Flashback The Thrill of the Raid (Solo)

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

North Suvan Sea, Spring, 508 AV Everything was nearly picturesque out on the Suvan Sea: the sun was shining high in the sky, casting rays of light that glistened with the soft bobbing of the water; the salty wind was blowing gently yet firmly over the waves; the sea was calm and peaceful, sitting peaceful with only the slightest stirring. It was what many would consider a perfect day. It was an especially perfect day for a particular Svefra pod, for they had just spotted a rogue saique and brigantine to plunder. The casinors of the pod were breezing ahead, racing towards the ships, and Kirvan was leading the charge, as always. The young man stood at the stern of his small boat, reveling in the smell of the saltwater in his nostrils, the feeling of the wind filtering through his hair and filling the sail, pushing the casinor along the current and towards the pirates that had only just now noticed the Svefra headed its way and whose mostly human crew was frantically shouting and running around the deck like headless chickens as the Svefra ships came at their port side. This current was one that the pod used often when raiding to spring upon hapless traders and pirates seemingly out of nowhere. They'd completely mapped out the currents in the Suvan Sea in their travels, and Kirvan knew these aquatic highways as well as anyone else. Such as it was when they decided to raid it was usually Kirvan's casinor that was the first out on the current and racing towards the prey. The favorable wind was purely coincidental, though may have been Zulrav feeling particularly generous as it upgraded their speed from incredibly fast to ludicrously fast, allowing the Svefra to glide over the surface of the ocean. On top of that, the sea was fairly calm, reducing the bobbing of the boats and also making the target vessel easy pickings for the hull-mounted heavy harpoons several of the casinors were equipped with. It was almost as if the gods themselves had willed this attack to go perfectly. Kirvan looked over his fellow podmates that crouched in his vessel sharing eager grins with each other. They were young Svefrans of the pod (well, younger, Kirvan himself was only nineteen) who had yet to receive vessels of their own, having to ride along in someone else's until they did, and Kirvan's boat was always first pick among the more daring and adventurous boys and girls by virtue of his being the first out there and on the target. Blue eyes exchanged wild looks, mad toothy grins abundant. Kirvan's own heart rate was quickening to breakneck speed, his pulse hammering in his wrists even as he tried to keep a firm hand on the tiller. There hadn't been a disturbance like this for months, and since this was their first chance for a violent outlet in a while all the pent up boredom was being poured and released into this single pulse-pounding moment. This always happened during an attack; in the planning stage (when there was one) Kirvan was always carefree and laissez-faires about the whole thing, and during the actual fighting he was dead focused on the enemy and their movements. It was always the anticipation building up to the fight that was so exciting, and there was nothing quite like the building of a frenzy to get the blood running.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

"Damn good weather for some action," said one particular raiding buddy as he made his way to the stern, the mad toothy grin instantly recognizable by virtue that a couple teeth were actually missing. It was Hamlac, a boy barely the age of sixteen with short brown hair and blue eyes like all Svefra, and possibly the only one in the pod who loved a good fight more than Kirvan. Fistfights to be exact. The two were good friends: they've drunk together, swam together, sailed together, and fought together. Together against pirates and traders mind, not each other. Kirvan didn't share that same love of fisticuffs, probably because he wasn't built as heavyweight as a lot of Svefra. "We picked the best day for it. And about bloody time too." "Couldn't agree more," Kirvan replied, looking ahead towards the targets. The closest was the brigantine, most of whose crew were running belowdecks to get their weapons. A few were preparing the two ballistae on either side of the boat, loading and taking aim at the oncoming casinors. "We've spent far too long twiddling our thumbs and getting drunk. If we didn't stumble across some pirates or snotty merchants soon my hands would've wrapped around my own throat to make something interesting happen." "You and I should brawl sometime," Hamlac smiled, the gaping holes in his teeth grinning as well, leaning over the side of the casinor to take a better look at the whole pod behind them. It was quite a daunting sight, several ships of various sizes and builds all bearing down on the small pirate fleet. "Maybe that way it'll be my hands instead of yours." "Nah, not while half the pod is still lining up to pummel you into the deck and toss you overboard," Kirvan shot back, to which Hamlac could only smile. The younger Svefra was so in love with bare-handed combat that he would celebrate at each party by getting one of the burly adults drunk and start brawling with him as soon as he'd gone past tipsy. Usually this led to