Playlist

Blessthefall - Wishful Thinking

City State - Into the Night

Like a Storm - Love The Way You Hate Me

An elderly lady at the neighbouring market stall was starting to look at me peculiar when she saw me throwing glances left and right.

"Anything wrong, dear?"

I ignored her and I slipped my hand in my pocket to touch the gold again but didn't dare to look at it, not with so many eyes on me. I was considering packing up when I heard Alexander's voice beaming.

"Illya, come, let's feast," he said and I looked confused at him and wondered if he saw the interaction I had with the man in dark clothes. But then I saw Agnetha next to him and another girl she was talking with.

"Tonight we're living it big," Alexander said and placed his arm around my neck. "This girl here is throwing a party," he tilted his head towards the new girl. "And I said I have a few friends that would like to have some fun," he smiled broadly at me but the look in his eyes were sending me a different message. Anything and everything was on the table to entertain our guest in return for food and maybe even a comfortable night sleep. Alexander whored himself around for food and the lifestyle he was chasing, but it wasn't giving me much pleasure anymore.

The new girl had her eyes on him and perhaps it was a great time for Agnetha and me to leave. I had to convince her to do so, maybe at tonight's party.

"Who's the new girl?" I inquired.

"Artemis, meet Illyana, she's a good friend of mine," he introduced me, but Artemis looked at me coldly. Ok! You won't be the last, girl. I realized I started to think a lot like Agnetha, the only difference was, I could see the pages turning, but she was stuck in the past.

"Do you have other friends?" Artemis asked, not giving me another thought. Alexander played the perfect lover, he shifted his focus to her and I was starting to feel a pang of jealousy. I wasn't used to not being in the centre of attention anymore and I knew then without a shadow of a doubt how toxic Alexander's affection to women was. Leaving was the right thing to do and now I had the means.

We went to Artemis's house. It was a two story villa with a peristyle garden, filled with luxuriant plants, a water feature in the middle in the style of two nymphs sitting behind one another and water was coming out from their mouths; the courtyard was supported by tall columns with grape vines adorned around them, there were various ornaments and statues and tiled murals on all the walls.

Food was plenty and on every surface, different types of olives and cheeses, dips and quail eggs and salted fish, breads for dipping or figs, oranges and many plates of roasted meats with different legumes and salads. My mouth was watering at the sight. I don't remember ever seeing such fine foods before and I was scared to dare touch any in case I'd make a fool of myself not knowing how to eat them.

The courtyard soon filled itself with people that came through the wide open gates. Some people took seats on the sides and started playing the harp or flutes, while a group of women started an enchanted dance and invited others to join. Artemis took Alexander and sat him on a divan and fed him some of the mouth watering fruits. He laughed and peppered her with compliments as I could see her blushing cheeks from the other side of the garden, while Agnetha and I were sitting uncomfortable in a corner. "We should blend in," I thought and maybe have a chat before I would make my big escape, but not before feasting. I haven't eaten properly in months.

I took Agnetha by the hand and we sat near the water fountain. A servant brought us wine in copper cups and I took one for myself and one for my friend.

"Honestly, girl. There's a time for beads and a time for party," I said when I saw her taking out some unfinished bracelets and threading some colourful rocks to finish them. "We're here to party and eat our belies up. Now, put away those things, I have something very important to tell you, but we mustn't let anyone hear us."

"I've been to parties before," she replied nonchalant. How sad your life must be, that even all the riches in the world can't make you happy? There was life music and food to feed a thousand and Agnetha just sat there uncomfortable in Alexander's line of sigh, while he had no eyes for her. He had no eyes for me either, for that matter, but I was ready to move on. Being so hell bound to a man that showed her no mercy was baffling for me. No food in the world was going to fill her up. She lived of air but the strong hold she had on him was the only thing that kept her going.

I realized that I might have a lost battle here, but if I could at least help her in some other way.

"Listen, let's pretend we enjoy ourselves and then I will show you something."

"Ok," she said not showing any interest. If only she knew.

So we ate and drank and I danced and Agnetha watched and took small sips of wine while throwing glances Alex's way, but he was too engrossed in whatever conversation he was having and I could see her pained look on her face. I took her away from the party and went through some doors that took us to the kitchen, from where I stole a knife and we went out, in the back of the villa and we sat down in a nook made by two extension of the outer wall.

"Listen, what I'm about to show you, you can't tell nobody – especially Alex."

"Not even Alex?" she looked at me in disbelief like how dare I hide something from him but I shook my head vehemently and when she replied with a nod, I opened my backpack and took out the little pouch the man in the plaza gave me.

"Did you steal something?"

"No, when did I ever? You know me, I don't have a dare devil heart nor the skills. No, this... thing... was given to me and I know..." I put my hand up in defence, "I know that sounds incredulous but it's real," I finished and took the rock out. At first, Agnetha had no reaction. I don't know if it was because she couldn't believe her eyes or never seen something like this before, but she didn't gasp in surprise like I thought she would. Maybe the lack of food and proper sleep has robbed her of the ability to enjoy happiness.

"What is it?" she asked. Did she really not know what it was?

