Into the Fire
Fifteen
Although many people don’t realize it, there are different types of darkness. There’s moonlight dark in which moonlight provides enough light to see shapes and movement, sometimes for rather long distances. Starlight dark has no moonlight and after the eyes adjust there still isn’t much that becomes visible. On a cloudy night, the darkness is deeper and sometimes it scares people, especially those from a completely urban background.
With cave dark, the darkness is so absolute that the rods and cones in the eyes will fire randomly as the brain desperately searches for input, making spots appear in the vision that don’t exist in the real world. The body focuses on touch as well as the olfactory and auditory systems in an effort to make up for the lack of sight. Hearing becomes so sensitive that people can hear the rasp of air through their nostrils and throat; every time they move their tongue or jaw, they hear liquid sounds as their saliva shifts in their mouth. Sometimes the heartbeat can be heard and becomes so loud that it drowns everything else out. Every sound is magnified as the brain dimly remembers an ancient past when the darkness was still very dangerous to be in. It was an ancient past that had become much less ancient with the spread of ferals across the leagues. Now that racial memory had become a survival asset once more.
Iain stood within Scheherazade’s arms in cave darkness. The creak of wood and the slow swaying told him he was back on the pirate ship, and the smell of dried death and stale air tinged with salt suggested that they were back in the cell he’d called home while on it.
The Dread Wolf’s breath warmed his hair as she leaned forward and pressed her nose against the back of his head. Something is not right.
I agree. Stand by for light. Iain focused and a tiny red dot appeared in the air. It slowly became brighter until it revealed the area around them. They were in his old cell, but something had changed. The door to the cell was gone, replaced with a rough wooden wall where something like black plaster had oozed from the other side between the gaps in the timbers. He squirmed out of the Dread Wolf’s arms and touched the wall gently. A frown appeared on his face and he dug his thumbnail into the dull black substance. “It’s lead. Someone built a wall here and covered it with molten lead.” His voice was a soft whisper. “Why?”
Scheherazade kept her voice as low as his. “Will the air go bad?”
Iain shrugged. “We can cut through this wall easily, so that won’t be an issue. Right now I have to keep a promise.” He pulled Eve’s pokeball from his belt and thumbed the release. “Let Dee out.”
The Megami-sama materialized and looked around slowly as Scheherazade pulled the Archmage’s pokeball from the pouch she wore for this trip and activated it. “Where are we?”
Iain started to reply when his mouth clamped shut with a snap and he toppled against the wall only to bounce off of it as he went into convulsions. Eve grabbed him and stripped his pack and shotgun from him before she forced him flat. She was shocked to find herself straining as he fought against her. “Help me,” she hissed. Scheherazade pinned his arms while Dominique got his legs even as Eve pressed her hands against his chest and closed her eyes. They snapped open and Dominique flinched at the panic in them. “He’s dying and I can’t find anything wrong!” Her eyes went wide as the flesh of Iain’s face moved as if something was underneath and pressing against it. At the same time, another bulge appeared and vanished on his stomach. “There’s something inside him!”
Scheherazade knelt on his wrists and took his head in her hands, peering into his eyes from above him. “Let your magic go, Iain, and drive it out or kill it.” Her ears were flat and her voice was harsh with fear. “Now!”
Iain gasped and vomited a black cloud that ran down his face and into the cracks between the timbers making up the decking. It flowed away from him across the deck and vanished into the darkness as he began breathing again.
Eve pressed her hands against his chest. “He’s weak, but getting stronger.” She used her healing magic on him. “Find whatever it is and kill it.”
“I’m on it.” Dominique summoned her staff and created a bright light globe.
Iain pushed himself upright. “No. Let her go and put that fucking light out before we’re found.”
Dominique gave him a startled look and canceled her light spell. “She?”
“Keep your voice down,” Scheherazade hissed. “We are on a pirate ship.”
Iain looked at Eve. I know she’s definitely female and she’s terrified. I don’t know exactly what she is since I didn’t get to see her.
The Megami-sama nodded and slowly lifted him to his feet. What do we do about her?
Nothing. She’s not our priority. We proceed as planned. He carefully pulled his backpack on and checked his shotgun. Things are looking up. This time it wasn’t broken.
Eve nodded and looked at Dominque as Iain released Irena and April. Proceed. I’ll fill the others in on our attacker. Shay, go left.
The Archmage slipped off her pokepack and released another backpack, this one a hard shell with a heavy duty braided wire hose that ended in a tube surmounted with a bell mouthed nozzle. The Dread Wolf summoned her armor and went invisible as she phased through the outer hull of the ship. She was back seconds later. Our timing worked. It’s night.
April had released and was strapping on another hard shelled pack identical to Dominique’s. Iain looked at Eve. Open it. There’s not enough room in here to summon the Dragonesses along with us and they’re integral to the plan.
Eve nodded. Shay, be quiet about opening it up.
The Dread Wolf’s silver form nodded and drove one set of her armor’s claws into the wall while cutting a semicircle around them with her other set. Then she slashed underneath it and pulled the small cutout from the wall. Her claws vanished and she caught the plug before it could hit, gently putting it on the deck. Then she used that hole to hold the wall as she summoned an energy blade and cut a doorway. The doorway got pulled into the cell and off to the side. Scheherazade squared her shoulders and stepped into the passageway, her head swiveling from side to side. It appears clear. The crew quarters are in sight and nobody seems to be moving. I can smell the stink of fear and smoke. There are people in the other cells. She’d drawn the ship’s plans from the still vivid memories of her time as a prisoner who had been allowed to roam the vessel freely as everyone’s impromptu kicking or fucking toy, depending on opportunity or inclination of whoever ran across the then Dire Wolf masquerading as a Foxxsea.
Eve motioned to Dominique and April and they stepped out with Scheherazade, lifting the muzzles of their tubes into ready positions with one person facing in each direction.
Iain turned towards the darkness in the room and his voice was a whisper. “Eirian, I summon my dead harem.”
The Dragonesses stepped out of the shadows. “We are here,” Aurum said quietly. Her gold scales were blood red in the tiny light. “We know the plan.” Without another word, they moved silently out of the cell and headed up the passage past April to stand guard at the hatch leading to the next deck up.
Eve looked at Iain. Ready? He nodded. Dee, you and Shay are up. Irena and I have Iain.
Dominique moved forward quietly until she stood in the doorway to the main bunkroom, with Scheherazade standing in close attendance. The Dread Wolf was her security in case she was attacked while carrying out her mission. In her vision, the darkness wasn’t and she could see members of the crew asleep in their bunks. Many held empty or partially filled bottles as they slept. Even more empties moved sluggishly on the decking as the ship rocked.
