Voidhawk - Lost Soul (18 page)

“This here’s Volera. She ain’t a wizard, exactly,” Rosh said.

“Master?” Volera asked, making Rosh groan. “My apologies,” she said smoothly. “I wasn’t expecting company so soon. Captain Rosh is correct, I’m not a wizard, though my circumstances have forced me to learn to use magic much the same as a mortal wizard would.”

It wasn’t Volera’s rich and smoky voice that dripped sensuality that left Tasha’s mouth dry and her mouth parted. Nor was it the scrap of black clothing that
barely covered her breasts and fell no further or the similarly brief black silk loin cloth between her legs. Even her boots, long, black, and glistening with sinister promise, only added to the overall image. No, what stole Tasha’s breath was the near divine beauty the pale skinned woman possessed. Combined with her attire Tasha felt her heart race and she wondered if the look was sinful or seductive. Or, she mused as her brain began to function again, perhaps a bit of both.

“Tasha Wyndamere,” Tasha said, stepping forward and offering her hand. “Second Mate and
Arms mistress on the Voidhawk.”

“I like your armor,” Volera said, her eyes practically scalding her as they took in every detail of it at leisure. Tasha felt as though she was being undressed by the exotic woman. She suddenly wished to be rid of her armor, not because
she wanted to reveal herself to Volera but because of how warm it had become inside of it.

“They call her The Golden Lady,” Rosh snorted. “She was royalty on the world we found her on.”

“More than royalty,” Volera said, her eyes never leaving Tasha’s, “she is also of your loins.”

“You got a funny way of saying that,” Rosh growled.

‘Funny’ wasn’t the term Tasha would have used. The best replacement she could find she owed to Jianna. ‘Creepy’ fit the strange woman far better.

“
Now quite messing with Tasha’s head, the crew from the ‘Hawk ain’t for you to play with. We’re headed to Port Freedom so we can rescue Dexter and Jenna. Seems like I’m always dragging his arse out of a tough spot.”

Tasha gasped as the room cooled around her. The thickness in her head was gone, allowing her to glance about the room and see it again, as though it was the first time. She stared in amazement, then let her eyes fall on the scantily clad woman on the helm again. Volera’s clothing had changed, her shirt still displayed ample flesh between its plunging neckline and raised hem, but the loin cloth had grown into a dress that had a diagonal cut across it allowing Volera both room to walk easily and to display a healthy amount of her pale thigh.

“What sorcery is this?” Tasha asked, turning to stare at Rosh.

“She’s a demon,” Rosh said. “Or she was, I guess. It’s a long story best saved for once we got time for it.”

“No, I think this deserves an explanation,” Tasha insisted.

The warrior sighed. “Ask her then.”

Tasha turned to Volera, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Volera smiled, the expression appearing far more innocent than Tasha believed it to be. “I was a Fury, a class of being from my realm that combines the seductive prowess of a succubus with
the martial abilities of a champion of battle.”

“And Rosh beat you, just like that?”

“It was a battle for the ages. We struggled a day and a night. In the end he proved himself a greater warrior and a greater lover.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Rosh chuckled at Tasha’s dismay.

“It’s true. I was cast out of my realm and my existence could only continue by bonding myself to Rosh. He became my Master.”

Tasha shook her head and turned to Rosh. “Seems Captain Silvercloud’s not the only one with a strange run of luck.”

“Got that right,” Rosh grumbled. He pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against. “We’re wasting time. Let’s go see if we can’t
find that faceless bastard and get our friends back.”

“Faceless bastard?” Volera echoed.

“Aye, last time I seen him he looked like a man except he had no face. No eyes, no mouth, no nose, nothing. Just a blank patch of skin where a face ought to be.”

Volera frowned, though the pensive look did nothing to detract from her beauty. “Can he use magic as well? Telekinetic powers and limited mental control?”

“Huh?” Rosh asked.

