“Why does it do nothing but follow us?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. If this thing was going to kill them, she wanted to understand how it worked. The way it thought.
Varik held the spyglass firmly in his hand while he spoke. “Callum says it is a predatory beast. It is hunting us at the moment. He has heard of some ships being stalked for days before it finally attacked while others fell victim in only a few hours. We should consider ourselves lucky for every minute it waits.”
“I guess I cannot consider us lucky, knowing it is there at all,” she sighed, lowering the lens away from her eye. “There has to be some way to outrun it. To maneuver out of its path.”
“We aren’t just dealing with a tiny fish here, Princess. This thing is considered by many to be the king of the sea. If it chose to take us down, the body alone could wrap around this ship several times over. The vessel is made of wood and steel. We are no match for a creature at home in these waters.”
“And I suppose in all the tales of the divastru, there is no secret revealed in how they are destroyed? If someone is telling stories about them, it seems there had to have been survivors of an attack.”
“You would think,” Varik chuckled apprehensively. “I’m only aware of the stories that end in ships being obliterated. The Captain mentioned having seen one before. Perhaps you could question him as to what it was doing at the time. Maybe he saw a heroic escape that would bring you the comfort you seek. If that’s the case, feel free to pass the tale on to me.”
Through her fuzzy thoughts Aiva let her eyes shift toward the aft, watching the shapes of Callum and Edric standing along the point, alert. Prepared for any sudden attacks. Absently Aiva’s legs began to move her forward. Slow and hesitant, finding her way to the men, afraid to say or do anything which might alarm them. They seemed unaware of her approach. Callum held his bow to the side, armed with a full quiver of arrows at his back. She found it hard to imagine such trivial projectiles doing much good against a creature like the divastru. There was little else they could do. The ballistae were ready for launch. Archers prepared ammunition with the elements necessary to set the beast aflame, however, such a tactic would only prove helpful if the creature exited the water for an extended span of time. She felt useless for anything other than offering a prayer to the gods that the thing would simply lose interest and swim away.
“You shouldn’t be out here, Aiva,” Callum stated calmly, the sound of his voice causing Aiva to jump, startled by his acknowledgement of her presence.
“I’m going mad in that room. I needed to see things for myself. Has there been any change?”
“It doesn’t appear there will be a shift in its course. Gadiel has been tracking it from above. In the last few hours he has noted an increase in its speed. The distance has lessened between us and the beast. We anticipate the strike to come at any time. Unfortunate that it would choose to wait until dark. Defense will be more difficult to coordinate.”
“What can I do to help?”
Edric turned around, gazing at Aiva solemnly from his position at the rail. “There really isn’t much we can do,” he frowned. “In the event of an attack, nowhere on the ship will be safe. Callum recommends you and I find our way to the Captain’s cabin and stay out of the way to avoid being tossed from the ship if things get rough.”
“So we are to cage ourselves and wait to drown?”
“I wouldn’t be concerned about drowning,” Callum leaned over the edge slightly, his expression becoming more severe. “If it takes us down, we’ll likely be crushed and dead far before the water can claim us. I’m not sure if that does much to comfort you.” Clenching his fingers around the bow, he lifted it into the air, drawing an arrow from his quiver. “Edric, now would be the time to take your sister and seek shelter.”
Overhead Aiva could hear Gadiel’s voice calling for Callum. He sounded strained, the words catching on the strong wind. “It’s closing in, Captain! Prepare to launch defensive maneuvers!”
“Get Aiva to the cabin, Edric. Now!”
A loud groan erupted through the air, followed by a high-pitch screech that shot through Aiva’s skull. Clutching her ears, she cried out. It was awful! Edric was at her side, hands on her arms, guiding her forward away from the rail to the lower decks. She didn’t want to hide. She wanted to stay there with Callum and help fight, but she didn’t have a weapon. And that noise! How was anyone supposed to think with that god-awful noise?
