Role

Chapter 4

Norhm awoke to darkness and pain. As he slowly recovered his
consciousness, he became aware of dozens of other bodies around him,
packed like fish in a crate, a hot, moving, moaning mass. He
could hear mumbling, and he raised his voice to join them, calling out
names. Alorhamael, Norman, Daniel, Haj, Mother, Mother. Eventually,
the dark voice of Alorhamael whispered back from just a few feet away.

"I'm here."
"Mael! What's 'appened, mate? Are you alrigh'?"
"We're all captives, mate."
"Aye, mate. But where? How?"
"They burned the camp. Killed your mother."

His head cleared instantly, and he was filled with rage. Bound hand
and foot, he began to crawl through and around the bodies. He became
conscious of a swaying, and he knew, instinctively, that they were on
a boat. As he attempted to navigate the darkness, he found the curved
wall of the hull. Carefully pushing the other living creatures around
him (gods know what they were; they were wet and moving and hot and
mostly unconscious) he managed to get his feet under him. He stood up
slowly, fighting back a thousand new pains and t he swarming nausea
that directly precedes unconsciousness.

Just then, a blinding light opened just above his head, and he was
sprayed with water and a thousand smells. Black arms thrust through
the opening and wrapped around him, pulling him through the hole and
dropping him onto the wet, salty, half-rotten wooden deck. He roared
in protest, a meaningless sound rewarded only by a sharp strike to his
head, blasting him into darkness yet again.

This time he awoke to water in his face and a vicious shaking. He was
naked but for a loincloth. His rope bindings were being replaced with
metal shackles, and he became instantly aware of the bench he sat on
and the oar beating him in the chest. In the next instant he became
aware of his captor's attempts to wrap the chain around the oar, and
he was again overcome with rage. Like lightning his strength returned, and
he lashed out at the old man's side with his elbow. His ribs cracked
audibly Norhm was on his feet, bringing both fists down on the
man's head, killing him instantly.