Pirates of Lost Pleasure--Chapter 1-4

Note: Here's something I don't think I've ever posted here. This is an unfinished fantasy book I've always dreamed of going back to and finishing. This is an early writing when I was still in high school many years ago, so the prose is not as polished as I would like, but it's still an enjoyable read. The synopsis is Jasha is a recently mutinied captain now without a ship. She  meets a barmaid Misty, a pirate princess Kira, and Kira's busty attendant and amateur mage Sumner. The four women go on a journey to find the seven Lost Pleasures of the world and renew the world with the lost sensual pleasures filling a sexless world with lust and passion once again.

Chapter 1: A Ship-less Pirate

The Shady Pins pub was busy, but then it was always busy after another great day of pillaging and plundering for the lowest form of life in Fleshampton; pirates. With their loud boasting, heavy drinking, and crude manners—if they could be called manners at all—toward the bar-maids. Disgusting men and vile women alike, neither empathy nor basic social principles existed among them.

And gambling…gambling they loved, until a winner was decided. Their card-playing after hours of drinking ended with at least one pirate unable to return to her or his ship the next morning. At any moment, as six pirates gathered around a table played poker, a knife would be drawn or a blunderbuss unholstered and all hell would break loose until the last remaining pirates placed away their weapons.

Jasha Raine, a pirate without a ship, had stayed too long in Shady Pins. The gals and guys of the high seas were inebriated to the point where tensions heightened and violence would soon overtake their good times. She hated to stay too late into the evening for that fact. This was only midday. One more drink, she told herself, because maybe one more would wash away her sorrows. Maybe one more and she’d forget this day ever happened.

“Hows ‘bout another drink, wench,” a burly pirate said to the young bar-maid.

“W-what will you be having?” She asked nervously.

Throwing back half of another mug, Jasha gazed up at the ceiling. She hated the way this young woman was treated. Never knew her name, but Jasha had seen her every time she came in. It seemed the girl, whom barely looked old enough to know what alcohol was, lived in this old bar. Long blonde hair, up in an intricate pair of braids made to look like a bow. Her attire changed in color every day, but it remained the same white bustier and hoop skirt, with a colored corset holding everything in between. Pink was the corset today, which complimented her pink cheeks and dainty features. The young woman’s bust, while generously endowed by the goddesses, brought her nothing but the wrong attention.

“How does she put up with that?” Jasha whispered to her drink with disgust.

The green-haired ship-less pirate was no stranger to attention for her well-proportioned figure, but if a person grabbed her the way they grabbed the bar-maid she’d be the one to draw the first weapon tonight. Jasha drank until a fourth empty glass filled the table. Still, there was plenty of room for a fifth and sixth. Maybe another drink would help her forget…no, she told herself that line already. Her inhibitions were lower, but she hadn’t forgotten having her ship boarded, her crew murdered, and fleeing on a side-boat. She hadn’t forgotten her cowardice.

“Another drink?” The blond bar-maid asked in that sweet innocent voice.

“Drink?” Jasha had to think for a moment. Did she really need another? Her vision began to clear and her cares not yet drowned. Yes, she needed another.

“We also have have water, fresh from Camblor Spring.”

“No,” Jasha said. After slamming down two coppers, she demanded, “another mug. Maybe two.”

Without batting an eye or questioning her sanity, the bar-maid spun around and hurried back to the bar. Jasha couldn’t help but notice a few pirates eying the young blond. They whispered amongst themselves; likely with crude remarks about what they might do to the poor girl. The next time the buxom bar-maid took their order, Jasha was certain they had bad intentions for her. She grabbed the glass handle and gulped down what little she had left. When the drink was disposed of, and before the bar-maid returned with two more, the ship-less pirate brushed her fingers over the hilt of her blade.

A cutlass, a finely sharpened blade which saw many battles. Nothing in life, no person nor possession, had stayed with the green-haired pirate as long as this blade had. Reaper, she called it. Jasha’s fingers wrapped tightly around the handle. Reaper saw the end of dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of lives. Before losing her ship, Reaper claimed five more. Here, there were only two or three thugs that may pose a threat to the naive young lady carrying a couple mugs of fresh Zayn’s Ale.

