Thread: Slave In the City of Light [Vae Victus x detox__]

As the breaking rays of morning sunlight revealed themselves to the world a small army marched over a hill. They were several days out, but in only a few hours they would reach their destination. The soldiers, heavily armed and armored, marched in a roughly rectangular formation several men thick on each of four sides. The arrangement was not suited to mobility but it was ideal for keeping the captives surrounded and, for the most part, obedient. Those without chains were forced to pull heavy carts, filled to the brim with shimmering treasures and captured weapons while the rest of them shuffled forward, shackled to one another. Most of them were quiet. After last night none of them seemed to feel like talking. A few of the men had gotten brave after camp had been made and came up with a plan to steal some weapons and escape. They didn't even make it out of their enclosure before the soldiers fell on the unarmed captives with merciless blades, hacking and cutting them down in front of their screaming wives and daughters. When the women, anguished as they were at the gruesome display, refused to quiet down they were slaughtered as well. When silence had been restored the survivors were placed in chains to prevent any further attempts at rebellion. The corpses were left were they fell, forcing the captives to simply sleep next to the remains of their fellow villagers. Today marked the final march. For the soldiers it meant rewards and revelry, and perhaps even kind words from His Divine Light if they should be so lucky. As soon as the party reached the top of the hill they were met with an almost piercing light. The soldiers knew to cover their eyes instantly, but their captives weren't so lucky and found themselves suddenly staring forward as though they were looking at the sun itself. They began to shut their eyes or look to the ground, causing them to bump into one another. For a brief moment a panic almost ensued, but the soldiers were quick to regain order. One of the soldiers raised his voice, his word carrying extra weight after his participation in the previous night's slaughter. Calm down! Vorvan-thal will be your new home. You'll get used to the light soon enough. Vorvan-thal. In ages past those words meant a great deal. They were, in fact, the name of a beloved god. The Light Bringer. The father of life who made the sun rise each morning to smile down upon his favored creations. And then came the usurper. Savrax, at one time a barbarian of no importance, took the lives of his entire tribe for a dark entity in exchange for powers beyond the scope of most mortals. He quickly gathered an army of men and dark creatures, sending them out to expand his empire. In his hubris he gave himself the name Savrax Vorvan-thal. It was as close as a human could come to apotheosis and the act caused a great outcry. Those who spoke out against him were slain, their bodies resurrected as twisted things, minds warped to serve their new master. He named the former capital after himself and ordered the city walls and palace to be destroyed and rebuilt out of an exotic white marble which reflected the light perfectly for miles around. Grand towers and spires stretched up from the center of the city as though in defiance of Heaven itself. The old temples and shrines were desecrated and destroyed, and in only a few short years the people learned to accept that this would be reality. There was little more they could do than worship their new God-King. About half a mile away from the city the soldiers stopped and turned inward to face the captives. Some of them covered the faces or cowered in fear, certain there would be a repeat of last night. The apparent leader, a tall, stocky man on a horse cleared his throat as he looked down at the panicked rabble. Settle, settle! He reached up with a single coarse hand to stroke his thick black beard, waiting for the commotion to cease before he continued. We will be entering the city soon. Those of you who count yourselves among the common citizens remain where you stand. At that he drew his sword, causing another small panic from the crowd. He leveled the blade and pointed it at an empty spot a few feet away from the main group as the soldiers dispersed a bit, leaving some spaced in the formation as though to accommodate an order yet unmade. Those of royal blood are commanded to split away from the main group at this time for an audience with His Divine Light. Raise your hands and your chains will be undone. The group will split apart at the city gates. One by one the crowd turned their nervous eyes toward a particular woman.