I slept fitfully that night and dreamed feverishly of being beheaded. My parents were there somehow staring up at me from the crowd. Their eye sockets were dark and hollow as was their mouth. It was eerily quiet as I turned to see the executioner, who for some reason was Vi. She looked down on me with smug satisfaction as she held up a large two handed sword. Without hesitation she swung it down on me and I awoke with a frightful start.

“I Said wake up vermin!” came a voice from outside the cell. “Today is the day we give you a nice clean shave.” Both him and his companion gave a smug smile.

I guess since the executions were public, they didn’t want me smelling of feces. I was taken up to the ground floor to a tiled room and scrubbed down violently by two young guards with barely any facial hair. They used hard brushes and cold soapy water to perform their job. The thought of being naked in front of anyone would normally give me a heart attack, but right now my feelings and thoughts were being numbed. They gave me nondescript brown trousers and shirt and watched me as I dressed.

I was taken into an empty cell, similar to the one I had been in for the month prior, it was simple but clean, and most importantly didn’t smell of feces. I sat on the only thing in the cell, a small wooden stool. Mere moments after sitting down I heard a door down the hall open and one of the guards say, “You only have 5 minutes!” and then slam lock it back.

I tilted my head and squinted my brow. Jerry popped around the entrance of my cell a few moments later.

“Tom!” he shouted.

“Jerry!” I sprang over to the bars .

“What happened?” he asked quickly, “Last time we talked things seemed like they were going to be fine, but now I hear you’re going to be executed!”

“Nothing! Nothing happened!” I began to cry again, “It was as I told you before, there is nothing different! I don’t know why.” I paused and searched my memory of the interrogation, “They mentioned something about the adventurers being traitors. But I still didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Traitors?” he paused and looked furtive, “ But still that shouldn’t matter. What did the duke say?” his eyes pleading.

“He just stood there and agreed with the justicars.” I responded.

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“Justicars! Here?” His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, “ What in Voth’s name did those 3 do exactly?”

“I don’t know, Jerry, I don’t know?” I began to sob once again. The realization of the impending doom began to hit me and I looked up at him with a crazed look.

“Jerry, I need you to do something for me!” I said quickly, realizing that our time was growing short.

“Anything!” he shot back.

“I need you to go to the ocean for me. I need you to go and see it for me. To look out on the expanse and see the infiniteness. To touch the salty waters and see the beasts that lie beneath its surface.”

Jerry grabbed my shoulder and began to cry himself. Ever since we had been kids, I had told him at least a hundred times about my dream to become a sailor and travel the oceans. To explore the world and see new kingdoms.

“Of course mate, anything for you.” he looked me in the eye as the tears continued to flow. This was my best friend, from childhood until the end of my life.

“I need to tell you about my stash.” I said, wiping my eyes. “ In my clothing chest by the foot of my bed there is a pin right underneath the latch at the top.” I made a gesture with my hands showing the position. “Take all the clothes out and poke that pin in the small hole in the back corner, it will reveal the false bottom. There should be the equivalent of about 22 gold, mostly in silver and copper pieces. I've calculated that getting to the coast should cost about 40 gold pieces, but I’m not sure about how you would get back home.” I chuckled trying to lighten the mood. “I only planned on getting there.” I smiled softly.

He looked at me with sincerity in his eyes.

The outer door to the prison opened up and the guard shouted, “Times up!”

I panicked and reached out to Jerry and he grabbed my arm tighter.

“Will you be there?” I pleaded.

His face darkened, “They won’t let anyone go.”

“What? All executions are public. That makes no sense!” I responded. But before he could respond, strong arms removed him from the bars and began dragging him.

“I said times up!” the guard yelled as he dragged Jerry.

I reached out to through the bars, my face pressed against them straining to take one last look at my friend. Knowing that this would be the last time that I ever saw him I choked out the words, “You were the best friend a guy could ask for! Live a great life Jerry! Live a great life!”

The door slammed shut, and Jerry was gone from my life. Despair and sadness sat on me as I shrank lower and lower into the cell. Why wouldn’t Jerry be allowed to be there? All executions are public. I wanted to cry, but instead I sat shaking with anger in my cell.

What the Voth is going on