Abandoned: New Beginnings

[Archon]

Michael smiled as he saw a figure emerging from the woods, it had to be the one who dragged him to safety. Waving to the figure he was about to call out, until he saw several more figures lingering behind, it was then he saw the large silhouettes of axes, swords and shields. His heart sank, turning away from the group he prepared to run only to see a second group of armored people walking towards him, he had no where to run...


The figures surrounded him, each one staring. Unmoving, their masks fashioned from what appeared to be... Human skulls. Michael felt dread build up, one of the men gave his axe to another and walked towards Michael. He had to try, he wouldn't be taken without a fight! He knew he was tough... He knew he could fight, he could take at least one down! He knew he could.


As the figure approached, Michael charged towards him, swinging a fist towards the brutish mans face, and with a speed that should be impossible for a man of that size, the barbarian simply leaned away from the punch, before violently smashing his own fist into Michael's face. He felt his nose crack at the force of the blow, and he couldn't mentally chuckle at the irony, karma at its finest. Michael was crouched on the floor, the man staring still. Going for a second attempt, he attempted to tackle the barbarian like he did to the man from earlier.


It failed miserably, the man caught Michael in his grasp, before delivering a powerful knee into his stomach... More karma... Clutching his stomach he stared at the masked figure, who stared right back. He threw another wild punch-which the man caught with ease, delivering a nasty punch of his own into Michael's already-winded stomach, and then a second punch into his already-broken nose. Michael saw different people now, or were they the same man? His vision blurred, and throwing another slow, and fatigued punch he felt his arm hit air, looking up at the different images of the man, he coughed up a puddle of blood, and the last thing he saw was a fist heading for his face.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

Murkily, Zaire felt his body bounce up and down, up and down between his bouts of unconsciousness. He wanted to scream, yet he knew he couldn't. He felt the blindfold around his eyes and the damp gag in his mouth. The hand holding him steady on what felt like a shoulder payed no heed to his muffles and groans.


Suddenly, he heard someone laugh and a scream of someone's battle call. He quieted as he overheard a fight going rather quickly, with sounds of cracking bones and wet coughing. His heart sank as he knew that there would be no one with the capability to save him, or themselves. As his captors laughed merrily, he wished he could see what exactly had happened. As they continued onwards, he fell back into darkness.

 

[Archon]

His wrists burned.





The unmistakable feeling of incredibly tight ropes... Rope burn, but right now, that was the least of his concerns. His nose was incredibly sore, the taste of dry blood still fresh on his lips. On top of this every single step sent jolts of pain through his stomach, courtesy of the barbarian. Just like every other injury, as if that wasn't bad enough he had the worst headache ever, it was likely because of the man striking him in the head. The same strike that knocked him out.


Oh, and worst of all, there was the lovely fact that he was clearly being kidnapped. The taste of the cloth they had wrapped around his mouth also tasted disgusting. Why did they need to silence him? What exactly could he do?


Sighing inwardly he remembered the fight, but more specifically. His arrogance beforehand... 'Take at least one' he said. 'Sure of it' he said. What a joke he was, the barbarian brute had beat him down without so much as breaking a sweat. Michael may have been tough wherever he came from before this land... But here? He was no more than a bug. He made a mental note to do some serious combat training should he get out of this alive.


There was also the constant muffled groaning coming from beside him, maybe it was another prisoner? It seemed likely, of course that's what it was. The sound was muffled for a reason. He had to wonder, where exactly where these barbarians were taking him-or them?

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

As Zaire stirred once more, he heard the laughing continuing, and a few grunts from another person nearby. He himself had stopped being moved around, so he choked in a few breaths since he couldn't breath through his nose. Sucking in air painfully through the choking gag, he began to cough violently. Suddenly, a loud crack sounded through the air as his cheek started to sting. They had slapped him! He quieted and tried not to cough any more for fear of them doing worse. How weak was he?


Yet still, a thought briefed his mind. Why do they want me? What did I do?


It was a good question: Why would someone capture another without reason? His mind flittered from one idea to another, searching desperately for something to accept that wasn't just for the barabarian's amusement. Sadly, it seemed that either they saw Zaire as a trespasser or they needed something to pass the time with. Would they torture him? Flay the raw flesh from his bones? Perhaps they were even cannibals!


