This here chapter was written with the cooperation of the creative genius= es=20 of Destral and Lannie. So read it.

VII

Shen woke with a start, inhaling sharply. Another nightmare had visited= =20 him in his sleep. Yet again he had dreamed himself being frozen alive, o= nly=20 this time he had been able to see afterwards, and was free to watch the=20 white dragon stomp his sister into a bloody pulp.

Being awake was not much better. He remained bound with thick ropes to = a=20 heavy barrel in the hull of a pirate ship, apparently bound for Waveshore= . =20 His guard, a wiry young man with dirty blond hair, sat atop a barrel on t= he=20 other side of the room, dozing. Shen's neck was wickedly sore from the=20 weight of his head hanging loosely while he slept. His head was pounding= ,=20 and his stomach was once more knotted with nausea. His pirate captors ha= d=20 been kind enough to untie his arm partially, allowing him free movement=20 below the elbow, and leave his syringe and ammonia solution within his=20 reach, so he could administer his shots himself. It was quite fortunate=20 that they had, Shen thought to himself as he prepared a shot of the milky= =20 white liquid and jabbed it into his leg, alleviating the pain in his head= =20 and stomach. He was unsure exactly how much time they had been at sea, b= ut=20 it seemed to Shen that he now required the shots more than twice as often= as=20 before. Had it been left to his jailkeepers, the young man thought, they= =20 likely would have already gotten tired of the attention he required, and=20 simply let him die. Now, however, he was worried that he might not have=20 enough ammonia solution to last until the ship reached its destination.

In addition to the increased need for his shots, Shen found that he was=20 sleeping more often. He only slept for an hour or two at a time, it seem= ed,=20 but the young man was amazed he could sleep at all. He was almost=20 constantly seasick, and his stomach burned with the hunger that accompani= ed=20 wearing his now shattered technorg limb. Despite all that, his body simp= ly=20 seemed to shut down at times, almost without warning and sometimes while = he=20 was in mid thought, allowing him several chances to reacquaint himself wi= th=20 his nightmares.

The sporadic sleep was almost merciful, as the time Shen spent awake was= =20 tortuous. Aside from whatever physical pain he felt, Shen was mired deep= ly=20 in depression. His father was dead. He realized at times that he still = had=20 cause to mistrust what Maoban had told him, but it was exceedingly diffic= ult=20 for him to cling to any fraction of hope in his current situation. The=20 Sinister family, what both Shen and his father had believed would one day= =20 grow into a dynasty, was finished. Someone had pushed his father out of = a=20 window, and Shen had been blamed for it. His mother had most likely died= at=20 her husband's side. Keta, too, was probably with them by now in Kel'ta-n= a,=20 and Shen doubted he could be too far behind. He wasn't exactly sure what= =20 the Paper Factory would do with him, if that was indeed who Maoban planne= d=20 to sell him to. He doubted it would be entirely pleasant. At that point= ,=20 however, the young man cared little what happened to him. Death, at leas= t,=20 would be rest without a nightmare.

Shen laughed shortly at himself as that last thought crossed his mind. =20 That's exactly what Galen had been thinking. Perhaps, as she had once sa= id,=20 she and he were indeed now a part of each other. The young man wondered = at=20 times if Galen was truly happier now, dead; if she was walking the halls = of=20 the dead, reunited with her mother, or if she was whiling away the time i= n=20 whatever hell she had earned. Thinking of that always lead Shen to ponde= r=20 his own fate. Regardless of what became of him after death, it was=20 difficult for him to imagine being any more miserable than he was now.

His head full of those dark thoughts, Shen sighed heavily as he returned= =20 the syringe to its place on the floor, almost wishing he had not woken up= at=20 all. He idly reached across his lap to scratch his leg, and suddenly=20 recoiled as something cut his hand. Giving a yelp of shock and pain, he=20 raised his hand before him, finding a long, bloody cut down its back. Sh= en=20 looked over to his technorg limb, and his heart nearly stopped. He had t= ied=20 the sleeve of his jacket in a knot below the elbow to keep it from flaili= ng.=20 The rended bit of iron bone that protruded from the metal joint, once n= ot=20 even the length of a finger, was now three quarters of a mentic long. It= =20 had punched out of the fabric of his jacket, and now was bare. The sharp= ,=20 jagged tip of the metal bone was damp with Shen's blood. Barely able to=20 draw breath, Shen willed his arm to move. The iron bone waved up and dow= n=20 in response.

"I can't... impossible," Shen breathed. He noticed then that his guard = was=20 stirring awake, alerted by Shen's cry of pain. The skinny pirate was=20 obviously a bit drunk, however, and in no great hurry to wake. Shen drew= =20 the iron limb close to his body, trying to conceal it as best he could. = It=20 would probably be best if his captors did not know that he seemed to be=20 growing another arm.

Captain Gallagher had been true to his word. Destral and Jan were free = to=20 roam most of the Iron Fang while the ship sailed in pursuit of Maoban and= =20 Shen. Aside from being given a daily regiment of chores -mostly the=20 particularly unpleasant jobs that the pirates did not want to do themselv= es=20 -the two outsiders were left to their own devices. Their weapons, howev= er,=20 had been taken from them, and the giant half troll, Borno, kept almost=20 constant watch over them. Additionally, Tinbuk still had Destral's ring,= =20 and seemed to have no intention of giving it back.

Jan spent most of the time trying to avoid his chores, gambling with som= e=20 of the crew, pilfering anything that looked interesting when the troll=20 wasn't paying close enough attention, and explaining to Destral all the=20 reasons he hated boats. The pirates smelled, the food was terrible, the=20 weather was always too windy, too hot, too cold. The real travesty was t= hat=20 there were no women. Destral was unsympathetic, but he was also more=20 interesting than most of the crew, and they did have common goals. The=20 swordsmen seemed to take their situation more seriously than he did, too,= =20 which was something else to needle him about. Jan was still uncertain as= to=20 what exactly had driven him to throw in with him, especially in the rescu= e=20 of a man who would probably kill him if he got half a chance.

