Now our story returns to that of Kayden, Rulaf, Shadi and Torassh.
The last episode that featured these characters was Part 10:
Last time on Raiders of the Middle Seas Part 10
The crowd was cheering ceaselessly. The presenter tried to speak or still the crowd but they would not listen. Favor cloths rained down on them.
Kayden smiled.
They would live another day.
Raiders of the Middle Sea 16
After the fight, Kayden and the other slaves were ushered into the holding cell on the side of the arena. Only Kayden's companions that had fought the bear remained. The other slaves had been taken away earlier.
They were in high spirits. Even the Jhakarti was smiling and laughing in his strange hiccuping fashion. They had been decorated with honours, favour cloths, flowers and Kayden had been hit in the face by a ladies’ undergarments. The last had earned him quite a few remarks from the others.
Shi’Caperrnel and Shi’Uzdu came to them. The former guarded by his usual armoured men and the latter on his own. The two clapped their hands and smiled at the slaves. The short human man looked like a benign uncle.
The Jhakarti Slave Lord's smiling expression left Kayden feeling cold. This creature was so unlike Torassh or others of his kind. He was simultaneously both more human and more strange.
“Well done Rulaf.” Shi’Caperrnel said, beaming in delight. “I made a healthy sum of gold on that game. Who knew that all your drinking would pay off so well? The extravagance that so many other lords spurned.”
“Indeed.” Shi’Uzdu added. “It was most… unorthodox. But it paid out quite well with the wagers.” The Jhakarti lord had raised his one hand, studying his nails on his hand. They were much longer than any working man would wear. Yet they did not look like that of a woman's. These were thick and jagged.
The small Shi took the pause and spoke directly to the other slaver. “Shi’Uzdu, would you be interested in the sale of a few slaves to me?”
The tall slave lord looked down at the small, smiling man and grunted. “Of course, but I hope you are not referring to these three?”
Shi’Caperrnel nodded his little bald head. “Oh but I do. I say two thousand gold for each.”
Kayden nearly fainted. What an astronomical amount of money!
The Jhakarti lord shook his head. “How extravagant." Shi'Uzdu wore an unreadable expression. The words that came from his mouth seemed civil, while his eyes remained cold and predatory. "I would not want to beggar a lord as powerful as you. No my dear lord, I do not think I want to sell these slaves at all. Give me some time to think about it. I must of course… calculate their potential.”
“I think their worth has more to do with what they have managed to accomplish together.” Shi’Caperrnel said. “The returns may not be so high once they are split up and some of them die off.”
The Jhakarti slave lord stared at his short human counterpart for a moment, then said. “Every pit fighter dies. All that matters is that they make the most profit possible while they can.”
The old slave lord nodded. “Then I have a suggestion. The Sand Pits are not a worthy end to this company. We make the most of it before any of them die. We put your slave fighters together with Rulaf here as a group and take them to the Marble Coliseum!”
Rulaf smiled broadly and winked at the others. “Rulaf happy. Marble-palace is the best place for sport. Less dust, more ladies and good monies!”
“You’ve been there?” Shadi asked the man.
“Aye! Is how I got this.” The giant indicated to the chop of missing cartilage that slanted across the bridge of his nose. “They have the best fighters in that place! Very fun!”
“Oh Lord preserve me.” Kayden breathed as the two slavers discussed profits from his eventual demise and a big man who relished the prospect of fighting in a grandiose arena that spelled death at every turn.
“Tonight we should feast!” Rulaf announced to the other slaves. “For tomorrow, we may be dead!”
Shadi looked like he was going to be sick but then nodded and looked at Kayden. “Would be a waste of an opportunity. Maybe it is our last time on earth?”
Kayden sighed. “Aye. I guess so.”
Torassh walked closer to the rest of them, grinning a little. “D…drink?”
“Aye.” Kayden replied and the Jhakarti rolled its eyes, the expression as comical as he had seen in one of these creatures.
“You men crazy.”
Next time on Raiders of the Middle Sea
The day dawned to a splitting headache.
Kayden staggered out into the hot sunlight, his eyes barely able to open, the light pierced his eye-balls like spears.
The sun was not far off the horizon, though he couldn’t bear to look right at it.
He was already drenched in sweat.
New to Raiders of the Middle Sea? Begin Reading previous Episodes!
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 1 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 2
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 3 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 4
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 5 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 6
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 7 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 8
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 9 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 10
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 11 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 12
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 13 / Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 14
Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 15
World of Kedra