The Allure of Darkness

11

Azia

I got no sleep last night after Loki left.  It didn't feel right that he saw me sleeping and tried to apologize about the dinner. Who in their right minds watches someone sleep?

We have to leave in five minutes as the guard says. I have nothing to bring with me. Anything that was somewhat sentimental got destroyed along with the camp.

I look up at the sun, shining bright. The heat is scorching. I feel like the sun is going to burn my clothes off.

"Can't we wait until it gets cooler out to leave?" Someone to my right says loud enough for everyone to hear.

There was no response until there was water covering everyone in the vancity near me. WHAT IN THE NAME OF GEOVANA. How can water be this cold?

"There you guys go it's not that hot now is it? Now start walking. We have to make it to the kingdom by nightfall." Someone from the guard says.

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We've been waking for hours upon hours. We never got a break. No one should have to walk in this heat but here we are.

The guard has horses and wagons and guns.... so no one even thinks of running.

When the Kingdom of Ploy still stood we were the kingdom with the least technology. But the people made up for it as the king said. I wonder how he is doing right now. Is he dead? He ran when our camp got attacked. I should of ran.

I think the downfall of Ploy was the secrets. Everyone had secrets that were meant to be shared. Secrets can cause wars if they aren't exploited.

Alsio was the King of Ploy up until it got destroyed by the other kingdoms. Alsio left with me and a group of citizens to hide. The king was always good at hiding apparently because so far no one has found him since they destroyed the camp.

Horns started to blow, bringing me out of my trance. We're here.

I look around for Cree or anyone I would recognize but I see none. Great. Just my luck.

I've been to the Kingdom of Arsher before, only once. When I was little my parents took my sister and I to see all the kingdoms. I never thought I'd be back to Arsher.

The guard files everyone into a line. It looks like the line stretches for miles. I would hate to be in the back of it.

I'm standing in between two people I don't recognize. They are probably from another camp that the guard raided.

I look to see where the start of the line is and I'm thirteen people away from the start. Yay me.

We are outside the kingdom's walls and I can already see how much it has changed from when I was here last. When my family was still alive. 

I keep walking forwards til I'm at the front. The gates are open but the guard is blocking my path. There's a fire on both sides of me. It heats me up.

There's three guards surrounding me. One is to the right and the second one is to the left of me. The last one moved behind me.

Two of them grab my wrists and pull up both of my sleeves. I might add of how roughly they did it. Jeez like respect me at least.

"What number was she again?" The one to the right asks.

"Thirteenth in line." The one behind me answers.

The one on my right takes out two metal rods from the fire. One was the number one and the other was the number three.

ARE THEY GOING TO BRAND ME?

"How old are you?" The one to my left asks.

Why do they need to know that?

"Almost seventeen."

The one nods and pulls out a metal rod from the fire next to him. I can't tell what's on it. Maybe it has a design on it or is it letters?

What does it mean? What can my age mean to them?

The guards grin at each other as they bring the metal towards my arms.

I try to slip out of their grips but they are to strong. Or I'm just really weak.

"Please no." I say softly.

I watch them as they are about to put the metal rods against my skin. I close my eyes and I feel a pinch on my neck. And I'm gone.