Click for Part 1: How It Began
Khriein and Anthropy were spending the day together, making spontaneous decisions and not minding the time, when Anthropy noticed a curious sight.
“Look Khriein, what’s that?”
He turned to look where she was pointing. An unusual object was positioned on the water just a few miles away from the harbour. “Why don’t we find out?” He suggested.
On closer inspection, they realized that the object was a boat, and unusual it was! The entirety of the craft was painted a blue-ish green, almost completely blending it in with its surroundings.
Crouching behind a boulder by the rocky cliff, Khriein squinted at the suspicious sight. A muffled scream tore through the stillness and Khriein whipped around. To his horror Anthropy was being dragged away by a burly mercenary, shock filled eyes crying out what her mouth couldn’t. That was the last he saw, for as he sprang towards her his head exploded in pain and he crumpled into unconscious darkness.
***
Anthropy was dragged aboard the boat they had been spying on. The disconcerting aesthetic of the boat was only achieved by its perfect cleanliness above deck, but below was another story. Alongside piles of debris and refuse, there were other people there. Like her they were shackled to the wall, and like her they were silent, confused, and scared.
Her captors went above deck, and she could hear their footsteps and voices as they got ready to sail again. The light that shone from the top of the steps disappeared when the door slammed closed, just before the boat lurched into motion. The noise above them was muffled almost to silence.
It seemed ages before anyone spoke, but eventually the silence was broken by a girl’s voice, “What’s your name?” She asked.
“Anthropy,” she answered, timidly.
“I’m Ruhamah,” the voice returned. “I’m sure you’ll want to know where you are. I’ve been here for a few days already, so I may as well tell you what we’ve learned, since no one else will.”
She appreciated her talkativeness.
“This boat is called the Ophidia, it’s taking us to a farm. It must be somewhat large, because the captain has been paid to capture 39 slaves to help run it. Welcome to the team.”
Ruhamah and Anthropy continued to talk quietly together, asking questions to fill the time and calm their uneasiness. When Anthropy told of her betrothal to Khriein, a male voice joined the conversation. “So, he’s the one who sold you into this mess?”
The audacity of his question stunned her into silence. “Sorry, Ann. This is my brother, Peor,” Ruhamah said. “I didn’t mean to offend,” Peor said. He was silent for a moment. “Don’t you know who did it?”
A million thoughts were going through her mind, and she hadn’t a clue how to answer. Had someone sold her? Did she know who it was?
The slapping of the waves against the hull was deafening, but the ears of the captives were full of the roar of their own thoughts. Anthropy finally asked, “Do you know who sold you?” “Our old man,” Peor replied, his voice resentful. Anthropy gasped, “I’m so sorry.”
Another few moments of silence passed before Peor asked, “What’s his name?”
“…Khriein.”
***
“Psst! Ann!”
Anthropy’s sleep had been light ever since the first night she spent on the Ophidia, over a year ago. She opened her eyes to see Peor crouching near her, “Come, quickly.” He urged. She obeyed, noticing the rest of the slaves still fast asleep on the ground.
A few of them had tried to escape before, but the masters were always alert and the malnourished slaves were easily overpowered. Somehow, no one seemed to be around to notice them slipping past the rest of the slaves and approaching the gates. Anthropy held her breath; there were always masters there. They sat in their usual places, but by their feet lay empty bottles of rum. Peor grabbed her hand as they rushed by. Once they had passed them, they both broke into a run.
“Peor, what about Ruhamah?” She asked once they had slowed to a walk.
“I couldn’t risk having another person along,” he explained, pulling her close by the hand. His eyes looked deep into hers, “…but I couldn’t leave you behind.”
The way he looked at her made her feel safe. She had long since accepted the fact that Khriein had betrayed her, but Peor had been with her through hardship and was still by her side; she felt she could trust him.
***
“Good work today, Khriein!”
He looked back at his colleague as he finished putting away his wares of corn, oil, and wine. It was a year ago that he had become a traveling merchant, putting aside his trade for the less steady income of a peddler.
“Thanks Levi, same to you!”
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us tonight?” Levi asked, “I hear great things about the night life in this town.”
Khriein shook his head, “No thanks, I’m busy.”
Every night for the past year he had said the same thing to the other merchants he traveled with, “I’m busy tonight, go without me.” Every night he went through the new town asking everyone if they knew anything about the boat or Anthropy. So far he had been completely unsuccessful.
***
Neither was prepared for the day they were reunited. Khriein was on the merchant wagon when he saw her. They were driving through farmland; she was feeding pigs.
“Anthropy!” He called, but she was too far away to hear. Taking no time to think through what he was doing, he leapt off the wagon and landed on hands and knees. He found himself running faster than he ever had before, but he was still far in the distance when a man walked out of the barn toward her. Khriein slowed down, watching as Anthropy ran into his arms.
In a moment, he understood what it felt like for a heart to break. His steps became heavy, sinking into the ground. They noticed him then, but neither seemed to recognize him. Soon he noticed something change in Anthropy’s expression, and he knew she knew him.
“Khriein,” her voice trembled.
“Go get more feed,” Peor commanded, she obeyed immediately. Peor stepped forward, arms crossed. “Get out of here,” he said firmly.
“Who are you?” Khriein asked.
His answer was matter-of-fact, “Legion. Peor Legion. Ann’s lover.”
He paused for a moment, observing Khriein trying painfully to make sense of everything in his mind.
“I know who you are,” Peor said.
Khriein snapped back to focus, “Who am I then?”
“It doesn’t matter. As far as Ann is concerned, you’re dead. She has tried to forget you, and after today, neither of us will mention your name ever again. So leave now and forget her.”
Khriein turned to leave, and Peor smiled smugly, but then he stopped. “I will not leave her.”
He turned back and saw fear creep onto the face of his rival. “Maybe I am dead to her, but love is as strong as death, and jealousy as fierce as the grave. You may stand between us now, but I will fight til you give way, and I will love her until she loves me in return.”
He left then, heart aching, but more determined than ever to win her back. The memories contrasted in his mind of the girl he had fallen in love with, and the girl who now loved another. Sweet and innocent was the first; used and fearful was the second. He knew love would restore her, if given the chance.
Thus began a new chapter of their lives; he hired himself as an apprentice to a boat-builder. This was a fitting task, since they needed someway to get home once she trusted him again. Everyday he went to work, then walked to her barn. (He discovered that she and Peor were living there in exchange for their work with the pigs.) If Peor was there, (which he often was not) Khriein would try to reason with him, but would eventually turn back. If he found Anthropy alone, he talked to her, sang to her, and begged her to come home. She would not answer him any questions about her capture or about Peor, except that she loved him.
After he finished his fruitless endeavour, he would walk back to his shop and work on his project: The boat that would take them home. He was calling it “Arca.”
Part 3: Home
Part 3: Home
