Mercy's Decree Part 1

Nox stretched when she stood up.

“Better get going,” she said.

“Have fun,” the barkeep replied in a hissing reptilian voice.

“Always do,” she said.

She tossed a few coppers on the bar and walked out of the smokey tavern and into the night air. She breathed in deeply enjoying the crispness of the autumn despite the ever-present stench of the city. She walked away from the tavern heading towards the city center. A group of rough looking men loitered near one of the mana power street lamps when they noticed her she smiled at them sending them scurrying away like vermin when light was shone upon them. She chuckled to herself knowing why they fled.

I wonder if I’ve met any of them before?

In her line of work it wouldn’t have been surprising though she did tend to leave a lasting impression on lowlifes where as they all started to blend together in her mind. After a short walk she reached the Hall of Justice it was a massive building made from marble with statues of the twin goddesses of Justice and Mercy standing a top it’s roof. She looked up at the statues for a moment and smiled to herself before walking around the side of the building heading towards the punishment wing. She paused at a small guardhouse and showed her seal to the guards who clicked with their crustacean mandibles for her to pass. She walked though the gate and passed a small courtyard with crystal trees that glowed a soft blue glow on either side of the pathway. She walked though a thick oaken door and found herself in a bleak stone entryway. She turned to the right and walked down a long passageway, people of every race in the empire could be seen rushing around with bundles of documents. After a few more turns she pushed open the door to the dungeon and walked into a somehow bleaker environment.

“How many do I have today?” She asked.

“Just one and he’s a human. Oh and you got a new observer she’s waiting by your room,” A hawk like being replied.

“Just one human, well tonight’s going to be easy. So what’s the observer like?” She asked.

“Don’t know didn’t meet her,” The hawk replied.

Nox shook her head and walked away from the hawk persons, she passed a few cells each one guarded by more of the crustacean guards. When she reached her workroom she noticed a feline woman nervously standing next to the door eyeing the guards as if they were going to snip off her tail the moment she looked away.

“You must be my observer for today,” Nox said.

The feline woman looked her over and seemed to relaxed.

“I am, my name’s Rina,” she said holding out her hand.

Nox took her hand and shook it.

“Nox,” she replied.

“It’s uh, a pleasure to meet you Ma’am,” Rina said.

“Pleasure to meet you too now let’s get the room prepped we have a guest tonight,” Nox replied.

“Yes Ma’am!” Rina said.

Nox pushed the door open and they walked into the workroom, the air temperature dropped drastically though it wasn’t quite warm enough to see one’s breath. There was a stone table in the center of the room with iron four iron shackles attached to it. Next to the table was a wooden workbench with several trays and bowls atop. On the far wall was a desk covered in documents along with an iron cage, she walked over to the desk and made a clicking noise. Something in the cage stirred and then a ten-legged crab like creature scuttled out from a hide box. She pulled open a drawer on the desk and removed a leather case along with a small clay jar. She held the jar next to the cage and clicked a few times the creature moved to the edge of the and held its mouth parts over the jar. A thick greenish white substance flowed out filling the jar. She clicked a few times and the creature stopped returning to its hiding place. She picked up the jar and the leather case to the wooden workbench and placed them next to one of the bowls.

“What is that stuff?” Rina asked pointing at the jar.

“It stops the bleeding and numbs the wound,” Nox replied.

“Really? That’s amazing! What kind of animal is that?” Rina asked.

“The lizardman I bought it from called it a scuttler he told me they’re all over the place on the jungle continent,” Nox replied.

“Seriously? How did you manage to get ahold of something from there?” Rina asked.

“I spend a lot of time with the lizardfolk they can get you just about anything, for a price,” Nox replied.

She went back to her desk and retrieved an apron from one of the drawers, giving it a good shake before putting it over her head and tying it around her slender waist. She picked up a document that was conspicuously placed on her desk and looked it over nodding to herself.

“Our guest’s name is Benjamin, and he was convicted of high theft,” Nox said.

“What did he steal?” Rina asked.

“The order only tells you what they were convicted of,” Nox replied.

“Oh,” Rina said with a bit of disappointment in her voice.

“We only have one tonight so you can ask him if you like,” Nox added.

