by Phil Stern
*****
Creeping along the interior passageway, guns held at the ready, Max and Caylee paused at the bottom on the steep stairway leading up to an open hatch. Dimly, over the wind and swell, they heard voices raised in argument on the deck above. Wendily, it sounded like, along with another woman and a man.
Thankfully, Caylee’s earth stone continued to recover. While lacking any kind of decent reserve, she at least had some magic at her disposal. Even with three demons to fight, she was rapidly beginning to feel more like her old self.
“I think we’ll have to wait.” Though having taken the lead, Max’s earlier bravado was rapidly dissipating. “At least until they all go.”
“And what if they don’t go?” The sorceress stared up at the open hatch. “We just can’t stay here.”
“Well, not forever,” Max slowly conceded. “But maybe if we...”
“Shh!” Pulling him back behind her, Caylee put a finger to her lips. “There’s someone coming.”
Indeed, a large shadow briefly blocked the opening above. Soon a pair of gleaming black shoes appeared, descending several steps down from the deck. Carefully cocking her antique weapon, Caylee sedately brushed some stray blonde hair aside.
Following a brief hesitation, the butt of a fine gentleman’s cane now joined the shoes. Taking another step down, it was clear these anonymous feet led up into a fine pair of suit slacks.
“Lord Sathron!” Letting out a tiny whimper, Max dropped his own gun. “We’re doomed!”
Hearing the voice and activity below, Sathron again paused. The curly-haired lord now foolishly leaned down to peer all about, his silver eyes glowing dully in the darkened passageway.
Caylee didn’t hesitate. Smoothly raising the bulky pistol, she confidently pulled the trigger. Magnified in the constrained space, the roar was almost deafening.
Realizing his mistake at the last instant, Sathron yanked his head back up. Yet the huge round ball still slammed into his exposed ankle. The bone instantly gave way, sending the dandy lord clattering down the stairwell. Grabbing at the thin side rails with both red-gloved hands, he somehow caught himself before hitting the second-level deck.
Hanging there, fully exposed, Sathron could do nothing as Caylee coolly emptied the other barrel into his chest. Bellowing in pain, the desperately wounded demon flopped down onto the passage floor, clutching at his heart. The cane, with it’s wolf-shaped handle ornament, banged down beside him.
Tossing her empty gun aside, the sorceress demurely scooped up Max’s dropped weapon. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Cowering behind her, the barely-dressed slave took a deep breath. “I didn’t know they could be killed like that!”
“They can’t.” Caylee thoughtfully stared at the groaning, bleeding Lord. “That’s why I need you to go back and get those three magical rocks from the cabin.”
“What? But why...”
“Now! Go.” Giving him a hearty shove back the way they’d come, Caylee oriented the second gun on the Donlon aristocrat while also keeping careful watch on the open hatch above.
*****
Horrified, Wendily and Rhapsony watched Sathron jerk back up as a handgun fired down below. Yelling in agony, the youthful lord dropped from view. A second gunshot roared out, followed by eerie silence.
Even as the two female demons stared at the open hatch, one of the sailors dove over the side. Another quickly followed. In moments Wendily’s entire crew had abandoned ship, swimming off towards the shore.
“You bitch! Look what you’ve done.” Eyes blazing in silver fury, Rhapsony stared at her fellow demon. “You’ll pay for this, I promise you!”
Wendily shrugged. “I suggest we board your launch and leave here.” Taking a deep breath, she loftily met the other woman’s gaze. “Then, we can return with...”
“No! You’re not running away from your own mess.” Kicking off her fancy shoes, Rhapsony turned back to her own craft, still tied up alongside. “Cast off now!” she instructed. “Stand off a bit and wait for my signal!”
Only too happy to oblige, Rhapsony crew soon put distance between the vessels, leaving the two nobles alone on the sailing yacht.
“Come on, Wendily.” Rolling up her sleeves, the red-haired demon blazed in silver fury. “Let’s go down there and end this.”
