Page 38 of The Goblin Twins
Shi’chen laughed. “Come back with my brother and I to Er’hadin, and I’ll teach you spear fighting if you help me with my Cserethian.”
“Deal,” Lai said with a bright grin. “I’m sure you’re a great teacher.”
Shi’chen shrugged. “I’ve been training with a spear since I was ten, and I would practice with staffs before then, since my Father didn’t want me using a blade until I was old enough to control it.”
“Your Father was a wise man,” Lai said sagely.
Shi’chen smiled softly and chuckled. The fact that he laughed at that instead of experiencing sadness felt good. “He was. I think he would have liked you.”
“I’m sure he would have, I’m amazing,” Lai said with a toss of his hair over his shoulder, and Shi’chen couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter. Lai gave him a grin, then sobered again. “Was your Father more like you or more like your brother?”
“My brother,” Shi’chen replied immediately. “He was an accomplished soldier, but he was smart. More about policies and history. I’m more like my Mother.”
“How old were you when she died?” Lai asked softly.
“Fourteen,” Shi’chen said. “You?”
“Almost eleven,” Lai said. “Old enough to remember her, but not clearly.”
“I’m sorry,” Shi’chen said.
Lai shrugged a little. “At least I know where she is. She didn’t just disappear or get snatched up by the slave traders.”
“By the what?” Shi’chen asked in surprise.
“The slave traders,” Lai repeated, saying it slower and clearer as if that was why Shi’chen had not understood him.
“You mean, in the human lands?”
Lai shrugged. “It happens in the human lands, too, but I’ve seen it happen here and in Kendarin.”
“You’ve seen it in Hanenea’a?” Shi’chen stopped walking, and Lai turned to face him. “But slavery has been illegal for over fifty years.”
Lai let out a cold laugh. “Since when has that stopped anyone when they could make a fortune?”
“How do you know this?”
“About six years ago, I ended up on the crew of a slave vessel,” Lai said, fiddling with the edge of his cloak uncomfortably. “As soon as I found out, I jumped ship. But I knew that’s what it was.”
Six years ago. That would have been when their Father was still Regent. That twisted Shi’chen’s stomach into a painful knot. Had their Father known? Unfortunately, he would never be able to ask him. “Is… is it still going on?”
“I would guess so,” Lai replied. “I’ve heard rumors, at least.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Shi’chen asked.
Lai gave him a pointed look. “Who in the name of the gods would I tell? I was already trying to keep myself safe. Who would listen to a half-breed sailor from nowhere?”
Shi’chen let out a frustrated sigh, realizing Lai had a point and not wanting to harangue his friend over it. “We can’t allow that to continue.”
“Who is ‘we?’” Lai asked, raising a brow, taking a step back, though it seemed to be to get Shi’chen to start moving again, not to get away from him.
“My brother and I,” Shi’chen said, following after Lai. “If what you say is true, and slavery is still happening, we have…” He dropped his voice lower again. “We have to depose En’shea and stop this. There really is no other option if slave-trading is still occurring. If he makes it legal again, countless more people could be hurt.” Lai nodded solemnly. Shi’chen let out another frustrated sigh and rubbed at his eyes with his gloved hands. There was no way he could simply turn a blind eye to it now or walk away and leave Hanenea’a to En’shea. Even if he could, A’bbni wouldn’t, and there was no way Shi’chen would leave his brother to try to fix something like that on his own. He turned his eyes to Lai. “Would you be willing to help us with that, Lai?”
Lai blinked at him. “How?”
“You know the seas probably better than most,” Shi’chen replied. “You know the types of ships out there, who the big names in trade are. Your information would be invaluable.”
Lai blinked at that last word, and Shi’chen clarified, “important,” to which Lai nodded slowly. “I… I would help as much as I can. I don’t want to see slavery continue anywhere.”
