The rain was beginning to lessen. As was typical in the Tanbora Islands, a heavy tropical rain fell late each afternoon. The downpour would only last for ten to fifteen minutes before the sun would come out once more and dry everything out again. But during that time, small scale flooding would take place. Typically, the island natives and creatures would seek shelter while waiting for the deluge to pass.
The daily storm held no fear for the man known as Captain Valor. In fact, he often used it to further his own needs. On this afternoon, Valor was out gathering yongi fruit around the island of Hawalou. Flying from tree to tree, the Captain picked the yellowish-orange fruit that grew wild on this island. The yongi itself was spherical in shape and had a thick husk much like that of a coconut.
As the rain began to subside, Valor picked up his pace of gathering fruit. He knew it wouldn't be long now before his trespass was noticed; only a matter of time before they would arrive. Their clacking could be faintly heard off in the distance as they emerged from their nest once more.
"Here comes the welcome wagon," Valor muttered to himself as he worked.
The natives of the Tanbora Islands avoided Hawalou as a matter of policy. They considered it an evil place and even speaking its name was taboo. In spite of this attitude, going to the island was something of a coming of age ritual with the male natives.
When a boy was at the proper age, a group of older males would take him to the island in their outrigger canoes. There they would wait for the rains to come, driving the dreaded krykos back into their lairs. Then the lad would have to swim to shore, collect as many yongi as he could, and return before the krykos could get him. Those who passed the ritual were welcomed into the tribe as men, having left their childhood behind on Hawalou Island. The unfortunate who failed also left his childhood, not to mention very life, behind and was never seen again.
The sky was beginning to clear, the rain slowing now to a light drizzle. Captain Valor grabbed the last fruit he could carry having filled his cape completely. The clacking grew louder as the krykos came forth. Movement down below in the high grass betrayed their presence. Occasionally an antenna could be spotted.
"Too late, losers!" Valor called out as he rose higher into the sky and safely out of reach. "You bugs lose again! You're just lucky I don't have a super-sized can of Raid with me!"
As Valor watched, the krykos emerged from the jungle searching for the prey they had just sensed. They clacked loudly as they searched. There were four krykos in total this time. In appearance, they were the same as ants commonly found on back on Earth. Fortunately, no Earth ant had ever grown to the size of a pony!
"Yeah, make all the racket you want, you gi-ants! Captain Valor wins again!" Immensely pleased with himself, Valor flew off with his prizes safely tucked into the makeshift bag formed from his cape. "Now I know why I never liked the football Giants."
The flight back to his home was uneventful. Nearly four weeks had passed since Kaloni had found Captain Valor on the beach. Since then he had been trying to make the best of his being exiled on Terra Nova. The natives were friendly after Kaloni had properly introduced him and told them how he had dealt with Rocara.
The only real snag was that the natives didn't speak English. Somehow Kaloni was able to freely speak with Valor in English and with the islanders in their native tongue. She did this with remarkable ease. So much so that Kaloni never even realized that she was speaking in different languages until Valor pointed it out to her.
"Another gift from the spirits," was her explanation. In fact, the island maiden considered everything she could do beyond that of a normal person to be granted to her by these mysterious spirits.
In spite of his best efforts, Kaloni had completely resisted Captain Valor's charms. She had remained aloof and distant, seemingly wholly uninterested in romance. That frustrated Valor somewhat, as Kaloni was easily the hottest babe in these islands. This was a sentiment shared by the rest of the male population as well.
Kaloni seemed to hold her position as protector of the Tanbora Islands as a sacred, holy task. Perhaps the gifts granted to her by the spirits also forced her to remain chaste? Now that would be truly tragic. She always kept herself separate from the other island natives, living alone on her island with her animal companions.
After spending a few days with Kaloni, Valor decided to move in among the natives. There he was accorded the treatment reserved for an honored guest. Food was provided for him and several attractive island girls did offer themselves willing. This was indeed a paradise.
As time passed, Valor was able to work out some words of the natives' language. He was introduced to the yongi fruit by the other men and just had to get his hands on more. The first time he had gone to Hawalou Island and encountered the krykos was something of a shock. Valor managed to get away from the giant insects before being swarmed by them. Since that initial encounter, he had used the natives' technique of collecting the fruit during the rainstorms for safety.
Building himself a suitable dwelling had been a top priority. The simple native huts lacked any real style and were cramped in size. Captain Valor towered over the natives and needed more headroom. He also needed something far more substantial to call home in standing with his position among the natives. It would also give him something do since he now had lots of free time on his hands.