"Make a guess."

"I... I don't want to make guesses, but if it is what I think it is, where did you get it from? Who could have possibly just given this to you? What did you do?"

"Nothing... I told you, it sounds really unreal, but he just gave it to me."

"It could have been stolen and someone bound you to this crime." She didn't ask, she just drew the conclusion and now that I thought about it, it made no sense for someone to just give me that. It must have been a catch.

"I thought I could give you half," I said and lifted the knife to cut the rock in two but Agnetha recoiled at the thought: "No! No, I don't want to have anything to do with that. People like us don't just own that kind of thing. It's not a speck, Illy, it's a big rock."

"But you could use it if you ever need to go and have your own place, you can't tell me you'll be Alex's leftovers forever."

"You know I'm not going anywhere," I could see the hurt in her eyes when I spluttered the truth with no filter, "and if you were to give me that, where would I hide it? Alex would find it eventually, probably even leave me or use it on some stupid adventure thing he has in mind or even just throw it. You know he doesn't care for material things, plus I do think this will bring more trouble and you should get rid of it."

"This is my chance to freedom. I can't possibly throw it. I thought we wanted the same," I said with defeat.

"You make it sound like I'm shackled. I'm not. I choose to stay by him. I know he has his ways, but when all comes to worst is just us two, together. I know it's hard to see with all the partying, but he brings us food, more than I can do it myself and he shares his food and his bed with me. It's more than I could ever ask, given I'm not returning the favour. Please, understand, I'm happy the way things are."

"You didn't look happy a minute ago, sitting there and throwing glances at him while he kissed another woman. Tell me, how is this happiness?"

"It's a price he has to pay, we all do, I mostly. I know it's hard to watch, that's why I don't join you in these adventures. But I know, she means nothing to him. She's just the means to an end."

I sigh and pinch my nose with my fingers. This conversation is going nowhere and I failed my mission at rescuing her soul. I think back to the golden coins I got and take one out and put it in her palm.

"I don't...I can't tell you how to use this and if you want to tell Alex, then be it, but I would suggest, you use this one on the rainy days – you know, those days when you don't bring a thing. Stretch it out as long as you can. It will make those bad days bearable."

Agnetha looked at her palm, at the gold coin glistening in the sunset and then put it in the beads bag.

"What you're going to do with the rock?"

"Buy my freedom," I said and we didn't talk more about that.

When we went inside, we couldn't see Artemis and Alex anymore and most of the girl's friends where gone too, but there were still people dancing or making out on the side of the fountain or on the pillows that were scattered around. Everywhere I looked there were bodies tangled around each other, their lust and sweat filling the air. Did I want to be part of it too? Maybe, to feel a male's want and desire, his juices bottling up just at the sight of me, to feel strong arms grabbing my breasts so he could feed.

Maybe these were the thoughts that made me wander through the villa's halls, with the excuse of searching for Alex but secretly wishing I could join a tandem of lusting souls. After too much wondering, I realised I lost Agnetha and decided to go look for her, but soon I was lost myself.

The night was settled in and the fire torches that were meant to illuminate my path were instead creating shadows on the walls that were chasing me away. I was getting a bit nervous at the idea of spending my night lost in this unknown place so I closed my eyes and tried to even my breathing. I tried again to distinguish the sounds of the night that were hiding underneath the roof of this home and eventually started hearing moans and voices in a language I couldn't understand. Were they coming from the room where Alex was or was it something else? They sounded like prayers and chanting but then a woman's scream pierced the night and I tried to follow the sound. I called Agnetha's name, not caring any more if I was waking up everyone.

The music from the garden intensified like it was trying to muffle my voice, so I called louder and tried to follow the sound of the piercing screams. Someone was in trouble. After a few turns I reached a massive timber door with metal shackles. It was so heavy, I barely managed to push it open but once I got in, I saw a big four post bed in the middle of the room and on it a massive guy looked like he was struggling to restrain a young girl. I didn't know who it was – not like it mattered anyway, but then her desperate call in the darkness of the room made me shiver. Agnetha was struggling to get out of the man's strong grip.

I knew I had no power to move him away from her so I looked around the room for something to hit him with until she could get from under his hold. There was only a chair too big for me to lift above my head, a table with some plates with remnants of food from the earlier feast perhaps and the man's coat, but then I remembered the knife I stole earlier from the kitchen. I didn't had much time to think through how I was going to go about attacking him, I just jumped on the man's back and tried to cut him with the knife but he knocked me down before I even had a chance to bring the blade anywhere near him.

At least I distracted him enough to get off Agnetha, but then he directed his wrath at me. I could see the bulging veins on his neck as he growled like a wounded animal. I looked at the knife and saw specks of blood on the blade. I was surprised I managed to make any damage but it didn't look it deterred him as he jumped on his two feet like an agile cat, despite the size of him and he was now strolling towards me. I only managed to call to Agnetha to run but she decided to throw the pots and plates from the table at him. It didn't stop him to reach for me as he grabbed me by my neck and lifted me in the air until my toes could barely touch the ground.

"Get... help," managed to say to Agnetha and she ran out of the room.

