Trip To The Inferno [OLD VERSION]

Part 11

My mind and guts were at war again. My mind screamed at me to run while I could, but my guts told me to stay put. I was lean towards the run idea, but the last time I listened to my brains, I ended up right here.

I was looking at the animal skin that ruffled to the wind just enough to show specs of orange light when my hand was grabbed by bony fingers. My head turned around to see the old woman drilling hole in me. She opened her mouth and said something rough, obviously threatening and I felt shivers go down my spine. She began speaking to me and placed her other hand on my stomach. I guess she was explaining something to me because when she looked at me and saw me looking at her with blank face, she stopped and grumbled. With a small sigh she pulled me towards the back of the tent and dragged me through the loose skin.

Even though she was old, her grip was like steel. She was ten times stronger than I and that really surprised me. Something must be in their diet or something.

We entered a small cave that had a roaring fire in the middle. At the very back I saw three furs on a pile of hay. To my right was a table carved from the stone of the cave and to my left were piles upon piles of crates and baskets full with herbs. It was a storage room where those other two are sleeping with the old woman. That was my guess anyway.

The woman dragged me to one of the crates and pulled out my clothes. Dumping them in my arms she flared her arm in a motion "hurry up" and took a step back. The cave itself was cool and I gladly pulled my clothes for some warmth. She didn't give me my shoes, so I had to stay bare footed.

When I was done and all dressed up, the old woman took my hand and spun me around. She brought my second arm to the back and I felt a rope dig into my skin. The moment of calm was shattered and fear swelled inside my stomach. My mind gladly reminded me that I was in a territory belonging to savages who killed Kayle as well.

Before I could begin imagining ways on how I will die, the old woman pushed me out of the cave. She kept pushing me around the table until we left the tent.

Before me stood a field with lush grass swaying to the wind. The field was pushed into the massive volcano making its sides curve into a crescent with steadily raising edges. At the other side of the volcano, where the edges of the crescent ended, stood a forest. It was way denser than where me and Allan were. I could only see darkness between tree trunks and it only increased the fear inside me. Along the crescent stood a row of tents all made from animal skin. On top of each were decorations made of bones and animal skulls. The last tent's decoration was very simple and small and each tent's decoration went fancier and fancier as it went closer to the center.

It looks like a status thing....

I was pushed towards the back of the volcano where I saw a shrine. Two huge statues were carved into the volcano. The right one was a woman. She had a long dress that were tangled around her bare legs, her hair was pulled into a complicated bun. One of her hands were raised up to the sky and held a crescent moon while the other hand was around her stomach and held a ball which was a full moon. By her feet stood a huge wolf with a snarl pointed to anyone who stood before the statues.

Next to the woman stood a statue of a man. He had only a fur kilt as his clothes with shoes to his mid shins. On his head was a headress made out of bones and made it look like an animal head. In his left hand was a heap of hay while in the other he held a sickle. By his feet stood a deer with his antlers proudly held high.

By the feet of all statues was a stone platform with furs covering the surface. In the corners were two metal bowls with fire crackling in them and illuminating the statues and the platform. Not more than ten steps lead down from the platform to the small circle of dirt where in the middle of it stood a pedestal. It was the size of a grown up man with carvings on the upper parts of the sides. I managed to make out a deer and wolf figures just like statues. Probably the most disturbing aspect of the pedestal was the red coat of blood splattered on the surface.

The pedestal was surrounded by a circle of people. All of them wore clothes made out of furs and animal skins, decorated by bones. Women wore necklaces made out of teeth that had longer ones to make it more unique.

The old woman barked at people and they turned around. Seeing me they jumped away as if I was a plague that came to kill them. I was pushed into the circle and my eyes instantly went to the line of people on their knees by the pedestal.

It was my crew, but without Allan.

Anna and Jack looked at me and our faces changed into the same expresion: surprise mixed with fear. Anna looked unharmed, but Jack had his face all bruised up and swollen with his lower lip bleeding from the cut. He looked like he was in a fight.

I was pushed down next to Anna and with a small groan I landed on my knees. Thankfully, I wore jeans that protected my knees from rough ground and possible bleeding.

'Are you alright?' I whispered to Anna and she nod. She was shaking and kept her eyes on the ground. Something must have scared her and I can't say I was surprised. This whole place looked like from a horror movie with us as main character.

People around us kept whispering and pointing their fingers at us. Some were looking at us with fear while others with disgust. They must have never seen other people from across the seas, but then again, this island was in the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly, whispering ceased and silence took place. I rose my head to see why everybody lost their interest in us and that's when I saw him.

It was painfully obvious that he was a leader in this... group of people. He was somewhere in his late thirties, but radiated with power. Just looking at him made me want to crawl on the ground away from him. He wore a fur kilt just like all men around us except he had a fur cloak around his shoulders with beast's head on his head. Like a man who wears his enemy. It was wolf's black fur that made the man look even bigger and more powerful. . The man's body was very well kept with hard muscles hidden under bronze skin. Across his face he had paint brushed in a shape of five streaks that made it look as if he was attacked by a bear or wolf.

But what made the man's entrance even worse was the person next to him.

It was Allan in fur clothes and blank face.