Valor cleared a large plot of land close to the village, but not too close. It was an easy task to uproot trees and remove large rocks with his great strength. The natives were suitably awed at how easily he carried out this chore. They held Valor to be something akin to a god among them. Naturally, the Captain did nothing to discourage this notion.
Having staked out his claim, Valor now needed to decide what material to use to make his house. He was naturally resistant to extremes of temperature, so having a well ventilated home for cooling wasn't a necessity. The bamboo the natives used seem far too flimsily. Valor wanted something stronger and more substantial.
Remembering the various ruins he had spotted on his initial tour of the Tanbora Islands, Valor went off to explore. There he found ruined structures that had been built from worked stone. Thanks to his great strength, Captain Valor simply carried the stones back to where he was building his house.
He encountered several bizarre creatures that lived in the ruins during these trips, but managed to either drive them off or elude them. His ability to fly made it easy to get away from the numerous land-bound beasts.
The days rolled past as Valor labored on his house. The worked stones were refitted to form the walls of his dwelling. Valor used mud as makeshift cement to hold the stone blocks together. Once the mud dried, it made a fairly sturdy dwelling. It took nearly a week of retrieving blocks and work to raise the walls of his house.
Taking a cue from the natives, he constructed the roof out of a framework of bamboo poles. This framework he covered with a grass and mud mixture. Once dry, it would resist being blown away by the tropical breezes. Essential furniture was created during this time as well out of wood and stone.
Finally reaching his home, Valor landed and walked inside. He had ditched much of his hero costume a while ago. He kept the boots and the trunks, but little else. There was no secret identity for him to protect here in the Tanbora Islands. Plus he got to show off his physique for the island ladies.
The sack of yongi fruit was set on a table while Valor himself slumped into a crude wooden chair. A comely young island girl stepped out of the next room to greet Valor.
"Hi, Oli," Valor said in greeting as he gave her a kiss. "You're looking fine today, girl."
Oli was one of the island maidens that had offered herself to Valor when he arrived. She was also the one who spent the most time here. Thus it was no surprise for her to be here to greet Valor. Like most of the island women, Oli was small in stature with deeply tanned skin and long, wavy, dark hair. The tiny woman climbed onto the Captain's lap.
"Looks like just me and you tonight," Valor noted as he grabbed a yongi fruit from his makeshift sack. "That's okay. We'll just have our own little party."
Oli looked up at valor with her dark brown eyes. She smiled at him lovingly.
Valor drove his index finger into the yongi fruit, piercing it to the core. Typically, the natives would use sharpened rocks to split the yongi husk. None of them had the strength to make a hole like Valor had just done. Raising the yongi up to his lips, the Captain drank deeply of its contents.
The juice of the yongi fruit had a bittersweet taste to it. It was the closest thing to alcohol that the Tanbora Islands had to offer. Once satisfying his own thirst, Oli was offered a drink that she accepted. Unfortunately, it took dozens of yongi fruits to give Valor a suitable buzz.
"Just another night here in the ol' Tanbora Islands," Valor muttered dejectedly. "I've got my woman, I've got my wine. Everything is just... fine."
But he didn't feel that way. Truth be told, Captain Valor was feeling very lonely and more than a little depressed. Not until he was here, stuck far from home, did he really realize just how much he actually took for granted. How much he missed simple every day things.
Like soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toilet paper. Valor couldn't remember the last time he had shaved. His brown hair had grown much longer and he now sported a full beard and mustache. He now resembled a tropical version of Grizzly Adams.
Other things like television, movies, and newspapers were also missed. Going out with the guys, taking in a sporting event, or dating some sweet young thing. Even important things like trashing bad guys, looking good for the press, and saving the world on a regular basis.
It seemed like months since he had a beer or hamburger or pizza or a juicy, grilled to perfection steak. Valor was dreadfully tired of bananas, coconuts, and seafood. He wanted some real red meat to eat. Even junk food was appealing now. Anything different to eat would be very welcomed.
Even more than a good meal, the Captain just wanted someone to talk to. Oli and those like her were welcome diversions at first, but ultimately left him feeling empty. The sex was enjoyable, but given the language barrier, actual communication was limited at best. That revelation surprised even Valor himself who had the reputation as a major skirt chaser back on Earth.
The only person he could talk to was Kaloni and she was too far 'out there' for his tastes. She seemed completely wrapped up in her island protector role to take time out and enjoy life. Even worse, she was a primitive when compared to Valor, further limiting their conversation topics. It was amazing that he would rather have meaningful dialogue with a woman than sleep with her.