*****
Stumbling along the darkened passageway, Max gingerly held the three magical rocks. Hazy smoke from the pistols still drifted about, only gradually blowing up and out through the open hatch.
Sathron lay sprawled against the bottom of the stairway. By now his chest had stopped bleeding, though he was still in great pain. “So how do you like Donlon, my dear?” Casually laying a hand on the ornate cane, the demon smiled weakly up at the sorceress. “Quite nice this time of year, is it not?”
Still holding the second gun, Caylee smiled back. “If you even think of animating whatever freak is hanging on the end of that stick, I’ll put two more bullets in you.”
“Please? Braun is no freak.” Airily waving a gloved hand about, the demon gave a racking cough. “Unlike you, that is.”
Caylee rolled her eyes. “Put the rocks on the floor,” she instructed Max. “Then take the gun and cover him.”
Doing as she bid, Max hesitantly aimed the handgun at Sathron. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s a good question.” Trying to keep his voice light, the demon watched as Caylee distastefully picked up a rock. “Now, now dear. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Concentrating, she carefully charged the stone with low levels of earth fire. Fortunately, with her power still quite limited, it didn’t take much. In short order the rock itself groaned and throbbed as the opposing magical forces fought for supremacy.
“Now listen here.” Alarmed, Sathron tried to pull himself up. “Surely we can come to some kind of...”
“Oh, it’s way too late for that.” Wiping grime and sweat from her battered face, Caylee tossed the sparking ad hoc weapon up through the hatch.
*****
The two demons slowly advanced on the open deck hatch, pausing a short distance away.
“Here’s the plan,” Rhapsony announced, even as her silver snake slithered up beside her. “We send our familiars down first. They flush the bitch out, and we finish her up here.”
“Fine.” Having recovered her typically haughty demeanor, Wendily nonchalantly stroked a swollen cuff link. Eyes blazing, huge teeth gnashing, a disgusting silver rat burst to life. “Then, might I suggest...”
But whatever Wendily had in mind was never vocalized. For even as Rhapsony’s snake coiled forward, tongue greedily thrusting out, a blazing rock arched up through the hatch to land between it’s mistresses’ feet. Exploding with a mighty crack, Rhapsony was launched straight up.
Diving aside just in time, Wendily escaped the worst of the blast. Still, the demon was cast up against the near bulwark in a dazed, untidy heap. Laying there, head ringing, she dully watched a huge pall of green and orange flame erupt from the deck where her fellow demoness had been standing.
*****
The yacht violently rocked back and forth, burning splinters raining down through the hatch. Dropping the gun, Max cowered on the floor. Sathron’s clothes burst into flame from multiple ignition points, the desperate demon soon thrashing about.
Yet even before the first magical hand grenade exploded, Caylee was charging up both remaining rocks. It was difficult work, especially with her own power so badly depleted. Indeed, she was forced to drain her exhausted earth stone yet again, the healthy green hue fading once more into somnolent, dark grey.
But it was enough. Using Sathron’s top hat as a basket, she placed both raging, unstable stones inside. Without pausing, she scooped up the dropped gun, pointing it right at the demon again.
“Now wait a moment!” Sathron pleaded, hands raised. “If we could just...”
Almost sensuously pulling the trigger, Caylee pumped t
he first ball into him, then cocked and fired again. Blood splattered all about, Sathron’s head snapping back against the bottom stair.
Yet there was no time to admire her handiwork. Continuing to cook and swell, the remaining two local rocks were quickly spiraling out of control. “Now!” she yelled, pulling Max up from the floor. “Get out of here!”
Half-thrown against the stairwell, above Sathron, Max mechanically began climbing up. Fingers weakly fluttering, the demon was unable to intervene.
But now Caylee had a new problem. Struck by a magically-tinged wooden shard, Braun the wolf was quickly animating. In moments the fearsome canine would be large enough to attack. Dashing up after her companion, the enchantress was forced to bodily shove Max up and through the hatch.
