..
Oh mother..
You were my wings. You held me up when I faltered. Now, every time I try and soar in the sky – I tumble helplessly and I am forever falling. Without you mother, I am nothing. I'm lost in a web with no way out and it hurts me I every way to think I will never be with you again. I pretend you're still here with me, it's easier this way. I live a life of pretences and walls. It rains in my heart to feel you absent from me and I feel dismembered, without a soul or a mind. I wander through this world without a spirit or a reason to live on, why should I fight on?
I'm empty! I feel nothing! Why did you leave me? Why! I demand an answer! I Demand something! I demand everything! Demand!
I weaken and waver in my step. My body physically crumples up like a piece of torn up paper and I am left alone in my room. I am void of any feeling and its better this way. It has to be. I cried so many nights and bit back my tears at day till droplets of blood glistened on my sore lips. Why should I torment myself when I'm surrounded by such people? Am I not tormented enough as it is?
Mother.
I love you.
' My Baby!!!'
' Sakura! Get inside now!' A mother urgently commanded whilst carrying her baby in her arms. She opened the door to their small thatched house and urged Sakura inside.
' Under the bed! Now!' She pointed towards the bed whilst she opened a large wooden cupboard.
' But mom I..' Sakura protested. The mother gave her a look of fierce jade eyes. Sakura gulped, she hadn't seen her mother so passionately glaring at her before. Sakura nodded mutely before sliding her small body under the bed.
Immediately, the door hinges exploded open and Sakura bit into her hand to muffle a cough. The room began to billow with smoke and loud footsteps passed the bed. A whole collection of loud and burly voices shouted at each other and Sakura couldn't quite make out what they were saying.
She suddenly heard her mother cry out and her younger sister, Leyla screaming. Sakura didn't disobey her mother and stayed under the bed, holding back her tears. She didn't understand. Was this a game? Would this all be over once somebody won?
Her mother screamed out her name and Sakura shuffled in her tight position. She began to choke with the black smoke that curled under the bed like tendrils of a fire dragon. The footsteps abruptly disappeared with loud shouts and the screaming of her mother. Sakura couldn't help but forget the tone of her mother's desperate voice. She must have been out of her mind. Sakura slid out of her position figuring no one was there and there; met the fiery flames of her potential grave. She cried out and shielded her eyes with the fiery oranges and glowing reds of the fire. She didn't like this one bit. She wanted her mum back and to be hugged – told that everything would be okay.
Sparks spitted and black ashes round her feet made her feet tender. She flung herself against the wall, trying to climb up to the window but her arms were too small and she was far too shirt to reach. A cupboard collapsed behind her. She jumped and managed to grab the window ledge with a hand. She slid down.
Sakura muttered, 'Won't give up' She pushed harder and managed to get her hand on the ledge. She lifted herself up a few inches but her weight was too much. She fell down again. The bed caught on fire, giving off large livid white flames. Sakura cried out and with a faint growl ran up to the wall and flung both her hands up. She grabbed the ledge and started to pull and pull.
Behind her, the table collapsed sending up a huge swirl of flames. Sakura felt sweat forming on her brow and her fierce green eyes persistently pushed her on. Her arms shook with effort and she had to let go. The heat was intoxicating behind her and other objects in the room began to collapse. Smoke started to billow towards her direction in a thick black putrid mist.
' I can't give up' She thought desperately. I want to be with Mommy! She pulled her upper body up with her arms shivering. Her legs kicked desperately. Her leg got hold but her arms gave way – she slipped down again with the scorching heat closing up on her ever faster.
' Sakura!!' She heard her mother cry from outside. The smoke was making her choke. Sakura narrowed her eyes and slammed herself up against the wall. It was now or never. She pulled her body up to the waist, strength failing her. She used her elbows to push her up onto the window ledge. She swung her leg up, crying out with effort. She desperately tried to grab her mother's Alexandrian glass vase and it tipped over. She brought her other leg up and the glass vase rolled. It jammed itself in the window slot. Sakura cried out.
Meanwhile, outside a mother desperately flung her arms out,
' Please! My baby's still in there!' But they ignored her. They didn't understand the accent nor the language she spoke in. Her eyes filled with tears and her expression frantic,
' No! Get off me! Savages! You Savages!'
