“Beautiful Place in My Heart: Amy and the Argonauts?”
After dropping off Allegra, Kate, and everyone that made a special request, Teleah and Kayleigh Acheron were exhausted. They had circled the globe more times in the past day than they had during most months of their career, visiting Italy, Ireland, China, America, and now returning to Italy for Riene. They were so tired that not even sex would rouse them; they slept like rocks as the rest of the crew stretched their legs. Latoli came to them by taxi, looking a little more confident and brighter for her experience. She kept most of the details of her family reunion a secret, but was at least willing to say she was glad she went. It had been very informative.
“So where is everyone else?” she asked, noticing their dwindled numbers. “Don’t tell me they actually left the ship.”
“If you mean, ‘leave it permanently’, I don’t know,” Amy replied, her eyes hazy as she wiped her forehead. Her foot-pain had returned with a vengeance, despite Fuuka’s best treatment, and she could not walk without assistance. “But they certainly left,” she continued weakly— “presumably to explore on their own. It’s happened before, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Oh, Rebecca says hello.”
“Becky said that? To you?” Amy shook her head.
“She asked me to give you the message.” Riene’s lips parted in a polite little gasp, and her cheeks became warm and rosy. She smiled to herself and took a satisfied breath.
“I see, thank you. Um, this may not be the best question to ask right now, but do we have another destination, or are we resting?”
“I’m not really sure. The Acherons are wiped out, and the only other native we have with us is…uh, busy.”
“You mean Eve? Is something wrong with the ship?”
“No,” Amy smiled, her pale complexion darkening a little, “she’s just busy.” Riene held her hands up in understanding.
“All right, none of my business. So nobody knows where else we could go?”
“Not yet,” she murmured, wincing and hissing. Riene approached her with concern, but Amy waved her off; she was fine. “Rachel’s been thinking about seeing the Middle Eastern region. It’s as close to her birthplace as we can find. Mink wants to see the Grand Canyon, and Kyrie wants to visit Hawaii. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?” Before Riene could answer, Naja called Amy over the PA, announcing they had a visitor.
“Why is she…” Riene pointed. Amy made a face as she shifted in her chair.
“Because it makes her happy. Rachel? Rachel, where are you?” The perky Efreeta materialized from the ceiling, floating upside-down and yawning. She squeaked, “Here,” before rubbing her eyes and righting herself. “Rachel, come with me and see who our visitor is, will you?”
“Yes, Master. Would you like for me to carry you?”
“No thank you,” she answered, pulling back the armrest and revealing a control panel. Riene hadn’t noticed the wheelchair and stood back as Amy moved out. She still looked to be in considerable pain as she rolled out of her room towards the gangplank. Several other women were already gathered there, wondering who could be after them. Most of them were armed. Eve was at the guns. An unnecessary precaution.
“Is this any way to greet fellow outlaws?” Most of the women put down their arms and relaxed as the visitor revealed herself and her crew— yes, most, but certainly not all. Trusting “Dead” Rose Gillian certainly didn’t come easy.
“Can’t be too careful,” Kyrie grunted as she put her flamethrower away. Rose chuckled warmly.
“Believe me, I know how you feel. So are the Acherons still with you— and that sweet, sexy Miracle of yours? Ah, there she is now, more stunning than ever. What happened, did you break your leg?”
“I just got into a bad fight,” Amy muttered. She and Rose shook hands, but then Rose knelt down and kissed Amy’s knuckles. Miracle smiled timidly and Rose suddenly grimaced as her new first mate pinched her ear.
“Darling, behave yourself. How is everybody doing? Oh, where’s Sharyn?”
“Off in Ireland getting one of her mystic thingies,” Rachel answered. “Lyara’s with her if you’re worried she might start trouble.” Ferrara crossed her arms.
“I’m not startin’ no trouble! If any trouble comes, it won’t be from me, got it?!”
“See, darling?” Alto said as she draped gentle arms over her Captain. “Our angel knows how to behave herself. Anyway, about why we’re here.”
“Right: this ain’t no social call. I’ve got a business proposal.”
“Well then,” Amy smiled, “from one group of outlaws to another, let’s find someplace comfortable so we can hear it.”
……
“Nice ship,” Rose drawled, her face lighting up as she explored the Dauntless. “Really nice! Heh…enough room to hold twice your usual number. You know, you really can’t appreciate a ship of this quality just by looking at it from the outside. Where’d you buy it?”
“It was a gift,” Amy replied.
“A gift, huh? Pretty sweet. Wow, you even got saunas. We gotta start running into each other more.”
“Darling, the business,” Alto whispered.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it. Boy, what could I do without her, huh? All right, this room seems to be big enough. Wassup?” She smiled at Mink, who had been asked to prepare the conference room, and put a holographic chip on a desk in the center, tapping it twice to open up a screen. “I came across this little trinket after I saved this really hot Scorpion-woman. Unfortunately, uh…this was sort of my only payback. Tsk, woman was straight as hell. Anyway, this happy little doohickey was on one of the people I saved her from, so I, uh, liberated it. Yeah. Of course, the irony is that even after all the trouble I went through, I couldn’t even read the damn language it was written in, but I could recognize the pictures well enough.” She tapped it three more times: an unfamiliar language lit up, and behind it, the unmistakable visage of Gaea, mother Earth.
“We were hoping we could get an interpreter, or maybe some kind of cryptologist, who could tell us what these words mean. So first we came to Gaea, right— and then, luckily for us, Cirrus spotted you beautiful people floating around, and since I hear you’ve got a mixed-bag crew— ”
“It’s Greek,” Riene said as she gazed at the message. Rose grinned and slapped her back.
“See, I knew we’d luck out! So what’s it say?” Riene peered at the letters very carefully, poking her finger through the translucent screen as her cogs began to turn.
“Uh, ‘behold the messenger god who sends a chariot from Olympus, bearing the king’s children to Colchis. Here it was unmade and put to rest upon a tree protected by the watchful dragon. If you seek the god’s favored chariot, you must traverse the flying menace, past crashing rocks into wild lands where gods are imprisoned on stone. Prove yourself to Aetes, and in the dragon’s defeat, make your claim’. That’s the best I can make of it. Anyone know what that means?” She looked around and saw clueless faces, but Amy was sitting up sharply, in spite of her pain.
“It can’t be,” she whispered. “I thought it was just a myth. But after everything we’ve been through, I probably shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
“What? Do you know what it is?” Rose asked. Amy nodded her head solemnly and removed her glasses.
