by Eden Redd
Sawblade shook his head. “I wish it was that easy. Normally, I would have agreed to your request, but the Empire is paying enough gold to retire. I’m surprised not every captain across the thirteen seas hasn’t brought you in sooner. The code helps keep order, but we both know that gold is more valuable than honor. Don’t throw your life away for a bratty princess. She’s not worth it.”
“We will have to agree to disagree,” Lilly said sharply.
Sawblade nodded. “I see. Zelda is a strong sea elf. I’m sure she has mostly healed herself by now. Until we reach the Worm Pit, my men will beat her every day to an inch of her life to keep her under heel.”
The Captain pointed his right hand at Jon’s cell. “I have never seen an Urthling fight like him. He is dangerous, but we will keep him in line. He drank the Tentacle Tea and should be docile as a baby calf.”
Sawblade stepped one step closer, his gaze connecting with Lilly’s eyes. “You will be the Warden’s problem in a few days. You have that amount of time to consider my proposal. The moment I hand you over, your fate is sealed. Think about it.”
Sawblade’s demeanor changed as he looked Lilly up and down. “There is still one last thing we do before we throw you in a cell. You’re a dangerous woman and have to be searched one last time.”
Lilly gave a wicked smile. “Are you going to search me?”
Sawblade’s body stiffened before he caught himself and relaxed. “One of my men will search you,” the captain said and took a step back.
A grinning elf stepped forward, perversion dancing along his eyes. He grinned like a dog as he lifted his hands. Lilly lifted her head and relaxed in her chains. Jon sat in his cell, watching and his body not moving. He screamed and shouted for his body to move, but it remained still, lost to hypnotic swirls.
The elf grabbed Lilly’s breasts, squeezing them first before his fingers moved. He lifted them up, checking under her breast, touching every curve. Lilly simply looked up as the elf’s hands drifted along her stomach. The elf lingered on her skin, running hands down, getting closer to the apex of her sex.
“What’s your name?” Lilly asked the elf.
“Grin,” the elf grinned.
Lilly nodded as his hands ran over her covered elfhood and fingers pressed against her slit.
Lilly’s legs shot up, feet clamping on the sides of Grin’s head. Strong thighs burst with power as she wretched his head to the side, a snap filling the entire chamber. Grin’s eyes rolled into his head as his body spasmed. Lilly let go and he fell to the floor, body convulsing before it went still, his death rattle rising up for all to hear.
“By the goddess. Grin has had a terrible accident,” Lilly smirked.
Sawblade and the remaining elves around him looked on with shock, color draining from their faces.
“Anyone else want to search me?” Lilly asked with a wicked leer.
Sawblade lifted his saw and stepped closer. He held it an inch from her throat as he lifted his right hand. Lilly never broke her amused gaze. She watched as his hand moved closer and began to tremble. Lilly glanced at the saw at her neck. Sawblade did the same. Memories crashed into him and his lip quivered.
The captain pulled his saw and hand away. He stepped back with a sad hatred in his eyes.
“Throw her in a cell, now!” Sawblade commanded.
The elves by him swarmed Lilly. The sun elf laughed like a mad woman as two grabbed her legs while another slid a key into wrist cuffs. The moment the cuffs came off, Lilly headbutted an elf on the bridge of his nose. Blood shot out as he grunted. Lilly laughed loud and hard as hands gripped her. Sawblade opened a cell and Lilly was thrown in hard, her head bouncing off the inner iron bars and a cut forming on her forehead. Sawblade quickly closed the cell and locked it. The moans of the elf with the broken nose filled the chamber as his fellow mates picked him up and pulled him from the room.
Lilly clutched at her head, blood seeping into her eyebrow as Sawblade looked down on her.
“I should take your hand for all of your insults! The Empire wants you whole and that’s how you will be given. Enjoy the next few days. They will be the easiest before the Empire tortures you.”
Sawblade turned and stepped out of the brig, closing the door and locking it shut.
Lilly was on her hands and knees, giggling with mad glee. Jon watched her, his body not responding, but his heart in his throat. He tried to navigate the strange swirls, but they weighed him down. Not long later, he passed out.