Leyla was tugging onto the curls of her mother's soft russet hair whilst screaming with sobs. Her mother cried out in anguish as she was being held back. She pointed desperately whilst being dragged away. She saw Sakura hammering against the window with tearful eyes.
' Mother!' Came a loud shout. She desperately turned around, the world traveling in slow motion. There stood the furious brown eyes of a livid brother.
' Sakura!' The mother shouted recklessly. 'Touya! Sakura!' She nodded towards their house that was rapidly burning down. Touya snapped back around at the house and saw the steamed up windows with a pair of tiny hands making imprints. He shook off the soldiers and ran up to the house, ignoring the shouts of the soldiers. He smacked up against a glass object obstructing the window and desperately looked inside. He jumped when he saw a pair of murky green eyes through the window and cried out. He glanced around desperately and saw the flicker of fierce oranges flames inside. He watched in horror as her hands gently slid off the glass and she fell backwards onto the floor, descending off the ledge.
Touya hammered against the glass but saw it useless. He grabbed a rock and threw it at the glass but with no use. ' Sakura ' He cried. With burning eyes, he grabbed the top of the window hole and kicked both his legs through it. The glass shattered and his reflection broke into pieces. Pushing his body through the small window, he roughly fell into the house. The sheer heat propelled him into the wall. He raised an arm over his eyes to shield himself..
' Sakura!' He screamed.
My brother. He was my guardian. The brightest constellation in my otherwise empty night sky which guided me across the stormiest of seas. Whenever I needed support, he used to defend me. Some of the nasty school children who used to mock my green eyes were dealt with by my brother who courageously stood up to them; and I never had any trouble again. The daily arguments between him and I became a ritual and I began to like it because it represented normality. A sense of normality more beautiful than silence itself….
Sakura felt hazy and lost the distinct lines of her surroundings. Amidst the blur the world was silent. She was senseless and in this way she felt totally at calm. Eventually, her world turned a blinding white with a strange ringing. She puzzled for a moment only to be rudely awakened by her brother's frantic shouting. Touya stumbled over, facing the blistering heat of the house that was rapidly burning down. He swept Sakura up into his arms and headed over to the window. As gently as possible, realizing the life threatening situation blazing behind him. He pushed Sakura through the small window gap and followed after her…
Tumbling out on the ground, he hugged her close to his body and allowed himself to brace the full impact. A few blades of glass cut into his body and especially one across his cheek. He stumbled up, clutching his baby sister Sakura and staggered towards his mother. The soldiers looked at him in shock for a moment before roughly removing Sakura from his arms. Touya cried out but was abruptly struck down. Sakura was handed to another soldier who briefly examined her.
' She can be sold to the market. They should look after her there. I'll make sure a doctor sees her' The soldier smiled down at her face. He obviously had a soft spot for children. Maybe he had children back at home.
Sakura's mother screamed, kicked and cried. But with flailing arms and holding her baby tightly she was dragged away. Sakura slowly opened her eyes and extremely dazed and missing the warm contact of her brother, she saw for the last time – her mother's contorted face now red with tears and her cold eyes piercing through the warm air.
So. The last joyful memories of my mother were of her playing the flute. She was especially talented in the music arts although we were incredibly poor. She could play a reed flute with such precision and melt the heart of the most bitter of hearts. She used to rock me gently to sleep with such melodies and her warm smile used to softly wake me in the morning – a delicate slight touch across my cheek. A laugh. A hug. A song..
Sometimes. When I listen to the cold night I can hear her voice. It intertwines with the stars and flows through the veins of the Earth. It is not any sort of wishful thinking because it is real. She is an Earth spirit. She lives forever in both my memories and the living. Every leaf, every blade of grass, every flower…
She was always exceptionally green fingered in the garden. Could make anything grow. It used to seem to me that wherever she walked, flowers would grow in her footsteps. Of course in the fantastical mind of a small child – it's normal and of course possible. My father..well…
My childish fantasies and thoughts were abruptly lost on the day I lost my mother. She was my link to natural beauty. Now, in the arms of some foreign soldier I was being led over to a large cart of some description. I was laid down next to other bodies. They were either equally as dazed or emotionally swept. I closed my eyes and phased out.
