Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Matius’s vision clears as he sees a floor with dust and dirt spread across it. Alongside him are cell cages, which seem to pass by. Still fazed he raises his head as he’s carried through the prison blocks, his feet being dragged behind.  On the left a man’s dirtied hands goes through the cell bars, “Please save me” he groans weakly. One of the guard’s men hits back at the cage, forcing the prisoner back by fear. “You ever wondered where the criminals go?”  The guard asks walking alongside Matius, “They all come here, each one to face judgement...” Matius rolls his head unsure where he is. “It’s very rare to ever have soldiers being locked up in cages”.

  They suddenly stop walking, facing an empty cell cage. “We have heard a lot about you. How you were once a well-respected man. This hellhole changes all that. Welcome to your new home”, before he can do anything Matius is shoved into the cell cage as he staggers towards the sandy wall for balance. Still shaken he turns towards the guards as they lock the bar gates. As they walk away Matius heads towards the iron bars gripping them looking out to his new environment. Seeing many people prisoned, tired he slumps against the iron bars before falling unconscious.

 

The next day something is slipped though the bottom of the iron cell, the noise rudely awakening him. Steadily he sits up looking behind him noticing a bowl with food placed inside; the bowl with lumpy soup...One of the guards knocks over Matius’s water laughing in his cruelty the water trickling down the side outside the cell. “hahah look at that, the poor guy needs a drink!” Matius faces screws up in anger before launching himself at the guard only for the prison cell bars to block his hands. “Keep your hands back you filth!!” Matius stares at the guard looking in anger before watching him walk away.
  Another day passes as Matius is slumped against his cell wall, head lowered in semi consciousness when suddenly he hears someone approaching the cell.  Raising his head he sees a young girl looking at him through the cell bars. Nervously she moves towards him, her hand going through the bars, holding onto her doll. “Don’t get too close Amera” the mother exclaims pulling the girl back, “He’s a bad man” Matius looks up in hope before resting himself against the cell iron bars

Several days Matius remains in his cell watching people walk past him, his body getting weaker and tired as the days pass. One day he hears footsteps rising to his feet as his mother stands before the iron bars. “ohh Matius, thank god you’re alright” she sighs with relief holding onto him.“Why have they imprisoned you”, she asks confused, “what have you done?” . Matius shakes his head in disbelief thinking back to the arrest, “I have no idea, I’ve been told nothing. Have you tried talking to the guards?” “She lowers her head shifting her eyes. “They wouldn’t listen to me”, she utters, “I tried explaining to them but they want witnesses”. Matius lowers his head disappointed, “Then I guess that’s it... I can’t prove my innocence”. “I’m so sorry Matius, but there’s nothing I can do”. Just as she says this a guard appears behind her. “That’s enough”, gripping her shoulder. Sadly she lowers her head before being escorted down the corridor past the other cells. He watches her disappear from sight before slumping down depressed against his cell wall.

  Later in the day Matius notices some people in uniform approach him, in interest Matius gets off the floor. Walking towards the iron bars. The one turns towards the cell in surprise, “Matius... is that really you?, squinting.  Matius instantly recognises him as one of his comrades, during their fight against the demons in the wildlands. “Yes your eyes do not deceive you, it’s me. Tell me what brings you here?”, he asks bluntly in frustration. The soldier turns towards his men looking back at Matius, “well me and the lads heard word that you of all people were locked behind bars. I mean we didn’t believe them until we see you here before us. I mean what did you do?”. “I didn’t do anything okay”, Matius replies in frustration, “you know me more than anyone! I’d never do something like that!”. 
  The soldiers bicker amongst themselves, “Well if that’s true then can you explain why you quit out on us?”, the one utters in anger. Matius suddenly falls silent angered tightly gripping the iron bars, “It was for my own reasons, it has nothing to do with you!”. “Nothing to do with us?”, the soldier mocks,  “You was our leader! Our inspiration! How did you think we felt when you ran out on us?” D****t! We fell apart as a unit when we left. We had NO leader!” “Well it was my choice!”, Matius argues lowering his voice, “people criticised my failures and I had doubts of the job” “Doubts about the job? Oh COME ON MAN! You were fighting for hell, for your home. Against the enemies of hell!” Matius lowers his head, “that’s just it. We don’t have any enemies. We are just tools to be used and scrapped, well I refuse to be used as a tool” One of the soldiers turns away getting impatient. “Come on we’d better get going” “Listen Matius, I wish I could help you but the fact is you left us... Why should we try and help you, I’m sorry Matius but we... we just don’t know you anymore” The soldiers then continue walking down the cell much to Matius’s frustration. “Please come back!” he screams out to no avail.

