Sons of Gailland: chapters 4

Chapter 4

Braydin turned the tiller hard to the left to avoid the reef that they had come perilously close to the night before. He had been weaving in and out of the coral maze for a day and a half now. Men scurried up and down the rigging making sure that the ship would perform in the fastest way possible . Braydin asked his spotter about the next patch of coral and the man in the crows nest pointed toward the starboard and Braydin turned the tiller to the left once again and then quickly back to the right as the mans arm changed direction and pointed back to the port. It was a system they had worked out over the last ten hours or so. The spotter was like a living compass for Braydin who was essentially driving blind. They were forced to enter the reef to dodge a small fleet left behind to intercept them by the enemy. It had been a day since they had seen any sign of pursuit from them after they lost six ships and the wreckage blocked the path back they way they had come.
"I can see the end of it Cap'n!" the man shouted, but in his excitement the man forgot to indicate the turn in the reef ahead and the ship slammed into the sharp coral stopping abruptly. The spotter lost his balance and fell out of the crows nest and rolling down the sail of the main mast. The men on the deck watched in horror as the man tumbled toward the deck. Cade saw the man begin to fall and leaped into the rigging, running up the rat lines he grabbed a line secured to a timber head on the deck and with a flick of his wrist the line was free and he was swinging toward the falling man. Cade leaned hard into the rope and then pulled his feet up in front of him to redirect himself off of the mast and back toward the man. Once again he let his momentum build up and put his feet in front of himself only this time he collided with the falling man slamming his feet into the surprised spotter, projecting him over the side of the ship and into the water below. Cade made his way back to the timber head and refastened the line he had just used to save the man's life as the other sailors put a line down over the side of the ship.

The man was pulled back up over the bulkhead of the ship and placed on the deck. He looked up to Braydin who was now walking toward him from the bridge with Cade beside him. The man quickly regained his feet and snapped smartly to attention. "Apologies Cap'n! One turn hard port and straight on from there to open sea sir!" the man reported as Braydin and Cade came to his side.

"Are you alright, Baker?" asked Braydin. Cade stood silently with his arms crossed looking the man over. Braydin looked at Cade and looked back to the man. "Thank you Cade, each of these men on the ship is very dear to me and when we lose someone the void is never quiet filled."

"There is no need to thank me Braydin," Cade said as he checked his glove for damages, "Every man is crucial to our missions success."
He turned to Baker and said, "Your job is a dangerous one, it would do well to be more careful in the future." He saluted the man and Braydin and turned and walked back to his quarters.

Baker looked to his captain,and then at Cade as he left, "That is an amazing man Cap'n. I think he could destroy a man with his bare hands without ever even breaking a sweat."

Braydin nodded and said, "He can save lives just as easily, which is the scary part my friend. You take the rest of the day off you had a bit of a scare yourself, Baker. I expect you to be at your post as soon as the sun breaks the horizon." Braydin smiled at the man and gave him a relaxed salute and turned to walk away.

Baker replied, "Yes sir!" and then he made his way to the galley for some food before going to bed.


Braydin went back to his private quarters and sat down heavily at his desk and released a long sigh as the ship lurched forward once again. He opened the right desk drawer and removed the battered green book labeled Captains log. He opened it to the last entry and began writing about the incident that just happened and realized that in the last week their new companions had proven their worth tenfold. Two days prior Airicka had single handedly saved them from a pack of turloks, elephant sized snapping turtles that hunt in packs like wolves. The men's arrows weren't strong enough to pierce the turlok's shells, not even the mounted balista slowed them down. She walked to the bow of the ship and began launching lightning bolts from her hands into the water. The crew watched in amazement as each one danced under the surface of the water towards the turloks, exploding with tremendous noise and steam whenever they made contact with the creatures. The turloks were all spasming in the water in a matter of seconds. Airicka quickly began chanting and moving her arms in rapid patterns and the ship was lifted into the air on top of a wave the size of a castle wall. Airicka arched her back throwing her arms behind her and threw them forward as the ship began racing down the back of the wave. The wave shot forward and carried the turloks off into the horizon with it. Afterwards the pretty little mage collapsed in exhaustion and Kalin carried her to her room.

