Music recommendation: One Last Glance by Invadable Harmony, Roxane Genot on Spotify.
The band of demons, thundering across the land with caravans in tow, carrying the spoils of war, ventured further out of the territory of Evrax. Lyra had never traveled out of her village, which only fueled Lyra's anxiety of the unknown. Her butt battered against the cage floor as it jostled on the uneven road. With the women near one another, the movement was restrictive and cramped. Lyra was exhausted and hungry; the women rarely received water and scraps from those bastards.
Nearing the border, they spotted a vast river up ahead. Raging rapids flowing through, whitewash crashing against the stone pillars supporting the bridge that had seen better years came to view. One of the ring leaders, whom Lyra overheard being called Belfor by his lackeys, raised his fist in the air, bringing the troupe to a halt at the entrance of the bridge. His underling approaches him as Lyra tries to strain her ears to listen to their conversation. Unfortunately, they are too far away, and she sighs in defeat.
"They're talking about taking a short break before they cross," another woman whispers, sitting beside Lyra and Anna, the woman whom she befriended in the end. Lyra notices her silver eyes with a tinge of brown specks and realizes she is a wolf shifter. Lyra looked hopeful; perhaps this was her chance to escape.
"Are you sure? What else are they saying?" Anna murmured. She peeked over Lyra's head.
"Shh. Give me a moment!" the wolf shifter hushed, squinting her eyes, trying to concentrate. "They're saying something about gathering enough water to travel… the Arrrr…Artic…. wasteland?"
Tsk. "The Arid Wasteland, you fool," another woman butted into their conversation, her voice laced with a mocking tone. "For a wolf, Aria, you sure lack in heightened senses," she was a fellow wolf shifter. Aria growled in response.
"The Arid wasteland?" Lyra questioned. She'd never heard of such a place. Anna paled as Lyra noticed her shivering next to her. "Anna? What's wrong?"
Anna gulped before she spoke, "There was an old folklore, a tale you will tell your children if they misbehave, giving the children three warnings. By the third, the devil will come through the cloak of night and steal them away, sending them to the Arid wasteland to never be seen again."
"That's the most ridiculous tale I have ever heard," The rude lady retorted, rolling her eyes. Lyra glared at her, pressing her lips into a thin line. The lady would have been beautiful if not for the elements caused by the disaster. Her hair looked like a bird's nest with all the twigs in her hair, and she seemed to be dressed in a fine blue dress with the fabric slightly torn around her sleeves and skirt. 'Don't you dare even think about it, Lyra,' she warned internally.
"Shut up! They're coming back," Aria squeaked. Everyone hushed, lowering their heads as Belfor and a handful of men made their way to the cages. Stepping up on the platform, causing a slight shift of the caravan, he opened the gate and spoke,
"Everyone out!" grabbed the first woman nearest the gate by the hair and forcefully shoved her out, motivating the rest to follow. "If Any one of you sluts considers the thought of escaping," he pauses, his fingers draping over the loose shackles hooked to his belt, "you've been warned," he chuckled; the threat hung heavily in the air as the women passed him. Lyra wanted to gag at the gluttonous pig, the way his belly shook from his chortle. The shackles on his belt swayed as Lyra followed the line of women exiting the cage; a faint glint caught her eye, and her expression flickered before she schooled herself to a dull look.
As Aria made her way towards Belfor stepping out, Lyra tripped over her chain, causing her to fumble into Belfor's arms, her face bouncing off his belly, her hands reflexively placed on his chest. Her mind was internally screaming at herself, her cheeks tinting pink.
"I'm so sorry, please forgive me," sheepishly Lyra spoke. Her hands slid down his stomach, grazing his waist. She peered up to the man, her aquamarine eyes shining in plea. Belfor was briefly shocked before narrowing his eyes; his lips pulled into a smug grin. His hand slid from her shoulder, ending to the top of her butt, squeezing it. Lyra felt repulsed to the touch but gritted her teeth.
"Move," he said, slapping her ass. She yelped in response, pushing forward and safely stepping out of the caravan. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively, following the line leading to the river, safely concealing the small dagger from the gross pig and tucking it in her sleeve. It was a small price for her poor butt.
Herded like cattle, the women were ordered to gather near the riverbank. The demons roamed around, their lustful eyes scanning the prisoners. Lyra, along with Aria and Anna, exchanged wary glances. All the women sat by the bank, gulping water like a fish for air and cleansing the fifth on their skin. Lyra examined her hands, which flaked with dried blood. She dipped them in the stream. Once cleaned, she cupped the transparent liquid pooling and drank, cooling her parched throat.
Looking ahead to the river, though treacherous, seemed like a possibility. The bastards were still standing guard around them, so she decided to bide her time, waiting for the right moment to make a move. Lyra's mind echoed her grandfather's teachings—be patient, observe, and strike when the moment is right.
Reluctantly, the women returned to their cramped space. The troupe resumed their trek, crossing the bridge. Some loose stones broke off, crashing into the water with a large splash. The cobblestone bridge, lined with cracks and holes on its surface, made Lyra weary with the poorly maintained structure as they crossed. She released a shaky breath once they reached the other side, only to gawk at the sight before her.
Gone were the lush forests before them, welcoming a barren land, scattered bones littered across and void of life. The area around them suddenly darkened; she looked up to see massive boulders with others as big as a mountain in the distance, floating weightless with black roots trailing below, dragging along the desert. A cold shiver crawled up her spine at the sight of this phenomenon.
