Snippet: Chapter Eleven
Not for those with a queasy stomach I suppose.
The Aquila ruler walked away, ignoring her sister's curses and shouts. The rat scurried out of the cell and in front of her path. She looked down at it and raised her hand as the rat stopped to sniff the air. There was a pained squeak as Tonari's ice bolt struck it, the force of the spell propelling it forward. It left a bloody stain as it bounced off the ground before stopping against the bars of one of the jail cells. Impaled on the ice bolt, it twitched and gave a final squeak of pain before it died.
Inside the cell, the patron sat against the corner. He had been a servant who was caught stealing and selling wine from the wine cellars. As his punishment, he had his right hand removed and was locked in the prison.
After a week without food, he had snapped. As he sat in the corner, rocking back and forth, he chewed on his bloody stump. The squeak alerted him to a new food source and he stopped chewing on his wrist to look at the dead rat. Crawling forward, he seized the rat with his remaining hand and pulled out the bloody icicle and placed it in his mouth, licking the bloody water with desperation. When the icicle was gone, he picked up the rat and cradled it in his hand before he bit into it, riping away fur, flesh, and meat. He looked at the ruler and gave her a bloody smile, silently thanking her for the food before returning to his meal. Tonari gave him a disgusted look before she left the prison.
The Aquila ruler walked away, ignoring her sister's curses and shouts. The rat scurried out of the cell and in front of her path. She looked down at it and raised her hand as the rat stopped to sniff the air. There was a pained squeak as Tonari's ice bolt struck it, the force of the spell propelling it forward. It left a bloody stain as it bounced off the ground before stopping against the bars of one of the jail cells. Impaled on the ice bolt, it twitched and gave a final squeak of pain before it died.
Inside the cell, the patron sat against the corner. He had been a servant who was caught stealing and selling wine from the wine cellars. As his punishment, he had his right hand removed and was locked in the prison.
After a week without food, he had snapped. As he sat in the corner, rocking back and forth, he chewed on his bloody stump. The squeak alerted him to a new food source and he stopped chewing on his wrist to look at the dead rat. Crawling forward, he seized the rat with his remaining hand and pulled out the bloody icicle and placed it in his mouth, licking the bloody water with desperation. When the icicle was gone, he picked up the rat and cradled it in his hand before he bit into it, riping away fur, flesh, and meat. He looked at the ruler and gave her a bloody smile, silently thanking her for the food before returning to his meal. Tonari gave him a disgusted look before she left the prison.