Two men wandered over as soon as the bar-maid placed Jasha’s mugs down. A burly pirate with a scar over his right eye and a scrawny pirate that appeared to enjoy a strict liquid diet. The big guy may look strong, undoubtedly triple Jasha’s size, but he wouldn’t be the biggest threat in this conflict. That scrawny one, lanky and dressed in clothes he might’ve worn for the fifth week in a row, had a pistol attached to either hip. A duel gunman. If he possessed any skill and a fast enough draw, Jasha could soon join her ship at the bottom of the sea.

“Hey, Missy,” Scrawny Pirate said. “You hadn’t brought us no ale. You’s ‘spossed to bring us a couple tankards.”

“I-I will,” the bar-maid responded in a trembling voice. “I apologize.”

Fear in those deep blue eyes. A bright sparkle of innocence when she looked up from the table at Jasha, but her fear was unmistakable. This wasn’t the fear of a naive and nubile virgin. A fear of desperation, of memories she wished long forgotten, of a pain she expected to feel once more. If the pirates attacked her, they wouldn’t be the first. Would they? The poor girl. They wouldn’t be the first.

“Your table’s over there,” Jasha nodded at the snickering group of buccaneers. “I don’t need a smelly pair of assholes at my table.”

Big Pirate laughed, his belly shaking as he did. Scrawny Pirate didn’t laugh. In fact, Scrawny looked offended. Perhaps a matriarchal society, as it were, caused men like Scrawny Pirate to feel inadequate. It was no surprise to Jasha that the lanky man would feel so insecure, after all he did bring backup in the form of a lumbering oaf. That sharp look in his eye said he meant business. Both hands made for his sidearms.

With a disarming smile, Jasha raised her fresh glass and threw back a big gulp. When a fight breaks out, if it does, she wanted to be sure it happened on her terms and not his. Unfortunately, he made his intentions clear the moment he brushed aside the leather clip holding his pistol in place. An idle threat, perhaps.

“Draw your guns,” Jasha dared with a finger on the hilt of her blade. “The only drink you’ll be tasting, is the red wine I spill from you. That’ll be your last.”

Scrawny hesitated a moment. If there were one thing in the world a gunman feared, it was close-range combat. Some could handle it well. Others buckled under the weight of being so close to their adversary. Close combat is where Jasha excelled. One false move, even a flinch, and the combat-savvy pirate would have both of his gun-hands on the table and his body on the floor. Of all the days to challenge the fiery emerald-haired lass, this would be the worst.

For moments that stretched endlessly, Scrawny and Jasha were locked in a staredown. He could see that she meant business. Would he dare challenge her resolve? If he drew his guns, he knew there was no turning back. Big might be able to avenge his death, he might be able to end their feud with a bullet between her eyes. But, not if she were quick enough.

Scrawny smiled at the scowling young pirate. He pulled his gun and pressed the muzzle to her forehead as she sat still. He smiled so brightly, so joyously, it was like he walked into a room full of gold, ale, and whores. His smile quickly faded. Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. The woman wasn’t scared, she didn’t flinch. He hesitated to pull the trigger. Her eyes. Her focused gaze. 

“Who the hell is this woman!? Ahhhhhh!!!” Scrawny screamed.

A hard thunk on the hard oak table. The gun tumbled from his lifeless hand. Jasha stood on her stool, one foot balanced on the table. The tip of her sword brushed the hairs of the Big Pirate’s neckbeard. If he dared to challenge her the way his fallen friend had, he would fall just the same.

“Walk away,” Jasha demanded. “See to his arm and he’ll live. Stay here and you both die.”

“Excuse me, Miss?” The bar-maid said softly. “I think you’ve made their crew angry.”

“Crew?” Jasha asked.

The sword-wielding buccaneer’s eyes widened to the size of cannonballs. A long line of tables were cleared in a hurry. Men and women, armed to the teeth with flintlocks, blunderbusses, and various blades ranging from knives to cutlasses; and one guy with a pitchfork. Big tended to his wounded comrade on the floor, asking if he were okay. Clearly no knowledge, medical or otherwise, there.

“If they attack you, they may attack me, too,” The bar-maid fretted.

