CHAPTER 3: THE NEW ERA, THE NEW BORNE RULER

• “You are useless! Freak!” The fury dripping from that scream made every children present at the room to cowered in fear. They were trembling, famished eyes and empty stomach that has not yet filled in since yesterday night.
• Clad on an almost dirty looking rug as their clothes, which offered no comfort at night. Some are skinny, bones are sticking under the hem of their shirt, which is much bigger among their size. Mud clings at their hair, wound and scraps from the beating they had gotten used to at such young age.
• Among this children was a child named Leandra. Unlike most of them, she isn’t as worst as the way they appear, although that doesn’t change the fact that they were slaves bought to serve the house of the woman whom they can hear angrily shouting at one of the eldest, who had spilled the soup during their meals.
• “I hope you will learn your lesson from this!”
• It was her voice who took over dominion and bounce back and forth from the walls. They never heard the eldest cry, nor beg as they had not been allowed to. Every thing should have their permission first or there would be lashes in exchange of a simple disobedience same as this.
• Leandra stared ahead. Her eyes are blank, orbs as cold as ice were cast down on the ground. They are slaves, stripped from every rights they had as a human, who once ruled the land, but not anymore.
• A few years ago, when the wolves penetrated the kingdom of SALEM, and destroy the balance, it became the first downfall of humanity. The king fled, leaving the Kingdom at its utmost despair and destruction. Those who has been captive became slaves, some had taken the refuge of what the woods offered, but it’s futile, if not hunted, they were soon killed and beheaded. No mercy has been shown. Nothing of sort, kindness deprive beast that even the people had not heard anything that had happened or to what end that the queen meet. No words pledge whether they were alive or murdered inside the castle.
• No rescue, nor salvation save the people and so the new ruler of SALEM became the Alpha known as the leader of those wolves. The invasion did not end there. The beast who loitered in the dark dominated the land as far as their eyes could reach. It was a total bloodshed, and Leandra isn’t a fool to know the history of SALEM because of the books on the library she read in secrecy when nobody pay any heed.
• Her train of thoughts were soon cut off, when the door ahead were slammed open. The strength and the madness they could feel made almost every child present in the room tremble, but nobody dare move.
• On her feet, where the eldest fell, Leandra could see the mark of lashes, which left reddish coloured wounds and blood as it tear some part of her skin.
• “I hope that it will serve as your lesson.” Without much further ado, the woman leave, the whip on her hand rolled perfectly in a circular pattern.
• The children waited for her to disappear before they silently went back to their chores. It was Leandra who was left there, staring at the child who was groaning to the pain, which torment her greatly. Tears streamed on her face as her lips quiver.
• “How bad was it, Mia?” Leandra said, her voice chilly, it shows no emotion at all, but every child had just gotten used to the way she speak.
• “I—it hurts so bad.” The one whom she referred to as Mia silently cries, which she quickly hold back or she would end up dead as it reach the woman’s ears.
• Wolves had a greater sense of hearing, far more double than their human ears and so they are aware that it isn’t possible, no matter how far the woman is, if she hear her complains, she would came back and bring her towards the room until no breathe was left on Mia.
• “I have some gauze left on my bed—” Leandra suggested.
• “No, I can’t tend to my wounds yet, I needed to work or I’ll get into more troubles, Lean.” Regardless of the agony, and the ache contorted on her face, Mia tried to stand up, although she failed multiple times.
• She was wobbling on her feet, clinging in support towards the walls that Lean could see she was failing to withhold.
• “Nonsense.” Her remark caught Mia’s attention. “You are exempted from each work. Have you seen your state? You won’t be able to do any chores, you would be clumsy, and way would it lead you on?”
• “Lean...” Horrors soon grip Mia’s visage, the brave facade she wore were long gone now as she foresaw what could she end up to.
• “If you Spill or done any mistakes again—” Leandra’s eyes are sharp, her words penetrated towards the latter as it seep through her head. “I don’t think so that whip would be enough punishment for you.”
• A new batch of fresh tears recoiled.
• “I’m s—scared.” Mia gnawed her teeth.
• The other children could see her suffering, the distress on her voice they could hear, but nobody move. Their eyes sympathetic, yet they knew that to go against, or help Mia would only left them be to the same fate she meet. Nobody wanted to get punish. Nobody wanted to get killed at such young age that should have a promising future ahead, but the downfall and failure of their own Royalties they compensate for life.
