The Right Of Torran

Chapter One

Bambi liked her mark, a slightly larger than average hand curled around her left hip. Odd, but so unassuming. She'd never understood her parents' fear of the mark or had never believed the cursed language they used, but now, as the Elders continued to glare down at her, Bambi was beginning to worry.

"It's a birthmark," she attempted to reassure them. She didn't believe in the Devil and barely acknowledged half of the teachings she'd received during her school years. She was silent about her lack of belief during school, more so now that she could live a life undisturbed by Elders or other Holy Land followers. She tried to make herself invisible to those around her to avoid unwanted attention. While she was lucky to remain unmarried and essentially have a job, she knew how easy it would be to change.

"It's a mark of the Devil. Our Higher Elder is sure you have cursed his blessing of your sister and her husband. They have been married for two years and have yet to produce a child of god." the same Elder said.

Bambi held her tongue. Her youngest sister was sixteen, married to a man in his late thirties. They hadn't had any child yet because her sister hadn't even begun to bleed. Usually, girls wouldn't be married until their late teens and would have at least had their first bleed, but Bambi's younger sister had caught the attention of an Elder, and he'd demanded she was gifted to him early so he could 'educate' her himself. The bile rose fast when Bambi thought about it. She'd tried to fight it and make her parents see sense that marrying a fourteen-year-old girl to a man in his late thirties was wrong, but her parents had been proud and boastful, happy to sell their daughter to ensure their position in the Church was secure.

"She's a child. She hasn't had-" Bambi didn't see the movement but felt the stinging slap to her face. Tears sprung to her eyes as she sucked in a breath to ease the sudden pain. She didn't dare look up at the Elder who had struck her, even as he moved back into his cluster.

"She is a woman of the Holy Land. It is her duty to give her husband a child. Her husband has assured us that they are attempting to reproduce." Bambi held in her sob, swallowing the bile that threatened. Her baby sister was being forced upon with the approval of all the adults in her life. "When your sister mentioned your mark, we turned to our scriptures to understand. Marks of the Devil are written throughout our Bibles, and the mark on your hip fits our scriptures perfectly. You are a child of the Devil, and you will be dealt with to ensure the future of our Church is protected." the first Elder spoke, and as Bambi lifted her head to glance at him, she stiffened when she felt hands grab her again. She was dragged from the ground, hanging between two different Elders. She struggled as the middle Elder approached, terror filling her every pore. They were going to kill her, maybe worse.

When the Elder arrived in front of her, her struggles slowed, not wanting to give him a reason to possibly lash out at her. Nevertheless, she flinched when he reached forward and sucked in a horrified breath when he began to bunch her dress.

"No...please, don't," she begged. She didn't want their touch but knew their entitlement allowed them to get away with touching unwilling women.

"Like I would sully myself with the likes of you. I must see the mark so that we know what to look for when others come forward with similar claims." he spat and then sucked in a gasp as he bared her side to all.

Bambi squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the murmurs of horror at the sight of her mark. She jerked when a harsh finger poked her hip and couldn't believe it when she heard someone begin to pray. A sobbed breath of relief escaped when her dress dropped back down her body. Her eyes peeked open when she felt the Elder in front of her move. She watched as the original six Elders formed a circle, rushed whispering the only sound in the room. Bambi hung limply from the two Elders holding her; their grasps were tight and painful, and when she tried to move to ease their holds, both only tightened their hands around her arms, causing more pain.