Chapter Twelve #2
Like Zaria said, they were taking the opportunity to flank.
His
heart pounded in his chest.
“That
so?” Soren sheathed her sword. “Let me see, now. You betrayed your worldly
friends. You’re hunted like a dog. Now, your only shelter is a tomb soaked full
of madness and evil. The only thing I’ll say in your favor is you haven’t
begged my mercy.”
Zaria
stopped, keeping herself at least two body lengths from the bunny. Isaac came
out by her side, trying to keep his body language as calm and neutral as
possible. He wanted to look unassuming, someone so lacking in threat that the
pirates would grow careless. All the while, he kept flexing his fingers.
When
Zaria didn’t reply, Soren turned her head, regarding him. Once again, he
struggled to decide which eye to meet. “Who the bloody cunt is this?” the bunny
asked. “He the one that left them second set of tracks? You find some human
wandering the wasteland above?”
“Sure
did.” Zaria slapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her side.
“Rather felt sorry for him, matter of fact. Now he’s my squire.”
The
pirates around them snorted and laughed.
Isaac’s
composure began to crack.
“Oi,
human,” Soren said. “What’s your name, then? Who the fuck are ya?”
“You
don’t need to know,” Isaac replied.
The
bunny snorted. “Oh, maybe. Maybe not.” Her blue eye roamed over him. “Either way,
I’ll make sure you’re called my cabin boy, and nothing more. Unless, of course,
you wish to die with your shining knight.”
Zaria
squeezed his shoulder.
Soren
grinned. With the blood flecked across her fur, her mouth appeared like an open
wound. “Whatcha say, handsome? I’d keep you nice and pampered.”
Isaac
scoffed. “I wouldn’t fuck you with someone else’s cock.”
There
was a silence. A moment later, Soren and her crew burst into laughter, the
sound echoing across the open courtyard. Even Zaria gave him a sideways glance.
He wasn’t sure if they thought what he said was funny, or if they were laughing
at the fact that someone like him had said it. Either way, he was satisfied,
because, as a child, he had once read that line in a book, and he had waited
half his life for the chance to use it.
Below,
the ground continued to rumble in a rhythmic wave, like the snoring of a giant.
“Just
playin’, love,” Soren said, still chuckling. “I can smell her on you from here.
Could probably count her teeth on your neck.” Her pink nose wrinkled. “You
enjoying your life as a fugitive, Zaria?”
Zaria
tightened her grip on Isaac. “You know how it is. Have to claim what’s yours.”
“Not
so,” Soren replied. “The rule is—if you’re dead on the ground, then he’s mine,
and whatever ransom you’re hoping to collect will be mine as well.” Her black
eye reflected the rows of pirates behind them. “Got that ‘nobleman’s son’ look
to him. Think I’ll call him Coin Purse, once he’s good and broken.”
Zaria
let him go, stepping forward. “Have them pointy ears gone deaf, Soren? I’m
offering parley, not tribute.”
The
bunny drew her cutlass, slicing it through the air. It made an audible sound.
“Only thing you got to offer is your life, traitor. I’d drag you back to
Crookspur so I could break you proper, right on the wheel, but last time I let
you from my sight, you managed to sunder a whole bloody ship. You’re dyin’
here, down in this bony city, and I’m damn sure gonna bleed you like you bled
ten of my crew.”
Zaria
took another step. By now, the point of her captain’s sword was inches from her
chest.
Isaac
tensed.
“You’re
gonna lose the rest of them,” the hyena said, “if you stay down here. This
place is evil, capt. The stories are true. I’ve seen it myself, and it’s only
thanks to this human behind me that I’m living to tell the tale.”
For a
moment, Soren kept the sword raised, the point aimed directly at Zaria’s heart.
All it would take was a single thrust.
They
watched each other.
The
bunny snorted, lowering the blade. “Oh, what? You concerned for us now? Where was that concern a week ago? Did you blow a hole through my
ship ‘cause you loved us so much?”
“How
many men you lost already?” Zaria turned, facing the crowd of pirates. “How
many of your mates won’t ever be leaving this place?”
The
pirates glanced at each other. Behind them, they had laid the bodies of their
crew in one long row, shoulder to shoulder, their animal faces marred with
jagged ice and blackened burns.
“Go
on,” Zaria said. “Tell me so. You think some treasure and vengeance is worth
your lives?”
Soren’s
whiskers curled back. “There ain’t a man on the Saber that didn’t lose
someone to your rampage. Don’t even got a proper roster for all the souls you
left burned to cinders, neither. Whatever pirate blood
you think’s on my hands ain’t nothing compared to yours.”
More
than a few voices rose in agreement.
“I
forced no man down into the black,” Soren said. “All hands came of their own
free will. Equal risk, equal shares. Aye, lads?”
Even
more voices shouted back.