After a quick glance down to make sure she was wrapped in the faint glow of her magical armor, she pulled the trigger on the dispenser. With a faint hiss, fog sprayed from the bell and she played the tube from side to side, striding forward as she sprayed to fill the bunkroom with Paraspray Plus. Finally she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. Status check.
Scheherazade pressed a button on the back of the pack and a tiny gauge glowed for a second. Sixty percent capacity remaining. The BLSF had been very interested in this bulk dispenser concept and the production models would have the gauge mounted on the dispensing tube so the operator could read the readings and track usage. These were functional prototypes, however, designed for clandestine operations. Iain had acquired them from grateful lab personnel at New Avalon Industries before his break with the government. It was part of the royalties that they owed him and were cheerfully paying.
Crap. I was hoping I’d emptied it enough that could ditch this thing. It gives me the creeps. Shay, you’re up. The Archmage lowered the tube and stepped aside as Scheherazade stepped into the bunkroom in a quick sweep for anyone who might have been unaffected by the spray. Poison types had a natural resistance to the LSD, but there were a few poison types immune to poison and it might prevent the LSD from affecting them. However, no pokegirl was immune to the paralytic agent, so even those should have been immobilized.
The Dread Wolf was back in less than a minute. Clear.
Dominique and Scheherazade returned to the brig and squeezed past the others to take up station with the Dragonesses. We’re ready. Scheherazade wrapped her arms around the Archmage and flew up the steps to the next deck up, which happened to be the gun deck. The Dragonesses surged up behind them.
A tired voice sounded from one of the cells. “Hey, who are you? Wait, you’re a guy.”
“Quiet,” Iain hissed. “If you want to be rescued, keep your mouth shut.”
“Help us, please,” someone else moaned. Figures in the cells started shifting as they began to wake up, revealing humans and pokegirls. The pokegirl prisoners were bound with chain or wire, gagged and blindfolded to keep them immobile and prevent them from using their techniques to escape.
Iain glanced at his Megami-sama. Eve, put them all to sleep or I will have April gas them.
Eve gave him a quick glare. We are going to rescue them when this is over, right? When he nodded, she moved forward and raised her hand. Light flared and the prisoners slumped.
Iain bared his teeth in a grim smile. I really wish they weren’t here and I really don’t like what their presence means, but if we live through this we’ll find a way to rescue them.
April cocked her head. What does their presence mean?
There are a lot of them. Iain and Eve moved past the Duelist and looked into the opening leading to the next deck up. It means the pirates took a prize, and they did so recently. That also explains all the liquor bottles and drunken crewmembers.
Dominique appeared in the hatch and motioned them up. We’ve cleared this deck and the next one is the upper gun deck. I sprayed the officer’s quarters and the gunner’s bunkroom on that level, but the entrance to the captain’s cabin is on the main deck so we’ll have to go outside to get to it. And there’s a problem.
Iain shook his head. The enemy fucks up your battleplan by his very arrival. That’s why he’s the enemy. What is it?
Sable poked her head up and discovered that there’s a ship attached to this one on the left side. The Archmage frowned. Um, it’s on the port side. It may be the prize you mentioned. On the other side of the prize is another ship attached to it. The biggest problem is that one is also flying a pirate flag. It’s a bloody head with a severed dick in its mouth.
Iain groaned softly. Of all the times to hit them, we had to get lucky and get two ships of pirates? It’s probably full of prisoners too, and you know what that means. They headed up into the lower gun deck, closely followed by April and Irena.
Eve patted him on the back. It means we have to try to rescue them, too, instead of grabbing the maps from this vessel and fleeing.
Iain looked disgusted. You do realize that will significantly add to our chances of dying on this tub.
She shrugged. Some things have to be done when you find them.
You’re backsliding.
Eve turned and looked directly into his eyes. I love you, Iain. Tell me that we are not going to do this and rescue everyone we can. That’s all you have to do, and I’ll go along with you.
Fuck. This whole nice guy shit is going to get me killed someday. He looked over her shoulder at Dominique. Lead us to the others and we’ll have a council of war.
Once they arrived at the stairs up to the main deck, Iain looked around at everyone. “Here’s the plan,” he whispered. “Sable, Skye, I want you two to sweep the upper deck on this ship, including any cabins. Disable or kill everyone you find except us. Do not throw them overboard in case they cut their way back in through the hull or climb it to get behind us. After that, one of you is to retrieve the charts from the captain’s cabin and get them to me. Then both of you are to patrol the upper decks repelling boarders, be they swimmers, fliers or teleporters. Do not let us be flanked without giving us some kind of warning.”
Skye nodded. “Master, we will not fail you.”
“Good. Eirian, Emerald, Aurum, and Beryl are our ground assault element. There are probably prisoners on the other pirate ship and most of them will be found in the brig. Since we can’t tell the sex toys apart from the pirate crew and leaning towards sparing people just increases our risk level, you are weapons free to kill or maim anyone you find who is not in the brig. Dominique, Eve and April are part of the support element. Feel free to melee if needed, but keep an eye out for someone trying to organize a counterattack and refer it to Scheherazade. Shay, you’re our sniper. Use your ranged attacks to kill officers and break up any attacks.” He rubbed his eyes. “A typical pirate ship can hold a crew of over two hundred but there are constant losses to attrition the longer they’re at sea. Dominique gassed well over a hundred here, and there’s probably another ten or so above decks that Sable and Skye are going to kill. There’s probably at least that many on the other ship. Dragonesses, I’m counting on you to stay combat capable and keep killing for as long as possible or me and my harem are very likely going to get murdered. If we’re lucky, we’ll die tonight.” He shuddered. “If we’re not lucky, we get to be their guests for a while.” His mouth shaped the word again, but it wouldn’t come out.
Beryl raised a hand uncertainly and spoke when Iain nodded to her. “What if we run across humans who are outside of the brig?”
Iain didn’t hesitate. “There’s no way to tell if this crew might not have a human or two in it, so my orders stand. Disable or kill and then move on.”
Eve swallowed hard but nodded grudgingly. “He’s right.”
Sable cocked her head. “I have a suggestion, master. Once we sweep the decks, Skye and I should move to the primary assault element instead of patrolling this ship. April’s constructs can do that as well as we can, and their loss will warn you of a flanking attack. Skye and I will increase the power of the assault team by another fifty percent. In addition, we will hit them a few minutes after the main assault begins, which will right about when leaders would be organizing a counterattack which we can then roll up and smash. If we fly, we can hit them from the rear, penetrating their battle line in a weak point and further adding to their confusion.”
