Dark Stag Ch. 01

The caravan stopped, an armed knight coming to the rear to open the door. He aimed his rifle at us as another guard came and unlocked the main bolt. The lock with all our chains fell to the floor of the caravan.

"Move it!" A guard demanded. We people began to file out the caravan. My head hurt so bad, I simply couldn't process anything happening around me. The only thing I could think of was the hot cobbled stone under my feet and the massive white limestone slabs of the perimeter wall. The reflecting sun off the stone was blinding. I shielded my eyes, following the train of people inside. We passed through several perimeter walls, eventually walking up a long staircase. There was one last perimeter wall.

Upon entering, falconers on horseback ran their specially bred raptors along lures. It was a blatant mockery to what my people did for survival. These fools made a silly sport out of something I was taught from a very young age to respect.

I had to get the fuck out of this mess somehow. I began taking in every single detail around me. This ring had thousands of acres of grassland specially tailored for falconers and their raptors. Buildings were scattered about, obviously being housing for the birds. Small antelopes, antelopes long considered extinct in Illisia, ran across the fields seeming fairly tame. It did nothing but sadden me to see that animals we struggled to hunt for survival back in Illisia were mere pets here.

Suddenly, broad powerful wings swooped down low over us. It was Bazahra! The incredibly intelligent bird tracked me across thousands of miles of desert! She landed in a large tree along the path, very confused. As she watched us pass beneath her, I spun my hands counterclockwise. She knew this meant to circle above but follow at a distance.

I was pretty sure Bazahra could tell I was in trouble. Her vast ability to understand was often underestimated by others, even by me! Not to mention, her capability to learn knew no bounds! I didn't know how yet but she was going to be my ticket out of here. All eyes fell upon her as she took flight from the tree. The giant bird began to ride a thermal, rising higher and higher into the air. She vanished out of sight.

We walked for about an hour before we reached and underground passing. The passing was long, illuminated by primitive lighting, leading into a prison cellar. We were prompted to all sit on the floor as several guards circled around us. They had notebooks, writing down detailed descriptives of each one of us slaves.

"Do any of them speak the common tongue?" One asked.

"I don't know..." An eye catching man said, "I confiscated them all without checking..." He was a Southerner, very tall, lean with curly hair and glasses. He was one of the most gorgeous men I ever saw. Oddly, he had a thick regional dialect though.

"Why?" Another asked, not pleased to have to inventory all these people. He and another guard circled around a West Nok girl. She was utterly terrified.

"This one...," A guard said, "She'll be bought in no time." It struck fear in my soul!

"Bought?" I asked. All heads turned to me.

"You can speak?" The Southerner asked truly shocked.

"Why wouldn't I be able to speak?" I asked defensively, "And I can read... and write." The guards all looked at each other, wondering how did I manage to get here.

"How you get in this mess?" The Southerner asked.

"I'm a hunter. I hunt for a living and was in the wrong place at the wrong time I guess. I ran into a scouting party for a caravan and got taken... What's happening... Where am I? Why am I here?" I asked. The Southerner began to smile.

"You're one lucky motherfucker! Today we had a caravan audit, confiscated all slaves and screened to see who can read and write. Here, if you know the common tongue fluently and know how to read and write, you can't be a slave..." He said.

"Yes, you're incredibly lucky..." A guard said, walking over to me. He dropped to his knees, handing me a tablet and pen, "I want you to answer every question I ask you in the notebook..." I looked at him indifferently.

"Okay..." I responded.

"What's your name...? Where are you from...? Age...? What was your job where you were from...? What do you plan on doing in Temptation City once you're freed?" The man asked. I sighed, slamming the tablet into his chest. He picked up the pen, going back to read.

"Rude..." He chuckled.

"I just wanna go home..." I said.

"How do you say your name? Key Juss?" He asked. I just stared at him, wondering why it was important. He turned to the Southerner, "How do you pronounce that?"

"I don't know Illisian!" The Southerner laughed.

"Like Key-Joo..." I said.

"So your name is Kijus?" The Southerner asked, taking the tablet, "Whoa, you're an animal trainer???"

"Yes..." I said after a long pause.

"So," A very unhappy guard began, "Who's gonna write the report on the literate one because I'm not..."

