Time passed as she waited patiently for Daniel to spring his plan into action and free her.
Minutes passed into a hour, and still nothing happened, yet she waited all the same.
Then they came. The bandits poured into the barn taking everyone who was in their cages. Three bandits came to Flora and removed the chain from the wall, leaving the shackles that bound her wrists.
"Daniel!?" She cried out, "Daniel!"
"Don't worry Flora!" He called back. "Remember my plan, I'll save you!"
They took her out of the barn and lined her up with the other prisoners outside of the platform.
One by one they were taken up onto the platform and sold to the highest bidder. It was difficult for her to make out what they were saying, but she knew their fates were sealed every time she heard Matheus say "Sold!"
Soon, it was her time.
They brought her onto the platform, bandits all around her blocking any attempt of escape. Matheus was at the center of the stage, they escorted her to him.
As she was brought into sight a crowd let out gasps and awes. They were struck by her beauty. They looked to be rich townsfolk, a large group of them gathered in front of the platform.
"As you can see." Said Matheus, "We have a pure Elven girl, rich with beauty and untamed by the vile men of this world."
She felt ashamed, she'd been placed on stage to be displayed like a item for sale.
"Untouched, youthful, and desirable. This ladies and gentlemen, is our prime jewel of the evening. This young woman is our gift to you."
He sounded as if he belonged on a stage to preform.
"We start the bid according to the quality of our merchandise, one thousand gold coins..."
There were but a few moments of silence...
"Two thousand!" Shouted a voice in the crowd.
"Three!"
"Five thousand!"
"Five and a half!"
"Six thousand!"
Matheus whispered in Flora's ear. "You're a expensive jewel aren't you?" He grinned. "Its a shame there's only one of you."
"Ten thousand!" Shouted a woman's voice in the crowd. Flora knew the voice, it was Morgana.
"What do you think you're doing?" Asked an enraged Matheus.
"Everyone has the right to bid." She answered. "I bid ten thousand gold coins for the Elven girl."
There was a pause.
"Going once..." Said Matheus.
"Going-"
"One million golden coins."
Everyone let out a gasp.
"Who said that?" Matheus asked.
"I did." Said a voice in the crowd. It was the voice of a man who looked to be extremely wealthy, he wore an expensive coat and a porcelain mask.
"Ah. My apologies Mr. Murat, I had no idea you'd be joining us this evening."
"Yes yes," He replied. "I get the honor to gaze upon this magnificent creature. I must have it."
"Yes Mister Murat." Said Matheus, he turned to Flora and whispered in her ear. "That is Mr. Murat, a very rich human who likes to... Consume his slaves at dinner, after deflowering them."
He grinned.
"I'm sorry my dear, but it's already done." He turned to face the crowd. "Going once!"
"Wait!" Another voice shouted from the crowd. Flora knew this voice as well, the voice of a young man who offered her comfort.
It was Daniel. He stood in the crowd without shackles or chains. She wondered if he was there to rescue her, maybe he'd broke free and now had an elaborate plan to free her and escape.
"She is more than just a pretty Elven girl." He said.
At this point she was very confused.
"What is an Elf doing roaming free?" Asked Murat.
"Elf?" Daniel asked. "Oh yeah! The ears." He took a fake pair of ears off to reveal he was a human all along.
"Daniel! Why!?" Flora cried with a sad and confused voice.
"I place myself in the cells to learn all I can about the merchandise. Where their family hid their treasures. What secrets they hide. And who's blood they share."
"No!" She cried.
"Yes!" He smiled, a twisted and sadistic grin. "It's so easy to manipulate stupid Elven girls! Just wave a hot man in front of them and they spill all of their secrets! Are you all really that pathetic?"
"Please don't!"
"This here Elf may be a stupid one, but she is worth more than one million golden coins. For she comes from Woodburrow, the town has fallen, and she is one of the seven royal bloodlines!"
The crowd gasped.
"Two million!"
"Three!"
"Four million!"
