Bonded Spirits

by Jake Daniel

  The larger of the two men pointed out into the sea. “See those out there? Mermaids. We’ll be back for them, they bring a good price, but are damn hard to catch. Easier than those Dhamphir at Darkholm though.”

  The second man let out a chuckle. “Mermaids? I could catch them in my sleep. Easy to do when they spend all their time with their legs spread open.” He lifted a foot and rested it on the edge of the ship as he took a long drag from a stale cigar. “Although, it’s much easier to catch these damn monsters when they’re on land and not in the water, or worse, the air.”

  “Yeah, I suppose so. I imagine one griffon girl or mermaid would bring in almost as much as this entire group together though. I’d rather use the ones we got as bait.” The first man rubbed his chin and lifted his foot up onto the edge of the boat as the second man had.

  “Bait?”

  “Yeah, bait. The other monsters always seem to come flocking whenever we take in a haul. Striker actually brought up stripping that real pretty satyr down and hanging her from the masts to attract the attention of something more valuable. I agree with him. Satyrs are really only good for drinkin’ and fuckin’, worth a chance if you ask me.”

  The smaller man laughed and took a long draw from his cigar. He let out the large white cloud of smoke and turned to his friend. “Speaking of, the boss has them lined up down there. I may need to sneak down and take care of some business.”

  The first man laughed and slapped the second on the back with a large open hand. “You ol’ dirty dog you. I won’t tell anybody. Hell, I may have to head down and get me some sloppy seconds as soon as you’re done with them. I recommend starting with the black-haired pretty one. She’s a real nice piece of ass, if you can avoid those hooves. She kicked Shamus in the family jewels earlier. If you ask me though, I like it when they fight back.”

  I’d heard enough. I knew they were talking about Gwen, and I wasn’t about to let these dirty sons of bitches come anywhere close to her. I sprinted forward and slammed into the smaller of the men first since he was closest.

  He let out a pained groan as his body smashed into the side of the boat. I raised a boot and slammed my heel into his jaw. The crack it made was louder than a gunshot. The man screamed in agony and lifted slowly to his feet as the larger man finally appeared to piece together what was happening.

  The large man approached as the other man writhed on the ground. I knew I needed to shut him up, or he’d alert the others. He lunged and yelled out as I dodged his grasp. “Get over here, you’re fucking dead.”

  I spun and landed a kick into the chest of the smaller man as he screamed on the ground, successfully knocking the wind from him. His screams came out as weak gasps as he struggled to breathe. The large man grabbed my shoulder and spun me.

  He stood an inch higher than me, which was a rarity. I brought my knee screaming up and caught him in the balls. He let out a low groan but maintained his grip. He squeezed harder and gripped my face with his free hand.

  He laughed in my face as he stared in my eyes. “I knew we should’ve killed your ass. Don’t worry, I’ll take real good care of your whore satyr once you’re dead.”

  I brought my right arm up in an arc and sliced his wrist open. He released his grip and connected with my hand as I followed through, knocking the knife from my hand.

  He pushed me backwards toward the edge of the ship and immediately lunged forward. I caught a glimpse of Dahlia out of the corner of my eye as he approached.

  I trusted my instincts and lunged forward to meet him. I landed my shoulder squarely into his chest knocking him off balance.

  Dahlia rushed forward, the petals of her skirt flowing wildly behind her as she grabbed my knife from the ground. With a quick spin, she sunk the knife deep in his back near his kidney before pulling it out just as fast. The man let out a gasp as he staggered forward and tried to grab me again.

  He yelled out for help as I sidestepped and braced himself against the side of the ship. “Help! We’re under attack!”

  I landed a punch squarely on his open wound and he stopped yelling for help. Instead, he gritted his teeth and got to his feet. I punched again, landing my entire fist on his wound and felt my knuckles sink inside of him as the wound tore open.