“This is a map to the fabled Golden Fleece.” Riene, the Acherons, and Eve drew back at once, feeling their skin prick and crawl with unfamiliar excitement. They knew precisely what she was talking about and stood alongside her in awe. The others didn’t have quite such a dramatic reaction, but they were nevertheless affected: it was like being told a very powerful secret that only a few people know. Even the simplest among them couldn’t deny that fleece made out of pure gold sounded amazing.
“Hold on a second,” Eve sputtered. “Are you referring to the Golden Fleece, the one Jason and the Argonauts went after?”
“Do you know of any other?” Amy said. She asked Riene to recite the hologram’s message again and made sure to record it all. “Look here: the messenger god of Greek mythology was Hermes; the chariot from Olympus was a golden ram that bore the children of King Phrixus away from Greece to Colchis, which is in modern-day southeastern Europe…or the Middle-East; I’m not sure. The King’s daughter was lost, but his son sacrificed the ram and hung its fleece on a tree, where it was protected by a serpent— I guess it could be interpreted as a dragon. Jason and the Argonauts went through those exact same trials to get it: it’s exactly the same as the story! I’d know; I wrote a thesis on it and the correlation between superheroes of comic books.”
“Seriously?” Amy nodded. “But it’s a myth, right? I mean, it’s just like King Arthur and the Ring of Nibelung.”
“Up until humans left the Earth,” Kay said, “we used to believe that gorgons, sphinxes, centaurs, and mer-folk were myth as well. Galactic archives have proven us wrong before.”
“But you can’t seriously believe— ”
“That’s why we’re going on this journey, beautiful,” Rose said. “We’re going to find out whether this thing’s the genuine article or if I got stiffed. Half of treasure-hunting is seeing if the treasure’s real, right?” Eve let out a defeated sigh and shrugged.
“I guess so… But why do you need us? I mean, besides to interpret it?”
“That was all,” she smirked.
“That’s it? But you said you had a business proposal.”
“I certainly did,” she grinned wolfishly. The pirates drew their swords and guns, surrounding the crew.
“What the hell are you doing!?” Kyrie roared. Rose blew her a kiss.
“We’re pirates. Now we’re pirating.” Caution turned to defeat as the women put down their weapons and surrendered. “The proposal was that you stay out of my business. I’ll take your ship, too: I’ve been thinking of starting my own fleet. Nothing personal, ladies; I’d just like to get filthy stinking rich. You know, in case I need to finance a campaign.”
“You’ll use that money to buy whores and brothel-girls,” Ferrara muttered.
“Hey, nothing wrong with that. My fleet needs a crew, don’t it?”
“Sorry about this,” Cirrus mumbled as she wandered around tying everybody up. “We won’t harm you. It’s just that…when Rose sees something she wants…”
“No explanation needed,” Shana sighed. The general consensus among the crew was disgust and anger, but Amy and Rachel looked at ease. Rose caressed Miracle’s face seductively but Amy merely stared at her, neither appearing betrayed nor annoyed. Finally the rogue smiled, stroking her russet pigtails.
“Hell, I can’t leave a sexy girl like you stranded here. It’s not in my nature. Tell you what: whoever wants to can join my crew. I can’t allow you back on this ship, of course, but it’s better than scrambling around this dung-heap. What do you say?”
“Why not let us go?” Amy smirked. “Hear me out, Rose. There’s no need for you to be so diabolical. You’re our friends, all of you— we should treat each other as such.”
“All of my friends are with me on my ship,” she grinned fiercely. “I like you all, but most of ya I wouldn’t trust with my garbage. Besides, what part of pirate didn’t you understand?”
“That’s not what I mean. Why not make a sport of this? That’s what you really want, isn’t it? It would be too easy for you to just sail over there with both our ships and grab the Fleece without any obstacles. It wouldn’t be fun.” Rose’s ferocious expression softened, and she raised her eyebrow.
“I’m listening.”
“Let us go and we’ll compete with you. The Dauntless can’t sail on water, so you’ll get a head start while we scramble to find a ship. Those that don’t want to come will have to stay behind. Since we’re friends, we can make this a friendly contest— no wars or anything like that.” The pirate rubbed her chin and laughed softly; she had always liked Amy’s bold personality.
“It does sound pretty entertaining. But I’ve got issues. First, how do I know you won’t use your ship— the Dauntless, I mean— to gain an unfair lead? Second, what happens if one of us gets the Fleece before the other? And third: I don’t trust that genie of yours. That’s too great an advantage.”
“I understand. Let’s see…first, I’ll take the master key with me. Nobody will be able to get in and nobody will be able to start it. Second, you can ask any member of my crew about how I use Rachel’s powers. She is more like my friend than my servant, and I would never ask her to do anything unless there was no alternative. In short, you’ll just have to trust me. As for the reward…” She smirked, but her face twisted as the pain intensified. Fuuka demanded that she be released but Rose denied her request.
“Miracle’s tougher than that. Go on.”
“Uh, yes,” she breathed. “If we win, you have to apologize for tying us up. If you win, you can spend one night with me.”
“Is that so!” she exclaimed.
“Amy, you can’t do that!” Kay shouted.
“Send us instead,” Tee insisted. “We’re the ones she wants anyway.”
“I’d prefer to have all of you, of course,” Rose muttered as she signaled to her crew. They started untying everybody, though some were more wary than others. “But if it came down to it, I’d definitely choose Miracle. Mmm…something about brunettes with glasses and pigtails really excites me. Okay, little lady, you’ve got a deal. Don’t disappoint me, okay?” She winked and walked away— but as the last of her crew went through the door, she couldn’t resist barring it and running away laughing. “Don’t dawdle, Miracle! A night with me can be longer than you think!”
“That awful rat!” Shana exclaimed as she shook her binds off. Athena, Naja, Mink, and Kyrie had gotten loose on their own, and Rachel had simply turned into mist, ready to attack at her master’s word.
“What could you expect?” Herut said. “A pirate will always be a pirate. Are you really going through with this, doctor?”
“Well, I said I would, didn’t I?”
“But why?” Athena snorted. “Don’t tell me you’re serious about this.”
“It was the only way I could think of keeping the ship,” she whined helplessly. “Look, Rose isn’t a bad person, okay? I really want us to stay friends and this was the best way I could think of to maintain that. Besides, it might be fun, and it’ll give us something to do.”
