![\"Shaniyabad\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Shaniyabad.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFourteen Years Ago<\/b><\/p>\n
Gabriel had a very bad feeling about this.<\/p>\n
His employer was striding along the rows of shackled men as their owner tried very hard to convince Sayyid Taimur bin Faakhir bin Taayib to accept slaves in lieu of hard coin. To his credit, the merchant was not budging and, if Gabriel was not mistaken, was on the verge of saying or doing something that might be construed as an insult. When Sayyid Taimur – Fat Tom to all of them, despite the fact that he was not truly stout – had announced his intent to return to Shaniyabad in order to replenish his wares, Gabriel had thought it would be an interesting diversion. He had grown to appreciate Tom\u2019s descriptions of his homeland and, for a heretic who adhered to a false religion, the man wasn\u2019t all bad. And, indeed, from the moment they\u2019d come into view of Shaniyabad, it had seemed like something out of a dream. The soaring minarets, the exotic smells, the gleaming towers of gold and silver \u2026 it was everything the bards made such a place out to be. For a moment, he was actually able to believe Tom\u2019s insistence that Megalos would be happier if only they embraced the true words of the Prophet.<\/p>\n
And then, they docked and Fat Tom led his expedition – twelve men, all of whom were of al-Wazif birth save Gabriel, though most spoke Megalan as fluently as he did – into the dark heart of the city where the wonders were exchanged for nightmares. Whores and cutpurses lurked in every corner, sometimes being more subtle about their intent (as in the case of the former) while at other times, being far more belligerent about it. The slave markets here were just as cruel and vile as those in Megalos, though here they sold men and women who might have once been Gabriel\u2019s neighbors in a former life. There was no shame in what was done – Gabriel saw one man stripped completely nude so he could be properly appraised, and then the same was done with a young girl barely into womanhood – and he felt his blood pounding in his ears. Only his father\u2019s lessons with the flame and the void kept his thoughts from showing on his face as he was struck by a wall of sound and scents he wished very much to flee. The noise was bad enough – the wails of pain and broken dreams – but the stench \u2026 until now, he\u2019d never thought that despair could have a smell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no need for a man such as these,\u201d Tom said abruptly. He gestured in the direction of Gabriel and the others. \u201cI already have strong arms and swift blades.\u201d The scowl he gave the slavemaster was unexpectedly effective. \u201cWhat I require is the coin that you promised me for these Caithness honeyroots.\u201d Under his hood – a necessity with this sun – Gabriel frowned tightly. He still did not understand why these al-Wazifis were so obsessed with honeyroot, but every person that Tom had spoken to had been extremely eager to get their hands on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have women if you are uninterested in the men,\u201d the slavemaster said. His smile grew feral. \u201cSome of them are quite capable at eliciting the proper reactions.\u201d Tom said nothing, though the thunderhead building on his face was not pleasant. \u201cOne or two of them are quite young,\u201d the slaver added.<\/p>\n
Gabriel tensed. He felt the others around him do so as well and wondered how many they would lose while cutting their way out of Shaniyabad. It had taken most of six months, but he\u2019d managed to learn that talk of children slaves was never wise. Among the caravan, it was whispered that Tom\u2019s primary reason for becoming a merchant within Megalos was to discover the fate of a long-lost daughter, stolen from him by Megalan slavers a decade earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cStep away,\u201d Tom hissed, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the slavemaster, \u201clest I unleash my tame infidel upon you.\u201d Recognizing his cue, Gabriel advanced, dropping one hand to the hilt of his father\u2019s rapier. He grinned ferociously, automatically sliding into the arrogant saunter that was the Cat Crosses the Courtyard. The slaver glanced once in his direction and then again, this time with a frown.<\/p>\n
\u201cA boy?\u201d he asked. Tom\u2019s expression barely changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not be deceived by his appearance,\u201d he said. \u201cHe has looked thus since he traveled with my father and his father\u2019s father.\u201d Open disbelief was stamped on the slavemaster\u2019s face but Tom embraced his nonsensical story. \u201cMy father believed he is the get of a jann and when he Dances \u2026 men die.\u201d Tom held up a hand to arrest Gabriel\u2019s approach. \u201cHe is a water dancer and death cultist who dines upon the souls of those he slays.\u201d The large merchant shivered, as if suddenly chilled despite the heat, and Gabriel stared intently at the slavemaster, still smiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will wager my fine new knife he takes him in a four-count,\u201d one of Tom\u2019s men – Fuad, it sounded like – said in a stage-whisper perfectly pitched to sound as if he meant it only for the man he was speaking to.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut enough of this,\u201d Tom said loudly. He gestured – it was the alert signal, the one that meant they were to stand ready for violence but not to instigate it – and scowled again. \u201cIf you have not the coin for my wares,\u201d he said, \u201cthen our business is concluded.\u201d He turned away.<\/p>\n
