Valerie backs up to the group as the Skum begin to rise from beneath the waves. Hunchbacked, frog-skinned humanoids. They wield improvised weapons made of coral. Three Sea Elves come out behind them, one wielding a crossbow, one wielding a staff, and one in makeshift shark armor wielding a coral staff with shark teeth lining it.

The mage quickly waves his staff and a blast of fire in the middle of the group sends them flying in different directions.

The Skum rush forward and slam their weapons down on Frank's shell as he retracts into it. Valerie leaps over Frank tackling three of the enemies. She spins, knocking the feet out from under a fourth as she leaps to her feet. Frank crawls over to a fallen Skum, opening his maw, and clamping down on their head. He cruises their skull like an animal playing with their food.

Honno pulls herself to her feet reaching into a pouch on her side. She reaches further than the pouch is long cluing Erevan in that the pouch is an extra dimensional space. She pulls out a smaller version of the gun the goblin mech had. A rifle with three barrels, a crank on the side, and a feeder on the back that automatically reloads the weapon. She had even improved on the goblin design. She opens fire, bullets mowing through the Skum.

Two squadrons of five Skum split off from the fight. One runs to the left towards a ramp that leads to the top of the ridge. The other squadron runs to the treeline further down the beach.

Ida turns, nodding to Erevan, and runs towards the treeline. She’s much faster than the Skum and gets to the tree’s before them. They chase her into the woods, but the shadows of the trees twist and curl. They blind the Skum, blocking any light from reaching inside those woods, as the frog-like humanoids scream out for help.

Erevan shudders. He runs towards the ridge where the other group of Skum are going. It’s just five of them. Erevan flicks his hand and a ballista bolt kills one instantly. They charge him but he aims his blunderbuss at them and fires buckshot into the crowd. They reel back from the attack. Erevan reloads a slug.

Frank stands, roaring in a frenzy as blood and skull fragments drips from his maw. He charges into the waves, getting knee deep, as he targets the armored Sea Elf. He draws his blade as he screams in a frenzy.

A Skum grabs his arm from behind. He whirls around to see three of the Skum trying to slow him down and attack him. He swings his sword through them killing all three in one blow.

Nortom shoots three times in the crowd in a barrage of cannon shots. As Valerie grabs a spear stabbed at her, she twirls it around, using the staff to knock back three advancing Skum, before throwing it like a javelin into the chest of one of them.

Soldiers run out of the treeline, screaming in a strange aquatic language, as they flee from Ida. Honno Mushi reaches into her pouch grabbing another barrel drum for her feeder. She reloads and raises her gun to keep firing into the crowd. When a crossbow bolt hits her right shoulder sending her reeling back from the pain.

Erevan fires his blunderbuss at the nearest Skum, killing it, leaving three left. He charges forward slamming the butt of his weapon against the skull of an enemy. The enemy drops to the ground groaning. The hunter starts to back up as the other two turn their weapons towards him. He focuses on his ballista, making the bolt load, cranking it back.

Valerie turns towards a group of Skum trying to stop Frank, seeing the armored Sea Elf approaching him from behind, Val makes a quick decision. She charges at the Skum, vaults over one, and tackles the lot of them.

Frank turns towards the commander of the Skum, the armored Sea Elf, and they both charge each other roaring. They raise their weapons and swing, locking blades.

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Erevan starts reloading his gun as the two Skum charge him. He takes a breath, steadying himself. As the first Skum swings their weapon he steps past the creature. His ballista fires, killing the Skum, as he puts the barrel of his gun to the chest of the second enemy. He pulls the trigger and blasts them away.

Nortom will fire at Skum that Valerie knocked down. Frank will push against his sword, forcing both his weapon and the enemy's weapon downwards towards the sand. Frank’s neck extends and he snaps out at the Sea Elf. But the Captain of the enemy hops backward away from Frank.

The mage steps forward, slamming the staff forward, sending a bolt of fire into Frank's chest. The turtle flies back into the sand. Honno raises her gun up, cranking it, firing a dozen bullets into the crowd of Skum. A stray bullet hits the mage Sea Elf in the arm blasting the limb off.

The crossbow wielding Sea Elf fires at Honno again, this time the bolt hits the side of her abdomen.

Nortom fires at the crossbow wielding Sea Elf. The barrage of small cannon balls kills the man. Erevan walks up alongside Nortom and flicks his hand. A ballista bolt goes through the Sea Elf Mage.

The Sea Elf Commander roars as he charges Frank. Frank holds his sword out in front of him like a lance as he runs at the commander. As the Sea Elf swings with an overhead arc, Frank’s legs retract into his shell. Suddenly his target grows shorter and the commander misses. Frank plunges his sword through the chest of the enemy.

All the Skum and Sea Elves lie dead.

“Oh thank god, we lived.” Nortom sighs.

Erevan quickly grabs Nortom and swings him around. Two spears plunge into Erevan’s back. A spear glances off Frank’s shell. Valerie knocks a spear out of the sky. A few more spears hit the sand around the group.

Another platoon of Skum start to rise from the ocean.

“Retreat!” Honno calls out to the group.

Nortom drags Erevan towards the ridge, Honno limps beside them barely holding herself together. Valerie reaches herside, putting an arm around her, and helping her to the ridge. Frank runs behind them, trying to block any incoming spears being thrown. Ida runs over to the group from the treeline.

Honno takes out a metal canister and tosses it at the approaching Skum. It bursts in a flash of dazzling light, blinding the closest Skum. The soldiers behind them push them forward using them as shields.

“What do we do?” Ida asks.

“We have to hold this position.” Val says shakily.

“Then don’t hold back.” Erevan says, grunting as Nortom removes the spears in his back.

“Yeah, let’s fucking kill them!” Frank charges the Skum.

Valerie shakes her head and follows. A martial artist and a snapping turtle man charge towards a group of almost thirty Skum. A rib bone travels down Valerie's arm and slowly exits her wrist. The bone is incredibly sharp, a true blade in her hands. The surface of the weapon ripples, showing she is still in control of it.

Frank collides with the squad of Skum, swinging his sword through two of them, as Valerie launches off his back. She spins over the top of the enemies, swinging her weapon, slashing through the throats of three more.

The enemies crash down on the two, surrounding them, like a horde. Honno fires her three barreled rifle, cranking it, as she sprays shots through the crowd of enemies. Nortom stands from Erevan and fires three shots at the crowd of enemies. Ida charges into the frey and shadowed tendrils whip off of her pulling the enemies weapons out of their hands.

The group will slaughter Skum until they begin to route. The enemy flees back into the sea. Frank chases after them yelling insults. Nortom and Valerie return to Erevan’s side.

“You did good.” Erevan says as Nortom leans him forward.

“We need to wrap bandages around you, I can apply a salve, and we should get you somewhere that you can rest.” Nortom says.

“I trust you.” Erevan says.

They roll up his shirt. Wrap bandages around his midsection to apply pressure on his wounds. Then Nortom administers whatever alchemical and magical tonic he has via a very fancy looking needle. He presses a trigger and the needle punctures Erevan’s skin and pushes all of its contents into his vein.

Erevan is taken back to Tamwall where the contact in the tavern pays them a thousand gold each. Erevan is also informed he would be ranking up to be an Iron adventurer. The hunter honestly didn’t care about the title.

Erevan will say goodbye to Nortom and Valerie, promising to return, but needing to check in with his sister. He will depart from Tamwall and go back to Arfall.