“And suppose she wins. Are you prepared to sleep with her?”
“She won’t do that,” Amy smiled as she adjusted her glasses. “I trust her.”
“You do realize you’re talking about a pirate. A lesbian pirate. And she’s not exactly monogamous.”
“I trust her,” she repeated, glowing warmly. “Still, there’s no harm in putting some action behind my faith. It’s time we find a ship. Rachel?”
“Yes, master!” Miracle tossed her a bag of Gold.
“Go into town and find a rental, then bring it back here. Those of you that want to, you may stay behind. The rest of you, take whatever supplies you can and move out.” Amy hobbled out as firmly as she could, making a rather striking impression on her crew. They knew she was capable of crossing the line between ditz and director; it just happened so infrequently that it came as a surprise.
“Does she really know what she’s doing?” Naja wondered. Suddenly, Amy lost her balance and fell over on her bottom. The Elshyrin groaned. “Looks like she’ll need all the help she can get. All right! All hands on deck! We’ve got some catching-up to do.”
……
Rose winced as the sea-salt and sea-wind splashed against her face, into her eyes and down her cheek, permeating her clothes and touching her many battle-wounds with a fiery kiss. Yet there was naught but pleasure as she stood at the bow, clasping onto the rail that separated her from watery destruction, merely a few seconds away from Poseidon’s clutches— pleasure that can only come from braving the mightiest and most frightening waves, when all other senses tell you to stay back. A Mediterranean breeze tossed her flaxen hair, filling her lungs with Grecian, Roman, Turkish, and Egyptian perfumes, the center of humanity’s greatness on Gaea for thousands of years— and now she was headed to what could possibly be the living embodiment of this greatness, not merely a golden fleece but a chance to connect with mythology, to touch the very muse that set the poets aflame, to see, even to glimpse, the very cradle of imagination and Story, the chance to be a part of it all. No wealth in the universe could compare.
“A flying menace,” Ferrara said out of the blue, standing half-naked at starboard, her breasts taut and her abdomen roasting. Seldom did the feathered folk wear garments, for theirs was a society not normally accustomed to modesty (or frost). This was the Breathless one in her element; she took to the skies nude and only dressed herself out of necessity, or when it fancied her. Rose gazed at her as she drew out her thought. “D’ya think they meant me?”
“Even you’re not that egotistical, dear,” the Captain gestured. “If what Miracle said is correct, all this happened about three thousand years ago. It’s probably referring to some natural creature that the ancients thought was a monster. You know how these things go.”
“I heard that the ancient Gaeans once had giant lizards roaming their world,” Alto said as she joined her lover. Three identical sisters were with her, triplets named for the seasons: doctors, and the people who had saved the Captain from death and imprisonment.
“Giant lizards?” Rose blurted. “Someone must’ve been drinking battery acid! Intelligent lizards I could understand, but giant ones?”
“And not all of them carnivorous. Could that be the dragon Miracle spoke about?”
“Well, I’ve seen dragons in my travels. There are such thing as flying lizards, but giants? Really, now. Next they’ll be seeing fish that fly or squid that live on land.”
“I just wish we knew more about Gaea,” Alto fretted. She sidled next to her lover and gave her a loving little bump. “You should’ve cooperated with them, love. From what you’ve told me, they have several natives to this world with them. We’d be a lot better off— ”
“That’s why I wanted to take a few of em’ with us!” she exclaimed defensively. “I wasn’t gonna leave em’ all there, just a few. Sorry— I kinda got caught up in Amy’s little challenge.”
“That’s certainly you, all right,” she smiled sadly. Alto kissed her cheek and borrowed the telescope. “So, seen any flying menaces yet? Or are you just staring at Ferrara’s bare chest?”
“If we are going to encounter any, I haven’t seen any yet, unless you count gulls.”
“I’m more worried about the crashing rocks,” one of the sisters said.
“And gods imprisoned on stones?”
“If there’s going to be a dragon, let’s let those other people fight them.”
“One at a time, ladies,” Rose waved. “Ferr-Ferr, see if you can’t scout ahead of us for trouble. Cirrus? Now where’s that daughter of yours…? Summer, go see if you can’t find her, and tell her to prepare all our anti-aircraft cannons. Autumn, you hop to it. Arms for every woman, a sword and a gun each. Winter, get back to sick bay and get it ready. Friend or foe, real or not, we’ll be ready for these menaces.”
“What about me?” Alto asked as she massaged Rose’s shoulders. The pirate turned around, glanced down, and touched her face.
“We’ll try the diplomatic approach first. If we can talk our way through without a fight, so much the better. That’s where that delicious silver tongue of yours comes in.”
“I figured as much,” she laughed. They were about to kiss when suddenly, Alto’s daughter came barging up to the deck, a frantic look in her eyes.
“We’ve got something on radar! It’s not big, but there seems to be a group.”
“What’d I tell ya, huh?” Rose grinned. “Okay, battle stations, everyone! Don’t fire until I give you the word! Thirty days of chastity for whoever breaks my command! Where do you think you’re going?” she purred, pulling on Alto’s arm. “We’ve got unfinished business.”
“Really now,” she blushed as Rose gave her a deep, passionate kiss. The “flying menaces” came much faster than Cirrus had calculated, arriving in a great throng with their wings beating a foul air and a mockery to the aroma Rose had known till’ now. Half-human, half-bird, deformed and vile monsters with jagged feathers, talons like the jaws of an anglerfish, their beaks like the scythe of death, bodies bloated and dripping with blood, their naked breasts swaying, their voices a horrible screech. Harpy sounded too gentle and distant a description for them, yet these were not harpies but feathered-folk like Ferrara, but so far removed from her limited graces that lunacy and depravity would be an improvement. You or I would have the same reaction to a mutilated sewer-dweller gleefully enjoying his own torture.
“Do you really think I could talk to them?” Alto winced. Rose pulled out two guns but kept them from view.
“You could try. I got’cher back.” The former Queen steadied herself and made a friendly gesture to the devils above.
“We come in peace! Please, allow us to pass and we will cause you no further trouble! If it’s provisions you seek, we’ll gladly share some in the name of goodw— ” She shrieked and dove for cover as the harpies rained down on her, pelting the ship and ripping the deck apart with their hideous talons. Rose cringed and started firing.
