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Until now.

Until it turns its head towards me, and though it has only empty sockets for eyes, I know it sees me.

And it wants me.

Ohhellno.

I immediately grab my sword, holding it at my side while silently willing the boat to move faster. Thankfully, the boat seems to pick up speed, and the giant deer creature on the riverbank doesn’t come after me. It just stares in my direction, and I get this feeling of crawling, buzzing insects in the back of my head.

What the fuck is that?I think, afraid to take my eyes off it. I watch it carefully until the boat goes around a bend in the river, and it disappears from view.

My whole life in this land, I’ve never seen something like that before. I haven’t even heard about anything like that, not unless someone was talking about the Old Gods…

I give my head a shake.

No.

There is a rational explanation for that thing. The Old Gods are dead, and they aren’t coming back, not unless someone raised them.

Someone like my mother…

Thud.

Suddenly, the boat comes to a stop, and I go flying down against the bow, nearly dropping my sword in the water. I straighten up and look around wildly. Did I hit a log? A sandbar? The boat isn’t moving at all.

I look over the edge of the water, but I don’t see anything in the murky darkness.

Wait.

A flash of something white and red.

Bones?

Blood?

Please don’t tell me today is the day one of Vellamo’s sea serpent monsters finally decides to have fun with me. I haveimmunity with the creatures of the sea, and normally they’re not found this far up the river, but?—

Thud.

The boat shakes violently, and I almost lose my balance.

I whirl around, my sword drawn.

I see six white claws wrap around the end of the boat, each claw the size of my forearm, then another six claws beside it, digging into the wood and making it splinter.

I gulp, the sword starting to shake in my hand.

Vellamo!I call out in my mind, hoping she can hear me.I need a little help. One of your sea creatures is misbehaving!

But then it pulls itself up.

And it’s not a sea creature at all.

It’s a giant beast with the face of a snouted creature, a row of serrated teeth at the end, like a crocodile if it were covered in matted red fur.

“Let my ship go!” I yell at the creature, surprised at the bravery in my voice.

Tiny yellow eyes blink at me from deep in the fur, like egg yolks in pools of blood.