  I spun to his front, and as I’d done with over a hundred elk quarters, slung him up onto my back. He was a heavy son of a bitch, but fortunately I didn’t have far to go. I reached the edge of the ship and grabbed his head. He let out a rage filled scream as I yanked him forward over my back and sent him down into the sea below.

  My plan of being discrete was not exactly working out as I had envisioned. I grabbed Dahlia’s wrist and dove behind a small stack of crates bringing her down on top of me.

  She gave me a small smile and rolled off to the side with her back against the crates. I closed my eyes and used my Sight ability. The outlines of at least six men were coming to investigate. I opened my eyes and looked out at the water as I contemplated my next move.

  The men’s voices filled the air as they approached. “Who’s there?”

  “Where did they go?”

  “Come on out, we won’t hurt you.”

  “You have three seconds to... wait a minute, what’s that?”

  “Fuck.” I held still and a warm sensation surrounded me as if the sun itself had broken through the night and was shining on me directly. I turned my head slightly, still not wanting to give up our position. A slender petal draped over my head, followed by several more across my arms and body. I smiled as I realized what was happening. Dahlia’s flowing petals surrounded me and as soon as they completely covered us she brought them in tight to her body, with me securely inside.

  I waited inside Dahlia’s intoxicatingly sweet smelling dress and watched as her petals changed from red to the same color as the crates we backed up against.

  The men reached the crates and stopped. One of them finally spoke. “What did you see?”

  “I’m... not sure,” another responded.

  I remained motionless, taking in long breaths of Dahlia’s sweet scent which made my senses go wild.

  A third man spoke after kicking the crate nearest to me. “There’s nothing here. Just these crates and a giant bag of wheat.”

  I smiled and knew that Dahlia had successfully turned us into what looked like a sack of wheat.

  The men walked a short distance away and stopped. “Where are the other two? They’re responsible for guarding this area.”

  “I thought I heard them chasing something just a couple minutes ago. Probably those damn rats again. Dirty rodents.” The man huffed and took a few steps. “They probably chased them right off the deck and followed. Idiots.”

  The three men chuckled and continued their patrol moving further out of earshot.

  As I was about to tell Dahlia the coast was clear, I heard Striker’s familiar voice rise from the center of the ship. “Dinner time boys! Come get it while it’s hot. And oh, do we have a treat for you this evening for dessert!”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Striker laughed wildly and disappeared through the door. I closed my eyes and watched the outlines of the other men all follow suit. They filtered down below deck into a large dining room.

  I ran a hand along the extraordinarily soft fleshy inside of one of Dahlia’s petals. “Okay, we should be safe.”

  She opened her petals slowly and pulled them back in toward her body. She gave me a shy smile as she met my eyes. “Sorry for my increased nectar. When you are that close I’m unable to control myself.”

  I gave her a small chuckle and held out my hand to help her up. She joined my side and together we scanned the deck for any stragglers.

  The sounds of the men laughing and enjoying themselves rose from the depths of the ship. I used my Sight and scanned the deck for any way inside without having to go through the same door as all the others. Unfortunately, there was not.

  “Dahlia, I need you to do me a favor.”

  “
Of course, anything.” She responded and perked up. I truly felt she would do anything for me.

  “Please search each of the crates while they’re down below and try to find anything that may assist us in escaping.”

  “I’ll do that. Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Her eyes scanned the area behind me. She was hesitant to let me go.

  I gave her a small smile and held a hand against her soft pale green cheek. “I always want you to come with me, and I would now, but if I’m caught, we’ll have a better chance of escaping if we’re not together.”

  She perked up slightly and kissed my palm. “Yes, I see your point. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

  “Of course. I’ll see you soon.” I gave her a long kiss, savoring her essence for several seconds.

  As I approached the door, I turned back in time to see Dahlia disappear behind a stack of crates. I reached for the handle and opened the thick wooden door slowly.