• It was unfair, but what could human does to fight against the inhuman strength of wolves? The war, where they would be held triumph, Victorious as they stood proud and on their glory, everyone feared their power as they knew the doom that those wolves would brought upon. They are the storm, who never vanish for ages. They remain, as well as their destruction.
• “Let’s go.” Without much further ado, Leandra walked closer to Mia and gently put her arms around her shoulder.
• “Won’t you get in trouble?” Mia worriedly asked.
• Leandra guided her to where the stairs was, leading to a basement room, which more likely their own prison. It doesn’t have any windows. It was underneath the house and if no pure luck, when a disaster happens nor when the abode collapse, they could get trap, or either perish in their sleep. The wolves had not been worried about it, Leandra knew, because for them, humans were nothing, but slaves. Borne to serve them until their last breathe.
• “Don’t worry about me.” Leandra softly said. “Worry about yourself from now on and quit being clumsy.”
• “I’m sorry.” Mia bit her lips. “I—I didn’t mean to Spill the soup, it just so heavy and so hot—”
• “And quit apologising, Mia, it won’t do you any good, if you show any sign of weakness.” Leandra added.
• That made Mia shut up, sealed her lips shut and never speak any of it.
• Leandra learn it the hard way the moment she was brought on this house to serve.
• At the age of 7, she has been told to, imprinted on her mind that her only purpose was to become a slave for the wolves. Deprived from the childhood she should of experience, instead of balls and dolls, nor running on the fields freely with a smile on their visage, what she hold were heavy workloads, laundry and works that she were taught to on her own. Leandra suffered from beating. One single mistake that could end her up with an empty stomach as they refuse to feed her. She suffered under that house, strip from every right, when she knew exactly who should rule Salem.
• Leandra clenched her jaw, but her expression remain passive. To show emotion were like expressing the deepest desire embedded on her heart, and what she hid were put her inn risk the moment it has become u concealed.
• When they reach their quarters, Leandra carefully hold Mia’s arms until she can fully sit on her bed. The latter was silent, it was as if she’s been on an unfathomable thoughts drowned and totally lost at the world she built far from this vile realm.
• Leandra walked back to her own bed, and when she came back, she was carrying some gauze, and a small basin she keep underneath her bed.
• She kneeled in front of her and began cleaning her wounds.
• Mia winced, but no complaints came affront from her lips.
• “Lean...” Out of a sudden, she calls.
• “What it is?” It was Leandra.
• “Do you think the old rule and peace would came back?” Quietly, Mia asked.
• Leandra’s hand stop, what she asked cause a change of her expression, which Mia failed notice as she couldn’t see her face.
• “Why do you ask?” Calmly, she asked her.
• “I’m just curious.” She could hear the bitterness dripping on her words. “I just wanted to know shat it felt to be human, and not slaves. What was it felt like to be treated right, and not some sort of animals, and I—I wanted to see my parents that I had not seen, Lean.”
• Her soft sobs filled her ears.
• Leandra did not reply.
• Parents. That word sounded both odd and strange. It left a pang on her chest, a hope that made her heart fluttered, although not even once had she saw what they looks like. She grew up alone. She haven’t had a mother to rely on when nightmares scared her at night. No father to protect her from danger and no parents that could have save her from such cruelty.
• Leandra bite back her cheeks to suppress the words she may uttered. Mia’s cries filled her ears. Her pain shared, and she knew the moment they step out of this room again, she wouldn’t be able to shed any tears anymore.
• She continuously tend her wound and clean them.
• One thing that Leandra learnt through was the fact that both fate and fortunes only favour the bold.
• When dusk fell, and the sky morphed into an ebony black coloured hue, the children, Leandra and the others were dismissed to go back on their quarters. They were fed, a small portion that was left from the dining area, it wasn’t enough, but fairly something that could have fill their empty stomach to survive the night.
• The woman watched them closely in line. Guarded, to make sure that nobody would dare cause any troubles and escape, the door were soon locked from the outside.
• Leandra saw the relief from their eyes, weary visage, and fatigue, which made them to easily fall asleep. The dreams lull them, where they can only have the peace that were stolen from them.
