Page 54 of Queen's Griffon

“Haha! Got it!” Simhi crowed as her next shot punctured the kraken’s left orb.

The maddened beast still refused to leave. Kraken were unlike other creatures in that they didn’t flee no matter how dire the injury. They had to kill it.

“Kreed, we need that next harpoon shot!” Griff yelled, ducking under an appendage before pivoting to slice the tip of it.

“I’m working on it,” his first mate yelled. “Bloody idiot who last coiled the rope fucking tangled it.”

“Then cut it.” Griff would pay to replace the harpoon if it got lost.

“Cutting it now.”

Kreed didn’t have a blade of wolfframm, and the rope was sturdy, meaning he kept chopping while the kraken raised itself to slam the boat again. A hit that would sink the ship. The weakened section couldn’t handle any more impacting blows.

A torn Griff readied to die. No point in abandoning the ship. With an angry kraken in the water, Verlora’s shore too far to swim, and Koonis close enough to pick them off, they didn’t stand a chance. He’d failed his crew. Failed Avera. Failed?—

“What’s that in the sky?” Peter yelled.

Griff almost retorted, “Bird,” only no bird ever cast a shadow so vast or flew so fast.

He craned and gaped. Everyone did. Except for the kraken. Its limbs slithered from the deck, and it began to sink. Not fast enough to avoid the swoop of…

Griff blinked.

It didn’t change the fact a dragon dove from the sky, claws on its feet out. Claws big enough to grab the kraken and lift it from the water—with the harpoon in its flesh still tethered to the boat!

The rope uncoiled rapidly as the dragon began heading for the mist and Griff ran for the taut, woven strand, leaping and swinging as the ring holding it groaned.

Twang.As he sliced through, the taut line snapped but caused no damage. The other half of it hung down as the dragon, with the kraken in its grip, flapped its way into the mist, disappearing from sight.

Silence reigned on the ship until Simhi exclaimed, “Holy fuck, I just seen a dragon.”

They all had, including Koonis’ ship which had fled the area. But Griff didn’t doubt it would return, meaning they had little time.

Griff glanced at Kreed. “I’m going ashore. You have the bridge.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

He had no choice. “Avera is there and seems to me the best time to go into a dragon-infested area is when said beast has a kraken-sized meal to keep its belly full.”

His first mate frowned before sighing. “Aye, Captain.”

Despite his declaring he’d go alone, Griff found himself rowing ashore with Simhi, Monty, and Mohan.

All Verlorian. Armed to the teeth, plus they all carried knapsacks of supplies. As Griff glanced back at his ship, he could see Kreed directing the repairs. Garth stood on deck with his special vat of resin for patching. Peter watched for danger from the nest. The sailors not busy with repairs were planted all over—prow, aft, starboard, and port—watching the waters for another kraken.

A part of him felt guilt at abandoning his ship in its time of need. However, excitement—mixed with trepidation—proved stronger than his contrition because he was finally going home.

Chapter 17

Avera

Avera was already so rancid,she couldn’t tell if the humidity soaking her body and clothes made her smell worse than before. If she were to judge by her burly companions, then that would be a yes. Although, she doubted she reeked as bad as her gaolers.

The men oozed sweat infused with a tang of fear. Hard to blame their trepidation. After all, one of their own had been taken by a monster and now they were in Verlora. Was it the death sentence everyone claimed? They’d soon find out.

The moment they entered the overgrown jungle the silence proved eerie. In a normal forest there would be the hum of insects, the rustle of branches from small creatures and birds. Even a slight stir of a breeze.

If it weren’t for the lush foliage, she’d have thought they walked in a dead place. No sound, no movement but for their own.

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