Iain looked at April, who nodded. “It would work. My constructs can patrol as well as they can and the Dragonesses are far tougher than my constructs unless I pour all my life into them, which will help in the assault phase.”
He thought for a moment. “It’s a good suggestion, Sable. Do it. Remember, if we can bottle them below decks, we can gas them too. Speaking of which, April, Dee, leave the dispensers behind. We’ll retrieve them if we need them.”
Dominique sighed in relief as she unstrapped the dispersal equipment she wore while April frowned. “I’d like to keep mine on, Iain. If we need to gas the other ship, someone should be ready to do it and it won’t interfere with my constructs.”
He smiled. “Very well, April. We’ll put the other in my pokepack in case we need it.”
A moment later, the Dragonesses surged on to the main deck. Four of them raced across deck and vaulted onto the middle vessel in their charge on the second pirate ship while the other two began a counterclockwise sweep of the vessel they were on. Eve, Dominique and Scheherazade shot into the air, with the Megami-sama following the Dragonesses closely while the Archmage and Dread Wolf split up. Dominique climbed for altitude while Scheherazade snatched the slumbering pirate from the crow’s nest and snapped her neck before pokeballing the dying pokegirl and taking her place in the nest. It was the best place to loiter without drawing the attention that a flying pokegirl would.
The second pirate ship was more modern and made of metal with some kind of internal power plant that required a smokestack. It was taller than the prize vessel and rope ladders had been run down the side for ease of access. On the side could be seen her name, Mephaesta’s Teeth.
Iain looked at April. “Let’s head aft for higher ground. I need to see what’s going on.”
They headed for the ship’s wheel as Eve landed on the Teeth’s deck. She summoned her sword and armor as the Dragonesses swarmed up the rope ladders and over the side. The navigator on the Teeth stepped out of the control cabin when someone screamed below her and Dominique smashed her over the side with a lightning bolt. Pirates, both drunk and sober, began to pour out of the below decks.
The Dragonesses hit them so hard that the pirates actually recoiled from the impact as the undead pokegirls slashed their way into the mob.
What surprised Iain was Eve. The Megami-sama waded into the pirates alongside the Dragonesses and she used her enhanced strength ruthlessly to chop through limbs and weapons with equal ease, leaving a wide trail of carnage behind her as she fought her way towards one of the hatches.
Through the delta bond, Iain felt Eve talking with Scheherazade. For a brief instant, a faint violet thread connected the Dread Wolf with an Ogre that was forming a group of pirates into a wall before charging the Dragonesses. The Ogre’s chest exploded from the laser bolt and her pirates charged without any visible cohesion.
A group of pirates opened fire with automatic weapons and laughter rang out as they stitched Aurum with the bullets, blowing gaping holes in her torso. One shot her in the head and tissue sprayed. The laughter died when the Dragoness ignored the harmless wounds and fell upon the group, savaging them ferociously. Morale broke around them and some pirates began fleeing below decks.
Above the ships, Dominique and one of April’s Dark Magician constructs fought an aerial battle against a dozen pirates. Screams of rage filled the air as the Archmage’s and Dark Magician’s spells battered their attackers while the return attacks only clipped the pirate’s faster and more agile foes. A Thundrix hit Dominique with lightning, staggering her. Iain reacted instantly, throwing his shotgun to his shoulder. He fired twice, crippling the wing of the flying pokegirl. She slammed into the deck and lay in the middle of a slowly widening pool of blood.
Irena chuckled. “Good shot. I just hope it doesn’t draw their attention to us.”
Iain snorted. “I was aiming for her head. Sometimes it might be nice if I were more like Kerrik and could hit a mosquito on the wing.” A grin flickered. “But I’ll take the hit.” He tossed the Sanctuary Goth a pokeball. “See if she’s still alive.”
More than once, the Dark Magician was hit and vanished, only to reappear as April fed more power into the card and sent it once more into battle. The Duelist was covered with sweat and her eyes were wild as she concentrated on maintaining her presence inside the Dark Magician’s mind while she fought the construct as an extension of herself.
Iain took her hand and released his stored magic to flow into April. She looked startled and grinned as her body sucked all the power he could give her before it demanded more. She used only a portion of what he gave her to bulwark her own life energy, feeding the rest into her Dark Magician to boost both its offensive power as well as its defense. Its next magic bolt shredded the head and upper torso of the Pegaslut who was trying to dodge the construct.
He frowned and reached out to Scheherazade. You are released to help Dominique and April, but be alert if we need you again. He just received a feeling of exultation as the Dread Wolf fired a laser bolt into the back of a Phoenix trying to catch Dominique before launching herself into the furball overhead.
As soon as they’d cleared the sailing ship, Skye and Sable had taken to the air, dropping to just above the waves as they circled around to silently approach the side of the Mephaesta’s Teeth that was behind the defending pirates. They popped up just high enough to clear the railing and landed in the largest masses of their foes, Skye breathing lightning on them just before she plowed into the group. Sable vomited a stream of acidic venom that she hosed across her targets. Then she was amongst them.
Emerald had been surrounded by a group of pokegirls led by a pair of Amachamps and one Amachop who used their melee weapons to beat the Dragoness to the ground and try to hack her to pieces. Emerald exploded with a sharp crack, scattering her attackers like leaves. The explosion had removed all her soft tissues, leaving only the skeleton. The red dots it had for eyes glowed brightly as it rose and spread its wings wide. Emerald threw back her head and screamed a challenge so loud that the windows on the control cabin shattered.
The pirates took one look at her and broke, streaming for the hatches where they could rally for a defensive stand. They chopped each other down in their fear to reach the supposed haven, littering the deck with more wounded and dying as they fled.
As soon as the air was clear, Dominique and Scheherazade swooped down and began pokeballing the living while Eve and the Dragonesses sealed every hatch belowdecks except one. The Megami-sama shouted something down the hatch and motioned for Skye and Aurum to stand guard. They just looked at her and she vanished, appearing next to Iain. “Come on, I need you to order your dead harem to keep them bottled up until they’re ready to negotiate their surrender.”
“I want them to surrender?”
The scene shifted as they appeared on the deck of Mephaesta’s Teeth. “I don’t know if we can take them in a direct assault, and if we can’t get them to surrender, the pirates will kill their prisoners before they die.”
“It sounds like you want me to care about people outside my bubble.”
“I would appreciate it if you did.”