“Not if we…” Jasha hopped down from her table and grabbed the bar-maid’s arm. “Run!”

A furious roar came over the rowdy gang of angry pirates as they barreled toward the fleeing duo. The bar-maid and her mysterious sword-wielding heroine made a faster escape than a group of twenty pirates could. Jasha would typically flee onto her boat. Without a boat, how would they get away with their lives?

Chapter 2: The Pirate Princess

The treasure map made no sense. What self-respecting pirate would bury something that far north? Harsh winter winds, icy waters, and the possibility of snow covering the deck. Most pirates stayed south of the frozen north land, but a red X marked the spot in Crystalcrest. Kira Emile, known across the seas of six as the “Pirate Princess” Kira The Red, felt a chill even in the warm tropical weather of Fleshampton. 

“Do you see how to—”

“I’m looking!” Kira yelled at her loyal attendant. “From what I can see, the first Pleasure is in the far north.”

“Crystalcrest?” Sumner Aesh asked in shock.

“Yes, Crystalcrest. Obviously. They buried it there and made this map—”

“So they wouldn’t forget where they hid it,” Sumner finished the thought. “That’s brilliant.”

“Unless the map ends up it someone else’s hands. Which it has.” The Pirate Princess rolled the map. “They say Crystalcrest is a harsh and unforgiving place. Our crew might not be cut out for such a journey. I might not…”

“That’s foolish, Lady Kira. You can do it and I’ll be with you the whole way. We can—”

“Stop talking, Sumner.”

Kira stared at the open sea from the bow of the ship. The wind tussled the black hair that spilled out from under her red bandana. North. She loathed the idea of leaving the tropical comfort of Fleshampton for the icy seas. Was it worth suffering discomfort to find the Seven Pleasures? Yes, it was. Legend has it that whoever finds all seven, will gain immortality and unlimited power. 

“I understand you’re troubled, m’lady. If you like, we can go back into your quarters and I will gladly pleasure you,” Sumner suggested meekly.

Kira stroked her companion’s round cheek with the back of her hand and grinned happily, with only a hint of mischievousness. “My dear Sumner, you spoil me.”

Immortality. The word hadn’t left her mind just yet. What would it mean to truly be immortal? Could a person live in this world forever and, with the unlimited power, live happily? What of the sorrows of life? Would someone really want to fall in love, only to watch everyone they love grow old and die? She’d already seen so much death in the two decades she’s lived.

“Lady Kira, I do lov…”

“Don’t,” the red pirate said with sudden hostility. “Shut your mouth and follow me to my cabin. I will allow you pleasure me. When the crew returns we will set sail for Crystalcrest. And if you ever say what you were planning to say, I will kill you. Understand?”

“Yes,” the chastised young lady said with a shamed nod. “I understand.”

○   ○   ○   ○

“They’re still chasing us!” Misty cried out.

Jasha ran with her through the town square. Together, they dodged horse-drawn carts, jumped over rolling barrels, and pivoted around villagers. Not as deftly as all that. Jasha pushed Misty out of the way of a horse-drawn cart. She picked the girl up after Misty tripped over a barrel. And the veteran pirate apologized to every person her companion bumped into along the way.

“Where are we going?” Misty asked, gasping for air as she ran faster than she ever had in her life.

“The docks,” Jasha announced over her shoulder. “We’ll take a ship.”

“Take as in…”

“Steal,” Jasha clarified, “we’re pirates, we steal.”

“But, I’m not a pirate,” Misty complained.

When they came in view of the docks, Jasha spotted two guards set up at the entrance. Seeing two women running would likely give the guards cause to stop them. The angry mob, or what was left of them, wouldn’t stop for anything.

Jasha lived by a set of rules. One of those rules stated that she would never kill someone for simply doing their job. These guards were innocent and kept the peace in Fleshampton; as much peace as they could keep. As they approached, Jasha drew her sword. Both guards were caught up in conversation, but their attention quickly turned to the pair of women running toward them.

Never kill someone for doing their job. With a couple flicks of her sword, even after ducking an incoming blade, she cut the belts of both guards and did it without touching their flesh with her cutlass. They grabbed their falling pants and the women slipped past.

