Lost at Sea Bk. 02 Ch. 27

"What in the Warden's name is going on?!" Mercy demanded. "You're acting like you've been bewitched!"

"I know that throw." Victoria said with a small shake of her head. "It's supposed to drop an enemy on their head. He over-rotated so Hector landed on his back instead."

Mercy's eyes went wide, "You think he was trying not to kill him?"

"Twice," Caine repeated flatly. He set the empty pistol on a shelf next to the door and leaned against the doorframe. "I don't like any of you, but I don't want you dead."

"Can we all stop trying to hurt each other?" Janie said quietly.

Mercy looked bitter and defeated, but took a breath and regained her composure. "Yes. You're right. This is not what we came to do." Her hands glowed again and the light sank into Hector's body.

"How'd you get through the shield?" Victoria asked.

Caine picked up her pistol again and held it up for her to see, then set it back down.

Understanding dawned on her. "Warden's blood," she cursed.

Hector stirred and sat upright abruptly. Then he winced and grabbed his head. Confusion spread across his face. "There's sorcery going on here," he muttered darkly.

Caine snorted out a laugh.

"They're in league with Sterling," Hector muttered. "Whatever blasphemy he's spreading is in them too."

"Hector?" Mercy asked, looking concerned.

"We never should have let them lock us inside," he continued, struggling to his feet.

Janie looked flabbergasted. "We are not sorcerers!"

Caine waggled his fingers in Hector's direction. "Wooo. Magic."

"How else would explain dispelling a holy shield!?" Hector demanded.

"Hector, he had my pistol," Victoria said slowly.

"We'll get it back, Sister. This isn't over. There's no way he can't stop all three of us," Hector said fiercely, reaching for his fallen sword.

Caine burst out laughing. "How the fuck did you ever get that armor?"

"I earned it, villain!" Hector said through clenched teeth.

Caine shook his head wryly. "I guess the competition isn't what it used to be."

"Hector!" Victoria barked. She rubbed her face with her hands. "He. Had. My. Pistol."

"What of it?" Hector asked, confused.

Caine started laughing again.

"It's blessed, Hector. Like us. So we don't accidentally hurt each other," Victoria explained.

Understanding dawned on Mercy too. "And so I can heal you while your shields and wards are up."

Hector blinked. His mouth opened. Then closed again. Then opened. "But then he'd have to be..."

Caine gave Hector a conspiratorial wink.

"Blessed too," Victoria finished for him.

"The Prelate said you were her agent. She didn't say you were Magistrate. Which Order are you?" Mercy said to Caine.

Caine shook his head. "None."

"Then how?" Hector demanded.

"Excommunicated," Caine said simply.

"Of course!" Hector said angrily. "A heretic!"

"Nope. Wrong again," Caine said, amusement.

"That's the only reason anyone is ever excommunicated," Hector said firmly. "That's what it means!"

Caine snorted. "The church really did a number on you, huh?"

"I will not be insulted any further, cur," Hector said, picking himself up painfully. "Sister, if you would heal me again I will see this villain dead even if it means my life."

Caine didn't try to hold back his amusement. "So dramatic."

"Stand down!" Sister Victoria barked.

Hector looked at her in surprise. "He is a heretic!" the angry knight objected. "He is in the way of our investigation, and he's insulted the church and my honor!"

"That is an order, Hector!" Victoria snapped. "Why were you excommunicated," she asked Caine pointedly.

"I beat up a Centurion and mouthed off to a Priestess," Caine shrugged.

Sister Victoria watched him carefully, looked pained after he finished, then started laughing.

"Are you actually capable of respect?" Mercy asked Caine flatly.

"He's telling the truth," Victoria said, shaking her head in bemused disbelief.

"He can't be," Sister Mercy said grimly. She stood up and walked towards him, narrowing her eyes in concentration and reaching for her holy symbol.

Caine's hand intercepted hers. He didn't grab her. He just got in the way. "Don't do that."

