Chapter 36
Chapter 36
The trip to Volantis was worse than the one to Lys.
It was a disaster.
It wasn’t just the difficulties of getting out of the city that spelled trouble. No.
It was as if the entire world had decided to stop or at least side-track him for as long as possible. Maybe he should have listened.
For once.
Should have waited at least for the omens to disappear, that is.
But he didn’t.
And not because he doesn’t believe in Divination. He does. But with the readings he was getting? A road paved with difficulties?
So what?
When had his life ever been easy in the first place?
So when he had dropped his salt shaker during breakfast and then promptly walked beneath a ladder while in a hurry to the docks, he chose to ignore the signs.
When the light merchant ship he found a spot on took sail right before dawn, he just wanted more sleep. He didn’t much care for the cursing sailors or the bleeding sky ahead. But maybe he should have. Because just a week into their very stormy journey, they came across pirates.
And the ‘bad sort’ too.
Those that leave none alive unless it is to sell them into slavery.
But Draco didn’t care much about that. For him it was nothing but a minor inconvenience, really. And maybe, in another life, some other Jon Snow would have recklessly ran into the battle, trying to fight a losing battle on the logic that the life of a single bastard is worth so much less than those of the ‘honorable’ men around him. But Draco was not that Jon Snow. And becoming as such would be his worst sort of nightmare.
So he acted like a typical coward. Or so all the fat merchants on-board would say had they known of his abilities and that he could have saved them all with a single wave of his hand.
But Draco wasn’t some spineless Hufflepuff. He didn’t view all humans as long-lost brothers he must protect. Especially as he himself was far from human.
And especially when he had overheard some of them talking of how that ‘foreign-looking but still pretty’ Yi-Ti would make a great pleasure slave when they arrive in Volantis. Saving people like that? Draco isn’t a masochist.
What of the slaves some would ask?
Well…
Draco is no Harry Potter. He doesn’t have a ‘saving people thing’. And above all, he is a realist. It’s not like the pirates will kill or damage perfectly sell-able merchandise. And so for the slaves, nothing would change, whether Draco deigns to save their Masters or not. They would still remain slaves.
Of course, he could call for a mutiny, slaughter all the slave-drivers and announce for freedom for all, but he understands that such would be the actions of a rash idiot. In other words, a typical Gryffindor. Because most of those slaves? They know nothing else. They were born slaves and they would die slaves. They don’t need a Savior. More so, they don’t want one. The moment he would walk away, most of them would lands themselves back into slavery and the cycle would start anew. Especially as most of them would prefer to be a well-fed slave than a starving free man.
Maybe he would have made a different choice had there been any children or magical slaves on-board. But there were none.
And so Draco placed a lovely Disillusionment and a Shield onto himself and quietly stood in a corner throughout all the commotion.
It turned out to be the right thing to do…
Because all the fat merchants locked themselves into their cabins, but when the doors were broken down, all but one were dragged out before the pirates. The one that spoke of his potential future as a pleasure slave, that is.
Something was fishy about this whole ‘attack’…
And he wasn’t the only one to think so…
Because one of the merchants, the one that spoke to the pervert that planned out Draco’s future career, let out a high-pitched shriek.
“You! How could you! I thought we were partners! Friends! Almost brothers!”
That didn’t seem to do a thing for the other, if only served to twist his expression into a victorious snarl.
“Brothers?! A Hog is your brother! So many years that I had to tolerate your filthy presence! Share my profits! Accept you into my home! And how did you repay me?! By sleeping with my own wife?!!!”
The other fat man’s eyes widened. He looked obviously guilty. But that was a fact apparent to everyone but him. So he dug an even bigger whole for himself that he did before.
“How could you ever think that? I would never…”
But the other was having none of it.
“You could consider our friendship and partnership officially over for the reason of your untimely and ‘accidental’ death. I would be VERY distraught at your funeral. And my ex-wife’s”
In that moment, the pirate behind the hysterical ball of blubber, promptly slit his throat. And he bled out. Like the pig he truly was…
But the whole incident didn’t end there.
Because the pirates and the fat merchant’s guards began to line up the captives and slaves. They were obviously dividing them among themselves, having slain all the other merchants. And both the pirate captain and the fat merchant looked very pleased with themselves.
And that was when the pirate captain spoke up.
“‘bout our deal…”
But the fat merchant obviously knew what he was going to say.
“I remember and stand by it! You will get your position among the ‘fair’ merchants of Volantis upon our arrival! I will even vouch for you! And I will obviously need someone to replace my ‘missing’ Partner, and that person might as well be you…”
The pirate captain looked convinced, but it seemed that another thought had occurred to him.
“But ‘bout the slaves? We can’t sell ‘m in Volantis! Someone could recognize ‘m! And I won’t hang for that!”
The merchant looked as if that thought had just occurred to him. But them he obviously had an idea.
“That is why we will sail to New Ghis instead!”
The pirate captain looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
“We won’t make the journey! We don’t have the supplies! And with a ship of slaves!”
The merchant looked at him as if he was stupid.
“That’s why we will take out all the ugly ones! Only leave those that will fetch a high price on the market! And one more thing! There should be a pretty Yi Ti among them! That one is mine!”
The pirate captain looked at the man as if he had lost his mind.
“A Yi Ti? But me and my men see no Yi Ti on-board! And pretty? ‘re you sure you didn’t have too many cups? They ‘re yellow, wrinkled and ugly!”
The ball of blubber that DARED to call dibs on Draco stared at the long column of captives, looking scandalized. He didn’t see him. Obviously. As if some muggle filth could see through his Disillusionment!
“WHERE IS MY YI TI?!!!”
Oops…
Someone sounds disappointed.