Forgotten Lore (Updated M-W-F)

Checks calendar...
Yup, it's Friday, cliffhanger day

What's better than a Friday cliffhanger? A bonus Monday cliffhanger!

* * *

Chapter 250

Held paralyzed by the fish-man shaman’s spell, Bredan could do nothing to stop the two creatures that came hurling up the stairs toward him.

But even as they started thrusting their spears at him, Xeeta appeared at his side. Holding out her rod, she poured a stream of fire down the stairs. The burning hands engulfed both creatures and spilled out onto the deck below, driving back several others that had approached the stairs. Xeeta tried to direct the flames up and away from the ship as much as possible, but in that confined space there was little she could do to stop exposed wood and rope from smoldering once the initial gout of fire faded. One of the creatures in the forefront stumbled backwards, clutching at its charred head, while the second slipped on the blood left from the first creature that Bredan had taken down and dropped to the deck. Bredan’s armor appeared to have stopped the worst of the spear-hits he’d taken, but Xeeta could see blood trickling down his side as he fought to throw off the effects of the spell.

“I can’t dispel this,” she told him. “You have to fight it off!”

But from the look in his eyes, he was already giving it his best effort. Xeeta scanned the lower deck for the enemy spellcaster, but it had already slipped back into the press of the creatures. Still more of them were gaining the main deck, and she knew that more would be charging up toward them within moments.

But familiar cries of battle told her that reinforcements had finally arrived. Both the forward and aft hatches had swung open, and both her friends and the crew of the Gull joined the fray. The first sailor to emerge was pierced by several spears and dropped to the ground, but others quickly followed, slashing at the fish-men with their cutlasses.

They might have been quickly overwhelmed, if not for the intervention of the ship’s passengers. Kosk and Quellan charged into a knot of the creatures, distracting them from the hard-pressed sailors. More of the fish-men rushed toward the fray, but were met by Kalasien and his soldiers, who quickly left one of the monsters bleeding out on the deck and several others sporting serious wounds. Glori and Rodan were last to arrive but quickly put their blades to work on stragglers that were still trying to clamber over the rail.

Xeeta shot the fish-man struggling to get back up at her feet with a fire bolt that put him down for good. She took up a protective stance in front of Bredan that gave her a good view of the main deck. Searching for the shaman, she finally spotted the bejeweled thing huddling in the lee of the forecastle. As she watched the creature made a gesture, and several fish-men who had appeared to be on the brink of death moments ago surged back to their feet and rejoined the fray. Xeeta lifted her rod, but she did not have a clear line of fire that wouldn’t risk a major blaze if she missed.

Instead, she yelled, “Kosk! The caster!”

The dwarf looked up, saw her, and followed the line of her pointed rod toward its target. He immediately charged into the mass of just-restored fish-men, knocking one of them back to the deck with a snap of his staff to its neck.

Xeeta turned back to check on Bredan, but was distracted by the appearance of another of the creatures on the aft rail. This one was big, almost twice the size of the ones they’d battled thus far, but as it climbed up onto the deck of the ship, she could see something else that sent a cold spike of fear through her gut.

The creature had four arms. Even as it gained the deck it used two of them to unsling a huge three-pronged spear from across its back. Spotting Xeeta and the still-helpless Bredan, it let out a hiss of challenge and then surged forward to attack.

Yes! Love the sahuagin, and the classic four-armed version
I used them to great effect in my Savage Tide game, and another of my all-time favourite story hours actually opens with a sahuagin attack. (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...s-Eberron-SH-(Finished-The-Last-Word-9-20-15) )

Yep, they're classic villains, all the way back to the Saltmarsh series of modules. Always a threat when your campaign takes things out onto the seas.

* * *

Chapter 251

With no choice, at least not if she wanted to protect the still-helpless Bredan, Xeeta stepped forward to confront the mutated fish-man leader.

She raised her rod as it charged, blasting it with a triad of scorching rays. All three of the blasts struck it, but the four-armed monstrosity shrugged off what had to be considerable pain and pressed its attack. It thrust at her with its trident. Xeeta had conjured her mage armor as soon as Bredan had sounded the alert, but it did little to stop the sharp tines that pierced her side and knocked her roughly back to the bloody deck. She tried to crawl away, but looked up to see the massive creature looming over her, its weapon raised again to finish her off. She raised a hand, trying to gather her magic over the intense pain of her wound, knowing she would be too late.

