Chapter 4

The people of the desert, called the Socanas, were wicked beyond that which you could ever ponder about.

There was nothing you can think you that the Socanas had not tried to do many times over. The desert loved every form of debauchery that was possible to perform. They were not bashful in all of their attempts to do evil even when out in public.

They had no shame in their ambition to be as evil and corrupt as they obtain. Their conscious had been seared long go. To do something that was morally right was the only “evil” to the Socanas.

Evil was good and good had become evil in the hot Socanas desert.

The desert dwellers were to the east of the simple folk of Lowroda.

Lowroda was landlocked by a natural land barrier to the west and to the east by the desert.

The east of Lowroda was an impossibly high series of mountains and devoured everyone that dared to tried to scale their dangerous heights.

Nobody returned to tell the tale of what lied in the easterly laid mountains so the villagers of Lowroda stop trying and made an attempt to exit into the desert. That decision was one that would lead to their absolute horror.

All entrants into the desert were quickly drained of their strength by the heat and lack of water.

The few that survived the deserted were attacked by the Socanas.

Every form of humiliation was performed by the inhabitants of Socanas unto the people of Lowroda or anyone else that was in their territory for that matter. The desert dwellers did not care who they hurt, even if it was their own family.

This fact was wildly believed to the reason that the people of Lowroda were so xenophobic of outsiders. Lowrodans had be said that was the reasons that they learned to stay within their own lands and mind their own business.

Throughout the desert of Socanas was hundreds of oasis’s and cities were built around about almost all those oases.

Huge cities were built around the water holes throughout the desert. The majority of the Socanas lived in cities based around the watering holes of various oases. The cities were often enormous and dwarfed the biggest village of Lowroda several times over easily.

The remaining populace of Socanas were nomads and carried various goods among the numerous cities. These people were often merchants that sold everything from an assortments of fruits to even slaves.

Slaves were ether used for sacrifice in honor of the great shadow and/or other idols. The most fertile slaves were used for sex slaves and the strongest were used as gladiators in the various coliseums throughout the never ending desert.

The biggest coliseum was to the north end of the desert and it had the strongest warriors among all the desert’s gladiators.

People among all cultures desire to see any of the many forms of combat sports but that was not enough for the Socanas.

They wanted to see blood and guts and they did care whose blood and guts it was! The coliseums had no rules no and allowed every form of dirty tactic imaginable.

This was no surprise since the people committed every abomination that one could possibly ponder in your worst nightmare.

Nothing was taboo except going against the Socanas leadership. The Leadership was so corrupt that it was ingrained into their very nature. Doing evil in Socanas was as natural as the act of breathing air.

The entire desert land of Socanas was ruled by a mysterious cult known only as the invisible

hand.

The cult ruled everything that went on in the land and they ruled with an iron hand.

The people that wanted to do things that are honest and upright were punished and gotten ridden of as mere trash.

The invisible hand took advantage of all those that were weaker than themselves at every possible opportunity. It went on to the point that it could be an Olympic event.

Might make right was the motto of Socanas.

The common people of Socanas lived in constant fear of the invisible hand since they knew that were powerless against the cult.

The invisible hand cult’s name refereed to the fact that their power was all over the desert and that it’s control was in every considerable place. Plus the common people did not truly know was involved with the cult and who was not. That fact alone was why the cult was so powerful in Socanas.

The common folk of the land of the desert were seen as nothing but objects of abuse that to be done by various cult members.

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Somewhere out in the vast Socanas desert laid a small flat roofed house and inside there was a couple living on their own next to a small oasis.

The couple was expecting their first child and the woman was about to pop out their child.

The mother puts her hands to her stomach and she screams out loud.

The man was trying to cut open a coconut outside with a machete when he hears the scream.

The man comes rushing into the small one room house with the machete. When the man sees that his pregnant lover is fine he throws the dagger to the clay bricked floor. The male rushes to his pregnant partner and holds her.

The man gasps,”What is wrong, Iona? What has frighten you?”

Iona spoke with glee,” I felt two different kicks! It must be twins Danos!”

Iona grabs Donas’ hands and puts them across her bare stomach.

Donas’ eyes about jumped out with surprise. Donas smiled as well and the two kissed.

