CHAPTER 2

Aya made it to the forest. Sludging and dragging her feet.

Daybreak shun upon her face.

The sun shone upon her face revealing the pretty innocent face she had.

The soldier on the road saw her emerge from a swamp. A look of anger and a deadly aura swelled her. He stood afar, letting her pass as he mounted the body onto his horse. His eyes goggled at her appearance and the red-stained dagger in her hand.

Racing back to town, he chose to forget her completely and hurry back to the bridge.

Back at the bridge a camp had been set up and reinforced.

"How the fuck did you lose them!!" the soldier beckoned.

"Get back out there and find them" Lieutenant Nalnick cried out.

The men scurried past and mounted their horses.

The bridge was now a heavily guarded military encampment. Losuii was a well-groomed prospect and also the Lieutenants son in law.

"My Son, My Son!!!".

"A Hooded bitch! Bathed in Black! Did this…. This can't rest, we can't Rest!" he announced provocatively.

He paced around furiously as he watched Losuii groan and wail as his chest pulsated. Reaching out in pain, his arm shivered sporadically.

A bunch of soldiers raced back returning from the province of Aya's house.

"Lieutenant, Lieutenant!!".

"WHAT IS IT???".

The unit band froze still in fear.

One of them slowly walked close. Seeing the Lieutenant Pant back and forth.

"Lieutenant, we were sent by Commissioner Losuii TI to a hous…..".

Seeing the hurt body of the Commissioner he tripped over his words. Shook and unable to finish his report.

A loud repetitious clang rang out from the steel bars of the Slave carriage.

"Wake up lovey lovey… you ready to talk yet" the soldier banged his sword on the metal bars.

Chainik woke up, stunned, and fatigued.

She heard disgruntled mumblings and spits shouted from outside the prison bars she was stuck in. Unable to translate what he was saying to her. She looked around trying to piece together his reason for dialogue.

He pulled her out of the cart and kicking her to the ground.

She fell, landing deep in the wet mud.

Frinist laughed at her. They both took turns kicking her stomach as she gasped for breath.

"Say, Tannol what will do while resting. Before the next raid" Frinist asked.

Tannol rubbed his chin while looking down at Chainik crawling on the ground.

The elders in the carriage cried and pleaded for her.

"This girl I suppose" he replied, smirking at his friend.

Frinist burst out laughing again this time joined with Tannol as they high fived each other.

Worry filled Chainik.

General Nashal rolled up to the bridge. With a unit of three hundred soldiers marching behind him.

"We have the TOWN!!!" He declared.

He dismounted and gloriously marched to the Lieutenant.

Everyone was quiet as he threw praises.

He looked around seeing disgruntled faces on the soldiers and mumbles under their breath.

Scratching his head, he kicked the mud off his boots then looked at the lieutenant with open arms.

"What's with the Sour Mood?"

"Nalnick" he called, stretching out his arms. Expecting an answer.

"My Son, My Son," he replied compliantly.

"Damn was he hit, fuck! He had a great future behind him".

Nashal shook his head, disappointed.

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Losuii groaned as he stood up. Dragging himself to the two men. Collapsing on his Father in Law.

"My Son's .... not done!! This is nothing for our family tree" he revered backing up Losuii. Fists clenched tight.

"Well, do we know who did it?" Nashal investigated, probing the idle soldiers around him.

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"Hooded cat bitch, evaded them both. I think she's linked to the spring. She had the daggers according to the profile" Nalnick explained, his temperament had shifted.

"Really?? That bitch!!"

"Oiiii, bring him in" Nashal signaled, waving to his Man.

His officer brought the slumped over man. He gripped his eye in anguish making his way stumbling towards them.

"Take him for royal care. Set up a tent over there" he issued.

Nalnick looked surprised.

"Who's he?"

"Why does he get royal care as well? His of no Rank?" He investigated the man's apparel and features attentively.

Nashal breathed in then out. Then placed his hands on his hips. Sticking his belly out as his belt buckle loosened.

"I'm hungry, we got any food here..." he dismissed while rubbing his belly, chuckling at his comment.

"NASHAL!!!"

"Okay, okay. He was hit by an arrow in the eye by a woman".

"So??". "Wearing all black". "She had the daggers as well. I think it's the same chick" he explained.