“Oh,
truly, then?” Zaria asked. “Does all this brotherhood nonsense extend to the
transport of slaves? Children? You all singing merry ‘round the rigging while
some babes cry for their parents below deck? You gonna spend your blood wage on
drink and whores without a second thought?”
“Shut
your mouth,” Soren hissed. “Job specified no tampering with the cargo. I
followed that directive.”
“You musta known.”
“No,
Zaria. I had not the faintest.”
“Don’t
lie.”
“Watch
your fuckin’ tongue.”
A silence
fell. Isaac realized he had not breathed in several moments. Behind them all,
the palace of skulls seemed to moan wordlessly, gazing up at the ribs.
“I
promise,” Soren said, “on my word, I had no idea what the cargo were. My
disgust is the same as yours. In fact, I’m planning on carving that disgust
into the fat-purse cunts that offered the contract. No one slights me and lives
to tell about it.” The bunny twirled her cutlass. “The difference being that
I’m honorable enough to keep my word, and not nearly so low that I’d slaughter
my mates for righteousness.”
“There’s
honor in aiding evil now, is there?” Zaria replied. “You still completed that
contract, didn’t you?”
“Much
as I could,” Soren admitted. “Accountin’ for the cargo you tossed.”
“Cargo,
huh? You keep sayin’ that. That your word for innocent lives?”
“Them’s
the terms of contract. Not my place to debate.” Her sword glinted as it spun.
“My word’s gotta mean something. I have to show I’m principled. No ship would
surrender her hold if I were known for breaking promises. My reputation
protects my crew, and I have to protect it in kind, whether that be honoring my
signature on a line, or hunting down a traitor.”
Zaria
turned to the gathered crowd of pirates. “I want to hear you all say it. Say
you’re fine dipping toes in the slavin’ business. Say
you’re fine earning wages off the blood of children. Just admit, right now,
that you’re no better than some bandits slitting throats on a highway.”
She
looked around, receiving only stares in reply.
“Tell
me you’re still feeling brave. Tell me you aren’t having second thoughts,
confronting all these curses and magic.”
Most of
the pirates were silent. Some were looking around the dead city, staring with
wide eyes at the palace of skulls or the giant rib cage above their heads. Some
were glancing at the floor, the sandwyrm rumbling and circling beneath, close
enough to rattle the barricades and crates of rations. Others were looking at
the bodies of their friends.
“Leave,”
Zaria said. “Call it a withdrawal, if you want some dignity about it. Everyone of you that stays down here is gonna die.”
Soren
looked over the uneasy gathering of her crew, their faces reflected in her
black eye. Her half-burned muzzle twisted into a snarl. “I was fair to you,
Zaria, wasn’t I?”
“Aside
from torturing me for several days, you mean?”
“Fair
penance for a gutless crime.”
“Well,
then. Right you are, capt. No complaints from me. Good shares, good grog.”
“Damn
good hand you were,” Soren said, her voice grinding and low. “Worked more than
half these sods combined. Absolutely fearsome with an axe.”
“Oh,
none compare to the Black Eye. That’s for fact.”
They
looked at each other. Soren gripped her sword. Zaria folded her arms.
Isaac
waited.
“Matter
of fact,” Soren said. “I’ll just tell ya, since it don’t matter. Vossler’s
stepping down as third mate. I planned to promote you to it.”
Zaria
blinked. “Truly?” She seemed to consider this, acting genuinely surprised.
“Never thought I’d hack it as an officer, tell you the truth. Leading men, the
whole bit.”
“You
would have. I see it in you. Might’ve made it to captain faster than I did,
even.”
“Appreciate
you saying so.”
“Call
it a parting gift.”
Zaria
made a noise in her throat. “Funny how that works.”
“No,”
the Black Eye replied. “It ain’t.”
The
silence settled again.
“Had to
stick to my principles, Soren.”
“As do
I, Zaria.”
“No
chance I’m talking you out of this, then?”
Soren narrowed
her eye, the burnt flesh tightening down. “You know better.”
“Aye.
Suppose I do.”
Hyena
and bunny stared at each other, heedless of the other eyes around them. Below,
the sandwyrm’s angry patrols continued to rumble through the earth. The palace
of skulls glowed in the cartilage light, like a bulbous pile of gold.
“That’s
enough,” Soren said. “We’re dueling, here and now. Toss your polearm and grab a
short blade.”
“Got a
better idea, capt.” Zaria stepped back to Isaac’s side. “He’s gonna be my
champion.”
For a
moment, the palace courtyard was stilled of motion. Even the sandwyrm seemed to
pause. Then, slowly, a few chuckles spurted out from the crowd, quickly
building into a chorus of hoots and shouts. The air of the dead city filled
with taunts. Isaac could feel the pirates jeering at him, rattling their
weapons and barking out laughter.
Only