Only two days before that the Braying Mare was caught in a storm and many men in the rigging were caught by surprise and were hurt trying to trim the sails. Many lines were broken and the sails were all full of wind to the point of splitting. Cade and the twins sprang into action crawling through the rigging and swinging on broken lines mending them and throwing new lines to Kalin on the deck. After a few minutes all the lines had been spliced or replace and the sails were trimmed. They even carried down crewman Owens from his perch on the foremast because a snapping line had broken his arm as he was climbing by. When they had finished everyone went below deck to sit out the storm.
Bryadin shut the book and walked over to his bed to lay down and get some rest before the meeting tonight. He sat down and removed his boots before sliding under the warm covers and letting the pitch and roll of the ship rock him to sleep.

He was awakened by a sharp rap on his door. It was time for the meeting and he had overslept. He quickly jumped out of bed and hurriedly put on his boots as he hurried out the door to the galley for the meeting. When he walked through the door he realized he was the last one to arrive and he smiled and quietly took his seat at the head of the table. Kalin and Cade sat together smiling at Braydin, his discomfort was obvious to everyone in the room. Kalin had taken up well with their new companions but Braydin hadn't had time to get to know any of them in the week they had been sailing.

"Sorry about the delay, I must have been more tired than I thought," Bryadin said with a sheepish grin.

The men around the table all chuckled but Airicka smiled wickedly at the captain and said, "It's ok sir you have been working hard since we left the harbor. I'm sure you are under a lot of stress, I couldn't imagine trying to keep order on a ship this wonderful." This brought another round of laughter from the other men as they watched Braydin and the mage's cheeks become flush.

Kalin looked to Braydin and said, "Here I was thinking my brother hadn't had time to become acquainted with any of you!" He stopped to laugh again but the rest of his crude remark was cut short by the dark look Braydin shot across the table.

Braydin placed his hands palm down on the table and stood as he said. "I want to thank you all for the aid you have given us this week. You have all become invaluable members of this crew and I am glad to have you aboard."

The twins looked at each other and then Thorn said, "No offense is intended Master Braydin, but we four have been working together for a while now and when were in private it would probably do well for you to speak plain."

Marko chimed in,"Yeah there is no need for pomp and circumstance. Were all friends here and we're also in a terrible predicament."
"The six of us are going off to do battle in a foreign land against an army we've never seen." Thorn elaborated.

"I've seen them," Kalin said, "And I can't wait to see them again. I have a debt to repay with our orc friends over the water." Kalin leaned back in his chair and began massaging his shoulder.

"Thanks guys I get the point," Braydin said, "I guess I should relax while I can there wont be much time for it later." He looked around the table but all the faces he looked into were solemn as they considered the future. The only indication that anyone had even heard what he said was Cade's quick nod before he continued. "I thought it would be helpful that we share our skills with each other so that we know each others capabilities and weaknesses in case we get into a pinch. So I think we should go around the table and describe our abilities to each other," Bryadin paused to look around the table and said, "I'll start. I'm pretty handy with a sword and in a fist fight my brother Kalin is my only better in town. I have a working knowledge of tactics and I have been captain of this ship through more battles than I can count. Now you Kalin tell them about you."

Kalin looked around and threw up his hands and said, "My sword work is pretty rusty, but my hammer remains true I can fix and ment any metal that can be heated. I'm fairly good in a fist fight or wrestling match but other than that in combat I'm pretty average. Im strong and good with my hands." He gave Airicka a quick wink and then continued, "I, like my brother, learned all of my soldiering abilities from our father and he has been gone a long while. Other than that I'm not really sure why I was even invited along on this trip. Aside from my mother being a kidnapped princess of course."

Cade and the others faces revealed the shock and surprise that they felt at that revelation. Cade grabbed Kalin's shoulder and said "You two are the princes of Gailland?"

Kalin nodded in the affirmative and replied, "Yes but we weren't raised to know so. Our father and mother left the kings side to raise us in a normal environment."

Thorn said, "That makes you the son's of Roth. He was a living legend."

Marko followed, "Our father used to tell stories of his great heroics in the war against the orcs and goblins when we were children. Every man in the kings army would strive to be your father."

"No one ever knew what happened to him after the war," Thorn said. "The king must have assigned him to watch after his most valuable treasure, his continued legacy."

Airicka could only stare at the brothers in disbelief. After a moment she said, "We all thought that the king was the last of his line. This changes everything, we have to keep the two of you safe."

"Don't worry about us dear," Kalin said, "we've managed to stay alive this long with out and help from the kingdom and Im sure we will do a good job of it still."

