The Captain's Stand

by Kat Mandu

  “We need to get out of here,” Morsina informed over the crowd as she shot a man. Tin nodded as he hefted a massive stuffed club. As Kareem grabbed the fallen ax, Boss moved to Laurella who had a group of people grappling around her when a lasso got around her arms, it was pulled tight just under her chest.

  “Shit,” Kareem pulled out a chakram and with a solid toss cut the rope as the Doctor fell to her rear.

  “Bounty hunters the lot of them.” Laurella hissed as Kareem buried the ax in the man’s head, just beforehand he went after his discuss weapon.

  “Ah,” Boss realized, “try to get the fire under control, I’ll check the escape routes. Oh shit,” he ducked under a blast of light magic as a body dropped, “Well things seem

  Under control, as He noticed Spark had a trail of people behind her as crew and foe alike started to get out of her way.

  “Someone put out that fire if it spreads we will have bigger issues!” She shouted a streak of Lighting zipped at her.

  “Stand still you disgrace, to the blood of the Mages!” Arvil shouted with unbridled fury.

  The bounty hunter was riding high was now rubbed down as the two used him as target practice.

  “Try to keep someone alive!” Boss shouted as he ran to the main door only to bounce against it. His mind frowned as he realized they had no windows low enough to use. He patted himself as he pulled out an extra grenade, with a good chunk of the building of fire he got the fuse lit as the door was blown open. People moved out as Boss hoped he didn’t stay in long enough to be burned.

  He didn’t get much time more attackers engaged as Boss decked the first one in the temple as the body dropped like a sack of potatoes. “That guy picked the wrong line of work if that’s all it takes.” He thought.

  “This is bad, Boss, get on a horse!” Tobi screamed over the chaos he spotted the man mount a horse as he noticed a series of carts lingered around, some looked in better shape than others but they had some kind of cage on them. A house cry caught his attention as he spotted one that was tied to a broken cart.

  “Easy!” Audwine eased as the road upon a white horse and grabbed the reigns to help bring it under control.

  Boss climbed on as he loosed the house. “Fill me in as we ride, as he followed after Tobi who had already raced ahead.

  “Laurella sent out a group of six with me first, we got some distance until we were jumped. The bastards set up traps in the area. They caught my group but snowball got me out of there.”

  “So that was your horse,” Boss realized but didn’t interrupt as he went on.

  “Tobi jumped in thanks to the noise and took out a wheel. But someone started off a fire and everyone’s plans went to hell. The next thing we know we are stuck back at the start with everyone and their grandmother trying to catch us, one of the carts got away with a few people in it!” He quickly explained.

  “Of course,” Boss muttered, “do we know where they are going or are we just hoping to get lucky.”

  “They need a holding place the carts are not going to hold if anyone has so much as a knife and a desire to get free. No, they are going to take to the closest jail, which we just so happen to be on the fastest route to, having single bourses helps.” Audwine grinned,

  “Watch out,” Boss warned only for the former captain of the guards to take a sign hanging over the road to the back of the head.

  “I am okay,” Audwine reassured, as he kept up his pace with little issue. “This happens a lot more frequently than I would like to admit!” He laughed, as the raced along.

  “You seem more like your old self,” Boss commented,

  “I got my old friend back.” He smiled as he patted snowball on the side as the horse seemed to snort in agreement.

  Boss bit back on his questions on why the horse was so important but decided against it.

  The sudden silence baffled the ear as the horse pawed at the stone. Boss shifted in the saddle uncomfortable with the sudden weight.

  “You sure, this not good there is a fire going on why is there, not a bigger panic.” Boss frowned this did not sit well.

  “We should hear them at this point, I’ll fall back, you head down Adams this is the fastest route they should take.

  “What if they knew that, and planned around it?” Boss asked as Audwine put his fingers to his chin, he muttered street names as his shifted as if reading an invisible map.

  “I have a hunch, any other location would be a risk, the only place in this direction would be the secondary docks, any other jail, they would need to head past us or close, they have no gates to go to from this point down.