As the sky descended to night, dark clouds rolled in with the occasion of thunder rumbling in the distance. The temperature dropped, and Lyra could see her breath fog in the air; she huddled closer to her cellmates in warmth in the freezing environment. The captors continued without rest. With the demons distracted on their route, Lyra discreetly slid the dagger from her sleeve, griping at the handle., Anna's eyes widened as saucers while Aria gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth at the discovery.
"Where did you get that?" Anna whispered, panicking as she looked around to see if the men noticed. Was she trying to get herself killed?!
The darkness granted coverage for them, with the occasion of light from the dim lantern swaying at the edge of the cage. "Don't worry about that. I'm going to get us out of here," Lyra affirmed, fixed on her task. "Keep on the lookout." Shifting through each link with her fingers, she found a weak link in the chains at her ankles, wedging the thin blade to pry the piece apart. She could feel the metal slowly bend, sweat dripping from her brow, the tension thick in the air as Aria and Anna held their breaths.
The metal clasp snapped with a twang. Their faces lit with excitement; she broke the chain link and started on the links, locking her wrists and repeating the process. Hope was beginning to flicker in the eyes of her companions. The same sound clinked as Lyra was one step closer. She smiled at Anna and nodded to her, "Your turn," Anna teared up at the notion, and Aria was just as excited as she looked over at them.
"What about the rest of us, huh?" The rude woman lashed out, causing the three women to stiffen.
"Shut up, Stella!" Aria squeaked, glaring daggers at the woman, returning the same stare.
"Why? So you all could escape? Leaving the rest of us to suffer?!" raising her voice laced with venom. There was no way in hell she would let them off that easily, causing an alarm to the demons to take notice of the commotion. The one steering in front pulled the reigns to a halt.
Belfor rode over with his horse from the front, angered by the lag from the caravan falling behind. He motioned the rider to step off while he checked the prisoners. He clutched the lantern by the handle and held it over to the shivering group; his eyes gleamed with the light of the fire and the dark shadows playing over his face, making him more demented.
"What's all this then?" He cooed, beckoning for one of them to fess up. Lyra went pale, pulling her arms over her chest and hiding the blade. She looked back at Stella with pleading eyes. Stella curled her lips into a cruel smile. Damn.
"She's trying to escape!" pointing an accusing finger at Lyra. She grimaced.
"Fucking shut it, Stella!" Aria barked. Her eyes glowed silver, her wolf wanting to rip that woman to shreds, but the cuffs around their wrists seemed to refrain them from shifting. Dammit! Damn you, Stella!
Belfor unclasped the lock, ripping the door open, his eyes blazed. As he approached Lyra, the women parted away, blocking the light with each stride like the grim reaper ready to reap her soul.
Reaching down to her arm, yanking her to her feet, he sees the broken link on her wrists and ankles. His eyes shot back to her face, and his frown deepened. Before he could utter a word. Pain stung on his hand held the feeble woman's arm, seeing that she stabbed him with his dagger! A guttural growl rumbled in his chest, gnashing his teeth. Lyra pulled the blade out swiftly, slicing up to the man's face, grazing over his eye, and blinding him in the process. He roared, covering his face in pain and stumbling around, releasing her from his hold.
Lyra pushes the man back, hitting the cage bars, nearly squashing Stella in the tumble. Taking the opportunity, the prisoners bolted out of there, causing a frenzy for the demons to deal with. Lyra reached out to Anna, who remained planted on the ground, while Aria urged them to escape. Anna, shaken by the whole ordeal and fearing the outcome if they failed, turned away from them. Her answer saddened Lyra. Turning to Aria, they ran.
In the cloak of night and everyone running in aimlessly, Lyra pulled Aria along. She was shorter than Lyra by a few inches and did her best to keep up. Her short legs and chains, still restricting her movements, were troublesome. The vast desert seemed endless, and there was no landmark to point them where they were; she didn't care as long as they were nowhere near those disgusting people.
Lyra felt their hands break away. She looked back as Aria tripped, scraping over the rocks and sand. Aria yelped in pain, holding her leg.
"C'mon, get up, Aria, hurry!" Lyra grimaced. Her lungs burned but couldn't afford to stop now; they were so close.
"I can't. Just go without me," Aria cried; she would only slow her down—the sound of hooves closing in on them. Lyra crouched over Aria in a protective stance while the two men circled them, their red eyes gleaming in the dark.
"Well, well, well, a flower can blossom in the desert," the familiar voice made her insides churn.
Pointing the bloodied dagger in his direction to keep his distance, her eyes straining to see through the dark. Aria would've been helpful in this situation, she grunted.
The man cackled, "Ho-oh! This flower is feisty, careful with her thorns." He joked to his comrade, who wasn't pleased in the least. The angered demon slides off his horse, glowering at the woman, drawing his sword.
"You'll pay for what you did to the Belfor!"
Swinging his sword down at her, Lyra barely deflected his blow, shattering the blade. Her heart leaped in her throat as he raised his sword again to strike.
Tsk. "Troy won't be happy about this if you kill her. We were ordered to bring them in." The taunting demon tsked on his horse in annoyance, halting the enraged lunatic; he gruffed in frustration, sheathing his sword. Lyra breathed a sigh of relief; however, a harsh slap struck her face, sending her to the ground. Her vision spun as the voices around her grew faint, and she fell unconscious.