Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights. I love pirates! But I don't own pirates either. But I do have a Jack Sparrow shirt and poster…
Yoru: Hello!
Kuronue: Hello!
Yoru: I had a dream kind of thing about this story, so naturally I am going to write it.
Kuronue: She does this often.
Yoru: Yes, I do! Love my dreams because they give me good fanfic/novel ideas!
"We caught him a few days ago. Seems he ran away from his first master. He's marked as a slave, so we figured it was all right for us to 'take him in'." The slave master smiled at his customer. Rath Illuser was a famous merchant and one of the richest men on the high seas. He was handsome and strong, and ruthless.
"So you basically stole him."
"No, no! If he ran away, he was fair game." The slave master turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder. Rath peered into the cell at the slave.
The slave was huddled in the corner of his cell, his tattered clothing wrapped pitifully around his small frame. His hair, long and neglected, was violet. His skin was a bronze tan. The eye that showed was the color of burnished gold. Rath was enraptured as that eye met his own crimson ones.
"You are lovely," Rath said under his breath. The slave heard him, and curled up tighter on himself. Rath blinked as the slave master ushered him aside.
"Excuse us, sir. This man has paid for a test."
"A test?" Rath watched as the man walked into the cell and grabbed the slave, forcing him to the ground and pulling the tattered clothing away. Rath caught a glimpse of the long scar that shut the slave's right eye. Growling to himself, Rath turned to the slave master as the grunts of the man and the cries of the slave reached his ears.
"What's going on?" he snapped. The slave master flinched.
"This man wants to test the slave. For twenty silvers you have fifteen minutes. For thirty gold you buy the slave. I think that man wants to buy him."
"I'm buying him," Rath said quietly. The slave master stared at him.
"But…"
"Fifty gold."
"Oh. All right then."
Rath led his new slave along the streets toward his ship. He had had to wait another ten minutes for the testing man to get off of the slave, but they were finally on their way. He eyed his slave dubiously.
"What's your name?" he asked finally.
"Gil," his slave replied quietly. Rath sighed. Gil was obviously terrified of him.
"Look, Gil, I'm not going to hurt you."
"That's what they said," Gil replied, quieter still. Rath spun around and grabbed him. Gil's eye shot open wide. Rath didn't care.
"I'M. NOT. GOING. TO. HURT. YOU," Rath gritted out loudly. Gil stared at him.
"You're not?"
"No."
"Then what did you buy me for?" Gil asked as Rath let go of him. Rath shrugged.
"I don't know. Impulse. Now come on. Who are they?"
Wrong question.
Gil's mouth clamped shut. His breathing grew heavier, and Rath could see him shaking as he dropped to his knees.
"Are they the ones you ran away from?" Rath asked softly. Gil nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. Rath hesitated, and then picked him up. Gil blinked, shocked. Rath hoisted him higher, and then continued the walk to his ship.
"Who's that?" First mate Thatz asked immediately.
"My new slave."
"What for?"
"Because I can."
"How much?"
"Fifty gold…" Wait a minute. That hadn't been Thatz's voice…oh, shit.
"FIFTY GOLD? FOR THAT? YOU SPENT OUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON THAT WHEN I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEND MORE THAN THIRTY? YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THE SHIP WITH THAT MUCH!"
"Look, Alfeegi…"
"DON'T YOU 'LOOK ALFEEGI' ME! THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY SCREWED UP! AND YOU!" Alfeegi rounded on Kai-stern, a random crewmember that happened to be passing by, "YOU LET HIM!"
"Alfeegi, you're scaring the slave to death," Kai-stern snapped. Alfeegi opened his mouth, and then shut it again. Gil was staring at him, wide-eyed. Rath rolled his eyes.
"If I'd kept my price at thirty gold he would have been bought by an ugly, abusive rapist. I only got him because I offered fifty. And he's not a that. He's Gil."
"But…"
"No buts. Back to work." Rath carried Gil into his cabin and set him on the bed.
"Sorry about that. Alfeegi's a little crazy about money." He pulled off his shirt, which had the grime of the city on it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gil push himself into the wall where the bed met the corner of the cabin. Rath sighed.
"I'm just changing shirts, Gil. You really don't trust me, do you?" Rath pulled on another shirt and sat on the bed. Gil looked positively terrified.
"I…I…"
"Never mind. Don't worry about it." Rath got up and left the cabin, shutting the door behind him. Thatz, Kai-stern, and Alfeegi met him outside.