  “So two options stay here or head to the docks if we chose wrong, some of us are fucked. I don’t like gambling with people’s lives.” Boss admitted,

  “When you lead, that’s a decision you don’t get to avoid, the longer we wait the more likely this way is wrong.”

  “Let’s move, right or wrong I can’t just sit here.” Boss dug in his heels as the pair raced off,

  “The secondary docks, are the older ones, not as well put together, but it’s cheaper and stretches along the southeastern ocean coast. They could be any were so keep your eyes peeled. This shouldn’t support the weigh of a cart so the should be on foot.” impale quickly informed as the skidded into view.

  The area looked like the main docks but the wood that set was now bowed and broken with age, much smaller ships, most looked like fishing boats. The tour along as people started to move the raced over a long hose as people seemed to notice the growing fire.

  “Boss!” Shouted Morsina as Boss turned to see the moth woman flying towards him. “What are you doing here!” She shouted as she landed on a sign, they set up a holding area Tobi was getting swarmed!” She cried out,

  “Lead the way,” Boss roared, as he felt the frustration build up as his last nerve was slowly being worn down as he white-knuckled the reigns. “Come on, more speed, as he glanced at Audwine, “if you got the damn speed don’t wait, go!” He blurted out in frustration as the snowball blitzed the man leaned in as the horse almost doubled in speed.

  Snowball vanished around a corner, as Boss watched Morsina hover as he headed above, the woman darted along as she flashed towards the destination.

  “My lucky day!” Shouted a voice as he suddenly was in the air and being knocked to the ground a glint of steal was above his head, as he caught the figure’s wrists stopping the blade from entering his chest.

  The figure was another bounty hunter with a crazy smile and wild eyes. As he threw his weight into a second attempt to pierce the skin. The third time Boss kicked his feet under him, then kicked him off. “Die, e,” he leaped back only to impale himself on Richard’s steal pikes.

  “I don’t have time for this.” He grunted as he pushed the bid off, with another corpse on the street he had to hoof it thanks to the horse being spoked. The sounds of combat started to pick up, Boss spotted both men still on horseback as they fended off a group outside a house that its windows barred.

  Boss blitzed forward, “at your six!” He announced, as he thrusters into the group as all four pikes, found a mark as they dug into fleas and slipped in between ribs, as Boss ripped the steal free and let loose a roar as blood and rage filled the night.

  “Fuck this!” Shouted one as he fled into the night, the rest scattered as well as someone dropped the keys to the house.

  “Well that’s one way to do,” Tobi chuckled, as Boss grabbed the keys to get everyone out as Gerald gave a tired smile and stepped into the doorway.

  “Die!” Shouted a familiar voice, as Boss spun he instinctively ducked under a knife aimed at his head.

  “Bastard!” Tobi cursed as he rent the man’s head from his shoulders. Boss watched the corpse drop as he noticed the long trail of blood behind the man.

  “Oh, all the unlucky bull…” Boss turned back to see the redhead drop the knife embedded between his fourth and fifth rib. The body dropped to the ground dead as well.

 
“Oh shit,” Boss realized as a few more crew members quickly circled him, Boss pushed his way forward but realized the man was dead.

  Move out!” Tobi shouted, “Everyone back to their points gets some sleep we still have a mess to clean up.”

  “What do we do with the body we can’t just leave it here.” Boss pointed out,

  “Why not people do it all the time in this part of town,” Audwine remarked bitterly, Boss frowned at the idea. Boss shouldered the body the dead weight was heavy but a bitter determination forced him forward.

  The escapees scattered as the three headed back, the smoke had dwindled to nothing as bodies started to pop up more frequently.

  The area was more or less empty with Laurella ending a conversation with a strange tattooed fellow with similar skin tone to Kareem.

  Boss waited, as she checked up on a few other people’s bandages before everyone headed back.