Sakura slightly curled up for warmth. The stench of other people's salty tears, mud and generally fear was intoxicating. Her eyes rolled back and she merely lost consciousness. Her body was not bleeding but there were blisters forming across her limbs. Other children her age were curled up in their own corners crying, parentless and unsure of what else to do. Across the side of the cart, the words ' Slave Market' were scrawled across in white chalk that had been reapplied many times.
The next time she opened her eyes. It was dawning. She was not sure of how much time had passed. Only that the pale whitewash of pastel reds and pinks told her a new day had begun. And also a new era too. Sakura forced herself to look up and saw the putrid black smoke in the sky. Her arms and legs ached but she realized that crying got nowhere; glancing at the kids around her. The rocking of the cart made her sick and there were boulders on the road that were caught under the wheels. We rolled over hills and hills in a continuous drive. In reality, what might not have seemed long, was an eternity with their fates unconfirmed.
They bustled us out. Sakura was weak and exhausted, her feet wavering on my existence in reality. Somehow, she felt detached. She had never been so far from home before and especially without my family. Maybe she would see her family here. She believed strongly that all this commotion would come to an end.
The ground started to rumble.
Sakura felt her hands shaking on the floor of the cart. She instantly feared the worst. Her mother had spoken tales of the plains surrounding their village and of the equilibrium they lived in. Now that balance had been shifted it only meant herds were on the move. On the move? Rephrased. On the stampede.
Sakura glanced at her hands before looking up towards the other children. Her jade eyes glanced over them quickly and most of them were too wrapped up in their own misery to notice. Suddenly, when there was a jolt and Sakura gasped. Her worst fears were confirmed!
The ground began to rumble louder and louder until it turns into waves of vibrations. The children around her began to panic and hammered against the wood of the cart cage, screaming and bawling. The cart notable began to move faster until the thunderous hooves of the horses pulling the cart along gave an edge of hysteria to the already heated atmosphere. The lock began to loosen with the galloping speed until the door began to open. Sakura, who was nearest to the edge by the door began to slide out. She cried out and grabbed onto the floor desperately but her grip failed. Her along with two others slid out with the ripping noise and fast winds surrounding them. They hit the ground in a hard impact and the three of them rolled for a few moments. Sakura felt her arm hurting in extreme pain and tears formed in her eyes. Her head spun but thankfully she had landed in such a way that she had subconsciously embraced the impact. The other two were not so lucky and the bodies of other children lay around her as they fell out of the cart. Most were getting up, dazed and confused. Some however lay still. To sleep forever.
Sakura stumbled up and snapped around only to find quagmire-zebras galloping towards her in a massive herd. Her pupils widened in fear as she pulled herself up and started to sprint. Anyone who had survived the impact hauled themselves up and followed. Fear drove them on and adrenaline raced in their veins. Sakura ran as fast as her legs and fatigue allowed. Past rocks and trees. She leapt over depressions in the ground. The screams of all of them echoed the air with the ever-nearing reverberating pounding of hooves. The ground shook and the vibrations ran up their legs. One quagmire in a blur of pale brown stripes galloped past her. Sakura kept her concentration in front of her. Another overtook her to the left. Her hair band slowly loosened and fluttered out of her hair onto the ground.
An older boy over took Sakura and Sakura kept her eyes on him intently. It gave her something to concentrate on. Suddenly, a high-pitched cry escaped from a figure just behind Sakura. Sakura's head snapped around and she saw a fallen figure with ebony hair flying around her head. Her heart ached in a distinct pang. She couldn't just leave her behind as in the corner of her eye, a huge cloud of dust was forming..
Quagmires approaching fast.
Sakura ran a few steps back and grabbed the girl's arm.
' Hurry!' She cried. The girl nodded and pushed herself up, almost shoving Sakura off her. Her fierce red eyes shot straight through Sakura causing her to stumble back.
' Get off me!' She snarled. Sakura nodded numbly before running away, unable to understand why she was so angry with her..