Hamlac getting the snot beaten put of him, and while at sea often resulting in the boy being thrown overboard, but Hamlac unwaveringly came back for more each time. This quality earned him a lot of respect in the pod, along with the title 'practice dummy', a joke well received by the bearer. Kirvan looked to the bow, judging the distance between it and the nearest saique. They were nearing the range of the heavy harpoon, so now was a good chance to prepare the large crossbow-like weapon. "Take her tiller and steer her towards the target," he ordered Hamlac. "I'm going to see if I can't scare the crew a bit more. And you better treat her well or people are going to notice a few extra gaps next time you smile." "Sure thing, cap'n," he said, taking over the steering and aiming the ship slightly to port so there was a nice shot at the brigantine over the starboard side. "Just make sure you don't scare them too much, I still want to fight them afterwards." The two nodded to each other and the skipper began to make his way along the casinor, exchanging grins with the other raiders as he passed them. He saw swords and daggers and cutlasses in their sheaths, hands resting heavily on them as if to double-check just to be sure that they'll have their weapon when the time comes.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

As Kirvan rounded the side of the cabin, he came across the only other Svefra his age aboard the ship. "G'day, Kirvan," he greeted, a warm smile on his face adorned with unshaven black stubble. "Suppose you need me now." A friend for as long as Kirvan could remember and the only regular raiding buddy, Durk was sort of like a brother to him. Growing up, the two had always looked out for each other, Kirvan teaching Durk how to sail better and Durk trying to teach Kirvan how to fish. Both were equally taken in by the Lia's stories of the Svefra before the Valterrian, and both shared many opinions, the largest one between them that they were always bored. "We're nearly in range," Kirvan explained, eyeing the nearest brigantine. Some of the crew had returned from belowdecks and were leveling crossbows at the oncoming Svefra. The two ballistae fired their shots, both aimed at Kirvan's casinor as it was the closest, and both shots whistled through the air and splashed on either side of the boat. "Laviku, they're bad shots. All the better I guess. Anyway, it's about time to give them a scare, don't you think?" Bigger and broader than Kirvan, in fact bigger and broader than most of the pod, many outsiders assumed that Durk was the more warlike. They could not have been more wrong however, as Durk was one of the calmest and least turbulent people on board. He still participated in raids, but his role was more to stay on the ship and fend off people trying to board them while the crew was over raiding. His second role was the one he was about to fulfill. "Fire away," he told the captain. "I'm ready when you are." Kirvan loaded the heavy harpoon as more shots whistled through the air, this time fired by the crossbows. The thing about the machines is that they were easier to aim with than bows, so most pirates never bothered mastering the skill. Since the weapon was the preferred favorite, it meant there would usually be a minute or two relapse between shots, so at least they could catch a breather between volleys. A few iron bolts embedded themselves in the cabin behind them, but the Svefra kept working, totally at ease. "Must not account enough for the movement of the boat," Kirvan observed before aiming his own weapon. The heavy harpoon was a contraption many Svefra had on their casinors that fired light harpoons. These projectiles were about three to five feet long and tipped with a notched arrow that meant once embedded in flesh it would be hard to remove, each tied to the deck of the casinor via a length of rope. There were no sights however, so Kirvan had to rely entirely on his intuition to guide his shot. On top of that, the range of the harpoons was only one hundred and sixty feet, so the amount of time such a weapon would be useful was limited to the time it took for the harpoon to be in range and drawing up alongside the ship, not to mention that a that range enemy fire would become deadly. The problem was getting enough shots in and at a fast enough speed to do some damage and scare the crew before they even boarded, which was where most of the effective damage came from.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

"Is the next one ready?" Kirvan asked, aiming at the nearest ballista. Durk picked up another harpoon. "Good to go," he said, crouching next to his slighter friend. Another volley of crossbow bolts sailed into the cabin behind them, a rude reminder that Kirvan would have a bit of work to do after the attack. Waiting for the harpoons to finally be within range, he trusted his gut and  fired. The projectile sailed through the air, dragging its tether behind it like a tail, before slamming into the ballista right next to one of the operators. The contraption was about to fire, but the sudden appearance of a harpoon next to his arm frightened the operator and caused him to jerk the machine a little to the side. The ballista bolt slammed heavily into the deck right beside Kirvan, the Svefra having saved himself. There was no time to react with fear though. Already