CHAPTER 2

SAPPHIRE 

It’s been 3 moons since I saw my father. I had never been apart from him my whole life, a certain dread lingered in the air but I wasn’t alone in the loneliness. 

The silence has been heavy, all that could he heard was the rustling of leaves and the clattering of the wheels against the rocky path. 

“I’ve heard stories of the camp” a whisper called me out of my thoughts.

The moon was crescent and the light was dim, I could not see the face, but the scent reached my nose - she was human.

“What stories?” I indulged, my voice barely a whisper.

“They say the soldiers choose the weakest among the slaves for food, or for a hunt. And others, they are...defiled - some even die in the process” she whispered eerily. 

“Defiled?” I was shocked. 

“Why are you surprised? The wolves see everyone beneath them as prey.” She whispered, the contempt clear in her tone. 

“Not all wolves, my father isn’t like that” I said defensively 

“Because he is weak. We all are. And we will forever be subject to this tyranny, so prepare for the worst.” She spat. 

I took no offense to what she said, she wasn’t wrong. Everyone in Litherra village was weaker than the soldiers, there was no way we could fight them. 

“Are there no stories of anyone who escaped?” I inquired.

“Some tried to.” She said.

“Tried?” I asked.

“They were sacrificed to the goddess, and their bones were used by the lycans to pick their teeth” she said grimly.

“What if these are all myths? Created to keep anyone too afraid to run?” I asked.

“There is no smoke without fire. It is not above them, they are wolves after all; compassion was not a trait they possessed” she said grimly.

Suddenly the carriage halted and the atmosphere shifted. Deep down I was hoping it would take longer to get here, to my doom. 

A soldier opened the cage “Line up!” 

Everyone rushed down from the carriage and lined up accordingly.

“Stay close.” She whispered to me as we got out of the carriage. 

My brows furrowed, what was she planning? 

“Heads up!” The soldier yelled. 

As my eyes pulled away from my bare feet, I was met with a terribly disturbing sight. A terrified gasp left my lips and my shoulders trembled. 

There were impaled heads framing the wooden fence of the camp. There were different sizes - some looked like children who had not come of age. 

The soldier pointed at the fence “That is the reward for disobedience. Act accordingly” 

Another soldier walked up to him and whispered something in his ear, and his expression became even more grim. 

“Hakil,” he called another soldier “give them their stations” 

“Yes sir!” Hakil responded 

Before the soldier left, his eyes met mine and reflexively, my eyes turned to the ground; but I could feel his stare lingering. 

I remembered what the human said to me on the carriage, what if he wanted to eat me? Or devour me in his bed and then dispose of me afterwards? 

My eyes stung with tears as I struggled to keep my breathing under control. Is this really how I’d die? 

“You would be useful in my bed” the soldier said slyly. 

I heard a female whimper.

“No!” That was Flak. 

I raised my head and I saw Hakil lifting Flak by the neck. 

“Please release him, please!!! I’ll do anything you say!” Ria cried on her knees 

Hakil completely disregarded her and stood at our centre, Flak desperately struggling for oxygen in his grip. 

“The reward for disobedience.” He said firmly and crushed Flak’s neck and beheaded him. 

Ria’s scream was defeaning, heartbreaking almost. And not even a moment after, a soldier slammed his palm across her face. 

“Is there anyone else who wishes to object?” He yelled, flak’s head dangled in his hand by the hair. 

We responded with submitting silence, and he smirked menacingly then walked to the fence and added Flak’s head to the collection. 

As much as I despised Flak, this was not the end I envisioned for him. 

“Take them to the mines.” He instructed pointing at six captives on my left. 

Two soldiers immediately dragged them to a place my eyes could not reach. 

All of a sudden, Hakil gripped my face in his hand and forced my eyes to meet his. 

“Take this one to my tent” he commanded, without taking his eyes off me.

My knees trembled in fear and my heart rose to my throat. Why me? 

“Take me too, my lord! I will surrender myself completely for your pleasure!” the human bowed and placed her head on his feet. 

Was she insane?? 

He eyed her on the floor and smirked “Take this one too” 

He let go off my face and began to examine the rest as a soldier dragged us to a tent at the extreme end of the camp. 

The tent was empty - no bed, not even a cloth. All that was there was a leather sack, which the human began to rummage through.

“What are you doing!!” I tried to keep my voice as low as possible. 

“Finding a way out of here. Unless you want to be his sex slave” she retorted 

“Why did you come with me? You could have been sent to the mines - “

“To die?? Im not interested.” She spat 

“What are you even looking for?” I asked exasperated. This human was looking for too much trouble. 

“Look!” She held a dagger in one hand and a paper in another. 

“What’re you going to do with that?” I eyed her carefully. She couldn't be serious. 

“Escape.” She said firmly, her grip on the dagger tightening.

“Has insanity come upon you??? Have you forgotten the stories you told me ??” I whispered incredulously 

“If I’m going to end up dead, I’d like for people to say I fought! For my story to be that I stood up to the wolves!!” She lashed out, her voice trembling, “So are you with me or not?” 

If I stayed here, I would die. 

If I went with her, I would die. But how I would die was not absolute. 

I thought of my father, I would do anything to see him again. 

I sighed heavily “Let’s go” 

Just as we were about to leave the tent, Hakil walked in, his eyes instantly fixed on the dagger and map in her hands. 

A menacing smirk grew on his lips, causing chills down my spine, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to run.”