One-word inspiration – Day 3

Today’s piece is asking for us to choose one of the 6 words..

.Hope, Regret, Home, Choice, Abundance, Secret.

.. and use the inspiration of what we think about when seeing that word, what is  it that jumps to mind. I myself was originally going to go with the word regret and do some personal writing, but because I wanted to take writing 101 to inspire me to write each day + write a novel = the outcome of my writing being fictional and something spontaneously written without too much thought.

Lets see what I can come up with and see if you can spot which word I chose, should be a cinch.

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“I.. I didn’t mean for it to end up this way!”
Athakis, as hardened as he was in the battle against the Kitsilli’s nothing could have prepared him for this.
“SHUT YOUR MOUTH TRAITOR!” a thunderous voice from behind the mask of the executioner hit him, like a Kitsilli’s venom injected straight to the neck!
Athakis recoiled with a sudden fear and doubt, he was finished in this world, his life about to be taken away by everyone in his position does. Usually his position licensed him to his own battalion, in the front lines of the seemingly endless war that’s raged since before he was born. Being trained by his father and like his father before him, this is how he has such a taste for violence, but this lust for carnage is honed only for the devilish Kitsilli and never has he turned blade to man nor woman!
Only this time.. this time there was no volition.
Shivers crawled under his skin in every direction as the spinning stone wheel screeched against the executioners axe. The sound pierced the angry roars of the onlooking gore fans awaiting the bloodshed owed in justice for treason against the man who so claimed would bring final victory.
A tomato walloped Athakis in the cheek, juices spraying and the acid stinging the eyes. He couldn’t see well through the tears that forcefully rimmed his eyes, he closed them. This is for the best, he thought to himself, through the darkness I will be brought to peace and no more shall i have to suffer.
 YOU FOOL! OPEN YOUR EYES! I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET! THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!
It was here again, the voice, the voice of an unknown prophet in his mind playing puppet master from behind closed doors.
Please, leave me in peace, I will have no more of your lies!
LIES! YOU TAKE ME FOR SOME FILTHY RAT! I WILL NOT BE ACCUSED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!
Why did you make me do it? I didn’t want this! Why are you here?!
YOU ARE MINE NOW ATHAKIS, IT IS NOW THAT WE END THE UNKNOWN SUFFERING THAT HAS PROCEEDED TO BLIND YOUR KIND FOR SO LONG! YOU DON’T HAVE A SAY IN THIS, NOW IF YOU WISH TO LIVE DO AS I SAY.
No one knew what was really going on, all eyes were on the executioner. His trademark tool glinting in the setting sun, holding it high to entice the ever forming mob. It was entertainment with the exectuioner being the main show and he knew his job well, after all this deep in the outer reaches of the front line colonies this was a delicacy when it comes to merrymaking.
The heavy newly sharpened axe is raised high, beads of sweat slowly running down the bare elbows of it’s owner.
There would be a feast once the head rolls, everyone thought, a wonderful night of partying and drinking.
Falling slowly, straining against the high gravity on this small planet, the axe lowers to Athakis’ neck. A practice to get his aim right, he doesn’t want to miss. A quick death was ordered to be given, since before his actions Athakis was an essential pawn in this game of chess and what pawn he was.
Any event that draws a crowd like this is excuse enough to forget their troubles for a night, eyes fixated and even heads bobbing with the movement of the axe, as if hypnotized.
Gripping its wooden handle with all that could be mustered, the executioner takes his swing. Slicing the air and travelling with such precision that you could tell it was surgical accuracy of man who has done this enough to perform it blindfolded. The bellow of the crowd heightened nearing the end of Athakis and the start of a bad hangover to come.
But stopped.
Stopped just like the executioners axe.
Gasps escaped the crowd. Excitement turned to confusion and just as quickly to outrage. No head was rolling, no blood streaming down the stained chopping stone, no drinks would be drunk tonight.
A force that could not be explained but seen with the eyes of all who saw reflected the axe as if it struck metal. Sparks flew with the contact of this unknown and uninvited mishap, but what couldn’t be seen or heard is the commands being directed by the puppet master with in Athakis.

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So ahh, that didn’t go as expected. My story changed along the entire way and new ideas were incorporated as I went but didn’t see it happening as such. This is also unedited, nothing has been changed since it’s been typed.

Anyhow if you have reached the end and didn’t fall asleep through it I would greatly appreciate feedback as I’m practicing to write a novel. Critiques on viewpoint, structure, description or even character involvement would be a great help. I know its only short in comparison to a book but we all have to start somewhere.

Wish you all well.