The Curse of the Winged Scorpion
Cathartic Violence

“Bllloooop,”Smith returned to the ship, trumpeting a warning, just as the pilot let herinto the engine room. Fantel shoved the pilot ahead of her into the oily,phantasma stinking room and waved Smith over. She pulled the door to the engineroom almost closed, pressing her shoulder against the door to stop it fromlocking in place. She didn’t fully trust the pilot and had no desire to belocked inside this small, machinery packed room all alone.

Sheheard the sound of heavy footsteps and the scrap of dead weight being draggedthrough the grass outside. Beside her Smith quivered in the air at her shoulder;his violet eyebeam dimmed to a fraction of its usual brightness. All the sameshe waved the automaton away from the door as Tomah and the other Dha-halidragged Rashari into the ship between them. The Dha-hali dropped his limp,bloodied body onto the steel plated floor without ceremony. Rashari struck hardand didn’t even flinch. The only proof he still lived was the slow rise andfall of his back and the soft rasp of his pained breathing.

“Azra?Where are you, you filthy mongrel?” Tomah whipped his head from left to right,looking down the corridor to the cockpit before his eyes fixed on the door tothe engine room. Fantel sidled back as the nervy pilot twitched and stared ather with too wide eyes. Fantel jerked her head toward the corridor, reachingout to curl her hand around the pilot’s bobbing throat. She stared into hiseyes, not daring to even whisper. Her message was emphatic; if the pilot didanything to warn Tomah she would slit his throat before he could blink.

“H-here...I...Iwill be right out,” the pilot – Azra – called out, voice quavering. “I wasjust....checking the engines.”

“Getout here man,” Tomah snarled, lip curling contemptuously. “Open this door.” Heand the other Dha-hali reached down to haul Rashari up. Fantel caught a glimpseof his bloodied face as he was pulled up on his knees. Eiran wrenched his headback with a fist knotted tightly in his hair. His throat moved convulsively ashis spine was pulled taut. His arms were pulled behind his back, where hishands were tied. A large wet patch had soaked the left side of his vest; theold gunshot wound had opened in the crash.

“I...”Azra stared in panic at Fantel. She thought fast. Rashari was hurt and bound,but he was alive. If Tomah intended to kill him he would have done so already.Both Dha-hali were armed. Tomah wore his curved sword on his belt as well asdiscreet blades tucked into his armguards. Fantel suspected he had a gunsecreted away on his person somewhere. Eiran wore a bandolier festooned withthin throwing blades and necromantic rounds, and a ghost pistol rested snuglyin a holster secured to his right thigh. Fantel still did not like her odds ifshe attacked now. Even if she managed to take one of the Dha-hali the othercould easily kill Rashari before she could disarm them both.

Sheyanked Azra close and whispered in his ear. “Do as he says.” The pilot shiveredand jerked away from her when she released his throat. Fantel sidled away fromthe open door. Azra shoved open the door and almost fell out into the corridor.Fantel waited until the heavy door had fallen all but closed before reachingout to slap her forearm against it, stopping the airtight lock from trappingher inside. She peered out of the tiny slither of a gap, barely able to see athing.

“Ah,”Azra squeaked, panicked cheer evident in his cracking voice. “You found yourman, then, yes?” The pilot grinned down at Rashari, wringing his shaking handstogether.

Tomahsneered at him. “Shut up and open the door.”

“Ah,yes, of course. Right away,” Azra skirted around Rashari and Eiran, reachingout to press his palm to the sensor pad in the wall. His darting gaze keptflicking over to Fantel. She stiffened, gritting her teeth. Mercifully neitherTomah nor his compatriot seemed to notice. The door to the hold released with asoft hiss. “There we are,” Azra crowed, inordinately pleased with himself. “It’sopen.”

“Hmpf,”Tomah shouldered Azra out of the way. “Bring him.” He threw back over hisshoulder to Eiran. He walked into the hold.

“Getup,” Eiran wrenched on Rashari’s hair again. Rashari hissed and staggered tohis feet. The Dha-hali released his head – Rashari was taller than him whenstanding – and pressed a knife to his throat. “Move.” Fantel was relieved tosee that Rashari could walk under his own power, even if he was walking into aroom full of cages. He stepped into the doorway, the Dha-hali pressed to hisback, attention fixed on his captive.

Fantelseized the moment. Throwing open the door she leapt at Eiran’s back, hittinghim dead on. She grabbed for the knifehe held to Rashari’s throat as momentum carried all three of them back awayfrom the hold doorway and down to the floor of the corridor. The Dha-halilanded on the bottom of the pile, one arm still hooked around Rashari’s throat.Fantel raked at his face with a fistful of claws. Eiran screamed throwing hisarms up to protect his face. Wasting no time Fantel seized Rashari by the vestfront and heaved, throwing him aside and out of the way before the Dha-halicould retaliate. A line of fire opened up along her shoulder, arcing over theridge of her collarbone. She rolled to the side, but Eiran grabbed hold of herby her wounded shoulder and slammed her into the wall. Face a mask of bloodEiran reared up in front of her. Red light flashed over steel and Fanteltwisted, wrenching her neck as far to the left as she could, spine arching asshe wrestled free one arm to block the strike aimed for her throat. The bladescoured a path down her wrist and bit into the meat of her upper arm.

