“That boy we’ve brought along, the one who won’t leave the hold below? He’s saying we’re drawing close to where the oil platform once stood.”
“That is good news. Prepare the men, and send word to the other ships. We won’t be caught unaware like the Titan’s Quill.”
“It shall be done,” Gardner said.
When he turned about, the advisor to the king noticed the dark clouds in the sky. Edmund waited several moments to follow his friend off that raised deck, but his pace was quick. While the captain hollered to the rest of the crew and summoned others from below deck, Edmund crossed the distance to the great cabin. Gardner was content to allow the old advisor full access to those quarters. After all, Edmund financed the small fleet. For an honored guest on the sea that day, Gardner could make a few sacrifices.
The door creaked when it swung open, and Edmund heard rattling beyond the entrance. Still, he moved along, his path aimed toward the cabinet against the rear gallery. He slid open one of those drawers and smiled when an old bottle of brandy rolled to the front. After a brief search of some of the other drawers turned up a glass, he popped the stopper from the liquor bottle and poured himself a drink.
“You can come out now,” he said, before he tilted the glass to take that first sip. His gaze settled on the armoire bolted to the side wall of the cabin. It was the trunk a little farther along that opened, though, and the figure in green emerged. He was caught unaware by the sound of the rain outside. Edmund couldn’t stifle a laugh, and it was all he could do to keep the brandy in his mouth. “There could have been a more accommodating way for you to hitch a ride, My Prince.”
Kelvin, disguised behind a domino mask, stood straight when called by his proper title. The color vanished from his face, and he dared not breathe as he listened to the advisor’s words repeatedly.
Arching a bushy, white eyebrow, Edmund set that glass down. “Did you really question whether I knew you were the Silver Serpent’s ally? It is my duty to know what transpires in the city of Argos. It doesn’t hurt that I know your mentor and her proclivity for playing the role of vigilante herself.”
“You keep Mistress Cortes—”
“You have nothing to fear, My Prince,” Edmund said. “Your secret is safe with me. That said, perhaps it would be best to remain out of sight for the duration of this excursion. Marin’s disguise is easy to maintain because she does not constantly live in the light of acclaim and prominence as you and your family do. It is easier for her role to go on without anyone making any assumptions. But when the prince goes missing from the city and a hundred men on three ships see a masked lad about the same age…”
Kelvin swallowed away the tension in his throat and nodded. “I see your point. These new people affected by the Strain—the Titan, the Banshee, and the Watcher—are all a little much to handle. And they were all growing used to their powers. Whoever—whatever—the beast is, they’ve had a month to learn about their new talents. And if they were able to bring down an entire ship, they just might be the greatest threat we’ve faced. I didn’t want Mistress Cortes to face that alone.”
With a smile, Edmund sat in the plush chair behind the desk. “And you didn’t think the men aboard these three ships want the same thing? We all depend on one another out here, and keeping the Silver Serpent safe keeps us in one piece as well. You have nothing to fear.
“And believe me, my young friend,” the old advisor went on, “no matter what happens out here today, Marin Cortes has faced greater threats.”
“Like what?” Kelvin asked with an impish grin.
Edmund chortled. “Are you not tired of being confined to that box? Why don’t you step out from there and make yourself more comfortable.”
The disguised prince obliged him, lifting his leg to climb out of that large trunk. The movement reminded him of the cramps in his body, and he arched his back to stretch everything back into place. He caught a slight glance of judgment and shook his head. “It really wasn’t as uncomfortable as you’d imagine.”
“Who am I to judge?” Edmund said. “I’ve seen lads your age do far more foolish things for far more foolish reasons. You think you’re the first stowaway aboard one of my ships? My grandson, Julian, is about your age, and we found him on board this same one about three months ago. At least you had the sense to hide in a more comfortable place than he did.” Seeing the inquisitive look on the lad’s face, Edmund sighed and tapped his knuckles against the desk. “He took shelter in a barrel in the hold—the same barrel where the crew dumps bilge water. I can’t imagine the rest of the ship was comfortable for him.” He hummed to himself, recalling those events and many more beyond them. “You know, there was a time when I had considered sending Julian to study with Marin. In some other life, maybe it would have been him standing there behind a mask before me.”
