Before the sahuagin had a chance of pulling the trident back, the young sailor flicked the hook out and caught his opponent through the gills. Jherek gave a twist and a yank that tore the sahuagin’s throat out. “Retreating does make sense. We made this line and we held them. Now it’s time to fall back and meet them again.”
The dwarf fought gamely, avoiding a thrown javelin, then batting aside a trident thrust and slamming home another hand axe into the sahuagin’s thorax. “Aye, swab, ye have the right of it.” He blocked another blow and missed one of his own. “At times, I’m a prideful man. I don’t like backing away from no fight.”
“By Tymora’s favored smile and grace, you sawed-off runt!” Churchstone roared. “You’re not retreating from a damned fight. You’re moving to better wage it.”
“Have a care as to how ye address me,” the dwarf roared back. “Else, if ye should survive the blades of these sea devils, ye will soon have another fight on yer hands.”
“Khlinat,” Jherek said, wanting desperately for the dwarf to listen to him. Even though they’d fought the arriving sahuagin to a standstill, they were losing men.
The dwarf nodded. “Aye, swab, and I hear ye.” He raised his voice from a roar to a bellow. “To the warehouse, damn ye lazybones! Regroup and let’s show these beasties the color of their gizzards!”
Jherek hung the hook from the sash at his waist and reached out for a lantern hanging from a nearby pole. Holding it by the wire handle, he smashed it against the crates.
At his side, Khlinat did the same. Flames twisted up with a liquid whoosh. “Them what owns them crates,” the dwarf said as they gave ground together, “ain’t going to be any too happy seeing how we treated their goods.”
“If they live after tonight,” Jherek grimly pointed out.
“Aye, swab, and ye have the right of it.”
Jherek turned and ran, spotting the two groups of sahuagin closing in from the sides. Another moment and their position would have been overrun.
They fled into the warehouse, going all the way to the back of the cavernous structure. The warehouse was two stories tall. Crates occupied space on either side, leaving the middle section clear. The scarcity of crates offered mute testimony about the way shipping had slowed since the attacks on Waterdeep and the sea lanes. On either side at the back, steeply angled wooden steps led up to the second floor.
“Don’t stop till you reach the back!” Churchstone ordered.
Jherek and Khlinat ran at the back of the group with the Flaming Fist sergeant. The young soldier couldn’t help noticing the grin on Churchstone’s face. Glancing back over his shoulder, Jherek saw that the sahuagin had no compunctions at all about following them into the building. At least thirty-five or forty sea devil warriors ran after them.
Churchstone wheeled suddenly and lifted his sword. “Now!” he shouted.
Jherek only caught the flash of movement overhead, then a huge cargo net dropped down, snaring the sahuagin. Several of them dropped to the warehouse floor, hammered by the great weight of the thick hawser ropes. The sea devils struggled to get up. A few of them sawed at the ropes with bone knives fashioned with chipped edges. The ropes slid away greasily, twisting from the sahuagin’s grip as well as against the knife edges.
Then a pair of flaming torches dropped from the overhead floor as well. From the way the cargo netting caught fire, running in rivulets as it greedily consumed everything it touched, Jherek knew it had been soaked in oil. The sahuagin whistled shrilly in pain.
It was a hard way to die, Jherek knew, and he felt bad for the creatures. It wasn’t a way he’d have killed them. Malorrie had trained him to be a warrior, to fight the right fights for the right reasons. This was more like extermination. He felt the warmth of the flames against his cheeks as the men around him hooted in triumph and pleasure.
Jherek
The dwarf fought gamely, avoiding a thrown javelin, then batting aside a trident thrust and slamming home another hand axe into the sahuagin’s thorax. “Aye, swab, ye have the right of it.” He blocked another blow and missed one of his own. “At times, I’m a prideful man. I don’t like backing away from no fight.”
“By Tymora’s favored smile and grace, you sawed-off runt!” Churchstone roared. “You’re not retreating from a damned fight. You’re moving to better wage it.”
“Have a care as to how ye address me,” the dwarf roared back. “Else, if ye should survive the blades of these sea devils, ye will soon have another fight on yer hands.”
“Khlinat,” Jherek said, wanting desperately for the dwarf to listen to him. Even though they’d fought the arriving sahuagin to a standstill, they were losing men.
The dwarf nodded. “Aye, swab, and I hear ye.” He raised his voice from a roar to a bellow. “To the warehouse, damn ye lazybones! Regroup and let’s show these beasties the color of their gizzards!”
Jherek hung the hook from the sash at his waist and reached out for a lantern hanging from a nearby pole. Holding it by the wire handle, he smashed it against the crates.
At his side, Khlinat did the same. Flames twisted up with a liquid whoosh. “Them what owns them crates,” the dwarf said as they gave ground together, “ain’t going to be any too happy seeing how we treated their goods.”
“If they live after tonight,” Jherek grimly pointed out.
“Aye, swab, and ye have the right of it.”
Jherek turned and ran, spotting the two groups of sahuagin closing in from the sides. Another moment and their position would have been overrun.
They fled into the warehouse, going all the way to the back of the cavernous structure. The warehouse was two stories tall. Crates occupied space on either side, leaving the middle section clear. The scarcity of crates offered mute testimony about the way shipping had slowed since the attacks on Waterdeep and the sea lanes. On either side at the back, steeply angled wooden steps led up to the second floor.
“Don’t stop till you reach the back!” Churchstone ordered.
Jherek and Khlinat ran at the back of the group with the Flaming Fist sergeant. The young soldier couldn’t help noticing the grin on Churchstone’s face. Glancing back over his shoulder, Jherek saw that the sahuagin had no compunctions at all about following them into the building. At least thirty-five or forty sea devil warriors ran after them.
Churchstone wheeled suddenly and lifted his sword. “Now!” he shouted.
Jherek only caught the flash of movement overhead, then a huge cargo net dropped down, snaring the sahuagin. Several of them dropped to the warehouse floor, hammered by the great weight of the thick hawser ropes. The sea devils struggled to get up. A few of them sawed at the ropes with bone knives fashioned with chipped edges. The ropes slid away greasily, twisting from the sahuagin’s grip as well as against the knife edges.
Then a pair of flaming torches dropped from the overhead floor as well. From the way the cargo netting caught fire, running in rivulets as it greedily consumed everything it touched, Jherek knew it had been soaked in oil. The sahuagin whistled shrilly in pain.
It was a hard way to die, Jherek knew, and he felt bad for the creatures. It wasn’t a way he’d have killed them. Malorrie had trained him to be a warrior, to fight the right fights for the right reasons. This was more like extermination. He felt the warmth of the flames against his cheeks as the men around him hooted in triumph and pleasure.
Jherek
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