Her eyes pricked with emerald tears as she gave a fleeting look behind her. That girl was a fast runner as she soon overtook Sakura. Sakura whimpered as pain begun to build up in her legs; the lactic acid burning her muscles with its intoxicating poison. Her eyes stung as her muscles began to spasm and a headache developed. Her pace notably became slower and three or four quagmires over took her each side. The rumbling became a constant din that echoed in Sakura's ears. Sakura glanced back again and cried out as a quagmire was right behind her. She pushed herself harder but felt the shadow of the quagmire tower over her. She smelt the rustic smell of its sandy coat and fear sharply and her surroundings that were so well defined to her eyes now became a blur with exhaustion. Her foot tripped over a rock and she flew forward. Her body made an impact with the sandy ground as her side skidded forward.
' Over there!' Came a deep male voice…
She waited for the heavy hooves to strike her frail body..
A boy on his dark bay horse snapped his head around and pulled back his hand with electric sparks forming between his fingers. A fiery orange began to form in a small ball of fire and he punched his hand forward. The orb of fire blasted across and hit a quagmire, throwing it onto its side. He kicked his horse into its side hard and the horse replied with a whinny. He galloped across and threw another orb at another quagmire threatening this young girl. The quagmire screamed in a high whinny as it skidded across the ground.
Sakura looked up to see another quagmire blasted out of its misery. Although her life was threatened and fear pounded in her veins…she felt her life unworthy of this defenseless creatures which were being culled…but..how? Guilt ran through her as she closed her eyes…
She turned her head and saw a hazy dark outline. A quagmire galloped past her; deafening her ears and she covered her head with her hands - curling up into a tight ball. The main stampede began to catch up and fiery orb after fiery orb hit tens of quagmires until the boy was beginning to lose his battle of protecting this young girl. He leapt off his horse and sprinted over, standing in front of her. He raised his hands and closed his eyes, hidden under his semi long chestnut hair. Stretching out his palms he shouted,
' Inferno!' A larger sphere of fire formed between his hands and began to expand rapidly. The golden red lining grew until it became a great globe surrounding both himself and his victim. Any quagmire that made a mad dash towards them was instantly hurled away – usually hitting another quagmire and causing whinnies of pain as other quagmires stampeded over them. His hands began to shake in his anger and he cried out again,
' Inferno!' in a cry of fury. Sakura's eyes opened once more and she found flickers of flame surrounding her. She cried out in her utmost fear. Her eyes became huge: wide-eyed with fear. The emerald irises, which were usually warm and glowing, were now vacant and feeling only one emotion. Her skin turned to a pale white as her eyes shot from flame to flame. Her limbs trembled and her breathing rapidly increased to almost hyperventilation..
The globe began to tremble with weakness as quagmires began to overtake its power. It caused the dome to crack but the boy refused to break down..or hold back.
He pulled back both of his slender arms and straightened them. In a war cry he sliced them both through the air so they crossed over in front of him in a horizontal swoop.
' Blade Incinerate!' A slim semi circular shape of glowing metallic red flew towards the stampede and dispersed them rapidly as they fell. Sakura could feel their pain. She could hear them scream. She could see them fall and cry out. She cried out,
' Stop! Stop! Please! It hurts!' Tears formed in her glassy eyes and slid down her cheeks. They dropped down onto the sandy ground that thirstily absorbed her sorrows.
The boy looked back and shook his head. He didn't understand. Was she this ungrateful to his works? He gritted his teeth and cried out 'blade incinerate' again and again until he was shivering from exhaustion. Yet to his extreme frustration many quagmires were still riding towards him. One struck him and he fell back into Sakura. They both slipped back..
Sakura felt his pressing warmth against her and pinched her eyes tight,
' I can't let my hero down. He's saved my life. I can't! Please help him. Somebody. Mom! Help him..' Her hands gripped his shoulders with his back lying across her stomach. ' I have to help him'
A quagmire leapt over the pile of stunned quagmires and Sakura's pupils widened. She instinctively rolled over with every last effort she could exert. She bit her lip hard until it began to bleed freely. With her head bent back she screamed out,
' Help!'
An older man on a roan horse reared up, brown eyes open wide with dread. He desperately tried to look around for the source of the sound. He couldn't find his son, he couldn't see his son!