Durk was loading the next harpoon, the projectile clanking as it slid into place. "Ready!" Durk shouted as he picked up another. Aiming at some of the crossbowmen who were getting a little too good for comfort, Kirvan fired again and was rewarded with a telltale thump and a painful yelp as his shot found its mark this time, piercing through the target's bicep. "Yes!" the Svefra exclaimed with satisfaction. He had no time to celebrate though as another click and a shout from Durk informed him that the next harpoon was loaded. Kirvan shifted the launcher slightly to the left, changing its gradient accordingly for the shorter distance. A loud clank resounded as the projectile was released and a thump as it embedded itself in another's torso, the woman screaming and clutching at the intrusion. "Perfect," Kirvan shouted at the result, his mood instantly changing when he saw another sailor right next to her aiming his sights dead on Kirvan, and for some reason he knew the shot would connect. Just as the pirate was about to fire, their boat lurched heavily port side, knocking them all off balance and even sending one or two over the side. The shot that was meant for Kirvan instead plunged into the Suvan as the shooter struggled to recover from the rock. The Svefra couldn't help but grin. It was Ster and his whale pod no doubt, bumping against the hull beneath the starboard side. They've had lots of practice playfully rocking the Svefra ships, but there wasn't anything playful about this bump as it sent the crew tumbling and struggling to right themselves.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

Another shout from Durk pulled Kirvan from his thoughts and he aimed a bit higher to compensate for the distance closed, trying to time his shot with the residual rocks from the whale pod's bump. Another clank sent the harpoon gliding through the air towards the brigantine, but unfortunately the timing was a little off as the boat's port side slipped slightly down and the projectile sailed just over the target's head. It still did its share of damage though as it arced down and stuck itself in some poor sod's foot as they were running to the port side of their ship, pinning it to the deck. There was a surprised yelp followed by grunts of frustration as the pirate tried to pry the harpoon from the deck, mingling with grunts of pain as moving the metal pole meant shifting it within his foot. "Pull us in," Kirvan told Durk before rushing back to gather the rest of the group. The burly Svefra nodded and grabbed the tethers, yanking on all four ropes hard. Two of them went slack as the mighty tug sent the two pirates who had the misfortune of being pierced went falling over the edge of the boat and landing in the Suvan. The other two tightened however, and Durk started reeling them in, pulling the small casinor up alongside the bigger brigantine. Kirvan rounded the cabin to see all five of the other raiders with their weapons out and grins ready. "About time," commented Linda, a competitive and adventurous girl who often hitched a ride on Kirvan's casinor. "We were beginning to think you'd forgotten about us." Hamlac stood at the back with his short battleaxe, his free hand pushing the tiller port side to help aim them at the brigantine. The other four all brandished small swords or cutlasses, the favored weapons of trade among Svefra. No one had shields, though a couple had various pieces of light armor strapped to various parts. All in all, they looked like a ragtag bunch of misfits ready to crack some skulls, and Kirvan grinned as he honestly didn't think anything could be scarier. Picking up his own cutlass, he asked, "You all ready to teach these scumbags a lesson about pirating in our waters?" The answer came as a chorus of yells and shouts. Behind them, the other casinors were drawing close to the brigantine, followed by many palivars loaded with Svefra as well as one or two saiques and cromsters with their own ballista training on the pirates. A pod was a dangerous force. There was a slight bump as their ship collided with the brigantine.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

"No mercy," Kirvan growled, turning and leading the Svefran teens toward the target. Durk looked at them as they passed and grinned, clutching his arm where a crossbow bolt had recently embedded itself. Despite the wound, he waved Kirvan and the others on, hefting a warhammer and roaring his support. As the Svefra jumped onto the deck of their target, they were met instantly with several pirates bearing swords and cutlasses of their own. One rushed Kirvan, a downward strike from his sword that betrayed his lack of experience. The Svefra nimbly sidestepped the blow and brought his cutlass down on the exposed pirate's side, injuring the scumbag. As he turned around for a second beating, he was quickly dispatched from behind with Linda's blade, the girl wrenching her sword just to make sure. However, this left her exposed to another pirate whose cutlass was about come down on the similarly exposed Linda. Not willing to watch a friend die, Kirvan pushed the skewered criminal - and Linda by extension of the sword through his gullet - out of the way while Kirvan brought his cutlass up to block the swipe. Steel rang against steel as the two weapons clashed, but instead of pulling back for another swipe and sent a