by Jamie Davis
There was no time to celebrate, though. Searing pain flashed across her shoulders as the guard with the broken nose slashed at her unprotected back.
Health damage – health -15
Cari whipped around and blocked the follow-up blow with both her sword and dagger catching the heavy saber blade between them. A twist of her wrist flipped the sword from his hands.
Surprise filled his face as he backpedaled to escape her follow-up string of attacks.
He gained the momentary break he needed to recover his weapon from the street when his companion, the final guard, dove in at Cari from the side and tackled her to the ground.
She landed hard on the cobblestones, her head slamming back so hard she saw stars for a second.
Health damage — health -10
The guard on top of her wrestled to get a grip on her wrists and immobilize her with his superior bulk and strength.
Shifting her grip on the dagger, the only option in these close quarters, Cari pulled the guard closer with her other arm while she plunged the dagger down into his back twice.
The guard arched his back at the pain and rolled to the side, allowing Cari to roll in the opposite direction.
She popped back to her feet just in time to parry the other guard’s sword.
For a few seconds, it was a flashing blur of sword thrusts, parries, ripostes, and retreats. Then Cari saw her opening and drove her blade forward taking the man in the eye and piercing his brain.
The man stiffened and fell over backward like a felled tree.
2,500 experience
The final guard didn’t bother to pick up his dropped sword. He took one look at the carnage around him, turned, and ran away.
Cari was tempted to chase him down but decided she’d better get to the Vengeance and make sure the ship and Princess Jaycee were safe.
Ten minutes later, after avoiding several patrols and checkpoints of the Duke’s guards, Cari made it to the harbor.
The sound of steel on steel rang out as she got closer and rounding the corner, Cari saw her crew arrayed at the end of the pier, blocking access to the ship.
Facing them was a platoon of the Duke’s guard.
The two sides were evenly matched. Cari saw, however, that the battle could go either way. If any more of the Duke’s troops arrived, the fight would immediately shift against her crew.
Checking her power up in the corner of her display, Cari saw the satisfying flash of a fully activated bar.
She had to get closer before she put her plan in motion but it would shift the balance enough that the crew could disengage and pull back to the ship so they could flee Morton Creek.
Once they were at sea, Cari would figure out what to do next.
For now, she needed to get as close as possible without being seen by the Duke’s men.
The docks were cleared; There were no crowds of onlookers with which she could mingle and hide her approach.
She didn’t blame the citizens of the city. No one from Morton Creek had any desire to get involved in a pitched battle with a trained soldier.
The officer in charge of the detachment of the Duke’s soldiers stood a few feet behind them ordering them to press harder to break through to the ship.
Behind him was a row of market stalls and Cari picked out the route she could use to advance on the rear of the line of soldiers.
Shifting to the opposite side of the building she was hiding behind, she looked once to make sure no one was watching her way and then she ran as fast as she could for the first in the line of stalls.
The simple structures were a basic four pole framework, with a shelf at the front and a backing of slats that could be used to hang goods on hooks inserted into the narrow gaps between them. Some of the stalls had tarps to protect the vendors from sun and rain, but not all of them.
Cari reached the first stall and crouched down. She heard no cry of alarm over the din of the fighting nearby. No one had seen her.
A shout of triumph rang out and the officer called out orders.
“Break open that gap. Push them back and set fire to that ship. I want every soul aboard her killed.”
Slipping around the corner and checking on the battle, Cari saw several of her crew down and Helen Doolan fighting to fill the gap with a few extra sailors she’d held in reserve.
They weren’t going to be enough. Cari could see that much.
Risking someone seeing her, she darted down the entire line of stalls in one loping sprint, sliding to a stop at the last one in the row.
She didn’t halt for long. Her crew was dying. She had to join the fray.
Cari opened her skill menu and activated her flashing Burst of Speed. Without even waiting for it to take full effect, she turned the corner and charged at the center of the Duke’s line.
Aiming for the guard captain while the timer clock started ticking down, Cari drove into the man from behind, leading with both her blades, the dagger held high and the rapier held low.
The officer had opened his mouth to call out more orders but all that came out was a horrible cry of pain as the two blades skewered him like a slab of meat destined for the barbecue.
5,000 experience
Cari didn’t wait for gravity to pull him off her blades; instead she drove forward using her increased speed to propel the dead officer into the back of his battle line.
Two of the guardsmen toppled over and were immediately killed by the cutlasses of Cari’s crew.
A ragged cheer went up as word passed down the line that their captain had arrived.
She had no time for accolades. She pressed onward. She had to use up every last bit of advantage her power-up gave her.
Cari kicked the captain out of her way and charged down the left-hand side of the line of guardsmen. If she could fight her way through this group, she’d take the pressure off Helen trying to hold the breach in the crew’s line.
