Savage Messiah

Beside herself with worry, she turned away. Scars had been by her side since the earliest days of her father's fishing fleet-long before she had turned privateer, and even before she had vowed to hunt down the demonslavers that had killed both of her parents, and abducted her only brother. Scars had been with her during every decision, every battle, and every storm at sea. She couldn't imagine being without him.

Even more important, she and her little band had certain proof that Wulfgar still lived. We have to make it home somehow, she thought. We simply have to. It can't just end here, over these cold, faceless waves.

Just as Tyra

To the northwest the lifesaving litter bobbed up and down peacefully. To her delight, she saw Micah was standing up in it and waving frantically, trying to get their attention. Tyra

K'jarr immediately adjusted his course. Tyra

"Get everyone into the litter as fast as you can, and keep them there!" she ordered. "Under no circumstances are you to fly back and try to attack those ships! We must escape!"

K'jarr nodded and adjusted his angle of flight to start down. Once he was sure the other two were right behind, he folded his wings back and dove down into a nearly vertical free fall.

As the ocean rushed toward her, Tyra

They were the first pair to half land, half crash their way into the litter. K'jarr had brought them down swift and hard. Tyra

Tyra

With the dawn sun now glinting off them, the Black Ships looked even more ominous. The seven of them approached fast, each of their skeletal captains standing proudly in their bows, eager to begin the fight. They were so close now that as she looked through the glass, she could almost count the gold buttons on the captains' tattered waistcoats. Lowering the glass, she looked at Shailiha. There was no time to lose.

"Find the sextant and the map!" she ordered. For a few irretrievable moments, Shailiha scrabbled about in the litter. Then she found the items and handed them over.

The princess knew exactly what Tyra

Tyra

Looking back to the east, she saw that the Black Ships were nearly upon them. This would be their last chance and it had to work. She gave Shailiha a questioning glance, and the princess nodded anxiously.

"You can do it!" Shailiha shouted. "I know you can! But do it now!"

Hoping against hope, Tyra

But as it ascended it started to twirl violently. Tyra

They had risen only to about the height of the Black Ships' oncoming mainsails. Demonslavers swarmed over the enemy decks, shouting at them and brandishing their swords. They were so close now that Tyra

"Hurry!" Shailiha screamed.

Tyra

Tyra

Their litter was literally bumping up against the mainmast of one of the Black Ships, and the demonslavers in the rigging were hacking relentlessly at Scars, Shailiha, and the three warriors. More slavers were climbing up, and it would be only seconds now before all was lost.

Scars reached out and grabbed one of the slaves by the arm. He gave it a short twist and broke it. Wasting no time, he tore the creature away from the rigging and threw him down to the deck. The screaming slaver hit hard, head first.

The rest of Tyra

The litter shot higher into the sky. Finally free of the Black Ship's mainmast and rigging, it spun around to face northwest. Then it sped off, the amazing force of its momentum throwing all of the occupants crashing backward. Somehow, the sextant and the map stubbornly remained in place near the middle of the litter, guiding it on its way. Fighting the force of the oncoming wind, the exhausted passengers began to claw their way back to their seats.

Sheathing her sword, Shailiha looked over at Tyra

The two women looked east, back toward the Black Ships. To their relief the ships were already little more than dark bumps on the horizon. The privateer and the princess smiled at each other.

Tyra

Suddenly she thought of the Jin'Sai. We have what you sent us for, she thought. But how will you receive the news of your half brother? Too tired for words, Tyra