Eiransnarled, spittle gleaming between his teeth as he bore down. Her arm screamed,muscles locking, as she strained to keep his weight from crushing her. TheDha-hali reached for the pistol holstered at his hip. Fantel dropped her arm,the sudden movement upsetting his balance. He fell forward on top of her. She wrappedher hand around his throat and shoved her claws through the pulsing flesh ofhis neck. He convulsed as a near scalding rush of blood spilled over her hand.The air burned with the tang of copper. Fantel pushed her fingers deeper,through muscle and tissue. Eiran jerked like a landed fish. His body was heavy against her chest, his blood soakingthe thin silk of her shift. Under her palm she felt his pulse stutter and fail.Lip curling in disgust she shoved him off her. Eiran flopped to the metalgrated floor, eyes round and wide, mouth moving soundlessly, both hands clappedto his throat. The blood pulsing from between his fingers slowed and stoppedpumping.

Therewas a loud click right behind Fantel’s ear and she felt the cold metal of a gunbarrel press against her head, just below her left ear. “Don’t move Chimera.”Tomah rasped silkily. Fantel froze and met Rashari’s gaze across the narrowcorridor. He was slumped against the far wall. Azra stood behind himbrandishing a long metal tool with a very sharp edge. Fantel was not sure quitewhat the tool was but she had no doubt it was sharp enough to perforate the bigartery in Rashari’s neck just as effectively as her claws had punctured Eiran’s.

Azragrinned. “You thought you could scare me, did you? We shall see how well you doin my cages.” He looked up at Tomah, eyes eager and avaricious. “You see? Itricked the Chimera. She thought that she could threaten me. But it was all atrick. I lured her into the ship – and right to you. The Dagoman will reward mefor this, yes?” On the ground at his feet Eiran’s corpse went ignored.

“Youbastard – she killed my brother.”Tomah grabbed the back of Fantel’s head, one large hand threading into herhair. He pulled the gun away, aimed over her head, and fired. Fantel flinched,eyes snapping closed reflexively as the ghost bullet tore free of the chamberin a dark flash. She felt a wave of cold lance, stinging her soul. Azra yowledin shock. Fantel’s eyes shot open. Rashari had thrown himself to the side theinstant Tomah fired, getting clear of the path of the bullet. He sprawled onhis side on the grated floor. Azra still stood above him, his face caught in alook of confusion, the dying edge of his smug smile still clinging to thecorner of his mouth. A trickle of blood ran down the bridge of his nose,slinking to the right and chasing down his cheek. Azra collapsed in a heap.Spidery black lines spread out from the hole in his forehead like cracksforming in thin ice, stretching out under his skin and racing down his face.For just an instant his eyes flared with a dark, angry blue light, glowing intheir sockets. Then his pupils filmed over, white and dead like a day oldfish.

Rasharicursed, breaking the silence. He shoved the dead pilot’s body off him. Therewas another blue-black flash when he touched Azra. There and gone in aninstant, but Fantel saw it. She saw Rashari’s body react, muscles jolting as ifhe’d received a mild shock. When he looked up Fantel thought she saw a flash ofblue in his black eyes. There was a long moment of stillness, a handful ofseconds teetering on the edge of calamity.

Rashariwas the one to break it. “You do realise you just shot your own pilot?” Sicklysweat limned his papery-pale face, but he stared at Tomah with a look of perfectdisdain.

“Silence,”Tomah grabbed Fantel by the hair and shoved the icy barrel of his gun to hertemple, “or I shoot the Chimera.”

Rasharilooked at him, a long, hard look. “No you won’t.”

“Bloop.”From the ceiling above their heads a swarm of miniature automatons explodedinto the air aimed straight for Tomah’s head. He let go of Fantel and firedinto the swarm. Fantel ducked and scrambled over Eiran’s body. The bulletpassed through the swarm harmlessly, the ghost screaming in impudent fury asthe bullet immediately lost power, drained by the swarm. The swarm closed ranksand whirled around Tomah’s head, pelting his face and upper body again andagain, opening tiny cuts wherever they hit. Fantel gathered her legs underneathher and kicked. She hit Tomah in the gut. He staggered back and fell throughthe still open cargo hold door. He hit the ground and the gun sailed from hisgrip.

Fanteldove into the hold after him; the wave of tiny automaton’s swirling around herbody like a cloak of fireflies. She threw herself at Tomah, teeth and clawsflashing and slammed him against the bars of the nearest cage. Rearing her headback she drank in the sight of his wide eyed shock before sinking her teethinto the hot skin of his neck. Blood ignited on her tongue and she drew back. Hisblood scalded her chin as it spilled down her lips. She spat the blood into hisface. She’d tear his throat out with her teeth and enjoy it.

“Wait!”Hands caught her shoulders and dragged her back. Fantel whipped around, facetransfigured into a snarl of unadulterated rage, claws whipping up through theair to shred whoever dared interfere with her rightful kill.