“So much for that! Cirrus, Summer, fire at will! The rest of you, swords out! Don’t shoot unless they’re right in front of you! They’re too damn fast!” Unfortunately, by saying “the rest of you”, Rose really meant Alto and Autumn, poor odds against a host of this multitude. Still, the skies were black with feathers, flesh, blood, and falling carcasses as the pirates fought bitterly and bravely. Smoke and fire burst as the ship’s guns kept the harpies away, while Rose and Alto fought back to back, hacking and blasting until their arms felt like dead weights. It was horrible, and it went on for so long that the women nearly felt like dropping dead.
“Keep shooting!” Autumn cried. “I think we’ve got em’ on the run! Oh darn, we’re almost out of ammo! I wonder whose fault that is!”
“Don’t look at me!” Cirrus cried. “I just maintain whatever we have with us! I’m not in charge of inventory!”
“Well it wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Winter, and Summer’s in charge of food… Darn! And here comes another one!”
“Wait, don’t shoot! She’s not one of them!” Autumn felt her blood turn to ice as she jerked her fingers away from the triggers. She had been a hair’s breadth away from blasting Cirrus’s lover from the sky. Ferrara had returned from her scouting at last: a little late, but with impeccable timing. She was like an eagle thrashing against dragons, a white night to dispel the darkness, a saint amongst devils, true beauty and purity at last. Cirrus burst into tears and nearly sang; it was all she could do to remain at her post and not cover her angel with kisses.
“Mother-fucking ass-wipes! Stay the fuck away from my friends, you shit-covered cannibals! God-damn devilspawn bitches! I’ll rip your fucking wings off and throw you to the freakin’ sharks!”
“Boy, it’s really great to hear her voice, isn’t it?” Autumn winced. Cirrus laughed helplessly.
“I don’t care, she’s still my angel.” Ferrara finally swooped onto the deck and joined her comrades in the battle. It was like the police arriving at a robbery: the surviving intruders scattered almost at once, leaving the others to rot and die. Rose and Alto made sure there were no stragglers left alive.
“Goddess damn,” the Captain barked as she kicked the last one in the drink. She took a deep breath and wiped her forehead. “If I had known we’d run into those ugly bastards… Shit, I should’ve just asked Miracle to help us. Duchess is gonna laugh at me for all eternity when I see her again. ‘What’s more important, Rose: your pride or your life?’ Damn, but that wore me out.” She looked around her battle-weary crew, waved her sword, and sat down on the deck. Alto quietly approached and joined her Captain, resting a loyal head against her.
“That’s just who you are, Rose. And what’s an adventure without a little danger? Besides, I’ll bet anything our rivals are having just as hard a time.”
……
“I am bored out of my mind,” Herut groaned. Naja moaned alongside her.
“You said it, kiddo. I never thought a sea-voyage would be so outrageously dull. And I’ve been in space. At least shit happens there.”
“Hello, slackers!” Eve waved as she walked by the duo, smiling cattily. As usual, she was covered with a mixture of grease, oil, and lubricant, yet somehow managed to look beautiful— probably because she was smiling and not sulking. “Why the long faces? Isn’t this exciting? A real voyage at sea! Can you believe it? I’ve already got my sea-legs, too! I tell ya, these babies are paying for themselves!” She stomped her two artificial feet and beamed; it was a little scary seeing her so chipper.
“What happened to you, sensei?” Herut mumbled. “Did someone spike your orange juice this morning?”
“Well, yeah, but that’s not why I’m so happy. I’ve never even seen the ocean, except from outer space! And I think I just saw a dolphin!”
“Doesn’t the engine need repairing or something?” Naja snapped. Eve almost fell over laughing.
“Engine?! You’re joking, right! Engine! Ha, that’s a good one! This is pure wind driving us, baby! Nothing but a breeze and a sail! I mean, we’ve got steam, if that’s what you’re referring to, but we haven’t used it yet, and besides, Kyrie’s down there making love to it or something. Hey, look who’s coming up here to join us!!”
“Hello,” said Mink as she toddled along. She gave Eve one of her indistinguishable glances, twitched her lips, and leaned against starboard side, absorbing the sea with a Yun’s appreciation for natural wonder. Eve joined her, still smiling, overlapping their hands, an expression shared and understood by the both of them. Herut raised her eyebrow with intrigue, then returned to being bored
“Oh, so that’s what’s happened. Is everybody hooking up with everybody here?”
“Present company excluded?” Naja yawned. The maintenance unit grumbled.
“Shana’s one of the few people on this ship of fools that actually understands me! Our connection is so on another level. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Don’t care,” she gestured. Naja stretched and decided to take another walk around the ship, maybe climb the crow’s nest or seduce Kyrie. Anything was better than this monotony. Meanwhile…
“Goodness,” Fuuka paled. It was one thing to watch someone get seasick; it was another to watch the Acherons go through it. The truly horrible part was that only Teleah was affected: Kayleigh bore her sister’s illness with disgust.
“Oh god,” she groaned. “Oh god. And there she goes again. Oh, god. Fuji-san, could you please…”
“Don’t worry, I always carry some medicine with me.” She gave it to Teleah and stood back. A few draughts seemed to have the proper effect, and she thanked the good doctor. “Keep it. Oh, it must be the worst. Now me, I’ve always lived next to the ocean, and I couldn’t imagine getting sick. I’m afraid you’ll just have to get used to it.”
“At least we don’t have to steer,” Teleah groaned. She drank a few more drops and calmed herself. “Damn, I hate you, Kay.”
“Hey, I’m the one with allergies, remember? Besides, how does a pilot get seasick?”
“Because we’ve never been on a boat that rocks like this. Ugh…hold on a sec.” She half-emptied the bottle and wondered if Fuuka had more. Athena kept a firm watch on the horizon as their small rental ship plied the waves and penetrated into the heart of the Aegean. According to the natives with them, the archipelago they were heading into was divided into three main groups: Cyclades, Dodecanese, and Sporades. Whenever she could, Amy came up and explained a little of their mythological history: the Minotaur of Crete, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Sappho’s poetry (the mere mention of an island called Lesbos attracted everyone’s attention), the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Spartan three-hundred, and of course, the parallel journey they were imitating.
“I guess being a diehard bookworm does have a few advantages,” Naja admitted. “So even though you’re from Helios 9, you know all this stuff about number three. Damn, I wouldn’t be surprised if you knew more about it than the natives!”
