Scratching the back of his head, the bosun looked down at the young girl he had taken a liking to. Much like himself, she seemed to appreciate the moment of peace for those who got up just before the morning light. “We should be there soon, lass, and then ye’ll be able to get your legs on the land again.” He took a deep breath, savouring the chill in his lungs. “You know,” he said with a pause, “I like you, lass; you remind me of my niece. Now, if you ever ’ave any trouble with some of the lads on board this ’ere ship, you come to old Gemal and ’e’ll teach them a lesson or two.”
Darci smiled. It had been the most conversation she had had with the man the entire time she had been on board. Thankfully, the crew had largely ignored her, believing that girls were unlucky aboard seafaring vessels, such was their superstition. The bosun appeared to be the only one who did not take it seriously. For all his harsh looks, Gemal was really an old softy at heart.
Taslessian walked up next to them, his step now accustomed to the rolling of the ship. Gemal discreetly made his exit, walking away without a sound.
“We have to talk; I’m telling everybody to meet in our cabin.” Taslessian’s voice held a note of urgency in it that she had never heard before. Confused, Darci made her way down to their room as she turned her thoughts back to the night when she and Taslessian had been drinking. Whatever passion they had shared on that one occasion, the young wizard had not seemed to remember. Whether it was selective or alcohol-induced memory loss, or due to the fact that they were never alone on board the ship, Darci did not know. But she was not too disappointed. They had spent much time together, her telling him about school, her friends and the sports that she played. Taslessian had told her about the things that he had learnt during his apprenticeship and the many strange people who had visited his mentor.
Looking at him now as the others patiently awaited his explanation, Darci realised that he had changed in the time she had known him. At first, he had seemed like a shy teenage boy, but now, he seemed more self-confident with a more courageous outlook. The trials of their travels had made him stronger somehow. Stressful situations could do that to a person, she guessed, and she wondered how he would react in the times to come – how they would all react to the quest that lay before them? She cleared her mind of such daunting thoughts as she turned to him, listening intently to his words as he began to tell everyone what had alarmed him so.
“As a wielder of the arcane arts, I have come to possess some powerful instincts. It’s hard to explain but… when you feel that something is wrong or dangerous, it’s because your instincts tell you so. We are not far off the island of Hajan, and it is from that direction that I sense something evil. I do not know what it is, but I can feel its malice.” He sighed. “I need to warn you all that even though we are in a boat in the middle of the ocean, there are many unseen dangers waiting for us to let down our guards.” Taslessian ran his fingers through his growing hair. Since the death of his master he had not bothered to cut it, allowing the light brown strands to reach his shoulders.
Darci looked around the room. Both Defyance and Maledorian were considering what Taslessian had said with silent and thoughtful looks. Lief, however, did not seem interested at all. The fair-haired elf sighed audibly as he wrinkled up his nose. Looking at Darci, he shrugged his shoulders with a smile before turning back to the young wizard, feigning concern. When it was obvious that no further explanation was forthcoming, he decided to discretely voice his thoughts.
“So, is there anything else that we should know?” Pausing to see if there were any objections, the cheeky elf stood up, dusting the straw off his pants. As he headed towards the portal, he favoured Darci with a wink before closing the door behind him.
* * *
The Elspeth moved at steady pace as the sun sank towards the southern waters. A strong wind had been with them for the past two days, keeping the sails full and leaving rippled waves in their wake. That evening, Darci, Taslessian and Gemal were on the deck watching the sunset. The large, burly figure of the bosun had bent down to rest his elbows on the ship’s well-worn wooden railing, occasionally turning his head to the sky above. Darci mimicked his posture, both of them staring thoughtfully towards the cloud-specked horizon. Next to the two motionless figures, Taslessian paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back.
The daily sky watching had become an evening ritual that the three of them usually enjoyed. However, on this evening, there was an unease that the Offworlder felt in both of her friends. Taslessian was still pondering his feelings of danger, while Gemal seemed to be worried about the weather. Darci caught him mumbling to himself at times, saying something about how it was not right for this time of the year. Darci looked to the sky. Something about the clouds caused her to pause for a moment. She looked heavenward until her eyes began to water, but try as she might, she was not able to shake the weird feeling that had started to grow in the pit of her stomach.
