Chapter Five

  The people of our tribe were renowned as the Rubrum Tribe. This name stemmed from the bright red tone of our eyes, vivid as blood. Our affinity for adorning everything with flowers and reveling in the verdant hues of the forest was a testament to our embrace of the colors we inherently lacked as our skin was ever so pale. However, the idyllic scene of vibrant greens and delicate blossoms had transformed into a nightmarish scene, with headless bodies now trailing behind horses, stained by the earthly brown of dirt, the foliage's green, and the crimson of their own spilled blood.

  A disquieting numbness gripped me. My body, now bound and callously flung onto the back of a horse, bore witness to the overwhelming scent of blood emanating from the gruesome procession led by The King. The air hung heavy with the pungency of their spilled life force.

  My tears continued to fall down my face, and sobs I couldn't hold back would come out loudly. Yet, they chattered and laughed, too focused on their conversation to even acknowledge me. The dense forest enveloped us, its thick canopy casting shadows that danced on the forest floor. Hours were passing. I wasn't sure of how many exactly, but it was long enough for my tearless body to faint in exhaustion. The rustling of leaves and the distant calls of unseen creatures provided a haunting lullaby to my misery.

  What woke me was the brutal fall I took when the man in charge of taking me pushed me off the horse, treating me as if I were also one of the lifeless bodies. I whined in pain, my shoulder in excruciating pain as it was out of its place. The smell of damp earth and the cool breeze of the forest surrounded me. He and the others around chuckled at the sight of my pain. I couldn't even focus on understanding their words because of the pain. My head felt hot, and I could see small lights floating around. I was going to faint. My body fell back, and my head wouldn't stop ringing. The men continued laughing, and all I wanted was to lose consciousness, to fall dead. But I couldn't. I still had more to suffer before I could go.

  Another man joined, but he wasn't laughing like the others. His eyes had humanity within them. The filtered sunlight through the thick foliage above highlighted his concerned expression. The rustling leaves and the occasional creaking of tree branches seemed to accompany his presence. His hand reached down to my head the way Appa would do it, caressing me softly. His mouth was moving, but I couldn't understand. Then it happened, he had taken my hurt arm and had applied pressure to the point that I stopped breathing with the pain I had never before felt but once he let go I could finally breathe again. I was left on the floor resting and daylight waned, casting long shadows around us, and the forest seemed to echo with the symphony of the approaching night.

  My lungs rose and fell to the rhythm of the crisp air, a soothing cadence that mirrored the gentle sway of the surrounding trees. The forest, now shrouded in the twilight hues, cradled me in its cool embrace. Shadows danced upon the leaves, casting an intricate pattern on the forest floor beneath me. If only I could die here, letting the ethereal symphony of the night be my requiem. To surrender to the tender caress of Mother Earth beneath me, I clutched the ground, fingers pressing into the soil as if to merge with it. The dirt slipped away between my trembling fingers, a poignant reminder of things slipping beyond my grasp, much like everyone else scurrying away to leave me behind. The cruel knights, indifferent to the melancholy of the moment, had lit a fire nearby, its flickering flames casting eerie shadows on the trees. The crackling fire served as a stark contrast to the serenity of the night, a testament to the brutality that surrounded me. As I lay on my back, tears, like silent witnesses, spilled from the corners of my eyes and trailed down my neck, the forest bearing witness to a soul burdened with grief.

  Everything died down, yet I remained frozen in place, too scared that even the slightest movement on my part would serve as a stark reminder to them that I was still alive. However, it wasn't necessary for me to move; they knew all too well that I was alive. As the night deepened, the eerie silence was disrupted by approaching footsteps that grew steadily louder, drawing closer to my prone body lying in the cold shadow. Two men emerged into my line of sight. The forest, once a refuge, now harbored a lurking danger as they approached me.

  "Wanna run away?" One of them asked me in simple words, recognizing that complex language wouldn't be understood by me.

  A spark of hope ignited within me, momentarily erasing any desire for death. The prospect of escaping filled my thoughts. If given the chance to run, I believed I could make it. I required nothing more; I already knew how to survive within the shelter of the trees.

  "Get up," they ordered. My body had already healed, yet I felt an unexplained heaviness, a warning to remain where I was. Despite this, one of them forcefully pulled my arm upward.

  "Now run." Without any more hesitation, I understood the urgency to flee. I sprinted as fast as my feet could carry me, ignoring the pain as they pounded against the ground. I fervently prayed to all my gods to let me be free.

  Yet, as always, it seemed the gods intended for me to endure suffering. I tumbled face-first onto the ground when something struck my feet, entangling them.

  The very men who had granted me a fleeting reprieve; approached with laughter, exchanging jokes.

  "I think we're far enough now." He looked me dead in the eye. "Hold her down."

