The companionway drew closer as Wormy barreled towards it at full speed. Daana pressed herself flat against Snag’s back and screwed her eyes shut, refusing to bear witness to the final seconds of her bizarre life. She felt the little horse’s body lurch upwards at an unnatural angle. Wormy’s movements were short and jerky as he traversed the steep stairs with the sort of agility one would expect to find in a mountain goat and not a horse.

Daana refused to open her eyes. She held her breath, waiting for the inevitable moment Wormy lost his footing and the three of them plummeted to their deaths.

To her surprise, the rotund horse hopped all the way to the top of the companionway without issue. Wormy’s lurching gait evened out beneath them as he galloped forward onto the orlop deck. He continued his mad dash, spurred onwards by tender words of encouragement from Snag. Daana reluctantly opened her eyes to find the deck in utter chaos around them. A mix of pirates and sailors clashed together, filling the crowded space with the deafening roar of a fight.

Only a few of the fighters stopped to gawk back at them. The rest appeared to have more pressing matters on their hands than to worry about the strange, tusked horse barreling through their ranks.

“Go on, then. One more. You got this.” Snag maneuvered the small horse with a sharp turn, directing Wormy up the next flight of stairs.

It was official, Daana decided. Wormy was not a horse, but a force of nature. She vowed to never eat another one of his treats ever again. In fact, she owed him a full bag of apples after this. No, two bags! As many as his little heart desired if only they made it to the top deck without breaking their necks.

Panicked voices drew Daana’s attention ahead of them. A slew of grungy pirates were making their way down the companionway directly in the path of the oncoming horse. Realizing their error, the pirates spun around, screaming as they scrambled over one another to get out of the way. The closest individual tripped and was subsequently trampled. As were the second and third, each producing a muffled crunch that would undoubtedly haunt Daana’s dreams for years to come. Wormy reached the top of the companionway several jostling leaps and bounds later, right on the heels of the sole survivor. While the pirate may have escaped the stairwell, his getaway was cut regrettably short by Snag, who plunged a blade into his throat as Wormy surged past onto the quarter deck.

Topside was even more chaotic than below. A thick blanket of mist swept over the sides of the ship, making it impossible to see anything more than a few yards ahead at a time. The smell of sulfur and smoke wafted on the breeze. The main source of smoke appeared to be coming from the navigation room behind them. Flames lit the interior, visible from the outside via the smoldering hole where the door had previously hung. From the damage, it looked as if the navigation room had erupted from the inside out.

The wet air stirred with smoke, sulfur, and ash. There was something else as well. Something the others likely didn’t notice. It buzzed against Daana’s skin, causing every hair on her arm to stand on end. Awoken by magic, the dark veins within her arms were suddenly alive and wriggling, pulling at her flesh as the darkness fought to escape. Daana bit back her scream as pain flooded her body.

“It’s about fucking time!” Ashwyn’s booming voice pulled Daana back onto the outside. “You two get your scrawny asses over here so I don’t have to carry your shit anymore.”

Through the churning mist and smoke, Daana could just barely make out Ashwyn’s bulky form. The large orc had her back to the mizzenmast. There was a circle of pirates gathered loosely around her, but they hung back, as if afraid to be the first to breach the orc’s deadly range. Their hesitation was not unfounded. The scattering of fallen bodies at Ashwyn’s feet made it quite clear that the first pirate to volunteer his or her neck stood to have it snapped in half.

Wormy broke through the ring of pirates, scattering the already hesitant fighters into a disorganized retreat.

“I’ll be glad to not have to carry this anymore.” Ashwyn swung Snag’s tattered leather satchel from around her neck and tossed it to him. She jutted the hilt of Daana’s sword in her direction with less fanfare. “I don’t know what sort of depravities you keep in that bag, mate, but I’d feel better not having to be the one to carry it.”

Snag peered inside his satchel, voice laced with fury. “It’s half empty!”

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Whatever the fuck Ellie pulled out of there sure packed a wallop though. Ain’t ever seen a door blow off its hinges before.” Ashwyn stopped talking only long enough to take a breath. No longer burdened with an extra sword hanging from her hip, she adjusted her stance to accommodate the sudden shift in weight. “Do I want to know where you two have been all this time?”

Daana slid from Wormy and got into position alongside Ashwyn, feeling relieved to have traded the pitchfork for something more familiar. If only there had been time to find a shield, some chainmail, and maybe a nice, sturdy helmet. Oh well. Worst case scenario, she supposed she could use Ashwyn as a shield if needed. “We were below deck when we heard the explosion. What’s going on?”

“Ambush.” The ring of pirates had regrouped and were starting to close in again. Ashwyn busied herself with making faces at the advancing enemy, silently daring one of them to be the first to make a move. “There was a galley hiding in a cove along the coast here, waiting for an unescorted target to sail past. They used the fog as cover and caught the watch unaware. Our dear, sweet captain offered them cargo and hostages in an attempt to appease them.”

Daana nodded as she followed along. “The pirates didn’t go for it?”

“Oh no, the deal was fine with them. It was Ellie who took offense to the bargain. She’s not one for being a hostage unless it’s her idea. She blew a damn hole into the ship and tossed the Ducky Luck’s captain overboard. Now it’s just chaos with everyone fighting everyone because no one knows what to do.”

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A crackling bolt of lightning erupted from the dark, churning clouds overhead and struck the mainmast in a shower of yellow and white sparks.

“Oh, and the other side has an air elemental. I probably should have mentioned that earlier. The witch didn’t take very kindly to her beloved pirate captain being split from ear to ear. She’s currently in a game of cat-and-mouse with the missus, out to exact her revenge or whatnot.”

