CHAPTER 4: THE DEATH IN DEBT OF CRUELTY

• When Leandra came back, she made sure that she was careful enough not to make any noise ‘til sleep pulled her onwards. It goes downhill, lulling her to succumbed at the only peace she could ever found. But the next morning, she least expect to woke up with the horrors she would experience at that early age.
• Her eyes fluttered open. The warmth seep through, luminesce coming from the sun which hinted them that it would be another day of chores, serving as the slaves of the wolves in that house.
• She run her hand through her hair in an attempt to at least fixed it, but it is much harder than she thought. Her muscles are still aching, her legs and her arms, but she pay no heed. The training she had been accustomed to last night were the preparation she needed. One needs to bleed in order to learn. Pain in exchange of strength you sought after. Then the ache and agony, muscles strain from how hard she pushed only told her that she was gaining from the night she sneak, and the training she filled herself.
• Leandra climbed down from her bed, when she noticed Mia’s unmoving form.
• She went closer to her and gave her blankets a small tug.
• “Mia, you should wake up.” She persuaded her, but nothing of sort happened.
• Leandra earned no response.
• “Mia?” She repeated her calls before giving her blankets a much harder pull leading for Mia to rolled over to their direction. But the moment she’s been exposed, Leandra felt glued onto the floor. Her lips parted, she eyed her with a growing anxiety that filled her chest the moment she finally saw her.
• Mia’s lips are pale, it was in a bluish colour, and she seems...dead.
• “Oh god!” One of the children screamed loudly.
• Clamours filled the room, but it all feels like, a deafening silence filled her ears. Leandra couldn’t hear a thing. There are screams, but she couldn’t tore her eyes off from her. Mia’s eyes are shut closed. She looks peaceful, sleeping and lulled to the dreams she craves for, where there would be no lashes, nor punishment that would touch even a single strand of her hair.
• A memory flashed before her eyes. The nightmare, where she would found herself oftentimes to cowered onto the corner, covered her ears as she get accustomed to how painful the cries was, the remnant of what was left, belonging to those who perish.
• It was like that day, it reminds Leandra of the dreams that always left her sleepless at night. It was scary. There would be a lot of corpses, dead bodies, who have one or two limbs missing. Cries misheard, pleas to get spared, but blood bask underneath, the land fed from the dead and so was the claws and roars that destroy the peace they keep.
• She just suddenly came into her senses, when the door were suddenly slammed open with so much force. It created a loud bang. A creak on the floor as it left complaints at the heavy weight that it withhold in an abrupt manner. The footsteps are heavy. It was brute and careless.
• “What is happening here?” It was of the woman who set the rules and punish those who made mistakes in that house.
• The noise died down. The children are horrified, but they are more terrified towards the woman who had suddenly made her appearance.
• Those who are near to where she was recoiled, their eyes trained across to her whip that tend to give them lashes just because they slip, scrap their knees or either way getting slower as they work, because of the wounds, fresh, anew and old that was decorating their skin.
• “Do I need to repeat myself?” Her voice sounded harsh. It echoed across the room. It bounced back and forth from the walls.
• “M—mia.” One of the child who muster her courage speak up. “W—we think she’s dead.”
• “Dead?” The woman only raised her eyebrows before making her way to where Mia was.
• Her disgusted look landed to Leandra who feel paralysed, shock at what she woke up from. Before her eyes move to where Mia was.
• “Dead?” The woman scrunched her nose when she have taken the smell that Mia reeks. “Disgusting.”
• Something embedded on her depth had been triggered.
• Mia...she called Mia disgusting just because she die?
• Leandra could feel the blood on her veins boiling. Her eyes wide. Tears rolled on her eyes, when Mia’s body were pulled harshly. She was clenching her fist, so tight to suppress whatever she may have done as it will cost everything they had work from.
• The woman stop in front of her.
• “What? Do you have any problem with me?” She spat out. She was harsh. No mercy were shown as the children move away from her path. Their sympathetic eyes and orbs were staring at Mia’s body that were being dragged without remorse from behind. The maltreatment she get even when she was alive she didn’t event deserve, yet nobody dare to speak up.
• They turned blind eye, while Leandra was holding herself back.
• Besides what can a lad do to fight against those wolves? They could shred their flesh, they could behead them with ease and kill them whenever they desired to. The thought was infuriating.
• “What?” The woman angrily shouted.
• Leandra orbs set ablaze. She move, but she stop on her tracks the moment she felt the winged creature she named Lilac place her feathery hand on top of her first. She was shaking her head, and it was only Leandra who could see her.
• Lilac, it was the name that match the colour of her eyes. She had gotten her when she turned 5. She may be young, yet Leandra is aware what was Lilac’s reason to be there. She shared it to Valerian, who had no answer even to her questions. However, Lilac were like sent for her, a protection that guide and aid her in needs. An angel, similar form, although it was ridiculous to think that she can actually see her with her bare eyes.