“That was great,” Misty laughed. “Thank you for not hurting them.”

“They’re just providing for their families, I can’t fault them for that. But, I wasn’t about to get caught and possibly executed by the pirates behind us. Speaking of which…” Jasha and Misty stopped on the docks, looking back to see the status of their pursuers. A few pirates seemed to split to the right. Others were stopped by the guards. “It looks like we’ve lost them.”

After catching her breath, Jasha carefully studied the docked ships. She wanted something big, but not too conspicuous. Massive galleys and schooners were anchored in the harbor. The Dread Whale. The Skeleton Sinker. The Red Princess. Red Princess? The ship was a dark red wooden three-mast Galley with a row of fifteen guns and ten oars on the one side Jasha could see; she assumed the same were true for the opposite side. It looked both elegant and deadly and was all but inconspicuous. However, with a name like that how tough could the crew be?

“We’re taking that ship.”

○   ○   ○   ○

“Lady Kira, did it feel like the boat moved?”

“I never said ‘stop’, did I?” Kira was enjoyed her attendant’s attention between her legs. She wasn’t wrong, however. It did seem like the anchor had been lifted.

No. Of course not. This was Kira’s ship and there was no way the ship would raise anchor without her say. Doubts crept in her mind again, perhaps someone…no, who would be crazy enough to steal The Red Princess?

“I’m sorry, m’lady,” Sumner said while ignoring her instincts.

“Well then enough talking! Keep eating my fucking pussy!”

“Yes, m’lady,” Sumner replied, but that nagging feeling never went away.

As any good servant would do, she looked down at her lady’s clean-shaven mound and salivated at the consumption of such a perfect pussy. It was always her greatest pleasure to provide her lady with the greatest pleasure. She deserved to be pleasured and Sumner took pride in her work. Such was the dedication of a personal attendant.

Her job was not limited to appeasing Kira’s sexual desires. She was the head chef, in charge of cooking for the entire crew. As well as the assistant navigator to the Pirate Princess herself. Why would she remain so loyal and subservient to this snooty rich bitch? There were times, even if in a brief passing thought, that she would ask herself that very question. Sumner was indebted to Kira and the Emille family; whom had taken her in as a child after her mother was executed.

“Mmmm, you love licking my pussy, don’t you?”

“Mhmm,” Sumner nodded with a mouth full of delectable cunt.

“Keep fucking…shit! Did you feel that?” Kira shoved Sumner away and jumped up to her feet with her black tights still around her ankles. The ship moved. Really moved. The rocking back and forth made it apparent that they were somehow out to sea. Whoever caused this better prepare themselves, because they pissed off the Pirate Princess. She pulled her panties up, followed by her black tights, and fastened her gun holster. “I didn’t even climax! What the fuck! Someone’s catching hell for this. Let’s go.”

○   ○   ○   ○

The ship was moving thanks to Reaper. Cut one pirate’s head off and the rest won’t hesitate to follow your orders. This hostile takeover went about as easy as expected. Some people muttered about a captain named Kira, but a flash of steel put those comments to rest.  pirates that had remained on the ship before its hostile takeover. They raised the anchor, dropped the sails, with wind on their side—and rowers taking the oars—they began to navigate north. Jasha, the formerly ship-less pirate, now had a decent-sized three-mast galley at her fingertips.

Climbing up the stairs from her Captain’s Quarters, Kira continued cursing. 

The wood creaked as the waves smashed against the [starboard] side. Favorable winds propelled the ship through the open seas and far away from the angry mob of pirates.

“Jasha?” Misty asked from somewhere behind the courageous pirate.

“What is it?” Jasha replied. Steering the ship had proven a challenging task, and she hated to be interrupted.

“What do with do with these pirates, now?”

“They’re our crew now. It takes more than two people to—”

“Not them,” Misty said with a worried tone. “About those two angry-looking women.”

“Who?”

A gunpowder-propelled iron ball blasted one of the spokes off of the [steering] wheel. 

“That was just a warning shot,” said the woman in a red tunic and tight black pantaloons. “The next one will take your head clear off. Now, tell me why you decided to steal my ship.”

“W-we had a…scuffle with pirates in Leiston,” Misty explained.

