Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

Out of the Depths (Pt.4)

There was a subdued silence among all the crew. They were all exhausted yet grateful to have made it through, somehow unscathed. Nathaniel and Grolt sat with Mutt on the deck, resting their weary bodies. Quite unexpectedly a squawk came from above. Everyone on deck froze and looked round at each other. The squawk came again and everyone looked up to see a gull perched up at the masthead. A raucous cheer went up from every man on deck and they started dancing. The crew from below came rushing up to see what the commotion was about, only to join in the celebrations too. It was an emotional sign after such a night of terror, though for Nathaniel it was marred by the corpses floating in their wake. A few hours later, land could clearly be sighted ahead of them and the celebrations among the crew were reignited. The look of amazement on Bortak's face was a sight to behold.

Spirits were lifted with the sight of land, but there was still that unspoken feeling between everyone from the ordeal of the storm. All of the crew had survived the night, but those tossing the dead overboard knew it could well have been them too. Especially those who had remained on deck watching every wave wash over the ship, knowing one lapse of concentration and they would have gone with it. The seas remained calm for the rest of the day as they followed the coastline northward. Bortak kept several miles of sea room between the ship and the land, to avoid the risk of reefs and shallows. No one spoke to each other but Nathaniel could see the tired look in every man's eyes, including the indomitable Bortak. This voyage had truly tested the old sea dog.

Nathaniel kept to the top deck until well past sunset. He was starting to see signs that he was warming to the captain. He would never change his opinion on the foul trade which Bortak plied, but he could see some traits that he found mildly respectable. The nightmare of storm had deepened the bond between all aboard that ship, apart from the doomed souls of the slaves below. The evening air was fresh and the cool breeze pleasant on Nathaniel's face as the ship gently rocked with the lapping waves. He soon became aware the ship had mysteriously slowed, as if towing a huge weight behind it. Bortak had noticed it too and shared a look of confusion and worry with Nathaniel.

The next thing they noticed was a drawn out creak and groan from the ship's timbers, like it was in pain. Suddenly there was a loud crash and the gunwales on the starboard side caved in at a point. The whole sheep jolted and shuddered, bringing Nathaniel to his knees. He then saw the look of worry on Bortak's face turn to pure terror. When he was back on his feet he rushed to the side and looked down to the waters below. The sea swirled and gurgled as if it was boiling. "SEA MONSTER!" Bortak bellowed with all the strength his lungs could muster. "Fetch the harpoons!" he commanded. Nathaniel spun round and instantly ducked, narrowly avoiding the huge tentacle which whipped through the air. He had never seen anything like it before. It was as thick as a burly man in width and longer than the ship's mast. Another tentacle whipped up, curled round and latched itself onto the side of the ship with its enormous suckers.

Crewmen arrived carrying harpoons and one was thrust into Nathaniel's hand. He followed the rush of men to the stern of the ship, where Bortak was trying to keep some smaller, flailing tentacles at bay with his cutlass. A dozen more of the smaller tentacles flicked up and latched onto the stern of the ship, which then began to sink downwards, tilting the deck steeply. Nathaniel stumped rearwards, only just managing to keep his balance. As the stern tipped towards the sea, the beast revealed itself to him. A giant kraken was slowly wrapping itself around the ship and pulling it inward. Its two main tentacles were large enough to reach the bow of the ship and the others flailed round to find places to grip onto. Most of its body was still underwater but the part of its head that was not submerged was nearly as wide as the ship. The kraken opened its mouth, revealing the huge, razor sharp beak within. The timbers would smash like matchwood if it managed to chomp down on the ship.