"Ka-Ron!" Jatel shouted, his voice filled with great concern.
The shout brought the knight strength.
Forced on one knee, Ka-Ron pushed the Xow's weapon away from her face. Her arms were on fire. Her back ached with the song of impending doom. And her ass was becoming a distraction because of a curious itch. The salt air was irritating the rug burns, which had been placed there by Jatel in the indulgence of their passions. Damn!
Another curious sensation hit her. She was becoming seasick.
The knight slowly rose to her feet, pushing the Xow Captain's blade back upon himself. She was breaking out in a cold sweat. He, on the other hand, was smiling. A subtle laugh came from his struggles.
"I have all day, love."
Ka-Ron's eyes opened. She paid little attention towards her queasy stomach.
"You are toying with me!" the knight shouted.
The Xow winked at her, confirming her suspicions.
"Jatel!" Ka-Ron yelled, posing an empty hand in the Squire's direction. "My other sword, please!"
The squire responded with lightning speed. A flash of steel, and a loud thump in her hand, Ka-Ron backed away from the slaver captain, welding two swords. Her face was filled with rage.
"No one makes a fool of me, dear sir!" Ka-Ron huffed.
"You are worse than a fool," the Xow laughed. "You are nothing but a woman."
A hush filled the ship. Hathaway and his men let out a low moan, knowing quite well that the slaver's remark had hit a sensitive spot. Any one who had any limited experience with women knew, quite well, that you do not bring up sex in a competition with one of them. To do so invited disaster.
Ka-Ron closed her eyes, as if in prayer. She bent her knees, placing both feet in a single line. Her arms were extended outward, making her look like a top about ready to spin.
"Captain," Jatel whispered, sneaking up behind him. "Take your men off this deck to the command deck above."
"Why?" the Captain inquired.
"Just do it," the squire insisted. "Then, when I call, get ready to take your vessel back."
Ka-Ron began to spin the swords in each hand, making them appear to be nothing but steel blurs. A curious breeze was created by this effect, making it feel almost inviting.
The Xow Captain watched Ka-Ron in great amusement.
Ka-Ron began to hop up and down.
"What in blooming hell is she doing?" Hathaway asked.
"Her duty," Jatel replied, beaming.
Ka-Ron bowed her head, resting her chin upon her breastbone. She glanced towards the left, allowing her eyes to focus, solidly, upon that field of vision. The knight then tilted her hips to match the momentum of her body. If asked to speak, or to explain what she was doing, at this point, it would have been impossible for her to do so - her concentration would not have allowed for it. Indeed, if a medical practitioner were to hear the beating of her hearts, he would have heard close to nothing!
The surrounding slavers backed away from Ka-Ron, thinking her mad.
Ka-Ron started to spin counter-clockwise, with herself almost becoming a blur.
"To the gods!" Hathaway whispered. His confusion showed honestly to Jatel as he looked at the squire in amazement. "She knows the arts of the invisible!"
"No," Jatel stated, shaking his head negatively. "She is still there, Captain. It is not called "The Spinning Death" for nothing."
On the defensive, the Xow Captain lowered himself even with the ship's deck, pointing his sword outward. He could not see Ka-Ron, but he could hear her. A strong humming sound was coming from her swords, which, were spinning in an opposite direction from her.
"All hands attack!" the slaver captain ordered.
Hathaway took his sword out, moaning, miserably. "Gods! I curse the day my father met my mother. For by the end of this battle I will be either in chains or close to my death."
"That could happen any day, Captain-friend," Jatel suggested, pulling several daggers out from his vest and armor. "We must each fight for the end of the day. That is the way of the world."
Hathaway said nothing. He only ordered his men to the attack with a tired moan.
Before any could take action, several slaver sailors exploded into nothing more than a cloud of pink mist. One by one, limb by limb, seemed to evaporate and dissolve before any other action could be taken, as if the gods were so insulted by their existence that they all called the sailors back to the shadows and nether regions from wince they came.
"It's black magic!" someone cried.
"No! It's Ka-Ron," Jatel reassured them.
