Agent Down ((Closed))

[Breaker]

Panic began to well in Josh once more, and he fought to suppress it as he cast about for an opening in the smothering material. The tent was heavy, muffling sound significantly. He could hear Ash screaming, and faintly, Shard yelling something. The roars and screams of others were like whispers in the dark. Abruptly, Josh's flailing fingers met human flesh. "Ash..." His long fingers closed around the woman's wrist, and he dragged her next to him. She was still screaming, and flailing even more wildly than he. Josh's mind raced. He could see no way out of the situation. He was beginning to panic, stuck beneath a heavy tent with a full-scale massacre going on above him. The air was beginning to grow uncomfortably hot and hard to breathe. "I've got to get out of here... got to think..."

Rrrrrrrriiiip!
A dagger came thrusting through the heavy canvas, missing Josh by inches. A second joined it, a little farther away, and the two began to slice frantically through the tent. Josh kicked heavily at the opening, making it larger by tearing where the daggers had cut. Finally, it looked large enough to get through. With his head pounding from lack of oxygen, Josh shifted Ash bodily past him and through the opening, then scrambled through after her. The material clung to him, trying to push him back down to the ground, but he surged onward, suddenly, he was in the daylight, with fresh air rushing into his open mouth, and the open mouth of a giant wolf rushing straight toward him.

It was an instantaneous reflex which saved him. Josh ducked, and as the wolf's leap carried it over top of him, stood up, pushing with both hands. Even with his strength doubled it was a strain, but he managed to toss the wolf. With a wild yowl it toppled end over end through the air to land several metres away. Panting, the Agent wiped sweat from his eyes, and his mouth dropped open. Ash was standing still, shaking, miraculously still with her two bags. Shard, however, was far worse. With flesh-eating beasts running all around him, the man appeared to be retrieving knives from the carcasses of both men and beasts. "Of all the... don't these people have ANY sense?" Josh grabbed Shard's shoulder with one hand, and dragged him over to Ash. He spun the woman around, and bellowed over the screams;
"Get us out of here! You know the way woman... think!" For the second time Ash seemed to jump from another world, and began running. Josh followed her, still dragging Shard. The bladeslinger seemed to get the idea after a few steps, and began running of his own accord.
"Are you mad?" Josh said as he ran, "Going around robbing corpses while others are still being killed?" Shard looked slightly offended, although it was hard to tell, as his face was already red from running.
"I wasn't... robbing them." He puffed, "Just... getting my knives back." Josh could only shake his head in wonder at the idea of placing one's life upon a weapon. He decided, though, that both of them needed to save their breath for running, and set himself to the task.

The trio raced between tents and small buildings, until the treeline finally came in site. The idea of running in to the forest to get away from wild animals seemed strange to Josh, but he knew nothing of the area and decided to trust Ash's will to live. Shard and the healer were now running shoulder to shoulder, with the former carrying two knives ready for use. Josh was in considerably better physical condition than either, and loped easily behind them, acting as a rearguard. The long dagger from his belt was in his hand, held inverted so he could run without fear of stabbing himself. There was no need for it, however; the wolf pack seemed to have concentrated their attack towards the middle of the camp. The Agent wondered idly if wolves would win this battle, or the humans. "Since the majority of the men were trying to run, I think those who stand and fight will probably lose... it's a shame that the bravest will be killed... even if they aren't very smart." With that thought, Josh nearly threw himself backwards in attempt to halt his forward momentum. Shard and Ash had both stopped running. They were just inside the treeline, and walking along a rough-beaten path. Ash's voice punctured his stupefaction.
"Don't worry... we'll be safe now."

[Breaker]

"I'm sorry... what? Would you please explain to me how we are safe with a pack of giant wolves on our tail?" Josh stood with his hands outspread, for once, completely dumbfounded. Ash looked back at him and rolled her eyes, then glanced at Shard. The bladeslinger shrugged and turned away, muttering something about scouting ahead. For a moment, Ash seemed to be composing herself, as a teacher might before explaining something complicated to a very young student. Josh felt irritated at this, and was about to speak up when she broke the silence.
"Josh... as soon as we left the camp, I cast a scent neutralizing spell. The dire wolves can't smell us, so they can't follow us. Do you understand?" Josh remained in his surprised stance. "This would be very easy to understand," He felt like saying, "If there were such a thing as magic spells!" But he had seen magic spells. Or, rather, magical healing spells had been performed on him. They had healed bruises, cuts and broken bones for him, and he had taken it all in stride. "This can't be... what was I thinking?" There was no such thing as magic. Of course, there was no such thing as giant--dire--wolves either. Josh felt a numbness come to his head and limbs as shock began to take him over. It was too much to comprehend. He fell to his knees with his head in his hands, panting as though air were scarce. He couldn't hear Ash calling to him, asking if he was all right, or see her mouth moving. "It's... impossible... it's not... it can't be..." For a full ten seconds he was slumped upon the ground. Then, suddenly, the panic was gone and he pushed himself to his feet. "Basic Agent training...", he thought; "Never let the situation overwhelm you. Overwhelm the situation, instead. Take control. If you can't change something, turn to the most pressing issue." Finally, the earth man shook his head, and looked at Ash.
"I'm okay," he said, giving her a reassuring smile, "Now, how do we find this... Radasanth?"

