Dragon Prince

Chapter 12: I Spy A Moving Island

Neil gave him a half smile. "I know you mean it when you start to get all sentimental,"

Isaac rolled his eyes and smacked his knight upside the head.

Meanwhile, Callie was hanging upside down by the backs of her knees from the yardarm, carefully examining the sail.

Nodding to herself, she swung her body into a sitting position before getting to her feet and walking across the yardarm as though it were an everyday thing.

She continued to inspect all the sails in this manner until she was satisfied and promptly performed a backflip from the foremast yardarm and landed on her boot-clad feet.

Iggy clapped enthusiastically while Arty gave her a look that said "could've been fancier" and everyone else just plain stared.

"I don't pay you to be statues!" she hollered and the crew immediately got to work.

Dusting off her shoulder, she retrieved her hat from Erik and proceeded to drag Obed to her cabin while calling for the prince to follow her.

Once they were inside, Callie brought up the designs of the strange machines and she motioned for Obed to explain.

"Well," the old man began, wringing his cap. "These are designs for machines that can fly without the use of magic. The bird design was chosen because it's areo dynamically -"

"Why specifically without magic," Isaac interrupted.

Callie blinked, having not thought much about it. She just wantef the prince to know what she found out from Obed about the flying machines the pirates wanted.

"Oh," Obed said with a frown. "Rumour in the Westies is magic's gonna be vanquished,"

Callie noticed the prince stiffen.

"That's why they are taking to technological advancement and science," Obed went on. "Not gonna find a better career as an inventor anywhere else. Er, why do you ask?"

"No reason," Isaac replied.

Callista narrowed her eyes but allowed Obed to finish his explanation on the machines. They were rough drafts that needed perfecting and the right kind of engeneering to actually make the contraption airborne but without magic, he wasn't quite sure what was missing.

Callie left out the part about the pirates being after her as they hadn't encountered any yet and she was sure they wouldn't follow them so close to the Reched Isles.

She chuckled at the name. Thanks to Obed, she realised that the name "reched" was actually derived from a word which meant "solitary" in a language of a native tribe of Southland dwellers. Most people thought it was because it sounded like "retched" and chose to call it thus.

The strange things I learn everyday, Callie thought to herself.

***

The next few days were spent dodging sea serpents and surviving powerful storms all while listening to Cooper's stories and Obed's ranting.

Neil was considerably acting more and more like his old self which brought about more arguments with Artemesio and even Iggy - though Kadi, his biggest fangirl, found it all the more appealing much to Raine's displeasure.

Ram and Gunther still held competitions against each other as they bashed sea serpents and kept count. Poor Erik was stuck as the powder monkey unfortunately.

Aurora had gained her sealegs but was still cautious of the water and barely performed anything remotely daring.

Callie continued to bark orders from the helm and once again, Isaac was stuck on watch duty in the crow's nest.

Not much of an eventful week then.

Just as the sun was beginning to set, Isaac caught a glimpse of an island a little ways off through his spyglass. Anticipation built within him.

Had they arrived? Was this it?

He felt quite sick knowing he was almost to the sword - Osyren's body. And quite possibly, taking away magic as Obed had said.

Was there a seer of some kind in the Weatern Region kingdoms? Or was the culprit who was basically sending him on this quest behind it?

Either way, the Westies, as Obed called them, were aware of it. That was both relieving and terrifying.

Isaac just hoped things would work out in the end.

He peered through the spyglass again and was surprised when the island looked closer. Keeping his eyes trained on it, he got the impression that it was moving towards them.

But that couldn't be right.

"Captain!" he called.

"What's up?" was the reply.

He was sure now that the island was coming towards them.

"An island is heading right for us!"

There was a moment of silence, briefly broken by an awkward cough.

Than Callie swore loudly.

In a flash, she had crossed the deck and climbed up to join Isaac. She grabbed the spyglass from him and took a peak herself, seemingly unaware of their close proximity.

She swore once again.

"That's no island," she muttered. Standing up, she addressed her crew. "To arms, people!" she yelled. "Man the guns, load the harpoons, prepare the spears, draw your swords, notch your arrows and pray for a miracle!" she pointed at the moving mass headed right for them.

"We got ourselves a kraken!"

***

Authors Note:

Hey hey hey. Totally wishing I could proof read but ain't nobody gat no time for that. So here it is raw. And yay! I'm introducing every sailors nightmare - the dreaded kraken! Mwahahahaha.

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Skyglider