Chapter 20. Silver Blood

CYRUS

Bound like a criminal, I trudge on, the chains around my feet making every step an enormous effort. I’m pushed from behind by the stalk of a spear, and until now, I cannot tell what crime I have committed. My head feels heavy, and my hands are cold. My thorax burns from the fire in my heart, the heat searing, cringing, crippling even.

The aroma of sweet venison mixing with the various fragrances in the air masks the smell of blood in my nostrils, the music of string instruments lingering in the background, comforting my weeping soul. The floor of the aisle is smooth, and my feet are the only filth on it. I bow my head as the weight of my embarrassment presses me further into the ground.

“All I ever did was fight for my life. I couldn’t stand and watch my flesh torn into pieces by gruesome beasts. I had no idea those events would play out that way. All that happened were just mere coincidences; I would say the gods took over…” I keep trying to explain to the s