“I told you, it was all part of my thesis. And I’ve never actually been to this planet before— or did I mention that? I think so. Oh, God in Heaven, it’s back! Agh, it hurts! No, no, it’s all right. I’ve felt worse. But I have to rest now. Ugh— I hope we don’t run into those crashing rocks.” Rachel helped carry her master back into her quarters, leaving the others to stew in a grim pot. Crashing rocks…?
“I wonder what that was about,” Athena muttered. She looked around for Riene, logically assuming that she who interpreted Rose’s holo-map would know more about it. Latoli was playing a game with Shana, and losing very poorly. “Riene,” the Usagin called, “about that map you interpreted. What did it say about crashing rocks?”
“Just to beware of them. Your move.”
“Rocks can’t crash together,” Shana answered as she defeated Riene again. “Since we’re out at sea, all the stones are attached to the seabed. However, I have heard about primitive societies that can create a crude engine to move two large stones and make it seem as if they’re crashing together, but that’s either for some theatrical performance or security.”
“We have those on Joff,” Mink said. “We use magnetic forces to pull them around. It’s useful when we have to clear some land or gather a quarry.”
“There was a word there I couldn’t identify,” Riene mused. “Simple gates? Sym-pleg? Sympla…I can’t pronounce it.”
“Symplegades!” Amy exclaimed, bursting back onto the deck in spite of her injury. Her hair was unkempt and her glasses were askew. “That’s what they were called! I remember now! Athena, what do you see?”
“Huh? Oh— wait a moment. Forgive me, I was distracted.” She turned her sharp eyes back to the horizon and turned pale as she saw— and heard— two immense stones perpetually banging against each other. Before anyone else could notice them, she called out, “Turn the ship around! We’re going to crash!”
“Like hell!” Kyrie yelled from the engine room. “The current and the wind are too strong! We’d use up too much power turning around now.”
“It’s not the current,” Kay said as she peered over the side. The sail was flat as a board and the water was dead calm. “We’re being pulled towards it!”
“Oh shit, I hate being right at times like this,” Naja cursed. “It’s either dull as hell or life-threatening! Why can’t we ever go somewhere safe and exciting?! But NO, we have to throw ourselves into the most horrible— ”
“Shut up and help me!” Kyrie shouted. “There should be some buckets up there! Fill them up and bring them down here! We need steam— lots of it!”
“Belay that!” Amy exclaimed, hobbling to the bow. “Slow down but don’t turn around! Kyrie, do you still have that remote control airplane?”
“Uh, yeah, it’s with my stuff.”
“Bring it here, Rachel.”
“What are you planning on doing?” Riene said as the genie scurried away. Amy had that familiar impenetrable look in her eyes, a warrior’s stare, the same she exhibited whenever the chips were down.
“Testing the laws of physics. The Argonauts made it through, and we can too.”
“But that’s just a story,” Eve groaned.
“So explain the rocks.”
“Mediterranean security measures! Probably some Gigantes-operated checkpoint— I don’t know! The point is, it doesn’t matter. We can’t risk it.”
“It’s already being risked,” she stated as the genie returned with a toy airplane. “Thank you, Rachel. Someone time me! I’m sending it through!”
“You’d better not wreck it,” Kyrie said as she popped her head out of the engine room. Amy bit her lip and guided the machine through the rocks, just as they were closing. The plane reached them as they opened again, and by the time they were opened all the way, it was halfway through. It made it out with meters to spare as the rocks crashed again.
“Ten minutes forty-three seconds,” Teleah announced. “It was going faster than we are now, though.”
“All right. Kyrie, Herut, Eve, get down there and keep those fires going! Teleah, Kayleigh, take this ship and run her straight at the rocks! When they close all the way, full speed ahead! We’ll slip through as they’re opening again and be out long before they shut. Are you all with me?”
“I can create some more wind if you like,” Rachel said. “Or I could just stop them from smashing entirely.”
“Thank you,” Amy smiled, “but let’s see if we can do this on our own. If it looks as though we’ll be crushed, then you may come to our rescue.”
“Are you insane, Amy?!” Fuuka screamed. “If it will increase our chances of survival, we have to stop those rocks completely! Otherwise, there’s no telling what might happen to us!”
“And what effect might Rachel’s intervention have if it’s used unnecessarily? Do you operate on a patient who has just a scratch? No. Only on those who need it. Now trust me!” Fuuka pouted angrily as Amy ran around directing everyone. There was a time and place for bravery, but not now, not when everyone’s lives were at stake. Their rental ship picked up speed, and by now, everybody could see and hear the smashing rocks. There was still no explanation offered for their purpose— not that it mattered now. The ship drew closer and closer as the stones closed, and several women winced as the bow drew nearer. BOOM— they shut. The ship kept moving. The stones remained motionless.
“Uh, Amy!!” Riene shouted. Miracle took off her glasses and started singing loudly.
“Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies, farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain! For we have received orders to sail back to Boston, and ere nevermore will we see you again!”
“That’s it!” Naja roared. “I’m calling a mutiny!” But before she could strangle their demented leader, the rocks opened up again, and the ship slowly wedged through.
“FULL POWER!!” Rachel shouted. She fanned the sails a little as Kyrie stoked the fires and Herut kept the engine going. The ship bucked and jumped as it skipped on the waves; water churned up and slapped against the crew; buckets were being tossed down to Eve; Amy continued to sing as the stones reached their greatest width, and came closing in on them. They were halfway through.
“Whoa, fifteen men on a dead man’s chest! Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil hath done for the rest! Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!”
“We’re not going to make it!” Shana screamed as the rocks sped closer. The sun was blotted out and their world grew dark; the other side seemed distant and cold.
“Hurry up, Rachel! What are you waiting for?”
“Master hasn’t told me to act yet!”
“Who cares?! WE…ARE GOING…TO DIE!!”
“Not yet! Master!” Amy stumbled as her foot throbbed, and steadied herself on the railing. It took a great deal of strength to stand up, in that wind and that water, as the ship bounced and groaned in fright, with the curtains of death closing in on them.
“Hold fast! We’re not called the Dauntless for nothing!”
“Now’s not the time to— OH, FUCK!!” Naja wailed as the walls tightened and smashed against the ship— but no, they closed too late, as one final burst of power from the engines sent them flying out, mere centimeters to spare. The whole ordeal had taken less than ten minutes.
“My god,” Riene heaved, collapsing on the deck as she caught her breath. “That took years off my life!”
“Let’s not…do that…again,” Naja panted.
“I thought it was fun,” Mink smirked. Eve laughed at her.