For his own part, Destral avoided most everything and everyone. He spok= e=20 little to anyone, even Jan. The swordsman had been lead in circles or=20 stabbed in the back too many times as of late for his own liking, and did= =20 not expect any different of either the dubious gypsy or any of the pirate= s. =20 Jan had gotten him out of a tight fix back in Nova Libertalia, but that=20 wasn't really saying much, since the gypsy was also the one who had gotte= n=20 him in it in the first place. Beyond their common interest in escaping=20 Tinbuk with both their belongings and their lives, Destral was not at all= =20 ready to trust Jan. He simply kept his eyes open and his ears perked,=20 waiting for a chance to take control of his situation again.

It was on the fifth day at sea that a commotion on the deck brought all = of=20 the pirates to gather at the front of the ship. Another ship had been=20 sighted. It was nothing but a spot of white sails on the blue horizon at= =20 the moment. Ushered by Borno, who roughly forced the pirate crowd to par= t=20 for them, Jan and Destral made their way to the rail, where Tinbuk, his=20 first mate Kungah, and the mage Pointer stood, staring out at the distant= =20 ship. The other vessel was running an almost parallel course, and was qu= ite=20 a ways ahead of them.

"What do ya make of it?" Tinbuk asked the dark cloaked mage.

"She's running a Waveshore flag, but that doesn't mean anything," Pointe= r=20 answered. "She's not a cargo ship, though. She's got a complete array o= f=20 weapon ports." Destral noticed with some surprise that Pointer wasn't ev= en=20 using a telescope. The mage was simply lifting his violet hair away from= =20 his face with his hand, revealing for the first time his shallow green ey= es.

"Look a little small from here," Tinbuk said, squinting at the horizon. = =20 "Do it have a name?"

"I can't see one."

"Might be outta Nova Libertalia, then." He looked to Jan. "What do tha= t=20 ship they got Sinister on look like?"

Jan shrugged. "Hey, I'm no sailor. All boats look the same to me."

Tinbuk grunted, casting a dangerous look at the gypsy. "We turn towards= =20 'em, and we see what happens." The captain then turned to his crew, and a= =20 look of anger crossed his face. "What the hell are ya lot doin', lazin'=20 around?!" he roared. "Get ya asses back to work! Turn us toward that shi= p!"=20 The crew scattered at his command. Only a few moments later the ship=20 lurched, its course adjusted to intercept the other vessel.

"Is that really the ship we're looking for?" Destral asked Jan quietly.

"I have no idea," the gypsy replied.

"She's turning," Pointer declared. "She's turned away from us."

"They is a runnin'," Tinbuk chuckled, a wide grin spreading over his fac= e. =20 "I bet my left hand Sinister is on that boat. Can we catch 'em?"

"We are already gaining," answered the mage.

Tinbuk's grin continued to broaden. He turned again to his crew, and=20 bellowed, "raise the black flag! Prepare for battle!" The pirates echoed=20 with a wild, bloodthirsty cheer. The captain then turned again to Jan an= d=20 Destral. "Guess we won't be needin' the two of ya for a while. Borno, l= ock=20 'em up in the brig." At his command, the half troll roughly grabbed both = men=20 by the back of their clothes.

"Damn you!" Destral spat, struggling against the brute's grip and starin= g=20 daggers at the captain.

"We had a deal!" Jan hissed, equally angry.

Tinbuk just smiled. "Don't worry, we still got a deal. This is just fo= r=20 ya safety. Can't have ya landlubbers a fumblin' around in the middle of = our=20 fight. Ya is no sailors now, is ya?" He sneered at Jan. "We'll let ya o= ut=20 once it's over. Now, don't get fussy, or Borno'll have to break ya legs.= "

Destral and Jan were roughly dragged away by Borno, while Captain Gallag= her=20 and his crew continued to make preparations for the coming battle.

"Are you sure we can't outrun them?" Captain Redgard grumbled, stroking = his=20 black beard thoughtfully. Redgard was a short, stocky man with sun beate= n=20 skin and thick, greasy black hair. He was known as one of the most=20 proficient drinkers in Nova Libertalia, a title of considerable weight. = He=20 also was the captain of the Widower, the ship Captain Evie had selected t= o=20 transport Shen Sinister to Waveshore.

"Not unless the winds change, Captain," Maoban answered, still staring=20 through his telescope at the Iron Fang in the distance. "We're at full=20 sail, and they're gaining. It'll take 'em a while, but they'll catch us=20 eventually." The big pirate lowered the scope, turning to regard the=20 captain.

"Damn," Redgard spat. "This close... I suppose it was bound to happen,=20 though. We'll run for as long as we can, then." He turned to address his= =20 crew. "Look alive, you slobs! I want every weapon we got made ready, and= =20 lined up on the port side! As soon as those bastards come into range, we = cut=20 sail, bank turn, and unload on 'em! We'll shoot 'em so full of holes, the= y=20 wont even have a piece of driftwood to drown on! You got me?" The pirate=20 crew answered with a hearty round of "aye sir"s. "Prepare for battle!"=20 Roaring with savage excitement, the pirates dispersed over the ship. =20 Redgard turned back to the rail, and the distant Iron Fang. "Never liked= =20 Gallagher much anyway," he muttered.

"Yeah," Maoban chuckled. "To hell with all of 'em."

Borno took Destral and Jan down into the lowest deck of the ship, into a= =20 short, narrow hallway with no outlet. It was completely dark, having no=20 windows, until the half troll lit an oil lamp that hung near the stairs. = =20 Several heavy doors, each with only one tiny barred window at the top and= a=20 thin slot for sliding meals through at the bottom, opened into a series o= f=20 dark, damp, windowless cells. Pushing the two men forward, the half trol= l=20 retrieved a ring of keys from a nearby locker, and set about opening the=20 nearest cell.

"You know something, Jan?" Destral said, his eyes fixed firmly on the=20 brute. "I've been to a lot of worlds in my time."

"Good for you," the olive skinned man muttered.

"I've met a lot of different kinds of people. But we're all the same, n= o=20 matter what we look like on the outside."

Jan looked at his companion in disbelief. "Yeah... well, that's=20 beautiful."

"There's one thing that's always been true, no matter where I find mysel= f."

"Are you going crazy or something?"