The Xow Captain was not so amused.
"I shall find you, woman!" the salver captain sneered. He squinted his eyes, concentrating on the air around him. He waited. Held his breath. And waited some more.
Then, he shivered once, and attacked.
With a scream, the Xow Captain approached the ship's helm and hacked away at the huge wooden wheel. He was mad with rage, and appeared to be slicing away at the air.
Then, for no reason, he paused.
Like a statue, the Xow stood with his sword pointing up toward the suns.
The fighting stopped.
All eyes were on the Xow.
A gull, looking for a place to rest, innocently perched itself upon the slaver captain's right shoulder. It did not rest there for long.
As a huff of surprise came from all the men, the Xow Captain's body collapsed, hitting the wooden deck and breaking into several bloodied pieces.
At almost the same time, a blur of flesh and steel came to a dizzying halt.
Ka-Ron stopped spinning. In her exhaustion, she dropped her swords.
"Sire!" Jatel yelled. He managed to catch her before she hit the deck.
Hathaway, smiling ear-to-ear, spread the winning bets out among his men. He was more than happy to do the duty. "All hands! Let's show our guests the door."
Ka-Ron, exhausted, meekly opened her eyes to see Jatel's panicked features gazing down upon her. To the Errant-Knight's surprise, Jatel was crying.
"Are you all right?" she whispered.
"Got something in my eye, sire."
Ka-Ron smiled. "Of course."
The crew of the Raxziel found a new energy in their defiance. With the Captain of the Skree dead and in several pieces, they knew the threats from him were no more. And, a slaver ship without a captain was truly a pathetic thing.
Blood sprayed upon the deck like a ship caught in a maelstrom.
"Should we not help our boarders?" Ka-Ron whispered. She was low on energy, and could barely keep her eyes open. Ki-Qui had the ability of doing that.
"Are you up to it?" the squire asked.
Ka-Ron kissed one of Jatel's hands. "My love, when was I ever not prepared for battle?"
Jatel shook his head. "You are impossible!"
"Of course."
Both rose to their feet and joined the fight.
With the taste of blood in her mouth, Ka-Ron's energy level improved. She was once more able to wield a sword. Before she turned and disappeared into a wall of slavers, she gave Jatel an order. "Go to our cabin and get my armaments."
Jatel followed his orders.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jatel ran down several flights of stairs until he reached the door to his and Ka-Ron's cabin. The door burst open, and the squire bolted through it with thunderous speed and determination. Upon pausing, the man found his hands shaking uncontrollably. Exhaustion and stress caused his knees to give way, and the man literally collapsed upon the threshold.
"For the gods! I am in love with a mad woman," Jatel whispered.
The man's senses returned to him, however, and he reached out to gather Ka-Ron's armaments. These consisted of leg daggers, leather coverings, and a few more battle swords.
He was indeed proud of her performance. It was her first since losing her manhood. Still, Jatel cared for Ka-Ron and did not wish to light a funeral fire in her honor any time soon.
There was a feeling ab
out the room.
Jatel sensed it.
Also, there was a scent of sulfur.
The men above, on deck, chanted a battle cry that caused the squire to liven up his pace. His master needed his aide, and he intended to be by her side until the last blow. Jatel wiped the sweat off his brow and turned to join the fight.
Kai stood inches away.
Her gaze locked with Jatel's.
"For the gods!" the man cried, backing away more out of surprise than fear.
The Wicca Master sneered down at Jatel, allowing herself to grow in size. She towered higher than any man he had seen in battle. She was a devil to reckon with.
The squire squared his jaw, bit down on his fear, and unsheathed his sword.
"Dear woman!" he shouted, "I fear you not."
"Dear man," Kai countermanded. Her amusement only added to Jatel's frustration. "If I were you, I would fear!"
The stateroom filled with a powerful wind, not unlike that of a crazed hurricane. Jatel found it hard to stand. A foul stench filled his nostrils, and he had to swallow hard his breakfast, which, in his disgust, was coming back up for air. Still, these were simple tricks taught in the ranks of Idoshian combat. He would live.