But even as the trident thrust down it struck a glowing barrier that materialized above her and turned the deadly strike. The shield dissolved as Bredan leapt through it, sweeping his sword at the fearsome creature. The baron was clad in more substantial armor than its lesser minions, but the blade carved through the layered material and tore a shallow gash in its side.

As the two warriors engaged in their solitary contest atop the aft deck, the tide was beginning to turn on the main deck below. The defenders were still outnumbered, especially as the priestess continued to channel healing magic into her warriors, but the adventurers unleashed a devastating wave of attacks into them. Quellan fired a guiding bolt into the spellcaster that struck her in the chest and surrounded her with a limning aura that shone like a beacon across the deck. Kosk sighted in on that, darting through a tangled knot of warriors while somehow avoiding their desperate attacks. The last of the priestess’s bodyguards tried to simply tackle him, but he leapt to the side, kicked off of the forward bulkhead, and spun into a devastating kick that knocked the creature sprawling. Her momentum caused her to slide over the slick deck to the gap in the railing, where she disappeared, followed a moment later by a loud splash.

The furious fish-man warriors rushed in to seek their vengeance on the monk, but before they could reach him Glori blasted them with a wave of fear. The spell did not affect all of them, but fully half their number turned and in a panic followed their leader over the edge of the ship. None of the companions assumed that they were gone for good, but it meant that the fish-man warriors found themselves on the defensive as Kosk and Kalasien’s soldiers charged into them. The Arreshian agent himself was briefly pinned by a creature that leapt down from the foredeck. It trapped his rapier under its arm as it tried to bite him in the face, but Kalasien made a blade with his fist and drove it into the creature’s throat. It staggered back, choking, giving him space to free his weapon and thrust it through the creature’s heart.

The crew of the Gull had formed a half-circle around the forward hatch, barely holding back another half-dozen of the creatures, but the tide there turned as well as Captain Sond entered the fray. She rushed into the largest knot of the things, evading a spear that poked at her as she passed. She looked almost comical surrounded by the much larger warriors, at least until she lifted a hand and summoned forth a spell. A pulsing blast of sonic energy exploded through the fish-men, staggering them, while tendrils of electricity shot out from her body, jolting the creatures nearest to her. The sahuagin immediately turned on her, eager to destroy the dangerous halfling, but even as they raised their spears a sudden gust of wind surged across the deck. It rippled past the warriors and seized the tiny woman, lifting her up into the rigging of the aft mast, a good ten feet above the fray. A few of the sahuagin tried to stab at her, but she quickly ascended out of their reach.

Sond’s sailors were quick to take advantage of the opening, surging into the distracted and wounded creatures with their cutlasses swinging.

Bredan and the fish-man baron fought their way back and forth across the aft deck, exchanging violent blows that soon left both combatants bleeding despite their armor. Bredan had learned that he had not only the creature’s trident to worry about; his elbow blazed with pain where it had briefly seized him in its powerful jaws. With its four arms it could grapple as well as attack, and he already knew it was at least as strong as he was.

He summoned another shield as the creature thrust at him again with its long weapon, but too late realized that the attack was a feint. He tried to shift to the side, but was caught again as it snapped its jaws around his forearm, pulling him off-balance. He dropped his sword as it grabbed him its extra arms and hurled him toward the side of the ship.

He hit the rail and for a moment tottered on its edge, his upper body dangling over the water below. He looked down and saw that the water had been churned into a white froth by large fish equipped with very large jaws. Sharks, he thought, understanding now why the fish-men had thrown their victims overboard. Not that it would matter in his case; with the weight of his armor he’d sink to the bottom like a stone.

He clung to the rail and was able to keep from going over, but he turned back to see the giant creature charging toward him. Xeeta blasted it with a pair of fire bolts, but even though the second struck it in the neck, inflicting a serious burn, the thing did not even flinch and kept on coming.

