Blackjack Wayward (The Blackjack Series) (14 page)

“It’s no good,” Elgar said again, looking over at Hroneth, who just shrugged and fought off a yawn.

“I’ll need a bigger shield, then.”

“No, no, no. There is a gap there,” Elgar said coming forward and drawing his sword. He slammed it against the top of Drovani’s shield to the left of me and eased it around at my exposed right shoulder, scraping against my skin. The blade was sharp, but it couldn’t pierce my flesh.

Drovani stepped back, “A larger shield won’t cover that gap.”

I looked over at Hroneth, who shook his head definitively, then succumbed to the yawn.

“Then fuck it,” I said, starting to get frustrated, throwing the shield back to Elgar. “I’ll fight in front of the line. I’ll break theirs for you just the same.”

Raising his eyebrows, Drovani seemed to like the idea.

“Better he fight with the skirmishers,” he said, almost postulating a question.

“Yeah,” I said eager to be useful. “I’ll be with the skirmishers.”

Elgar shook his head, “They fight too far forward of the line,” he said.

Hroneth nodded.

“This is true,” Drovani said. “They fight the enemy skirmishers, and if possible harass the enemy line, using bows and grenades to try to make gaps in their line.”

“When they work,” Hroneth said.

“Yes,” Elgar said, adding, “Most times, they are useless, then run off and watch us fight. That is why they are mostly the smaller and weaker warriors.”

“I’m good with a bow,” I said.

Drovani returned the shield to Hroneth and sat along the gunwale beside him, thinking.

“You will be wasted,” Elgar said. “Skirmishers are a bother; if they are good, they sometimes help. But the real battle
we
take forward, the men of the shield wall.”

I shrugged, looking at the marks on Drovani’s weapon.

“Drovani,” I said. “You know your weapons can’t hurt me.”

He turned back and nodded.

“Why not put me in the middle?”

Drovani smiled.

“I’m serious.”

“When the final battle comes, it will be against many thousands. They will swarm you.”

“And they will die,” I interrupted, feeling strange that I was looking forward to that moment.

Drovani thought about it and looked over at Hroneth, who just shrugged.

“Put me in the middle, and your army at the wings,” I said. “I’ll hold the middle.”

His eyes flashed wide. “No,” he said, stepping forward and looking at me from head to toe with the same gaze he’d favored upon his swords. “I have a better idea. You will assault their command barge.”

Elgar nodded in approval, “On a Raanzok?”

“Yes,” Drovani said, suddenly excited. “We will fly you in. Drop you atop their leaders. The way Vershani fight, Blackjack, our leaders, our gods and goddesses are paramount to the morale of men. If the soldiers see their leaders fall, or even flee, they will lose hope, will turn and run themselves. Then we will have victory. Naturally, enemy leaders ride aboard heavy armored barges, guarded by the best warriors.”

I looked at Hroneth, but his eyes were flickering, fading, as he was falling asleep listening to us.

“Sounds like fun,” I said, causing Drovani and Elgar to laugh. The commander slapped my shoulder and took his sword back.

“It will be,” he said.

“Sire,” Elgar, said. “Imagine him wearing gladiator armor.”

Drovani looked at him, then at me.

“By the goddess, you are promoted to Centurion,” Drovani said, clasping the beaming Elgar by his shoulders. “Gladiator armor,” he said, for my benefit, “is lightweight and replete with blades in every direction. It is made for close quarters fighting, for the worst bloodwork.”

“You will not need weapons at this point,” Elgar said. “Each glove has a short blade that sticks out.”

“It is short, but wide, Blackjack. As wide as your hand, and twice as long.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, having a vision of myself wearing a leather “gimp” costume beaming with blades in every direction. I liked the idea of wearing such a contraption, of becoming a rolling juggernaut of slashing death. “I can do that.”

“Fun indeed,” Drovani said. “And a Ranzook is a small animal, tiny, about....” he looked over at Elgar, who put his fingers about four inches apart. “Yes, tiny. An insignificant thing.”

“How do I fly that thing?” I asked. “You noticed I’m kind of a big Keshek.”

Elgar laughed, and even the half-asleep Hroneth joined him, but Drovani just looked at me, half-surprised, before chuckling slightly.

“You learn our ways fast,” he said.

I shrugged.

“But do not worry. We have methods. The goddess’ magic will make you small enough, and you will regain your natural size at will. They will not see you coming.”

With visions of flying whatever a Ranzook was across a dusty battlefield, landing in the enemy command barge, and causing bloody havoc, I couldn’t help but smile, looking forward to the carnage.

