Moon Chasers: Into the storm [Finished]

Chapter Seven: Against the god of the sea

Qa heard him and his face quickly switched from relief to see him awake to worries again, it's not that he didn't believe, he was a firm believer that certain dreams carries the will of the deities and glimpses of the futur to serve as warning for the mortals, it's just that if something really was coming then what hopes did they have of surviving? He took his sword out and started sharpening it, just in case.

Eleon silently turned to him, furrowed his brows and concentrated back on Jory, he nodded to himself before giving him the sword he had stolen back at the prison. The halfling took it, unsure of it's usefulness against an old danger like the one he felt but didn't say anything.

They went outside on the bridge, the mainmast was wasted, they were navigating only with the two smaller ones, the wind was strong but it was nothing like the storm, they were in the middle of nowhere, only water meeting the sky every where Jory could see.

"Stop me if I'm wrong but I slept for a long time uh?"

"Yes, three days, the storm left and you were still curled into a ball looking terrified, we couldn't wake you up so we just waited"

"Great, I really am a burden to this adventure!"

"Don't say that" Eleon tried to relax but something in his heart told him not to "I'm only afraid that you wont be able to withstand the adventure, it's a journey into the unknown and yet you collapsed when you saw that storm"

"Don't worry about me, I can hold more than my weight in a fight, I still have plenty o' tricks in my satchel"

"Good" Eleon showed a better face but Jory's words did not dispel his worries, not in the slightest 

Eleon did not particularly mean that he was scared for him if the need to fight arose, he meant that he was worried that Jory didn't have what it takes to withstand the danger on the road, especially those that you cannot control, for exemple, a terrible storm. Jory wasn't stupid he knew what Eleon meant but the halfling still felt really ashamed and didn't want to ponder on it any longer. 

The day was warm but the smell of danger was everywhere, even under such calm heavens did Jory feel trapped. He sighed and turned to Eleon, he was about to say something but the other stopped him, a finger on his lips his ears listening attentively, after a while Jory could hear it too, the rumbling sound of something massive moving under them, Eleon quietly went to Qa who was already in his armour sword in hand.

Jory unsheathed his own, the short blade felt strange in his hand, while it felt at the right size and weight at the prison fight, it felt unbalanced and too short now. He knew this feeling too well, it was his reaction to extreme stress. The fight ahead was going to be one to remember indeed.

Eleon readied two arrow in his bow following the mouvement under them with their tips. His brows were deeply furrowed but his movement were still extremely smooth and fluid, Qa mirrored all his movement using his sword. The tension was almost visible.

The sea became darker and started to move violently, the beast was coming at them for it's first attack.

"Ready your weapon and make it count !" shouted Qa just as the surface tension of the water broke and a giant tentacle erupted onward

"What the hell is that!"screamed Eleon when another tentacle shot out and immobilized the vessel

"Cut them !" Jory ran toward the one around their ship and plunged his sword toward the monster's flesh

Purple blood erupted from the injury, Jory barely escaped it, it drenched the wooden floor, it smelled of salt water and dry fish, the halfling wrinkled his nose. The Beast was now fully revealed. It was a giant squid creature with two luminescent eyes as big as an award winning pumpkin, Jory thought.