And how did you die?

Did I die? That's right. My mind feels slow and sluggish like I'm drowned in liquor. I entered the room with that tart and a face I thought I'd never see again. Joan. I was forced to watch as I saw the girl dancing in the tart's palm. Joan was trying to resist but I could see her slowly falling to the tempting words. Even her little act of rebellion was quickly stomped out with a disgusting threat. Everyone I touched had their lives ruined, my lady, my baby and now even her little friend was going to suffer a fate worse than death.

I hated the way the tart worked, giving someone hope only to rip it away over and over again. It was used to break someone's will completely and I'd seen it work on stronger people than Joan. If she put that collar on her life was over, her free will would be smashed into little pieces and she'd be lucky to be treated like a piece of meat forever. I couldn't let that happen. I had heard about what the tart does to her slaves, collects them in a gallery where they stand still like statues for her and her guests to pose and enjoy.

What could I do? Thinking wasn't where I shined but I pushed as hard as I could. Was there anything I could do to help her? There was one thing. I could kill her. I could almost hear Alessia's voice screaming against that plan but what else could I do. The tart was probably too strong to be taken out and if I failed then nothing would change. Even if Joan escaped in the panic she would be hunted down. The girl had gotten herself into a hopeless situation.

I was threatened with a dagger to the spine by the strumpet behind me. I could easily kill her without my blade. I could break her neck before she could blink. It was the tart who was the problem. Luckily Joan asked the tart to not interfere. I manifested my blade as Joan asked and prepared myself to react to an attack but instead, she sang. It sounded like the song of a chain gang, with the steady beat, the high and low verses. It felt like I was hit in the gut, it stirred up emotions that I thought were long dead and brung feelings I'd never known.

What were the odds? Joan and Alessia were both tenders. I could almost feel her song searching me, looking at my soul. She sang for a long time, too long. She hadn't taken a single breath and as she sang I could tell that she was struggling to stay awake. Her whole body swayed and wobbled, then things turned sour. Joan's song ended and she collapsed to her knees in tears,

"I'll kill you. I–"

She stopped herself and looked down at her shaking hands, they held the slave collar open as she slowly brought it closer to her neck. Tears poured down her face and her breathing was ragged, it was painful to watch. For normal folk at least. The tart looked like she was more than enjoying it, she watched with intent while licking her lips and crossing her trembling legs. No one was focused on me. Idiots. I saw the tart's reaction time, it was slow, really slow. Joan almost broke the collar before she could freeze her. I'd wager the tart hadn't seen a real fight in a long time. Why bother fighting if you could just freeze everyone? Well, this was why.

I boosted my muscle strength to its maximum as a white glow covered my body and then sucked into my skin. They noticed the flash but it was too late, I was faster. I took a quick step forwards and launched my great cleaver with all of my might. It hurtled across the room and struck the collar's hinge dead on, then continued into Joan's body. Blood sprayed from her neck and chest as my blade cut into her with a cold, wet thud. The force of my hit sent her limp body straight through the back wall and out of the building. I had killed many people in my life, but this was the first one I regretted. Everyone else knew what they were signing up for but she was just a girl with an angel's face.

The tart hurled swears and curses at me while shrieking at the top of her lungs. I froze in place with a smirk on my face. Those slave collars were too expensive to be broken like that. They needed to be smuggled across the borders, the materials to make them were rare and it was illegal in the Eilveen communities to produce one outside the times of war. The tart had lost big time. I could hear shrieking and panic from outside as people saw Joan's corpse, good. I didn't know how depraved this woman was but it was better for Joan's body to be out of the tart's reach.

"What you've taken from me is irreplaceable. My perfect little dark doll, my collar. I will flay the skin from your body, rub salt into your wounds, peel back your muscles, castrate you and so much more. I will make you regret this for months to come, you filthy swine."

Like she told Joan, she never broke a promise. I was slowly tortured to death for so long that I couldn't keep track. Potions were used to keep me alive far past a human's ability to survive. That was how Jon Crock was killed. In a dingy hole by a psychotic tart, with only a small hope that Alessia would be fine.

And do you think yourself noble?

No. Nothing I've ever done has been noble. Even killing Joan was done out of guilt. I wish there was another way, I watched those girls grow up together. I never wanted any of this.

Be at ease. She survived. Now prepare for your judgement.

Wait! She's alive? The look of devastation on her face as she finished singing flashed into my mind. Before I go, can I see what Joan saw! What did she see when she tended my blade? Without warning, coloured orbs and my blade acted out my life's regrets before my eyes. It was strange looking at these vaguely familiar scenes and remembering the pain they brought. The final sight was of my blade laying down flat while it rhythmically bounced its handle into a pure white orb. The orb flailed tentacles around in the air as it was thrust upwards over and over by the handle.

It looked incriminating but I remembered that sight. It was the day my lady left us, all I had was little Alessia. I remember holding back tears as I bounced my beautiful baby on my knee. She didn't understand that her mother was never coming back, she was just having a great time as all babies should. The women in my life were far too good for me.

It is time. You have been judged, the flames await you.

I know.