Commander Zir threw me into the same barred carriage as Ziko and Gilda. Thank Achad. The hard woodened floor creaked and moaned underneath as the children tried to hide under their parents arms.
"You can have someone untie you now." the commander smirked. "We should do this again some time." He abruptly walked away as the door to our cage closed.
I looked behind me and saw the family cowering behind me with their heads dipped low while Gilda and Ziko were staring at the chaos around them. Gilda, with her gravity-drawn shoulders slumped against the corner of the carriage, her eyes absent. The glimmer was gone. Ziko moved over to sit by his mother trying to console her the best way he could. In the years that I've known him, he wasn't an overly affectionate person like Gilda, but he cared about the little things. Making sure you always had your favorite fruit available, or clean towels. These little acts of kindness was who he was, once you got to know him of course.
Our prison jolts forward as we begin to make our forced journey up North. Our community glowed orange and red from the blazing inferno they set on our homes. The fire was like a hot hand reaching up for the sky raining sparks and embers like a winter snow. The crackles and snaps were dancing and swaying in the wind, leaving only a black ashen corpse where our homes used to be.
We were going to the Zuir lands. Be in their community. Most likely slaves. We had no idea what was going to be waiting for us when we arrived, but there had to be someone there who could give me some some sort of answers. Anything. It was estimated to take about seven days to get up to the Zuir community. Could I find my answers? I didn't know, especially if I was going to be turned into a slave. I began inspecting the barred carriage around us, looked for cracks, lose fillings, or anything that I could see as helpful to a possible escape.
"What are you doing?" A small voice asked. One of the children peering behind his mother's arm. A small boy, maybe four or five years old, brown eyes, swollen and red from crying.
"I'm going to find us a way out."
"Please, do you see the situation that we are in!" Their father bellowed.
"Shhh..honey please..."
"No, this is bullshit. They are going to separate us and do horrible things to my family. To all of you! There is no hope."
"Robert, please. The children."
"My dears," chimed in Gilda, "if there is a way, she will find it. If there isn't a way, we had not to worry. They wanted us alive for a reason. For a society to be thriving, there needs to be outside help. And we are that forced help unfortunately. We are the ones that will keep their society alive."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Robert began raising his voice, his frustration seeping over into anger. He ran his hand through his hair in justifiable frustration. Robert was an older gentleman with thin salt and peppered hair who was lean and used to be strong. The struggles of raising a family during this time put a strain on his once strong body, you could tell.
"Hey, you better not talk to her like that. You understand me?" Niko turned to face Robert and moved Gilda to the side. He was always so intensely protective of his mother. I never knew or asked much about his father. Anytime I would attempt to bring it up, Gilda would hesitate, and share almost nothing. Apparently he died from a bad infection when Niko was a baby, but that was the only information shared. Niko knew the same amount of information I did.
"Um, I don't think so." I said turning toward them. "This is what they want. For us not united, we fall, but united we conquer. I will find a way. Let me worry about that." I faced the bars, realizing the commander was taking the rear riding his large black stallion. Of course he was. Attacks always happen in the back, and why not have the best soldier guarding the most vulnerable position. We were surrounded by rough looking men riding horses or soldiers surrounding our perimeter. His military looked strong and unbreakable. He saw me staring and smiled. That smile made me unnerved. Like you knew a monster was waiting for you under your bed. But yet, there was something about that grin that made me feel intimidated.
I maintained my frown and flipped him off.
He shook his head and galloped toward our carriage still smiling.
"Just so you know, in your custom that might be offensive, but in ours it means nothing."
"Oh, so you know what it means? Good."
"You lost; you need to accept that." He said, still smirking.
"You took everything I had. My family. My friends. My home. You took-"
"When you arrive, you will understand that there are rules for individuals like yourselves that you must follow."
"People like us?" Niko asked from behind me.
"Yes. When you arrive, you will notice our community is two parts. One for the people of Zuir blood and free converts, while the other part is for you. Anyone not Zuir who chose to fight against us." He stated bluntly looking at each of us before continuing, " you never know, you might see someone familiar."
"How...many people have you enslaved?" I ask, barely able to form another thought or question. My mind was racing with this backhanded information that I just could not process.
"Let's just say we have many people who defy us, but we wish to not kill unless we have-"
"Bullshit!" yelled Niko. "I've witnessed what you and your men have done! For years!"
"Enough!" he yelled raising his hand. I cannot control all of my men, but I assure you, we try to maintain a civil and just war. Besides, how do you know if your family is really dead? Any of you." He said raising an eyebrow.
What was he inquiring? That my family was most likely captured and living out their days as slaves? I always assumed that they were alive and waiting for me to return to them somewhere in a safe community where we can be a family once again. My sister and I would play our childhood game and trick people into thinking we weren't really sisters. I held onto my flower necklace and squeezed until my knuckles turned white. I know there would have been word if they were captured, or even dead.
I broke from his gaze and looked down. There was a single key. A KEY. The only key. I immediately looked up and smiled.
"Whatever you say." and sat down in the middle of the floor. He gave me a baffled look locking his eyes with mine.
"Whatever you're thinking, don't even think about it." And rode back to has place behind all his men and the carriages carrying their new slaves.
I turned to my captured associates and smiled. " I have an idea."
Darkness finally fell, and the Zuir military decided to set up their base camp. We were located on the edge of the forest before it turns into a harsh landscape built on sand. Cacti, and tumble weeds graced the land here and there and you would only ever hear the howling and whistling of the wind moving the grains of sand to a different part of the earth. Feasting birds, and screeching eagles would occasionally break the silence looking for their next meal. We believed that witnessing a dust devil swirling across the canyon like a rattlesnake on the hunt was Achad traveling across the desert guarding her creatures here on earth. I didn't know what the Zuir believed, but I knew it was probably related to death or destruction.
The Commander and some of his men were sitting down by a makeshift fire while eating dried meats and telling stories about their lives as soldiers, their families, and what they wanted to do after Zuir conquers all the land. How ignorant do you have to be? However, I had to somehow get that key away from the Commander. I moved toward the edge of the carriage and stuck my legs out between the bars. I started swinging my legs mindlessly thinking the ways I needed to get those keys.
"So... are you gonna give us any of those dried meats? Or you just gonna let us starve?" I blurted out.
"Hey! You'll eat when we tell you to eat!" Yelled a soldier peering around his shoulder.
"You don't look like you need to eat, let me tell you. All this walking will probably do you some good huh?"
Some of the neighboring soldiers chuckled which enraged the random soldier even more before he hastily got up and started stomping toward me. He was a smaller man compared to the average Zuir man I've seen so far, maybe average height, and definitely thicker from indulging in wine and meats a bit too much in his past. Being a soldier didn't suit him.
"Listen here you bitch"
"ENOUGH!" Yelled the commander. He walked over to his fellow companion and put his hand on his soldier.
"She's doing this on purpose Folie. Don't let her get to you or your whole journey will be miserable. Ill handle this and sit down."
The soldier peered at me before sitting down and rejoining his soldier brethren.
Before I could utter a word in defiance, the commander pulled my left leg resulting in my body sliding forward forcing my torso to hit the cold steel bars hard. He had a strong unwavering grip on my ankle and brought out his knife that I had stolen earlier. I looked up at him with wide eyes unsure of what his intentions were. I gasped in startled surprise as my arms were forced to catch my body from falling over from the hard pull. I sit myself up and lean my face against the bars. He pulls on my leg causing my face to be rammed by the metal.