  I used my Sight to see if anyone was coming, but there was so much spirit emanating from Striker’s men and their captives it was hard to tell anything apart. I crept down a small curved staircase that led to the level below. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I hugged the shadows cast by the lanterns that hung outside the room where Striker and his crew ate their dinners. It sounded as if it had turned into Chloe’s Tavern on a busy night.

  Once I ensured there were not any guards waiting for me, I worked my way through the ship. I followed a narrow hallway with rows of bunks lining each side. As I neared the end of the hall, I heard a familiar voice that made my heart leap. “He’s coming and you don’t even know how bad you’re about to have it.” Gwen’s sweet, determined voice called out to someone out of view.

  A man responded with coldness. “Stupid bitch. You just don’t know when to shut the fuck up. If Striker hadn’t given us orders to keep you alive, I would’ve taken care of you a long time ago.”

  I ambled toward the doorway as if I were sneaking up on a herd of anxious mule deer and waited as I reached the opening.

  Gwen’s voice rose again. “Oh, big dangerous man. So strong.” She let out a wild laugh and I could tell she was egging him on. “Admit it, you spend each night sucking Striker’s dick, don’t you? I wondered why you had such a scratchy voice.”

  “I said shut the fuck up.” The man’s footsteps pounded against the floor as he rushed across the room. He halted and a loud slap shattered the silence.

  Gwen let out another laugh. “Is that the best you’ve got? Did your mommy teach you how to hit you limp-wristed sack of shit?”

  Only one thing was running through my head at that moment. Damn, I love that woman.

  The sound of a blade being unsheathed rose through the air and a second man spoke. “Keep it up. I don’t care what Striker says, no piece of ass is worth this much trouble.”

  I'd heard all I needed to and knew at that point it’d gone far enough. I closed my eyes but I could not activate my Sight skill. I took a deep breath, and I peeked my head past the opening. I pulled back quickly as I finished my quick survey of the room.

  I spent years training my eyes to discern the bucks from doe, and bull elk from cow elk, a skill which was definitely going to come in handy here. If I’d make a mistake back home, I faced massive fines or worse, like losing my license. Here it could mean life or death for humans and monsters alike. A quick glance was all it took to ensure there were only two guards on duty. I was confident I had missed no one.

  I grabbed my knife as the men focused on Gwen. Both men moved closer and locked onto her like tigers stalking their prey. I slipped inside the room silently which prompted a muffled giggle from Chloe as she spotted me.

  The holstaur coughed to cover her excitement. I held a finger up to my mouth in hopes she’d remain quiet as I moved across the room. I stopped as I reached the edge of a shadow that gave way to a bright lantern. It illuminated the room in a wide arc, casting enough light to see everyone in the room.

  I remained composed until my eyes met Gwen’s. The feelings I’d grown for her were much stronger than I’d even realized. Even though our eyes remained locked for only a brief second, she filled me with a renewed sense of hope and determination.

  A small smirk rose to Gwen’s face as I drifted along the wall. The other captives appeared to be holding their collective breaths as I came within striking distance of the first man.

  He had a whip hanging from his hand which was currently dragging on the ground. From the looks of Gwen’s clothes, the man had not been shy in using it. Streaks of blood ran down each of her sides. They clasped her arms above her head, each with streaks of fresh blood running down them.

  The man reached back with his whip and prepared for a strike. Although, before he could bring his arm forward, I grabbed it and wrapped the end several times around my hand. I gave it a fierce tug, bringing the heavy set man stumbling backwards. I took advantage of his confusion and pulled the whip free from his grasp.

  In one fluid motion I wrapped it around his neck and pulled tightly, immediately cutting off his airway. The second man scrambled to a nearby table and picked up a shoddy iron sword. I kept the heavyset man in front of me and backed away slowly, increasing the pressure on his neck as he clawed at my hands.

  The man with the sword glared at me and moved forward slowly. “Let him go. You know there’s no way for you to escape. We’re well on our way to Ambirn. Even if you freed them, what are you going to do, swim back to Aurilon?”

