill slots:1
Profession: Splinter in the Dark
Main Requirements:Assassinate a stronger target without getting caught; Ambush and kill 10+ enemies stronger than you; Improvisation lv1+.
Description:Youve masked your true strength under a veil of deception and lies to let your enemies underestimate you. Hidden in plain sight or in the shadows, no one will suspect your true capabilities until you strike.
Attributes:0.5 Strength, 0.5 Dexterity, 0.25 Mind, 0.5 Spirit, 0.5 Perception per level.
Boon:None
Skill slots: 1
Profession: PromisingHerbalAlchemist
Main Requirements: Alchemy lv40+; Herbology Advanced lv40+; Modify 10+ recipes.
Description: You have expert knowledge of herbs, of how to process and combine them to brew something superior to the sum of their parts. You are no stranger to finding and harvesting your ingredients or growing them with the help of your magic. Push your limits, build on what you know to expand the boundaries of your knowledge.
Attribute: 0.5 Dexterity, 1 Mind, 1 Spirit, 0.25 Perception per level.
Boon: 1
Skill slots: 2
Profession: Mana Child
Main Requirements: Mana Sense lv50+; Mana Manipulation lv50+; Runes lv20+; Less than 12 years of age.
Description: Youve delved into the arcane from a very young age, and never stopped digging to uncover the secrets of the Essence of the World. As your skills grow, you wont grow complacent but continue to widen the scope of your knowledge.
Attributes: 1 Mind, 1.5 Spirit, 0.5 Perception per level.
Boon: 1
Skill slots: 2
Profession: Blessed by Waters
Main Requirements: Blessed Swimmer lv30+; Water Magic lv30+; Blessing of Kahali.
Description: Embraced by the waters and recognized by the Great spirit Kahali, youre at home among the waves and beloved by the sea. The Shallow Sea is your treasure trove and your companion to explore.
Attributes: 0.25 Strength, 0.5 Constitution, 0.5 Mind, 1.5 Spirit per level.
Boon:1
Skill slots:2
Profession: Veeryd Progeny
Main Requirements: Nature Magic lv30+; Blessing of Yatei; Defeat 10+ Red beasts and 3+ Orange beasts.
Description: Accepted by the land of the islands and blessed by the Great Spirit Yatei, you have no fear for the wild and untamed Veeryd. The jungle is your hunting ground, offering you shelter and its bountiful resources.
Attributes: 0.5 Strength, 0.5 Dexterity, 0.5 Mind, 0.5 Spirit, 0.5 Perception per level.
Boon: 1
Skill slots: 2
Profession: Favored Son of the Isles
Main Requirements: Blessing of Kahali and Yatei; Favor 30+
Description: Son of a distant world, you've been adopted by the Great Spirits of the Baquaire Archipelago who have bestowed their blessing upon you. Become one with the islands and sea, read the will of the Great Spirits in every wave and blade of grass.
Attributes: 0.5 Constitution, 1 Spirit, 0.5 Perception per level.
Boons: 2
Skill slots: 2
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End of Book 2
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