Borno at last opened the door, and Destral suddenly exploded into action= ,=20 rushing towards the giant and roaring at the top of his lungs. Surprised= =20 for only an instant, the ugly giant braced himself for the charge, droppi= ng=20 the keys and raising his fists. The swordsman feinted a leap at the half= =20 troll's head, causing the brute to raise his guard. Instead, Destral sli= d=20 to the ground on the wet wooden planks, kicking upwards viciously with bo= th=20 feet as he slid between Borno's legs. The brute's roar became a squeak, = and=20 he doubled over in pain as Destral's kick connected solidly with his groi= n. =20 The swordsman appeared on the other side of the giant, quickly on his fee= t. =20 He plowed into Borno's ample backside with his shoulder, driving the brut= e=20 forward to crack his head solidly against the doorway and stumble into th= e=20 open cell. Kicking the half troll's legs inside, Destral then slammed th= e=20 door closed, fumbled for the keys, and managed to lock the door before Bo= rno=20 even realized where he was.

"Nobody likes to get kicked there," Destral finished his thought, pantin= g=20 slightly and grinning. He moved to the tiny window of the cell door. =20 "That's one I owe you, ugly."

Jan's eyes were wide. "All right, I admit it. I'm impressed."

"Let's get out of here."

"Wait a minute," Jan said, catching Destral's arm as the swordsman start= ed=20 for the stairs. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get my weapons back," Destral answered plainly. He had=20 already seen the wooden chest in Tinbuk's quarters where Gelita and his=20 other items rested. "You coming?"

Jan shook his head. "I've got a better idea. If you go up there now,=20 somebody will probably get suspicious. There's going to be a battle soon= ,=20 and the pirates will be too busy killing each other to care what we do. =20 Wait 'till then." Destral considered it for a moment, and then nodded hi= s=20 agreement. "Out of curiosity," Jan asked him, "once we have our weapons,= =20 what are we going to do?"

"Well, first I find Tinbuk, and get my ring back. Then, if Shen is on t= hat=20 other boat, I find him. Then..." Destral frowned.

"Then?"

"I suppose we have a few minutes now to think about what we do then, don= 't=20 we."

Shen was not sure exactly what was going on, but apparently it was=20 something serious. An older man had come down, had a brief exchange with= =20 Shen's guard, too quiet for him to hear, and then both of them left, leav= ing=20 the young man alone. It was the first time he had been left without a=20 guard, leading him to believe that whatever it was, it was grave. A=20 potential battle seemed the most likely option.

Escape seemed impossible, but even so, Shen found himself presented with= an=20 opportunity to at least die fighting, rather than wasting away in some=20 prison cell or bleeding to death on a torturer's table. Even with the=20 dagger-like iron bone, Shen could not maneuver himself into a position to= =20 cut away the ropes that bound his body. He could, however, free his legs= ,=20 and from there perhaps another opportunity would present itself. Drawing= =20 his legs close to his body, the young man began working the jagged edge o= f=20 the technorg bone up and down against the ropes that bound his ankles, an= d=20 praying that his jailers did not return soon.

Time seemed to drag by as the Iron Fang chased the Widower across the op= en=20 sea. Captain Redgard stood at the rail of his ship, watching the other=20 approach and cursing his luck. The Widower was the smaller and lighter o= f=20 the two, and in most situations it would have been the faster. However,=20 rough waves and chaotic winds had allowed Tinbuk's ship to catch up to=20 Captain Redgard's, and now the larger boat had the advantage. The Iron F= ang=20 carried considerably more sail than the Widower, and as it drew ever clos= er,=20 those sails stole more and more wind from Redgard's ship. They would be=20 overtaken soon.

"What's our range?" Redgard grunted.

"About 700 mentics," Maoban answered, standing at the captain's side and= =20 peering through his telescope. "Close enough, I'd say."

"Time to deliver Tinbuk's surprise, then." He turned over his shoulder, = and=20 called out, "hard a port! Prepare to fire!"

"The fireflies are ready to fire, Captain," Kungah reported, returning t= o=20 Tinbuk's side from the weapons deck. "Spikers are ready to go too."

"Good," the pirate captain nodded. "Lemme know the minute we get into=20 range for the fireflies. Tell the men we want Sinister alive, if possibl= e. =20 Everybody else, we toss into the sea."

"She's turning!" Pointer suddenly announced. "Port side!"

"What?" Tinbuk blanched. He looked again out to the sea, barely believi= ng=20 what he saw. "What's our range?"

"700 mentics, at least," Kungah answered.

"Is he out of his damn mind?" Tinbuk balked. "Steer into him, we'll cat= ch=20 him faster now."

A trio of clouds of black smoke suddenly rose up from the side of the=20 smaller ship, accompanied a moment later by a trio of loud booms.

"Cannon fire!" Pointer shouted. His yell was followed by a high pitched= =20 whistle, steadily growing louder and louder.

"Incoming!" Tinbuk roared.

A pair of bone jarring crashes suddenly rocked the Iron Fang, and moment= s=20 later Jan and Destral heard a massive splash, as though something very bi= g=20 and very fast had hit the water. The two men stared at each other for a=20 moment, both equally shocked.

"What the hell was that?" Destral said finally.

"Cannons, probably," Jan answered. "I had heard that some of the Nova=20 Libertalians had got their hands on some from somewhere or other. Man, t= wo=20 for three on the first shot, that's pretty good shooting."

"Are you sure its such a good idea to stay down here?"

"Hey, we're under the water here. The cannonballs are going to be landi= ng=20 up there."

"Yeah, but if the ship goes down, we'll be the first to drown."

Jan shrugged. "Won't be much safer up there if that happens. Have you=20 come up with a plan yet?"

"Not really, no."

"Better hurry. We probably don't have much longer to wait."

"Damage!" Tinbuk demanded.

"Grazing hits," Kungah answered. "Nothing serious. Smashed some walls,= =20 broke some planks, and it looks like a couple of skulls too. We were luc= ky,=20 though."

"Circle toward 'em! Make 'em keep turnin'! Keep the weapons ready! And=20 Pointer, do somethin' about them damn cannons!" The mage did not reply. = The=20 purple haired man's head was lowered, his arms were outstretched, as his=20 body was alight with a yellow glow.

"How long till we can get another shot?" Redgard roared.

"A minute or so," answered Maoban.

"Go hurry it up! Fire at will! And tell helm to keep the ship turning, o= r=20 we'll be out of position!"