Jatel prepared his sword.
He raised his shield.
He gave his weapon a powerful thrust.
Nothing. He hit nothing.
"What manner of evil is this?"
"There is no evil here, Jatel." the Wicca Master stated, gazing down upon the squire.
"Then why punish my master so?"
The witch laughed. She clapped her hands together and sat upon the cabin's bed, allowing the moment to become relaxed. Her action caused Jatel to lower his sword. It appeared, quite shockingly, that she had not appeared to do harm.
"Punish?" Kai questioned, rubbing her lower lip seductively. "It appears, dear sir, that you are enjoying yourself quite well, I dare say."
Jatel lowered his gaze, embarrassed.
"You speak not?"
"I serve my master." Jatel rebuked, holding his sword in defiance.
"You mean, you take her until she moans your name in female ecstasy."
"Yes," Jatel stated, his voice trembling with shame. "All to your design."
Kai paused. The Wicca Master closed her eyes hard. Was this regret the squire was seeing?
"I see the error in it all, young squire." Kai stated, her breath heavy. "This arrangement is all so&one-sided. Don't you think so?"
Jatel started to slowly back step. Looking over his shoulder, he started to retreat back through his cabin's door. Kai, noticing Jatel's movements, and anticipating his retreat, cast a silent spell, causing the cabin door to slam shut.
"We have both come too far for retreats, dear sir," the Wicca Master dryly laughed. "I think it time for the mighty Ka-Ron to receive a treat, of sorts. Don't you?"
Jatel had never known so much horror as he did in that eternal moment.
Not knowing what else to do, and understanding that he was both out-matched and over-powered, Jatel dropped his sword. This last surprised Kai.
"So, you are a thinking man."
"I know when I am facing a superior enemy." Jatel explained. "Do not confuse my surrender with weakness. For, if I could, I would run you through!"
"I will not mistake anything with you, squire." Kai stood back, hugging the cabin's walls. "Time to conclude our business, I think."
Jatel swallowed, hard.
"A man who enjoys the company of a woman, such as you, should never have to worry about not pleasing them." Kai started to rub her chin, thinking. Her eyes flashed with revelation, and she had to control the ironic laughing rising up in her throat. "A man should not have to worry about being dry as a bone. This is something you will never know again."
"On, no." Jatel moaned.
"Ah, hah!" Kai retorted. "You will always be at the ready. You will always desire the company of your&master."
Kai disappeared in a puff of orange smoke. Her laughter, however, stayed just a little longer, echoing in the squire's ears.
Jatel hated the sound more than he had feared it.
The squire opened his eyes, somewhat surprised at being alone.
"Now, what the hell was that all about?"
After a few silent moments, Jatel thought it best to go about his business. He shrugged the whole event off, hoping that the unpleasantness was behind him.
He was wrong.
A strong electrical shock invaded and traveled through his body.
"Ahhhhh!" Jatel cried. The pain was of such a force that it dropped him to his knees.
Jatel fought the urge to escape into unconsciousness. Sweat poured from his body like a raging waterfall. Helpless, he gazed down at his hands - they were shaking like that of an old man's.
"What's happening to me?" the squire whispered.
Jatel's ears started to notice the sounds of tearing cloth. In his confusion, pain, and terror the squire was unaware of the fact that his bodily mass was growing. His muscles were starting to rip through the humble stable clothes that he was wearing. He was gaining the body of a well-developed knight.
His hair grew twice its length and thickness. Indeed, he had never seen such a crop of hair before! Only, perhaps, upon the head of his master.
As fast at it had fell upon him, the pain stopped.
Jatel blinked and opened his eyes wide.
***
Ka-Ron had come to appreciate her long fingernails. In fact, they were superb in combat. Several times, she had blinded an unfortunate pirate by scratching out the bastard's eyes. It made hand-to-hand unpredictable.
"You broke a nail!" Ka-Ron screamed, backhanding an unfortunate Xow.
Upon the death of their captain, the pirates' will to fight had dissolved into chaos. With no command left to guide them, their aims were seriously in question. So, it did not take long for Hathaway and his men to round up, confine, and claim victory.