Captain Valor took another long drink from the yongi fruit. He could feel the buzz starting to come on. He would drink and make love to Oli until he fell asleep. At least he would be able to forget his worries for a few hours. Valor would waken sometime next day and do just as he had done this day all over again.
Until the Captain found some way out of these islands, that would most likely be his daily routine. Kaloni spoke of ships visiting the Tanbora Islands. There had to be more civilized places out there on Terra Nova. Maybe even people he could speak with. He just hoped one would arrive soon, before he lost his sanity.
Rough hands shoved Captain Valor out of his makeshift bed. One moment he was sound asleep beside Oli, the next Valor was lying face down on the dirt floor. "What the--?!", he managed to say before being soundly kicked in the ribs. Oli screamed in terror and more kicks followed.
"On your feet slave!", one of Valor's attackers commanded and the assault came to an end.
"He looks like a good candidate to work in the mines," another man noted with cruel laugh. "Strong and muscular."
"Provided the Commander doesn't keep him for herself."
The blows lacked the strength behind them to hurt Captain Valor. They were more annoying than actually painful. Gathering his wits about him and fighting off his hangover, Valor opened his eyes to find a trio of men standing over him. Each wore light chain mail armor for protection and bore short swords.
"You spoke English!" Valor noted in astonishment as he rose to his feet. "I can understand you!
"Silence slave! You were not given permission to speak," the lead man shouted as he smacked Valor on top of the head with the hilt of his sword. "You now serve the Empress! Your life is in her hands!"
All three men looked on in astonishment as the blow didn't even faze Captain Valor. He just smiled at his attackers. "Friend, you've just made a big, big mistake."
Valor reared back and punched the man with the sword up underneath the chin. The slaver was lifted off his feet and sent flying backwards, taking the other two men with him. All of them slammed hard against the bedroom wall with a bone crunching crash. Meekly, they collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Oli ran to Captain Valor for protection. She held on to the hero and didn't want to let him go.
"Its okay, kid. I've taken out the trash. These clowns won't bother us again. You stay here, I'm going to check out what's going on."
It took Valor a couple of minutes to separate himself from Oli and convince her to remain at the house and hide. The language barrier continued to make things difficult. Once that task was completed Captain Valor stepped out of his stone dwelling, rose into the air and flew towards the nearby village.
The sun was already well up in the sky. As of late, it was typical for Valor to sleep well past what he guessed to be noon local time. It was another sun-drenched day in the Tanbora Islands.
"Those guys spoke English," Valor mused as he flew above the jungle. "Then there are people I can understand on this world! Figures I'd have to run into the bad guys first. That's all right, I've been itching for a good brawl." A smile grew on Valor's face as that thought crossed his mind. He now had something to take his frustrations out on.
"It's an invasion!", Captain Valor said upon reaching the village. He hadn't been quite prepared for the sight that greeted him. It was like something out one of those 1950's movie epics unfolding before his very eyes.
The village swarmed with activity. Two large ships were anchored just off shore. Dozens of men dressed like the ones Valor had trashed were running wild. Some were fighting with the natives while others were herding the islanders towards the shore. Several huts were burning, women were screaming, and children were crying.
Once near the beach, the natives' were separated into smaller groups. The men were locked into leg irons attached to a long chain. The woman and children were herded together into a makeshift pen. Any who resisted were given the business end of a short sword. Bodies of dead natives could be spotted here and there.
"Work faster, dogs!", a woman's voice shrilled out in a commanding tone. "The Empress needs slaves to work the mines and she is not as forgiving as I!" The crack of a whip further emphasized the woman's point.
The orders drew the eyes of Captain Valor towards the speaker. The commander was a small woman, smaller than even the island maidens, with jet-black skin and shocking long white hair. The unusual woman wore deep purple knee-high boots with a matching top and bottom that reminded Valor of a bikini except that it appeared more metallic than like cloth in construction. A stylish purplish-red cloak swirled about the strange woman. She wielded a whip in her right hand.
As odd a sight as the purple clad woman was, the creatures standing guard around her were even more so. While she was less than five feet in height, they towered around her at over seven feet tall. They resembled a cross between a man and a hyena, having features of both. Their faces were canine in appearance and all had a fine layer of multi-colored fur covering their entire bodies. Each of these hyena-men bore large weapons in their paws.