crafty knee to his opponent's bollocks, causing the pirate to double over in pain. One quick slash and he was taken care of. "Thanks," Linda said, pulling her sword free of her victim in time to block an attack by another disheveled criminal. This little group might not have been much in the face of an entire crew, but fortunately more Svefra from the other casinors were clambering over the sides of the ship, forcing the pirates to spread their front across the port side. "Carve a path to the stern," Kirvan shouted to his little group. "I want this captain's head for his insolence. Freedom on the sea is all well in good, but he'll pay for disturbing our waters!" A collective roar echoed from nearly half a dozen throats as they charged across the deck, swinging their weapons wildly. They may have been juvenile, but on the battlefield age was unimportant. All that mattered was unity and skill, both of which the entire pod shared much of. No matter who was paired with who, they all operated as one. Another pirate confronted Kirvan, this time armed with a spiked morningstar. He swung his weapon at Kirvan, pouring his energy into power rather than speed or tactic. Instead of blocking, Kirvan ducked and, not wasting any time, hacked at the pirate's nearest ankle. Grunting in pain, the pirate swung downwards and in the opposite direction, hoping to catch the Svefra off guard. To the contrary, Kirvan was expecting the counterattack and stepped backwards, avoiding the swing that thumped as it hit the deck and prompting chase. The pirate stepped forward to follow up with another swing, but sunk to his knee as he put weight on his hacked ankle. From there, it was a single matter of a bloody hack to take the pirate out of this fight. His victory was cut short by a recognizable scream that came from behind Kirvan, and as he turned he witnessed one of the boys clutching his sword arm where a giant gash had just opened, courtesy of a criminal's dagger. Similar wounds nicked his legs and torso, but none as severe. His adversary was a small and ratty woman, agile and capable-looking enough to have maneuvered around the young seaman and cause the wound. She grinned wickedly and brought up her dagger to deliver the final blow. "Die Svefra dog!" she screamed, and though Kirvan did his best to reach her he knew instinctively he would not make it. The woman arched her back and screamed in what at first Kirvan thought was victory, but soon realized was pain as she dropped her dagger and twisted her arms as she tried to reach something on her back, only to scream again as a violent squelch sounded out and she collapsed to the deck, Hamlac's bloody battleaxe stuck next to her spine. "Take him back to the ship!" Kirvan yelled, beckoning wildly with his arm. Nodding, Hamlac took the injured boy by the arm - mindful of his wounds - and led him back to the casinor where he could be tended to until the battle was over, Hamlac carving a bloody path through the throng of pirate and Svefra. The rest of the pod understood immediately what he was doing and helped keep the pirates away from the injured boy and his escort.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

A sudden loud thwack and another scream of pain rattled across the deck and one of the Svefra fell, clutching his badly bleeding thigh with a great couple foot long wooden bolt sticking out of it. Kirvan's head swiveled to the source and saw that while all the fighting was raging on in the center and on the port side of the ship, the starboard ballista was firing into the crowd, hoping to get a Svefra as they indeed had. Of course, it was equally likely they would hit their own what with all the constant movement, but apparently luck had temporarily smiled on them. Of course, now it was cackling instead as there was no better way to get Kirvan's nark on. "Damn that scumbag!" Linda yelled, her blade sliding out from between the ribs of an inexperienced axeman. "Hanging back and picking us off, what foul git does that?" Anger coursed through Kirvan's veins as he glared at the cowards, preparing another shot. "I'll take care of it. Take this little party and wreak some havoc, Linda," he told her. The Svefra girl grinned. "Send them to Laviku, Kirvan," she told him, then screaming her battle cry as she led the others deep into the fray, cutting their way through preoccupied pirates all locked in their own fights with the rest of the Svefra. The palivars had drawn up and unleashed even more of the pod on the hapless pirates, overwhelming the inexperienced scum. Anyway, Kirvan's mind refocused back on the task at hand. The way to the ballista was more or less clear, but there were a couple defenders standing before it like deranged mutts protecting their master. Upon seeing Kirvan break off, they screamed and charged him, hoping to use their numbers to their advantage. One raised her waraxe above her head, leaving her exposed while she was preparing to strike, but before Kirvan could take advantage of that the other pirate flung his sickle sidelong at the Svefra, forcing him to block. His moment of opportunity gone, Kirvan sidestepped and just barely avoided the woman's waraxe, the large weapon cutting into the deck and splintering the surface. No sooner than when Kirvan steadied himself when he had to block another attack from the sickle, catching the curved blade