A few of the guardsmen saw her coming and managed to react despite her increased speed. One even snaked a saber thrust past her whirling blades and slashed open a gash in her side as she charged by.
She killed him and two of his companions without slowing, though the wound in her side flashed like her insides were on fire.
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
Health damage — health -16
A glance at her timer showed thirty seconds remaining. She had a long way to go and a lot of guardsmen between her and the gap Helen now held alone.
Both the first mate’s companions were down on the planks of the pier at her feet.
Cari had to get to Helen which meant pushing forward without regard to any defensive action on her part.
This was going to hurt, maybe even kill her, but she couldn’t give up without trying.
Pressing onward, Cari began an all-out attack, avoiding return strikes when she could, but only if it didn’t get in the way of her continuous flurry of attacks.
The notifications piled up in her vision as she cut her way down the line.
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
Health damage — health -8
Health damage — health -7
2,500 experience
Health damage — health -9
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
Almost there, Cari thought as yet another attack slipped by and cut her, this time piercing her shoulder. Her dagger dropped to the wooden planks of the pier as her right arm now dangled limp at her side.
Health damage — health -12
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
As the timer ticked downward, Five, Four, Three… Cari charged onward and took down three more guards despite only having one weapon remaining.
2,500 experience
Health damage — health -14
2,500 experience
2,500 e
xperience
Two, One… and Cari collapsed into Helen’s supporting arms as she killed the final two assailants fighting her first mate.
2,500 experience
2,500 experience
Her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, her fatigue from the power-up’s cool down took over as she almost passed out. The exhaustion was nearly total.
She looked up as Helen lowered her to the planks of the pier’s decking. The crew surged past them, taking advantage of the damage their captain caused to the Duke’s guards.
“I’m back.”
“Yes, ma’am. I wish you wouldn’t always show up bloodied like a common cur after a dog fight.”
“Did you just call me a dog, Helen?”
“No ma’am, just a turn of phrase.”
“Good, get me back to the ship and pull the crew back on board.” Cari paused to catch her breath before continuing. “We set sail immediately. This is all a trap, and I’m not waiting for the other side to come down on us.”
“Yes, ma’am. Mr. McShea!”
Percy showed up at the first mate’s side. He held a cutlass and he had a gash above one eye. Cari didn’t have the energy or the time to berate Helen for letting the boy join the battle. She’d have to hold that for later, once they all were safe.
“Mr. McShea, help the captain get back aboard and tell Mr. Dawkins to pull as many people from the gun crews as possible and put them aloft. We set sail immediately.”
“Aye, ma’am. Captain, you’re bleeding again.”
“Yes, I am, Percy. Very good of you to notice. Now help me to my feet and let me lean on you while I walk back to the ship.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
The boy was surprisingly strong for his age and size and he nearly lifted her up by himself. She draped an arm across his shoulder and together they half limped, half shuffled back to the Vengeance.
Her power down period was almost complete by the time she arrived at the ship. As the haze of the power down timer cleared, Cari felt a little strength return, but not much. Her injuries were severe and blood loss weakened her with every second that passed.
“Help me across the gangplank to the ship, Percy.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He grunted as he lifted her to her feet once again. He had more blood on him now, her blood. She was bleeding worse now than before and another damage alert appeared in her display.
Health damage — health -5
Health: 24/120
Cari stumbled a few times on the gangplank, but Percy kept her from toppling into the harbor. He got her across and lowered her to the deck by the base of the quarterdeck.
Quest completed — reach the Vengeance
8,000 experience
Katie came down from her place at the helm to check on the captain.
“Captain, let me go and get you a healing potion. You look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks,” Cari replied, chuckling at the remark. “Mr. McShea can do that. I need you at the wheel. Prepare to get the ship out of here and into open water. Don’t wait for Helen or the bosun to pass the order along. Once the sails are down and we can move, steer us for the harbor mouth. Got it?”
“Aye, ma’am. Look, the first mate is returning with the shore party now.”
“Then get back to your post. I’ll be alright here. Percy’s going to fetch me some healing, right, Mr. McShea?”
“Right away, ma’am.”
Cari slumped back against the wall while Katie returned to her post and Percy raced off below to bring back a healing potion or two even as more of her life’s blood dripped away to the deck.
She had no choice. She just had to wait for Percy to return. Hopefully, he came in time. More notifications slipped past her eyes, ticking away her health points.
Health damage — health -5
Chapter 36
While Cari lay bleeding against the quarterdeck cabins, Helen gathered the members of the shore party who were still alive and hustled them up the gangplank as fast as she could. More than half of them were wounded.
Francesca, limping from a wicked slash to her thigh, waved at Cari and then headed forward to help man one of the guns pointing inland. Crews were starting to load canister, the shotgun-like buckshot for cannons.
