I am still in this expansive darkness, however I noticed something that wasn’t there before. I could hear noises. Noises? When was the last time I heard noises… It doesn’t matter.

The noises started to get louder and louder. A hole could be seen, and muffled voices could be heard through this hole. Light escaped through the hole allowing me to see what I was imprisoned in.

I look to be in a small cavern, large enough to fit about twenty people, at least if these twenty people were tightly packed amongst one another. The light from the entrance lit up the cave, albeit enough to distinguish some general feature of the cave. There seemed to be the reflections of ice in this cave. Was I in an ice cavern?

The hole eventually started to enlargen, more and more voices could be heard through it, although I couldn’t understand any of it. Occasionally I saw the heads of a few men pop up looking into the cave.

The hole is now large enough for a man to enter through. A man cautiously stepped through the hole made of ice. Due to the darkness I couldn’t see his features very well. Of the briefest of glimpses I was just able to determine his gender. Not that it mattered. As he entered, I noticed that the man had some cold weapons on him. To be more exact this man had a dagger at his waist and a sword drawn.

He couldn’t see me in the dark, he said something that I could here.

“Sior, so eok like oi uso oiuu hur ie id tw.” Said the man in an unknown language that I couldn’t understand. What language is that?

Another man appeared at the ice hole, this time bringing a torch. Why a torch? Couldn’t they just use a flashlight?

With a source of light, one could see the entirety of the cavern. How did I get in here?

The two men finally noticed me and pointed their weapons toward me.

“Sior, ei sko li ohhy udoiske li ekit?” Said the man who entered first. Now that I could see him, he looked a bit androgynous. I wonder how I thought of him as a man initially? This person looked to have young features, along with a somewhat long blonde hair that reached down to the midsection of his torso. The other man that had entered with a torch is a muscular man with a thick red beard, his height only reaching the other man’s waist, maybe just a bit taller than that.

“Oiy eyodu disl ioke diohsk?” Said the redheaded one. A small pause ensued. Was he talking to me?

“Uiey hsyou jlsuidby sholuld!” Said the redheaded one again, seeming to try and get the attention of someone else rather than talk to me. Although he never took his eyes off me.

After some minutes, or was it a few seconds, some other men appeared. I didn’t count because I didn’t, or couldn’t, care about the number. They all surrounded me and took out their weapons. With this many people there is a larger amount of variety among weapons. Some held daggers, some bows, some great swords, others maces, and other weapons. They all had a tired and weary look, but each person was aware and capable if I had made any sudden movements.

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I let them do what they wanted. Afterall why should I care, they don’t have a reason to attack, and if they do, they don’t have the means to kill me, and if they could, I would welcome death with open arms. I stood there… no… I wasn’t standing. I just realized that I am floating a little bit above the ground. I have no idea how I am doing this. As I realized that I was floating, I started to descend, as if my realization stopped whatever powered my floating.

When I reached the ground, the men, who were cautious, started to attack me out of the blue. Each weapon pierced my body, riddling me in holes. Two arrows in the back of the head, one in the chest, another in the leg. Three blades entered my body through my back, another two pierced the front. Some maces and other blunt weapons smashed and crushed my skull, and my two legs. A few more cuts around my body also appeared due to the other weapons.

As the weapons pierced my body, I didn’t feel pain. I haven’t felt pain since the day I lost my family. A single tear dropped from my face.

Although my head was crushed, one of my eyes were able to heal quickly. I could see the surprise on every man’s face. They probably thought I was dead, and were surprised how easy it was. They each removed their blades and the like, the arrows still embedded in my body. I just laid there bleeding and dying… No I don’t die… I just laid there recovering. A few left the room to heal the small injuries they received from friendly fire. Others stayed in the room, some looking around to find anything interesting, others still looking at me, wary for any movement on my part. None of the men noticed that my wounds were healing, albeit slowly, as the room was still a bit dark and there was no one with a torch close enough to witness my healing.

Eventually all of the men left the room, not finding whatever they were looking for. I heard a small explosion, and the entrance to the cavern collapsed, leaving me in darkness once more.

I got up after all of the wounds had healed. My feet moving me to the former entrance to the cavern. Something within me didn’t feel right. I blinked and suddenly the entrance opened up as if it were an illusion. I stepped through the entrance to see a large world of ice and snow encompassing the landscape. I could see smoke rising in the distance.

I got out of the cavern that used to be my home and walked toward the smoke. Although it was freezing and I am naked, I felt no cold, and I didn’t feel numb to any of the wind that raged near me. It just felt like a windy day.

As I got near the wind I notice that the wind was carrying the voices of joyous laughter. I continued on my trek towards the source of the smoke and noise.

The nearer I go the louder the voices. However once I got close enough to start making the actual distinction of voices, the noise went silent. I continued to walk on.

Next thing I know a group of men, looking similar to the previous group, surrounded me, their hostility more vibrant and tangible than the previous time.

They whispered among themselves. The wind blocking out their voices. One stepped up and stabbed me with no warning though the head. I stood there motionless, no inkling of pain coming from my mouth. The man removed the weapon that impaled my head and saw my head healing.

All of the men were curious as to what I am, at least I think so thanks to all of their expressions. Another one stabbed me, still eliciting neither pain, nor reaction. Eventually the wound healed. I noticed some of the men shiver, although I don’t know if it's due to the cold or the wound.

“Nirye, so euid hysio eosy lsoeu oguys.” Said one of the men, in their unknown language. I saw one of the men run from the group back into their camp.

After a minute or so that man came back with a collar of some sort. Similar to what a person might find on a pet.

“Nirye, osuye iygyso hye ouis iyseo utisydot.” Said the previous man.

The man with the collar came up to me and timidly put the collar around my neck, no response was still elicited from me.

“Alright you blokes, he is under the slave collar, it's time to get a move on.” Said the previous man, now I was able to understand him. Wait? Slave collar? What are they talking about?