As the barbarian laughed at his groan from his stinging cheek, Zaire prayed he wouldn't be eaten alive. Now that would not be a very heroic way to die. He groaned at what may come.

 

[Archon]

Michael heard the feared gasps of someone beside him, confirming his initial suspicions, but the gasps elevated into violent coughing, before a ringing slap sound out, hinting that the other had been struck with a lot of force. He feared for the worst, now uncertain of his fate. these... People, wore the skulls of other humans, maybe that was a telltale sign of his eventual fate. Maybe it would be torture? Death by a thousand cuts, perhaps he will be burnt on a pyre, or maybe ecen sacrificed to some omni-benevolent God. The fact that he had fought back to his captors made him worry further, most jailors disliked resistance, and he expected to answer for that later.


Suddenly, a hard foot slammed into the back of his knee, and then strong arms gripped his shoulders, preventing movement, Michael growled under the blindfold and gag, fearing for the worst... It was then, that he felt the cold feel of steel clasp around his neck, and before he could think anything of it, a second foot drove into his head. Knocking him down and dazing him, he felt the binds that had held onto him for so long be cut loose, Michael briefly embraced the fresh air against his burnt wrists, until they sat him against what had to be a pol and simply bound his hands to that.


He was definitely going to die.


(I completely forgot you had replied to this!) D:

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

Zaire was witnessing a similar treatment, as he had suddenly been thrown to the ground, and his head smashed with what felt like a foot. A steel clasp soon was pressed against his neck, and with a few clicking sounds, he knew that they saw him so worthless as to give him a collar or sorts. He heard someone growl from nearby, soon ended with a grunt as he heard more chains clinking and clanking against each other. Zaire's head pounded as the ropes on his wrists were cut, yet his injured and confused mind couldn't use the chance to fight back. He groaned, and when another assumed foot smashed his skull, he couldn't help but to wet his gag further with sticky blood.


Next, Zaire felt his person dragged along, and he was thrown with a grunt against something roundish. He heard a few men laugh again as ropes were sent around his stomach and tied him to the pole. They tied his wrists to what felt to be someone else's. He groaned, wishing that he at least knew why he was here, and who exactly was tied to the pole with him. He would have began to speculate, but his dazed mind was incapable of thinking very much.

 

[Archon]

The sadistic laugh the brutes made sent shivers down Michael's spine, only now did he realize how evil these men-and women, clearly were. The collar was a violent wake up call, proving how these people were animals by nature. Who in turn, looked him up like an animal. He would have fought back if possible, but it wasn't. He was weak, dazed, starved, dehydrated, concussed, winded had a broken nose and a broken rib. He felt like hell, if he was going to be killed he wanted to get it over with.


He heard the other prisoner cough up what was likely blood, as they were beat just as he was. Then he felt hands wrap near his own, the bonds of each prisoner connecting them-literally 'bonding' the two men. It was then that the barbaric animals took the blindfolds off, and removed the gag. The sunlight hurt his eyes, not having seen it for several hours, and the lush green environment of the previous day had returned. Although it was hard to appreciate it now.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

As the blindfold was removed from his eyes, Zaire winced as sunlight flooded his eyes and poured into his pupils like lemon juice on a fresh wound. He closed his eyes, far from adjusted to the light. He blinked a few times, and began to talk as soon as they removed his bloodied gag.


"Why'd ya--" he was caught off guard by a sudden pain in his chest, and began to cough until a few drops of blood dripped mercilessly off his chin. The cough led into him full-out puking blood, and it soaked clean through his dirty clothing, dying it all in a wet, sticky red. The barbarians only laughed a terrible laugh that chilled Zaire. He glared at a woman whom, like most the others, wore a human skull as a mask, covering her features. He glowered in his weakness against the barbarians, and saw the woman start sucking the blood off of what had been his gag. It sickened him.


But what was he to do? He wondered as his stomach growled painfully, his throat burned, and as his broken nose started to bleed once again. He wouldn't be surprised if he had other broken bones at this point, but he couldn't tell. His body was slowly going numb, starting at his feet.