We arrived aboard Drovani’s ship, the name of which he finally told me:
the Tyrant
. It was a grim name for such a majestic thing, white and beautiful, with hundreds of sails that required a host of those little creatures to keep in order. Drovani excused himself and left me alone with Elgar and Hroneth, but I was in no mood for their company so I sent them off to get food and returned to my quarters, deep in the labyrinthine underbelly of
the Tyrant.
It was a tight ship that Drovani ran, and most of his people were either used to me or too busy to notice, but occasionally, I’d get a curious look from a warrior or a frightened one from a worker. Otherwise, most folk accepted me among them, and I supposed they knew of my worth, knew that I would soon make their master a victorious warlord; or they were terrified of me. I was fine with either.

In fact, I was beaming from the day’s events, still coated in Kendralis’ blood from head to toe. I felt feral, ravenous, and thirsty, and I had an appetite for one of the Vershani women, or all of them. There was a pounding at my temples, a throbbing of blood that I didn’t understand, a rolling anger that made my fists clench tight, my teeth grind; I felt a permanent scowl scored across my face.

Time passed differently, with no evident demarcation of day or night, but as I grew more and more tired and my “night” approached, the elation I felt kept me from succumbing to exhaustion. I reached my chambers and there was the pretty girl, waiting for me, along with all the others. More, now, I could tell, as well as a few more guards on the upper level, standing outside my bedroom.

“Daikhan,” the girl said, bowing maybe 20% lower this time, a gesture the others mimicked perfectly.

I picked her up and kissed her, despite her protestations, which soon ended, and carried her up the stairs and plopped her on my bed. She threw her black hair back, trying to regain her composure, noticing that the entire entourage entered the room. Before I could take my toga off, the remaining girls came over and helped me out of the blood-stained clothing.

“I’ll need new clothing,” I said, ignoring the small women around me, my eyes intent on the beautiful Vershani on my bed. The expression on her face was a mixture between eagerness and resignation. She looked at the other girls, realizing she now had a new place in their hierarchy, above and beyond them all. This was something all the women realized, and they all now looked to her guidance and command.

“Theela, Vienn, Merza,” she listed the names of the girls now tasked with making me new Keshek-sized clothing, and the three ran off, almost eager to be out of the room before I started humping the poor girl.

“Need food too,” I said.

“Krona, Diappa,” she said, and two more girls left, leaving only the three that were unstrapping my clothing and shoes, and the four guards at the entrance of the door.

“They can go, too.”

The girl looked at them, and I noticed the nonverbal conflict. Despite being grunts, the warriors had to hold a higher station than a mere cabin girl, and to be ordered by one of them was some sort of insult. But I didn’t give a damn about their customs or ridiculous rituals. I wanted to eat, to drink. I wanted to fuck.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” I asked the girl

She smiled, aware of my intrusion, knowing how I was empowering her, “Rai.”

“Get the fuck out,” I snapped at the guards, ultimately losing my patience with them. To their credit, they left with the same efficiency as the other cabin girls.

Finally, I was free of the overlapping toga and the strapped leather sandals that made me look more like a Roman Proconsul than a Vershani, and the only clothing I had the left was the loincloth.

“I got this,” I said, taking the thing off and moving toward Rai. She met me halfway and pressed her body and lips to mine. After a long, deep kiss, I looked back and noticed the three last girls were still standing there, watching us.

I smiled and asked Rai, “With or without?”

She kissed me and whispered breathlessly, “Whatever you wish, my lord.”

I looked back at the girls.

“With,” I said, motioning for them to come to the bed.

Chapter Eight

I awoke alone, surprisingly refreshed, but with no specific memory of my time with the girls. There were a dozen empty Artenanka bottles on the nightstand beside the bed, and I did recall something about pouring the liquid on the girl’s bodies and drinking from every cupped part of their figures that I could imagine. But the images of the event were hazy, distant, and I didn’t physically feel as if I had experienced the flashing thoughts that wandered through my head. I reached down and touched my groin, and noticed also missing was that distinct, wasted feeling from the aftermath of sex.

I groaned and sat at the end of the bed, noticing a set of magnificent Vershani armor held aloft in a metal frame, and I knew the girls had been busy. The frame was designed for easy access of the armor, so you could just slip into the whole thing from behind, but the frame was designed for a smaller person, an average-sized Vershani. The armor was sized for me, and dragged all the way to the floor, but I wasn’t going to try it on just yet. I needed a bath and underclothes, which I couldn’t spot anywhere in the room.

“Elgar!” I yelled, and a few of the new guards ran into the room. I didn’t recognize the new men, but they were a tough bunch, more like Hroneth in build, and looked like they could handle themselves.

“You called, Daikhan?”

“What?”

He bowed, suddenly embarrassed.

“What did you call me?” I said.

One of the other men answered, “Daikhan, my lord.”

I racked my brain for an explanation, remembering the council meeting.

“Ah, sorry,” I said.

“Forgive us, lord,” said the first guard.

I laughed, “It’s okay. I’m just ... I had a little bit too much Artenanka. Where are the girls?”

