by Jake Daniel
I was drawn first to Aether who was barely hanging on. His spirit looked black and was fading rapidly. He was consumed with hate, but I could tell he didn’t have much longer. “I’ll fucking kill this man...”
Moving to Sven’s husky brother, Ferdius. “How are we going to get out of this... I love you, Addie.”
Finally, to the smaller man. I should’ve listened to her. My wife always knows when I’ve a bad idea. Oh dear me, I’ll never hear the end of this if we survive.
The thoughts came out in pieces, but I could get enough of them to know their true inner feelings. By the time I finished I felt fatigued, but I’d heard everything I needed to hear. “Dahlia, release these two.” I motioned toward Sven’s brother and the small man. “I’m going to put this one out of his misery.” I moved toward Aether with my knife. I channeled all of my frustration into my grip and was about to bring my arm forward when I felt Dahlia’s arm on mine.
“Logan, do not turn into the type of man that this one is.” She looked up at me with her wide jade colored eyes. “He’s already nearing death, let him make his peace with the world before he goes.”
I nodded and lowered my knife while I looked at Aether’s motionless body on the ground. He’d already lost all color and I couldn’t tell if he was breathing any longer.
I wanted to finish what I’d started, but it was more for revenge of what Striker and the others had done. I’d basically be mutilating a body at this point, and that wouldn’t help my cause. I decided to grant Dahlia’s wish and turned back to the other two men.
The men swapped confused looks between themselves as the vines fell off around them. Ferdius stammered and looked at me anxiously. “I thought you said you couldn’t trust us.”
“I can’t. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. I’m going to offer you a deal though.” The men all focused intently on me. I was sure they trusted me about as much as I trusted them. They really didn’t have a choice now that I could apparently shoot vines out of my arms. “Escort us to where they were taking the others, and I’ll consider giving you the same opportunity as I gave Sven.”
I waited several seconds until Ferdius finally stood. “I’m in. I’ll show you.”
The other two men exchanged looks as if waiting for the other to give in first. Finally, the diminutive man spoke. “I’ll come as well. For once I’m going to listen to my wife’s voice that nags me in the back of my mind. Do me a favor though? Tell her I listened for once, eh?”
I shook my head, not in the mood for his lightheartedness. “Don’t make me fucking regret this. I will kill you and everyone in your family if you do.”
The other two men gave Aether a small glance before they hurried forward to join me.
“Lead the way.” I pushed the men forward, and they walked back down the path toward Necross.
We followed the men for several hours until we reached the same hill that overlooked the city. Along the way I discovered that the small man’s name was Popos. Popos and Ferdius. Poor bastards.
We passed the area where the poachers had torched Wofferd’s wagon and horse. Only black scorch marks remained. Throughout our walk I took every opportunity to cultivate that I could.
I’d checked my skills and their current ranks and the first thing I noticed was that Dahlia’s name appeared as an additional bonded directly underneath Gwen’s name. A new skill had also become available to me as well.
Nature’s Manipulation- Rank 2: Practitioner
I was already at rank two, even though I had only used it once so far. I was excited to see what additional ranks would bring. Dahlia was only Master-Rank Four herself and she already had such an amazing command of her skills.
Ferdius turned around as we crested the hill and motioned us to the side of the road toward a row of trees. “Over there. There’s a patrol coming.”
We hurried out of sight and waited. Several men continued past, most of them smoking foul smelling cigars as they walked. I motioned for the others to follow me as they passed and moved out of sight. By the time we reached the outskirts of the city, the sun had nearly set.
An uneasy feeling washed over me as we entered. It was almost as if the inhabitants of the city were waiting silently behind closed windows and doors for the right moment to spring from their hiding spots.
We kept to the outskirts and avoided the areas where several men pushed carts full of supplies toward the docks.