 

[Archon]

Michael heard the coarse voice of his fellow prisoner, which was swiftly replaced by a violent sound of coughing which evidently was only the build up to full on puking, and more barbaric laughter from their maniacal captors, at the plight of the other man. The coughing sounded strange for that of physical wounds, and you don't violently cough and puke hours after a fight. No matter the condition. Perhaps the man was poisoned? He sounded unnatural, the puking and the coughing sounded unnatural. Michael didn't dare speak as he heard the unmistakable sound of slurping, what they could have been slurping brought an endless list of awful possibilities to his mind.


He heard the other mans stomach cry for food, and the sound seemed to make his own do the same. The situation was worse than he'd thought possible, how did they get wrapped up in this mess? He felt the strangers wrists move slightly, until it dawned on Michael that he was passing out, this made sense if it was poison. But then again, it could be anything from blood loss to dehydration, but he had his suspicions after the coughing and puking.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

Zaire tried to fight his blurring vision as he heard another stomach growl. He wished that even if he himself couldn't escape, that his pier could. It was obvious that there was a small chance that Zaire would survive this and whatever hell was going through his system, almost none. He didn't want to know what had happened to him, or what their brutal captors had done. He turned his head back towards the group of barbarians, hearing a whole bunch of nonsense he didn't understand. Perhaps it was a different language? Nevertheless, they seemed distracted enough.


"D-dy'a know why they took 's 'ere?" He whispered to his fellow in a hoarse voice as the numbness spread up to his knees.

 

[Archon]

Michael** couldn't get used to the complete feeling of being powerless, he was aware of the likelihood of dying here. It was almost certain judging by the savagery of these monsters. Although he did hear them speak, it seemed to be another language, different from their own. However that isn't what his ears were focused on, he swore he could hear the sounds of struggling coming from the general direction of the barbarians... They were doing something to someone...


But his focused hearing was broke when his prisoner-in-arms spoke, probably noticing the group of savages weren't interested in them-for now.


"No... Probably for amusement." he whispered back, assuming that's the likely answer. He felt the strangers wrists slip a little more, as his consciousness wavered.


"Hey! Stay, awake. If they catch you unconscious they might kill you... Or far worse."

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

"S..." Zaire snapped awake and attempted to not drift off again. "Sorry..." He muttered. "T-Thanks f' wakin' me up..."


Zaire looked back to the barbarians and their huddle of merriment, hearing the grunts and groans coming from something at the center of the mass. He forced himself to scoot back on the pole, and stretched to try and see around the brutes, to no avail. He sighed, and coughed a bit.


"S'ck, sick 'musem'nt." He agreed with his fellow. He could only wonder what hell was going down over there. His wrists tingled, and looking down on them, he noticed that they had turned red, as if he had a rash. Added to his numbing limbs, he feared the worst. "Th'y'll really d' anything..."


((Chris? Wasn't your character called Michael? xD ))

 

[Archon]

Michael was relieved as the stranger regained some sense. Falling unconscious with these people would likely be a death sentence, and that would come after the hours of torturous torment. The groans that he had heard earlier were beginning to get slightly louder, and more... Aware? Had they drugged someone so their feelings were dulled? Why would the savages... Then it struck him. Whatever they were doing, it was going to be absolutely agonizing, and the drugs were likely to prevent them from passing out. Speaking of passing out he had noticed speaking had become slightly more erratic, and slurred in his bound friend.


"These people'r animals, remember, stay awake!" He growled between a hushed voice... Before he had an idea.


"Can ya see what they're doing?


((That's the result of having three RPs at once xD ))

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

"Urg..." Zaire struggled to look between the barbarians to see exactly what was going on. He saw the flicker of a chain splattered in red, yet that was all he could catch sight of. "No, I d'n't see a-anythin'... jus' some bl'dy ch'ns..." He mumbled regrettably. He wished that he could at least see what they were doing to them so he might know what would become of himself and the one bound to the pole alongside him. He continued to stare, and even the glance of one of them sent him reeling. He looked quickly away and to the ground, a few beads of sweat traveling down his face and collecting blood as it passed. He sputtered the drops away when they touched his mouth.


He slowly turned his head back towards the group of sadists just as they erupted in bounds of laughter. He didn't want to know what they had done to their lowly victim. He blinked a few times, forcing himself away from all sorts of weariness.


