His gaze is transfixed on me even when the panicked screams of the people increase in its furor. He makes no move to pursue and kill them, more interested in me, it seems, for some reason. My eyes glide up from his, and I see an odd mark on his forehead, resembling the crescent moon.
Then my eyes move to the blood on the sword as the sun rays reflect off it when he extracts it from the fat man's limp body. It is glossy red in color. I quake in fear, knowing it is my turn to meet the good Lord; the devil has a sword longer than my dagger with its small reach. And he was on a horse too. I will never be able to reach any vital body parts to cause him much damage. As a last resort, I turn on my heel once again, preparing to run to my escape when I bump into someone. Or something. A wooden shield. The force of my action knocks me back, almost causing me to fall over. I look up, holding the dagger in front of me, trying to work up the courage to stab the person. It is either him or me.
This savage is a blond man who sits on top of a white horse with a bow and quiver of arrows fastened to his back, very similar to the one with dark hair. He also wears a gold crown on his head, tilted to one side, making him look ridiculous. With blood on his face and hands, he is certainly no king.
He smiles at me, his lips stretching slowly in a feral grin, then he jumps down from his horse. Instead of a braid down his back, his hair is gathered to one side by a strip of leather and tossed over his shoulder, and a dark blue sun is tattooed on his forehead.
With both the men adorning similar tattoos, I suspect they are related to each other. Dressed in casual battle clothing, the man has a white fur coat, in contrast to what War is wearing.
The longer I stare at him, the more I think of the four horsemen and the verse in the Bible about the rider of the white horse. My lips do not move, but the words resound in my mind. "Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come.' I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."
I swallow, unsure of my next action—the world is ending, and even if I attempt to stab Conquest donning the savage's skin, War on the red horse is still nearby. I am trapped between demons, springing to life just as the Bible foretold. Though the strangest thing is how the two show no signs of attacking me, else I would have been long dead.
My eyes focus on the blonde as I hear him speak, but his words are foreign and unintelligible to my ears.
"What are we to do with this young one, brother?" And as he finishes his words, it sounds almost like a question, his voice giddy and mocking. He sounds quite youthful, leading me to believe he is the younger of the two.
But I wonder what he has asked. Are they discussing how to dispose of me?
The other man, sitting atop his blood bay horse, replies in the same tongue, and I hear his horse's hooves getting closer. "Don't harm her. Take her to the boat, along with any other children you find. We can sell her as a slave to the Easterners."
They are definitely discussing what to do with me. The two options I conclude to, based on what I heard from the gossip of the ladies in the castle, would be either "kill her" or "sell her."
I have no way of understanding their deviled tongue, but I sure don't want to stay and find out more. So, my eyes leave the white horseman, searching for a way out.
I need a quick escape because the red horseman is fast approaching me from behind. I then see a pile of wooden crates stacked up against the wall of a nearby building. It leads to the building's roof and if I am quick enough, I can escape to the rooftops. I think I can make it, judging the distance, and I have always been fast on my legs.
Once the blonde Viking approaches, I decide it is either now or never. So, I dart out of the way before he can grab me and run toward the wooden crates, my heart racing at the same pace as my legs. I swear I can hear one of them click their tongue at me, if not both, at my escape.
However, I don't look back. I refuse to turn around and stare at my impending death. The seer had not predicted the horsemen. She had only foretold the bells, so perhaps the wolves won't come until much later. So far, I haven't heard a single howl or seen a glimpse of any wolf-like creature, unless she has confused these savages for wolves. After all, they too wear furs on their backs.
As soon as I reach the pile of boxes, I start climbing them, all the while keeping a tight grip on my dagger. A one-handed climb is difficult, but I manage with fear pushing me along. But before I can get halfway up the boxes, my dress is pulled, and I am ripped away like a rag-doll.
Hanging in the air, only by my dress, the cotton cuts my underarms and threatens to tear due to my weight. I thrash and kick and scream, doing everything possible to be set free. My hand becomes sweaty and slippery, and it is difficult to keep holding the dagger. But I can't let go of it. This is my only protection. I have to be mentally prepared to use it when the time comes.
