The rhythmic thump of drums beat through Finn's chest. The deep notes echoed within him, bringing back memories of joining his father on raids at the edge of the Uncharted where they would gather slaves to sell to the Shadow Cartographers. Slave women he now knew became forced vessels for the Halbrasse, and men they used for sacrifice to the gods of the once dead.
The warlord's men would drink a special concoction before forming their ranks, downing a sharp alcohol spiked with hallucinogenic plants and flavorful herbs. It gave them an edge in battle, a belief that they were superhuman in strength and power. It made them uncaring of physical pain, separating their rational minds from willing bodies. These were the men who would cross into Earth-side through the gathered mist, a vanguard fo