She wiped away a tear, blinking until her vision cleared, when she saw a flicker of movement within the dark vapour that now covered the sky. It happened so fast, she was not sure if it was real or imagined. Something slightly lighter in colour than the clouds had revealed itself, but when she looked again, it was gone.
She grabbed Gemal’s shirt to get his attention, but there was no need. A blood-curdling screech filled the air, drawing all eyes on board towards the sky, as a swarm of winged creatures exploded through the clouds, diving straight towards the Elspeth.
The lookout in the crow’s nest violently hammered a metal plate in warning as the first of many beasts swooped towards the vessel. It had a small, skinny torso with long and stringy legs that folded until its knees touched its chest. Its bat-like feet revealed long dark claws that shredded the wooden mast as it tried to land. Below its shoulders, two long wings had folded neatly into the side of its body.
Darci watched in fascinated horror as the thing easily evaded the hapless sailor’s sword. With waddling sidesteps it maneuverer itself around the crow’s nest with surprising speed, grabbing the sailor’s head so tightly that he dropped his sword, which crashed to the deck below. Triumphant, the terrifying beast stared at Darci, its mouth agape, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, before turning back to the quivering sailor, whispering something in his ear before ripping his throat out in a spray of crimson blood.
More of the creatures had reached the ship and were already seeking victims, who barely had time to draw their swords in defence. Chaos reigned as the crew and passengers of the Elspeth fought for their lives.
Maledorian was beside Darci in an instant, pushing her towards a stack of water barrels on the deck as he drew his broadsword.
“Stay there!” he shouted. One of the beasts landed on the side rail next to them, bloodied drool dribbling from its mouth as its eyes focused on the Offworlder. Maledorian swung and both the beast and its severed head sailed backwards into the water.
Darci stumbled towards the barrels, her feet slipping on the bloodied deck as she crashed to her knees, scrambling for safety as the gory battle unfolded around her. Maledorian was slicing his way through the swarm with sweeping arks of his broadsword as they landed on the deck, moving as if in a trance. With five beasts successfully repelled, the young knight was forced to take the battle to their attackers, as no others dared to challenge his protective bloodlust.
Defyance had her back to the ladder leading up to the helm. Both hands held daggers by their blades. With a swift flick of the wrist she let one loose. Her target blinked, looking down at the dagger buried in its chest.
Elonan and Lief had managed to climb up the rigging, the ropes and sails keeping the winged monsters at bay, allowing them to lose their deadly arrows. The elf wanderer looked frantically for Darci, worried that she would not be able to defend herself on the gore-covered deck below.
A sudden bright flash caught a startled beast as it attempted to land on the deck, its body suddenly shrivelling in an unseen inferno,
before crashing lifeless into the waves below. Taslessian wiped the sweat from his brow as he absorbed what energy he could from the beast he had felled, steadying himself for another attack.
Darci’s panicked eyes reflected the gruesome battle before her. Totally engrossed, she didn’t hear the creature that landed behind her. Effortlessly, it extended a bleeding arm towards its prey.
Darci screamed in agony as its claws punctured her shoulder and dragged her backwards. “We have you now,” it hissed, blood and saliva spraying the side of her face. She convulsed, dry retching as she gagged at the smell of its fetid breath. She did not fear death, closing her eyes as she awaited the pain of execution. Why did everything in this strange land want her dead? And why was she letting this creature take her?
“No,” she said to herself, “not like this!” There was still hope. “Let me go, you overgrown, flying rat!” Darci fought then against its grip, wriggling and kicking despite the pain as the creature tightened its hold. In an instant, her hopes faded and her stomach lurched. With a gust of wind and a flap of wings, the creature took to the sky with its prize.
