Kingdom Fall (Ethereal #1)

-Chapter 12-

The Auction

Naajim

Naajim lost count of the days he was stuck in the cage. It seemed like ages. They were allowed out of the cages under supervision twice a day, to carry out whatever business they had. They were fed twice a day and given water. But during time in between, they remained inside a wooden cage.

The dunes eventually became less sandy and the earth became denser. Vegetation erupted from here and there as they headed towards the sun rise. About trice, the group stumbled upon an oasis. Naajim might have been bored out of his mind, but he knew his fellow tribesmen were having worse. They had to walk throughout the way under the scorching sun. He didn't have many feelings over them, but he knew it was rather cruel to think otherwise.

Even though Naajim and Tashara spent their hours stuck inside the same prison, neither of them spoke. They only said a word whenever it was necessary. Naajim discovered that the girl was a person of few words. He wasn't a person of many words as well, but then again, he found her silence rather unnerving. He tried to start conversations with her but it all ended in vain.

By that he think might have been the fifth or maybe even the sixth day, it was hard to count days when you are mostly asleep, the Raiders came in view of a city.

A large city.

It was the first Naajim had ever seen. He had always heard stories about how some people settled down in permanent homes and lived there throughout their life. It was a rather strange way to live, according to him.

The city lay in the middle of a valley basin, surrounded by a ring of mountain ranges which sheltered the city from harsh winds and intruders. There was a great shadow over the city in the morning when the group stopped on top of a hill. Naajim only caught a glimpse because the raiders forced the excited captives to hide behind the mountains so that their group would not be seen. During that time, a lot people tried to escape towards the city.

From the cries and the screams, Naajim could tell that two persons were killed. It serves enough reason to motivate the rest not to try. At night, the raiders drank to their heart's content and their voices rang out till dawn.

The next morning, the canvas was pulled off from the cage. Naajim was already awake by then. He used his toe to nudge Tashara so that she would be awake as well. The strong sunlight struck him eyes like arrows, forcing him to shield them.

'Today is your lucky day,' said a raider. It was Yanhani.

Naajim frowned. Nothing was lucky as long they were prisoners. The "rayeas" as everyone called him, unlocked the cake. A lock that Naajim had spent many sleepless nights trying to unlock with the bare scraps he could scavenge during his trips outside. Unfortunately, it's hard to find things in the middle of a desert that can pick a lock. Also, with all eyes on him, there was nothing much he could do.

'Come out!' yelled Rayeas before pulling the boy out of the cart. He fell onto the ground on his bare knees, scraping it. Panic filled his systems as he watched his hands flicker in and out of existence.

'Hold him! He's disappearing.'

'Kyaaaaaaa!'

Naajim swept his gaze towards the sound of the scream and watched Tashara being mauled out of the cage as she trashed her limbs in hopes of escape.

'Aye! Shut it!'

'Be careful,' said Rayeas.

'But rayeas_'

'That girl might be a pretty face but she can mess with your head.'

Naajim tried to stand, but strong hands held him down. Someone forced a water-skin at him.