Nodding, Maoban dashed away, leaving Redgard alone at the aft rail of th= e=20 ship while the rest of the crew continued to pace the deck anxiously in=20 anticipation of the coming fight. The seconds dragged on painfully slowl= y,=20 and the Iron Fang continued to draw nearer, though now taking a less dire= ct=20 course to try and keep out of the cannon's line of sight. Maoban returne= d=20 after what seemed like an eternity.

"Any moment now, Captain," the big pirate assured Redgard.

"They're too close," Redgard growled. "Either we sink them now, or we=20 fight it out."

"Either way's fine, if you ask me."

A few seconds later a second trio of thunderclaps shook the ship as anot= her=20 volley was blasted into the air in clouds of black smoke. The three sphe= res=20 of heavy black iron rocketed into the sky, quickly becoming tiny specks. = =20 The first fell into the water short of its target, and the second sailed=20 harmlessly overhead. The third appeared to be on target, but before=20 striking the ship, it collided with some sort of unseen barrier, throwing= up=20 a brilliant shower of yellow sparks. The projectile bounced over the shi= p,=20 and fell into the sea beyond.

"Dammit," Maoban spat. "Revanard's wizard must be with them."

"Fire the close range weapons!" Redgard roared.

Before the captain's order could be carried out a cloud of black specks=20 suddenly erupted from the Iron Fang, and began rushing towards the Widowe= r.

"Fireflies!" Maoban shouted. "Heads up!"

The black projectiles fell like rain over the pirate ship. Several land= ed=20 in the surrounding water, but a few found their mark. A firefly was=20 essentially a crossbow bolt with a charge of flammable oil that would ign= ite=20 on impact. Some of the bolts hit the deck or struck the ship's hull, but= =20 the sea dampened wood did not burn quickly, and the resulting fires were=20 easily extinguished. A couple of the bolts found human targets, who then= =20 met with very unpleasant ends. The sails, however, burned even faster. = The=20 dry cloth ignited almost instantly when soaked with the fireflies' oil, a= nd=20 with the aid of the sea wind the fire quickly began to consume them=20 completely.

"Cut 'em loose!" Redgard bellowed. "Cut the sails loose, or they'll bur= n=20 the whole damn ship!"

At the captain's command, the pirates began cutting every rope that boun= d=20 the flaming sails to the ship. Freed from the mast, the sails briefly=20 caught the wind once more, rising into the air like a billowing cloud of=20 flame and smoke, before drifting into the sea. A few flaming bits of the= =20 sail fell to the deck, but the fires were contained before any major dama= ge=20 was done.

That finished, Redgard turned once more to the oncoming Iron Fang, findi= ng=20 it a mere hundred mentics away. "Get ready, boys!" he called to his crew= ,=20 drawing his scimitar from his belt. "Here comes the fight!"

The two ships exchanged arrows as the Iron Fang approached the Widower o= n=20 its starboard side, away from the cannons. Under the cover of more=20 fireflies, the crew of the Iron Fang dropped their sails and threw hooked= =20 ropes to the deck of the Widower, quickly drawing the two ships together.= =20 The battle began with no words. Tinbuk's crew poured onto Redgard's ship= ,=20 and the melee reached fever pitch in seconds.

"There's our battle," Destral said as the ring of weapons and din of ang= ry=20 shouts reached his ears. "Let's go."

"You have a plan yet?" Jan asked doubtfully.

"We haven't really let that stop us yet, have we?" he answered with a gr= in.=20 Jan just shook his head, wondering why in the world he had gotten himse= lf=20 into this.

The two men came quickly to the upper deck, and Destral took a moment to= =20 survey the situation. The pirates of the Iron Fang had bound the two shi= ps=20 together with hooked ropes, just as they had done with the Stalwart. The= =20 fighting was intense. The ring of weapons and cries of battle were a=20 continuous roar, making it difficult for the swordsman to even hear what = he=20 was thinking. The deck of the Iron Fang itself, however, was nearly=20 deserted. All of the fighting seemed to be taking place on the other shi= p. =20 The crew of the other vessel, apparently pirates as well, were holding th= eir=20 own for the moment, but Tinbuk's men seemed to have them outnumbered.

There was one man standing quite near were Destral and Jan came up, taki= ng=20 pot shots at the battle with a crossbow. He didn't notice as the two men= =20 came up the stairs behind him. Destral watched in disgust as the pirate=20 shot a man square in the back, dropping him to the deck. In a flash of=20 anger, Destral grabbed the sniper's shoulders, and before the surprised m= an=20 could protest, threw him over the rail and into the sea.

"Is that your plan?" Jan smirked, shouting to be heard over the fighting= . =20 "Throw them all into the sea?"

"No," Destral replied, looking the gypsy intensely in the eye. "But I d= o=20 have a plan now."

"You do?"

"You see those ropes holding the two ships together? Start untieing them= ."

"All of them?"

"All of them, and quickly. I'm going to get my sword. I'll cross over = to=20 the other ship before you finish. The two ships will drift apart, hopefu= lly=20 before anybody notices, and without a sail, that other ship won't be able= to=20 follow."

"That's your plan?!" Jan blurted. "How are you going to get back?"

"Once I have my ring and Shen, I'll fly us back."

"What am I supposed to do if there are more pirates on this ship? What a= m I=20 supposed to do if they notice the ship is drifting away?! What do we do i= f=20 the ship doesn't just drift away?!"

"What, do I have to think of everything?" Saying nothing more, Destral=20 bolted off towards Tinbuk's quarters.

Jan stood there stunned for quite some time, amazed by the stupidity of=20 what they were about to attempt. "He'll fly them back?" he muttered,=20 finally ducking next to the rail to avoid being spotted, and beginning to= =20 undo the first rope.

It was considered customary for the captains of any two battling crews t= o=20 duel personally. It was a matter of "gentlemen's honor". It was in fact= =20 considered uncouth for a captain to allow a member of his crew to kill th= e=20 other captain before that duel. While the pirates of Nova Libertalia har= dly=20 considered themselves "couth", they were seamen all the same, and they li= ked=20 to abide by those old traditions. So it was Tinbuk and Redgard were both= =20 seeking each other out, and at last found each other near the middle of t= he=20 raucous battle.

"Redgard, ya greasy old son of a bitch!" Tinbuk roared, swinging his swo= rd=20 in an overhand chop as the duel began. "I ain't seen ya in ages!"

