A horror in blood and tears.

Alan stood shocked at the sight before him.

Evelyn, the raven-haired, pale dancer, was bound to one of the bedposts, her naked back exposed. Countless marks of the whip marred her alabaster flesh with red streaks. Droplets of blood seeped from some of the wounds inflicted on her. She was gagged, and tears mixed with soot streamed down her cheeks.

And opposite her stood the old magistrate Ignacio, whip in hand and eyes full of rage at the intrusion.
‘What are you doing, boy?!’ he yelled in anger.

Alan found resolve to challenge the old man.
‘What am I doing?! What is this?! Is this what goes for entertainment in Obscuria?! I won’t stand for it!’ he yelled back.

‘I did not bring you with me to lecture me, whelp! What I do is none of your concern. Now, leave us and you better forget you ever saw anything!’ Ignacio commanded.

Alan’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
‘No—No! I will not leave before the girl is gone from your grasp,’ he said, while his hand went slowly to the hilt of his rapier, ‘Julia, untie Evelyn and take care of her.’

Ignacio turned to the young man, giving him his full attention.
‘You’ll do nothing, girl! You threaten me, boy? You forget your place, cur. I am your superior—you follow my orders! Leave and I’ll forget this conversation, for your sake’ he spat.

Julia looked between the two men with fear. She wanted to help Evelyn, any rivalry with the woman of little importance at that moment.

Alan was similarly apprehensive. He had hoped his show of resolve would make Ignacio give in. How far was he willing to go for this?
‘I’ll do it myself then!’ Alan proclaimed.
He walked towards the bound girl and drew his dagger, intending to cut her bindings.

Alan cried out in pain and the dagger fell to the ground with a chattering sound. Ignacio had hit his hand with an impossibly precise swing of his whip, disarming his opponent.
‘I warned you, Alan. Yet, you did not heed me. You’ll suffer the consequences,’ Ignacio, said as he drew the whip for a second strike.

Alan tried to shield himself, but the speed of Ignacio’s whip was too great. The second hit drew blood on his thigh, cutting his trousers like a knife. The third, his lower arms, held up to shield his face. He had no time to draw his rapier between the hits, helpless to Ignacio’s onslaught.

Julia had watched in horror. Evelyn was wailing, still bound and gagged, she could only hear what was happening behind her back. Alan was cowering on the floor, trying to shield himself as best as he could from the strikes of the whip.

Julia stood near the door, thankfully ignored by Ignacio in his blood-curdling rage. Alan’s dropped dagger lay only a few paces away from her. She could try to grab it and end this nightmare. She could watch no longer.

Dropping the carafe of wine, Julia started towards the dagger and reached it.

Ignacio immediately turned his attention to the young woman. Julia tried to avoid his skilled turn of the whip, but she failed. Hit on the cheek, she fell short of her target.

But the distraction gave Alan enough time to stand, draw his weapon and leap towards the greying magistrate. Ignacio’s eyes went wide as steel met flesh and he sputtered blood.

‘Y—You fool,’ were his last words.