Vizka Longtooth is the main antagonist of Eulalia!, the nineteenth book in the Redwall novel series. He is the charismatic yet sadistic and arrogant captain of the Sea Raider vessel Bludgullet and its crew, one of which is his brother and second in command Codj. When pillaging the home of one of the book's protagonists, Gorath, after the attack leads to his home getting burnt down from a fire started by Codj with Gorath's grandparents being killed in it, he winds up kidnapping the badger with the intent of subjecting him to starvation and abuse to try to tame the badger to use his skills, namely his Bloodwrath abilities that come with being a badger, to take out his enemies before eventually coming across Redwall Abbey and making plans to conquer it, which also occurs after Gorath escapes and befriends the residents of the abbey.
Biography[]
As the captain of the Sea Raider vessel Bludgullet and its crew, Vizka would often lead raids on islands where they would loot the treasures and valuables they could find. Vizka himself would be reputable amongst his crew for his skills with his weapons, particularly his mace and chain, and his grin that revealed two oversized fangs that inspired his last name and be known for the danger posed in it in how he would remain composed while killing whoever amongst the crew crosses him. One night, as the Bludgullet sailed on the seas to the shores of the Northern Isles, one of the crew members, Firty, went to the cabin where Vizka was in and when he came out after he rapped the door, he informed him of a light showing ashore dead ahead as some sort of building. Flinging a heavy cape across his shoulders, Vizka smiled and commented on how a building is better than nothing on the shore before reaching for his mace and chain and toying with it, swinging the spiked ball with a flick of his paw and allowing the mace spikes to dent the woodwork of the cabin door. When Firty asks if he'll be going ashore, Vizka affirms this and orders him to tell his brother, Codj, to rouse the crew for a raid. As the ship's keel ground into the shallows, the vermin waded ashore, every beast armed with weapons ready for plunder and blood. The area turned out to be the home of a badger named Gorath, who was napping after working on his farm while his grandparents were inside the house, which the vermin light on fire as they were inside while robbing and looting. When Gorath awakened to discover what was happening and grabbed for his pitchfork he called Tung, Vizka strikes him on the head with his mace and chain and when Gorath turned to see dazed by the impact, Vizka smiled in astonished amusement and called to his crew on how he has a head like a rock before knocking him out with a second strike of the weapon, also leaving a wound on his head that resulted in congealed blood that had stuck one of his eyes shut.
They take the unconscious badger on the ship and hold him captive with a thick iron chain padlocked tightly about his middle secured to the lofty mainmast. When he awakens from a splash from a pail of cold salt water poured onto him by one of the crew, Balid, Vizka, while smiling and putting on a friendly facade, asks him if he's still thirsty and when he didn't answer due to him being saturated and shivering, Vizka kicks and insults him, repeating the question to which Gorath angrily pulled himself upright against the mast, glaring at him and declaring that he is not called stripehound and his name is Gorath. Ignoring him, Vizka ordered Balid to pour more cold salt water onto him before pointing at him with his mace haft and declaring that he has no name aboard his ship except what he calls him, which he chooses to use Rockhead as the crew laughed dutifully at their captain's feeble joke. Balid called out that he must have a thick head if he couldn't slay him with two blows of his weapon to which Vizka, swirling his cape as he rounded on Balid, explained that he didn't kill him because he wants him alive and asks him who he slew. Trembling his paws, Balid apologizes and explains that he was with Codj and only set fire to the farm house and locked the two old badgers inside so they couldn't get out, leading to an enraged Gorath to launch himself at the weasel with a maddened roar and slay him by slitting his throat using his paw. Suddenly, Vizka was yelling at his crew to get back to stay out of the badger's way and they instantly obey, scattering to the forward and aft deckrails away from his reach. Codj comes up and took up the big pitchfork he took from Gorath's unconscious body at the farmhouse and angrily declared that Baliz was his mate and he'll kill him for that only for Vizka to stay his brother's paw and state he wants him kept alive before commenting on how he'd lose more than his tail stump if he tried tackling him.
After both foxes observed Gorath and his movements carefully, Vizka called out orders to his crew to steer clear of the beast and deprive him of food or water and to set course due south until he tells them otherwise and steered his brother round to his cabin. There, he explained the ability badgers like Gorath had called Bloodwrath where they go into a murderous and hostile rage that transforms them into unstoppable beasts and that he plans to break and tame him to be able to use him as a one-beast army and make themselves the terror of the land and sea. While Codj was not wholly convinced due to the way the badger slew Balid, Vizka explains that hunger and thirst are the best tamers of all and he plans on starving Gorath as he's chained to the mast into his way of thinking and that he'll do as he says or perish, aweing his brother with his wisdom. Codj asks why they're going south to which Vizka explains that he's not going anywhere near the Salamandastron mountains because of the much more dangerous badgers there and there being more loot and plunder down south using Gorath once he makes him his unstoppable killing machine. When Codj asks where specifically they're going, Vizka explains that he'll find some place and tells him to go about his own business and leave it to him as he'll look out for him, leading to Codj asking what the place will be like and Vizka answering after pondering that it will be a place where he can rule just like a king while his brother becomes the captain of the Bludgullet. As Codj delights himself in the prospect of being a real captain, Vizka ushered him to the cabin door to go and keep the ship on a straight south course while warning him to stay clear of the badger. Throwing a clumsy salute, Codj holds it and stands there grinning until Vizka was forced to enquire to which Codj, not knowing what Vizka meant, asked if he's going to salute him back. Vizka explains that he's not in charge of the ship yet and he's still captain and orders him to get on with his work before slamming the door in his face, much to his frustration.