"Royal care, though why??"

"That soldier asked and cried for us to come to the bridge first before anything upon discovering him... That selfless cry. It's one of loyalty. He had given up hope on his recovery. I admire a man at, death's door. Prioritizing his kinfolks, his Nations task before his own safety. A man to watch out for, maybe keep around and elevate".

"So, his ….. your own grooming toy".

"Wrong but quite close. Anyway, none of that matters now. I want him and your son to familiarize themselves with her appearance. They'll communicate much faster to us information on them, plus the boy with the eye may not make it soon. He's still in a daze like a state since being hit from the arrow. Delusions troubled him on the way here, but his convictions strong".

"You think he'll live"

"Maybe. If he doesn't, its no loss to me".

Nalnick sighed and let go of his frustration. He then stared long and hard at the carriage bearing the prisoners.

"Tannol!! Lock up the prisoners. Start the interrogation. No fun, for now, we still have a task!".

Tannol and Frinist straightened up and saluted him back.

"YES, LIEUTENANT!!".

Tannol turned back around to see Chainik slumped on the ground. Her face had now caved in with bruises and cuts. Blood seeped out her forehead. Her clothes muddied by last night's rain. Her lip slit and dusty. Still, she had spite in her heart. Her eyes tore deep into him showing hate and anger.

He picked her up by her hair, stringing her up.

"Get moving all of you we got a long way to the prison cellars" he ordered.

Frinist and the soldiers followed along guarding the prisoners from the carriage as they led them to the town's empty cellars.

He flung Chainik in a cage. Nalnick's second officer came bursting in behind, pushing down the stairs a slave. He shoved one of them in Chainik's cell, with him collapsing on top of her. The other in a cell next to them.

"Fucking slaves, they give you enough trouble don't they" he joked and spat on them.

"You telling me, am stationed on interrogation duty" Tannol replied, leading them deeper into the cellar.

"Damned for you, then. Get the information quickly we move on to the next town in two months I've heard" he said as he left the dungeon.

On the lake, the wagon parked passively. Inside lay a depressed man drinking away his sorrow. Quine skipped rocks along the lakes water bed while Ussu and Shassii watched. Kairui had gone hunting in the forest for the night's meal.

Yannu had made it his task to watch over Sannu and take an inventory listing of what they had and what they could add or find.

"Raccccccheeeeelll, Racccccccheeeeel" Sannu cried out.

Yannu seeing this, hurried up. Trying to get out of the pitiful man's way.

Ussu and Shassii caught wind of this and headed back to the wagon. They tried to cheer him up.

Kairui came back tugging a dead rabbit on the sandy floor. She looked fatigued and sleepy as she slowly approached the wagon. A drunk Sannu stormed up, brushing past Ussu, Yannu, and Shassii. He griped Kairui's shirt, lifting her above the ground. In a fury, he asked, spitting and drooling

"Whyyyy??? What happen…happened to Rachel...".

Kairui looked down with remorse then let go of the rabbit.

"I flung her off the cart Sabbu!".

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!" He fired back, tightening his grip on her shirt even more.

"She wasn't going to make it. The town ahead with the merchants would know she's a refugee. They'd report her before we receive any help".

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!!!" Sannu shouted out, releasing his grip and catching her by the throat. Choking her out.

"The… world.. isn't the same as we left it…. Sabb…" Kairui's words crept out as her eyes started to fade.

Ussu and Yannu rushed over pulling his arms to get him to lessen his grip. He strained further, strengthening his grip as he shoved them away.

Kairui's pupils shot up as she started losing consciousness.

Quine slowly reached for her short sword, the two had helped them escape but Kairui was the central key to ensuring their survival. Having them kill each other would set the group a few steps back and she wasn't going to sit by and let it happen.

A droplet of tears slid down Kairui's face, gliding down his broad arm.

Taking notice, he snapped out of his outburst.

Sannu let go and collapsed to his knees.

Kairui fell to the ground secondly, catching her breath as she saw a distraught Sannu sink into reality and sorrow. Grief plagued him as tears flooded out his eyes.

Kairui wheezed seeing that he had freed her. Catching her breath.

Making contact.

She reached out her arms, rubbing his soft chubby cheeks.

