~ Panter's Pride: Survival ~
by T. S. Hubbard
Chapter 2
Sound battered them as a huge column of water shot upwards. As sheets of water fell back into the pounding waves below a form was revealed. It towered above them like their ship was a simple play toy waiting for a child's hand to reach down and pick it up. All the people aboard stood frozen in place as the figure turned its gaze upon them. It rested on them a brief moment before turning its gaze onto their pursuers. Sunlight reflected off the tall form, highlighting the curves of a woman with long flowing hair that rippled down her back.
"By the Gods, its Sakel,"
Tera turn to look at the sailor that was next to her. "Sakel, you think it might truly be her." She gripped the railing tighter as the ship shook as it struggled to stay upright on the edge of the whirlpool.
The sailor glanced at her before turning his gaze back to the object of their conversation in front of them. "I do."
"Who's Sakel?"
Tera felt the warmth of her partner at her side. "She's the Goddess that holds domain over water and all that lives within its depths. It's believed she is the youngest sister of Portia Theron. This would be the reason why we've traveled so far in little time."
They fell silent as the Goddess moved. Sakel reached out and scooped up the nearest ship. Water poured off the hull as it rose into the air. Faint panicked screams reached their ears from the people aboard it. She seemed to study it closely before returning it carefully to the oceans surface.
"What in Hades is she doing?" the sailor shouted over the crash of the water. "Is she here to help us or not?"
Tera looked at the irate man before turning back to watch Keto. "Let's just wait and see what happens." Tera didn't know what the Goddess seemed to be looking for but was fairly certain it would turn out to be important in some way.
Sakel made a beckoning gesture at the second ship that was trying its best to flee the area. Water churned under the ship before a large wave formed and lifted the ship up. It moved rapidly through the water and delivered its burden its Sakel's hands. Once again, she lifted the ship to study it except this time after a nod of satisfaction she tightened her grip of the fragile hull and crushed it. Shattered wood and timber rained down to disappear into the water, screams died abruptly as forms hit the water from that height. Sakel threw the wreckage aside while looking at them once again. She said nothing aloud as she pointed at them then at the lone remaining ship.
Tera instantly understood what was going on. "It will be done. We thank you for your help. We owe you a great debt Goddess and we will remember it." She shouted.
Sakel dipped her head in response as she smiled then the water forming her body collapsed into itself and fell back down into the whirlpool. The water quickly grew calm and smooth as if nothing had ever occurred.
Tera stepped away from the railing. She watched as the ship listed in the water not far from their position. "Captain."
"Your orders Regent?" He gripped the wheel ready to follow whatever order he received instantly.
"We are going to board and capture that ship." Tera met Panter's gaze before moving to inform Alesia and the others the plan. "There's something on it that we need."
"What is it, do you know?" Panter asked as she followed her mate's lead.
"No, but we'll find out soon enough."
******
Blue eyes flickered open as the ship suddenly shook. The screaming of stressed timbers muffled the sounds of the children crying next to her. An unexpected roll pitched her forward, she hissed in pain as blood began to trickle down her arms again as the chains dug into her already raw wrists. She tried to brace herself to take as much weight off her arms as she could but another shudder from the ship took her feet out from under her. A sharp pain and a muffled pop made her sink her teeth into her lower lip to keep from crying out. The agony that shot from her right shoulder could only mean that the joint finally had too much stress put on it and had slipped out of its socket. Being chained with her arms above her head for as long as she'd been it wasn't surprising, but the pain was so intense that even regaining her footing did little to help ease it. Sweat dripped off her nose and fell onto an already soaked tunic that at one time had been white but was now more of a muddy brown. The heat and disgusting surroundings had slowly taken their toll on her and the rest of their small group. After endless days of living off the tainted water and the scraps they were fed, they no longer had the strength to resist their captors. She growled softly, not that they would've gotten far if they could have. Between the ocean and the children being used as hostages for good behavior they certainly weren't going anywhere soon at the moment.
"Nyx are you all right?"
Raising her head, she looked towards the voice. "Just peachy, thanks for asking."
She groaned as the ship shifted abruptly and made her feet slip again. The swell of renewed agony made her unable to bite back a cry of pain. A sudden silence seemed to enclose the ship before loud shouts erupted. Nyx ignored the commotion from above her, she was just grateful that whatever was causing it had also seemed to still the ship enough for her to regain her footing once more.
"What do you thinks happening up there?"
"Don't know, don't care really. Anything is better then what's happening to us right now." Nyx squinted in the dim light when she heard several sets of footsteps hitting the stairs that led down to their area of confinement. She silently cursed their captors when her vision stayed slightly blurry in one eye from a recent "discussion" they'd had with her earlier in the day.
