“I want you to take me with you?” In a mockery to imitate a girly voice Xander laughed at Kiur as he repeated the words. Then he turned cold. “You can’t be for real, can you?”

The change of tone took Kiur off guard. “What do you mean by that? She handed me that letter and-”, when Kiur attempted to pull out the piece of parchment Xander interjected immediately to stuff it back inside Kiur’s shawl.

“Are you out of your mind? This girl is a reiszer, slave or not what if the letter was fabricated and could get us killed?” His whispering voice was anything but discreet and the other prisoners were staring.

So Kiur pushed him away to get some space. “Don’t be so pushy,” he said out loud which earned them a laugh from the prisoners and an embarrassing look from Xander. “I can tell it’s not fake. It’s papyrus and written in navarrien characters. Both things which are very hard to replicate without prior knowledge.”

“Well,” Xander tried to come up with an argument. “Fine, point to you but I still don’t trust that girl. She and the other forced labourers are suspicious.”

“We will find out about it tonight then.”

“You agreed to meet them!?” Xander pulled on his navy-blue hair, frustrated by Kiur’s decision making.

“If you had listened to what I was saying then you would have known!” Kiur yelled back and his heart began to sting.

Sweat was rolling on his face, his breath ragged as he clenched his chest. His heart was burning, was it a heart attack?

“If this ends badly then I will pretend to not know you,” Xander went off to the other side of their caged wagon, pretending to sleep.

“What was that?” mumbled Kiur, sinking down to get some rest with his head starting to hurt now too.

Dusk came and with it the people went to sleep without anything else to do. Except for Kiur and Xander who waited for the girl and the messenger to arrive.

“They are coming”, whispered Kiur, seeing the light of a lantern carried by a hooded figure with the reiszer girl as its guide. They were equally nervous, waiting as the footsteps drew closer to their waggon.

What if it was a trap? What would happen then? Questions like these lingered in their minds but they couldn’t do anything about it.

“Ergh, this man is here too?” The girl looked at Xander as if she looked at literal garbage. Not a reaction Kiur expected to see.

“I should have known it was you. The air smelled rancid.”

“You smelled yourself and your stupid clothes.”

“Keep quiet you two, how come you know each other anyway?” asked Kiur, trying to break the two up before they alarmed someone with their bickering.

“She threw my food at me.”

“He kicked me in the face.”

“You did what!?” Exclaimed Kiur on hearing this.

“Not to be rude but can we get to the point?” Said the cloaked person, talking in the native navarrien accent Kiur was familiar with. Removing his cloak came forth a bearded dwarf dressed in leather armour and beige robes.

A scout.

“You are able to communicate in various languages, aren’t you?” Kiur nodded in confirmation. “Great, name is Jeorg, and we are in dire need of someone who can communicate between the prisoners. I belong to the joined scout troops, and I need you to pass messages between everyone here.”

“Me? Can’t you choose someone else?” asked Kiur, unsure if he wants to expose himself to this danger. What if he gets caught for suspicious behaviour?

“No, we can’t,” Jeorg’s response was blunt and very direct. “It’s understandable you don’t want to take such a risk, but we are running out of time. The Reiszer are preparing to leave and return to their territories. Things are already underway, but we still need more people to get aware of it in time. There are more people to rescue than we can handle so we need more forces on the inside who will help.”

“What about the Western Kingdoms? What about my home country Hellas? They should be able to help since their people were kidnapped too,” interjected Xander but the dwarf gave a cold response. “Why are you making that face?”

The navarrien scout held the bridge of his nose, trying to find the right words. “They won’t be of any help,” responded the scout coldly. “We are on our own.”

“What do you mean they won’t- Hellas won’t just abandon us-'' Xander had his mouth closed by Kiur before he would talk any further.

“Since you are from Hellas you know exactly why you can’t expect help from them,” answered Jeorg with harsh coldness. “They cannot be bothered in working with us together. You know how it is, rescuing others is not their style so give up.”

Dejected by this Xander became quiet and the scout let out a sigh. “Regardless, Navarre is giving their full support with the help of Idaris, but it won’t be nearly enough. Some of the labourers agreed to help, like this girl, use her as a liaison between us.”

Kiur glanced over to Xander who withdrew in a corner. Hearing his own home country not coming for help must have hurt him. “I will help as best as I can, what do you need me to do?”

Support, finding people with combat abilities and marking people who need extra attention during the escape. A basic understanding on the demography of people from their age and injuries. How many children and elderly are there? How many can they help?

They needed to gather and communicate around the entire caravan field before they departed further to the west. The moment they enter reiszer territory everything will be too late.