[This becomes the confrontation that causes Sumner to summon an experimental fire magis that destroys the ship; not the fireball from a mage on shore, as I considered below, because I want Sumner to be a practicing mage that eventually feels the need to go to Mage School eventually to perfect her craft]

“If I get this wrong,” Sumner warned, “I could kill us all.”

“Sumner, don’t get it wrong,” Kira said calmly. “I believe in you.”

A black fireball rocks the ship. Kira turns to Sumner.

“Sumner, did you do this?”

“Why would you think—”

“Because you’re the mage.”

“But, I’m not that good.”

A second black and purple ball of energy strikes the boat. The heroes identify the large dark land mass as the source of these dark fireballs. They look and see a woman summoning a larger mass of energy. Misty touches Jasha, Kira, and Sumner and tells them to hold on as she summons a protective force over them. The energy blast hits and destroys the ship, causing the four heroes to blackout.

Chapter 3: Down with a Sickness

The last thing she remembered was watching the mage summon a large fireball. A red glowing aura surrounded the young woman and she exuded an astronomical amount of power. Unfortunately, she didn’t possess the strength to wield such power and the spell broke apart.

Jasha reviewed the events as she stared up at the gray stone ceiling. She furrowed her eyebrows. How did she end up under a roof. When she rolled, she came to realize she laid on a bed. The warmth of the sun, the breeze of the sea, it was all gone and replaced by the cold hardness of stone.

Prison? No, it wasn’t prison. The bed was far too comfortable than the rocky slab she’d known. Paintings adorned the walls and a blue rug laid at her feet off the side of the bed. No more than two meters from her rested a blonde woman. Misty.

Jasha scurried over and pulled down the blanket covering the young woman’s face. It was Misty, but she didn’t look too good. Her complexion was a shade or two paler and lips were a violet shade. She was still sleeping, but she might as well be dead. To be sure, Jasha pulled the covers down a little more, hoping that this wouldn’t be the moment the girl woke up.

With her fingers, the pirate pressed lightly against her chest. Her heart was beating steadily. She wasn’t dead, but she was surely ill. When Jasha pulled her hand away, she marveled at the bar-maid’s large breasts. In a panicked haste, Jasha covered her companion and stepped away; she didn’t want to seem like the perverted male pirates so often did.

How did she not notice this before? How did she not realize? Jasha stood in the middle of the room, naked. Misty, whose breasts were bare, must’ve been naked as well. The explosion that shattered the galley had sent the crew into the sea. Jasha and Misty were recovered. What happened to the others?

There on a wooden dresser, two sets of clothes. The shirt was a thick and heavy wool with long sleeves and a guarded neck. A pair of pantaloons with the same warm heft of the shirt laid beneath. Concerned with the thought of someone walking through the door at any moment caused Jasha to don the clothes without hesitation. And as expected, there was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” Jasha asked.

“Maid, Ma’am. I’m here to—”

“Not right now,” Jasha hurried to the door. “I’m sorry, but we don’t need your services at the moment.”

The woman clad in black wool did not seem too pleased, but she moved on to the next room. An Inn. They were staying at an Inn. But, how? And where?

“We can’t afford to stay here,” Jasha muttered, remembering that she didn’t have a single coin left when the ship she commandeered her been destroyed.

“Lady Kira can,” said a voice off to her left.

“You’re the mage.”

“Sumner Aesh,” the mage stated. “I’m a lot of things. A mage, attendant, advisor…”

“Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Sumner turned her head forward and buried her face in her hands. The girl was clearly distraught. Lady Kira, also known to pirates as Kira the Red, did she make it here alive? Or was she lost at sea?

“Sumner, about Kira—”

“She’s not feeling well and it’s all my fault,” the mage sobbed. “It’s all my fault for trying a powerful spell I knew I couldn’t handle.”

Jasha felt sorry for her. While she wasn’t entirely wrong to blame herself for the mishap that nearly killed them all, it pained her to see Sumner in such a sad state. The way she made it sound, Kira had the same sickness as Misty.