"Suited me fine!" Redgard snarled, swatting the chop aside with his own=20 sword and offering a sweeping cut at Tinbuk's legs in turn. "You still=20 Revanard's lap dog?"

"Ha! Beats lickin' ass for that whore Evie!" He leapt over the cut,=20 chopping at Redgard's neck.

"Yeah, maybe. But you gotta admit, it's a fine ass to be lickin'!" He=20 ducked below Tinbuk's sword, and thrusted for his stomach.

"We ain't enemies, is we Redgard?" The thrust was batted aside, and Tinb= uk=20 spun with the block, arcing his sword towards Redgard's gut. The attack = met=20 only scimitar. "Why don't ya just gimme Sinister now? Then I won't have = to=20 kill ya."

"No, I've got a better idea, Gallagher. Pack up your rats, and get off = my=20 ship. Then you won't have to swim home." Redgard pushed Tinbuk's sabre=20 away, and chopped at his neck.

"Can't do that, boss." He met the attack, and swung both of their swords= in=20 a wide circle, attempting to step close and disarm the other man.

"Heh heh, I forgot! Mess up for Revanard, and he hangs your skull up in = his=20 house!" Redgard's fist shot out, connecting solidly with Tinbuk's chin. = The=20 taller man stumbled backwards, and Redgard chased after him with a series= of=20 vicious chops. "That's some dungeater job you got yourself, Tinbuk!"

"At least with Revanard, I ain't a bein' lead around by my johnson all t= he=20 damn time!" Tinbuk weaved and parried with his sabre frantically as Redga= rd=20 continued to press his attack, meanwhile reaching into his vest.

"At least with Evie, I don't take it up the a-!" Redgard's thought was c= ut=20 short. Tinbuk's opposite hand had suddenly produced a dagger, and driven= it=20 into Redgard's chest with surprising quickness. The captain of the Widow= er=20 coughed violently, spitting up a mouthful of blood, and his legs began to= =20 shake. The scimitar fell from his grip, and his hands came up to hold th= e=20 weapon that had killed him.

"Nobody ever liked ya, Redgard," Tinbuk said with a wicked smile. He=20 turned the blade, drawing a weak grunt of pain from the man. He then=20 clutched Redgard's collar, ran him over to the rail, and cast him over. = The=20 waves swallowed the fallen captain's body, leaving no trace but a bit of=20 blood colored foam.

"May I have this dance?"

Tinbuk whirled sharply at another voice dangerously close behind him. =20 Destral stood there, holding a glittering short sword in one hand and a=20 longer iron blade in the other. A wide smile crossed the pirate captain'= s=20 face as he squared himself to the foreigner. They sized each other up fo= r=20 long moment while the battle continued to rage around them.

"You have something of mine," Destral said coldly. "I want it back."=20 Raising both swords up, the raven-haired warrior struck them against each= =20 other twice.

Tinbuk grinned, raising the hand that bore the Ring of Souls to let the=20 sunlight glint off its gold. "Come an get it, then."

A barrel, Shen noted to himself for future reference, was a particularly= =20 unwise thing to bind a prisoner to. After he managed to free his legs, t= he=20 young man had enough leverage to begin to work his ropes upward, where th= e=20 barrel began to get thinner. Once he had enough room to free his arms,=20 escape had been simple. Tucking the syringe and the bottle of ammonia=20 solution into his jacket pockets, he climbed the stairs. The door to the= =20 chamber where he was being held had been locked from the outside, but usi= ng=20 the technorg limb as a pry bar, Shen was able to splinter the wood and fr= ee=20 himself.

The pirates had been kind enough to leave his things bundled up in a sac= k=20 nearby, resting atop a crate. Shen sifted through his possessions quickl= y,=20 checking to see what might be missing. Everything of any importance was=20 still there, though his money had, of course, vanished. His captors, the= =20 young man guessed, had not been able to figure out how to use his more=20 complicated items, and had no interest in the mundane ones. His father's= =20 pistol was missing, but Shen knew where that was; he had seen it several=20 times, tucked in Maoban's belt. What little ammunition he had left,=20 however, was still in the sack, leading Shen to believe that the big pira= te=20 didn't actually know how to use the weapon. Tossing the sack over his=20 shoulder, the young man continued upwards.

He came at last to the deck of the ship, and found it awash in an intens= e=20 battle. He didn't really recognize any of the combatants, attackers or=20 defenders, though he was certain they were all pirates. There was a seco= nd=20 ship, though oddly enough it seemed to be drifting away. His eye opened=20 wide as he realized that it was the Iron Fang. He didn't really know why= =20 the ship would be here, or why its crew would be fighting his captors. =20 Someone, he presumed, had been doublecrossed.

Shen was searching the ship with his eye for a lifeboat, or some other=20 means of escape, when he at last saw someone he did recognize. A wave of= =20 anger suddenly washed over him. Rage at his capture and imprisonment; ra= ge=20 at everything he had lost; wild, uncontrolled rage boiled up in him so=20 quickly that Shen barely knew what he was doing. Dropping his sack and=20 grabbing a sword from a nearby corpse, Shen marched single-mindedly towar= ds=20 his target.

"Maoban!"

The big pirate whirled as the young man shouted out his name. Maoban's=20 eyes opened wide in shock, and his sword immediately came up. "How the h= ell=20 did you get loose?"

"I've got something to tell you," Shen growled.

"Save it, boy. I told you, you're worth just as much dead!"

Maoban's sword came racing for Shen's neck. The young man deftly blocke= d=20 the attack, and then surprised the pirate by pressing right up against hi= m. =20 Maoban was even more surprised when Shen plunged his technorg limb up to = the=20 elbow into the big pirate's rotund belly. Shen lifted up slightly with h= is=20 arm, tearing Maoban's guts and drawing a cry of pain from him. The young= =20 man's other hand released his sword and grabbed Maoban's chin, forcing th= e=20 pirate to look him in the eye.

