The Sand Bride - Chapter 2
The man threw Esther to the ground and knelt down. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up, and Esther found herself staring directly into his eyes.
The man had the Kemut tribe’s characteristic tanned skin and black hair. His attire, consisting of sandals and draped cloth, was unmistakably Kemut.
He was a strikingly handsome young man with well-defined muscles, full lips, cat-like sharp eyes, a sharp nose, and a strong jawline. But the thick scent of blood wafted from his body.
Even the hand gripping Esther’s chin smelled of blood, a horrifying stench.
She thought his amber eyes looked like those of a beast and averted her gaze in fear.
“You’ve got a pretty face.”
The man slowly stroked Esther’s cheek before letting his gaze drift downward. Seeing her drenched in tears and trembling, he clicked his tongue.
“But your behavior…… Tsk.”
“What should we do with her?”
“Put her with the other captives. We’ll see if she’s worth selling as a slave or not.”
At the word “slave,” Esther, already shaking, turned pale. She knew all too well how miserable the lives of those sold into slavery in Gharyam were. They were treated as less than human. There were even rumors of owners throwing slaves to starving bears for entertainment.
The man glanced at Esther, who was on the verge of tears, before disappearing somewhere. Esther was dragged away by another bandit and placed among the surviving captives.
Frantically scanning the captives, Esther realized her father wasn’t among them and burst into tears. But no one comforted her. Each person was already consumed by their own misery and despair.
Esther cried until she was exhausted and her tears ran dry. By the time the bandits forced her to her feet, her sobs had finally stopped.
* * *
The bandits weren’t aimlessly wandering; they seemed to be heading toward a specific destination. They occasionally checked maps and measured distances. Some even used the stars at night to calculate direction and distance.
Their serious expressions and cautious conversations made it clear they weren’t mere thugs, but to Esther, they were nothing more than bandits. The hatred of a daughter who had lost her father was buried under fear and terror, but it occasionally surfaced in moments like these.
But in the end, Esther was just a captive. If someone decided to kill her for fun and toss her body into the desert, that would be the end of it. Esther knew this well, so she obediently complied with them.
Sleeping out in the cold, silent desert night was dangerous. When night fell, the bandits lit a large bonfire and set up a couple of large tents. While they ate and drank, the captives had to carry food and do menial tasks like sewing.
As the night deepened, the higher-ranking bandits retreated into the tents, while the captives were left tied up outside, huddling together for warmth and sleeping haphazardly. When dawn broke, the same routine repeated.
Every day, Esther diligently carried bowls and food. It was only natural, as captives who didn’t work were deemed worthless and killed. Esther remembered that day’s events as vividly as if they were etched into her mind.
Originally, there were fifteen captives, including Esther, four of whom were women like her. But one had been abandoned due to illness, another had collapsed and died from the heat, and a third had been executed after seducing and killing a bandit who had murdered her husband.
Of the four young women, only Esther remained.
Having seen people abandoned alive or beheaded and buried in the sand, Esther sometimes had nightmares even in her sleep. She didn’t want to die. She had to survive to see her mother and father again. So Esther did whatever it took to stay alive.
That day, she had to carry an unusually large amount of alcohol and food. Perhaps it was because the bandits were nearing their destination. Whatever the reason, Esther worked as hard as ever, and the rowdy feast eventually reached its end.
“Hey, you.”
One of the bandits called out to Esther, who was carrying a basket of fruit. Esther quickly lowered her eyes and bowed her head.
“Lord Karzhen’s tent is out of fruit. Go refill it.”
“Yes.”
The tent the man pointed to was the most lavish and spacious. It was Karzhen’s tent. He was their leader and the man who had found Esther hiding.
Esther didn’t want to catch his eye again, but as always, she knew her wishes wouldn’t be respected.
“E-excuse me.”
Standing in front of the tent, Esther spoke in a small but clear voice before stepping inside.
