Bound by Blood & Parted by Fate

Chapter 05 –The City Of Meyaris

Fae slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing with pain. As her vision cleared, she realized she was in a horse-drawn prison wagon, her hands tightly bound. The interior of the wagon was suffocating, the air heavy with the scent of sweat, blood and fear. The dim light coming from the outside filtering through the small barred windows cast shadows on the faces of the prisoners piled inside.

Looking around, she noticed the confined space was filled with people from her city, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion. Some she recognized, their eyes reflecting the same fear of what’s to come. Panic rose in her chest as she thought of Nae. Was she okay? Was she also a prisoner ?

A wave of grief washed over her as she remembered her grandmother's death. The weight of her absence hung heavily in the air, mingling with the fear and despair that permeated the prison wagon. Her body was still in the city, left behind, and Fae hadn't been able to give her a proper burial. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she forced them back inside. She needed to be strong for herself and for the others in the prison wagon.

Taking a deep breath, Fae scanned her surroundings again, taking in the grim reality of their situation. They were in the back of the prison wagon, the steel walls enclosing them, and they were being pulled by horses, their hooves clattering against the uneven road.

Where were they being taken? What was going to happen to them ? Fae's mind raced with questions and fear, but she tried to keep her thoughts focused. She needed to find a way out of this, for herself and for the others. The determination in her eyes flickered like a candle in the wind, but it refused to be extinguished.

As Fae looked around the cage, she noticed a woman holding a sharp object to the throat of another woman. Fae immediately moved towards them and stopped the woman with the weapon. "What are you doing?" Fae asked, her voice filled with alarm.

The woman with the sharp object turned to Fae with a wild look in her eyes. "Stay back!" she hissed; the tip of the object still pressed against the other woman's throat.

Fae could see the desperation and fear in the woman's face and knew that she had to act fast. "Put it down, please." Fae said calmly, trying to reason with her.

The woman's eyes widened in sheer terror, her voice faltering as she continued, "D-death is b-better than… than the life that awaits us in the city of -of - of Meyaris." Her words came out in broken sobs, her trembling hands clutching onto the sharp object as if it were her only lifeline. "I-I've heard s-stories… of how they treat…us, the s-sinners. The tortures…and do all sorts of c-cruel things to the point where you” a short silence instal before the moment continued and this time blunt “ you forget who you are..."

Fae felt a wave of fear in her heart as she realized the depth of desperation that the people were feeling. She knew the stories were true. The Unmar were known for their brutality and cruelty towards those who defied them or did not conform to their beliefs.

Fae tried to reassure the woman, telling her that they must not give up hope and that the king of Najariah had promised to come to their aid. But the woman shook her head and replied with a hopeless tone, "The king…The king is old… and no one h-h-has seen a Ninki Nanka in years. Only the ancestors know if they are still alive.”

In a poignant moment of stillness, the woman gazed into Fae's eyes, her voice imbued with strength and vulnerability as she uttered, "No one is coming for us."

Fae sensed the fear and despair in the woman's voice, and she knew that many of the people in the cage felt the same way. They had all been taken by surprise when the Unmar attacked their city, and now they were being taken to an uncertain fate.

Fae's voice trembled as she spoke to the woman, trying to reassure her yet again that her sister was coming to save them with the help of the king. She explained how her sister had left for the kingdom to plead for their help, and that they just needed to have faith in her. However, the woman refused to believe her. She shook her head, telling Fae that there was no faith to be had. With a swift movement, she drew the sharp object across her sister's throat, spilling blood onto the dusty ground.

Fae's eyes widened in sheer horror, frozen in place as the woman turned the sharp object towards her own neck. Time seemed to slow down, as the blade made contact with flesh, producing a sickening, visceral sound that sent shivers down Fae's spine. A spray of warm blood splattered onto Fae, staining her skin and clothing crimson.

The air filled with the cacophony of despair; the anguished screams of the other prisoners pierced through the atmosphere, mixing with the haunting sounds of weeping and moaning. The collective terror hung in the air like a suffocating fog, engulfing Fae in a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. The metallic scent of blood mingled with the pungent stench of fear, creating a nauseating aroma that seemed to penetrate every corner of the cage.

Fae's hands shook uncontrollably as she tried to wipe the blood off her face, her mind struggling to process the gruesome scene before her. The image of the woman's desperate act engraved itself into her memory, haunting her every thought. In that moment, the harsh reality of their captivity became painfully clear, leaving Fae with a chilling sense of helplessness and dread.

Fae lay there, traumatized by the horrific scene she had just witnessed. She couldn't believe that someone would take their own life like that, let alone the life of their own sister. The blood continued to flow around her, seeping into the floor and staining her skin. She felt a sickening sensation in her stomach, and bile rose up in her throat. She clamped her eyes shut, trying to block out the images that were burned into her mind.

As the other captives screamed and cried out in horror, Fae couldn't help but feel a sense of despair and hopelessness wash over her. Was her sister safe? Would they all meet the same fate at the hands of the Unmar? Despite her inner turmoil, Fae knew that she had to stay strong and keep fighting for her own survival and the survival of her people.

As the carriage arrived in the city, Fae’s heart was pounding in her chest. She was covered in blood and bruises, and her clothes were torn and stained. When they were ordered to line up, she looked around and saw the entire city gathered outside, forming a path. The crowd was cheering and yelling, their voices filled with anger and hatred. As the sinners began to walk, the insults started. The crowd was throwing rotten vegetables and fruits at them, some even throwing rocks. Fae herself received a couple of rocks, causing more pain as they cut into her skin, but she tried to keep moving forward.

Some of the captives fell to the ground, either struck by the objects or knocked over by the force of the crowd. It was pure chaos, a tumult of people pushing and shoving, each trying to get closer to those they deemed as sinners to hurl insults and throw their rotten vegetables or rocks.

Fae looked around and saw nothing but despair in the eyes of her people and hatred in the eyes of the strangers.