Chapter 3
The Challenge
Trattek watched in horror as his worst enemy glared up at him. Ragar was in a fine mood. He twirled his battleaxe lazily, letting the light reflect off it into Trattek's eyes. Trattek moved away and called down to the residents of Fort Blissban, "Sound the bells! Attack! Archers to the arrow slits, pikebeasts to the low windows! I want slingers and javelin-throwers up here on the double!"
A flurry of activity ensued. Soon, Fort Blissban was bristling with armed warriors at every entrance. Ragar chuckled when he saw the flash of weaponry on the ramparts. "Trattek, you so keen to fight to fight? Hah! Not when you hear what I have to say, I think."
Trattek's blade glittered in his steady paw. In his other paw, he held his fabled battleaxe at his side. "I don't think so, Ragar. You leave, or we fight. Your choice. But I'm not coming back. I'm through with being an evilbeast. Go and enslave some innocent creatures, that's what yore good at."
Ragar sneered at him. "Hmm, funny you should mention slaves." He motioned with his paw, and two wolves pulled the slave line over a small hill. "Let me say it this way, Trattek," he called. "If you don't come out here, these slaves die." The wolves all drew their weapons meaningfully.
Trattek thought fast and hard. "You wouldn't do that," he said. "Who will row you away from here, then? Your Pack? I don't think so-not enough of them."
Ragar howled with rage for several long moments, stomping and clawing at the sand. His catch was gone. Then, he looked up at Trattek again. "Fine then, you asked for it!" he roared. "Let's see how your woodland bumpkins like the taste of real war!"
Giving another chilling howl, he pointed a claw at the dunes, back at the ships. The wolves answered his howl and dashed back to their fleet. Trattek's lieutenant, an otter named Rudd, looked worriedly at him and rested his crossbow on the battlements.
"Will they attack us?" he asked. "What are we going to do?" Trattek rested a paw on his shoulder. "Fight back, of course. But our creatures need training. Let's get to work while we still have time."