Escape

I sat in the center of my cold, damp cell, nothing to keep me warm but a loincloth.  I tried to hug myself but my arms were chained out to my sides. My last meal was about 4 days ago. At least it felt like it's been 4 days, I can't be sure. I closed my eyes and did the only thing I could do. Dream.

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It was almost midnight. My father wore his best robes, although a little worn, they were better than most could afford. He was fat and muscular. He was 2.2 meters tall, a giant of a man. He was reaching 50 and his hairline was receding. Intimidating indeed. The guy seated on the other side of the table was tall and thin, his black robes seemed to absorb the light. A violet crow was prominent on his chest. His clothes alone probably cost close to our house! His pale skin was so pale it was as if he bathed in flour. It contrasted from his attire, making it that much more noticeable.

"Yes the girl," my father continued. "I'll sell for 130 gold as a consort or maid. The boy was trained in martial arts and sword play. He chops wood, can farm, and mine. I'd sell him for at least 180 gold." 

The man chuckled. "Pretty high prices don't you think? Are they here, bring them and we will see." 

"Of course." Father stood from the sofa and headed for the stairs. I scrambled up and silently snuck back to my bed and pretended to sleep. I heard footsteps and felt someone aggressively shaking my shoulder. "Up," Father hissed. "Wake your sister, you have a visitor." He started to leave, "and cover your markings." I slid out of bed and threw on a shirt to cover the large, grey spiral on my back and put on gloves to cover the purple and red spirals on my hands. I tiptoed over to my older sister, Diane's room and peeked in. She was already up and dressed.

"Come on, let's go." She led the way downstairs where the man was waiting. We bowed our heads.

"Up," he commanded. We stood straight. He started to inspect us thoroughly, hands on. Too thoroughly I must say. He filed his hands through Diane's silver hair and felt her breasts and butt. Then he moved to me and felt my muscles. Running his hands down my arms and down my slender chest and stomach. I may have muscles but I'm not husky, thanks to not eating nearly enough. He takes a step back and whistles. "Fine children you have here. 115 gold for your daughter as my master's personal maid. The boy for 30 gold and I'll send him to the mines. 

I kept my face blank but my head was spiraling. THE MINES! More people died daily in those dann mines than on the battlefront. And based on the crow insignia on the man's robes, he's from the Sorait house. Led by Master Richmond Sorait, it is just about the richest trading family in the country. They're very civil and diplomatic until it's time to have fun, they go crazy. There you'd find the most wild parties. Which means a room full of rich drunk men that can get away with anything. More than once they've been fined for walking into homes, people dying, destroyed property, random women mysteriously pregnant, and more.

"Only 30 gold!?" Father shook his head. "that's too little old friend." 

"I could take him off your hands for 20 silver to send him to the battlefield." The man chuckled. "He's well built but I don't need him." My cheeks flared silver from embarrassment. A mistake. The man looked over, his eyes wide. Then he turned red from anger. 

"You'd dare try to sell me a cursed child!" He pulled out a knife and cut my cheek. Silver blood started to trickle out the wound. The man stumbled back and dropped his dagger. 

"Y-you foolish man! Is the girl afflicted also?" Father tried to explain but the man stood straight. "I must take my leave. Deal's off Drake. See it as my courtesy to not report you to the Inquisition." The man fled out the door to the road and mounted his horse. We followed. 

"Goodbye friend. Hopefully the gods will have mercy on you and your abominations." He rode off.

"Wait!" Father cried. "I'll take 30 gold for both of them! Wait!" The man was now only a dot in the distance. Father stood up and turned to us, his rage clear on his face. "Damn disgusting abominations. If only you'd died like your fucking mother!" I stepped back a bit. I can't remember my mother but she died from the silver plague when I was only a few months old, 15 years ago. For him to say something like that, he clearly was not in his right mind. Father was an evil, selfish, and rich man, but he loved my mother more than anything, than the gods. When she died he blamed us. A byproduct of the plague and made it his mission to make our lives hell. And separating us was a perfect plan and one that could gain him some coin. He pulled out his own knife and stalked toward us. Diane put me behind her to protect me. I could feel the rage coming off of Father like the sun beating down on travelers in a desert. I could feel it warming my bones. Feeding my own power. The spiral on my back began to glow a deep red, my hands began to quiver.

Diane looked back at me, "Darke, don't!" 

Father lunged and I let out a cry. Father missed and collapsed next to us, convulsing and screaming in pain. Families started coming out their doors and looked in horror at the scene in which they were so unlucky to witness. Father began to foam at the mouth, shaking even more violently by each passing second. I took their fear and directed it at Father. He began to cry and plead. I could only hear the blood roaring in my ears. Father's abdomen started to expand, then exploded, covering me, my sister, and our neighbors in blood. The brown wood of the walls painted red, blood ran down the street like a river. It rained from the sky. The last I heard was the sounds of hooves and multiple people screaming and shouting.

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I woke up. An Inquisitor hauled me up and half carried half dragged me out the cell and up the stone stairs, My grime staining his white cloak. I could hear the sound of a crowd above. The Inquisitor kicked open a metal door and brung us outside. The light blinded me further but when my vision returned, I inspected the massive crowd in front of me. I could see the 16 head priests of the church, for each of the 16 gods, under heavy guard. Then I looked at the rest of the crowd. The commoners. Most threw fruit and other trash at me, blaming my and my kind for the nation's troubles, from difficulty in the war and the harsh weather. But a few seemed empathetic. The head Inquisitor walked towards me, his white chiton blinding me. He tied me to a metal pole, suspended an inch or two off the ground, and prepared firewood underneath. The Inquisitor, Chiron smiled at me. "Another bites the dust." he chuckled. A shout came from the back of the crowd. He stood to see the problem.

"The Spiral Masters!" someone cried. Chiron growled and turned to me, realizing the Spiral's mission. He lifted his sword to kill me but his arm got cut off, severed from the elbow. It fell to the floor. A girl about 2 meters tall stood in front of me looking up at the Inquisitor she attacked. Her chestnut hair flowed in the wind, her face was hidden behind a mask. Odd. She just appeared on the platform. Chiron's silver blood covered her obsidian sword. 

"You and your disgusting abominations need to die." Chiron spat. He lifted his sword with his intact arm, the other already almost regenerated. "I hope you're prepared!"

 He lunged at her and thrusted his sword at her heart. She vanished and appeared behind him and slashed at his calf. He hopped over the strike and stepped on the sword disarming the girl. He punched her in the jaw sending her flying. I could see more Inquisitors struggling through the panicking crowd. Their fear gave me newfound strength. I felt the ropes begin loosen on me and turned to see another boy in the same blank white mask and black clothes but he wore a hood. He sawed at the ropes with his dagger. I fell off the pole and onto the wood.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm fine" I said and shook myself, stretching my limbs. "Where to?" An explosion behind me knocked me down again, and I turned to see Chiron engulfed in flames. Another Spiral walked forward his swords blazing with blue fire. With a quick strike he decapitated the Inquisitor, who immediately began to regenerate. Fireboy and the girl ran over to me and we all had a big group hug and vanished.

We reappeared on top of a building a few blocks away. The teleporting girl collapsed into fireboy's arms.

"Alright," the hooded kid gasped. "Are you going to come with us or not?"