arm. “Cromwell, may I ask a favor of you?”
“What do you need, girl?”
“I want you to avenge me.”
Cromwell looked at her dumbfounded. “Who is it you seek vengeance on little one?”
Isabella fixed her one pretty blue eye on the duke. “Him.”
The Toran grinned. “Be sure of what you ask of me. My people take oaths of vengeance very serious, girl. What did he do to you?”
Isabella told him. When she finished, Cromwell stared at the one-eyed girl with a grim look.
“I must know your full name.” Isabella didn’t ask why the barbarian wanted her name but she told him. He nodded and patted her on the head. “It will be done, girl, in the way of my people. You have my oath on it.” Isabella hugged him around the waist and scampered back towards the palace.
William Blackthorn begged and pleaded, but the three men who took him outside the city didn’t listen. “I have heard of this, Rufio, but never seen it.”
It’s called crucifixion, it’s used all the time in my county as a form of execution. It is said the Reaper taught the technique to men, so they could visit it on their Elven prisoners, but I don’t know how true that story is.”
K’xarr noticed the Dragitan had become very solemn since they rode out of the north gate, but he did not question it. When Rufio stopped, they were still within sight of the city walls, maybe only a hundred yards away.
“I thought we would be going a little farther than this.” K’xarr said.
“This is it, this is where Vandarus fell,” Rufio said pointing to the ground. “You ordered his betrayal Blackthorn, so I‘m going to crucify you upside down on the very spot he died, like the treacherous bastard you are.”
The duke howled as the men drug him to the simple apparatus they built. Two long boards were nailed together forming an x, and it in turn was lashed to a large pole. They stripped the duke of his clothing as Cromwell dug a hole, K’xarr and Rufio nailed the wailing man spread eagle to the boards. With Cromwell’s strength and some ropes, the three men hoisted Blackthorn up. He hung in the air like a slab of meat in a butcher’s shop.
Even upside down, the duke continued to try and bargain with the grim warriors. “Please don’t leave me here. I will do anything. I have gold, it’s all yours just let me go.”
K’xarr and Rufio ignored the condemned man, silently picked up the tools they had used, and loaded them on the horses. “Cromwell, are you coming?” K’xarr asked.
“Go ahead. I want to stay awhile.”
“Suit yourself.” The two men mounted their horses and rode back to the city without a backward glance.
Cromwell watched Blackthorn moan and whimper as he hung head-down on the pole. The Toran walked closer. The duke’s head was on the same level as the big man’s chest. Cromwell squatted down so he was face to face with Blackthorn. “You are a vile man. Rufio’s punishment was not good enough for you.”
“I did nothing but rid my land of a weak ruler. If you get me down from here, I will make you the richest savage on the middle continent. Please, I beg you I can’t take much more of this, I’m afraid.” Cromwell stared at the old man saying nothing. “I don’t want to die. Oh God, I don’t want to die.” Blackthorn screamed out like a wild man.
Cromwell smiled evilly at the helpless noble. “You did more than murder a King. Before we came out here today, the girl whispered to me what you did to her.”
The duke laughed madly, his sanity was nearly gone. “That one-eyed bitch? She is nothing, little better than a slave. Who cares what I did to that little blonde whore?”
Cromwell stood up. “I care and I promised her vengeance. This is the way we deal with men that rape young girls in my land, dog.” The Toran slowly pulled the razor sharp Voltakar from its sheath. He reached up and cut Blackthorns genitals off. The duke’s eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a terrible scream. Cromwell stifled it by shoving the duke’s gruesome organ into his mouth. The Toran held his meaty hand over Blackthorn’s mouth making the duke choke on his own bloody member. It did not take long for the Duke of Braxton Bluff to die.
Cromwell removed his hand and stared down at the dead man. He slid