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At 23:00, Aftab Sheng completed his inspection. Every length of rope was checked, each of the 8 windings in each noose inspected to make sure the knot tied by his purple-scaled hands was true and ready, each plank of the gallows tested under his bare feet to insure it was not weakened or rotten.

He knew everything was ready, of course. This was his position, the one he spent the last 8 years training for and practicing. A State Qualified Executioner of the Great Mongolian Empire does not allow his equipment to degrade into a dangerous state. But everything was still inspected to his military standards. Everything had a correct place to be, and a proper condition for proper use. Making sure both low barrel stands were able to slide easily, he descended the wooden stairs back to the final waiting area of the condemned. Breathing deep, he decided to relieve himself on the slightly hardened mud behind the gallows in preparation for his night's work.

---

At 23:32, the prisoner transport from the local death row detention arrived. The driver saluted Aftab before handing over the papers.

"Only two for you today, sir. I don't think either will give much trouble."

"Oh, don't worry about trouble. I've dealt with sergeants who thought they could run away from my noose, or fight their way free. A disgraced teacher and a rice farmer will not make me break a sweat."

"I'm sure they won't, sir. I'm hoping to get a good view this time. I seldom get to see you perform."

"Ha! Thank you. I'll keep that in mind if you ever end up convicted."

The driver laughed nervously at the larger male, suddenly uncomfortable under his piercing red gaze.

---

At 00:00, the floodlights were turned on, the crowd fell silent, and Aftab walked calmly onto the gallows' platform, faced the crowd and began the night's proceedings.

"Let it be known that on this night, two criminals of the Great Mongolian Empire shall perish for their crimes against their ruler, their country, and their fellow dragons. Look upon their shame and know that all who threaten the peace and well-being of Mongolians will suffer the same defeat."

There was no cheer, no applause. Everyone in Taibai knew that their executioner would not appreciate a break in decorum. This was not a celebratory time. The condemned would die, and only their final struggle would be cheered. Only their sudden departure from society would warrant applause.

Aftab descended back to the waiting area. The first prisoner was being lead out to him, a sign around his neck reading in bold Chinese characters: "Child rapist" and was struggling against the two personnel from the transport. Sighed in frustration at their inability to control someone without any combat training, Aftab stepped up and delivered a quick punch to the sizable gut of the prisoner. Winded, the man fell to his knees and stopped fighting long enough for Aftab to take a commanding grip of his arms (which had been tied behind his back since he left the prison). The smiling death mask looking out of place with the panicked flicking of the dragon's ears and the pathetic begging for mercy between gasping breaths coming from the winded man.

"P-p-please, no.. I-I'm innocent... please... mercy..." "Tighten the strap on his snout; I won't have him disturbing the crowd like this." "Yessir!"

The strap now digging into the dragon's jowls, Aftab forced the dragon up onto the gallows, nearly dragging him as he struggled. But with the firm grip on arms and by bending the condemned's tail backwards, Aftab could easily strong-arm his victim into place. Standing on one barrel, the weighted one designed to make his job easier, he yanked his charge onto the lighter kick-away one, releasing his tail to quickly being the noose into place. He pulled it tight, letting it bite into the ex-teacher's flabby neck to quieten his whimpering a little more.

Standing in front of the condemned, now trembling on the low barrel, Aftab turned to face the crowd.

"Before you stands Lee Qiguan, former literature teacher of Taibai School District 3. Convicted on 5 counts of child abuse, 4 counts of assault, and 1 count of disgrace of public office, he will suffer the punishment for his crimes. Due to the nature of his disgrace, no children should witness his demise."

The tears streaming from the condemned's eyes had made their way down the inside of the smiling mask and began to drip at his feet. Aftab was surprised the snivelling dragon had not already wet himself given the amount he was trembling in fear. He wanted to look deep into this dragon's eyes so he could see the look of disgust his executioner had, and the joy he would take in the criminal's demise. But procedure did not allow him to remove the mask, and the painted lifeless eyes allowed no light to reach the victim.

Stepping to the side, he swiftly kicked the low barrel away. A brief shriek was cut off as the rope bit into the thick scaled neck, pulling the chin down and making the mask gaze at the crowd as the victim kicked weakly. The chubby teacher twisted a bit, rocking from left to right as his legs and tail flailed about trying to find purchase on something. Within seconds the terror of his death caused his bladder to release in a final show of disgrace. The sign around his neck flapped against his rotund chest a few times, becoming damp from tears and drool dislodged from his struggles. Aftab watched from the side, not wanting to obscure the struggling from the silent audience. Each creak to the rope, each guttural croak, each flutter of a pant leg or the sign could be heard. Aftab smiled at the perfect scene of another criminal dying under the floodlights of his gallows.

After a minute or two the teacher calmed, his pants no longer dripping urine onto the gallows, his tail limp and his toes curled but still. As the crowd began to cheer, Aftab moved to stand in front of the condemned to confirm his death by checking for a pulse. "Face!" a man in the crowd called, before his fellows joined him. "FACE! FACE! FACE!"

Never one to disappointing a waiting audience, Aftab removed the smiling mask allowing the gathered citizens to see the pain and terror in the dead man's eyes, the swollen tongue slowling lolling out to one side as his jaw fell open, the purple scales of his face tinged with blue and black. His dilated pupils would never again form their narrow slit shape. Aftab enjoyed looking deep into the empty eyes of the man whose urine was now warming the soles of his bare feet, and dripping down between the planks of the gallows. After rubbing both feet in the dead dragon's waste and admiring his work on another perfect execution, he walked down the gallows to pick up his final charge of the night as his audience now stared into the cooling face of the condemned.