From the cabin doorway, Vizka and Codj would watch Gorath as he began getting seasick to the point of a spasm of retching. Vizka passed Codj a length of tarred and knotted rope and whispered instructions to him to swing the rope at Gorath to strike him with it so that Vizka could come in to stop it. Though Codj questioned the order, he carried it out when Vizka reaffirmed it as he came hurrying up and snatched the rope when he does so, pretending to defend Gorath and ordering him to leave. After Codj does so, Vizka speaks to Gorath in a wheedling manner, asking him what ails him and giving him several offers for a good cabin and bunk, food, and drink, but as the badger remained persistently silent, Vizka pulled his thick cloak tight about himself and declared that he'll go into his cabin to get out of the cold and told him that he's not going anywhere and will speak to him soon as otherwise he'll die chained to the mast. However, he instead went to the main cabin on the deck below where Codj was with some of the vermin crew. Codj asks if he should flog him again to which Vizka denied and stated that he's had enough for now and to leave him until later. When one of the crew, Grivel, comments that he'll die if he flogs him too much since he was nearly killed by Vizka's mace and chain and can't be far off dead, Vizka smiles while telling him he didn't ask him, intimidating him into silence as he rose, staring at him pointedly and declaring further that he'll decide what happens to the badger, a bit of starving and beating won't do him no harm, and that he will bring him around to his way of thinking as he does with any beast. As Grivel agrees with it, Vizka dealt him a swinging back-pawed blow which knocked him out of his seat, flat on his face, humiliating him as he laughed while looking around at the other vermin in the cabin and stating that he can't hold his grog. After the crew laughed aloud with him, Vizka issued orders to eat the food served up on deck where Gorath can see them to make him feel hungry and to Codj to keep an eye peeled on him before heading off to his own cabin. Meanwhile, the crew waited until Codj left to keep watch and didn't say anything until he left as he and Vizka were very close before shoving Snikey, Vizka's spy, into a closet and plotting a mutiny against the captain.
As the crew eats in front of the badger and puts emphasis on the taste of the food, Vizka himself attends, holding out a basin and questioning the cook, Glurma, as she filled it to the brim with the mixture and telling the crew that the food will put a twinkle back in their eyes. Knowing how far the chain would allow his captive to roam, Vizka carefully placed the filled bowl out of the young badger's reach and began coaxing him, though Gorath made no move for it despite uncovering his head and staring at the bowl. After Vizka continued taunting him by offering him to try some of the food, which consisted of shrimp and fishes from the Northland coast and vegetables from his farm, Gorath rose and reached out to try to grab it while staggering as the crew laughed at his vain attempts to reach it before giving up and going to sit with his back to the mast. Vizka then dipped a paw in the bowl and sucked it and offered to move it closer if he speaks to him. Though Gorath locked eyes with the smiling fox, he kept silent, making Vizka feel nervous as he snarled at him that without food he's a dead beast and to speak. As Gorath does speak, he tells him he will die before he does along with Codj and the vermin and that he doesn't speak with beasts who are already dead to him. Vizka leapt up, quivering while declaring that he'll beg him to die before he's done with him and kicked the bowl into the sea before striding back to his cabin with Codj trotting in his wake. Codj declares that they should have killed him to which Vizka shoved him into the cabin ahead of him, telling him to shut up as the crew can hear him. In the process, Vizka's spy, Snikey, gets killed by one of the crew, Durgy, stabbing him in the ribs and tossing him overboard, something Vizka knows about secretly due to Glurma informing him. Once the Bludgullet's lookout sighted land off the portside, Vizka Longtooth gave orders to heave to and follow the coastline while Gorath still from time to time suffered from starvation or beating that were regularly inflicted upon him as the fox still lived in hopes of converting Gorath to the life of a Sea Raider. As he was taking breakfast as usual out of reach but well in sight of his prisoner, he tried coaxing him yet again by talking about the oats he grew and honey he had being used for the meal only to still get no answer. Emptying the remainder of the bowl over the side, Vizka picked up the length of tarred and knotted rope to give him some more lashes when his brother, Codj, approached, pointing landward and reporting of a river crossing the shore that way.