"Catella (bitch in latin)," he growled as he pressed the tip of his fingers in my neck. The lack of oxygen was numbing the pain his fingers were inflicting me, but in the same time dizziness overcame me and I knew I was going to pass out soon. I tried to wriggle and hit him with my legs but I was failing miserably and soon darkness lied over my eyes and all I could hear was the echo of his laughter then my body fell to the ground. Was I dead? I could still feel the burn down my throat and suddenly became aware that I was breathing, slowly, but air was coming to my lungs. I coughed a few times and when I felt that the fogginess over my brain was clearing, I dared look up.

The man was howling, holding his neck as blood was spluttering from it. Did I do that? It couldn't have been from the earlier knife cut. Did Agnetha managed to get someone to help me? The man's ear-splitting scream was cutting the night deep, but there was nobody else in sight and I couldn't tell what had attacked this man or if I was going to be next.

Then I heard a soft patting on the ground, in one corner of the room and from the darkness, a creature that couldn't have existed, appeared from a nightmare, it looked like a dog, but it had three heads, like someone has conjoined three ferocious dogs into one body, their canines glistening in the little flickering light that came from a nearby candle. The thud in my chest sped up at the sight in front of me, I knew it was a matter of seconds until I would be next, but was it a dream? I have never heard any accounts of monsters in these lands and now the reality of it was crushing any hopes of making it out alive from this. Even if people came to help, we were all going to be dead, there was no question about that.

The man fell to his knees next to me and the loud noise made me jump out of my skin. Here I was, trying to blend in with the darkness of the room and now the monster was going to attack me. I was next.

Some people say they see their entire life flashing under their eyes in front of danger, but I couldn't think of any of that; the only thing I was aware of was my breathing and the thumping of my heart that seemed too loud for this room. I wished I could stop it, I wished I was braver to do something, I wished to see the world – I know, stupid thought, I was meant to think of ways to escape the situation I was in, but here I was thinking I should have tried to escape my world sooner, to not have followed Alex and his party and move on with my initial plan of escape, but all was too late now. I was going to die, I could almost smell death.

My nostrils suddenly inhaled the scent of pinewood and lemon and I wondered if that's the sweet goodbye the world was sending me, but then I recalled the events from earlier in the day. I looked up around the room and in a different corner, in the shadows, that beautiful man I have met in the morning, now sat on a divan and looked intensely towards our corner. He didn't move, nor did he seem worried or afraid of the creature that was now rounding closely the man that was slowly dying next to me.

"Did ... did you do this?" I barely managed to whisper, the hoarseness in my throat making it hard for me to speak.

He didn't reply, but the creature started licking the blood that was seeping through the man's wound next to me. He was dead.

"What are you? Some kind of body hunter?"

No reply. I couldn't even hear him breathe. The perfume that radiated from him was the only sign he was still here.

"Well, you didn't have to kill him. I mean, I wanted him off me, but this is too much," I pointed at the bloody floor. I wanted to thank him, but not for the gore he created.

He stood up and the dog with three heads stopped licking the floor and went next to him. He probably owned that thing, but how can anyone master that?

I didn't know who I should be scared of, the creature he owned or him. If someone could tame the beast, he must have been a dark soul himself.

"I didn't do it for you," he said with a deep voice, I didn't realised I missed so much. But how could I have been? I was angry with myself for getting excited just to hear him talk.

He patted one of the dog heads, but they all bowed at his feet. The atmosphere shifted and I didn't dare look at him. I was suddenly aware of the dishevelled clothes I wore and my open chest but he didn't pay notice to it, as he looked at the man on the ground, kneeled next to him and searched behind his ear.

I could hear loud footsteps coming from the halls and the voices were getting closer. The man stood up and went towards the open window. I looked at the door that was about to burst open and then back to the window. He was gone. Again, he just disappeared.

The door flew open before I had a chance to figure out how he got down from the first floor and was nowhere in sight.

"Marcus, what happened?" I heard a woman yelling and bending over the body and then she looked at me menacingly. "What did you do to him?" she growled.

"I didn't..." I gestured towards the open window but realised how ridiculous I would sound if I told her what happened exactly. "He was about to abuse my friend and I..." I didn't knew how I was going to finish the sentence, because I knew I didn't do it, I wasn't capable of it, but would these people know or believe me? I looked at Agnetha that stood just a few feet behind and she looked from the man to me and back again in disbelief.

"You killed him! Guards, get the guards!" she shouted and I felt suddenly cornered and the only thing I could think of doing was to run. There was no way I could go through the door, so I climbed over the window sill and jumped on the bottom awning. A few of the tiles gave way under the pressure and fell to the ground. I couldn't sit and think my way out of this so I jumped down again and landed in a bed of plants. The fall wasn't big, but escaping dangerous situations wasn't my thing, so I must have landed on my foot the wrong way, because now a searing pain was shooting through my leg. But I had to keep going and ran towards familiar places. I hated being on the run so in a split moment I made the decisive call to go back to Boyar Ignaz's obste(house) to pay for my freedom. Knowing of his greediness, I was sure the salt rock would have been a great parting gift.