*****
More green and orange fire roared up from the merrily burning yacht, sending a wave of magically-tinged heat sweeping across the deck. Still by the far bulwark, Wendily’s exposed skin began burning. Unsteadily stumbling to her feet, the demon took a quick look around.
Rhapsony’s shredded body floated face down in the water a hundred feet away. Cast overboard by the same blast, her snake slithered in slow circles around his mistress. Even in response to her familiar’s gentle nudges, the red-haired demoness didn’t show the slightest sign of life.
Which was hardly a surprise. Even for one of their kind, Rhapsony had suffered more punishment than anyone could stand. Without question, her host body was already dead.
Glancing inboard once more, Wendily saw a human form exit the hatch and roll aside. With all the smoke and haze now drifting about, it was impossible to know if it was the witch, Max, or maybe even Sathron.
Yet the way things were going, Wendily didn’t wait to find out. With her own silver rat close behind, the demon cleanly dove over the side and briskly swam off.
*****
Roughly pushing Max clear of the opening, Caylee crawled up beside him on deck. By this point the two local rocks, pumped full of caustic earth fire, had nearly burned through Sathron’s hat. Dumping them out, the geodes instantly began cooking into the wooden planks.
The yacht was clearly a lost cause, with flames rising up nearly to the level of the highest mast. No one else was about, the entire crew having already abandoned ship.
Yet from down below, the sorceress heard renewed stirrings. First an ominous thump of shifting weight, followed by cursing and a yell of pain. “I’ll kill you, witch!” the demon barked out. “I swear it!” Using the handrails on the stairway, it sounded as if he was hauling himself up after them.
Rising to one knee, Caylee carefully flicked both stones back down the hatch. “Run!” she screamed, hauling Max to his feet. “Get over the side!”
They almost made it before the second stone exploded, quickly followed by the third. The massive blast thus produced catapulted them off the deck and high into the air.
*****
Becoming frantic, Rhapsony’s familiar could tell his mistress was in great distress. Snaking all about her lifeless body, bobbing about in the light swell, he clearly sensed the demon consciousness slipping away. And without any other potential hosts nearby...
At that moment some creature splashed into the water a short distance off. Prey, perhaps? Or maybe even something more useful.
With lumps of flaming wood now also dropping all about, the silver snake darted off through the bay.
*****
One moment the sorceress was running for the edge of the deck, Max beside her. The next she was tumbling through the clear Donlon sky, water flashing by some fifty feet below. Still sitting in a heavy mesh pouch on her belt, Caylee’s earth stone was once again too weak to help.
Despite what their detractors (of which there were many about the universe) might think, being a witch wasn’t all about paranormal ability. The most effective operatives seamlessly blended their physical and magical selves, one flowing naturally from the other. Relentlessly trained in all kinds of strength and combat skills, they tried to maintain full readiness for any eventuality.
Thus, even in the midst of fatigue and pain, Caylee’s well-honed athletic instincts instantly took over. Suavely extending her arms and legs, the sorceress first effortlessly stabilized her flight. Then, even without magic to guide her, the blonde operative smoothly knifed down into the water. Just before impact she remembered to take a deep breath of air, cleanly disappearing underneath the surface.
Which, in an aquatic-combat environment, was absolutely crucial. No matter what, the last thing you wanted to do was get stuck on the surface, stationary and helpless. One also needed to fully utilize any and all airborne inertia in clearing water-based entry points...
Wounded, exhausted, and still in shock from Wendily’s mental assault, the lecture on standard Coven tactics continued rambling away as Caylee leveled off some ten feet down. Now cruising parallel to the surface, blonde hair flowing behind, she took a moment to reorient.
Fortunately, her abused earth stone gave the magical equivalent of a cough, then weakly reanimated yet again. Clearly, it found the cool water invigorating, perhaps even drawing strength from the inherent energy of the sea itself. Gratefully tapping into it’s low-level, uneven output, the sorceress instantly felt better.
But this was only a momentary respite. Surely, even if Wendily and her two demon friends were dead or disabled, more fiends were on the way. She needed to fully disengage and escape the massive dragnet sure to come down on this entire area.
