Chapter 380: [Bonus - ] The Ashen Whisper (II)
Part 2: Ashes to Ashes
"Ngh-gh!" Arabella thrashed and kept kicking the sand under her to no avail. Her wrists had been tied behind her back with cloth, dust and sand were stuck to her face and her hair was gripped in a man’s hand.
Feathers fell off the still-twitching desert hawk as it was thrown into moving black sand. "NO! AGH! HARR!" Arabella screamed and thrashed further while held against normal sand.
The hawk sunk into the black sand and began moving with the current of it. Ash and haze she inhaled more and more as she panted for breath—tears of pain, anguish and hopelessness running down her cheeks.
Soon Arabella began coughing, louder and more violently; no Sun shined as a little girl’s coughing cries filled the air around them. The three men stood and watched the hawk suffocate and disappear.
The man who held the long dagger previously had a dagger mark cut from his and down his cheek. The man with the beard and missing turban held a small five-year-old in the air by the arms—her arms, ankles and mouth all tied with fabric.
The last man, who had a cloth covering his face, had a few new bite marks on whatever skin was exposed around his neck—two crimson bite marks were also on his right hand, which held Arabella by her hair.
Rena cried and cried; some of her sobs escaped past the fabric tied around her mouth. Her eyes kept staring at her sister through tears.
Arabella watched as the three men talked to each other, in a language she could not understand. Reading their lips had no use, but she could see them point to Rena, then back to her.
The man with the dagger turned and peered down at Arabella. He walked closer and spoke, "You are more trouble than you’re worth. You are sick and your parts are not worth much, so your price is death.
Pray to Hisainrah that your death is quick and say your last wishes. Do not worry for your sister, she has been forgiven. We will make sure she has good use."
Arabella spat blood and phlegm from her cough into the man’s face. The man grunted and recoiled to wipe it off. The man holding her hair yanked her head up, but Arabella thrashed her legs around and managed to turn herself around enough.