Sakura desperately shook the boy, a quagmire's hoof striking the ground near her head. She tried to tuck them both in but heard a sickening crack. Her eyes darted to her arm where a quagmire had hit. She couldn't feel the pain, she felt numb. Almost immediately she felt the excruciating pain as her nerves were internally ripped and she quickly glanced around at the hooves of the quagmires that plummeted on the ground near them. Her head resting on his back, she shut her eyes tight and felt herself losing her subconscious…
A pine green mist that turned to an inexplicable dazzling white star formed as a small teardrop shape in front of them. It quickly bolted around them as a comet before forming a perfect circle. The shooting star spiraled upwards before disappearing in a shower of sparks. The wind picked up and both bodies lifted off the ground slowly. Sakura's body was lifted off the ground until she was in a standing position – her arms elegantly falling to her side and feet sliding together with one in front of the other. The boy was also lifted into the air and he stood in mid air facing Sakura. The quagmires beneath ran through unaware.
Instantly, both eyes opened as dew drops, sparkling like liquid sunshine swirled around both of them. Wounds healed, spirits lightened. Sakura felt a distinctive blank in her memory..Where was she? Her eyes darted around and she realized with astonishment. She was off the ground!!
The father stopped dead in astonishment; his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. The stampede of quagmires passed through and a beautiful smile broke across his face.
The mist slowly dropped and they were both gently lowered onto the ground. Both on their feet, they looked at each other. The boy could plainly see her sparkling forest coloured eyes – holding so many shades of green and representing the allure of life itself. Her disheveled hair, pointing out in many sharp angles and dirty face brightly contrasted to this.. he couldn't help but smirk.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the much too long hair that covered much of his face. She could see his hair was brown but didn't find it too interesting. She longed to see what was under the hair…
' Sakura' She held out her hand, unsure of what else to do.
The boy tilted his head. He didn't understand their form of greeting. She smiled and beamed at him. He instantly blushed and walked away. Sakura watched him intensely. He felt like a hawk was watching him.
The father rode over quickly and almost catapulted himself off his horse. He grabbed his son and held him tight.
' Don't you ever do that again!' He whispered.
Sakura's eyes stung and watered. She didn't know the whereabouts of her father…but..mother…
The man looked up at this strange girl. He straightened his body and cleared his throat,
' I didn't realize there was another one blessed.' He murmured. 'What's your name?'
' Sakura' She replied, blinking slowly. She didn't want to hold out her hand and be polite.
' I think we ought to take you home..'
In these few minutes, my mind had matured years ahead. I understood what most young children of my age had no compulsive idea of. Whereas they based their judgement on instinct; I could tell the smallest of moralities. Wrong from right; right to wrong. Of course, nothing in life is this simple. In reality, there is nothing utterly wrong – I mean without reason. But I was one stage further..though I was unaware.
' Home? I have no home sir' I replied.
Out of the desert a wagon appeared with the hooves of the horses beating the ground in a haunted memory.
' Wait sir! She is with us'
The father turned around and bowed his head.
' Dear Roman' The soldier saluted and the wagon stopped slowly. The soldier stepped down and walked over to Sakura. She felt immediately intimidated by his larger presence. He picked her up with ease and walked to the back of the wagon. The father frowned,
' Sir! Where are you taking her? Back home?'
' Yes citizen. We are' The soldier nodded and Sakura cried out as he shut the doors of the wagon. She hammered against the doors feeling the familiar scenery.
' Don't leave me!' She howled. ' Mother!' She knelt down. Her eyes pinched shut as the ghostly memories of her mother pierced her.
Memory always returns in many foul ways…I'm afraid to say…I, the younger girl..never managed to grasp onto the concept of memories. To me, it was as if I was reliving the past. It made everything all the more painful. I thought I made a bond with these people. In a way, I thought they might accept me and take me home. He could be my father that I never knew. And the boy could have been my friend. The boy could never replace my brother Touya no matter what he did however..
The father raised his voice again, ' where is her home? I would like to visit her sometime'
' Far away' The soldier replied. He picked himself up onto the driving seat and whipped the back of the horses with his reins.
' But Sir!'
The soldier only saluted and rode off, leaving a trail of sand. The father looked into the distance where the quagmires were galloping off. He gripped his son's shoulder.
' Son. We have to find her.'
The father mounted onto his horse and looked at his son who was in a daze.