"Seven!"
"Nine!"
"Twelve billion!"
The look on Matheus face was that of greed. It had consumed him.
"One billion golden coins!" Shouted Murat.
Everyone was silent.
"No! I must have her!" Shouted another from the crowd.
"Ergo, do you have more then one billion coins?" Asked Matheus.
"No..."
"Then... Sold to Mr. Murat!"
"You'll pay for this Matheus! All of you will!" Cursed Ergo.
What... What just happened? Thought Flora. She'd never felt so betrayed. I am going to die... I am going to die at the hands of a rich psychopath.
"My wagons of gold will arrive shortly." Said Murat. "You take my gold and I'll take the princess... I must prepare for the ultimate feast!"
"Yes Mr. Murat." Said Matheus. "I hope you enjoy her."
At this point Flora felt broken. She found herself in a carriage, Murat across from her, two of his men one on her right and one on her left, another across from her next to Murat. Two were outside riding the carriage steering the horses.
"I find it difficult to repel my lust, and my hunger around you Elf." Said Murat. "I can hardly wait until the feast to be prepared... Mmm, how fine you will be. I just need to contain myself until we arrive."
She ignored him, lost in her own head. Dreading the thought that all hope had receded.
She was woken from this thought like emerging from a sleep when the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
"Why have we stopped?" Asked Murat.
There was no response.
"Go see what has happened." He demanded to the man next to him.
He left the carriage, and still there was silence.
"What on Nirmal is going on?" Asked a frustrated Murat.
He opened the door, as he did an arrow flew into the carriage striking the man to Flora's right piercing his head.
As soon as they realized what was happening a second arrow found its way into the second man's head.
Murat acted quickly, gabbing Flora and using her as a shield, he held a knife to her throat.
They stepped out of the carriage, "Come out now or I'll slit her throat!" He demanded.
Out of the woods she appeared, a young woman with a bow drawn to him, she was hidden by a hood. "And ruin your precious prize?"
Her voice was one Flora had heard before, recently in fact. It was Morgana.
"I don't need her alive to have my fun." He said. "I paid for her, she is mine, you have no right!"
"It is you that has no right!" She shouted. "It's men like you who have no right to do these vile things. It's men like you who should suffer, not us!"
"She is not your problem!" Said Murat. "Leave now and I won't have you killed for this. Just walk away."
"I'm done walking away from what needs be done." She let go of the arrow, it found its home in the head of Mr. Murat.
His body fell behind Flora, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she was free.
"You saved me!" Said Flora, "But, why?"
"No matter how stupid or foolish you are, you remind me of myself. No one saved me, I didn't wish the same fate for you." She answered.
"Thank you." She moved forward to embrace her with a hug.
"No!" Morgana demanded. "I don't hug."
"Does this mean you'll join me on my quest?" She asked.
"You still want me among you?"
"Yes."
She was silent for a moment.
"I left without saying goodbye, I will join you after I properly part ways with my people."
So they took a horse from the carriage and rode off to whence they came. Once they arrived night had set in.
"Wait here." Morgana demanded as the horse stopped just outside the camp.
Before Morgana dismounted the horse she paused glaring at the camp.
"What is it?" Asked Flora.
"Something's not right..."
She dropped to the ground and held a dagger out to Flora. "Take this."
Flora hesitated.
"You need to be able to protect yourself." She took the blade.
That's when it happened, an explosion erupted from the camp, fire burned high above the tents.
"No!" Morgana shouted as she rushed into the camp.
"Wait!" Flora shouted, but it was too late, she was gone.
The horse Flora was on was in a panic, it took off in terror after the second explosion. Flora was knocked off the horse as it galloped away into the woods.
"Ouch!" She groaned in pain as she struck the ground.
She rose to her feet and approached the camp. She hid behind a tent to see women and children lie dead in the street, slaughtered like animals. At first Flora wondered if this was the work of the Demon, but then she saw the bodies.
They were killed by that of swords and arrows, not magic.