The couple was in sheer glee that they were with child, especially after they found out their having twins. They were both literally and figuratively in their own little world.

Donas and Iona had no family beside the two of them and the twins that were in Iona’s womb. Having two new people to interact with was a blessing to them especially those that were of their seed. They would not put their children what they went through. That alone would be a huge burden off the couple’s shoulders.

The fact that the couple’s offspring would have a chance of a much better life was truly a blessing to Iona and Donas. It gave them both tremendous joy.

They had left everything that they had ever knew to live out in the desert and they often felt lonely. They had no one to check up on them since everyone in their life had disowned them long ago and would do nothing to help them, even if they were laying in the street dying.

The couple were the victims but they were dealt with as they were the guilty ones.

The young lovers were born into the invisible hand cult and they had knew nothing

more than that. The cult had brainwashed them into doing what they were told but something must had went too far which had forced them to leave.

They missed being around other people but they could not live where they once did. They could

not live in another Socanas city because the invisible hand’s reach and control was in everyone of the cities in Socanas.

Assassins were sent to chase after them and a bounty was placed on both of their heads. It was suicidal to go into the cities and did not know any other place to go.

The cult leaders had a monopoly on the knowledge of Socanas and the outside world.

Assassination or suicide was the punishment for those who rebelled against the invisible hand.

The elite of Socanas were the leaders of the invisible hand cult and they would do anything and everything to satisfy their carnal lusts. Nothing the elites did was taboo or off limits to the cult leaders.

If the invisible hand asked you to die then you had to die. There was no other choice to the lower class citizens of Socanas since they had no power in the society.

This was not surprising to anyone that lived in the Socanas desert since the invisible hand was a true great shadow worshiping cult.

The great shadow was the source of evil in the Singlarr galaxy and desired all sorts of debauchery to satisfy his inclination for worship. The great shadow had tried to lift himself above the one true God.

Iona and Donas were alone but they cared deeply about each just the same. They had the decision to focus on each other and not their lack of close friends and family.

Children that were in the cult were abused so often that it was common place and appeared to be

“normal”.

It was sad that children were abused in every considerable way but the invisible hand saw no harm in it, like it was just standard behavior. The invisible saw no evil in hurting children and the children were mad to feel bad if they resisted.

The people in Socanas were brainwashed by cult leader since they mere toddlers.

They were taught that the invisible hand and it’s leaders were to obeyed without questioned.

Children and all adults were expected to work sixteen to seventeen hour days seven days a week. The non leaders of the cult were slaves to the leadership.

Donas and Iona had no free will the entire time that they stayed within the cult. They were to work since they were weaned off the nipple and to work without break until the day’s shift was done.

Those that stopped from their work were whipped with various whips until they got back to work. Those who could not return to work were thrown into a small closet sized holding cell and

given no food or water.

The cult leaders were given a grand life and wanted for nothing. They did not have to work for anything and took whatsoever they wanted or thought of wanting. The slaves of the invisible hand had

to support the lavished lifestyles of it’s leadership without question.

The slaves of the cult were to worked until they dropped dead in the desert and eaten by vultures.

Donas and Iona had tried to forget to why they left their own home, if you could even call it that.

#

The pair were working one day on an idol dedicated to the great shadow. They were trained to make elaborate idols in their early childhood.

They were like drones in that had a specific function that they and could do not much more. The cult leaders wanted that their workers did a lot of work and knew only how to do very little. The invisible hand had wanted to keep a monopoly on all knowledge in the territory of Socanas.

Knowledge could and often be very powerful. The lack of knowledge creates a dependence on those who posses such desired knowledge.

Donas and Iona were not romantically involved since they taught that sex without leadership’s permission was a punishable offense. The workforce usually would act asexual in their behavior so that more work could be done, as commanded by the cult leader.

The two were both very good sculptors and that talent was used by the invisible hand to make idols of the great shadow and his followers.

Donas and Iona were taken in completely enclosed buggies so that could not figure out a route to escape. The invisible hand was extremely paranoid and left nothing to chance. The cult wanted to

control everything that went on in the desert.

The pair of Iona and Donas had been alone most of the day and it was starting to get dark. The idol that the pair was working was finished and they were double checking the statues for any errors.

Donas spoke,” The back side of the statue is correct, how about the front?”

