Fear should have been something Bastion was well acquainted with pushing aside.He’d defended rural towns against bandits, hunted down rabid predators, and participated in rescue and recovery, finding himself in some truly harrowing situations.But he’d never been as terrified as he was right now, in this moment, seeing Ulla at the end of someone’s sword.
His blood ran cold.
Bastion reached for his sword, his hand fumbling like a new recruit.
“Ah, ah, ah!”A man crouched on top of the boulder, leering at Bastion.The two detaining Ulla stepped closer to her.“You wouldn’t want someone’s hand to slip, would you?”
His smile suggested he was a man who enjoyed violence.A length of tattered red fabric around his head kept his dark hair out of cruel, glittering eyes.Several gold earrings glinted in the morning light, the bright, polished color at odds with his sun-bleached clothes and tanned, weathered skin.The others had a similar look to them, each sporting more gold than men of this ilk should reasonably have.
“Take his weapon,” the man said.
Bastion lifted his hands, the rapidthump thumpof his heart fueling his anger at being caught unaware.One pointed a sword at him while the other withdrew Bastion’s blade from its scabbard and backed away.Bastion glanced at Finn.If he hadn’t been so doe-eyed over Ulla, he would have recognized the gelding’s warning.
“Buck,” said the one who took Bastion’s sword.“That’s a Thatian.They’re worth a fortune!”
A few of the men’s eyes brightened as they saw the stripes on his haunches.Others, though, shifted uneasily.
“Set it loose, Buck,” one of them whispered.“We don’t want to invite Kinra’s wrath.”
Bastion swallowed the stone in his throat as Buck’s attention swept over Finn.A slow, knife-sharp smile spread across his face, and Bastion discerned that this was not a stupid man.
“By Visara and all her chaos,” he said, leveling Bastion with his gaze.“What are you doing with such a beast?”
Bastion didn’t answer.
Buck jumped off the boulder, landing in a crouch.He rose to his full height, casually unfolding with a menace that tightened Bastion’s airways.His men didn’t move, but something about their collective inhale told Bastion that even they feared him.
Buck put a hand out.The man holding Bastion’s sword passed it to him.Instead of swinging it or admiring the blade, he lifted the hilt to examine the pommel.Buck was so close to it, Bastion could see his breath condensing on the metal.
Then, Buck let his hand drop to his side, stepping closer.He leaned forwards just enough that Bastion had to tip his head back to meet Buck’s eye.
“Who are you?”Buck whispered.
They stared at each other, Bastion silent and brimming with anger, and Buck, calm and confident.All Bastion needed was the right opening, but he would never see it if he let his emotions dictate his actions.He fought to slow his racing heart and temper the lurking panic in his stomach.
“All right,” Buck said.His smile split wider as he backed away.He jerked his chin.
Someone backhanded Bastion, then forced him to his knees.A moment later, his arms were twisted behind his back.Finn whinnied and tossed his head as someone else attempted to lead him away.Others surrounded Ulla cautiously.
“Watch her horns!”
“Don’t let her touch your skin!”
The men holding her at sword point stepped back, giving others room to move in and subdue her.She lashed out, catching a man across the face with her claws.Bastion lost sight of her, and someone screamed.
Finn reared and struck out with his front feet with a ferocious cry.The man trying to handle him fell to the ground, his eyes and mouth wide with terror.He rolled away before Finn could sink his hooves into his gut.
In the chaos, Bastion wrenched one arm free, turned, and punched his captor in the throat.The man staggered, and Bastion elbowed him across the face.Before he went down, Bastion pulled the knife in his belt and spun around.Rage fueled him as he yelled, lunged forwards, and slashed.Blood spilled onto the ground, splashing Bastion’s boots.
The pirates scattered as Finn bounded forwards with all the viciousness of a stallion protecting his herd.They skirted him, closing in on Bastion.One of the men got too close to the Thatian, and Finn shouldered him, sending him flying.With more room now, the gelding spun and kicked.Both back hooves connected squarely with another pirate.He dropped like a marionette whose strings had been cut.The others drew back, and Finn bolted.Bastion gawked as the horse disappeared across the bluffs, along with their only chance of escape.
Two men tackled him.They wrestled the blade from his grip and gut-punched him.He struggled, desperate for a line of sight on Ulla, but a knife pressed to his throat kept him on his knees.
All around, men groaned as they got to their feet or brushed debris from their clothing.Bruises and blood abounded.Buck looked on with his arms folded and a scowl on his face.
“Boss, Knuckles is dead,” said one of the pirates.He knelt beside the man Finn had kicked.His shirt was open, revealing two perfect hoof-shaped bruises and…
An Acari pendant.
