Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 59: The Riots Continued

"There was nothing I could do to stop it."

That's what she had to keep telling herself so she could get some sleep.

"You can't control the weather. Storms happen."

That's what she had to keep telling herself so she could eat something.

"You don't know for sure if he's dead."

And that's what she had to keep telling herself so she could still breathe.

Amelia could remember Moira coming into her room with that stiff look on her face, telling her there had been a storm and Oliver hadn't been seen since. The worst part was that business was to continue as usual. There was always more to do when there was a war to be won. 

..............

The riots in Okamila were growing more and more in numbers each day. Slaves were abandoning their positions and there were rumors of masters being murdered in their own houses. Stalls that were run by merchants were being raided by people who had nothing and rather than starving on the streets, people were robbing shops for food. Slaves stood on street corners, preaching to their companions to listen to their words and rise up against the masters. Magic was being used more and more in public places. Small things, like stopping jars from spilling or carts from crashing. But it was magic nonetheless and everyone could see it. 

7356 was stopped at one of these corners listening to the orator as he raised his arms to the crowd of thirty crowded around him. 

"-and we cannot stand by any longer!" he was saying. "We are people and we need to be treated as such. I will not watch my brothers and sisters being treated this way any longer! Children should not be told they are less just because of something they were born with. We should embrace our magic, not hide it. It makes us strong, not weak!" 

People were nodding, they were looking at the collars around their necks and questioning it's purpose. 7356 felt herself doing the same thing. She looked down at the drab clothing hanging on her body and she ran her hand over it, with that motion it turned to a bright pink colour. People around her grinned and patted her on the back. 

"We are more than numbers!" the man at the front yelled and the crowd cheered. "We are more than collars and we are more than magic! We are people." 

Shouts of agreement sounded and 7356 raised her hands in the air with the people around her and she didn't feel so alone. She felt the way she did when she spoke to the lord, when she told him how powerful she really was. Sparks flew from all their fingertips and fell down in a shower of light. The people cheered and their voices came together as one. 

It was something glorious, some indescribable power as the weak were brought together and stood together in the streets of their city. They marched down the street towards the blacksmith's shop, so their collars could be removed from their neck. 7356 joined hands with the people around her as they walked and they smiled at her, their dresses changed colour too and a sea of bright beautiful people arrived at the blacksmith. 

But their joy was short lived. 

The guards from the castle marched in a line of robotic discipline. Their boots stomped on the ground and their swords flashed in the light. They shouted at the slaves to get back but it wasn't enough anymore. The symbol of the Warden didn't frighten them anymore. It would take more than a few men in armor to scare these people who stood together. They pushed back against the guards and more sparks flew from the hands of the slaves. 

As it turns out, however, they didn't have much practice with magic and it wasn't long before many fell just out of exhaustion from their sparks. The others were fighting the guards with everything they had. 7356 picked up a hammer from the blacksmith's bench and ran towards the swarm. She swung with everything she had at the body of a guard who charged her. He doubled over in pain as the hammer sunk into his chest and he fell down onto the cobbled streets. She kicked him and screamed as she ran back into the swarm, her hammer flying through the air while she swung. 

7356 could feel them slashing at her, she felt the swords slice her back open and cut her arms and legs and her feet. She felt the blood soaking through her clothes but it wasn't enough to hold her back. 

When the guards called for back up, everything started happening faster. She couldn't even keep up with all the bodies around her, blood covered her face and she didn't even know if it was hers. The guards outnumbered them now and they were on horses too. The slaves tried taking down the horses but it was no use. The castle guards knocked them all down and 7356 wasn't able to get out of the way fast enough. She was slammed to the ground from the charging stead and prayed to the gods she wouldn't get trampled. Something dropped on her head and blackness crawled into her eyes. 

The slaves woke up in a cell of the castle. 7356 opened her eyes just as the jailer was sliding open the bars that held them. There were easily twenty of them in a space that was maybe large enough for fifteen. 

"Time to go, fuckers." the jailer smiled to reveal blackened teeth. "The Warden awaits you. He's made a special exception for your punishment. It's going to be public and it's going to be painful, or so I hear." his toothy smile widened and he lead them out of the jail. They walked up the stairs of the castle, every inch of 7356 was bruised and covered in bloody. Her hair was matted and her wounds ached with a sharp pain that was worse than anything she had felt. 

7356 blinked as they walked outside to the square in front of the castle. The slaves were lead up onto a platform and each of them were tied to posts. People were gathered in front to watch whatever was going to happen next. Each of the slaves had their clothes ripped off of them and 7356 whimpered as her hands were tied aggressively to the post. Their backs faced the crowd and her face rested against the wooden post. 

She thought she was going to be executed but it was worse. 

The whip cracked down on her back over and over again she felt her skin split itself apart.