Before long, the Joshua and Ash had caught up with Shard. The bladeslinger was waiting for them next to a small stream, about a meter wide and deep. They began to follow the water's downward descent, with Shard explaining their route.
"This stream, like many others, feeds into Concordia's great river. Once we get there, we'll follow it until we hit Radasanth. Lots of traders use the river to ship their wares, so with any luck, we may be able to hitch a ride on someone's boat." Josh nodded as he set them at a swift pace along the riverbank. It was a good plan; simple in all respects with little chance for failure. The Agent was anxious to reach Radasanth, in order to find as much civilization as he could. As the trio trudged along, Joshua examined his surroundings. Near the stream, the trees were less dense, and there was a permanent breach in the overhead foliage which allowed a significant amount of sunlight through. The ultraviolet rays cast shimmering shadows on the water and muddy banks, and played across the faces of the Agent's traveling companions. Shard, with his deep green eyes, fiery red hair and fantastic array of knives, and Ash, smiling and laughing at something the former had said. From what Josh gathered of their conversation, Ash had healed Shard from near-fatal wounds several times in the past, and the two of them were becoming close quickly. This made Josh happy; if they were on good terms, they would work well together in an emergency. "Now I just need to hope neither of them slides a knife into my back while I'm sleeping... no, now I'm being paranoid." With his worries about loyalty settled, Josh set himself to the task of watching the surrounding woods for sign of attack.

***

It was night.
Ash had never liked sleeping in the open. A tent, she didn't mind. A tent had walls, after all, and her tent had a bed. She would much rather a tent and a bed, even a folding cot, than this thin padding of pine branches and a cloak for a blanket. The night was not cold, but she felt so very open, so vulnerable. Sighing to herself, she rolled over so that her back was to the fire. She had let Shard have his fun with a fire bow for a half hour before producing a fine powder from one of her bags which had started a blaze in no time. The man was a good fighter and traveling companion, but certainly not an expert on wilderness lore. Ash smiled to herself, trying to relive the happy past memories rather than face the pressing darkness which surrounded her. She was not afraid of the dark, exactly, but with her eyes still dazzled by the fire light, she may as well have been blind. Not wanting to be lost without any senses, she strained her hearing, trying to catch any noise. The chirping of small insects was all that greeted her ears, accompanied later by the distant hooting of an owl. She wasn't afraid. "I won't let myself be taken over by a moonless night." she thought. Then she jumped as a large hand extended from the darkness and covered her mouth.

[Otter Guy]

***

Allen Whitesbridge was an intimidating sight. His presence alone was remarkable-- standing six feet eleven inches tall and weighing over two hundred and fifty pounds, he could dominate any room merely by entering it. His appearance was even more frightening due to long scar running the length of his forehead, as well as his shaggy, matted black hair. With a thick beard and moustache to match, Allen could have been a murderer right out of any child's nightmare. He was much more than a murderer though; he was also a traitor, thief, rapist and childkiller. He had been running a dirty business of killing and stealing in Radasanth for several months, and recently become so infamous that he had been forced to leave town. Together with four henchmen, he had stolen a five-man boat and begun sailing up the great Concordia River. Over the past few days he had preyed on small camps and settlements along the riverbank, approaching under cover of darkness and murdering, stealing, then sailing away before a defense could be roused. He and his crew of four were, for that reason, very optimistic as they approached the near bank of the river. A short distance from the shore, a thin plume of smoke was rising through the trees. It was undoubtedly a small camp, and probably completely unsuspecting. Allen Whitesbridge grinned a horrible grin as his men rowed them ever closer to his next victims. His right snaked down to his belt to touch the grip of a long, heavy iron flail. Few men possessed the strength required to wield such a weapon, but Allen was more than up to the challenge. He was a renowned fighter with the fearsome weapon; it was difficult to defend against due to its immense weigh and power. A malicious euphoria took Allen over as he thought of killing to come.

***

In a small eruption of water droplets, Brogalaw Galedeep's head broke the surface of the great River Concordia. The giant otter was swimming powerfully after a small boat rowed by four men, with a fifth crouching in the bow. Brogalaw's powerful eyes broke through the darkness, showing that the crew of the small vessel was well armed and dangerous. By the light of the moon, he could make out the thin plume of smoke which the boat was headed towards. "I wonder what those boyos' are up to... where in the blazes is Bane?" He thought. As though his mind had been read, the large golden eagle named Bane swooped down from the night. The big bird landed awkwardly on Brog's shoulder. Although he was an excellent flier, Bane could not see very well in the darkness. Settling his wings, he dug his talons into Brogalaw so as not to lose his perch. The otter remained treading water as he said irritably;
"Easy does it there, matey. What're yeh tryin' t'do, rip me flamin' shoulder off?"
"Krgh... I am no barn owl, Brogalaw. My eyes do not see you well as yours at night." Brog rolled his eyes at the eagle's imperial manner, but quickly got down to business.
"O'course you’re not an eagle, mate. Anyways, would yeh kindly tell me where those five are headed?" Bane allowed a dignified silence to permeate the conversation before responding.
"Certainly, friend. The smoke which you have undoubtedly noticed is coming from a campfire with three humans sleeping around it. They are not equipped for traveling or sleeping in the wilderness, but that is irrelevant. They seemed to be completely unaware of the danger, so I took the liberty of dropping branches on one of them. I managed to eavesdrop on a bit of conversation from those in the boat. They are properly overconfident for the situation, I think. They do not expect much resistance, I think." The eagle felt Brogalaw's muscles tense up. The giant otter hated for the weak or unwary to be taken advantage of.
"Oh, they'll meet with some resistance alright, me feathered friend... I'll resist 'em 'till they ain't got any life left. Now, see if ye' can go an' find a perch somewheres in between the camp an' the murderin' scum in that tub. Don't let 'em see yeh unless y'need me urgently, in which case, gimme a shout." Bane dipped his beak in approval of the plan, then flapped his wings powerfully until he gained altitude, flying towards the trees.