Despite his feelings about it Xander understood the direness and swallowed his feelings.

He and Kiur spent the entire next week talking with the various people in the wagons when they were moved around. With Kiur able to communicate with everyone and Xander to communicate with those from his home they were able to get a good grasp who would help and who not.

“What do you mean you can’t use magic?” asked Xander on the day before the escape. “You can’t or you won’t?” he inquired with more intensity.

“I can’t,” confessed Kiur with reluctance. “I lost my ability to control it a few years ago. My main element is earth, but it won’t be of any help.”

“Great, just great,” sighed Xander and slumped down, becoming increasingly worried. “I can’t use my magic either or not to the extent I am used to. Being a water mage restricts my abilities here.”

“I don’t understand what you are mopping around,” said the slave girl who was hanging around them more and more when she was off duty or simply slacking off. “I can’t use magic at all though I wish it would be different.”

“Ha,” Xander cackles derisively. “Doesn’t surprise me from a slave girl,” he only shut up when Kiur and the girl hit him both against the arm.

“There are still not enough people, do you think we could convince people from your group?” hearing Kiur’s preposition the reiszer girl whose name they still don’t know turned her head away.

Particularly at the direction where the humble tents of her group were. Hugging their legs and resting before another task gets thrown on their heads.

On another side near the labourer unit were the slave warriors. They are as heavily burdened as the labourers but take no time to rest. Instead, they honed their skills, instinct and will unlike the normal soldiers of the reiszer.

There was a much greater camaraderie between them than anyone else.

“They won’t help, and most of the labourers are too tired to be of much help. It’s just me.”

Raising an eyebrow, they couldn’t help but feel suspicious about it. “How can you be so sure? What makes you different?”

“I’m not a fanatic,” she responded with ice cold intent like one of the reiszer warriors. “Each of us slaves were taken when they expanded their lands eastwards. Many gave up and live like husks while others like the slave warriors are fanatically clinging to a purpose. We all want to survive, one way or the other.”

Not able to catch her eyes Kiur and Xander could feel the determination emanating from her. Kiur recognized it as it was the same one Hessian gave off when he hunted and fought Kiur.

An iron will to do what is necessary.

“Where will you go then? Navarre has strict regulations against reiszers and Idaris won’t be keen on either,” asked Kiur, worried about her future after this.

“I will definitely not take her with me home,” snarked Xander. “Sure, we are more lenient with potential reiszers, but I don’t like her enough to let her tag along with me.”

“Don’t worry, I would rather bite the dust than go with an obnoxious man like you,” she hissed at Xander who hissed right back with childish conduct. Those two will never get along and Kiur was stuck between them.

“Did you get a word from the children, eh,” Kiur then realised he still didn’t know the name of her despite them working together to escape. Looking for help to Xander he simply shrugged, not caring to remember or ask for her name.

Staring at the two of them, she waited for Kiur to finish his question, who was now too embarrassed to ask about it, hoping she would catch on which she didn’t. “This is too embarrassing but what is your name?”

Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow. “Really? I expected that from bluebeard but not from you.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Kiur apologised, not paying attention to Xander panicking over his growing stubbles. “It’s, I don’t know how to talk to you outside of what we are doing here, and my mind is full of stuff- No, this isn’t an excuse, I’m sorry.”

“In the last couple of years Not a single person has asked me for my name. I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t remember it anymore,” she answered in such a mundane way that Kiur could only feel sorry the way she dismissed the topic. She was younger than him, what kind of life must she have lived compared to him? “I doubt we will get to know each other but if you insist, it’s Cyliane.”

“It’s a nice name, let’s get along, Cylia.”

Taken aback by the nickname Cylia didn’t know how to react as her face became a surprised smile. “Only the girls in my village and my mother called me that but I think it’s alright for you to use,” she shakes Kiur’s hand who suddenly blushes at her touch. Her hand was cold but not unpleasant though something about it made his heart shiver.

“For your information, I forbid you to call me Xander, do you understand?” Xander crawled out from his corner to join the conversation, unable to bear the thought of being left out.

“I would never dream of it, bluebeard,” she snickered at her snarky remark.

“That’s it, the next sharpest object I find will be used as a shaving tool!”

As the two kept bickering, Kiur remained seated, watching the arguments and possible insults unfolding. He was just happy sitting in between this strange beginning of a friendship. One he didn’t have since he broke up with his best friends.

Something he only remembered when seeing Cylia and Xander bickering the same way his former friends did.

In this strange position as a prisoner, he really felt happy but also longed for more than just friendship and happiness. However, this would have to wait, he thought. He couldn’t achieve it just yet.