Ka-Ron was doing her best at crowd control.
"Damn Xows! Will you not ever learn?"
The knight, realizing that she was still naked, reached for her dress.
As Ka-Ron dressed, she heard several surprised gasps come from the men around her. Some gasps, it seemed, even came from the pirates.
"Ka-Ron," Hathaway stated, pointing back toward the cabin entrances.
"What?" the knight asked, buttoning up her dress.
"Your lover appears to have thrived in the light of combat."
Ka-Ron turned.
Jatel stood at the doorway, holding her sword and amour.
"To the Gods!"
Jatel had indeed changed.
His stance was at least several sticks higher than he had been before. His face had grown hard, and his body fantastic in both bulk and muscle. In point of fact, Ka-Ron marveled that her squire had resembled her male perspective before the moment of her physical change.
Jatel had become a knight!
"It was Kai," was all the squire could say. He fidgeted in his stance, knowing full well that he was bursting out of his clothes, and that nothing upon him seemed to fit right.
There was something else.
Ka-Ron could not put her attention to it, but, it was there nonetheless.
"She did this to you, then?"
"Of course." Jatel paused, looking around the deck. "Was victory ours?"
"More than that, my good man!" Hathaway shouted. The captain had to fight the good cheers of his comrades. "The pirate ship has been sunk, and these brave survivors have volunteered to become part of our cargo."
A nervous squirm spread through the pirate ranks.
"Have no fear," Hathaway laughed, showing the pirates a confident gloved hand. "I was joshing. This ship is no slaver."
Ka-Ron slowly approached her squire. Her excitement, in accordance to her nearness, seemed to increase with each step.
"Are you in pain?" she whispered. The knight placed a shaky hand upon his cheek. She, now, had to reach up to loo
k at him.
It was his voice!
Each time her ears heard it, Jatel's voice attacked her with a cerebral force the woman found hard to resist. Kai had made it possible for Jatel to fully seduce her with just the simple sound of his utterance!
"I seemed to have arrived too late with your sword, sire," Jatel whispered.
Ka-Ron closed her eyes, realizing that she was exploding inside herself with lust and female satisfaction. Her shaky hands probed her squire's new body, marveling at the tone, shape, and warm invitations it seemed to project towards her senses. She played with his hair, not able to take her eyes off of him.
"Master, this is Kai's doing." Jatel paused, himself not able to stop touching Ka-Ron. "Let us not&indulge her."
Ka-Ron was not able to hear.
Reason was no longer an option.
"Jatel&I&"
Before the man could respond, Ka-Ron stretched, grabbe hold of his shoulders, and kissed him.
Hathaway and his men let out a festive cheer.
Jatel could not help himself.
Ka-Ron's eyes beamed a knowing stare.
"Race you back to the cabin?" she inquired.
"You've read my mind."
"No," Ka-Ron said with a sly wink. "I felt your&mind."
Jatel's face reddened.
Both disappeared behind the ship's cabin door.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ka-Ron started to giggle uncontrollably as both she and Jatel jumped onto their bed. The knight was still covered with blood and scars from the failed invasion, but Jatel did not mind. There was no hesitation, now, in his enjoyments. There was, however, a difference - a difference that surprised him, but pleased his master instantly.
"Oh, Jatel!" Ka-Ron roared, sliding down upon his manhood. "It seems that you have grown! Everywhere!"
His master's eyes widened with sinful lust.
"The curse," Jatel tried to explain between grunts and thrusting. "It's the curse, sire."
Ka-Ron could not respond.
Lost in the embrace of lust, both Jatel and Ka-Ron entered a world full of nothing more than the simple pleasures of the young enjoying the touches and intimacies of each other. With his eyes closed, enjoying the kisses of his master, Jatel unsnapped the rest of Ka-Ron's clothing, allowing the woman to just simply shift her hips so as to discard her garments. Hearing her joys and her happiness caused Jatel to try harder. Nothing mattered to him but her sincere contentment.
The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight Page 12