Terrin realized what was happening much too late. The pale girl, who had to be nobility judging by her dress, had already mumbled something in a strange language before pulling away from him, her expression twisted into a hideous mocking smile. The spider’s icy legs tickled his skin as its thin fangs sank into his flesh like needles behind his ear. He tried to run away, but his legs wouldn’t move when he told them to. He felt panic rise in his throat.
“You will come with me to Lur Alava and do whatever I tell you to until noon tomorrow. Then you will walk to the harbor and offer yourself to the slave traders as free labor.”
His eyes tried to widen as a golden hue consumed them, but he wasn’t in control anymore.
That's suicide! he thought, but his lips refused to open.
Nitiri saw his expression and grinned.
“Come now, Terrin. We have places to go.”
His legs moved against his will, and he followed Nitiri toward the dead prince. He turned and faced Elurra, who was frozen in her place with tears streaming down her cheeks. He wasn’t sure if she was frustrated, angry, or sad. It was probably a combination of all three.
“Ňeo Ħi,”[i] Nitiri uttered. Elurra’s expression twisted as she was able to control her facial expressions and speech once again.
“Give him back!” she screeched, defiance and anger burning in her red-rimmed eyes.
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She struggled in vain to make her body move, but it didn’t budge. Her eyes focused desperately on Terrin.
“Please, stay with me.”
His heart shattered in his chest. He couldn’t bear to see her cry again, especially after he promised he wouldn’t fail her. He felt an overwhelming frustration building up inside him, but his exterior didn’t move in the slightest.
“This is becoming a touch too dramatic for my taste. Come along, Terrin,” Nitiri declared as she rolled her eyes and turned away from her niece.
“Curse you, Nitiri!” Elurra screamed after them.
Nitiri turned back around sharply.
“Now Elurra, it is much too late for that. Ħi foci!”[ii]
°◌°○●○°♣°○●○°◌°
Elurra sprawled forward, unexpectedly released from the spell holding her. She lurched forward in a desperate attempt to grab Terrin, but she was too far away.
“Ťo nobi maş!”[iii] Nitiri shouted.
She and Terrin vanished, leaving Elurra sprawled in the dirt beside the prince’s corpse.
She tried to gather herself and remember the phrase Nitiri used moments before to transport herself and Terrin. She knew if he boarded a slave boat, she would never see him again. He would sail to his death. The main continent of Incari didn’t have many of the minerals and ores found on the islands, but no one wanted to work in the mines, so slavers cropped up to fulfill the labor demand. Although the practice was banned in most kingdoms, many turned a blind eye because they needed the materials. Lur Alava thrived on its ability to forge, and without the iron from the islands, their economy would collapse. As a result, the slavers regularly frequented the harbors of Tor’ac Roh. The local constabulary pretended not to notice, as long as they only took the homeless or penniless and didn’t cause a ruckus. No one ever returned once they were taken to the mines, but she would not let Nitiri win so easily.
She whispered, “Ťo nobi maş”, but nothing happened. She sighed.
I have a lot of work to do.