Chapter 104: Chapter 104

Sara thought back about the time she had spent with Dahlia, the way the little girl made her feel again, it was faint but it was still there in her heart that was completely numb before her, for the past week Sara didn't feel that emptiness and numbness, she had a purpose beside revenge, she had someone to take care of, someone who needed her and that feeling warmed up the ice inside her a little, she wasn't that bitter about the world anymore, well, not all of it at least.

Putting the large rock on the grave, Sara stared at the scene around her, the large tree on the top of the green hill, and all the flowers she planted around the grave, Dahlia would have loved it here, she thought, the little girl loved sunshine and spring, Sara wasn't able to heal her but she was able to give her as very peaceful end, she knew that the girl was in a better place, somewhere without pain and sadness, for a moment, Sara wished she can join her, for them both to walk holding hands into that place with the blinding light and warm sun rays, but she still had things to do in this world.

Looking at the grave for one last time, Sara turned around and began walking, adamant on reaching the village where Dahlia used to live, she needed answers, she needed to know why would anyone send their only child with that bloody bastard, not that it would change anything, the girl and the bastard were both dead, but she needed the peace of mind, and she felt as if she owned this to the little girl.

Without the girl to slow her down, Sara managed to reach to the village borders faster, the sun was setting and night was falling, never the less, her eyes didn’t need the light to see what was going on, and it made her eyes widened.

The village was completely invaded by Manrast soldiers whom she recognized by their banners, the smoke raised from several burned houses, dead bodies were accumulated in a big pile in the center of the village, most were grown men bodies, while the women and children were put in chains, some were being raped openly, taken like animals without the slightest consideration to their humanity, some whipped and beaten and some tortured, some heads were put on spikes, children cried, women screamed, and soldiers…

They were all monsters, all dark and evil!

It didn't take Sara long to understand what was going on, with their army in the center, the Manrast kingdom was testing the waters by violating Taghit border villages, judging by the little rumors she heard on her journey, Sara learned that most of their forced were led by the king to the center, she understood why her so called brother did what he did, he needed to lead them himself, she also learned from the years she spent in the center that her father was only grooming Henry to be the next king, with him gone, and the queen dead, the Kingdom was left in the hands of the twins who never received proper training.

Which meant the Taghit kingdom was facing the danger of invasion without even a proper ruler on the throne.

''Hey you, who the fuck are you?'' A rough voice talked behind Sara, one which she had heard coming long ago but decided to stay in her spot, waiting while the six soldiers surrounded her.

''I....I....'' Sara's voice trembled like a terrified child who was at the verge of tears, she began to shake while staring all around her, moving clumsily to leave the circle made by the soldiers to only get a sever hit on the head that knocked her out.

Unknown to the soldiers, Sara who was already aware of their approach and already had a plan in mind, she quickly got rid of her cloak and sac and even her scarf, leaving on her father's pants and shirt, with her short hair, vivid scars, and acting skills, she was sure that they would reach the exact conclusion she wanted them to reach.

Once convinced she was knocked out, one of the soldiers threw her over his shoulder as if she was a sack of potatoes, at least they didn’t drag her all the way to the village, she thought while pretending to be unconscious.

The girl didn’t weight much, so it wasn’t hard for the bulky soldier to carry her over his shoulder, joking every once and a while with his friends by slapping her behind, Sara felt it all and made a mental note to make his death longer than others, but she couldn’t just decide on what to do.

''Who do you think she is?''

''Judging from the way she came from, I think she came from Omran village, they did report some fugitives...''

''Well, they did some nasty work on her face, look at those hideous scars, why not just kill her now?''

''Who cares about the scars, just look of those thighs of hers, you don't have to look at her face while you fuck her.''

''No one touches her before we interrogate her, I want to know how did she manage to escape, and if she knows anything about those who ran away, after that, feed her to the hounds for all I care.''

''Where is the Captain?'' The soldier who was carrying Sara asked another one who was sitting at the entry of what used to be the magistrate's house, the others were off to have their meals after finishing their patrol around the village.

''With one of the whores, what do you got in there?''