' Syaoran? Come on my son. On your horse. Let us go' Syaoran looked round and nodded.
Past the bodies of the children of which the father just had to raise a finger before the bodies disappeared into dust. Releasing the soul to Elysium – the heaven of the Roman dead.
They both rode a considerable distance behind the wagon but never let it leave their sight.
I felt utterly gutted. I was sitting in the back of the cart, swaying with it. I felt distinctly sick. My memory was somehow hazy and all I could remember was the pounding of hooves in my eardrums. I wanted to throw up but I lacked the strength to. I hadn't eaten for a while. I could have eaten a horse. Tempting since they were leading me…alone. I was alone. I realized! I thought back to the dead bodies of the children that had been massacred by the quagmire but felt blank in emotion. Perhaps it was shock or realizing they had the easy way out of a life that was going to be nothing short of hell….
Sakura just closed her eyes and abruptly fell asleep – fatigue was a killer. In what seemed no time at all, the doors banged open and Sakura was roughly pulled out. He pushed her forward and she walked – dazed and blinking furiously at the sunshine. Had it been two days? Three?
Her eyes widened and immediately saddened. Around her there was smoke from fires and a huge wooden stand had been erected. People from her village and others surrounding them were there. She recognized them! Her eyes blinked tears as she was hustled into a queue. There was so many people and so much shouting. She looked round and could see in the distance..her village. Or what was left of it. The smoke from the burning houses was dying down and the flames gone. The ground was parched, dry, broken. The river was no more. The leaves from the trees had fallen.
She forced herself to turn away. There was anger but there was also pain. She walked on in the queue with older girls in front of her and behind. The boys were in a different queue and there were crowds of people hustling and bustling. Sakura could see the huge extravagant wagons with big burly slaves. There were women wearing the most expensive satin dark blues and reds. There were men in dazzling white togas and children who looked sparkling clean. This was a foreign world.
She could hear an extremely loud voice with plenty of hushing,
' I say 20,000 for this fine slave. Fine as she is! 21 000! 25 000! Any advances from 25 000? 26 000 sir? No? No?! Okay! 25 000 to that young gentleman over there'
Sakura couldn't see anything except the struggling body of a girl wearing steel handcuffs as she was led over to a rich family. She cursed herself for being short. She didn't understand again this whole principle. Neither why her village was up in smoke. But she did know this wasn't a game.
Before much time, she met a large wooden step and saw the keen eyes of the man standing on the platform. He waved his hand towards him, urging her to stand up. When Sakura looked on with her furious green eyes, she was pushed on. She stumbled up onto the platform..
The father of Syaoran pushed his way forward and could vaguely see her small body. Instantly he recognized her. He glanced around the crowd and was gleeful at his luck.
'Daedandre!' He called out. ' Daedandre' He called out again, louder. A woman with dark hair that tinged blue in the sunlight turned around. Her golden ear rings sparkled in the sunlight with polished sapphires, matching her watery blue eyes.
' Livalens!' She cried. Her husband turned around with his sandy hair and the same watery eyes. He grinned,
' Dear Yului! I see your son Syaoran is here too! Come over! Excuse my kind sir, could you let my companions through?'
Yului and Syaoran pushed their way through the tightly packed crowd.
' 30 000! Look at those green eyes folks! You're not going to find another pair like those? If I didn't know better, I'd buy her for myself! 35 000! Excellent bid mam!'
Yului cleared his throat and shouted,
' 45 000!'
The two Daedandre's looked at eachother then back at Yului Lyae.
' That's a high bid. We can barely see her! She looks so scrawny!' Mr Kano Daedandre noted.
' 50 000' Came another bid.
' 65 000' Shouted Yului. ' I know'
' 70 000' The crowd gasped, this kind of money they were unable to afford for a single slave. This woman was persistent. Maybe she had a fetish for green..
' 80 000' Yului bellowed with gritted teeth.
' Do you have this kind of money for a slave?' Kano asked politely.
Yului shook his head. Kano glanced at his wife, Maeko. Kano and Maeko were father and mother of their little girl Tomoyo of whom Maeko's slave held at her side, rocking her gently.
' 100 000' The woman cried. Yului muttered a swear word under his breath.