I continue kicking up a fuss as I'm held above the ground. I am thankful the horse has stopped moving, making my fall to the ground seem less dangerous. Then War on the red bay horse speaks.
His words are directed toward the blond Viking, and his tone sounds angry. "Why didn't you go after her when she ran? Did you plan to just let the brat escape?"
The blond Viking chuckles, says something, then walks away with his horse's reins in his hand, but again the words are foreign and unintelligible to my ears. "I wanted to see how far she could run before being caught by one of the others, but now you can take her back to the boat. I have better things to do besides babysitting a wild creature. For instance," he waves his fingers at the castle before it lands on the wooden door sealing the interior from the rest of the town, "breaking into that well-guarded castle. They must be keeping the good things there."
As the red horseman, Devil or War, whatever name I call him as, becomes distracted by the blond, I decide this is my best shot at escape. I act quickly, gritting my teeth, and raise the dagger over my head, as much as I can, with the cotton fabric protesting against the movement, and swing down at his unprotected arm.
The entirety of the dagger gets lodged in his flesh, and the next instant, I am dropped like a sack of potatoes as a pained grunt leaves his lips. I am free.
I land on my butt, the impact causing me to wince and inhale, the ache sharp. The discomfort, however, doesn't stop me from scrambling to my shaking limbs. As I turn to run, I see the blood pouring down his arm, his face stricken in pain. So, the horsemen savages can really bleed. They are just like normal men, but I don't stand around to ponder more about it. This time I hope to escape and find a secure hiding place. I run as fast as my legs could carry, but I can't help looking over my shoulder to see the effect of my flesh wound.
I see his lips curl in a grimace as he yanks the dagger out from his forearm; the knife is then tossed carelessly to the ground with a clank. He then grips his horse tightly, the wound stealing his breath for only a moment.
That is when I decide to go back to the small alley, knowing his horse could not traverse the small space. This time I just have to stay hidden for a longer time. I don't even have my dagger for protection. I don't want to be captured again. This is my last chance.
I dash between the two buildings again, barely escaping the thunder of the hooves, but before I can hide, I hear his boots smacking the ground. He must have jumped off his still-galloping horse, already seeing through my plans. I don't want to get caught, but it is my fate to be captured, I think, when an arm forcefully draws me back to the horseman.
I let out a shrill scream, borne of anger and frustration, fear stealing the air in my lungs. He tries to hold me still, but I fight with everything I have. This time, I will have nothing left if he has his way with me. "Let me go, you brute!"
I twist and swing my arms wildly and kick out my feet. My thrashing is violent; some of my punches land on his flesh wound too. My heart cheers every time I hear a grunt of pain from him. However, this isn't good enough. I need to be released, and he needs to feel more pain.
So, with my free hand, I reach up and claw his cheek. I had hoped to get to his eyes, but I fall short. This seems to be the final straw for him. He shakes me and sneers, showing all his teeth.
All my wild actions stop. I have never seen such sharp, elongated, fang-like teeth on any human. No one ever told me nor did I hear any rumors about the savages having them.
The teeth reminded me of the wolf that had come in with the entertainers last spring, and it had snarled and snapped at its master several times, just like how the savage is doing now.
My mind quickly understands what my eyes are seeing. So, this is a wolf, the one the seer had warned me about. I stand still in his grasp, watching as his eyes become those of a wolf, the devil's pet.
I am pulled closer to the man, and before I know it, I feel pressure against my skin at the junction between my neck and shoulder. I hear a distinct pop of my skin being pierced, and pain starts radiating off it in waves. I scream loudly, the loudest in my entire life, the agony increasing in intensity with every screech. My entire body is throbbing as if set on fire. The pain sears me, burning my blood, starting from the bite.
His teeth have hurt my small body badly. What is the purpose of biting me? I am just a child, I wonder, as hot tears roll down my face. What am I to do now?
My neck isn't the only thing burning, my eyes are too. The pain is excruciating. I feel the pressure of his teeth leaving my skin, and it is a small relief. My body starts shutting down. My eyes get blurred, and I am unable to keep them open. Everything turns dark, the ache subsides, and my mind takes me to a much better place: home.
There is no turning back for me now, just like the seer had predicted. I am now his...have always been... right from the very beginning.
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