The guards looked at each other before the first one answered. “They needed rest, sire.”

“That’s fine,” I said, laughing further and standing. “I’ll bathe myself.”

They followed me down the stairs, eager to get my attention.

“What?” I said, halfway down.

“Do you wish for us to get them?” said another indistinguishable guard.

“The girls, sire?” said the other.

I paused a moment, and finally shook my head, continuing down into the big pool. The water was cold and refreshing and after a few minutes of leaning against the edge, I slipped back to sleep.

“Sire,” Elgar awoke me, crouching by the edge of the pool beside me. At first glance, he looked a little sweaty and nervous.

“Hey, there you are.”

He smiled, “Forgive me, I am now Centurion and have to oversee all your men.”

I shrugged, “No problem. I just missed you, little guy. Where’s the other guy....”

“Hroneth,” Elgar said, pointing to him. Like always, Hroneth was leaning against something, casually ignoring everything. He gave me a little nod and returned to what he was doing, studying the patterns of paint on the wall.

“Okay, good. Just checking,” I said and Elgar stood, his demeanor less jumpy. “Hey, let me ask you something ... you don’t mind if I ask you something personal?”

He did – I could tell from how badly he lied when told me it was fine – but I didn’t care. Something was eating at me.

“The girls,” I started. “I had a few of them over last night. Do they have some trick that they drug you or something?”

Elgar shrugged, utterly confused.

“Because I was with a few of them, you know? And it was cool ... but ... it’s just ... I don’t feel like I ... It’s weird.”

He swallowed hard, “You had difficulties?” he said, and Hroneth chuckled.

“No,” I said. “No, it’s not that. Shit!”

Hroneth stepped over. “He might need a vial of Laesenath.”

Elgar chopped back at Hroneth to be quiet and stay out of it, returning apologetically to me, as if it was some sort of Vershani insult.

For his part, Hroneth just looked dumbfounded, “It might help,” he muttered.

“Please forgive–” Elgar said.

“No, Elgar, it’s okay. And it’s not that, Hroneth. Not at all.”

I paused, dunking myself into the water one last time and coming out of the pool.

“What is it, then?” Elgar asked as I climbed out.

“I was with them, and I remember things. I have memories of the thing, but my body ... you know how ‘after,’ you feel a certain way?” I waved my hand over my crotch and they both nodded, though from the stupefied look on their faces, I could tell they didn’t completely follow.

“There’s a feeling of release, a feeling down there, you know?”

Hroneth kept half-nodding.

“I don’t feel it. I was wondering if your women did something, I don’t know, maybe they have some sort of hormone or pheromone that....”

I looked at one, then the other, and saw both were completely bewildered.

“Never mind,” I said and walked to the stairs just as some of the girls returned, carrying bundles of cloth. “Where is Rai?” I asked, once I realized the girl was missing.

“My lord,” one said, bowing first. “She is resting after seeing the priest.”

I led them up the stairs, “Why did she see the priest?”

The girl blushed, “She was injured, Daikhan.”

We entered the room and the girls instantly went to work drying me and clothing me with undergarments for the armor.

“Who injured her?” I demanded, and the girl’s eyes flashed open in horror, too stupefied to answer. “Did I injure her?”

The girl lowered her head, nodding.

“How?” I almost asked, but didn’t dare, afraid of what her answer would be.

The women continued clothing me, wrapping a loincloth around my crotch at first, then weaving an undershirt and holding a pair of leather leggings for me to stick my legs into.

“I can get her for you, if you like,” Elgar asked me, a wave of worry crossing his face.

I shook my head.

“She will be fine soon, sire.”

Hroneth laughed, drawing a glare from me and reproof from the new Centurion.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing, Daikhan.” Elgar snapped. “He’s a fool.”

“Answer me, Hroneth,” I said.

He shrugged, “I was merely thinking that we shouldn’t judge you.”

“For what?”

“I like humping rather rough as well,” he said, though I wasn’t sure if he was answering the question, as he looked up and seemed to reminisce.

“Be quiet, brother,” Elgar said.

I shrugged off the girls, who had started putting on the leather-padded armor piece by piece.

“No, he can explain himself,” I demanded, and despite my growing anger, Hroneth was unaffected.

He smiled. “There is a fine line between pain and pleasure that I like to explore.”

Elgar blushed, shaking his head in frustration from not being able to control his partner.

“Perhaps that is why I have never been married,” Hroneth continued, looking out the large balcony as if having a conversation with himself. “Few girls of importance will accept much more than a light spank. Remember the two sisters we met....” he drifted off.

“Valas and....” Elgar recalled. “I can’t remember the name of the other one.”

Hroneth shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

“That was the one you were with,” Elgar said.

“My point precisely. You see, Blackjack, these girls weren’t....” he looked at the girls that had returned to clothing me.

