I leap down from above, slicing my way through the only guard I see before destroying the gate to the slave pen. Well done Sky, I mentally congratulate myself.
"He's freed the slaves! You'll pay for that maggot!" yells a pirate I hadn't noticed, racing down the ramp with what must be his two closest friends. Damn it Sky! I hear a soft step in the hallway behind me. Maybe there's hope after all.
"Will I?" I reply. "If you scum have any sense at all you'll stand aside. Let me go drive a blade through your master's throat and I'll forget I saw you." The threat is not an idle one. The sabers in my hands aren't just for show. I will take down as many men as necessary to get to the bastard that is responsible for the abduction and murder of my five year old daughter. While the pirates have a brief argument over the meaning of sarcasm I take a quick glance over my shoulder to check out my potential back up. And then check again. Standing in the entrance to this cavern is the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. Even if she can't fight, she'll make one hell of a distraction for the idiots arguing in front of me.
"Look around," I say, cutting their discussion short. "The odds are not so much in your favor. There's still a chance for you to run."
"What are you talking about, fool?" snarls the pirate.
"You haven't noticed my partner over there watching us?" Two of the three heads turn to look. Damn it. I was hoping for all three, I could have had their heads off before they knew what was happening. I hope this woman can defend herself long enough for me to get to her. "Don't let her grace and beauty fool you; she's deadly. This is your last chance to get out of here alive." The beauty at the entry gives me an amused smile. Certainly better than a look of sheer panic.
"So the thief brought a friend?" asks the pirate that's still facing me. "That just means you won't die alone. Attack!" Damn it, bluff called. I glance towards the doorway to map out the best path to her only to find she's not there. Four steel claws explode out the front of the chest of the pirate in front of me. The claws retract and he drops to the ground, revealing the beauty behind him who sends me a wink before turning to face the other two, those steel claws seeming to come from her own hands. I pick my jaw up off the floor in time to help her dispatch the last one. She seems to almost meditate for a second and the claws disappear.
"How'd I know you'd be deadly in a fight?" I ask, trying to catch my breath. "You'll have to accept my apologies for dragging you into that, but I can't afford to be stopped, not now." She simply folds her arms over her chest and gives me an expectant look. "My name's Sky. It's good to see there's someone else in this place that can't stand these slaving dogs. We make quite the pair." A faint smile graces those pretty pink lips.
"Good thing I was here to save you." Her feminine voice sends a shiver up my spine. It matches her delicate looks, but not her battle prowess.
"Indeed. I find I'm just not saved enough these days. Shame, that." There's a sparkle in her bright grey eyes, but otherwise her expression stays the same. "It was obvious you weren't with the pirates, why not deal with them quickly? There's bigger game above us. Speaking of which, there's a very secure and equally intimidating gate blocking the way. If we work together though it will be simple to crack."
"How do you know your way around this place so well?" she asks with a hint of suspicion.
"It's funny what things you can learn if you just ask at the right time, like when you have a knife to someone's throat." She laughs.
"I'll have to file that away for future use." I grin back, thrilled to be the one that made her laugh.
"Can I ask your name?" I say on impulse. "Or do I require a knife for the answer?" She seems to think a moment before nodding.
"Phoenix. My name is Silver Phoenix," comes her response.
"Beautiful. It suits you," I reply before I realize what I'm saying. "Uh, because of the silver eyes," I add on clumsily.
"Why are you here?" She asks, turning back to business where my head should be.
"I'm here on a personal matter. A man in this place took something very valuable from me, and I intend to repay him the favor," I say, turning with her as she starts to scope out the room.
"Would this man happen to be Gao the Greater?" she asks. This woman is full of surprises.
"If I had more time I'd want to know what brought you here. I expect it's quite the tale." She pauses in her inspection long enough to flash me a smile.
"You have no idea," she says.
"Yes, I hunt Gao the Greater, though I won't say why. And I certainly won't be stopped now that I'm this close. Luckily, you're here, which will make it easier to reach the upper levels where the coward hides himself away."
"How do I know I can trust you?" asks Phoenix, all amusement gone from her face.
"You're here for your reasons, I'm here for mine. Somehow, I doubt that they conflict. Besides, neither of us will be going any farther without the other one's help." She glances back at her companion, a woman I hadn't even noticed, who shrugs.
"Fine," says Phoenix. "How do we get past the door?" I try not to sigh in relief.
"It's locked by a fairly ingenious mechanism. Gao's engineer, Kang the Mad, designed it for security." She gives me a doubtful look.
"I don't typically think of pirates as the ingenious type." I grin at her.
"Oh I don't know, they're good with knots," I say.
"And doors, apparently," she responds.
"So it seems. The door requires two to unlock it, one up on that platform and the other operating the door itself. They had a sentry up there, but he had an... accident." A satisfied smile graces her lips.
"If he was one of these vile slavers I hope it was a painful one." Careful Phoenix, I might just follow you home. Come on Sky, head in the game! You did not spend the last three years hunting this dog to be waylaid by a beautiful face. And body. Who can fight. I give myself a mental shake. Nobody's saying you can't look her up afterwards. "So, what's waiting for me on the other side of that door?" continues Phoenix.
"My best guess would be guards willing to die for their master. You shouldn't have too much trouble helping them reach that goal." The satisfied smile is back.
"It will be my honor to fulfill their dying wish," she says with a bit of relish.
"Once the door is open we can go our separate ways. I have my goals and I'm sure you have yours. Since we both have much to do, why don't I go unlock the door now?" I ask, already headed in that direction. Her light touch on my arm freezes me in my tracks.
"Wait, Sky, why don't we work together after the door is opened?" she asks. I think about this for a split second. I don't think I want this beautiful woman witnessing all the torture I have in mind for Gao the Greater. That would make it harder to charm myself into her life. And bed.
"Coming from you, that's a tempting offer. I'm a fool to turn you down, but I think what I've come here to do is something I must do alone," I say. I must be imagining the slight fall of her face. "I should go now, but I have to ask in case we don't ever get the chance to meet again. Where did you study?" It's not the question she was expecting, and her guard quickly goes up.
"At the same place where I learned to mind my own business," she says firmly, but not unkindly.
"My mistake, I didn't mean to overstep the bounds of our relationship so soon." That puts a small smile back on her face. "I simply had to ask. Your technique is like nothing I've ever seen before." Plus I want her to teach me how to grow steel tiger claws. Those would come in handy. Her smile turns cocky.
"Perhaps you've just never seen a properly trained warrior," she says. I let my eyes flit across her mostly exposed body, pausing on the curves that are barely covered by some plum colored fabric.
"If this is the way properly trained warrior's look I must look into meeting more," I say. She laughs and I smile. "No one I've ever met fights like you," I continue. "It's subtle, but your movements bait your foes into seeing an opening that isn't there. It's like a clever trap." She raises an eyebrow at me and I realize I've gotten way off topic. "I'm sorry, I'm wasting time neither of us can spare. I'll head up to the platform and pull the lever now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Silver Phoenix." The look in her eyes is one I recognize, one of interest.
"You as well Sky," she says, turning towards the door. After I kill Gao and make it out of here alive, I am so tracking her down.