Kal and Bjorkus notice discrepancies in how the ship sits in the water and how its crew sails it.
"Okay, we are NOT chasing any ships out here. For all we know they could be a lure to lead us into a reef. A small ship like that could skim over top one in deep water that our hull would scrap. Let's just focus on what we came here to do."
While everyone notices something odd about the ship, only Bjorkus and Opal realize it's an illusion!
Bjorkus’s eye go wide at the revelation.
”Opal’s right. That’s an illusion!”
”Where’s the real thing…”
As it is obvious that at the trick has stopped working, a female half orc appears in the sky above. She reads a scroll and though you don't see anything both ships instantly crash into an invisible wall, taking damage.
The impact causes everyone on board either ship to take
and everyone except for Chubs is knocked prone.
You also see a rowboat with what must be her crew making their way towards you.
Bjorkus climbs to his hooves and spots the approaching vessel.
”We’ve got boarders incoming. Arm yourselves!” he bellows to rally the crew.
Kal stands up and summons a ball of flame on the flying half-orc.
Bjorkus calls upon pirate magic to heal the crew, most of which were knocked out by the collision. Kal summons a ball of flame but unfortunately the half orc easily dodges it.
Opal readies a magic missile spell, her intent is to zap the flying b&%!* with it the second she begins casting again.
Luthor casts a spell on his trident and and moves closer to her.
Chubs bravely strides forward and takes a pot shot at Vakarla.
His arrow finds purchase but it does little to faze the half orc.
As she starts casting, Opal tries to interrupt her by launching a barrage of force missiles. Unfortunately they seem to bounce off her with no effect. Vakarla chuckles as she fires off two rays of fire back at Opal.
"Stay out of my way b&+&!."
And you can see her crew get closer in their rowboat. They seem to be more half orcs, all with falchions strapped to their backs.
Bjorkus shouts to the weapon crews.
"Fire the ballista! Shoot that whore out of the sky!"
Opal uses her elemental rod to send a lightening ball at the rowboat.
Bjorkus coaches the weapon crews and they fire!
However they miss.
All except for H2 take the brunt of the lightning ball, but this seems to just make them angry.
Kal steps back and begins casting a spell.
The flaming sphere continues to burn, but does not pursue the flying half-orc.
Luthor tosses the trident at the half-orc pirate.
However it bounces off her invisible armor of force.
Chubs moves forward and tries to snipe at her.
And this time his arrow draws a single drop of blood from her thigh.
"Not today, boyo." She says as she recognizes the spell Kal is casting so she fires off force missiles of her own.
She then descends to ten feet off the deck and a monkey crawls out of her jacket to harass Opal.
Her crew quickly finish closing the gap and board the Sanbalot.
Bjorkus snarls and punts the monkey off the deck with a hoof.
Opal lets pair of lightening rays shoot at the caster who dared to toss a monkey at her.
Kal grunts and sends the ball of flame toward the half-orc and fires his bow at one of the boarders.
Luthor double moves to defend Kal from the boarders.
Bjorkus cruelly punts the monkey off the ship and it screeches as it flies through the air.
Both of Opal's rays of lightning strike Vakarla, striking her right in the chest.
Kal's shot from his bow finishes off one of the half orcs.
Chubs again snipes at the half-orc.
She growls as her sternum is pierced.
The half orc boarders rage and leap at Luthor, falchions drawn.
Luthor has to put his shield up, breaking it in the process.
Vakarla decides to stop playing around and summons a wall of fire on top of Opal and Bjorkus!
Bjorkus and Opal take immediately.
Chubs takes immediately
With that she lands and draws her falchion, beckoning you all to come fight her.
Kal steps back and fires two arrows at the boarders, while directing the sphere to follow the flier again.
Opal falls to the deck in the middle of the wall of fire.
Bjorkus howls in pain as the flames singe his hide but the sight of Opal succumbing to her injuries snaps the bull back to his senses.
After kneeling down to sling her small limp form over one burly shoulder, the big minotaur darts across the deck and behind the half-orc witch.
The half orc wizardess dodges the sphere of flame twice. She takes a swipe at Bjorkus as he moves past.
But she can't get through his thick hide.
Luthor lashes out at the two half orc berserkers.
He drops H4 and lands a solid punch on H2.
Chubs rushes through the wall of fire taking and dives in teeth first!
And he takes a bite out of her! She is looking worse for wear, seemingly the only thing keeping her standing is her orcish ferocity. She tries to cast one last spell to keep herself alive.
She tries to touch Bjorkus.
Her last berserker strikes at Luthor.
Kal stands back and waits for Luthor to punch the remaining boarder.
Bjorkus grunted as the half-orc's foul magic sapped more of the bull’s strength but he wasn’t out of the fight yet.
Without losing his grip on Opal, the minotaur roared and threw himself into the attack.
Opal awakens to find herself out of the fire and slung over the shoulder of an enraged minotaur.
And Bjorkus cuts her down easily. Seconds later Lutho drops his foe, who dies when the rageful adrenaline stops working,
"Thanks big guy, but I think it's safe for you to put me down now."
Opal give Bjorkus a pat on the backside to remind him that she is slung over his shoulder.
Chubs leans over and looks at the pile of mutilated flesh at his feet. Damn Stud...I think ugly half Orc b~!@# pissed you off. Chubs can't even find piece of meat worth eating!
Bjorkus puts Opal down gently and nods at Chubwart, "Sorry Captain."
”Who was she? She tried to wreck the ships, cook me, and almost killed Opal.”
The minotaur mutters a healing spell as he speaks.
”You feel better Moonbeam?”
"Much better Bjorkus, thank you."
Opal walks over to where the half-orc caster lays and casts detect magic as she searches the bloodied and gored corpse.
"I'm going to take the b!$&%es tusk as a little keepsake and then I say we pitch her remains overboard."
"And you know, I can't believe they just hang out in that little boat all day. Either they got a big ship hidden somewhere nearby or a camp on a nearby island. We should find it. Bet that's where that relic will be."
Kal nods his thanks at Luthor and motions to the corpses. "I suppose we'd better see if they had anything valuable... you alright?"
Bjorkus nods at Opal’s assessment.
”Give her the burial at sea she deserves.”
Picking up a cloth to wipe his gore-caked blade, the minotaur walks to the Storm’s railing and calls to the Sanbalot.
”You manage to take any survivors?”
Opal continues to grumble as she searches the corpse. "I hope that damned little monkey f#~!er drowned..."
"We've got one that might still be alive."
He heals himself and Luthor a bit.
"Bring him over here. I wanna chat", the minotaur shouts with a none-too-friendly growl.
Kal dispatches a few crew members with the hapless prisoner to take the rowboat over to the Storm.
As they row over, he calls to the others. "What do we want to do? If they came via rowboat, their ship or port can't be too far..."
Opal hollers back to Kal. "That's just what I was saying over here Kal. Let's head off in the direction that rowboat came from and see what we find."
”Opal suggested that. Give me some time with the prisoner. I’ll get him talking”, the bull says with unveiled malice.
"Works for me! Try to leave him in *snort* salvageable condition so we can find him a good family when we get back to port, alright?"