In the center of the camp in front of the burning platform stood five pirates, Matheus with his hands bound on his knees in front of them. Morgana soon next to him, with her hands bound as well.
Flora moved closer hiding behind the tents.
"I told you!" Shouted one of the pirates. "I said you would pay, I promised that all of you would pay if I didn't get what I wanted."
"You're insane Ergo!" Matheus replied. "You lost the auction! He outbid you!"
"No!" He shouted, he had a look in his eyes, the look of a madman. "You lost! Your people are dead! Your gold is mine! And your life will end here tonight!..."
Flora clutched the dagger tucked into her belt, ready to charge and use it.
She'd stopped, almost as if frozen by a trance when Matheus eyes found hers. He didn't look angry, or enraged. He looked sad and calm.
His eyes had a look that were for the first time she'd seen, not evil or hateful, but kind.
He looked into her eyes as if he were gazing into her soul, and to her surprise he shook his head no...
He'd seen what she was about to do and advised her against it.
"Does the great Matheus have any last words?" Asked Ergo.
"Yes." He said. "Morgana, I found you broken, I made you strong. I loved you as my own daughter."
Tears filled Morgana's eyes.
"All this time I was making you stronger, you made me weak... I have never been so proud of anyone in my life."
Tears of his own began to form in his eyes.
"My last words are to you... Be better than I, find joy in this world as I found joy with you... I love you Mo-"
It felt as if the world had stopped. His words remained unfinished. Morgana cried out in pain, sorrow and agony as Matheus head was removed from his body with his own sword.
Flora couldn't contain her rage, Matheus was no friend to her but he didn't deserve to die. She charged at the five pirates ready to kill them.
Her efforts meant little as she was easily stopped. A large pirate behind Flora grabbed and held her arms preventing her from moving.
There were now five of them.
"Well look what we have here!" Said Ergo, the man who killed Matheus, his bloodied sword still in his hands.
"I still get what I want!"
"You idiot!" Shouted a sad, enraged Morgana. "You should have left with your freedom!"
"I won't leave!" Shouted Flora. "Not until he dies for what he's done!"
Ergo laughed. "And how is it you, a foolish unarmed Elven girl, expect to kill me?"
"I may be weak, but I'm tired of losing! I'm not losing anything or anyone else!"
"I think you'll be losing quite a bit before sunrise." Said Ergo with a sinister grin.
"You were right about one thing." Said Flora.
"Hmm, and what's that?" Ergo asked.
"I may be foolish, but I am not unarmed."
Flora kicked the foot of the man behind her, he loosened his grip allowing Flora to slip free.
She took the knife from her belt and dug it into Ergo's chest, blood began spilling out. She looked into his eyes as he died, she could see his life leave him.
Never before had she been so terrified, she'd taken a life. It felt as if a piece of her soul had died.
Morgana charged, taking the sword Ergo dropped and cutting the ropes that bound her hands.
She continued to fight the pirates as Flora was trapped in her own guilt, hovering over the body of the man whose life she took.
In short time the pirates were all dead. An exhausted and bloody Morgana stood behind her.
"I killed him." Her voice cracked.
"He deserved to die." Morgana said.
"Who am I to judge?"
"Who better?"
There was a pause.
"The world is a better place without him in it." Morgana placed her hand on Flora's shoulder. "He may have been the first but he won't be the last. There will be blood on this journey."
Flora was silent.
"We must stay strong." Said Morgana. "Let's move on."
She took her bow from one of the dead pirates and mounted her horse.
Flora stood up, and from the smoke to her right galloped the white horse from her home town stables. It approached her.
"You." She said while stroking the horses mane.
"The journey isn't over yet." Shouted Morgana.
"No." Flora whispered. "It isn't."
Flora lifted herself onto the horse. She and Morgana began their journey ahead.
402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQIVihItpb
As Flora once did before, Morgana looked back at the ashes of her home remembering what was. There was no going back...
ns 15.158.61.6da2