“Sumner, I don’t think it’s your fault,” Jasha lied. Although, when she thought about it, that wasn’t a complete lie. It all started when she and Misty boarded the ship that wasn’t theirs. If they hadn’t stolen the ship, they might’ve been killed by the angry pirates. They may have had mercy on Misty, but would subject her to their twisted and torturous sexual proclivities; death might be better. Kira and Sumner would still be aboard their ship and in good health. “It’s my fault.”

The young mage looked up from her tear-soaked sleeves and smiled slightly. The fact that Jasha would spare her the blame…

“She’s going to be fine,” a woman leaving Kira’s room said. “As long as you get the Frost Elixir from Ingela’s Item Shop.”

○   ○   ○   ○

There, across the scantly snow-covered cobblestone road, was Ingela’s Item shop with a house attached to the side; presumably belonging to Ingela. The harsh coldness of Crystalcrest caught both the pirate and her magic-wielding companion off-guard. The northern-most land was known for its frigid temperature, but nothing could prepare a traveler whom happened upon the land.

“Come on, we better hurry,” Jasha said, cringing under a freezing cold breeze. When she turned to Sumner, the young lady seemed uncertain about leaving the relative warmth of the Inn.

“You go on ahead. I don’t think I can leave Lady Kira.”

Jasha grabbed the buxom beauty by her collar. “If we don’t get this now, your Lady Kira could die. So could my friend.”

“Why do you need me?” Sumner asked pitifully.

“If I didn’t need you, believe me, I’d leave your ass behind. But, we’re out here now, it’s freezing cold, and I only have a dozen coppers. If it costs more than that, I’ll need your help paying for it.”

“I could just give you—”

“You’re coming. Let’s go.”

A large woolly animal, shrouded by a layer of snow, trotted by on the cobblestone road with a carriage and driver behind. If any more traveling were required, Jasha will inquire about the price of a ride.

Keeping that in mind, she and Sumner crossed the road toward the shop. As with most small shops, the place was mostly deserted. On a wall were rows of shelves holding a dozen jars on each. In the jars were herbs and liquids, labeled accordingly.

On the opposite wall were similar shelves, except these were filled with liquids. Rows or potions with various effects and colors from every part of the visual spectrum.

Sumner ignored the vast inventory and approached the shop owner. “Excuse me, we’re looking for Frost Elixir.”

“Frost Elixir,” Ingela, the shop owner, repeated. She flipped through the pages of her inventory book and noted the latest count was at zero. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid we’re all out.”

“What!?” Sumner began sweating nervously. Sweating. In this cold?

“Would it be possible to get some elsewhere?” Jasha asked after coming to her distraught companion’s aid.

“Syrstad, up north. They might have it. It’ll be expensive, though.”

Jasha pulled out what coins were left in her coin-purse; the only coins not stolen by Whitebreast and her crew. Seeing the meager sum, Ingela shook her head. Twelve coins returned to the purse. It suddenly dawned on her that whoever removed her wet clothes, hadn’t stolen the coins they surely found. Such an act was rare in this world and it made Jasha smile.

“M-my lady, my…my dear Kira,” Sumner cried openly, “she needs this medicine. Please, please help me.”

Seeing how heartbroken the poor girl was, Jasha  thought she might shed a tear herself. “Ingela, is there anything we can do?”

“Gather the ingredients for me,” Ingela said solemnly, “and I will make your potion.”

“What’s in it for you?” Jasha wondered aloud.

“If you get the amount I tell you, I’ll have enough to re-stock the potion. I’ll make a profit and for your trouble I’ll give you your potion for free.”

A fair agreement.

“Sumner, clean yourself up,” Jasha said after accepting a note of ingredients from Ingela. “We’re going hunting.”

Chapter 4 Of Ooze and Imps

Outside of town felt several degrees colder. The thick wool clothing helped to insulate her body, but the cutting winds threatened frostbite on her nose and ears. When her jaw began to get numb, Jasha held up the small red vial Ingela had handed over for a mere twelve coppers.

“May I have some?” Sumner requested.

“We’ll share half,” Jasha said. “It’s supposed to maintain your body temperature for two hours. I figure we’ll both have an hour to gather the ingredients without freezing to death.”

Listed under the ingredients were five items. Four Ice Slime goo. Three frozen herbs. Two Ice Imp wings. One partridge feather and…

“A pear tree? In this frozen land?”

