Yet something clicked in his mind when he took a closer look at some of the unsullied, well at least the one that were not wearing helmets. Usually, he would be all for killing the enemy, but maybe today, they should do the usual killing more delicate.
"My lord," Gendel began in gruff and low voice, "Now that you mentioned that bastard. Killing their master might not be enough. These unsullied are bound by more than just chains—they're bound by years and years of being taught that loyalty means their lives. Their loyalty runs deep."
Konrad raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the chieftain input. "What are you suggesting, Gendel?"
Gendel scratched his beard before he decided to speak out his mind. "Perhaps killing their master. If we want to break their resolve, we need to strike at their core beliefs. We need to show them that there's a better path, one that doesn't lead to blind obedience."
Konrad leaned against the ship's railing, looking the unsullied vessels. "And how would you consider that?"
Gendel's gaze shifted to slave master. "We capture him alive and we make an example of him. Show the others that their master can be defeated. I think that would earn us more than simply killing him off."
"But how will we accomplish that? Because, as far as I see things now, they won't give him up willingly."
"We use some less than acceptable tactics against them. We send a messenger—a former slave, perhaps—to negotiate. The messenger will tell the slave master that we are willing to spare his live if his unsullied lay down their weapons and allow us to take them prisoners, until we reach the shore. Appeal to his sense of survival and I think he would rather keep his head on his shoulder than die, especially when he's just a sellsword."
"You think he will listen?"
"We can only hope he might. But as far as we can, others will choose to fight to the death. But I say its worth a shot, after all we don't want people to say that the chain breaker is no longer willing to break the chains of the slaves.
As much as Konrad wanted to smile, his expression hardened. "And if that fails?"
To the young lord surprise, Gendel grinned at him. "Then we put on a show. A trial, perhaps. Let the unsullied witness justice, not just brutality. Show them that no monster lives forever. Show them that freedom can be earned."
Letting out a sigh, Konrad turned his attention back at the unsullied. "It's a risky plan, Gendel."
"War is always risky, my lord. But sometimes, the greatest victories come from unconventional strategies."
After a few seconds of silence between them, Konrad finally nodded. "Let's try your plan. Mayhaps that would end better than my plan."
It didn't took long at all to find someone who had been once an unsullied that had been saved from his gruesome fate, which was willing to risk his life and parley with the unsullied master. Once the man had been told what he should tell the enemy, he more or less climbed down from the ship down onto a small boat before slowly making its way towards the unsullied ships.
The moment the man was next to one of the enemy ships, five unsullied looked down at him, almost as if they were waiting the order of their master to attack the foolish man. Thankfully for everyone, the slave master was not an idiot, and rather than just killing the man, he allowed him to climb aboard, but not before he had been searched for any hidden weapons.
"What do you want slave?"
Ignoring the slave master's rude way of addressing him, the ex-slave looked at the unsullied.
"My lord, Konrad Arryn had decided that enough blood had been shed today. So, listen well, warriors of the whip. You've known nothing but chains and servitude, but today, you have a choice. A chance to break free from the shackles that bind you."
The unsullied stared down at him with same cold and almost emotionless eyes they all had. The slave master scowled, clearly displeased by this unexpected turn of events. After all, why bother to try talking the unsullied out of something there was next to no chance of happening?
"If you drop your weapons and surrender peacefully, you will be allowed to leave this ship alive once we reach the shore. But make no mistake—any defiance, any attempt to fight, and you'll meet the same fate as your masters that choose to attack us."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. Surprisingly enough, a few of what the ex-slave noticed to be the leaders among the unsullied exchanged glances, almost as if they were thinking about his words. At the same time, the slave master too noticed this sudden change of events and start to shifted uncomfortably in the middle of the unsullied formation.
Not wanting to give the man a chance to remind the unsullied about their training, the ex-slave decided to press further with his words, hitting at the links that made the unsullied so renowned.
"You've been taught that loyalty means your lives. But loyalty to whom? To a master who values you only as tools of war? Or to the idea of freedom, of a life beyond being just mere tools for a rich slave master?"
Suddenly, from withing the formation, one of the unsullied—a tall, scarred warrior wearing the slightly different attire than the rest of his men—spoke up. "Why should we trust you?"
"Because I was once like you. I once thought that my whole life would mean dying as an unsullied, but I've found my path, but yes, I know the pain of the lash, the taste of dust and sweat. But I also know that there's more to life than blind obedience. Just like I and many a man, you too can choose a different path."
He glanced hatefully at the slave master, who shifted again, his eyes darting around as if seeking an escape route. "Your master, he's no different from the rest of us. Just a sellsword with a whip that was bought by another slave master. But you can change your fate. Accept our terms, and you'll see."
'The slave… no, free man wasn't wrong. Hundreds of his brothers had died today and for what?'
In the end the only thing that they had accomplished was to sunk a few ships and mayhaps killed at most ten percent from the enemy side. But, being free? Was there such a possibility for him and all of his brothers?
Glancing at some of his most trusted brothers, Broken Bull noticed that almost all of them were looking at him, awaiting his response.
'We all bear the scars of our childhood and yet, none of us have the courage to break our shackles. Or at least we didn't had until today.'
Tightly gripping his spear, Broken Bull slowly turned to face his master, who by now retreated almost two meters away from him.
'Fear. The master was scared of death? Who would have expected such a thing from someone who acted like he could rule the world.'
Without hesitation, Broken Bull lunged at the slave master. The man's eyes widened as soon as the commander made his move. Sadly, for the slave master, the unsullied's movements were too swift, and a second later, the spearhead pierced the master's neck.
The master gasped, blood bubbling from his lips. His whip fell to the deck, useless now. Broken Bull leaned in. "The shackles had been broken."
As the slave master collapsed, the last thing the man saw before he met his end, was the determined look on all of the unsullied faces.
< Just change "3" with "e" Patr3on Link : https://patr3on.com/meatbunkun>