''A stray kitten, we think she ran away from Omran''

''Well you and your kitten must wait, just started playing, and it is a new one, a fine one, so it is going to take time.”

''What should I do with her?''

''She seems unconscious, just throw her in the pigsty with the rest of them until he is done, I don't think he would appreciate being interrupted.''

Taking his friend's advice, the soldier took Sara who started to feel heavier with all the lifting he did and threw her with the rest of the village's women and children who were spared to serve the soldiers or entertain them, they were all kept in a big muddy corral, with barely any clothes on to protect them, they were all starved and abused, injured and bruised.

Throwing her brutally inside the corral, the soldier shouted at the slaves, threatened and cursed them, before leaving, opening her eyes, Sara stared at the miserable faces around her, the ones that stared at her with pity even when they were in no better condition themselves, and with her new sense, she managed to see and even sense their auras, their weak lives around her, it was a strange feeling, she was able to feel the souls and lives around her, even with her eyes closed, she could sense them like light halos of different shades, some were purer then the others, some were stained, some were bright, and some, like the ones surrounding her were fading, their lights were so faint, Their souls were broken and their lives were weakened by all the pain they endured.

Once the soldier was far enough, a woman crawled toward Sara who was still laying on the muddy ground, she raised her head to stare at the woman who covered her mouth with her bruised shaky hand, her eyes widening a she stared at the vivid scars.

''Oh my dear, What have they done to you.'' tears started falling on the woman’s face, looking genuinely sorry, Sara looked at her, a beautiful woman who was in her early thirties, who offered to help Sara to sit down.

''I've never saw you before my dear, you are not from this village, are you?''

''I ran away from Omran...'' Sara answered, making her voice deliberately small as she didn’t want to scare the woman with her aloofness and coldness.

''They got there too? Oh, my dear...'' The woman started sobbing '' They are getting further into the lands, they may get to her...'' The woman was mumbling to herself, she looked like someone who lost his mind, another woman talked behind Sara.

''Keep it quite Dina, do you want them to whip us all again, it is painful as it is.''

''Mommy, I'm hungry...'' A little girl of four talked next to the second woman, the girl was very skinny and pale, hiding in her mother's rags.

''Shhhhh! you are not baby girl, you are not, your stomach hurts because it is trying to clean itself...''

''No Mommy, I’m so hungry...'' The girl whined even more, looking terribly pale.

''Then eat mud, eat stones, eat the hoarding for I have nothing...'' The screamed, her tears falling down like heavy rain, while shaking her daughter who was sobbing loudly while repeating that she was so hangry.

''I wish you die, I wish you die and we all die, I envy the dead, they don't have to endure this....'' The woman started shedding silent tears as her daughter sobbed next to her, Sara watched the painful scene and her heart clenched tightly, for a mother to wish for her own daughter to die just so she won’t suffer any more!

''My daughter, I sent her away, I sent her because we thought they may come, but they are getting closer and closer to her.'' The first woman started sobbing a bit louder as well, and many followed, looking around her, Sara understood that those women had suffered so much, so much they were all standing at the edge of madness.

''What is your name dear?'' The woman asked Sara once she calmed down, Sara looked at her thoughtfully before answering, ''Dahlia''

''That.., That is my daughter's name, my baby, Oh merciful Gods, please keep her safe...please...''

Sara looked at the woman, trying to find some similarities between her and Dahlia, and there were a few, and not just the same dirty and bruised state she found them in, like the shape of their eyes and lips, and even the thick way they pronounced the letter ‘r’, which means her parents sent her away to protect her, only if they knew, as much as she was sad for the way things ended up with little Dahlia, she was a little bit relieved to know that her parents didn't sell or abandon her, they were trying to save her.

Taking one more look around her, this time stopping on each one’s face, as if memorizing it, Sara felt like there was still something to hold on to in humanity, the hope Dahlia asked her to hold on to, that in this world there were people like her who have been victims to horrible circumstances, she saw how these circumstances made a mother wish that her child dies, she saw how it drove people to madness, she saw how helpless they felt and suddenly, her pain wasn't that lonely anymore.