Chapter Chapter Thirty-Eight: Overboard
Wolfric looked at the three beautiful women and smirked. He shoved the one closest to him and watched her tumble into the other two. He then gave them all a shove, and they fell off the ship. Which distracted them enough, the crew was released from their hold.
“What the fuck?!” the captain bellowed.
“Sirens,” Malique said.
“Quick, before they return. We need a way out of here,” Wolfric said as he turned to them.
“Wolfie,” Akira said with a cry.
Wolfric looked at his Psychi and smiled. “Did you seriously think they had hold of me, little one?”
Akira smiled. She should have known they had not.
“How did all of you not get enchanted?” the quartermaster asked, stunned.
Wolfric and his fellow Warriors pulled their shirts aside to show their Havent’s mark.
“We’re hers,” they said at the same time, pointing at Akira.
Akira blushed when everyone looked at her.
“And you?” a crewman asked Levi.
Levi grinned. “I’m a Fairy,” he said but said nothing else.
“Okay, before they come back,” Wolfric growled.
“Grab the wheel, get us away from here,” the captain said, nodding toward the wheel.
Malique rushed to the wheel and turned the ship away from the rocks.
The Sirens sang again, making the men’s eyes glaze over, and they tried to break out of the ropes.
“Kill them!” Akira shouted to Wolfric.
Wolfric turned and growled when one of the Sirens attacked him. He shifted into his white wolf and took her down. The other Sirens screamed when the Siren sang her last tune.
“Take them now! Take them to the Wallows!” a Siren shouted.
“NO!” Akira screamed. ‘Anything but that!’
The Wallows is a place that Mythical creatures can be sent when they die. It is not always a—happily ever after—place. Actually, it seldom is. And she will never see her Warriors again, not even when she dies.
The Sirens jumped off the boat, and the spell over the crew lifted. As soon as the fog cleared from their minds, the captain started shouting orders.
Akira cut them loose with her sword, and the men took their places.
A loud noise had everyone pausing. When a giant tentacle flopped onto the deck, Akira screamed.
“Get her to safety!” Wolfric hollered to his fellow Warriors once he shifted back.
Malique pulled Akira into his arms, and they headed for the cabin. A giant tentacle slapped down in the middle of the ship, slicing it in half.
“Get to the lifeboats!” the captain shouted.
“That won’t save us!” Wolfric called out. “That’s a KRAKEN!”
Akira whimpered as she watched the two halves of the ship sink into the ocean.
“Wolfric!” Akira screamed.
“Get her to safety!” Wolfric shouted.
Akira tried to run to the edge, but Malique caught her.
“Wolfie!” Akira cried out.
“I love you, Akira! I will see you soon!” Wolfric shouted.
The Kraken came up out of the water, and Akira screamed. It looked like the Kraken in ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean.’ She has seen too many movies. The Kraken’s tentacles slapped on both halves of the ship. Akira screamed as she was thrown, taken away from her Warriors.
‘No, no, no,’ she cried.
Hands grabbed her before she went overboard, and she looked up into the eyes of her new friend. Quartermaster Jonus.
“Don’t worry, little lady. I’ve got you,” he said as he pulled her against his chest.
“That’s twice now you’ve saved me,” she said, watching him.
He smiled at her. “You remind me of someone.”
She blinked. “Who?”
‘Please do not say, my wife, my girlfriend, or my lover.’
“My little sister,” Davey said with a smirk.
“Really?” she asked.
Well, shit, she had to be sure.
He nodded. “You’re just as stubborn as her.”
Akira giggled.
“Here comes another tentacle. When I say jump, jump.”
Akira shook her head. “My Warriors.”
Davey took hold of Akira’s chin in his fingers and made her look at him. “They can take care of themselves. Let us take care of you.”
She nodded, and he smiled.
“Now, get ready.”
The Kraken’s tentacles came flying at them, and Davey ducked.
“Jump!” he yelled.
Akira dove into the cold water.