on his cutlass. He tried to follow up with a counterattack of his own, but had to sidestep quickly in order to avoid another lethal swing of the woman's waraxe. Still mis-stride, Kirvan was forced to use his cutlass to block another attack from the sickle-man, repeating a pattern he had difficulty breaking. They chased him nearly to the edge of the ship even though he tried to steer them towards the rest of the scrimmage and hopefully find some help, but after several repeats Kirvan finally received an opportunity. The woman prepared to attack again, her waraxe ready to cut horizontally through the Svefra. As she seeing however, Kirvan ducked and deftly stepped away to watch as the weapon swung right through the air where he had been and into her companion. There was a sickening squelch mixed with a crack as bone was broken and flesh was torn, followed by a painful scream as the man stared at the metallic intrusion of his chest. With her weapon lodged in her ally's body, the pirate was unprepared to block or counter as Kirvan closed the distance quickly and slashed her across the arm, followed by another quick gash down her torso as she recoiled. The two criminals collapsed to the deck, clutching at their wounds and barely able to stay conscious. Now that the two guard dogs were taken care of, the ballista itself as well as its operators were vulnerable. They worked away at the machine, desperately trying to get another shot off, but unfortunately for them they never got the chance. Kirvan ran up and hacked at the nearest operator, a grungy man who was lanky and clearly unaccustomed to close quarters combat, sending the poor sod off into the next life, the corpse crumpling in its position by the machine. Nimbly climbing over the ballista, his hands grabbing the edges of the great bow and using the mounting mechanism for footholds, Kirvan found the other operator waiting for him, this pirate much more healthy and armed with a couple small knives. However, he had expected Kirvan to come around the front of the ballista, and had placed himself in a stance that he could easily lunge at the Svefra when he supposedly rounded the corner. A quick jump and a quick cut later, the pirate was on the deck like his other three companions. Shouting on the smaller saique beside them alerted Kirvan to the presence of the pod on the other ship too. Several casinors and even a palivar had drawn up alongside the small trading vessel and was swamping the hopelessly outnumbered pirates, many simply dropping their weapons in an attempt to retain their lives. It made no difference in the eyes of the Svefra and the Sea God. Those that would not fight were ignored to hound those that did, and soon the non-Svefra of the ship were cornered at the stern in a desperate last stand. Kirvan noticed that, even for the ship size, the saique seemed to be crewed by a rather small number. Even though the brigantine had been boarded first, the pod was still fighting for the deck because of the number of pirates that fought for every inch of the ship. There was probably a reason for this, but Kirvan forced himself back to the battle.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

Although Kirvan was itching for more action, it actually looked as if things on the brigantine were wrapping up as well. With the now overwhelming number of Svefra aboard, they'd managed to isolate the pirates into small pockets of fighters across the deck. As of yet, the only lethal blows were dealt by Laviku's children as it seemed that the pirates' numbers was one of the few useful qualities the crew had, the amateur fighters falling left and right, and the Svefra who had fallen were being escorted back to their own boats where medics were wrapping up injuries and wounds. Metal rang against metal as weapons clashed and various shouts and screams echoed across the deck as the vagiks fell one by one. The kids Kirvan had shipped with were carving a gradual but deadly path towards the opening to the hold below, where some pirates were fleeing to in naive hopes of either hiding or standing a better chance for some reason. All across the brigantine, the Svefra cut down the undeserving poachers in the Sea Father's realm. One group of pirates seemed to be surviving well though. At the stern of the ship, near the cabin, a short scrawny man was hiding behind a line of big and strong scruffy vagiks, whining orders and shrieking whenever a Svefra nearly broke through his protective mortal shield. Probably the stupid captain. While the runt wasn't too impressive, filthy rather than scarred and long greasy hair, his little troupe seemed at the very least decent. They varied in size, but they handled their weapons competently and managed to stave off the pod's vicious onslaught. Steel broadswords and longswords were common among these fighters, probably the best of their latest haul looking at the quality. The weapons were better than those who used them, but they still helped a great deal. Sensing an opporunity, Kirvan dashed towards the stern, cutting and pirouetting his way through the crowd of Svefra and scumbags, trying to skirt around the pockets of pirate resistance but easily cutting his way across if avoidance was difficult. Like all ships its size, the brigantine had a raised stern deck where the helm sat and acted as a roof for the captain's cabin. Some