• She throw a glance to Mia’s body.
• “Are you alright?” She asked, but Leandra earned no response.
• Mia was unmoved, her back was turned against her and so Leandra assumed that she may have fallen into sleep.
• Lean put herself on her own bed and feel the warm coming from her blankets.
• She glance at her.
• “Goodnight, Mia.” Before Leandra shut her orbs down, preparing for a tomorrow that do not offer much.
• However, when snores, soft and loud filled the room, her eyes slowly fluttered open. Leandra feel the place, her eyes are both sharp, and beside her, whom she only can see appeared a fairly winged creature. It was of a woman. She had a papery white coloured complexion, naked and bare, while a pair of wings were sprouting at her back. They were white, her features soft and chastise, but same with Leandra her orbs are blank, empty. No words were passed between them when the winged creatures spread her wings apart.
• All of a sudden, a blinding light filled Lean before she was transported away from the room, and so when she opened her eyes, she was met face to face with a male who is much older than what his age was because of the war.
• “Val.” Leandra’s visage were hard.
• Her expression did not change, but unlike the slave she was on that house, Leandra on the place she was currently in hold the authority that nobody does.
• “It was a pleasure to have your presence here again.” The man she called Val bow her head.
• Behind him, the others are doing the same.
• It was Valerian, one of the warriors of SALEM, who barely survive. The war took away one of his eyes, but the injury he had only flared the hate, the grudge they keep on their hearts for the wolves.
• Valerian was the one who found her, when she was just barely alive. He was the one who shared the war to her and who she really was. Daughter of the former King and Queen, Leandra knew that the ruling system and the throne that the Kingdom has solely belongs to her.
• “Is everyone here?” Leandra asked.
• Val lifted his head.
• “They are as you wish.” The light from the flame blazing on the centre to keep the cold night warmth reflected on his eyes.
• “Then, let’s begin our training.”
• Long before she knew it, she was holding a wooden sword, clutched tightly on his hand. She was breathing heavily, scraps and dust left on her legs. Sweat trickled on her forehead as her and Valerian sparred.
• “Your swordsmanship is getting more skilful, your highness.” He complimented her.
• He deems satisfied, but Leandra isn’t.
• “It wasn’t enough yet to defeat them.” The hate she restored made her clenched her fist, angst fury fuelled by the debt she would someday retrieved evoke her wantons to trained more.
• “You still have so many years ahead, your highness.” Valerian reassure her.
• “But still—” Her eyes narrowed. “I should—no, we should of come prepared, if we wanted to get back the same kingdom that were stolen from us.”
• “We will do.” Valerian gritted his teeth. “I have gathered allies from the mountains, and keep spies on each Palace where their people penetrated. I keep an eye on their move just like what you said.”
• “Excellent.” Briefly, Leandra said. “And I have keep my own eye inside the house. A few years more and I would be able to go inside the Palace unnoticed just like what we’ve been planning for years.”
• “It is still dangerous your highness—”
• She cut him off.
• “It should be done, Val.” Se meet his eyes. “In order to destroy whatever we can and gather more information, I am the one who’s fit for the job.”
• “And what if you get caught?” Worried, he asked.
• “Caught?” Leandra chuckled, her reflection stared back at her from the transparent surface of the sword. “And what would be my crime, when I am nobody? My name is Leandra, a slave from the slavery house sold as what we planned before, but it won’t be like this for so long.”
• Leandra stood ahead. Her voice catches the attention of those people on the training grounds.
• “The day would come and we would be able to live with the same Kingdom we had before. I may be young, but I’ll make sure that when I come of age, no wolves would dare lay a hand on the same land we thrive for years—” the intensity of her eyes and words grip their heart. It was like a flame spreading like a wildfire. “—No bloods would be shed as I claimed the throne that solely belongs for my reign.”
• The men, women and children raised their swords in support. Beside Leandra, the winged creature fluttered its wings widely. Under the night sky where they bask, a new hope, a promise to build the future they should have made.
• The history written, and the prophecy foresaw long before came into life. Leandra, the lost heir of the Kingdom of Salem borne to rule and claimed her reign promised.
• She was meant to lead, but that doesn’t mean no bloodbath would be shed.
• @cycy