“Freak! Whew, boy…that’ll get the old ticker going! Is everybody all right?”
“Fuuka’s fainted,” Athena said, stroking the face of her lover. She glanced over at Miracle, who had finally staggered under the weight of everything and laid shaking on the deck. She was beatific in her victory. The Usagin snorted and smiled. Looking back, it turned out the rocks were part of an elaborate dam, which opened and closed floodgates at regular intervals in order to power a generator. If Rachel had stopped those, tens of thousands of people would’ve been without power, and several might have died. Was that the reason why…
“Idiots,” Herut moaned. “They’re all idiots, every last one.”
……
“So what now, fearless leader?” asked Autumn. Rose smirked.
“Well, we didn’t run into any smashing rocks, so I wonder if we’ve gone off course. If I knew these waters better, I’d be able to go there without all these meaningless detours. From what the natives told me, however, our destination was once a country called Turkey, somewhere in the European or Middle Eastern regions: I couldn’t tell which one they meant. I bought a few old maps, but they don’t help much. This archipelago is loaded.”
“Is it true that a fabled Island of Lesbians is here somewhere?” Winter gasped.
“You mean Lesbos? I think we should find that out after we get the Golden Fleece. You know, so you girls aren’t distracted.”
“That could apply to you too, you know!” Summer exclaimed. Rose shrugged.
“I wonder if Miracle and her bunch are going to check that out. I didn’t see that pleasure unit of theirs with their crew, but if she were there… Well, knowing her, she’d sail right on without even sparing a glimpse. And there’s no way I’ll let her get the better of me.”
“Ah, so it’s pride again,” Autumn smiled. Rose drew back in mock offense.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little bit!” Ferrara soon thrust her head into Rose’s room, announcing that she had discovered some things that required the Captain’s attention. Rose grunted as she sat up. “Well, break’s over, girls. Back to work now.”
“Aww.” The blonde made her way topside and took a spyglass. The first thing that caught her attention was another boat, much smaller than theirs but still worthy of their respect, crewed by women Rose knew very well.
“It’s them,” she said with a smile. “They managed to catch up with us. I’m not surprised: they’ve got an excellent crew. Huh, looks like a steam-engine boat. Pretty decent for a rental.”
“I hope you’re not planning on doing anything devious,” Alto said. Rose grinned at her first mate wolfishly.
“Relax! Sometimes I really am a woman of my word. Besides, I haven’t had this much fun in weeks.” She peered back through her glass and noticed something far more amazing: an enormous statue of a god chained to a boulder, his face writhing in agony as an eagle poised above him, ready to strike. Rose’s mouth hung open as she lowered her glass, wanting to see it in its full glory. No doubt their rivals were also stunned at the awesome portrayal of mythology.
“Prometheus chained at the rocks,” Riene whispered. Her skin shivered and she hugged herself.
“Magnificent,” Mink whispered, her eyes bulging wide in wonder. Eve held her hand a little tighter.
“You can say that again.” Together, the two ships sailed past the mighty sculpture, nearly two-dozen women from every world, society, species, and civilization imaginable, united by a common purpose and thrust into an era where gods, monsters, and heroes lived. Not a call or a shot was made between the two as they sailed past the statue: the world was dead calm, save for the lulling lap of waves. At last Prometheus was a speck in the horizon behind them; before them was a wall of solid rock, with a cleft in the middle broad enough for both vessels to pass through. The wall was so high that it blocked out the sun and nearly all of the sky as they coasted through it.
An awed hush fell over both crews, deeper and thicker than the silence brought on by the statue. They began to realize that they were being drawn into something: not merely another world, but another era, another reality, where harpies and crashing rocks are a living truth— where monsters do exist— where stories become real and where anything, anything, is possible. The sea carried them through the passage and into a clearing, where a new silence, full of awe and wonder, struck every tongue and mouth, so that they could only gasp and shiver in wonder. They had come to pass through the barrier between reality and mythology, for the ruins of King Aetes awaited them.
Every mind realized they were entering a place that had not been seen for millennia, and if it had, it had been mistaken for something it was not, hidden behind modern rationalization that such a world could not be. An adult sees a dragon and thinks “dinosaur”; they see a one-eyed giant and think “genetic mutation”; they see ancient magic, harpies, and ruins, and think “theatrics”. But these mossy stones, weathered and worn and bleached white, were all quite real; the seas were real as they led the two ships to the old harbor; the magnificent palace of Aetes was real as it stood defiantly atop the mightiest hill; the wild grasses and wild trees were real; the insects were real; the air and sun and surface were all real. Only a fool could cover their eyes now; the others landed and knew this land for what it was. Simply put, it was their Destination.
And there was the Golden Fleece, a mere glint of light in the far distance, hanging by a tree just as the stories said.
“I…guess it’s a tie,” Rachel said, finally breaking the long silence. “The contest, I mean. We both came here first.”
“But the rule was that whoever took the Fleece first wins,” Rose pointed out. Yet in spite of her pirate’s greed and pirate’s pride, she could not run there and claim it; she could barely lift her feet at all. A sense of foreboding kept her paralyzed— it stopped everybody from approaching— a feeling that if any of them went any further, they would be desecrating this hallowed land. Either they all moved as a group, or they could not move at all. They started to move as a group— gingerly, gradually, as if even now, they felt their presence was a sin.
“Well, no witches or kings,” Miracle murmured. “And no dragon either.”
“Do you suppose we could just take it and leave?” Rose wondered. Amy shook her head.
“We must prove ourselves. Coming here was an ordeal, but it wasn’t enough.”
“What do you propose, then?”
“Just keep walking. We’ll have our opportunity soon enough.”
“What about the Argonauts? What did they do?” Amy smiled at her grimly.
“You don’t want to know.”
“You really don’t,” Eve said as she joined them, Mink at her side. “Say, Kyrie, you left the engine off, right?”
“Of course I did! I’m not an idiot.”
“I’m just saying that there’s lots of steam in the area— in the middle of the afternoon— in the spring.”
“I don’t think that’s steam,” Mink murmured warily. She pointed to the gathering mist-clouds, which had slowly been roiling over the ruins ever since the two crews arrived. Athena drew her sword and stood protectively before Fuuka. The Acherons took melee weapons and Kyrie lifted her flamethrower. Rose’s pirates saw what they were doing and drew their weapons.
“Enemies?”