"Until now, I've never actually killed a man myself," Shen hissed, a wil= d=20 glint in his single blue eye. He jerked upwards again, drawing another=20 weaker cry of pain from the impaled man. "Yes, I've seen people killed. = =20 Ordered people killed. But you're right," Shen snarled, a grin spreading= =20 over his face, "this is much, much more satisfying." He jerked upwards=20 again. Maoban only grunted this time, spewing blood from his mouth over=20 Shen's hand. The pirate slumped forward, his legs no longer able to supp= ort=20 his own weight. Shen continued to hold his chin, staring into his blank=20 eyes, waiting to see the exact moment when the man's life passed. It cam= e=20 and went. Shen heaved upwards a final time, more violently than before. = =20 There was a horrid popping sound as Maoban's gut tore open like a balloon= ,=20 and his innards spilled out at Shen's feet. Shen lowered his arm, and th= e=20 corpse slid off, hitting the deck with a sickening splatter.

Shen took a step back, suddenly realizing what he had done. Maoban's bo= dy=20 lay before him, face down in a pile of his own intestines. Shen's clothe= s=20 were soaked in his blood, and bits of gore dangled from the jagged tip of= =20 his iron bone. A few of the pirates around him had taken note of him now= ,=20 but did not seem interested in approaching. Shen's stomach knotted as th= e=20 smell of Maoban's opened innards reached him. As if in a final insult, S= hen=20 fell to one knee, and vomited on Maoban's corpse.

"Shades," Shen whispered to himself, wiping the watery vomit away from h= is=20 mouth and leaving a smear of blood in its place. Ignoring the gaping=20 pirates, Shen rose. He quickly retrieved his sack, and stopped one last=20 time at the pirate's torn body to snatch his father's pistol from Maoban'= s=20 belt. He then started towards the continuing battle, intent at the momen= t=20 only on distancing himself from what he had done.

It hadn't taken Jan very long to decide that untying wasn't a very fast = or=20 efficient way of separating the two ships. Selective looting of a few=20 fallen pirates had provided him with a keen edged hatchet, which seemed t= o=20 be doing a much better job much more quickly. It also was handy for deal= ing=20 with any pirates who might be left aboard the Iron Fang. The fighting on= =20 the Widower was pretty intense, and he had quickly lost track of Destral.= =20 So far the gaje had seemed relatively competent all things considered, an= d=20 Jan wasn't all that worried. His own track record for surviving life=20 threatening situations was excellent so far.

With a final strike of the axe, the last cord was severed. The rough=20 oceans that had helped the larger ship to catch up were now working at=20 carrying it away, the winds catching the Iron Fang's undamaged sails and = the=20 action of the waves helping to drift it farther ahead. Now that he had=20 accomplished that task, it remained only to clean out any unwanted=20 passengers while he waited for Destral to return with Shen. The thought=20 occurred that he should probably do something about Borno as well, since = the=20 giant half-troll wasn't exactly the type of prisoner that the cells below= =20 had been designed to hold. He swung the axe over one shoulder, and made = his=20 way back to the lower decks.

There was no light from below, which meant that the lamp had either gone= =20 out or been removed. Deciding against venturing into the potentially=20 hostile darkness without any precautions, he stopped for a moment to list= en=20 for any bellows or growls that might denote an angry, confined mystic. W= hat=20 he heard instead was loud running footsteps behind him. Jan whirled arou= nd,=20 bringing his axe to bear. It wasn't Borno, but angry mystic did seem to = fit=20 the general description of the machete armed pirate who was rushing at hi= m.

The beady eyed imp, who Jan thought he recognized as the ship's cook, to= ok=20 the first swing. Jan hooked the blade between the ax head and handle wit= h=20 an underhand sweep, disarming his opponent with a sharp flick of his wris= t. =20 The cook muttered something under his breath, backing up and drawing a lo= ng=20 curved knife from his belt. Jan grinned confidently and began his own=20 advance.

At that point, two things happened. The first was that Borno, who must=20 have been hoping to ambush him, or else had only just recently recovered=20 from Destral's earlier attack, rushed up the stairs and onto the deck. T= he=20 second was a cry of alarm that went up among Tinbuk's crew aboard the=20 Widower that their vessel was drifting away. Jan's momentary disconcert=20 gave the imp opportunity to retrieve his machete, and the gypsy found=20 himself back up against the wall and facing two opponents much more used = to=20 shipboard combat than he.

He knew he was faster than both of them, but he was unused to fighting w= ith=20 a hatchet, let alone fighting when the floor was bobbing up and down. Ja= n=20 decided to play the fight defensively, hoping to take the imp out quickly= =20 and maybe get in a few lucky shots past the other's thick hide. Borno=20 rushed forward in an attempt to knock him down, but the gypsy deftly danc= ed=20 around him, claiming more room and swinging at the giant's back. The imp= ,=20 closing in more quickly than expected, slashed at his undefended flank wi= th=20 the knife, grazing the gypsy's side.

Backing further out into the open and wishing he had another weapon, Jan= =20 made a quick re-evaluation of his situation. Borno was preparing another= =20 charge, the imp was coming around for another pass as well. Across the=20 water, several pirates had picked up crossbows and were aiming them in hi= s=20 general direction, waiting for a clear shot. To top it off, the mage,=20 Pointer, was now floating through the air between the two ships and beari= ng=20 right for him, his hands alight with a blue glow as he prepared some spel= l=20 or other.

Jan knew when the odds were against him, and there was still no sign of = his=20 ally. He dropped his axe, reaching instead for the glamour that flowed=20 through his veins, the unique mix Faerie and Romani blood that was the=20 birthright of all the Urmen clan. He couldn't remember the last time he = had=20 used it, but still the power welled up inside. A look of surprise and al= arm=20 spread across Pointer's face, and he attempted to bolt forward and reach = the=20 deck of the Iron Fang before the charm took effect. He came within mere=20 mentics of reaching it before Jan's gypsy enchantment lulled him into an=20 unnatural sleep, dropping his prone body into the turbulent sea. The imp= =20 and Borno both fell, as well as a few of the random combatants on the oth= er=20 ship who has been within the range of effect.

Jan paused for a moment to recover. He then grabbed the imp by the feet= =20 and dragged him towards a gap in the rail where the infamous plank was mo= st=20 likely extended. With a heave, he tossed the smaller man into the water.= =20 The gypsy looked back at the sleeping half troll, not particularly=20 enthusiastic about dragging the heavy man to the rail. It was really bes= t=20 not to take chances, though.

