Interlude – Island Fortress….
The blind woman’s eyes blinked, the milky white hidden for an instant behind pale flesh. The unseeing eyes turned to point to the back of the heavily robed figure standing at the window, looking out at the rolling waves of the seas below.
“Yes I felt it, Lady, Bokka Jothan is no more. It seems our lowest Captain has met something he couldn’t entice, enslave or destroy. Or bore to death with his petty scheming.” Lord Volk said without turning from the view. “His line has proven itself weak…” the high lord over the slavers mused.
Around the room, shadows stirred where they lay in deep pools, spots darker somehow than the deepest of shadows flickered in each and they all seemed to turn toward the still form by the window.
“Yes my pets, the line of Jotham has failed us.” At his words the shadows began writhing and swirling. If one had to make an analogy then perhaps the closest would be a pack of puppies about to be given a treat. If the puppies were comprised of the stuff of nightmares given substance. “Go, you have your freedom to seek out all of of the Jotham line until the sun falls and rises one time and teach them that failure is not an option.”
Before Volk’s words were finished the shadows began streaming out of the room flowing over the stone like night made liquid. Soon the chamber was empty aside from Volk and the woman.
She spoke, “Is that wise love?”
Volk turned away from the window and approached her, the rich silks of his robes sliding across the pristine floor without a sound. He reached out and cupped the woman’s chin, tilting her head up to his. “Wise, Lady? Perhaps not but not terribly unwise. And my irritation with Bokka’s losing of the airship is well known. To ignore his failure would weaken my position. Loosing the shades on his line will give the rest something to fear for awhile and perhaps put a stop to their plotting and planning my downfall. What says the warp?”
The woman, Lady Sethra, stepped in toward Volk and put her arms around him, “The lines are… cloudy now love. A Great One has become involved and its presence stirs and fragments the now and the future into so many strange shapes that it becomes impossible to make sense of them.”
“Truly…” Volk’s deep baritone rumbled in his chest against her cheek. “What would have peaked the interest of the one of the ancient reptiles?”
“I know not love but its actions impact the lines of everything. I would advise activities in the north, the warp and web there are convulated beyond all untangling at this time. Perhaps in time its attention will focus elsewhere.”
“Perhaps. I’m reluctant to give up the quest for that ship. If we can duplicate its craftings, imagine the power we could wield. The very air would become our oceans and our raiders could go anywhere they wished, descending where they would, taking what is rightfully ours by our very predation.”
“I advise time love. It changes all things and the situation to the north will change in time.”
“Perhaps you are right Lady, perhaps.” Lord Volk absently stroked the inky black hair of the woman, eyes focused and at the same time not seeing the far wall of the chamber. He snapped his fingers, the sound belling out, louder than such a slow gesture should generate. Before the echoes stopped resonating around the chamber the gilded doors opened.
“Yes mi’lord?” questioned the man who stepped through.
“Summon the captains who first issued the reports of the airship. I wish to question them, personally.”
“So it will be mi’lord.” the man bowed, waiting to be dismissed.
Lord Volk brushed his hand over his neatly trimmed beard, “And bring up one of the virgins from the last ship. I found another gray hair this morning Jovan. It is past time I renewed myself. Now go.”
“As you command mi’lord.”
