The culture of the alien people, or Scelus Cadi as she'd learned, was an odd juxtaposition. They had futuristic technology and yet the people dressed and acted like something out of the middle ages. Some of the men even rode on the backs of beasts which looked like overgrown tigers called manx. The warriors really were the epitome of some sort of post apocalypse gladiators or knights from an alternate reality.
"Oh wait I am in an alternate reality!" Giselle practically slammed her head into the bars.
The small towns they passed were filled with houses and buildings made from the hewn black granite. It seemed the standard building material here. When they stopped last night Giselle had nothing to do but study the simple interior of the home Vigdis had taken over. The dwelling was spacious, the furniture hand crafted from pale wood, textiles covered the stark cold stone walls and there was a central fireplace to heat and cook with. It wasn't dissimilar to the dining hall where she'd been presented to Vigdis.
Just as Giselle became used to the almost primitive atmosphere someone would break out an unusual technological object used for this or that. Many of the soldiers had things that reminded her of cell phones or tablets.
Besides the dozens of knives and blades the demonic males wore strapped to their chests, they also seemed to have other weapons that reminded Giselle of a some sort of phaser straight out of Star Trek.
Giselle wondered what occurred to create a culture of such polar opposites.
The Toufik slaves parted to let the hovering vehicle approach. Giselle had no doubt the rider wouldn't blink an eye at running one of the hairy beasts down. She'd already seen Vigdis clip the gentle Toufik more than once with the vehicle he maneuvered beside the cage. Each time he barked as if it was their fault when he'd been the one not paying attention.
"Daimio" The guard said with a bow as he stopped. "Lord I'm here to report a troop of Vidya Cadi were overtaken in the village ahead."
"What were they doing in Scelus territory?" Vigdis growled.
"From what we could gather from the prisoner, they were returning to their territory from the recent auction."
Vigdis spurred his vehicle along at a faster pace and since her hovering cage was somehow connected, it jaunted along. Giselle grabbed hold of the bars to keep the increased pace and bouncing from rattling her around the golden prison.
As they came over top of another rise and entered the town Giselle's hand flew to her mouth in horror. The sight of carnage made her double over and retch on the floor.
Laying strewn on the ground were over a dozen bodies, some still spasming in the throes of death as massive wounds spilled blood and gore. One poor soul's intestines lay in a grotesque heap while another body lay minus its head a few yards away. Madhava stood casually watching a few of the guards as they spitted a convulsing body on a pike, raising it up like some kind of demented flag.
Vigdis looked at the sight with maniacal glee as he stopped in front of his guards. Several warriors held a man on the ground. Vigdis dismounted and approached the pathetic prisoner. The poor man looked as if he had fought valiantly but failed, blood running down his brow and heaving chest.
"So you thought you could sneak onto the land of Vigdis quo Carnager?" Vigdis demanded as he kicked the huddled man. "This poor excuse for a disguise isn't even dyed with the acinus berry." He scoffed.
Giselle looked at the pale red kilt the prisoner wore compared to Vigdis' blood red garment. She then looked at the faded version his guards wore not seeing much of a distinction in the color. As she looked around, she noted even the villagers wore the red color in some fashion. She shook her head befuddled by the custom. It must be like the Scottish and their distinctive plaid tartans.
As Giselle looked back at Vigdis and the prisoner she wished she hadn't. Vigdis pulled a long blade from its jeweled scabbard and pointed it at the man.
"Tie his limbs to the manx." He commanded and was quickly obeyed.
The prisoner's arms and legs were secured to the harnesses of four of the strange cat-beasts. Then Vigdis purposefully, leisurely pressed his blade to the bound man's stomach. As the cruel unforgiving steel sunk in ever deeper the doomed man gritted his teeth and sweat erupted on his brow. An instant later a deafening bellow erupted from the prisoner's throat as Vigdis viciously sliced open the man's bowel.
"Hiya!" Vigdis hollered.
The guards released the black and tan striped manx and the massive felines charged in opposite directions. Giselle squeezed her eyes shut but not before witnessing the poor man being rent in half. She collapsed on the cage floor trembling in horrified shock.
"Burn the village for harboring the enemy." Vigdis ruthlessly announced.