“I must stay with you, Master, or I will have no purpose,” Keshira said behind him, interrupting him.
Jenna’s eyes narrowed. Rosh’s grin spread and his hand inched down his side so that it was close to one of the large daggers on his hip. Kragor muttered something in dwarvish and took up position outside the door to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the room.
“Well there you have it,” Dexter said, not entirely comfortable with it. “She stays.”
“Unacceptable,” Gedmun said, staring at her. “Bring her!” He snapped to his remaining nine sailors.
One of them stepped forward, then another. They both grabbed her arms, one to a side, and tried to force her forward. Dexter waved subtly at Rosh to not draw steel…yet.
Keshira did not budge. Both sailors strained but were unable to move her. One pulled her arm and managed to raise it some, but then she surprised him by yanking back on it, pulling him off balance. Then she pushed, hard, and sent him staggering into a wall. She looked at the other sailor and he quickly let go of her arm.
“Seems she means it, Captain,” Dexter said.
“That’s not possible!” The shaken sailor blurted out, staggering away from the wall and looking at her. “No woman’s strong enough to throw me like that!”
It did seem impossible, he was a good sized man wearing a studded leather harness and armed with a dagger, crossbow, and short sword, all items that would weigh him down further.
“My helmsman says there’s magic involved. The crate was magicked, ‘haps she is as well?” Dexter suggested.
Gedmun, his cheeks flushing red with frustration and anger, nodded and spat out, “fetch Anaskus!”
The sailor closest to the door turned to leave and stopped abruptly when he saw Kragor in the way. Dexter nodded to Kragor and the dwarf moved out of the way for the Federation soldier to hurry up on deck and head over to his ship.
He returned several tense minutes later with a man who’s dress resembled nothing like the other sailors save for the insignia of rank on the right collar of his tunic. Clearly, from the multiple pockets on his loose fitting tunic and pants, as well as some of the runes embroidered into his clothing, he was a wizard.
He stopped as soon as his eyes fell on Keshira. The initial male reaction was to be expected, but his bordered on the professional as well. He moved forward again, walking around her and studying her. Her eyes followed him, though the pleasant smile on her face never faded.
He stopped in front of her, then closed his eyes and uttered several words in an arcane language that left Dexter feeling nervous. His hands gestured in accordance to the words of the spell, then he was finished and his eyes opened. They glowed with a purplish light and as he stared at Keshira, then he grunted and stumbled backwards, his hands going to his eyes to cover them.
He turned to the others, the purple light fading from his eyes as he did so. “This is no matter of slavery,” he said, confusing everyone.
“But she was sold to a man as a servant and imprisoned!” Gedmun spat out, infuriated at the possibility of losing her.
“It, Captain Gedmun,” Anaskus said. “This thing is not human.”
Everyone turned to stare at Keshira, who seemed unperturbed by his proclamation.
“She looks human to me,” Rosh said, his eyes devouring her and his voice daring the wizard to declare otherwise.
“It is a construct. A golem. A soulless and unthinking creation of magic and flesh. The wizard that created her is unequalled in skill, but she is no more human than the wooden floor upon which we stand,” he said, delivering his report.
“Is this true?” Dexter asked Keshira, having trouble believing that she was no more than a mindless automaton.
“Yes, Master, I was created to serve you,” she — or it — said in response to him.
“No, damn it!” Dexter sputtered. “Not me, you were to serve another, Sir Drayful!”
She smiled at him, which was infuriating. “I know only you, Master, the one I awoke to see and am now bonded to forever. I am yours to command.”
Rosh cursed under his breath and he heard another muttering from Jenna that also sounded far from complimentary.
“It is a possession, Captain, not a person. I fear there is nothing for us here,” Anaskus said to his captain.
Gedmun opened his mouth and then shut it. He nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak, and gestured for his sailors to return to his ship, the Gavel. He cast a last longing glance at Keshira before storming out in the wake of his men.
Dexter turned to look at Keshira, then turned away to look at the others. Rosh was grinning like a fool and Kragor was watching the others leave. He turned and met Dexter’s eyes and could only shrug. When Dexter turned to see Jenna he saw her open and then close her mouth, then she shook her head and hurried out of the cargo hold.
“What’s wrong with her?” Rosh asked, confused. Dexter just shrugged, equally lost.
“Let’s help them cast off, then we’re to head back to Port Freedom and get this taken care of,” he ordered, heading towards the main deck himself.
With Jenna nowhere to be found, they released the lines holding the ships together and bid the Federation ship safe travels, though the Federation Captain was similarly nowhere to be found.
Several hours later, Dexter had scoured the ship and found no sign of Jenna. He went to the last place she could be, which was also the most likely place he expected her to be, in her cabin. He knocked on the door and was again greeted with the question, “Who comes?”
“Dexter,” he responded.
She was silent for a long moment before saying in a softer voice that he barely heard through the door, “come in.”
Dexter opened the door and stepped in, absent mindedly wondering if she was going to be partially nude again. His life had become complicated enough that any pleasure he might have derived from the thoughts was missing. Well… almost.
“It’s your ship, Captain,” she said once he was in her room. “I told you the door’s always open for you.”
Dexter nodded. “So you did,” he admitted. “Everyone deserves some privacy though.”
She nodded. “It’s appreciated. What can I do for you, Sir?”
Dexter frowned. He took a deep breath and let it fly. “What’s your bother? I need you on the deck when we’re in a situation.”
Jenna’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed angrily. She ground her teeth together then nodded. “Yes, Captain, won’t happen again.”
Dexter groaned and threw his hands in the air. He turned to leave and then turned back. “No, damn it, what’s the problem?”
“No problem, Captain,” she said in clipped tones. “Happy to be here.”
Dexter shook his head and wondered what he could say to bring her out of her funk. Ultimately he could think of nothing so he just left a peace offering on the way out, “alright, my door’s always open too, if you want to talk.”
Dexter barely heard her parting comment as he headed out of her passage, “I’m sure Keshira’ll be bending your ear a-plenty.”
Barely back up on the deck he walked past Rosh, who was showing Keshira, per Dexter’s orders, how to work the rigging of the ship. She had changed from the dress she had been wearing to a more functional tunic and pants that were baggy on her. She still looked beautiful in spite of her poor fashion.
“Captain!” Rosh said, getting his attention.
Dexter stopped and looked at him, then nodded for him to go ahead.
“She’s amazing, Captain,” he said honestly. “Stronger than…well… the strongest man I know!”
“Who’s that, Rosh?” Dexter asked, already knowing how powerful the man was and promising himself to never run into the man Rosh considered the strongest man alive.
“Well, me, I guess,” he said, scratching his scruffy chin. Dexter laughed, unable to stop himself.