Raiders of the Middle Sea

a World of Kedra Story

Last time on Raiders…

Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 2

The first round of bloodsport is over and Kayden has barely a moment to count himself lucky when the bearish Rulaf picks up Kayden and Shadi as though they were children.

The giant man kept insisting that they would drink and be merry. Rulaf carried them into an opening on the side of the area when…

They passed through the stone archway and into a walled off cage similar to where Kayden had spent the last two nights. This room however had an opening on the other side and Rulaf walked through it and set Kayden and Shadi down.

Kayden winced at the pain the brute had caused in his arms. Kayden came face to face with a half dozen spearheads the moment he had a chance to look up.

“Drop your weapons slaves!” The order was barked. Beyond the spears Kayden was aware of more men armed with crossbows.

Part 3

“Oki doki boss!” Rulaf shouted and dropped his maul to the ground. The weapon crashed down on hard flagstones, flipped a little forward and the head smashed onto the foot of one of the guards. The man screamed and dropped his spear. “Oops!”

Kayden and Shadi set down their weapons on the floor more carefully even as the leader of the guards strode forward and berated the giant. The big man held a stupid expression on his face and looked quite apologetic. Kayden decided that it was sincere and that the incident was indeed an accident.

Next to Kayden the dark haired warrior had entered and seemed reluctant to let go of his weapons, his eyes flicked from guard to guard in the grey stone room. Besides the threat of dozen spears and half dozen crossbows, there was no other way out. The man silently set down his arms.

The bald headed monster, the last Jhakarti, had to be struck with the butt of a spear to make it relinquish its hold on the weapon it carried.

The guard captain was a tall man with a bald head, the tufts of black hair on either side of his pate in disarray. He had definitely been wearing a helmet recently. The olive skin between was flushed red in anger.

“… now the foot’s broken! You can’t keep doing that you know! Your master will find out about this because every time HE has to pay for that sort of thing!” The captain was saying. The man sighed and let go some of his anger and bearing. “I’ve grown… accustomed to you Rulaf, try to die out there instead of in here like a dog.”

“Aye Captain!” The big man saluted. “Can we go drink now? My new friends can come with!” The giant grinned, showing his crooked yellowed teeth.

“Well. That remains to be seen Rulaf.” The Captain shrugged. “Your master does not own these slaves and their master might not be as kind as Shi’Caperrnel.”

“Oh.” The giant’s face fell, then his head fell till his chin was on his chest.

“Whatever is the matter my dear Rulaf?” A soft and melodious voice called. Kayden craned his neck to see a short man in lavish coloured silks glide over the rough stone slabs towards them. The man had no hair on his head but he grew a short snow white beard. The robes were cream, red and yellow. It ran from his right shoulder under his left arm, leaving his one side bear. His feet were on leather sandals but Kayden could not hear them make a sound over the background noise.

“Shi’Caperrnel!” Rulaf shouted and made kind of short charge towards the man. Two large and heavily armoured men that flanked the robed man came forward with their halberds as the big man advanced but Rulaf threw himself to his knees and bowed his head forward, his fists on the flagstones. Even in this position, he was still taller than the robed man.

Shi’Caperrnel smiled and patted the big man on his brow. “My dear boy. You fought well today. The crowd was much pleased… and I made some good wagers off you.”

Rulaf nodded. “It was fun today Master. Rulaf had fun. I met some new friends.” The giant motioned over his shoulder with a thumb.”

Rulaf’s owner looked up at Kayden and he met the man’s smiling gaze for a moment before the slave master looked onwards to Shadi. “Ah yes. They are Shi’Uzdu’s slaves. They fought well also. Most unexpected how quick things had gone.”

“They my friends Master. Rulaf want to drink with friends, be merry.” Kayden was shocked to see tears in the big man’s eyes. He snuck a glance over to Shadi who shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes.

Another robed man entered the room, flanked by two veiled women. The man had a long full brown beard but had a shaved upper lip. His hair was long and flowing down his back. He was much taller than the other slave master, but his dress was nearly identical. The women bore strange weapons. Short staves with a long blade on either end were strapped to their thighs. They did not look amused or friendly and their eyes studied every single individual in the room as they stalked alongside their master.

The man came to stand before the dark haired warrior. Kayden turned his attention in that direction while the big man continued imploring to his master about drinking and friends.

The brown haired man spoke. “I am Shi’Janos Weiterhaus.” Kayden drew a sharp breath at the name. The man is from Railor! The man looked at Kayden briefly and seemed to find Kayden’s astonishment amusing as he leered. The “Shi” in his name must an honorific.

Shi’Janos turned away from Kayden and stood before the dark haired man. “I am your Master. Come with me, you have done well. I will care for you where those that captured you did not.”

The dark haired man stared at the slave master coldly. Eventually his reply came short and low. “Will I ever leave this place?”

Shi’Janos smiled. “It’s possible. As long as it’s profitable.” The man held up a hand and rubbed his forefinger and thumb together. The dark haired man nodded and the four of them strode from the room.

Another figure entered the room. Robed like the rest of them, except that his colours were cream, blue and yellow. The little slaver half turned when he saw the other arrive. “Ah! Shi’Uzdu! Good to see you! Fortuitous that your slaves did so well in the game!”

The thing that came as the worst shock of Kayden’s entire experience up till now came in this moment. Not the battle that had downed his ship, not the capture or enslavement and not even the bloodsport that he had just participated in had prepared him for this moment.

His owner was not human. He was, in fact Jhakarti.

To Be Continued

Raiders of the Middle Sea Part 4

Afterword

Good day readers. I hope this episode was entertaining without the violence and bloodshed seen in the previous two.

These episodes are really part of a story that was intended to be a longer story to read all at once. I have been told to keep it at this kind of length. Please give me feedback if you think that this is a correct pacing.

In this episode we find out more about the place that Kayden finds himself a slave. I would urge the readers not to discard seemingly random information given in the story, something mentioned seemingly at random is often not a mistake or a co-incidence.

Next time on Raiders

What will happen of Kayden and Shadi? How would they survive under the ownership of a cruel and inhuman master? Find out tomorrow what happens!