Learning from Glurma about the place, which was the River Moss that runs out of Mossflower Country, and her history of sailing up there with her previous captain looking for Redwall Abbey, Vizka asked her what the captain said about it to which she explained just how big and rich of a place it was. As such, Vizka issued orders to drop anchor and furl the sail and for the crew to get up on the deck for an announcement. Noticing Gorath staring at it, Vizka flicked him across his back with a long, knotted rope and tells him he won't see any of it until he learns some sense or starves to death before telling his crew about Redwall Abbey and asking if they'd like to find out about it being the biggest, richest place anywhere. As the crew roared their approval, Vizka declared that it's where they're bound, but he only wants loyal crew beasts at his back when he takes the place on and asks if they're with him to which they affirm. Pointing the tines of the pitchfork Tung at the ferret, Grivel and the two rats, Feerog and Durgy, Vizka, in a cajoling tone, asked them which of them would like to lead the shore party to Redwall with each striding forward pointing to himself. Winking at his brother Codj with a toothy smile and waving the pitchfork at his crew, Vizka asks who of them they should choose. As the crew was shouting out, calling the name of the one they fancied, Vizka waved the pitchfork for silence and had them do a fight to the death to decide, much to the crew's delight. This leads to Durgy killing Feerog and Grivel and winning before Vizka reveals that he knew of him having slain Snikey and of Glurma having informed him before nominating Codj to be the shore party leader and declaring that they will take Redwall Abbey and loot it down to the stones. With every beast firmly on his side, Vizka states that Durgy will be excluded from the riches and he'll leave him to the crew as there is no room aboard for mutineers before feigning sadness and pretending to go mourn in his cabin. As the crew began attacking Durgy, Vizka paused before entering his cabin to listen to Durgy's last scream and hearing his corpse be tossed overboard, wiping away a mock tear as he hears this.
As the Bludgullet sailed through the Mossflower woodlands, Vizka Longtooth kept to his cabin, leaving Codj and a stoat named Bilger in charge of the crew. After the two get into an argument, Codj stalked off to his brother's cabin where Vizka was rocking in a hammock, sipping grog. Eyeing Codj irritably, he asks if another mutiny is on their hands to which Codj explains that all the crew does is moan and complain and asks what he's supposed to do. Heaving himself from the hammock and peering out the open door at the sky to see that it's getting dark, Vizka tells him to tell them to down paddles and rest for the night and asks if there's anything else to report. Codj tells him there's not much drinking water left, leading to Vizka lashing out, cuffing his younger brother's ear, and ordering him to lower the barrels into the river as it's fresh water they're sailing in. Codj tried to leave the cabin quickly, but Vizka caught him tight by his tail stub to tell him to organize a shore party and get in the forest to get food like fruits, roots, birds, and eggs. When Codj asks about Gorath, Vizka shoved his brother contemptuously out through the cabin door as he told him that he's not going anywhere with an iron chain holding him to the mast and will be dead in a few days. During the shore party, Codj and the crew wind up coming across a young hedgehog child named Orkwil Prink in a swamp that they get him out of to kidnap him upon learning that he's from Redwall Abbey to take him to the ship. There, upon being informed of this by Codj, Vizka grabbed his brother in a hearty embrace and pounded his back soundly for doing something right. Then, Vizka asks for the hedgehog's name, mishearing it as "Orful Stink" and making a joke about it as he orders Bilger to sluice him down and clean him up. Afterwards, he puts on a polite facade and asks the young hedgehog for directions to Redwall Abbey to which he remained silent. Viewing Orkwil's show of resistance, Vizka hints at threatening to roast him alive over a galley fire if he doesn't answer his questions in the morning before issuing orders to his brother to cut him loose and chain him next to Gorath for the night, wake him early the next day, and keep an eye on him through the night and leaves.
However, Gorath manages to escape the chains with Orkwil and kills Codj, avenging his grandparents' deaths before escaping with the young hedgehog to Redwall Abbey. In the dawn, Vizka awakens to hear the news of his brother's death from Firty and freaks out a bit over this before discovering that Gorath and Orkwil escaped and asking where they are. Bilger states that they are gone to which Vizka felled him with a hard blow and jumped up and down on him, roaring that he can see that but wants to know who saw them and where they went. Vizka orders the rest of the crew who had turned out to see what all the commotion was about to go and track them. Glurma explains that none of them can track as they don't have a trail follower aboard. Kicking the prone form of Bilger, Vizka yells to go and find one to bring there. The crew all began following Bilger to the rail as no one wanted to stay aboard with their captain in his present mood only for him to halt them and order them to get back and line up where he can see. As the remainder of the crew formed a haphazard line and stood staring at the deck, Vizka paced up and down in front of them, glaring and berating them for letting the prisoners escape and going to the tiller where he mourns over his brother's death and comments on how he's now deader than a stone and was worth more than all of them put together. He then has his body wrapped up in some sailcloth and bound round with the chain so he'll sink and has Firty find fitting words to say for him when he goes overboard. As the bundle was bore to the rail where they balanced it, Firty dirged the eulogy he had hurriedly put together about Codj before Vizka gave the bundle its required shove, sending it overboard and wiping water from his eye that came from a splash as Codj hit the river, finishing the funeral.