Tinbuk swung his sword at his head and Destral blocked with both swords,= =20 then leapt back as the pirate captain drove the dagger at his unguarded=20 stomach. He bumped into someone and was pushed back at the captain, who = was=20 waiting for him, both weapons ready.

Destral had hoped to end the fight quickly, but Tinbuk had proved to be=20 more resourceful than he had first thought. On top of that, the sword in= =20 his left hand was heavier and more cumbersome than Kalita, and that impai= red=20 his fighting ability somewhat.

He swung both swords at Tinbuk, but both weapons were met by the captain= 's=20 steel. Weapons locked, the two combatants put all their weight behind th= eir=20 steel, each trying to force the other down, but they were evenly matched:= =20 despite Tinbuk's greater strength, Destral's heavier weapons gave the=20 swordsman more leverage. Tinbuk lashed out with his foot, connecting wit= h=20 Destral's shin, but the swordsman ignored the numb pain and pushed forwar= d=20 with all his strength, knocking his opponent off-balance. Fighting from = the=20 floor, Tinbuk was able to parry the first two blows before Destral change= d=20 tactics, hacking at his sword with Gelita. The magical shortsword smashe= d=20 right through Tinbuk's blade on the third blow, the broken end of which f= lew=20 away at an angle and buried itself deeply on the wooden planks of the dec= k.

Tinbuk scrabbled away as Destral stabbed at him with the other sword. T= his=20 fight was nothing like the one with Redgard. The landlubber said nothing= ,=20 hardly made any sound as he attacked relentlessly. He was almost like a=20 machine, single-mindedly pursuing a single goal. That thought suddenly g= ave=20 Tinbuk an idea. His head suddenly bumped against something, and he looke= d=20 behind him to find that he had his back against the main mast of the ship.

"Enough!" he called out, pushing himself up to his feet. Destral stoppe= d,=20 a couple of steps away from him. "You want your ring, take it!" The=20 swordsman glared at him through slitted eyes, his clenched teeth bared as= he=20 breathed heavily through them. His hair had worked its way loose from th= e=20 blue headband he wore, further enhancing the likeness to a wild animal. =20 Destral dropped the cutlass and stepped towards Tinbuk.

"Toss it over," Destral snarled. Tinbuk, his dagger still in his other=20 hand, went to remove the ring. His fingers seemed to close around the ri= ng,=20 but instead of pulling it free, they slid effortlessly over it, his hand=20 tracing a wide arc before letting go of the dagger, which flew towards=20 Destral. The swordsman threw his head to the side, avoiding the dagger wi= th=20 only a narrow cut on the cheek. Even as the dagger had been flying at hi= s=20 opponent, Tinbuk had lunged for the cutlass the swordsman had discarded=20 moments earlier.

Predicting Tinbuk's action, Destral dashed forward as he brought Gelita=20 down on Tinbuk's outstretched hand. The pirate's brain took a couple of=20 seconds to register that his hand was no longer attached to his forearm,=20 laying instead on the deck in front of him. As soon as it did, however, = he=20 began to scream.

"You son of a-" the pirate captain roared in pain. Destral interrupted = him=20 by driving his booted foot against his face. Tinbuk reeled sideways and=20 slammed face-down on the deck, where he remained, unmoving. Destral knel= t=20 down next to the dismembered hand, pulled the Ring from the dead finger, = and=20 tossed the hand back to Tinbuk.

"To each his own," he muttered. Tinbuk stirred, opened an eye and looke= d=20 at him groggily. "I could kill you," he hissed as he slipped the ring on= ,=20 staring Tinbuk straight in the eyes. "But a dead man can never learn fro= m=20 his mistakes." Tinbuk's eyes fluttered, and he lost consciousness.

Snatching up the cutlass he had dropped, Destral looked around, checking= to=20 see if anyone else wanted to take him on. Oddly enough, no one seemed=20 interested in fighting him. The battle aboard the ship was coming to an=20 end, as more and more of the Widower's remaining crew surrendered their=20 weapons, and more and more of Tinbuk's men began to realize that their ow= n=20 ship was drifting away. Destral grinned as he stared out at the Iron Fan= g,=20 now a considerable distance away from the Widower. The gypsy had done it= ,=20 somehow or other. Now all that remained was to find Shen. He would have= to=20 do it quickly, Destral realized grimly. Without the chaos of the battle = to=20 hide in, he might end up having to fight the whole pirate crew.

The search didn't take nearly as long as Destral had expected. The=20 swordsman simply turned around, and there was his young companion. Shen'= s=20 face seemed to have narrowed, there were dark circles under his eye, and = his=20 dark skin seemed a shade paler, not to mention that his green jacket was=20 soaked with blood, and an iron spike jutted from his elbow. The two men=20 froze, each wearing the same expression of shock.

"Shen?!" Destral blurted.

"Destral?!" Shen replied with equal disbelief.

"Avernus, are you all right?"

Shen glanced down at himself before answering. "It's not mine. What on= Nu=20 are you doing here?"

"I'm here to find you. You and I have a lot to discuss, I think," Destr= al=20 said coolly, "but for now, we should probably just get out of here."

"Where are we going?"

Destral tossed aside the cutlass, and sheathed Gelita. A grin found his= =20 face as he felt the familiar presence of the Ring of Souls in its usual=20 place on his finger. "Just leave that to me." Closing his eyes, he inton= ed=20 the words of his flight spell quickly.

"Eagle by day,

Owl by night,

Spirits of wind,

Grant to me flight!"

The familiar tingling sensation began to course through his bones, then = his=20 flesh, finally his skin. After a couple of moments, he willed himself to= =20 rise off the ground.

Nothing happened, although the tingling sensation increased in intensity= ,=20 until it was an irrepressible itch, and then a burning pain that=20 concentrated somewhere between his shoulder blades. The pain spread over= =20 his body in waves of heat that threatened to burn him up, a short gasp=20 escaping from his lips as he fell to his hands and knees. Sweat coursed=20 over his face as he breathed in short, quick gasps of air.

