The Kingdom

The  Kingdom

Year of the Lilies

Torrid Season

The Market

Altsas

Isla 

WHEN I WAKE UP, we are approaching huge towers that provides the soldiers that are guarding the Kingdom a birds eye view of almost everywhere. I catch myself staring at the towers in awe of the power of the people. This Kingdom must be very powerful to raid our home and cart us away like livestock.

But unfortunately, I'm too weak to do anything. I'm too weak to use my mind. I won't even create a breeze even if I tried. The cart stops and as if on cue, the crying and wailing stops. Eerie silence reigns the pungent air. 

I'm beginning to lose my calm when flies begin to buzz actively around me. But from what I can see, I'm not the only one who is suffering from the annoying bugs, everyone has a swarm which surrounds them. 

I can't wait to be released from this cage. How long have I been trapped inside here? Two days, if I'm not mistaken. Two days. The stench of urine becomes painfully obvious as I recall my capture. My dress reeks and the odour hurts my nose.

I turn to my left and come face-to-face with staring dark eyes. I flinch and scoot to the extreme of my cage, far away from the staring eyes as I can manage.

The person keeps staring. I turn my face the other way and settle with the burning gaze at the back of my head than the actual gaze.

"Isla?" The voice is very familiar. I hold my breath, and I turn slowly to the person. The eyes blink and they crinkle at the edges. "You won't know me," the voice is very sad.

"Who are you?" I ask. I know almost everyone in our village.

"Cera. I'm Cirok's cousin." The voice says. 

Truly, I don't know this woman. I was never familiar with Cirok's family, theirs is a large family. When she sees the look of confusion in my face, she lets out a raspy laugh. "I didn't live in Kintil so you won't know me. But I've heard a lot about you and your sister — my intended in-law. In fact, part of the reason I came to Kintil was to meet with your family."

"Oh really?" Surprisingly, my voice is not broken or coarse," it would have been a great pleasure if my sister, Mavli had met you then."

Her voice becomes a small whisper," I'm so heartbroken that things turned out this way."

Something comes to me and I ask, "how did you know I am Isla?"

"Oh." She looks away, "you were muttering Mavli's name in your sleep. I just put two and two together."

I feel heat rise up my neck to my cheeks and I look away. 

"I need to find her," I mutter but Cera hears me and turns to look at me. Her eyes hold pity, but I don't need her pity. Her body is covered in a fine layer of dirt and a wound on her temple is still bleeding a bit. I don't see any bandages on her so she must have evaded being shot. 

"Isla."

I turn to her at the sound of my name. "Do you think we'll ever be free?" 

I close my eyes and think about the question. Maybe. We have a chance. I have a chance. And at the slightest chance I get, I'm going to reclaim my freedom and re-unite with all my family members.

"Yes, Cera," I say. "We will be free again, one day."

I was so distracted by my thoughts and my conversation with Cera that I didn't realize that the cart had stopped. Two soldiers grunt and strain as they place the cages on the ground and open the doors for the captives to crawl out. I can't see past the cages that surrounds me so it's hard to make out what the citizens look like or what the Kingdom is like.

"Isla." Cera whimpers my name as her cage is hoisted up in the air and placed on the ground. Her cage is opened and she crawls out slowly like a tortoise.  

I'm dropped a few feet away from her and the sun hits me hard on the face. I groan and try to shield my face from the sun.

A pudgy man looks at me appraisingly as I crawl out like I'm a fleshy nanny goat in the market. I turn my eyes away but his voice makes me stare daggers at him.

"People of Altsas Kingdom, another cart of 'helping hands' has arrived so pick your desired helper for your house or farmlands." He smiles at the people,"this batch has quite a number of able-bodied helpers—"

But at that moment, I'm not hearing him anymore. My eyes rest on a fading figure that is getting mixed up in the crowd of the market, I want to stand up and yell and run as fast and as elusive as wind and grab her.  I've seen Mavli. 

I bid my legs to let me take control of them, I try to connect to my legs with my mind but it seems they are not part of me anymore. What am I going to do? I can't lose Mavli again, how am I ever going to find her in this huge Kingdom? Especially when I'm going to be bought by anyone who pleases.

A shrill scream brings me back to the gruesome situation at hand. The scene that plays out takes no longer than a second and ends as quickly as it began. Cera erupts with shrill ear-splitting screams. Before I can understand what's going on, she throws herself at the pudgy man and begins to scratch at him, she pulls him to the ground and starts throwing punches. The crowd goes wild with noises and screams and a few even run away but I'm frozen to the spot and I watch, not being able to tear my eyes away. 

My fingers tingle but the energy flowing through my veins is negligible. It's worthless at the moment.

A loud bang brings a hushed silence all over the market and Cera falls to the ground immediately. Her lifeless body falls beside the stunned slave trader. He is helped to his feet by the stand-by soldiers and he's trembling like a leaf. Cera's attack has left his face like claw-like scratches and most of them leak blood.

I stare at Cera's body, at the blood rapidly pooling around her.

Do you think we'll ever be free?

Yes Cera. We'll be free again, one day.

Cera is free.

And I begin to sob.

I hear a grumble of murmurs but I'm not interested, my mind has left my body and is wandering aimlessly with the wind. The sale continues and soon enough, my body is grabbed and I'm forced to stand on my numb legs, the pain that travels up my legs is excruciating enough to send me to my knees but I hold on, I won't let myself fall in front of them.

The sight of Mavli's fading back fills my mind. I know what I must do.

I don't protest or struggle when my hands are tied to a dusty mare, I let myself walk along the horse with only one goal in mind.