"By the Gods!"
Several women dressed in leather armor stared at them for a moment before one turned and ran back up the stairway. Two more peeled away from the group and approaching the black metal cages attempted to open them. Curses filled the air when both doors remained stubbornly closed. The woman trying their door looked up. "Any idea where the keys might be?"
Nyx snorted in disbelief while another one of her fellow captives answered. "Could be anyone of several people. It seemed they all took turns trying to terrorize us."
Nyx sneered at her choice of words. "Trying you say, I think they did a real decent job of it myself."
The woman who had left the group came back down the stairs with someone else following closely on their heels. Dressed in similar clothing she seemed to blend in with the rest of them except for the gold armband that adorned her left bicep. The other women stepped back out of the way to give her room to approach. Nyx remained silent as the woman looked at them briefly before turning to the woman standing at their cell door.
"Its locked I take it?"
"Yes Marshal, one of the captives informed us someone up above has the keys and it could be one of several men."
Nyx bit back a laugh as the woman reached out and tried the door herself. It turned to shock as she cursed then tightening her grip pulled hard. A harsh shriek of metal filled the air before the lock finally gave way and the door grudgingly opened.
A voice broke in on the silence that hovered over the small gathering at the awe-inspiring sight that had just occurred. "Guess you don't need those keys we found now do you?" The blond haired woman moved soundlessly over the wooden deck.
Nyx eyes narrowed. The new arrivals appearance set off her instincts. She tried to scent the air, but the damage to her face from the last beating she had taken prevented it. Not surprising really, considering she had to breathe through her mouth for any air at all. Nyx stiffened as the keys where thrown to one of the others and she joined the other woman and came towards her. They both ignored her low growl of warning when the blonde reached up toward her chains. Even as it seemed they were there to help she couldn't contain the snarl that twisted her lips as hands touched her chains. With all the pain and fear that she felt and surrounded her, she just wanted it all to end and at this particular moment, she didn't really care how.
The blonde met her stare then smiled. Fangs glinted in the low light as with a muffled groan the chains reluctantly gave up their prisoner. Nyx gasped in pain as she started to fall but was quickly caught by the other woman, the gasp turned into a scream of anguish as she inadvertently pressed on the dislocated joint. Nyx was grateful when the pain was swiftly overtaken by the darkness of unconsciousness.
Slowly sound invaded the comforting blackness that enveloped her. Nyx tried to flee from the pain that consciousness would bring but paused when she realized it wasn't even close to what she remembered it being before. A moan leaked from her lips as she opened her eyes to a sharp blaze of light.
"Thira drop the cloth on the window will you and light the lantern instead, I think the light is too much for her right now."
With the light reduced to a soft glow, Nyx was able to finally open her eyes. Her eyes landed on the woman who had opened her cell door. The muted light glimmered off the armband she'd seen before. Auburn hair had been pulled back in a long braid; dark eyes watch her quietly as she inventoried the woman beside her then glanced around to take in her surroundings. She stared briefly at the blond woman that was leaning up against the wall close by before looking back at the woman sitting beside her. "Who are you?" she husked before her voice gave out.
Picking up a goblet off the side table the woman offered it to her then waited while she attempted to slack her thirst. "Careful not too much, it will end up making you sick instead of helping."
Nyx growled at her words but knew she was right. Releasing the cup, she laid back against the pillows that had been tucked behind her for support. Just that small effort seemed to drain her.
"I'm Alesia and this is Thira." She gestured to the woman behind her as she spoke.
"Alright, let me rephrase the question. How did you find us?"
"Well, really it was Sakel that directed us to you." Alesia set the cup down and turned her attention back to their unexpected guest. The brilliant white of her hair was startling, but the black streaks in it drew your eye first then you noticed the rest of it. The thick mane lay against dark bronze skin. It must have been the natural color of her skin since being below deck as long as it looked like she was would have washed any color gained from the sun out long ago.
"Sakel, why would the water goddess have anything to do with that?" Nyx's brow furrowed at the unexpected information. She watched impatiently as the women exchanged a glance. "Come on, it can't be a bloody secret."
Alesia bit back a smile at the familiar tone that came from the bedridden woman. "No it's not. You do know that Sakel is thought to be Portia Theron's sister." She continued as the woman nodded. "We are" she gestured between Thira and herself. "Two of her Chosen,"
Nyx frowned. "Sakel's?"
Alesia shook her head. "No, Portia Theron's."
Nyx stiffened as the meaning of the tattoo's that decorated both women's arms became clear. She had selected no one as her chosen in several seasons. The last one she knew of had been killed in the massacre that had almost wiped out the clan. The remnants of it had been on the ship with her. The thought of them made her suddenly try to get up. Warm hands on her shoulders pressed her back against the pillows. The ease of the action only showed her how weak she really was. Even the anger she felt as her body continued to betray her didn't help.
