Into Slavery.

Despair clouds the next few days. You learn that the bandit leader's name is Boris. Strangely enough, he doesn't touch you after that first night other than to tie you up and feed you. You spend a day in his tent before he and a few of his men travel. The small group heads southwards towards the sea. You fear that you may never see Akina again. She's clearly not coming along to be sold and suspect that she'll likely spend the rest of her life as a whore for the bandits.

The trip goes quietly, or at least you don't really speak. There's not much you have in common with the men who have taken you prisoner and honestly you don't mind that they've mostly left alone. Part of you hopes that they have forgotten about you and you're afraid if you speak up, they may take notice again. It takes a couple of days to get to where you're going. The sign above the gatehouse says Sellistra. You recognize the name. It's a large port city ruled by the Ceiliosta family. A merchant family of prominence. The leader of the family Mayor Gillard Ceiliosta, often sent petitions to your father's court to lower the tariffs on goods passing through.

Your hopes briefly raise as you see guards with the Sellistra crest on their shields. Perhaps you could shout for help and they would rescue you, but that hope is quickly doused as Boris pulls you off the trail before the guards notice you. They drag you around the side of the city and down to the coast. You have never seen the sea before. It's vast and expansive. Stories say that there's another whole continent somewhere to the south and sometimes foreign traders travel to Itheria to trade strange goods, but these goods have never gained any real popularity.

You only have a moment to stare before you see a rowboat pulled up near the shore. A short squat man is sitting in it waiting. He has a black cloak pulled over his head which makes his features difficult to see, although a large curved nose sticks out from under the hood. Boris walks over to the boat, "Hey Gorlak."

Gorlak sits up and looks over at your little escort, he speaks with a wheezy sort of voice "Ah! Boris! Long time, no sssee!"

Boris nods, "I don't suppose you have time to transport one more prisoner. Do you?""

"Yes. Yesss. A new persson for the auction?" He eyes you under his hood. You shudder a little as you feel like he's undressing you with his eyes.

"Of course. so, we're not too late?"

"No! Nooo. Not too late. Jusst in time. I'll take her to the holding ccellss." He makes room in the rowboat. Boris signals his men to drag you onto the boat and they sit and flank you. The strange man scowls, "No need for your menss to come along."

Boris shrugs, "I know your deviant ways Gorlak. If you want to touch her, you'll have to buy her at the auction."

"Bah" Gorlak hisses and pushes the boat into the water and rows it around the wall. looking up, you're surprised to see no men are guarding this part of the wall.You suspect that there are more than a few dirty guards involved in this underground slavery ring. Gorlak continues rowing and it isn't long before the port comes into view. Large ships are moored there along with smaller ones. Some of them are moving about, leaving or entering as they need to. Your sure your little rowboat is barely noticed among all of these trading ships. The very heartblood of Itheria's economy.

The little rowboat continues and slides quietly between two docks. The piers themselves tower above the little boat as they're clearly made for larger ships. You wonder for a moment where you're going before you see a large open portcullis ahead of you. It looks like the entrance to the sewers under the city, but based on the lack of waterflow out. It appears not to be in use anymore. Gorlak pulls the boat right up becide it and ties it to an old rotted branch or pole sticking out of the water and climbs up onto the opening. You get grabbed by Boris' men and pushed up to Gorlak who pulls you the rest of the way. You're surprised at how strong such a little man is. It also gives you a chance to notice that he has on a pair of thick, leather gloves.

Gorlak turns to Boris' men as they start climbing up as well, "No no! You go back to Borriss and tell him that hiss cargo arrived safely."

The men look at each other before one of them says, "We were told to stay with her until she's delivered to the cells."

"Yess." Gorlak nods, "Yess. And you have. The ccellss are right ahead. The Bosss doesn't like too many strange people near the ccellss. It can be...dangerouss. Now go. You can take that ladder up to the dockss." he points to a wooden ladder that leads up the pier.

The men look a bit discontented, but decide to head up the ladder. Gorlak grins and nods. You notice his teeth are all pointed and razor sharp. He turns and pulls off his hood and you can tell very clearly why this short man who barely comes up to your chest was trying to stay so hidden. His skin is a grey-green color and his large pointed ears flop down like a dog's. You gasp in surprise, Gorlak is a goblin. A race of short and temperamental humanoids who often live in small tribes in the countryside. It certainly explains his strange accent

"Come along girl."He eyes you briefly and pulls on the ropes that are tied around your wrists and leads you down into the dimly lit sewer.