30

My heart was crying, I didn't know what else to do. I was stuck. I'd be sold as a pornes.

Tears began to sprout in my face... that would be the end of me.

I heard Arthur opening the first basket that was next to me very quickly and after that it was my turn.

The light from the storage room lit up mine head and I could see Arthur's shadow reflected in the rice around me.

- Look... it looks like someone was hiding the new merchandise from Sir Fire... - Arthur said while pulling me by my hair forcing me go out from where I was hiding.

- Iudex Benjamin... did you know there was such a large rat living in the midst of this ship's rice stock?

Fire's voice was unmistakable now that I was out of reach of any kind of protection.

Arthur threw me to the ground between Benjamin and a man with a beard and gray hair, a round body and deep red eyes.

- I just don't kill you right now because I don't want the entire Mor fleet to come after my Captain... your death would cause a lot of noise Benjamin... and we don't want much noise... and about you!

Fire lifted me up from the ground and set me standing before him. I looked at his face as I felt my arm being crushed by the weight of his fingers against my flesh.

That man's breath smelled like fish and cigarettes, the worst combination of odors anyone could choose to inhabit his nose. His eyes were blue as the sea and blood axes by a sleepless night or by the use of any improper substance.

- You... - Fire whispered coming closer to my face and staring at my eyes- I hope you don't try to run away again! You dirty bitch! Or I swear I'll throw you to the sharks to eat!

- I can buy her from you! - Benjamin begged without taking his eyes off me.

- You can repeat this question in three days at the pornes auction in Andrismus... if you have enough gold you can take her and how many others you are willing to buy!

- What is the address of that market?

- Go to a bar called Nightclub and look for a woman named Cezaria... she will explain to you how to find me...

- Yes...

- And don't be late! No sale can be undone! But don't worry... if her is sold you will still have other good options...

- I'll find you Kris!

I couldn't answer anything to Benjamin... I was sinking into my own tears. I didn't want to go with that man. I didn't want to see his broad, greasy nose. with that flabby, white skin and that long, black shotgun strapped to the leather of his belt.

Fire then began to drag me to the upper floor and with great difficulty I tried to follow in the footsteps of the one who would be my new owner.

- You're going to be a great deal... I'm going to get all the money out of this fucking Iudex of yours! - Fire commented Fire with a sadistic laugh on his face.

- Please... let me go ... - I begged with my face being washed by the river of tears that formed on my cheek.

Fire ignored my request and continued climbing the steps of the aged ladder that guided us to the upper floors of the ship.

The minutes passed and with them passed the stairs, Benjamin's caress and my pseudo freedom as a pallaki.

- I found our new merchandise! - Fire yelled at a group of poorly dressed men with dirty and worn clothes holding various types of firearms above their heads in sign of celebration.

I looked around and the whole ship was at the mercy of those men. Around the boat there were not only three boats floating under the waves but instead there were almost thirty small and half-sized boats surrounding us.

Cael was in the corner of the ship next to a dark-skinned strong man with a gun in his hand that was pointed at the head of my former master.

- Congratulations my beloved Fire! - A woman with blond hair and muscular body congratulated Fire.

She looked like a warrior dressed to kill. Each piece of her bronze breastplate and leather skirt was tied to some weapon or knife.

The woman came walking towards us with an air of superiority while dragging her boots on the wood that covered the floor.

- We can ask for was about five hundred gold pieces... or up to four diamond pieces and three ruby pieces... - The woman said while she was holding my jaw while analyzing every point of my face.

- Of course, Captain! We can make good money off this pallaki!

- Pallaki? - The captain said safely - From now on she is a pornes! If we sell her as a pallaki she won't give us much profit but as a pornes... even the emperor could be interested in her!

- But of course! Absolutely!

- We will present it at the auction of Andrismus as our special offer of the evening! It will be a success! I'm sure of it!

Fire and the captain laughed at those plans and soon after them all the other men who accompanied them laughed the same way.

I was afraid for my life, that was the end of me! And to think that I even thought that Benjamin would buy me from Cael in case he lost the right to have pallakis as his property.

- You can blindfold her and put her with the others! We still have a lot of water to navigate until we get to Andrismus!

- Yes, ma'am!

Fire pulled me one more time dragging me down the deck to the edge of the ship. A long improvised wooden ramp connected the parapet of our vessel to a slightly smaller light wooden caravel compared to the one of Cael's ship.

Fire put me on his shoulders and went down the ramp.

- We need to change these clothes! You need pornes clothes! These helper clothes of yours will scare the customers away! - Fire commented while slapping my legs.

We landed on the small caravel and then he throwed me on a chair in front of some stairs that went down to a dark and scary place.

- Where are you...? - Fire wondered groping the pockets of his pants until from a small pocket he pulled out a long piece of black fabric- You will use this! But first I'll leave you with the other girls to get some clothes that fit you!

Fire then with the cloth band on one hand pulled me once more into the dark and dimly lit stairs until we stopped in front of what it looked like a wooden cage door.

Next to the door was a wooden box filled with dirty old dresses.

- Take one of the dresses and dress behind that curtain!

Fire pointed his wrinkled hand at a long, heavy curtain that eas falling from the roof of the caravel to the floor next to the wall that surrounded the wooden cage.

I obeyed him and selected the cleanest dress I had found and then trembling with fear I followed behind the curtain and changed.

The dress I had chosen was dark green, made of raw cotton and with long sleeves and adjusted to my arms.

- Stop admiring this piece of cloth and come out before I lose my temper and pull you out naked!

Hearing that warning comes out from behind the curtain already wearing my newly chosen dress.

- Come here! I need to cover your eyes.

I walked as ordered by him trying to control my fear and dread at that situation.

-Quick! I haven't got all day!

I hastened my steps as Fire opened the door uttering some low insults upon me.

I went into the big wooden box and iron bars looking all over the place with Fire by my side.

The place was dark, humid and smelled of urine. Several other women of different bodies and physiognomies were scattered in the corners of the cell. The only feature these seventeen- or nineteen-year-olds had in common it was a black tissues wrapped around the eyes and a heavily thick rope that tied his hands and ankles.

- Pick a spot! - Fire ordered without patience or any kind of empathy.

I looked around again and walked to the bottom of the cell, that was the driest and cleanest place of all the countless places occupied by small groups of pornes.

- Bad choice... nobody is interested in a pornes who sits at the end of a cell...

- I don't mind...

- Shut up! - Fire cried as he pushed me towards my place which made me reach my final destination stumbling awkwardly.

I sat on the floor as soon as Fire sealed my eyes with black fabric and tied my ankles and hands like this as he had done with all the women around me.

- The trip will be relatively short but the captain will serve you something to serve as a meal at noon... maybe some roast beef...

- How will I eat? My hands are tied...

- I'll put a plate in front of your knees if you are be hungry so then eat your meal. The captain will pay a visit to all the pornes to assess your health... if you won't look well fed...

Fire's footsteps begin to popping against the wooden floor of the cell.

- I hope you're healthy! If you can't attract any good customers... you already know what will happen...

Fire's footsteps began to move farther and farther until the grotesque and frightening rumble of the closing of a door announced that he had already departed for the upper floor of the caravel.