  I kept my eyes fixed on him as the man in my grasp fell limp. I maintained my grip for several more seconds while moving closer toward the row of prisoners currently tied up along the wall.

  “If that’s what it will take to ensure you and all your little friends cannot hunt any longer, then so be it.” I released my grip on the large man and he fell to the ground with a thud.

  A thunderous laugh came from down the hall, letting me know I hadn’t run out of time. I held the whip in one hand and gave it a quick snap toward the approaching man. It came within only a couple inches of his face. To be honest, it was the first time I’d ever used a whip before. I was a regular Indiana Fucking Jones.

  The man retreated slightly and kept his eyes on my whip. I pushed forward, and the man backed further. He’d been so concerned about my whip he’d forgotten what he was backing toward. By the time he had, it was too late.

  Gwen swung herself up by the bindings around her wrists and wrapped her legs completely around the man’s head. The sickening crack of the man’s neck followed a quick twist of her body. He dropped his sword and fell limp in a pile on the ground.

  I rushed over to Gwen and quickly checked her over. I stopped and moved my face in front of hers so I could get a good look in her beautiful pale blue eyes. “Are you okay?”

  Tears welled in her eyes but she said nothing. Instead, she moved her face forward and pressed her soft lips to mine. She pulled away slowly and smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

  I spotted a set of keys attached to the dead man’s hip and went to work unlocking each of the captives. I started with Gwen and she helped me free the others.

  Gwen paused and looked around. “Where’s Dahlia?”

  I turned the key inside Chloe’s locked clasps and heard a small click. “She’s fine, she’s looking for anything that may help us escape up top. All of Striker’s men are eating, but I’m not sure how much time we have left before they’re done.”

  Chloe’s bindings fell away, and the holstaur fell forward, pushing her massive breasts into my face before pulling back and leaning forward to give me a passionate kiss. She exchanged a small smirk with Gwen. “I will thank you properly when we get back to the manor.”

  Gwen gave me a small knowing smile as we rushed to free the others. She held a clasp steady as I unlocked Fap’zak from his bindings. “I may have told Chloe she has permission to bond with you. If that’s okay with you of course.”

  I raised my eyebrows and gave her a small smile. “We’ll
talk about this later.”

  Almost everyone was mostly unharmed, other than maybe a few broken bones or scratches. Although, the looks of optimism that the other satyrs once had, was now a look of defeat, even as I freed them. I knew the mental and physical abuse that they’d gone through until this point was affecting them.

  A muffled groan came from the back of the room and what I had originally mistaken for a pile of discarded blankets was actually Wofferd. He wore only a pair of dirty boxers and had both his hands and feet bound with ropes.

  I hurried over to him and took the gag out of his mouth. He stared past me with wide eyes. “Look out!”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I spun and faced the entrance of the room. Standing there with a stupid smirk on his face was Striker. I straightened and took a step in front of the now freed prisoners.

  Striker moved forward and several of his goons filtered into the room on either side of him. “Logan West. I gave you a chance to leave. You just don’t know when to quit. Give up so you can be with your whore mother. If it were not for that old man, I would’ve given you much worse than a scar. Now, move aside so I can secure my property.”

  I ignored his comments on my mother, but I was hung up on who the old man was that he was talking about, and immediately became aware of my scar. Did this piece of shit give me my scar? There’s no way he’d know about it otherwise. I took a deep breath, pushing Striker out of my mind, and concentrated on the men while I calculated my next move. The only way out of the room was through the door they occupied. I held my hands out to my sides and closed my eyes.

  Striker let out a bellowing laugh. “Look boys, he’s given up. No one’s going to show up and get you out of this one. Take him out and get the prisoners locked back up. I’ll be finishing my dinner. Please don’t fuck this up.” He waved his men forward and exited the room. As he left, more men entered.