vagik crossbowmen had took some shots from it earlier in the battle, but now they were all shepherded towards the very back of the stern, their backs against the sea as the pod hacked away at them. The captain and his motley band were cornered against the cabin itself, fending off Svefra forays and advances. With their attention focused outward, it was an ample opportunity to jump down between their backs and the wall. Kirvan bounded up the steps and looked back down on the fight. From this vantage point, he could see the entire conflict slowly diminishing from its previous rage and roar. Linda and the others had succeeded in clearing the way to the hold, and were now leading a group down belowdecks to secure whatever was down there and finish off whoever was left. Over on the casinors, Kirvan could see Durk and the other medics tending to the wounded, free hands like Hamlac providing help where they could. The battle on the saique was well and over at this point, the pirates already being rounded up and killed, their corpses piled up on the side of the boat and ready to be thrown to the Sea Father after they'd been looted thoroughly. From below the saique's deck emerged some of the pod, bringing with them some men and women in shackles. Prisoners? The Deepseekers didn't take prisoners. Regardless, there was still a battle happening on this ship, though that wouldn't be the case for much longer.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

The troupe of fighters at the stern were giving ground to the Deepseeker pod, but slowly. They were obviously the elite of the crew, which wasn't exactly saying much, actually employing tactics beyond swinging their weapons at whatever was closest. Many of them were going down, but nearly as many Svefra were getting injured. The fighting got more intense the farther back the pirates were pushed, the cursed vagiks fighting like rats with their back to a wall. There were clear signs of desperation among the less experienced of them; reckless but more effective moves, less focus on blocking and dodging and more on injuring the pod. The runt of a captain was still screaming his whiny little voice out, the only weapon in his hands a tiny stiletto, but it was obvious that none of the pirates around him were paying any attention to the pathetic weasel. Hopping up onto the railing, Kirvan looked down towards the main deck below. The drop was a few good feet, but if he managed to do this right the Svefra wouldn't even need to break his fall himself. At this height, even if Kirvan had needed to cushion the impact it was easily done for even a novice, but it was immediate following action of attacking that required some assistance, and he couldn't do it all at the same time. Fortunately, there were plenty of soft fleshy landing mats. Careful to aim just right, Kirvan jumped from the railing, leading with his feet as he fell to the deck. Just as he'd planned, his shoes came down hard on the backs of the captain's shoulders, forcing a grunted squeal from the little rat and forcing him immediately to the ground, the sound of cracking bones accompanying the thud of impact. The weak little rodent started wailing in pain, but that was soon silenced by a swing of steel, and soon Kirvan was up and at the rest of the crew, now hacking at the group of fighters from behind. His cutlass rose and fell on many backs and necks, bewildered looks on the faces of those who turned around in time to see a flash of light reflect of the steel blade that buried itself in their bodies. After a few casualties, the surprise of Kirvan's tactic wore off, but he'd done a good amount of damage and opened a hole in the line of pirates that allowed the rest of the pod to swarm the remaining vagiks. However, he was now confronted with an adversary of his very own, a giant woman focused right on him, a confident smirk tugging at the side of her mouth. She stood much taller than Kirvan, a few inches at least, and her toned muscles showing beneath tatters of garb showed that she was quite the warrior. Her left hand held a strange but deadly-looking weapon, a length of wood the length of a sword with one serrated side, the blades jutting out like a dozen shiny teeth. "Very clever of you deyhan," she said, gesturing to the fallen captain with her free hand. "I was getting tired of hearing that skurak shriek, and I'm grateful you finally shut him up." "My pleasure," Kirvan replied, grinning. "Course, you know I have to do the same to you, right? No outsiders claim the Sea Father's domain as their own and gets away with it." The giantess gave a short bark of laughter, bringing her hand up and down in a chopping motion. "Ma'khan'um, deyhan," she jeered. "You really think you can take me? It's sheer numbers that has stopped me from killing any of your companions. So small, so weak. I've taken on dozens of my clansmen at a time. You think I can't take one slinky seaman? I'll make sure to chop off your g'iib-tah and have you watch me throw it overboard!" Half of what she was saying was absolute gibberish to Kirvan, but he did understand that she was insulting him and that it was supposed to have some kind of effect on him. He only grinned wider, a mad gleam in his eye that quickly turned into a raging storm. "For the Sea Father," he growled, bending his knees and preparing to move wherever was necessary.