“Whoa,”Rashari’s eyes widened and he danced back on his toes, letting go of her. “Holdon now. Stop. We need him alive.” He held his freed hands up. Smith hoveredover his shoulder. A half dozen of the tiny automatons circled around Smith’sshell like satellite moons orbiting a parent planet. Fantel froze, morbidlyaware of the hot blood congealing on her chin and the tatters of flesh caughtbetween her sharpened canines.

“Weneed him alive.” Rashari repeated voice calm and steady. “The Aramite patrol iscoming. If we kill him too they’ll never believe we’re the victims here.”

Fantellooked down at the blood soaking the front of her shift, coating her hands upto the wrists like black tar and causing the ends of her hair to stick to hercheeks. She looked over at Tomah, who was slumped on the ground, back proppedup against the bars of the cage. He kept one hand clamped to the bite mark inhis throat, blood flowing steadily through his fingers. There were pock-markedburns all over his face, arms, and shoulders. She looked askance at Rashari.

Hewinced. “It might help our cause if you washed some of the blood off before thepatrol arrives.” He admitted. “There are spare clothes on Vedeca. Smith willshow you.”

“Whatabout you?” Now that the rush of adrenaline and blood lust had faded Fantelfelt more herself again. She cast a sceptical eye over Rashari. He was stillslick with sweat. His dark hair was matted to his head. His clothes were almostas bloody as hers, and in his case the blood was his own. He was also listingslightly on his feet. She didn’t know how he’d managed to free himself from themanacles binding his wrists but whatever second wind had given him the strengthto pull her off Tomah was clearly ebbing now. He looked like a stiff breezewould flatten him.

“Ithink I’ll keep the blood,” he crooked his lips wryly glancing down at himselfand then over at Tomah. “Balances out the carnage, don’t you think? The patrolis more likely to believe we got the better of our attackers if one of us looksa little the worse for wear. Besides,” He raised his left hand, which shooknoticeably, and looked blankly down into his palm. Fantel saw that the stoneset into his skin had changed colour once again, and now throbbed with a pale,almost translucent green glow. “I need to set things up here before the patrolarrives.”

“Setthings up?” Instantly suspicious, Fantel frowned.

“Mhmm,”Rashari nodded vaguely, barely paying her any mind. “Watch our friend here fora second would you…I’m just going to…” He trailed off limping past her towardthe outer corridor. Smith trailed conscientiously behind him. Fantel dearlywanted to follow and replace out what he was up to – but she didn’t dare leave Tomahunattended. She scowled down at the man, extending her claws once more. Tomahglared up at her, defiant in his impotence, face ashen from encroaching bloodloss. The wound she had inflicted to his neck wasn’t fatal, but it was nasty. Shehoped it hurt.

Rasharishuffled back through the doorway gripping his abandoned shackles in one hand.“I suppose it would be too much to hope that the cage is unlocked?” He asked,more or less rhetorically, crouching down - almost over-balancing in theprocess – in front of Tomah. He frowned. “Don’t try anything or I’ll let MadameChimera finish the job she started on your neck.” Tomah sneered but saidnothing as Rashari opened the shackles.

Fantelignored the pair of them, refusing to think about the rusty tang of blood stillthick on her tongue as she tried the door of the cage. It did not budge. “Thepilot might have the key.” She suggested half turned toward the corridor whereAzra’s body lay cooling.

“Don’tbother,” Rashari sighed, locking one shackle in place around Tomah’s wristbefore looping the coil of chain through two of the cage bars. He locked thesecond shackle around Tomah’s other wrist, chaining Tomah to the outside of thecage. He then proceeded to swiftly and efficiently relieve Tomah of all his weapons.He tossed them aside disinterestedly and rose to his feet, staggering a littlein the process. Fantel watched him swallow hard, his sallow face taking on agreenish tinge.

“Bloop,”Smith buzzed close and Fantel saw that the reticulated arm had extended fromthe underside of his rounded shell. Smith held Tomah’s gun pinched between hispincers. Rashari snatched the gun away and immediately emptied the chamber,popping out round after necromantic round into his trembling left hand. Heclenched his fist tightly around each bullet, so tightly in fact that hisbloodied knuckles were white with tension, and then tossed each bullet aside.Fantel saw his eyelids flutter close. Some of the tension left his face. Hesucked in a deep breath, held it and then opened his eyes once more.

“Rightthen, no time to waste,” Abruptly he was more a alert and focussed, even hisvoice sounded stronger. “Smith –show Madame Chimera back to Vedeca while Ifinish up in here. Oh and dig out Lourand Rousseau’s paperwork would you? Ithink he’s the right man to get us out of this mess.”

“Bloop.”Smith bobbed in mid air, zipped over to Fantel and carefully, delicately,closed his pincers around a pinch of tattered silk at her shoulder beforetugging her toward the hold doorway. Fantel looked back at Rashari with nolittle exasperation; a look that was lost on him as he had already turnedaround to sneer at Tomah.