A few wore grins to rival the mask. The murmurs and occasional giggles at the teacher's performance soon quietened back to the silence expected for the next criminal's demise.

---

Kim Jiagu stood when ordered and did not resist the guards who lead him from the prison van out into the cool summer night. The ground quickly changed from hard road to soft grass, to cool mud that clung to his bare feet. The scent of terror-filled men soon rose to his snout, hidden beneath the smiling mask of the condemned. "I will take it from here" a commanding voice in front of Kim said. Trying to be brave, he stood tall as his guards left him standing alone in front of his executioner but his tail was curling between his legs like a frightened child at the thought of his impending end. He felt a strong hand close around his right bicep and lead him forward. After a brief walk, his guide stopped and turned him around. "You will relieve yourself if you wish to die with some dignity intact" his guide said. He felt the strong dragon's chest pressed against his bony wrists behind his back, a thick leg moving his own thin limbs apart, and a commanding grip on his pants exposing his dragonhood to the cool air. With a delicate grip, calloused but kind hands aimed his member down and away from his body. "I don't have all day, Kim. Relieve yourself." Fear gripped him, but did not allow him to void his bladder. The warm hands of his executioner began to play with his glans, teasing him and encouraging his bladder to release itself. After a short time a trickle of urine came forth, quickly building to a strong stream that thudded on the mud underfoot. "Good. This is your day to die, Kim, but know this - you are either blessed or lucky. I know why you committed the crime you did. You stole food so your children could eat. Some would call that noble, most would call it foolish. But you made sure you were found eating it, so that your children would live. Some would call that foolish, but I will call it lucky. You will die, at a midnight showing. I'm sure your mate will consider it good fortune that they are spared the sight of your demise." Aftab felt the breath of the dragon held in his arms shudder and sob. While he could not stop this think peasant's demise (even given the authority he would not; theft is theft) he did want the man to die as dignified and calm as possible. If his mate was out there, the mask would fulfil its purpose of making the condemned seem at ease. The urine stream now stopped, Aftab shook the remaining drops from the man before tucking his package away. Licking the final drops from his hand, Aftab lead his charge up the steps slowly and gently. The thin dragon did not fight as Aftab placed him upon the second barrel and placed the noose lightly, even tenderly, over his head. He pulled the knot taut and placed it to the side of Kim's neck. "Before you stands Kim Jiagu, former small hold farmer. Convicted on 1 count of theft of state property and 1 count of exceeding poverty rations, he will suffer the punishment for his crimes." Aftab once again moved to the side of the condemned and prepared to kick the barrel away. He was surprised at how stoic the dragon seemed, and wondered if the loose fitting uniform was hiding his trembling. As he kicked the barrel away, the silence of the crowd was disturbed by a crow squawking in the distance. Kim's head turned to the sudden sound just as his footing slid from under him. The pain and shock lanced through Kim's skull as his chin was forced downward and all his weight fell on the tender vital vessels of his neck. His heartbeat raced, growing louder in his head, the throbbing pain building until it was all he could hear or think about. His legs kicked, his tail swung, but his feet could not find any solid ground.

Aftab watched, knowing that the light weight farmer would now suffer the downsides of a short-drop. If that damned bird had not spooked the man, there was a good chance his neck would have snapped. Now, he would be lucky if his diminished frame was enough to cut off the blood flowing to his brain. Most likely he would die slower from suffocation. The occasional hoarse grunt or gurgle confirmed the hangman's prediction. Kim's kicking caused him to swing violently for the first few minutes. At one point his spinning and swinging caused his tail to collide with the cooling corpse of the teacher hanging beside him. The crowd looked on with silent regard for the slowly dying farmer. Inside Kim's head was agony. His chest burned from the need for air, but he could not breathe. His head swam in the pounding drum of his own heart, blindingly loud in his ears as nothing else would fit his perception. He could feel his legs aching and his tail cramping if he tried, but mostly he just could only notice the burning in his chest and the banging in his skull. He thought of his children, barely old enough to walk, and how they cried when unable to sleep due to hunger. He thought of his wife's tears as she struggled to make their scarce supplies last. And he thought of how his tears fell into the paddies as he picked rice from his own land, threshed it until his arms could thresh no more, cooked it and fed it to his children before his wife returned. His executioner's words came to his mind again. At least they weren't here... Kim felt tears entering his eyes at that thought. Despite his pain, he forced himself to be calm. Aftab watched as the struggling body stilled, knowing that death had not claimed the man yet. The crowd cheered, as expected, but he did not move. Some of the audience began to depart, but still Aftab remained, hands clasped behind his back, staring at the man he knew to be alive. He removed his watch and checked the time.

At 00:50, State Executioner of Taibai, Aftab Sheng approached the hanging form of Kim Jiagu. Placing his hands on the man's shoulders, he quickly pushed down with all his force. A final gurgle of escaping air and a barely audible thud assured him that the sentence was complete. He turned to the thinning crowd. "Let all who witnessed this know: Enemies and criminals of the Great Mongolian Empire shall perish for their crimes. Look upon their shame and know that all who oppose the GME and MDA will suffer the same defeat" With that, Aftab departed for his apartment. He would be back in 3 days with wheelbarrow and hauling cart to cut down the corpses and transport them to their final resting place: Taibai municipal graveyard. The condemned did not get a dignified plot, a headstone or even an indication of their interment. All they got were vultures and crows.