“Those last two are checked,” Sumner noted. “Imported, I’m guessing.”

The unlikely pair, after having their share of the red potion, traversed the barren snowy land. For reasons unknown to her, Jasha thought about Misty. Why did she care about a girl she just recently met? Was it because of Zarah? The same blonde hair. Same blue eyes. No, Misty was not Zarah, but the bar-maid did remind Jasha of her sister. Maybe saving Misty was her way of atoning for not saving Zarah.

“I’m scared,” Sumner said in the bleak silence of the snowy landscape.

“Scared? Couldn’t you just melt this stuff with your fire spells?”

“Not that. I’m scared of losing Lady Kira.”

Jasha knew how she felt. The green-haired pirate never said it out loud, but she knew what it was like to lose a loved one. Sumner’s unwavering devotion made her smile.

“You really care about that woman, don’t you?”

Sumner stopped short of small snow drift and turned her body abruptly. “I love Lady Kira!” She declared emotionally. “She is everything to me!”

Jasha retained her smile, imagining what it would be like to love someone that much—imagining how she could’ve saved her sister. An odd cry shook her from her reverie. The screeching cry moved closer.

“Something’s coming this way,” Jasha said.

“I’m ready.”

Two mounds of translucent light blue ooze seeped through the snow. Rushing toward them, screeching a warning, came an imp with dark grayish-blue skin and cyan wings. The ooze had sprouted eyes and a mouth; with a visible brain at the center. A third ooze nipped at Jasha’s feet. This was a monster encounter. And they were surrounded.

With the edge of her sword, Jasha sliced at the nearest Slime. Her blade passed through as if through water and failed to cause any damage. Sumner loosed a ball of fire at the Ice Imp, but missed after some expert maneuvering on the monster’s part.

The Slimes teamed up against Jasha, biting at her clothing. One of her furry boots had been devoured and her foot was frozen to the ground. She watched helplessly as the Ice Imp dived at Sumner and cut into her shoulder.

“Switch enemies,” Jasha said. “Melt the ice at my feet. Then, I’ll see how I fare against the Imp. You can use your magic against the Slimes.”

While intelligent, Sumner hadn’t fought enough battles to develop fight-savvy tactics. She could blast the Imp with attack guaranteed not to miss, but then it seemed Jasha might continue to struggle against her cute-but-not-so-cuddly foes. Switching enemies to create favorable match-ups. That was brilliant. Developing a strategy now, might help them win more easily in a future encounter with Ice Slimes and Ice Imps.

Jasha shot forward with a ferocious slash that nearly severed one of the Imp’s wings, after Sumner had melted her free. Sumner launched a fiery blast that struck one of the Slimes and melted it instantly. Their strategy was working.

The two remaining Ice Slimes squirted the liquid that froze Jasha’s foot. Sumner managed to dodge one attack, but the other smacked against her hip. In an instant, her hip had been frozen. Every subsequent attack would freeze another part of her body and cause damage. She needed to summon the magic to end this battle quickly.

The Ice Imp swooped down at Jasha haphazardly, clearly feeling the effect her last strike had on its wing. Not only did the attack miss, but it provided Jasha the opportunity to counter attack. In an upward arc, her blade sliced the small flying beast from stem to stern.

With both of her hands, summoning a magic she had no practice in summoning, Sumner held two melon-sized fireballs. Wielding such magic required not only a bountiful source of magic energy, or mana, but also a great deal of focus. If she held two, but concentrated more on one than the other, the one in which she lost focus would explode and damage her. However, if she got this right, the battle would be won.

Jasha watched as the Ice Slimes prepared their next attack. Sumner was running out of time. Suddenly, she extended both arms and the fires consumed both Slimes.

Exhaustion took over and Sumner slumped a moment, only to be caught in Jasha’s arms.

“Kira is lucky to have you,” Jasha said as she gazed into the mage’s eyes.

“No, she’s not,” Sumner replied.

Holding the beautiful young woman in her arms, their lips only inches apart, Jasha wanted to kiss her. How long had it been since she kissed someone?

“Alright,” Jasha stood the girl up as they separated. “Let’s grab what we need and get back to Lauksletta.”