At the stairs Aiva felt her feet knocked out from under her as the ship lurched. Tumbling down the steps she gasped in pain, slamming onto the surface of the helm with a loud thud. From somewhere nearby she could hear Edric yelling. Shouting her name over the commotion.
“Fire the ballistae!”
She couldn’t see Callum, yet the sound of his voice was eerily controlled. Composed. He was in his comfort zone on the ship. Familiar with the weaponry and surroundings. Unlike in the desert, he was within his element to give orders and organize an attack. The only downfall was the opponent they faced. While he had the basic knowledge taught in training and through books, the divastru wasn’t something which could be confronted with any amount of certainty. Strategies against it were relatively unknown.
The sound of weapons firing could be heard through the air around them. Edric had only just managed to get to Aiva’s side when another impact rocked the ship, harder than before. Tossed to the ground, a loud crash came from Aiva’s left, a bewildered looking Callum landing in a heap not far away. He gave barely a glance in Aiva’s direction before climbing to his feet, checking to make sure his bow was still in his hand before hastening his way back to position.
Lifted to her feet, Edric carried Aiva down the stairs to the main deck, holding her protectively against him as he pushed through the door of the cabin. He stared at the latch for a moment, shaking his head, the expression on his face blank. “Something tells me a lock really doesn’t matter at this point.”
“Edric, we can’t just leave them out there!” she gasped, rushing toward the door. It didn’t feel right. If there was anything she could do…
“What are we going to do other than get in the way, Aiva?” he asked, his arm wrapping easily around her slender waist, preventing her from moving further. “On this ship we take orders from Callum, and he made it clear we are to stay inside this room. Our safety may not be a guarantee, but out there I run a much higher risk of losing you, and I don’t want that on my conscience.”
It was no use fighting him. He was stronger than she was and her muscles were still weak from the malnutrition she’d suffered in the desert. Exasperated, she let out a breath, stepping backward, foot stomping on the floor in frustration. Another hard knock against the ship caused them to falter, objects inside the room tumbling to the ground. Struggling to keep her balance Aiva ran to the windows, desperate to get some visual of what they were facing. She could see nothing. It was as if the beast was invisible. Non-existent aside from the piercing shriek it emitted.
Seemingly out of nowhere something connected with the window in front of her. Glass shattered, wood splintering, coming at her in waves, the force of the impact knocking her off her feet. Water sprayed into the room, what looked to be a massive tail swinging over Aiva’s head from where she lay, balled up on the floor, petrified.
Crawling toward her, Edric reached out, stretching his arm through the dim light of the room. “Aiva, take my hand!” he shouted, ducking his head as the tail passed over again, narrowly missing him. “We can’t stay here. We need to get below deck. Somewhere with less glass.”
“If it breaches the ship, we will drown.” Aiva rolled onto her stomach, extending her arm toward Edric, feeling his fingertips brush hers. Pulling herself forward, she worked for a better grip, grateful to feel his hand tighten around hers, dragging her along the floor with him to create more space between her and what was left of the windows. Helping her to stand, Edric opened the door, frozen in place at what he saw outside. In
stinctively he stepped backward, hugging Aiva against him as if in fear she would disappear.
To the starboard side loomed a creature of immense size, sharpened teeth glistening in the fading sunlight overhead. The head alone looked larger than half the ship, its blackened eyes abyssal in their size and depth. Widened. Focused on its target. With the body of a serpent, it remained mostly submerged under water, making the actual length of the creature impossible to determine. Tentacles writhed from around the body in rows, thrashing wildly at the ship. In a swift motion it reared its head, drawing back to slam the side of its neck against the exterior of the vessel, sending Aiva and Edric to the ground once again.
She needed to get out of there. They would be trapped inside that room if she didn’t do something. Anything to help the men struggling futilely against this creature. Pulling herself along by her elbows she crawled to the door, ignoring Edric’s shouts to stop. If the ship was going to go down, she was going to go down fighting. Not hidden away like some coward. Just because she was heir to a crown didn’t mean she had to be coddled. Many kings and queens had fought beside their men in battle. She wouldn’t be any different.
