Unspeakable Secrets The Alchemist Series (A Dark Medieval Progression Fantasy)

Chapter 67 Beacon

"I'll let you carry her. I trust you know better now than to try anything?" Erik said.

Connor gave a small nod, his attention focused on Adelia as he lifted her up. For all her strength, she felt incredibly light in his arms.

Connor started toward the closest hatch with stairs that led back down into the heart of the ship. Bitterness, frustration, and worry for Adelia swirled inside him together with a sense of hopelessness.

How is Erik this powerful? Connor wondered.

He couldn't help feeling stunned by Erik's casual displays of might. And it'd seemed like Erik had intentionally been trying to avoid hurting them the entire time.

Connor had fought his share of wizards and although most of them had been on the weaker end, he'd never encountered one like Erik. Especially not one that could cast without so much as a single word of power.

The ship jerked to one side and Connor stumbled as did everyone else. One of the crewmen failed to regain his balance and fell hard on the slick deck. A glowing orb slipped from the man's fingers and rolled across the deck ahead of him.

"What are those elementals playing at?" Erik spat.

The ship bucked from below with a bone-rattling thump that made Connor's teeth ache.

The deck fell silent. Even the storm suddenly sounded far away as every man on board halted for just an instant... no doubt all coming to the same conclusion at once.

"That ain't no wave, milord," said the newly promoted captain with fear in his voice, "Man the ballistae! Ready the spears! Get those lights off my deck now!"

The crewmen and even Erik paid no attention to Connor or Adelia now. Instead, they scrambled to tear canvas off the impressive weapons and load them as several others distributed long, enchanted spears among the crew.

The water around the ship churned as though boiling as something worked the ocean into a froth.

Connor swallowed hard. He'd intended to be long gone by the time anything was attracted by the blood and soft light of the glowing orbs... and he found himself wondering just what the spectacular display thousands of times brighter than that had drawn to them.

We must've blazed like a beacon for miles, Connor thought.

He pulled Adelia tighter against him and scanned the frothing waters for any threats. He thought of going beneath the deck, but it seemed wiser to stand around the weapons, sailors, and the relative safety of Erik's power.

Erik did seem to want them unharmed, after all.

Lightning flashed, revealing large, glistening frills poking above the surface of the dark water. Each as large as a ship's sails. Connor saw more frills on either side of the ship, stretching into the distance as though the ship rested above a mountain range.

The ship lurched again, pulled unnaturally in the waves. Ocean water sprayed over the deck and wood creaked.

Several sailors swore. Connor glanced down at Adelia, wishing she'd wake, but her eyes remained closed.

"Steady, men. Whatever happens, we'll handle it," said the newly promoted captain.

A massive serpentine head rose up out of the water on a long, sinuous neck with frills running down its spine. It stretched high into the air until it loomed over them like a tower.

"Gods preserve us... a sea serpent," muttered one of the sailors.

Ocean water streamed down from the serpent like a waterfall as its tongue flicked out and its utterly black eyes regarded them. The soft glow of the orbs reflected in those dark eyes like glittering stars as the men carrying them stood frozen with fear.