Ferdius held us up in between two large buildings and talked in a loud whisper. “Last I knew, Striker’s ship is heading to the capitol tonight. There’ll be plenty of guards though so I’m not sure you’ll be able to get on board unseen.”
“It won’t be a problem.” I assured him.
Popos piped up from behind Ferdius an inquisitive look on his face. “Oh? Why do you say that?”
“Because you two are going to walk us onto the ship.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The two men shot me confused looks.
Dahlia joined them but soon gave me a small smirk. “I don’t know what you have planned, but I’m excited to see it.” She wore dark colors on her petals covering her slender legs but I knew how to tell she was excited by now. She couldn’t completely hide the pulses of brightness that permeated her body when she became excited.
We weaved through the buildings until we reached the docks. Along the way, I intentionally brushed a hand across the small of Dahlia’s back or down along her leg to test my theory.
By the time we arrived at the water she was glowing so much that she almost blew our cover. She gave me an embarrassed smile as we crouched and awaited our next move just out of sight of the dock workers.
I gave her a sly smirk and moved to the edge of the building. A man stood next to a cart full of several wooden barrels. He chewed mindlessly on the end of a stick while he watched the others load the large ship docked at the end of the pier. I turned to Popos and slapped him on the shoulder. “Alright, now it’s your turn to live true to your word. Get that man to give you his cart.”
Popos took a deep breath and nodded. I watched as the small man strolled awkwardly over to the man and leaned on the cart. He gave the stick chewer a small nod and motioned toward the boat. “They all loaded up?”
The man looked at Popos and gave him a small grunt. Popos cleared his throat and gave a quick glance back toward us with a shrug before turning back to the dock worker. “Great. They’ve requested your help on board. I’ll ensure this cart gets loaded as well.”
The man stared at Popos and threw his stick on the ground. “Careful, this here’s precious cargo.” He said and turned slowly with a grunt.
After the man had made it to the dock, I motioned for everyone to follow me. We gathered at the cart unseen, just as several reinforcements arrived.
I helped Dahlia into the cart first and followed quickly behind. It was tight, but we both fit inside amidst the barrels. Dahlia’s back faced me and I moved in behind as the big spoon. It still wasn’t as dark as I hoped it’d be outside. Someone would definitely spot us if they looked inside the cart. “Dahlia, can you give us a little cover?”
Dahlia shimmied slightly and lined her perfect ass up with my member. She craned her neck back slightly as she pushed herself into me. “Sure. One second.” Moments later she’d created a layer of leafy greens above our heads, creating enough cover to block out any light from outside.
As I tried to ignore my cock responding to every one of Dahlia’s movements, I called out in a loud whisper. “Alright Popos, Ferdius, show time. Take this cart and secure it somewhere toward the back of the ship, out of sight. I’ll take care of everything from there. You two get off the boat and go back to your families.
Within seconds the cart shook and rocked forward. I draped an arm over Dahlia as we rumbled forward. I wasn’t sure if it was the imminent danger I was putting us in, or Dahlia’s perfect body pressed up against mine, or both, but I was a mess. I felt like a teenager again.
The only t
hing that would’ve made it even remotely better was if Gwen had been with us. I shook my head to clear all the vivid mental image I’d created. Dahlia spoke softly as I adjusted behind her. “Everything okay?”
I pushed myself up slightly on my left arm so I could see her face. “Yes, you’re just driving me crazy.”
“Oh. Okay.” The quiet tone of her voice filled with sadness.
I chuckled and pulled her tight as I pressed my hardened member against her thigh. It had hit the level of a rabid junkyard dog trying to break free from his chain. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “This is what I mean. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing. When we get back, I’ll show you just how crazy you’ve made me.”
She rotated her hips seductively and moaned lightly. “Mmm, I can’t wait.”
A loud knock came on the side of the cart interrupting us. It was Popos. “Really you two, you pick right now to get frisky? I swear you monsters are sex fiends.” It was the first time they referred to me as a monster. I thought about it for a second and smiled. I was completely fine with that.
