u/Fenyris

"Even the finest sword was once merely steel." Darius thought to himself as he grabbed his long
sword, hanging from the wall. Steel was just a base material.

Raw potential.

Only when it was heated in a forge and hammered on an anvil, it could morph into a sword-like shape, and only after a bunch of other treatments it could become a sword. "Good to remember that," his father always said. From all the lessons his father tried to gave him, for some reason this one always
stuck with him. 'Everything is everything", he had said, "simply because of everything that
happened."

As a young boy, he sure didn't get that last part, but Darius always remembered the blacksmith
analogy. Maybe it was because he had wanted to become one when he was a small boy. He
remembered visiting Dulmar's workshop. There was something about it all. Maybe it was the
way the heat of the forge felt on his skin, or the smell of melted steel and burned sparks that flew
up as the hammer banged the material in the shape of a sword. Or maybe it was the hissing sound
as it was quenched in water, or the smoke that filled the room.

Maybe it was all of it.

When Darius was younger, whenever he saw a sword, he imagined a brave hero holding it, and
he thought about all the adventures that could be had swinging it.

Now, he looked at them as tools.

He didn't necessarily like being an executioner, but it's how his life turned out."Everything is
everything, simply because of everything that happened." He thought to himself as he put on his
mask.

Most people thought the mask was to protect him from retaliation of loved ones of the person he
laid the final judgement on, but the truth was a bit more complicated than that. Generally
speaking, executioners were seen as a pariah, bringers of death and decay, the embodiment of
harsh but just punishment. So, he wore the mask. It ensured that he wouldn't be recognised as
such on his days off.

Who would want that? It wasn't all bad though, the pay was good.

He'd almost saved enough to ask Lana to pack up her things and move with him. Start a new life,
maybe even go to a smaller town. A place where they could have a simple life. Calm, no more
death to earn. Well, maybe Darius would hunt some wildlife and gut a fish now and then, but that
would be it. He was sure that they'll figure it out, as long as they were together.

He still needed to introduce himself to her though, but a woman like her wouldn't be interested in
someone that represents the end and that's certainly no way of starting something worth a damn.

He'll figure it out though. He knew she liked flowers. He saw her buying some on the market the
other day. He watched her from down the street, she'd smelled them, and smiled the most
beautiful of smiles. "Funny how flowers bring people so much joy," Darius thought to himself.

"Sure they may not be dead when you buy them, but they are in a dying state. Cut and plucked,
decaying on colorful display for all to see. Then again, maybe that was just an executioner's way
of looking at things." Darius shook his head, dusted his clothes, and stepped outside.

The big market had already started to fill up with a large and rowdy crowd of onlookers. When
confronted, many of these people would probably say they hated executions, but their actions
showed something different. People couldn't resist the thrill of the public spectacle. Executions
had some variety to them; hanging, burning, the wheel.

But today, a beheading was scheduled.
An execution method reserved for nobles that could afford mercy.

It was all Darius knew, and to be honest, all he had to know. He preferred not knowing the ins
and outs beforehand, it allowed him to keep a distance and over the years he found that it helped
with the nightmares. Though they still sometimes came. But it was only normal, it came with the
trade.
Because even the evilest of men were once just a harmless children.

Raw potential.

Sometimes, life had a way of hammering them into a shape and often it was the coldness of life,
that hardened and sharpened their character.

"Everything is everything, simply because of
everything that happened". There still were rules though and they had to be followed. That's
where Darius came in.

A beheading itself was maybe quick, but the ritual around wasn't. It also required more of Darius.
Executions often included long farewell speeches or sometimes even songs. Not even mentioning the uncontrolled weeping or yelling from loved ones. All combined, it helped created
entertainment and build suspense for the crowd, but also tried the patience and nerves of Darius.

If you hung someone there wasn't much that could go wrong. However, swinging a sword and
aiming correctly under pressure was a different story. Darius quickly reminded himself that he
had only botched it a few times. And it was true, for the 48 sword executions he had done, he had
required a second stroke only four times. And a third stroke only once. "Let's not think about
that", he thought to himself as two royal guards walked up the stage with the criminal.

A well-kept man, at least, you could tell he was well-kept before all of this. Today his greyish
beard was ruffled, his hear messy and skin dirty and bruised. The crowd cheered. The man
looked into the crowd and seemed to be looking for someone, one of the guards shoved him
forward and the Bellman raised his hands to quiet the crowd.