"What?!" Mercy demanded, pulling her hand away in surprise and a bit of fear.

Caine stepped forward as she stepped back. "If your eyes turn funny colors, I will pull your hood over your face and tie it there with your cincture."

"How dare you!" Mercy gasped. She took another step back but Caine kept pace, maintaining the same distance.

Hector tried to move in to intercept Caine, but he lurched on his feet as a wave of pain and nausea overtook him again.

"I need to see your blessing!" Mercy demanded.

"No you don't," Caine said. "You're not investigating me."

"We investigate whatever we deem necessary," Mercy glared defiantly, refusing to move backwards anymore.

"You want to know something about me, ask the Prelate," Caine said.

"You are right here!" Mercy snapped.

"And I'm telling you no," Caine said firmly.

Mercy turned away, and threw her hands up in frustration. "If you were excommunicated, how are you still blessed?"

Caine looked amused again. "You think Blessings come from the church?"

Mercy's eyes widened.

"Where else would they come from?" Hector demanded. The knight was keeping his composure, but he was furious. His own Blessings were healing him far more quickly than an average man. He was looking for any excuse to engage Caine again.

"The Warden," Mercy said in a voice tinged with fear and awe. "But how?"

"I guess she still likes me," Caine deadpanned.

"Who are you?" Mercy asked, a bit afraid to hear the answer.

"Name's Caine," he said with a grin. "Pleased t' meecha."

"You're impossible!" Mercy snapped at him.

"You're not the first person to tell me that," Caine admitted.

"I think this has gone on long enough." Janie said sternly.

The witch hunters both turned to her. In all the excitement, they'd practically forgotten she was there.

Sister Victoria nodded. "I agree."

Mercy sighed and gave Caine another angrily confused glance. "Fine. This man is not the concern of our mission anyway. The repercussions for his actions can wait until we speak to the Prelate."

"Can I come?" Caine grinned maliciously.

"In chains perhaps," Sister Mercy glared.

"Might be worth it to see her face," Caine considered.

"I'd like to start over." Sister Victoria said apologetically. "Acolyte Castilian, it is gravely important that we find William Sterling. Will you help us?"

"Gladly, under the condition that you swear to do everything in your power to keep him from harm until his curse can be broken?" Janie countered.

"Of course," Victoria said with an earnest nod.

"Binding," Caine reminded them.

Mercy and Victoria looked at each other. Mercy shook her head. "For a Binding, that oath is too open."

"It seems straightforward to me," Janie said tersely.

"There are too many ways it wouldn't work, or force us to behave in ways that would work against the original intent of the oath," Sister Mercy tried to explain.

"What if his curse can't be broken?" Victoria said as an example.

"Or what if Sterling becomes overtaken by it? Possessed?" Mercy asked.

"I. Don't. Care," Janie said in a voice like steel.

The priestesses seemed surprised at Janie's vehemence and looked at each other for another long moment, weighing their options.

"What about this," Victoria said, speaking to Janie and Mercy at the same time. "We will swear to do everything in our power to save Mister Sterling from harm done by his curse."

"And not to take harmful action against Mister Sterling unless it is necessary to protect others from him," Mercy added. "These oaths will last until the curse can be dispelled or otherwise removed from Mister Sterling."

"Or a way can be found to Bind it, or Ward it against endangering people," Victoria finished.

"Our oaths to the Warden and the Church will supersede, but in cases of conflict we will attempt to refrain from taking actions that would force a choice between them," Mercy added. She considered a moment longer, then the Sisters nodded to each other in agreement and turned to Janie again.

Janie glanced at Caine. He looked uncharacteristically impressed and shrugged. Janie still seemed a bit skeptical. "If I agree, what do you expect from me?"

"You will help us find Mister Stirling, and support our efforts to deal with his curse," Sister Mercy offered. "He trusts you. With your help, I think we could avoid conflict when we find him."

