Falling For The First Mate

Chapter 25

On deck, hell didn’t just break loose. No, it shattered the locks and obliterated the cage.

Men held tight to the railings, pale as death with eyes that stared at nothing. Others ran from port to starboard, grabbing frantically for the shoulders of their crewmates and attempting to drag them from the sides. Screams pierced the still afternoon air and the burn of the blistering sun intensified the mayhem. But the most horrific of sights was not aboard the boat, but rather surrounding it in a vicious circle.

Floating just beneath the protection of the roiling waves, there was a layer of brown, pleated rock deforming the way ahead. Captain Silvestre was at the helm, attempting to steer the straight course between the Dual Islands, but his frightened eyes seemed as trapped as the rudder as he focused only on what lay beneath his precious Maelstrom.

Every few moments, a part of the surface would shudder and writhe, tearing away to spring forth from the water and display a bountiful treasure- a pearl the size of Evanora’s head.

Clams, she realised. The boat was under attack by giant clams.

The inside of each clam indeed held treasure beyond the imagination of any man- untold riches and glory for certain, should someone be able to secure such a gem. However, lining the mouths of the Tridacna Imago, as Eric had called them, were countless rows of jagged teeth, each as sharp as the point of a needle and deadly as such.

Evanora was sure that no man in his right mind would dare to approach such a death trap, so as she witnessed one of the crew dive overboard and straight into a pair of gaping jaws, she could do nothing but scream in horror. The mouth clamped shut and the man became no more than a lingering strangled cry.

What was more, he wasn’t the only one.

Scarlet blood oozed from the mouths of the Tridacna Imago, tinting the nearby water a revolting shade of red.

“What are they doing?” Evanora shrieked at Kade, who stood rigid at her side, unable to comprehend such devastation. “Why are they diving in?”

Kade’s face drained of colour as if his own blood had left his body to linger with that of his lost crew. He turned to Evanora suddenly, stricken with concern as he forced her to look at him.

“Listen to me.” he commanded, openly afraid. His shaking gave away his fear as he firmly cupped her face in his hands and drew it closer to his own. “Do not look at them, do you understand? Never look over the side or they’ll get you too.”

“How?” Evanora’s voice trembled as yet another man fell victim to the clashing jaws of the Tridacna Imago. His blood sprayed above the side of the boat, splattering like burgundy paint all over the remaining crew. The men at the railing did not even seem to notice; their faces were still blank and filled only with grief at whatever their imagination conjured.

“You’ll see things that aren’t there.” Kade explained, shoving her towards the mast where he dropped her hand to grab at the rope beneath his feet. “The Tridacna Imago are masters of hallucination. Whatever will make you dive in, they will show you.”

Evanora could not tear her eyes away. As much as the sight, sound and stench of death would remain in her memory as a permanent scar, she could not seem to close her eyes to the disarray. Over the side, men attempted escape, their projected visions faded, only to be ground to pieces by sharpened teeth and suffocating pressure. Shrieks ensued as limbs were lost and organs pierced; the desperate men were left to cry for help that would never come.

As Evanora watched, amidst the chaos she saw another clam burst open and reveal its glorious prize. But the image was there for only a brief second, because soon after she saw something entirely different, something that made her heart race and hope soar within her chest.