Dozens of men and women stood gathered under Rorikthal's stone bride which hanged over the small village. All holding torches, along with an array of sharp objects, they all looked obsessively at the guards standing on the bridge behind two women and one man- all with rope around their necks and wrists. Behind them, wearing the pelts of many slewn wolves, was Ake Eldrich, commander of the town guard. Stepping forward and placing his hands on the backs of the two females (whom were at the sides of the man), the townfolk cheered.
"Messerand!"' they all called out.
Messerand. The horrid name of the unimaginably vile being they were hunting. Messerand was a being of chaos that existed to create chaos among people, and nothing else. No one knew his origin, but the name was apparently something he told to Eartha Magis after she claims she witnessed an attack from the being. Ironically, Eartha was the woman on the left of the man, standing ready to hang. She seemed like she wanted to yell something to the villages- had her mouth not been sewn shut. Ake spoke with the voice of an enraged ettin as he yelled to the townsfolk.
"People of Ririkthal, I bring to you three individuals which have, through our interrogation, admitted their servitude to Messerand himself. I present to you, Eartha Magis. Witnessing the attack on one of our own kin, Ibraham Tha'en, the firstborn son, only age six, of Ireden and Gjarn Tha'en. She has admitted that she was involved in this attack, and that Misserand was simply a story she spun for the ages. For this, she will hand with brayer around her throat!"
"Messerand!"
He pushed on her back, shoving her off of the bridge. About one-third of the way to the ground, the rope met its limit. Pulling back on the body, her neck snapped with a satisfying bounce. The villagers roared back up at the bridge, proclaiming everything from vengeance to justice. Ake Eldrich moved on to the next woman.
"This woman is named Telthrin Marrow, and she was found standing over the body of Ibraham Tha'en. No doubt that her tears were falsified as a way to proclaim innocence! Ireden Tha'en claims that their families are still locked in their blood feud, giving her perfect reason to attack Ibraham, but even more reason to strike a deal with Messerand! Contacting such a foul creature to settle your feud is an act the gods will judge directly!"
She went to speak, but her voice, whatever it was she was saying, was drowned out by the cheers of the people. He appeared to be breaking down. Her legs were quaking in their place, and tears falling off of her face and off of the bridge- the same way she'd be dropped.
"Messerand!"
She fell down, but her scream would not be so easily downed out. Her scream was so potent, and so powerful, that it tore its way through the chants. It was very soon interrupted by her snapping neck.
"This man is Ichiro Yjern, or he claims that is his name. A traveler from Eastern territory. He was noted as present in the attack on Ibraham Tha'en, and many claim to have seen him shift into a being so grotesque the gods themselves would turn away in shame!"
Ichrio opened his mouth to speak in his own defense, but only a high volume of blood come out. His tongue had been severed.
"Messerand!"
His fall was the last of the night, with a large sum of blood spilling from his mouth and onto when the rope tore back on his neck.
The citizens cheered victoriously. They hadn't slain Messerand, but they had removed three potential servants of his. At least, that's what the night appeared to accomplish. The rest of the night was filled with betrayal, turmoil, and injustice. It was man against man. Rorikthal's personal witch hunts.
Ake Eldrich turned, knowing what he had accomplished. Chaos.