“They weren’t slaves,” Elgar said, finishing his friend’s thoughts as he often did.

Laughing, Hroneth continued, “I grabbed her hard, as we got closer to ... the ending, you know?”

I nodded.

“And she was horrified,” he went on. “So I spanked her chest, and she liked that less.”

“Show him,” Elgar urged the other. “Let him see.”

Hroneth looked at his chest, “I’ll have to take this all off!” he complained then looked at me and crossed his chest several times, as if clawing at himself. “The girl left her mark,” he said, laughing.

“And she had long nails,” Elgar added.

“The worst scars I’ve ever had, and I’ve been in battle....” Hroneth trailed off, counting in his head.

“Many times,” Elgar said.

“Yes, many times.”

They laughed and I tried joining in, but the Centurion could tell my apprehension.

“Do not worry about the girls, Daikhan. Just bumps and bruises. They will heal fast.”

Hroneth scratched under his chest armor, “Besides, after we take the capital city, there will be thousands of noble women to hump. Fine women.”

“Don’t bother the Daikhan with talk of war,” Elgar said, trying to cover for his friend.

“We’re taking the capital city?”

“Come, Hroneth,” Elgar said, motioning for his friend to follow him as he eased back to the stairs. “Let’s let Lord Blackjack get dressed in peace.”

I stepped forward, grabbing him by his arm.

“Hang on a second,” I said, and I saw him almost snap at me before his eyes glazed over with fear. I moved him so that I stood barring his way to the stairs, the only way out of this room.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said, flashing a hateful glare at Hroneth.

“Explain yourself.”

Hroneth was still scratching, watching us with a curious look.

“Explain what?” Hroneth said, not aware of what was happening between Elgar and me.

The Centurion’s horrified look said this was something he wasn’t supposed to tell me.

“You know something, Elgar. I want to know.”

“To know what?” Hroneth continued.

“You said we’re taking the city, fucking the noble women.”

He nodded, “Oh, yeah.”

“I thought this was a civil war,” I said, not knowing why I was growing so squeamish at the thought of pillaging a city.

Elgar nodded, “It is.”

“Right, we fight them and win, then the war is over,” Hroneth said. “It’ll be relatively civil.”

“But we’re taking the capital city?” I said

Hroneth stopped scratching and looked at me, confused. “Of course,” he said, as if I was being foolish. “That’s where the enemy army is, you see.”

“I don’t see,” I said.

Elgar stepped forward, “We aren’t supposed to talk in details, sire.”

“By whose orders?” I demanded, but I knew the answer, and waved him off. “Okay, if we’re in a civil war, why are we the ones taking the capital city? Why are they there?”

The two Vershani looked at each other a moment, before the Centurion answered. “We are attacking the capital city, Daikhan. We are replacing the present goddess with her majesty Aryani.”

“So we’re taking out the rightful rulers?”

Hroneth nodded, unconcerned.

“We will be rich beyond avarice, sire,” Elgar said, really trying to sell it. “You – you will be amongst the wealthiest of living creatures in the mist. Thousands of women to please you.”

The girls finished and I waved them off, my anger now welling over. I wanted to hit something, hard enough that the whole damned ship would crack in half.

“So you’re telling me that we’re going to kill a town full of people, kill their leaders, so we can take over? It’s not a civil war, it’s a rebellion. We’re fucking terrorists.”

“I like that word,” Hroneth said. “Terrorist.”

“Where the fuck is Drovani?” I said, now shouting. The girls fell to their knees and scrambled from me, shrieking in fear as I stormed out of the room.

“Sire!” Elgar said, running to follow me. “He’s with the goddess.”

I stopped at the stairs, so suddenly that Elgar ran into me. “Is he fucking her?”

Elgar was horrified, afraid of the consequences of being the one that was feeding me information, but Hroneth, who was casually following was the one that answered, “Drovani does not fuck the goddess,” he said. “She only fucks the Seshine.”

“Yes, Daikhan. Drovani is merely discussing our grand strategy,” Elgar managed.

“I thought I was Seshine,” I said.

Hroneth laughed, “You are the Daikhan, Blackjack, not some sexbot Seshine.”

“Sexbot?”

He nodded, “she has them to satisfy her physical needs.”

“Them? How many?” I yelled, and for once Hroneth’s placid expression faded from his face.

“As many as she likes, sire....”

So she was fucking everyone on the ship, except for me. I think we were going to see about that. I punched a wall, breaking the white material and leaving a massive crack in the room. The veins at the sides of my neck pulsed, and I could feel my skin begin to boil. I was losing myself to the rage, and I let go. I didn’t care. My teeth ground, and my jaw muscles clenched. The Vershani around me saw the transformation, saw my face twist into a mask of rage, and fear washed throughout the room. One of the slave females ran, screaming, and for some reason, that made me smile.