Time came in waves. Jon woke up to Lilly sitting in her cell. She would call to him and he would pass out again.
Waking, he opened his eyes to see several elves beating Zelda with bats and the sea elf laughing at them. Her laughter silenced when a bat struck her head and she hit the floor like a rag doll. Pain crawled along Jon’s soul as he wanted to get up and find a way out. Instead, darkness flowed over him and he passed out again.
Reality lost all meaning. Jon would wake up thirsty. He would see a metal cup with brown water. He knocked it over and tried to fight the effects. He didn’t remember when he ate last or if they were even feeding them. Weakness caused him to pass out, Lilly saying soothing words.
Jon woke up to hands on him. One hand gripped his mouth, forcing it open and brown water spilled into his mouth. He choked and gagged, but his body cried out for water. After a short struggle, he drank it down and passed out again.
Waking again, the young man stared at a tiny gold dragon sitting on his leg. It was the size of a cat, like the one that greeted him every day before he went to work. The golden dragon turned its little head to him and gave a serpent smile. Jon found himself smiling, wanting to scratch it behind its head. The tiny dragon moved closer, sniffing at him first before rubbing its head against his chest.
Are you really here?
The words never came out, but the dragon seemed to understand, giving him an impish smile.
I need to save everyone. Can you help me?
The tiny dragon purred against his chest, settled down and wrapped its tail and wings around its body.
I don’t understand? You’re my dragon spirit. Why can’t you help me? Why can’t I use my luck to help us escape?
The little dragon closed its eyes and fell asleep.
“Who are you talking to?” Lilly asked with concerned eyes.
“My dragon,” Jon whispered and passed out again.
Golden wings filled his dreams, flapping and pushing down cool air on Jon’s spirit. He reached up in the dreamscape, wanting to touch those beautiful wings, but could never get close enough. It was bitter sweet, knowing that he and the dragon were connected, but it always seemed just out of reach. A stinging sensation touched the back of his neck and Jon wanted to scratch it. It began to burn and the young man sighed as he floated downwards into a dark abyss. The golden wings above him faded away.
Jon sank deeper and deeper, a cold touching his spirit. He turned as he slipped further down. Strange creatures moved just beyond his vision. Webbed hands reached out, just beyond the darkness before they pulled back.
I need to save them. I need to save everyone.
The words echoed through the abyss before a light glowed. Jon blinked as he sank lower. A strange temple glowed like a lighthouse on the shore. He floated closer down. The light was beautiful, calling like a siren’s song.
When he floated above the temple, he reached down to touch the top of a rune carved pyramid. A mouth appeared from the darkness, teeth gleaming in the light before they snapped down on Jon’s body.
Jon woke with a start, hands lifting him up. Chaos stormed as he tried to gain his bearings. Dragged from the cell, he was marched through the door. Jon looked for Lilly and Zelda but they were nowhere to be seen. The elves jostled him roughly, making him walk even if his legs didn’t want to work. They moved to a set of stairs and climbed them. When they reached a door, one elf opened it and a brilliant light flooded in.
Jon squinted, unable to take the bright sunlight a
s he was hauled onto the main deck. His eyes slowly adjusting, he noticed Lilly and Zelda standing, chains on their wrists, ankles, and necks. The two elves turned and gave Jon weak smiles as he was brought over to them. The rattle of cuffs and chains filled the deck as elves clamped them on the Urthling. Weakness soaked into every muscle as Jon could barely keep himself standing. When the cuffs and chains were firmly in place, Jon looked up.
A mile away, a rock of an island stood among turbulent waters. It stood like a mesa, sheer cliffs surrounding it. A castle-like structure was on top. A wall circled the top edge, dotted with towers. Cannon portals ran around the outside of the towers. There was no sign of vegetation and strange, vulture like birds circled the air high above.
“Welcome to the Worm Pit!” Sawblade shouted with relief.
The elf Captain turned and stepped closer to the three prisoners. He leveled his gaze on Lilly and smiled.
“This is your last chance. I can turn the ship around if you tell me everything you know about the whereabouts of the princess?”
Lilly smiled. “She’s right here, in my pocket. Stick your right hand in and see if you can find her.”
