Savage Messiah

The warrior's wings drooped to the deck and his sword arm was covered with blood. Coming to attention as best he could, he clicked his heels.

Tyra

"Thirteen slaver vessels have been sunk," he said, as he tried to reclaim his breath. "The remaining are without their masts and ca

Tyra

"Order the warriors to break off and return to their ships," she ordered. "There is no sense in losing more of them. I have a feeling we'll need them in Tammerland. Go now."

K'jarr gave her a short bow. "I live to serve," he replied. He quickly returned to the air.

"It is a great victory," a female voice said. "You have my congratulations."

Tyra

Smiling, Tyra

They suddenly heard a scream and turned to look. Scars and several of the Minion warriors were beheading the slavers who had survived the struggle aboard the Reprise. Lined up in rows on their hands and knees, they awaited their fates in terror. As they were killed, Scars and the Minions threw their heads and bodies overboard.

Adrian turned back to Tyra

Tyra

"Very well," Adrian answered. "If that is how it must be."

Tyra

Adrian nodded. Tyra

"Hold!" Tyra

Scars turned to her, startled. "Captain?" he asked.

"I want to question this one," Tyra

The crewman went below. He soon returned with an amber-colored bottle.

Tyra

Then she poured the rest of the wine onto the deck. She walked over to the gunwale and smashed the empty bottle on it. Reaching down, she picked up two sharp pieces of glass. She walked back over to the demonslaver who kneeled before Scars. She looked at her first mate.

"Open his mouth," she ordered.

Scars took the slaver by the throat and lifted him to his feet. The slaver tried to wriggle free but to no avail. At Tyra

Tyra

"On your feet," she said.

With a snarl, the slaver did as he was told.

Tyra

Thinking of Tristan, and of her parents' hideous deaths at the hands of these abominations, she steeled her heart and came closer. She looked the slaver in the eyes. He glared back at her hatefully. No one on deck spoke; no one moved. Her eyes still locked on the slaver's, Tyra

"Watch and learn," she said.

Reaching up, she placed the two razor-sharp shards of glass into the other slaver's waiting mouth. With a nod from their captain, the two warriors forced the monster's mouth closed.

"Put him back on his knees," she ordered.

Blood ran from between the slaver's lips and down his chin as Scars shoved him back down to the deck. Tyra

Without warning she lifted one foot, and kicked the kneeling slaver in the chin.

The blow knocked him over onto his back. He writhed and choked for a time, then died as his own blood slowly filled his lungs.

As the final death rattle escaped him, Tyra

"Answer my questions truthfully and you won't suffer the same fate," she said. "Now then, how many more slaver ships guard the Citadel?"

His hateful arrogance withered; the slaver bowed his head. "None," he answered. "Sure of his victory, our messiah sent them all."

"And the number of slavers?" she asked.

"They all came with the fleet."

"Then the traitorous consuls constitute the only remaining defense of the Citadel?" she asked.

"No," the thing said. "There are now others there, too. They are human, like you, but they are not consuls. They arrived just before our lord departed for Eutracia. They asked for his sanctuary and he granted it. He seemed glad to have them there."

Concerned by this unexpected news, Tyra

The slaver shook his head. "None of us know," he answered. "They remain largely out of sight."

"Can you tell me anything else about them?" she asked.

The slaver shook his head again. "That is as much as any of us knows."

Rubbing her chin, Tyra

"Have our troops returned from the enemy vessels?" she asked.

"Yes," the warrior answered.

"Good," Tyra

She turned back to K'jarr. "As this is being done, order all of our remaining vessels to form a line in the sea, with the Reprise at the center."

K'jarr clicked his heels. "As you wish," he said.

The demonslaver that Tyra

"What about me, you bitch!" he screamed. "You said that if I talked, you would spare me!"

Tyra

She nodded at her first mate, then looked at Adrian. "Walk with me," she said.

As the two women strode to the gunwale, Scars wrapped his hands around the protesting slaver's throat, and the screaming died away. The privateer looked out to sea.

"The slaver's information is disturbing," Tyra

Adrian shook her head. "I have no idea," she answered. "But the Jin'Sai and Jin'Saiou must be informed immediately."