Dexter approached him and asked how much longer he could hold it up.
“As long as I need to,” he replied.
Dexter nodded, understanding. “A little longer, I think,” he told the wizard. While Dexter would normally never admit to it, he knew they were outside the realm of normality now. He had to bolster the man’s ego and give him a little bit more to push for.
“Xander, we’d be in bad shape if it weren’t for you,” he admitted. He waved into the ruins without looking and said, “That’s a fate fit for no man, woman, nor child. Even an enemy deserves better. I won’t be saying it again, nor will I admit I done it this time… good job.”
Xander smiled and nodded, his pride blossoming. Even though he knew his accomplishments and his worth, it still felt good to know that Dexter appreciated what he had done.
With the sun brightening the eastern horizon, Dexter watched as a weary Bekka all but staggered across the deck towards him. “It’s done,” she said, stifling a yawn.
Dexter nodded and glanced to the sky. He could feel a faint touch of breeze coming from the west, and expected it would pick up as the sun warmed the air more. “My thanks, Bekka, I hope to say later that you’ve saved us all.”
“It would be nice to be saved,” she admitted.
Dexter laid his hand on her shoulder. “Head for the bridge. Just a little longer, I think. I’ll need to be here and we need Rosh’s strength to help us with the sails when we make our run.”
Bekka nodded. Even though her head still ached from being forcibly separated from the helm, she knew it only made sense to have her at it. She smiled at Dexter in spite of the nausea she felt and turned to head for the bridge again.
Dexter glanced to the east and then around the deck of the ship again. Aidan was helping to keep Xander awake and alert, walking with him and talking of whatever the wizard wanted, and sometimes things the wizard had no interest in. Occasionally they would look into the darkness and listen to the sounds of the shadowy figures moving beyond the circle of protection.
Dexter nodded again, finalizing his decision, and moved to the side of the Voidhawk. He glanced over it and saw Rosh and Willa discussing something animatedly pertaining to the strut. There were a few additional ropes and pieces of wood attached to it, but nothing that showed any sign of helping it.
“There’s nothing more to be done, come aboard,” Dexter called down to them.
“We ain’t done yet,” Rosh snapped up at him angrily. Dexter stared at him, reminding himself of the short fuse they all had.
“This ain’t advice,” Dexter said back to him. “Get your tails on or get left to deal with them.”
Dexter pointed towards the circle beyond them. The sun was slipping over the edge of the horizon as he spoke, shining light into the ruins and illuminating the threat. Bodies shuffled back and forth, seeking an entry. They moved somewhat awkwardly, but remained coordinated enough to maintain balance and to be a threat. The drying blood upon many of them was testimony to their savagery. That, and the bloodshot and hateful look in their eyes.
“Son of a-“
“Rosh, he’s right, let’s go!” Willa said, losing her nerve quickly once she realized she had worked the entire night through less than 20 feet from the living ghouls.
Rosh nodded and guided her to the side of the ship, then helped her loop the rope around one foot and steadied it while Dexter called Keshira over to help pull her up. Rosh clambered up the rope ladder quickly once she was safe, then they secured the remaining ropes and waited to hear Dexter’s plan.
The Captain stared into the ruins, studying the former humans and perryns that now circled his ship like sharks. “Cap?” Rosh asked him after seeing Xander swaying on his feet with fatigue.
“Xander, just a little longer,” Dexter said to his wizard. “When I tell you to, I want you to let them in.”
“We’ll be gone first, right?” Rosh asked him.
Dexter turned and grinned at the larger man.
“Aw hell,” Rosh said. “Dex, we ain’t gotta die for these dirt-kissin’ fools. Let’s just get out of here and keep going!”
“Captain,” Bekka said, stepping forward, having returned from the bridge white faced and troubled. “They won’t stop. Every one of them will come for us. Using fingers and teeth, they’ll claw at the hull until they tear through it, even if they wear their fingers to the bone.”
He nodded. “Every last one of them, right?”
She nodded. Dexter smiled. “Good. Rosh, Logan, Aidan, grab the last of that alchemist’s fire we got down below. Grab as much lamp oil as you can too.”
Rosh stood, staring at Dexter a long minute. He opened his mouth but Dexter beat him to it, “Go, damn you, we got no time for wasting!”
Rosh shut his mouth and ground his teeth. He nodded and headed towards the stairs below deck, catching up to the others at the cargo hold. In three trips, they had brought up enough oil that Dexter felt they were ready.
“Over the side,” Dexter said. “Pour it all, save the alchemist’s fire,” he instructed. “We need a ring around the ship big enough to get them all. None of them can escape.”
“Voidhawk’ll burn too,” Rosh pointed out darkly.
“Not if it’s not here,” Dexter said.
Rosh looked at him then nodded, finally understanding the plan. He picked up one of the kegs of lamp oil and headed towards the bow. Logan and Aidan followed suit, each heading to a different part of the ship. By the time they had emptied all of the casks, Xander was leaning against the railing of the ship, fighting the urge to fall asleep on his feet.
Jenna, who was closest to the wizard, sighed. “Sorry about this,” she said to him, then moved with a speed he would not have been able to dodge had he been awake and expecting it; she slapped him hard across the face.
Xander stumbled, falling to his hands and knees from the force and the surprise of her strike. He shook his head and looked up at her, rage showing on his face. “Why the…”
The wizard trailed off, understanding why she had done it. He nodded, but continued to glare at her. Finally he stood up stiffly. His eyes narrowed when she had to stifle a chuckle at the red hand print forming on his cheek.
“You gonna just let a girl slap you around like that?” Rosh asked as he walked by with an empty barrel. The deckhand tossed it overboard and smiled as it shattered into pieces.
Xander scowled at him but said nothing, knowing he was being baited.
“Enough,” Dexter snapped. “To your posts, Bekka I thought I told you I need you on the helm.”
“I can’t,” she said. “I tried… I can’t connect with the ship yet.”
“You… why not?” Dexter asked, stunned.
“The dump, it messed me up. It’s going to take some time before I can merge with the ship again. I hope.”
“You hope? What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard of some people that could never helm a ship again after a bad dump,” she said with a forced calmness.
Dexter’s eyes widened. He needed her on that helm! “Alright… um,” he turned to look at his other option, Rosh. Rosh was learning how to fly a ship, but he was no match for Bekka or himself. Dexter knew he had his own reasons to not be on the helm, he was the Captain and had to react to what was sure to be a difficult escape.
“Cap, let Willa try it,” Rosh offered, his hand resting on the former slave girl’s shoulder.
Willa looked up at him, her mouth opened and eyes wide. Dexter’s own expression was not so terribly different.
“The way she’s been feeling the flow of the ship, it reminds me of how things feel when I’m in the helm,” Rosh explained. “I bet she’d pick it up right quick!”
“Right quick?” Dexter repeated in amazement. “Right quick isn’t enough! We have to time it right so them things get burnt and we don’t! Then we gots to get away from those things in the sky before they cut us up again. We need more than right quick, especially with the rigging and sails not running full from the damage they already done.”