“Yes!” Tasha hissed. “From what Dexter and Celia said, that sounds right!”

Volera nodded. “You face a deadly foe. He must be one of the duathrym. They are a small class of beings that serve as mercenaries and assassins where I come from. They command the most exorbitant of prices.”

“Prices? What kind of prices?”

“Everything may be bartered where I come from,” Volera said.

“She makes it sound like someplace special,” Rosh warned. “Make no mistake, you and I call her ‘realm’ something else. We call it Hell.”

Volera shrugged off Rosh’s definition. “That is often the lay term here,” she admitted. “To residents there the measure of status and wealth is in terms of souls.”

Tasha swore. “Rosh is right, we’ve got to go now!”

Chapter 11

Learning to work the complicated controls of the Second Chance had taken Tasha hours of practice. While Rosh was far from the most understanding mentor she’d had, he surprised her with his patience. She’d never imagined a full sized vessel that could be sailed with a helmsman and a single person manning the deck.

The design of the four sails was nothing short of brilliant. The ship wasn’t as fast as a more modern elven scout, but what it lacked in outright speed it more than made up for in maneuverability. Rosh demonstrated how each sail could be positioned independently and the ship could even turn in place.
The design reminded her of some of the four winged insects from her home world. They could hover and flit about just as easily.

After a day and a half of becoming comfortable with the Second Chance, Tasha fell into a routine with Rosh and Volera. Rosh took the helm for shorter periods, four to six hours, while Volera sat the position for stretches of twelve or more hours. Tasha stayed as far from Volera as she could during the times Rosh was on the helm. Volera had a way about her that hinted
she’d seen cruelties and depredation beyond Tasha’s ability to imagine. Volera frightened the warrior woman, though she strove to hide her trepidation.

Tasha was only too glad when they neared Port Freedom. The harbor was abuzz with ships coming and going, as well as a great many that seemed on the verge of action. What the action was she couldn’t tell. Tasha stood on the low bow deck eyeing the activity while Rosh manned the sails above and behind her. She relayed signals from the small boat that had been dispatched to guide them in.

“They’re putting us with the elves,” Tasha called back. She’d suspected as much, they sailed what had once been an elven ship. A large section of the harbor catered to elven vessels, many of them large enough to carry dozens of men. On the other side of a large wooden walkway that segregated the elven section she saw a motley collection of ships, the majority of them human. Further away she saw a shallow pool where vessels that were only equipped to dock in water could safely land.

“Seems like the elves are busy,” Rosh responded.

Tasha’s eyes were drawn back to the elven ships. After a moment she felt her own hunch confirmed. Elves were carrying aboard supplies to the vessels. Nothing unusual, save that nearly every ship was being loaded and some of the items being carted or carried were unduly large. “They’re leaving,” she gasped. She repeated herself, giving volume to her voice for Rosh to hear. His response was a grunt.

Volera and Rosh set the ship down so smoothly Tasha was surprised to find both of them joining her on the bow deck. She peered over the side, reassuring herself that the Second Chance was resting on the dirt and rock ground.

“Busy place,” Rosh said, eying their remote location. He pulled out a panel to reveal a cubby with a ladder coiled up inside of it. He lashed it to pegs on the railing then tossed it over the side.

Tasha cursed and rushed back to her room, drawing a startled glance from Rosh. She’d expected a harbormaster to visit them before they’d be granted access to the city, giving her plenty of time to put her armor on. Whatever was happening at Port Freedom seemed to make the common procedure a luxury.

She emerged from the companionway to find an empty bow. Tasha bit back an oath and adjusted her grieve before stepping to the ladder and peering over the edge of the rail. Rosh and Volera awaited below, speaking with a man who carried a roll of parchment and a quill. Perhaps the harbormaster had come calling after all?

She climbed over the railing and descended the rope ladder, thankful yet again to the elders for making her armor less cumbersome. Such a task would have been impossible before. She left the ladder behind and joined Rosh and Volera in time to see a dazed looking
harbormaster turn and walk away.