As he watched his ally soar into the darkness, Brog went over the past day in his mind. He had been visiting some friendly bank-dwelling humans on his trip upriver. Having decided to once more take up the lumber trade, Brog had been investigating the trees in the area. In the earliest hours of the morning he had left the human's camp to fish. When he returned, he found the camp in a state of panic; three men and a child had been killed by what the others had referred to as 'river pirates'. Bane had followed the murderers by air, and come back to report their position. The humans had, of course, wanted to give chase, but their boats had all been smashed in the attack. For that reason, Brogalaw had promised to seek vengeance upon the pirates while the men and women buried their dead and cleaned up the camp. The thought of innocent men-- and a child-- being killed for personal gain made Brog's blood boil. Now, he felt fearsome satisfaction at having caught up with the evildoers in time to prevent another such killing. Grimly, the otter drew in a deep breath and sank beneath the water's surface, once more pursuing the boat.

***

With a soft scraping noise, the five-man boat landed on the riverbank. It had been a stroke of luck finding the small sandy beach to land on. Allen Whitesbridge was beginning to feel as though his luck could not change. In a low voice Allen gave the instructions for one of his men to tie up the boat and follow him. The murderer had a good amount of experience in trekking through the woods, and a decent sense of direction. So, with one last glance at the smoke rising toward the moon, he set off into the forest followed by his cronies. The four men were carrying an array of long daggers and small axes. Although they had little training, all were large and strong enough to win a fight easily. Slowly, they made their way through the woods. Soon enough the flickering fire came into sight, barely visible through the dense trees. Sneaking forward until he could make out the two shapes lying on either side of the fire, Allen slowly reached down to his boot and drew a small dagger. He generally preferred the use of his flail, but for a quick kill in the clearing ahead, the dagger would work much more easily.
"It's a pity we won't get a fight this night." He muttered to his companions, "I coulda' used some exercise. No matter though. Let’s see what the pickins' is like." Through the darkened trees the sinister five advanced with weapons drawn.

***

[Breaker]

Josh awoke with a start. His eyes were bleary, and he rubbed them until the firelit scene came into focus. Everything was as it should be-- the fire having died considerably, Shard and Ash both on their respective beds of pine branches. "There's nothing here... what woke me up?" The Agent rolled over and got to his feet. As he did so, several dead branches cracked beneath his weight. "Strange... I didn't think I had used any dry brush on my bed." Naturally adopting a cautious air, Josh moved stealthily away from the fire, until he was hidden among the trees. For a full minute he crouched their, listening. He heard nothing, and with his vision slightly adjusted, began to circle the clearing. He managed to move practically noiselessly until he was next to Shard. Reaching down, he slid a single long dagger from a sheath on the bladeslinger's belt. The man woke with a start and sat up, looking at Josh questioningly.
"Shh... something's up. Get some of your knives out and lie down. Be ready, though." Shard looked confused, but compliantly produced two knives from his sleeves and lay down. Josh began to flow through the darkness once more, heading towards Ash's unmoving form. "I've got to get Shard to teach me how to do that. He looks like a magician, slipping out knives like that." As he approached Ash, Josh saw that her eyes were open, but she looked beyond him. "Strange... she should be asleep." In complete silence Josh reached out and covered the woman's mouth with one large hand. Her eyes widened in shock and her throat pulsated like she wanted to scream, but his hand muffled all noise. Realizing that he had shocked her, Josh moved forward into the light.
"Stay quiet... it's me. Something strange is going on... I'm going to take a look around. Stay here, and take this." Josh pressed Shard's dagger into Ash's hands. "You shouldn't have to use it, but you never know. I'll be back soon." With that, Josh slipped off into the trees, leaving the healer staring after him. The young man once again paused at the tree fringe, letting his eyes adjust. As he waited, a new sound reached his ears. It was the unmistakable sound of water being sloshed about. "This is peculiar, I didn't hear that before. I guess I'd better take a look."

