1 I: The singing spirits

Seven children play nearest the street at night.

They skip circles around the lamps, hoping to catch their spirits in the mist.

Dawn rises and they run holding hands to be seen again the next.

People watch for them yet cannot see them.

Eager and within the solipsistic of this tiny world creates the spirits of dusk dawn and mere people upon the unknown.

They do not speak or touch, they only brush past with little hesitation as they cannot see.

Only of the merest and ignorant cannot see for they are selfish.

But when the one dawn arises they can see it all for they have gained the knowledge of one being.

They arise in peace but are now broken down.

Hiding in fear and pain they wallow away.

Still be seen, still be say, still be taught, still be day, stillith the night as we wallow away.

Come forth and save us, oh being of May.

Come save us for we will go away.

One hundred thousand.

One hundred days.

Please come save us for we wallow away.

~ * * * ~

I swish around in my bed, under the warmth of my blankets. The night children chanting their songs in lullaby whispers. They echo through my ears with tones from a horror story- but yet they are calming, soothing. I don't think about them normally but lately, they keep me awake when I hear them chant,

"Oh, places to be, oh things to collect. Please come around to the deck. You'll see the reflection of the wallowed as they cry out. They've toppled down the dusty road. Soon to be drowned by the unknown. Please come save the wallowed and wallowers, oh being of May!"

They giggle and skip around near my window, but I don't pay any mind. I think it's just my imagination keeping me up at night. I usually fall back asleep after awakening, due to their soothing chants. They sing through riddle-like poems that keep me on my toes. They go together perfectly.

Does anybody else hear them? See them?

I grab my lantern and light the candles within. I drag my feet tiredly to the window. I look down and see them skipping around the same post like they do every night. I smile sadly at them.

Where do they come from?

I always wonder the same thing. I cannot see their skin, for cloaks cover them. They always seem so chilly when they play. They leave a trail behind them that disappear. It looks like the breath on a cold winter day that soon goes away when you breathe. It looks like ashes falling.

I go back into bed and cover myself up. I shiver once, twice before closing my eyes and drifting away. I dream of flying by day and disappearing at night. Through the clouds into the heavens for I am Athena. For I am Persephone. I travel along with the night children. Soon to be brought to a place that I yet cannot perceive. The dream ends in the same place and I awake at sunrise for a new day to begin.

I get up from the cave of blankets I have created and grab the bucket in the little corner of my room where I keep all my little do's for chores. I walk to the well in the middle of town and bring the bucket down for water. I pull on the rope as hard as I can until the water comes up. Water can be very heavy so I make sure to do it early in the morning every day.

I go back to my home, water in hand, trying not to spill it. As I open the door my mother awaits me. My brother is chopping up carrots and throwing them into a pot. I set down the water and help her start boiling it.

"İg! ⅄ȯn ɴēēh 𐤕ȯ ṡ𐤕iɴh np ṡ𐤕ᴚiūug𐤕!" She smacks my back upright. I smirk and slouch again. My mother scoffs and rolls her eyes. I giggle and straighten my back again.

Once the water starts boiling, my brother throws the vegetables in and stirs them around. I throw the paste in and wait for it to thicken up. I put flour in it to make it thicker. I pour thyme, oregano, and malic flour inside to make it tastier. I pour it into bowls and hand them out.

"𐌕giɴy ʎȯn kēɴ𐤕xēē, Ṡūbxiṡ," my mother smiles.

We all sit down and pray to our god, Eanir, goddess of strength. We pray to her holy every morning so we can have strength for whatever troubles come. We make sure to be cautious of our time as we eat, enjoying the sweetness of the vegetables and the saltiness of the broth.

As I tidy up the house, loud knocks on our door echo through. My mother seeks the door to find a man. I step closer, curious. No, a guard. He was big, tall with silver armor. The hawk of Attis in the middle.

"We are hereby King Atlas. Hand over any jewelry, prized possessions, and weapons," he states, his cold hard stare seems to pierce right through my mother. She stands tall.

"No, we will not give away anything that we need and that are important to us."

The guard steps inside and pushes past our mother. She stumbles out of the way as two more guards come in.

"Stop! Get out!" My mother scowls, pointing at the door. "You have no right."