  “Another one that needs tending?” She sighed the woman looked ready to drop from exhaustion.

  “Sadly this one needs a burial, I don’t know what to do,” he admitted helplessly.

  Laurella had started to move around the bodies but froze when Boss admitted the lack of a pulse.

  “Right, I would say, a burning.” She frowned, as she stepped back, Boss watched as she made her way around the bodies, “I am heading out now everyone has dispersed, see you after, you finished.” With that, she went off into the night.

  He headed to the docks as he found an old wooden rowboat and with a heavy hand pushed the man out with a fuse set lose and the boat went up in a small fire. Boss turned he was tired and needed to sleep he headed along when he noticed a newspaper on the ground “Looks like we might need to speed this up. Else we may lose another memeber,” He cursed as he picked up his feet the paper read public excution for Assasin.

  Chapter 66

  As the night solidified a group of rouges moved along the streets keeping silent as they moved towards there destination packed with supplies.

  The lead figure cut an imposing form as he recalled his mission.

  “Okays so we all know this is a trap,” Madison frowned as the mates and the most pivotal members of the Eagle’s crew. Nobody commented, “right to the place going to executioners block. It has four towers at equal distance with a range of about a hundred feet. This is set up to prevent exactly what we are doing but allow a lot of people to show up.” She pointed at them.

  “Sounds like fun for the full family.” Laurella sniffed at the idea.

  “Something like that, the area is home to the focal point of a few patrols and these buildings will have a few scouts. Like with any cleaning job you start from the top and work your way down.” Audwine explained,

  “If we take these guys out, won’t it be obvious what we are doing?” Boss pointed out.

  “That’s a good point, I say we make a few sporadic attacks maybe shave the castle. Make it seem like it’s a retaliation to the newspaper,” Madison agreed,

  “but what we will need is plenty of muscle for the main job with me.” Boss frowned.

  The group moved over to a building as Goliam set down the two barrels he set his hands down as Tobi was bosted upward. Boss watched as the man closed the distance on the lookout and, watched as Tobi dropped the figure as Boss moved over to the fire escape and quickly moved up the latter the noise drew I. The figure as Boss grabbed the man by the collar and threw him over the edge. “Ew,” Boss winced in sympathy as the man was brained against the ground. Boss realized headed up as he glanced over to see York with a bow out as Boss noticed there was one as the arrow was set there was to much distance to hear anything but the figure grabbed at its neck before dropping.

  York pointed at the other corner as Boss strung up the bow, and gestured at the figure, Tobi lowered the bow as Boss lined up the shot, a whisper hit his ear from an immeasurable distance. He lined up the shot and the figure was hit dead center, Boss was sure he hit a lung. Not a clean kill but that man wasn’t going to be pleasant. He scanned the tops, just in case of a patrol shift. Boss gave the go-ahead, as York stood in place as Boss shouldered the bow as he climbed down he headed into the clearing as he raced after Goliam, Tin, and Tray the two humans carrying a barrel of their own.

  Tray headed up to the first tower as Boss pulled out the metal rods. As Boss got up to the top right under the banner that was draped down. Tray held the barrel in place as Boss quickly screwed the bars into place as Tray pulled out a long fuse and slowly lined down one of the beams.

  “This seems like a bad spot wouldn’t people notice this,” Tray frowned, as Boss smirked,

  “How often do you look up?” He asked as a few nails kept the fuse as out of sight as possible. The two quickly gathered supplies and cleaned up any wood shavings.

  The two headed down as Morsina gave them the all clear. Tin took the lead as they rushed to the next as Tray and Goliam moved to there own target. Tin and Boss repeated the process.

  Boss glanced around, they still had to fix up one more barrel plus they had their roadblocks to set up in one of the buildings. The group seemed to be lingering outside of a bar as Boss sheathed his weapons and headed into in. Well, he was right about it being a bar as a woman walked past him topples as she had a round tray with a few drinks balanced on it. He watched the woman walk past her hips swaying with the music that carried with a heavy beat.