As he moved through the forest, Joshua's confidence grew. His ninjitsu training was paying off. Not a twig or dry leaf crackled beneath his shoes as he crossed the earthen floor. It was lucky that he didn't; just as the Martial Artist reached the river's bank, a boat containing five murderers was landing ten yards downstream. Josh spotted them and immediately dropped to the ground behind a clump of loam. In the stillness, he could only catch vague mutters, but the moonlight glittered clearly off their weapons; these were not friendly people. The leader appeared to be a giant of a man, and he immediately entered the forest, stalking in a fairly experienced manner. The others followed him less deftly, cracking the occasional root or branch. "It looks like they're headed toward my camp... hopefully Shard and Ash hear them coming." Even as the thought crossed his mind, Josh had no intention of letting the men reach his companions. "I can't attack them without knowing for sure that they're up to no good... maybe I can pick one off and question him." Remaining on his hands and knees, Josh slithered through the brush, not standing up until he was directly behind the last of the armed men. He was about to grab one of them when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder. The Agent froze momentarily, his muscles tensing as eight different methods of breaking his attacker's wrist ran through his mind. Instantly, he decided on something less damaging. In a series of swift movements, he grabbed the offending hand, turned, elbowed his opponent in the midriff, ducked under the elbow and twisted it into an effective arm bar. His attacker immobilized, Josh began to whisper ferociously.
"Who are you, and what are you--?" That was as far as he got. As his sentence neared an end, his attacker's muscular tail struck him, knocking him into the water.

Josh actually landed on the sandy bank, but without thinking went into a role that cushioned his fall, and placed him in the shallows. There was no splash, just a soft swoosh as the Agent was submerged. An instant later he was on his feet and leaping for his opponent. At least, he tried to.
"What in the..." Shock caused Josh to vocalize his surprise. Around his ankles the water had frozen to solid ice, trapping him in place. It took all of Joshua's balance and keen reflexes to stop him from planting himself on his face. Alarmed, he looked up at the creature which had done this to him. Standing two yards away on the bank was a tall, muscular, furry... thing. Faking a loss of balance, Josh bent down and snatched a dagger from his boot, then righted himself. The small blade concealed in his hand, he tried to gain some information. In a level tone, he finished his earlier sentence.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

[Otter Guy]

Underwater, Brogalaw could dimly make out an outline of the boat he was following. Before long the small craft had beached itself at the river's side. With a swish of his long, powerful tail, Brog changed directions. He swam carefully to the bank approximately ten yards down stream of the boat, and slowly crawled out of the water. Laying on his stomach, he used his tail and paws to slide himself through the mud and shallow water to the beached craft. In the dark with his brown fur blending with the mud, Brog was virtually invisible. He watched as the men filed past him, each carrying an implement of death.
"You'll all be dead 'afore this night be over, me beauties." Brog muttered to himself. The otter counted to twenty in his head, then began following the humans on all fours. Before long he had caught up to them, and, upon approaching the last one in line, reached out and laid a muscular paw on the man's shoulder. What happened next came as a complete shock. The man moved with a speed and sureness which Brogalaw had never seen before. He was aware vaguely of his paw being grabbed and twisted, and suddenly the man was behind him, and his shoulder was in searing pain. The man was muttering something, undoubtedly a thread of death, but Brog had no time to listen to it. Instead, he spun in the direction his attacker was twisting his arm, delivering a sharp blow to the man's midriff with his hefty tail. The human was taken completely by surprise and was bowled over, but landed lightly and rolled into the water. "Big mistake there, matey." Many people would say that it is a bad idea to fight an animal in its natural habitat... and they would be right. The water was where Brogalaw Galedeep was most at home, and no one had ever bested him in an aquatic situation. Raising a paw, he froze the shallow water around the human's ankles as the man caught up. "There y'go, mate. Cool your feet for awhile."

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
The question surprised Brogalaw. The idea that a trapped man would question him was confusing in itself. However, the human's manner surprised him as well. Although he was in a hopeless situation, he seemed to be completely confident and unafraid. Having recovered from his shock, Brog decided to answer the question, to see where it got him.
"My name's Brogalaw Galedeep, matey, an' I'm here t'stop you an' that other murderin' scum from killing the poor wretches campin' by that fire." The otter gestured carelessly over his shoulder. Although he was expressing a veneer of detachment, Brog never stopped listening for the slightest signal from Bane. He was confident that the golden eagle would warn him before it was too late.
"Now, matey, it's time for YOU to tell ME who you are, and what yer' doin' here." As he spoke Brogalaw studied the man. He was tall, with short hair and an excellent physique. Also, he did not appear to be armed or wearing any kind of armour. "Strange for one of them flamin' thieves to look like this... still, he couldn't be anyone else." The otter shifted from one footpaw to another as he awaited an answer. "It won't take long for the other men to make it to that camp."

***

Bane did not enjoy flying at night. In this opinion, night was a good time to find a sturdy, sheltered place to perch and sleep. The eagle swooped low over the treetops, having to exert much more effort than normal to stay airborne without the sun-warmed thermals of day. Although his vision was greatly reduced by darkness, his abnormally sharp hearing could easily pick out the noises of the five men traipsing through the woods. Flying a decent distance ahead of them, Bane dipped his wings and landed amidst the branches of a tall oak tree. He could barely make out the figures of the five men moving towards him, now. "They will be here in short time... Brogalaw, ye water-logged riverdog, where do ye be?"

