Hozark's Revenge

by Scott Baron

  “They’ve drained Henni,” Bud said, returning fire then ducking behind a boulder. “Bastards drained her.”

  “But the magic is combined with that of Visla Jinnik, can you sense it?” Hozark said. “And that means they are both likely still alive. And more than that, we now know where she is being held. If we find Jinnik, we find Henni.”

  “Yeah, but we’re not only outnumbered pretty significantly, we’re also outpowered,” Bud said.

  “Just keep them at bay. Buy me some time,” Hozark said, then vanished into his shimmer cloak.

  Saramin watched with a bit of awe, though not shock. He was young, but he’d seen enough in his short years to have had plenty of dealings with shimmer cloaks. But never one wielded by a Wampeh Ghalian.

  “So, what do you think?” he asked. “Wait here, or advance on them before they can flank us?”

  Bud leaned out and peppered the advancing Council forces with a cluster of stun spells, conserving his magic for when they got closer and the fight really heated up.

  “I count two dozen of ’em. There must have been an additional troop contingent stationed in that escape module,” Bud grumbled. “We’re seriously outnumbered here.”

  Saramin popped out and felled one of the advancing men with a carefully placed killing spell. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we have to go out like cowering children,” he shot back.

  Bud’s hackles raised, and he fired off a trio of killing spells despite the distance and drain on his resources. He was pleased to note that one of them actually managed to land.

  “Are you calling me a cowering child?”

  Saramin grinned. “No, I just wanted to get you riled up a little. We’re gonna need all you’ve got to get through this.”

  Bud couldn’t help but smile. Saramin was going to be a great pirate one day. The kid had leadership written all over him. But if he hoped to see that day come, they first had to survive this battle.

  They’d pursued expecting a much smaller force to deal with. Instead, they had nearly double the number, and far more heavily armed to boot. It was a damn suicide mission, but they hadn’t realized that when they signed up for it. And it would be some time before Lalaynia could send backup.

  But it was too late to do anything about that now.

  “They’re getting close,” Bud said. “That gives us a tiny bit of an advantage.”

  “The overpowering numbers are closing in, but that’s to our advantage?” Saramin asked.

  “They’re trying to flank us. Their people are scattered among the boulders taking cover while they advance. That means that all but the absolute front-most of them have to be extremely careful of their spells lest they hit their own people.”

  Saramin smiled as the significance became clear. “And we have no such restrictions.”

  “Precisely. We can fire away at will until we get right up to them. At that point it’s gonna be down to hand-to-hand anyway, and it’s gonna get rough. But at least there will be no spellcasting involved. And we’re pirates, godsdamn it. And no one is better at close-quarters fighting than we are, right?”

  “You’re damn right,” the youth agreed.

  “Okay, then. You ready, kid?”

  “Ready as ever, old man.”

  “You really gonna keep calling me that?”

  “Tell you what. If we survive, I’ll reconsider.”

  “Good enough for me. And if not? Well, today’s a pretty good day to die,” Bud said.

  “I was thinking more along the lines of kicking ass with such style and intensity that they sing epic songs about us.”

  Bud chuckled. “That’d be nice too.” He then rushed from behind his boulder, spraying every deadly spell he could muster.

  Saramin did the same, and for a few moments the sheer magnitude of the display they put on had the advancing attackers on their heels. Multiple spells landed, cutting the odds a tiny bit more in their favor. If they could just get in close enough, the bladework and lack of casting would even the odds still further.

  Their tactic seemed to have worked, at least for the moment, allowing them to move in close and fight with their swords and daggers. The Council crew may have been skilled with konuses, but the pirates definitely outclassed them with blades. But the numbers were still not in their favor, and it was only a matter of time before they would be overcome.

  Regardless, the two fought with an intensity and skill that would have made Lalaynia proud. But they knew the numbers, and each had made peace with the fact this might be their last battle.

  All around them the madness of battle spun and churned. But something seemed a bit odd. The enemy ranks seemed to be thinning out faster than the two pirates were capable of. In fact, a good number of Council forces dropped dead in their tracks without them even touching them.

  They didn’t pause to mull it over though, but instead ramped up their efforts, the battle swinging in their favor. More and more of the enemy fell until suddenly, it stopped.

  Bud and Saramin stood in the middle of the killing field, surrounded by nearly two dozen corpses, each of them gasping for breath from the prolonged effort.

  From behind a boulder, an unconscious man in captain’s garb slid toward them, one foot up in the air. For a moment it didn’t register in Saramin’s mind what was going on. Bud, however, smiled wide.

  “Took you long enough,” he said to the air.

  Hozark unshimmered, revealing himself to the duo. “Yes, well, I was slightly hindered by your spells,” he replied. “I did not wish to fall to friendly fire, after all.”

  Saramin and Bud laughed like only those who just narrowly escaped death could. They might sing songs of them one day, but the two of them would be alive to hear them with their own ears.