“Help me!” she managed to scream as she looked down at the others fighting for their lives, all of them outnumbered at least two to one. Maledorian was surrounded by five of the vicious beasts, so focused on staying alive that he had not noticed his ward had been abducted.
Darci’s captor swooped down over the ship, exhaling with a guttural screech that ripped through her ears and rattled her spine. Immediately, the surviving beasts broke away from the battle to join their leader in the untouchable sky. There was a shout from the deck as someone finally noticed Darci struggling in the creature’s grip.
“Come down here and fight me like a man, you dishonourable spawn of a demon whore.” The knight began to swear uncontrollably at the beast, demanding that he be faced, one-on-one.
Gemal was the only person who seemed able to react. Pulling a spear from a fallen beast, he heaved it skyward, hoping it wouldn’t hit Darci. The creature scoffed at the seemingly futile attack, but it had waited too long. The spear tore through its wing like a knife through paper. Screeching in shock and pain, it lost its grip allowing Darci to plummet towards the icy darkness below.
Her chest felt like it was going to explode as freezing air burned her skin. Unable to slow her fall, she crashed heavily into the frigid ocean as darkness engulfed her consciousness. The wounded creature suffered the same fate only seconds later.
Gemal dived into the water, ignoring the cold that stabbed at him like needles. Blood and gore washed from the deck, polluted the water around him as he began swimming furiously towards the area where both beast and girl had landed. He knew that Darci would more than likely be unconscious after such a fall. If he did not reach her soon, she would surely drown.
The fallen creature’s minions were circling the spot where Darci and their leader had fallen, though none of them dared get too close. Maledorian had gathered the remaining spears, heaving them with all his might into the swarm of beasts, managing to reach the distance with a strength born of fury. The sun had set now, leaving the knight only silhouettes for targets. His third missile found its mark and another beast splashed into the darkening waters.
Darci came to with a jolt. Darkness surrounded her as she realised she was still falling downwards, metres below the surface. Panic coursed through her body as she steadied herself and starting swimming upward, ignoring the pain in her wounded shoulder. Her lungs burnt as if on fire. What if she couldn’t make it? A lifetime of agony later, her head finally broke through the surface, and she quickly refilled her lungs, coughing as a wave washed into her mouth and she slipped back into the depths, her heavy clothes dragging her down again.
Pumping her arms and legs frantically, once again she swallowed water, but very little air. In a moment of exhausted calm she again pondered her death. At least drowning was more appealing than having a monster rip out her throat. She smiled at the thought as darkness once again clouded her eyes. So close…
As her body sank beneath the waves, a beefy hand grabbed her torn shirt. Kicking his mighty legs and using his one free arm, Gemal thrust madly towards the surface. Bursting out of the tempestuous ocean, he held the limp form to his chest and started swimming towards the ship. By now, the crew knew what to do. Ropes splashed in the surrounding waters, one hitting Gemal’s flailing arm, giving him the opportunity to grab it, but his frozen fingers would not close tight enough and it quickly slipped out of reach. A second rope found its mark and he quickly twisted himself around it and shouted for the crew to heave.
Blood-covered hands grabbed at them both as Gemal dangled in the space between deck and water. Defiance put her boots to good use, clearing a space on the deck between the gore. The unconscious girl was gently placed on her side while Gemal collapsed into a sitting position.
The bosun’s chest heaved as he kept his stinging eyes on his crew, hoping that he had saved her.
Lief hunched over Darci, covering her with a blanket. Maledorian looked down in horror at the girl he was supposed to protect, his fists clenching as he waited. The young elf waved a plant under Darci’s nose, jumping back as her eyelids flickered and she convulsed violently before a torrent of water escaped her mouth. Vomiting again, Darci finally opened her eyes, almost gagging on the stench of bile.
Her head throbbed with every beat of her heart, explosions of pain coursing through her body. Her shoulder was still bleeding slightly, salt water stinging the open wound.
