THERE'S NOTHING BEYOND THIS POINT

From his hiding place Bloody Jack Nye marveled at this thing he had never expected to see

had he lived to be a thousand. It was not a man, although in part it appeared to be something

similar. The thing was easily seven feet tall and it had the head of a large bull!  A pair of deadly

horns dominated the creature's head and its nostrils were wide and ugly. Jack had heard tales

of such a creature...a minotaur! It snorted madly and malevolent eyes searched here then there.

 

"Something is amiss here my lovely, I smell the foul odor of a man! Where might  he be hiding?

I am hungry and nothing would taste so sweet as the flesh of a pathetic human."

 

The thing stomped about on hoofed feet. Its torso, legs and hands appeared almost human

although they were huge. Long claws grew menacingly from massive paws and the creature

carried a giant club that twitched anxiously. Despite the horrible aspect of such a monster,

Bloody Jack Nye felt his blood commence to boil at the monster's insults. He shifted his position

behind the huge sculpture only slightly when he felt a prick in his hand. Jack quickly glanced down

to find a dagger blade protruding from the debris beneath him. He snatched it up instinctively

and inspected it quickly. The dagger was old and made of bronze. Jack shoved it into his

belt, he needed all the weapons he could find at the moment. Then he stepped out into the

open and faced  his nightmare.

 

"I am here you foul spawn of a she pig and a reptile.  Eat me if you will but I'll slice your liver

into bits for a nice stew before this day is done!"

 

The minotaur eyed the craven man. Then he threw back his enormous head and roared with

laughter.  The booming voice seem to shake the very ground where Jack stood. The pirate

swore another oath an approached the monstrosity warily.  "Please flee if you can poor ignorant

fool!" Lorette pleaded.  Her voice and steeled the seaman's resolve.  He would see such a

beautiful woman free should he have to kill a hundred such abominations. The minotaur

charged at Jack swinging the huge club with great strength.  The thing was fast for all its great

girth but Jack's feet were nimble, having long experience with fighting on a blood drenched, slippery

deck. He darted away and struck, to his amazement the point of his lethal blade barely made a

prick in the monster's hide. Despite driving the point with a mighty lunge only the faintest wound,

like a pin prick, appeared on the minotaur's steel like flesh.

 

The minotaur's laughter burst forth again, "I have been stung worse by a mosquito you pathetic

little man. How I look forward to dining on your soft flesh...would that you were larger though for I

am very  hungry today."

 

The battle raged for some time after this fashion.  The minotaur would strike with its heavy club

and then claw after Jack as the Pirate leaped away. Several times the pirate's blade would make

contact with the hide of the thing but with no more apparent success than a drop of blood here

and there.  The monster was enchanted for its skin was like armor. Jack had stamina far beyond

that of most men but the sweat poured from his brow and his breath became labored. How could

one kill a thing impervious to cold steel?  Jack hurled heavy bits of stone at the minotaur but they

too only bounced off whilst the monster laughed in delight.

 

Eventually Jack began to tire tremendously.  The thing's club came perilously close to the man's

head on more frequent occasions. Cornered and desperate, jack drew the dagger and hurled it

with all his remaining strength. He was not an expert at throwing knives but by luck the hilt of the

dagger struck a glancing blow against the minotaur's right eye.  The thing experience pain!

It shook its great head and tears appeared to form in the offended eye.  "You will pay for that

little man, great will be the pain you shall feel before you die!"

 

Jack sucked in great gulps of air and gathered his strength during this temporary lull. The minotaur

wiped at its eye and glowered furiously. Jack had one last, desperate play left. "Board the bastard,

the prize is ours!" he screamed and charged underneath the monster's plunging club. Expertly he

struck with the point of his long blade. The minotaur's right eye was pierced and several inches

beyond. It tore away from the fight, taking Jack's sword with it. The thing screamed in agony and

finally jerked the sword free. A great deluge of dark blood burst forth.  The minotaur looked

dumbfounded and wandered about as if in a daze. At last it collapsed, from the wound itself or a

loss of blood, Jack could only guess. The great beast soon breathed its last and Jack breathed a

sigh of relief. Still, he smiled at his great victory and lifted his blade to salute the Gods of war and

death.

 

He sat down heavily until he caught is breath. What a story to tell in some wharf rat hole whilst deep

in his cups he mused.  No one would believe it save some starry eyed boy who longed to go to

sea. Jack laughed and suddenly remembered the woman. He found the bronze dagger and tucked

it safely away...a godsend.  The woman had retreated to the back of the cage and remained totally

silent...apparently stunned at what had transpired. Jack hammered on the cage's iron lock with

a large stone. Three dozen very violent strokes later the thing fell apart.  He swung open the

gate and the woman brushed past him in a rush.

 

Jack was startled by the sudden movement and caught off guard.  Without a single word the

beautiful winged woman took to the sky. She shot upwards with great speed and soon became

nothing more than a tiny dot against the heavens...then she was gone. Jack shouldn't  have

been surprised, how long had the woman been imprisoned thusly? A century for all he knew.

 

Jack sat and rested. He wanted nothing more than a drink of the cold spring water. Finally these

thoughts motivated him to rise and take action.  He used his sword to hack off a leg from the

dead minotaur.  Here was meat and plenty of it. He threw the bloody trophy over his shoulder

and left the ancient ruins altogether.

 

That evening, his hunger and thirst abated in fine fashion, the pirate sat and smoked. He was

not one to meditate overmuch but he contemplated his fate and all the marvels that he had

witnessed this day. Eventually exhaustion overtook his heavily muscled body and he slid down

and drifted into a deep sleep.  The first tendrils of new dawn crept into his eyes at last and he

woke as was his custom every dawn. And his blood was chilled.