A guard nods to another and throws my mother outside. I gasp and try to get her. I get picked up.

"Take the girl, the boy, and we'll get everything else," A woman says her blonde hair swaying.

"Ᵽn𐤕 ᴍē hȯχɴ!" I yell, kicking. The blonde woman slams me on the ground. All I can do is scream. They tie me to a fence post, my brother on the other side. I can feel my back start to bruise up as my spine throbs. Kick and pull myself forwards, trying to get the rope loose. It only gets tighter.

"Rnɴ!" I hear my mother yell. "Rnɴ! ⅄ȯn givē 𐤕ȯ! 𐌕iyē ʎȯnᴚ ṡūṡ𐤕ēᴚ ȯ𐤕 ṡiyē𐤕ʎ! Hȯɴ'𐤕 Bx𐤕 𐤕gēᴍ 𐤕iyē ʎȯn iχiʎ!"

She comes from nowhere and cuts the rope. As the guards come outside from gathering our things, they take my mother. Two others come for my brother and me. He grabs my wrist and starts running.

We hear the tapping of horse feet behind us.

"Hȯɴ'𐤕 bxȯȯey kēgūɴh ʎȯn, ǰṡɴ𐤕 eyēēp ᴚuɴɴūqu, wēbxbx kē ȯeyiʎ!" Bentlee shouts. My feet lift off the ground as my shirt gets grabbed.

"Ṡūbxiṡ!" My brother reaches out for me.

"Kēɴ𐤕bxēē!" I reach out as far as possible. I get shoved on the back of the guard's horse. He somehow ties my wrists together all while still maneuvering the horse. He puts my arms around him and as I still don't want to, I have to hold on tightly. I look at my brother, my hair flaps around my face. He gives me a worried look. I frown and wiggle my wrists around.

There were already bruises forming around my wrists before and now it's just getting worse.

We head down the main road I'm sure I've never seen. We go down for a couple of miles before a big house comes into view. We stop and get dropped off. We get shoved through the doors.

"They're here." The blonde guard announces.

"Ah, yes. Just in time… the cages are in the back. Take one." A woman who looks very well-aged steps out and points to the back few doors. She has nobody protecting her and seemed too old to fend for herself. Like me, I have no skill and no idea how to fight. Never needed to.

I fight against the woman who brought me here. She strikes me across the face and pushes me to the floor.

She squats down next to me, "Fight back again and it'll be a finger…"

I huff and breathe away my pain. I worry about more important things, like how we're going to get out of here. A guard with musty a brown beard grabs my hair and drags me to the back of the house. I try to keep up to relieve the pressure on my scalp.

Oh, Dear Eanir! Please help us!

I shut my eyes as tight as possible and take deep breaths. I get thrown into a cage with a few other people from my village.

How'd they get here?! When? I need to help them out of here! We've done nothing to them! I look around once more at my surroundings. I see the spirit children behind a few trees.

What? I thought they only come out at night. Such a mystery. Curious, I see them now. Why couldn't they do that earlier? I tilt my head at them. They seem to be worried. They rush away, whining. It makes me realize how cold it had gotten. I was able to see my breath curling in front of me. It felt sharp against my nose. Then suddenly the cage jolts forwards and we move forward. Something catches my eye. A spirit. She leaps through the quiet of the shadows. Careful, cautious, like a cat, graceful like an ice skater, cold like winter. It's a beautiful mystery. A wonderful mystery. One worth solving and keeping me up at night. My bruises and headache make me fuzzy with pain. Somebody grabs my head and puts it on their shoulder. My brother I'm assuming. I completely pass out and everything becomes ignorant bliss.

Nothing comes to a dream, just peaceful blackness and wind ringing through my ears.

~ * * * ~

I'm not sure when I wake up, but I awake still in the cage- exhausted and hungry. I feel weak and cold. The warmth only faces my back as people crowd in the cage, uncomfortable, squished, and tired. We have no space to move. We haven't been in the cage for even a day. But I see dozens of other carts. I see my mother in one. I try to call out for her, but I haven't talked in how long? Nothing comes from my mouth but breath. She wouldn't be able to hear me. To far. Too cold. Too scared.

I shake my head. Can't try now. Too risky. My fingers are already on the line.

