Blood War

Prologue

Beats of hooves pounded on the pavement, one of freedom and one of demise.

The stinging pain of the palm is still shown in red on the side of her face. They claimed she deserved it; that she was lucky she didn't get more. However she did get more, and no amount of pleading could save her now.

"Get away from my mom!" a little girl cried, her fists banging against the assailant's legs as she tried to free her mother. A strong hand pulled back and struck. With a cry, she fell to the ground.

"Alayna!" the mother screamed. She hated to see her baby like that. It wasn't her child's fault, it was hers. She was the one who let the stallion go. She was the one who had displeased the Master. She hung onto her owner's robes. "Punish me, not my daughter Please!" She begged, hoping to save Alayna from fate.

The man's eyes raged with fury as he yanked the dirty hands away from his fine clothes. "You don't give me orders, slave!"

Gasping at her mistake she flung herself to the ground in a low bow. "I'm sorry Master, please forgive my rudeness."

"It's too late," he growled, hitting her again with his fists. "I've given you enough chances already. You've been nothing but trouble from the day I got you. Get on the platform!"

The mother's eyes widened, she knew she'd made mistakes in the past but none of them were bad enough to get this punishment. "No! Please, Master! Please! I'll do better, I promise! What about my children?! They need a mother! I need to be there for them!"

The man's strict reply was cut off before it started when a tiny fist landed straight in his stomach. To the woman's horror, her daughter was attacking their Master! All of the hope that she could save her children had just dissipated. Alayna didn't stand a chance and in her weakened state, the mother couldn't even help. Alayna was going to lose and they were both going to die.

Alayna screamed as the man grabbed her by the hair and flung her to the ground then he reached down and caught the woman across the cheek.

"Stand up," he ordered. There was no point in arguing.

A bruised mother and daughter were dragged to their doom in the loneliest place on earth. Their grubby hands struggling to tie their own nooses with stale old rope and finally stepping onto the rickety old platform.

The mother almost laughed at how sickly ironic this was. The family she'd fought so hard to keep together was now being torn apart by her own doing.

I'm sorry Alayna, she wiped her daughter's tear-filled eyes. I'm sorry I ruined your chances of falling in love and getting married. I hope you can forgive me. I'm sorry, Atlas. You always talk about what you would do with us if you were free but you'll have to do it on your own now. A single line of tears fell from her eyes. She looked down, utterly defeated. I will always love both of you.

The man smirked at the sight of this. Lifting his hand he placed it on a lever. The creaking of the door wasn't enough to cover the sound of the bang of the wood as it locked in place.

"Mom! Alayna!"

The last thing the woman saw as she lifted her head was the terrified expression of her little boy.

WHAM

Atlas dropped to the ground, tears running down his cheeks. The creaking rope tying up the lifeless bodies of his family was the only thing breaking the silence.