~⚔~
“Where’s Akira!” Malique shouted as he and Captain White fought off the Kraken so the crew could escape.
“Last I saw her—she was with my quartermaster!” the captain shouted.
“Is she safe with him?” Malique asked.
They have already lost Wolfric—they cannot lose Akira too.
The captain nodded. “He has a little sister at home. He will protect her.”
Malique hoped so.
“Malique!”
Malique turned in time to watch Darius get thrown through the air by a giant tentacle. Damn it, now he is the only one left. He watched his friend and fellow Warrior shift into his Pegasus before he hit the water, then fly back to them.
‘Damn, that was a nice shift.’
“Holy shit,” the captain said, watching the Pegasus. “That Havent of yours is special, isn’t she?”
Malique grinned and showed the captain his teeth. “You have no idea.”
Captain White looked at the teeth of the Vampire and chuckled, then looked up at the sun. Not an average Vampire. An Upir. A Mythical Vampire who can walk in the sun and garlic does not faze them. Though he was not sure if garlic actually harms Vampires or if that was a myth.
The Pegasus kicked the Kraken in the eye, and the beast screeched as it swatted at the flying horse. Darius flew at the Kraken again and kicked him in the other eye. Before Malique could warn the Pegasus, the Kraken swapped his long tentacle at the flying horse and knocked it out of the sky.
“Fuck,” Malique cursed.
Without Akira here to heal them, they only have one shot of being tossed out of the fight, and they are down. As long as it takes for Malique and Wolfric to heal major wounds, they won’t survive long.
A growl vibrated through the air, and Malique watched a large white wolf jump on the tentacle that was sweeping wildly at the sinking ship.
“Is that Wolfric?” the captain asked.
Malique nodded, then jumped out of the way of a giant tentacle.
The white wolf howled, then jumped on the head of the Kraken.
“Wolfric, don’t get yourself killed! Akira is missing, and Darius is down!”
The wolf stopped and turned to Malique. Malique’s stomach turned as he watched the wolf.
‘Run!’ Was in the wolf’s eyes, and Malique saw nothing else as he was tossed into the ocean.
~⚔~
Akira moaned and coughed up water. She opened her eyes and groaned as she stared at grains of sand.
‘Where am I?’ she wondered as she pushed herself up onto all fours.
Akira turned her head and sucked in a breath. She is on an Island. She heard a moan and found Davey close to where she had floated onto the shore.
“Davey,” she whispered.
She rushed to the man, who was on his back looking up at the darkening sky.
“Looks like we made it,” he said with a groan.
Akira nodded as she felt his body for any broken bones.
“Ouch,” he grumbled when she pressed on his ribs.
“Hold still,” she whispered.
He watched her place her hands on his chest and close her eyes. He sucked in a breath when her hands and his body were covered in a soft amber glow. When she finished, she took a deep breath and sat back on her ass, exhausted.
“Are you okay?” he asked, watching her.
She looked at him and smiled. “I am fine. It takes a lot of my energy to heal people.”
He nodded as he sat up. “We had a healer in our town. Though she wasn’t anything like you.”
Akira smiled. “We need to find the others.”
Davey nodded. “Are you sure your Warriors are alive?”
Akira closed her eyes and felt out her Warriors. She felt three souls and sighed with relief, then opened her eyes.
“They’re alive. But I have no idea where they are.”
“We can help with that.”
Akira looked over and squealed with happiness.
Davey jumped to his feet and pulled her to hers.
Akira pulled away from Davey and ran to the Trolls. “I am so happy to see you two.”
“We are happy to see you too, healer,” Stella said with a smile.
“Here’s your bags,” Fin said as he tossed four bags onto the sand.
“We rescued them from the sinking ship,” Stella said with a grin.
“We?!” Fin bellowed. “You mean I did!”
“Someone had to watch out for the Kraken,” Stella said with a pout.
“Ugh,” Fin grumbled.
Akira smiled. She was happy the Trolls were okay and as ornery as ever.