 

Several days later Matius watches as the Prision cage is opened as someone walks inside, “Get up Matius”. Matius slowly raises his head up in laziness not moving. In anger the soldier kicks out at Matius forcing him to get up. “Okay Matius listen good, we’ve looked at your record and your crime” Matius raises his head up in anger in frustration “I have not... committed any...Crime!” “Silence prisoner! You will talk only when talked to!!” The soldier knocks Matius to the floor. “Right due to the severity of your crime it has been announced that your trial will commence in one week. Your death will commence outside the winds of the wildands, and for what you have done you deserve it!!” Matius’s eyes shift in panic, this can’t be happening he thinks running the options through his head. He knows how bad those winds are, he’s been a witness back when he was in the army, and those winds will tear me to shreds.
  He then focuses back on reality looking back the guard still speaking quickly he tries to charge into the guard hoping to knock him back only for the guard to quickly dodge out of the way. The guard smiles, “what were you trying to do? Take me down? Please don’t insult yourself. You’re too weak to be doing that” The guard looks back at Matius as he heads towards the cell door. “You had better be ready because I tell you that crowd, will be watching your every move as will everyone. Get rest you will need it” With the guard gone Matius slumps against his cell wall once more.

 

The next couple of days Matius remains in his cell when soldiers come by his cell. Each and every day Matius draws a line in on the chalk wall, ticking off the days as they go by. Everyday watching the deceased prisoners being carried away from their cells due to starvations or deprived of hope or care. Matius slumps against the wall thinking how did things come to this. He was the son of a great man, a fighter royal to hell. Now everyone was turning on him and he didn’t know why. He clenches his fist at the sheer injustice of it all frowning in anger.

 

Back in the royal palace a man walks down a corridor with rays of light shining through the windows above anxious in his footsteps. He starts to slow himself approaching a door, quickly turning side to side in secret before quickly opening the door before slamming it in place. The soldier removes his robes placing them onto the ground. “Have you done as I have asked?” The soldier turns around in surprise before calming himself, “Yes everything went as planned, they didn’t suspect a thing”. “Good, this should make things easier for me”
 From the wall covered in shadow Dervish emerges. “What should we do with Ivan, your brother?” The soldier questions. “I know he suspects me for Sousan’s demise”, Dervish replies, “I will talk to him in private when the times comes”
  The soldier turns back towards the door hearing footsteps pass by. “Have you found out any news concerning Sousan’s will?” Dervish hints. The soldier looks puzzled before quickly going into his pockets. “I think Sousan’s will was to pass his power to his first son born, which I think was Ivan” Dervish closes his eyes in annoyance. “Of course, Ivan. He always treated him as a son, unlike me. He tried to kill me!” Dervish then calms himself looking back at the man. “Tell me do you know if you could get this will....void?” The soldier pauses thinking, “Yes I’d think winning the support from members of the royal family would grant you their approval to the throne”. “Yes... that should work well...”, Dervish smiles deeply thinking, “When the drama of the fight has settled I will introduce myself to Ivan and Sousan’s servants, since they don’t suspect me. I will speak a lie, in doing so they will lose faith in Ivan. From his demise I will be the rightful ruler”

Several days have passed in the prision blocks as Matius remains slumped against the cell wall unsure what day is it, what time Matius squints trying to identify the men, “It’s time” one of the men beckons. Both of them enter his cell and take effortlessly take Matius out.