Trapped against the rail, Bredan felt a surge of power come unbidden. Time seemed to slow around him as the magic coursed through him. The creature was a canny adversary, but suddenly he could see its next move as if watching it unfold before him. It looked like it was going to push him right through the railing and off the ship, but at the last moment it would stop and impale him with its trident, even though the weapon seemed to hang forgotten at its side.

In Bredan’s attenuated state, it felt like he was waiting for hours for the foretold action to happen. But finally, the last webbed foot struck the deck, and the thing’s entire body began to shift in its motion.

Bredan was already moving. The trident tore past him, the closest tine passing so close that it scraped along the side of his breastplate. The baron reacted quickly, lashing out with one of its surplus arms, but Bredan ducked under that as well. He spun, his entire body adding momentum to the swing as his sword swept up and caught it under the lower arm on its left side. The magically-enhanced steel tore through armor, flesh, and bone, and then the arm was flying through the air, leaving a jet of dark blood in its wake.

Bredan hit the deck and came up into a roll. The terrible wound he’d inflicted had staggered the creature, but was not enough to kill it. But even as it spun around to face him, he planted his feet and thrust forward as he rose. The point of his sword pierced the creature’s chest. Bredan knew it was a killing thrust even before he saw the look on the monster’s face. It knew, too. It tried to grab hold of the sword, but its strength was already failing even before it toppled over backwards. The abused railing could not absorb its weight, and it shattered, sending the creature over into the water.

For a moment Bredan just stood there, catching his second wind. He turned to Xeeta, who was up again but was clutching her side where the baron’s trident had scored her. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll live,” she said.

They headed forward to the edge of the deck, sword and spell at the ready, but they were not needed. Even as the pair watched the last of the fish-men on the main deck leapt over the side, most of them trailing blood from nasty wounds. They left behind nearly a score of the creatures, slashed and blasted and shot with black-fletched arrows. Kosk was already moving among the things, making certain of the nearest ones, while Quellan and Glori had rushed to the aid of the wounded. The bard looked up and saw the two of them there, and offered a salute that Bredan slowly returned.

“Another victory,” Xeeta said.

“Yes,” Bredan said, looking at the sailors lying on the deck, some still struggling as the healers fought to bring them back from the brink. “I’m not sure how many more of these we can survive.”

Chapter 252

Dawn found the Golden Gull still resting at anchor in the island cove, though it was doubtful that any of its passengers or crew still considered the place a shelter.

The sun was still hidden behind the bulk of the island when Bredan made his way up onto the main deck of the ship, but he still blinked against the light of the morning. He had only gotten a few hours’ sleep and still felt groggy. His wounds burned and his shoulder was still sore; the injury he’d taken in the fight with the crocodile had been aggravated when the four-armed fish-man had thrown him halfway across the after deck of the Gull last night. He’d refused magical healing, as there were others who’d needed it more.

He didn’t see Glori or Quellan about; likely both were still asleep. The spellcasters needed lots of rest in order to regain their spells. He still didn’t think of himself in the same terms, although his magic had again helped to save his life in last night’s fray.

The deck was mostly cleared now, though there were still signs of the battle everywhere he looked. A few of the hands were cleaning away blood with buckets and sponges, but there were far more tasks that required immediate action. Getting away from here seemed like a possible priority, he thought as he spotted Captain Sond standing on the forward edge of the after deck. She was speaking with Kosk. He hurried over to them, stepping carefully over the bulk of the new mast.

As he climbed the stairs that led up to the aftcastle he had a flashback to the desperate battle. Just a few hours earlier he’d stood in almost that exact spot, though then he’d been trying to keep invaders from reaching the top. The sense of helplessness he’d felt when the enemy caster’s magic had frozen his body was among one of the most terrifying experiences he’d ever had. Had it taken even just a few more seconds for him to break free, Xeeta might have been killed, or maybe both of them. Had the four-armed leader gained the aftcastle unhindered, it might then have been able to turn the battle in favor of the invaders.

Sond and Kosk both nodded to him as he stepped onto the upper deck, and he forced himself to shake off those dark thoughts. Last night was done and over; now they had to focus on getting out of here alive.

“Captain, Kosk,” he said. “Did you ever figure out what those things were?”

