LEGENDS OF ULANVERIA

Chapter 1

The sky roared with thunder while massive waves crashed against the dingy ship. Two figures huddled together tied to the vessel's mast. One rather small and the other bigger. The larger one was looking around frantically, having just retained consciousness. Realizing the limp figure beside him he sharply turned his head and shouted “Eisruh.” His agitated voice drowned by the chaos surrounding them. Not receiving a response he nudged with his shoulder. The relentless nudging and shouting stirred the small figure awake. A girl of twelve springs lifted her face, emerald eyes widening in shock. Their brilliance dimmed by the darkness around them. She winced, a string of pain shooting down the side of her head. Likely a hit from their captors. Her attention turned to the big figure beside her and she croaked out “kretavo”. Her throat was rather raw, probably from all the screaming she did when they were caught. The abundance of salty sea spray that made it into her mouth wasn’t helping much. In Eisruhs twelve springs this was the first, where she had screamed like a vengeful spirit. Unfortunately for her she had been silenced by a blow to the head. Her lucky brother had been spared from the onslaught at least. But he was still made to black out from a potent sleeping drug.

The young man of seventeen summers squinted his eyes, salty water having entered them. His mouth tasted bitter and salty from the relentless sea that loomed threateningly close above them. Relief washed on his face at having his sister finally awake. But it didn't linger for long, considering their circumstances. 

“Creator!” he rasped “You are finally up” his voice strained from all the shouting he did earlier. All the while spitting out the constant barrage of seawater from his mouth. Looking like a drenched maral with his hair hanging in clumps.

Turning her head away from him Eisruh took her surroundings in. Still groggy and now nursing a headache. Looking down she found that both of them were bound by a thick rope around their torso. Fortunately their hands were free of any restrictions. But that wasn’t going to help much, not unless a miracle happens. The waves were taller now, water sloshing around their bound forms. Both were soaked to their bones, a chill settling in, the sky atop their heads roaring like a deranged beast.

The siblings shared a pitiful resigned look between them. Their tussel was forgotten, from when they were captured. Amidst the raging sea, their captors were frantically trying to maneuver the big vessel. The incident likely wasn’t in their plans either, judging by their faces. One would think that they would have prepared somewhat considering their greed and cunningness. The siblings were a surprise encounter for the slave traders and easy pickings too. They didn’t have to go out of their way to manipulate and capture them. Now however they were in dire straits of their own. The sea was wearing the ship down, joints groaning against the raging waters, a persistent assault. The ship is likely to break from the strain.

Eisruhs head jerked up looking at the big wave about to wash over them. Her mouth opened in horror and then the wave took them under it. The onslaught wasn’t enough to drown them as they were still tied to the mast. Their relief was short lived as the receding wave brought to their attention a rather nasty surprise, an insu. A slimy sea creature the length of a person with a rather wide mouth, inlaid with razor sharp teeth, capable of shredding flesh into ribbons. It had used the large wave to come aboard the ship rather unceremoniously and lay a mere few feet from the trembling duo. Kretavo was quite repulsed by the Insu and Eisruh wasn’t feeling any different. This was the first time they had ever encountered one. They only heard stories of monstrous sea creatures. From the sailors that frequented their village market. The siblings never really bothered to commit the tales to memory. Thinking them absurd, nonsense only used for scaring children. They did not want to be recognized as childish in any way.

“What in the Creators name is that thing?” Kretavo yelled with disgust, hoping to get some answers from his ever so booky sister. 

Eisruh’s face screwed up “How in the stinking mushrooms would I know!” while glaring at the creature.