-----In the next moment, all five children stretch and begin to yawn. They then smoothly collapse to the ground, pleasant expressions on their small faces as their consciousnesses gives way to magical slumber.
-----No other change comes over the area as the sun continues to shine down on the farmhouse, the children sleep in the yard and the corn stalks rustle in the gently stirring wind.
-----The Dread Pirate continues to look uneasily at the cornfield, then motions for the others to continue on their way out of the area. He leads Joren in one hand, his cutlass drawn and ready for corn-demons in the other hand.
-----Seth smiles as the children all fall asleep, not quite ready to butcher and eat children yet, but glad they are now not a threat. He takes his horse's reign and begins to follow Dread once more.
-----Runik grips his warhammer so tightly his thick knuckles protrude making the weapon look as though it has spikes around the handle. Several oaths, some spoken in the common language and some in dwarven escape his mouth quietly as he makes his way with his pony toward the waiting green stalks.
-----The three demi-humans plunge into the surrounding cornfield experiencing a dimness to the daylight as they pass under the extended corn blades. The air becomes cooler while the only sound they hear is the soft crunching of sod under their boots.
-----Shockingly the extent of the sudden cornfield grows apparent to Seth and the Dread Pirate as it appears that the corn plants thin out about fifty yards from their position.
-----Suddenly a thin corn frond rakes across Seth's sleeve slicing open a tear in his shirt and the skin beneath. Drops of red begin to gather and soak onto his shirt.
-----Onward they carefully move down one straight row where at the end they can see undeterred sunlight. Without warning, a rumbling occurs underfoot. With an excited yell from Runik, the two rogues turn just in time to see the dwarf clinging to his pony's rein. The lower half of the poor animal looks as though it has become suddenly submerged beneath the ground.
-----The frightened braying from the animal is almost too horrifying to listen to as its eyes bulge out in terror. The pony's neck extends as a tug of war seems to take place between Runik and whatever is pulling on the pony.
-----The Dread Pirate curses, drops Joren's reins and scrambles towards Runik and his vanishing pony. When he gets there, he begins plunging his cutlass repeatedly into the ground surrounding the hapless pony, trying to stab whatever is under there.
-----As the Dread Pirate stabs his cutlass groundward, a shrill shrieking noise comes from under the ground. Pulling the weapon upward, the blade appears to be coated with blackish ooze.
-----Suddenly Runik's pony gives out a horrible scream and collapses. As the dwarf pulls on the animal, its lower quarters are exposed. Appallingly, the pony's left leg is missing; its hindquarter on one side trailing gore and blood.
-----As the animal struggles in its death-thrones, the dwarf gathers his senses enough to bring his weapon down on the pony's head ending its suffering.
-----Runik then lifts his weapon again ready to strike while looking at his employers.
-----The Dread Pirate looks disgustedly at the foulness besmearing his cutlass, then in revulsion at the dying pony. He bellows, "Damned corn-demons. If I've seen it once, I've seen it a dozen times. Runik, hop on Joren, let's get the hell out of here." Cutlass still drawn, the Dread Pirate races over, grabs up Joren's reins, tosses them to Runik and then starts racing down the road.
-----The dwarf struggles up on the snorting pony bearing the Holy Guardian's name and raising his warhammer urges the small steed to gallop down the row. For a moment, the image of Runik and Joren make an interesting combination resembling a batter ram.
-----The Dread Pirate rockets down the long barren soil with corn stalks mounting on each side of him. The sound of his passing rustles the leaves of the corn plants much like the dragon flying over the treetops the day before.
-----Before the halfling pirate can react, the ground in front of him bulges up. Something dark thrusts itself from the dirt striking the pirate and sending him flying back a few feet. Gimplefwick lands on his posterior where he sits stunned for a moment catching his breath.
-----As Seth and Runik catch up, they can see what faces the Dread Pirate. There, revealing itself from a tunneled hole in the ground is a large furry form much like a rodent. Its eyeless face features a protruding snort with spike shaped flesh protecting the nostrils. A large maw with sharp teeth knashes the air below the nose. Short flipper like claws protrude from the sides of its fat body.
-----Seth's eyes almost pop out of his head at the site of the strange creature. He begins to mutter an incantation that will get him out of here as quick as possible and then suddenly an idea dawns on him. He stops his incantation, one that he knows well and takes great care to learn each day. He then stands still and drops the reigns of his horse. He then begins to recall and then incant a spell he has never used and is not sure how it will affect this creature. At the end of his incitation, he points his finger at the beast and releases a ray of enfeeblement.