(( xD ))

 

[Archon]

Michael shrank slightly at the answer, what they were doing could have helped save the two individuals should they be chosen next. But bloody chains? A man chained in bloody chains, or a man being beaten with bloody chains? No other possibility came to mind, yet both were equally disturbing.


Yet as if the image in his mind wasn't bad enough, it was followed by roars of laughter, as the many barbaric savages cheered and roared. He didn't know what they had done, but it can't have been pleasant. Yet his obvious assumption was soon answered, as moments after the laughter had quieted, the torture victim let out a ear piercing scream of utter anguish. Re-igniting the laughs and cheers of the monstrous crowd.


"What did they do?" Michael inquired to his prisoner-in-arms, wanting to know, yet not wanting to know both at once.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

"I' soun's like..." Zaire squinted at the crowd, like it would aid him in the least. "I' sounds like they're killin' some'un." He sighed as he spotted one of the barbarians yank the bloody chain, but after that, the savage was concealed by another who seemed like they wanted their good view as well. Him stomach twisted in anguish when the cheers didn't die down, and he heard no more screaming or sounds of struggling. Had they killed them? Had they knocked their victim out cold? No matter what they had done, the thought still make Zaire hang his head. They had to escape, somehow, some way. Or else they might be next.


Zaire turned his head so that he could whisper to his comrade, yet he still couldn't turn far enough to see the other. "D'ya... d'ya know 'ny way we migh' get outta 'ere?" He slurred in a whisper. "'Ny 'dea coun's."

 

[Archon]

Michael expected the barbarians plaything had likely gone to the afterlife, no longer of this world-which may have been for the best. Or at least I hoped they were dead, for their sake. Whatever they were willing to do to their poor victim, they were willing to do to him and the prisoner bound to him.


Michael let out an exasperated sigh at the mans question, unfortunately there was no obvious way to escape from their current position. Furthermore, even if there was they'd never escape unoticed by the horde of savages. And he shuddered at the thought of what would happen should they catch them trying to escape. "No..." His answer was brief, it didn't need expansion.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

Zaire watched as one of the brutes pointed over towards him and the other prisoner, and a few glanced their direction. He gulped. "If we don' leave n'w, we a'n't ever gettin' outta 'ere." He coughed and blood trickled from his mouth. He racked his mind for ideas, looking for any idea that would be probable or useful in any way. He looked around for any object that might inspire him.


Then Zaire saw his own shadow imprinted in the grass. He smiled. "Eya, mate-" he said to the other. "Wh'n I say, 'now,' cl'se yer eyes an' prepare ta r'n."


And now, Zaire just had to wait for the barbarians to come closer for him to set his plan in motion. He prayed that it would work, and that him and the other prisoner would still have the strength to run. Inwardly, he doubted that, but maybe still there would be a way.

 

[Archon]

Dread filled him as Michael digested the strangers words, they were heading this way? Was this the end? Something built inside him, he felt all his pain immediately subside and a burning determination to live take over, he was well and truly struggling for his life. He tested the robe bound around the pole, they had to undo it if they wanted to move the duo... They'd likely strike the pair like last time, try and daze them so they wouldn't resist, but he was prepared. He willed his body to take the blow that was to come, he wouldn't die to these heartless monsters.


"We'll do that, but look around, do they have bows?" He knew if they had bows then chances of escape were near to none. Unless they were busy.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

"Gn," Zaire grunted slightly as he looked at the slowly disbanding group of savages. One gripped a bow tightly in his hand, but only two arrows seemed to be in the quiver that was slung over his back. "Jus' 'un th't I c'n see," He alerted the other man quietly. He forced himself to move his numbing legs a bit, and tried to move them around for the later run. He couldn't feel them, but he seemed to be able to control them to a very small degree. He spotted a long stick not to far from where he was, and as soon as he was free, he'd grab it and hope that it would help him run. It probably wouldn't, but he guessed it was worth a try.


And then, Zaire saw as a few barbarians turned and started to head in their direction. "Sh---" He let a curse word die out in his rough breath. "Th'y're comin'..."