“If and when the pirates agree to parley, you are to keep your mouth shut, no matter what I say.” Iain fixed her with a direct look. “I mean it. If you can’t, you don’t get to listen to the discussion. If the parley falls apart, I will decide if we’ll proceed with the direct assault or if I’ll just blow their ship out from under them. I may be willing to put you or the others in danger for anyone who isn’t one of us, but my decision on it is final.”
Eve blinked. “What about the prisoners?”
“I’ll try to save the ones I can, but if I have to sink this pirate ship to kill the pirates on it, the prisoners on this ship are probably going to die with them.” He looked at a Dragoness as she came up. “Beryl, I want you and the others to make sure the pirates don’t get out. Tell Eirian to keep them bottled up. When someone wants to talk to me, let me know about it.”
The red Dragoness nodded. “They will stay where they are, master, until you are ready for them.” She ran off towards Eirian.
“Eve, I want you to have the others start collecting the pirates on the sailing ship. We’ve got a nearly a thousand pokeballs in between all of us. Also get out the PPHU and heal our family. Warn them to be careful in case we missed someone.”
“I’ll take care of it. You need a guard.”
He sighed. “I wish I could argue with you. I’ll take Scheherazade.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Keep the prisoners on the sailing ship,” he broke off as he looked back at it. From here he could read the name crudely painted on the bow. “Keep the prisoners on the Free Bitch asleep until we’ve dealt with the pirates. I don’t want them thinking they can demand revenge or recompense or whatever they might be inclined to whine about.”
The Megami-sama cocked her head. “You have a low opinion of them, don’t you?”
“I don’t have any opinion of them, but I have learned that people who are used to throwing their weight around don’t stop out of gratitude. I’d like the situation to be under control before they start making requests or giving orders. That and if I have to sink the Teeth with prisoners on it, it’ll go much smoother without them screaming about mothers or such being on it and distracting us. You’ll already be doing it and I don’t want to listen to it in stereo.” He held up a hand when she started to speak. “I promise you it’ll be my absolutely last choice decision for dealing with the situation. As much as I don’t want the prisoners here at all, I don’t want their deaths on my karma even more.”
“Thank you.”
***
Iain double checked his magical armor and nodded. “I’m ready.”
A moment later Aurum escorted the domestic born Umbrea out of the hatch and over to where he stood. “Master, the pirate leader.”
The Umbrea was wearing pants and a tattered vest covered with bits of finery. She was covered with scars and was missing most of one ear. She scowled at Iain. “I’m Captain Rosalind.” A grin spread across her face. “I want you to leave my ship and let us go or we’ll kill the prisoners. We’ve got men, women, pokegirls and children amongst them.”
Iain regarded her briefly. “Is that what you want?”
“What are you, stupid? I already said it’s what I want.”
Aurum half raised a fist but subsided when Iain shook his head slightly. He bared his teeth in what was not a smile. “You are to surrender unconditionally or I’ll weld every hatch shut and roast you alive in this hull before I scuttle it.”
Rosalind blinked. “You’re down to empty threats now? What part of us having prisoners did you miss?”
“Did you hear me say I gave shit about any prisoners? No, you didn’t. I haven’t seen any prisoners and, as far as I know, you’re lying about them. Even if you’re not, I don’t care. You don’t have anyone important to me and so they can die with you if you resist.”
“You’ll kill us anyway.”
Iain nodded. “It’s certainly within my power to do so, but it’s not my first choice.”
The silence stretched until the Umbrea couldn’t stand it. “What is your first choice,” she almost snarled.
“You surrender and I don’t kill all of you.”
She frowned and her ears flicked. “You won’t kill us?”
“If you surrender, I won’t kill anyone who isn’t already dead.”
“You’ll just turn us over to a league and they’ll kill us.”
“I won’t turn you over to a league. I won’t turn you over to the PLC, either.”
“What are you planning to do with us?”
“You’ll all go into pokeballs and get healed. Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot. After that, you’ll go into storage for a little while.” His eyes flicked behind her to the hatch where the skeletal Emerald stood watch and then back to her. “After that, I’ll start selling you off to tamers. What you do then isn’t my problem.”
She blinked. “We might kill them. You’re not going to tell them what they’re buying?”
“No, I’m not. It would rather depress the price. Besides, if I did that the league would confiscate the lot of you. That would not only violate my agreement with you about turning you over to a league, it would also mean I wouldn’t get any money for my efforts.”
A crafty look appeared on her face. “You know, you could turn this into a regular business. You sell us and we kill our new masters and split the loot with you.”
Iain exchanged a glance with Scheherazade. “An interesting idea, but I can’t really trust you to keep your end of any bargain. I think selling each of you once is more than plenty. If you get back together and go a-pirating once more, it just means we might meet again someday.”
Rosalind nodded. “I don’t particularly want to die. I’ll speak with the others, but your terms are better than I expected. She looked him up and down and gave him a broad smile. “You’re pretty enough and I like the way you think. I want you to consider keeping me. I do like some dick and you’re as ruthless as I am. We could have a lot of fun together.”
Ian waved a hand. “Show me the merchandise.”
Her smile spread and she slipped off her vest before turning in a slow circle. “Well?”
He just grinned back. “Be seeing you, Rosalind.”
She put the vest back on. “I won’t call you master until you earn it.”
“That’s fair enough. Aurum, escort her back to the hatch.”
When she was once again belowdecks, Scheherazade stepped in front of him. Her ears were flat. “You’re going to keep her?”
“She asked me to consider it.” He winked. “I already did. The answer is no.”
***
Anthony Gibbs had been the chief engineer on the Tropic League’s Queen Hera before the pirates had taken her a day ago. Now he found himself the captain, since the pirates had murdered everyone above him in the chain of command. He stood in front of Iain and held out his hand. “On behalf of myself, my company, the crew and our passengers I want to thank you for what you did.”
Iain took the hand. “I did what anyone would have done. I’m just glad I could help you out.”
“I doubt just anyone would have assaulted two Limbec warships.” Gibbs nodded and stepped back. “But I’m glad you did. How did you find us, anyway?”
“I was looking for the Free Bitch. I just happened to arrive when I did.”
“That was very fortunate for us.” After capturing the remaining pirates, Iain’s two harems had broken the Mephaesta’s Teeth free from the Hera and tied her up on the starboard side of the Bitch. Now the new Captain Gibbs was waiting for a status report on the rest of his command. He’d already checked the engine room and found it able to steam. “What are you going to do with them?”
Iain shrugged. “No admiralty I know of still buys prizes into service and I don’t have enough people to crew them both. That means I can either scuttle one of them or abandon her. I don’t want to run across her flying pirate colors again, so she’s going to the bottom. Of the two, I’ll probably sink the Bitch.”
