The Ashen Rebellion

01 | A flickering light

NYSSA DRIFTED IN AND out of consciousness, her mind a haze of pain and confusion. The clopping of hooves and the rattling of wooden wheels seeped into her awareness, pulling her back to reality. Her head throbbed with a sharp, persistent ache, and when she reached up to touch the source of the pain, her fingers came away sticky with blood. The wound was fresh and stung with every slight movement.

Blinking rapidly, she struggled to focus on her surroundings. The dim interior of a prisoner transport carriage came into view. Rough, splintered wooden walls surrounded her, and the floor beneath her was cold and unforgiving. As her vision cleared, she saw other prisoners lying nearby, their bodies bruised and battered. Some were unconscious, while others moaned softly in pain. Her heart ached as she noticed several children among them, their small frames huddled together for warmth and safety even in their unconscious state.

Nyssa's breath quickened, and she scanned the faces of her fellow prisoners frantically, praying that her brother, Jaxon, would be among them. But he wasn't there. Her heart sank, and a surge of fear gripped her. She remembered the guards dragging him away, his terrified eyes meeting hers one last time before they were separated. Her initial disorientation gave way to a surge of anger, the fiery rage rekindling within her.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Nyssa began to search her body for anything the guards might have missed when they searched her. Her hands moved quickly and efficiently, despite the pain in her head. Relief washed over her when she felt the familiar shape of the small photograph of her parents behind her breastplate. It was the only photo they had ever taken, a precious keepsake that had come to mean so much to her. It gave her strength and a sense of purpose.

Her fingers brushed against something else—hidden inside her hair was a bobby pin holding up her messy bun together. She carefully pulled it free, her curls tumbling down her back. Continuing her search, she found the small dagger strapped to her ankle. A sense of determination surged through her. She had the tools she needed if it came down to it.

Nyssa carefully grasped the dagger, pressing her palm flat against the blade. She felt a familiar warmth spread through her hand as the metal grew hot and turned an eerie, ghostly green. The enchanted blade thrummed with energy, and she felt more alert, her senses sharpening.

Low male voices reached her ears, and she cautiously peered through a small gap in the wooden slats of the carriage. Two guards sat at the front, both armed with swords and wearing expressions of weary vigilance. They were oblivious to her awakening. Nyssa knew she couldn't afford to wait until they reached the castle because then the opportunity to act would have slipped away. However, she also knew that acting too early could risk her getting discovered and her weapon taken, so she opted for pretending to still be asleep, observing every detail about the landscapes they passed, the houses, and the terrain, and storing them in her memory.

A little girl stirred awake beside her, her eyes widening and watering as she realized the circumstances. When she started to whine and cry, Nyssa tried to discreetly shush and calm her, but the girl began sobbing, which alerted the men of her consciousness.

''Hey! Shut that kid up!'' One of the guards barked, his voice harsh and grating.

''Yeah, keep it quiet back there!'' The other guard added, turning slightly to glare into the carriage.

Nyssa held the girl close, whispering soothing words to calm her down. ''Shh, it's okay. I'm here. We'll be okay,'' She murmured, though she wasn't sure she believed it herself.

After what felt like an eternity, the carriage came to a halt. They had arrived at an ominous-looking building that resembled a warehouse. Screams could be heard inside, and several other transport carriages arrived behind them, carrying more prisoners. 

Louder ones. 

Nyssa prayed her brother was in one of them.

''Everyone up! Move it!'' A guard shouted, yanking the door open. The prisoners were forced awake harshly, dragged out of the carriages and lined up. Nyssa counted all the exits and tried to count the men wearing the red uniform with firestorm emblem, but she constantly lost count as more men emerged. Her heart dropped to her feet after witnessing some of the Firelord's forces kill multiple people with their swords for not being quiet or obedient enough. The brutality was staggering, a cold reminder of the danger they all faced.

They were marched into the building, herded into a cramped room overcrowded with prisoners. Chains were slapped onto their wrists and ankles. Nyssa made sure to keep her dagger hidden by her ankle, out of sight of the ever-watchful guards. Instead, she pulled out her bobby pin and began trying to pick the lock on her chains when she was sure they were distracted. Other prisoners noticed her efforts and warned her discreetly.

''Careful, they'll catch you,'' An older man whispered.

''Don't draw attention, they'll kill us,'' A woman hissed, her eyes darting around nervously.

Nyssa nodded, focusing on the task at hand. She worked the bobby pin into the lock, her movements precise and deliberate. Her chains clanked, drawing the attention of a nearby enforcer.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" He shouted, reaching for his sword.

Before he could strike, the alarm system blared, and red blinking lights flashed throughout the building. The enforcer cursed and ran off to address the disturbance. Nyssa decided she wasn't going to wait around to find out what happened next. She pulled out her enchanted dagger, which glowed green, and struck the chains around her ankles. Hard. They shattered immediately upon impact, and she did the same with the chains on her wrists.

Hysteria broke out among the prisoners. Some were fearful, but others were hopeful, urging her to free them next.

''Please, help us!'' A woman begged.

''Get these chains off me!'' Someone else shouted.

Nyssa desperately wanted to be selfish, to leave them behind and save herself. However, she knew her soul couldnt't rest knowing she had left hundreds of innocent people under the hands of the brutal FF. Inwardly cursing her parents for raising her right, she began breaking everyone's chains, moving quickly from one prisoner to the next.

''Be careful, be discreet!'' She warned, but most didn't listen. They took off screaming, with no plan whatsoever, immediately getting recaptured by the forces.

''Idiots,'' She muttered, noticing her dagger beginning to flicker as her energy slowly drained. She didn't stop until she broke the chains on the last prisoner. The eerie green glow faded back to the dull grey of the original weapon, and she was out of breath, lingering behind after all the others had all left.

Although her weapon was no longer enchanted, it was still a weapon nevertheless—something none of the other survivors had. Nyssa stood alone in the now-empty room, steeling herself for whatever came next.