was looking at Dexter. He locked gazes with her for a long moment, until at least she gave him a ghost of a smile and nodded. He turned back to Rolxoth and agreed. “Release her, set us free with our things, and grant us a healer. Then I shall do as you ask and return with news of this fleet.”
“You ask much,” Rolxoth said, yet his tone indicated humor rather than irritation.
The cell door swung open, squeaking on the rusty hinges as it did so. “It is done,” Rolxoth said, turning and walking past Keshira, who was now released and moving into the cell to be certain her Master was well.
Dexter held her off with a simple wave, then gestured for the others to follow Rolxoth. Rosh grunted, struggling to get to his feet, and earned the assistance of Bekka in doing so.
“Keshira, help him please,” Dexter said. She jumped to his bidding, letting Rosh slide his arm around her shoulders and support his weight on her.
Rosh, in constant pain, nevertheless took great pleasure in being so close to the effectively nude pleasure golem. His only true regret was that he could not spend time becoming more familiar with her. Instead she set a grueling pace for him to maintain with his one good leg as they trailed along behind the others.
Rolxoth led them to a staircase up and out of the dungeons. Keshira helped Rosh climb them with a patience that the large man did not share. By the time they reached the 20th and final stair, he was cursing more freely than usual.
From there Rolxoth led them through his offices. There were constables and city guardsman moving about or watching. They were of various races, some human, some lizardmen, a few dwarves, a Halfling, and even a single elf with an eye patch. They all turned to watch the crew of the Voidhawk, paying special attention to the topless elf and even more so to Keshira as she aided Rosh along the way.
“Fetch a healer,” Rolxoth’s disembodied voice growled. “And return their items to them.”
A dwarf moved to a locked cabinet and waited while a human unlocked the doors of it and opened them for him. He pulled out a chest and carried it over, then unlocked it after sitting it on the floor.
“Have you any clothes?” Dexter asked, knowing that Jenna and Keshira would draw more attention than any of them wanted. That and he needed Rosh less distracted than he presently was.
A cloak was provided for Keshira and an oversized tunic was given to Jenna. She slipped it on to stop the others from staring at her and immediately felt better for the lack of prying eyes gazing upon her. Reluctantly, Rosh rested upon a desk so that Keshira could conceal herself within the cloak given to her.
A few minutes later a priest entered through a double door that, when opened, revealed the city of Port Freedom on the other side. Dexter noted that they were nearly free while the priest glanced about and then saw where he was obviously needed. He hurried over and pulled a symbol of the Holy Path from beneath his robe.
The priest studied Rosh’s leg then began to chant. He moved the holy symbol over it, then let his fingers glide up and down his leg. Rosh’s eyes widened in surprise, then he grinned. The priest backed away and said, “Take care how you be using that leg, it still be weak and needing time.”
He looked around at the others and moved to Dexter next. Dexter let him study his wounds then fetch out his holy symbol to once again begin chanting and moving about.
Rosh hopped up carefully, slowly putting weight on his leg. He grinned as it bore his full weight. Dexter felt a soothing warmness spread through the pains in his back and, in its wake, leave behind relaxed muscles and bones.
The priest moved on and Dexter thanked him, wishing he had a few coins on him to repay the man with. He glanced at the chest and then knelt down to start going through it. He pulled out his sword, dagger, and pistol. He looked about, briefly, for his powder bag then remembered he had used it to dispatch Ormitor.
Jenna followed suit next, since the priest had finished healing her aches as well. She rearmed herself, then stood near Dexter. Rosh took the extra time needed to reacquire all of his weaponry before Bekka picked up the dagger left in the bottom of the chest.
“You’re fit, you have your belongings, your freedom alone awaits you,” Rolxoth said, twisting his head to orient on each of them one at a time. “Remember our pact, Captain.”
Dexter nodded. Having nothing useful to add he turned and led the way out of the building the sheriff used as the offices and dungeon of the city guard. They made their way through the large and often chaotic city toward the docks, with seldom a word spoken.
“Captain,” Bekka spoke up.
Dexter held up his hand, silencing her. “Save it,” he told her. “Take the helm and make her ready.”
She nodded, unhappy to have been silenced but obeying him regardless. In a few moments they were walking down the dock to the Voidhawk. They boarded the ship, an anxious Kragor following after Dexter and barking out questions that went unanswered.
“Get the ship ready!” He yelled out, then went down the stairs and ducked into the bridge.
Kragor hesitated a moment, glancing at everyone immediately going to work.
“Kragor! Get Jenna and get to the bridge!”
Grinning, Kragor saw that Jenna had heard the captain’s yell and was already making her way towards the staircase. He barely beat her to the first step, in fact, and he was standing next to it.
“We need to find out what, or who, has interests on Port Freedom,” Dexter said as soon as they entered the room. “Jenna, you’re in charge of the ship while Kragor and I head out.”
“Half a minute, boy-o,” Kragor sputtered. “What’s this about? Where’ve you been, gone nigh two days!”
Dexter frowned. Bekka walked in, surprised to see them all standing there, and then moved past them and went to the helm, settling into it with a faint smile and closing her eyes as she joined with the ship.
“We met the wizard and had a disagreement,” he said.
Jenna chuckled. Dexter ignored her in favor of the dwarf. “Ran afoul of the city guard, the deal was freedom for finding out about some mysterious fleet coming for Port Freedom.”
Kragor stroked his beard and nodded. “There’s more to this then?”
Dexter nodded. Kragor sighed. “Tell me on the way then.”
He nodded again. “Keep the ship ready, as soon as we have a plan we’ll be off.”
“Captain,” Jenna said, then glanced at Kragor. “May I have a word?”
“Can it wait?” Dexter asked, irritated at her timing.
“No, Sir, it can’t.”
“Alright, what’s on your mind?”
She glanced at Kragor again. Kragor threw his hands up in the air and turned and stomped out of the bridge. She looked back at Dexter and then glanced at Bekka.
“Gods, woman, you’ll be the death of me,” Dexter grumbled. “To your room then; I need another pouch of fire powder.”
She led the way out of the bridge and down the companionway, ending near the stern at her room. Inside she fished out a pouch of fire powder and handed it to Dexter.
“Well?” he asked, clearly impatient.
“Elves,” she said.
“What about them? They after you?” he asked.
She shook her head and smiled ruefully. “Not this time. No, it’s elves that are after Port Freedom.”
“How do you… never mind,” Dexter said, deciding he did not have the time or the patience to want to understand. “Where might they be?”
Jenna shrugged. “There’s a lot of void out there, I’ve no idea where they might come from.”
Dexter nodded; it made sense that she would have no idea. After all, she was just his weapons mistress, not some high ranking elf that seemed to know more than she should have…
He shut the door behind him and turned back on her, closing on her until he was well inside of her personal space. Only a matter of inches separated them. “I need to know how you know this.”
Jenna looked at him, a hint of a coy smile at the corner of her mouth. She glanced away, the smile dissolving as she debated what he said.
“One day — soon, I think — I’ll be wanting your story in full,” Dexter told her, his voice firm. He softened it a little as she looked back at him, a strange look in her eyes. “For now I’ll settle with you letting me know how I can tell the sheriff this and have it ring true.”
She opened her mouth and closed it, words not coming to her. Dexter found himself strangely amused that, for once, he seemed to have her at a loss for words instead of him. Finally she nodded. “Alright, take me with