“When I return to port, I’ll talk to the owners of the company. There should be a reward for rescuing us.” Gibbs’ eyes narrowed slightly. “If they balk, I’ll remind them that you have every right to claim the Hera as salvage.”
“I appreciate that, but I’m not a Tropic citizen and so Tropic law might not apply in this case.”
“I’ll still try. What league are you from?”
“Blue. We have a long history of stomping on pirates.” Iain looked thoughtful for a second. “In fact, we have a legacy of over a thousand years of encouraging pirates to find other lines of work or to stop breathing.”
A crewman came up from below and stopped next to Gibbs. “Sir, the XO reports we’re ready to get underway.”
Gibbs nodded. “Thank you, Jones.” He turned to Iain. “I have to be going, Iain. Rest assured you’ll be in our prayers.” He led Iain to the side of the Hera and watched him walk down the gangplank onto the Bitch. “Remember, Iain, if you ever want a job with us, you can put on your resume that you rescued the Hera and commanded two ships.”
Iain laughed as he headed for the bridge to watch the Hera depart. Once she was gone, he joined Eve in the captain’s cabin. Like every other room where people slept on the Bitch, it stank of human effluvium and old sex. This cabin just stank less.
Eve was sitting at a table. A large sack was on either side of her while a third bag sat on the table. As he watched, she reached into the bag and pulled out a pokeball. The Megami-sama’s eyes glowed softly and she dropped it into the sack to her left. “How’s it going?”
She blinked as her mind came back to reality. “Faster than I thought it would.” She gestured to her right. “Hardcore pirate pokegirls are in this sack while the other holds the ones who got swept up in events beyond their control. A surprising number of the girls we captured aren’t hardcore.”
“That’ll be interesting.” He dropped into the seat next to her and stretched. “Is this satisfactory to you?”
She gave him a quick smile. “Giving all the real pirates level five conditioning cycles works and it keeps your word not to kill anyone. You didn’t say anything about saving their personalities. I’m just glad you’re not doing that to everyone. What’s going to happen to the others?”
“They’ll get healing and cleaning cycles before we put them up for auction, just like the rest of the pirates. They just won’t get their personalities run through the blender. Now the problem becomes how to auction off over nearly two hundred pokegirls without drawing a lot of attention.” He smiled softly when a goblet of wine was pressed into his hand. “Thanks.” He blinked and whirled out of his chair to stand facing whoever had given him the cup.
The pokegirl was short and curvy, with a tremendous bust and wide hips encased in a loose skirt the color of cocoa that fell to her knees. A matching blouse covered her upper torso and was tight enough to put her impressive chest on display. Shoulder length golden hair fell in ringlets around a heart shaped face with pale skin, bright green eyes and full cherry colored lips. She dropped a curtsey. “You’re welcome, master.”
Eve was staring at her. “Who are you?”
She dropped another curtsey at Eve. “I am Barbie, mistress.” Her accent was heavy with a thick Noir accent. “I am the master’s.”
“Iain?”
“She’s a Damsel. Where did you come from, Barbie?”
“You rescued me, master.”
“I did?”
“Oui, maître.” She grimaced. “I mean yes, master. I listened and I know the master does not speak Française”
Eve put her hand on Iain’s arm as she moved to stand next to him. “Are you from the Queen Hera?”
“No, mistress. The master rescued me from the cells below.” She shivered. “It was so dark and scary.” She blinked and relaxed. “But now I’m free, thanks to the master. Would the master like some food? I can cook something in the galley if the master would like. I’ve already checked and while the cooking fire isn’t lit anymore I can start it back up.”
Iain frowned as he sent a mental warning to Eve. “You know where the galley is and how to operate it? Were you with the pirates?”
She smiled and gave a soft laugh. “The master makes a funny joke. I was on the ship, but not with them.” She shivered again. “They were so mean. They killed my old master and did mean things to my harem sisters and me. Then they locked me up and wouldn’t let me have any food. I was so hungry.” She reached for him and took the hand opposite Eve. “But now I am safe, thanks to the master. The master took care of me and now I belong to him. The master will always take care of me.”
Iain was staring at her hand in his with wide eyes. “Barbie, I think I would like something to eat. Why don’t you fix us all something so we can celebrate our victory over the pirates?”
Her face lit up. “That’s a wonderful idea, master. I’ll get on it right away.” She turned and walked through the closed door of the captain’s cabin.
Eve turned to face him. “What do you know?” Her voice was flat. “You realized something. What is it?”
Iain was looking at the door as he rubbed his hand. “I’ve felt her touch before. She’s the thing that attacked me in the cell and almost killed me. She’s an astral pokegirl.” He grimaced. “She’s dead and I don’t know if she’s aware of it.”
Eve looked at him with a sad glint in her eyes. “I feel so sorry for that poor girl. You are going to keep her, right?”
Iain’s eyes went wide. “Is this something that your awareness thinks is a good idea?”
“I don’t think her presence will hurt us.”
“That’s not the same thing and you know it.”
Eve folded her arms and her mouth turned down. “I didn’t ask you to collect a harem of undead monsters, either. The awareness never even saw that one coming, so it is definitely not infallible. However, she will help to fill out your harem and her domestic skills will allow us to focus on training.”
“I don’t think I’m worried about a little thing like league imposed harem size limits and I don’t think you are, either. Do you plan to use her as a punching bag for the harems?”
Eve bristled instantly. “What a horrible thing to ask!”
“It’s a logical thing to consider. Active tamers with harems that have Damsels in them tend to use the poor lass for just that sort of training scenario. Now answer the question.”
“I have no intention of using a Damsel or anyone else for anything like that. It’s cruel and neither you nor I like being cruel unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“And if you don’t plan on using her as a training dummy, you want me to keep her why?”
Eve sighed. “I feel sorry for her. Damsels have a terrible reputation and I’ve never met one that wasn’t somehow being abused. I’m just surprised the Limbecs were able to murder her.”
“It’s not really that hard.”
“Oh? Damsels are about the most indestructible pokegirl known. If they weren’t cowards they could beat Hyperdolls in combat, if only by wearing their opponent down. I’ve seen a Damsel take a point blank hyperbeam and walk away from it. Her only complaint was that she needed new clothes.”
“It’s still not hard to kill one. You just have to play to her weaknesses instead of her strengths.”
Eve guided him into his chair and settled back down at the table. “Ok, how can you easily kill a Damsel?”
“Well, if you’re not in a hurry you can starve her to death. That’ll take anywhere up to three weeks. If you take her off water, she’ll die in a week. If you stuff her headfirst into a bucket of water and keep her there, she’ll die in less than ten minutes.”
