The Xittites suddenly appeared in the city of Zyra. Human-like people but with transcendent powers. They had invaded the land but they were rather quiet people and made no trouble. They were friendly and they were kind. The people of Zyra were afraid but after seeing their free spirits, they became one of their own. It didn't matter that they had powers dangerous enough to destroy the City of Zyra in a flash. They had become their own.
They lived peacefully with the people of Zyra till the reign of Xander the Fourth. The Little Prince had been in a faraway land when the Xittites and the people of Zyra coexisted happily. But now his father, Xander III was dead and he had come a charming warrior to take his place on the throne. The Xittites by then had grown and increased in numbers, and had even procreated with the Zyrites. So children, with the strength of their mothers or fathers as the case was, possessed immeasurable powers. But even then, they lived among each other in peace.
Then one day, they received a royal invitation from the king. Their young, newly enthroned king had invited them to the Castle for a special banquet which they read with joy in their hearts.
Following the legacy of my father, the late King Xander the second of blessed memory, I wish to uphold his values and the relations he had with his people. To this end, our beloved Xittites; Young and old, male and female, straplings and the invalid, mixed and pure breeds. Your King wishes to see you and to show his immense gratitude for a fruitful year before and the one to come by inviting you all to a special banquet. Come hither, on the day of the blood moon my people. Let’s celebrate.
So, it was with this rather warm invitation that the people, old and young, male and female, marched to the Castle to celebrate. Maybe eyebrows would have been raised, considering the fact it was the day of the blood moon. The day all were told to remain in their houses as the Angel of Death passed for a while in the night, searching for prey. But there were no raised eyebrows among the Xittites and all its descendants. Their King had called them and therein, they would go.
But there was one family who was currently not on the march to the Palace and that was because they had a petulant nine-year-old at their heels.
“Please Mama,” Karla drew at her mother’s skirts. “Why can’t I come?”
“Cease your tears at once,” Clive thundered at his daughter. “There are prices to pay for a recalcitrant child and you will pay that today.”
“But Dad, I couldn’t stay at home. The river especially glowed today and Sari and Karna were going as well.”
“But I expressly told you to stay home and look after the sheep,” Mikala, Karla’s Mom began. “But you didn’t and now they are all gone.”
“I’m sorry,” Karla pleaded but her parents had already started walking towards the door. Desperately, she ran after them but a true-blooded Xittite that Clive was, he ran in a flash outside with Mikala and quickly sealed the door with vines.
“The moon is especially red today. It’s worrisome,” Mikala muttered as they briskly began the journey to the Castle.
“It’s fine, Mika. We are safe. Our King will keep us safe,” and Karla watched them, tears streaming dejectedly down her eyes as their voices slowly disappeared into the night.
In the castle, there was an abundance of joyous chatter as the Xittites sat at the banquet table prepared for them. It was weird, but somehow seats were provided for every one of them. Xander IV watched with glee at the three thousand and one people before him. He got up from his throne in a flourish, a glass of red wine in his hands.
“My people,” he boomed with his thunderous voice. “Your king welcomes you to this great feast.” The cheers were deafening and after basking in it for a moment, he waved at the crowd who grew silent immediately.
“If you look, you will see that your plates are empty. Today, you will be served a memorable treat. One you will not forget for the rest of your lives.” Pausing to look at the crowd before him, one by one, like he was memorising every face, he took a deep breath and said in a quiet voice. “Let the first course....begin.”
The crowd erupted in cheers and castle servants filed in bearing covered bowls of wine for everyone. The drums began to play and there was merriment as they took huge sips of the sweet wine. A few minutes passed with more laughter and it was only when the first Xittite began to scream that they quieted. Barely a second later, more people began to scream. Not just because they were all clutching their bellies as an excruciating pain tore through them but also because they couldn’t leave their seats.
Cries filled the air and people screamed curses at their young king who had begun chuckling in his seat, watching as blood quickly soiled the pristine tablecloths.
“What have you done to us,” a man screamed from the crowd, blood spurting out of his mouth with each word.
“You, are all abnormalities!” he spat. “You don’t deserve to walk among us humans. I will rid my city of you and you will return to the devil, of whom you belong.”
The screams multiplied till slowly it began to cease as people dropped like flies. Mikala kissed the face of her husband who was already beginning to go cold in his seat for the last time. She hadn’t drunk the wine due to the baby in her womb so burning the seat on which she was glued, she discreetly made her way out of the castle. Xander had been so sure of his plan, he couldn’t even place guards at the entrance.
She began running towards the eerily silent village when she heard shouts behind her.
“Stop! You accursed Xittite.”
She looked back to see guards hot on her trail. She sent huge balls of fire to them but her speeding heart and the fact that she hadn’t needed to use her power in years made her aim careless so the guards easily dodged it. That misplaced action brought the guards even closer to her but she ran with all her strength back to the house, bursting through the door to see a sleeping Karla at the door.
“ Karla, wake up!” She tapped her hurriedly. Karla woke up with a start.
“Mama? Where is Dad.”
“Shhh, there’s no time,” she slid open a plank in the ground and quickly pushed her daughter in.
“Mama, what’s happening?” But Mikala closed the opening and threw a rug on it, plunging Karla into darkness just as the guards burst through the door. Without a word, they sent a spear through her chest and the woman went silently to the ground. Karla felt it more than she heard it. The life seeping out of her mother. She held her mouth to stop the scream threatening to rise from her insides. They were burning everything. She rocked herself with eyes wide open as she felt the world burning above her. She didn’t dare close her eyes. Somehow, nine-year-old Karla knew that she would never close her eyes again.
To be continued...
