WAKE UP

"Pray to the sun

Dance to the moon

Sing for fire

Cry for rain

The heavens are falling

Says the crow of the black skies

For what it has seen

Is darker than it was meant to see

The darkness it has seen

Is unparallel "

"Wake up!"

She opens her eyes, eyelids clapping each other, as the wind breezes through her face. The wind is free, and that might be the only good thing she gets before her time comes, her time to be killed for the barbaric god of Arida. Yunu stares through the cage on a chariot, trapped there along with four other girls, being taken to Arida by the virgin hunters. She is totally traumatized, remembering the death of her brother Kiri, her mood having no sign of happiness or remorse. She has not just been broken, this is more than just sorrow. She has lost hope, she has lost reasons to live. When you are hurt, you feel pain, you cry, you grieve. But when that pain breaks you, when that sorrow kills the light of hope in you, you feel nothing, you're grey, you've lost savour, you've lost humanity.

"Wake up, breathe!"

He pulls out of his sleep, one he thought to be death, one he lost all hope of waking up from. He takes time to reason, to pull out of unawareness.

"Where am I?" He asks, and a voice answers,

"Welcome to the land of the dead."

"I...I can't see anything!"

"Yes, because you are dead warrior. The dead do not get to see much in this world you've been brought into."

After hearing these words from the voice before him, he hears laughter, confirming the presence of more than four people or beings before him. He can feel warmth from his back, but extreme cold coming from his front, with his hands spread out, tied up to something, his upper body exposed to the paradoxical temperature of the place.

"It's cold, and hot all the same, I do not understand!" He says as the voice replies him,

"Three minutes in hell and you can't even tell the difference between hot and cold temperature anymore, not when both are serving the same purpose to the extreme, torture."

He is scared, totally terrified. But then, he can feel something on his face, continuously rubbing on his skin as the cold wind sweeps through his face. It is a fibre that had escaped the weaves of the clothes tied on his face. At this moment, he begins to think beyond his fear. He can still feel the pain of his bruises, he can still feel life in him, he still feels very much in existence, unlike what hell has been defined to be. And then, he comes to the obvious conclusion; he is still alive, and has been taken hostage by Arida warriors who are playing tricks on him, a trick they're ready to make as real as possible. They want him to believe he's in hell, and so, they will torture him with fire. That's why he feels heat from behind, there's a fire behind, probably used to heat a metal for his skin.

"Let me go, let me go you imbeciles, you inhuman Arida deformities! Let me go and face the might of a true Kalakala soldier."

"There he goes, the tough one, who eventually ends up begging for his life. We've heard rumors about a Kalakala warrior who terrifies his enemies, fights gallantly, and is quite a brave one. Of all that have tasted this side of hell, you're the quickest to realise that it's not the hell you do not know, but one that can be inflicted by man. Come on, what makes hell so special if all they'll do is what we do during torture on earth? You're smart, and if I am not mistaken, you must be the dreaded Yakoza."

ARIDA.

A woman is in what seems like a mill, working along with a lot more people being whipped while working. She is weak, filled with bruises and scared. She sees a little girl in front of her, carrying a heavy bowl on her head and comes to her.

"Hey! What's your name?" She asks as the little girl replies,

"Neka."

"Neka, I am Egliti. Let me help you with that."

"No, they will punish me, they will punish us both," Neka says as one of the Arida guards on duty comes to them both with a whip speaking furiously,

"What are you two doing over there? Move it!"

The guard begins to whip them as they cry aloud. One of the female slaves get angered by this and tries to defend them but she's shot on the head with an arrow immediately, while the whipping continues.

ARIDA CASTLE.

King Dilis is walking through his garden, with Maven by his side. He speaks to her,

"Remember when we were younger? We would imagine ourselves as King and queen of Arida. What happened to all that?"

"We grew up."

"If you do not care for me, then why come here Maven? Why come to my castle?"

"I came because you sent for me, and you do not take refusal likely. Besides, my father would kill me if he hears that I didn't honor your invitation. Stop torturing me Dilis, leave me be."

"Tell me Maven, what must I do to earn your feelings? I am sculpturing the world for the both of us. Can you not see the beauty out there? Can you not see my glory?"

"All I see is a tyrant King willing to loose the lives of his people for the most invalid reason. You promised me you would be better than your father, the best King Arida could ever ask for."

"I am better than my father. I have conquered a lot more territory in seven weeks than he ever did in a year. That is a great achievement as a king Maven."

"How do you measure greatness Dilis? By the number of heads that role before you? Your morality is totally twisted."

"I do not measure greatness by the number of heads Maven, heads are common. I measure them by doing the right thing, and the number of hearts, tongues, arms, legs, intestines cut off for that purpose, the number of ribs and skulls cracked to preserve might and authority. That's what I stand for. The only way to rule a world as cruel as this is becoming absolute carnage yourself."

"You're right, that's the only way to rule, but you told me you would lead when you become king, not rule. You let me down, and I would rather die than be your queen."

This statement hurts Dilis and turns him cold as he speaks,

"Do you think I would just let you walk away Maven? Do you think that after all these years, I would let the warmth of your breasts be felt by another man? Do you think I would allow your lips be placed on the disgusting mouth of a man other than me?"

Dilis grabs her tight and aggressively while saying this, scaring her. She speaks in fear,

"Did I ever have an option...Dilis?"

"No. Right from the day I held your arms in the castle as kids, you became mine, your existence. Every breath you draw, every hair you shave, it's my property."

"I do not belong to you Dilis."

"Let me prove my might to you Maven, observe with every sensation in your body."

Dilis drags Maven inside as she struggles. The maidens and guards see this and are surprised. Dilis would never hurt Maven, even if he burnt down the entire world. This was no longer him, this was no longer the Dilis she knew. Dilis drags her up to his Chambers and flings her to the bed. He strips her naked and forces himself on her as he speaks,

"I have dreamt of this day my entire life, the day I have you all to myself. Today is the day, and today, I will plant my heir in you."

Maven cries but is powerless, trapped in the brut strength of the brutal king. You cannot be friends with the devil, you can never enjoy his company.

Bloodrock has descended into more chaos, and it escalates every moment. In such trying times, the people would pray for a champion, a savior to redeem them, one who is outstanding and fearless, one with great virtue, someone like the butterfly, the Moonwalker herself. That brings the big question, where is she? Does she still breath? Or has she joined the dead like Kiri?

SOMEWHERE FAR FROM ARIDA

"Wake up! Breathe!"

She hears this gentle and still voice in her head, speaking to her in a soft manner, but she doesn't make sense of it, she doesn't make sense of anything. For a moment, she finds herself in what seems like a trance. She's younger, with a kid, running through the woods in a beautiful sunrise, laughing and innocent, totally ignorant of the troubles of life. Harps play in her head, acoustic beauty, life in paradise. Left for her, she wants to remain in this illusion, but then she hears the gentle feminine voice again,

"Wake up!"

The mirage of a simple innocent life of a kid fades away, and her consciousness returns gradually to the real world, guided back by the call of the gentle voice. Finally, she hears her name, reminding her of who she is,

"Wake up Rona, wake up."

And then, she opens her eyes.