"Talek Finally Dies"

Characters involved (in order of appearance) - Zoe_Lang, Talek, Darklett, Rurun
Executioner and officer NPC's spoofed by Zoe_Lang

Nothing brings a crowd like an execution will, that's for sure. The main intersection of the 67th is relatively packed, though you might notice a distinct lack of leverets in the area. Colonel Zoe stands towards the center of the gathering, along with a couple other officers, and a hooded buck stands apart from them. The captive, Talek, has been sent for.

Darklett stands among the crowd, face pretty near expressionless, only the extremely observant beast would be able to note the slightest hint of anger that the buck is letting show. He runs through his mind all the things he'd like to do to that executioner right now. But at least Maeva didn't get her way. At this thought, Darklett manages a smirk. Some good seems to have come out of this whole situation, after all.

Talek is led onto the scene. His mouth closed in a thin line and his eyes dark, they look mostly at walls or, as if distracted, at the ears of hares. The tod's left ear twitches once.

As Talek is led into the center of the room, Zoe takes a step forward, "Talek Silvers, you are t' be executed for the murdah o' Posco, a respected membah o' Redwall Abbey. You are also responsible fer the endangerment o' various creatures, includin' hares o' the Long Patrol. D'ya have anything t' say fer yerself before yer punishment is carried out?" The executioner takes a step forward at this point, and Zoe takes a step back.

Rurun is just standing there watching the proceedings with an expression of limited interest...That is until he realizes its about to start and he becomes fully attentive.

Darklett's eyes blink and open slowly, smirk from before fading as he awaits the fox's words... He reaches down to his side, making sure he didn't forget to leave his belt full of sharp metal objects in his room. He swallows heavily in relief as his paw touches nothing more than the cloth that makes up his pants, reassured that this is foolproof, and there is no way that anything can happen here that will result in Dark doing something stupid, or something stupid happening, and it getting blamed on Dark. So, he watches, eyes blinking and opening slowly again.

Talek coughs, a bit of a glare in his expression. He looks around the room and then nods "Two things. One is that the mole's death was accidental. I never meant to do that. Number two is a question for you lot to think about. If I'd been of another species. A woodlander species, not vermin as I am, would this still be happening. I am inclined to think not and encourage you lot to think about that too." Then his gaze moves. The tod chooses to just stare at Darklett.

"Was it also accidental when ya attempted t' run off with the squirrel dibbun?" Zoe inquires softly, but loud enough that most in the room would hear it. After adding this, however, she takes another step back, and nods to the executioner, who moves to stand before Talek. "Kneel." Dark eyes stare out from under the hood, and an axe is held securely before him.

Rurun smiles slightly to himself his eyes displaying a disturbing eagerness which to the casual observer may look just like normal.

Darklett clenches his fists, cracks his knuckles, and stares back at Talek, breaking his pattern of blinks to watch the execution. He finds himself wondering what the tod's head would look like shortly after it's removed from his body, circulating through all the possible expressions the fox could have on his visage right when he can make expressions no more... He'll find out soon enough. He returns the tod's unblinking stare, silently awaiting the execution.

Talek has to be roughly pushed down to kneel at first. His glare is fixed upon his face, but his eyes wander now to look at each hare in turn. He returns to Darklett eventually though.

Zoe_Lang watches Talek and the executioner, but eventually she lowers her gaze to the stone floor, out of respect. An execution, however necessary she might think it, is a hard thing. The executioner directs Talek to bend his head forward, and up goes the axe, waiting.

Rurun seems to have no problem with the execution although he does lower his head slightly still watching with eagerness.

Darklett does -not- bow his head. He stares at the condemned fox, although the tod's glare is haunting, and he'll be glad when Talek's forced to look away.

Talek stretches his neck out as directed and lowers his head. His eyes look up though, so he can still look over his snout at Darklett. He's not planning on looking away until he absolutely has to.

The executioner draws out the next few seconds, probably uncomfortably long for Darklett, but in the end the axe does come whistling down - and it is aimed accurately - at the back of Talek's neck.

Rurun smiles slightly just as this happens.

Darklett's right eye twitches in anticipation, then again at the silver gleam of the axe as it swings down, but keeps his eyes open.

Talek is now headless... So er.... His body sort of lays there... His head.. drops.. tumbles a little and lands tilted but still managing to look at Darklett, eyes frozen open.

Darklett realizes he'd been holding his breath for a very long time leading up to that moment, and lets it all out, only to nervously inhale again at the tod's disembodied head's position, staring directly at him. So, that's what he'd look like headless... He finally blinks, and when he opens his eyes again, his gaze is averted from the head to the execution weapon. For a moment he sees himself holding the axe, sees himself standing in Zoe's place, and, most hauntingly, sees his own body lying there, headless and dead... But only for an instant, as he blinks, and the image is gone.

After the axe has fallen, amidst the silence, a couple of hares move forward to remove the body - both pieces. After this is done, Zoe finally does look up, and around. "A'right, that's all. Back t' yer duties.." But then she sees the distracted-looking Darklett, and over to him she walks, her brow furrowed into a frown. "You, don't you leave the 67th 'til I speak with ya, is tha' understood?"

Rurun just stands there since he has no duties at the moment.

Darklett glances at Zoe, who seems to be suddenly taller than she usually is... "Yes, Colonel."

"Righ'." She salutes to the timid Darklett and then turns, leaving the intersection.