Just then, Bilger and his mates scrambled aboard, dragging with them a watervole they found and learned knows the way to Redwall Abbey and heard talking about Orkwil and Gorath, the former of whom he antagonized. Vizka interrogates him on the location of Redwall Abbey under the threat of killing him, with the water vole indicating the location with a sullen nod disrespectfully, leading to Vizka tweaking his captive's snout until tears poured from his eyes and demands he shows him respect. Still tweaking his victim's snout, Vizka ordered his crew to weigh anchor and get under way to pole the ship upriver to the ford, having the vole be given a paddle and be put to work as well as fastened on a lead to avoid letting him slip away. By midnoon, the ship had progressed well and sailed far along as Bilger lashed at the vole while shouting at him. However, the vessel wound up taking longer than expected to reach the ford as overhanging trees, narrow banks, and outcrops of rock had to be negotiated to ply the ship upriver and Vizka was forced to admit that whils a ship at sea could be fleet and nimble, forcing it upland, through a woodland river, was no easy task. Taking command of the operation, he did not spare the rope's end with tardy paddle pushers, driving them to their limit with lashes, blows, and curses, causing the crew to sweat and toil throughout the night from the backbreaking work. Whenever a rest was called, the vessel would drift backward with the current and the anchor would have to be dropped. As the sun had been up for some considerable time with there still being no sign of the path or the ford, Vizka kicked the watervole, who had slumped to the deck with fatigue, and asked him if he's sure this is the right way to the ford place to which the watervole, hungry and sick to his stomach, curled a lip at him and sarcastically asked which way it could go, leading to Vizka hauling him up by the rope tethered about his neck, biting his ear, and telling him he asked for a straight answer before repeating the question. The watervole desperately stated that it is and even as he spoke, one of the vermin, who was in the water, hauling on a headrope, sang out that there is some sort of path crossing the water ahead, much to Vizka Longtooth's satisfaction as he released the rope, letting the wattervole slump to the deck and patting his head, telling him he was right before ordering the crew to drop anchor and moor the ship to the bank.
Knowing they were exhausted, he has two of them, Baul and Widge, stop there to guard the ship and the rest of them get ready to march by mid-morning and puts on his dangerous smile to ensure submission before striding up and down, nodding, and promising them they'll be feasting like kings, going into his cabin afterwards and placing Jungo in charge of the watervole. Soon, they arrive at the ford and begin marching through the forest, Vizka being at the center of his crew, well protected on all sides by vermin bodies, cursing as a weasel blundered into him. The two stoats, Dogleg and Patchy, whom he had sent out to look ahead with the watervole, return to inform him that the watervole says he can see Redwall Abbey. Vizka seized the vole's neck roughly to threaten his life if he's lying as the vole gasped out that it is up yonder and he will see it soon. Vizka gave orders to the weasel Magger to get the crew down the ditch aside of the path and to tell them to wait there and be quiet whilst having Jungo and Bilger come with him and bring the vole with them. Arriving nearby the abbey and putting on a friendly facade, Vizka has the vole be disguised as a Sea Raider and instructs him to pass himself off as a poor starving sea beast and announce them as visitors seeking for food, dishonestly promising him his freedom. to test the grounds. Orkwil Prink, who had already arrived back into the abbey with Gorath, recognizes the vole, but before he could say anything, one of the Redwall guardians, Benjo Tipps flung an oakwood burl at the vole and knocked him unconscious. Seeing this, Vizka Longtooth and his two crewbeasts retreated stealthily back to the ditch. Dropping down into the dried ditchbed, he left his crew sleeping, but wakened Magger whom he had come to rely on as his second in command. He explains they left him lying around some place and that the abbey isn't full of soft woodlanders and won't be easy to get into. Though Magger replied that they've fought battles before and never lost, Vizka explained that he never fought any badger and knows he's in there based on Orkwil's presence since the two escaped together. In spite of this, Vizka explained that he'll finish the job of nearly slaying the badger with his mace and chain and will soon be captain of Redwall Abbey before the season is out.
Erecting a piece of sailcloth to form a small shelter in the ditch, Vizka Longtooth sat beneath it with Magger blinking in the smoke of a little fire lit to keep the numerous winged insects at bay while the rest of the crew either sought any cover they could find or crouched there, suffering the persistent drizzle. Staring bleakly at the closest group, Vizka asks if they thought to bring any food from the ship with them, their silence proving that they didn't, much to Vizka's frustration. When one of the crew tels him he said there was plenty of food in the abbey, Vizka explains that they won't get them charging into battle. Magger asks what the plan is with Vizka explaining that they need food that day and tells Magger to take the crew back up the ditch until they're out of sight to go into the forest and load up with food like plants, birds, eggs, and fishes and stay in the forest to make a big fire and cook everything up. When asked what he will be doing, Vizka explains that he will be figuring a way into the abbey and get all the loot and food. As the vermin depart, Vizka called after them to not let Magger scoff everything and to save some for him as he will join them later. When they had gone, Vizka sat alone under the canvas awning, pondering his dilemma to conquer an abbey containing a berserk badger who had sworn to kill him and knew that now that he had committed himself, he could not back down in front of his crew. He briefly gets startled by the noise of a party of moles who had ventured out to inspect the fallen watervole and take him inside, much to Vizka's frustration as he realizes he could have taken the opportunity to send his crew attacking while the gates were ajar. Laying his forehead against the muddy ditch in anger, he noticed a worm boring its way out of the ditchside wall and callously nipped it in two halves between his pawnails. Watching the worm writhing and stamping on it, he came up with a plan to have his crew dig their way into Redwall from the side wall of the ditch a bit lower down close to the big gate.
