They no longer restrain me but I'm being watched. The camel rider took me to their tent where most of the younger ones sleep in. There were a total of 16 wooden beds separated into two rows.
"I'm Talon by the way. What's your name?" he said as he offered me his rag-covered hand.
"Masa," I replied and shook his hand.
"This is my bed right here," he pointed to one bed near the entrance. "And this one's yours," as he pointed towards the other bed across his.
I moved towards it and sat down. "Wouldn't this be too hard to sleep on?"
He then looked at me like I was a fussy little shit. "If you want a softer bed, you better join the expedition to the city and help us get supplies."
"I don't understand why you guys live here." Now that I think about it. "Are you guys rebels or something?" I asked suspicious.
To be fair, they live somewhere desolate and they kidnapped me and accused me of being a spy.
"What do you mean rebels?" he asked confused.
"Uh well, are you guys against the government or something?" I asked.
He looked at me for a moment before sighing. He started removing his headdress revealing short blonde hair.
"Where are you from exactly?" he started asking while he folded the cloth. He then placed it on his bed.
"I live in Arache Town. In the south," I answered honestly. That's when I came to the realization that I don't have a clue where I am at right now.
"Where is this? Are we still in the south?" I asked.
"We're in Sagidal," he replied and then he started rummaging from a crate below his bed. He motioned for me to come and look.
It was a map but I'm pretty sure I have not seen something like this before.
"We are right here," he pointed at a triangle on the map. It probably represents camp.
"Is that a castle?" I asked pointing at the northern part of Sagidal.
He frowned and replied, "Gerbarmuder."
"Ger - mur - mu - der?" I tried to mimick.
He frowned deeper and repeated, "Ger - bar! - mu - der."
"Ger - bar - mu - der," I repeated back.
"Yes. It's the castle where the god empress resides in," he grimly explained and then added, "- along with the rest of the women in this continent."
"God Empress? The rest of the women?"
"Have you ever seen women?" he asked suddenly.
"Huh? Yeah...?" I replied half confused.
"You're kidding. There's no way! Women don't associate with men," he said challenging me.
"Well, I have a mother and a sister. I also have friends from school who are girls. Don't you have female family members?" I asked.
Talon sat on his bed and scratched the back of his head.
"I guess I did at one point but I don't remember my mother who gave birth to me. Everyone here don't remember. All we know is that every few months a male child is delivered by a Fantazma on the Southern planes."
"Fantazma?"
"The land keepers. I've seen one of them before. I sneaked out at night one time when I still lived in the south. It wore long clothes that seemed to reflect light. It's hair was really long too. Like this long," he said pointing on his waist.
"It seemed to float or fly. I don't know. I think the shamans could describe it better since they could actually talk to them. Anyway, the shamans all raised us. They're like our dads," He finished.
"TMI"
"TMI?"
"Too much information." I explained, scratched my head and smiled playfully. Truthfully, I am confused with everything that has happened but as I try to wrack my brains for answers a commotion started outside.