“Fog Ninjas,” Mink answered. “Our ordeal has been provided.” Rose cursed under her breath and asked Ferrara to start beating the mist away with her wings; meanwhile, Rachel started blowing it away, but to no avail. The fog was becoming dangerously thick and soon everybody was blinded on all sides. The mist-monsters that sprang forth from this shroud revealed themselves, but now they used their habitat as a shield, to protect them and hide them as they struck. Alto felt something sharp slash at her, and jerked aside as blood spilled from her back. Herut screamed as a shuriken buried itself in her arm and dissolved. Athena barely managed to attack before her lover could be impaled.
“Damn it, I can’t see!” Eve shouted. She swung haphazardly in the fog, angered by her enemy’s laughter. In her rage she nearly struck the Acheron twins, who glared at her furiously.
“Watch where you’re going, grease monkey!”
“Like I could in this weather! Damn it, Miracle, ask Rachel to help out, will ya!”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” she murmured eerily. Eve was just about to ask what that meant when a terrible roar shattered the chaos, and an enormous wall of fire lunged at them, instantly dispelling the mist. Everyone fell back as the guardian of the Golden Fleece approached, tearing the ground asunder in its berserker rage.
“Ohhhh, dear,” Riene whispered. The Fog Ninjas looked even more puzzled: they had not expected this to interfere with their work. They could not attack it, for a single swipe of the dragon’s tail flattened nine of them; its claws could tear three apart in one stroke, and its breath vaporized nearly all of them. Their shield was gone and their numbers had been halved, but they knew no fear and did not retreat unless their master permitted it. They turned to their enemies and conscripted themselves to battle.
“Trapped between Scylla and Charybdis,” Amy said.
“This is no time for your fucking Gaea-myths!” Naja screamed as she clawed her way through the fog-monsters. “Either start fighting or get out of my way!”
“I think I’ll choose both!” Athena roared as she waded into the teeming masses. Scores of ninja evaporated at her blade; they slashed and scarred her but she persevered, mowing them down with blinding rage. Rose, Alto, and Ferrara approached the dragon, the former Queen lashing with a whip. She slashed one of its eyes but the creature roared even louder, enraged. Ferrara jumped in the air as it struck— and again— she dove down and scratched it with her talons, but was blown away by its scaly wings.
“Go after the Fleece! Take it and let’s get out of here!”
“I’m not gonna leave you all to fight this bitch by yourselves! Whoa, look out!!” She pushed Alto out of the way just as the beast’s tail came crashing down. It screamed and regurgitated magma; Rachel suddenly swept in and shielded everyone by raising a slab of rock from the ground.
“Kill that mother-fucker!” Eve shouted. Her rifle was doing no harm, so she continued to fight the ninjas.
“Not yet! Master hasn’t asked me to!”
“FUCK THAT!! Get rid of him! And help us with these goddamn Fog Ninjas!”
“Trust me!” Amy shouted as she swung her crutch. Even she had beaten off a few, but she stumbled and fell to the ground, her foot bleeding profusely. Kyrie kept them away from her with her torch while Fuuka ran in to check on her.
“Amy!!!”
“I’m asking you to trust me, Evita Renchina!” Eve backed away, stunned that she had addressed her like that: not as a senator’s daughter but as a mechanic’s, the offspring of a good woman, not some xenophobic rich slob. Her heart broke and she numbly nodded her head.
“Okay! But you better have a plan!”
“Of course,” she called back. Fuuka didn’t have very good news: Amy’s wound looked worse than ever, and none of her treatments had any effect. All she could do was administer pain-killers and clog it up. Miracle grabbed her suddenly, her strength failing as she slipped into unconsciousness. “Fuuka…a spot underneath its left forearm, near the breast… There should be a weak spot! Have Athena stab it.”
“How would you know that?!” she cried. Miracle laughed quietly.
“A little hobbit told me. You trust me too, right?” Fuuka had no choice but to say she did. Besides, Amy had seen them through disasters before, right? She would deny it, of course, but not for nothing was she named Miracle. Fuuka left Amy in the care of Rose’s triplet doctors, then rushed to tell Athena the news.
“You realize that’s suicidal,” she said— but then smirked. “But I might be the only one who can pull it off. All right, I’ll give it a shot, but I’ll need a distraction.” She turned around, stabbed a stray ninja, then rushed at the dragon with a scream. Fuuka didn’t know what else to do, so she decided to dance and wave her arms around wildly.
“Come on, dragon! Here’s a delicious fox-girl for you! Doesn’t she look scrumptious? A perfect meal for a lordly dragon! Look at me, you filthy serpent!”
“What the hey?” Naja muttered, smiling grimly. “Has she lost her mind?”
“I’m not complaining,” Rose purred. “Damn, I think I’ve been ogling the wrong girl. Alto, we seriously need to kidnap a Kitsune if we find one.”
“Focus on the fight, Miss one-track mind,” she grumbled. The dragon’s attention was drawn to Fuuka just long enough for Athena to act. As he raised himself up to lunge at her, the Usagin quickly darted in, found the chink in his scaly armor, and plunged her sword in all the way to the hilt. The monster roared and recoiled violently. Athena had no time to pull it out, so she made a run for it. The beast collapsed like a mountain, shattering the ruins and tumbling into the sea, where it was lost to the deep. The remaining Fog Ninjas appeared to be stunned, and a few wondered if they really should retreat. Fortunately, they didn’t need to make a decision: everyone surrounded and destroyed them first. Whew.
“Down I go,” Riene said as she collapsed. Everyone took several minutes to breathe and rest from the intense battle. Fuuka and the three doctors took less time, however, since there were plenty of injuries to heal: bruises, scratches, cuts, and more than a few burns. Amy had passed out from blood loss, while Athena stood quietly where the dragon fell, mourning the loss of her sword. Fuuka had given it to her, and it had seen her through many battles.
“Farewell, dear friend Morisato,” she whispered. “Be at peace now. Sorry, Fuuka.”
“It’s okay,” she smiled warmly. “It’s only a sword. We can get you a new one.”
“Yeah, but it was our sword.” She smiled helplessly and nuzzled her dearest one. Suddenly, Ferrara jumped up, shouting.
“I completely forgot! So long, losers! Long live the Dead Roses!” Before anyone could stop her, she flew up to the tree and snatched the Golden Fleece, laughing proudly. Herut pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.
“Like I said before, they’re nothing but a bunch of idiots.”
“And you’re the fool for going along with them,” Shana giggled. She snuggled up next to her friend and kissed her cheek; Herut turned red and glanced away sheepishly. Rachel let out a little moan as she flew over the two parties.