Ferdius’s deep voice rose as the cart came to a stop. “Ho there, friend. One last cart before they set sail.”
A man responded, his voice sounding highly skeptical. “What’s that you say? We’ve already accounted for all the carts, there must be a mistake.”
Ferdius hesitated and sputtered. “Uh...I mean...it’s the...”
Popos small voice interrupted, preventing Ferdius from continuing. “Striker’s wine. Come on brother, you and I both know, we forget the wine, and hell itself will break loose.”
The man let out an irritated sigh. “Hurry it up. We’re on a schedule here. We don’t have time for your shenanigans. Come on then, get aboard.”
Ferdius let out a grunt as the cart moved at an incline. Popos rapped on the cart again, his voice following in a loud whisper. “Going up the ramp now, nearly there. Stay put until I give the all-clear.”
The cart wheeled loudly over the deck of the ship and eventually came to a stop.
Several yells came from off the ship and when I strained to listen, I could hear the dock workers clearing the area. I closed my eyes and saw the outlines of several men throwing thick ropes up onto the deck of the ship.
I turned my head and saw the outlines of Ferdius and Popos standing next to the cart as several other outlines of men rushed past.
I took another couple of seconds and scanned the rest of the boat. A mass of glowing yellow spirit gathered on the far end of the boat. After seeing the glowing area shift slightly, I knew that was where they had to be keeping the prisoners. They were so jammed together that it was impossible to discern one from the next.
Another knock and Popos spoke again. “We’ve fulfilled our promise. We must leave now before it’s too late to escape.”
I responded in a low voice. “Thank you Popos, Ferdius, best of luck to you and your families.”
I watched the outlines of the two men approach the ramp to head back down and then freeze. I watched them curiously for a few seconds and it became clear why they’d stopped.
A familiar voice rose from the dock below and I immediately scolded myself. I could tell Dahlia was upset as well since she was the one who made me spare his life. It was Aether. “Stop the boat! Traitors! They’re helping the enemy!”
Ferdius’s voice rose over the commotion. “Oh, stuff it Aether. You don’t know shit. Shouldn’t you be keeping guard near Dunway?”
Aether screamed out again, louder this time. “Striker, don’t raise the anchor, Ferdius and Popos are traitors!”
Before Ferdius could respond, a loud clanking drowned out everything else. I closed my eyes and turned my head in the sound's direction.
The outline of a thick chain moved up along the side of the ship with a massive anchor tied to the end. It clanked into place, dripping with sopping seaweed. The boat rocked and swayed as the sails adjusted and the rest of the men scattered across the boat to man their stations.
I tensed as Striker’s familiar gravelly voice rose from nearby. “What’s all the commotion? What’s that dolt screaming about down there?”
Aether yelled out again as the boat drifted out of the harbor. “Traitor! They’re on the boat!”
I quietly slipped out of the cart and once I ensured the area was clear around us I lifted Dahlia out and set her down quietly on the ground. We hurried behind a stack of crates toward the back of the boat. The area was just barely big enough to hide us from the light of several torches that spread across the boat’s expanse. I leaned around a crate and watched.
Striker exited from his cabin looking like a poor man’s Captain Hook with his long stained leather overcoat and heavy black boots. The only thing missing was the hook and the curly hair. Instead, he held a long sharp blade in each hand. He stopped as he reached Popos and Ferdius. “What the fuck are you two doing here?”
Popos and Ferdius glanced at each other and then back at Striker.
Ferdius was the first to speak. “We secured the fork an’ heard that you could use a little extra help to deliver the prisoners to Ambirn.”
Popos quickly chimed in, his voice quickening as he spoke. “Yes, we left Aether in charge like you requested and he assured us he had everything under control.”
Striker stepped closer to the men and stared back at the city of Necross for several seconds as they drifted further away from the dock. He rubbed his chin and let out an eerie laugh as he turned around slowly and faced the men. “Thank you, but your services are no longer required.”
