[Content Warning:This chapter contains depictions of sexual assault, torture, and violence against civilians. Reader discretion is strongly advised.]
Waves hit the rocks of the beach, masking their footsteps as the eleven-man team went down the steep cliff trail.
They left their horses tied to the pine trees above. Mounts were useless in narrow sea coves and cave tunnels, so they had to fight on foot.
Jade moved along the wet beach rocks with his short spear low and round shield ready. Beside him, Mataranas and Numerius stayed in the shadows of the cliff wall. Behind them, Scout Officer Mara and her six Golden Boar veterans moved quietly.
Ahead on the beach, a campfire burned near two longboats on the gravel. Two sentries sat by the fire with ale mugs, a third patrolled the water's edge with an iron spear, and a fourth stood near the cave mouth leaning against the rock.
Mara raised her hand, stopping behind a boulder.
"Stealth phase," Mara whispered. "Take out the outer guards quietly. If one blows an alarm horn, the whole cave locks down."
Yuzon stepped out, drawing his bow. Twenty yards away, the guard near the water turned toward the surf.
Snap!
The first arrow flew wide, skittering across the wet rocks near the guard's feet. Yuzon's chest tightened in an instant flash of panic, thinking he had blown the stealth phase. But right as the arrow struck, a huge wave crashed against the beach boulders, the roar of the water masking the sound completely. The sentry kept staring at the surf, oblivious.
Yuzon took a breath, immediately nocking a second broadhead arrow. He drew, aimed, and released.
Thwack!
The arrow went through the sentry's throat. He fell into the shallow surf with a splash.
At the same time, Mara and Garek ran across the gravel. They dropped the two fire sentries before the men could reach their weapons.
Jade and Mataranas moved toward the fourth sentry by the cave mouth. Mataranas locked an arm around his neck and twisted sharply, while Jade guided the body to the ground.
[+1 Scouting]
"Beach sentries cleared," Jade reported in a low voice.
"Good," Mara said, wiping her blade. "Move inside. Stay quiet as long as we can."
The eleven-man team entered the dark cave mouth single file, keeping low. Smoke from a deeper fire drifted out of the entrance, carrying the smell of meat, stale ale, and damp sea rot. The walls were slick, the floor scattered with broken shells and fish bones.
They moved thirty yards through the winding corridor. The passage opened into a wider chamber with a high ceiling, where laughter echoed from deeper inside.
Ahead, the corridor opened into a side chamber. Two Sea Raider Warriors stood near a weapon rack, arguing over a barrel of salted fish.
"Hey, it's my turn with the captives," one raider grunted, reaching for his belt. "That young one still has fight in her. I want to break her before the others get a turn."
The second raider laughed. "You'll have to wait. The Boss took her first. Said he wanted to make her scream until her voice cracked. She's been quiet for three hours now. Probably dead."
Yuzon raised his bow, aiming for the first raider's head, while Mara drew a heavy throwing knife for the second.
They released at the same time. Yuzon's arrow caught the first raider in the neck, dropping him. But right as Mara threw, the flickering firelight shifted and the second warrior leaned down to grab a fish. The heavy blade glanced off his shoulder armor instead of hitting his neck.
The injured warrior yelled in pain, knocking an iron shield off the weapon rack. The metal shield hit the stone floor with a loud clang that echoed through the cave system.
"Intruders in the tunnel!" the wounded raider screamed before Yuzon's second arrow hit him.
Shouts and heavy footsteps erupted from the deeper chambers. Boots hit the stone, weapons clattered, and men ran out.
"Stealth is blown!" Mara yelled. "Form up! Full assault!"
Garek and two veterans stepped to the front, locking their kite shields together. Mataranas and Numerius braced behind them, while Jade took the right flank with his short spear and round shield.
"Hold the choke point!" Garek yelled.
Five Sea Raiders rushed into the side chamber with hatchets and iron spears.
Thwack! Thwack!
Mataranas stepped up beside Garek, raising his heavy cavalry shield as two iron-tipped harpoons slammed into the wood. The impact pushed him back, but Mataranas held his ground.
[+1 Shield]
"Push them back!" Garek yelled, shoving forward.
A fight broke out in the narrow chamber. Steel hit shields in the dark corridor. The raiders swung axes and spears wildly.
Jade stayed behind Garek's shoulder, using his short spear to thrust over the shield. His spear tip found a gap in a raider's leather armor.
[+1 Polearm]
His short spear tip bit into a Sea Raider's neck above his collar. The raider choked, dropping his hatchet as blood hit the rocks, then fell.
"Left side!" Numerius shouted, lunging past Garek with his heavy iron-banded mace.
He brought the mace down hard, smashing through a wooden shield and crushing the raider's shoulder guard. Bone broke with a loud crack. Numerius brought the mace back around, hitting the man in the temple. The screaming stopped.
[+1 One-Handed]
Beside him, Mataranas held the line with his cavalry shield, blocking a spear thrust while shoving two raiders back into the rocks. His shield took impacts that would have broken an arm.
The group pushed forward, clearing the side chamber step by step until bodies piled up in the corridor. Blood pooled on the stone, mixing with spilled ale and fish bones.
As they cleared the room, Yuzon noticed a wooden iron-barred cage built into the back wall.
The sight stopped him.
Three women huddled on filthy straw inside the cage. They had been stripped of their outer clothes. Their skin was covered in bruises, open sores, and dried blood. Their faces were swollen, eyes hollow. They had been beaten, starved, and left to lie in filth. The smell was urine, feces, and rotting flesh.
One young woman with dark hair matted with blood had been tied to a stake at the back, wrists bound above her head. Her shoulders were dislocated, her body covered in lash marks. A discarded javelin lay nearby, stained with dried blood.
A second woman lay in the corner, her back covered in welts and an untreated thigh wound turning gangrenous. Her breathing was shallow.
The third woman sat against the bars with a broken jaw and boot prints across her chest, staring at nothing while flies buzzed around her sores.
"Prisoners," Yuzon said, his voice flat. "Three of them. Alive."
Numerius swore under his breath. "Ravage-happy sea dogs."
"Those bastards used that javelin on them," Nathaniel said, his voice barely above a whisper. His face went pale. "They... they used it to..."
He couldn't finish.
Mara's face was stone. "We clear the main room first," she ordered. "Nathaniel, stay here. Guard the prisoners. Get them water if you can."
Nathaniel nodded, dropping to his knees beside the bars. "It's okay," he said softly. "I'm here. You're safe now."
The youngest woman didn't answer. Her eyes stayed fixed on nothing.
The remaining ten fighters ran through the inner archway into the central cavern.
A bonfire burned in the middle, lighting up the stone walls and supply crates. Around the fire, ten Sea Raiders formed up with round shields locked and throwing axes ready.
At the center of their line stood a tall man in heavy scale armor and an iron helmet. He carried a double-bitted battle axe in one hand and three throwing javelins on his shoulder. His face was scarred, his beard matted with dried blood.
It was the Sea Raider Boss.
The Boss stepped forward, slamming his battle axe against his shield. His eyes scanned them with pure arrogance, confident in his scale armor and his ten men holding the room.
"Mercenary dogs," the Boss boomed. "You crawl into my cave like rats. You kill my men. You find my playthings in the cage."
He laughed, a harsh, grating sound.
"I'll give you a chance, dogs. One champion against me. If he wins, my men lay down their arms and surrender the silver. If he dies..." He grinned, showing yellowed teeth. "We drag this out. Make you watch as we take our time with the captives. Make you beg before we gut you."