To Captain Valor's surprise, Kaloni was on the ground before the woman and her dog-men. Shackles around her wrists and ankles and neck connected by heavy chains were holding the island protector prisoner. A chain was attached to the wrist manacles with the other end being held by the strange woman. Despair was evident in the Kaloni's face as she struggled to free herself in vain. The sight caused even more despair amongst the islanders, which is exactly the effect the woman wanted to achieve. There was little fighting left.
"Kaloni!", Captain Valor cried out in surprise. He couldn't believe that the island protector had been captured, given her innate ability to shift forms. Unless she was taken by surprise like he had been earlier.
Captain Valor's startled cry gave away his position to those down below. Dozens of eyes locked on him as he hovered in the air near the edge of the village.
"A flying man!", someone called out.
"Captain Valor!" Hope swelled on Kaloni's face while the strange woman pulled the chain tighter.
"Capture him!", the woman in charge ordered. "I want him brought before me in chains!"
"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass, lady," Valor answered as he surged forward. "I've got myself some serious avenging to do and a fair damsel to rescue!"
Gaining speed, Captain Valor flew towards Kaloni and the slavers surrounding her. Four of the hyena-men moved to block Captain Valor's path, their weapons ready for action.
"Bring it on, dog-breath!", Valor challenged as he lowered his shoulder and plowed through the hyena-men sending them flying. Valor landed before Kaloni and the woman holding her prisoner.
"Stop him, you flea-ridden imbeciles!", the woman with the jet-black skin thundered. For good measure she struck the closest one across the back with her whip.
The remaining hyena-men leaped to the attack, baring their dog-like fangs. One tackled Captain Valor, sending both to the ground. The creature snapped at Valor's face trying to bite him!
"Down, Fido! You've got me confused with a milkbone!" Using both hands, Captain Valor violently shoved the hyena-man away, sending the creature flying some thirty feet through the air, yelping the whole while. The other hybrids were also made short work of.
"What manner of man are you," the lead slaver wondered in awe upon seeing her personal guard so quickly defeated. "I can always use a man of your talents to serve under me. Join with me. Wealth, power, and pleasure could be yours! I can certainly offer you more than these pathetic islanders can."
Valor listened to the offer with an amused look on his face. The little woman was actually trying to seduce him! Still there was an exotic look to the woman that was somewhat intoxicating. Being with her would certainly be an interesting time.
"Sorry, lady. As tempting as that sounds this whole slavery thing just doesn't work for me. 'Sides, that's not very heroic. What would my adoring fans say?"
Anger flashed on the leader slaver's face. "Then you shall serve under me in chains! Guards, stop the fool!" She reared back her whip and sent it flying towards Captain Valor.
"You are one kinky wench! I like that." Valor reached out and grabbed the whip with his left hand. Giving the weapon a healthy pull, he sent the woman flying head over heels. She inadvertently dropped the chain to Kaloni's manacles in the process. "In a different situation, I just might have taken you up on your offer."
Turning to Kaloni' Valor helped the island protector up to her feet. "I'll have you out of these things in a second. Why didn't you just change forms and get away from these clowns?" Taking the shackles in his hand, Captain Valor easily broke them all in two.
"Thank you, Captain Valor,", Kaloni said gratefully. "The chains were magic and stopped me from changing form. Now I am free to fight these evil beings!" Kaloni shifted form into that of a great cat then she leaped into battle!
"Hey, don't start the party without me!" Captain Valor gleeful flew into a contingent of armed guards that were advancing on his position. These men were armed much like the ones he battled earlier in his house. It seemed that all the men here were much smaller in stature than Captain Valor, the tallest being at least half a foot shorter. Valor tossed them about like toys, never giving them a chance to get a strike in with their weapons.
Slavers went flying every which way as Captain Valor cleaned house. He paused only long enough to break the long chain that held the male villagers prisoner. Picking up weapons as they could, the villagers went to the aid of Valor and Kaloni, turning the tide of battle in their favor.
As the battle progressed, Valor found himself near Kaloni. The island protector was still in cat form and was viscously attacking at one of the slavers. Her great claws shredded his protective armor, ripping several huge gashes in the man's chest and stomach. The slaver screamed loudly before collapsing in his death throws.
Shocked, Captain Valor advanced on Kaloni. "What are you doing?! You just killed that guy!"
Kaloni spared the Captain a glance. Confusion was evident on her feline face. "I slew an enemy before he could kill me," she matter-of-factually explained. "Would you have me on the ground in his place?"