Eve was staring at him with a slightly stunned look. “Why would you bother to think up these things?”
“I was a writer, remember? I was considering a story about a tamer who was a cop in London. Murders tend to go hand in hand with that sort of thing and because of that I was considering interesting ways to kill pokegirls and humans so I could showcase the state of forensics in the pokegirl universe. I was also considering ways to deliberately abuse a pokegirl enough to turn her into a Penance as quickly as possible.”
“Why on earth would someone want to do that?”
“An unscrupulous person could turn his Ingenue into a Penance, L5 her and then start acting nicely to the now brain burned girl. Since she’d no longer remember her abuser, it would be an easy way to get a lot of brownie points with people or help to infiltrate a group of do-gooders who would be unlikely to question anyone who looked like they were trying to redeem a Penance. Also, some of the techniques that would turn a pokegirl into a Penance could be used to turn a Bunnygirl into a Mini-top. Do that, L5 her and you can start selling Mini-tops at auction for a nice profit, since you’re turning a cheap common pokegirl into a rare or very rare one. That kind of person would want to streamline the abuse to speed the process along as much as possible since you can pick up Bunnygirls for next to nothing.”
“What did you come up with?” Eve waved a hand when he started to speak. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Nobody needs to know. Please don’t tell anyone what you came up with.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t, unless it’s in a story that now I’ll never get to write.” He grinned. “How many tamers or tradesmen do I get together and hang out with anyways?”
“You might have human friends someday.”
“I suppose anything is possible.” Iain pushed backwards and grimaced. “That’s right; they nail these things to the floor.” He got up. “When you’re done, come find me. “I’ll be looking over the charts we’ve collected from the pirate ships.”
When she located him again, he was in the galley of the Teeth and had spread out the charts they’d recovered on a long table. Scheherazade was leaning against the wall and looking almost bored to tears. Eve stopped and looked the maps over. “Did you find what you wanted?”
Iain nodded. “I think so. We don’t have complete charts of the area, but we do have some maps which show the shoreline and some of the coastal communities on the western side of the Dark Continent. I’d hoped for more, but it’s an excellent start. Hopefully at least one of those communities will have maps of the interior.” He began rolling up the charts. “We’ll stow these safely in my pokepack and then see how much loot we can carry off of these tubs before we sink them.”
Scheherazade looked at the maps and then him. “When do I leave?”
Iain cocked his head curiously. “Leave?”
“For the Dark Continent.”
“I don’t get it.”
Her ears flicked in exasperation and she spoke slowly, as if to a child. “When. Do. I. Leave. To. Fly. To. The. Dark. Continent?”
A grin flashed across his face as Eve scowled. “You should have broken that up into Con. Tin. Ent.”
The Dread Wolf’s eyes narrowed. “Just answer the question.”
Eve stepped between them. “You’ll leave when he’s ready for you to.”
“Um, Eve?”
She looked over her shoulder. “What is it, Iain?”
“Where are we?”
The Megami-sama blinked and turned to face him. “We’re on the pirate ship.”
He nodded. “And where is it?”
She frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Scheherazade isn’t flying anywhere. While that sounds like a really good idea, all we know is that we’re floating on a really big blue wet thing.”
Both pokegirls were now staring at him in confusion. “What?”
He took a deep breath and decided to stop teasing them. “We have no idea where we are in relation to the Dark Continent. The fact that we rescued a Tropic League ship doesn’t mean we’re anywhere near the Tropic League. Hell, we don’t even know which ocean this is since the Limbec Pirates operate all over the world.” He stepped around her and stroked Scheherazade’s arm. “So we have no idea which way you should fly, no idea how far and no idea when you should arrive. The only thing we do know for sure is that the moment your feet leave the deck, you’d officially be completely lost.”
Scheherazade blinked and chuckled as her ears came back up. “That is true. So what is the plan?”
“I’m considering two different ideas. Either we return to the Blue League, which I want to do anyway, and you fly from there. The problem with that idea is these maps of are the western coast of the Dark Continent, which tells us nothing about what the northern coast looks like or even where it is, so we’re back to having no idea of where you need to go.” He grimaced. “And having you just fly south until you hit land is what happened to Columbus. While it turned out reasonably ok, at least if you weren’t a native of the place he found, it was a while before people realized what had really happened and just how badly he was wrong. That didn’t happen until Amerigo Vespucci came along and figured out what was going on.”
Eve cocked her head. “Who is Columbus?”
Iain sighed. “It doesn’t matter. What is important is that unless we have an idea of where you need to go, I don’t know when to decide that you’re overdue and that something has happened to you and it’s time for us to find out and see if you need rescued.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
“I’m glad you agree,” he said sarcastically.
“What’s the other idea?”
He went back to rolling up charts. “We cheat. I have written about one town in the Dark Continent. I mapped it and the surrounding area for my story and that means my author powers should allow me to see it in my mind well enough for me and a delta bonded pokegirl to teleport there. Or we could send someone through via pokeball transporter and have them released to teleport back, but right now I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“If I was in charge of anything in Sanctuary, and the infamous Kerrik Wolf had sent my people Jenova’s head, I’d probably flag anything arriving from the Blue League. That anything would especially involve pokegirls. I’d sequester them and then interrogate them at my leisure. If a few pokegirls got broken during the process, well omelets and applesauce are made that way and both can be pretty tasty.” He smiled slightly. “Since I am not that person, I really would resent someone breaking anyone in my harem and I’d just as soon rather make arrangements so they can’t get the chance to try.”
Eve nodded. “That makes sense, but do you think that teleporting with a mental image you created is safe?”
He shrugged. “Asks the beautiful Megami-sama who is part of a universe that I either helped to create or can see. In either case, I think so.”
The Megami-sama in question shivered. “Don’t talk like that. It’s creepy and very frightening.”
“I art god, remember? And the signs seem to indicate that I do have some small power to affect the reality around me. This suggests that if I really want us to come out in the Dark Continent safely and in a way that will keep Sanctuary from knowing about our arrival, we will.” He touched the pile of charts with his pokepack wand and they vanished. “It’s a pity these things weren’t more useful, but sometimes that’s how things turn out to be.”
Eve held the pack while he shrugged into it. “Considering that they can’t help us, why are you keeping them?”
He turned and grinned at her. “You really think we can have too much information? Besides, these are our trophies of smashing two ships full of pirates. Granted they were drunk and off guard, but that doesn’t matter, does it?”
“No, I guess it doesn’t.”
“I’m glad you agree. Now, since we’re pretty much done here, let’s get the others and Barbie and go home. She can fix our feast there.”