“I guess this means my master’s staying the night with you, huh?”
“Yeah,” Rose smiled, “but we’ll let her stay with you all for awhile. I want Miracle good and rested when she enters my bedchambers!”
……
Nearly everybody spent the night restlessly, waiting and worrying about their fearless leader. Of course Amy would keep her word: there was no question about it. Even if it meant surrendering herself to the whims of a lustful pirate, Amy would choose her duties over her desires: that was the kind of person she was. They could be grateful, at least, that she was not headed into any special danger— in fact, for some of the crew, the thought of being loved by Rose, and presumably the rest of her pirates, certainly sounded pleasant enough. But Amy had made it very clear she only gave her heart to men, and while it became a comic punchline whenever this line was crossed (by now, at least half the crew had kissed her, and a handful had been even more intimate), nobody should be forced to deviate from their choice of lifestyle. It was as awful a thought as asking Chandra to give up seduction, or Fuuka her anime, or Kyrie her inventions.
Rachel, Naja, Herut, and the Acherons were the only ones that spent the night in relative peace. Naja couldn’t help but laugh at Miracle’s predicament, while Rachel trusted that all would be well and Herut didn’t care either way. Fuuka tossed in bed and stopped counting sheep after an hour; she decided to take a walk to calm her nerves. Shana was burning through puzzles and works of art like a woman possessed: she kept herself frantically busy so she wouldn’t let her imagination run wild. Eve double and triple-checked everything on the ship, Riene worked out at the gym, Mink and Kyrie assisted with the repairs, and Athena stepped outside to practice with a bokken. Fuuka dropped by later with a towel and some water.
“You’ve changed,” she smiled. Athena glanced at her curiously.
“How so?”
“You’re worried about Amy.”
“What about it?” Fuuka giggled and put her arms around her lover.
“Because normally you’re only worried about me. You don’t trust easily.” Athena performed three more swings before resting. She ran long fingers over her face and ears.
“I see what you mean. I’ve been thinking a little about that myself. I thought I came out here because I was restless like you, but…well, maybe I am concerned.”
“You’re so unfair,” she said, kissing her cheek. “It took you more than a year to trust little old me, and only half that time to warm up to Amy.”
“Only because you were such an important figure in my life,” she replied, smiling gently. Fuuka drew back a little, glowing in the soft darkness, and untied the sash around her nightgown.
“So I had that great an influence on you, eh? And speaking of important figures…” She beamed for joy as she let her robe slide off; the Kitsune was nude underneath. Athena drew back, blushing, stricken with awe by Fuuka’s beauty and bold behavior. The Kitsune approached her lover with sweet seduction in her eyes as she put her arms around Athena’s neck and began undressing her.
“Make love with me, darling. Right here. Right now.”
“Yessss,” Athena hissed, her body tingling with the cool air and dewy grass. They fell to the ground and began rolling, kissing, caressing, moaning. Fuuka was in heaven until she noticed someone approaching them through the clearing. She and Athena both froze, comically stuck in the middle of lover’s business, as they stared at their intruder. It was Amy Miracle.
“Uh…I’m back.” The awkward silence hovered for another moment or two.
“Yes. Yes you are.”
It wasn’t difficult rousing everyone so they could hear Amy’s story— but her tale was so anticlimactic that everyone wondered why they were even bothered.
“Sorry,” she grinned sheepishly. “I don’t have any juicy gossip to share. The truth is that Rose Gillian is a true lady at heart and a wonderful romantic. She may fool around, but her heart’s gone completely over to Queen Alto— she even gave her the Golden Fleece. I can only assume that was her plan all along, so let’s not have any hard feelings.”
“Are you serious?! She didn’t try anything at all?”
“No. We just talked all night and she took me on a tour of her ship. Well, she did kiss me, but really, that’s all.”
“And another one,” Kyrie grumbled. “Damn it, what does she have that I don’t?!”
“Sanity?” Shana offered.
“The ability to express herself without burning anything?” Athena muttered.
“Me?” Rachel pointed. Naja crossed her arms.
“So I guess this means we went through another world of trouble for nothing. You know, I’m sorely tempted to leave this ship and get my wedding over with. I’m actually that aggravated. My god, I never thought it would come to that.”
“Stay those wedding vows, my serpentine friend!” Amy cried out wildly. “The Dead Rose saw fit to give us a consolation prize! Not for free, of course— there were negotiations made— but I figured you all deserved something for your time. I was willing to pay.”
“Pay?” Amy nodded and blushed. “Oh. So what do we get?”
“Why, the other treasures, of course!” she exclaimed. “Or did you think Rose’s small crew could carry them all?”
“Great, leftovers,” Naja grunted. But she had seen that pile; there were more riches than the Golden Fleece in those ruins, enough for three ships. She sighed and gave Amy an apologetic smile. “Still, it’s better than nothing. You did good. Thanks.” And with that rare expression of gratitude, the Elshyrin slithered away, leaving behind a dozen stunned women.
“Did Naja just…thank someone?” The Acherons rubbed their eyes. “We have now officially seen everything.”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Preview of next chapter
Kate: It’s just you and me now, honey.
Allegra: And a legendary lost mine full of gold!
Kate: That’s right, we’re off to America in search of the lost Dutchman mine! Yee-haw!
Allegra: No, no, you’re doing it wrong! Ya gotta yell from the throat and the diaphragm! Like this: YEE-HAW!!
Kate: I’ll pass. But are we really doing this by ourselves?
Sati: Not if we have anything to say about it!
Kaori: That’s right, we haven’t made any appearances for a long time!
Sati: Nothing cures heartbreak better than a crazy adventure with good friends!
Kaori: And don’t worry about your bounties. We’ve got bigger problems to worry about.
Kate: Awesome! Four sexy kick-ass women on a rip-roaring adventure in the wild west!
Grave: Make that five.
Allegra: Damn it, the New Angel o’ Death, too? That’s too much!
Grave: It’s an adventure to die for in the final chapter of the “Earth” mini-saga, “Beautiful Place in My Heart: mine of the lost Dutchman”.
Barbarossa: I’m not lost. I know exactly where I am.
Marsa: He says for the fiftieth time. Men are the same even if they’re immortal! They never ask for directions!
Kaori and Sati: …
Allegra: Uh…
Kate: Hmm… Anyway, read the next chapter, or we won’t share our gold!
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