“Sea devils,” Sond said immediately. “Never fought them myself, but I’ve heard plenty of tales from sailors who said they had.”

“Quellan said that the formal term is ‘sahuagin,’” Kosk added. “They live under the sea, but apparently can spend brief periods of time above the surface. They’re extremely violent and worship dark gods.”

“That seems consistent with what we saw,” Bredan said. “How many more did we lose, Captain?”

“Four of my men didn’t survive,” Sond said. “It would have been more, but for the quick intervention of your healers.”

“They’ve saved our lives more than once,” Bredan said.

“The question now is whether they’ll come back,” Kosk said. “We hit them hard, and killed their leader—well done, by the way—but their shaman survived, along with many of their warriors.”

“And we have no idea how many they have under there,” Bredan said, nodding toward the water.

“We’re keeping watch to all sides,” Sond said. “The water’s clear enough that we should see them coming, if they venture another incursion during the day.”

“So we’re staying?” Bredan asked.

The halfling shook her head. “It’s not by choice. We’re still in no shape for a long voyage. We’re making as many repairs to the hull as we can, but there’s only so much that can be done while we’re in the water. Your friend the bard was very helpful there.”

Bredan nodded, familiar with Glori’s mending spell. “They might wait until the next nightfall to try something again.”

“It’s my hope that we can be underway by then,” Sond said. “If we can sail on the evening tide, we might leave them behind. We agree that it’s likely that their lair is somewhere around the base of the island, close enough to the surface that they detected our approach.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to get the mast installed by then?” Bredan asked.

“The rigging and sails might have to wait. But I understand that you were a smith.” At his nod she said, “Then your help would be much appreciated, if you’re up to it.”

“If it helps us get away from this island faster, then I’m up to it,” Bredan said.

Chapter 253

Quellan woke and blinked against the intensity of the light that sifted in through the dirty porthole. It was already well into the day by the looks of it. He was alone in the cabin. He felt a momentary pang of guilt that his companions had let him sleep while they were already up and contributing to the repairs that had been a constant effort over the last few days, ever since they’d slipped away from what the crew was calling Crocodile Island on the evening tide.

Such feelings were foolish, he thought as he got up, used the chamber pot, and got dressed. His armor he left where it was; it would only get in the way on ship, and if he was knocked off the ship for some reason it would be a death sentence. He knew that ensuring that he—and Glori—got an uninterrupted long rest was important for the sake of the entire expedition. Over each of the last few days he’d burned his entire reservoir of spells. It was mostly healing, though the men he and Glori had treated after the desperate fight against the sahuagin would have recovered on their own, given time. But with a million tasks that needed doing, getting everyone healthy and able to work had been a priority.

But he’d also used his magic to help with the repairs. Here the flexibility that he had as a cleric gave him the advantage over Glori. While she had only a small cohort of spells that she could cast, he could pray for divine aid each day, selecting magic that suited their current situation. He’d already used that power to create water, augmenting the supplies that they hadn’t been able to refresh at the island. He’d enhanced the strength of various members of the crew, a boon that had been especially helpful when they’d raised the new mast. He’d even been able to summon magic to allow a party of crewmembers to be able to walk on water. The sailors had been quite nervous at first, even with ropes tied to them to ensure they didn’t drift away from the ship, but ultimately it had enabled them to make at least a few repairs to the battered hull of the Gull.

His morning preparations complete, Quellan knelt facing the porthole and opened his mind to his god. As always, he felt a sense of awe as he tapped into the divine wellspring that fueled his magic. To his surprise, he felt his awareness expand as he concentrated on channeling that power into the spells he would retain for the day. As it had so many times already since they had left Crosspath roughly a year ago, his ability to tap into that power had increased.

“Thank you,” he said, as he focused on locking the assorted spells into his mind. Once again, he chose magic that he thought would help the ship, its crew, and its passengers. It was not something that one could predict with any surety, and he often worried that he would fail, that someone he cared about would need magic that was beyond his reach due to the choices he’d made. But he was used to that uncertainty and did not let it delay him long.