It was time for the victim's acceptance.

The man stepped forward and spoke surprisingly clear and calm. “Good people, My name is
Henry Pattimus, son of Robert Pattimus and former Treasurer of the king. Today, I've come to
die, for according to the law and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing
agai...".–"NOOOOO!", a woman proclaimed loudly in the crowd, interrupting Henry's Acceptance.

Henry paused briefly, looked into the crowd to where the yell came from, nodded firmly, but as
the weeping continued, he did too. This time with stronger conviction in his voice. "I will speak
nothing against it. I've come to accuse no other man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am
accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over
you." Darius respected that. Sure, acceptance was part of the process, but there are ways you can
go about it. "At least he owned it." Darius thought.

Next, the Bellman started stating the crimes and legal basis for the sentence. "Today we are
gathered to lay judgement on.." Darius tuned out. He had heard this many times. Instead he
looked over the get a sense of the crowd.

As the sentence was read, he saw people cheering. At the front of the crowd stood a man with
red-veined cheeks who yelled and pointed towards Henry, "Serves you right!" he yelled so
enthusiastically, bits of spit joined his statement. Next to him, another man with more dirt in his
beard than teeth in his mouth agreed. "Aye!.." He wanted to say more, but got shoved aside by
someone who wanted a place in front as well. The dirty-bearded man wanted to say something,
but was stunned to see who had shoved him aside. So was Darius.

It was Lana.

Lana, the woman he was in love with stood in front. Teary-eyed but still beautiful as ever. "My
father's innocent!" she shouted. "Please!
Don't do this!" The man with red-veined cheeks took a sip of his ale and replied in jest.
"Innocent?! if you mean aint-no-cent he can take from the crown after today, you're correct
love." Onlookers started laughing and cheering again.

Darius didn't really register it, it was like the world had closed in on him. He could only see
Lana. Over the last few months, he had imagined capturing her attention on many occasions. But
were he had pictured her smiling and looking at him lovingly. She was now crying and next to
her tears, he saw nothing but pure hatred in her eyes, as she looked upon him and his sword.

He was the bringer of death, the one who would swing the sword that would kill her beloved
father. "What are you looking at, you're enjoying this?" She spat on the ground. "Coward".
Darius didn't know what to do. He wanted to leave, explain himself, be anywhere but here. His
hands were shaking, his breathing irregular, his heartbeat faster and louder, and he was so hot in
this goddamned mask. "Focus". He shook his head and looked to the Bellsman who was
finishing up his statement.

"...according to the laws of the kingdom, we therefore condemn Henry Pattimus' actions and he
will be beheaded as punishments for his crimes."

Darius blinked his eyes. Sharp inhale. his breathing was more under control. The crowd yelled,
Lana weeped. Sharp exhale. Darius tried to focus on what was more difficult than many would
assume. Especially today. Swinging that goddamned sword and aiming correctly.

Darius walked over, blindfolded Henry and guided him towards the wooden block at the center
of the stage. The wooden block was clean, but from all the cuts and marks you can see that it was
used many times before.

Darius hands still tremble.The crowd got quiet. Except for Lana, who still wept.

The Bellman gives a courtesy nod towards Darius and continues to addresses the crowd, "It's
time to commend."

Henry Pattimus, condemned and in his final moments, kneeled in front of the wooden block. As
he laid his head down. Lana cried out once more, begging to put a stop to this, but knowing it's
futile. Henry takes a moment and then speaks his final words: "Lord, into thy hands I commend
my spirit." Henry says them, with commendable honor and conviction, yet a more trembling
voice then before.

As Darius raises his sword, he sees Lana in the corner of his eye. He thinks about her love for
flowers, his dreams and almost hesitates to lay down his sword. But then, in a moment of clarity.
He closes his eyes.

He lets go of the dream of blooming flowers, and sees himself in a field of dead ones.
Alone.

He opens his eyes and sees the world through new eyes. It seems a lot colder
than it was just a moment ago and the blue sky got a bit greyer, but at least Darius is focused.

"Everything is everything, simply of everything that happened before." He thinks to himself as he
lays down the final judgement on Henry. The tremble in his hands is gone, his strike is swift and
clean.
The crowd cheers as Henry's head hits the ground with a deafening thump.

Everything is everything, simply because of everything that happened and Darius knew that
everything will be different after today.