Cade nodded and said, "Yes but we can teach you some things that will make your task of surviving a little easier. I can teach you how to use your hands as weapons as well as any steel or wooden killing device you choose to handle. Airicka and the twins have useful skills as well that Im sure they don't mind sharing."

Airicka spoke up once again and said, "I can teach you how to do some magic, nothing extravagant but I can teach you how to close wounds and maybe a few tricks that might come in handy along the way."

"Why can't you teach us to throw lightning and control the weather the way you do?" Kalin asked.

"People with talent like mine are born not taught, but everyone has some magical talent and even those without the natural gifts can, given enough time and devotion, learn the arts. Unfortunately I do not have years to train you, only weeks. However even a little magic is more than you can use now." Airicka said smiling, "We must get started right away."

Thorn and Marko were leaning in whispering to one another. They quickly separated and Thorn said, "We like you chaps, so weve decided that we will teach you the shadow arts used by the brotherhood of the rat if you swear not to share the information and technique with others."
Marko said, "Yes you will learn how to disappear into darkness and to mix and apply the poisons used by us. You will become the reason people fear the dark." He said the last with a terrible grin crossing his face, which mimicked that of his brother. Braydin and Kalin exchanged worried glances.

Cade slapped his hands together as he said, "Well there's now time like the present! When do we start?"

. . .

The king sat with his council, his forehead was creased deeply with worry. "What if it doesn't work Archy?" he said as he rubbed his head."What if they don't make it?"

"Well if they boys fail we must have a contingency," Archy replied grimly as he imagined the horrible things that could happen on the journey.
"The boys aren't what I'm worried about. They are merely a distraction, cloaking the men I currently have in place inside Klostonian, posing as a mercenary army attempting to join the main army of the country. For all I know they could have been part of the raid to steal Jessykah."
"What!" Archy exclaimed, "You sent those untrained boys into this situation as bait!"

"They were the best solution. Their ties to Roth will enrage Hornklaw and once he finds out that he carries the princess he will be able to think of nothing else."

"I see your reasoning, and unless Braydin has done something to that ship that I'm unaware of they will never come within a few days of meeting Hornklaw's armada. Let's hope that they simply can't overtake them." Archy paused and his face became thoughtful. "Who is leading the unit in the south?" he asked as he rubbed his chin.

"He is a young general who proved himself on the frontier as a hardened warrior but his fame is not well known. His name is Davmorn," the king said with a sigh. "General Reginald Davmorn, however he is better known as the famous pirate Tarn Shiver. He has always worked for the crown in either guise." The king finished and slumped back in his chair.

Archy shook his head and said, "I have met the man we gave him shelter in Thachton during a particularly bad storm one year. He is Bryadins idol. He is the reason Braydon gave up fishing to protect the waters surrounding the town. This could work to our advantage, Tarn is a very capable opponent. You have made a good choice with this one majesty." Archy reached for his flagon and drank deeply.

"He was my only choice old friend," the king leaned forward and continued, "All of my generals are old and have become lax in this time of peace. If we are attacked here on our soil Gailland will fall. This is why it worries me that should they fail, the boys and a handful of men are this countries last defense against total ruination."

"I see the delima highness," Archy said "But do not count out the talents on that small ship in the ocean. Together they will be a force to be reckoned with, I'm sure of it. They are after all their fathers sons. Gailland will survive, even if they don't stop the invaders, if I know those two boys the army will be seriously crippled by the time it reaches our shores." Archy laughed as he placed his empty flaggon back on the table and said "If there is anything you can be sure of majesty its that those two boys together can mess up almost anything."

Archy and the king joined one another in a laugh and enjoyed a meal and a toast to the efforts oversea.

. . .

Tarn scrambled trough the underbrush of the forest he and his men had called home for nearly a year now. He was covered from head to toe in mud and leaves from foreign trees. His heart raced as he attempted to gain his bearings, and his eyes were wide like an animal as he saw the lights lining a road ahead of him. He churned his legs forward willing them to move . He had to get help, his men were counting on him to save them. The cannibals had held them for almost a month now and he had watched six of his men cooked alive and eaten like game on a spit. He had to find help or they were all doomed.

Tarn ran out of the woods onto the road and stopped to look around. He noticed a crossing north of where he stood and familiar thoughts began to return to him. "Hovok's Crossing!" he said aloud as the memory came flooding back to him. Once more he began to run remembering an old retired general who ran a shop just east of the crossing. He and his men had bought provisions there when they had first visited this gods forsaken land under the guise of a human mercenary group looking for work. He could only hope that the old monster remembered him.