Scheherazade’s tail swished idly as she gave them an amused look. “Who is Barbie?”
“She’s the pokegirl who attacked me in the cell.” Iain shrugged when the Dread Wolf’s mouth dropped open in shock. “She’s an astral Damsel and apparently she’s adopted me. Eve wants me to keep her.”
Scheherazade pulled her jaw shut with a ringing snap. “Does she? I think Eve was decanted a bit too early.”
Iain grinned. “No, she just didn’t get enough sunlight as a sprout.” A thoughtful look appeared. “Or for Cherries maybe it’s called a sapling.”
Eve gave both of them a helpless smile before forcing it into a scowl aimed at him. “Mister, you are just asking for trouble.”
“Hey, I was kind of offering to fertilize you more often.”
“I don’t need,” she broke off and blinked. “Really? I accept.”
Scheherazade shook her head. “Eve, you can’t go taking more of his time. We’d like some too. Then there’s the fact that we’re fighting Sanctuary and there are only twenty four hours in a day.”
Eve sighed theatrically. “The sacrifices I have to make so you don’t go feral.”
“We appreciate your willingness to give so others can have too,” came the droll reply. Both pokegirls laughed softly.
Iain picked up his shotgun. “Ladies, assemble everyone on the deck of the Teeth. Eve, don’t forget Barbie.”
Eve nodded. “And you don’t forget a bodyguard.”
“Emerald is right outside.” Iain headed for the door. “I learned something interesting about them. It just so happens that because of my bond with them, whenever they’re nearby they can mask the fact that I’m not in the Blue League. It also means we can travel in the Dark Continent without them realizing I’m around.”
“How does it work?”
“As it was explained to me, their presence cloaks my life energy. To any curious mages, it’ll appear that I’m still in the Blue League somewhere since I’m invisible there.”
“That’s a very useful trick. Can they do this from a distance?”
“According to Eirian, no. She also said that they were working on it.” He pulled the door open. “Fifteen minutes, ladies, then I want everyone on deck. Loot quickly.”
Fifteen minutes later everyone assembled on the deck. Barbie quickly moved to stand behind Iain, putting him between her and the curious eyes of the Dragonesses. Emerald cocked her head. Her flesh was slowly regenerating and right now she looked like a weeks dead corpse. “Who is that?”
Barbie squeaked and sank into Iain’s shadow to disappear. His eyes closed and he shivered, but kept still. After a minute, he opened his eyes and spoke in an even voice. “She’s Barbie and she’s a Damsel that I’m keeping. Don’t scare her.”
“She is dead.” Eirian stepped slowly closer.
“I’m not sure she’s aware of that. We haven’t really had a chance to talk, but she, her harem and her tamer were all taken and murdered by the pirates on the Bitch. She was in the cell when we arrived.”
The Dragoness nodded slightly. “She was the reason it was sealed shut. She would have hunted among the sleeping and killed those she fed on. It would have frightened the crew, especially if she can disappear into any shadow as she has done with yours. It is unlikely that they knew what they faced, only where it was coming from.”
“It is mildly amusing that they had a really haunted pirate ship.”
“And now she is yours?” Skye shook her head slightly. “While it is true that you have an affinity for the dead, could you not have chosen a more powerful new servant? She is pathetic. Even her vaunted durability is of limited use since she is dead and can turn immaterial when attacked. She is useless as a training aid.”
Barbie stepped out his shadow. “I am not useless! I can cook and clean and mend almost as good as a Seamstress.”
Emerald hissed. “Boo!”
Barbie squeaked again and slipped behind Iain. “Stop doing that!”
Aurum stepped sideways so she could see the Damsel. “You are dead.”
“So? Does being dead make me especially useless? No, it doesn’t. I can still keep my master’s life orderly.” She tossed her head in a golden swirl of ringlets. “You’re dead too, so there. He’ll still tame me.”
Iain went very still as Beryl’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, he will. He tames the dead.” She turned her head sideways to Eirian. “Another thing he denies us. How can she be part of his living harem? She is dead.”
“Oh, shit,” he muttered softly as all six Dragonesses turned to look at him. “Um, ladies, she needs tamed or she’ll fade. You are different and you don’t need tamed. Besides, you said you weren’t interested.”
Eirian glanced at Beryl. “Change is the only true constant. If we wish tamed, will you deny us?”
He swallowed audibly and slowly shook his head. “I will not. But there are going to be stipulations. Barbie possesses a kind of pseudo life when she’s material and her body reacts to sexual activity like it did when she was alive. Does yours?” He slowly let out a deep breath. “Dry sex is not all that fun and friction burns on my dick fucking suck. Been there and have that T-shirt.”
Eirian frowned. “I am not sure since he was not interested in that sort of thing with us. When I know the answer, I will tell you.”
“You do that,” Iain said in a hollow voice.
Eve touched him on the shoulder. “Iain?”
He shuddered and took a deep breath. “I’m here. Eirian, I want you to cut the Bitch free to drift. She’s going down first.”
The Dragonesses moved quickly to release the sailing ship. She began to drift away from them, pushed by the wind and the waves. Iain watched until she was at least a hundred and fifty meters or so away. “Dragonesses, line the side of the ship and ready your hyperbeams. April, your constructs can help if you’d like as can you Scheherazade. Aim low and along the waterline. Shay, I want you to set the masts and rigging on fire.”
Dominique gave him an arch look. “What about me?”
“You, Eve and Irena are on watch in case something comes from the sea in response to sinking the Bitch. When it’s the Teeth’s turn, you’ll get to help set up to blow her munitions while Shay and April stand watch.”
“Oh. I can live with that.”
Iain turned back to the Dragonesses as April summoned her Red Eyes Black Dragon, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. “Ready your weapons and supercharge the techniques.”
The six Dragonesses were in a line down the side of the ship and they opened their mouths in unison. The inside of their mouths began to glow, getting brighter and brighter until it was hard to look at. Scheherazade pointed one hand at the Bitch and a violet nimbus appeared around it.
Iain counted down slowly, shouting the commands loudly enough to be heard by everyone. “Volley fire in five, four, three, two, one, fire!”
The six hyperbeams shattered planking as they punched deep into the Free Bitch’s hull, cracking hull frames with reports louder than the cannon as they fell free and crashed into the hold. Two of the beams actually came out the far side of the ship, driving into the sea before flickering out to let water roar into the bottom of the doomed vessel. She began to settle into the waves almost delicately.
Meanwhile, the construct’s attacks ignited the hull while Scheherazade’s laser set the rigging and masts ablaze as she played the energy beam over the bottom layers of sail. Flames leaped up the tar impregnated cloth and rope, creating a chimney effect that sucked air across the hull and fed the flames below. In seconds the Free Bitch was fully engulfed.
