The sky was a mixture of a bright orange and a faded purple. The sun was setting and it was about to become dark. Two stakes stood in the middle of the city of Aria the capital of Havenborough. A woman with big black wings with pointed edges and her raven black hair that went down to her hips bound to the stake. Leaves and twigs ravaged her hair. Once it was a straight and beautiful now it’s full of knots and tangles. Gashes were placed around her body like petals of a red rose and her bruises the same color purple as the sky. Her sea blue eyes burned into the crown.

“The crowd is sick if they enjoy watching these gruesome executions,” She said. She glared at the people closest to her, “You make me sick.” The executioner yanked her hair tightly. She closed her mouth preventing a groan escaping her lips. She wanted to appear strong for her last few minutes of life.

“Shut up, we do not care what you have to say,” He said. His yellowed fangs were the only thing visible. He wore all black robes that covered up his body. He looked more like a ghoul than a man.

Another prisoner was on the other stake. There was a wooden board lodged into his stomach. Scarlet soaked his body it went down to his scrawny legs. His once emerald green eyes just stared into the crowd of roaring citizens. They looked like fish eyes. His pupils were large and took over the green and his long pointy ears had little red cuts all around them. His fiery red hair was thinning. He was as good as dead.

“Go ahead and execute me, I am done with this corrupt country.” She sneered, “I thought my home country was terribly corrupt and oppressed until I came here.” She glared at the audience. They roared

“Insulting this country will make your death far more agonizing,” The executioner said. He put the blade up to her face and he stroked, “I can’t wait to slice you up with this.” He had a sly grin.

“Go ahead. I have got nothing to lose. I lost it all when I came to this country,” She said. The executioner ran a knife across her body and cut it little by little. She groaned in pain. The executioner then slowly stuck it into her chest. She gasped and cried. It was a slow and painful death. He wanted her to suffer. The crowd cheered and roared as she died. She finally breathed her last breath. Her body went limp and her expression blank. This was an execution of the century and the one that will lead to several myths and legends. A girl with black wings with sharp wings stayed silent and long chocolate locks. She stood next to her master who cheered. He had a shot with blood. She looked away from the corpses. She gaged as she snuck away from her master and the rest of royalty of Aria. The royalty all had glasses of wine and blood in their hands. She went to where the poor were. They were in their slums and they watched the execution from afar. The slums were filthy. There was dirt everywhere. She went to a side of a little shack. The dragon’s meat she had for lunch was on the side of the shack. A boy with short pointed ears and skin as pale as a sheet ran up to her.

“Are you okay?” He asked. He put his hand on her back. She looked at him with her emerald green eyes. Tears were running down her cheeks.

“Yes,” She lied. She whipped her mouth off with a tissue she had tucked away in her dress.

“Let me guess you were close to one of the prisoners who were executed,” He said. He put her head on his shoulder. She couldn’t hold in the tears any longer. She buried her head into his shoulder and cried. She lost the closest thing to a mother today. The lady on the stake was named Andromeda; a famous rebel leader in Havenborough. When she first came to the country and begun her servant training Andromeda took care of her. The memories flooded back to her.

She remembered when Andromeda used to say, “Milda, everything will be okay. I will protect you with my life and I will not ever let them hurt you.” Andromeda would then kiss her forehead. She was more than a rebel to Milda. She was an older sister; she was like a mother. The stranger’s arms were like a castle to the venerable Milda. His brown hair smelt of honey and his blue eyes looked like jewels. He was several inches taller than her and he had a pair of broken spectacles in his pocket.

“Are you feeling any better after that cry?” He asked. He was still concerned. He did not want to let go of her.

She smiled and whipped her eyes, “Yes, thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder and the lady with the black hair and wings was named Andromeda and was like a mother to me.” She whipped the tears from her eyes again. They kept streaming down.

“I have heard of her. I didn’t know she had anyone but her husband Kay,” He said, “Kay was executed also today. He was seen as a savior to my kind.” He looked at the sky. He hoped that Kay was finally in a better place now.

“Kay and Andromeda brought hope to this godforsaken country,” She said, “Also let me introduce myself my name is Milda and I am a servant for an estate.” She outstretched her hand. He took it and shook it. It was an awkward and long handshake.

“My name is Cain and I am just a peasant in the slums.” After their introduction Milda’s master came to the slums looking for her. He saw her with Cain. Anger and rage ran through his veins. That scum with his beautiful, stunning servant. He had no right to even speak to her let alone shake her hand.

