Avandor's Gift

“Evander!” I heard my name echo all around me. The ship seemed to grow silent along with all of nature.

“Tet!” I said. Cold sweat ran down my back and I couldn’t shake myself of the sudden terror that gripped me in the gullet.

My head throbbed and I squeezed my temples between my palms trying to contain the pain and pulsatile pounding of blood through my ears that made it worse. I took in a few steadying breaths but I realised that the thumping wasn’t just internal but was coming from the floorboards above me.

Grey was already up, her eyes diverting between the door above and me. Our door swung open and Captain Lishpa burst in. “Cargo, we need all hands on deck. We have a situation above.” He said before disappearing up the stairs once more.

“Greyshanks stay here.” I said pulling on my pants and jamming a dagger in the waist band.

Evan... she started to protest.

“No, don’t come above deck!” I warned. “Whatever it is I doubt that you will be of any service there.” She whined at the command but I knew that she would obey. “I will be fine.” I said as I touched her on the shoulder as I ran past.

The deck was a flurry of activity as men ran up and down it some of them carrying harpoons. I stopped one of the sailors as he was going by me.

“What is it? What is the problem?” I asked.

He pointed over the deck at the sea. “Over there.”

“What? I don’t see anything.” I said. The sea was calm and lined with the silver reflection of the moon.

“Ya have to look closer.” He said pulling me close to the railings. “Look again, see that shadow,” I nodded. “It shouldn’t be there. First the Captain’s eye opened and turned as red as blood. The next thing that shadow beside the ship, has been following us for about a mile now.”

“Following you?” I said still confused as I still didn’t see the point of all the commotion going on.

“Don’t know what it is waiting for to strike, but we aren’t waiting to find out.” He said rushing off to join the others.

I looked back at the sea and sure enough there was shadow following the ship. However it was much closer now. Close enough for me to make out a silvery black hide that skimmed smoothly along the water’s surface.

“A helksinc, by Babu’s boots!” I whispered. That was what he meant by the eye opening and turning red. I chided myself for my slowness.

A rapid sequence of images flashed before my eyes. Reality hit me again and I spun to find the captain. “No, don’t!” I shouted but it fell on deaf ears as my vision started to play out itself.

“Fire!” came the command and two harpoons were flung out toward the creature.

“Did it catch anything?” whispered the sailors among themselves come venturing to the edge to look over.

“The lines! The lines!” shouted another one.

Everyone swivelled backwards to see the reel that held the rope spinning out at a great speed and then fell taut.

“Got it,” smiled the Lishpa in satisfaction. Reel it in.” commanded the Captain.

“No! Release the lines! Release the lines!” I said running towards them.

“Cargo, what is the meaning of this?” asked Lishpa.

“I am saving your hides,” I said as I pulled my dagger and sawed through the first rope. It snapped free lashing some of the men across their faces as it disappeared overboard.

I started on the next rope. I felt the tension in the cord increasing and heard the bolts holding the reel in place rattling free.

“They were only following us, the eye you held gave you protection from attack. But now you drew first blood and...”

“They?” he said stunned.

“Yes there two of them behind the boat in addition to the one you shot,” I said as the rope finally snapped free. “Get your men armed and ready as the sea is going to become a bit more turbulent.” There was a dull thud on the side of the ship that made everyone rock to one side. “So it begins. Captain.” I said lifting my brows at him.

“Get your arms, get your arms!” he shouted in leánese, which sent the sailors scrambling for broad swords, dagger and spears.

There was another thud coming from the other side of the vessel. All the torches on deck were lit and I grabbed one of them. Going starboard I looked over and swimming along the ship was the beast. Its head was still hidden underwater but the large fins came above water fighting against the course set by the captain. It was trying to steer the ship off course I realised.

I looked up ahead and against the dark background, I saw a sharp island of rock jutting out from out of the sea.

“Keep the boat left!” I ran and shouted to the man at the wheel. He strained to hear what I was saying with all the noise on deck. “Keep the ship left. They are trying to run us in the rocks ahead. Keep left!” I said waving the torch in the direction that I wanted.

He finally heard what I said and spun the wheel in that direction, barking orders to his subordinates to adjust the sails.

I ran back to the side but I could still see that we were still on the collision course for the rocks. I carried the torch over to the left side of the ship grabbing a length of rope which I tied to the central mast and the other end I wrapped around my waist.

“Cargo, what are you doing?” asked the captain.

“Give me your sword.” He handed me the weapon.

“Evander...”

“Will this rope be long enough to hang over the side?” I asked as I climbed on top of the railing.

“Yes but...”

“Good,” I said as I jumped overboard keeping as close as I could to the ship. It was an unsteady landing as the back of the helksinc undulated above and below the water’s surface. I could feel the eyes of the people above me but I didn’t dare look up as I would lose my balance.

I was wet from mid-chest downwards. I skirted forward slowly each time the body broke the surface, steadying myself against the side of the ship. The huge dorsal fin came above water spraying me with huge gusts of air and water.

I raised the sword high above my head and in a swift motion split the stalk of the fin down the middle. I was rewarded with a feral cry and I felt the side of the ship slam into my back. The sword was knocked from my hand as the boat veered sharply left. The unopposed push from the other helksinc steered the ship away from the rocks.

I sank into the briny sea, taking in a lung full of the acrid water. The Captain was right; the rope was long enough as I was several feet underwater being pulled along by the ship.

If I didn’t free myself soon, I was as good as drowned. My chest heaved painfully as it coughed up the trenchant water from my lungs. I pulled the dagger from my waistband and sawed at the rope until the twine unravelled freeing me into the open arms of the ocean.

I floundered around for a bit until I made out which direction I should take. I felt the presence before I saw it. I looked up and saw a few rays of moonlight seeping through the tainted water but also a solid serpentine form swimming in a circle, guarding the surface.

Evander! I heard Greyshanks cry of terror, but the connection was tenuous as I was losing the ability to concentrate on anything but surviving.

As the seconds moved by my lungs were beginning to scream for air. The black shadow that lurked, now took on a sore solid form. Two lower fangs, twice as long as my forearm, were the first to solidify. Curious they should be that way. I heard a voice speaking with the cadence of an ancient speaker whispering softly in my mind:

The bottom jaw of the helksinc is more protuberant than the upper one. Unlike other creatures whose upper jaw is fixed and the lower one mobile, the opposite is true for the helksinc. This unusual modification causes the creature to turn upside down just when it is about to strike. It impales the prey on its lower canines and then through strong suction, swallows its meal whole.

This unusual mode of attack leave the creature vulnerable as it jaw blocks it field of vision and leaves its un-plated underbelly exposed. Vulnerable it might be but not for long, as speed is also an ally of the beast.

The voice disappeared as quietly as it had come. It was a message one which I muddled over as my brain was hazy from air depravation. Speed is an ally of the beast. Speed is an ally....Speed is... Speed.

Speed! I had speed! I snapped into action as the creature approached. In a lithe movement lasting a mere second it had flipped and was coming fast with jaws wide open and maw exposed. Using a single burst of energy I shot upward just as the beast closed its jaws at the exact spot where I was suspended. I plunged the dagger into its soft white belly and dragged it down, un-seaming the creature’s throat.

Cloudy white fluid seeped from the wound as it thrashed wildly around me. I was hit square across the face by its heavy tail.

My head snapped back and I was boxed several feet away. I blinked twice slowly as the word around me glazed over. I was sinking and was unable to stop myself from being swallowed by the depths. My chest grew tired and I could no longer hold my breath. I opened my mouth and a single bubble of air escaped, floating to the surface. The world continued to dim and in a second, it was all gone.