In the woodlands, a good hour's march north of the abbey, Vizka Longtooth located his crew, having espied the light from their campfires with Glurma having cooked plenty of food and made some for Vizka himself like a roasted woodpigeon. Tearing into the roasted bird and being pleasantly surprised at their progress, Vizka comments on how even Codj couldn't have found food like this and asks if it was Magger's doing. Magger affirms that he and Glurma did it with the latter offering him willowbark tea while explaining that Magger sent Dogler and Patchy back to the ship to bring back a keg of grog for him. Satisfied, Vizka asks Magger if the lot would be any good at digging to which Magger expresses confusion at this. In said confusion, he refers to the crew as his, causing Vizka to become suspicious of him for this along with setting himself up as a favourite amongst them on the basis of a potential mutiny and continued eating in silence before putting aside his supper and lying back to sleep after telling him he will let him know his plans in the morning while smiling his dangerous smile. In the morning, Vizka Longtooth had left the bulk of his creatures under cover, bringing twoscore along with him. They headed down the ditch to Redwall, ready to begin tunneling operations in spite of their reluctance. Once the abbey was in sight, they crouched low and approached it with extreme caution. Vizka halted them when he was level with the main gates and started issuing orders to start tunneling right there, scratching an X into the ditch wall. Undril, a large dull-witted weasel agrees as the golden fox gave his crew the benefit of a quick, dangerous smile and ordered all of them to start digging. Without any proper tools, they went to work, gouging at the soil with spear, sword, and dagger points. Watching their clumsy attempts whilst trying to keep his temper in check and realizing it was going to be a long, slow task requiring a bit of patience, Vizka has Undril split them into two groups and Firty and Gerna go further down the ditch to try the soil and see if it would be easier to dig a tunnel there.
After they leave, Vizka continued supervising the work, asking Jungo what he thinks he's doing as he tries to dig with his spear and explaining that there's a root in the way. He has Bilger hold the root while Jungo cuts it with his spearblade to no avail as Bilger instead clumsily cuts his paw. In the meantime, Firty and Gerna come across a couple of Brownrat wives, part of a vermin clan led by the lazy yet ruthless Gruntan Kurdly, that wind up beating them and sending them to take a message to Vizka to tell him to run for his life. Back up at the start of the main excavation where Vizka Longtooth was in a calmer mood as the hole in the ditchside was actually beginning to take shape, Firty and Gerna stagger up and explain what happened, leading to Vizka angrily attacking the two Brownrats when they hove into view while whirling his weapon. However, Gruntan Kurdly's whole army turned the tables on them and began pursuing them instead as they ran for their very lives. Vizka Longtooth makes it back to the camp while over a dozen of his crew get slain by Kurdly's horde in hopes of being able to rally up the others to repel the Brownrat horde only to discover it to be deserted due to Magger and the others having been alerted of the situation, much to his anger. As such, Vizka continued running and began outpacing his pursuers, their sounds growing faint in his wake. Upon entering the heart of ancient Mossflower, he discovered a massive old beech tree with a small spurge laurel resting against it that had perished from lack of sunlight and went up the laurel into the lower forks of the beech. Leaning down, he shoved at the slender, dead laurel, watching as it fell flat on the leafy, woodland floor and went nimbly upward into the high reaches of the beech, choosing a wide, well-foliaged limb and settling himself in a well-hidden spot. As he panted and gasped, relaxing his body, his mind worked frantically, planning and scheming a way out of the situation.
Later, Vizka would see several Bludgullet crew vermin creeping cautiously about midst the tree trunks trying to stay clear of Brownrats whilst they foraged for food. Vizka concealed himself behind a fallen elm trunk and watched and listened, gleaning information from them. The vermin were collecting roots and debating with each other on a pair they found before taking them back to camp for Glurma to cook them up while Vizka quietly followed them, not wanting to show himself until he knew which way the land lay. At camp, as Glurma was serving food, Vizka made his presence clear by throwing his mace and chain which missed Glurma by a hairsbreadth and struck the cauldron, knocking it over and causing sizzling steam and cascading hot water to extinguish the fire noisily. Vizka Longtooth strode through the camp and retrieved his weapon, standing looking about in the hushed silence which followed his dramatic entrance and asking if they thought he was dead. Glurma cackled aloud that she knew he'd come back and kept the crew together for him for that reason with every beast being dutifully silent as they did not know how to respond to their captain's appearance. Draping the chain of his mace round Ragchin's neck, Vizka questioned the petrified weasel on Magger's whereabouts to which he explained that he's gone and they haven't seen him since the Brownrats attacked. Showing his fangs and speaking in an almost playful tone, Vizka asked if he thought he'd take his place as leader of the crew with Ragchin denying the accusation vehemently before they hear the distant cry of a hare named Maudie nearby in the process of attacking what they thought to be a still living watervole. Releasing Ragchin immediately, Vizka rallied the crew to go observe the situation hidden. Doing so, they discover Orkwil with Maudie and a squirrel named Rangval looking at the aftermath of the water vole having been slain and the sword of Martin, which he stole, having been taken from him and ambush the three with Vizka quickly wrapping his mace chain around Orkwil's neck, crossing his paws, tugging hard, and threatening to snap his neck before having his crew capture them.