It was a few minutes of running before Tarn saw the building and it felt like years before he reached the front stoop. He pounded his fist against the door and shouted for help repeatedly before he was answered by the familiar sound of hooves crossing the wooden floor. The door swung quickly on its hinges and General Havok stood his full eight foot before Tarn making him feel even smaller and childlike than he ever had in his life. Havok was a gristled old fighter whose face and torso were covered in scars and many patches of hair were missing from scars on his lower body. He was a proud and honorable centaur. Havok reached out and helped Tarn inside of the small shop.

"Tell me what happened for fate to deliver you to me in this condition, friend Davmourn," Havok said as he gave the pirate a place to sit.
Tarn looked at the old centaur with half lidded eyes. Since he had been on this continent the centaur were the only race that seemed to have a sense of compassion and caring. He very much liked them he thought as he said "My men and I were taken by the cannibals a month ago. I escaped and have been running ever since. I need to find help or they will all die at the tip of a fork. I can not have my men killed in such a way."

"Those cannibals are three days ride from here, you must be starved. How did you escape?" Havok said as he moved to get Tarn a piece of bread and some stew from the kettle over the fire.

"They chose me for dinner so I waited until they opened the door to my cage and me and the three others who shared a cell charged out and began fighting them. I stabbed one in the eye with a chicken bone I had been saving. We all made for the woods and they gave chase. Two of my companions fell quickly. Dilinger and I stayed together through the first night and we decided that it would be better if we split up so that they would only be able to catch one or the other at a time." Tarn said as he struggled to stay awake.

"Sound logic," said the centaur as he spooned the stew into a bowl.

"After the split I just ran and kept running until I found this place once again." Tarn shook his head fighting off sleep.
Havok sat the food infront of his guest and said, "Here eat this and get some rest. You will need your strength in the days to come when you awake we will go and free your men." The old centaur crossed the room and removed an old horn from its spot on the wall next to the door and then walked out onto his front stoop. Tarn nodded off to sleep, soothed by the sound of the centaur's horn blasting through the night as Havok called out to his kinsmen for aid in his old friends time of need.
. . .

The rain thrummed a steady rhythm on the deck of the "Braying Mare" as her soggy crew moved about their duties in silence. It had started to rain three days before and the storm seemed to be following the vessel with every turn. The rain fell in sheet and punished the men on watch crushing their spirit and drowning the optimism they so desperately needed for survival.

The call from the crows nest was barely heard over the howl of the storm. Braydin walked across the ships bridge and stared over the starboard rail trying to make out the port that the spotter had noted. Once he spotted the landing he turned and gave orders to his first mate. "Hard to Starboard! We go to port to dry our clothes and warm our hearts!" The crew gave a cheer and scurried busily to open the sails as the first mate cranked hard on the tiller.

The ship pulled slowly into the docks and quickly tied the shorelines as they began exiting the vessel. The men made their way up the empty streets after navigating the docks and were shocked at the scene that greeted them. All around the town buildings were nothing but burnt husks and the streets were littered with bodies. Cade and Bryadin made their way through the town as the crew searched for survivors and salvageable goods. They followed the streets to the center of town where they found the magistrate building still standing like a giant among the dead on a battlefield. The building was riddled with arrows protruding from every direction and three bodies were pinned to the front of the building hanging by hundreds of arrows. Braydin hung his head as he realized what port they had landed in. Thaddius had been a friend of their fathers and he had stopped in Oakcrest on many occasions to resupply and hide from pirate fleets in the area.

"It would have taken a huge fleet to take this island, Cade." Braydin said as he turned from the grisly scene. "The holder of the oak were no mere band of unorganized islanders. They have been here for years and it is fabled that the kings armada its self was turned away by their might."

Cade nodded once and placed his hand on Braydin's shoulder. "These men and women were slaughtered like animals. Do you think Hornklaw is responsible for this?"

Braydin stared forward into the storm unflinching as the rain hammered his face, "I do Cade, and for this travesty, he will pay." Bryadin walked back in the direction of his ship as Cade managed to slip through the front door of the magistrate building.

