Guillotine : When Heads Roll

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They all stood around and cheered. Fist held high as if they had won a victory; in their minds they had. The beautiful blue sky was smothered and over shadowed by ghostly grey clouds. There, in front of me was the platform. The very one were my life had changed. The same one where Captain Xavier had died. I never was one to enjoy watching executions but today I was forced a front row view of the head rolling. We were all in the heart of Paris. The voices of the rowdy Parisians behind me had no effect on my toned out atmosphere. Each step I took was calm even though all the men ahead of me were visibly shacking in fear. Everyone including me wore a green hooded cloak. My hands were bound by rope that was painfully tied tightly around my wrist.All though my face is shielded by a hood I kept my expression emotionless not willing to show any signs of fear. The air was cold and thin, Maybe that's what people usually feel like when they know their life is coming to end. As the line got shorter, I began picturing my life and how it played out. "I can't die." The man in front of me said mumbling to his self. "I'm innocent!" He suddenly shouted. Likely, No body cared about his pleads for mercy. It surprised me since he was quiet most of the time the executions were taking place. That was when I took notice of how short the line had became. He was next and after he then it was me. Life threatening ordeals was what I lived for. The adrenaline that pumps through your veins as you realize how close you are to death; the only thing I like about that is how time slows down and you strategize a way to escape death yet again. It's a glorious feeling. But this was different. When put in the Guillotine there is no humanly way to be able to escape it. It is a fast but gory death that even I dread. They lay you on your stomach, lock your head and arms in place enabling any movement except the legs. Then the blood stained blade falls on your neck severing your head from your body. It's too quick of a death, and I haven't been able to accomplish the things I want to. "Help!" The man yells now looking at me. I hope you don't assume I can help you, were in the same predicament here.
"Get over here you fromage odeur Guinée porc(cheese smelling guinea pig)" One of the men in the blue uniform spat then grabbed the doomed man by the neck dragging him up the steps. Two of the blue uniform men stood by my side keeping watch so I don't make an escape. The man struggled so much other men had to help drag him to the death contraption. He kicked and tried wiggling from their grasps but eventually he tired and excepted his death. As they forced him on his stomach and locked his head and arms down, his scared eyes wandered around looking at the big crown that gathered to see him meet his end. With a gulp he closed his eyes. There was a slice and a thud, his legs twitched up and then he became still. His head rolled cleanly off his shoulder in a way that would make anyone sick to the stomach. It then fell to the floor of the platform.The older looking man who looked to be the leader of executions held up his fist in a silent cheer which the people replied with a rather loud one. "Move." Ordered one of the men while giving me a slight push forward. I shook his hand off my back in a silent way of saying I can walk myself. He let me be while I took my final steps up the plat form. Everything became slow and silent; all I could hear was the beat of my heart. I treasured it since it would be the last time I hear it. As two other men removed the corpse from the Guillotine, me and the man in charge of this massacre lock eye contact. His pale skin was wrinkled and saggy from age. The brutality in him was revealed to me within the look of his cold dark eyes that were half hidden under his bushy grey brows that matched his powdered wig. The stare for dominance lasted a long time in my head but it was broken suddenly when he points in the direction behind me screaming "get him." To his men. I smirked behind the shadows of my hood. Right on time then. Hands grabbed onto my shoulders when I try and turn around. The sound of swords slashing and people gasping filled my ears in a merry way. The hands soon leave my shoulders due to the man in charge yelling, "leave her, get him!" One runs down the platform and joins the fight while the other tries to hold me in place not quite sure what to do. I use this as an advantage and turn around to see if my prediction was right. And it was. He was in the middle of the crowd slashing through guards like the brute he was. His sword technique has improved. One by one he had them fall; though he moved too quickly making it seem like he almost killed the guards all at once. Before I knew it he was finished and had locked eyes on a new target. The guard's pressure on my shoulders disappeared. He ran like the wind jumping off the platform not even caring to take a stand with his last comrade. I stood at my far corner and watched with amusement when the man in charge realized he had no other cards to play. The look on his face showed he was scared. Shakily, he begun to pull out his sword but when he hesitated he paid the price. Arno jumped at him with his hidden blade extended. He plunged it into the mans neck damaging the jugular vein. The blood spewed from the whole like a flowing crimson river. Arno stood up from his fresh kill. Slightly turned his head over his shoulder to look at me. A few rain droplets fell from the sky, that was soon to be followed by more. In silence he looked me over; he was in particular eyeing the Templar cross that hanged from my neck. It was our reality that we had to face; we were on different sides and that was not going to change anytime soon. I kept my straight face wearing the cross with pride not afraid him or other assassins. "Obtenez tous les deux!(Get them both!)" A shout brought us to a stop of evaluating each other. Arno took another hard look at me before griping his sword tighter. He then advanced closer readying it's blade. I knew what he was going to do. He has to. Standing still, I watched intently as he brought his sword up then brought it back down with the necessary force on my hands. The precision was nearly perfect when the ropes around my wrist fell to my boots. He needed me, we fight together. I nodded a thanks then walked over to the man Arno killed(who was now lying in his own blood). Quickly I picked up the fallen man's sword.
"They're surrounding." Arno noted to me.
"You had to stir up the hornets nest." I teased while twirling the sword with my wrist in a way of warming up for the battle.
" I wouldn't have to if a certain bear didn't go sniffing it's nose in places it should't." He replied unamused at my talent for creating trouble.
We stood back to back in the middle of the platform with our sword drawn and readied. The guards surrounded us in all corners, musket and swords also drawn. The crowd of civilians watched on earnestly as the thrilling brawl was about break out. These are the type of odds I favored.

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