Varian and the Seven Seas

Chapter Five: Building Anew

"You're safe, little bird," Hugo replied weakly, laying on his side on the ship's deck.

The leviathans roared overhead as gunfire from the ship's cannons rang out. Varian reached over, helping the blond captain to sit upright.

"Ugh!" He groaned. "Why are you so heavy? Must be the downside of all that glorious muscle."

Glancing back at the chaos happening around them, the raven-haired captain took him by the arm and hoisted him up quickly. "There's no time. We need to get out of here. Who's steering the ship?"

"Nuru," Hugo replied, still clutching his middle. "We'll leave the pass soon, but the leviathans are unlikely to leave us alone." He drew his sword, a fierce look in his eyes. "Don't worry. We won't go down on my watch."

He stared up at the blond captain, blinking, taking in his firm jawline and confident expression, the now drizzling rain tracing down his face. "What's your plan?" Varian asked.

Hugo smiled. "Do you trust me?"

"Do I have much of a choice?"

"Nope. I need you to distract the beasts while I do some maneuvering." He ran towards the helm without another word and Varian, perplexed, watched him for a moment before turning to the giant squid leviathan that had three of his crew mates in its clutches.

Retrieving his father's sword from the deck where he had dropped it earlier, Varian placed the blade in the loop of an oil lantern hanging nearby, smashing it into one of the tentacles that was draped over the ship's edge. The monster screeched, releasing those it had been holding in the air and looking down at him with murderous eyes.

Varian hefted the sword over his head and hacked the burned tentacle completely in half. He barely dodged the incoming round, slimy arm that reached for him, hacking at it as well. A third came sweeping across the deck, throwing him off his feet and onto his back harshly. From the ground, he saw the arm returning for a second blow when suddenly the boat crashed up against a pile of jagged rocks.

The protruding boulders pierced the squid-like leviathan through the middle, spewing a black blood into the water. Its dying sounds were piercing and terrible. Varian covered his ears as the boat took off in the opposite direction, leaving the beast and its tentacles behind, still draped over the rocks.

The serpent leviathan kept up with the weaving vessel, biting down on the wooden railing and tearing a part of it off. The beast came back for seconds when it too was thrust against a row of rocks, bloodying the smooth gray stone.

The ship made another sharp turn away, leaving behind the mangled corpse and speeding through the small passageway that would lead them out of Leviathan's End.

Breathing out, Varian closed his eyes for a moment, sheathing his sword, before glancing up at the blond captain. The rain had stopped, and Hugo's wet hair had fallen out of its ponytail, messily hanging about his face.

Hugo grinned when their eyes met, waving an arm over his head. "Told you we wouldn't go down!" he shouted.

Varian let out another breath, shaking his head with his hands on his hips.

***

"Captain, there's an island up ahead," Nuru yelled. "Shall we resupply and make repairs?"

"Aye. Let's make port." Varian stood at the helm, the sun shining down on his face. He wore his large teal coat and black hat, the wind blowing through his hair.

"We're stopping now?" Hugo asked, standing beside him in the outfit Ruddiger had made him in addition to a new large hat with a massive green feather in it.