They string the three by their paws from the limb of a big sycamore, which grew at the edge of the camp with their feet barely touching the ground while being guarded by four of the crew members, two stoats, a weasel, and a fat ferret, lounging against the sycamore trunk while Vizka and his vermin were lounging on the other side of the camp clearing, virtually ignoring their three captives. Getting an idea, the three begin insulting the crew to provoke them to attack them to trick them and it temporarily worked if not for Vizka angrily ordering them to stay where they are, cuffing the ear of Firty when he asked if he's going to do nothing. The three still continue mocking the crew, particularly Vizka, with insults, leading to the fox tying a knot into a rope's end, declaring that he needs them alive though they just need to be lashed by the rope. One of the stoats on sentry duty at the camp fringes interrupted Vizka's intentions as he hurried in to report. Vizka Longtooth's grip tightened about the rope he was holding when hearing that Magger wants to speak to him and began swinging the rope in a carefree manner as he called out in a faux jovial tone for Magger, claiming he thought he was slain and for him to be brought there if he's alive and happy. Sitting smiling from ear to ear, as Magger edged hesitantly into the camp with the sword he had taken from the vole he slew, Vizka left his mace and chain on the ground and greeted his former second in command affably. When Magger warily asks if he's not mad at him, Vizka asked why he would be to which Magger replied that he was out looking for food to feed the crew and by the time he got back, everyone had gone and the camp was empty whilst avoiding looking at Vizka, staring at the ground, and scuffing a foot paw to and fro. Enjoying Magger's discomfort, Vizka pursued his interrogation in a lighthearted tone, asking what he did and where he got the sword.
Magger answered each question with lies and as Vizka began advancing slowly on him, he dropped his paw until he was grasping the hilt of the weapon. Vizka stopped within a pace of him, shaking his head sadly and proclaiming that he keeps his sword as he's earned it, managing to get him to drop his guard before brutally whacking him with his rope and leaping on him, stepping on his sword paw and lashing mercilessly with the rope. Pulling the sword free from his belt, Vizka yells at him before beheading him with the sword and holding it up in front of the horrified crew, emphasizing how he can't stand a runaway or a traitor. He then approaches the three captives and holds the sword forth until it was at their eye level, questioning them on where they have seen it before. Maudie falsely answered that she has not seen it before and tries to appease him by stating that it was made for him by right of conquest. Staring up at the three friends, Vizka drew back the sword and struck with a yell, making as if to kill them only to instead use the sword to shear through the bonds which held Maudie, Rangval, and Orkwil suspended from the tree. Once they were immediately surrounded by the Bludgullet's crew, Vizka Longtooth snapped out orders to chop the branch down and yoke them by their necks to it. As they were roughly bound neck and paws to the hacked down branch, Vizka spoke to the captives, talking about his plan to take them back to the abbey to hold them hostage to get them to open the gates as if they don't, he'll roast and skin them right in front of the same gates. Brandishing his new sword in a flashing arc, Vizka signaled his crew to bring them along and march for the abbey.
Along the way, he hears the noise of a battle that was happening between Gorath protecting his lover Salixa from the Brownrat horde and awaits the arrival of his two forward scouts, the stoats Dogleg and Patchy, whom he berates once they arrive when they explain they did not go to see what it ws. Dropping both stoats and retrieving his sword, he orders them to fall in with the crew as they'll go and see what all the shouting and yelling is about while warning them to keep their paws on the blades and their eyes skinned. To ensure they do not escape, he has Maudie, Rangval, and Orkwil be guarded by Ruglat, Saltear, and Undril before signaling the Bludgullet's crew with his sword. The three would, however, outwit the guards, one of them even being killed by Orkwil who was temporarily horrified before being talked out by Maudie and Rangval, and escape. Discovering the battle, Vizka goes up to one of the Brownrat horde members, Stringle, and, putting on his usual polite façade, offered to talk with him. Through the conversation, Vizka offered that they team up their hordes to defeat the badgers all while both are unaware that Kurdly had been killed by a hostile swan by this point. As such, while Stringle drags out waiting with Vizka planning on killing him himself out of impatience, one of the animals, a Guosim shrew named Osbil, supporting the badger shoots at Stringle with his arrow and kills him, much to Vizka's surprise. Having witnessed sudden death many times, he immediately dropped flat, having his crew do the same before not seeing any attack after waiting for a bit. Getting Stringle's death affirmed by a stoat named Patchy, Vizka spat at his carcass before ordering Patchy, Dogleg, Ragchin, and Jungo to go to the Brownrats and tell them Captain Stringle wants to meet them, fixing him with a dull-witted smile and threatening him with death when he foolishly proclaimed that he can't say a word to any beast anymore.