"Well, no, but you didn't have to disembowel him either. That's murder!"
"I do what I must for the safety of these islands."
"How noble!", the lead slaver called out. Turning, Kaloni and Captain Valor could see that the woman with the jet-black skin had recovered and was once again surrounded by her hyena-man guards. "It appears that I misjudged you, stranger. You are weak and frightened by the sight of blood. What good is a warrior with no stomach for the kill? A pity. I could have found use for you in my chambers as a pleasure slave and personal guard. Now, you're just a coward to be destroyed!"
"Look, little girl, just because I don't go around killing, doesn't make me weak! I'm more man than you could ever handle, sister, and don't you forget it! Don't make me come over there and spank you!"
Before Captain Valor could argue further the woman cast a spell and gestured toward him and Kaloni. Bolts of lightning leaped from her hands, slamming hard into the two defenders. The electricity played about the two as their bodies went rigid, their muscles locking in place. Finally, the power of the spell faded and Captain Valor and Kaloni collapsed painfully to the ground.
"I don't normally hit girls," Valor muttered as he tried to gather his wits about him, "but I think I might make an exception in this case. Someone was definitely not beat enough when she was a child."
The slaver wasn't about to give Captain Valor and Kaloni a chance to recover. She cast her next spell as the pair was still on the ground recovering. Once completed, the water beyond the beach began to bubble and heave. The natives looked on in wide-eyed wonder as a gigantic wave of water leaped out of the ocean and into the sky.
Captain Valor followed the stunned look of the natives towards the source of their amazement. Looking up, he spotted the wall of water rapidly descending on him and Kaloni. "Aw, hell!", he managed to cry out before being slammed by the great wave.
The impact knocked the air out of Captain Valor's lungs and he took in a gulp of water. Incredibly, the water continued to remain on top of Valor, effectively pinning him to the ground and drowning him at the same time. Weakly, Valor struggled but even his great strength could do little against the water somehow animated by the magic of the slaver's spell. More water seeped into his already empty lungs and black spots began to form before his eyes.
"Never imagined it would end this way," Valor thought morbidly.
Suddenly, the pressure was gone and the water flowed away, leaving a drenched Captain Valor and Kaloni. Both coughed repeatedly bringing up the water that had filled their lungs. Eagerly, they breathed in life-giving air.
"This is not possible!", the slaver-sorceress yelled, stamping her foot in anger. "Who dares to interrupt my magic?"
"The Avengers dare many things, Ecotlian!"
Everyone turned towards the source of the voice. Standing on the beach was a collection of armed individuals. The speaker was a tall blonde-haired woman wearing black leather armor. Beside her was a shorter man in dark robes with unusual designs on them.
"We meet again, Friza," the robed man stated. "Shall we test our mage skills once more?"
"I hate slavers," a man who held a loaded long bow at the ready announced. He was even taller than the blonde woman and had bright red hair and matching beard. "Just give the word, Lyndah, and I'll let them have it."
Rounding out the group were two women who were as different as night and day. One wore sky blue robes and had a serene look on her face. Her head had been shaven completely bald. "I sense much suffering," the bald woman announced. "My healing skills will be needed."
The other woman brandished a pair of daggers in her hands. She had a wild, untamed look about her. She also wore black leathers and had long, black hair "Lets take these bastards!", the woman cried out excitedly.
"Avengers attack!", the blonde woman cried out, thrusting her sword into the air overhead. Leading the charge, the woman known as Lyndah did go forth taking the battle to the enemy.
"The Avengers!", Captain Valor repeated in astonishment. That was certainly not a name that he was expecting to hear anytime soon. "It's not possible! It can't be!"
Stunned, Valor watched as the band calling themselves the Avengers went to work. The robed man quickly cast another spell and magical energy slammed into the slaver woman he called Friza. She was sent back several steps and cursed in pain, her own spell attempt ruined in the process.
"That's Sargon! I'm sure of it! How did he get here? And what's with the Siegfried and Roy robes?"
The blonde woman led the charge into the slavers, clearing a path with her sword. Those hit were sent flying as it became clear that the woman's strength was superhuman. In moments she had reached Friza's guards and was hacking into the hyena-men.
"I'd know that killer body anywhere! It's Black Diamond!" Valor watched in admiration as the leader of the Avengers battled on, slaying all those who would oppose her. "I'd never thought I'd see her in black leather anywhere outside of my fantasies! I never knew she could be so ruthless!"