Popos and Ferdius exchanged confused looks but before they could react, Striker brought both arms forward, sinking his blades deep into each of their chests.
He laughed wildly and the other men cheered, although probably only because they feared he’d kill them next if they didn’t.
Dahlia let out a small yelp, and I nearly rushed out from behind the crates to attack the bastard right there. Although, I knew if I had I risked being captured by the other men gathered around watching the spectacle. I could see why the men felt they needed to sign contracts with this piece of shit, pure terror.
I seethed as I watched Striker leave his blades plunged deep inside the men. Both dropped to the ground in agony and within seconds lay motionless on the deck.
Striker walked away laughing and paused halfway up the stairs on his way back to his cabin. “Let this be a warning for anyone else that may think of outright disobeying my orders. I don’t have patience for your incompetence.” He took a few more steps and turned around to address everyone as he reached the top. “Dump those two overboard and clean my blades. We have a long night ahead of us.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
They dashed all hopes of saving the men as two deck hands grabbed their bodies and unceremoniously tossed them into the sea below.
The night had grown eerily dark, with not even so much as a sliver of moon available to illuminate the surrounding water. I’d spent quite a few nights out in the Rocky Mountains very similar to how it felt now. Usually deep in a secluded canyon as I tracked several herds of elk for miles.
Although, back home, even on the darkest nights if you looked hard enough, you could spot stars. Out here, however, the stars were non-existent.
I turned back to Dahlia and motioned toward a man who was busy moving through the crates and line of carts. He mumbled to himself as he counted the contents inside each crate.
I gripped my knife tightly and waited patiently. A minute later he arrived at the cart that brought us up onto the ship. He rifled through the barrels for several seconds before shooting upright. “Huh, who’s there? Hello?” He weaved his way behind the cart and stopped in his tracks. His eyes shifted from the ground and drifted up from my feet until he met my eyes. “Oy, what the fuck...” He scrambled backwards and pulled out a knife. “How d’you get here?” He lunged forward and missed my chest by inches as I leaned back out of the way.
A vine sprung from Dahlia’s hand
and held the man in place. He growled and spit at us as he tried to free himself. He craned his neck back and took a deep breath.
As he was about to call for reinforcements, I swung my knife up, sinking it through the man’s trachea. I pulled the blade out with a twist and watched the man’s eyes fill with hate. He coughed and blood spewed from his throat. After stumbling forward a few steps the man tried to call to his fellow poachers but his voice came out as a low gurgle.
I caught the man as he fell forward and sank to his knees. He tried to lift his knife but ended up dropping it as he fell to the deck and his body went still.
Dahlia broke off the vine attached to the man’s arm and joined my side. I pointed toward Striker’s cabin and leaned close to her ear. “We need to make our way over there and take out as many of these poachers as we can before we’re seen.” She nodded in understanding and followed me quietly as I made my way around the edge of the large ship.
As we approached the opposite side of the stacked crates, I spotted two men having a conversation as they looked out into the water.
I closed my eyes and lifted my hands to knock them off the edge using my nature magic, but nothing came. I furrowed my brow and turned to Dahlia. “Why are my vines not working?” I whispered.
She grabbed my hand and ran a finger down along my palm. “You’ve not cultivated a high enough rank to use that skill without being on land. It requires a much higher rank and extensive practice to summon vines without nature spirit to draw from.” She paused and glanced at the men. “I’ve had four years of cultivating and practice while she held me captive, but even I am unable to summon vines longer than, say, from me to you, without being on land.”
I flipped my hands over and stared at my bloody knife. I resolved at that point to dedicate as much time as possible to cultivating my nature manipulation skill the next time I was able.
I crouched and made my way toward the two men, stopping as soon as we were about ten feet behind them. I listened closely to see what sort of useful information I may gather before I took care of them.