"You want to use me against him," Janie translated.

"No!" Mercy said, then looked at Janie's arched eyebrow and remembered that Janie had completed her Acolyte training. She sighed. "Yes. But not the way you're implying. I don't know if we can fulfil this oath without Mister Sterling's cooperation. He trusts you. With your help, I am hoping we can find a way to deal with his curse before it endangers anyone else."

"Now that we understand more about your relationship with him, it would be foolish of us not to include that in our plans," Sister Victoria said frankly.

"Sounds like you want more than information," Caine said. "You want take her with you."

"That would be ideal, yes," Sister Mercy said happily. "If you agree to help us, we can get you off this island."

"And protect you," Victoria continued.

"Only if Caine comes with me," Janie said, giving the man who'd become her guardian a pleading look.

"Well yeah," Caine shrugged. "I wasn't gonna leave you by yourself with a bunch of church spooks."

Janie held back her laughter as the Witch Hunters and their bodyguard all gave him icy looks.

"We can't leave Tonya though," Caine said.

"Of course not," Janie agreed. She turned back to the Sisters. "Myself, Caine, and one other."

"Our ship has room. Where is the third?" Sister Mercy asked.

"Upstairs," Janie said simply.

"Praise be," Sister Victoria said, relieved. "That makes things easy."

"Oh yeah, that's how I'd describe all this," Caine said wryly.

"Caine, hush," Janie said.

Caine let out a laugh. "Fine."

"Amazing," Sister Victoria said sarcastically.

"I think we have a decent plan. Your willingness to help is appreciated," Mercy said with a diplomatic smile.

"Maybe next time, start with asking nice," Caine suggested.

Mercy and Hector glared at him, but Victoria had the grace to look a bit chagrined.

"Your goals toward Mister Sterling are essentially the same as mine," Janie said, drawing their attention back from Caine's mockery. "I don't know how to make a binding oath though. My word will have to be good enough."

"We would know if you were lying," Victoria said wryly.

"Of course," Janie said with a small smile.

The priestesses each unscrewed the base of the holy symbols, revealing a small spike. They bowed their heads and whispered a solemn vow to their goddess while piercing their palms and letting the blood well into the symbol of their devotion. Very briefly their words formed a beautiful glowing script that swirled in the air and took the form of golden shackles before fading from sight.

It was over quickly, and done with a remarkable lack of pomp. In spite of the impressive display of magic, it seemed almost anti-climactic.

"What now?" Janie asked.

Sister Victoria thought for a moment. "Our ship is in the harbor. How soon can you leave?"

"It's not going to be that easy," Caine interjected. "We aren't going to have a nice stroll down to the docks and wave goodbye in the morning."

"Every time you open your mouth I feel like the Goddess is testing me," Sister Mercy said flatly. "What is the problem this time?"

"The Teach family owns the docks. Hell, they own most of the town," Caine said, gesturing like what he was saying should be obvious. "The price on Janie's head is big enough that even the decent folks are keeping their eyes out. All this time we've wasted having a pissing contest, word is definitely getting around. By now, the docks are probably locked down and crawling with Teach pirates. Sooner or later they're going to get organized and show up here. If you head to the docks, this will be a short trip."

"A bunch of pirates wouldn't dare assault Inquisitors and a Centurion," Hector scoffed.

"Maybe, but Alexandra would be pissed," Caine shrugged.

Mercy looked concerned. "The Prelate was nothing but helpful."

"And we'd leave behind a war," Sister Victoria said bitterly.

"Assuming you left at all," Caine said pointedly.

"I'm sure we could smuggle all of you out. Three Acolytes traveling with Inquisitors wouldn't raise eyebrows," Sister Mercy said.

"Uh, Caaaaaaine," Tonya's voice came from the stairwell.

Caine sighed. "Yeah?" he called.

"There's a bunch of people gathering outside," Tonya continued.

He gave Sister Mercy a pointed look. "Well that was quick."