Seeing the girl reminded Cari of something she’d forgotten about.
“Duh, Cari,” she muttered aloud. Cari called up her skill menu and activated her regeneration ability. It would take sixty seconds. She’d feel a lot better soon.
A minute later, Cari had regained sixty health points. Her bleeding had stopped and some of the minor wounds had closed by the time Percy returned with a whole armload of healing potions.
“Good grief, boy, how many do you have?”
“I could carry five without breaking them, ma’am. You looked way worse when I left.”
“Get with Miss Doolan and parcel them out to the worst injured among the crew. I’m feeling better now.”
“Aye, ma’am.”
Marlin Dawkins, the bosun, called out orders to the crew. Aloft, the sails started to unfurl. The canvas expanded as the Vengeance caught the small breeze flowing through the harbor.
Katie followed her orders and turned the ship’s wheel to head them away from the dock and back out to sea.
Cari reached up and grabbed a rail, pulling herself back to her feet. She had a noticeable limp from one of the wounds that still ached in her thigh, but she could make it about.
Taking her time, Cari climbed up to the quarterdeck and assumed her position beside Katie at the helm.
Helen soon joined them, a bandage tied around her upper arm but otherwise unhurt.
“Here, ma’am, you dropped this.”
Helen handed Cari her dagger dropped during the fighting.
Slipping the blade back into its scabbard on her thigh, she smiled at the first mate.
“Thank you, Helen. I can always count on you to pick up after me.”
“What’s a first mate for, ma’am?” She asked with a chuckle.
“Indeed. Good work holding the end of the pier rather than remaining here on the ship.”
“I thought it best to keep them far enough away to avoid any mischief on their part, ma’am.” She peered out at the harbor mouth, fast approaching ahead. “Where to now?”
“We head for open water for now, then we’ll make our decision. I have a feeling we aren’t out of trouble yet. The Duke of Charon is too crafty to attack us like this without having another angle to his plan. Make sure the lookouts aloft keep their eyes open and have the guns loaded for action.”
“Aye, ma’am. We’ll be ready.”
Cari walked over to the storage locker by the stern and pulled out the spyglass before closing the lid and clamping it shut against the wind and the weather.
She put the extended glass to her eye as they cleared the harbor mouth and slipped into the open ocean. She saw the approaching sails even before the lookouts called out the warning.
“Sail ho, multiple ships to the port side.” The report called down matched with what Cari saw.
The Duke had indeed put together a trap as she anticipated, but he’d sprung the landward side of it a little early. The ships constituting part two of the plan were not yet in position.
Calling up her navigation and seamanship skills, Cari started examining the overlay of vector lines representing currents and air flow in her visual field. She made her decision.
Quest accepted — break through the fleet
“Keep us on a course due west, Katie.”
“Aye, ma’am. Due west.”
As the woman at the helm spun the wheel, Helen cleared her throat.
“Questions, Miss Doolan?”
Helen lowered her voice so only Cari could hear over the wind and waves. “Won’t the leading ships of that fleet cut us off before we get very far, Cari?”
“Yes, but only two of them. I’m hoping they don’t realize my plan and alter course to
bring more of them to bear on us.
“Won’t two be enough?”
“Two’s better than ten, don’t you think?”
“Fair enough,” Helen said, a wry chuckle in her voice.
“As long as they don’t alter course and continue on a least time vector to catch us, we’ll have the angle to cut across their bows before they can turn to bring all their guns to bear. They’ll only manage to get a single broadside off each before we pass out of their range.”
The shots fired by a broadside down the bow or up the stern were the ones that did the most damage. Cari’s broadside cannonballs would tear down the length of the Duke’s ships, wreaking havoc and significant damage above and below decks if she planned it right.
“Heck, they might not even get off a single shot if I manage to knock out all their guns.”
“That’ll take a good bit of luck.”
Cari cast a glance at Helen. “And your point?”
“You’re right. Luck we have, at least so far. I’ll head down to the deck and have them load the guns with double shot. If we’re gonna get close enough, that will do the most damage.”
“Good idea. Go for it.”
Cari returned to watching the approaching ships. The fleet numbered ten in all and all of them remained on their original course aimed at the harbor itself. She realized they expected her to turn and run away from them up the coast.
That would be, of course, the worst plan ever since they had the advantage with the wind and the angle to cut them off within half a day, maybe only a few hours. They thought she’d opt to avoid all contact, though and had planned their attack accordingly.
The question remained. How long would it take the Duke’s naval commander to realize Cari wasn’t going to turn.
She made an adjustment to her navigational templates and put a new overlay over the sea. It now showed a shaded area ahead of them which indicated the area and time where the two leading ships would be in range to engage with the Vengeance while she fled to the west.