"What the hell is going on?" Finn thought as heawoke to the bustle throughout the camp, his legs being dragged through the sand, his body ached all over. The smell of manuredrifted through the large encampment as he beganto glance around.The sandy dirtroadswerepavedwithbooths of traders, the goods ranging from food toweapons. Looking around most of the people worethe same blackcloaks as his captors,only a fewwore shackles around their necks, just likeLeo and I.Thesunlight bouncing off their bare bodies,theyhad a darker shade ofskin.Iturned away before realizing I was in the same situation as them,their eyes followedusaswewere draggedthrough thecamp.


    The mountains stood tall around the camp giving off an isolated feeling, and the images of a prison cell immediately came to mind. The thought that Aurora could be in a similar situation or worse didn''t help with settling my nerves.Findingmyvoice,I attempt to speak to our captors with no success, the short one simply tugged on the chain while grunting to his partner.


    "Leo, you alright?"Iwhispered, looking straight to not attractunwantedattention. Hehadn''t stopped sobbing since he regainedconsciousness, causing the taller one to beat him savagely.Sniffling he raises his head,


    "What''s *hic* going on Finn? Where are *hic*we? Why are they doing this to us?" He whispered in short sobs, tearsdripping down his cheeks. His facewas swollen,with dry blood plastered all over his body, it was hard to look, making me feel guilty for some reason.


    "It''s going to be alright," I whispered reassuringly. "Just don''t do anything stupid." Tugging on my chains the small man glared at me."It''s not like he understood what I said..." I remark.Thetwo men begin talking in their strange language before pulling us into a small tent in the back of the camp. Insidea single stone slab lay in the centerwhere an old woman sat.Drapedin the same black that the men wore, her ancientgrayeyes trailing from Leo and then to melingeringslightly before beckoning the two men inside.


    The men nodded before letting down their hoods revealing their faces. "What the fuck is that," Leo whispered staring wide eyed at them. Not that I blamed him. Theirmouth was that ofa scorpionreplacingtheir nose and mouth, it sent shivers down my spine. They conversed with the womanbrieflybefore she strode over to where we sat.


    "Stand up." She said calmly her voice crackly, and uneven as she stood before us.


    "You speakEnglish?You have to help usthere''sbeen some sort of mistake we didn''t do anything wrong!" Leoshouted indesperationjumpingup from the floor standingonlycentimeters away from the oldwoman''sface.


    The woman grasps his facetightlyher grip looked surprisingly strong for someone whoappeared to be so old.Examining himwith a disappointed look she slapshim away. Stumblingback,he glares at thewomanangrily. "What are you doing? Didn''t you hear me! There''s been a mistake let us go!" He shouts. "Leo calm down," I mutter, glancing at the other two standing in thecornerof the tent.


    "Why did you bring us here?" I ask in a demanding tone, staring down at the short woman. Looking at me briefly she shows a toothless smile before speaking, "They were right, you are a defiant one."Tracing my cheekwith her handitdropsdown to my chest,shegraspsthe metal that hungfrom my neck."And you are indeed a special one.....tell me, boy where did you come from,how is itthat two foreignslaves speak the language of our people?"


    Her eyes lingeredon the trinket,grasping it in her palm. "We aren''t slaves." I proclaim, "We were traveling before getting attacked by your men." Grinning widely the woman strides away quickly rummaging through her bag. "Not slaves," She mutters."Do you take me for a fool boy! What man travels these lands with no food, or water. No clothing, weapons or mount." Pulling out a small dagger from her bag she wanders over to us.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Thetwoman-beastslook startled at her approach, speaking ina low monotone voice. The woman barkedin their native tongue beforeproceedingtodrag the blade along my arm, Blood slowlydrippinginto thesand."I''ll find out who, and what you are boy." Shehisses, tossingmy arm aside, causing me to stumble before falling ontothe ground.


    "Let us go!" Leo shouts in fury, struggling to free himself from his chains. The two men scurryover to subdue him. The hag begins speaking quickly to the men before leaving the tenthurriedly, the two of them beating Leo with no restraint as she leaves.


    I wantto help him,but knew I would be reduced to the same fate if I resisted.I simply watched as the two beast menassaultedmy friend. Stewing in my own anger until they finished and began to drag his limp body away leaving the sand soaked inhisblood. Sitting alone in the drafty tent I fiddled with the chains my mind racing from the past events.Idon''t want to be a slave! What is this place! What are those strange men?


    Reappearing thebeast-mendrag me outside the tent, squinting the sun still shines brightly in the sky. I look around for Leo with no success,only small droplets of blood trailing offin the sand. The men now with their hoods up pull me to the back of the camp, towards the base of the large mountains. A strange stench drifts through the air as we head into a small cavern, the sunlight slowly fading from behind. The air was dry as they led me through the dark, rocks stabbing into my bare feet as I stumbled in the darkness.


    The two beast-mendidn''t stumble once simply gliding through the cavern unfazed,chattering away to themselves. Even if I somehow managed to escape, I had no idea where I was in thesedark tunnels. I would be caught eventually and getting beaten wasn''t something that wasveryenjoyable.


    It tooka whileto get to the destination, my eyes adjusting to the dark, we had walked through countless tunnels only to arrive at a wooden door. The smell ofrot,decay, and blood floated in the air as the door creakedrevealing a dimly light room. The fire from the torches flickeredrestlessly,enteringthe room,on the far wall chains hung from the ceiling.


    Pushing me to the ground the two man-beastswalked through a corridor leaving the area. Whimpers flooded the tunnels from what I could only assume were from other slaves. "I''m not a slave." Imurmur, picking myself up, the thought of trying to escape entered my mind briefly, but I couldn''t leave Leo alone in this place.


    Where did they takehim, maybe they kidnapped Aurora and she''s been down here all thistime?My faceburnedattheimage ofthe beast-men attacking my defenselesssister.Theslowechoesof footsteps float throughthe room,andaman emerges from the shadows of the corridor.Awhipin one handandaknife inthe other,his hair spiked in every direction."So you’re the one thewitchis so fascinated by." He hisses,raising the knife to histongue,slowlylicking the blade.


    Backing against the wall I stare at the manmy face forming a scowl, "Where is Leo,why did you bring us here?" I bark inanicy tone, trying to look intimidating. Laughing he continues his approaches snapping his thin whip in the air, "My, my you are arebelliousone, I don''t know what sheseesin you. Why don''t we start with whoyouare, and how you managed to sneak past the border? If you answer me I promise it''ll be nice and quick unlike with the other man you came herewith." Dartingat him as fast as I canroarwithrage,refusing tolet him intimidate me.The man grins as he snaps his whip furiously,knocking meon theflooras it licksmy legs.Glaring,I rush in again my legs burningas I push off the floor.


    The man continues to laugh as he twirls his whipcontinuouslyknocking meto the floor, my arms and legs burningfrom the lashes. "Are you done? Come on get up you can''t be finished already...we just started." Beckoning in a mocking tone the man continues hisassaultlashing at my back as I curl into a ballon the ground. "Get up! Get up! You piece of shit! Get the fuckup!"Warmwater streams down my face leaking through mysqueezed eyelids.My minds indisarray, withonly asingle question repeating in my mind, why is this happening to me?


    Pantinghedropshiswhip and starts towipehisface.Theburning feeling overcomes my body as fearparalyzesmy heart and mind, I can''t bring any strength to my arms or legs so I just lay there, defeated.Withnothing but my own thoughts to keep me company, and constant pain to keep me awake."We aren''t done yet," he says in gasps as he twirls the dagger inhis hand. "It''sgoing tobe alooooongday."