  I didn't know what was coming, but my body knew it was bad. I tensed up completely as they got closer and tried even more desperately to free myself. When I realized it wasn't working, I attempted to crawl away. It was futile. They pulled my foot back, dragging me to the flat ground. I thrashed around, attempting to get them to release me, but they wouldn't. Instead, one of them sat down on my legs, pinning them down. I could feel puke make its way to the back of my throat as I felt so scared of what was to come. Everything was happening so fast, I couldn't even properly react when my garments were being ripped off my body. I wanted to fight but the other one put his knee on my back to hold me down. My body was exposed to the cold air and I couldn't even breathe. All I wanted was to go home. I started to sob. I cried like a little girl. I wanted my Amma. Because no matter how cold her eyes were she never hurt me this much.

  Suddenly, with a whistle of the wind, everything went silent. Two thumps echoed, and then their heavy weight fell on top of me, drenching me in a warm liquid. I pulled myself away, crawling wildly, covering my body and catching my breath, but it was hard. I couldn't stop crying and panicking. I hadn't even registered what had happened. But I did recognize the man with humanity in his eyes standing by, watching me with pity in his eyes. He leaned down to me, and I could see my Appa in him. I wasn't able to stop myself from throwing my body into his arms. The moonlight filtering through the trees cast a surreal glow on the traumatic scene, amplifying the stark contrast between the brutality of the attack and the brief moment of solace in the stranger's arms.

  ''There there, shhhh" His gentle voice comfort me as he cradled me in his arms. My body felt so small and fragile and he held me as if I were so delicate that any wrong movement would break me.

  An hour or two passed by before he decided to stand. He didn't say anything else to me, and I didn't respond. Instead, I enjoyed the comfort of his arms while it lasted, knowing it wouldn't last much longer. I could see small specks of light floating around in the solace of the night.

  It was short-lived. The familiar spot came into view, but it felt different. I knew I could only expect the worst, but things felt a bit different. It was because in his arms, I felt safe. I felt calm. But I wasn't going to fool myself. This man was not on my side. He brought me back after all.

  He didn't set me down on the ground; instead, I was sat on the horse, and he sat behind me, still managing to keep me in his embrace.

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  The others were also packing their things. It seemed they had decided to keep moving forward through the night, realizing the others were missing.

  No one made comments; no one even looked my way as we passed by them. As if I were nothing. Not even a pest.

  We journeyed through the rest of the night and into the day. Upon reaching the border of the forest, the sun began to peek through the leaves, casting a warm glow on my shivering body. Despite my initial desire to remain ignorant of the world beyond the trees, curiosity about the city overcame me.

  I struggled to feign disinterest, but my eyes betrayed my fascination. The city sprawled before me, a stark contrast to the serene forest.

  My reverie was interrupted when the man who had assisted me barked out orders in a language I couldn't comprehend. The knights at the back of our group emerged, dragging in the bodies of those fallen.

  A wave of nausea hit me as I remembered the grisly procession of bodies trailing behind us. They obediently followed orders, arranging the bodies along the trees, forming a macabre border that encircled the forest. It dawned on me that our blood was to serve a purpose similar to how we used it—a protective barrier preventing creatures from entering our village. It was a divine gift, now utilized to safeguard the city.

  I couldn't bear to witness the completion of this grim task, as we were compelled to move forward.

  Entering the city was a vibrant experience. The lively atmosphere, adorned with extravagant flowers, echoed with cheers and expressions of gratitude as we passed through on our way to the palace.

  It didn't take long for me to notice the faces of disgust whenever their eyes lingered on me. My unique appearance—white hair and red eyes—set me apart in a city where no one resembled me. To add to the alienation, my clothing was stained and now adorned with dried blood.

  I timidly hid back into the man.

  The entire way back was the same. The festivities never died. On the contrary. It seemed they would last days. Celebrating the return of The King. Celebrating the creation of the barrier. Celebrating the massacre of my family.

  I almost forgot I was a captive.

  We continued our way up, eventually passing the temple and reaching the palace. It was grandiose, to say the least.

  As I stood outside the majestic palace, its sheer size and intricate architecture left me in awe. Towering spires reached for the sky, adorned with delicate carvings that told stories of a rich history. The entrance itself was a masterpiece, with grand doors that seemed to welcome those who approached.

  The palace garden stretched out before me, a lush expanse of greenery and vibrant blooms. A symphony of colors painted the scene, as if nature itself had carefully chosen each petal. The fragrance of flowers wafted through the air, creating an enchanting atmosphere.

  If only I'd been allowed to stay where it was beautiful.

  We made our way to the back and It was strange. I felt as if I could just be forgotten, as if I could just run and they wouldn't even run behind me, but I knew that wouldn't be the case.