“You said something about finding the others,” Davey interrupted.
“Oh yes, we can help,” Stella said with a nod.
Akira reached for her bag and opened it. She needed dry clothes before she got sick again. She pulled out a fresh pair of clothes and hurried behind a group of bushes.
“Turn around,” Fin growled at Davey, holding his sword at the man’s crotch.
Davey flung his hands in the air and chuckled as he turned his back to the bushes.
Akira smiled, pulled off her wet clothes, then pulled on the warm, dry clothes and sighed with relief.
“Eat this,” Stella said.
The Troll held up a piece of the herb her Warriors have been feeding her since her fever.
“Why do you all keep feeding this nasty tasting herb to me?” Akira asked as she took the piece from Stella’s hand.
Stella smiled. “Because it will keep you from getting that fever again in your cold state, and it replenishes your energy.”
Akira nodded as she remembered. She had been told more than once before. She placed the herb into her mouth and chewed. She felt her energy replenish and sighed.
“You should heal yourself now,” Stella said, pointing to Akira’s shin.
Akira looked down and almost passed out. Her shin bone was sticking out of her skin. Why hadn’t she felt any pain?
“Your adrenalin will come down soon, heal yourself,” Stella said with annoyance that Akira had not healed herself yet.
’Adrenalin—of course,’ Akira thought, then closed her eyes and focused on her shin.
Once Akira was healed, she left the bushes, leaving her wet clothes behind. They can buy her more clothes later.
“Why is there blood running down your leg?” Davey asked as he stared at the drying blood on Akira’s leg.
Akira smiled. “Don’t ask,” she said, then looked at Fin. “Can you carry a bag for me? I will carry the other three….”
“I’ll take two,” Davey said, then picked up the two heaviest bags.
Akira nodded. “Thanks.”
Fin nodded and lifted a bag, then headed across the beach.
Okay, so Akira guessed they knew where they were going.
‘Follow the Trolls,’ Akira thought, then picked up her bag and did just that.
~⚔~
Malique groaned and opened his eyes. Where is he? He sat up and blinked—he was on an island. He looked around and frowned.
“Hey there, good to see you survived.”
Malique looked at the captain and smiled. “You too, Captain.”
“Now, we need to find your people and my crew.”
“Right,” Malique said with a nod. “Any idea where we are?”
“No fucking clue. This island isn’t on any map.”
“Great,” Malique grumbled.
“Can you feel your Havent? Is she still alive?”
Malique pulled his shirt down and sighed with relief to see her mark still on his chest. “Yeah. She’s alive.”
Captain White nodded. “Good. Now let us find her and the others and get the fuck off this island.”
~⚔~
Darius groaned and tried to roll over. But he could not. His wings were broken, and he could not feel his legs. He cannot shift to his human form like this.
‘Fuck.’
He hoped his Psychi and fellow Warriors were okay. He cannot look at his chest to see if her mark is still there. But he would think he would feel an emptiness, and a lot of pain, if she were dead. He groaned and closed his eyes. If she does not find him soon, he may end up in the Wallows before morning.
~⚔~
Akira and her small group walked along the beach and stopped when they saw a group of men sitting around a campfire.
“Quartermaster!” someone shouted when they saw Akira and Davey.
Davey grinned and ran to the group of men and dropped the bags, then gave them manly hugs.
Akira chuckled. Yeah, she could see they all wanted to hold on to each other until sunrise, but that would not be manly for a bunch of Pirates.
“I see you still have the princess,” one of the men said.
Davey nodded. “We are looking for her Warriors and the captain.”
“Then join us,” another of the men said. “We were about to eat some fish we caught. Then we can travel together and find the captain.”
Davey nodded. “Sounds good,” he said, then joined the men at the fire.
Akira sat away from the fire and the group of men. The only man she actually trusted in this scraggly bunch was Davey. She placed her hand on her sword.
She can defend herself if need be.
But against ten men?