He paused at the door to the cabin that Glori and Xeeta shared. He placed his hand on the wood but didn’t knock or try to enter. He missed Glori, especially as the trip dragged on, but knew that right now they had to focus on their mission, and keeping each other safe. His sense of duty felt heavier than any armor as he turned down the corridor toward the hatch.

As he made his way up onto the deck, he could feel the steady pulse of the ship around him. The gentle rocking did not bother him as much as it had; it was a reminder that the Gull was alive and well. He could hear the bustle and shouts of the crew even before he made his way up through the hatch onto the main deck. It still amazed him the way that they would climb high up into the rigging, only one misplaced hand or unexpected gust away from plummeting to the deck below.

He looked at the mast, now held in place by a ring of wooden staves tightly banded with coils of pounded iron. Bredan had helped with that, putting the skills from his past life to use. The mast still had a jury-rigged look to it, with partial rigging and only one sail, but it was better than what they’d had when they’d left the island.

As he came fully out onto the deck, he caught sight of Kalasien. “Good morning,” he said to the Arreshian agent.

“Quellan,” the man said.

“Seems to be holding, so far,” Quellan said, gesturing toward the mast but then broadening it to include the whole ship.

“A tough vessel,” Kalasien said.

“Did Captain Sond have anything new to say today?” Quellan asked.

Kalasien shook his head. “Just that the repairs seem to be holding for now, and that if we avoid any more rough weather we should reach Weltarin in a few days.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Quellan said.

“Yes. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can do what we came here to do. Excuse me.”

He slipped past and went down through the hatch before Quellan could manage more than a lame, “Ah, see you later.”

The cleric made his way over to the staircase that led up to the aftcastle. Captain Sond was there, along with the helmsman and Torrin, her first mate after the loss of her first in the storm. Bredan and Kosk were also there, talking with the captain. Both men waved as they saw him.

Quellan walked over to join them. “Everything all right?” he asked.

“So far, she’s holding together,” Sond said. The halfling woman looked exhausted, with deep bags under her eyes and a paleness to her flesh that spoke of the concern she had for her vessel and its crew. Quellan knew she’d been drawing deep upon her magic, using it to keep the wind from putting too much strain on the new mast. He thought of the amount of energy it took to cast his own spells and had a new appreciation for the tiny woman’s force of will.

“But something’s not right?” he prodded.

She gave him a hard look, perhaps not knowing how much she was letting show in her expression and manner. “She’s feeling a little sluggish,” she said.

“Understandable, given the damage she’s suffered,” Quellan said.

“There could be some damage to the rudder, or something else,” Sond said. “I was considering heading down to take a look.”

“Into the water?” Quellan asked. “Isn’t that dangerous? I mean, while we’re underway?”

“I don’t see any harbors around,” Sond said.

“That’s not the only problem,” Bredan said, nodding toward the aft rail behind him. Quellan went over to take a look. It only took him a moment to notice the forms just visible around the ship’s wake.

“Sharks,” he said. “Do you think that means the sahuagin are still following us?”

“Even with half sails and the damage to the hull, we’re moving pretty well,” Sond said. “It’s not unusual for sharks to follow a ship’s wake, but we haven’t been tossing slops or dumping waste since I noticed them.”

“Won’t they, ah, eat anyone who goes into the water to take a look at the keel of the ship?” Quellan asked.

The captain managed a grin that restored some of her usual manner. “That is a complication, yes.”

“I might be able to offer an alternative,” Quellan said.

“Alternative to what?” Glori asked, as she stepped up onto the aft deck, followed by Xeeta.

As Quellan turned to look at her, he could not help but smile. Her clothes were starting to look a little threadbare, and she had a bit of a sunburn on her neck and ears, but the wind caused her hair to form a halo around her features, framing her face in a way that set off her natural beauty. She quirked a brow and shot him a sly grin in return.

“Ship’s holding together but is a bit sluggish, Captain Sond was going to take a swim with the sharks to take a look, but Quellan might have some magic to use instead,” Bredan said. “There, you’re caught up.”

“You were saying,” Sond prompted.

“Ah, yes,” Quellan said. “I have a spell that enables remote viewing from a safe distance. It might work.”