A knock on the door caught their attention, and Edmund pointed to the lad. “The armoire this time,” he offered.
As the door to that wardrobe closed, the door to the cabin opened. “Lord Volpe,” Gardner said as he crossed the threshold.
“What is it, Captain?” Edmund asked.
“That boy from the Titan’s Quill? He’s having a tantrum in the hold now. He says we’re here, but there’s nothing—no sign there was ever any platform anywhere nearby.”
“Let’s not discount the lad just yet,” the old man said. “Signal for the Hornet and Lockspark. We’ll investigate the area to see if anything seems out of place.”
“Aye, Lord Volpe,” Gardner said, offering a little bow before he took his leave.
“You can come out, Prince Kelvin,” Edmund said once he was sure it was safe to speak.
The armoire rattled a few times, until he heard a dejected sigh from within. “It doesn’t open from the inside.”
The advisor who owned the ship started snickering, before he erupted into a full-belly laugh. He stood and made his way to that dresser and opened the way for the lad. “Maybe the armoire wasn’t such a good idea after all. Ah well. Why don’t you continue to hide in here? I’m sure the rest of the crew will be so busy, they won’t bother coming anywhere near here. I’ll keep your secret safe, even from the mistress.”
Kelvin nodded and watched as Edmund made his way across the room. When the door opened, they could both hear the cries to bring the ship to a halt. It was then they realized they had sailed into a fiercer rain than they expected. Edmund proceeded onward, leaving the disguised prince alone.
That door didn’t shut all the way, though. Kelvin stopped it with his boot and let it swing open far enough to see various crew members making their way across the deck, furling the sail, and lowering the anchor. One of those burly fellows emerged from the hold, and that metal grate slammed back down.
“Hey, Kristoff, is that kid still down there?” the man in green heard.
“Sure as we’re on the sea,” the crewmember replied. “I couldn’t get him to budge.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t either. Give me a hand with this.”
As that man drew away from the hold, Kelvin took a deep breath and charged out into the open. Before any of the crew could focus on him for too long, he reached the hold and pried open the metal grate. Moments later, he disappeared, down into the hold below.
He could still hear the crew above, and when he looked to the sides of that large chamber, he understood why. A large slit had been carved out on either side of the ship, and two ballistae were mounted on rails there. Edmund was prepared for anything, it seemed. But those voices carried down from the main deck. Captain Gardner hailed the captains of the other ships with ease.
There was no sense allowing mere words to distract him. The prince shook himself of that stupor and focused instead on the path to the steps down farther in the ship.
Though it was dark, he could see the young man on the opposite side of the vessel. The lanterns that swung with the natural sway of the ship illuminated a fellow not content to be on the ocean. Douglas sat on the ground, his kn
ees pulled up to his chest. He looked like a frightened child.
Seeing him that way had a chill running up Kelvin’s spine, but he continued his approach anyway.
“You’re the one who saw the monster we’re out here looking for, aren’t you?” the disguised prince said.
Douglas looked up and saw the silhouette of the newcomer. He didn’t react until he saw the man draw closer and noticed the mask upon his face. “Who are you?” he gasped as he rose to his feet.
“I’m a friend,” Kelvin assured. “I’m a friend, I promise. I’m not here to hurt you or force you to go topside or anything. I just wanted to talk.”
“I’ve already told them everything I know,” the lad said. “I don’t know what else to say.”
Kelvin took a moment to scrutinize the scared survivor. Douglas was older, but he couldn’t guess by how much. He looked scrawny, not like a worker on a ship or a platform out at sea. It appeared as though he hadn’t eaten in days.