“What are you doing with this scum?” He asked as he grabbed her hair, “You are better than that! You are a servant for one of the riches estates in Havenborough and you decide to mingle with low lives like these. Also I need you to take Andromeda’s body off the stake. I want to dine on her blood and flesh,” He said quite frankly.


“Yes master,” was all she could say. He pulled her by her hair to the stakes. He then pushed near the stake. She grabbed Andromeda off quickly from she lay limp dead. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to give her to him. She wanted to lay her to rest in the forest. He snatched Andromeda out of Milda’s hand. Once he had the body in his arms he begun to bite her neck. Milda looked at him in disgust.

They went to his estate which looked more like a prison than a mansion. The shutters were pitched black with bars on the windows. The estate was made of solid stone which was painted a navy blue. The doors were made of a heavy steal. There was a huge flight of steps before those doors. They walked up that long flight of steps and into the house. The first room was as dark and gloomy as the next. The hallways were completely pitched black with only a little bit of lighting. A long flight of stairs led up to her room. Milda ran up to her room. She caught a glimpse of how her master treated Andromeda’s body. He cut her up like she was a piece of meat and he put her wings on the wall like they were a trophy. Her neck had two red spots from his teeth. Milda broke down crying again. She couldn’t stand to see Andromeda being treated like that.

She fell on the cushion she called a bed. She couldn’t cry anymore; she just stayed silent. She remembered when Andromeda used to share this room with her. She taught her the ways of being a good servant but also her ideas about peace, love and equality. Her sadness turned to anger and hatred for her dear master. His lack of compassion would be the death of him. His death would be by her hands of course. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“How should I murder you?” She whispered to herself, “Should I stab you like the executioners did? Or should I cut you up like you did to her? Maybe I should just hit you with a blunt force object.” She went to his study where she knew he’d be alone. A tiny gold statue of the leader was behind her back. It was sharp in multiple places. He looked up to see her and grinned.

“Why are you in my office?” He asked.

“No reason. I just wanted to see you. You’re a very fine master and I want to repay you for it,” Milda said. She kissed his cheek and then his lips. As their lips locked she drew the knife and she drove it into his stomach. It felt so good killing him but it also felt so wrong. Her vision blurred and she saw double because she was in so much pleasure. After a hundred stab wounds she finally stopped. Drips of blood were all over her face and it soaked her dress. The white dress she had on was now a dark red.

“What have I done?” She gasped. Her eyes widened and she begun to shake. She had just stabbed her master over hundred times without any hesitation. She fell to the floor, shocked at what she had done. She threw the statue that murdered her master out of the bay window and into a sea of trees. She rushed into her room and she changed into a black dress Andromeda was very fond of. She then whipped off her arms and face with some blankets. Milda walked out of the mansion and tried to act like nothing happened. She went to a dress shop nearing the slums. The shop owner welcomed her in.

“What would you like to purchase today sweetie?” The shop keeper asked. She smiled cheerfully. Her bright honey colored hair and her baby blue eyes shinned brightly. Her long pointy ears poked out of her bonnet.

“Just a cloak,” She said. She didn’t want to meet the shop keeper’s eyes.

“What color?” The shop keeper asked.

“White,” Milda said. The shop keeper went to the back to get her a white cloak. She was back within a minute. The shop keeper handed it to Milda.

“That will be 50 gold.” Milda handed her the gold and left the store. She put on the cloak and headed deep into the slums where she would be safe. She came across Cain who looked for apples with his little sister. He recognized her right away. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

“Milda, come over here and help us pick apples,” He called out to her. She went over to him. The trees were ripe with apples. His little sister smiled and played with the ones she got. Milda helped them pick apples till sun rise. When his little sister went to bed they both went outside of Cain’s little shack. The sun still did not rise. They looked up the sky it was a mixture of oranges and purples.

“What happened at your estate?” Cain asked, “You look off.” He grabbed her delicate hand. She let out a deep sigh.

“I was overcome with grief and anger. I could not control myself at all.... I killed my m-master tonight. I cannot believe I did that,” Milda confessed.

“You did what?” He asked shocked, “Why?”

“He mutilated Andromeda’s body,” Milda said, “He cut her up and put her wings on the wall as some sort of trophy.” There were silence for a little while and then he held her. He didn’t know whether he should be disgusted or sympathetic. The public executions made him desensitized to killing but Milda did not look like a killer. After several minutes of silence he decided to let her stay. He did not want her out on the streets.