“Problems?” Tasha asked.

Rosh nodded at Volera. “Naw, she addled his wits enough he didn’t even bother worrying that humans got an elf ship.”

Tasha looked at the almost condescending smile Volera wore. She suppressed the shudder and
looked away. “Where too?”

“Rolxoth’s involved, let’s start with the city guard.”

“You want to walk into the city guard’s office and just start asking questions?” Tasha’s discomfort around Volera was forgotten. Instead she stared at Rosh in disbelief.

“Yeah. I ain’t got the time to be wasting asking questions. Don’t expect they do either.”

Tasha glanced heavenward, wishing foolishly that the Voidhawk would miraculously appear and pull her away from the madness about to unfold. Dexter, Jenna, and Xander were probably wishing the same thing, she realized. She let out a breath and prepared to follow Rosh when something caught her eye in the sky above.

“What ship is that?”

Rosh and Volera glanced upwards, searching the sky until they saw the shape that grew steadily larger. “Federation,” Rosh growled. “Big one too. What’s Dexter been up to?”

Tasha glanced at him. “Dexter? Why do you think it was him?”

“Why the hell else would a Fed warship show up here? Even before the elves took it they had nothing to do with this place.”

“I think it’s the same one we ran into when we left the Elven void behind. Ora’s Bounty. The Captain dropped a few hints about changes coming here.”

Rosh swore. He glanced at Volera but her only response was to wink at him. “Damn fool’s gonna to get himself killed yet. Let’s go!”

A cry went up in the harbor. It was echoed and shared by others rapidly as they took notice of the Federation warship approaching.
“Hope that armor’s as thick as it is pretty,” Rosh said to her. He broke into a run, pulling away from the surprised woman. Volera moved easily beside him. Tasha scowled and took off after them, intent upon proving that her armor wouldn’t hinder her in the least.

People pointed and cried out in the streets as panic took hold of the populace. For all the panicked shouting and frenzied scrambling, true chaos didn’t erupt until skiffs and small craft launched from the warship carrying Federation soldiers. Rosh yelled and, on occasion, used his massive arms to force his way through the growing crowd of excited people.

Smaller ships were rising into the void, some even trailing lines and ladders as they sought to make an escape from the pending conflict below. Tasha caught glimpses of four elven ships rising to challenge the Ora’s Bounty, though they were all far smaller than the human warship. Tasha winced as the first volley was exchanged, the elves firing ballista and catapults rigged for direct fire while the Ora’s Bounty fired massive bombards that echoed across the city.

Shrapnel from the battle fell across the docks, scattering people and destroying equipment. Tasha scowled at the unnecessary danger to innocent people. Or people that were undeserving of an anonymous death, at least. She doubted anyone in Port Freedom was truly innocent, given what she’d heard of it.

“There!” Rosh bellowed, surging through a lull in the crowd towards the reinforced door of Port Freedom’s sheriff. Volera was close behind him carrying a sword in her hand with a blade made of blackened steel. Tasha noticed the woman’s outfit had changed, instead of her previously indecent clothing she wore black leathers that looked just as inappropriate, though they covered more of her flesh.

Rosh smashed the door in, wasting no time in trying the handle to see if it was locked.
He sent the reinforced wood and iron door off its hinges and onto the floor. He stepped in, drawing the same great sword she’d seen him wield in the past. It had once seemed so large that even the mightiest of men would be troubled to swing it with two hands. Now that she’d been forced to reconsider what the mightiest of men looked like, she realized that the weapon fit him well.

Tasha stepped into the room and saw a scene that made the chaos in the streets seem calm. The bodies of elves
and humans were scattered about the room, many of them in pieces. Most of the corpses were on the floor but a few lay slumped over tables and chairs. Tasha slammed the visor on her helmet down instinctively, but it did little to stop the stench of spilled blood and death from reaching her.