“Well then, let’s try it,” Sond said. “We can always drown ourselves later if it doesn’t work.”

They formed a half-circle around the cleric, giving him room to work his magic. Torrin took a few not-so-subtle steps away, making a hex-mark with his fingers. It was a reminder that while magic infused every part of their world, most ordinary people were still wary of its workings, especially when other-worldly entities were involved.

Quellan ignored all of them, already focused on his spellcasting. He took up his holy symbol and closed his eyes. His voice sounded slightly deeper, subtly changed, as he intoned,

Lorekeeper, grant me sight beyond sight,
Open my inner eye,
Reveal to me secrets kept hidden,
Brighten the light within shadow.

As the companions watched his holy symbol began to glow faintly, and a moment later a similar glow materialized directly in front of him. It lasted only a moment, but they caught a brief glimpse of a small translucent sphere, eerily like the eye it was supposed to replace. Then it faded from view.

“That’s cool,” Glori said.

“Impressive,” Xeeta said. “I have heard of the arcane eye… it is a powerful spell. I did not know that Quellan had mastered it.”

Quellan’s eyes remained closed as he maintained the concentration on his spell. Bredan and Glori looked over the railing but could not see when the tiny eye entered the water.

“Can it see underwater?” Bredan asked.

“It has darkvision,” Quellan said. “I don’t see anything… wait.”

“What is it?” Sond asked.

“There’s something there, I think. I… ah!”

He jumped, causing a few of the witnesses to start as well. “What?” Glori asked.

“Sorry,” Quellan said. “A shark, it startled me. Hold on, let me get my bearings again.” The others watched while he focused, his brow furrowed with concentration. “There’s something there, attached to the ship.”

“What is it?” Sond repeated.

“I don’t know. It’s shaped like a claw, looks like it’s made of metal. It’s embedded in the hull. Big, as big around as one of those rope baskets. There’s something inside it, I can’t quite make it out, it looks like a sack or bundle of some sort.”

“Whatever it is, it shouldn’t be there,” Sond said. “And I doubt that whoever put it there means anything but ill will for the Gull and her crew.”

Chapter 254

Leaving the aft deck to Torrin, Sond rushed forward and began issuing orders. The crew responded quickly, gathering long coils of thick hemp rope and taking them to the bow of the ship. They began fastening them together, tying multiple knots in the center of what became a strand almost a hundred feet long.

“What are they doing?” Bredan asked.

“They’re rigging a keel line,” Quellan explained. “They’ll run the rope down the length of the ship and try to dislodge the object.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

The cleric shook his head; he had no answer.

It didn’t take long to get the rope rigged. Several crew members on each side of the ship walked it back, passing it around the rigging and other obstacles. Finally, they reached the aftcastle. Bredan could see the moment when they hooked on their passenger. He joined them in taking the ropes as far back as they could go and then pulling the rope back and forth in an effort to dislodge the object. But they only managed to slip the rope free. At Sond’s order, the men on the both sides quickly added slack and rushed to the forward end of the aftcastle before the line could foul the rudder.

“Maybe we could try it from back to front,” Bredan said.

“No,” Sond said. “Get it taut again, about where the obstruction is,” she told her men. While the sailors moved the line back into position, she took up one of the ends of the rope and used her belt knife to cut a small loop a few feet in length. She went over to the starboard rail. “Bring it up as far as you can,” she said to the sailors there. They pulled up the rope as much as they could while allowing the men on the opposite rail a good grip.

“What are you thinking of doing?” Glori asked Sond.

The halfling found one of the knots in the rope and attached her small length of rope there. She made a circle that she twined around her wrist a few times.

“Captain,” Quellan said. “Maybe… ah, maybe one of us should do this.”

“It’s my ship,” Sond said. “And before you make a comment about our respective sizes, you should know that I am not planning on relying upon physical strength.” She twisted her head and free arm around, making sure that her muscles were limber, before she went up to the rail.

“I’ve never seen anyone volunteer to take a keelhauling before,” Rodan said.

Sond leapt up onto the railing, and gestured to her sailors to make ready. But before she could go over the side the ship shuddered, and then lurched heavily.

