Commander Ben jerks up from his sleep, eyes going straight to the children on the bed. It must have been a dream, he had heard noises. Looking outside, he noticed it was almost morning. They need a few more hours of sleep before they set out for the next towns to the towns where the merchants' ships depart from. Sighing, he was about to close his eyes when he heard screams again. His hand immediately flew to his sword ready to draw it. Getting up, he walks to the window and pulls the curtain aside slowly to take a peek at what is going on outside.
The Faceless Men!
They were here, they were searching for them.
Quickly, Commander Ben rushes forward and wakes the children. "Wake Kidaya." He says to Ralph while he rushes about gathering all their things into their bag. He didn't want to leave any glue behind.
Ralph didn't wait for an explanation. He quickly shakes Kidaya until she wakes up. "We have to leave." He said to her offering her his hand to hold and get up. Silently, Kidaya took his hand and stood up.
From a distance, they heard the scream of a woman, and soon, her household was wailing like every other household in the village. A massacre! The Faceless men were carrying out massacre of children between the ages of four to twelve, male or female. As long as you looked young, you were murdered.
"Quick, jump." Commander Ben said to Ralph who jumped without waiting to be told a second time. Once he was outside the room, he stretched out his hand and helped Commander Ben cross Kidaya through the window. Jumping out himself, he held the children and ran into the forest after closing the window.
The blind healer rushed to the room where she had offered the strangers to spend the night. She was going to tell the father to escape with his children, but the moment she opened the door of the room, she knew they were gone. She sighs closing the door and just then, the Faceless men barged into her house and began searching without question or explanation.
"I have no one here. I live alone. My patients are in the adjoining house, but you will find no child amongst them." The blind healer said taking a seat in her drawing room.
The man in charge of the massacre stops and turns to look at the blind woman. "How do you know it is children we seek?" He asks her taking slow strides towards her.
She scoffs. "I may be blind, but I have my ears. I can hear the cries of mothers and fathers from every corner, but I cannot hear any sound of a child except the one before you seize the life in them. Whatever you seek, is not here."
The Faceless men who had been searching the different rooms in her house all emerge and shake their heads.
Turning around to look at the woman again. "And you haven't treated any girl or strange-looking man today?"
The Lady scoffs again. "I may hear with my ears, but how can I tell if one looks strange when I can't see?"
Sighing, the man in charge nods at his men to exit the house. He was also leaving when he saw a tiny piece of torn fabric on the floor close to the table. Going closer he examined the fabric. It was soaked in blood and... It was a piece of fabric from the clothes the heir of Ishaya had worn that night they had attacked the castle. They were here, or they had been here. He stands straight and turns to look at the blind woman. "Where are there? Where is the little girl?" He asked furiously.
The blind woman raised her face higher and smiled at the man's direction. She will not say a word. She had sensed death evade her door the moment she had accepted the man and the two kids in that evening. She knew this was coming. Still smiling, "A faceless man, is not a man. A faceless being is a being without identity. Good luck finding a girl who has no more identity now." She said laughing.
Angrily, the Faceless man in charge pulls his sword and slits the woman's throat and she went limb, blood gushing out of her neck. Rushing outside, he turns to the rest of the faceless men with him. "They were here. Search every house and object, search every bush, search everywhere. They may still be here. The rest, come with me."
~
"Argh!" Kidaya shrieks and both men immediately turn to look at her. "I am fine. I just hurt my leg." She said with a fake smile.
Ralph immediately goes on his knees and raises up her feet. A nail had pierced through her shoe to her feet. "It will hurt a bit," Ralph said to her and she nodded for him to go ahead. Holding the head of the nail he pulls it out. "Can you run with it?" He asks her.
Commander Ben hands the bags to Ralph and squats in front of the girl. "Get on, Miss Kidaya." He said.
She shakes her head. "I am fine command-
"Those men may be chasing after us right now. Do you want them to catch up with us?"
Shaking her head. "No."
"Then get on my back." She does as instructed and they begin to run. They will have to run all morning until they make it to the next three towns. The merchants ships leave the marine tomorrow evening and he will have to get all three of them tickets and on board before the ships depart. The problem was how he was going to sneak the two kids on board the ship with all the soldiers that would be around and the Faceless men who would probably be there in disguise.
~
Commander Ben hands the coins to the dye maker and gets the brown dye from him. "Let's go." He said to the kids leading them away in the crowd. The market was the safest yet also the most dangerous place to be because there were so many people around you who couldn't even tell who was who. The Faceless men have a habit of hiding amongst people in disguise of anyone when they are not using their masks, and they could be anywhere without you knowing. He had only come to the market because he needed to get a dye for the girl and their tickets for the ships that evening. He also used that time to make them eat and get other dried food they could eat while on the ship throughout their journey. Now all they had to do was dye Kidaya's hair, stay safe, wait for the boarding time of the ship and hope the Faceless men do not find them before then. Another challenge was Kidaya's eyes. The girl had her mother's eyes, emerald green eyes that digged into ones soul in one glance. He needed to hide those eyes, but how. The Faceless men would be searching for her with that too. So he had an idea. They would have to pretend the girl was blind. It was the only way, and he hoped it worked.
He made the children walk infront of him while he followed behind, glancing around them frequently to be sure no one was watching or following them. They had just one more town to cross before they arrived at the merchant village. Soon, the sun will begin to set and he hoped they made it there before time. While they were in the market, he has heard stories of countless children being killed by strange beings. Commander Ben knew more than to believe that tale. The Faceless men had killed the children. Death was following them, and they had to outsmart the Faceless men or die. And Kidaya dying was not an option. The girl had to live, for his sanity sake, for his master's sake, so he can proudly face his master the Duke of Houston again in the afterlife.
They were still making their way out of the market when suddenly he felt the hairs on his neck stand straight. Looking behind him, he saw a face he recognized. A faceless man disguised as a fan seller. Quickly turning to his left and right, he saw more of them. They had found them, the Faceless men have found them.
"Run!" He screamed at the children as he immediately pulled out his sword and blocked an arrow that flew in the girl's direction. Grabbing Kidaya's hand, Ralph ran with her with Commander Ben following behind. The crowded market made it hard to run fast so most times, they bumped into people. From his rear view, he could see the Faceless men following them. "Run faster!" He yelled at them. They had to get out of the market and into the forest nearby so he could find where to hide the children. With the market, that was impossible. "Head left and go straight." He directed, trying his best to block every arrow that flew their way. And without asking questions, Ralph did as told still holding unto Kidaya.