First Battles; chapter 9. Tales of Atoz

Along the rocks, the first battles had taken place. There where the pirates had so often landed to go out on their land raids, lancers swept up on three of the pirates ships sitting at rest in the shallow harbor, their crews unloading into row boats to go ashore, with water barrels and armed for hunting. The Kensen had never had reason to fear attack and went about their business, oblivious to the vessels approaching.,
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- Before they had opportunity to react, the three lancers turned into the ships, the ballista loaded and the lanyards pulled. The first shot put the Kensen’s ships out of commission. Each tip exploded on contact with impressive force, blowing holes in the rigging. All aboard the pirate ships panicked, some diving into the cove and others trying to climb the netting back aboard. Such foolishness was soon rewarded with death. The second bolts were already loaded and these struck the sides of the ships blowing holes in them at the water line. The ships began to settle, slowly into the bay. The call of board and attack at will rang out and rangers, weapons read, prepared to assault, as the ships drove ahead the ropes with grappling hooks coming out. The hooks were heaved upward into the broken rigging and men scrambled up them. . Aboard in a thrice, swinging their lances and war axes with a furry, they cut a path through the defenders. . The pirates fought desperately, but they had no chance. Within the first minute they were mainly dead or dieing and those who weren't soon wished they were. The rangers, thirsting for blood and revenge went at them with abandon, hacking them to pieces in a display of merciless slaughter. Bjorn took part in the battle, but could not bring himself, no matter how much he despised these lecherous cretins, to take place in wholesale slaughter. When it was done, he felt ill, but only for a moment, before he joined the rest of the rangers climbing down nets, left by the, now mutilated, pirates, to the waiting ships.1

That had been his first taste of battle and Bjorn had a hard time sleeping that night, the pictures of it running over and over through his foggy dreams. Still, when the next day came, and the ships closed on another group of pirate vessels, he had no qualms in joining in on the battle.
This time the battle didn’t go as smoothly with the pirates seeing the lancers coming and sensing something amiss. They armed their cannon and readied themselves with long bows and cutlass on the decks. When the lancers first bolts crashed the rigging of the lead ship, in a group of five vessels, this time, tearing the masts apart. the pirates answered with a volley of cannon, Cannon balls struck the Sudren decks with resounding force, some bouncing off, others tearing gashes into the top deck of the lead craft putting it's ballista out of action. The Sudren ships answered this Kensen volley, rocking the enemies craft with the blast of the strike. The first lancer crashed the side of the lead pirate vessel. Rangers scaled its sides with the ropes only to be rained down upon with arrows. Many fell from the side of the ship, but the rest made it to the top and a bloody melee was soon in full progress.
Bjorn was one of the first to board and he swung his war axe wildly, pitching the hoard of men back as they attempted to corner him against the bulkhead. More men came over the railing behind him, each unsheathing their sabers and charging into the fray. Bjorn caught a man with his knee and kicked another as he drove ahead. He brought the war axe down on the first and swung his sword with the other hand, slicing the second into ribbons. He saw a comrade run through from behind and the intense hatred of the Kensen put him in a violent rage. Cutting the attackers head off with one long sweep of his blade he reversed the swipe and sliced the man down the middle before he could fall. The Kensen were upon him in a minute but he was unstoppable now, crashing into them with a fury he couldn't and had no reason to wish to contain.
Over and over he thrust his blade, parried blows and swung the war axe into the wall of human flesh before him. He never thought of death or had time to think at all, attacking, killing and killing again, as the decks became littered with bodies, with blood washing over the boards in a crimson wave. Soon there was so much gore men were losing their footing in the slick mess and all still living was covered in blood.2

But, the battle didn't end that way for all. On board another of the craft, the Kensen were putting up a good fight and nearly the whole contingent of rangers was being wiped out. The commander, seeing this ordered his men to abandon the decks and rush to the aid of their comrades. Swinging from rigging to rigging, dropping down on the rabble, Bjorn’s contingent of rangers soon routed the Kensen, and this vessel too became a scene of carnage such as no pen could describe. Heads and arms flew in every direction; torsos were hacked and ripped through as men died in bitter hand to hand combat.
Bjorn did his share, pounding his sword hilt down on men’s head, driving the blade through bodies, swinging his dirk, gashing and slicing out vitals. He tried not to think, but the scene was one no survivor would ever be able to forget.
Then, suddenly a sharp, piercing pain in his back made him whirl. Insane with anger, he hacked his attacker to death chopping him into pieces. Only the commander’s yelling to him to stop wasting time on one man halted him. In a mad funk, he ran to the aid of other men, cleaving a path through pirates as he did. 3

The combined forces of the two vessels soon finished off the Kensen. .
Pirate vessels were burning and sinking everywhere one looked. Some of the Kensen were desperately trying to surrender, but the rangers wanted none of it. They dispatched them one at a time and the night began to fall on the worst sight he could ever remember. Rangers looted the ships that hadn't already gone down, taking weapons, food, armor, all sorts of stolen treasures, and most of all, charts showing where the Kensen vessels were located in the area. When the Commander saw these he was delighted, laughing at their fortune. He set to work drawing up plans for the next attack and all the men shouted their approval. Flushed with victory, they prepared for another day of battle.
Bjorn, however, didn’t share the eagerness of the majority. He would fight, of course with no reservation, but he hadn't known how ugly such a thing as war could be until now. Someplace inside was hollowness and he spent the rest of the night seated alone, unable to eat, sleep or even to pray for guidance. His thoughts were full of the horrors of battle. He sat on the deck that night seeing it all over and over, a wrenching feeling working itself through him Already, Bjorn was growing sick of war.