Quellan quickly grabbed for Sond, but the captain had already spun and dropped back to the deck, freeing herself from the rope. Bredan looked over the side, in time to see a dark shadow pass below the ship. The only detail that he could make out was that whatever it was, it was huge. It faded as whatever it was sank back under the surface.

Bredan looked over to see Glori standing at the railing beside him. “Uh oh,” she said.

YIKES!

A little... rounder...

* * *

Chapter 255

“What is it?” Glori yelled.

Sond was already running over to the platform that jutted from the front of the aftcastle. “I don’t know, but it’s big enough to snap this ship in two,” she said. “All sails out!” she cried. “Ready weapons!”

Her crew rushed to obey, even as Sond lifted her arms and summoned her magic. The response was immediate, and the improvised main sail filled as the wind stirred at her bidding.

“Will the new mast take it?” Bredan asked.

“We’ll find out,” Sond said grimly.

The ship lurched and then shuddered again as it suffered a glancing blow from whatever was below them. The mast groaned ominously but held as the ship picked up speed. The crew got every bit of sail they could rig onto the masts, and the Gull bounced as it cut through the waves, but the crew and passengers remained tense as they awaited another attack.

“Think we can outrun it?” Kosk asked.

“I don’t know,” Quellan said. “Maybe it will decide that we’re not edible.”

A shout from the rigging above drew everyone’s attention. “Coming again, to starboard!”

The companions rushed to that side of the ship in time to see a dark shadow rise up out of the deep. “Hard to port!” Sond yelled. The entire ship listed as the helmsman obeyed the order, and the tiny halfling altered the wind to compensate.

“Here it comes!” Glori yelled, a scant heartbeat before the creature breached the surface.

It was massive, larger than any creature the companions had ever seen. It looked like it might even be bigger than the Gull, though it was difficult to be sure with most of its body below the surface. It looked like a giant turtle, with a huge armored shell and massive flippers that could obviously propel it at great speed. But the flippers culminated in scaled claws, and the head that emerged from the sea was that of a fearsome dragon. It opened its jaws wide and let out a massive roar that overpowered the senses of the people on the ship, a moment before it rose up and collided with the vessel itself.

The Gull reversed its tilt, being pulled over to the other side by the weight of the dragon turtle. The masts swayed dangerously, and one crewman was knocked free of the rigging, screaming as he plummeted into the sea just beyond the creature’s massive shell. Those on the deck scrambled to hold on to anything they could find, and several fell, sliding across the deck until they struck the starboard railing.

Bredan had rushed down to the main deck to get closer to the enemy. He rallied the sailors there who were tentatively holding crossbows. Kalasien and his men had come onto deck as well, carrying their own missile weapons. “Let that thing have it!” Bredan yelled. He had summoned his sword, but even with its surge up out of the water it was still well out of his reach. The others around him began to fire their bows at the creature, focusing on its head. But most of their shots merely bounced off its hide, those that weren’t deflected by its shell or which landed uselessly in the water.

But while the crew’s initial attacks were almost useless, Bredan’s companions were quick to unleash their own weapons and spells upon the monster. Glori tried to infest its mind with fear, but the spell seemed to have no effect. Quellan tried to hit it with a guiding bolt, but the stream of divine energy went wide and bounced harmlessly off its shell. Xeeta blasted it with a series of scorching rays, but while she managed a direct hit on its scaled head, the flames did not appear to have much effect.

“It’s resistant to fire!” she warned.

The crew and Kalasien’s soldiers continued shooting, but even though a few bolts now jutted from its hide, they didn’t seem to be having much of an impact. Rodan had appeared and rushed up onto the forecastle, leaning dangerously over the rail with one leg looped around one of the rope stays anchored to the side of the ship. He tried to put an arrow into one of its eyes, but between the creature’s movements and the bucking of the ship he could only manage to get one hit further back along its no-doubt extremely thick skull.

A crewman rushed onto the main deck, carrying an armload of large harpoons. Bredan saw him and ran toward him, but before he could reach the man the dragon turtle opened its jaws wide. A hissing sound like the workings of the largest bellows ever made rose from within its body. Quellan’s eyes widened, and he yelled, “Get back! Everyone, get to cover!”

