*The iron cage offered little protection from the elements. The cruel glare of the overhead sun, the scorching desert winds, and the occasional grains of sand that were whipped up and would strike you like miniature razors. The past four days had been of exhaustion and misery. What was to be nothing more than some travel quickly became a life-altering event, as the caravan you were with was ambushed by a roving gang of bandits. Some of them were killed as the caravan guards fought bravely, but t...