  Hozark dropped the captain’s leg and stared down at the unconscious man. “So, I think it is time to return to Lalaynia’s ship and see what our friend here can tell us.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Uzabud had to give the Council ship’s captain some credit. Tied to the wall in one of Lalaynia’s ship’s cells and facing a Wampeh Ghalian, the man had withstood his interrogation admirably, and for considerably longer than most. He had even managed to not soil himself in the process, which, given Hozark’s expertise in evoking fear, was truly saying something.

  In the end, however, it had been good old-fashioned self-preservation that had won the day. Not the save-your-own-life kind, but rather, a far more visceral variety.

  While Hozark was very intent on finding the whereabouts of Visla Maktan, the captain had insisted repeatedly that he was making deliveries to multiple locations and simply did not know and thus could not provide the answer he was seeking. The thing was, Hozark believed him.

  “Mind if I give something a try?” Bud asked his friend.

  “Be my guest,” Hozark replied.

  The pirate walked over to the bound man slowly, then stood in front of him a long while, staring at him. Not threatening him, not beating him, just staring. Finally, he drew his small, enchanted dagger from its hidden sheath and began slicing the man’s clothes off.

  “What are you doing?” the captain asked, more out of curiosity than fear.

  It was clear the Wampeh was not going to kill him. And if this one did, it was still better than what would befall him if he betrayed Visla Maktan’s trust. If it came down to it, he would hold his tongue until the end. It was something he felt sure he could do.

  Bud ignored the man as he worked the razor-sharp blade along first his sleeves, then the torso of his tunic. He pulled the pieces free and tossed them aside. Next, he did the same with the man’s boots and trousers, leaving him stark naked and tied to the wall.

  He then took a step back and simply let him stand there, nude. After a few minutes, the man couldn’t help himself.

  “I have told you, I don’t know where Visla Maktan is. And even if I did, I would not tell you.”

  “Oh, I believe you,” Bud said with a slightly dangerous look
in his eyes. “To be honest, I doubt you’d tell us even if you did know. And I respect that.”

  The man’s body relaxed a fraction.

  “But,” Bud continued, “there is something else I want from you. And you will tell me.”

  The captain was ready to meet his end. At least he would die honorably. But what happened next was a bit of a surprise.

  The pirate dropped to one knee right in front of his groin and looked up at him. There was no evil monologuing or exaggerated threat. Just one, simple question.

  “Where is Henni?” Bud asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Allow me to clarify. Where is the girl whose power charged your konuses? I want a location.”

  “I assure you, I don’t know what you’re––”

  Bud pressed the blade against the man’s most tender bits until it drew blood. The enchanted blade was more than merely sharp, and it took a moment for the pain to even register.

  “I’m going to make this real easy for you,” Bud said. “I’m not going to do the usual routine and start with fingers or ears. I’m going to take what means the most to you first. We are not going to build up to the worst. We’re starting with it. So, I’m not asking where Maktan is. Hell, I’m not even asking anything about the man. All I want to know is where your konuses came from. Tell me that, and you live. Intact.”

  The captain hesitated. The fact that it wasn’t technically betraying the visla flashed through his mind. A bit of rationalization in the face of emasculation. He was weighing his options when there was a little tug at his groin, followed by a warmth along his leg.

  Bud stood and showed the man his testicle, sliced away clean by the little knife.

  “Answer quickly enough, and you might just be able to have this reattached and healed. But know that my patience ran out long ago.”

  Hozark was watching with great interest. He’d seen his friend angry before, but never on quite such a personal level. Henni being snatched from his protection seemed to have hit Bud far more than he had let on. And as he hadn’t even tried to hide how upset he was, that was really saying something. If the man didn’t answer, and quickly, he’d be a eunuch in seconds.

  The captain came to the same realization and started blabbering, spewing out everything he knew about the konuses. They came from another ship and were distributed to the ranks. But that ship usually made runs to and from only a few planets. There were a dozen total, and he named them all. It would take time for the Ghalian spies to do their work, but it was somewhere to start.

  Bud popped the testicle in his mouth and chewed with a grin.

  “But I told you what you wanted to know!”

  “Yeah, you did,” Bud said. “But can I let you in on a little secret?”

  “What?”

  “It’s amazing how much a peeled Kortza berry looks like a certain body part,” he said with a grin. “Tastes better, though, I imagine.”

  The captain looked down, scrutinizing himself as best he could from that angle, and realized that the warm liquid was not his own blood. It was heated juice.

  Bud winked at him and walked out of the room. “Thanks for your assistance.”

  “Nicely done,” Hozark said as they walked into the large pirate ship’s command center.

  “Thanks. I’m sorry we couldn’t find out where Maktan was though.”

  “It is of no worry. We shall track him down eventually. But for now, we at least have a lead on Henni’s whereabouts.”

  “Yeah, a dozen leads. It’s gonna take forever to figure out where she is, and she could be drained dry by then.”

  “Breathe, Bud. Relax. We shall do all in our power to find her. But first we must retrieve young Happizano from Master Turong’s care.”

  “Turong?” Lalaynia said. “Sorry, couldn’t help but hear, seeing as you’re standing on my bridge and all.”

  “Sorry, Captain,” Bud said. “Got a bit carried away.”

