Fallen Stars

Chapter 30

KLAIRE

Disturbed by the constant shaking of the floor and wood rattling, I woke up. I jolted and sat, looking around and realising I was inside a carriage. Instinctively, I stood up only to fail, toppling down on the ground and realising my feet were tied together and my hands chained to the sides of the carriage, grunting as my palms lay flat on the wooden floor.

The narrow rectangular carriage was closed making me unable to see anything other than the wooden walls surrounding me and a small open window of the locked door of metal doors of this cramped walking prison. I couldn't get myself to stand, rendering me unable to peek at that small window, probably the same level as my face if I could.

The noise of the horseshoes outside continued clicking as the wagon shook. Where are they taking me?

My head was still aching from hitting that beam of wood before. I couldn't even tap a finger on it because of the length of the chain, barely longer than my arm even though the wooden walls surrounding me were confined I couldn't even extend my legs on the floor.

"Where are you taking me?" I yelled. None replied, be it the one steering the horse at the back of the carriage.

"Hey, where are you taking me?" I yelled louder, unexpectedly having my voice crack. A loud banging on wood came from behind before someone spoke.

"Shut your mouth," a response came from my side, through the wall left of the one with the small barred window. After the yell, a loud bang was followed, probably a fist of an annoyed man banging on me. With the clacking of horses' feet, I could tell that it was the one steering the horses.

"Helmin can't be that bad of a place is it?" Another one spoke, coming from the other side of the carriage.

"Hell, it isn't," The man controlling the horses replied.

Helmin? Isn't that the abandoned village of the walled city where we came from? Why would they return me there?

The footsteps of the horseshoes rattled along the clattering of the wooden wheels of the carriage. My butt was never comfortable having the wood it sits on vibrating and constantly jumping up and down, irritating my hip bone. Though apart from the rattling of the wood, I hear something indistinct, far away from the carriage. I couldn't discern what the noise was because of the sound of the horse's footsteps.

Looking around, I was wondering how to get out of this carriage, a pick for the lock or something, though, prisons only have their keyholes outside of the space and I am wondering what works other than picking a lock.

I looked at my palm, trying to think of anything. A spell or a ritual that could help, wait...

I am being punished and stripped of my once-formidable abilities. Magic has already slipped through these hands as I failed the Reprisal.

The only thing I need to know is that this body I have is the only thing that can help me and not magic of any sort.

"Wait, Halt!" the one tugging on the horses yelled while the carriage slowed down to a stop. As soon as it stopped, I noticed the sound from afar clearly. The mixture of men and women yelling was distinct even if it was distant. It must be coming off from the far village. Echoing, their helpless calls went altogether with the noises of howling creatures.

"What is that?" the guy in the back of the carriage asked in fear. I do not understand what he meant with that frightened tone of his.

"What?" the guy at the front of the carriage said, alarmed at the guy's tone.