• “Tch. Just like what I thought.” The woman clicked her tongue before she left.
• Leandra breathed out. But that doesn’t mean she would left for this things to slipped out.
• One of the children walked closer at her, she looked anxious.
• “What are they going to do to her?” She asked.
• Leandra’s orbs narrowed. She harshly brushed away the tears, which cascade softly on her cheeks.
• “They are going to burn her.”
• “Do we really need to bring this child with us?” Gobta grumbled under his breathe.
• His company laughs.
• “You know, Emilia wanted us to buried that corpse somewhere, but you know her, she like it being roasted.” Roku whistled.
• They are one of Emilia Roselle’s warriors, the head of the slave trade where the human children are trained and keep. They are being taught to, punish, and imprinted on their head who they are, a mere flies, and so it would be able to prevent any rebellious attempt in the future.
• “It was just a waste that this child die.” He added, pertaining to the sack where the body is wrapped inside.
• “That explains why Emilia’s not in a good mood today.” Gobta pointed out as a matter of fact.
• “Well, she lost 10 gold coins for this human.” Roku chuckled.
• Since the reign of the wolves ruled, and so the beginning of slave trades, wherein the captured human were sold for the highest bidders. However, It depends on what they are capable of, their age, and the youngest had almost the one whom most of their people preferred. They are either sold for 10 or until 30 gold coins that could buy silk and every wantons, caprices and whims of Emilia who handle the finance of the trade. She is also the one who sent slaves towards the Kingdom of SALEM for the reigning ruler.
• Gobta and Roku continue. They were bickering, laughing, unaware of the pair of eyes that lay its orbs at the sack they are holding. It was of a man accompanied by three men from behind. When the pair set their foot on where the boundary lies, carefully the group trailed after them. Their scent are masked. Their faces concealed, and so their movement are polished.
• Nobody dare speak, and the pair remain unaware about the doom that would befall upon them.
• “There it is.” Roku stop on his tracks.
• “Where?” Gobta followed his line of sight.
• In front of them, a hole that were dig long before lies. The centre of it is blackish, the ground indicating about the burnt body as some bones and remnants remains scattered.
• “I didn’t know we have this.” Gobta looked surprised. “Don’t we just burn them around the pack house?”
• “Are you serious?” Roku placed the sack down. “Emilia would gone mad. She doesn’t like their smell, she would complains and I wouldn’t want to hear her voice. It makes my ear bleeds.”
• “Well, I couldn’t agree for more.” Gobta chuckled.
• The two began working. When Roku pulled the corpse from the sack, it looks more horrible. It twisted Mia’s body in a grotesque position, bending her limbs much painful the way they look. Roku scrunched his nose in disgust. On the other hand, Gobta began gathering some of the dried branches from the trees he could of found and throw them across to the hole placed in the ground..
• “Shesh, this child look disgusting.” His disgust was evidently shown.
• Roku shuddered. He had seen dead bodies, but there’s something on them that still made his skin recoiled. It revolt him. The sight sickened his stomach.
• “Hey, do you think we should have buried her instead of—” Roku looks behind, but he frowns, when he didn’t found Gobta around. “Gobta?”
• He isn’t worried, presumably assuming that he may have wander to find more things to use into burning that corpse.
• “Well, nevermind.” Roku shrugged his shoulders off.
• Oblivious about the company he is looking for who had been bloodedly put under those branches and dried leaves, unconcealed to his sight as Gobta’s orbs are wide, shocked and stunned, a stake, which has been made from silver is penetrated across his chest. The wound is clean, clothed by blood of his own as he didn’t have the time to react. It was as if he was even bewildered by his own death. He is a wolf. He could have reacted, but whoever it may have cause, he seems to know what he is doing. He knew when was the right to strike and so before he realized it, he found the weapon used sticking on his chest.
• No words escape, even Roku, who had been his company remain unaware and utterly oblivious.
• “That’s odd.” Roku scratched his chin.
• He’s been waiting for him much longer, but Gobta had not showed up.
• “Well, I could do all the work then.” He sighs.
• Roku picked up Mia’s corpse. He was prepared to throw her at the hole, when she noticed something that was glinting on the air, it was moving fast. He couldn’t name it. And it was coming on his way!
• “What in the world—“ Roku’s orbs widened.
• It was an arrow made from silver!
• “Shit!” Roku haven’t had the time to react.
• Thanks for his reflexes, although it was too late, Roku manage to prevent it from hitting his chest. It missed but left an open wound on his left arm. A white hot pain instantly travelled across his entire body. He howled. His wolf whimpered. They shared the same pain, and they die the same death.
• The arrow hit the tree behind them and the corpse he was holding earlier has been drop off from the ground.
• “What the actual fuck.” He gritted his teeth, and hold his wounded arm.
• Roku narrowed his eyes. He sharpened his senses, although strangely if there are enemies around his range, he should of been aware. But he couldn’t. No smell, no threat has been detected. Unless...they know how to mask their smell, and there’s only one person who is capable to do that.