 

He heard loud sounds, strange sounds. His dark eyes opened to the scene of another dark and

mysterious nightmare. Several strange man-like creatures were drinking from his little spring.

Unlike Lorette, these things were nothing like humans. They had huge scaly wings and their

voices were like insects. Their hands were gnarled and clawed like the minotaur. Their entire

bodies were covered in metallic looking armor that appeared natural. Their huge, bug like eyes

darted here and there nervously. They seemingly had overlooked the sleeping human but this

indiscretion ended the instant Jack leaped to his feet and jerked his sword free. The creatures

also carried sword like weapons and they drew them to meet the challenge.

 

Instantly a desperate battle commenced. The monsters flapped their wings furiously and struck

at the man. They were hardly expert swordsmen but Jack was heavily outnumbered. He slashed

at one thing's midsection and he fell, protesting loudly and clutching its side. Jack hacked off

another's arm and it took the air screaming in agony. The pirate became a whirling dervish but

suddenly he felt a painful shock in his thigh. He fell to one knee, continuing to wield his blade

feverishly. Then something heavy struck his head and he yielded to dark oblivion.

 

Jack regained consciousness and then wished he hadn't.  Though dazed brain processes he

realized he was at least a mile in the air! He glanced upwards and saw that two of the winged-

men carried him head down. Each grasped the weighty pirate by a foot and they seemed to be

struggling with his great weight. Still he remained aloft. Ahead of them was another of their

brethern, apparently leading the way.  How long he had been in the air was a question that

Jack was to beaten to ponder. He passed out again.

 

After regaining his senses a second time Jack's mind was marginally clearer. He gasped

as he found himself over another island. His stomach protested furiously as his captors

swiftly descended in the direction of what looked to be a small, yet gleaming palace. Still, quite

a few feet from the ground, the weary winged-men dropped the pirate unceremoniously to

the earth where he lost his breath and consciousness once again.

 

Bloody Jack dreamed that  he heard beautiful music and the sounds of wonderfully melodic

female voices. He felt something cool and soothing against his skin and delightful odors

assailed his nostrils. He felt his head being lifted by soft hands and something sweet and

warm was poured past his lips. His eyes opened.  It was not a dream. His head felt strange and

light. His hands were manacled with silvery chains and his body was in a warm bath. Two

incredibly lovely and half naked women smiled at him and gave him more of the drink. It was

very intoxicating, the drink and the women. They were washing him and the fact he was manacled

hand and foot did not arouse him and he wondered why. Instead he admired the round firmness

of he women's breasts and he gladly took more of the strange drink. One of the women

motioned for a powerful looking man who drew near.  He did not appear threatening in any way

and Jack did not feel afraid.  He felt little of anything except wonder and relaxation.  He

felt the man grasp his shoulders and pull him from the bath...then he drifted back asleep.

 

Jack woke again and his head was clear.  He sensed that he had slept a very long time indeed.

He lay on the softest bed his body had ever touched. He was still manacled but he had been

dressed in a simple white gown.  The sun flooded through a large open window and a cool

breezed massaged his slightly sore flesh.  His head was clear, yes, but he had great difficulty

fully perceiving what had befallen him. He appeared safe for the moment. Jack lay there and

tried to make some sense of it all. After several minutes of this a woman appeared. she looked

familiar and she smiled beautifully at Jack.

 

She spoke to him in English. Jack was startled to discover this. This was no magical creature

with strange powers of communication.  She was a woman. Jack felt an old familiar stirring

in his loins. "I need something to drink," he said flatly. The woman nodded and gave him some

of the same drink as before.  He gulped it greedily. "It will help you relax and feel at ease," the

woman said. "But now you must ready yourself, it is time to go."

 

"Go where?"

"To meet our queen of course, she has a great interest in  you."

The woman led Jack through a door where two more women waited. These two were very tall and

athletic. They wore helmets and breastplates. They carried swords and jack had no doubt they

were very proficient in the usage. "They are your escort, go peacefully and you have nothing to

fear...they will not harm you unless you make them."

 

Jack nodded and decided to play along. Escape was impossible manacled after such a fashion

and even had he dreamed of escape..where would he go? He did not have the faintest clue as

to where he was!"

 

He walked through great halls as the two warrior women directly him by pointing with their swords.

They didn't say a word to him but  he felt their eyes on his broad back. At last he was led into

a great, and opulent room. There was gold and silver everywhere and the floor was decorated with

giant rugs. The walls were painted in colorful frescoes that made Jack marvel although  he tried not

to appear impressed. He kept his face stoic and avoided the stares of the many heavily armored

women that filled the vast room. He brought before a throne where a great beauty sat, her hair was

golden and her eyes a bright blue. Her features were like something rendered by an artist and her

breasts were exposed. Jack averted  his eyes with from them with difficulty. When his eyes met hers

he could hardly suppress a tremble in his great muscled body. Those eyes bore into him like sharp

drills and he felt naked before them. Still, he managed to maintain a semi-scowl.

 

"Why have I been brought here," Jack spoke first.

The Queen looked amused. "Why indeed, do you have a name?"

"Jack Nye I am called by my shipmates."

 

The Queen leaned back..."a sailor then? Few reach these remote shores for truly we are hidden by

a device that is known only to us."

The words made little sense to Jack but he was curious.

"What do you intend to do with me?" he asked.

 

"Why of course I intend to breed you to as many of our women as possible. And I shall be the first."

 

end of part two