Stolen Enchantment

The People Mourn

Horrific, terrifying. So many words to describe it...the pathway was blocked by robbed carts and over a dozen Eremites. Men, women, and children were scattered and separated from one another. Each cried with all their hearts, in fear of having their loved ones slaughtered. Fortunately, it appeared that they were only being beaten, one case of which was a young woman dropped to her knees being kicked back and forth by three bandits. She was demanding with tears falling down her cheeks for her child to be brought back to her. The armed Eremites only laughed in her face and drew blood from her arms and legs. There were three groups of people, each separated and guarded viciously. The first was a group of young women holding their children close, the bandits were attempting to remove them from their grasps. But they were unsuccessful by most. The second group was of young men standing tensely, and lastly was the third group mixed with the elders.

"Alhaitham, what should we do? There are so many of them, and not only that but they're holding them hostage. There's a chance that if we begin fighting, they'll kill as many people as possible."

Kaveh thought this through logically, although it appeared that the bandits had no intention of killing any of the people. They quite obviously were looking to recruit a number of children from their parents. They couldn't risk anybody being killed, it could send them into a frenzy to escape. Alhaitham took in a deep breath, he hadn't at this point taken out his sword, but he began walking forward towards the scene. Kaveh followed calmly. He whispered to Alhaitham's side.

"Tell me, what's the plan?"

Alhaitham's entire body was completely relaxed compared to just a few minutes before, almost peculiar at that. To be fair, he wanted to appear as non-threatening as possible, it could make a diplomatic option plausible. His gaze turned to Kaveh for a moment, they locked eye contact. But Kaveh hastily turned his head away, for some reason such an intense stare was unnerving for him. Made his heart beat a mile faster than before.

"We attempt to persuade them into abandoning the scene, and leaving the hostages."

His voice was cold, intense, and straightforward. That was a simple explanation, but that made it sound nearly unplanned.

"And if that doesn't work?"

Silence. Even with how hot it was, Kaveh got chills from the breach of quiet between them both. His worries were expeditiously inflated by the cries of that woman being beaten, of course, he felt empathy for her. But he couldn't do anything at the moment, it would risk the lives of those around them. Bit by bit people began to notice the two colorful figures in the midst of windy sand. Hopeful, smiles appeared, the Eremites had noticed and turned themselves around to face them both. A middle-aged woman dressed in a deep wine red stood at the center of the chaos. Her eyes were clothed over but yet she seemed on high alert, aware of her surroundings as she directly pointed at the duo.

"Who do I owe the pleasure to? Speak your names."

Although her voice was chipper and friendly, her demeanor spoke overwise. Scattered with brutal scars telling unfolded stories. Kaveh decided to let Alhaitham speak, he had a thought-out plan. Or at least he hoped he did.

"Alhaitham, my aquantence here is Kaveh. I'd rather not bother you with questions, so I'll get to the point. We request that you take the goods, and leave the people here to us."

Alhaitham placed one hand over his chest, a gesture of sincerity. The woman's chest went up, then down slowly. She then erupted into laughter, and Kaveh's eyes narrowed. The hand Alhaitham placed onto his chest roughly shook with a moment of anger, then subsided. Once the woman had calmed down, she wiped her nose.

"Mmmm, that's too bad. You see this isn't your place to speak, and if I didn't know any better I'd think your momma didn't teach you manners. Who walks in demanding such a thing? A guest, is simply what you are."

Her hand moved over her mouth to try and stop her uncontrollable giggles. The rest of her crew were hauntingly silent, almost coming off as terrified to laugh along unless ordered to. Kaveh felt severely enraged, his body halted its anger when Alhaitham side-eyed him. Kaveh took a step forward, with the silent permission of Alhaithams soft nod.

"Is there anything we can propose to ensure the safety of these people? Surely there's something you want."

The woman poked her own cheek with her index finger and pretended to think for a second before her lip curled into a devilish smile. Suddenly, like an idea popping into her head, she began to walk forward, getting seven feet away from them both.

"The abandonment of Sumeru city."

Kaveh's eyes raised with surprise, what was this? A joke? Hopefully, it was, Was this specific group of bandits even a part of the Eremites? They wore the outfits, the head wraps. Everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. Kaveh's fist clenched angrily as he took another step forward, Alhaitham watched with caution. He wanted to halt Kaveh, but a single move could risk lives. He was taking a fall for speaking his mind, not smart.

"You and I know that a proposal such as that is visibly unfair-"

Kaveh was interrupted by his arrogant and powerful voice by the woman, who tilted her head to the side, her face wrinkled into a smirk.

"Are you insinuating that your city means more than the people themselves? I always thought the heart of Sumeru was the people that emerged from it."

The woman raised an arm over her face, dramatically twirling around as she spoke exasperatedly.

"Educated and poise! The astute of the astute! Oh- how pitiful."

She mocked without hesitation, Kaveh was visibly becoming irritated. Alhaitham finally stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him. Even in the heat, his hand felt cool, not exactly cold. But a comforting feeling. The woman assumed the two were at a complete loss with what to do, she turned her back and gestured with her hand to her crew.

"Kill what can't be taken."

The groups of people all gasped simultaneously, people began to cry and scream to get away from the Eremites. The warriors matched closer to each group, aiming their weapons with bloodlust. Kaveh shook his head, and his heart dropped.

"You're bluffing!"

He shouted in her direction. She turned her head back to him, a wicked smile dancing over her lip as she chimed happily.

"Am I?"