spare time

here we gooooo

I stand on the bow of my beast. Beneath the moon, white furs swathe my body, a piece of steel, a twisted blade strapped to my hip. This is my life. A smile finds its way across my face as the cold sea kisses my very soul, her salty spray upon the wind's might. I notice a large rock off the port bow, did it move?...but bliss clouds my mind. Must be nothing.

I remember being young and I stood on the front of the ship with my father, who was captain.

I walk to the doors that lead to the belly of my vessel, the old wood of the deck creaks under my boots. The days when I ran through those door and played on the deck may have passed but I can't help but smile at the memories. I pull on the iron handle and the hinges release a small cry, this ship has a voice of her own. The clatter of the men roar, inaudible above deck. I grew up with them they raised me, taught me to fight, to dance, to sing, to tell stories...I know that it is childish to love stories but I still do, no matter what.

I turn the corner at the bottom of the stairs a large man cloaked in the skin of a bear tackles me and tosses me onto a table and the shouting only grows as he calls me to their attention, the man who had thrown me is Skuld a good friend of my father. He is a monster on the battlefield. But when he is on your side he is the most loyal out of anyone. He is covered with scars and his nose is crooked from being broken and reset so many times. He is so tall he has to duck to get in most doors and has the strength of four men his long blonde hair is tucked into a braid

"There is the captain of our graceful monster!" he bellows

The men howl traditionally. My name is Crӧm I am young about 16-17 winters old I may be thin but I can take almost anyone in a fight even at my age. But I look different from the rest of the crew, like my father I have black hair and blue eyes. I inherited the title of captain. The Wolf's Blood is Ostman warship. My ship. Armed from bow to stern, absolutely unstoppable...

The ship is hit, dislodging everyone and forcing them onto their knees Skuld is on his feet first, he drags me to mine.

"What was that?" I ask on the way up the old stairs feeling more thuds.

"I don't know but it was big." he says still on my heels.

I hear the other men start up the stair as I pause at the door, It could be an Anglo ship, but how did it sneak up on us I was just above deck not five minutes ago I think but as I open the door a wave of ice cold water drenches me pushing me back, I find my ground. I step out to see a colossal figure pulling itself over the port bow, the torso of a man, the head as well as the hips and below, an eel.

Its oily gray skin glistens under the moon it pulls itself further onto the deck, crunching wood in its grasp as it drags itself towards us, I draw my sword. What is that thing?! I'm terrified. But I can't show that.

"MAY THE SIX HAVE MERCY FOR WE WILL NOT!" I shout hoping to sound nearly half as powerful as my father and I drive my blade into one of its wretched hands. A cry emanates from its maw as it swings at me with its other claw clenched in a fist. My men already dotting its skin with arrows. I pull my blade back trying to figure out a way to bring down the beast... Think! Think! Think! I continue to slash away, dodging strikes as I hack at it, but as it pulls it mass on the deck Isee the water rise, it's too heavy... it'll sink us! many tales regale a hero jumping into a monster's jaws and striking its brain through the top of its mouth...No that's ridiculous there is no way I could do that...how would I even get up there... a memory flashes of Skuld throwing a fully grown man like a child maybe a week earlier.

"SKULD!" I yell not seeing the mammoth of a man.

"AYE!" I hear him bellow to my left.

"THROW ME AT IT!" by the Six... I'm a mad man