Read Online Blackjack Wayward (The Blackjack Series) by Ben Bequer - Free Book Online
Authors: Ben Bequer
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one hundred aboard the Lady’s Nightmare.
“Not good,” I shook my head. “It’s a suicide mission.”
“Afraid?” Darmelia said, almost scoffing.
I laughed, “That gold fellow we have onboard, if they have a thousand like him, then I’m afraid a lot of you might not live to see tomorrow.”
Darmelia exploded, almost drawing the wicked two-handed axe that lay in a strap across her back. “I am Darmelia of Kerduk, daughter of Krithnia, son of Dulaq. I am more than a match for–” she started, moving toward me with clenched fists, but Skeetrix and another crewman intercepted her.
“Hey, I’m sure you can handle yourself,” I said, “but what about the blue furball with the big mouth, or the red jizz guy.”
“Gav and Deglet,” Skeetrix said, identifying the two crewmen to quell Darmelia’s confusion.
She laughed, “Gav is as fearsome a warrior as you’ve ever encountered. And Deglet is a creature I highly recommend you never quarrel with.”
The tension somewhat lessened, Skeetrix and the other man let her step toward me.
“What about you? How do we know you won’t wet your pants and run at the first sign of trouble?”
I was about to talk about my encounter with the three Mist Lords in my previous visit to Shard World, or my victory over the superhero Epic on Hashima Island, but instead I looked over at the crewmen struggling to run out the bow chasers. Most had stopped what they were doing, expecting a fight between Darmelia and me, but a couple still tugged at the lines, slowly doing the job that many would have made easy. I reached over and picked up the gun carriage, cannon, ropes, and all, including a dangling crewman who threw himself atop the gun in fear when I picked it up. It was effortless, pressing the many tons of metal and wood above my head, then holding it there with just one hand. I smiled, as his expression of hostility and disdain faded, replaced with awe, and perhaps a bit of horror. The crewmen around us just gawked, amazed at the feat of strength, an effort that did little to tax me. Skeetrix alone was unimpressed and the only voice of reason.
“I hope you’re not thinking to throw the thing at the enemy ship,” he joked. Those gathered around us joined in laughter as I returned the gun carriage to its rails and helped the man climb off.
“Now I’ll have to re-aim,” Skeetrix said, hitting my arm and crouching behind the gun, just as the heavy cannon from the gun deck barked, almost in unison, sending a deadly broadside of lead at the rear of the enemy ship. From my vantage point, I saw the brilliance of Captain Nicatrix’ plan. Not only had we disabled the enemy from our hidden vantage point, we now had sailed behind the enemy ship, effectively “crossing their T”, or positioning ourselves perpendicular to the enemy so our guns could fire without having to endure return fire. We had, in fact, the most advantageous position in naval warfare, right behind the enemy, able to fire deadly rounds into their weakest armor, sending hot lead raking through their decks to kill men and destroy the ship’s interior structures.
“Full thrusters ahead,” Nicatrix shouted to the quartermaster, who was now below, directly commanding the gun crews. I was about to ask Skeetrix about how that would sit with the blue-furred alien, Gav, but the thrusters below us fired and I had to scramble for a handhold. A firm, gloved hand grabbed my arm and kept me from flying over the gunwale. Darmelia held on to me, a wan smile on her face, which despite the grim expression and two tusks jutting from her lower jaw was somewhat attractive. Her eyes were green and freckled with brown, nose was slim and feminine, and lips were full and wide. She had some bony ridges on her forehead, and long green hair that was stuffed under a metal helm, jutting out the sides and draping over her broad, muscular back.
“There will be time enough for that later,” Skeetrix growled.
Darmelia pulled me
“Not good,” I shook my head. “It’s a suicide mission.”
“Afraid?” Darmelia said, almost scoffing.
I laughed, “That gold fellow we have onboard, if they have a thousand like him, then I’m afraid a lot of you might not live to see tomorrow.”
Darmelia exploded, almost drawing the wicked two-handed axe that lay in a strap across her back. “I am Darmelia of Kerduk, daughter of Krithnia, son of Dulaq. I am more than a match for–” she started, moving toward me with clenched fists, but Skeetrix and another crewman intercepted her.
“Hey, I’m sure you can handle yourself,” I said, “but what about the blue furball with the big mouth, or the red jizz guy.”
“Gav and Deglet,” Skeetrix said, identifying the two crewmen to quell Darmelia’s confusion.
She laughed, “Gav is as fearsome a warrior as you’ve ever encountered. And Deglet is a creature I highly recommend you never quarrel with.”
The tension somewhat lessened, Skeetrix and the other man let her step toward me.
“What about you? How do we know you won’t wet your pants and run at the first sign of trouble?”
I was about to talk about my encounter with the three Mist Lords in my previous visit to Shard World, or my victory over the superhero Epic on Hashima Island, but instead I looked over at the crewmen struggling to run out the bow chasers. Most had stopped what they were doing, expecting a fight between Darmelia and me, but a couple still tugged at the lines, slowly doing the job that many would have made easy. I reached over and picked up the gun carriage, cannon, ropes, and all, including a dangling crewman who threw himself atop the gun in fear when I picked it up. It was effortless, pressing the many tons of metal and wood above my head, then holding it there with just one hand. I smiled, as his expression of hostility and disdain faded, replaced with awe, and perhaps a bit of horror. The crewmen around us just gawked, amazed at the feat of strength, an effort that did little to tax me. Skeetrix alone was unimpressed and the only voice of reason.
“I hope you’re not thinking to throw the thing at the enemy ship,” he joked. Those gathered around us joined in laughter as I returned the gun carriage to its rails and helped the man climb off.
“Now I’ll have to re-aim,” Skeetrix said, hitting my arm and crouching behind the gun, just as the heavy cannon from the gun deck barked, almost in unison, sending a deadly broadside of lead at the rear of the enemy ship. From my vantage point, I saw the brilliance of Captain Nicatrix’ plan. Not only had we disabled the enemy from our hidden vantage point, we now had sailed behind the enemy ship, effectively “crossing their T”, or positioning ourselves perpendicular to the enemy so our guns could fire without having to endure return fire. We had, in fact, the most advantageous position in naval warfare, right behind the enemy, able to fire deadly rounds into their weakest armor, sending hot lead raking through their decks to kill men and destroy the ship’s interior structures.
“Full thrusters ahead,” Nicatrix shouted to the quartermaster, who was now below, directly commanding the gun crews. I was about to ask Skeetrix about how that would sit with the blue-furred alien, Gav, but the thrusters below us fired and I had to scramble for a handhold. A firm, gloved hand grabbed my arm and kept me from flying over the gunwale. Darmelia held on to me, a wan smile on her face, which despite the grim expression and two tusks jutting from her lower jaw was somewhat attractive. Her eyes were green and freckled with brown, nose was slim and feminine, and lips were full and wide. She had some bony ridges on her forehead, and long green hair that was stuffed under a metal helm, jutting out the sides and draping over her broad, muscular back.
“There will be time enough for that later,” Skeetrix growled.
Darmelia pulled me
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