Once through the door she found the deck in utter chaos. Arrows fired from every direction, landing in their target without purchase. The creature showed no pain. No sign of tiring.
Bodies lay about the floor. Nameless faces, members of Varik’s crew that she never had time to know. Right now she couldn’t think of the death that surrounded her. Each body accounted for an available weapon she could take. Searching through the remains, she tugged a longbow free from one of the limp hands. She’d never fired one before. Now was as good a time as any to learn. It couldn’t be that difficult. The soldiers always made it look so easy. She just needed arrows. From her knees she continued to root around the bodies, collecting ammunition from the abandoned quivers. If she kept low, the jarring of the ship would be less of a concern. It couldn’t knock her off her feet if she was already on the ground.
Fumbling over the string, she scooted to the far rail, pressing herself against it for cover. How had the others done this? Positioning an arrow over the grip she could feel her frustration grow. It couldn’t be much different from a basic sling. Put the arrow on the string, pull, and release. Yet for some reason the bow wouldn’t do what she wanted. Slipping and sliding from the spray of the water dampening the weapon. When she managed to get an acceptable load, she tilted it to one side to aid in holding the arrow steady. The string was tight. Harder to draw than she expected. By pure adrenaline she extended her arm back, feeling her muscles ache at the release. She cursed silently to see the arrow bounce harmlessly off the thick skin of the beast. This was a waste of time! They needed to do something that would actually affect it. To at least slow or weaken it.
Her screams tore through the air at the sight of the monster bearing down on top of her, the giant head lowering quickly to slam against the deck. A pair of strong hands grabbed her, dragging her out of the way just in time. Callum. He was alive! Taking advantage of the opportunity presented in the creature being so close, he retrieved an arrow from his quiver, loading it with practiced ease to fire a shot directly into its blackened eye. Angered by the strike it swung its massive head from side to side, colliding with Callum, his body tossed like a discarded puppet to the other side of the ship.
“Callum!” Aiva’s voice cracked, climbing to her feet in desperation. He was already standing, reloading his weapon to release another arrow at the monstrous head. From across the deck she could see Gadiel running toward them, his own bow loaded, firing a shot before coming to kneel at Callum’s side.
“I don’t know how much more the ship can take,” he breathed. “There are holes throughout the hull. Even if we get away now, we won’t make it to Luquarr.”
“Then we need to give up the ship,” Callum took a knee, drawing the string of his bow back, carefully aiming at the thrashing creature. “Have the crew start lowering the lifeboats. Make sure the Prince and the Princess are the first aboard. Grab food if you can. It will be a long journey if we have to row the whole way.”
“It will be aware of our location in the water. If we take to the lifeboats, it will only come after us again, and we have no means of defending from there.”
Releasing his arrow, Callum watched it soar through the air, landing uselessly amongst the others already lodged in the thick hide. “Let me worry about that,” he frowned. “You focus on getting Edric and Aiva onto one of the boats.”
Panic coursed through her at the thought of leaving Callum behind. He would die there. Even if the divastru lost interest before the ship sank, it would inevitably wind up at the bottom of the sea. She couldn’t bear to think of leaving Callum to such a fate. “What do you intend to do?” she asked frantically. “You’re going to come with us, right? There has to be some way to distract it from a distance without anyone having to stay behind.”
“I’ll take a lifeboat and head in the opposite direction from the rest. If I make enough commotion, it will lure the creature toward me so you and Edric can get away.” Rising fluidly to his feet Callum started to make his way to starboard, preparing another arrow just as the tail swung overhead, forcing them back to the ground. “Go with your brother and follow Gadiel. He will show you where the boats are. We don’t have much time.”
“Callum, you can’t do this,”
“I am the Captain. It’s my duty to protect your family and my men.”