***

[Breaker]

Brogalaw Galedeep, eh? That's a strange name..." Josh's sharp mind processed what he had heard. The creature was clearly intelligent, but spoke in a thick accent. "He thinks I'm one of those men... and he knows they're murderers. This is not good... I have to catch those guys before they find Ash and Shard." Knowing it was an irrelevant issue, Josh quickly decided that Brogalaw was some type of unevolved Neanderthal. The tail and fur, he decided, might later disappear through the process of evolution. This established, the Agent moved on to more pressing business.
"Listen to me, uh... Brogalaw. I'm from the camp those men are heading towards. You have to... undo whatever you've done to this water, let me go after them." "He seems to think it's his job to stop the men..." "You can help me if you want."

There was a moment of dead air, then almost instantly, the ice around Joshua's ankles melted away. Leaving the wonder of how it had happened for another time, Josh raced up the bank. The creature made no move to attack him, but rested casually with one-- paw-- on a sword hilt. It had two short cutlasses thrust through its broad leather belt. "I hope he knows how to use those things." The thought flickered through the back of Josh's mind as he stopped next to his newfound ally.
"I'll circle upstream, you circle down. We're going to have to move fast to catch up to them, but try to stay quiet. Once you're in position to ambush, wait for my signal, and we'll come at them from both sides." Josh felt confident giving the instructions, it put him in his element, as though he were back on earth running a mission through the city. He was surprised, though, when the furred humanoid shook its head.
"Sounds like a good plan, matey, but I think you should wait for my signal. You'll know it for what it is, sure enough. Now hurry; they've got a head start." With that, the web-toed wonder dropped to all fours and scuttled off downstream and into the forest. "Wow... he moves fast." Josh thought; but his own legs were already carrying him rapidly through the underbrush.

Josh ran lightly, choosing the ground he stepped on carefully without losing too much momentum. He had long since returned the short knife to his boot; he needed both hands to ward off the whippy branches which slashed out of the darkness at his face. Before long he could hear the murderers ahead, moving clumsily. Joshua slowed his speed slightly, in attempt to make less noise, but stayed at a jog. Soon the dying embers of the fire were visible, as were the shadowy shapes and metallic glints which made up the would-be attackers and their weapons. Josh slowed to a walk, and began stalking them in a crouch, coming to within a few steps of the pack. "Where is that... thing? If he doesn't give a signal soon, I'm going to-" But at that moment, the signal came.

It was not the kind of signal Josh was expecting; rather than a flicker of light, a bird call, a drum rhythm or a plume of smoke, a hail of icicles suddenly burst from the trees, slashing into the pirates. There were screams of pain and curses. Although he was beginning to suspect that the ice the magical creature used was not normal frozen water, Josh wasted no time in leaping into the battle. He charged into the midst of the murders, grabbing arms or shoulders wherever he could and flinging men left and right using a variety of judo techniques. Finally, he found himself facing the leader of the group; the enormously tall, broad shouldered man wielding a comparatively small dagger. Not wishing to grapple with the heavier man, Josh kept up his momentum and leapt into the air, delivering a solid two-footed kick to the man's chest. The force sent the pirate sprawling backwards into the clearing, and Josh landed lightly on his side. In an instant he was on his feet, and saw that the battle had been joined; Shard was fending off two men with a dagger in each hand, trying to protect Ash who was getting in the occasional awkward slash with her long knife. Brogalaw was grappling with another man, straining to keep a dagger away from his furry throat while reaching with his other hand for one of his short cutlasses. "That makes three, plus the leader on the ground is four... where's the last guy?" The question was soon answered; Josh heard a grunt of exertion behind him, and turned around to see the fifth attacker swinging a small axe towards his face.

[Otter Guy]

As Brogalaw raced through the low bushes of the forest, he wondered if he had done the right thing in releasing the human from his icy bonds. Although the man had seemed completely honest and innocent, Brog still had his doubts about them meeting up at the exact same time and place. "Oh well... It do be too late t'worry now. Besides, he didn't look or act like one of 'em pirates." Low hanging branches and whippy bushes whizzed past Brog on either side as his four paws churned up the dirt. Running on all four paws had many advantages; the otter stayed very low that way, out of regular lines of site, and he moved considerably faster than an average human could run. Because of this, it was only a short while later that Brog caught up to his quarry. From the otter's perspective, the men were crashing through the woods like intoxicated bears; by comparison, Brogalaw made next to no noise at all. He bided his time, allowing for Joshua Cronen, who was certainly slower, to catch up. Before long, however, the men were getting dangerously close to the clearing in which the otter could dimly make out two sleeping forms. Hoping that Josh was in position, Brogalaw rose to his full height and raised both fore paws. Icicles formed themselves in thin air at his bidding, sparkling slivers of ice as hard and durable as steel. One thought later they were flying towards the five murderers; the fight was on.

