Out of Character: Based on the characters involved, the following thread is liable to go to some dark places, at the very least, some extreme violence and gore- I will be trying to keep a list of trigger warnings here in the top post as they occur in the thread. If that kind of stuff makes you uneasy or uncomfortable, please do yourself a favor and go check out some of the other amazing stories on this site.
Trigger Warnings: Impending Execution, Implied Sexual Abuse of Minors.
The sun shone high over the town of Sumwar, a lovely town just large enough to start appearing on recent editions to national maps. The town was lively with activity, men chopping more and more firewood as others brought it into the town square, making a nice lovely pile around a post in the center of the square, other men dowsing oil all over the freshly cut dried wood. To those not currently invested in preparing the pyre, the pending event was almost like a festival. Much chatting and gossiping, kids running and playing. Practically the whole town had suspended work for the day. After all, it wasn't often that the Church's Judicator was called from Kia's Court to condemn a heretic!
The whole town had been there, the night before, in front of the church as the aged man with the hard visage and church official robes declared the man who had been found- shapeshifting -to be a primal mage, and a heretic before Kia's Divine Light. All the citizens in attendance cheered at the outcome, for that meant there would be a grand pyre, to baptize the heretic in flame.
Chey't had a great view of the festivities and preparation of the pyre from where he sat, his body- currently the form of a teenage female with bright green eyes and gold hair -was bound in iron chains and entombed in a freshly made oak box. There were all sorts of religious wards scrawled on the outside by the town's own priest that did absolutely fuck all. Same with the chains and the box. For some reason- these people believed that the iron chains would prevent him from shifting, probably some of their faen ancestry influencing their understanding of true magic.
But Chey't was all too happy to lean into the delusion, the moment they burned him- he'd transform into a tiny little moth and ride the updraft off the pyre to safety. Turning away from the pyre, he could see the Judicator, overlooking the preparations of accelerant by the priest and two officers of the church he brought with him, occasionally lifting his ancient eyes to glare at Chey't. Had his hands not been so thoroughly bound, he would have smiled and waved.
A few more minutes passed and the mayor stepped from the church- looking nervously from Chey't to the Judicator, and back again. No doubt remembering the night the two had spent together. See, the Mayor of Sumwar was a sinner in the eyes of the church. Much like Chey't. Unlike Chey't, Mayor Hubert's sin was actually heinous. Something Chey't himself considered to be sin. Had things played out differently- it would be the Mayor being affixed to the pyre today. For beyond his covetous nature, beyond his greed for wealth that had originally put him on Chey't radar, beyond the temper that flared up anytime he got into his cups. Chey't had learned while scoping out the man to rob him blind that the man had a love of power, and control. Of being in control, of taking power away from those he deemed beneath him.
A love that often manifested in the manipulation and coercion of young women- far too young women -into his bed. Hence the current form Chey't had taken.
Needless to say, the Mayor of Sumwar was.. uncomfortable at having a Judge, Jury, and Executioner of the church present in his town. So close to his secrets that had the Judicator been sniffing for them at all, the Mayor was a dead man. But, instead of his current form being condemning evidence against the Mayor's predatorial nature, it served as condemning evidence that Chey't conspired with succubi, and had clearly seduced the virtuous mayor into corrupting his morals. It truly was amazing that humans could twist anything to be blamed on anything different from themselves.
"Ah, um, Your Grace?" the Mayor stammered at the church official, "How long before we can rid of it?"
Chey't couldn't help but stop watching the pyre grow and listen to the voice of the old man- religious zealot he may have been, but the man's voice had aged like fine wine. "You will come to appreciate the virtue of patience when you are older, Mayor. The Pyre will shine in the last light of the sun, as is proper. There are still some preparations to be made. Since I was unable to discern the true nature of this heretic, I am taking precautions for whatever it may be. One of my bishops is seeing to the last of these, grinding twenty pounds of lead into shavings for the fire."
"Fuck." Came the voice of the shifter bound in the box, causing the mayor to jump. The old Judicator looked up at the heretic again and smiled for the first time since coming to Sumwar- unlike his voice, his smile was not a pleasant thing.
"Congratulations, Mayor. This whole debacle has led me to what must surely be the last true doppler in existence. Today we are ridding the world of a great, primal evil."