“I can?” Rina asked.

“Sure just don’t tell him anything about yourself alright,” Nox replied.

“Yes Ma’am!” Rina said.

“Well that’s all the prep I’ll go and let the guards know we’re ready,” Nox said.

She walked over to the door and pulled it open.

“Bring him,” She said.

The guards clicked at her and one of them walked away from the workroom. She went back to the table and opened the leather case, inside was a bundle of cord, a pair of shears, and a short, curved blade made from a gleaming black metal.

“Is that dwarven steel?” Rina asked.

“It is, I had it specially made for this purpose,” Nox replied.

“The dwarves made you something like that?” Rina asked.

Nox laughed.

“The dwarves would make the dark lord a sword to cleave the head from the hero’s shoulders if he paid them enough. Besides they’re exempt from the empire’s laws just like us elves so why should they care,” she replied.

“You’re an elf!” Rina said.

“Didn’t the ears give it away?” Nox asked.

“But, you’re purple!” Rina replied.

“I sure am,” Nox said.

“But I thought elves were the same colors as humans!” Rina replied.

“Most are, but I’m a celestial elf and we’re purple, well bluish-purple but close enough,” Nox said.

“I’ve never heard of celestial elves before,” Rina replied.

“I’d be surprised if you did there are only a few hundred of us,” Nox said.

“Oh, right,” Rina replied.

“He’s here try and look serious,” Nox said.

The door swung open and two of the huge crustaceans led a young naked man into the room. He shivered in the suddenly cold air. He had a fearful look on his face and his eyes went wide at the sight of the stone table. The crustaceans pulled him over to the table and lifted him placing him on it.

“Just lay down,” Nox said.

He looked over at her and some of the fear seemed to leave him at the sight of her smiling face. He nodded and laid on the cold surface, the crustaceans closed the shackles around his wrists and ankles and then left the room closing the door behind them. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“You’re going to be alright it’ll be over soon,” she said.

“Is it, going to hurt?” He asked.

“Yes, but not for long,” she replied.

She let go of him and went to the wooden table where she used her shears to cut a length of cord the span of her forearm from the bundle.

“So how did you get yourself into this mess Benjamin?” Rina asked as she walked over to the stone table.

He looked over at her.

“I uh, stole jewelry from a shop and got caught. The judge gave me three choice, he said I could go to the labor camp for twenty years, or the penal colony on the desert continent or I could accept Mercy’s Decree and lose my balls but I’d be free,” he replied.

“And you chose to lose your manhood?” Rina asked.

“Begging your pardon Ma’am but out of the three it was the easiest,” Benjamin replied.

Nox returned to the table with the length of cord.

“Is that all?” She asked looking at the feline woman.

“Yes Ma’am,” Rina replied.

“Good then I’ll get started. Do you want me to tell you what I’m going to do or just do it?” She asked patting the man’s thigh.

“Tell me Ma’am,” he replied.

“Alright then, first I’m going to tie them up with this spider silk. I’m going to go right at the base to get as much of your scrotum as I can. It’ll be tight so tight that it’s going to sting but it has to be so you don’t bleed too much. After I leave the cord on for a few minutes I’ll take my knife and cut them off in one quick move. It’ll hurt but not as much as you think and then you’ll be free to go,” she said.

“Can you start I want to get this over with,” he replied.

“Sure thing,” she said.

She tied a loop about as big around as her wrist in the cord. His testicles were tight against his body from the chilly air so she started to gently work them sliding the loop around them once she got them to loosen up. Her actions also caused his member to stiffen.

“I, uh,” he said.

“It’s perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed of,” she replied.

“Uh, thanks,” he said.

She pushed the loop as close to his erect member as she could get it and then with a quick jerk she pulled the cord tight. He jerked in pain as the loop went from the size of her wrist to smaller than her pinky, she quickly tied it off so that it wouldn’t come loose and then patted his thigh again.

“There you go halfway done, now I’ll leave that on for a bit,” she said.

She watched as his manhood darkened going from skin tone, to red, and finally to a dark purple.

“Alright it’s time,” she said picking her knife up from the table.

He took a breath and nodded.

“One the count of three,” she said.