One night they were looking for apples in the woods. Cain came across a piece a note tucked into a nearby hole. He called Milda over to see it; she was carrying a basket of apples. Milda sat down the basket. She opened up the wrapped up paper. Her eyes lit up when she saw it was from Andromeda.

This is for anyone who just stumbled upon this note. I am Andromeda and I started this group to rebel against our oppressive government. Zacharias Mayfield is our current leader. He schedules executions daily and he has a lust for blood. The citizens of Havenborough needs our help, my death wish is for my group Bloody Wings to succeed in the coup. I will die happy knowing Zacharias Mayfield can’t hurt the innocent anymore. My other wish is for Milda to be treated with respect and for her to live a happy life. My husband Kay and I miss her so.

Milda looked at the note in tears. She held it to her chest, “So her dying wish is for Bloody Wings to succeed in the coup of Leader Mayfield?”

“Yeah, I think we should revive Bloody Wings and do the coup. I have swords and bows in the shack for hunting. Also I’m pretty sure the other members are still around and are just hiding in these slums,” Cain said. He took the basket of apples and carried it with her back to the shack he called home.

As they walked they discussed the coup d’état, “After this no one else has to die. This country is too filled with bloodshed.” Milda kept looking over the note.

“Yeah I think those public executions became entertainment for the rich and powerful and anyone who has sadistic pleasures,” Milda said, “It’s sickening. Some are executed just for looking at Leader Mayfield the wrong way.

The next day they searched inns and taverns for former Bloody Wings. None had turned up. They had all either left the country or died by execution or from disease. Being a Bloody Wing was an instant death sentence in this land but they were willing to take the risk. Unable to recruit old and new members they decided to just train for the coup. Cain taught Milda how to become a sharp shooter.

“You hold the bow like this.” He instructed her. She held the bow tightly and she looked at the target. The target was a rotten apple core. She let the arrow go and it hit the apple that was perched on a stump. She got another arrow and pulled it tighter against the tight string on the bow. She pointed the bow at the core. She let go of the tight string and two pieces of apple core lay on the ground.

“Very good Milda, did you have any combat training before?” He asked, “Cutting the apple in half does not usually happen your second time shooting a bow.”

“I had self-defense training in case my estate was broken into,” Milda explained, “I did not learn how to use a bow thought only a knife and a sword.”

They practiced every day until Milda became a quicker shot. She taught Cain how to use a knife and sword. Cain stumbled and fumbled at first as he attacked the straw scarecrow. He stabbed the scarecrow in the gut and abdomen. He then went to the neck. He collapsed exhausted after a long day of training.

“How was that?” He asked. He whipped the sweat off his forehead.

“Good.” Tonight was the night they were going to attempt a coup against Zacharias Mayfield. Mayfield went to one of the pubs he liked. It wasn’t close to his big castle at all. It was nearing the slums. He went there for the women and the many drinks. His brother Mark was the bartender there.

The pub was made of mostly wood. The floors were wooden and so was the ceiling and the walls. There were silk red curtains and rugs. The bar stools were plain. It was a very lively pub. The little room was crowded. Music was playing loudly. Cain and Milda went into the bar as a couple. They ordered drinks from Mark. They hid a knife hidden in their clothes. Zacharias sat next to him. He had drunk himself silly. Milda had begun a conversation.

“Fancy meeting you here leader,” She said. She smiled a wide fake smile. She twirled the blade in her hand.

“What is a beautiful girl like you doing in this pub? Shouldn’t you be with your master?” He asked. He took another big gulp of beer.

“My master gave me the night off,” She lied. As she talked to Mayfield both Cain and she stabbed him slowly. He fell off the stool and he hit his head. He was dead before he hit the ground. The only one to go and help him was his brother. Mark ran up to his dead brother.

“Zach, please wake up...” He whelped. The bar cheered. He was finally dead. The monster of Havenborough was finally dead.

A couple of days later Milda became the empress of Havenborough and Cain became the emperor. They married that very day and Milda became Empress Darius. The first thing they did as leaders of Havenborough was to abolish public executions. The crowd of citizens cheered when they heard there would be no more. Their first months started out smoothly.

The night of their first diplomatic meeting with Southhaven a group of rebels against the regime attacked one of the Southhaven diplomats with dulled knives. The police of the new regime were able to arrest the rebels. The meeting was called off thought because of the violence. The campaigned against the rebels began. Milda sent them all to the dungeons. They were tortured with statues of the former leader. It was known as ‘The Terror of Darius’.