"Me either." One said.

"I'll do it." The Southerner said, not minding. He came over to me as the other guards carried on with sorting the slaves. He hoisted me up and led me down the hall into a large cell. There was a pair of bolt cutters he grabbed down the hall.

"So..." He began, "What did you hunt?"

"Gazelle, boar, birds..." I responded, not really too enthused about talking.

"With what? Guns, bows, some other way?" He continued.

"I hunt with a raptor." I responded. He had to stop.

"A raptor?" He asked, "What kind of raptor can take down a boar?"

"I have," I sighed, "A special raptor. She's very, very large."

"She must be huge." He said, popping the chain and cuffs with the bolt cutter. He reached for a wide barred door, opening it, "Sorry for the terrible accommodations for now but we will make sure you're well fed and comfortable."

I began to walk around the cell, not finding it to be terrible. The Southerner continued to stand there, unsettling me. I turned to him.

"What?"

" I'm sorry for my staring Kijus... But it is not everyday you see someone of your own kind...." He said, apologetically. I sighed, sitting on the surprisingly comfortable bedding.

There was a tiny window at the top of the cell, barred for no escape. However, Bazahra's narrow frame could fit between the bars. Still though, it was night time, a terrible time for diurnal raptors. They had terrible low light vision. This made me all the more worried for Bazahra.

"So,like" The Southerner began, startling me, still standing at the mouth of the cell, "How old are you? You seem young but you talk very wise."

"Can you please just leave me... I am all kinds of exhausted and haven't slept solidly... in weeks!!!" I begged.

"Ok..." The Southerner said, sounding disenchanted. He seemed like such a nice person but he had no idea what I had to go through. Maybe tomorrow I'd be more well rested for conversation but now, I had too much on my mind. It had been weeks since I was last home and I was the sole provider for my family. With resources so scarce in the Blessed Lands, I knew they were struggling to cope. I just wanted to get back to them!

The Southerner had left, the cellar becoming incredibly quiet. I sat there, quite glad to be alone. Slow faint clacking began to make curious. I rose from the bed, wondering what could be making this sound. A small angular shadow appeared down the hall, getting closer and closer. It was then I then realized what it was! Bazhahra! The amazing bird manage to find her way into the cellar and locate me.

She slipped between the bars of the cellar, happy to be reunited with me. I was happy to see her too but I didn't want her to be in any kind of trouble for being here. I was rightfully worried!

"You found me?" I asked, standing beside the bed. All she did was chatter ecstatically. She rushed towards me, nipping at my fingers like she always did. I got down on the floor to stroke her crown and nape. She ruffled her feathers, completely relaxed in my presence.

"Do you," I began, "Understand?" She nodded as trained, when someone asked a question. She then chattered wildly as if she was explaining something to me. It made me smile in delight.

"What?"

"Other...," She muttered, "Raptors!" My jaw dropped, not knowing she had the capacity to speak! Again, this bird truly showed just how intelligent she was.

"I know...," I said stroking the back of her head, "We got to get out of here."

I checked her over, feeling her body for any injuries. She was unscathed but rather thin. It was quite clear she hadn't eaten in a while. The poor bird's only mission was to find me. It was relieving to have her here though. I would take good care of her to nurse her back to optimal health.

The next morning had come. Bazahra lay on the bedding, nestled in the heavy blankets. I sat on the floor getting a good morning stretch in before I began my workout. The sound of footsteps caught both my and Bazahra's attentions. Quickly, I showed her the palm of my hand, flexing it quickly. This prompt either meant stalk or hide. She tucked her head under her wing, making herself look like a normal bulge in the blanket.

It was the Southerner with a gorgeous platter of food. He placed it on the floor but hesitated to slide it under the railing. His eyes were locked onto my groin as I sat in a center split with both arms stretched out as well. He then slid the platter under the railing.

"Good morning..." He said, entranced, "um...Kijus."

"Good morning." I replied back as I crawled towards the platter. The Southerner scratched the back of his head, walking away with most bewildered expression on his face.

Investigating the platter, several mutton chops, yeast rolls, eggs, and sausages sat with steam rising off of them. A bowl of assorted fruit, and a strange salad with an urn full of water sat on the other end of the platter.

