In the Case of One Named Rani

They were all led in a line. A single file, straight line, leading up the dusty, sunbaked road. A rope held them all together, and the master walked at their head.

Behind and beside them, the pack Kodo's trudged, nearly bogged down with the burden they carried.

They were treasured creatures, too good to bear the burden of human cargo... That was why they walked. The Thousand Needles was blisteringly hot, and there seemed no end to it. They seemed to walk forever.

"Keep your heads down and keep walking!" The master yelled, his voice shrill and grating. "If you can't bear this part of Kalimdor, you'll never survive the Flats, OR Tanaris! Keep moving, slugs!"

They trudged forward, oldest to youngest, the higher ranking slaves at the back making sure the youngest did not fall behind or fall down. If they fell, they would be dragged up and forced onward again, no healing for their wounds and no water to keep them from parching.

They spared no brutality for those in the lead... Those were simply beaten and dragged behind, whether they were on their feet or not. The ones who died on the way were left to rot. Left to the hyenas and the vultures.

Through the whole ordeal, not one of them had even a fleeting thought of fighting back... At that age, and growing to the ages they were alone, they didn't know what free will meant. Always begging strangers, not knowing how to live, they accepted this as their written fate and walked on.

A foot fell to the red earth and chased up clouds of dust... tired eyes cried silent tears that tracked through the dust that settled on sunburned cheeks...

Those tears mixed with the red earth and resembled blood. As they walked, they all cried tears of blood...

Rani sat up with a gasp, throwing the blanket off of herself and scrambling to her feet. She rushed from the room she slept in and into the room opposite. The fetid water in the washtup didn't deter her from scooping up a double handful of it and throwing it into her face.

Wash away the blood... wash away the blood... water was life, water was healing. After she had scrubbed her face pink and nearly raw, she hurried back into her sleeping room and snatched up a water skin. Tilting her head back, she drank the contents without a breath until it was empty...

Then she tossed the empty skin aside and hugged her knees to herself, shaking her head to rid it of the images.

That time was long gone... long, long gone.

"Why do you think such things, Rani?" She asked herself. "It's not fair to think such things. Thinking on them will only make the dreams worse." She tried not to smell the filth and the stench of the desert. She tried not to smell the reek of death that clung to them when they reached the desert city of Gadgetzan.

Shuddering long and hard, she got to her feet and hurriedly dressed herself, moving to the door and looking out.

The day was the same as any other. Sweeping her raven hair behind her ear, the young human pushed the door open and rushed out into the brightly lit streets of Stormwind. Stormwind was far away from the hellish place she had been taken to when she was only five years old. That hell... the place where she was raised, where she was told...

This is your home. This is your life. You have no free will and you will not speak. You are a possession and you will do as you are told. No one cares about you, no one knows you're alive...

You are part of us now, and you belong to us.

And she had listened obediently to every word they said. She was led into the desert, and her strength failed. She made it to Gadgetzan, but didn't stay long.

No... she was one of the first ones to go.

"Lady Rani!" A voice called, and up beside her ran a small child with sunny blonde hair and curious brown eyes. One of the orphans... She smiled fondly and crouched down.

"Ah, there you are. I've been wondering where you've been these past few days." She said affectionatly as she took his hands in hers. The little boy grinned and beamed.

"I was fishing!" He chirped happily, and Rani laughed.

"Good, good!" She squeezed his hands and stood, leading him to the bridge she was to cross to go to the Cathedral. When they reached the steps, the little hand in hers slipped away,and she looked down.

"I'll only be a moment." She promised, kissing his forehead. "You go and play." He nodded in understanding and rushed off with a wave. Rani felt the smile slip from her face and sighed heavilly, looking up at the Cathedral.

"Forgive me, for I have sinned." She whispered, slipping the hood of her robes up and ascending the stairs. She knew they would be waiting for her... She only hoped this time there wouldn't have to be blood on her robes, so she wouldn't have to try and explain to the orphans...

Or to anyone else who might have looked.

"Now... time to do business." She strode into the Cathedral, seeing a few of the monks immediatly rush forward to stop her.

"You're not welcome here!" One of them cried. "Why do they let you remain in the city! You're a menace!"

She calmly held her hand out to him and smiled.

"Listen to me." She said in a level voice, her features still smooth. "We all want to live, don't we? In order to live, we have to have a commander. So long as you continue to give into her, she will continue to protect this Fortress you call home." She turned her eyes to him and continued on her way, all the way up to the High Priestess' seat. The woman didn't stand as usual, sitting and staring down at her lap. She trembled... she looked thinner than usual.

Rani frowned.

"Stand up and act properly, Lady." She hissed, shaking her head. "You and I have business to discuss."

"You cannot leech anything more from us." the Priestess gasped. "You cannot force us to..."

"Would you like her brood to come here? Would you like them to come and feed? On you... on the townsfolk? On the Orphans?" Rani's gaze was unwavering.

"Stand up and give me what I require, and you're safe for another month. Is that too much to ask?"

The High Priestess simply shook her head, standing slowly.

"We have what you require..."

"Good. In order to keep the same thing that happened last time from happening again, I need you to give me what I require."

Rani's voice was smooth, void of emotion, and the High Priestess could not help the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You are too young! This is not fair! Not right!" She gasped.

"In order for the Lady to keep her veil of protection over this city, I need you to give me what I require."

Rani would not be swayed...

"There is no veil of protection! There is only corruption! She is leeching the Alliance dry from the inside out! You are nothing but a possession to her!"

Rani's eyes widened, and for a moment, her cool mask broke. She took a breath and smoothed her features down, lifting her chin.

"In order for the Lady..." She began again, her eyes widening once more as blood splashed the High Priestess' face.

She had been used to pain...

Pain was nothing new to her...

But this pain came as a surprise. It centered around the middle of her body and burned like fire through her veins. Blood trickled past her lips and cold began to creep over her limbs as the fire fled away.

Blood trickled from her nose as the blade in her body withdrew, letting her slump slowly forward to the ground. She lay for a moment, then heard the soft sound of plate mail as someone knelt down beside her, a gentle hand laying on her shoulder.

"You have been a prisoner all your life." His voice murmured. "You are not a prisoner anymore."

As she lay dying, a smile touched her lips. Tears of blood flowed from her eyes as the man who had killed her whispered to her... freedom...