1 Waking into Captivity.

The last thing Axena heard was wailing, screams and shouts of terror; she saw horses and soldiers on them; she also saw swords, and then blood. As she was gaining consciousness, she heard similar sounds - chants and shouts and drums and whistles. She hoped it won't be the same scene when she tried to open her eyed - they were heavy. Axena blinked and dimmed her eyes to the effect of the sun which was wicked with its rays. She could feel it not only in her eyes, but her skin also; all over her - she felt that she was naked.

She sauntered to the left and realized that she had exposed her chest. She tried to cover herself, there she found that her hands were bound together. Her hand that had been shackled into a fist landed on a body and the body twitched as well. The last person her body touched in her sane state was Culix, the man with whom she spend her last light.

With her eyes closed, she reminisced the last moment - it was a raid, what she hated the most. She had heard stories about raids and the aftermath which is slavery - the most abhorred policy she and her kin swore to never be reduced to. At the realization, coupled with the fear, she fought the lethargy and forced her eyes open. The body whereupon her bounded hand lay opened her eyes too and she screamed. Axena fidgeted at her reaction and turned to the other side in haste. Axena had never seen her, perhaps it's the same for her too - Axena thought.

Axena turned her eyes all over the spaces around her and saw other women - all naked, some bleeding. She rested her head on the sand and recalled what must have happened. All she could remember was the raid she witnessed and then she was knocked out by a sickening odour of a barbiturate; then there she was, lying naked on sands. Surrounded by women with like fates, all bound in the hands.

She sat up. Questions that needed answers popped into her mind and she had no answer for any. Since she couldn't answer any, she looked around and got some. They were surrounded by a wall, twenty feet tall. The wall extended to form a circular top with higher elevations as it proceeded backwards. There was where the chants and whistles came from as people were seated there. She saw women, men and kids all looking down at her. Some were standing, some were seated, some were stretching to see her and they were all yelling. It was in a language she understood but she grabbed none. A lot was gaining entry into her ears and mind.

"We are damned," a voice said from behind Axena and she looked to see. It was in the seated position that she saw that there were many more like her. She couldn't count, they were close to a hundred. She knew for sure the whole province was not there. The males and children were not there and not all the women are there with her. Some might be killed, some might have escaped - her mind offered.

As Axena watched, some gained their consciousness and sat up too, all tied, with their lapses together and butts on the bare floor and their bounded hands on their chests, all trying fruitless means to cover their bodies. Many turned to see the origin of the voice and here they made eye contact with each other.

"Look around, ye women of the south. We are damned. Captivity!" she said.

Axena saw a lady she knew - Xylin. She was far behind and listening as well. She saw another, and another, but they were all looking and listening. If there would be catching up, there are better things to discuss and they were 'Where are they and how they're are going to get out'.

"Cowards! Why not meet on the battlefield? You men of little balls," Mowe, another lady of known and close acquaintance to Axena shouted. She was a wife-to-be unto one of Culix's friends. Axena dragged her butt towards her. She could feel the pellets of the hot sand making their way into her but she cared not. Death was hanging in the air and when it comes to survival, there may be the need to persevere - she endured the impacts of the hot sands on her body and moved towards Mowe who dragged herself to meet her as well. They both held each other and locked their fingers.

"Axena," she called in a whimpering tone. She was with a crew cut and sunken big and bright eyes. "Where in the world are we?"

"I don't know either. Where are our men?" Axena returned and shook her head. She knew that the most important thing to Mowe would be her soon-to-be husband.

"They're not all here. What happened? Are they all killed and we, captivated?" Mowe questioned again.

"I can't answer any of your questions. What was the last thing you remembered?" Axena queried, looking fixedly into her eyes.

"I was with Socx. We slept, and… and I heard screams. Socx went out to check and while he was outside, a flaming object flew in. I perceived a disturbing odour and…"

"Same," Axena completed when Mowe stuttered.

"We are doomed," the woman who made the earlier sound did again and Axena looked in her direction.

"If our men are dead, then…"

"We don't know that yet," Axena interrupted.

"They couldn't have captured us all if our men are there. They will surely fight back. Rebels don't back down. You know who we are," the voice came from a girl beside Mowe. Axena knew her not.

"No. We all were knocked out. They may be, too," Axena said.

"So where are they?" Mowe questioned and Axena shook her head. She was getting the message but she chose not to ponder on it. If their men were all dead, then, Culix too. She shook her head again when Culix's face and physique were pictured.

Culix was her lord, he trained her and then took her to himself. She wondered what mess she would run in if the men were dead, particularly if Culix was. Then there would be none coming for her. Also, if they were slaves in captivity as described by the woman who spoke earlier, she feared that she would be raped as she had round breasts. She also towered in stature and had long legs. Her hair was braided into four rows and ended up with longer sides that had been roughened. When she checked herself out and saw how mashed her body was, she tried to fathom how they had been handled. If by men, a lot could have happened. She felt no soreness in her and she was rest assured.

As Axena was deep in thought, suddenly, she was awakened by a trombone which led to silence. The chants and whistles stopped and there was not even a hum. She wondered why the breeze even obeyed the sound. Axena looked around and saw that at the north of the arena was a building that towered into three of the wall size. From it was a protruded passage whose stance was graced by the base of the wall that made up the circular wall that imprisoned the women. At the tip and end of the elongated passage was a man robed in a golden attire that covered his shoulder to his feet. He also had gold around his head, and accessories that rounded his neck were of the shiny amber resources. He had a sword sheathed and attached to a girdle on his waist region. Axena craved for it. She believed it was her option to freedom and even though it meant death, she would gladly do it.

"Men and women of the north," he began in his baritone voice which filled Axena's ear. "I present to you the feminine rebels of the south. This is the produce of my first endeavour as your prince and I have diligently delivered to your hands what you have craved for long. Trading will begin after the lords from provinces had selected. Eat, drink, make merry. We have slaves to our service."

Axena now had a clearer idea of what was happening - they had been raided by one of the kingdoms they hated, presently anonymous to her. Simply, she was a slave. Now she knew why she was naked.