"Bazahra, come, come!" I prompted. The giant raptor sprung up from the sheets and hopping to the floor. I handed all the meat and eggs of the platter to her, only taking the fruit, salad and bread for myself. She swallowed the sausage links whole and tore the mutton chops apart as if she were eating a fresh kill. She really loved the eggs!

She suddenly ran back to the bed, diving under the blankets. Again the Southerner came back, surprised to see all the food had been eaten.

"Need anything else?" He asked, concerned.

"No..." I said dryly. He pulled up the tiny slot at the bottom of the cell door, gesturing for me to slide the tray through it. I did so.

"Your meeting with the king shall be tomorrow morning." He said before disappearing down the hall again.

I truly didn't know what to expect from meeting this king. There wasn't much excitement dwelling within me... To know he condoned 'falconry', slavery and probably a plethora of other immoral things just dug at my core. Not only that but he had several animals not native to this land, running around his kingdom like they belonged here. It was not fun being forced into such a predicament with no certainty of the outcome. I was so anxious.

The day was long and slow. It eventually turned into the evening. The Southerner came to deliver another platter of food...this time dinner. To his surprise though, I was nowhere in sight. He stood there, utterly perplexed as to where I was.

"Kijus?" He asked out.

"Yes?" I responded.

"Where are you?" He asked, looking around all confused. I was just above the cell door on the railing that separated the top of the cell from the cellar roof. My legs were wrapped tightly around the rails in a deep center split. With all the dexterity I could muster, I leaned as far forward as possible, revealing myself. We were face to face.

"I brought you some dinner." He said, staring at my lips.

"I want to know something..." I said back.

"Yeah?" He asked, sweat beading down the sides of his temple.

"Why does this king want to meet me?" I asked, flipping down from my perch.

"He was quite interested to know you were an animal trainer," The Southerner responded, staring up at my abdominals then back down to my face, "He wants to see what you can do for him,"

"You told him I was an animal trainer?" I asked, shocked.

"Trust me," He began, "It could very well keep you alive! I did it because it could be a very potent way for you to eek out a living here and do good for yourself!"

"I want to go home!" I said, flipping off the rails, landing on my feet.

"It's not that simple, Kijus... You're not in Illisia anymore! You're in the Caucasus, a very, very different place! You need to be prepared to know that you might never go home..." He said.

"Never?" I said, a wall of gloom hitting me, "I got two mouths to feed, a family to take care of! I can't stay here and leave my family to struggle in that barren land!!!"

"I'm sorry but I'm doing everything I can... Everything!!! It's just that I have limited power! I would send you home on the fastest horses and ships but I can't." He said, truly feeling sorry for me. I had to sit down.

"Why would they do this to me?" I said, drawn to tears.

"Its how things are run here... Slavers go far and wide, looking for the most exotic looking people, make sure they can't speak the common tongue, abduct them and sell them into slavery. What happened to you? How you end up..." He began but stopped.

"I was hunting. Me, Bazahra and Rejon were going after whatever we could find. Food has been scarce in the Blessed Lands for the past few years. So when we came across something as big as a gazelle, we jumped at the chance. Rejon and I flushed it out and Bazahra killed it. I had my guard down, cleaning the gazelle and Rejon began to get upset when men on horseback made their way over to me. It all happened so fast... He doesn't really like horses so he attacked them, killing a few horses and consequently their riders. He was shot several times..."

"Rejon?" The Southerner asked curiously.

"He was my stag. He was my partner in crime! We did everything together, just inseparable. It was one of the most chilling things to watch him die like that and I just wanted to hold him. I was quite fine with this being a misunderstanding but the horsemen came, trying to take Rejon as a trophy and I fought them with all I had. They said they didn't want trouble and I told them trouble was what they got. With Rejon being not only important to me but to my village, a cavalry would come for them and that they should leave! Instead of heeding my warnings, they attacked me once again, deciding if I disappeared, they wouldn't have to face an angry village." I continued.

"Damn..." He sighed, "That is where you messed up. You shouldn't have told them they would be in hot water with the death of your stag. I'm not implying that you brought this upon yourself but it's clear to me that you don't know how to deal with people who are incredibly deceiving and conniving and this city is filled with them. You have to learn how to pick your battles wisely and that not all fights can be fought."

