Fitting Punishment

The Raven Queen didn’t care about one’s misdeeds as most other gods and goddesses, but she cared about how you felt about it yourself. Never take shame in your actions. Stand proud and follow in your path no matter where it guides you. And today Alushtas’ path lie in front of a thief carrying things that did not belong to him.

A quick twist of his belt and a fling of his arm and the net unfurled around the fleeing thief’s feet and he crashed and tumbled into the nearby refuse pile. With a smile, Alushtas grabbed the ruffian by the scruff of his neck and stood him up with ease. 

“Be a gentleman and remove your clothes,” he said. “All of them. I want nothing but skin streaking through the streets when you are seen next.” No one ever said payback had to end in death — humiliation was far better a teacher. And the magistrate would throw him in the stocks for this little theft instead of the man losing a hand. He didn’t get away.

The man refused the instruction and Alushtas did the only thing possible. He drew his sword and smiled. “Clothes, or the pointy end of my blade.”

The man hurried through the disrobing process and took off at high speed until he stubbed his toe on a cobblestone and he changed his tactics to a prompt walk through the dim light, back the way he’d come. 

Alushtas gathered the things the man had dropped, including his ruffian clothing, and started down the way the man came. To look for the owner and the boy he’d come in search of. The events had returned Alushtas to his mission as a reminder never to stray too long.

Two men gathered in the shadows. Maybe they were the assailant’s marks? Or maybe they were more thieves preying on the weak. Did Alushtas want to be their questioner or just ignore them all together.