Soon, he manages to get the Brownrats under his command as well and lies to them about him and Stringle having come to an agreement to get together in one big horde to defeat the badger and his allies before being slain by one of the animals supporting the badger. One of the rats named Gurba asks about Gruntan Kurdly to which Vizka dishonestly explained that while Stringle was waiting for him, he couldn't stand to lose any more mates and made the agreement for that reason. When Gurma tells him they agreed to nothing and will wait for Gruntan Kurdly, Vizka seemed to wilt in front of the rat and pretended to accept the decision before throwing his mace and chain at him and smashing his skull, killing him before asking if anyone else wants to want for Kurdly. No one answers and as such, Vizka describes his plan to attack the enemy which consists of two score of shrews, one rabbit, a squirrel, and two badgers and is much smaller than their size by means of one charge for the results of marching through the gates of Redwall Abbey. The Bludgullet's crew took up the cry to support this and the Brownrats roared their support as well with Vizka allowing them to carry on for a while and even encouraging them before standing on a boulder, calling for silence, and declaring that they camp there for the night as he orders Glurma to geed the lot by getting some cooking fires lit. Afterwards, Vizka wandered about, quietly contacting several from his crew vermin, Ragchin, Dogleg, Patchy, Bilger, and Firty and ordering them to set up a fire away from the Brownrats to have a private conversation with them.
As the Brownrats were asleep, Vizka explained his plans for the battle to his cohorts, telling them that now that they have the Brownrats on their side, if they can get them up on the rock the next day, they'll slaughter the abbey beasts as they'd far outnumber them. When Ragchin asks on what to do if Gruntan Kurdly shows up, Vizka tells him to distract him by talking to him while Vizka sneaks up behind him and slays him should it come to that. Then, he explains that while he's told the other crew beasts to go up the rock with the Brownrats as they should be able to do the job, if they don't or everything goes wrong, he entrusts them to get him away sage. Bilger stupidly asks where to and Vizka looked as if he was going to strike him for his stupidity only to instead smile, pat his cheek good-naturedly, and tell him to the Bludgullet much to Bilger's amusement over forgetting about the ship with Patchy commenting on how the captain hadn't. Winking at Patchy, Vizka himself comments on how a good captain always takes care of his trusty crew and they're the ones he chooses to go with. He instructs them to keep to the rear with him and take care of any backsliders that don't join in the charge, but if something goes wrong, he will shout to fight on which is really the signal for when they leave them to it and make for the ship, thinking about what other ways there are to the easy life. The vermin agreeing readily, Vizka explains that they'll set off for the rock just before dawn as one good charge will catch them still napping before ordering Firty to tell Glurma to keep two Brownrats back to have them keep their fires going so it will look like they're laying about eating breakfast to trick the enemy, wowing Firty with his intelligence.
Drawing his cloak close against the prevailing drizzle and being sheltered in the bushes surrounded by his chosen aides, Vizka declares that this is the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack with there being no wind, rain, or fog and has Dogleg and Patchy go and tell them to start the first wave climbing and once they're out of sight, send the second lot up along with telling them to keep silent. Half of the Brownrat horde began scrambling up toward the plateau with ten of the Bludgullet's crew to lead them and another ten at the rear to urge them on before the second wave came in their wake once they were about a third of the way up with the remainder of Vizka's crew shepherding them. Despite the struggles, they manage to make it to the top and begin attacking the creatures, seeming to overpower them at first, much to Vizka's satisfaction as he stepped out from the brush cover smiling triumphantly as he turned to look at the plateau where vermin were starting to clamber up onto the flat summit with his crew members celebrating their soon-to-be victory before a crew member gets slain by an arrow from one of the creatures of another army that had just arrived to help them, led by Orkwil Prink and Abbot Daucus, heading the largest most motley crowd of creatures ever assembled outside of Redwall Abbey. With the battle now being lost thanks to the new army's support, when some crew beasts and Brownrats came hurrying back to where Vizka was standing with his aides and Jungo explained the situation, Vizka laughed, shook Jungo by the paw, moved among the others patting backs and nodding, and assured them that it's nothing and he'll take care of it before gesturing Jungo to go back to attacking the plateau and calling aloud to them to fight on. As Jungo and the Brownrats charged off to do his bidding, Vizka whispered to his five crew beasts to get out of the place and take him to the Bludgullet.
Through their travel through the woods, they wind up going through foliage and drip with dew and drizzle as Vizka figures that the ship is north of Redwall Abbey's belltower. Hearing some beast coming, Vizka ran across the path and gestured them into the ditch. Glurma reveals herself much to their relief as Vizka asks if anyone else is following them. The cook explains that it's only her with Vizka telling her to get down there with the others. When she refuses and suggests to just walk on the path alongside them, Vizka beckoned as if he was going to whisper to her only to slay her with his spiked metal mace and callously dismiss her death, telling the crew to stow her down there. As the shocked crew beasts obeyed their captain's order, Vizka thrust the sword of Martin through his waist sash, shouldered the mace without a backward glance at his victim, and told his crew to get going as it is safer down there where they can't be seen. When he was confident that they were not being pursued, Vizka Longtooth slowed his pace whilst taking into account how he had to reestablish his authority over what was left of his once-numerous crew. The golden fox seated himself on a stone, allowing the crew beasts to continue onward before he called to them asking where they are running to and telling them to sit down and rest awhile with the five vermin sheepishly coming back to sit with them. Staring pityingly at them with contempt in his tone, he asks them what they are all dashing off like that for with Jungo idiotically saying by way of explanation that he said he wanted to get away quick out of being scared of the big badger following him. Angered by the accidental insult, Vizka slew him with his mace and chain and asks if anyone else wants to call him scared.