Iain chuckled. “And that’s why I’d have a crew full of pokegirls with hyperbeam if I were a pirate hunter. Pirates have it harder since you can’t really loot a sunken ship of much of value, but for me a volley of twenty or so hyperbeams would definitely give any survivors nightmares, at least until the next volley.” He raised his voice. “Individual fire, ladies, as you recharge. Blast that whore to splinters.” He grinned at Dominique. “Do you think you can do better with this ship?”
The Archmage grinned back. “I don’t know yet, but you know how much I love a challenge. Will you help?”
“I’d be glad to. Eve, you’re with me. Irena, keep an eye out for trouble.”
She nodded. “I’m on it, Iain.”
The Mephaesta’s Teeth had been captured from some league’s military and her main batteries were ten fully automatic eighty millimeter naval rifles arranged throughout the vessel in pairs. Two of the guns were inoperative due to damage, but the other eight would have been more than enough to cause any civilian ship to stand down, at least until they discovered that the Teeth was crewed by Limbecs. Limbec prisoners didn’t live long and they, like the Dread Pirate Roberts, left no one alive to report their presence.
The only reason every ship didn’t fight to its last breath against the Limbecs was simply because there were other pirates out there and the Limbecs were often confused with pirates that wouldn’t massacre the entire complement of any vessel they ran across. In most cases, by the time the victim discovered its attacker was a Limbec vessel, it was already at knife range and way too late for an effective defense to be mounted.
Iain had expected the magazine to be empty, and he was surprised to find the vessel had around ninety percent of her pre-capture munitions stores on hand. It suggested that the Limbecs had fingers deeply set into other pies, like smuggling ammunition from more developed leagues. It was a sad statement on humanity that they’d funnel armaments to their enemies who would use them against other humans and domestic pokegirls, but greed was almost universal throughout time and space.
In any case, there were plenty of the ten kilogram rounds available for Dominique and Iain to play with. The black skinned Archmage pushed her crimson hair over a pointed ear and gave him a sardonic look. “Did you bring the explosives?”
Iain chuckled. “I wish we had some, but for this we don’t need it.”
“Oh, really? And just how are we going to set these off? Fire might work, but a fireball won’t sit still and wait while we run.”
Iain looked the magazine over. The eighties were fed from twenty round drums and the rest of the ammunition was stored in crates, with eight rounds per crate. “These are spin armed,” he began, only to be interrupted by Dominique.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that when the shell is fired, it spins on its axis. The fuze arms when the round spins at a predetermined speed or a certain number of times. It’s a safety feature to keep the round from going off before it’s fired.” He smiled at the Archmage. “So if you were to levitate and spin a handful of these rounds at an ever increasing speed, they’d eventually arm. If you dropped them on their noses after that, they’ll detonate just like they’re designed to. That should set off the other rounds with them.”
Dominique’s eyes lit up. “And if I left these spinning rounds scattered throughout the ship and had all of them go off at once?”
He nodded. “That has the potential to be cataclysmic.”
“I like cataclysmic.” She pulled her staff from the air. “I’ll start putting rounds wherever I think is best.”
Iain nodded. “That sounds like a plan. Eve, let’s go visit the engine room.”
Oily water shipped slowly from side to side in the bilges of the engine room and the stench was unbelievable. Iain shook his head. “I guess they piss into the bilge. Nasty wenches.” He led her to the rear of the compartment and motioned to the propulsion shaft. “Use your energy blade and cut it here. It’ll cripple this ship forever, and once wave action pulls the shaft out of the ship, will leave a nice big hole for the ocean to fill her up. Dominique’s pyrotechnics should help to speed that process along.”
“Is it really that hard to sink a ship?”
“It depends on what you do. We’ll also visit each compartment on our way out and chop some holes in the hull with your energy blade.” He looked up. “During the war, I’d planned out some scenes where Wet Elves hovered underneath ships and stuck an energy blade in the hull, letting the forward motion of the ship tear her open like she’d hit a reef. I never wrote those stories up, but I’m sure that is a very easy way to sink almost anything.”
An hour later Eve held Iain against her body as she hovered in the air a half mile away from the Mephaesta’s Teeth. Everyone other than Dominique had already been evacuated back to their home in Dingle. They watched the Archmage shoot up from the ship and speed in their direction. She halted near them. “I want to spin the rounds faster and faster for a good five minutes to make sure they arm before cancelling the spell.”
Iain glanced at her. “How fast are they spinning now?”
“Fast enough that I can’t count the revolutions. Can you set your pokedex for a countdown, please?”
He pulled the piece of electronics from his belt and set it. “We’ve got three hundred seconds and counting.” He watched the timer wind down until it reached zero. “Time.”
Dominique held out her hand and made a pulling motion. Smoke shot from the hatches on the ship, blooming out into rings as the outer edges slowed. The Teeth shuddered and the water around her shivered into tiny wavelets around her hull. Seconds later the dull booms from the explosions reached them. There was a loud rumble and the bow of the Mephaesta’s Teeth blew off as at least some of the munitions in the magazine detonated in a secondary explosion. Water rushed in through the rent and she began to tilt nose down as she sank. In less than a minute she was gone, leaving a spreading slick of oil and debris.
Iain clapped slowly. “Very impressive, Dee. It’s a wonder humanity did as much as they did against Sukebe’s armies.”
The Archmage bowed in midair. “Thank you. I accept praise in any form, be it verbal, monetary, wonderful gifts or extra sex.”
Eve chuckled into his ear. “A lot of this is due to you, Iain. If Sukebe had given his forces proper tamers, things might have come out much differently than they did.”
“You might have a point, but he didn’t and they didn’t.”
“That was fun.” Dominique twisted in midair to face them. “What’s next?”
“We go back to Dingle and figure out how L5 a bunch of pokegirls and then sell them off without alerting the Blue League. You finish your work on the decanter of water while I fuck Barbie and hope the Dragonesses don’t find out about KY jelly. Then it’s on to Sanctuary and convincing them to find other toys to play with.” He grinned. “In other words, nothing much.”
They all laughed and vanished, leaving the laughter to fade into nothingness behind them.
Iain Grey - Tradesman
Eve - Megami-sama (alpha)
Dominique - Blessed Archmage
Scheherazade - Dread Wolf
Irena- Chibi Sanctuary Goth
April - Duelist
Dragonesses
Eirian - Silver
Skye - Blue
Emerald - Green
Sable - Black
Aurum - Gold
Beryl - Red