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This quest is complete, so please do not post here unless you are one of the original posters reposting. ~Poetra
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"Good night..."
Exhausted from the day's travels, the young cleric settled into her bedroll and almost instantly fell asleep. Trust came easily to the girl raised in a monestary, and her bodyguard was no exception: She trusted him with her life. Over the weeks and months, they had visited few temples, as the Goddess was apparently less worshipped than Ren originally thought, and none of them had the information that she needed. Frustrated, she had insisted on speeding up the search, which had thus far yielded even less results and more sleeping.
Some time in the night, a rustling came from the woods. Deeply asleep, Ren did not notice the sounds of a scuffle, or that she was lifted and carried into a wagon. It wasn't until morning that she realized that she was enveloped in some kind of rough, black cloth bag. Confusion washed over her as she reached up to touch her makeshift prison. How in the name of the Goddess...? Alarm crept up inside her, gradually turning into a cold, hard knot of fear.
The cart began to slow, and voices filled the air, their accents thick to her ears. Other voices joined in, their tones more authoritative, and Ren decided to try for help. Taking a deep breath, she ignored the dust in her lungs and cried out, "Help me! I'm in here! Please!" Silence fell on the voices for a moment, and then laughter blanketed her in despair. No help would come.
A moment later, the wagon resumed its motion, carrying the girl toward an uncertain destiny. Feeling hopeless for the first time in her life, Ren curled up inside the sack and simply sobbed, hot tears flowing freely over her cheeks, hands, and knees. Please, Great Goddess, free me! How can I serve you in bondage? Please!
Again the cart halted, only this time hands lifted her, placing her on the ground in such a way that she was forced to stand or be dropped. Suddenly, the cleric was blinded by the sun as they removed her opaque shroud. Blinking, she wiped the tears from her face and hands. Too stunned to continue her pained sobbing, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the brightness, and tried to focus on whatever she could that could indicate her whereabouts.
The air was heavy with heat, and filled with various smells that reminded her of her days at the marketplace. Okay, so a marketplace, but why? The voices around her spoke quickly, but their accents obscured their words far too much for her to understand. Finally, her vision cleared enough that she was able to make out the people around her. Various skin shades, from nearly black to simply tanned, were gathered around, staring intently at Ren. Confusion was quickly replaced with self-consciousness, and suddenly she felt naked even though she wore her armor. Shrinking back, she tried in vain to cover her bare stomach with her arms. She moved backwards only a step before hands from behind held her fast while someone else roughly brushed her hair. Ren winced, but was otherwise numb with fear. She couldn't even think!
More words were exchanged, particularly between two of the darker skinned men, and an order was barked at the person brushing her hair, which now lay in a satiny sheet along her shoulders. The one with the brush grasped her gently, but firmly, by the arm, and led her to a wooden cage filled with people of varying ages and appearances. Their eyes were haunting, filled with despair and resignation, some with impotent rage. Safely inside the cage, the door was closed and barred, and guards posted.
What now?
Nervous about all of the strange people, the fearful cleric found an empty corner and claimed it, settling into a sitting position where her knees served as a chin rest. She could feel the eyes of others on her, but she ignored them, preferring to be alone as much as she could be. I have to figure this out. I need to know what's going to happen to me. But how?