  “You do at times. But it’s understandable. They kidnapped your friend. Part of your crew. I get it. Now listen, we had quite a nice couple of hauls thanks to you, Bud. And I know the crew feels the same way I do about all of this. I like Henni. She’s got spunk. Violent spunk, but spunk nonetheless.”

  “What are you getting at, Laynia?”

  “What I’m saying is, I am offering my help. If you want it, that is.”

  Bud locked eyes with his friend. “Are you serious?”

  “Totally serious.”

  “Well then, I gladly accept,” he replied.

  “But first, there is the retrieval of the boy,” Hozark reminded him.

  “Ah, yeah. We need to pick up Hap from the training house. And get my ship while we’re at it. I think we’ll need all the firepower we can get.”

  Lalaynia grinned. “Then it’s settled. We go visit Master Turong, then we find Henni.”

  Hozark stepped a little closer. “How is it you know Master Turong?” he asked quietly. “His training is exceptionally hard to come by, and quite costly at that.”

  Lalaynia’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s just say I wasn’t always a pirate and leave it at that, shall we?”

  Hozark’s lips curved slightly. So, Lalaynia had once been a trainee under the great Master Turong. Suddenly her fighting prowess made sense. But she had adapted it for piracy over the years, creating her own style in the process.

  It was not unlike what Ghalian aspirants did in their own training. And Hozark heartily approved.

  The pirate captain turned to her command crew. “Okay, boys. You heard the course. Plot it and let’s go.”

  A long series of jumps later, they finally emerged in orbit above Master Turong’s world. Lalaynia declined to join them on the surface, though, leading Hozark to wonder if perhaps her former master was not entirely pleased with her choice of career.

  It didn’t matter. He was to retrieve Happizano and Laskar. Once that was accomplished, they would continue on their task.

  “He’s quite talented, Hozark,” Turong said while Hap gathered his belongings. “A marvelous power within him. Once he is grown, he will be a force to be reckoned with.”

  “And did he behave?”

  “Admirably. He did not complain once, though I gave him no quarter and pushed him just as hard as the other students.”

  Hozark’s brow raised slightly.

  “Okay, perhaps I pushed him a little harder,” Master Turong admitted. “But the boy took it in stride. If you ever wish to bring him back for further training, I would consider it an honor to continue his studies.”

  For Master Turong to make such an offer was indication of just how much potential he really thought Happizano had. He was not in the habit of taking on students lightly, and especially not for free.

  “Thank you. Perhaps one day he may take you up on that offer. But for now, we have pressing matters at hand.”

  “Ah, yes. Then fly safe, Hozark. And send my regards to Corann.”

  Hozark nodded but suppressed his grin. There had been a connection between Corann and Turong many years ago. Whether it had stemmed from training to near death or not was unknown, but the two had something of an interesting history, though none would speak of it aloud in either of their presence.

  “Hozark!” Hap said, rushing out to greet the Ghalian. “It was so cool! I learned how to break boards without touching them! And then there was the casting! And then––”

  “Yes, I am looking forward to hearing all about it, young Jinnik,” Hozark said with a pleased grin. “But we are on something of a schedule. Come, we must retrieve Laskar and join the others.” He turned to Turong. “Thank you again, Turong,” he said, then stepped out of the training house, Happizano in tow.

  He had noticed the fair number of bruises Hap was sporting the moment he saw him. It was par for the course in this sort of training. Hozark knew firsthand, having had more than his share back in the day. But the boy’s attitude and lack of griping was what really struck him
. It seemed he was coming into his own.

  Laskar was where he expected to find him. Namely, hanging out in the tavern of the local house of questionable repute. Bud had already found him and was enjoying a drink and catching him up on all the adventures he’d missed.

  “Hey, there they are,” Bud said as Hozark and the boy approached.

  “It’s about time. Man, I was beginning to wonder if he was even on the planet,” Laskar said. “I didn’t see him once.”

  “Because he was training with one of the finest,” Hozark replied. “I hope your downtime was satisfactory.”

  “Yeah. But it wasn’t exactly all downtime.”

  “Oh?”

  “I was getting bored, so I reached out to some of my old buddies, just to see if they’d heard anything in the rumor mill, and one of them said they have what looks like a solid lead on Maktan’s actual location.”

  Hozark was a bit surprised by the revelation, but he was not one to look a gift Malooki in the mouth.

  “What is the planet?”

  “A place called Essakia,” Laskar replied.

  “Essakia is the planet to investigate,” Hozark repeated in a slightly louder voice. “We shall reconvene with Corann immediately to resupply. Word has been given for the Ghalian network to confirm your intel at once.”

  Laskar swiveled on his seat. “You mean there are spies here?”

  “Of course. And one is already on their way to carry out this task.”

  “Wait, already? They were that close to us? I had no idea.”

  “Those Ghalian are sure sneaky, aren’t they?” Bud joked.

  “It is how we survive,” Hozark noted. “Now, come. We must see Corann.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Two ships jumped into the skies above Corann’s adopted homeworld, but only one was small enough to descend and land. Lalaynia’s massive pirate craft would wait in orbit while she accompanied the others. There were tactical discussions to be had, and she and her crew were going to be an integral part of this plan.