"She called me Kai, you know" she uttered out with a soft innocent smile.

Sannu looked up, seeing his friends face.

He hugged her tightly.

The two froze together for a while as he let it all out.

Ussu and Yannu smiled as they retreated to the wagon. Sitting on carriage door, the two admired the reunion of the two. Ussu leaned on Yannu's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

Quine felt some happiness but peered back to the lake right after. Other thoughts were on her mind.

Shassii was the same, unhinged or concerned about the sight playing out.

The aura on the lake changed to one of love and compassion as the new family all connected, coming to peace.

The tent was now set up. Losuii found himself logged next to the Wounded soldier from Nashal' Unit.

Two figures approached the tent. Pulling the flaps open. They descended upon the duo. It was General Nashal and Lieutenant Nalnick.

Standing side by side they spoke out to the two.

In turns.

One after the other.

Nashal spoke out first, sternly and loud projecting his voice.

With Nalnick following, after at the end of his sentencing.

"You realize why we brought you two together".

"Both wounded by the same figure"

"Evaded not once"

"not twice"

"...but altogether"

"A threat to the nation"

"Ceasing our elevation"

"Stealing your sight"

"The woman of the night"

"Brandishing the narrow daggers"

"Cripling our might"

"Plagued on this soil, to either"

"Venture or toil"

"The grand Senate compels you both to"

"Serve all the Gods... request or"

"Serve Tal Morenn to, your last breath" "For freedom is for all, yet"

"thy has lost" General Nalnick calmly let out ending the back and forth between the two.

"Was that ... em…..rehearsed?...." The royal Nurse interjected.

"Because there are some lines… there that didn't….em….."

They tore straight back into him with menacing looks.

A personal guard from outside came in and chased the intruding nurse away.

"Is that, ….. what was seen?" asked the soldier.

"Yes, Kaldy" General Nashal answered back.

"To receive a premonition this quick means it was fated. For you both to occur like this" Nalnik replied enthusiastically.

"So, soon the gods shall take it all away....."

The General and Lieutenant ignored them, refusing to answer. They stood there with an aura of pride and hope, gleaming from them.

Losuii was puzzled but was full of anger.

"Kaldy and Losuii, from today your fates are tied. Only the gods know your next fate, hereafter. Whether you shall die or live. But both marked on the same day, by the same adversary! Your fate is up to each other now. To give Sanction and or…."

"Solitude!" Nalnick confirmed.

"That's right. Like they say back home. The Morenn family recognizes your plea. They have anchored themselves to you. Stretching their benevolent hand. If I were you, I'd grip it tightly and never let go" Nashal proudly announced while brushing off his armour.

He then turned around and left the tent, followed by Nalnick who paused to look at Kaldy scornfully, then at his son in law with Pride and pity.

The two turned and stared at each other puzzled.

Back at the Lake, Sannu and Kairui had opened up to each other, confiding at the very least. Due to their situation.

"We need to be preparing to visit the town past the ravines through the Great canyon. There is a village that will help us as well as someone I need to meet" Kairui took charge.

"Is it safe? For us?" Yannu interrogated, worried about their predicament and if they make it.

"The army doesn't know their way around this ʾaḵwār, let alone the narrow ravines. They probably all marched through the central main way. Following the road. We can navigate past them if we use the forest behind the lake".

"That's inhospitable, no one has explored it".

"We'll do it from up above...".

"From the top of the ḵawr", she pointed upwards.

"Is that possible??" Quine slung a rock across the lake one more time, before entering the conversation.

"It has to be…. We can see where we're going if we stay above them" she confidently replied placing her sights on her.

"How do you know so much about these lands. You're not native" Ussu questioned.

Yannu held her back.

"You're right, am not".

"And neither are they..."

The teens looked at each other confused.

Kairui stared at the top of the rocky hilltop peering over, above the lake.

"But you'd be surprised how much the outside knows about you all. Or at least the land".

Sannu screwed his face.

"How??…" he yelled.

"The world, Sabbu. I told you. It's a lot different from the one we left".

They all stood there in silence contemplating her words.

Footsteps sounded from the ravine entrance lodged in the jebel.

A figure slowly walked towards the group from the ravine narrow entrance.