"What the hell is going on?" Finn thought as he awoke to the bustle throughout the camp, his legs being dragged through the sand, his body ached all over. The smell of manure drifted through the large encampment as he began to glance around. The sandy dirt roads were paved with booths of traders, the goods ranging from food to weapons. Looking around most of the people wore the same black cloaks as his captors, only a few wore shackles around their necks, just like Leo and I. The sunlight bouncing off their bare bodies, they had a darker shade of skin. I turned away before realizing I was in the same situation as them, their eyes followed us as we were dragged through the camp.
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. Finding my voice, 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?" I whispered, looking straight to not attract unwanted attention. He hadn't stopped sobbing since he regained consciousness, 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, tears dripping down his cheeks. His face was 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. The two men begin talking in their strange language before pulling us into a small tent in the back of the camp. Inside a single stone slab lay in the center where an old woman sat. Draped in the same black that the men wore, her ancient gray eyes trailing from Leo and then to me lingering slightly 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. Their mouth was that of a scorpion replacing their nose and mouth, it sent shivers down my spine. They conversed with the woman briefly before she strode over to where we sat.
"Stand up." She said calmly her voice crackly, and uneven as she stood before us.
"You speak English? You have to help us there's been some sort of mistake we didn't do anything wrong!" Leo shouted in desperation jumping up from the floor standing only centimeters away from the old woman's face.
The woman grasps his face tightly her grip looked surprisingly strong for someone who appeared to be so old. Examining him with a disappointed look she slaps him away. Stumbling back, he glares at the woman angrily. "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 the corner of 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 cheek with her hand it drops down to my chest, she grasps the metal that hung from my neck. "And you are indeed a special one..... tell me, boy where did you come from, how is it that two foreign slaves speak the language of our people?"
Her eyes lingered on 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.
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The two man-beasts look startled at her approach, speaking in a low monotone voice. The woman barked in their native tongue before proceeding to drag the blade along my arm, Blood slowly dripping into the sand. "I'll find out who, and what you are boy." She hisses, tossing my arm aside, causing me to stumble before falling onto the ground.
"Let us go!" Leo shouts in fury, struggling to free himself from his chains. The two men scurry over to subdue him. The hag begins speaking quickly to the men before leaving the tent hurriedly, the two of them beating Leo with no restraint as she leaves.
I want to help him, but knew I would be reduced to the same fate if I resisted. I simply watched as the two beast men assaulted my friend. Stewing in my own anger until they finished and began to drag his limp body away leaving the sand soaked in his blood. Sitting alone in the drafty tent I fiddled with the chains my mind racing from the past events. I don't want to be a slave! What is this place! What are those strange men?
Reappearing the beast-men drag 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 off in 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-men didn'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 these dark tunnels. I would be caught eventually and getting beaten wasn't something that was very enjoyable.
It took a while to 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 of rot, decay, and blood floated in the air as the door creaked revealing a dimly light room. The fire from the torches flickered restlessly, entering the room, on the far wall chains hung from the ceiling.
Pushing me to the ground the two man-beasts walked 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." I murmur, 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 take him, maybe they kidnapped Aurora and she's been down here all this time? My face burned at the image of the beast-men attacking my defenseless sister. The slow echoes of footsteps float through the room, and a man emerges from the shadows of the corridor. A whip in one hand and a knife in the other, his hair spiked in every direction. "So you’re the one the witch is so fascinated by." He hisses, raising the knife to his tongue, slowly licking the blade.
Backing against the wall I stare at the man my face forming a scowl, "Where is Leo, why did you bring us here?" I bark in an icy tone, trying to look intimidating. Laughing he continues his approaches snapping his thin whip in the air, "My, my you are a rebellious one, I don't know what she sees in you. Why don't we start with who you are, 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 here with." Darting at him as fast as I can roar with rage, refusing to let him intimidate me. The man grins as he snaps his whip furiously, knocking me on the floor as it licks my legs. Glaring, I rush in again my legs burning as I push off the floor.
The man continues to laugh as he twirls his whip continuously knocking me to the floor, my arms and legs burning from 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 his assault lashing at my back as I curl into a ball on the ground. "Get up! Get up! You piece of shit! Get the fuck up!" Warm water streams down my face leaking through my squeezed eyelids. My minds in disarray, with only a single question repeating in my mind, why is this happening to me?
Panting he drops his whip and starts to wipe his face. The burning feeling overcomes my body as fear paralyzes my heart and mind, I can't bring any strength to my arms or legs so I just lay there, defeated. With nothing 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 in his hand. "It's going to be a looooong day."