That was until the Seirnolean soldiers stormed through her door.

Pushing aside her anxious mother, marching proudly in iron clad armour and hitting their spears off the ground as they approached. Their helmets covered their eyes and some their mouths, giving off the air of complete authority they believed the possessed.

The one they did possess.

Salmu's eyes widened as they stopped before her. 

“That's the one. Eldest child of Naorni. Arrest her.”

Her brother looked up in shock. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly, and he looked to his side - only to find the Deepfolk had vanished.

Salmu was frozen. Her hands shook, she bit her lips until she felt them bleed. The fear she had built up over the years began to spill over.

A shaky voice. “I'm sorry, b-before you take me, can I say goodbye to my family? Since we won't b-be seeing each other for a while.”

She didn't know why she was being arrested. She didn't care. If Seirnolean soldiers decide to arrest you, they'll arrest you, no matter how innocent you may be.

The soldiers stood silently, until the one that headed the match, with a tattered red leather band on his arm cuffs, held up his hand in agreement.

Her little brothers came rushing in, Daerji hugging her from the side. He passed something to her, a small, folded piece of paper. She looked at him with confusion, since he knew she could not read. In response, he whispered a little “sssh” in her ear. He let go and comforted Herlon, who was crying, while Salmu tended to the rest of her brothers, until she reached Erlun. Her kind, aloof and helpful little brother. How she'd miss him.

Up to now, she had just accepted the arrest. But her sadness boiled over as she gave him a tight hug. Him and Herlon, she'd probably miss the most. Getting up earlier to tend to the sheep and run little errands, watching the sunrise, rushing to get home before curfew…

She wanted to cry. But she couldn't. The tears wouldn't come. So she held him silently, until Herlon came to join them, and she knelt for a long time that felt all too short.

“I'll miss you two. I'll be back soon, I hope.” She hugged them tighter.

A sharp thunk on the ground flung her back to reality. Her fingers slipped off her brother's shoulders and fell.

She stood up as the soldiers put handcuffs on, thick and heavy ones that specifically covered her palms as well, causing her arms to cramp from lack of movement.

She turned and was paraded out of the house. Through the village, to a dark, unwelcoming wooden carriage where she sat on a bench along with some soldiers as they departed.

She didn't ask questions. She felt empty, tired.

Most importantly, she missed home.

When she next opened her eyes, natural light was no longer shining in the small window of the carriage. The flicker of fire could be made out as the carriage moved by, until it came to a slow stop.

She was roughly escorted out to stand before the entrance of a giant fortress, smoke sleeping in through the walls and ash flying slowly through the air.

A large foreboding, tattered metal door stood before her, with several locked bars, which slowly unlocked one by one as she watched. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

The door swung open into the dimly lit hallway that followed. Salmu could hear inhuman screams and cries, and whispers that seemed to echo from the walls. But what she could smell was much worse. Behind the smell of ash and smoke was the sickeningly sweet smell of blood and raw flesh.