 

Semi conscious from the light Matius is led out to a circular arena, his feet shuffling along the sandy floor. In the background he hears chanting but pays little notice the sunlight hurts his eyes. Directly in front a large isolated metal pole with chains laying directly beside it, behind it the vast wildlands.  Matius then gains focus turning his head to the large audience of people shouting in excitement around, waiting for justice. Dazed he turns his attention back towards the pole that’s now close to him. Both men then step up and strap him into place of the pole before grabbing the chains, cuffing his arms and legs. Matius still weak rolls his head to the side watching them blankly.
  With their task done they hurrily head back towards the metal bar doors, leaving the area as Matius tests the chains. Matius then focuses on ahead as the crowd start cheering. From the entrance of the arena a man dressed in robes lined with gold walks out immediately being greeted with cheers from the crowd. The man waves his hand in acknowledgment, as he makes his way towards the raised stand his sandals, going up the steps. The crowd falls silent just as he reaches it. Sorting himself out in takes out a large scroll from under the robbing before placing it onto an altar marking his hands upon it.

 

The man then raises his head up to the sky, “Greetings citizens on this fine morning. I stand before you as your messenger and judge of this court. As of a week ago Sousan was found, murdered by Ivan his son”. There are suddenly bickering amongst the crowd, Matius raises his head shocked by this sudden news. The speaker sensing the unease of the crowd raises his arm, as the crowd falls to silent. “Here, today the murder of our beloved Sousan is here with us today. To receive judgment!!” The crowd bursts into life, cheering wildly. Matius starts to fight against the chains, “I’m innocent! I’ve been set up!” Unfortunalty the crowds cheering blank out his protests. The reader however is distracted by Matius. He turns towards one of his men before making his way down the steps towards Matius, the cheering still in the background “... I’m innocent” Matius protests, relaxing himself.  The reader looks at Matius, “You might say you’re innocent but the people declaring you do not” the reader whispers, “If you had someone to prove your innocence then I could let you free, however there no one do that”. Matius raises his head looking at the reader, “You have to believe me... Do you think I would kill someone like that, even take the risk?” The reader turns away slightly before facing Matius again. “No... you don’t even seem the man capable of killing Sousan” The reader finished with Matius turns his attention towards the crowd.

“Now before I give the sentence is there anyone here who challenges me? If there is please raise your arm”. The reader looks around the stadium, many people in the crowd bicker amongst themselves, many people want to raise their arms but fear holds them. Matius looks around the stadium knowing that hope is lost, lowering his head. The reader turns back towards Matius lowering his arm smiling. “Let there be judgement”. The crowd then bursts into applause Matius watching in worry before several men dressed in robes appear from the arena entrance. As they make their way towards the front of the Arena, standing facing the wildlands. Moving instruments in the wind, then a sound can be heard in the distance alerting Matius.

In the distance, he can hear the wind blowing sand into the air. The crowd watch anxiously, some of the men watch behind pillars in the area. The wind gets louder, growing in strength. The crowd watching in anticipation, waiting some in fear and excitement, Matius tenses himself readying for it. Then the wind hits him with full force, Matius screams out in pain. The wind is tearing at him, pulling at his very skin. Matius fights against the chains that bind him tightly, twisting and moving to the strain. The wind starts peeling away pieces of Matius’s skin as he can only observe helplessly as they are carried away into the wind. Some of the crowd above look in pit and aguish at the shocking ordeal, some of them turning away from it. The reader remains silent watching from behind a pillar, feeling somewhat sorry turning away from the screams. The wind then starts to tear at his face, pulling away layer after layer of skin like hooks. Matius screams in agony, now beyond pain. Then as quickly it came the wind disappears, leaving only Matius’s still body.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good chapter. I like the way you set-up the trial. I like the visit by the soldiers. I like he tried to defend himself at the hearing. No weakness in the excellent chapter.
Coyote