I wiggle my toes. A sad attempt to keep my feet warm. I shiver.

Be strong. You'll be okay.

I see nothing but trees. Looking forward only gives me a fresh view of more carts. No food just more people. Poor children, separation from their parents isn't good. Not too healthy for their heads. Too young. To blind to see until now, the cruel fresh new air they tasted today. It must burn. It probably does, even for me. I move my wrists my fingers sore and devilishly hard to move. The rope cuts circulation off just enough for my fingers to turn white. No blood can get to warm up my hands. I look up to the sky.

Please, please let us all stay safe and give us the strength to save another.

We travel for four more days, collecting people by the dozens. It's unfathomable. I have only eaten but a few bits of bread. Only for dinner. It has become stale over the days we have been traveling. I look at my brother. I look at his bags. I can tell he's exhausted from trying not to cry. I pat him on the shoulder with my head. He looks over at me slowly. I give him the warmest smile I can manage. I can see a little light come back into his eyes. He gives a small twitch of his lips back. That gives me enough to keep my feet and fingers moving.

A day? Two maybe even more? I lost count. I'm so hungry. I've almost eaten my hair but I remembered to keep it up because I can take care of my mother after we're out.

A few more hours later my hands get untied and we all get let out. They let us go to the bathroom, eat a few slices of bread. They tie our wrists and ankles together and we all get attached in a big line. We go into another house and we slowly move forward, one by one. I hear grunts, moans, and screams of pain. It fills me with half-hearted fear like most of it can't reach me. My eyes dart around the room, and what I find in the shadows of that girl again. I stare at her in disbelief. She looks fearful to come out. But she does slowly. I feel the chill come from her ash skin. She goes up to my ear and points me to look down like I'm scared.

"As you become the being of hope. The dawn in you arises, fearful maybe, prideful will come. Within time will bring the wisdom in which you seek. Your family may have secrets from a past life. You hope to seek anew. Please come save me, the wallowed the wallowing. As for we give passion, you want to receive. Keep all goes, tell no truth, unless further noted keep your composure and stand tall. You will soon come to love what you soon to fear. Beware the full moon on the blue. Will you come? One hundred days, one thousand lives. I hope you come oh being of light."

She disappears and points forwards, I'm up next already.

A man chops off my rope and puts cuffs on my wrists. He burns the star of Ibhori on them and shoves me to another guard. The heat makes the cuffs burn my bruises. I wince, making no noise. My face gets shoved forwards into a wooden contraption. I get burned with hot little needles. I scream., tears stream down my face. When they let me go, my face is already blistering. I look around for my brother as I get but into another box. I get blindfolded and gagged. I start to move in a cage again. Surprisingly it only took a few hours. I hear things talking and struggling.

"Sold for five hundred thousand!"

I stand bewildered for a moment, before coming to the sudden realization.

Oh dear Guher! We're getting auctioned off.

I get pushed onto a platform. I struggle against them. I get spun around a few times.

"See this beautiful girl! Perfect to use! Nice and healthy! Used to chores! No scars!" The auctioneer announces.

I get sold for nine hundred and thirty thousand.

I keep fighting as I get dragged into another box, they take my blindfold off and take my gag out of my mouth. I drool yet my mouth feels bone dry. I need water. I'm terrified, I tremble within their grasp, but I make no noise. I start to move off again. It makes me sick. I feel utterly nauseous. A splitting headache rakes through my entire body. It makes me shake more. I grab my stomach. I take four deep breaths before we stop. We just come to a halt. It drags me forwards, then backward. The door slides open. And there I stare wide-eyed.

A woman with a tight bun, no loose hairs, little wrinkles, and amour covers her chest legs, and arms. She drags me out of the cart. I fall to the ground. I have barely enough time to catch myself so I roll over instead.

"Get up girl, you'll be my new maid" she picks me up by my hair when I don't get up quick enough.

"Disobey me and I'll chop it off…" she drops me once more. I wince, but I make no noise for I fear she will cut my tongue. I follow her quietly.

There is Bentlee? I fear for him, I shall pray to Emos and Eanir again tonight.

I get thrown into the kitchen.

"Clean the house up, I expect this done by dinner, then you will clean up after. Have Cook and Farmer tell you where everything is." She commands me like a dog. I scowl as she leaves.