"I only told them the truth!" I responded.

"No... People do not like the truth! People like to feel comfortable and more often than not, the truth doesn't bring comfort! Here, you'll have to learn to hold your tongue..." He advised.

"Hold my tongue?" I asked, not liking the sound of that, "And let people disrespect me? Let them violate me because I hold in speech?" The Southerner leaned in, glaring at me daringly.

"It will keep you alive!!!" He said.

"No, not if it's going to keep me here when all I want to do is go home!" I cried.

"Look..." The Southerner said, losing his patience, "I am trying to tell you how to make it out here! This is something I don't have to do! If you want to be an idiot and get yourself killed because you can't shut your mouth then be obliged!!! I'm just trying to help..."

"Then don't..." I snarled. He looked at me like I was an idiot, getting ready to leave. He shook his head, exiting the cell.

"I wish you the best..." He sighed, closing the bars. He walked away as though I was a lost cause. I waited good until I couldn't hear his foot steps anymore.

"Okay Bazahra..." I said. She sprung up, rushing down to the dinner platter. She went right for the chicken. All I could do was laugh.

How powerful beak crunched through bone loudly, swallowing it all. She ate slow and carefully, bird bones being incredibly dangerous to eat compared to other animals.

"Okay, I just wanted to tell you..." The Southerner said, suddenly back at the bars again, "Woah..." Bazahra stopped eating, staring at the man. He entered the cell, the bird becoming defensive. She picked up the chicken in her beak, leaping onto the desk on the wall.

"That's your raptor?" He asked.

"Yeah..." I nodded, unsure how he'd take this.

"How'd you get her in here?" He asked, marveling at her size.

"She," I began, "Found her own way..."

"Okay..." He said, sitting in the chair across the cell, "You seriously need to consider what I told you before..."

"I did," I said, "And I'm going to do anything I need to to get home!"

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"It means I will go to any lengths I need to just to get home..." I said plainly.

"Don't let your will to get home be to your detriment." He advised.

"Look, whatever your name is." I started.

"Mercury..."

"Well Mercury, I do not lay an egg until the nest is built. There are some things about myself that if I told you, it'd send you running out of here, leaving me in this cell to rot for the rest of my life. Let's just say you don't know what I'm willing to do to get what I want..." I said. He looked at me indifferently, obviously skeptical.

"You just seem so naive! I need to teach you how to survive here! It's not like Illisia! You may have cut throat creatures there but we have cut throat people here and they're much, much worse! You'll end of dead fast, boy..." He said.

"You don't believe me do you?" I smiled.

"No..." He simply said.

"Why?"

"Look at you! You're this clean, gorgeous soul that is nothing but untainted purity overflowing with goodness! That's the kind of people this city likes to fuck up!" He said.

"I am," I began, "An adept archer... I've put arrows in the backs, throats and heads of more men than you can count. I am an adept swordsman... The dagger and scimitar are my specialty! Not only that but from the time I could walk, I was trained to be a lethal combatant. I've been taught to study animals since I was too young to understand what studying meant. That carried over to studying my surroundings, the people I interacted with...everything. If you think I'm as dumb as you're making me out to be, you have another thing coming!"

"All I'm saying to you is let me help you here!" Mercury sighed.

"All I'm saying is let me figure it out on my own..." I countered. He starred for the longest, leaning back in the chair.

"I don't get you." He said shaking his head.

"Why would you want to?" I asked, unsure where he was taking this.

"You just seem so..."

"I seem so what? Innocent? So clean? Like I'm incapable of doing some of the things I did? That's the problem I have with so many..." I laughed, "People make presumptions about you based on a circumstance or the way you look and just go on with it. Do you realize there's nothing stopping me from leaping from this bed to you and snapping your arm out of your collar bone faster than you can react..."

"Really?" He asked, truly skeptical.

There was only a split second before he was on the floor of the cellar, his right arm pulled back quite far as I stood on his back. The more he struggled, the more he felt his shoulder dislocate. He groaned, the pain being quite intense.

"Okay!!!!!" He said, now made a believer. I got off of him, sitting back on the bed. Bazahra looked at him as he got off the floor. He dusted himself off before resuming to sit. She resumed ripping apart the chicken, not caring.