The sun had set on Sangre Island. The trade winds had dwindled to a warm, balmy breeze that carried the scent of the salty ocean. The moon had risen, full, pale, and enormous in the night sky.
A massive, wild boar roamed menacingly along the wet sand of the beach, rooting up clams with its enormous, tusked snout, biting and crushing the shells in its hideous maw.
The boar was used to being the undisputed king of the island. Its teeth could grind through any plant that stood in its way. Any animal of similar size was gored by its hooked, razor-sharp tusks. Any smaller animal it simply devoured.
This boar had lived its entire life without fear of anything on the island.
The beast paused, puzzled by a half-sunken ship that was slowly drifting onto shore, propelled by the slowly dying wings of what appeared to be thousands of birds stuck to the boat.
The boar's excitement grew. Ships rarely came to the island, but when they did, it usually meant good eating. And the boar was hungry.
Two humans stood at the edge of the boat. The boar was distracted by the effort of trying to remember what humans tasted like, or seagulls for that matter. It was too distracted to notice a slight ripple in the water nearby. The ripple grew to a splash as the boar looked out over the waves. The boat ran aground, coming to a stop less than ten boar-lengths away.
The ship pushed water toward the boar. It took a step back, not wanting to wash off or in any way dilute the horrific smell it had taken such care to cultivate over the last many months since the last heavy rains.
But as it backed up, the boar noticed something else in the gathering waves. Something large. Something with a distinctive fin on its back.
The boar had no frame of reference for the size of the shark that surged out of the water. It had no time to be afraid, no time to turn and run, and barely had time to squeal. It only had time to marvel at the size, shape, and layers of teeth that opened in front of it, then closed all around it.
On the moonlit beach, the giant shark tossed back its head, swallowing the barely-chewed boar. The creature hunched up, arching its fins into the shape of four rudimentary legs, which it used to walk up the beach and into the jungle beyond.
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The Pirate Groom
Adventure"The Pirate Groom" is a swashbuckling tale of adventure, love, and revenge that will sweep you off your feet and into the treacherous waters of the high seas. Follow the daring Westley, the fierce Inigo, and a band of unforgettable characters as the...