Daana gawked up at the brown and black thunderclouds swirling overhead, as thick as cotton. “The witch can control lightning?” Most air elementals stuck to wind, sometimes rain, but few were capable of harnessing lightning–not safely, anyway. Lightning manipulation was a highly unstable ability that hardly anyone ever got right, often at the expense of their own life.

“Seems that way.”

Snag’s voice rang out over the surrounding commotion. “That’s all very nice and all, but do we have a fucking plan? We are literally standing targets right now.”

Unlike Snag, Ashwyn didn’t seem all that concerned with the ring of pirates slowly tightening in around them. “Well I was supposed to be securing the four of us a longboat, but I got held up. Then you two arrived and I daresay you’re caught up on everything I know insofar.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Daana demanded. “Do that thing you do.”

“What thing I do?”

“Where you convince the enemy to do what you want them to do. That way we don’t have to fight our way out of this.”

“That only works if I mean it. Considering these no good swine dogs interrupted a moment of privacy, I’m really not feeling all that merciful right now,” Ashwyn said. “Besides, these are pirates. It’s not like they'd believe me even if I was telling the truth.”

“Oh my gods,” Snag rolled his head back with a groan. He was still seated on Wormy’s saddleless back, content to remain as far above the action as possible. “You two go get the fucking boat. I’ll find Ellisar.”

Daana saw the flicker of a match seconds before he lit the charge in his hands. She ducked for cover the same time Ashwyn did. Snag whipped the powder charge into the enemy ranks, reducing the closest pirates to bloody clumps of flesh. Judging from the array of scattered, screaming bodies, those unfortunate enough to survive the blast would only do so for another few hours before succumbing to blood loss

“Don’t let her do anything stupid!” Snag shouted as he started off towards the bow at a quick gallop, disappearing into the mist.

Ashwyn raised her eyebrow at Daana. “Was he talking to me or you?”

“Could have been either or, honestly.”

“Right.” Ashwyn sprang back onto her feet with inexplicably spryness. “You heard him, Peaches. Time for you and I to secure us a ride out of here.”

Daana tugged the collar of her tunic over her mouth and nose as she scurried after the orc’s hulking frame. The thick smoke from the powder charge stung her eyes as she stole silently into the gloom, trying not to lose sight of Ashwyn. The rest of the ship was in chaos. Around them, crewmembers raced through the smoke and rolling mist, looking as lost as Daana felt.

Ashwyn darted down the steps from the quarter deck to the main. She met resistance halfway and was forced to reconsider her strategy. Gripping the handrail, the orc kicked with both legs, sending the front two pirates hurtling into the deluge of bodies pressing at their backs. “Stairs are out of order, Peaches! Up and over that rail and, for goddess’s sake, land with those knees bent like I taught you!”

There wasn’t time to question the command. Daana swung her legs over the side and jumped, only realizing she couldn’t actually see the main deck below until she was already plummeting through the ash-laden air. She hit the rickety deck in a manner that sent a shockwave of pain up each leg. Thankfully her ankles survived the landing somehow. Before Daana had time to gather her senses, a dark shape leapt out of the swirling haze at her.

Daana threw up her blade in time to block the blow. Instinct kicked in and she shifted her footing, trading blow for blow with her assailant in rapid succession. Harassing her opponent into a semi-retreat, Daana saw her opening and ducked low, throwing her leg wide in a sweeping arch. The leg sweep caught her opponent by surprise and they tumbled backwards onto the deck with a muffled thud.

The pirate’s hood fell from his head and Daana found herself staring back into the wide-eyed face of an elf. Seizing Daana’s moment of hesitation, he rolled, reaching for the sword he’d lost while being dropped on his ass.

“Oh no you don’t!” Daana surged forward, bringing her sword down with all her might. Her blade met resistance when it struck bone, but the initial force of the swing carried it through, severing the elf’s dominant hand in a single slice. Her opponent flailed backwards with a scream, grabbing his bloody stump as he writhed helplessly on the deck.

Daana screamed too. And then, for whatever reason, felt compelled to add insult to injury by kicking the severed hand away from herself.

A heavy thunk landed onto the deck behind Daana, informing her that Ashwyn had finally given up playing dominoes with the pirates on the stairs. “A hand, nice,” the orc congratulated. “Why you kicking it for? You gotta keep that, you know.”

Daana made a face, her queasy stomach performing an acrobatic flip at the mental image. As if the elf’s stump spurting blood every which way wasn’t bad enough. “Why would anyone do that?”

“As a souvenir, obviously. Just think of the puns, girl!” Ashwyn approached the still-whimpering elf as she spoke. “Need a hand? Give a hand? Take a hand? You’re passing up quite the opportunity here.”

“You’re demented.” What was possibly even more demented was the way Ashwyn dealt with the maimed pirate. Seeing her coming, the elf started to crawl away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake across the worn deck. Ashwyn caught up to him in a mere matter of strides and hoisted the screaming elf over her shoulder before dumping him unceremoniously over the side of the ship.

“Oh, I know!” The orc spun around on her heel, eyes wide with excitement. “String the hand on a necklace and give it to Snag. Guilt him into wearing it as a show of appreciation for everything he’s done for you.”

Now that was a tempting idea. Apart from the part where Daana had to carry a severed stump around with her in the meantime. “You know, I think maybe this is what he meant by ‘don’t do anything stupid’.”

“Huh. You might be onto something.”

“Just like we should be finding our way onto a boat, maybe?” Daana reminded her.

“Look at you, being so responsible today. Makes my heart proud.” Ashwyn broke into a pearly grin that was as genuine as it was terrifying. “You’re right as rain, of course. And just for that, I’m going to let you take the lead.”

Flattery wasn’t going to work this time. “Gods, no. We both know I’m going to be using you as a shield.”

“Fine, but I get to keep the hand.”