Iona was finishing looking over the front and she said,”The front is identical to the drawing that

we were given.”

Donas had a gotten an old wooden ladder and was looking over the top of the elaborate statue.

Donas speaks,”Good, let me finish looking over the top of the statue.

The idol was that one of the great shadow’s various evil spirits.

The invisible hand cult worships the great shadow and his demons. They demanded that all idols be perfect and without any blemish.

If ether Donas or Iona made a single mistake then they would be killed. The cult leaders would look at the idol at every considerable angle to see that it was correct.

A short fat man begins to walk towards the pair of Donas and Iona with a sinister look on his plump face.

The pair bow to the fat man in a prostrate position(on all fours with forehead to the ground).

The large man was a lower class cult leader and he was not here to check up on Donas and Iona’s progress with the idol. He had other ideas in mind.

The man speaks,”Male slave you can now leave now! Raise your head and make your leave immediately! Make haste and leave us without looking back!”

Donas jumps right to his feet and makes a standing bow.

Donas speaks,” The statue of...”

The cult leader cuts him off and says,”Just leave us or you will die! Do not question me, slave!”

Donas bows and begins to walk away.

He obeys as he has been taught since he has been taught. The cult leaders were to be obeyed

since to the cult they were perfect. The invisible hand were to be obeyed or else.

Donas thinks,” The leader did not care about the statue! That does not make sense since the leaders focus so much on worshiping our beloved spirit guides. The master had wanted to see only Iona and not me! It does not make any sense!”

Donas was walking very slowly since he felt ill to stomach as Iona was in danger somehow! Back at the site of the newly built idol, there is Iona still in a prostrate position on the ground.

Iona was being to wonder what was going on and she being to ponder,”Why has Donas had sent

away and not me? It does not make any sense or does the master here have a special purpose for me? I hear that some blessed workers get to to be used for special purposes! Could I be a candidate for becoming a special worker?”

The cult master spoke,” I have decided that you will be my concubine and later a ritual whore! How blessed you will be! I have picked you out of hundreds of female slaves and I found you to be the most beautiful and most fertile. The invisible hand needs more stock to support our group in the future generation! The invisible hand is to live for the future generation!”

Iona had no concept of sex since she had not even kissed a man before yet alone slept with one. The invisible hand would set aside female virgins and even some males as well, to sacrifice to the great

shadow and his spirits. The great shadow loved the victimization of the weak and innocent ones. They loved to prey on those of could not defend himself.

The cult leader spoke,”I will have to break you in before you can become a ritual whore!”

Iona had no concept of what she was being told and remained silent.

The fat man grabs Iona by her hair and pulls her to her feet. Iona is raised above his head and Iona’s hairdo falls apart.

She falls to the ground revealing her long red hair that went down to her shins.

Iona become very frighten and rightful so.

The fat man was angered that he had dropped his prized concubine to the stony ground. The cult

leader went to kick Iona on her left side.

Iona was so scared that she grabbed the fat man by his shin and she would not him let go.

The cult leader speaks,”Let me go slave or I will kill you for your rebellious nature! Let me free at once!”

Iona was so scared that she went in fight or flight mode and squeezed the fat man’s leg so hard that it breaks the fat man’s shin.

The cult leader screams and falls unto his back and yells out in pain. The fat man has never felt pain before in his life and he screaming like a spoiled child on the ground.

Iona has lost it and begins to scream out in horror about what has just happened.

She had worked with Donas for the last ten years so she could trust in him is what he thought.

She screams,” Donas, I need help! Come back here at once!”

Donas walked less than a quarter of a mile when he had stopped in his tracks.

Donas spoke,”I just do not know what feels wrong but I just can not shake this sense of dread. I know I have been told ordered to leave but I can’t just leave Iona by herself. I will just walk back within eye distance then go on my way. I feel that something bad is going to happen to Iona! I am going to return to see what is up.”

#

Donas had walked back near where he had built the idol with Iona when he hears some blood curdling screams.

Donas was aghast by what he saw from the distance.

The cult leader was fighting with Iona. The fat man was getting the upper hand of the struggle.

Donas stood speechless at what he saw.

The fat man was trying to rape the idol maker Iona but the pair did not know that going on. The

pair was kept naive on purpose so the cult leaders could take advantage of those that were under their control.

