Splash. "Huek!" I let out a weird yelp as i got splashed by cold water.
The tribesman who did so, took his empty bucket with him and left me there dripping wet.
My body started shivering due to cold, and i woke up entirely. My eyes snapped open and i noticed that i was placed in a tight wooden cage.
I was stripped off my possesions, wearing only my underwear. My body was covered in cuts and dirt smelling like crap, but i couldn't care less about the smell.
As i stared out of the cage, i noticed multiple more next to mine containing other humans who looked starved and heavily injured, it seemed like a miracle that they still lived in these states.
"Oh, you woke up?" An aged, tired voice came from behind me.
Spinning around, i saw an old man locked in a cage. He was imprisoned just like me. His condition was way worse though, as cold sweat formed on my forehead.
His body was extremely thin being barely anything more than just a pile of bones, on the other hand his face looked like it was reformed multiple times and then mashed back together.
The sight of it was disgusting and terrifying at the same time. Am i going to end up like him?
That wasn't a possibility for me at all and i would make sure of it. Grabbing onto the cages bars, i gave it my all to break it. Feeling of hard wood scraping against my palms was accompanied by my dissapointment as it didn't even leave a dent.
"There's no way to escape" The old man spoke to me, as if trying to make me lose hope.
I couldn't give up though. My parents were waiting for me somewhere and i needed to see them. No matter what it took.
Pushing against one side with my back, i tensed my legs before kicking forward with full force. Bang.
Cage shook intensly as i kicked it and finally saw a glimpse of hope. Its only impossible for you. I was confident that with my strenght i could escape this place, but i forgot the most important thing. The very thing that brought me here, into this small prison.
Click. The ceiling of my cage went up and i kicked the walls at the same time. Both me, the cage and the person who opened was sent flying a few meters to the side. I flew straight out, landing on the ground as two shadows loomed over me.
The instant i looked up, the tribesmen restrained me. I couldn't move an inch, it was as if a massive weight pressed down on me like some insect.
Cursing under my breath i glanced toward the dissapointed old man who gave me that look saying 'i told you' as he looked away from the commotion.
The tribesmen held me for a bit, they talked in their weird language before finishing it with mischevious giggles that sent chills down my spine.
Making me stand up and follow them somewhere i kept on thinking whag would that man protect me from by warning me as his disfigured face surfaced in my mind.
No way. I wouldn't even try to imagine myself with it, and to live like this? Must have been hard on the gramps.
We walked throught the settlement, or something resembling it with multiple crafted cages and houses, it was filled to the brim with tribesmen who were running around checking other captives and taking some somewhere just like me.
Arriving at a big tent that resembled my knight covenant slightly i realized what was happening. They're taking me to their leader.
As far as i knew, tribesmen didn't have any rulers, but everything that i saw so far definetly proved me wrong.
They pushed me inside forcefully as i tripped and fell on my knees. It was as though they had done it on purpose but i couldn't speak up. They were just beasts after all.
After getting up i saw a big line of people just like me, standing still like they were scared of something. Curious, i leaned to the right a little and saw him.
Sitting on a big throne made of bones, human or tribesman, that didn't matter. The thing seemed to be over four meters tall with its buffed body and sharp claws. Instead of a regular mask, his one covered only the side of his face, mask by itself looked more detailed with shining gema embedes into its edges. His face on the other hand was a sight to behold, it was like staring at the devil himself. The bright red eye seemed to pierce my very soul, gazing at me from above with utter indiffirence, while sharp pristine fangs protruted from his mouth with bits of skin and blood still sticking to them.
What the heck is that.
I couldn't compehend what i was seeing. There was no information that there could be such type of tribesmen. Even as the most important student, i didn't have access to that information? But then, a story i was once told by my parents, echoed in my mind.
It was around the time when they finally conguered the entire sixth section, right before i entered the covenant.
"After our succes, we recieved the most important lesson in our entire life. Would you like to know what it was?"
My young self was vigurously shaking his head completely oblivious to the meaning of these words.
"No matter what happens in the Chasm. The most important thing to look out for isnt the terrain, beasts, or even people you casually encounter."
Giving a dramatic pause my father leaned in towards me slightly. "Its the section masters" saying it carefully in a serious tone he returned back to his cheerful self and patted me on my shoulder lightly.
"Its classified information for Chasm Seekers though, so you need to grow up to be one like your dad, got that?" Saying it casually, he went out of my room.
That was the last time i saw him in person before he ventured toward the seventh section with my mom.
Focusing on the big tribesman i figured that he definetly was the master because of his sheer size. The line moved slowly, making me step every two minutes or so.
It didn't grow smaller as more people were added behind me. It smelled like crap, standing between two naked people was just so humiliating to me that i didn't notice that it was almost my turn.
I could see him now clearly on his throne, he seemed to be choosing something for us as people were going towards his left or right side of the tent.
He stopped on a single person for a moment as his finger froze mid air before grabbing the man that was standing in front of me.
Lifting him up like a feather, he beought him up to his eyes. The guy got so terrified that he tried to free himself from the tight grip but couldn't budge him at all.
"Let me go, you filthy dog-" as he was cursing the beast, his face went pale making him go quiet.
Not a moment later, beasts mouth opened revealing its sharp teeth as he bit the guys head clean off.
"Uhk.!" The sight was way too gruesome for my belly as his blood flowed down staining my feet red.
Then, throwing the headless body to the side some small ones ran up and cleaned it up like it was their job.
Beast then moved its eyes towards mine looking bored and satisfied with its last meal. Raising its finger, it stopped in the air for a second until it went pointed toward the left side of the tent.
Making my way out of there i counted myself lucky for not getting eaten while screams could still be heard by me as he ate them again.