“There are hidden bonuses to taking on my patronage, Captain,” Ormitor said, the intent of his words intentionally clouded in mystery.
Dexter cleared his throat, secretly admitting that he had an idea what the wizard was referring to. Especially since Jarnella’s foot was passing his knee and seductively making its way up his thigh. “What sort of bonuses are those?” Dexter asked.
“I have no contraband or reason to avoid the Federation’s laws, if that concerns you,” he stated. “And a timely passage conducted professionally will earn further business from me. I have some freight, also legal, at my home that I need to have returned here. Freight that would bring a higher wage.”
Dexter found the deal sweetened, but still he was concerned at the wizard’s ambiguity. Jarnella’s foot, the toes drawing circles on his upper thigh, soothed some of those concerns away, however.
“That brings a shiny light to the deal, but still I can’t pay my crew on a hundred and fifty gold. I’d need to be finding some cargo to take as well to break even on it,” Dexter said. “And that may take some time, time that you’re not to keen on spending.”
Ormitor nodded, taking another sip. Jarnella’s foot pressed against Dexter’s groin in a way that promised all manner of hidden delights. Dexter spilled some of his ale as he raised it to his lips.
“Very well, promise me a journey of less than three weeks and I will pay five hundred gold,” Ormitor said. “But think not to trifle with me, Captain. You come recommended, but I have little patience.”
Dexter tried to think it over. Five hundred gold was a tidy sum, and certainly enough to split amongst his crew, especially with the promise of a larger paycheck to follow. Further thoughts were dashed when he felt Jarnella’s toes against his flesh. Without looking down, as he longed to do, he realized the woman had somehow managed to untie his breeches. Without a doubt she had proved she had a dexterity that was the stuff of legend.
“Five hundred gold will cover it,” Dexter said, his voice only mildly strained. Glancing at her he saw her expression had not changed, save that, if anything, she looked even more sexually alluring to him.
“Excellent. I shall have my equipment loaded in the morning. Now if you will excuse me, I have things to attend to.” Ormitor said with a thin smile.
Dexter nodded, finding speech a little too complicated at that exact moment. She removed her foot, letting it slide promisingly down his leg, and stood up a moment later.
Ormitor followed her, but Dexter remained sitting, unable and unwilling to rise at the moment. “Please, Captain, stay and enjoy another ale at my expense. I shall see you in the morn.”
Dexter nodded and waited for another ale to make its way over to him via the manservant. He took in a deep breath and, after several moments, managed to look down and see the results of Jarnella’s agile toes. He chuckled darkly and retied his breeches after repositioning himself. More than ever, he needed to find a joygirl to help relieve him of his troubles!
The next morning Dexter found himself in the bridge, charting a course to Port Freedom. Without the complications of women to distract him, his mind was focused on the prospects the new job offered. Port Freedom was outside of Federation and Elven space, near the outer edges of the known void. There was no telling what sort of cargo an enterprising captain like himself might manage.
Dexter shook loose his musings and refocused on charting the ships voyage. Making it in less than three weeks seemed easy enough, provided he did not run afoul of too many Federation patrols. If their cargo was legal, as the wizard insisted, then he had no concern about being held up, but every time they had to rendezvous with another ship was time slipping away. That and, in order to make the optimal speed, he had to forego established trading lanes and, whenever that happened, all sorts of things became possible: uncharted asteroid fields, pirates, and other oddities of the void.
“Captain, we’ve got some people asking to come aboard,” Jenna said, walking into the bridge.
Dexter turned, ignoring her familiarity and lack of knocking on the door before entering. He stopped when he saw her though and felt a fresh tightening of his breeches. The elf wore a sash around her waist that was tied as a loin cloth, displaying her long, lean, limber, and tasty looking legs. From each hip hung a weapon as well, to her left was her rapier and to her right a short sword acquired from the pirate base. A dagger was strapped to one thigh while a pistol adorned the other. That completed the adornment of legs, since she was barefoot as well.
Even more distracting was her upper body. Instead of a proper shirt or even the revealing vest from the night before, she wore another sash. This was wrapped around her neck and chest in a manner that left him curious as to its engineering, especially since it provided a neat pocket for each of her breasts yet left them independent of one another as well. He nearly had to shake his head to force himself to focus upon her face.
“Um, yes?” He stammered, obviously distracted.
Ignoring his reaction, save for a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, she said, “the visitors, Captain?”
“Oh, yes, let them on. They’re passengers and we’re leaving as soon as they’ve stowed everything away,” he explained quickly. Then he appraised her clothing once again before adding, “For my armsmistress you seem kind of underdressed.”
Jenna smiled and laughed, taking him away to a happier place for a moment. “We’re docked,” she explained. “I still have my weapons on me… care to find out just how helpless I am?”
Dexter chuckled. He had sparred with her since she acquired the short sword and found her even more dangerous than she had been before. He doubted he could beat her one time in ten, armored or not. “No thanks, you’re too quick with those blades.”
“Who said anything about weapons?” She asked with an innocent look on her face that was anything but innocent.
Dexter waved her away, scowling in spite of his momentary urge to take her up on her offer. “Go tell them to board.”
Jenna laughed again, dissolving his scowl into a goofy smile. She turned to leave then stopped and asked, “Where are we bound?”
“Port Freedom,” he told her.
The expression upon her face was one of consternation. Dexter wondered what it was about, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. She nodded and turned to let their passengers aboard. Dexter glanced back at the course he had plotted a final time then turned and followed after her. He found himself wishing that he had followed her more quickly, for she was off the stairs to the main deck by the time he made it to them, and he would have dearly enjoyed the view.
“Bekka, is the helm fully charged?” Dexter asked up on the deck. Bekka replied that it was, then fell silent as they watched the parade of passengers come up the plank and onto the deck.
Dexter fell silent as he watched. Ormitor was in the rear directly behind Jarnella. He carried only a small chest under one arm. Jarnella was preceded by his other three servants, each of which was arguably as beautiful as Jarnella was. Each also carried an assortment of items, from medium sized trunks to large and small sacks to backpacks. The weight of some of the items looked staggering, forcing Dexter and the others to wonder how the women managed it effortlessly.
“Captain,” Ormitor said by way of greeting, stepping foot on the Voidhawk.
Dexter looked at the wizard, forcing his gaze away from the parade of fashionably dressed women before him. He returned the wizard’s smile and said, “Right on time! If you’ll follow me I’ll show you to your rooms.”
He led them to the aft stairwell and took them down to the cargo deck. Once there he showed them the two staterooms. “You’ve got both of these rooms to use as you see fit. They are, however, short on beds if there are five of you. If you’d like I’ll have some spare blankets brought to you to rig up sleeping pallets.”