' 120 000' He replied. ' She's a Celestial! She performs white magic! You should have seen her! Right from the books back at home! She performed beyond grade 3!' He thought to himself. Kano didn't understand this. He didn't believe in magic and Yului wanted to keep it this way. Instead, he hurriedly whispered,
' Do you realise that you can later sell on green eyes for over a million sesterces? Its been rumoured that Emperor Hadius has a fetish for them!'
' 130 000!' Damn that woman.
' 150 000!' Yului shouted. Kano stared at him in disbelief. Yului nodded.
' 160 000!' The woman retorted.
Kano cried,
' 250 000!'
The crowd was silent. No one muttered a word. The competitor was also silent. Outraegeous price for a slave!!
The man on stage gulped before murmuring, ' any advances? Going. Gone!'
The crowd cheered.
Sakura had watched this battle from a distance and was oblivious to what was going on. It had all happenned so quickly!
I heard big numbers being shouted out. Despite the fact the language in our village was similar to that of Latin, it was not entirely the same. I did not understand a lot of the vocabularly. Suddenly, a collosal dark man came up to me and clinked two circular handcuffs around my hands. He smelt disgusting and I was made a face. He pulled me over to a bowl of hot liquid. Fire. I instinctively lost all control. I cried out with blaring green eyes. I hated fire! It killed everyone I knew! It killed my village, separated me from my mother! It separated me from my brother!
A red glowing hot tong was waved in front of Sakura's face. She recoiled and began to scream. Her arm was gripped tightly until it was almost bruised. He punched the tong onto her arm and Sakura wailed in pain.
' No! Don't mark her!' Yului and Kano shouted desperately.
Tears fell freely from her eyes. Fire was her enemy. Fire was her fear. Fire was everything she didn't want to be. She hated the way it spreaded its torture. She hated the way it burnt and inflicted pain..she was petrified to an almost phobia of the blaze…the way it traps and seperates you…restricts you…constricts you..
She was abruptly picked up, and pushed into the crowd of people where she would be led to her new property masters. Sakura stumbled and fell onto her side. Yului and Kano rushed over, pushing highly respectable people out of the way and stepped in front of her. They nodded off the large slave and Yului picked up Sakura.
Kano was close to euphoria. It was out of his dreams to have such a prize!
' I will keep her Yului and raise her as a proper slave with proper discipline. Don't you worry. She will be well fed and well looked after. She can accompany my daughter Tomoya on the rare occasion. You will earn a considerable amount of the profit when I sell her to Emperor Hadius. Hail him!'
Yului felt guilty of the lie but could not let this girl go. She was an extremely valuable asset and he was glad that Kano fell for his plan.
Yului lead on with Sakura in his arms. Kano followed with his family. Syaoran was by his father's side intently looking at the mark on the girl's arm. It was a Roman eagle with a number '249'.
It hurt so much. My arm ached and felt like it was on fire itself. I couldn't believe anything else other than fire was my enemy. It still is. It's the single destroyer of everything and anything in its path. I hate it more than hatred itself. To me, fire only represents something close to hell. Now I was heading to my new life. In my New home. New. Everything was oh so new….but I wanted the old and the familiar.
Syaoran gingerly touched the eagle and recoiled his hand immediately, it felt hot to the touch. But it was a familiar feeling. It was fire…
…………………………..
I desperately need an alpha reader!!!!! Desperately!!! My spelling and grammer sucks! Hehe partial laziness and partially because I write so strangely! I apologise!
This may be confusing but please don't give up on me! I used to write digimon fiction as a kid but I'm having a try at a different sort of anime. :D
I hope you've read this far and please review : ) Your feedback will be valuable to me.
Oh and um
Sakura – slaves don't have surnames. If any, 'Daedandre', the family who own her would her hers.)
Tomoyo (Daedandre)
Syaoran (Livalens)
Meilin (Livalens)
Syaoran's parents
Mr Yului Livalens - Yului
Mrs Yelan Livalens - Yelan
Tomoyo's parentsMr Kano Daedandre - Kano
Mrs Maeko Daedandre - Maeko
Damn. My creativity is running dry. What crap names…ahh well. Its not about the names its about the story [tries to remain proud]
Sorry for plainly soiling the character's names. Oh..and making up..characters…
Forgive me!
xXx