Fortune Favors the Cursed
the-reticent-seer
diverselit
diverselit
1.3K5
An orphan girl with questionable morals. A scarred prince with two lives. One relic to change their world.
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Badriya As-Sahra is sick of piling up camel dung and ...Chapter 2
A wise man once told a boy the snake bites its prey at first try, but the scorpion always strikes twice. It sounded absurd at first, considering that the wise man was a mentor who trained soldiers for a living, and the boy was a prince who had not hit puberty yet.
Now, he always made sure he stabbed thrice. He figured the advice needed to be altered, especially when he dealt with men who held their ground while their wounds bled.
Ayaz slashed the last of the slave traders' neck with his curved sword. It was the dark of the night, the perfect time to commit a crime in plain sight, which was why Ayaz and a trusted few of his crew made night watches like this instance. People with evil intentions often thought they could get away with their evil deeds.
Oh, how wrong they were.
Thanks to his initiative, Ayaz and his men just raided a hidden cave that housed tens of innocent citizens taken from all over Zecaj. Half of them were men to be sold as extra labor, while half of them were young women to be bought by brothels and pleasure-seekers. Regardless, they were sentenced to live the rest of their lives as slaves, to be treated as such by their soon-to-be masters in or out of the country.
But now, they were all free.
As soon as his men finished piling the dead bodies behind a huge rock, Ayaz proceeded to free the captives from the ropes tying their wrists and feet. One by one, they thanked him for his bravery and for liberating them. Some even burst into tears, grasping his hands and chanting the word 'savior' as he passed by.
How wrong these people were, for Ayaz was no savior they thought he was. He was as vile as the people who tried enslaving them, for he shed blood more times than Ayaz could count. It was a necessary evil for the greater good, but it frightened him that sometimes, he found himself savoring the sound of his enemies dying.
They should see him as a monster.
Strapping the sword to his side, Ayaz climbed to the highest rock that he could find. He pulled down the mask concealing his features and turned to the freed citizens in front of him.
"None of you will speak of our existence tonight." His voice echoed throughout the cave. "Vow your silence, and you shall be granted safe passage to your homes. Is that understood?"
Albeit stunned at the sight of his face, they all gave nods and mumbles of agreement.
Ayaz turned to the person standing closest to him, a spear-wielding man with rich ocean-green eyes and tanned skin—he wore a black hood just like Ayaz and the others. "Idris, you and the others escort these people to their respective towns. Give them money if they need it. Make sure everyone is accounted for."
The man he called Idris nodded, then motioned to the people to make their way out to the cave's jagged mouth.
Ayaz was the last one to exit the cave. Outside, his men helped some of the frail former captives up to their steeds. The rest who were strong enough to walk were given blankets and spare clothes to protect them from the cold.
One of the citizens he passed by clung to his arm, as if she needed support to stand and her life depended on it. The frail woman's bony fingers almost made Ayaz shudder, but he managed to give her a kind smile.
"S-Shukran, amiri," the woman said, her eyes misting. "Shukran jazeelan."
"Afwan." Ayaz slowly pulled away from her grasp, then turned his attention to one of his comrades nearby. "Take extra care with her."
As soon as he got an affirmation, Ayaz headed for his ride. Even when this 'job' gave him nothing beneficial in return, the thought of these people sleeping soundly tonight with their families was enough for him. But it still wasn't enough for others.