“I’m not with the rest of them,” the prince assured. “But I do want to help. You’re obviously rattled by being out here. Is this where you saw the thing that sank your ship? They didn’t see any remnants of the oil platform out there.”
Douglas sniffed. “I can feel it. Don’t ask me how I know it, even though I’ve been down here this whole time. I just know it. It’s like there’s something in the air.”
“I believe you,” Kelvin said. “Trust me. There has been a great many strange things happening in and around Argos in these past few weeks. I don’t doubt your story at all.”
“I should have never agreed to come back out here.”
“But you did. And now talking with me might be what gets us all back home in one piece.”
Narrowing his eyes, Douglas studied the stranger. “Just who are you?”
“I don’t have a name,” Kelvin said. “Not like this. There was a time I called myself the Emerald Adder, but—”
“Like the Silver Serpent.”
A prideful sigh blew from the prince’s lips. “Just like the Silver Serpent. They’re here to help, just like me.”
Knowing the legendary vigilante was on their side seemed to lift the man’s spirits. Douglas nodded and took a step forward, drawing even farther into the light. “I’ll tell you whatever I can, but I already said a lot to the crew of this ship.”
“I know things they don’t. I’ve seen things they haven’t.” He leaned back against a beam in that hold. “When the ship that rescued you picked you up, you mentioned your encounter with a kraken. But they heard you muttering something about a man.”
Douglas tilted his head. “I don’t remember that.”
“You don’t remember saying it?” Kelvin wondered. “Or do you not remember the man?”
“Everything happened so fast. There were dozens of people on the platform, on the boat. It could be anyone.”
“Something makes me feel like we’re dealing with more than just a monster here,” the fellow in green said. “Why did it let you live, I wonder? All the rest of the Titan’s Quill was pulled to the bottom of the ocean.” When those words left his lips, he saw the shame on the lad’s face. “Listen, whatever happened out there…none of it was your fault. The fact you’re even here speaks volumes about the kind of person you are.”
“I only came back because that old man paid me more than I’d ever see in my life. Once I’m done with this, you can bet I’ll never set foot on a ship ever again. I might even stay away from rivers and lakes.”
“Well, the quicker we can figure out what’s going on out here, the quicker we can get you onto dry land. Do you think I can convince you to go topside?” When the fellow demonstrated some hesitation, the prince leaned forward. “From what I heard, you fared better at the bow of the ship than some of your workmates did below deck.”
Somehow, that was enough to encourage Douglas to move. Kelvin followed him for a moment before outpacing him, and together, they made their way to the next deck.
When they were there, it was the man in green who stopped. A familiar voice could be heard, and he paused to listen to it.
“Why have we stopped here, Lord Volpe?” Marin called out through the rain as she drew there from the Lockspark, her boots tapping against the extended gangplank. “We’re not giving up the search just yet, are we?”
“Perish the thought,” Edmund said. “Our guest has indicated we’ve already arrived. There’s no sense going forward if we’re in the right place.”
“There’s nothing here,” the Silver Serpent replied. “There’s no oil platform, no debris—nothing.”
The advisor and owner of the fleet noticed the harshness in her voice and arched an eyebrow. “It would behoove us to at least investigate this area. Stranger things have happened in the vast ocean than scraps of wood being washed away.”
A sigh shook Marin’s frame, and she nodded beneath that tricorne hat. “Very well. What would you suggest?”
Edmund smiled but drew a mahogany wand from beneath his tunic. “It has been a long while since I have had to put any of my skills to good use,” he said. “Let’s hope I’m not too rusty.” With a twist of his hand and a flourish of that wand, a translucent, ivory sphere took shape in the air before him. He narrowed his eyes as he snapped the wand forward like a whip, and a noise worthy of that motion popped into the air as a flash of light temporarily blinded everyone in attendance. When their vision was unmarred by those lingering lights, they noticed the orb had been encased in what looked like a polished metal. The sphere cast its light through the windows of that enchanted lantern, and Edmund sent it hovering past the railing of his ship.