The slavemaster lunged forward, lightning fast, his knife appearing as if summoned.<\/p>\n
But Gabriel was faster.<\/p>\n
His father\u2019s sword flashed free from its scabbard and Gabriel struck without thinking – Black Lance\u2019s Last Strike was a dangerous one as it left him wide-open to counterattack and sacrificed defense for aggression, but in this case, the gamble paid off. Recognizing the danger he was in, the slavemaster aborted his attempt at murder and tried to dodge Gabriel\u2019s thrust, but was simply too slow. A shower of crimson rain splattered across the sun-baked stone around them and the man staggered back, dropping his knife as he desperately tried to stem the flow of blood from his neck. He gasped once, twice, then again before collapsing to a half-seated position. Tom looked down at him.<\/p>\n
And then crouched to pick up the knife.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you had not tried to murder me, friend,\u201d he said softly, \u201cI would have summoned a healer.\u201d The smile he gave the man was wintry cold. \u201cInstead, I shall let you die – may Allah forgive me for my lack of mercy – and work instead with your replacement.\u201d He straightened and looked to one of the slavemaster\u2019s guards, none of whom had even budged from where they stood. \u201cHave we a deal, my new friend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do, good master,\u201d the man said. He approached, glanced down at the dying man who had slumped back, and then stepped over him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWalk quickly,\u201d Tom said once their business was concluded and they were back in the streets. \u201cI mistrust that man and suspect he will summon the guard at first opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFear of the half-jann death cultist is not enough to freeze his tongue then?\u201d Gabriel asked softly in Megalan. His comprehension of Arabic was tolerably decent, but actually speaking it? That was still beyond him at the moment. Tom gave him a wry half-smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cCutting down Tahir as you did likely gave them more cause than you might think,\u201d he said. \u201cNow they must decide if any part of what I told them was the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of this over a crate of honeyroot.\u201d Gabriel started to comment further but the snickers from the other men as well as Tom\u2019s grin gave him pause. What had he missed? He cast his memory back over the proceedings \u2026 no, nothing stood out. Was this a jest on the fool Megalan then? Some part of his irritation must have shown on his face because Tom threw up his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace, my friend!\u201d the merchant said quickly. \u201cFor such a deadly lad, you are blind to some of the strangest things.\u201d Gabriel frowned again, then blew out a sharp breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cSterling Gold,\u201d he guessed. Tom grinned again and tapped his nose, causing Gabriel to shake his head. Of course. It all made sense now. Al-Wazif\u2019s prohibition on all things alcoholic – or, more probably, Islam\u2019s – would inevitably lead to a black market seeking such things and Caithness\u2019 reputation for beer was well known. A complete lie, in Gabriel\u2019s opinion, but well known nonetheless.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust so,\u201d Tom said. His smile fell away as their path brought them to another slave market, this one evidently exclusively for captured Megalan (and, in many cases, al-Wazifi as well) women and young girls. \u201cBut now,\u201d he murmured darkly, angrily, \u201cenjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good.\u201d From the bitter tone and the way his other men glanced at him in discomfort, Gabriel suspected Tom was quoting from the Qur\u2019an.<\/p>\n
\u201cExhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters,\u201d Gabriel replied softly in an equally cynical tone, \u201cand to please them well in all things.\u201d Tom gave him a look, grunted and began pushing his way through the throng. For his part, Gabriel gave one more look at the slave auction – that girl there \u2026 his sister would have been that age had she lived – and then turned away to follow his employer.<\/p>\n
And behind him, men continued to be men, foul wretches and low scum that they were.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The stink of the slave hold hit him the moment he stepped onto the ladder. It was a far too familiar stench – sweat, blood, fear and despair, mingled together with the lingering smell of urine, shit and spoiled food – and Gabriel barely managed to keep from grimacing. He kept Misericordia held at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,20],"tags":[29],"class_list":["post-2143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-banestorm","category-bs_pcs","tag-gabery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2143"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2148,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143\/revisions\/2148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}