She had only knew that she wanted nothing with being this old fat man’s concubine and later becoming a ritual whore that was traded around to everybody that was elite.

Ritual whores were said to be nomads and never had a true home.

Iona was panicking and she only knew that she had to fight back.

The fat man speaks,”Slave, stop fighting me or I will kill you! You should feel honored that I would pick you out of thousands of female slaves. I have at right now, have over one hundred different female slaves that I keep to bear me strong successors of my seed. You will also get to have such an opportunity! You should be jumping in joy for such a chance. Women throw themselves for such an opportunity that was given you ingrate.”

Iona spoke,”Why would I want that? Why would I want to be with a fat slob!”

The cult leader smacks Iona in her face and knocks her to the ground.

Iona was balling her pretty eyes out.

The cult leader spoke,” You have too much self will, but I will take my time breaking you in! You will call me master soon enough! I will have my fun until then!”

Iona spits in the fat man’s face and receives another slap in the face for her effort.

#

Iona had been told by an old broken down woman one day out of the blue that the cult leaders are not to be trusted.

Iona was just a little girl when she was eating with other female slaves and the older woman were teaching the younger how to cook for a lot of people.

At a camp fire one night, Iona was siting next to an old woman.

Iona was only around four to five years at the time and was a blank canvas that could be molded

to meet whatever goal of whomever may teach her.

Children often take things as face value, even if it does not make sense to them. Children would most likely just believe what they had been taught.

Iona holds her little bowl with both of her small hands.

She is getting knock out of the way by the other slaves.

Iona had gotten thrown out of the way and had dropped her bowl on the bricked ground. A teenage girl ran over the top of the bowl which cause the simple mud made bowl to shatter.

The teenager did not even say sorry as she ran away witch left the crying Iona with nothing to put her diner in.

She could do nothing but cry that she would go hungry this night. She had gone hungry for last three days.

Iona tried to some how put her broken bowl back together but she could not do so.

The little girl cried out loud as she cuts her small hand on the broken shards of her bowl. Blood begins to pour out of her hand when she is touched by a touch of a wrinkled hand.

Iona jumped back since she did not see who had touched her.

Iona spoke,”Do not touch me! Leave me alone!”

She turned around and saw that it was just a feeble old woman.

The old woman smiled with a gummy smile. She had lost her teeth long ago and

her sunken jawline.

The old woman spoke,”Honey let me bandage up that hand or you will get an infection.”

Iona could see that this old woman had went her no harm and let her work on her cut hand.

#

Iona had a newly wrapped left hand and hugged the old woman in return. The old woman fought back the tears that was starting to whelm up in her saggy eyes.

The young girl runs up to the pot of food and she say that it was empty.

Iona broke out in tears that she would would go hungry again this night.

The old woman spoke,”Here, honey! I have had a bowl ready for you eat dinner out of.”

Iona was so upset that she did not even see the large bowl of food in front of her

The old woman had set a bowl at her feet and had another bowl in her hands.

Iona could not be comforted so the old woman put a spoon in the bowl in her hands. The woman put the soup in the young girl’s mouth as you would feed a young baby.

Iona fought it at first until she figure what it was.

The young girl spoke,”Yum!”

Iona grabbed the bowl and begun to slurp up the soup.

The woman speaks,”Here take your spoon since it will help you to eat you diner.”

The young girl used the spoon as a scoop and she ate the entire bowl of soup.

The old woman handed Iona the second bowl.

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The girl amazingly ate the second bowl like it was nothing.

Iona was licking the bowl clean when she hears a person’s belly rumble out of hunger.

Iona looked over and saw that she had eaten the food of the woman that had helped her .

Guilt overcomes the little girl since she had been as the other people had been and cared for only themselves.”

Iona had been like the other slaves and cared not for their fellow woman. The little girl begins to cry out loud.

One of the adult slaves begin to curse wildly due to Iona constant crying and she jumped up off her seat (which was a large boulder).

The woman was rather large due to all her hard manual labor that she had to do every day. The woman was both chunky and muscled at the same time.

The angered woman spoke,” I am gonna knock out this little $%$#@! I am tired of all her belly aching and I am going to shut her up permanently!”

Iona was terrified as she heard the threat and later the laughter of the other slaves.

What was Iona going to do?