The assailants attached themselves to the prow of the vessel. Three gigantic battle toads with riders atop them. With the weight unevenly distributed to the one side the entire ship tilted on an angle. Using long pole arms the defending crew were able to dislodge one of the monstrous amphibians. Which made the ship tilt even more so. Rhent bellowed from his piloting station, " If we lose control this situation is going to get ugly very quickly. The entrance to the portal is over 1000 m below. It is a very narrow opening, if we are not precise we are going to be obliterated on the rocks!!!"

Above there was a sickly chomping sound as one of the toads bit a crew member in half. Detritus and gore fell upon them in a grotesque rain. Qiiesha yelled out, "we need to do something!!" With a crack of her whip she pushed with all over momentum over the side. With the leather of her whip now wrapped tightly around the mainmast. She parkoured herself over and perched herself atop of the now horizontal shaft of wood.

Chrys turned to Myrheana, "These guys relatives of yours? You think they could pick a more appropriate time for a family reunion"In response she just laughed maniacally, " I slew my entire kin when they were still tadpoles! Last one to the top must be a slave to the others until the rest of the voyage! " Then placing both obsidian daggers in her mouth, she seemingly defied all known physics. Using her suction cupped hands and feet she back flipped repeatedly making her way up to the conflict gracefully.

Chrys pondered, "how the fuck am I getting up there?" There was a commotion behind him, the grinding and clattering of gear works. He glanced over his shoulder to find the Rhiinehorn Gestalt manning the large ballista. A stupid idea blossomed like a poisonous flower in Chrys' mind. "Hey big boy give me a lift", Chrys scuttled down and latched his legs around the metallic shaft of the projectile. A deep sonorous laugh erupted from the Rhiinehorn, "suit yourself hero, hold on"

 With a deafening twang the missile was hurled upward. Chrys felt his arms almost rip off his torso, "FFUUUCCKKK MMEEE!!!!!" Oh this was a terrible idea was the thought that flashed through his mind just before the ballista crashed into the wood of the prow. The weapon struck the toad in the chest and impaled it to the deck. Chrys was covered head to toe with toad miasma and violently dislodged upon impact and was now free falling head over heels to a certain uncomfortable end.

The death wails of the beast were horrid but another sound rang out. Like a clap of thunder a crack of a whip was the precursor to a lightning hot pain erupting through Chrys' thigh. Qiiesha's tail was entwined with the rope of the mast which anchored her in place as she latched onto the falling wasp. But his momentum was enough to pull the whip from her grasp.

Luckily it ceased his vertical drop and his trajectory now arched into the rigging of the mast. Pain screamed through his body as he managed to grasp onto the rope with one of his hands almost ripping his arm once again from its socket. "Ow!!"

Up above the sound of conflict raged on, mingled with the unhinged laughter of Myrheana. Thank THE READER she is on our side Chrys thought to himself. She was battling with the unseated rider of the impaled toad.

Chrys was determined to get back into the fray, searing pain ripped through his shoulder as he willed his body to climb up the netting. The eviscerated body of Myrheana's foe fell lifeless past Chrys and landed with a pulpy thump against the cabin wall.

It was then that Qiiesha's frantic scream cracked through the air. "Chrys watch out!!!" Heeding her advice he contorted his body to the side just in time to avoid being cleaved in half by Bey Gus' halberd. The sharp blade sliced effortlessly through the hardened cordon like it was made of paper. With the net now bisected Chrys once again was flailed to the side perilously holding on by one hand.

Gus' bellowing laughter rang out, "Peacock you are a slippery one, you have nine lives like an mangy alley cat."

"Seems to me that the Holder of the Crimson Shield was wetting his tunic at the thought of facing Myrheana. You're a fool and a coward Gus, you are the only one who can't see it!!"

The last remaining battle toad abandoned ship with croak and a might leap. This caused the free falling vessel to first careen dangerously to one side, then pop back up violently like a cork to right itself in the water. The force of this motion brought Chrys face to face with the hardened shrimp knight.

"Hello Peacock!!" Bey Gus growled with a wide grin on his face.

Then Chrys was enveloped in darkness.