But his warning came too late. As the dragon turtle’s claws tightened their grip on the ship’s hull it unleashed a blast of boiling steam that washed over the main deck of the Gull, the edge of it reaching as far as the forward part of the aftcastle where most of the companions were gathered. At least half a dozen crewmen on the main deck were killed instantly. Quellan, still exposed along the railing, staggered back blistered and blinded. He nearly fell, only the relentless endurance of his orcish heritage keeping him upright. Glori, who’d gotten back in time to avoid the worst of it, ignored the pain of her own searing burns to rush to his aid. Xeeta likewise caught the edge of the blast, but her own infernal resistance allowed her to withstand it.

Haverd had been reloading his crossbow when he’d heard Quellan’s warning. He’d started to move toward cover when the creature’s breath weapon hit, but was still exposed when the blast of steam knocked him off his feet and sent him sprawling to the deck. As the ship tilted still further the unconscious warrior started sliding toward the railing, which had only been temporarily repaired after the storm. Kosk saw him and leapt down from the aft deck, trying to grab hold of him as he slid past, but the steam had made the deck slick and the dwarf fell, nearly ending up going after him. Kalasien had burrowed into a cluster of ropes where the rigging was attached to the rail, and might have been able to grab him before he hit, but he either didn’t see the approaching man or wasn’t able to help him.

Haverd hit the damaged railing and for a moment it looked as though the repairs would hold, but then then the abused wood collapsed and he went over. The dragon turtle saw him and snapped him up in its huge jaws before he could hit the water.

Bredan pushed himself up, a bit dazed. He’d been caught in the blast of steam as well, but he’d reacted instinctively, sweeping his sword up as if he could somehow block the searing jet with his steel. That was insane, but he’d felt a surge of power that had somehow protected him from the worst of the deadly heat. He’d done something similar in the fight with the devil in Li Syval, but there was no time to ponder the question now, as they were still in a deadly situation. He’d seen Haverd go over the edge of the deck, and could see that several of his companions were likewise badly hurt. Xeeta was still trying to hurl fire at the creature, but if it could breathe steam it probably wasn’t going to be hurt much by her magic.

He bent and picked up one of the harpoons that the crewman had brought up on deck. The man was lying dead, the skin of his face and neck crinkled red by the gout of steam. He let his sword disappear, knowing that its magic was still with him, and made his way carefully toward the part of the railing that was still intact. The dragon turtle had dropped back into the water and the angle of the deck was more manageable, but he knew it would not release them until either it was dead or the ship was torn apart.

As he approached the canted edge of the deck, he heard a loud blast of sound. For a moment he thought it was another attack, then he remembered Sond and her shatter spell.

He looked over the edge of the deck into a maelstrom. The creature looked even bigger now, if that was possible. Its scaled head was pocked with arrows and bolts embedded shallowly into its hide, and scorch marks that had likely been inflicted by Xeeta’s magical assault. But Bredan could see that the attacks were just pinpricks, non-lethal scratches that the monster might not even be able to feel. Its jaws were covered in gore from consuming Haverd, and they opened again as it spotted Bredan at the rail, offering it defiance.

Bredan lifted the harpoon. He let instinct guide him, summoning his magic, letting it course through his body. He focused on the same target that Rodan had tried to hit, the bulbous, lidded globe of an eye.

The harpoon shot down. For a moment as the eye blinked shut he thought that the throw was going to miss, but then it blinked open again, just as the hooked steel tip drove home.

The dragon turtle reared back, its claws tearing free with a snap of wood giving way. Bredan shifted and nearly lost his grip on the railing. The ship shuddered again as the creature’s head smashed into it, and then the Gull bobbed up and clear as it was released. Bredan remained tense until he saw the dark mass of the creature sink deeper into the water and finally fall behind them as the ship began to move forward again.

“Good throw, lad,” Kosk said. The dwarf looked a mess, his forearms and face seared by the steam, but at least he was upright and functional. The same could not be said for many of those still on the main deck of the Gull. Quellan, restored somewhat by Glori’s curative magic, quickly made his way down to the main deck and went to the aid of those who could still be saved.

Woah! So the thing under the hull was like a thumper from Dune?