Rise of Fire: Dragons Reborn [COMPLETED]

Chapter 20

The rest of the evening Talia spent drinking through Minnow's stocks of alcohol and lecturing Alister on the rights and wrongs of slave trade. Mostly the fact that it was wrong. Alister agreed for the most part.

"I only did such a thing to fund the crafting of my new ships. I was hopin ta get outta this damnedable port before that swine of a King shut it down. Cason already had them at the time of our contract, it was supposed to be simple..."

"Slaves ain't simple Alister. I thought you'd know that of all people." Talia snapped at him harshly, drinking deeply from her mug. They had spent a great deal of time together once upon a time, it was Alister who captained her first and last voyage across the seas after all. He spent weeks coaxing her from her cabin and teaching her the basics of sailing despite her dislike of it.

In the months they sailed she got to know him quite well, and he got to know her. He was an outcast amongst his own people due to his love of men. He was kicked out of his home village as a teen leading him to a life of nomadism until he stumbled across a deep love of sailing. Of course becoming a successful captain for a reputable shipping company was difficult all on its own, becoming one as a gay man was impossible. So naturally he turned to piracy and it turned out he was rather good at it.

"Yer right, I won't argue with ya there. I know it was stupid now, Cason's nothin but a caramel skinned snake. Nothin but trouble. Ain't makin partnerships like that again I can promise you that. And as for you girl, I truly am sorry for the events that you and your had to go through." He turned to the woman who was now sitting next to Minnow, her eyes wide and attentive as she soaked in every word that was spoken amongst them.

"You paved the way for his greed." The woman snapped, her thick lips pulled down into a severe frown. She had a similar shade to Cason, her skin wasn't as sun-kissed honey as his but Talia knew that would quickly change. Were the others like her? Where had they come from?

"I had hoped he would dump you lot off on an island somewhere for cheap so I could use his cargo space for somethin more lucrative. I ain't in the slavin business, so his contracts were his own to keep. He needed guns, I needed cargo space. It weren't supposed to go this way. An turns out I couldn't stomach the idea of him sellin ya off here, this ain't like yer homeland. Most of you an yours won't do well in this place." He had the decency to at least look guilty as he pulled his gloves off. Talia leaned back in her chair with a sigh, there was nothing to do now but help him dig himself out of trouble.

"You know you owe me right? I didn't do this entirely out of the goodness of my heart." She eyed him harshly, though he met her gaze unwaveringly.

"You can say that but you didn't do it for money either kid. But I won't deny ya, what is it yer after?" She didn't expect him to agree to her hard-balling so quick. Absentmindedly she traced her fingers along the strap of the satchel wondering what her demands would be. Truth be told she was mostly just hassling him to be an asshole, she had more than enough money to cover anything she wanted to do.

"If you're wanting cargo space my ship is available for hire. She needs repairs and she's no fighter so if we came up against something big we aren't of much use." Minnow offered suddenly. Talia watched in surprise as he pushed his mug forward as an impromptu business deal. Alister leaned back in his chair, a smile slowly forming on his lips.

"Talia always did make such interesting friends." Minnow scowled at him,

"I don't do slavery though. I'll steal, murder, and sink any ship in the deep so long as we're after goods not people. Hell, I'm even down to rescue princesses and turn them in for reward money. But I draw the line at trading people like livestock." Alister groaned as he pulled his hat off to set on his chair.