“But you will die!” Aiva stared at him in horror. She didn’t understand. Why did he have to insist on doing something so crazy? There had to be another way. Something that wouldn’t involve sacrificing his life.
Turning to face Aiva, Callum’s eyes burned into hers. She could see the uncertainty there. His discontent at the thought of what he was about to do. Still he refused to change his mind. He was stubborn. It was an admirable trait while yet foolish. “If death comes to me, it serves to make things easier for you upon reaching Tanispa, doesn’t it?”
Her heart seemed to cease its rampant beating in her chest. As if Callum fired an arrow through it at close-range. She watched him running away from her, leaving her to Gadiel’s hands trying to pull her to her feet. No. She couldn’t let him go. She couldn’t allow him to do this. But what could she do? Gadiel would never let her go with Callum. He knew it was suicide. So why did he let Callum go? Why would he let Callum do something like this?
“I’m fine, Gadiel,” she snapped, yanking free of his hands. “Find Edric. I will stay here and we can go to the boats together.”
With a sharp nod Gadiel moved toward the cabin where Aiva had left Edric. He gave no question of her intent. Although going was what her head told her to do, her heart was calling her elsewhere. She couldn’t go with the others in the lifeboats. There was more for her to do here.
Waiting until Gadiel’s attention was diverted, she scrambled quickly along the rail, finding her way up the stairs to the quarterdeck in hopes of getting a better look along the ship. Callum had to be somewhere. She needed to get to him before he lowered a boat into the water. Maybe she could talk some sense into him. The crew needed their Captain. Someone else could act as a diversion. But arguing with him would be pointless. He was the Captain. And that was exactly why he would never let her sway his decision. The men would have Edric and Commander Varik to issue directives in his absence. They would be taken care of. She just couldn’t accept it. She refused to accept it.
Clinging desperately to the railing, Aiva felt the ship pushed hard to port side, nearly losing her grip on the slippery wood. She cried out at the realization that there was already a boat in the water below. “Callum!” she shouted wildly. He couldn’t hear her. She watched him quickly rowing the boat away, leaving space between himself and the ship. From somewhere on the main deck voices called to her. Edric. He and Gadiel were coming.
Her legs and arms moved of their own accord, pulling her up onto the railing, balancing precariously along the
edge. The shouts were becoming more frantic. It was now or never. She had no inkling of what she intended to do once in the water. All she knew was that she couldn’t stay on the ship. If she allowed the others to get to her, they would take her away, and Callum would be lost to the sea forever. Closing her eyes she drew in a deep breath, preparing herself for the plunge into the frigid water. It was like a dream. The way the cool air rushed along her skin as she plummeted from above. The weightlessness in that brief moment where she almost seemed to fly. When she hit the water it was a painful reminder that everything was very real. It struck her like thousands of tiny knives piercing her skin, freezing her immediately to the core. What was she thinking? This was insanity. She had completely lost her mind.
Yet she knew she hadn’t. Her goal was clear. And that goal was still rowing hastily, unaware of Aiva’s floundering form splashing in the water. The shock of the situation was beginning to set in. The frozen water creating pinpricks of pain along her arms and legs. Stop panicking. If you make too much noise, the beast will come for you.
Heeding her own warnings she ceased her struggle. She could think her way through this. Pieces of the ship were lying broken, scattered throughout the water. Any large portion would do to act as a means of floatation until she could get to Callum. Pushing her soaked hair out of her face she scanned the area for something suitable. She treaded water, slowly inching her way toward a jagged piece of the ship exterior floating not far away. Gripping it with all the strength she could muster, Aiva pulled herself onto it, lying still to avoid drawing attention to her location from the creature. Edric’s shouts were growing faint. Go with Gadiel, she urged him silently. Get on the boats and go save Shaelyn. If they didn’t get on the lifeboats soon, Callum’s distraction wouldn’t be enough to keep the divastru away.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 44