1-1: Start of Something New.....

".....And for the crimes of blasphemy, falsifying records, perjury, major misconduct in both sexual and violent terms....." The list continues, and the priestess speaks on. But the accused tuned her out. In his tall tower, he waits for his maker. So vile was he that his worthiness to a life of slavery at the hands of Queen Reclusia was non-existent.  After he was captured, he was taken to a tall spire that became his prison. Chained to his plank wood bed, mobility was restricted to the bed, an open window, and a bucket for deification.

He turns away from the window. Sighing heavily as he walks back to his bed. His bare feet stepping on the cold, gray, cobblestone floor. In between the window where a woman who believes in a false God and preached her words to a subjugated people and the bed where many nightmares had been dreamed of was a mirror. He paused his monotone walk. It took a moment for him as he looked up at the reflection.

"Do you wish you weren't here?" He spoke to himself.  Looking out of the mirror was a tall boy, dressed in a black jacket, and pants. Underneath the unzipped jacket was a gray shirt with a white skull on it. His long black hair with red streaks lay gently on his head. His low-lit green eyes look into themselves. "Or did you do purpose to yourself and want to die?" Before he could interrogate himself some more, the large wood door besides the bed opened.

Two guards, laden in armor forged by bone walked into the room. The boy looked at them with a glare. The armor was repulsive to him, as it was made with the bones of Arachniom victims.

One guard spoke in a heavy and commanding voice. "Shadow Maubis. Would you like to come with us?"

"No." He said flatly. "But do I have a choice?"

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His arms were not tied behind his back and were free. Though Shadow knew better than to fight an entire crowd of Arachnioms. Human as they may look, that is not what they be. At the same moment his eyes lay on the gallows from which he would be hung, a bell began its low and slow chime.

One bell

Shadow took a step up onto the wooden platform.

Two bells

A second step towards his fate.

With the third bell, Shadow was standing on top of the platform. Standing behind him were the two guards. Before him was that same priestess that spoke to the crowd before. And at the other end of the platform....Was she.

Her eyes were a deep purple. Her dress was made of silk, and fitted tightly to her tall and skinny body. The black dress had a long, vertical purple band running up its side. Black gloves, with spider web designs were on her hands and went up to her elbows. Her dark red hair was perfectly bobbed. And lastly, her purple covered lips pursed in an evil smirk. This she was Queen Reclusia.

Shadow looked back down and away from the Queen. The priestess urges the guards to start tying the boy to the noose. And they did, grabbing the rope and forcing Shadow to step over the door on the floor where he would soon be suspended over.

"You have any last words before your life is ended, Shadow?" Reclusia asks, her hands slowly reaching for the lever that has punished many before the boy.

He  turns his head to nod at Reclusia, then back to the crowd. "My life is ended here, by you all. Everyone shares in the blame of my death. Not just me. For if you've not prevented a soul from dying, then you are to blame for their death. Know me not for what I have done. But my ability and capability to do them....."

Reclusia grabbed a hold on the lever. "A noble word. But, it shall be forgotten by days end. The people you speak of do not care for the voice of such a person as you. One who has committed  these crimes. One that is....Human. Tis a shame. You're fate would have been to have a final night with me. Then, do have been devoured by a Queen. Your heinous crimes prevent that, and once your soul is gone, the people will feast on your body. For, my dear Shadow, the people are not here to watch a death. They are here for a meal."

Closing his eyes, Shadow takes a deep swallow and whispers to himself. "As my body has lived here, may my soul break the surly bonds of a physical form. And may I live beyond this earthly realm."

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"Wait! Wait!"

Reclusia backs pressure away from the handle, and the crowd splits. Shadow can see a lone man running towards him, with a large canvas sack. The man was tall, and had armor made of strong and durable leather, with metal plates in various spots. On his upper chest and shoulders, and on his groin. His hair was a light tan and was long and free-flowing atop his head was a top hat of a slightly darker tan. His black eyes looked full of life and goals.

Growling and glaring were the guards as the man set the sack on the platform before jumping on it himself, facing Reclusia. Panting a bit, he points at Shadow. "H-Him....I want to..To buy his freedom."

"Where does a Domestica get 10,000 gold coins from?" The skeptical queen questions.

"Nevermind that. And to make sure that I am not made a joke of, and to be taken serious, there 20,000 coins be in this bag. For the freedom of that Human, and pardon of all his crimes." He claimed. 20,000 gold coins was enough to supply armor for a small army, of which the Arachniom had and justly needed.

Brief thoughts pointed Reclusia to snap her fingers. The guards untie the noose from Shadow's neck, and push him to stand next to the Domestica. Shadow's 5' 6" height seemed small compared to the Domestica's 5' 11". "You are free to go, with your crimes pardoned. Now begone from the kingdom...." And before the two left, she smirks. "I'll be awaiting your return, my Human."

Gently grabbing Shadow, whose mind was still spinning in the confusion of what was going on here, the Domestica tipped his hat to the woman and walked off the platform. Shadow in tow. The crowd of saddened Arachniom split once again when the two went past them. the cobblestone roads made the smaller of the two boys remember just a while ago, where he was presumed to have been destined to die today. The priestess angrily ripped up the words of law that held Shadow's records and tossed the shreds awry.

When getting far from the crowds, he looked down at the boy with a smile. "Glad I got you out of there when I did, huh? A second off my time and you would have been killed and eaten!"

Shadow remains confused. Where did a Domestica get that money from? They were a usually poor race. Why was he being freed by this man? He didn't know him, and he himself was not one that was well known. "Why did you save me? A-And who are you?"

The two stopped. A horse-drawn carriage, with a large and long home-like buggy on the back was before them. The Domestica opened the door for shadow to climb in. On the inside were fancy seats. Four of them, each able to hold two people. One on each side of the door, and two on the opposite side of the carriage. to the far back was a lot of empty space, some of which was occupied by some travel bags.

"No time to explain. At least, not yet. Come."

Reluctantly, Shadow got in and sat down, quiet all the while. The Domestica climbed on the outside to sit on the seat where the rider commands his hordes. Thrashing the reigns on the two of them "HYYAH!!" They began to ride. The wheels turned, and the two moved away from the hell of the Arachniom kingdom, hidden in that thornish death-trap,

Shadow sat back in his seat, and tried to enjoy the ride.....