The ruined village was silent bar from the snores of sleeping intruders and the cries and sobs from the captives. Evanya and Magmah huddled together both had lost loved ones and both wanting answers. Evanya looked around there was four other women in the cage with them, Sol, Nari, Vay and Kora, all of them young and beautiful. She caught Sol’s dark eyes, wide with fear. Evanya beckoned to her silently, Sol unfolded her long elegant limbs and stood. She had to crouch in the cage, taller than any other girl in the village she flowed gracefully when she walked. Her caramel skin and sharp facial features gave her a striking Amazonian beauty, her large breasts combined with her small waist and generously proportioned ass created a perfect hourglass shape making her a popular target for men’s attentions.
The dying fires that slowly ate away at the ruins of Moorbrok provided just enough light for the captives to see. Sol found her way to Evanya easily, careful to step over the limbs of their sleeping companions so not to wake them from their sorely won peace. Sol’s beautiful orange gown was ripped and soaked with blood, a nasty purple bruise forming around right eye and her full rosy lips had been bust. Evanya felt a quick surge of pride she knew Sol had put up a fight; she wouldn’t have been forced into the cage as easily as Evanya had. Sol curled up next to Evanya and wrapped an arm round her shoulders, her skin was freezing. Evanya embraced her trying to share her warmth. Magmah had drifted off and was snoring gently in Evanya’s lap. Sol stroked Magmah’s matted hair, “Is she alright? How’s the baby?” Sol whispered.
“She’s torn up Ervik’s dead, died right in front of her,” Evanya’s voice cracked, she realised how thirsty she was her throat felt like she had been swallowing knives, “ As far as we can tell the babies safe” Evanya sighed. She stoked Sol’s battered face. “What happened to you?”
Sol stiffened, one of their captures stirred close by, she whispered hurriedly, “I was trying to find Pako, all that fire the drunken fool was bound to set himself alight. I found him crushed under the support beam in his hut. That’s when five of them jumped me they grabbed at my arms and hair, I managed to throw one of them off, grabbed a small piece of support and knocked out another. But one kicked my legs out from under me. They started beating me. I curled up trying to protect myself and that’s when more of them turned up. They forced my hands behind my back and bound them then they…” she paused trying to find the courage to finish the account Evanya felt her start shaking, “then they forced me over a barrel and…they…took turns. Next thing I know I woke up in here”. Evanya held her tight stroking her hair. Sol broke. It was the first time Evanya had ever seen Sol cry it felt like one of their few chances of escape was crumbling in front of her eyes.
They sat in silence Evanya stoking Sol’s hair until she fell asleep. Finally alone Evanya’s strength failed her, she’d been strong for her friends, Magmah lost her fiancé, Sol raped. She didn’t let herself think of her father. She felt tears well up and her eyes stung violently. Memories flooded her head. She remembered when she was little she had fallen and cut her knee, Anron held her close till she stopped crying then he carried her across the village back to their hut. He washed her knee gently, sat her on his lap, tickled her face with his beard making her giggle and told her the story about the young warrior princess. No matter how hard they tried the princess’ enemies couldn’t kill her, they hunted her, stabbed her and shot at her, but her wounds healed inhumanly fast. She always got back up and one day she took down the mad king freeing the people under his vicious rule. He turned her to face him and said, “You are my warrior princess Evanya, and your knee will heal as quick as her wounds.” He picked her up and tucked her into her warm bed, kissed her forehead and whispered, “Goodnight my princess.” into her ear. She remembered that he sat with her until she fell asleep the nights after her mother had been taken from fear they would come for Evanya while she slept. Every time they fought it never lasted more than a few hours. They were each other’s only family and they both protected that fiercely. She was alone. Curling into a ball to warm herself up Evanya tried to get some sleep. The snores and gently glow of the burning embers that used to be the beautiful village of Moorbrok lulled her to a restless sleep.
The dense forest surrounding the remains of the village stirred. The burning embers made the captor’s tents, supplies, cages, and unknown beasts visible as shadows on a fire red background. Movement in one of the cages caused the forest to silence once more. Tarik was pacing, he couldn’t stop, couldn’t rest, he had to find a way out. The cages were well built. The binds joining each section bound tight using thick leather ties, without a tool Tarik knew it would take days maybe weeks to chew through one not enough to create a hole big enough to escape through. Movement in the forest caught his eye. He was sure he saw someone “maybe it’s an escapee” he hoped and turned his back to the free man jealousy filling his bones. The sun finally rose; Tarik had started to believe that the sun had forsaken them but the gradual warmth as the sun light flowed over his purpling skin proved otherwise.
As the sun rose so did the invaders. The imprisoned villages could finally see how different their captors were. Their skin translucently pale made their violent red hair even more shocking. All of them were tall the smallest would have to have doubled over to fit in the cages that Evanya could stand up in easily. The captors started to cover themselves in layers of clothes mainly long white robes with long hoods which, if desired, completely covered their faces. They moved with eerie elegance but had a raw cruelty to their features. It became obvious that there were no women in the camp as the crowds started to gather around the cages holding female villages. They had to huddle up in the centre of their narrow cages to avoid the pawing hands of their captors. What made the captors appearances nightmarish were goggles they wore to protect their eyes.
Some of the captors started climbing the sides of the cages with rope threading it through the bars tying them securely, shouting at each other with strongly accented voices. Suddenly growling erupted getting louder and louder, closer to the cages! Panicked, the villagers screamed as huge four legged creatures were led towards the cages. Muzzles around their snarling snouts they thrashed around trying to be free of their handlers. Every man bar the handlers cowered in fear at the approaching creatures, the beasts’ scales constantly moving like a stormy sea changed from black to deep red like burning coals. The handlers lead the beasts to large wooden trailers and tied them on one beast to a trailer. Screams became louder as the cages were suddenly hoisted up into the air by massive wooden structure, men below where pulling on ropes making them move higher and higher. Lead by their handlers, the beast pulled the trailers under the cages. The cages were lowered and landed on top with a hard bump. The beast’s snarled louder. Within minutes the invaders camp was down and packed and they were moving. The beast’s pulled the cages effortlessly, they moved like lionesses stalking their prey.
Evanya huddled with the rest of the girls, backs to the beast watched what remained of their village disappear into the distance. The prisoners covered their eyes as dust from the weathered dirt road blew up into the cage. The scorching heat bore down Evanya desperate for water stood and made her way carefully to the side of the cage, she noticed just how enormous the raiding party had been. The garrison cut a wide line through tall golden grasses and snaked forward and back as far as she could see. She had never seen so many people in her life. One of the wheels of their cage caught in a pothole the sudden stop caused Evanya to fly backwards, a squeal escaped her lips as the landed hand on the cage floor. A stranger turned his face towards her; she couldn’t tell if he was looking at her his white robe covered his face. “You and you,” he pointed out two of his colleagues, “get that wheel free we’re already behind schedule.” The two men scurried off to find something they could use to prise the wheel free, the stranger turned back to Evanya, took out a water bag that had been hidden inside his cloak and passed it to her through the cage bars. As he did his sleeve slipped slightly revealing an ebony skinned hand. He shook the sleeve down and held a finger to his hidden lips.
