Chapter 2

DAHLIA:

I was in a cage. We were in a cage, like birds in captivity, meant to be sold. The cage I was in had sturdy wheels in the middle of an army of barbaric men, using giant axes as weapons. They were drinking and laughing as if slaves were the most normal thing in the world. Furthermore, I was horrible. I was like a lamp of burnt meat. My sister Dina used to tell me about the atrocities of the world: to remove any thought of escaping and she was right. I used to dream about the outside world and lie to make her at ease. I lied to everyone and kept my thoughts to myself.

The night… Another sleepless night with the noises of females screaming… and there was another noise, a different one. It was a very distinct sound; a noise no one paid attention to… The slave trader was a man with a long beard. From all the men sitting here, he was the only one with a pipe and slightly noble demeanour; he pulled slaves from another group and put them around him. He refilled his pipe with his special strawberry tobacco mix and gazed at the sky noting with passing interest that clouds were beginning to gather on the far horizon. A storm was coming. Another one, I trebled feeling my skin electrified again. It didn’t hurt. It mustn’t hurt. I wasn’t allowed to feel hurt.

I glared at the slave trader, observing the erotic movements around. I didn’t understand why he touched the women or why they touched him. My eyeballs moved to my surroundings, looking at the Lingering still standing near me sharing my own shadow. I needed to escape; my sister said the life of a slave was full of hardships. I looked at the girls from my group; they were sleeping soundly like used to this situation. I picked my way amongst the sleeping drudges, huddled together for warmth, and glided to the empty corner. No one would want a Lingering on their side, a Lingering no one saw. I curled hugging my knees. I couldn’t think of any way to escape. Furthermore, the forest might be more dangerous; you couldn’t know when some horrid creature would come and gulp your body in one bite. Time went by and I couldn’t sleep. Guards took turns and the erotic slaves moved to a tent followed by their master. I heard them scream and noises of their pleading came to my ears. Yet, I felt they enjoyed it.

The cook and his assistant laid on a long table before a hearth, to the warmth of the banked fire, discordantly soring. They had small satchels containing big objects; it had to be magic. I checked my sandals and shivered as the predawn air penetrated my patched garment; one which was made with speed from the rags the cook was about to throw. My previous one was torn and burnt.

I glanced upwards, my eyes are drawn to the red star that had recently begun to dominate the dawn sky. It wasn’t a red star; it was the dragon I saw before. Was it still fighting that lightning jerk that ruined my appearance? I cheered for you black-scaled dragon. Destroy it to prove the might of karma and the rightfulness of justice.

I wondered why they felt at ease. My heart pounded hard threatening to escape and my mind has restlessly reverberated with the prescience of danger. I stretched inhaling the sweet untainted wind of the morning. However, the sky turned black with clouds one moment, the next it cleared as nothing happened.

“I had heard Meina was dead,” a guard replied a question I didn’t hear. “So Mizenth struck hard. All the slaves started begging for mercy, being bought by that man was equivalent to a death sentence. His cruel fame has reached all Dotoria,” he continued, his eyes darting from our group to another. “Nobles sure have it easy; killing various slaves. We already raided all the lands sheltering farmers and outlaws. Soon, we will have to plunder lands outside Dotoria.”

The other guard fixed me intently then spat next to his feet disgustingly.

“Do you think she can understand us, the ugly one?”

“Even if she heard or understood us, she can’t do anything. I heard she didn’t know our language. I bet she ended like that by pure fortune. Even if she is ugly, if she has a hole, everything drops to water. Those nobles would accept even a dog to fuck.”

“Have you heard the latest news? The Princess is missing. They say she is such a beauty. Who do you think kidnapped her?”

“The Duke of Mizenth might have done it. I bet he snatched her right under her brother’s nose,” he laughed.” I would pay money to see the reaction.”

“No, the Crown Prince conducted a huge searching party, no manor escaped the investigation.”

“Ooooh! Such an aggressive Prince he is!”

The rest of the conversation wasn’t something I wanted to listen to. I could understand all that they said. However, they didn’t understand me. All the words I articulated didn’t seem understandable; my language was different and I could hear myself being different and it was the weirdest thing ever happening to me. Yet, I acted the opposite, like I didn’t understand them at all. I turned my eyes to the red-eyed dragon; he was near us now. His eyes looked upon us shortly then turned his heels higher. They were battling ferociously but it seemed they found something to agree for, I was disappointed; I expected them to wage a ruckus that I would use to escape. I would do anything to escape, I apprehended a harsh life and a long time of free labour, that if I didn’t die early.

The sun rose high in the sky and I was blinded by it. I opened my eyes and it looked like I fell into slumber shortly. I noticed how everything was rearranged into boxes and put into the magical satchels. How time went fast! It was just a second when I closed my eyes.

The horses were put on the road and the guards stationed around us were ready to leave. I peeked at a guard who smiled at me. “The sleeping beauty is awake! Care to share your dreams with us!”

I rolled my eyes, annoyed. Suddenly, a slap landed on my face, sending a wave of pain through my body. He grabbed my neck and I noticed how he had a long moustache and blue eyes. My sister Dina had blue eyes.

“Did you roll your eyes at me? Wench? Do you want to die?”

I was taken back by a wave of fear, I was scared, terrified. No one had ever treated me this way. Even if I have to admit it bitterly, the ones I grew up with never treated me this way. They acted like I was some kind of a peer. Even if they forced me to do painful things, they didn’t do it this way. It was wrong, his actions were wrong. I couldn’t accept it. Coming from a stranger was intolerable. I glared at him, defying his claim. If it came to it, if I had a weapon, I would try to escape. With bare hands, it was hard and showing skills might put more eyes on me. I yielded and lowered my gaze; the guard took it as an act of submission.

“Leave the girl! She doesn’t understand what you trash about,” the slave dealer said in a tight, hard voice, ground out from somewhere deep in his chaste.

I crawled back and hit a girl who frowned, seeing me with pity. I hated those eyes, looking at e like I was some kind of unfortunate.

“Here!” the slave trader handed me a platter of food.” You might need this for later. What awaits you all might be the last thing you experience,” he said with a roar.

The aroma that reached me as the platter was placed on my knees distracted me from the dread and anger I felt. It reeked of charred meat and fried potatoes. I caught my breath and started eating slowly, remembering I was a slave I dug into it like a starved cat. The first good meal I ever got since I got out of the village made me think about his words. If I had to do, why did I even escape from the village?

There were approximately fifty slaves in our group; with me fifty-one, the slave trader found it a necessity to leave the number untouched, therefore, he changed the position of one girl putting her with the beauties, and letting me in her stead. I needed to stay calm; my heart was beating hard but I needed it to stay still. If I panicked, my mind would shut down and my heart would act on its own.

He said it was the last moments of my life like he was hinting to enjoy life and from the look of it, food was the thing I had to enjoy. It took me a few moments to realize I wasn’t in this alone. For the first time, I noticed the other girls shivering, nodding at each other gossiping. I leaned closer to listen to their conversation; I wanted the complete image of the situation we were in. No matter how hard I tried imagining it, it couldn’t be worse than Lilith training sessions.

“I prefer the Duke of Mizenth than the madman; we are doomed if it’s him.”