Alaric lowered his hand slightly. "Executioners." He called out.
Seven executioners stepped forward. They were large men with thick necks and arms like hawsers. Their bodies were marked with scars. Their faces were hard, their teeth stained. They wore leather aprons that were stiff with old blood. Each held a heavy sword, over four feet long, with wide, sharpened blades. They moved into position near the execution blocks, testing their grip, adjusting their stance.
Fear, raw and primal, finally broke through the dazed horror of the prisoners. Lady Virella wailed in a high, keening sound. Toben threw himself backward, screaming for mercy.
"My king! Mercy! Mercy! Forgive me!"
