CHAPTER XVIII

"What shall it be tonight, Cap… You're not the Captain!" A young Miqo'te girl lowered her ears, backing away from the three adventurers as they entered the Captain's quarters.

Standing in front of a desk piled around with treasures was a massive Roegadyn brute, large as Bhaldryss, which was rare. He glared at the intruders, pulling his axe from his back. "Oos that? State yer' business, quick like, or I'll smash ye'!" the Roegadyn challenged. Bhaldryss stepped forward, axe already in hand, staring the brute down.

"Where's your good for nothin' Captain, dog?" Maleko taunted, arming himself as well.

Bellowing in anger, the brute charged forward. Steel rang against steel as Bhaldryss met his charge, parrying his blow, and tackling him, stopping his forward moment. The giants struggled for control, muscles bulging in their arms and neck as they exerted inhuman amounts of sheer strength. The women around the room cowered in terror, hiding behind tables and chairs.

Bhaldryss shifted his weight lower, dropping a knee between the brute's legs, then using the massive muscles in his legs to surge forward, sending his opponent toppling backwards. The Captain's desk splintered with a crack, sending shimmering gil rolling and clattering around the room as Bhaldryss postured up, raining blows down on his opponents face, over and over, until the brute blacked out, slumping against the desk.

Letting the man go, Bhaldryss turned to the others, a dull red haze fading slowly from his eyes. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his berserker rage. Once he was calm, he opened his eyes, cracking his neck, and rolling his shoulders. "It still hasn't gotten any easier to control…" he muttered, frowning at his brother.

"S..sir." A young Miqo'te approached them timidly. "Are we… free?" the familiar look of hope lit her eyes, and Maleko nodded, scanning the room slowly. It took a few moments to gather their wits, but soon the women were pouring out the door, following the steps of the other escapees.

"Wait." Maleko caught the Miqo'te's hand as she turned. She recoiled slightly in fear. "The Captain, where is he?"

The Miqo'te slumped in relief at the question. "The docks… he might be at the ship. They planned to raid tonight, under the cover of darkness." The adventurers followed her into the pillared chamber, and she paused, pointing to a wooden gate. "There… the docks are that way, Sir."

Maleko thanked the young girl, and nodded to the others, leading them to the gate. Two burning torches crackled in braziers on either side of the large carved doors. They unlocked the gate with a key found on the fallen Roegadyn, pushing it open with a groaning creak. The men winced at the noise, ducking through, and scanning ahead for signs of alarm.

The tunnel was empty, and they quickly followed it to yet another chamber. The braying of dogs could be heard from a large grated kennel across from them. Two Roegadyn watched as the Captain stood by the grating, kicking the cage. "Ye' good for' nuthin' mutts, stop all that barkin' before I have ye' cooked up for dinner."

Maleko motions for the others to follow, and walks into the room. "Ain't yer' mam ever told ye' to be kind to yer' pets, mate?"

The Captain turned quickly, drawing his cutlass and a small buckler. "Who the hells do ye' think you are, boy?!" the Hyur spluttered angrily, advancing towards the adventurers, his Roegadyn bodyguards following close behind.

With one smooth motion, Maleko drew his lance, lunging forward. The Captain just barely managed to turn the blade away with his buckler, and then slashed furiously in response, coming just short of Maleko's face. The battle erupted from there. Bhaldryss stepped forward, beating his chest in challenge as one of the Roegadyn turned to face him. As they began trading axe blows, Marcellus bowed mockingly to the remaining body guard.

With a roar, the man charged the Miqo'te, but his axe cleaved through nothingness, sparking as it smashed into the stone cavern floor. "Where'd ya' learn to dance, ruffman? Ye'll have to try benar'n that, mate."

Weaving in and out of axe blows, Marcellus cut and slashed at the Roegadyn's openings. With precisely aimed strikes, he wore the man's armor down, leaving deep gashes wherever his blade traveled. Bellowing in frustration, his opponent lifted his axe high, aiming to cleave the irritating Miqo'te in two.

Marcellus spun quickly, dragging one blade across the Roegadyn's breast plate, then spiraling to a crouch, sinking the other between the plates of his greaves, and into his knee, dropping the man to the ground as his whole leg gave out.

As the man fell, Bhaldryss pressed his opponent back towards the cavern wall with a hurricane of murderous strokes and slashes. With one last rush, he threw his shoulder into the man, and knocked him unconscious as his head bounced off the cavern wall with a resounding clang.

Maleko parried a blow from the Captain's cutlass, and then kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling towards the kennel. The man in the red shirt's eyes scanned the battle frantically, realizing he was fighting a losing battle. Fumbling behind his back, the Captain managed to unlock the kennel, pushing the gate open.

The dogs came storming out of the kennel, snarling viciously at the intruders as they surrounded them, snapping at their ankles. While the adventurers were occupied with the hounds, the man in the red shirt rushed through a gate towards the docks.

"Coward!" Maleko called after him, jumping away from a snapping dog, and almost tripping over another behind him. The dogs circled them slowly, dashing in at random; to skip away before the men could retaliate.

Marcellus rummaged through his pouch, and pulled out a small satchel. "Hold your breath!"

A fine powdery mist exploded into the air as he threw the satchel down. The hounds scattered, but it was too late. They begin to collapse one by one, falling asleep as the mixture of herbs and dust filled their lungs.