The door creaked loudly as it opened into the dark room. Cade scanned the room which seemed to remain untouched. He found an oil lamp and blew on the wick, employing a spell he had learned earlier that week from Airicka, the wick sparked to life and a warm glow spread through the room. Cade's eyes caught a slight movement behind the magistrate's desk as the room brightened. He dashed quickly across the room and threw the desk to the side revealing a young boy around ten years old with sandy blonde hair and wiry arms and legs. The boys eyes were scared and wild as Cade's fist clenched around his collar and hauled him back through the doorway. Cade stepped back through the door and yelled, "Captain! We have a survivor!"
. . .

The pounding of hooves woke Tarn from a dead sleep. He leaped from the mat he was sleeping on ready to pounce on any enemy within striking distance. His eyes darted around the room and he relaxed as he realized where he was. The shop was empty aside from the merchandise stacked neatly on the shelves around the room. He found his boots and walked outside to see what the general was up to. He pushed the door open and was greeted by ten columns of centaur warriors armed and painted with General Havok trotting back and forth infront of the ranks inspecting equipment and giving words of encouragement to the soldiers.

Tarn walked slowly down the steps in amazement as Havok came trotting over to greet him. "These are my men Davmourn and each soldier here has volunteered to save your men. We have a small scout team breaking trails and marking their progress so that we can make the best time and save your men from the spit."

Tarn was so shocked that he had forgotten that he held his boots in his hands. "Thank you all!" he shouted, "I am honored to receive your help, you and your people never cease to amaze me."

Havok nodded to Tarn and handed him a scimitar and a dagger before he replied, "You and your company have proven to be honorable men unlike any we have ever encountered in our time here. Honorable men deserve honorable death. The cannibals are weak and cowardly creatures who have plagued our forests for far too long. To be honest, friend Davmourn, many of my people are itching for an excuse to irradicate them all together."

Tarn took the weapons and tested the balance of each as he said, "I will gladly be your excuse old friend, me and my men will forever be indebted to you."

Havok bent his front legs and said, "Today sir Davmourn your mount is a general, remember just tell me if you want to go faster, those spurs look like they hurt."

They both laughed as Tarn slipped his boots on his feet and climbed onto the general's back. Havok stood and reared up on his back legs as he let out a war cry. The general charged headlong into the forest with the entire herd charging behind him.
. . .

The boy sat on a barrel and chewed greedily on the loaf of bread Kalin had provided him. Braydin looked the boy over for a long time, letting him eat and calm down before asking any questions. The boy looked from one man to the other as he swallowed his last mouthful of bread before timidly saying, "Thank you for the bread i haven't eaten in days. The orcs came and burned everything and i didn't know what to do, so i just hid."

Braydin looked the boy over once more and said, "It's fine boy, just tell us what happened here and we will make sure you are taken care of."
The boy fingered the fringe of his warn tunic as he replied," The orcs and men charged through the streets setting fire to buildings and killing people before they knew what was happening. They continued to burn and pillage until they reached the magistrate building. Thaddius stopped them with his two sons."

Kalin interjected, surprised at what the boy had just said. "How did three men stop an entire invading horde of bloodthirsty orcs!" He asked.
The boy turned to Kalin and simply replied, "He demanded them to stop and they did."

"They were the holders of the oak Kalin, those three men wield great power and people around them reacted as such," Braydin added as if that explained everything.

Kalin sat with a puzzled look on his face as the boy continued, "When Thaddius had them stopped he told Shaemas, his eldest son, to sound the retreat and from the cliff face to the east was a loud explosion. We have precautionary powder kegs placed there to drop onto invading ships. When the horn sounded archers simply fire flaming arrows into the kegs and the ship sinks. The orcs became afraid of Thaddius and began to become unnerved."

Cade and the twins nodded their approval at the islanders scare tactics as the boy paused to reach for some more bread and a bit of cheese that he had missed earlier.

"The general of the orcs turned to run away and sounded the retreat for his men as the remaining townsfolk retreated into the mountains to the west," the boy said as the memory made him swell with pride even though it brought tears to his young eyes. Now the boys face turned a dark scarlet as he continued," The orcs weren't retreating though. The leader pulled his troops back and instructed the rows of archers behind the front lines to fire on the building like a coward. The orcs came back through the town and took what they wanted and burned the rest. But Oakcrest has been burned before. They left the magistrate building as a warning to any who would follow them."

Kalin placed his hand on the boys shoulder and said,"Don't worry boy we will find Hornklaw and he will pay for what he has done."