"Hey, get up before you get in trouble!" I whip around to see a girl, looks no older than me, seventeen maybe- younger, possibly. She helps me up and gives me a rag.

"Clean the countertops, for now, Cook is running errands for master," she explains briefly.

"Thank you," I manage.

She raised an eyebrow at me before looking at my cuffs. I look at hers. They have nothing on them.

"They labeled you?!" She gasps. I nod.

"What religion do you practice?"

"I am Ibhorian so Ibhori, do you practice?" I ask.

"No, I do not, I am a slave because I am a Quahtar…"

So she is born from tribes…

I nod.

"Х̣gi𐤕 ūṡ ʎȯnᴚ ɴiᴍē?..." I whisper. "What is your name?"

"I do not know my name… but you need to start trying to clean before she cuts a finger…" she looks around the room. I nod.

"If you need anything cook is home soon so you can go to her, bye maid!" She runs off through the back door. I sigh.

I'm going to have to get used to getting called Maid. I guess we aren't allowed to have names.

I cringe and start cleaning the countertops.

"Hȯɴē kʎ hūɴɴēᴚ?! 𐌕gūṡ gȯnṡ ūṡ gnquē! Ūhȯɴ𐤕 ēēɴ eyɴȯχ χgēᴚ iɴʎ𐤕ūɴqu ūṡ!" I whisper to myself.

"Who are you?"

~ * * * ~

I wake up from hearing voices. Voices from our master and somebody else. I sit up straight and look around, even though it's practically pitch black I find my lamp immediately.

Х̣gȯ ūṡ 𐤕gi𐤕?

I open my curtain and walk out, I crouch down and walk to the room where she has discussions. I press my ear against the door and listen in.

"We've collected a little over forty thousand, and we took over most of the land they were on," I hear a man's voice speak.

"Good, that should be enough, if we have more we can turn them into the castle," Master says.

"We checked and all the Quahtars are gone, we've taken all of them. As well as all the Ibhoris and Ulnas, all the other unspecified people have been too." The man says. I hold back a gasp.

All are gone!

I step back and run to my room.

Uȯ! Uȯ! Uȯ!

I quickly turn my lamp off and climb into bed.

I need to write this stuff down and I need to practice language more…

For the rest of the night, I toss and turn. I don't even hear the children sing. I hear nothing.

Cook opens the curtain to my room and Farmer walks in.

"We have to run errands today," she says.

"What do we need to get?" I ask.

"We all have separate things to get, but you have to go with the master so I get dressed quickly."

I nod and they leave. I put on my dress and apron along with my shoes and cloak. I put my hair in two low buns and run out with my basket. I wish up to Master's room to fix her hair.

I knock, once, twice before I get permission to enter.

"Come do my hair." She commands. I nod and grab a brush. I start to brush through her thin blonde hair. I roll it up into a tight bun and hand her the brush.

"You will come with me today." She says. She doesn't say when or where. She checks her hair for any parts she'll make me redo. When she doesn't find any she grabs my hands and latches a chain onto my cuffs. She puts a choker on me and holds the chain like I'm an animal. She drags me to the stairs then pushes me down them. I help and catch myself.

Do they really find pleasure in touring people?!

She laughs at me before grabbing my "leash" and quite literally dragging me outside. She hopped up on her horse and started making me walk next to her. She walked at a moderate pace, which was good, but I have no idea where we're going. As we travel around we gather up people. Not just any people, slave owners. They laugh, point, and comment about me. I ignore them as best as I can. We stop at a podium where I get tied up and hung from my hands. My master takes out a whip hanging from the side and rips my cloak off.

It's freezing outside. I have no protection, but I'm sweating and scared. She whips me lightly before cracking her whip harder and hitting me. I scream in pain, tears blur my vision.

It stings so bad.

Everybody gets a good laugh out of that. She does it again, and again. I howl out in pain, not asking for help because there's no use- nobody can save me. You'd get whipped too. I see a man who looks back at me with sadness stricken across his face. A guard, like Master. I feel nothing except pain for a minute before my master hits me again. I scream, losing my voice.

As I'm let go I drop to the floor.