Knowing there would be no response, Vizka put aside his mace and drew Martin's wondrous sword, waving it and talking about how great a sword it is and how he hadn't slain anyone with it yet even though he should have though he will on whoever strokes him the wrong way. When he asks his crew if he's right, none of them respond as they instead crept away and climbed out of the ditch. Standing on the stone and peering over the ditchtop, he saw them running off over the flatlands to the west and deserting him, having fed up with his abuse and slaying of their crew members. Desperate, he shouts at them to come back and obey his order as their captain, but they had a head start and kept going with Firty halting and yelling aloud that they're not coming back and tells him to see how far he'll get without a crew and to sail his own ship. Vizka waved the sword and mace aloft to threaten to slay them only for Firty to scoff that he doesn't stand a chance at catching them. Enraged by the impertinent little rat, Vizka scrambled out onto the plain and gave chase only to soon give up with the handicap of sword and mace weighing on him and causing him to stand panting. Firty halted to mock his former captain for being on his own to which Vizka, with a whine of self-pity in his reply, asked what he ever did to harm him. Firty responds by picking up a stone and slinging it only for it to fall short of the target and calling him out for the kicks and insults he gave him, murdering Glurma and Jungo, sneaking off and leaving all but five of his crew to be slain by the enemy, and running because of his fright of the big badger before declaring that he hopes he never sees him again and abandoning him to leave him completely deserted.
Reviewing his position aloud, Vizka declares to himself that they were never any use to him and ventilates before realizing at the thought of his ship that he had left two of the crew to guard it, his failure at remembering their names not bothering him unduly as he felt fortune taking another turn for him dye to realizing that he would manage to sail the Bludgullet with himself and a pair of able-bodied vermin. Considerably cheered, Vizka briskly continued his journey with a jumble of future plans revolving in his fertile imagination, thinking about future beasts to recruit as his new crew with plunder, the good life, and promotion aboard ship. Feeling victorious, Vizka laughs aloud mocking his former crew in his thoughts over their likely status, marveling aloud at his own cunning and resilience. Unbeknownst to him, Gorath had beaten him to the ship and scared away the two crew members so that he could set up an ambush for Vizka. Arriving, Vizka sees that the ship appears to have been deserted and flicked pebbles at the side of the craft to test this with no result. Getting aboard the ship, he calls for the two crew members he assigned as guards while forgetting their names. At first, he assumes that they're slacking off drinking grog and eating food in the galley based off a shadow he sees and intends on teaching them a harsh lesson for disobeying his orders. However, he stops at taking account there being no response to him calling their name and becomes suspicious, deciding to look through the tiny crack in the door planking to peer in. In doing so, he sees Gorath on the other side. Realizing the fox is aware of his presence, Gorath put all his muscle behind ramming his pitchfork Tung into the door as the fox leapt to one side, having seen the twin metal prongs of the weapon come thundering through the shuddering timbers almost to their full length due to his experience as an expert fighter. Avoiding the prongs, he threw himself hard against the galley door, slamming it wide open. this causes Gorath to be thrown against the bulkhead, still gripping the pitchfork haft tight as it snapped, leaving him holding only the end piece.
Bounding in, flailing his mace, and brandishing the sword, Vizka proceeded to engage Gorath in battle with full intent on slaying the badger, gaining confidence on realizing that he was merely a big, young beast armed with only a bit of stick, especially since his eyes were not blood red to signify his Bloodwrath mode. The fox slowed his assault, laughing as his victim tried to wriggle out of harm's way before performing a clever maneuvre with the mace that grazes the side of Gorath's head, threatening to give him another wound on his skull and knock out one of his eyes. Now that he had the upper hand, Vizka began swaggering as he taunted the young badger cruelly, not realizing that Gorath had been gradually edging round the galley until he was close to the door, still trying to parry his foe's random sallies with the battered little section of wood. Almost chopping Gorath's paw, Vizka hacked a chunk from the broken haft and waved the sword of Martin proudly in Gorath's face as the badger tried to parry it away, bragging about his new blade and offering to give him a swift death through merely beheading him. However, Gorath winds up throwing himself out of the open doorway in a sidelong roll, grabbed at his pitchfork to the length of its prongs, and snapped the handle right at the socket where it joined the metal fork. Not unduly put out by his quarry's escape, Vizka declares that he'll carve him up nice and slow and attempts to swing his sword at him only for Gorath to swing the long part of the haft like lightning, striking his adversary's paw as he slashed out with the sword and causing him to screech with pain and shock, his paw totally numbed and broken by the blow as the sword of Martin flew out of his hands. Gorath disarms him of his mace and chain with the wooden haft when he came at him with it, leaving Vizka to watch horrified as he tossed the shaft and the mace into the river. Then, Gorath wrapped a mighty paw about Vizka as his other paw clamped around his muzzle and lifted him until their eyes met, growling that he is neither his slave nor that of the Bloodwrath and snaps his spine, killing his enemy once and for all and finishing avenging his grandparents' deaths before tossing his carcass into the River Moss.