With a nod from Lief, Maledorian crouched down to lift Darci off the deck and take her to Gemal’s small cabin. Defyance followed. As soon as she closed the door, she began removing the freezing cold clothes wrapped around Darci, putting her into something warm and dry before allowing Lief to continue. Concern showed clearly on the elf’s face, yet he went about his business with quiet efficiency; his nimble hands deftly mixing herbs together into a poultice that he packed onto Darci’s shoulder.
“You really should not scare me like that,” he eventually said. He flinched as Darci reacted to his touch. As gentle as he was, he could not stop the painful reaction between the wound and the healing potion he had concocted.
Darci tried to smile but all she managed was a pained grin. “Th… thank you,” she stuttered, as her body shivered; a sign that Lief had told her was good. Her hand moved slowly for the elf’s; Lief holding it as she fell asleep.
“You’re welcome,” he said, knowing that she probably wouldn’t hear him. He continued to talk to her, venting his feelings as he bandaged her shoulder.
“As of yet, I don’t know what I feel for you, but what I do know, is that you mean a great deal to me. You could be my sister, my daughter… or my lover… it does not matter which. I will not bother you until you are ready. There we are,” he said as he finished off his handiwork. With a gentle smile, he brushed away her damp fringe and left her to sleep. There were still other sailors who needed his help.
* * *
The lapping of the waves against the hull of the stricken Elspeth echoed out of the darkness. Flaming torches began to burn away the oppressive night, their smoke stinging the eyes of those who stood tall. With a bandage hastily tied around his dangling arm, the young cabin boy managed to light the remaining torches. The occasional hollow footstep was interrupted by the agonised cries of the wounded. Those still able- bodied, helped those who had fallen, bandaging the worst of their wounds, or holding the hand of a man as his life flowed out of him and onto the deck. No matter who did what, eyes always flicked back to the tattooed face of the man in charge. None of these looks held any form of malice, simply unspoken respect. Despite his heroism, there was no reason for merriment and no feeling of victory. The winged monsters had fled, but the Elspeth had not won the battle. The casualties were too great for such a conflict to be called a victory. More than half the crew had been slaughtered, the deck still littered with the blood and gore of battle.
Many of the beast
s had been killed cleanly with an arrow or slicing sword, while the sailor’s wounds were much more horrific, many of them fatal. Bodies disembowelled with razor-sharp claws; the soft flesh of bellies no match for their power.
Those who could, cleared the desks of fallen creatures and severed limbs, and it was this that the cabin boy witnessed in the flickering torch light when he wearily climbed the stairs to the highest point on the deck. Sitting atop a large barrel, he looked up at the pitch-black sky, his mind no longer able to handle the horrors on the deck below.
Wearing nothing but a blanket to cover his wet clothes, Gemal went about his business, organising what needed to be done. No more barked orders now, Gemal simply asked the remaining crew to do what they could. He could expect no more of them. He knew that they looked at him differently now. Unspoken expressions told him that he could be captain if he wished. Thoughtfully he considered the idea. A scowl began to shadow his face. During the battle he had seen their current captain’s actions. He had been knocked senseless, not by any of the attackers, but by the simple wood of his own ship whilst fleeing to his cabin, forgetting to duck his cowardly head in his haste.
Gemal shook his head. To be captain of such a vessel meant always watching your back for others who were looking for a quick promotion. Bosun he had been many a year now. Perhaps it was time to retire. None of his original sailor mates still lived. Would he be able to withdraw before he met the same fate?
A sudden, heart-wrenching cry of pain interrupted his deliberation; there was nothing he could do other than allow the use of whatever ale was left. A quick look around assured him that all was being done to clear the deck of the bloody vestiges of battle. Knowing that all hands were needed, he decided to offer his assistance to the amazing warrior woman who had taken control of the wounded. He watched her for a moment before approaching. Her strong and capable hands were covered in the blood of a man she was trying to save. His stomach had been torn by one of the beasts, yet it had not been deep enough to kill him straight away. With quick movements she wrapped a seawater- washed blanket around his waist and tied it tightly at the side. As long as the blood flow stopped, the man had a chance.