Sawblade’s smile faded and turned into a scowl. “Prepare to dock! The sooner they are off my ship, the sooner we can celebrate our victory!”
“Aye!” Sawblade’s crew shouted and moved into positions.
Jon looked over to Lilly and Zelda. Lilly stood stoically, most of the bruises along her face almost gone. The puffiness around her eye had subsided and Jon guessed she would be fully healed in another day or two.
Zelda stood with slumped shoulders. The chains and cuffs were much larger on her, weighing her down. Finger cuffs encased her fingers, Jon assumed so she couldn’t grow her claws. The slack on her ankle cuffs was small, clearly to inhibit her movement.
“The Worm Pitt?” Jon sighed as he tried to keep the swirls at bay.
Lilly nodded. “It’s a prison and a mine. They export stone. Most of the prisoners are sea elves. When they fall or are chosen, they are put on ships to be delivered to the sick royalty that likes to eat them.”
Zelda bowed her head, sorrow filling her eyes.
Jon remembered what Lilly had said before on Soul Drink. The connections fused and his eyes widened a little in his head. He stared out at the tall island.
This is it! This is where she wanted to go! They must have Zelda’s family there. How are we going to get out of this? It looks like a fortress.
Jon remained silent as his mind worked.
“Captain,” Zelda whispered to Lilly, “I can break these chains. We can fight.”
Lilly stared forward to the island in the short distance. “No. We stay the course.”
Zelda’s eyes trembled. “I… can’t.”
Lilly looked to her First Mate. “Be strong. We will get out of this.”
“I left them. I left them so long ago. They will hate me. They will despise me.”
“Zelda, you are my First Mate. Behave like my First Mate. I need you to be clear headed. If you can’t do it, you cannot serve under my flag and are unfit for your duties,” Lilly said firmly.
Zelda’s eyes widened before she stood at full attention. The chains seemed lighter as she looked forward with cold eyes.
“Aye Captain! I will stay true to my duties,” the sea elf said with conviction.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Lilly said.
Jon witnessed the exchange. His mind told him that Lilly needed all three of them to be strong, but his heart ached, seeing Zelda afraid to step foot on the island. He knew her story, escaping the nets that captured her family and swam away, afraid for her own life. He could only imagine the pain she felt as they drew closer to a place that could have many of her clan and family there.
The ship approached a simple dock. There was no one there to greet them as they approached. Elves swung from the ship and landed on the dock. They immediately tied down the mooring lines before the anchor splashed into the water. A gangplank slid out and slammed down on the dock.
“Move out!” Captain Sawblade shouted.
Hands pushed at the three prisoners. Jon, Lilly, and Zelda shambled along, down the gangplank and onto the deck. Jon looked up, seeing a thin, rickety wooden staircase zig-zagging up the side of the sheer cliff side. It looked weak, like it was barely holding together.
“Move it!” an elf growled before pushing Jon along.
The climb up was slow and steady. Sawblade led the way with some of his elves behind him; Lilly, Zelda, and Jon following and more of Sawblade’s elves behind them. The staircase creaked and shifted, tiny debris falling to the jagged rocks below. The higher they climbed, the more Jon’s heart sank in his chest.
When they reached the top, a thick door opened. The high walls blocked out any eyes from seeing in, but when the door opened, Jon stared as he shuffled in.
A small fence ran along a giant, spiraling pit. One side of the pit had a stone floor and castle connected to it. Cages hung from chains and thick wooden pillars. Most of them were empty, but two of them held sun bleached skeletons. Elves in red and black uniforms stood at attention, waiting as Sawblade, his crew, and the prisoners stepped in. The thick door closed behind them and a thick bar slid across, locking them in.
Jon listened, hearing the dim “Ting” of metal tools on stones. He looked over to the fence over the pit, wondering if that was the sound of sea elf prisoners working.
An elf in a regal, red uniform stepped from the formation of prison guards. He moved with a small scepter, his body was relaxed as he eyed Lilly and Zelda. When his gaze fell on Jon, his brow wrinkled.
Sawblade smiled. “Greetings, Warden.”
“Greetings, Pirate,” the Warden said with an annoyed tone.
Sawblade ignored the jailer’s tone. “As you can see, we have captured the infamous Bloody Silk. The Empire has informed us that several ships have been dispatched to retrieve them.”