Conjuring another diving suit was beyond her current abilities, meaning she’d have to swim near the surface. But how could she possibly make a clean getaway while ducking up for air every ninety seconds? Even a disorganized, floundering pursuit would surely see her.
Perhaps there were friends willing to help? Tentatively putting out a mental call, she was immediately rewarded by several enthusiastic replies.
*****
Unlike Caylee, Max hit the water flush. Nearly knocked out from the impact, he was barely able to roll over and suck down a desperate breath of air.
Spread-eagled on the surface, the sun’s rays warming his face, the barely-dressed youth realized he was free. Even if Lady Wendily wasn’t dead, the demon surely had more important things to worry about than him. With a little luck he could just abandon Donlon entirely, slipping out to a colony, or maybe even one of the free nations...
Max’s last independent thought evaporated as a huge silver tail suddenly wrapped around his torso several times, pulling him down.
*****
It took only moments for the three sleek dolphins to reach the sorceress, rubbing up against her face and body. They must have been hanging out just outside the bay, enjoying all the strange sights and sounds from within. Quickly explaining the situation, they eagerly agreed to help.
And the sooner the better. Still under the surface, Caylee heard more boats approaching the general area, along with angry shouts and the splash of a grappling hook. Even exposing herself for another breath of air was a risk, though one she’d obviously have to take.
And what of Max? Without his assistance, Caylee would never have made it off the yacht alive. Or even worse, as herself. But at the moment she had no idea if he’d even survived the explosion.
It was then that she heard a tremendous thrashing nearby, accompanied by an underwater human scream. All need for secrecy forgotten, she instantly shot up to the surface.
*****
Petulantly treading water, her bedraggled rat paddling about nearby, Wendily watched what remained of her yacht burn. Obviously, it would be a total loss.
Perhaps, though, that was for the best. All evidence of her efforts to capture and ascend into the witch would also be destroyed. And since Sathron and Rhapsony also seemed more dead than alive...
A disturbance suddenly erupted in the bay itself nearby. Spinning about, she was greeted by the pleasant sight of Rhapsony’s snake preparing to eat Max. With it’s lower body wrapped around his midriff, the silver op
hidian beast nonchalantly flipped him out of the water entirely. Rapidly expanding in size, Rhapsony’s pet almost luxuriously unhinged it’s large silver jaws. Screaming in terror, arms and legs flailing about, her sex-slave seemed doomed.
Well, good riddance, the demon sourly thought. Though personally torturing him to death would have been most satisfying, getting eaten alive by a snake wasn’t a bad way for him to go either. As for the witch herself...
Right on cue, the demon saw a blonde head break the surface midway between her and Max. Without bothering to check her rear, the Haven witch was totally focused on her newfound hero and the giant snake.
Well, that was her mistake. “Go. Kill!” she instructed, tapping her silver rat on the snout.
*****
Aghast, Caylee instantly took in Max’s plight. Held tight by the pulsating snake several feet above the surface, his head was pointing right into the reptile’s looming maw.
“No!” she screamed out, instinctively drawing on her earth stone for support. But the talisman was still far too weak for active combat, putting out only a fraction of it’s normal output.
Hearing her voice, Max’s head partially rotated about. For an instant their eyes met, his expression full of resigned suffering. Then the snake’s entire body gave an almost sensual spasm, roughly thrusting Max’s head and torso deep inside it’s horrific, gaping mouth.
“Stop!” she bellowed, swimming several strokes closer. But it was already too late. The next gargantuan oscillation drove Max entirely inside the snake, the outlines of his trapped body now clearly visible through the monster’s extended, swollen neck.
But again, instinct and training came to her rescue. Even as the horrified sorceress tried to comprehend Max’s fate, she mechanically swung fully about, scanning the area for potential threats. Sure enough, like some malignant silver torpedo, she instantly spied Wendily’s rat racing through the water. Aiming right for Caylee’s exposed back, it’s sharpened teeth were already gnashing and grinding.