Holding their breath, the men hurry out of the chamber, following the Captain. They gasp for fresh air as they stumble out into a sheltered cove. Down below, the Captain runs ahead of them, calling his men to arms as several of them charge up the hill towards the intruders.

Crates of supplies were stacked on pallets, ready to be loaded onto the Pirate ship docked in the little cove. The adventurers met the oncoming assault head on. Bhaldryss hurled his axe like a tomahawk, caving the forward most man's chest in with a sickening kerchunk.

Sprinting ahead of the rest, the Roegadyn retrieved his axe, and set about himself in vicious arcs. His eyes hazed over with red as he began laughing manically, cutting the men down like chaff as they broke against his immovable onslaught.

Marcellus moved to join the fray, but Maleko stopped him. "No… when he's like this… he can't tell friend from foe… follow me."

Giving the berserking Roegadyn a wide berth, they reached the bottom of the hill, moving around the crates, picking off stragglers as they fought their way towards the Captain.

The Captain blustered and cursed in rage, spitting on the ground, and hopping up and down in fury. "It's just THREE men, you useless cowards!" As he sees his men begin to break and scatter, he turns tail and runs through an open gate towards the cove's docks.

Seeing their Captain abandon them, the Pirates throw down their weapons and begin to flee. Maleko and Bhaldryss followed the Captain through the gates. Bhaldryss curses as his opponents run. He blinks, trying to make sense of his surroundings, before following his companions through the gates. As the Captain grows closer to the docks, a giant Sahagin bursts forth from the waters, cutting off his escape.

"Pshhhhh! Where do you think you're going, finleshhhh coward?" the Sahagin gurgles. Sinking to his knees, the Captain begs for forgiveness.

The Sahagin strikes the Captain down with his blood red lance, then turns towards the intruders.

"Pshhhh! Finleshhhhh fools! The Lord of the Whorl shhhall sssssup on your sssouls!" the Sahagin splutters.

Bhaldryss rushed forward, murder still in his eyes as he engages the scaley beastman.

Before Maleko and Marcellus can move to help, Sahagin begin erupting from four grates around the cove, surrounding the adventurers, brandishing crude weapons fashioned from shells and coral.

Fighting back to back, Maleko and Marcellus hold them off, parrying attacks, and cutting them down one after the other, but they just kept pouring out of the grates.

Bhaldryss cuts at the leader, smashing his axe against the creatures lance. The world fades to darkness around him as he grew angrier, wanting nothing but to crush the creature in front of him. His blows became more wild, and while faster than imaginable, he often left himself wide open. Seeing one such opening, the Sahagin struck swiftly, and blood splattered across the ground as he pierced the Roegadyn's shoulder.

To the Sahagin's horror, Bhaldryss merely laughed, unflagging in his relentless onslaught. Fear tinged the Sahagin's eyes as it cut the Roegadyn in front of him over and over. Bhaldryss' body dripped with blood, but he felt no pain as he continued forward, his axe carving murderous arcs through the air. The creature's powerful arms grew numb from the constant hammering of parrying Bhadlryss' axe, until finally, unable to move his lance in time, the axehead buried itself in his neck, sending a spray of blood across the water, as the creature screeched in pain.

Seeing their leader fallen, the Sahagin cried out in terror and despair, running to the grates and disappearing back into the sea.

Bhadlryss stood over the fallen Sahagin, pulling his axe out of the creature's neck slowly. He turned, scanning the clearing, and his eyes lighted on Maleko and Marcellus. He roared in anger, and started forward.

"Broda, no! Control yourself!" Maleko shouted, pushing Marcellus away from him.

Bhaldryss continued forward, his axe dripping with blood as he crossed the clearing towards his brother. Maleko readied his lance, backing away slowly.

The Roegadyn raised his axe above his head, poised to strike, and soon Maleko was fighting for his life. Parrying and turning blow after blow, Maleko weathered the storm, his arms growing numb as he gave ground quickly, backing towards one of the open grates on the ground.

With an echoing snap, Maleko's lance snapped in half from a vertical slash. Bhaldryss roared in triumph as he raised his axe once more to end the life of the annoying creature in front of him.

Moving quickly, Maleko stepped between the roegadyn's legs, throwing his shoulder into him and turning, using the momentum to throw him over his hip, and into the freezing cold water of the bay. The shock of the water jolted Bhaldryss back to consciousness. He coughed and spluttered, treading water as he broke the surface, blinking slowly as he regained his surroundings. Maleko offered him a hand as he climbed out of the water.

"Broda I… I'm so sorry… it… hasn't gotten any easier..."

Maleko shook his head, hiding the weary trembling that shook his entire body. "We'll find them, Broda. One day, this curse will be your greatest strength."

The Roegadyn turned his head away, ashamed, and looked around the cavern, taking in the scene of his carnage.

"I guess that's it… let's go get that treasure and head back to town." Marcellus suggests, trying to break the awkward silence, but Maleko was looking towards the docks, not seeming to hear at all as he began walking towards the greatest treasure in the cove.

/

The sun was low in the sky as a Pirate ship sailed slowly towards the seaside town of Aleport. Yellowjackets scrambled about the docks, readying their weapons.

A white pennant fluttered high in the sky over the ship.