With a deadly roar, Brogalaw burst through the few thin twigs shielding him from the pirates. They were caught by surprise and in a considerable amount of pain from the ice attack, but were swiftly regrouping. The nearest villain, a short, stocky man, rushed at Brog with a dagger upraised to stab. Without changing his momentum, the otter flung himself upon the man, bringing up his right paw just in time to block the stab. He gripped the man's wrist, halting the keen blade inches from his throat. Straining to overpower his heavier opponent, Brog reached with his left paw for one of his short cutlasses. The human saw this action, and plunged his hand downward to stop it. Brog growled throatily at him, twisting sideways as he did so. His powerful tail flicked forward, delivering a stinging blow to the man's wrist. The hand withdrew, and an instant later, a cutlass was free from Brog's belt. He slashed horizontally, opening up the pirate's chest in a shallow cut. The man leapt backwards, cursing loudly. His shouts of pain mingled with the other battle cries and gasps lamenting injuries. The night was alive with the noise and blood of a battle. Brogalaw felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he surged forward, all of his anger and hatred towards the evildoers coming to the surface; the otter looked quite literally like a berserker.

The heavyweight pirate saw death in his opponent's eyes, and frantically seized a hatchet from his belt. Dually armed, he found himself attacked by the giant otter who wielded two shortswords with apparent ambidexterity. The man knew he was fighting for his life as he was pushed backwards by the furious onslaught. With a final burst of strength, he shorter combatant jumped forwards, hoping to surprise his opponent with a double attack. His dagger found its mark in the otter's shoulder, but the axe cleaved nothing but air. Brogalaw emitted a roar of pain as his shoulder was pierced by the thin blade, but capitalized on the opportunity. In a swift motion, he brought up his uninjured arm and slashed the pirate's throat open. Blood sprayed outwards, matting his fur, but as his first opponent fell, the otter searched for another. With manic speed he dropped both cutlasses and loaded a rock into his sling. The flexible weapon began to whirl above his head as he sought a target in the moonlit battleground.

[Breaker]

In a split-second reflex, Josh brought both his arms up in a high X-block. A surprised look appeared on the attacker's face, it was clear he had been expecting an easy kill. Josh dropped his left arm lightly, deflecting a pathetic punch with a swift low block. His right arm still held his attacker's arm high in the air, and he latched his hand onto the man's wrist now, twisting it and taking a step to the side for power. The pirate was forced to stumble sideways as he uttered a scream of pain. Bringing his left hand up once again, Josh pushed hard on the back of twisted arm's elbow, throwing his attacker head over heels to the ground. The man had a thick skull, however, and scrambled to his feet. A light smallsword was hanging from his belt, and he drew it quickly, menacing Joshua with the point. The Agent backed up, careful not to let his heels scrape on roots. Suddenly, the swordsman lunged in a quick stab, then twisted to follow up with a diagonal slash at Josh's face. Nimbly, the earthling hopped sideways, avoiding the primary attack. As the lithe sword flicked upwards, he attempted to sway sideways, but his head struck a low-hanging tree limb, stopping his evasion. The point of the small sword sliced across Joshua's jawline, leaving a dark trickle of blood to run down his face. With a grunt of pain, Josh seized his opponent's sword arm before it could strike him again. Anger flashed through his body as we wrenched the arm around and struck a twisted elbow with his forearm. There was a sick popping as the swordsman's arm broke. Raising his left leg, Josh stomped down on the side of his enemy's knee, dislocating it, then turned and flung the man headfirst into the very tree which had helped him to scar the Agent's face. Spitting out blood which had pooled in his mouth, Josh dashed into the clearing and found himself confronted by a monster of man.

***

Shard fought valiantly to hold off two opponents at once, all the while trying to stay between them and his newfound friend Ash. Although he was an excellent knife fighter, Shard usually tried to take his opponent's down from a distance. He had been unable to do that because of the ambush, though, and now only his natural speed and luck were keeping him alive. As his knives flashed back and forth, the bladeslinger spun them, sparkling in the moonlight, through his fingers. Although such flourishes were normally kept for party tricks, they helped in the two-on-one battle to keep his attackers at bay. At first, the pirates attacked haphazardly, slashing with their long daggers and lunging. Eventually, though, they began to co-ordinate their attacks. They backed off momentarily, then lunged simultaneously, one slashing, the other stabbing. Shard managed to knock one in the temple with his fist, but at the same time the man scored a shallow slash to the bladeslinger's ribcage. Shard gasped in pain, and dropped his guard. His second opponent tried to capitalize, but was repelled by a sequence of frantic attacks from Ash. Although the woman had obviously had no training, she had been working at a fighting ring for a long time, and the fear and exhilaration of the battle leant strength to her slim arms. The two pirates backed away, one nursing a bruised face, the other rubbing at a series of thin gashes on his forearm. Shard dropped into a crouch, panting hard and trying to regain his breath in the temporary lull. Suddenly, a large round stone ricocheted off one of the pirate's skulls. The man slumped to the ground, killed instantly. His partner gasped and backed away in shock, giving Shard all the space he needed. Swivelling one of his knives so he was holding it by the blade, he whipped his arm back and forward. Abruptly, it seemed as though the knife was growing from the remaining pirate's throat. A sick gurgling noise emitted from his mouth as he sank to his knees, clawing at his neck as death took him. Grimacing in success, Shard looked to see who had thrown the stone. A large furred creature bounded out of the darkness, whirling a sling above his head.
"Got 'im! Hahar... I see ye' felled the other 'un. Keen bladework there, matey." It talked. It was a man-sized furry beast with a thick tail, and it talked. Shard's head spun as the adrenaline left him, and he sat down heavily. Dimly, he heard Ash's scream;
"Josh! Look out!"

