Chapter 34

Annabelle Quentin stood in her cabin in the Drake, her windows sealed shut to prevent any unwelcome ‘guests’ from entering. Through the thick, magically enhanced glass, she watched the fire burn in the village, the Sahuagin moving from one building to next, looting and killing as they traveled.

All around her, the sounds of fighting pierced the night. The screams of rage and pain, some suddenly cutting off abruptly as their lives ended.

The clashing of metal on metal, the ringing of steel, would have been foreign to her only a few months ago. Now, after experiencing the perilous trip to the north, she could somewhat ignore the frantic battle taking place around her.

The Drake, thankfully, had not been drawn into the fighting yet. The decks were clear, with sailors wielding spears and bows lining the railing, ready to ward off any of the creatures that dared try to climb the side to reach the people on board. The crew were mostly Rank-less but were determined to protect the ship at all costs.

Garman and Bell were leading the defenses on the docks, and even from here, she could hear the wild bellowing of the large, former auxiliary. It was difficult to mistake him for anyone else, as he alternated between crazy laughter of enjoyment, before switching to foul curses that would make even the sailors shake their heads.

Staring out the window, she witnessed the massacre taking place on the island, saw the bodies being tossed from her fellow merchant ships into the dark waters of the bay.

As the scenes of horror played out in front of her eyes, she prayed that Wil would arrive soon, not to help them, but to be safely on board when the Drake left the fallen island behind. She doubted the village would last long under this assault, their only hope being the higher ground of the island’s interior.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a loud roar erupted from further out the bay, where the sheltered island met the main azure sea. Startled, she moved to her other window near the rear for a better look, when her cabin door slammed open, a frantic Captain Edvard pushing his way through.

Dread pooling in her stomach, she turned to face the hurrying man, knowing that whatever message he brought was not good. The captain was experienced and calm in the worst situations, for him to be like this…

“Trouble, Miss.” The captain said, rushing to her side and pointing out the window. Through the glass, she could see that one of the other ships, much smaller and less crewed than the Drake, had finally panicked, making its way out the bay.

She couldn’t blame them, staying here was asking to be boarded. However, she was surprised they waited as long as they did. Although, the Captain also advised staying in the bay for as long as possible, before risking the open waters.

The advice was sound as the ship sailed out of the bay, making for mouth of the bay before a massive something breached the water, its bulk rising out of the sea, even larger than the ship next to it.

It was a shark, larger than any she had ever seen before. It had been prowling the open waters, waiting for this very moment to arrive. Grey, sickly skin shone in the starlight, its body covered in wounds, blisters, and boils, oozing black blood in streaks down its skin.

Quentin could see its frenzied red eyes from where she stood, they glowed in the night, filled with endless rage and madness.

Half the monster body cleared the water just in front of the fleeing ship, before it twisted, its open jaws closing in on the wooden vessel, its black teeth sinking deeply into the ship. Even from this distance, through thick windows, she heard the snapping of wood, the screaming of the sailors as the living leapt into the waters.

In moments, little remained but a broken hulk, with a large chunk ripped from its hull. The sailors, those that survived, tread water for a moment, before they too were drag below the depths, the Sahuagin not wasting an opportunity to feed.

Sea devils climbed the ruined ship, picking through the wreckage, pilfering its goods and finishing off the remaining crew, as Quentin finally turned away from the horror before her eyes.

“We can’t escape.” Edvard said grimly, turning away from the carnage.

“We can’t stay here either, not for long. Can we outrun it? The Drake is faster than anything else here.” Quentin asked, looking to the experienced captain for advice.

“If we were fully repaired, maybe. The drake is big, but quick. We might make it, with the right winds. But with a mast missing? No chance, Miss.” Edvard said, shaking his head.

Sitting at her desk, Quentin placed her head in her hands as the sounds outside intensified, the fighting moving closer. She heard several shouts from their own crew and knew that the Sahuagin were finally attempting to board the Drake.

“Then we hold for as long as we can, before rolling the dice on escape, Captain.” Quentin said, lifting her head from where it rested against her clasped hands, her face hardening at the decision.

Nodding, the Captain left the cabin, securing the door behind him as he rejoined the crew in fighting off the assault.

Standing from her desk, Quentin walked to a nearby locked cabinet. Pulling a key from her pocket, she yanked the lock off, slinging open the wooden door and pulling out the weapon she had hidden within. Lifting the large, two-handed crossbow, Quentin grabbed a quiver of bolts for the weapon, before grimly walking to the door.

Leaving the Cabin, she entered a world of madness. The village was on fire, the Sahuagin burning whatever was left after their pillaging. Screams and cries came from all directions, but the sounds of fighting were eerily quiet from the other merchant vessels.

To her right, on the dock, Bell and Garman were leading a small group of defenders against the Sahuagin attempting to board the Drake from the docks. The wooden pier beneath their feet was coated in black blood from the bodies of the enemy.

Neither man came out unscathed, the pair showed a multitude of cuts and scratches, but thankfully, neither seemed to be faltering.

The crew on the railing were also doing their part, with the steady twang of bows and stabbing spears driving back the sea devils that were climbing up from the side. Unfortunately, the Sahuagin were too numerous, and too strong for the crew to completely repel, and already, several of the creatures were standing on the deck, fighting hand to hand with the crew.

They were almost overwhelmed when Mara appeared out of the confused melee, decked out in armor, her sword a blur as she cut down the enemy, swiftly moving from one area to the next, wherever she was needed, her sword never stopping.

Quentin, shocked for a moment, regained her focus as she moved to the railing, pulling back the string of her crossbow and looking for a target. She didn’t need to look for long, as the sea seethed with the creatures, dozens waiting to climb the ship.

Her bolt pierced the skull of one of the creatures, the bolt lodging deep inside its head as it climbed. It froze for a moment, as if confused by the attack, before falling into the sea. It was quickly replaced by another.

Bolt after bolt was launched from her crossbow, most hitting their targets, but few powerful enough to kill the enemy. She fell into a routine, as the enemy continued to climb, and the crew drove them back, until her arms felt like lead and her breath came in ragged gasps.

The battle raged, and Quentin fought, until she reached into her quiver and found it empty. Turning to grab more bolts from her cabin, she was knocked backwards by one of the Sahuagin, a massive, 6-foot-tall creature, heavily muscled, leapt over the rail, pushing her off balance.

Falling onto the deck, Quentin scrambled backwards in terror as the Sahuagin quickly advanced, in its hand a long, jagged knife.

Not moving quickly enough, the Sahuagin had no trouble catching her, gripping her tightly by the leg as it raised the knife high above its head, before stabbing it towards her unprotected stomach.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the blow to fall. Instead, she heard a loud, screeching sound fill the air, as a gust of wind blew pass her, ruffling her hair from the movement. Opening her eyes, she saw the Sahuagin was gone, knocked away from her into the ocean.

Floating above the deck was a massive, metallic Owl, its large wings flapping lazily to keep it aloft. On its back stood a man, dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, his long hair blew in the wind, black with numerous streaks of grey. Thin and emaciated, the man looked like he could barely stand upright, one arm in a sling.

But from around him, Magic swirled and raged, an intense kaleidoscope of Mana, shining silver, blue, red and green.

From where Quentin sat on the deck, she could see the man’s eyes, a piercing, bright blue as they looked down at the enemy below. Raising a hand, he unleashed his magic, creating a storm of fire that swept the Sahuagin from the side of the Drake, burning them and knocking them into the sea, leaving the wood of the ship untouched by the flames.

“Wil” Quentin whispered.