I quickly flip to the first mention, which details the case of a minor male deity having an affair with a number of s’Aperiotes and getting them all pregnant. The punishment had been death, and Azerius had been the one to dole it out. The details are gruesome as the book goes into depth on everything Ze had done to the male for his offense. He'd been strapped to a pole in the public square for thirty days. Each day, Azerius would be present to make a cut on his body. At first, it was shallow cuts, but with each passing day, they became deeper and deeper until his entire torso was cut open, his organs spilling out. He was left in the blistering sun, his blood draining from his body, until he drew his last breath.

Although the description is incredibly gory in the book, it's how Azerius is described that surprises me. The writer notes that he was so cold, so emotionless, that the people passing by couldn't help but be more shocked by his nonchalant demeanor than the guts hanging out of the male's body.

I gulp down. This is oddly reminiscent, isn't it? I've seen that side of Azerius when he kills. He does it so easily, so efficiently, it's almost as if there's nothing inside of him but the thirst for death.

Flipping some more through the book, I stop at a random page, my entire body freezing as I read the offense. A young female deity had been denounced by her husband for not being pure upon their marriage. After investigations, it was found out that the female had birthed a child in the past that she had abandoned. A s’Aperiote family had found the baby and they had raised him as their own. The female was convicted of several crimes, and because she belonged to an influential noble family, Azerius was the one to dole out the punishment.

I briefly close my eyes, reluctant to read on about what he must have done to her. I have never been able to stomach violence against women, and though this female did break the law, I cannot see how death is a fair punishment. Sure, she abandoned her child, but she was driven to do so by the same stringent laws that sought to sentence her to death. It's a vicious cycle whose only fault lies with the restrictions placed on people.

My breathing grows labored as I force myself to read on. No matter how uncomfortable this is, I need to know who the true Azerius is.

Yet there's no avoiding the illustration of Ze aiming his sword at the woman's head, a swirl of energy and smoke surrounding his blade.

Decapitation.

That is the method he used on her. That is the method he would have used on Thea.

Good grief.