Merely because his delusions were back. Dark thoughts of not deserving such happiness but also serving as a premonition of something happening.

The shadow had a much clearer form than the ones from before. Clear bright eyes with a feeling of melancholy, furrowed eyebrows and downcast lips. She was unhappy but about what? And why did she have to share her emotions with him?

Kiur followed with his eyes where she was wandering off to. Her dark watery figure held onto the metal cage of a waggon, standing in place and making Kiur wonder why she did so.

Then it dawned on him when he saw a small figure in the distance. It was that of a child, especially from one he recognized immediately.

“Ninda!” Kiur cried out to gain the attention of the other wagon.

“What’s wrong with you Kiur?” asked Xander, trying to calm Kiur down as his comrade was drawing in the wrong attention.

“Ninda, it’s you, isn’t it? Please turn around if you hear me!” Kiur began to violently hammer against the metal cage, drawing even more attention from nearby wagons, soldiers and anyone else close to hearing it.

It was Ninda, he was sure of it. The moment she turned around she cried out for his name. It really was her, his joy of seeing her alive and well was indescribable.

He didn’t abandon her; his consciousness was clean. Kiur needed to help her but how would he do so?

“What’s with that commotion going on?” one of the soldiers came forth with Cylia and Xander hiding away to not draw any attention to them though it was too late for Kiur. “You, come out.”

Dragging Kiur out they threw him on the dry orange grass with a knee on his neck while pressing his face to the ground. “This child is making a ruckus too,” the other soldier threw Ninda right in front of Kiur, having her forced out of the caged wagon as well.

“Ninda, are you alright? Where’s your brother?” asked Kiur, ignoring the soldiers around him.

“Kiur,” she sobbed, holding the hem of her robes. She wasn’t doing well, none of them were but it made Kiur all the angrier seeing someone he promised to protect treated like that. “They took Hazir away; I haven’t seen him ever since.”

“What are they talking about?” wondered one of the soldiers.

“No idea, I don’t speak their language.”

“Hey,” Kiur’s tone changed to anger as he suddenly spoke in their language. “Where did you take her brother?”

“Huh? What do you care about?”

“I care because I promised to protect them. How dare you separate siblings!”

“Then you should have taken better care and protected them if you cared so much about it,” another voice came in and one Kiur couldn’t forget even when he tried. A voice from a man who had the eyes of a killer which made even Kiur’s shadow shiver in fear.

“Hessian,” the same reiszer who hunted Kiur was in front of him, and he wore something Kiur held deeply. How could he have not noticed that Kiur lost something precious? The lion emblem was now adoring Hessians rough clothes. “Why do you have this?”

“Hm? You mean this?” Hessian took out the emblem from his robbed shawl to hold it before Kiur’s. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice it was gone? You really are uncaring, aren’t you?”

“You,” Kiur was seething, his heart throbbing faster with emotions. Angry at the man and himself for not noticing his mother’s present has been gone all this time.

“Hey, soldier,” Hessian pointed at one of the soldiers in charge. “Take off that guy’s manacles.”

“Are you insane? He is a magic user and why should I listen to a slave-” the soldier shut up the moment Hessian pointed his sword at him with his slave comrades joining to intimidate the other soldiers. “Suit yourself, I don’t care who it does.”

Unshackling Kiur from his restraints Hessian threw his second sword at Kiur to pick it up, demanding another match for some reason. Amused to watch Kiur throughout the process.

“What are they doing? This will go wrong,” worried Xander with Cylia watching closely nearby but unable to think of a way to help.

“How about it, win against me and you get your precious little item back,” Hessian’s smile was provocative and bold with the other slaves chuckling at this. He was mocking Kiur, clipping the emblem on his own shawl to taunt him further.

Crunching with his teeth Kiur’s eyes went red, his heart beating like a war drum. “Give it back,” his voice was twisted inside his throat and tears flowed from his eyes, shutting up everyone and making Hessian put up his guard.

Tightening his grip on the sword the worn-out blade burst from the pressure Kiur unconsciously willed into it. Much like the earth that started to shake when he let out a violent cry, “Give it back!”

Character Profiles

Name: Cyliane “Cylia”

Age: 17 ; Gender: Female; Race: Human

Magic: None

Cylia is a slave from the eastern part of the reiszer nations. A young woman who tries to survive from the rough conditions of enslavement. Agreed to cooperate with the scouts to free the escapees and get a chance to escape too. Was searching for Kiur under Archil’s petition.

Likes: Eating spicy food, listening to songs, Watching fights, Cereals with Hot Milk