Goodbye to the Jungle

Chapter 1-2

When he regained consciousness, he was on his back. It took him a moment to realise how he had come to be on the floor of the jungle. The vine. The snake. Falling. He went to lift his head and was immediately rewarded with a throbbing that brought stars to his eyes. He felt nauseous, though he discovered if he lay still, the desire to vomit evaporated.

He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the jungle. Then he remembered. The men. He sat up on one elbow, squinting against the stabbing pain in his head. He couldn’t hear them. Perhaps they had gone past, not noticing him in the leaf litter, hidden by the ferns and shrubs surrounding him. He knew they wouldn’t have given up. Not yet. Not when so much was at stake.

His sole desire at that moment was to sleep. His reserves of energy were depleted, and there wasn’t a muscle in his toned, athletic body that didn’t ache. He lay down and once again closed his eyes.

Just for a moment.

He drifted in and out of sleep for a while longer before he felt able to get up. He opened his eyes, astonished to see a face smiling down at him. A surge of adrenalin soon had him sitting upright, better positioned to inspect the ring of five men standing in a loose circle around him.

“Got ya,” said the solid, muscular man standing before him.

Jahl knew it was useless to try and escape, not the least reason being his fragile state. But if he had to go with these men, these demons, he would stay alert for opportunities to escape. Yes, they could grin like idiots. For the moment. He, however, had no plans to go with them easily.

A stocky, dark-haired male bent down and, with his dagger, cut through the leather strap holding Jahl’s loincloth in place.

“Ya won’t be needing that,” growled the man with devilish delight.

Naked before the five men, each of whom was dressed in garments of leather and fur, he refused to feel humiliated or vulnerable. Proud and noble, he looked the leader in the eye. If they had meant his nakedness to weaken him in some way, they were greatly mistaken. Jahl had a slender, athletic body, tanned and hairless but for a small patch of pubic hair above his c**k. Why should he feel ashamed? It was these men, with their bulk and their bellies, who should be embarrassed.

“Come on,” said the leader. “Get up.” With the help of one his gang, he lifted Jahl to his feet.

Immediately, the throbbing at the back of Jahl’s head intensified and he squinted against the pain.

“Go on. Start walking,” said the leader. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

The men burst into laughter. Jahl didn’t understand why, but he suspected it was at his expense. Let them laugh. He would keep his head held high no matter what befell him. If their intention was to demean him, he wouldn’t allow them the satisfaction. They could take almost anything from him, but never his pride. He knew who he was and where he came from, and this knowledge gave him a solid foundation for everything else in his life.

No demon from the land of men was going to rob him of it.