"No way, don't even think about getting out of that bed. Your injuries are too severe for movement like that."
"The other's that were with me," irritation rose as she was unable to finish her question when she had to pause for a much needed breath.
"Are fine, they've had food and water, been cleaned up and are now resting comfortably in arranged quarters. They may be a bit cramped but they are a sight better then what you have been forced to endure for the last while." Alesia said quickly. The woman need rest right now not more stress. She watched a flash of pain cross her face as she shifted on the bed. "Ribs bothering you?"
Nyx grunted in agreement, as she tried in vain to find a comfortable position that would make breathing a little easier. Every breath she took caused stabs of pain to shoot across her chest.
"Alesia" Thira motioned toward the bed and raised an eyebrow when her wife glanced at her.
Nyx jumped in startlement when Alesia pulled down the bed sheets from around her then grimaced in agony, her ribs felt like they had ground together at the abrupt movement. She flinched at the feeling of cold metal against her side then tensed as warm hands touched her at the exact spot the pain seemed to emanate from. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you, now hold still." Alesia closed her eyes and turned her vision inward to search out the places where the bones were fractured and began to knit them back together.
Nyx eyes widened, a faint glow began to radiate from the hands against her as warm heat slowly soaked into her. She could almost feel the pain flow out of her body as her breathing finally eased. Awe flooded her at the knowledge that a chosen had deemed her worthy enough to help her. Nyx tried to push away the bitterness that followed; there had no one to blame but her and nothing she could ever do would change that. She took a deep breath when Alesia pulled away. "Thank you for sharing your gift with me." She whispered softly, she kept her gaze down unable to meet the dark gaze of the chosen one.
Alesia accepted a goblet from Thira and drank the cool water in it. She leaned against her mate gratefully as she recovered from the healing. She watched in puzzlement as the mane of white hair fell over the woman face when she turned away. "You were hurting and I could help, but you're welcome. Now that you are more comfortable we could talk a little."
Nyx closed her eyes. Answering questions wasn't something she wanted to do right now but wanted to get it over with. "What would you like to know?"
"First off your name would probably help." Thira pointed out.
"Its Nyx." She looked up and met Thira's eyes. She was careful to keep her face blank under the woman's observant gaze.
"Nyx, just Nyx?" Thira's brow furrowed in concentration the name seemed familiar to her somehow but she couldn't place it. "No clan name?"
Nyx shook her head. "No just Nyx."
"Then the ones you were with aren't clan of yours?" Alesia exchanged a look with Thira then turned back to Nyx. "How did you end up being with them?"
"Wrong place, wrong time I suppose." Nyx shrugged. " It doesn't really matter now does it?"
"So you don't know them?" Alexia asked.
"Nah, just came across them in a pickle and tried to help a bit. Fat lot of good it did me or them huh?" A sense of failure swept over her as she remembered the fiasco that had occurred when she'd appeared on the scene. The screams of the woman and children still echoed in her ears. Flashes of the fight appeared in her minds eye,
The rich scarlet of blood on blades, the increasing manic laughter of the men killing helpless children as their mothers tried desperately to fight off their attackers. Her stomach roiled with rage as it had then but she forced it back as she felt the warning prickle behind her eyes. Nothing could change what had already come to be, even the fervent wish of someone like her.
"I'm sure you did what you could." Alesia assured her. She blinked as Nyx dismissed her words with a dismissive wave. She rose to her feet. "We'll leave you to rest for a bit but I'm sure our Regent will be in a little later to speak with you too." She urged Thira out the door before her despite the objections she could see on her face. Thira turned to stare at her after the door closed behind them.
"Want to tell me what that was all about?"
"I'm not sure, something just told me we needed to leave it for now. Maybe we'll get something more from the others when we speak with them later." Alesia kissed Thira lightly on the lips before moving down the hallway toward the stairs. She could hear Thira's light footsteps behind her as she followed. Alesia grew quiet as she remembered how Nyx's eyes had changed, as she appeared to remember something that happened before she had appeared on the ship with the others. The sight of her brilliant blue eyes being overtaken on the edges by pitch-blackness had startled her but the absence of any impression of real danger made her hesitant to speak of it to her partner. Thira would be swift to deal with any real or imagined danger to her mate or family. Since she had found Panter to be her older sister, her sense of protectiveness had only grown. Alesia resolved to speak about it with Tera to see what her thoughts on the subject were before discussing it with Thira. A salt laden breeze blew over her as the emerged up on deck. Looking around Alesia located Tera before excusing herself with a smile and heading over to her regent and friend.
To Be Continued...