Below,the sandwyrm’s rumbling faded down to a hum.
Distant.
Listening.
Thegates opened.The crowd of pirates barely parted enough for them to pass,forcing them to walk through a tight tunnel of bodies.Isaac followed behindZaria’s downturned tail as they entered the palace courtyard, never more thanspitting distance from at least five different sabers and maces.The piratesgrowled heavily in his face.
“Kaiser!”Zaria shouted, warmly.“Still pissing blood, are we?”
A malelion snarled at her.
“I toldyou not to shag that wench, ya daft bastard!”
Isaacstudiously avoided eye contact.
Ahead,Captain Soren, otherwise known as The Black Eye, stood in the center of thecourtyard.Human blood shone on her leather armor, glistening on the sheaths ofa dozen waiting knives.Now that he was close, Isaac could appreciate how thepirate had earned her name—the left side of her face had been scarred by avicious flame, leaving the flesh mottled and furless.Now, her left eye wasmade of glass, and there had been no attempt to make it look natural.It wascompletely black, reflecting everything it saw, like moonlight shining on darkwater.
Whenthe bunny looked his way, Isaac was not sure if he should look at the solidblack of her fake eye, or the wicked blue of the real.Behind her, the palaceof the dead city was a spilling heap of skulls, their eyeless faces gazing inwonder towards the rib cage sky.It was hard to imagine that such a pile ofbone had ever been used as a building.
Werethose structures made of stone, as well?At this distance, Isaac couldn’t tell.
Was itbone?
Couldthe necromancer....
Sorenmade a grunt.She pressed the flat of her cutlass against her leather pauldron,wiping off the blood in one long stroke.“You truly are desperate, aren’t you?”
“Nah,”Zaria said, marching forward.“Tell the truth, I’ve never been better.”
Isaaccould feel the pirates walking behind him, beginning to fan out to either side.Like Zaria said, they were taking the opportunity to flank.
Hisheart pounded in his chest.
“Thatso?”Soren sheathed her sword.“Let me see, now.You betrayed your worldlyfriends.You’re hunted like a dog.Now, your only shelter is a tomb soaked fullof madness and evil.The only thing I’ll say in your favor is you haven’tbegged my mercy.”
Zariastopped, keeping herself at least two body lengths from the bunny.Isaac cameout by her side, trying to keep his body language as calm and neutral aspossible.He wanted to look unassuming, someone so lacking in threat that thepirates would grow careless.All the while, he kept flexing his fingers.
WhenZaria didn’t reply, Soren turned her head, regarding him.Once again, hestruggled to decide which eye to meet.“Who the bloody cunt is this?”the bunnyasked.“He the one that left them second set of tracks?You find some humanwandering the wasteland above?”
“Suredid.”Zaria slapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her side.“Rather felt sorry for him, matter of fact.Now he’s my squire.”
Thepirates around them snorted and laughed.
Isaac’scomposure began to crack.
“Oi,human,” Soren said.“What’s your name, then?Who the fuck are ya?”
“Youdon’t need to know,” Isaac replied.
Thebunny snorted.“Oh, maybe.Maybe not.”Her blue eye roamed over him.“Either way,I’ll make sure you’re called my cabin boy, and nothing more.Unless, of course,you wish to die with your shining knight.”
Zariasqueezed his shoulder.
Sorengrinned.With the blood flecked across her fur, her mouth appeared like an openwound.“Whatcha say, handsome?I’d keep you nice and pampered.”
Isaacscoffed.“I wouldn’t fuck you with someone else’s cock.”
Therewas a silence.A moment later, Soren and her crew burst into laughter, thesound echoing across the open courtyard.Even Zaria gave him a sideways glance.He wasn’t sure if they thought what he said was funny, or if they were laughingat the fact that someone like him had said it.Either way, he was satisfied,because, as a child, he had once read that line in a book, and he had waitedhalf his life for the chance to use it.