"Get up," my master says. I try my hardest to, but my back and legs hurt so bad that they bleed and sting. I grab my cloak and pull it over me. I feel a chill and I know that is a spirit. I look around as I get led back to Master's house. I recognize now that the storm won't calm and I have to stay strong, for one day I will see my mother and brother again. The spirit hops around me, jumping into shadows. She disappears into one once again and never comes back. I sigh with disappointment and keep my eyes on the ground.

As Cook treats my wounds in my room, the she spirit comes up to me, her nose almost touching mine. I try not to gasp as I jump a little.

"Stop moving, I know it hurts I'm almost done!" Cook commands.

"Ṡȯᴚᴚʎ…" I apologize.

I look back at her. I look into her eyes, my brow furrowing.

"What do you want?" I whisper.

"Are you well?" Her voice rings through the room in an echo. I nod slowly, trying not to seem suspicious. I look shyly into her eyes again. Her eyes are like wishing wells, you find comfort in them even though they seem cold like winter. They're watery with streaks of ice blue coming from her small pupils with little specks of even lighter blue dotted everywhere.

They were amazing, I couldn't look away.

"You don't have to speak in rhyme?!" I answer back lowly.

"We speak in rhyme and with the rhythm of the trees…" she speaks. "As for we cannot stop, for the curse and the cursed are high."

I purse my lips as I try to put the pieces together.

I hiss in pain as Cook rubs hot water over my legs.

"I'll seek you later being of May. Await the children who speak the rhyme." She disappears again and I'm left with nothing to distract me from the pain. Cook jerks me around roughly trying to treat my wounds as fast and as well as possible. It's already been an hour.

"She does this to every new slave..." Cook says. "Even to Farmer when she was only eleven."

I cringe.

"Only eleven years old, that poor girl!" I hiss when Cook puts warm water over my leg.

As she finishes she mumbles something to me,"Who were you talking to? You were speaking to yourself, don't tell me you can see the spirits…"

I stand agape at her.

"Um? What?" I say, trying not to get suspicious. She raised a brow at me before walking away.

"Go tend to your chores."

I sigh and fix my hair. I sweep the front and the back of the house, make beds, and clean the kitchen. I tidy up paintings and dust furniture. I do everything I need to do as quickly as possible. I am in severe pain the entire time.

A few days pass by and I am in better shape. My cuts are healing and the spirits have given me more direction. Yet I am unable to do anything while holding the position of a slave. It's hard enough keeping myself alive from the master. I try to do everything correctly to not get beaten or yelled at. Sometimes I'm not allowed to eat.

I walk through the halls and dust paintings, just when I near Masters discussion room I hear,

"We will take more soon, a couple hundred have already died. We need to kill the ones that are no good."

That was master, so who else is in there…?

It's a man's voice, deep and hoarse like he hasn't drank any water for a while. I keep dusting over things as I eavesdrop.

"We need to gather up more cages and more bread so we can keep collecting them." I hear the master as if she's talking about savages. I feel my hands shake.

"Then we will get on that right away. I will tell the soul soldier."

The doorknob rattles and I quickly turn and dust off a painting. Master eyes me along with the man who was in there with her.

It's the guy from where I got whipped!

I stare wide-eyed at him. He gives me a pitied look before turning back. I go to the kitchen and grab a rag. I clean off the table in the discussion room and I tofu everything up.

"Maid!" I get called.

I rush over and now my head.

"Yes, master?"

"We will be out for a while keep everything neat or else you'll get another whipping if find anything out of place." She commands. I nod and purse my lips.

"Yes of course..." I speak quietly.

"What?" She asks grabbing my chin. "I couldn't hear you..."

"Yes master, " I repeat louder.

"Good…" she swiftly kicks my feet and I fall over, she did it just for laughs. She chuckles and turns away. The man gives me the same look from before, I nod at him and get up. I walk back into the kitchen to see Cook and Farmer chatting while cleaning potatoes.

"Gēʎ," I say. They look at me.

"How are your back and legs?" Farmer asks.

"A lot better," I answer. I retire my apron and sit at the table. "They're not stinging anymore."

"We don't need a next time so be on your best," Cook scolds.

"Although it happens to every new slave we don't want you to get in trouble…" Farmer adds.

I nod and smile "I don't want that either..."