The sun shone forth from the eastern horizon, its radiant beams painting the shore with a warm, golden glow. The sand shimmered and shone, as if infused with a magic that only revealed itself on days like this. The sea, too, was alive with movement, its gentle waves rolling in with a soothing rhythm that matched the gentle breeze.
But then, without warning, the gentle wind tense up, its presence ominous and mysterious, stirring the sea into a frenzy. The waves crashed against the shore with a loud bash, and in the aftermath, a strange figure was left behind.
The figure, humanoid in shape, lay unconscious and still.
"Crunch, Crunch!" The crunching sound of footsteps echoed across the shore, growing louder with each step, announcing the approach of some unknown figure. The footsteps halted momentarily, and a shadow was casted upon the unconscious figure.
.
.
.
I had only just awoken, managing to seat up, my memory still hazy from the whole ordeal. I couldn't say for sure but I feel rather wet and cold, like I had been soaked wet from the rain, but it wasn't raining, neither was there any water source close by. Also the scenery around me appeared to be a blurry haze, but I could make out the dense brown color, similar to that of wooden setup. Damn, I can't say for sure. After all I could be hallucinating from… Wait!
At that moment, it all came flooding in, my memories from the temple incident.
At first I froze up in fear and terror, recalling the death of everyone. I tried to breathe, but my lungs felt like they were shrinking, the air thick and heavy, suffocating me. My heart raced, pounding my chest like a jackhammer. I could feel its frantic beat in every part of my body. My mind is a jumble of terrifying memories, each one screaming louder than the last.
I tried focusing on my surrounding but everything seemed unreal and distorted, the area,a perfect mimic of the temple with bodies dropping dead to the floor. My legs began to tremble, my hands pressed against my throat, forcing myself to breath as I fell on my knees.
"Breathe, breathe!" I could only tell myself, reminding myself how to breath.
I tightly closed my eyes, taking my breath pace by pace until I finally got the hang of it, finally opening my eyes to meet my new surrounding.
The wooden walls around me were dark, worn smooth by years of use. The seat beneath me was hard, offering little to non comfort, the air filled with stench of sweat and that of a decaying corpse.
"Where am I?" I could only help but question.
"Was that all a dream? No it can't be the sensation were too real. If so, what's going on?" I thought aloud to myself.
"Hey, are you… okay?" A voice came from the background, questioning.
I turn over to see a teenage boy around the age of seventeen, dressed in rag sack, messy black hair and emerald eyes that seemed to carry grief. He say besides me, hands in the air as he waved at me with a false smile.
"Um, not quiet sure myself, but um, are we moving?" I subconsciously question replied.
"Yeah duh." He replied.
"Why does it seem like were in a medieval carriage?"
"Well, that's because we are. Not sure what the medieval means though." He replied.
"Wait, what?" I exclaimed when a realization dawn on me.
"Do those still exist? No, more importantly why am I in one? Also, were is it headed?" I questioned, multiple unanswered thought lingering in my thoughts.
"Talk about a weirdo. Sigh! To answer your question in simpler terms, we were taken captive by slave traders, who plans to sell us. As for our destination, I overheard one of them saying we'll be taken to the capital to be sold." He briefly informed.
"You're joking right?" I instinctively asked.
"I'm sorry but, does this look like a joke to you, or rather do we look like jokes to you?" another questioned from the background, anger filled his tone. His question lingering in my thoughts to bring me to realization that they were more people on the carriage. With one look, I took a brief but informative analysis on them.
Their troubled presence indeed tells a story as they sat quietly, tired and hunched, their face worn and weathered, their hair, messy and dull, their sack clothes tarted, torn and mismatched like that of an over used rag. The atmosphere seems to carry a hint of their sweaty stench. Looking over to their hands which seemed bounded by chains and shackles brought me to the realization that I too was also bounded by shackles. As if that wasn't enough their were also a group of others trailing behind the carriage their hands all bounded by a ropes connected to the carriage as they walked sloppy and tired as they are dragged along by the carriage. Their expression gave a hint of defect, tiredness and hopelessness.
"Whats going on here? How did it all come to this?" I couldn't help but silently ask myself as I tried to fully comprehend my situation.
"No, something isn't right here, I'm definitely missing something." I said to myself as I shuffled over to the bar walls of the carriage, taking a peep outside to see several horse men riding along side the carriage.
"Pst!" I called out, trying to gain the attention of any of the riders, to which there was obviously no respond.
"Hey! Let me out of here!" I demanded, banging hard on the wooden structure, yet still no respond.
"You can't lock me up here without my consent! I know my rights! You hear me? As soon as all this is over I'm going to sue you, all of you." Still no respond from the horsemen. However, there was a sudden outburst of laughter from within the carriage as they laughed mockingly at me, while other stared in pity.
"I know my rights, what are you, the generals son?" One of them teased. Causing the other to laugh harder.
"All of you are insane, just you wait till I get out." I yelled angrily at them as I desperately yanked the chains trying to free myself.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." One of them advised.
But I wouldn't budge as I continued yanking the chain despite their effort to talk me out of it. Just when I thought the chains would slip off, a sharp but sudden pain shot through my chest causing me to scream out loud as I collapsed to the ground, clutching my chest as I gasp for air. With every second passing, the pain intensified in an hundredfold, spreading to other parts of my body. It wasn't until someone fasten the chain around my hand that the pain began to subside.
I lay rested on the floor, gasping for breath as the pain slowly faded.
"Why do the new guys always have to learn the hard way?" A voice questioned
"Hey, you're still alive right?" He added in question.
"W-what the heck was that?" I asked barely able to speak.
"Sigh, that was a binding curse." He replied, offering a hand to help me sit up.
"The binding curse is a common magic system among slaves traders, it binds an individual to a master through the use of a slave crest. Now, whoever bears this slave crest automatically becomes a slave to the caster or a master who bears the command crest.
The curse makes it impossible for them to act outside the will of a master without triggering an effect. The effect which in turn is determined by the master.
Take what just happened to you as an example, that was the effect of trying to free your restrain without their permission."
"We were all given a slave crest when we were captured, think of it as a fail-safe to prevent us from escaping or trying to attacking them." He explained showing off his own slave crest on his arm.
Like with him, everyone had a slave crest on different parts of their body.
"Yours was embedded on your chest after you were abducted back at the sea shore." He informed pointing directly at my chest.
I doubtfully lifted my clothes to reveal a similar tattoo crest, embedded on my chest. At this point I was at a loss of word, more confused than before, with everything said and seen, it was as if I had somewhat transitioned into a new reality. One so messed up I couldn't comprehend a single thing. Either that or I was going crazy.
"If I was right you made mention to the word magic right?" I questioned in anticipation.
"Yes." He replied.
"Quick question then, what region are we, currently?" I asked, trying to clear my doubts.
"Region?" He replied, thrown off balance by my question.
"Yeah, you know since Greece is a unitary country." I pressed on.
"Greece? Is that like a back water village or something?" He asked looking a lot more confused.
"It's a country in southeast Europe." I replied but from the look on everyone's faces I could tell non of them have ever heard of it, which indeed confirmed my suspicions.
Yup, somehow I must have somehow transition into a new world, one where the concept of magic overrule the concept of technology. Probably the world that box belongs to. I seriously wanted to doubt everything up until now, but this slave crest was evident enough.
Damn that box, to think it'll send me to a world like this. But for what purpose? I questioned.
Come to think of it, those people from eight years ago, did the box also send them here? If that's the case…
I thought to myself, a warn bright smile forming on my face.
"Just you wait Mom, I'll find you and a way back home. That's a promise." I said with a determined expression.