The fighting was all but over when a movement to the stern drew Athgar's attention. A pirate stood by the aft railing, a lantern in hand and Athgar immediately knew what was about to happen. The Therengian rushed forward, intending to extinguish the flame, but the lantern was tossed through an open deck grating too quickly, and then the pirate charged forward, his blade held high.

Athgar stopped short with the sudden awareness that he was unarmed. In desperation, he called forth flame. It shot from his hands, striking his foe in the head. The pirate staggered back, letting loose a blood-curdling scream while clutching his face, which was now on fire. He tripped on the open grating, following the path of the lantern he had just thrown.

The fighting ceased. Six pirates surrendered, while three more swam for shore, the rest dead or unconscious. Flames began to lick their way up from below, and Athgar cursed as he remembered the lantern. Making his way to the hatch, he peered down, only to be blinded by smoke.

"Abandon ship," yelled Captain Kopruli.

"The slaves!" called out Athgar.

The flames were spreading rapidly now, and Athgar called upon his magic to extinguish the fire that threatened them all, but his power proved insufficient, for the blaze burned on.

The slaves below screamed out in pain and fear. Athgar realized there wasn't much time before they would succumb to a fiery death. Covering his face with his arm, he leaped, dropping below and immediately moving towards the voices. Flames licked at the deck above him, while one rower was already engulfed, his cries of anguish gut-wrenching.

"Athgar!" came a voice from the smoke.

The Therengian staggered towards it, seeing a face loom out of the haze. It was Caladin, a hunter from his village! The young warrior had evidently been taken during the raid last year, and now sat, desperate to be rid of the chains that bound him.

Caladin looked at Athgar, pleading, "You must get us out of here!"

Fire burned up Athgar's sleeve, and although he struggled to cast a spell while choking out the commands, he was able to extinguish it. Turning his attention back to Caladin, the Fire Mage struggled to locate how the man's chains were attached.

"Who brought you here?" Athgar called out, his words almost drowned out by the sound of the roaring fire.

"Temple Knights," the young hunter managed to say, through coughs. "Your sister…" Caladin started, then yelled out in pain as a beam above their heads fell across his legs, flames bursting forth as a rush of air fed it.

Athgar tried to stem the fire with magic, but the air here was rapidly becoming unbreathable, and the mage failed to call forth his power from within. He reached down to pull the chains free, but the metal was hot, searing his skin before he pulled his hands away.