It was during the summer after our last infusion that my time with the tribe came to an abrupt end. We had gone down the mountains and into the valleys where the bisons lived to hunt, when we found what was a rare sight on the mountains. Humans.

A large company of almost two hundred men, over half of which were armed combatants were camped in a large clearing in front of a section of forest. The fact that they were all wearing their equipment suggested that they were ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"What do you think they're here for," Tasha asked while we observed them from a hiding spot in the woods.

"Nothing good. We have to go warn the chief," I said, ready to turn heels.

"I agree," Ivan said, soon followed by Andrei.

We turned away from the camp and started making our way up the slope when we heard a loud explosion coming from somewhere on our left, followed by the sound of a horn. We didn't even manage to turn around before a web of chains crashed into me and started tightening around my body.

"Run!" I shouted.

Instead of listening to me, Ivan and Andrei drew their weapons, while Tasha dropped down to try to get the chains, off of me.

"For fuck's sake, run! You have to warn the chief!" I shouted again, more desperate this time as the sound of the now moving company approached.

"We're not leaving you here!" Tasha shouted back, while she kept struggling with the enchanted chains.

"There are children at the village, Tasha! We can't beat them all here!"

Another explosion came and with it another set of chain. This time, we were prepared for it and Andrei, who was their second target, managed to dodge it, making the chain envelope around a tree.

I looked Tasha straight in the eyes and, with tears streaking down my cheeks, I said "get them home, please."

She stopped struggling with the chains and looked at Andrei and Ivan, then back at me. "We'll come back for you."

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"Thank you."

She got up on her feet and said, "let's go."

Ivan turned to say something, outrage in his eyes at the thought of abandoning me, but, when he saw the pain in her face, he just nodded.

"If you die I'm going to kick the shit out of you!" Tasha shouted at me as they ran away.

I kept struggling against the chains as the sounds of the men drew closer, but every time I managed to make the chain give some, it would tighten again around me.

After a few more minutes of struggling, the first men finally reached me, weapons drawn. When they saw me there alone they became evidently confused, but soon formed a perimeter around me, with some keeping an eye on me while others scanned the woods in search of opponents.

I had always known that Gorachevs were larger than humans but now, seeing the men up close, I could confirm that I was probably close to nine feet tall.

More came, and two were sent back while the others kept guard around me. Soon they returned with a man that looked to be in charge, if the ornate plate armor he was wearing, when most of the other men wore gambesons, with a few wearing chain mail, was of any indication. He was accompanied by more men who were dragging some kind of sled.

He barked some orders in a language I couldn't understand and six men lifted me up holding me from the chains and deposited me on the sled. They then dragged me away towards the camp, pulling the sled by hand.

Once in their camp I saw that the men were already returning back instead of chasing down my companions, making me breathe a sigh of relief. They kept pulling the sled until we reached a tall covered wagon. They opened its flaps, revealing a cage made of a golden red metal. Just like before, six people lifted me up and put me inside the cage. They then locked the chains with heavy locks, before exiting the cage and closing me inside.

I was left alone in the dim light that entered from the gaps in the cover for what was probably half an hour before a man in his forties dressed in casual warm clothes opened the flap, accompanied by a few soldiers. In one of his hands was what looked like some kind of iron stick.

He waived the stick and his free hand around for a few seconds, while chanting in that same language I didn't know. When he finished what was obviously some kind of spell, I instantly felt my body fall limp.

The soldiers then entered the cage and removed the chains from me, replacing them with two pair of shackles, one for my hands and one for my feet, made of the same golden red metal as the bars. It was obvious to me by then that they wanted to keep me alive and that the golden metal was probably something that had been chosen on purpose to contain someone of my people. As for why, various ideas came to mind, although slavery was the one that seemed to make more sense, as the tribe had little to offer in way of ransom.

I was afraid they would try to target the rest of the tribe, but I was instead relieved when, after another hour of solitude, I felt the cart moving in what seemed to be the direction opposite to the forest, accompanied by the sound of the marching company.