Murmurs came from the members of the crews of those two ships, with the Hornet lingering in the water farther out from them. The lantern made its way between them, shining its light beneath the water, illuminating what was below the surface.
A whistle rang out, and the crews aboard those ships looked to a man who remained on the Lockspark. He settled on the rigging near the forecastle and pointed toward the water. “There’s a dark spot here,” he called out. “Could be oil.”
“Perhaps this is where the platform was after all,” Edmund said.
Marin was the first upon that gangplank back to her loaned vessel. Members of both crews crowded behind her, and as she made her way toward the port railing, she saw those from the distant Hornet also assembling to see where that lantern shone.
Though neither of the lads in the hold could see it, one of them was certain beyond any doubt they had arrived at the place of the carnage from which he had escaped. While the lone survivor of the Titan’s Quill breathed harder and quicker, Kelvin ventured to the port side of the ship, peering through the artillery slit. With the smaller Lockspark obstructing much of his view, there wasn’t much to see—except for the odd bubbles popping upon the surface of the water near the aft of the ship.
“Is that normal?” he muttered.
Despite his fear, Douglas drew up beside him. When his vision landed upon those bubbles, his eyes grew wide and white, and he nearly tipped backward. “It’s happening again. We have to get out of here.”
Kelvin lingered there while the other lad sprinted for the stairs. “What’s happening again? What is going on out there?”
“This is how it all started last time,” Douglas said. “I saw bubbles like that, and then the kraken lifted from the water, and it killed everyone.”
As he forced open the grate that led topside, the disguised prince turned his attention once more to the water just below. His sight was locked to those bubbles in that spot at the rear of the Lockspark. Then, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed more bubble popping up all around the area.
“Lord Volpe!” Douglas cried.
Kelvin remained where he was, his pupils lined with gold as he focused on the sea. Farther and farther he scanned, noticing those bubbles all over the surface of the water. A chill slithered up his spine.
But it was no black-tentacled beast that drew up f
rom beneath the waves. The closest set of bubbles ceased to rise before him.
And a body floated to the surface.
The stowaway gasped, and his body went rigid. One by one, each of those collections of bubbles produced another body, each bloated and waterlogged. In time, the three ships that had come to investigate the disappearance of the Titan’s Quill were surrounded by the dead.
“Lord Volpe!” Douglas cried again. The lad skidded to a halt on the gangplank between the Lockspark and the Naiad’s Gift as those bodies floated to the surface, and even in the setting sunlight, he saw their horrified faces. He squeezed his fingers into fists, digging his nails against the heels of his hands.
“Look, in the water!” a sailor on the expedition cried.
“There’s dozens of them,” another said.
Douglas turned his head when the grate slammed shut behind him, but his eyes were locked to the closest body that bobbed on the surface. As Kelvin drew close, the survivor of the Titan’s Quill let go of a sobbing gasp. “That one right there is Roland. He was a worker on the oil rig.”
“Let’s get onto one of these ships, huh, Douglas?” the disguised prince pressed. He grasped the lad by the crook of his arm and pulled him back aboard Edmund’s flagship. “Something isn’t right here.”
“They’re all my old crewmates,” the lone survivor said. “And the mercenaries from Ravenhand’s guild.”
“What the blazes is that?” someone aboard the Lockspark cried.
From his position upon the far vessel, Kelvin couldn’t see what had caught their attention. He did notice as Marin drew her rapier, though, the scrape resounding across the rainy sea.
Then, beyond her, the prince saw what had caused disquiet among the sailors and his mentor. A black entity loomed higher and higher, until it was taller than the deck of the Lockspark’s forecastle.
“You think your puny weapons can harm me?” a voice bellowed over the waves.
White foam was upon every crest, and the waves splashed over the unfortunate souls who hadn’t survived the first encounter with the kraken. All the men aboard Edmund’s ships shifted as the creature continued to grow. Some backed away, as though that would somehow give them enough distance away from whatever carnage the monster had in store for them.
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