Alura's backstory

Reliving that awful night

"Alura, what are we going to do?" Lucia stares at me from across the table. Her voice is flat and her face is emotionless, but her emerald eyes betray the fear she feels. Ilixus steps forward.

"It's obvious. We join her." The other start muttering to themselves but Ilixus cuts them off. "Do you seriously think we could outrun that army? She found us here, didn't she? She probably already knows what we're saying to each other." Ilixus looks to me for help.

I stand, glancing around the room. Everyone's scared. Nobody truly wants to join Lady Naluin, not even Ilixus. "I'm afraid Ilixus is right. We have no way of escaping her...unless we try to trick her." The orphans who were protesting before are now all ears. "We need to act like we're going along with this. We join her and wait until the time is right, then we make a break for it." I start pacing. "I've been looking into things. There are tribes out there still untouched by her. There are those who plan to rise up and rebel! We could join them and fight back." A few of them nod and I can feel the energy in the room surge. "We can get revenge on that bitch for all the pain and suffering she has caused us!"

I think everyone is with me until Ilixus speaks up. "Alura, I'm tired of running. I'm tired of living in fear. If we join her ranks, she'll protect us and give us what we've never had: a place to call home. A family." Ilixus turns and walks toward the door. "I'm going to join her and if you're smart, you'll do the same." She leaves, slamming the door behind her.

Moments later, a couple of the girls get up and follow her out. Fear and doubt overwhelms me and I sink into one of the chairs. Placing my head in my hands, I try to formulate a plan. We could sneak away after nightfall. Many of us are so skilled that we can disappear into even the smallest of shadows. I wonder if Ilixus is going to tell her that some of us are planning escape. I wonder if Lady Naluin expects it already. I wonder-

"Alura?" I look up and find Lucia smiling gently at me. "We're all with you." I glance around the room and find everyone smiling and nodding. "We're all used to a little bit of danger, and I think the story of how a small group of orphans escaped from directly under Lady Naluin's nose is going to be a great one to tell around the fireplace one day." I smile and rise from my seat, bolstered by their enthusiasm.

"Let's do this then."

                                                                                                       ***

I push a strand of hair behind my pointy ear and glance up at Lord Atton. He's smiling. "Why are you smiling?"

"You guys decided to sneak away and it must have worked. That's why you're so far inland, right?"

"We didn't sneak away. Ilixus had told Lady Naluin what we were planning."

Lord Atton frowns, tapping his fingers against his tea cup. "So..."

"So they were waiting for us after nightfall. They let us make it into the forest so we thought we were in the clear, then they rounded us up. They killed anyone who put up too much of a fight. Twelve of us ran away that night. When we were brought back to Lady Naluin, only four of us remained."

                                                                                                        ***

The guards throw me down, and my hands are tied behind my back so I can't stop my face from slamming into the concrete floor. I glance up and am greeted by an unwelcoming sight. Sitting in front of me on a delicate golden throne is Lady Naluin. Her violet eyes pierce through my soul. She's wearing a violet silk robe and her jet black hair falls loosely over her shoulder. Having her hair down makes her seem more delicate somehow. I glance to my left and see Lucia and two others. What happened to the other girls, I wonder.

"Alura," Naluin's sultry voice draws my attention. "Trying to run from me was not the smartest decision you've ever made, especially since Ilixus knew what you were planning. You let her run right into my arms!" The guards open the door and Ilixus walks through.

"You wanted to see me Lady Naluin?" Ilixus steps up in front of Lady Naluin, mere inches away from me, and bows.

"Ah, Ilixus! I wanted your friends to see how I treat those who are in my favor. Come, sit next to me." Naluin motions to the wooden chair next to her throne and Ilixus moves immediately, like a trained dog. Naluin turns her attention back to me. "Obviously you and your friends must be punished. Guards." The guards grab me and turn me to face my friends. "When Ilixus told me you were going to run, I thought to myself: what would best teach them that I am not to be messed with? Then it hit me."

Naluin stands from her throne and slowly approaches me. She crouches down next to me and caresses my face. Leaning in close, she whispers, "I've been watching you since the day I left you alone in your mother's house. I knew you would grow up strong. What I didn't know is that you would grow to become a leader. A leader of misfits, but a leader nonetheless. I decided that the best way to teach you a lesson would be to destroy this quaint little family you've built." It takes me a moment to realize what she's saying, but once it sinks in, I freak out.

"No! You can't! They didn't do anything!" I try to get to my feet, but the guards knock me back down. Naluin grabs my face and holds it still.

"Watch closely, my dear. You don't want to miss anything." Tears are streaming down Lucia's face and her lip trembles, but she doesn't let a sound escape. Lucia. Brave, even when facing death. She meets my gaze and smiles sadly.

"Alura-" Lucia's voice is silenced quickly. Her head rolls across the carpet and her body slumps to the floor. Her emerald eyes are lifeless. Tears are pouring down my face. I can't find the voice to scream, the will to fight back. Lady Naluin lets go of my face and I look over at Ilixus. She's crying too.

"What an eventful night. Now, take Alura to the cells. We leave for the capital city in the morning."

When morning comes, I'm still in shock. I don't remember if I've slept and the food the guards brought me is left untouched. The trip is a blur, but by the time we reach the city gates, I've started pulling myself together. I have to be prepared for whatever is going to happen. The gates open and thousands of people line up to watch Lady Naluin pass by. When we get to the castle, the guards escort me to the dungeons. They untie my hands and throw me into a cell.

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