Steamforged Sorcery - Chapter 45 (Patreon)

“As much as I enjoy idle chitchat, we need to get out of here,” Angel said. “Lilian, you’ve been here the longest. How often do they check on the prisoners?”

“It changes,” Lilian said. “I don’t think there’s a real pattern to it.”

Angel grabbed one of the chains keeping her against the wall and tugged on it. Even with the strength of his mechanical arm, the metal links held firm. They were just too thick.

“Are you just going to sit there?” Angel asked, glancing back at Silver. “You could at least pretend to help.”

“I am helping,” Silver replied. His fingers twitched at his sides. Lilian’s eyes widened and Angel spun as a thin silver snake danced through the cell bars and flung itself into the bandit’s hands, forming into a thin sword.

“Relic?” Angel asked, eyeing it curiously.

“Fancy artifact,” Silver replied, rising to his feet with a smirk. “I’ve been trying to get my hands on this ever since I woke up. You’ve got no idea how hard it is to get a piece of metal to figure out where you are.”

Silver sauntered over to them and pressed the blade against the chains where they connected to the wall. The thin blade carved through them like butter and she dropped to the ground with a relieved sigh. He removed the links at her legs as well, taking care not to cut her feet on accident.

“Don’t get rid of the rest,” Lilian said before Silver could continue. She raised an arm and swung it experimentally. The chain rattled across the ground. “Unlike the two of you, I don’t have a weapon. These will do.”

“Suit yourself,” Silver said, extending his free hand. “So then, Angel. I believe we’ve got a common goal. Shall we have a truce until we kill the big ugly bastard running this ship?”

Angel watched the wily man for a moment. Then he reached out and took the handshake. “Don’t betray me. I’ve had enough of that for one day.”

“It’s not a betrayal if we were never on the same side in the first place,” Silver said, giving Angel a wide grin. “This lasts until we get off the ship. Don’t get me wrong – I’m bringing that girl to the magistrate. There’s too much money on the line.”

“We’ll see about that,” Angel said. Lilian watched them with a confused expression, but Silver left her no time to press the question.

His strange blade carved clean through the bars at the front of the cell. Angel grabbed them one by one, laying them down softly so they wouldn’t make noise as they fell. When the hole was big enough, the three of them walked out of their cell into a small, tight hallway. A stairwell off to their left led both up towards the top of the ship and down into its depths.

There were several other cells, but all of them were empty. It didn’t look like the bandits kept their captives long. And, to Angel’s worry and annoyance, it appeared that Vanessa was nowhere to be found. For whatever reason, they’d separated her from the rest of them. If they’d figured out she was the Magistrate’s daughter… Angel grimaced. More bounty hunters.

“Which way do we go?” Lilian asked in a hushed tone.

“You could always try to make a run for it,” Angel said. “This might be your best shot at escape. They aren’t expecting us to escape, and we’re about to make quite a ruckus. If you hide for a few minutes and then run top deck, you might be able to get away.”

Lilian considered his offer for a moment. “I appreciate it, but no. I’d be screwed without your help. Maybe I can return the favor and save this girl you’re looking for.”

“I won’t refuse backup,” Angel said. “But look after yourself. If things go south, run. I don’t need another death on my conscience.”

“I can take care of myself,” Lilian replied, wrapping the chains around her arms so they wouldn’t clank around. “And the girl is either in the base of the ship or the captain’s quarters. It depends how much of a liking he took to her.”

“How do you know?” Silver asked.

“I don’t,” Lilian admitted. “But it’s a barge. Bandits aren’t all that creative. Where else could she be?”

“I’m going to pretend I don’t take offense to that,” Silver said. “I vote below deck.”

“As good as any,” Angel said. They slipped down the stairs as quietly as they could with Silver at their lead.

They ran into a bandit almost instantly. The man didn’t even have a chance to blink before Silver’s blade darted out. It slipped into his chest and he covered the man’s scream with a hand.

“Hush,” he whispered, twisting the blade deeper. The bandit slumped to the ground and Silver leaning the man against the side of the stairwell and continuing forward without a second glance.

Angel and Lilian followed after him. The stairwell continued on for a short distance more before ending in a small room. There was a closed door across from them.

“Either their living quarters or their loot room,” Silver said, his words lower than a whisper. “My money’s on living quarters.”

“Should we leave?” Lilian asked in the same tone. “I can’t imagine we’ll be able to get through their living quarters silently.”

“I have a better idea,” Silver said, a manic grin tugging at his mouth. “I’m changing the plan.”

“Hold on,” Angel said, but it was too late. Silver spun and strode over to the door, throwing it open to reveal a massive rectangular room. Cots lined the walls, and there were easily fifty men sitting around or laying down. Several of them glanced over in confusion at the bandit’s loud entrance.

“Greetings, good fellows,” Silver said, inclining his head in the faintest semblance of a bow. “I believe you have my hat. I’d like it back.”

“The prisoners!” the closest man yelled, rising to his feet. Silver’s blade flicked out and separated the man’s head from his body. He crumpled to the ground and Silver clicked his tongue. “I suppose we’ll do this the hard way then.”

He whipped his hand forward. The sword lengthened, carving through the room and killing or injuring several men in a single strike. Angel dashed into the room, angling towards the other side.

A bandit lunged at him. Angel drove his mechanical arm into the man’s chin. His head snapped back with a crunch and he flew several feet through the air, crashing into a wall.

“I wish I had my canisters,” Angel complained to himself, dodging a sword thrust from another bandit.

“Maybe I’ll bury you with them,” the bandit snarled, slashing at Angel’s face. He blocked the strike with his arm, then backhanded the man violently, knocking him to the ground with more than a few broken bones.

Angel had to admit that the modifications to his arm had been a significant upgrade. While it had been strong before, it was a menace now. Even without canisters to fuel its magic, it was a force to be reckoned with.

He could hear the screams of the dying echoing throughout the room. Even still, Angel felt their advantage waning. Their initial strike had been so effective because the bandits were off their guard, but now they were starting to rally.

Several of them surrounded Angel, keeping him at bay with their swords.

“Don’t any of you have gauntlets?” Angel snarled, pressing his back to the wall as they closed in on him. “Swords are lame.”

“We should have cut that arm off you, swine,” one of them said, thrusting his blade at Angel. He knocked it to the side and narrowly avoided a strike from another man.

“Hindsight is perfect,” Angel replied. Another thrust nearly put his eye out, and a slash slipped through his defenses and cut a furrow across his chest. He hissed in pain.

The bandits surged forward. Angel dove to the side, but he knew it was too late. There wasn’t enough room to dodge and a blade was headed straight for his neck.

A chain whipped through the air, knocking the strike wide. A moment later, a second one slammed into the back of one of the bandits’ heads, knocking the man to the ground. Lilian’s makeshift weapons scraped across the floor as she charged forward, spinning her former implements of imprisonments like a helicopter of death.

Angel had to admit that they were disturbingly effective. Blocking the chains was useless due to their weight and speed, and in open quarters like these, Lilian had all the room she wanted to go wild.

One of the remaining bandits from the group that had cornered Angel dove at him. The Seeker dove out of the way and swept the man’s legs out from under him. Lilian’s chain crashed down on top of him, ending his cry midway out of his mouth.