***

The second Josh's feet landed in the clearing, he saw a heavy spiked ball flying for his head. Frantically, the Agent threw himself to the ground, feeling a wind caused by the flail tickle his neck. He rolled upon meeting the ground, and heard the flail thump into the dirt inches behind him. Twisting, he back-rolled to his feet, facing his attacker. It was Allen Whitesbridge, the gigantic man. Astonished at the speed with which his new opponent wielded his heavy flail, Josh was forced to throw himself backwards to avoid being mashed to a pulp by the ball and chain. Allen Whitesbridge advanced swiftly, his face a storm cloud. The pirate could see that his men were losing, but was determined to kill Joshua just the same. His heavy boots skipped over rocks and roots as he attacked again and again. Josh was forced to continue retreating, jumping and rolling. The flail wrecked havoc on the forest as Josh was pushed back into the brush. Small trees and branches of larger ones were torn to shreds by the black spiked ball. Josh felt his body beginning to tire from the continuous evasion; his back and tailbone ached from where they had struck rocks during his frenzied rolling. "I can't stand up to much more of this..." The Agent thought. Just then, he caught a break. The pirate's weapon finally met with a solid oak tree, and lodged itself firmly in the bark. Gasping for breath, Josh dove between Whitesbridge's legs and scrambled back towards the clearing. In seconds the pirate was upon him again, but this time, met with a surprise. The Martial Artist turned, sliding his leather-covered nunchaku from where it was concealed in his sleeve. The nun chuck lashed like a striking snake, cracking Whitesbridge's wrist. The unexpected attack stopped the pirate's flail arm, but then it was Whitesbridge's turn to surprise his opponent. The giant man threw a massive haymaker, catching Josh firmly in the jaw. The Agent found himself thrown backwards, sliding through the dirt into the clearing.

Joshua's head spun. He rose to one knee, forcing himself to rise, but then nearly slumped back to the ground. Darkness crept into his vision from every corner of his eyes, threatening to pull him into unconsciousness. The place where his opponent's fist had landed throbbed all along his jaw line and up to his temples, causing a dull ache border lining on that of a bad hangover. Frantically the Martial Artist pushed himself to his feet, staggering and rubbing his jaw while blinking furiously. The darkness faded just in time. Allen Whitsebridge came crashing out of the forest like a juggernaut, swinging his flail down to crack the Agent's skull like an egg. Joshua staggered to his right, then spun over his left shoulder, extending his arm and smacking Whitsebridge in the throat with his nunchaku. The menacing man paused at this, making a choking noise and clutching his neck, but soon returned himself to the attack. Again and again he flailed the spike ball of his weapon, backing Josh around the clearing. The Martial Artist matched the pirate blow for blow, often countering with his weapon, other times dodging and striking, each blow evoking a small grunt of pain from the giant. Finally, the spiked iron ball thudded into the ground and stuck there. Josh leaned back and delivered a swift snap kick to his opponent's stomach. There was a whisper in the night as air left Whitsebridge's diaphragm, and he doubled over in pain. Josh moved relentlessly, rotating to deliver a hammer-like spin back roundhouse kick to the giant's temple. The mountain-like man collapsed to his knees, amazingly still conscious. The Agent grabbed his felled opponent roughly by the air and smashed the defeated man's head off his knee. Like a log, Whitsebridge dropped to the ground, out like an overused bulb.

A soft wind sprung up, rustling the treetops. It felt soothing to Joshua's aching head as he staggered round the survey the carnage. His friends had survived, and the evil-doers were all on the ground. The strange creature Brogalaw Galedeep was just beginning to slacken off a primitive looking sling. Josh sighed heavily, running a hand through his close cropped hair. His hair was dirty, and matted by blood and sweat. Lazily, he folded up his nunchaku and returned it to the straps on his forearm. "I hope to God things like this don't happen every night here on Althanas."

[Breaker]

The remainder of the night passed in murky restlessness. Brogalaw Galedeep shared the fire with the three companions, and Ash healed everyone where she could. By the time slim fingers of daylight began to creep over the tree tops, a bone-tired silence had settled over the small clearing. As the sun rose, Joshua got his first proper look at Brogalaw. The giant otter had long since explained his species, their origins, and his powers, but still the earthling was baffled that such a creature could exist. With the morning dew descending, Josh stared through the fire's smoke at Brogalaw Galedeep.

"A giant otter. Giant. Otter... who can talk. Otter who can talk. Christ, I could use a drink." As a dedicated Special Agent and Martial Artist, Josh rarely abused alcohol, but he could feel his nerves and muscles longing to be relaxed by the potent toxins brought by whisky. A glance at Brogalaw was certainly enough to make any earthling reach for a bottle. Joshua made several attempts to sketch Brog in his notebook, but eventually gave up and resorted to a close physical description.