  The King had me present in his mind. Conversations echoed between men, their words shrouded in a code that eluded my understanding. There was a sense of futility in deciphering their communication; nowhere to run, and they were well aware of it. It seemed designed to confuse, a mere prelude to what awaited me.

  With a sudden, forceful motion, I found myself hoisted onto someone's shoulder. There was a strange acceptance within me, an eerie surrender devoid of resistance.

  Closing my eyes tightly, I braced myself for the unknown.

  The footsteps echoed through an indeterminate passage of time until, finally, I was ushered into darkness. Unlike the beauty I had witnessed before, this place was the utter opposite– old, dark, and abandoned. The scent, reminiscent of my family's bodies and my own, lingered heavily, like the essence of dried blood. Descending a staircase, each step reverberated through my aching body, the anxiety mounting with every descent. What awaited me at the bottom?

  The culmination of our descent revealed nothing more than a cell – a desolate, lightless chamber exuding dampness. This surpassed my fearful expectations. Death would have been a more merciful fate. In the forest, even in the darkest night, the stars and the moon adorned the sky, preventing the total immersion into darkness.

  "Please, no!" I pleaded, clinging desperately to the man's arm as he deposited me on the ground.

  His response was a harsh shove, casting me onto the cold floor. The cell door clanged shut, leaving me alone in the suffocating darkness.

  Time lost all meaning in that dark place.

  I'm not exactly sure how much time had passed when I began to lose myself, but I was certain that a significant amount had slipped away. Initially, I tried to keep track of time by mentally doing things I knew would take me until midday to complete. In my mind, I immersed myself in the forest, feeling the sunlight kiss my skin. Even with my eyes open, I could vividly picture it. However, the darkness around me began to mold itself into the contours of my memories, and this persisted for about two days.

  On the third day, hunger and thirst gnawed at me. I couldn't help but wonder when I would be released, nurturing a faint expectation that the kind man would come to my aid.

  On that very day as well, a sound pierced through the oppressive silence – the rhythmic, echoing drip of water. I blindly followed the sound, discovering a source from which water was slowly trickling down. It momentarily quenched my thirst, yet my persistent hunger left me weakened, and soon, my movements ceased altogether. Despair settled in, accentuating the bleak reality of my confinement.

  I had been too desperate to realize that this would only prolong my suffering. If I had just remained still, the entirety of my agony would have ended then.

  I had no concept of time when a woman slowly, in a fearful way, made her way down. I couldn't even move. I only stared. A lit candle guided her steps and illuminated the dark hole I was in. I wanted to sit up and look around, but I couldn't.

  "Goodness, that smell!" She shrieked in a high-pitched voice, disrupting the complete silence that had embraced me.

  What happened next was unknown to me. I lost consciousness in the comfort of no longer being alone. When I awoke, I had been moved onto a bed that was much further from where water kept dripping, and candles illuminated the dungeon. The horrors of the dungeon were now more visible, with damp walls and a chilling atmosphere that seemed to seep into my very bones. Yet I felt grateful to no longer be stuck in such darkness.

  My gratefulness didn't last long when I realized the gruesome image of my body covered in now dried up blood.

  Realization kicked in when I recognized the new found strength in my body. This blood wasn't mine yet I could recognize the smell. The smell of the winds breeze moving the trees that surrounded us, the smell of the fire reaching the skies for the gods we worshipped and the rain blessing us with its downpour. The blood of my people covered my body.

  All my emotions resurfaced with newfound intensity. I screamed and cried, tightly holding my body together, afraid I'd crumble if I loosened my grip.

  This cycle persisted for a long time—a relentless loop of starvation, followed by the cruel act of cutting my hand to replenish my strength by pouring my own blood into my mouth. They refused to let me die, opting instead for this sadistic game of experimentation.

  After a year had passed, the woman in charge of me, for the first time since my arrival, brought food. I felt confusion, I wasn't on the verge of death, yet she was here. As she descended the stairs with the food, accompanied by a guard, my overwhelming joy at the prospect of a meal overshadowed any attempt to understand her words. I didn't mind when she tossed the food on the ground in front of me.

  Had I been more attentive, I might have noticed the guard approaching with a dagger. He wasn't gentle about it, but it was fast enough. My thigh started to profusely bleed and I began to move back holding my leg trying to stop the bleeding. It was no good. The guard pulled my leg and dragged me towards him, my head hit the now bloodied floor.

  "No! No!" were the only words I could scream out. The woman now moved to hold my body down, but it was evident that what they wanted wouldn't be easy if they continued to be aggressive. The maid proceeded to take a different approach.

  Suddenly, I was being embraced tightly from the back. She held me so tightly, and it felt warm. It completely interrupted my body. I didn't know I had been so hungry for affection.

  I held onto her arm that wrapped around my chest tightly. I didn't want her to let me go.

  I managed to writhe my body around and clutched onto the maid's body as the guard proceeded to collect the blood.

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