• Witches and...
• “Humans.” Roku snarled.
• He prepared himself.
• “I know you are here.” He growled loudly, releasing the anger that his wolf felt.
• He whipped his head, when a black mass on the air launched itself to him. Roku shield himself using his arms, the sword he used draw bloods, it was of a man clad into a cloak and he is wearing a mask that hid the lower part of his face as it reach until his nose.
• His claw and the edge of his sword clashed.
• “Who are you?” Roku growled, his eyes darkened.
• How could a mere human threatened him?!
• But he earned no response.
• He could not see fear on his eyes, but what he saw was fire, and hate, and he isn’t a fool not to know where does his loathsome is coming from.
• “How dare—” Roku did not have the time to finish his words, when his opponent put so much force, pushing his strength before using it to pulled himself away from his range.
• He landed perfectly on his feet. Roku eyed hi..
• It seems like the enemy he is currently facing knows how to fight.
• “You had guts to be here.” He glared at him.
• Unknowingly, the bushes slanted, the twigs snapped, revealing 3 more companies that joined them.
• “You are a fool.” Roku roared. “Do you really think you would be able to bring me down? You almost forgot that I am a wolf.”
• With that said, Roku lowered himself on the ground.
• His eyes hooded. His teeth sharpened.
• “I’ll make you pay—” But all the words he uttered were stop, suppressed, when Roku felt a sharp object, something that slipped past on his neck. He looks confounded. He reached out to feel what it may have been until he cough. Something came alongside with it. It was sticky, it was hot.
• His lips parted in shock, the moment he finally saw what it is.
• Bloods!
• “W—what—” Another cough followed suit.
• Bloods overflowed ‘til Roku found himself heaving. The air on his lungs depleting. Breathless, he groans.
• His sights is blurry, but he could still see the man in front of him.
• He take a few steps to where was.
• Consciousness were slipping away from him. He felt paralysed, immobile because something that may have cause it.
• He felt him coaxed his chin closed, and the blood smeared on his hand.
• “Do you want to know what business we have here, wolf?” His voice is deep. It was baritone, and there is an edge that told him that he sounded mad, his hate brimming.
• Roku couldn’t speak. He could have sworn that he felt like even his wolf were drifting away from his grasp.
• “We came here to take the child you are going to burn as ordered.”
• Ordered by who?
• Roku was confused, who ordered this men? But he had no strength to ask. Right when he saw him raised his sword, and saw a thick liquid on its sharpness as it glinted. That’s when he knew why he felt like dying.
• The humans...they knew how to kill them. A wolfs bane. It was a kind of poison that was dangerous for them but not to human. It could left them paralyzed, if not dead, and that would made them vulnerable for their enemy to take the life they had take. But aren’t them the one who should reap the debt they should have gotten? They killed them, when they done nothing wrong.
• They destroyed their home, when they never harm their children. But it is all buried now. Roku could tell that the humans are meant to asked for the debt they left the thrive as they reign.
• He closed his orbs.
• Why does death come and go? He thought, right when Roku felt it. The sound of the sword slashing the air and so he was lulled into an unfathomable sleep where he won’t be able to see the sunset again the next day.
• His head rolled under their feet.
• The man in front pulled the mask and glanced back at the trio.
• “We are done here.” It was Valerian, who had just gotten the order from Leandra with haste.
• The others nodded before walking to where Roku was and pulling his dead body to where the hole was. Meanwhile, Valerian walk to where Mia’s body was, the purpose of why they are there and bring doom to those two wolves.
• He had just been training earlier that morning, when Leandra appeared, although he isn’t supposed to.
• She looks mad, anger pouring on her edge as she had given their order. At such young age, while starring at the fury that lashed out like a storm ready to tow destruction, Valerian knew that when the war broke out again to redeem the Kingdom they lost, they would be more prepared.
• She reminds him of his father. The king who show no mercy to those who done wrong, but cadence and justice is what he bestow under his people.
• She would be a great ruler. Valerian though, and his chest swelled with pride upon knowing that he is the one who built her from being weak, and frail.
• She was far from the young child he saw that were ready to get devoured by beast on that forest beside the lifeless corpse of Alliah. The sight still made him mourn, but it isn’t the right time yet. His sweet Alliah who died without having the chance to defend herself.
• Valerian shook his head off and repelled those thoughts away.
• He kneeled to where Mia’s corpse was and gently picked her up. He treated her with delicate finger and touch. His heart ached upon knowing what may have this child been through.
• His clenched jaw mirrored his madness.
• “What do you want us to do with the corpse?” One of the warriors he brought asked.
• “Burn them.” He said. “And then we can leave.”
• And that’s what exactly they did. Roku and Gobta burnt, the flame which dance into the air, bringing the smell of brining flesh and with Valerian and his group walking away alongside with the soul who as been tormented for a very long time.
• Mia.
• “I will bring you home.” Valerian uttered before their tracks vanish and so they disappeared.
• @cycy