[Tags to
@Draconian ]
The wind came in from the east, the sea, and this was not a road well-traveled enough to bring more trouble than necessary. Ki'adan generally anticipate what he would face. This was a typical cargo run, and he could make a quick cash in when he made it to the closest trading spot. Ketra was still a ways off, so it was better to drop them off at Gale, a town nestled at the base of the Thunderblacks.
"I'm hungry," the cargo grumbled. "Can't we stop to eat something!?"
Ki'adan didn't humor them with any kind of response. Instead he gave a hard tug on the tether that strapped the slave to the saddle of his horse. The boy, not more than fourteen or so, yelped when he was pulled forward and struggled to regain his footing as Ki'adan picked up the pace on his horse. The boy was in sandals and had rags on to protect him from the chilly air, but he would walk the rest of this journey.
"Hey! You got ears. Don't you hear me?" he hissed, glowering up at Ki'adan in the saddle. Still, the man said nothing and rode upright, passing between a set of tall trees and he didn't dare look behind him. The horse moved underneath him with ease and was in tune with the direction his rider set seemingly even before he moved him.
Ki'adan cracked his neck a little, the long ride from the edge of the desert a little wearing on his body. He hadn't made the cargo walk that far of course without a proper rest. A slave in drab condition wouldn't garner much value. As far as he knew, he was some native brat that tried to cross the Moraki by bribing and smuggling himself in a caravan, then tried to steal a kaadir. When he was found, he tried to escape and that was when Ki'adan happened upon him.
It was too bad the boy didn't know exactly how lucky he was someone else didn't find him. He might have just been thrown into the Colosseum to be bait for some gladiator. Or be executed right there on the spot.
Ki'adan saw the value flesh, and he had better use north. He was too skinny to do well in the Colosseum anyway. So he made his way north into Adela, crossing a steep and treacherous path through the Thunderblacks. It wasn't on any standard slave trade route, but it was a path that Ki'adan knew well enough to get around the attention he was trying to avoid.
"Hey!" the cargo called out again. "You fucking hear me! What are you fucking stupid? You look like some Essyrni slug rat, or Duhjari Horse-ass kisser."
With a growl, Ki pressed his ankles into his horse and the animal started to trot, and that dragged the boy clear off his feet, pulling him through the brush, roots, reeds, and rocks, and he screamed aloud.
When Ki'adan stopped, he pulled hard on the reins and jumped off the saddle before taking out the dagger he had along his thigh and stalking toward him. Yanking the boy by his hair, he pressed the flat of the blade against the side of his mouth. "How about I just cut out your tongue? Hmm? Say another word and that's exactly what's going to happen," Ki'adan whispered to him. The boy just shook his head, holding his breath.
As Ki'adan gazed into his eyes, he saw something moving above them in trees, and the reflection in them revealed a large winged shape. The slave hunter whipped his head upward and viewed the sky, blinking a few times. Right, they were in the borders of Adela now. And that meant dragons.
A screech a lot closer than he expected made Ki'adan unceremoniously jerk his hand, and the edge of the dagger nicked the boy's cheek, causing him to release a whimper. Well, it was time to get moving again.