My previous assumptions that the only sentient life form on this planet was humans turned out to be wrong. Last night, a strange creature named Brogalaw Galedeep helped me and my new friends to defend ourselves against a band of what he described as "river pirates". Brogalaw is, by his own claim, a Giant Otter. Apparently, the giant otters have as long a history and heritage as humans, and were not the result of some horrible biological experiment gone wrong. Brogalaw talks about (and uses) magic as though it were as natural as electricity. Which, incidentally, they do not seem to have discovered here. Although he is human in shape, this beast certainly does resemble an otter... in some ways.

The most striking thing about him is evident when you first see him; He is six feet tall, well muscled, and covered in thick brown fur. His eyes are deep brown and have an almost human intelligence to them, but after having a conversation with him, it has occurred to me that he is probably smarter than humans. Although a six-foot furry sentient creature might seem frightening, Brogalaw almost perpetually has an enormous, goofy grin on his face. His face itself is difficult to understand. It follows the general structure of an otter's face, but is slightly flattened, thus looking almost human. His neck and shoulders, while sleek and serpentine like earth otters, seem, once again, strangely human, almost square. Did I mention that he walks upright? His arms, which double as forepaws, are muscular and toned, and were they not covered in fur, could be human. His forepaws, while looking like paws, have opposable thumbs and function as ordinary hands in such a way as I can not even begin to describe. His waist and legs are very much humanoid, but tilted forward on a stronger angle, built more for speed than a human's, and of course, are covered in brown fur. Finally, Brogalaw has a long tail. It is pliable but quite strong, and I have... seen... him use it in combat as a weapon. Perhaps strangest of all, Brogalaw wears a pair of short pants and a sleeveless jacket made of some sort of scale, perhaps from a large snake. Over this he has a sword belt, complemented by two short cutlasses. If this planet... Althanas... continue to present me with these kind of surprises on a daily basis, I suspect that all scientific impossibilities will be proved to be not only possible, but fairly normal.

Joshua looked up from his writing pad, glanced at Brogalaw, then back at the pad, then keeled over laughing.

[Otter Guy]

It took a full day of rest and good food for the four travelers to recover. Brogalaw took a good long swim and caught several fish, bringing them back to be roasted over the fire. Bane teamed up with the shorter man, Shard, and together the two managed to fell several rabbits and a wood grouse. The healer named Ash, accompanied by the strange Joshua Cronen, ventured into the woods cutting and digging up edible vegetation and roots, as well as picking a variety of overripe berries. Joshua then spent a good deal of time writing in his book, and shaking his head at what he had written. Brogalaw decided that it was a custom from wherever the strange man had come from, and took it as a matter of course. By the end of the day, the giant otter had gotten to know all of the humans fairly well. Josh, in particular, caught Brog's attention with his relentless ambition. In a few short conversations over meals, the Agent outlined his plans of joining the Radasanthian Law Enforcement and starting a school for Martial Arts. The latter plan interested Brogalaw quite a bit, for he had been fascinated by the incredibly efficient methods which Joshua had used to fell opponents with his bare hands. Wanting to help, Brogalaw made a suggestion.

"Y'know matey, y'may want t'think about startin' yer' school in Scara Brae, rather than Radasanth." The human was quite open minded, yet, as always, curious.
"Why? What's the difference between Radasanth and Scara Brae?" It was the type of question which only a true outsider would ask. As such, it was very difficult to answer. Brogalaw was glad, therefore, when Shard ventured a definition.
"Josh, they're completely different places! The city of Radasanth must be almost as big as the entire island of Scara Brae. The City of Scara Brae would be a good place for you to get started. Scara Brae's law enforcement is just as organized as Radasanth's is, but there's much less crime." Brogalaw saw the Martial Artist's back stiffen at this, and jumped in.
"Lissen, matey. We all know yer' tough enough t'take on Radasanth, but yeh've gotta learn the local... er... the customs o' this planet first. One wrong move in a big ol' place like Radasanth, and ye' could have a mob comin' after yeh. B'sides, there's lots' people in Scara Brae, it would be a good place t'start that school o' yourn'." The otter's words worked magic, and a light of consideration entered Joshua's eyes. Swiftly, Shard set about sealing the deal.
"I'll go with you. I spent a good chunk of time in Scara Brae recently. I should be able to help you find your way around easily enough." Surprisingly, Ash spoke up as well.
"I may as well go with the two of you. I need to find a new job now, anyway. Now... we need to decide what we're going to do with him." She pointed over her shoulder, drawing all eyes to the form of Allan Whitesbridge, who was bound and gagged against a thick yew tree.

***

Splash.
Brogalaw was in his element. Shard and Josh worked the boat's oars while Ash peered over the bow, calling out obstacles which the otter steered expertly around while calling out the stroke. The previous owner of the boat, Allan Whitesbridge, lay sleeping on the deck. Ash had produced a strange herb which Brogalaw forced down the pirate's throat with a considerable torrent of water, and the murderer had slept like the dead since. It was morning, they had decided the previous night how to handle their situation. They were to journey downstream to Radasanth in order to hand Whitesbridge over to the authorities. Josh, Ash, and Shard could then catch a ship from Radasanth to Scara Brae. Splashing river water sparkled in the sunlight as it shot away from either side of the boat's stern. Despite their slumbering cargo, it would be a pleasant journey.