  The oddities didn’t end there a woman with a snake lower have slipped by just as topless with a loin cloth just covering the more interment aspects. Sadly the windows were darkened so it wasn’t easy to tell who was outside. A bird-like woman approached him she had a wide but short beak and red feathering.

  “You new here?” She asked, “a drink please a table with a view, or maybe a room with a view?” Her beak was malleable to give a coy smirk.

  “I’ll take a table and a drink, something hard,” he rolled with the situation best not to look like he didn’t want to be here.”

  “Sounds good,” she hugged her tray to her chest an intentional move as she bowed gesturing to the table. “Be sure to be nice, Sandy Shores might be a bit nervous,” she winked. Boss smirked as he sat down. The floor had one long stage with plenty of standing room as a very busty figure spun around the pole her face obscured by a vale.

  The bar had a few patrons and one massive man with a bullhead. His horns almost scrapped the ceiling as a few of the doors seemed to have been widened to accommodate him. A woman with more bottom than top gracefully stepped onto the table.

  “Sandy I presume?” Boss smiled,

  “Hope you don’t mind the company,” she gave a slight pout,

  “If I wanted to drink alone I wouldn’t have sat at the table,” he smirked as he glanced out to see large group rushing, while darkened he could tell they were uninformed.

  The exotic dance was very stirring as the drink was hard. The room was busted into as Boss looked at the prices that were set up to the side.

  The music was cut off as Boss frowned as his dance was interrupted after he had slid across the payment.

  “Not on duty,” the barkeeper blew air out of his nostrils as the guards quickly focused on him.

  “Dandy, think we can take this to the back?” He pushed across the needed funds.

  “You still want your dance?”

  “Don’t think it would be good service otherwise.” Boss smiled as he was lead off by the fat bottomed dancer.

  He was lead away as he finished his drink, the room was small with a good sized bed as he was pushed back into the bed. She slowly slipped her minimal clothing as her panties slide down she stepped up to the bed as her hips swayed hypnotically.

  Sandy slowly worked her magic as Boss was slowly robbed of his own clothing and found the warm touch enjoyable familiar, and the pleasure provocative. Flesh and hair were grabbed as the music drowned out the moaning and grunts of the night’s lovemaking.

  With the final release, he relaxed on the bed with the woman resting on his chest as
her fingers twisted into his beard.

  “That was pleasant,” Boss couldn’t help but grin as he removed the rubber and tossed it to the ground.

  “Happy to be of service, but it’s not the only one I can provide,” she smiled as her brown hair reflected the candlelight.

  “I am sure,” he responded he really wanted to just lay there but he had a job to do.

  “Yep, my card you seem safe enough to feel free to come back if you need some release, or just need some less intimate company.”

  Boss nodded as he held the card in his mouth as he dressed, “You can leave now,” he slammed his fist against the wall, as a person crashed behind the wall.

  “Always be careful with those not proven safe,” She shrugged her form more world-weary.

  “Good luck,” he put his shield over his shoulders, “you got a back door?”

  “No reputable place like this wouldn’t,” she gathered herself up as she showed the way to the back door. She opened the back door,

  “Be careful,” she warned him and with a friendly slap on the ass Boss found himself outside only a red light to illuminate the back.

  “Why am I the one who feels used?” He twitched in amusement as he headed off still a little warning from the night’s activities.

  But he could put it off no longer as he picked up his feet. Boss didn’t bother to keep quiet as he closed the distance the spot looked empty.

  “You sure took your time,” York called him out, as he turned to see the man still armed to the teeth.

  “I got roped into some activities while escaping,” Boss admitted as York tapped his nose. “We got everything finished up?”

  “Yep, all ready for the slated day. Let’s go,” he motioned as Boss’s mind went back to the meeting.

  “So why all this effort?” Spark asked, I mean I understand trying to save the guy. But this is a lot of effort. And Audwine standing up with his talk I mean do we really need that?” She looked at the former Captain of the guard.