"Destral!" Shen shouted, taking a step back in alarm as Destral gave a=20 sharp cry of pain and slumped to his knees. A guttural sound, something=20 less that human, bubbled up from the swordsman's throat. All of nearby=20 pirates turned and took notice as Destral's growl continued to grow. The= =20 air was suddenly split by a sound akin to ripping cloth. At the same tim= e,=20 the back of the swordsman's tunic and chainmail erupted outwards as two=20 wings of black down unfurled from his back with a deafening sound of clot= h=20 flapping in a strong wind. Sweat dripped from his face onto the deck, an= d=20 his arms were trembling as he rose slowly to his feet, as if he were havi= ng=20 trouble keeping himself up. Shen watched him, disbelief drawn all over h= is=20 face. Destral raised his head somewhat to look up at the younger man. T= he=20 swordsman's teeth were bared in a feral grimace, his eyes narrowed, the=20 tendons of his neck bulging, the once-smooth features pulled taught in a=20 rictus of agony. A groan escaped from the swordsman's lips as he struggl= ed=20 to remain standing, the wings on his back beating a couple of times, as i= f=20 testing their own strength.

"Come," Destral hissed gutturally. "Must... reach... Jan," Shen didn't m= ove=20 for a moment, and stiffened visibly when the winged swordsman took a clum= sy=20 step towards him. That sent the surrounding pirates stumbling backwards=20 over themselves to escape.

"... reach who?" Shen finally stuttered, his breath stubbornly caught in= =20 his throat.

"Explain... later..." Destral managed to say between clenched teeth, wit= h=20 obvious difficulty. He took another step towards Shen, and placed a hand= on=20 his technorg shoulder. Shen noticed with some trepidation that the muscl= es=20 in Destral's arm were knotted and bunched, considerably thicker than he=20 remembered them.

Before he knew what was happening, Destral had spun him round, and he fe= lt=20 the swordsman's other hand on his human shoulder, grasping him with=20 tremendous strength. The sound of flapping wings filled the air around h= im,=20 and in a sudden rush of air, they were flying towards the Iron Fang.

The flight was rough and uneven, the black wings swinging the two=20 haphazardly through the air like some newborn chick learning to fly. She= n=20 had no fear that Destral would drop him, however. He was more worried ab= out=20 the swordsman's grip crushing his shoulders. At last Destral plunged dow= n=20 to the deck of the Iron Fang. They hit the wood hard, bouncing twice and= =20 finally coming to a stop as they collided with the rail. Destral only=20 managed to growl unintelligibly before passing out, lying atop his=20 companion.

It took Shen considerable effort to free himself from the dead weight of= =20 Destral's body and the span of the swordsman=92s newgrown wings. When he= =20 finally managed to take his feet, he was confronted with yet another sigh= t=20 he was not prepared for. Standing before him was a man with the olive sk= in=20 and smooth features of a gypsy, holding a long blade in one hand and a=20 hatchet in the other.

Shen just blinked repeatedly, unable to believe what he saw. "Urmen?!"

"Sinister," Jan nodded to the younger man. He gave the machete a skillf= ul,=20 easy twirl, warning Shen not to try anything stupid. Though he was showi= ng=20 the cooler face at the moment, Jan was nearly as unnerved as Shen. The=20 young man had changed quite a bit since Jan had last seen him, from the=20 black eyepatch to the iron spike that sprang from his elbow where his=20 forearm should have been.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Jan shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. What happened to him?"

"He was casting a spell, and... this happened." Shen nudged one of=20 Destral's wings with his boot. "You... you and he are friends?!"

"I wouldn't quite say friends. Companions of circumstance. I guess all= =20 three of us are right now."

"What the hell are you talking about? Who are you working for? That Evie= =20 person?"

Jan shook his head. "I ended up in this situation because I don't work = for=20 anybody, all right? Destral wanted to save your ass, and I ended up getti= ng=20 dragged along for the ride. None of that matters right now. Not he and = I,=20 or you and he, not even you and I. What matters at the moment is that th= e=20 three of us either have to figure out a way to get this boat to land, or=20 really get used to each other's company. You know anything about=20 navigation?" Shen nodded blankly. "Then why don't you start trying to=20 figure out where we are." He turned to regard the unconscious Destral. =20 "I'll see what I can do about him." Eyeing the young man warily, Jan set=20 down his weapons, and knelt beside Destral, attempting to turn the swords= man=20 over.

"Wait," Shen said. Jan look up at him harshly, unwilling to listen to a= ny=20 argument at the moment. "Did I hear cannon fire before the battle?"

"They have at least three on that other ship," Jan replied evenly.

Shen looked to the opposing vessel. They were steadily distancing=20 themselves from it, but he could still make out the pirates scurrying=20 frantically on its deck, and even pick out their angry shouts if he liste= ned=20 carefully. "Then the first thing we should do is put up at least enough=20 sail to get out of range, before they decide to take a shot at us."

The gypsy nodded, rising to his feet. "Fine. Lead the way."

With considerable effort, Shen and Jan managed to raise one of the small= er=20 secondary sails, and once a half hour had gone by the Widower was no long= er=20 in sight. Even Shen's chemical stimulants failed to revive Destral, so t= hey=20 had little choice but to carry the unconscious -and now considerably=20 heavier -warrior into the captain's cabin and leave him lying in the=20 hammock, the black wings flopping loosely on the ground. After that, the= =20 two men purposefully avoided each other, as Shen began sifting through th= e=20 navigational charts, and Jan began scouring the ship for anything that mi= ght=20 be useful.

Night had fallen when the loud pop of a signal flare alerted them that=20 another vessel had spotted them. At first they thought that the Widower = had=20 somehow managed to pursue them, and with Destral still unconscious, the t= wo=20 men did not like their odds against an entire crew of vengeful pirates.

The second ship, however, proved to be a Waveshore coast guard vessel. = The=20 Iron Fang was boarded by a host of armed men, who quickly began a harried= =20 search of the ship. The pirate vessel had been recognized as the=20 perpetrator of several sea raids in the area of the Draya-Etherican trade= =20 routes, and no matter how many times Jan attempted to explain, the captai= n=20 of the police vessel did not seem interested. The gypsy, Shen, and the=20 still sleeping Destral were taken aboard the coast guard ship, and locked= in=20 separate cells. Thus the unlikely trio undertook the last leg of their=20 journey to Waveshore.

***

That's it. A note for all people who are still interested in Shen's=20 mercernary army: the next chapter will be in Waveshore, and the one after= =20 that will have Shen's arrival in Brightsand. Wee haw, be ready.

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