The Allure of Darkness

2

Cree

We never stood a chance. We never should of fought back. Fighting just signed our lives away. But what were suppose to do? Open our arms to the guard and get on our knees just to follow them to the slave camps. No one ever escapes the camps.

I look up at the night sky. There's not that many stars up there. I wonder if there ever was.

It's feels like hours since the guard took the whole camp.

Flashback to the morning

It was going all too well for us. We thought we could hold them off at the front of the valley. But they had three times the people we had, they had full bellies, they had nothing to lose. We had everything.

Once they got into the alley everyone either fought or hide. I was hiding in a tiny wagon which the wood was poking out everyone. When I looked over the wagon and saw a old women probably in her 70's trying to warn everyone, trying to make them get to the tents. I saw a scared women trying to save who she could.

One second she was yelling and the next her voice became silenced. I looked away when her head came fully off of her body. It still had the axe in the back of her head when it dropped to the ground. The man who threw that axe looked like the commander of this guard with the brand on his axes. It was the brand from the Kingdom of Arsher. My kingdom. My Old kingdom.

I look around at all of the destruction. The camp is a battle ground between trained killers and farmers.

The realization hit me when they killed three other people. They didn't have enough space or food for many people. They were going to kill more and more. How much death will satisfy them?

I look to my right to the entrance of the caves. The guard is collecting my friends. Tying their hairs together and places bags over their heads. I sucked in a breath. I cannot let this happen to me.

I must find Aiza. We must find a way out of here.

The front of the caves are occupied with the guard but there is a back way along the side of the valley. If only I can reach the other side of this valley than it would be an easy trek from there. But how do I get there unnoticed?

I only have two arrows left in my quiver. Only two shoots. Only two chances.

I cant risk going for the g-

At the front of one of the caves Azia is getting dragged by one of the guard. Along with more children than i can count. There's only a few women there with them.

Azia is in the front on the group. They look like pigs going to the slaughterhouse. Her hair is getting mangled by the grip the guard has on her. She's struggling to gain footing but he's all muscle and she's to frail.

They put the group of them in the middle of the valley. Where everyone can see them.

The kids are wailing. The women are weeping. Azia looks perplex.

I try to move as close as I can without drawing attention to me. But they are in the middle of the valley and the only thing out there is grass and frost.

I can't do anything but watch as they are inspected. The guard is inspecting on who lives and who dies. That burden is on them.

Azia doesn't do anything as they pull at her teeth, yank at her arms, as they inspect her body. When they were done inspecting her they threw a black shirt with the Arsher slave brand and a pair of a plain black shorts. There was a flame with a chain running across the right side of her shirt. Most of the younger kids went to the left side of the caves. There was all little girls and almost to none boys in the left line. While Azia and three others girl went to the right side along with many of the boy children.