Maquesta heard Kof growl softly beside her. She hoped the minotaur would restrain his temper until they were presented with a good opening-one that wouldn't risk Fritz's and Lendle's lives.
Out on the deck, only scattered pairs still fought. The rest of the pirates and sailors stood transfixed, staring at the Butcher, where chaos had erupted. Belwar hovered above the pirate ship in a halo of light that was caused by the rays of the setting sun reflecting warmly off his golden scales. Below him, the Butcher's mainmast lay split in half, cracked by a metal ball the size of a boulder that had been dropped on top of it by the ki-rin. As the ball crashed through the main deck, fires had erupted, engulfing the ship in flames and smoke. Waves of heat from the flames swept over the Perechon. The smell of burning wood and canvas sails permeated the air. Pirates who had remained on the Butcher were jumping overboard or attempting to board the Perechon.
In the light cast by the flames, Maquesta, positioned athwart the doorway to the armory, observed Ilyatha climb the forward steps from the lower deck, carrying his shadowstaff. The firelight glinted off additional weapons she hadn't seen before, attached to a girdle he now wore. Maq's eyes met his. Clearing her mind of extraneous thoughts, she concentrated on communicating essential information. The half-ogre with the bandanna and earring is Mandracore. Maq stared at the pirate captain and was relieved when she saw Ilyatha follow her gaze. One of his ogre warriors is in the armory, poised over Fritzen's cot. Lendle is wounded but alert and is being guarded by another ogre.
I will take care of Mandracore first, Ilyatha returned.
With new pirates coming over from the Butcher, the fighting on the Perechon's main deck had resumed-this time more fiercely than before. Maq saw Hvel and Vartan each trying to loosen one of the grappling hooks to allow the Perechon to float free of the burning Butcher. But because they continually had to fend off attacking pirates, neither was making much progress.
Clearly furious at the fate of his ship, Mandracore had just pivoted on his heel to return to the armory to mete out a suitable punishment to Maquesta when Ilyatha attacked. Unobtrusive with his dark fur in the dusky light, the shadow warrior glided forward silently and with a swift motion drove his hooked staff deep into Mandracore's body. The pirate screamed, more in rage than in pain, and bent over in the middle, grasping at the staff, his expression incredulous. Just as swiftly as he had thrust the staff, Ilyatha twisted it, causing another flash of disbelief to cross Mandracore's face. The shadow warrior pulled the staff free, and Mandracore fell to his knees, then dropped face forward onto the deck. Ilyatha knelt and grabbed Mandracore's cloak, using it to wipe the blood off the staff.
The dim-witted ogre guard next to the pirate captain had only just realized something was amiss as Mandracore began to crumple. With a blood-curdling yell, he lunged at Ilyatha, who was cleaning his staff. The shadow warrior dropped Mandracore's cloak and pivoted. He brought the clean staff up to block the new attacker, and the ogre's sword harmlessly bounced off the wood. Rising to his feet, Ilyatha made another strong thrust forward with the staff, driving the sharp end into the ogre's belly. The ogre stood only because Ilyatha held the staff, but when the shadow person tugged the weapon free, the ogre crumpled to join his captain. Again, Ilyatha cleaned off his weapon and looked about the deck for a foe. Seeing none within his immediate reach, Ilyatha ran toward the armory.
Maquesta saw a pirate rise up from behind a barrel of water and leap after Ilyatha. About to call a warning, she realized she didn't have to, as her thoughts were enough. Ilyatha pulled a cord with a sharp, hooked blade at one end and a weighted ring at the other from his girdle, spun around, and threw it expertly at the attacking pirate. The cord whipped around the unfortunate sailor's neck, driving the hook into his throat. The shadow warrior resumed his movement toward the armory, and Maq glanced inside. Not knowing what was happening outside the cabin, the remaining ogres had started to look nervous and a little confused. Out of the corner of her eye, Maquesta saw that Lendle was now fully alert, though he was feigning unconsciousness. When the ogre guarding him glanced away, Lendle snapped his eyes open and spotted his dagger, which lay on the floor between him and his guard-just out of reach. Whatever happened now had to happen quickly and silently, Maq knew, or there was a good chance the other ogre would simply bring the sword he was holding down across Fritzen's throat. The half-ogre was unaware of his peril, having lost consciousness again. Maquesta nervously chewed her bottom lip. She didn't want to lose Fritz. Not this way. Not any way.
Call out Mandracore's name, then step away from the door, Maq heard Ilyatha think. The minotaur, Koraf, standing next to her, must have heard a similar message, as she saw him blink and his brows furrow. Not yet completely comfortable with the shadow warrior's method of communication, Koraf started slightly, then glanced down at Maq, who nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Mandracore!" Maq called. She stepped outside with Koraf, leaving the doorway clear. In the same instant, Lendle slid forward along the floor and grabbed his dagger, folding his stubby fingers about the worn pommel. He prepared to leap up to protect Fritzen or to attack the ogre who was inadequately guarding him. The gnome's ogre guard offered invaluable assistance to their scheme by forgetting his orders. Seeing the doorway was clear, he plunged forward, apparently assuming Maq and the minotaur had joined in some new attack on Mandracore. The ogre standing over Fritzen barked a command that served to slow the running guard, who had just realized he shouldn't have left his post. Ilyatha appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, planting himself in front of the guard and using his shadowstaff, thrusting its wooden end at the ogre's chest, thumping him soundly and causing him to fall backward.
The ogre near Fritzen growled and raised his sword, preparing to bring it down on the half-ogre's throat. Lendle saw the attack coming and shot forward over the floor, stabbing the ogre in the back of the thigh and causing the brute to whirl and face him. The ogre laughed when he saw his tiny assailant. That was his undoing. The gnome moved in again, thrusting upward and sending his dagger deep into the pirate's belly. Furious and in pain, the ogre reached down and grasped Lendle's shoulders, shaking the gnome so hard he dropped the dagger. Bringing the gnome up even with his eyes, the ogre growled menacingly and opened his mouth, angling Lendle so the gnome's short neck was even with the pirate's teeth.
"No!" Maq barked as she slipped back inside the armory.
Her shout momentarily drew the attention of the ogre, giving Lendle another opening. The gnome kicked forward with both legs, his feet smashing in the front teeth of the pirate. The ogre howled and dropped his small assailant, and Lendle landed crouched, but on his feet.
Maquesta drew her sword and charged, meeting and parrying the swing of the ogre's blade. She brought her weapon back and swung forward, but as she stepped into the swing, she slipped on the growing pool of ogre blood on the floor and ended up on her rump.
The ogre grinned, raised his sword above his head, and started to bring it down on Maquesta. She was quicker, though, and jabbed her short sword upward, piercing his abdomen and running him through. She rolled to the side, avoiding his falling form, and felt the floor shake when he landed.