Queen Ginger

I could hear the shrieks and sounds that came from the other side of the wall. Their voices yelled in agony and pain as the hot iron pressed against their skin and only then did their screams turn to howls of pain.

My village, Nostra had been ambushed, we were a lonely pack in the outskirts of Nevada. Months prior to our ambush, there had been war clouds in the air, the rumour of a war had been spreading for weeks. It was said that Xanthos, the werewolf king was expanding his territory thereby conquering lands and taking the people captive only when he deemed fit.

He was a tyrant and anyone who had opposed his rule met the grim reaper. Our village had been well hidden that refugees had to wander for weeks before finally getting there but it all changed one morning when we were attacked and our people slaughtered. They spared a few women and children. They had also been looking for gingers. Ginger was a mutation, to have a ginger hair meant one was lethal, an outcast and so wolves despised them. But beneath that hatred for gingers lay fear.

My father and elder brother who were the leaders of our village had been slaughtered right in front of me, the sight so gore the image never left my mind for months. I cried, I wailed but nothing. The heavens were silent, mocking my pain.

I heard my mother cry for them, she couldn’t shift, none of us could, our wolves had been subdued by whatever Xanthos' men had in the air. It was more powerful than wolfsbane.

The door to my cell opened and the guard walked in, I could make out his silhouette first before my vision slowly adjusted and his scarred face appeared.

He snickered as he approached me with a hand on his hip. The chains went round my neck and he pulled me up. Before I knew it, saliva was on my face, he had spat on me.

“Time to make us some good money whore.”

I had a secret one that my mother had sworn to take to her grave but these monsters wouldn’t offer us that. They instead chose to rape our mothers leaving us the young girls to be sold into the black market. A memory from the ambush surfaced.

“She looks pure.”

That was what they said the minute their eyes had rested on me.

“Well see if she is.”

And so he harassed me, spreading my legs apart forcefully amidst by pleas and tears. He tried inserting his finger but found it difficult to do so.

“This one’s a virgin, she would make us big money.” They guffawed flashing brown teeth.

“Has she shifted?”

The same man dragged me closer to him and sniffed my neck.

“Yes.”

“More money.”

They laughed again in excitement. I could sense they were planning on selling us as slaves but this was new, I had never heard of slaves been sold before. Werewolves never sold slaves.

“Kill all the gingers!” Their commander had ordered and so they continued tearing my village apart.

My heart skipped a beat. My friends, people I had known since I was little were falling one by one by the sword.

Tears rolled down my eyes. The one who had harassed me tilted my head towards the scene making me watch.

“This is the fate of all who go against Lord Xanthos. All will die.”

“But they’re not gingers.” I had managed to say amidst the tears and croaked voice.

“They are lucky they aren’t because a fate worse than death would have awaited them.”

My hair has always been dyed right from when I was little. My mother had noticed the mutation and although she wanted to send me through mercy killing, she hesitated and that’s the reason why I am here, she had sought the other way out. To hide what the wolves fear, to hide me, a ginger haired girl.

But why did lord Xanthos hate my kind? That I didn’t know and I wasn’t going to let them find out my secret either way.

The man slapped me pulling me out of my reverie.

“You wench. You’re about to make us a lot of money today.”

He dragged me out of the cell and through a dark tunnel. When the sunlight rested on my face, I shut them hard. Few seconds later my vision adjusted. I heard them before I saw them, slave masters, old and young men chanting and yelling, waiting to bid on me.

“This one is a bit lousy but she’s pretty, both of her legs still seems to be working, well of course she’s standing, she can cook and clean but more importantly, she’s still untouched.” The ring leader announced. The joyful screams filled the place, given a chance these deranged men would choose to fight over me. “Going for a thousand gold coins!”

“One thousand!” A fat man at the end raised his plaque.

“Two thousand!” It was a young man this time.

“Three!” I could hear the anger in the first man's voice. He wanted me badly.

“Four!” Another person chimed in.

I shut my eyes and listened as they kept bidding.

“Twelve thousand!” It was a different voice this time.

Opening my eyes, I laid eyes on him and believe me this man was a devilish beauty.

“Hmm twelve thousand. Going once!” The ring leader called.

The room was eerily silent.

“The general.” The men murmured amongst themselves. “What is he doing here?”

“Going twice?” The ring leader announced again.

Looks of pity and sympathy was written on their faces and they were directed towards me.

Who is this man? I thought to myself until the next word coursed a shiver to run down my spine.

“Sold!”