She pulled his manhood away from his body and then held her knife underneath it.

“One,” she said.

He shifted but not enough to change anything.

“Two,” she said.

He took a deep breath and bit his lip.

“Three,” she said.

Her knife flashed and his manhood came off in her hand. He bucked pulling against the shackles and grunting before going limp.

“It’s over you did well,” she said.

He nodded taking a ragged breath. She turned and placed his severed manhood in the bowl and set her knife on the table. She then picked up the jar and turned to the table once more.

“I’m going to use a potion on you. It will stop the bleeding and pain,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said.

She took his deflated member in her hand and held it out of the way as she poured the substance over his wound. It worked quickly the remaining flesh shriveled up causing the loop to fall of and he relaxed sighing.

“Better?” She asked.

“Much,” he said.

“Now we just have to make sure you’ve been gelded and then we’ll sign the order and you’ll be taken to a nice room to recover,” she replied.

“How do you make sure?” He asked.

“If you’re not squeamish you can watch,” she replied.

“Show me,” he said without hesitation.

She picked up his severed manhood and held it out for him to see.

“That’s my!” He said.

“It is,” she replied.

She turned it upside down into the bowl on the wooden table causing two small organs to fall out. Rina looked at the organs and nodded. Nox picked them up and held them out for him to see.

“She’s here to make sure both of them were cut off,” she said.

“So that’s what made me a man?” He asked staring at the organs in her palm.

“Yes,” she replied.

“So what am I now?” He asked.

“You can still call yourself a man no one will know the difference,” she replied.

He nodded and then looked up at the ceiling deep in thought. She dropped the organs back into the bowl then walked over to her desk wiping her hands off on her apron. She took a quill from its holder dipped it in the inkwell next to it and then sighed the bottom of Benjamin’s order. Rina sighed as well and then she put the quill back.

“And we’re done,” Nox said.

“That was easier than I thought it would be,” Rina said.

“There really isn’t much to gelding a man,” Nox replied.

“So what now?” Rina asked.

“Go and let the guards no we’re finished and then we clean up and turn in this paperwork,” Nox replied.

Rina darted off and Nox returned to the wooden bench bending down to retrieve cloth from underneath. She began to clean the blood from her knife as the guards returned. The undid and he shackles and helped a wobbly Benjamin from the table letting him lean on them as they left the room. Once she finished cleaning her knife she packed her things away and took off her apron.

“What are we going to do with them?” Rina asked gesturing at the organs still in the bowl.

“Toss them in the cesspit they belong there anyway," Nox replied.

The feline woman nodded but kept looking at the pale orbs laying limp in the bowl.

“Keep them if you’d like,” Nox added.

“Can I?” Rina asked.

“Sure lots of gelders and observers do, Gorka has quite the collection,” Nox replied.

“Gorka, that sounds orcish,” Rina said.

“It is, she keeps the biggest ones in jars in her home it’s impressive actually,” Nox added.

Rina reached out and picked up the two organs and held them in her hand looking them over.

“There are a few empty jars in my desk you’ll need some preserving fluid as well, I’ll take you to the alchemist after we finish here if you like,” Nox said.

“Would you!” Rina replied.

“Sure,” Nox said.

She wiped the table off with the rag before tossing it under the wooden bench. She put her tools back in her desk along with her apron. She took one of the jars she’d promised Rina from the drawer holding it out for the feline woman. Rina took the jar and dropped the two organs inside they popped on the bottom.

“Toss the scrotum in the waste basket for me,” Nox said.

Rina nodded and scurried off to complete her task. Nox took the gelding order from her desk and the two of them left the workroom after Rina unceremoniously dropped her new testicles' former container into the basket near the door. The two of them walked out of the room and headed towards the exit.

“How’d it go?” The hawk person asked.

“He did well wish they all took it like that,” Nox replied.

She set the document on his desk, he picked it up and looked it over.

“How about you newbie you staying with us?” The hawk asked.

“Can I keep working with Nox?” She asked.

“Sure,” the hawk replied.

“Then yes,” she said.

“Alright see you tomorrow then,” the hawk replied.

She smiled at the hawk person before heading out of the gelding wing with Nox.