The other three were not as immediately recognizable to Captain Valor as the two who resembled Black Diamond and Sargon. He was sure that he had never seen the bowman before. But there was something vaguely familiar about the two women. The bald headed one in particular.
"Oh my God! It's Nightingale!", Valor finally realized in astonishment. The bald headed woman moved about the natives, aiding the injured as best she could. "I didn't recognize her without hair! That's just too weird!"
"You know these warriors?", Kaloni asked softly.
"They sort of look like my friends, but different at the same time."
The identity of the woman with the daggers came to him as well. She looked very much like Helena, Hunter's daughter. However, this woman was older and shorter. She was a blur among the enemy, moving fast and covering ground in long leaps. Many a foe fell to her flashing blades. Stunned, Valor continued to watch as these Avengers made short, bloody work of the enemy.
The pitch of battle once more turned against the slavers. Friza quickly grew frustrated and used her magic to teleport to safety. With their leader gone, the surviving slavers quickly retreated making haste to the warships anchored off shore. The Avengers let them retreat.
But the retreat was short lived as the men on the warships opened fire on the retreating slavers, forcing them to stop on the beach! It was only then that the surviving slavers noticed that there were three ships now anchored off shore. The newest one had bright red sails. The slavers found themselves trapped between their own ships and the Avengers.
"Drop your weapons, scum!" The command came from a crimson clad woman on the deck of the closest warship. On either side of her were over a dozen men armed with loaded crossbows. "My men will drop anyone who does not obey my command. Who wishes to be the first to die?"
Captain Valor rose to his feet, straining to make out the woman on the ship. "It's the Scarlet Sabre! I'd know that hot little number anywhere!"
Meekly, the surviving slavers complied, dropping their weapons where they stood. Men came forth from the ship to take the defeated prisoners. As quickly as that, the battle was over.
"My compliments, Captain Jess!", the woman who resembled Black Diamond called out as she drew closer to the beach and Captain Valor. "A well executed plan. The battle on the beach masked our approaching, allowing us to capture the ships without notice."
"A profitable one as well," the swashbuckler laughed back. "Two warships to plunder. The Windsabre's holds will be overflowing with booty! Let's get to work, men! There's treasure to be had!"
Turning, the woman who resembled Black Diamond cautiously approached Captain Valor. Her sword was drawn, but was not currently held in a threatening manner. The bowman and the woman who superficially resembled Helena followed close behind. Sargon and Nightingale were not far off.
Upon seeing the woman this close, he had no doubt that she was a dead ringer for Black Diamond. She looked as gorgeous and powerful as ever. "Man, Di, you're sure a sight for sore eyes!"
"You have me at a disadvantage, stranger. I am Lyndah, leader of the Avengers."
"I'm Captain Valor, a member of the Avengers. Apparently a different group of Avengers at any rate."
"He is the one spoken of in the divinations," the bald woman commented. "We are familiar to him, but different. He is not of this place."
"The familiar stranger," Sargon added in agreement. "A stranger in our eyes, but we are familiar in his."
"Linda?", Captain Valor repeated in a confused voice. "That doesn't sound that different. Yeah, Sargon, you sure do look like my pals. Some of you anyway. We've got Sargon the Sorcerer, Black Diamond, Nightingale, and the Scarlet Sabre over there. The rest of you I'm not sure about."
"Allow me to introduce my associates. Sargon you've correctly identified. This is Kristine of Azrella," Lyndah explained as she pointed towards the bald headed woman. Kristine bowed slightly at the introduction.
"Katrina." Lyndah indicated the woman in black leather with the daggers. The wild looking woman didn't seem to be impressed with Captain Valor. She licked the blood off of her weapons.
"Robert of the forests." The man with the longbow was indicated this time. He stood by stoically, challenging the Captain with his eyes.
"That just leaves Captain Jess of the Windsabre who gave us passage to these distant shores." The crimson clad swashbuckler was too busy overseeing her men to pay any heed to the conversation taking place on the shore. "She is not one of us."
"This is really weird," Valor commented offhandedly.
"You have my thanks," Kaloni spoke up. "You saved the village from the slavers."
"The danger has not yet passed," Lyndah answered. "These two warships are part of a much larger fleet. My advice would be to get your people to a place of safety until the danger passes."
"Don't worry about it, Kaloni. We're the Avengers," Captain Valor explained confidently. "Kicking ass is our business! We'll drive these clowns off."
"We have another mission that we must pursue," Lyndah continued. "One with which we need your help, Captain Valor."