 

[Archon]

Michael braced himself, a single bow could be a escapable... If they ran the savages would give chase, they knew the terrain better, they were fitter, and they were faster. But he had to try, it was either die or die trying to escape. He'd much rather go down with some resistance. He heard the curse from the other mans mouth, a telltale sigh that the barbarians were heades straight for the duo, it was now or never, he steeled his mind and hoped that he'd be able to withstand the blows enough to run, fighting back wasn't an option in this situation.


"Prepare yourself, they'll hit us like before, we need to endure!" He warned the other man, hoping he would be able to escape with Michael, and if Michael did fall then he hoped his fellow prisoner wouldn't.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

"'Ll do my bes'." Zaire murmured as the barbarians neared, sneering and giggling. As they separated, Zaire caught a sickening glimpse of what they had been gathered around. There, on the ground, lay a bloody and battered corpse. And soon, that might be me, he thought to himself. He had to escape. As soon as they untied him, Zaire would scream as loud as he could without tearing his vocal chords to shreds. Maybe, just maybe, it would be like the last time. It had to work. It just had to, or they would die!


At this point, what seemed to be their leader was just a few steps from him.

 

[Archon]

The footsteps grew closer, as did the sneering and malicious laughter as the brutes fantasized about how much pain they could inflict on the duo, things were looking poor. This, was anything but good. Running seemed stupider and stupider every step closer they got, he half hoped a mound of rock would magically appear around him and save him like it mysteriously had when he collapsed in the night. At least that way he'd be free from their wretched grasp.


He wondered how the other was doing, he knew that the man was greatly injured and seemed to be debilitated by a sort of poison by the way he had coughed, but Michael couldn't be sure, it was then that he felt the barbarians feet stop, as they reached their destination. He was correct in expecting a blow, the fist slammed violently into his stomach, but as he was prepared, Michael shrugged off the effect of being winded, putting on a show pretending to be weaker than he actually was.

 

[OutofSight OutofMind]

Moments later, a fist streaked across Zaire's battered face. He felt his broken nose twist further, and he groaned and slumped to the ground as soon as he was untied. He rolled himself onto his side and gasped for breath. He just needed a moment... he could take this hit. His pure will alone had kept him from being dazed. Zaire sucked in a few deep breaths and glared at the chuckling brutes. One... two... three...


"Now." He whispered and sucked in as deep a breath as he could, focusing on making this as loud as he could.


Zaire screamed as loud as he could, his stomach wretching and larynx straining. The sky began to darken, and when he stopped screaming, he couldn't help but cough up and spit blood. And even worse, he felt he knew what had happened to him. The sky continued to darken as the barbarians seemed momentarily surprised, and Zaire puked blood.

 

[Archon]

It wasn't long until the other man was struck, the fist cracking his nose, probably breaking it in the impact, Michael was poised to run, the moment they tried to move him he'd dash off, as if the hit had been nothing, and take them by surprise. It wasn't until the other man screamed as loud as he could that Michael faltered, the scream though, wasn't why. The sky twisted and darkened, as if shadows were manifesting above them. This had happened before, when... Michael, who was still acting broke his ruse, turning his head and body to look at the man.


His suspicions were confirmed, he couldn't believe it, the same man who he had fought with earlier, the same man he very well nearly killed, and if he could do this to the sky, then the faces would appear any moment. Which would also mean he nearly killed Michael, if the faces actually did anything... Perhaps they were simply a ruse? An illusion? A trick to cause fear and panic? Despite breaking his acting their captord didn't notice, they were too busy staring at the black hanging overhead. It was now or never, Michael stood up as quickly as possible, the brute behind him, not paying attention didn't have time to react to the elbow that was sent into his face, sending him reeling down to the ground, the other man however, seemed doomed. With only one brute behind Michael, he had created a window of escape, yet his frenemy was surrounded by at least four. Deeming him a lost cause. Michael ran off into the forest, hearing no more than one or two people give chase.


(I think we should save each other, maybe Zaire runs off and manages to lose most of them by shrouding the woods in black fog, but when one catches him he will begin beating on Zaire, Michael will proceed to tackle the barbarian and scrap with him before he himself begins getting beaten, at which point Zaire will stab the barbarian? Just a thought!)