"So. How is he?"
"Scared, and he really doesn't trust me not to hurt him. If I ever find his old masters, I'm going to kill them for what they've done to him."
He heard a shuffling noise, and knew Gil had heard him.
Later that night, he returned to his cabin to find Gil asleep on the floor. He sighed, figuring that's where Gil's old masters had made him sleep. Rath picked the slave up and put him on the bed, covering him. Then he went to his chair and sat, watching Gil.
He really was beautiful. Tomorrow, Rath would give him a bath and wash all of the dirt and grime from his skin and hair. Maybe that would make Gil feel better.
The slave was whimpering in his sleep. Rath went over to hear what he was saying.
"Master…please…stop…" He turned over roughly, curled up in a small ball. Rath reached out and shook him gently.
"Gil."
"Please…"
"Gil!"
"No more…Master, not that! PLEASE!"
Rath couldn't stand it anymore. He picked Gil up and shook him hard.
"WAKE UP!" He sighed in relief as Gil's eye snapped open. The slave was panting and shaking, staring sightlessly into Rath's eyes.
"Master?"
"You were having a nightmare. I woke you up." Rath put Gil back on the bed and pulled the covers to his chin. Soon, Gil went back to sleep. It was now that Rath really saw the scars that covered Gil's lovely skin. They were everywhere, from his face to his feet. Rath shuddered, not wanting to know what had been done to Gil.
It would never happen again while he was there to protect the young slave. Never again.
The next morning, Rath woke to a single golden eye staring into his.
"Master? I made you breakfast." Gil held out a tray. Rath took it.
"Erm, thanks." It smelled wonderful. He ate it, finding that Gil could certainly cook.
"Where'd you get this?"
"I went down to the galley and made it. The cook let me." He seemed so proud of himself. Rath smiled.
"It's fabulous. How'd you learn to cook?"
"My younger brother taught me when it was just me and him up in the mountains. I guess it…stuck with me…" Gil bit his lip. Rath reached out and touched his head. Gil flinched, then relaxed.
"How old are you?" Rath asked. Gil thought a moment.
"I think twenty-three."
"You don't look twenty-three. I'm twenty-four."
"I'm not very good with math. Maybe I'm not that old." Gil looked a bit sheepish. Rath laughed.
"Do you want a bath?" he asked, smiling brightly. Gil blinked.
"I would love one," he whispered.
Rath realized very quickly that Gil adored baths.
He stood and rubbed soap into Gil's hair, feeling the slave relax under his touch. Perhaps it wouldn't be as hard as he thought to bring the real Gil out. Gil splashed and giggled like a small child. Rath wondered how long it had been since he had had a long bath. Most slave masters kept their slaves clean enough, but Gil had obviously been abused very badly…
Rath shook his head. Get out of that train of thought. You don't want to know.
"Hey Rath. Hate to interrupt your wonderful time here, but you've got things to do, ya know." Thatz looked slightly irritated. A pretty young man peered around him.
"Yes, Captain Rath. Like gambling and things like that with Thatz. The men miss you already."
"I'm busy right now," Rath snapped. Gil giggled.
"I can take a bath by myself," he said, pushing Rath toward the door. Rath shrugged and left, shutting the door firmly.
"He doesn't trust you my ass," Thatz said with a smirk.
"He does now. I woke him up from a nightmare last night and he's sleeping in my bed." Rath started walking toward the game cabin, with Thatz and his lover Rune trailing behind, "What did you really want?"
"We got some news by carrier pigeon. That slave master you bought Gil from? He and his staff were murdered last night."
"By who?"
"Nadil," Thatz replied quietly. Nadil was the single most feared pirate on the seas. He preyed on merchants like Rath, and he never took prisoners. The wreckage of boats, with the brand of Nadil, were constantly being found.
"Why would he kill a slave trader?"
"Our contact says he was asking about a slave of his…that the slave master had just sold that day. A few hours before, even. For fifty gold." Thatz looked straight into Rath's eyes, "Rath, he's coming after us. He wants that slave back. Seems Gil ran away from him and he wants to punish him."
"He can't have him."
"If we won't give, he'll take. His ship Kainaldia is the fastest in the sea. All he has to do is find us." Thatz put an arm around Rune as the man whimpered. Rath snorted.
"Take another route to where we're going. He won't find us, Thatz. I'm going to protect Gil. Lykouleon will know what to do. Set a different course for Dusis."
"Yes, Captain."