The Warden nodded. “Yes, yes, the Empire contacted our seer and informed of their approach. They should be here in a day or two. You have done well. When the exchange takes place, I will hold your reward until your next return.”
Sawblade bowed. “Thank you, Warden.”
The Warden continued as if he didn’t hear Sawblade’s thanks, “I’ll have the shipment up to you in a moment. They have been beaten not too long ago and should be easy to transport. Lord Ducarr will want his meat fresh when it arrives so don’t kill them.”
Sawblade nodded. “They will be fresh for the Lord’s table.”
“Good,” the Warden said before turning to the three prisoners.
“I am Warden Kell. I am the master of this domain. The Worm Pit will be your home until the Empire’s ships arrive to take you away. This will not be a pleasant visit. All prisoners work. Your three shall…” the Warden stopped when Jon’s cuffs clinked and fell off his wrists.
Jon looked down and back up, “They must be defective.”
Warden Kell glanced to Jon’s ears and sucked in air in disgust. “You brought me an Urthling? Are you mad!”
“He was with the two prisoners. The Empire has forbidden death to any from the Urth Realm,” Sawblade explained.
“Don’t tell me what I already know!” Warden Kell shouted before centering his gaze on Jon. “We follow the Empire’s decrees. Guards! Put the Urth man in one of the cages. There he will stay until the Empire’s ships arrive and take him away.”
The Warden turned his attention to Lilly and Zelda. “You two will not be so lucky. Into the pit with both of you.”
A thick lock clanked opened. Many heads turned to a strong, metal gate. It opened, a guard putting away a key. Several other guards pulled on chains. Attached to those chains, four tall sea elves walked. They were skinny and malnourished. Their heads hung low as they stared blankly at the floor. Two of them had patches of hair missing and the other two had fresh bruises along their light, blue skin.
“Move it!” a guard shouted and cracke
d a whip across a sea elf’s back.
The elf cried out, the other three making no motion to comfort her.
Warden Kell turned his attention to Jon.
Sawblade stepped closer to the Warden, looking away, but talking out the side of his mouth. “This Urth man is strange. We gave him tentacle tea to keep him docile, but he seems to have some strange abilities. I suggest you continue to give him the tea until the ships arrive.”
Kell nodded. “Thank you for your advice. Now, take the meat away and I’ll handle Bloody Silk’s time here. Return after you deliver the shipment.”
“Aye,” Sawblade nodded before turning his attention to his crew. “Load them on the ship!”
Sawblade’s crew moved to the four sea elves, taking hold of the long chains and pulling hard.
Zelda looked at the four sea elves with wide eyes. Part of her was relieved she didn’t know them. A bigger part was saddened and disgusted that they were being carted away to be meals for a sick Lord.
Sawblade turned and stepped to Lilly’s side. “You should have taken the deal. It was nice seeing you again, Bloody Silk. I will always remember you.”
“Like the tingle along your left wrist?” Lilly said slyly.
Sawblade’s demeanor darkened. “Alright crew! Let’s go!”
The pirate elves and prisoner sea elves moved to the thick door. A guard pulled the bar away and opened it. Pirates and prisoners marched out, single-file. Sawblade was last to leave. He turned his head to Lilly before blowing her a kiss. He stepped out and the door was shut behind him. The bar slid into place and locked in, the guard pulling a thick key out of a lock.
Warden Kell eyed the three prisoners for a long moment. “Put the elves with the others. Put the Urth man in a cage.”
Guards rushed in. Hands roughly pushed Lilly and Zelda to the tall metal gate of the mine. Others grabbed Jon and pulled him along. Jon wanted to fight, but he hadn’t eaten in days, weakness filling his body. Exhaustion caused him to slump in the guard’s grasp as they moved him to a hanging cage. A guard unhooked a chain and lowered the cage. The Warden inserted a key into the lock of the cage and opened it. Jon was stuffed in, unable to stand up because of the size of the cage, he was forced to sit. The door was slammed shut and locked. Guards hoisted on the chain, lifting the cage high into the air until it reached the top. The chain was wrapped around a hook and the cage swung slightly in the air.
