Flame in the Ashes

CHAPTER 1 Zhagayah, pulled from her sleep by a rough shake, glared daggers at her sister, Halena. "What was that for?" She asked in irritation, wiping her eyes with the back of her palm. She was still sleepy and it wasn’t even daylight yet. "You better have a good reason for waking me up this early or I’ll pull your hairs out! You know how much I hate being woken like that, Halena!” Zhagayah valued her sleep time; it was the only time she could escape from their unfortunate reality and actually dream of a better world. "Oh, c'mon, Zhagy." Halena tried to laugh, cheerful as always. "It's your birthday. Don't damper your mood, okay?" With that, she turned around to grab her cross bag, which had acquired many patched holes and dirt over the years. "If you refrain from putting a damper on my mood now and then, I sure will be in a good mood a lot more, don't you think?" Zhagayah retorted, a little irritated at her younger sister. With a dramatic eye roll from Halena, she tossed her bag to her, which was in no better shape than that of her sister's. "I just wanted to wake you up to a happy day and, more importantly, a happy mood." "There's nothing happy about our situation, Lena." Her irritation was slowly beginning to give way to sadness and resignation. Day by day, they toiled and worked only for the tax agents to come rip out 60% of what they’d worked hard for. Food prices were hiking and the king’s soldiers beat whoever they could on the streets. It definitely wasn’t something she was happy about. “Things aren’t going our way, but we have to keep living, right? Till our times come and then we can resign and lie down, surrendering in death.” Zhagayah scoffed but got up from the bed, got dressed and grabbed her bag. They head out of the house, trudging through the busy market area. As they walk along, Zhagayah pointed out an old woman with a basket of flour who was assaulted by soldiers. “They didn’t take her flour,” she said, her voice filled with pity. “They just wanted to beat her and then pour it on the sand to show her that she couldn’t do anything about it. I mean, who do we cry to, Halena?” Halene stopped for a while, her eyes fixed on the wailing woman. Others stopped to watch too, but after a while, they shrugged and moved on with their daily businesses. Halena sighed too. “It’s sad, but it won’t ruin the mood today. Come on, sis! It’s your birthday so let’s at least buy something.” “Where did you get money? Did you take the money I’ve been putting in the savings box? That’s our rent, Halena and we won’t spend it!” Halena rolled her eyes and pulled a loose strand of hair over her ear. Her hair was black unlike Zhagayah’s which was brown with locks of gold. Most times, Zhagayah felt out of place with her hair colour and deep blue eyes. “You didn’t wait for me to deny taking our rent. I worked extra hour yesterday and saved up a few coins. I want us to have fun today. It won’t be expensive, don’t worry.” Zhagayah snorted and mumbled. “It’s not like I’m against expensive.” She sighed heavily, trying to keep her emotions at bay, but that didn't seem to work. Seeing people living like rats made her angry and bitter. All this suffering was caused by one man who took everything from her...from them. The revolution had ended with countless deaths and destructions, both mentally and physically. Her parents had lost their lives in the conflict, but things only got worse as the Alpha King turned everyone into beggars except for a selected few. And yet, they were still forced to pay taxes. It made Zhagayah's blood boil in anger. "Hey, you there!" Some Palace guards who were keen on harassing people beckoned on them. "Oh boy," Halena said in frustration as she slowed her pace, making Zhagayah do the same. She eyed Zhagayah as if asking for permission to stop but Zhagayah’s face was pull taut. "Ya, the one with blue eye, ya?" One of the soldiers asked while standing in front of Zhagayah, who had her head bowed. She’d pulled her hoodie over her face too right after the man pointed out her blue eyes. Her eyes had always been a point of unwanted attention. The soldiers tilted her head up forcefully to take a good look at her face, earning a glare from Zhagayah. She had blue electric eyes that looked somewhat like an ocean, and they fascinated people as no one else had any eye color except brown or black. "Is that a glare I see on ya face, little one?" The soldier laughed, displaying his dirty brown teeth. It's not that Zhagayah could say she was in better condition. But he disgusted her beyond explanation. More than ever, she wished she had a wolf. She was twenty now, but still, no wolf. She couldn't blame the poor thing as she was malnourished and unhealthy. Many people didn't have wolves either, so it was no big deal. Pulling her head from his disgusting grasp, she yelled at him. " Don't you touch me!" The soldier slapped her hard across the face and pushed her back. “What did you just say? If I take fancy in ya dirty pig, ya should go down on your knees on thank the goddess for such fortune!” The slap and his remark made Zhagayah burn in rage. There was hardly any water she could use to wash her clothes thanks to the Alpha King placing taxes on the public wells and taps. They had to pay heavily before getting water. And this soldier had the balls to slap and then call her dirty? Zhagayah, blinded by the rage in that split second, pushed the soldier as well and then kicked him in the stomach. This enraged the soldiers and his companions hurried over. “What’s going on over there?” they asked. Halena was terrified and tried to plead on Zhagayah’s behalf. She knelt before the soldier her sister had kicked and said, “please, sir, pardon us. She’s not in her right mind. Please!” “Don’t beg him, Halena!” Zhagayah said. The soldier kicked Halena across the face too and she collapsed on the ground. “Ya, don’t beg me!” The soldier extended his claws and went for Zhagayah domineeringly. She back away but the soldier grabbed her and hit her to his pleasure. He didn’t leave till he left claw marks on her arms and face. Zhagayah struggled to fight back but she was weaker and, without her wolf, there was no fighting chance. She regretted ever fighting back—heck, she regretted stepping out of the house that day. If she’d stayed indoors, she wouldn’t have been tempted to do what she’d done. The town’s people just watched with sorrowful eyes but no one moved a finger to save her. “You think you’re something, eh?” the soldier added and then grabbed the arm of her hoodie and tore it apart. Then, he grabbed her dress too. “I’ll show you just how common the likes of you are!” “Please!” Halena yelled. “Please don’t!” The soldier scoffed and pulled the dress but Zhagayah managed to hold his hands tight but he slapped her again and then pulled the top of her dress apart, leaving Zhagayah with no choice but to use her hands to cover herself. The other laughed. That was when Halena jumped at the soldier and pushed him aside. “Leave my sister alone, you monster!” The soldier and his companions then fell on her and turned her into their next victim. Watching them brutally hit her sister made Zhagayah’s rage hit the roof! At that moment, she felt a sudden rush of energy in her body. She felt powerful, sensitive and bigger! Onlookers began to gasp and whisper and point. Zhagayah transformed into her wolf form and, guided by rage, massacred the soldiers, ripping them apart limb from limb. She crushed one to a pulp till Halena rushed to her and yelled, “Zhagayah, it’s okay now! You have to stop!” Zhagayah’s rage was too much and she didn’t recognize even her own sister. She shoved her away and went after another soldier on the street. The soldier fled and took Halena with him so he could use her as a bargaining chip. When the soldier saw that Zhagayah wouldn’t stop, he wolfed out and threatened to kill Halena. Zhagayah attacked him but when she swung her claws at the soldier, she missed and ended up slashing through her sister. Halena’s body dropped and so did Zhagayah’s rage. At that moment, she realized what she’d done and suddenly reverted to her human form. The whole city broke into an uproar! Zhagayah had killed her own sister!