The boy nodded and looked up at Kalin as he made his reply, "I know you will prince Kalin, Thaddius told me you and Braydin would be here, and you would make great allies to the holders of oak."

"How did you know I was a prince boy?" Kalin exclaimed.

The young boy stood and placed his right hand on his left shoulder revealing an oak tree branded into the meat of his shoulder. "Because Prince Kalin, I am Ren, son to Thaddius Oakhaft and last remaining Holder of Oak!" the boy announced with great pride. "Now I must go to the mountains and find my people so that we may rebuild our home." The boy turned and leaped off of the ship without a word and was disappearing up the docks not a moment later.

"Well that was unexpected," stated Thorn as he raked his fingers through his hair.
Braydin turned to Kalin and said, "We should leave at once. from here there is only one port on their path and its merely a week away. Call the men we make for Port Tugal, if we leave by dusk we will be able to catch them within three days and spare the lives of many."
The first mates eyes widened as well as the navigators. Braydin nodded to them both and replied, "Yes my friends, we make for the Darkspire pass."
. . .

Trees flew by in a blur of colors as Tarn held tight to Havok's belt. The thundering of hooves was deafening and the war cries echoed through the forest warning anyone in the area that the centaur had an enemy in their sights and were ready and able to destroy anyone who showed resistance. It was nearly two hours before the main herd caught up with the trail breakers. The scouts informed Havok that the cannibals camp was just over a low rise to the north of their current position. Havok immediately started barking orders, splitting his company into three groups, forming a flight squad to give chase to the ones who flee or support to one of the other groups, and a flanking troop to circle around to cause chaos and confusion among their targets. Tarn was impressed by the precision and tactical placement used by theses creatures and thought he might have to discuss military strategy with Havok if the opportunity ever presented itself.

When the groups were split and everyone was in position Havok and Tarn topped the rise alone. The cannibals, or goblins as Havok called them, began jumping and screaming at the idea of dining on the centaurs flesh. Tarn realized that there were alot more goblins than when he had escaped. His men were still caged on the far side of the camp but he and the centaurs would have to fight their way through a band of nearly three hundred starving goblins. Havok reared up on his hind legs and let out a battle cry so fierce that Tarn's thought that his ears began to ring. The tone was actually the arrows flying over head and from two sides of the bowl the goblins had called home.
After two flights of arrows had depleted the goblins numbers the centaurs spilled into the camp and began cutting down every goblin that moved. Tarn and Havok slashed wildly at fleeing goblins as they made their way to the cages that held the captives. With a single swing of his scimitar one cage door fell open and the men began opening the other cages.

Tarn leaped from the generals back and rolled to his feet near a group of goblins trying to protect another cage. He pulled his dagger from his boot and hurled it through the air. A goblin with a spear fell to the ground with his eyes wide in shock as he clutched the dagger protruding from his throat. Black blood spilled over his hands and sprayed onto the ground as he finally fell forward forcing the dagger through the back of his neck. Two of the goblin's companions rushed toward Tarn with their spear points aimed at his heart. He leaped for the cage door he had previously removed and held it in front of himself like a giant's shield.

The attackers changed direction and charged once more. Tarn deflected one spear with the cage door and trapped the other between the bars. The goblin whose spear was trapped screamed as Tarn slammed the iron bars into the creatures face, shattering its nose and rendering it unconscious. Tarn pulled his scimitar from his belt and quickly finished the creature as it lay unconscious on the ground.
Tarn moved quickly to the side as the second attacker drove his spear hard into the ground beside his dead companion in an attempt to skewer the infamous pirate. Tarn gained his bearing as the goblin dislodged his spear tip from the ground and launched it in his direction. His scimitar connected with the spear, causing it to glance to the right and bury a full six inches into his shoulder. The goblin pulled a bone dagger from its belt and began walking toward him with murder in his eyes.

The goblin threw his arms out wide and screamed in victory as Tarn tried to scoot away from his attacker. The vicious cannibal closed the distance in three steps and Tarn closed his eyes tight as he attempted to remove the spear from his shoulder. The goblins face changed at the last second befor he took Tarn's life, as two large hooves collided with the side of his head, crushing his skull and spraying the dark oozing ichor from his mouth and nose.

Havok picked Tarn up from the ground and hung him over his back. The goblin camp had been routed and Tarn's men were safe. The old pirate slipped in and out of consciousness as they ran back through the woods the general's store.